I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas. Spend the next few days celebrating life, love, and family! I know I will.
Peace be upon you all in this Holiday Season.
Blessings!
I will be back online some time before the new year...
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas in the End Times?
The rider upon the White Horse, sent out to conquest with the Standard of YHWH, not a bow as a weapon (a mistranslation)... the first seal reveals the conquest of the earth by peaceful means of ministry - sharing the truth of the Word of YHWH. The rider on the white horse is the beacon of truth in the Teachings of the King of Israel, the Son of YWHW, Yashuah Messiah, the Christ... it is the truth of Christ's Teachings - the conquest of peace throughout the world, the peace in knowing YHWH.
The rider upon the Red Horse spread knowledge to men about war and filled their hearts with the want to war. War was spread across the globe a hundred years ago, on a global level - and since the start of the great wars, man has perfected the art of war so much that peace is removed from the earth - all nations now must have armies of men ready to war - and there have been continued conflicts of massive war for over a hundred years... This rider was most effective.
The rider upon the Black Horse spread famine throughout the world... food rationed - lacking for large parts of the world. There is no shortage of food in the world, thanks to the United States - but there is a distribution problem - the UN Food program is largely ineffective, and areas where the food is most needed, food is often seized by warring factions - food as a weapon... more than the rider on the Black Horse could have dreamed of!
The rider upon the sickly Green Horse is Death, and death came to the lands of the world - Death by war, hunger, and sicknesses that are unstoppable. Death is upon the land, we are living in an age of death. The four spirits of heaven - the four horsemen - have ridden on the face of the earth, and in the bodies of men.
Is the book of Revelation the "ravings of a lunatic" - as Thomas Jefferson would have you believe? Is it a parable for the signs of the coming of the New Temple - YHWH's return to earth? Or is it a message to a warning of the self fulfilling prophecy of the end of civilization?
Some believe that we are living in the end times, as prophesized by John, others disagree. I would argue that there is compelling evidence to suggest that we are dangerously close to apocalyptic times... there are signs all around.
So why mix the end times with Christmas?
For a simple reason - faith and family.
Christmas may not be a holiday required in the commandments - but it is a time to remember the commandments. It is the time to prepare our souls - a reminder that we are to live Halleluyah, every day in praise to YHWH. It is not a day to covet, not a day to be gluttonous, not a day for pride, nor for sloth... it is a day to remind us of the sacrifices that YHWH has made on our behalf - that we could see the truth. Keep not just the holidays holy, but all days Holy in your heart... rest on the sabbath, rest on the day of remembrance - and use this time to reflect on the teachings of the gospel, the Word of YHWH, and to love your family with all your hearts.
In the worst of times, or the best of times, it is most important to keep the Word, and to live every day in Praise...
The end times are times to be feared - times of uncertainty... but there is hope in the hearts of all who seek the truth, the true Word.
Let not your hearts be troubled... Enjoy the Holy times. Live in praise - rejoice in YHWH.
And have a Merry Christmas!
The rider upon the Red Horse spread knowledge to men about war and filled their hearts with the want to war. War was spread across the globe a hundred years ago, on a global level - and since the start of the great wars, man has perfected the art of war so much that peace is removed from the earth - all nations now must have armies of men ready to war - and there have been continued conflicts of massive war for over a hundred years... This rider was most effective.
The rider upon the Black Horse spread famine throughout the world... food rationed - lacking for large parts of the world. There is no shortage of food in the world, thanks to the United States - but there is a distribution problem - the UN Food program is largely ineffective, and areas where the food is most needed, food is often seized by warring factions - food as a weapon... more than the rider on the Black Horse could have dreamed of!
The rider upon the sickly Green Horse is Death, and death came to the lands of the world - Death by war, hunger, and sicknesses that are unstoppable. Death is upon the land, we are living in an age of death. The four spirits of heaven - the four horsemen - have ridden on the face of the earth, and in the bodies of men.
Is the book of Revelation the "ravings of a lunatic" - as Thomas Jefferson would have you believe? Is it a parable for the signs of the coming of the New Temple - YHWH's return to earth? Or is it a message to a warning of the self fulfilling prophecy of the end of civilization?
Some believe that we are living in the end times, as prophesized by John, others disagree. I would argue that there is compelling evidence to suggest that we are dangerously close to apocalyptic times... there are signs all around.
So why mix the end times with Christmas?
For a simple reason - faith and family.
Christmas may not be a holiday required in the commandments - but it is a time to remember the commandments. It is the time to prepare our souls - a reminder that we are to live Halleluyah, every day in praise to YHWH. It is not a day to covet, not a day to be gluttonous, not a day for pride, nor for sloth... it is a day to remind us of the sacrifices that YHWH has made on our behalf - that we could see the truth. Keep not just the holidays holy, but all days Holy in your heart... rest on the sabbath, rest on the day of remembrance - and use this time to reflect on the teachings of the gospel, the Word of YHWH, and to love your family with all your hearts.
In the worst of times, or the best of times, it is most important to keep the Word, and to live every day in Praise...
The end times are times to be feared - times of uncertainty... but there is hope in the hearts of all who seek the truth, the true Word.
Let not your hearts be troubled... Enjoy the Holy times. Live in praise - rejoice in YHWH.
And have a Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Archbishop of Canterbury: The Nativity is merely a Legend
The Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury has officially stated that the story of the Nativity is nothing more than a legend, with no facts to support the Magi as kings, the winter Birth, or the Virgin Birth.
He added that Christmas was set in winter because it fit with the traditional Winter Festivals, and that new Christians need not buy into the legends of Christianity to be accepted into the church.
My hat comes off to this man.
Christianity, and the belief in God in general, is not about legends and myths. We should search for the truth in the faith, and restore credibility to faith and religion as a whole.
His speaking out is in direct attack of the commercialization of this religious holiday, that of the imagery of the nativity.
What we should be celebrating is the enlightened compact between the Father and Man, that if we follow in the footsteps of the Savior, we too shall find peace in our hearts, in our souls, and a place in Heaven (or peace in the afterlife... however you choose to look at it).
Thoughts, comments?
He added that Christmas was set in winter because it fit with the traditional Winter Festivals, and that new Christians need not buy into the legends of Christianity to be accepted into the church.
My hat comes off to this man.
Christianity, and the belief in God in general, is not about legends and myths. We should search for the truth in the faith, and restore credibility to faith and religion as a whole.
His speaking out is in direct attack of the commercialization of this religious holiday, that of the imagery of the nativity.
What we should be celebrating is the enlightened compact between the Father and Man, that if we follow in the footsteps of the Savior, we too shall find peace in our hearts, in our souls, and a place in Heaven (or peace in the afterlife... however you choose to look at it).
Thoughts, comments?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Oh, Christmas Feud... and the effects of Negative Campaigning
As I have said in previous posts, there is little time to make big gains in Iowa and the other early states. The front-loading of the process has made Christmas time the prime time to campaign... however, it is the one time of the year that the Iowans are not interested in campaigns... they have made up their minds... or they just want to be left alone for the time being.
So why has the campaign of Romney released two new ads attacking Huckabee, to be aired during the campaigning cease-fire? And how does that make the people of Iowa view him?
Mike Huckabee also released an ad to be aired in the early states over the Christmas cease-fire. How might this ad make voters view him?
When it comes down to it, I have to ask myself which candidate is acting more presidential, taking the higher road, and trying to better define himself instead of running negative ads against someone else. When it comes down to judgement, who is making the better choice? Think of what Christmas means to you, and then imagine sitting down to watch a re-run of "The Christmas Story" with your family... Then both of these ads pop up during a commercial break... which one do you want to share with your family? Which one makes you listen, and say, "Oh... thanks for the Christmas message".
And now, the effects of Negative Campaigning... I will keep this short...
For starters, There has been one candidate who has consistently used negative advertising in their campaign. I am not going to name names, I will let you figure that out. So what does that tell you about the candidate? Perhaps it implies that their record or message is not strong enough to support itself, so they must try to tear down the other campaigns.
But what else does it do? It puts hate into the heart of that candidates supporters. They begin attacking, sometimes viciously, the other candidates. It invokes negative emotions, and the people are left to act on these sometimes strong emotions... It destroys the base support, and distracts from the candidates ability to distinguish themselves in a positive light.
It also should be noted that this is the Primary season... this is not the time to be filling the hearts of the party's base with hate and anger in an attempt to build up one candidate over another. Once the primary season is over, and the negative candidate has lost (for example), their supporters are so angry at the other candidates that they refuse to be part of the party, and they refuse to vote, refuse to support the party and vote third party, or worse: they support the opposing party just out of spite.
Negative campaigning is a poison, and we have a personal responsibility to insist that candidates maintain campaigns that stick to the moral high ground. We don't need politics as usual... we complain about it year after year. So do something about it, and demand that the candidates STOP negative ads, stop negative campaigns, and run on their merits and records.
What are your thoughts?
So why has the campaign of Romney released two new ads attacking Huckabee, to be aired during the campaigning cease-fire? And how does that make the people of Iowa view him?
Mike Huckabee also released an ad to be aired in the early states over the Christmas cease-fire. How might this ad make voters view him?
When it comes down to it, I have to ask myself which candidate is acting more presidential, taking the higher road, and trying to better define himself instead of running negative ads against someone else. When it comes down to judgement, who is making the better choice? Think of what Christmas means to you, and then imagine sitting down to watch a re-run of "The Christmas Story" with your family... Then both of these ads pop up during a commercial break... which one do you want to share with your family? Which one makes you listen, and say, "Oh... thanks for the Christmas message".
And now, the effects of Negative Campaigning... I will keep this short...
For starters, There has been one candidate who has consistently used negative advertising in their campaign. I am not going to name names, I will let you figure that out. So what does that tell you about the candidate? Perhaps it implies that their record or message is not strong enough to support itself, so they must try to tear down the other campaigns.
But what else does it do? It puts hate into the heart of that candidates supporters. They begin attacking, sometimes viciously, the other candidates. It invokes negative emotions, and the people are left to act on these sometimes strong emotions... It destroys the base support, and distracts from the candidates ability to distinguish themselves in a positive light.
It also should be noted that this is the Primary season... this is not the time to be filling the hearts of the party's base with hate and anger in an attempt to build up one candidate over another. Once the primary season is over, and the negative candidate has lost (for example), their supporters are so angry at the other candidates that they refuse to be part of the party, and they refuse to vote, refuse to support the party and vote third party, or worse: they support the opposing party just out of spite.
Negative campaigning is a poison, and we have a personal responsibility to insist that candidates maintain campaigns that stick to the moral high ground. We don't need politics as usual... we complain about it year after year. So do something about it, and demand that the candidates STOP negative ads, stop negative campaigns, and run on their merits and records.
What are your thoughts?
Monday, December 17, 2007
A Green Christmas - our obligation to the earth
As we begin the Christmas season, I would like to suggest one or two quick things:
I am a firm believer in personal responsibility, and moral obligation... obligation, in this case, is towards the earth and the future of the earth...
When wrapping your gifts, try to use recycled wrapping paper. If you couldn't, then the next best thing is to sort all your paper into recyclables after your gifts are unwrapped... this extra 5 minute task is one of many small steps you can take to have a greener Christmas!
As well, try turning the heater down by just one degree throughout the day and/or night... You will be amazed at the energy savings. We just got our energy (gas) bill yesterday, and we reduced our gas usage by 20% over the same period last year, with the same average daily temp... 20%, and all we did was adjust the thermostat by 1 degree all day.
It is the little things that make the biggest difference sometimes!
Welcome to winter, and a great Christmas Season!
I am a firm believer in personal responsibility, and moral obligation... obligation, in this case, is towards the earth and the future of the earth...
When wrapping your gifts, try to use recycled wrapping paper. If you couldn't, then the next best thing is to sort all your paper into recyclables after your gifts are unwrapped... this extra 5 minute task is one of many small steps you can take to have a greener Christmas!
As well, try turning the heater down by just one degree throughout the day and/or night... You will be amazed at the energy savings. We just got our energy (gas) bill yesterday, and we reduced our gas usage by 20% over the same period last year, with the same average daily temp... 20%, and all we did was adjust the thermostat by 1 degree all day.
It is the little things that make the biggest difference sometimes!
Welcome to winter, and a great Christmas Season!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
In My Back Yard...
Yesterday, a coal train overturned dumping 25 cars, each carrying 150 tons of coal... all right down the road from my home. Just after the coal train derailed, an RTD light rail commuter train collided with the wreckage. Luckily no-one was hurt!
But there is a more serious concern here: 25 cars of Coal, each with 150 tons... That is 2750 tons, or 5.5 million pounds of coal!
And somewhere this Christmas, a LOT of naughty kids will have empty stockings!
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