UK Woman Throws Cat in Trash

"A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,

But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel." Proverbs 12:10

Obama Vs. Keyes

If you haven't seen this, it's worth the watch. Go Keyes.

Enter to Win a Unique Necklace...

This is a bit of a different give away this month. I typically give away tracts, books, handbags, DVD's or audio messages but this time one of you will win this beautiful handcrafted butterfly necklace made by Melissa Williams Netherton. All of Melissa's pieces have their own unique characteristics, meaning you will receive a truly one of a kind creation. Melissa contacted me recently and when she said she'd like to donate a necklace I was thrilled. Her work is wonderful and best of all, she loves the Lord and when she ships it off to you she will be throwing in gospel tracts!

Visit her website and see more of her creations at Zedena Designs!

Here's what to do to win:

There will be 1 winner!

There are 2 Ways to enter your name in the drawing...

1. For 2 entries, post this give away on your website, blog, or social networking site.

2. For 1 entry, simply enter your name below (in the comment section) and a way for me to contact you if you win.

Contest ends Sunday, Sept 5 2010. Open to US residents only.

I will randomly pick 1 name and the winner will be announced on Labor Day: Monday, Sept 6 2010!

Lyrics that aren't empty

Shortly after I got saved, I was still listening to secular rap music. God was still doing a lot of sanctification in my heart and this was one area I hadn’t given up. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t show you all of your sin at once?

It was an early school morning and I picked up my friend at her house then headed to school. She was a very strong Christian. Her dad was a pastor her whole life and she grew up in the church. She had been walking with the Lord for many years.

I had the Inland Empires “hottest music” (99.1 KGGI) blaring in the car. My friend jumped in the car and off we went. I noticed that she was abnormally quiet. Then all of a sudden – in the voice that she uses when something is seriously wrong – she put her hand on the dial and turned the music down.

She looked at me and said, “Trish, why do you listen to this?”

“Hmmm…I just really like the beat.” I explained.

“Well, do you listen to the words?” She inquired.

“Well, I’m not sure. I just really like the beat.” I assured her.

“Then, how come you know all the words?” She questioned.

“I have a challenge for you, Trish.”

“Okay…”

“I want you to listen to nothing but Christian music for a week straight and listen to the words. Pay attention to them. I know you might not like the beat but just listen to the words and see how they glorify God. Are you up for that?” She asked.

“It’s a deal.” We both smiled.

From that point forward I have listened to God-honoring music. My eyes were opened to how worldly the songs were that I soaking my self in. I’m so glad that God uses friends in our lives to sharpen us.

The sound of a song is important but the most important thing for me now is the lyrics. What is it that the artist is communicating? And is it theologically sound? Does it honor God or does it glorify man? We have to ask these questions even if we are tuned into a Christian station. Not all Christian stations play music that are biblically sound. Does it have depth to it or is it like eating chips for dinner instead of a nice steak and green beans on the side with a baked potato covered with butter and sour cream. The chips don’t satisfy. They are empty calories. They have no real substance. Much of the music today is fluff. Imagine eating cotton candy for dinner. It might taste good at first but give it a few minutes and you’re certain to have a stomach ache. You get the point.

Music that is the most packed with theological truth will unfortunately not be found on your local Christian radio station. They aren’t playing it. Instead you have to find out about it by word of mouth or by going online. And it’s not the genre of music you’d expect. It’s not rock music, or classical. I’m not talking about hymns or anything like that…it’s rap!

That’s how I found out about Shai Linne. Someone at church told me about a song called “Tesify” and I emailed Shai Linne’s management group because I liked the song so much and wanted to use it on my witnessing videos and his label gave me permission to use it. You can see the video here and hear the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxfxS_JHC2w)

Maybe you don’t care for rap or perhaps you can’t stand it. And then again, there might be those of you that love it. I’d encourage you to put your presuppositions aside and listen to this song. Someone recently sent it to me. Then I sent it to my husband and it was blaring in the house. I even think Baby Sue liked it (by the way, she is still alive and doing well - praise be to God).

I thank God for new upcoming rap artists that have very strong theological convictions and are producing songs with incredibly creative lyrics. Just imagine if you memorized one of the songs – you’d have a lot of sound doctrine in your head.

A good quote to think about...

“As a believer’s life is very different from an unbeliever’s life, so also a believer’s death is very different from an unbeliever’s death. The unbeliever prefers Heaven over Hell; the believer prefers Heaven over this earth. The unbeliever prefers Heaven only over Hell because he cannot imagine anything more blessed than this life. The believer prefers Heaven over earth, because the believer cannot imagine anything more blessed than life with God.” Author unknown (I took this from a book from Ligon Duncan)

If anyone can find who said this that would be cool...

It's a good thing I ride my bike after midnight

Emilio and I typically walk our dog Baby Sue each night after midnight. We have strange hours. We both work from home so we can get away with it.

Tonight we decided go for a short bike ride in our housing tract after we walked Baby. We went a different way than normal and noticed a strange smell as we were coming up to a home that was on the outskirts of our community. "The house is on fire!" I yelled to Emilio.

Emilio jumped off his bike and began ringing the doorbell profusely. He couldn't tell where the smoke was coming from. "Stay back!" He said to me.

A minute later, a lady, her child and dog came out. She had no idea what was going on. "Your house is on fire, ma'am!" He exclaimed.

Emilio found that the outside garage floodlight had fallen and caught the sod on fire. He ran from one side of the house to the other. "Where's your hose, ma'am?"

Thankfully we got there when the fire just began. Smoke was quickly filling the air. He put the fire out and the fire department was there within minutes. If it wasn't for the grace of God the house might have went up in flames tonight.

That quick death can snatch us. We must be ready to meet our Maker. In Jonathan Edward's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" he aptly describes the transitory nature of life:

"It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. It is no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he does not see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances."

Ray Comfort gives us insight on the unbelievers view of death, "Sinners are often shocked when death comes close to them. It’s as though they had never taken the time to face reality. One of the first signs of an awakening soul is that they face their own mortality--that life itself is a slippery place."

Life is slippery. You don't know what today will hold. But for the Christian, we know Who holds today. God is in control and does all things for His Glory and for the believers good. If you've been born again, you can trust that God will work out everything for the good in your life. He will bring beauty out of every trial. There is security for you in Jesus Christ. He is a strong tower for you.

If you are reading this and you have not repented and turned from your sins and received Christ as your Savior, please don't wait another minute to be reconciled to God, tonight. Fling yourself on the mercy of God. It's not too late.

Enter to WIN the Mysterious Islands DVD

This is such a good DVD. My husband and I watched it as soon as it was released and I immediately purchased two copies, one for one of you and one to keep in my library and I'm just now finally getting around to giving it away.

If you're not familiar with the film it's full of adventure as you journey to the Galapagos Islands with Doug Phillips and his 16-year-old son Joshua Phillips, plus Dr. John Morris as they reveal Darwin's errors and prove that the creatures on this remote island chain actually support the biblical creation account. This is a film for the whole family. It's a beautifully filmed documentary featuring white-tip sharks, lava fields, salt-spitting marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and much more. 90 minutes.

Here's what to do to win:

There will be 1 winner!

There are 2 Ways to enter your name in the drawing...

1. For 2 entries, post this give away on your website, blog, or social networking site.

2. For 1 entry, simply enter your name below (in the comment section) and a way for me to contact you if you win.

Contest ends Monday, Aug 16 2010. Open to US residents only.

I will randomly pick 1 name and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, Aug 17, 2010!

If you don't win and would like a copy there are a few places you can purchase "The Mysterious Islands DVD" you can do so here: Vision Forum