Sat May200916 |
398
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Michael Andrzejewski
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 Nina and I have a friend – sounds like the start of a bad joke doesn't it? Shocking as it is, we have more than one, but this particular friend is going through an unusually difficult time right now. Almost constantly, for the last several years, her family has been served tragedy and hardship with a side of grief. They have continued to put one foot in front of the other each day, at times stopping simply to ask – why? Casualties have abounded and shame has been an unwelcome yet frequent house guest.
For the record, let it be said that last year irritated so many like a bad boil. It festered and oozed and only seemed to worsen with its ever-maddening pain. Thank the Lord that just before midnight last Wednesday it finally popped. Her struggles began before 2008 and sadly may last through 2009.
When she called last week, her first words were, “I need help.” No, "Hello, how are you?" Just, “I need help.” She began to pour out her heart to us and with a shaky voice while quickly wiping away tears she continued, saying, “I just don't have any faith.”
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Sat May200902 |
473
(1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Michael Andrzejewski
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 I consider myself to be like most American citizens. Contrary to what the national news media portrays, I believe that most Americans families, while flawed, still retain some core values. I understand that we are on a downhill slide morally and we are losing our children with breaknecking speed; however, I still cling to the somewhat antiquated idea of the quiet, small town American family who leads a typical, traditional life.
I don't believe that everyone has a meth lab in their basement. Neither do I believe that most postal workers live with suppressed and untreated psychotic tendencies, just waiting to slaughter unsuspecting patrons and co-workers.
No, deep down I hold the conviction that most Americans believe in God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that is taught in Sunday schools around the country. I trust that most Americans want a job, and a home, and a family, and I trust that most of us want to work for those things. I dare say that most Americans hold dear fireworks on the 4th of July, homemade apple pie, and mom.
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| One of the phrases frequently attacked in the King James Bible is "God save the king".
A modern version proponent recently wrote our Which Version club with the following criticism.
"There is another set of passages in which the King James Version translators used a dynamic equivalence method in which they inserted God's name where it is not in the original. This is in the phrases "God save the king" and "God save king [king's name]" in 1 Samuel 10:24; 2 Samue16:16; 1 Kings 1:25,1 Kings 1:34, 1 Kings 1:39, 2 Kings 11:12; and 2 Chronicles 23:11.
This person then goes on to say that the King James translation of "God save the king" is "DEPLORABLE" because 1. a literal, word-for-word translation method was not used 2.the translators used colloquialism and idiom 3.they deceive the reader into thinking that these words are in the original 4.they take God's name in vain.
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Sun Apr200926 |
472
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Michael Andrzejewski
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 Coward. That's what the Attorney General of the United States just called you. A coward. No, you're not the only one who lacks the courage to do something unpleasant. Apparently the entire nation is, and just to make sure that he topped the icing with a nice red cherry, he also denigrated over 200 years worth of our majestic heritage. His words are forthcoming, but I want to make sure that you understand that in the mind of Mr. Eric Holder, the greatest nation on the planet is made up of a bunch of milquetoasts.
He must have gone to the same history class as our finally-proud-of-my-country First Lady. His exact words, according to an AP story were, “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.” He said, “we have always been” cowards.
Besides being both childish and elitist, I think it was a good strategy. I mean, didn't schoolyard insults always promote tolerance in your neighborhood?
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Fri Apr200924 |
538
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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 Is the word "unicorn" an erroneous translation in the King James Bible? The English word unicorn occurs nine times in the KJB, and is found in Numbers 23:22; 24:8; Deut. 33:17; Job 39:9,10; Psalms 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; and Isaiah 34:7. It is translated from the Hebrew word reem, which comes from a verb used only once, and found in Zechariah 14:10 "Jerusalem, and ‘it shall be lifted up' and inhabited in her place." This animal is characterized by something lifted up or high and in a prominent position. It is very strong - "God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn." Num. 23:22. It is also used in a symbolic way in our Lord's prophetic prayer as recorded in Psalms 22:21 "Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." There was no literal lion present when Christ died, but Satan, as a roaring lion, was present, for it was his hour and the power of darkness. There were no literal unicorns present either, but they symbolically or spiritually were present and assisted our Lord Jesus in His greatest hour of need.
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Mon Apr200920 |
533
(1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Nicholas Z. Cardot
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 I'm very excited to announce to the Baptist Muse community that we have just moved the site to a new server. We perviously had this site located on servers that we were renting from Godaddy but there were two main reasons that I've been wanting to move away from them. First, their servers are painfully slow and I'd recieved many, many reports about the time that it takes to load a page on the site. Second, I don't like the promotional efforts of godaddy and I don't want to support their business any longer. Godaddy is run by a man named Bob Parsons who, if I'm not mistaken, was also the creator of QuickVerse Bible software. When I originally selected Godaddy as our hosting company for this site, I thought that I would be supporting a man who creates software that honors Jesus Christ. I have learned that quite the opposite is true. If you visit the Godaddy website you will find a link that says "Too-Hot for TV Internet Only Commercials." Those types of promotions don't get my business. I'm sorry to say that Bob Parsons has come a long way from where he once was and I've taken my our business elsewhere.
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Sat Apr200918 |
471
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Michael Andrzejewski
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 I received a surprise call a few weeks ago on a Monday afternoon from a friend. While I was in my office, I wasn't particularly busy as Mondays normally function as my only real day off. I try to let my mind rest, sort out what happened the previous week and prioritize for the upcoming week.
Pastoring means Saturday is a day of preparation and of course Sunday in the minds of many is the “only day preachers work anyway.” However, immediately after the normal pleasantries, came the question. Not just any question, but the one that sends up the pastoral antennae.
"Pastor, are you very busy?"
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Tue Apr200914 |
529
(1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Nicholas Z. Cardot
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 As I continue to work at Arlington National Cemetery, I often hear amazing stories of love, valor, and heroism. It is no joke that Arlington National Cemetery truly is filled with thousands and thousands of real American heroes. If you are ever in the national capital area, I invite to take a walk through this garden of stones and contemplatively muse over the stories of honor and valor that rest within this place.
Early last spring, in fact, I heard a story that really made me stand in awe at the determination of one such soldier who served in World War II. I had the privilege of driving the chaplain to the funeral that day and his widow shared with the Army Chaplain this amazing story that I will never forget.
Late one night this lady was awakened in the middle of the night. Her husband was overseas fighting for our freedoms during the peak of World War II. She had heard no noise. The phone had not rang. There was nobody at the door. Yet something, she said, had awoken her and her heart was beating fast with worry for her husband.
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Sun Apr200912 |
521
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Nicholas Z. Cardot
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 This is a week in which religion in America will reach its zenith. We have only to look at the daily newspapers to see the enormous emphasis placed on "Holy Week." The god of "church on Sunday and live as you please the rest of the year" will never be more alive and well.
This view of "Easter" would have astounded the early Christians. The followers of Jesus were avowed enemies of institutionalized religion. They had no time for formalism, for pious "Holy Days." Instead, they celebrated the victory of Jesus' risen presence each and every Lord's Day.
It is an insult to Jesus and a shame on our churches that "Resurrection Sunday" has been reduced to a once-a-year solemn ritual. The whole New Testament makes it clear that it is in the Lord's Supper - not in Christmas or Easter - that Jesus seeks to be remembered and honored by His people.
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Fri Apr200910 |
470
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Written by Michael Andrzejewski
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 I'm having a day. I know that we all have them, but today is my day. It's not often that I get to have a day because I live with five women. Their hormones take up too much time and space for any of my fits or tantrums. As the man of the house, I expend all my energy trying to make them whole. On their days, I deal with emotions on steroids and waste time trying fix whatever seems to be broken. One day I'll quit and just empathize.
One day, I'll say that I'm very sorry, tilting my head slightly to one side, give a hug, and never mention a word about trying to remedy anything.Right now though, that goes against every molecule of my manhood. Obviously, there exists precious little time for my complaints.
Ashamed as I am to say it, my problems pale in comparison to so many others. I'm happily married, cancer-free, live in peace, and am on my way to heaven.
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