Justin Bieber's "Holy"

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I saw this pop up in the news feed and I was curious, so I clicked on it.  I really didn't expect to be so touched by it.  What a great video!  A little bit of encouragement in these dark days.  (It premiered 16 hours ago and already has over 8 million views.) 

"Holy" by Justin Bieber

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Tony Evans Preaches on the End Times

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I posted this on another blog in 2018, but it seems like a good time to repost it.  I haven't listened to all of these yet (and there may be repeated info in some of these), but here are some "prophecy and end times" sermons from Tony Evans, my favorite pastor to listen to.   Prophecy & End Times The End Times, the Rapture, and the Church The Coming Tribulation part 1 The Coming Tribulation part 2 Prophecy and the Rapture The Second Coming of Christ part 1 The Second Coming of Christ part 2 The Great White Throne Judgment The Millennial Kingdom What Happens When We Die? The Agony of Hell part 1 The Agony of Hell part 2 What is Heaven? The Glory of Heaven part 1 The Glory of Heaven part 2
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Be Wary Of The Christian Post

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(Written 6/15/18)  Occasionally, I check in with the Christian Post to see what's going on in the world that specifically relates to Christians.  And generally, I've never really had any red flags go up about this website ... until now. A recent article by Stoyan Zaimov, with a title that starts "Christian Lesbian rock star ..." goes on to share this woman's story about being assaulted by a male priest when she was young.   However, I don't think the reason for this article is to talk about the abuse she suffered and her courage in speaking up.  I think this is a deliberate attempt to affirm Christian homosexuality.  The very fact that they put "Christian" and "lesbian" in the title makes it sound like it's indeed possible to be a Christian and a practicing homosexual who sees no need to change. And it seems to me that this article paints her in a heroic light, as though she is in the right and should be applauded and e...
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The Calvinist Gospel Project? (their podcast/the gospel)

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Since I added this update late to the end of my post " The Gospel Project: Calvinist or not? ", I figured I'd repost it here too (with some additional information), in case you missed it: Update: Here's something from Lifeway about (from?) The Gospel Project, answering the question  "How do human actions and God's plans work together? ":   "... God is in complete control over all things. This is what Christians mean when they call God 'sovereign.'...  the Lord’s plans go forward through the choices of human beings as moral agents, including our freely chosen sinful actions!   Everything we do is what we want to do, while also being a part of God’s plan. They are what we want   and   what God wants." To me, this is Calvinism.  It's a little veiled, but it's Calvinism.  It's  saying that all our actions - even our "freely chosen" sins - were wanted, preplanned, caused, controlled by God.   You see, in Calvinism, ...
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Is God Drawing Lines in the Sand (repost)

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(R eposted from a few years ago, updated slightly.  Part of the "End Times" series.) It’s amazing and disturbing how brazen our society is in attacking everything about God and everything He created:  marriage, monogamy, sex, family, sexuality, the scientific reality of gender, morality, modesty, the value of a person, the right to life, the existence of "right and wrong," the Bible, Jesus, and Absolute Truth.  Not to mention God Himself, His very existence. We are destroying everything associated with Him (except nature – we worship that), and then we call ourselves "progressive." But you know what I think about it all?   I think that God is letting it happen because He is drawing lines in the sand.  Through all these divisive issues and all the immorality, God is saying “Pick a side!  I am forcing you to decide which side you want to be on ... because I am coming back soon to take My people out of here.  So I need you all to decide: ...
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Feminism Nonsense (repost)

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(Oh, how we love nonsense in our country!) We women are fighting so hard to be like men, to downplay femininity, to be perceived as more masculine, to overtake any "men's realm" we find.   Because it’s “cool” and “progressive” and “strong.” But do we not realize that we are not “leveling the playing field” so much as we are destroying ourselves , the things that make women special? Women can be strong, too.   And they don’t have to be like men to do it.   Trust me, I know.  I've had four children, one by c-section and three by natural, drug-free homebirth (with over 15 hours of labor for each one).  And then I work in the home every day, all day long.  No pay.  No vacation time.  No weekends off.  No bonuses.  No overtime pay. But I do it because my family and I value my position, my role.  Even if the world doesn't. W e women can be strong and capable and accomplished in our...
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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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My Everyday Prayer (part 3)

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            “Pour out on us Your love, grace, and mercy, for we are bankrupt without these.   Protect us from evil and surround us with Your Heavenly angels, for we are desperate for Your care and protection.   We cannot fight this battle without You!”             I have a hard time praying that God pours out His blessings on us, like the “prosperity gospel” preachers teach.   Instead, I am learning to pray that He helps me be content with the life He has given me, to notice the blessings that are already there.   To find Him in it.
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Christian Testimony: Kyle - "Suicidal Atheist Finds Jesus"

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Instead of reading the depressing news lately, I've been spending some time listening to hope-filled, truth-filled, uplifting testimonies from other Christians online.  It's been far too long since I've heard some good, godly, inspiring life-stories from other believers.  And we could all use every little bit of hope and inspiration and goodness we can get right now.   I really enjoy hearing people's testimonies of when and how they came to the Lord.  I like when they let us deep into their worlds, into their hearts, giving us a full picture of how they were before, what drew them to Jesus, how it affected them, etc.  And this guy's shares it all, from the heart.  I really enjoyed it.   Suicidal Atheist Finds Jesus (22 minutes long, and totally worth it!)   And here is the video of his wife's baptism (the YouTube channel these videos are on is hers).  It's beautiful. [And fyi, linking to someone's testimony does not necessarily mean...
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My "When Anxiety Strikes" Playlist

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In the post "Getting through the 'broken' times," I said that I had made a CD to listen to when anxiety hits.  It has some of my favorite Christian songs on it.   Here are as many of the songs as I could find online, plus some extra.  (Fyi: I couldn't keep the song titles or font sizes looking the same.  Oh well!)  Listen to some of them when anxiety threatens you.  It really does help to hear godly truths spoken out loud (and to speak them out loud yourself).  And personally, I think godly music helps repel evil, giving you some extra spiritual protection when you are most vulnerable.  They don't like to hear God being praised and Truth being sung! (FYI: Videos are constantly being removed from online.  So if the video is no longer available, type in the name and artist and see if you can find it.  I simply can't keep up with replacing links.) From The City Harmonic: Love, Heal Me  - The song that inspired the title o...
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"My Corona Blend": An Essential Oil Blend for Diffusers

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(Great, now I'll be singing "My Sharona" all day!) This is an essential oil blend I made to put in our diffusers at night while we are facing this coronavirus pandemic.  I picked oils that are known for their powerful anti-viral properties, that are good against colds/flu/fever/infectious diseases, that are good for lung/respiratory health, and that help stimulate the immune system.  (I call it "My Corona Blend" for my own reference, but I make no promises about its ability to defeat the Coronavirus.) The smell of oregano and thyme really come through in this.  It smells a bit strong, but pleasant, like a lemon thyme herb plant.  If you want a less oregano/thyme smell, add about half of both of those oils. (Check out safety recommendations for each essential oil to see if they are safe in a diffuser for your family, depending on the age of everyone in your house and whether they have compromised immune systems or not.  And then adjust accordingly, a...
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