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I know a guy who says, “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go first.” Unfortunately, that’s probably how most of us, including believers, feel. What if we changed our thinking instead and looked at it exactly the opposite way? Think back to when you were a child anxiously counting the days in anticipation for Christmas or your birthday party or your first trip to Disney…. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I remember as a little girl lying under the tree, staring at the twinkling lights and glistening ornaments. I remember hearing the reindeer on...

Remember the scene near the end of It's a Wonderful Life, where Jimmy Stewart, playing the role of George Bailey, breaks down in a pub, crying out to God in utter despair? (Watch the scene here; fast-forward to the 5:30 mark.) Apparently Stewart wasn't really acting; those tears were real. In this 1977 article that Stewart wrote for Guideposts, the actor recalls that George "is unaware that most of the people in town are arduously praying for him. In this scene, at the lowest point in George Bailey's life, Frank Capra was shooting a long shot of me slumped in...

Foiled Forever by Fossil Finding Last January, Scientific American declared 2009 as “the year of Darwin” in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the revolutionary evolutionist who turned man into a monkey. The celebration is understandable. No thinker has accomplished more to create a cleft between science and religion. No writer has done more to undermine the claim of scripture that man was made in the image and likeness of God. No scholar has forged greater support for moral relativity and modern materialism. His theories are treated as laws; his notions as knowledge; his speculation as science....

President Obama's appointment of Francis Collins to run the National Institutes of Health is significant as a culture war statement. A devout Christian, Collins is one of the foremost advocates for the notion that science and faith are compatible. The former head of the Human Genome Project, Collins is also the author of The Language of God. He's a strong believer but he doesn't let that weaken his scientific rigor (for instance, he's been critical of Creationism and Intelligent Design). Continued

A slew of research shows that America is losing the conservative Christian youth in massive droves. These studies show a generation being increasingly won over to a socialistic/secular-humanistic worldview in spite of the American church increasing their apologetic courses, children's programs, youth rallies and books and sermon series on child training. What is happening? Could it be that we are doing something wrong? I would make the case that we are blatantly sinning in sending our kids to places that are, in fact, causing them to fall away. Let me lay out the case in three simple points. ( SNIP)...

Just a few months before the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a newly released Zogby poll shows that the American public overwhelmingly rejects Darwinian theory in favor of intelligent design. When asked if life developed “through an unguided process of random mutations and natural selection,” a standard definition of Darwinism, only 33 percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement. But 52 percent agreed that “the development of life was guided by intelligent design.” zogby%20graph%206-30-09.bmp The poll results come from one of four questions commissioned by Discovery Institute for a national Zogby telephone survey conducted...

Michael Jackson in 1999. (CNS/Reuters) The Catholic News Service blog spotted this article Michael Jackson wrote for Beliefnet about his upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness and his spiritual beliefs as an adult. In the article, entitled “My Childhood, My Sabbath, My Freedom,” Jackson wrote: When people see the television appearances I made when I was a little boy—8 or 9 years old and just starting off my lifelong music career—they see a little boy with a big smile. They assume that this little boy is smiling because he is joyous, that he is singing his heart out because he is...

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. “BEHOLD MY SERVANT” (Isa. 42:1). Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. . 1:1—8 THE FORERUNNER 1:9—11 THE BAPTISM: WITH WATER 1:12, 13. THE TEMPTATION: (WILDERNESS) 1:14—20 THE KINGDOM } PROCLAIMED 1:21—8:30. THE KING 8:31—10:52 THE KING } REJECTED 11:1—14:25 THE KINGDOM 14:26—42. THE AGONY: IN THE GARDEN 14:43—16:14. THE BAPTISM: OF SUFFERING (DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION). 16:15—20. THE SUCCESSORS. (This Gospel outline wi8ll...

Just when things look hopeless or feeling depress; A hear of this "song of faith" will be your greatest inspiration of your life. Remember this, a prayer day keeps the devil away. Pray and say "Thank You God" God Bless to all of the breathers in the world that stand up with God PS it can make you shed a little tear

Father’s Day invites us to ask a very important question — what does it mean to call God “Father?”Most of the great religions of the world believe in one God and teach the gist of the ten commandments.But that the supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” that he desires us to have a close, familiar relationship with Him — these ideas you don’t find anywhere outside the teaching of Jesus.To call God “Father” does not mean to say, of course, that he is an old man with a white beard. Only the second...

Praise God, that we are saved by grace alone. Works without faith are utterly without merit. This is not merely a Protestant notion. Such has been the persistent teaching of the saints throughout the ages. Yet a whitewashing of Martin Luther has led to many people, even Catholics, fundamentally misunderstanding the Catholic Church's criticism of him. Please understand that what I write here is no ad-hominem attack on Luther for any purpose, including the slander of Protestantism. Attacking the moral character of Martin Luther is gainless, for no-one supposes Luther to be imbued with the gift of infallibility. But when...

Do the names Norma McCorvey or Sarah Weddington mean anything to you? I confess I have known who Norma McCorvey is for several years, but Sarah Weddington was unknown to me. That is no longer true. If you do not know these women and abortion is an important issue for you, you should get acquainted. Last year Planned Parenthood of Montana hosted Sarah Weddington as the keynote speaker at their 5th annual fundraiser. They could have chosen no one more representative of its pro-abortion philosophy than she. Weddington is not just a hero to pro-abortionists she is the hero. It...

David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?" "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered. David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?" Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died. For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the LORD's anointed.'" 1 Samuel 32:13-16 Even though King Saul hated David...

It was June of 2005. I was at the bedside of a dear friend, a faithful and inspiring Catholic. He was dying; just the night before he had received the news that he had less than two weeks to live. The cancer that he fought with such heroic courage had spread throughout his lymph glands. He was preparing for the passing to the Father with the dignity and beauty that authentic Catholic Christian faith can forge in a soul receptive to grace. Jerry lived a full and fascinating life. He was always a staunch and courageous defender of the Catholic...

The sudden crush of worshipers packing the small evangelical Shelter Rock Church in Manhasset, N.Y. — a Long Island hamlet of yacht clubs and hedge fund managers — forced the pastor to set up an overflow room with closed-circuit TV and 100 folding chairs, which have been filled for six Sundays straight. In Seattle, the Mars Hill Church, one of the fastest-growing evangelical churches in the country, grew to 7,000 members this fall, up 1,000 in a year. At the Life Christian Church in West Orange, N.J., prayer requests have doubled — almost all of them aimed at getting or...

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and based on the facts of God’s Word, I DECLARE myself to be FREE INDEED (John 8:36). My liberty is seen in three realms: First, concerning the god of this age, to whom I once belonged, I have been DELIVERED from the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col. 1:13), turned from the power of Satan unto God (Acts 26:18).

"Personal integrity is making a hard decision and sticking with it. It's about digging down deep and holding onto your faith, even when you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel." - Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska "Life will test your integrity. There is a cost for doing what's right." - Todd Palin, First Gentleman of Alaska On September 3, 2008 at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Sarah Palin exploded onto the national political scene as John McCain's surprise pick for running mate. Stepping confidently to the podium-and into the history books-as the GOP's first female...

I have seen articles posted on FR quoting statements of faith by many of our founding fathers and how it influenced their view of governing. Can someone please post some of the most compelling statements as evidence in how their faith played a vital role in their daily lives? It will be much appreciated.

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

Is Christianity Dying in America? Only, perhaps, at the hands of political entanglement. Jon Meacham, following Newsweek's tabloid trash journalistic standards, has completely botched an article on Christianity in America. He slants his report on the latest American Religious Indentification Survey to make is seem as if Christianity is dead in America. He was obviously in over his head, so I won't spend too much time on his pathetic effort. I'll only point out the grossest stupidities. Atheism isn't Overtaking Christianity The survey report concludes that self-identification confusion among deists, atheists, and agnostics clouds the true numbers, but that perhaps...

This Thursday, May 7th, is the National Day of Prayer Most have heard of the "weather prayer" composed by Patton's Third Army Chaplain in WWII, in response to an order issued by the General himself. What wasn't in the movie. Here is an excerpt: "Chaplain, I am a strong believer in Prayer. There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by Praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning, or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that's working. But between the plan and the operation there is always...

For those who were shocked by Obama "faith" advisor Harry Knox knocking the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic men's group, as an "army of oppression," he is not alone. Gay activists are now taking pride in getting Knights charity drives crushed at supermarkets. Metro Weekly, a D.C-based gay "news" magazine, honored a man for his "Storefront Stand" -- he harassed Knights of Columbus volunteers raising funds for the mentally disabled (usually with Tootsie Roll candies) outside a Safeway store in northern Virginia. Allison also succeeded in getting other Knights thrown off one Giant supermarket's property. To passers-by at Safeway, Brad...

“Most people are religious because they’re raised to be. They’re indoctrinated by their parents.” So goes the rationale of my nonreligious friends. Maybe, but a study entitled “Faith in Flux” issued this week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life questioned nearly 3,000 people and found that most children raised unaffiliated with a religion later chose to join one. Indoctrination be damned. By contrast, only 14 percent of those raised Catholic and 13 percent of those raised Protestant later became unaffiliated. (It should be noted that about a quarter of the unaffiliated identified as atheist or agnostic, and...

See Video: http://www.butasforme.com/2009/04/27/miss-california-state-sponsors-told-me-you-need-to-not-talk-about-your-faith/Carrie Prejean said that her state sponsors urged her to apologize afterward [after telling a judge gay people shouldn't marry] but she rejected the advice and says officials from the Miss California USA pageant were worried that her comments would cost their contest financial backing and tried to prepare her for a string of post-pageant media interviews by discouraging her from discussing her religious beliefs. “You need to apologize to the gay community. You need to not talk about your faith. This has everything to do with you representing California and saving the brand,’” Prejean recalled being told....

Obama's Ungodly Youth Corpby OneVikeWhat is it about socialists, that makes them despise religion? It seems that whenever a Socialists wins an election that gives them the ultimate power in a country, the first thing they try to do is remove religion as a force in that society. Oh it's not done in a way that the people realize it is happening. No, it's more covert and insidious in the way it is brought about. Usually it's done right under the noses of the very people who claim their ruler would never do such a thing. In America, religious persecution...

At Sunday night's Miss USA pageant, contestant Carrie Prejean was asked the one question she dreaded most, "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage; do you think every state should follow suit?" Prejean, already crowned Miss California, was considered a front-runner in the Miss USA contest, but she knew her answer to that one question might not sit well with the panel, especially the inquiring judge, openly homosexual celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who calls himself "the queen of all media." "Out of all the topics I studied up on, I dreaded that one; I prayed I...

God & George Washington by: Alanna Hultz, April 21, 2009 In Tara Ross and Joseph C. Smith Junior’s book Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State they discuss George Washington’s view of religion and how it played a role in church and state. They also examine Thomas Jefferson’s views on religion and how they differed from George Washington’s. Ross and Smith believe “George Washington knew that the miraculous care of Providence had enabled him to survive the French and Indian War.” During the war Washington escaped unharmed even though he had 4 bullets in his coat...

STEREO Hunts for Remains of an Ancient Planet near Earth April 9, 2009: NASA's twin STEREO probes are entering a mysterious region of space to look for remains of an ancient planet which once orbited the Sun not far from Earth. If they find anything, it could solve a major puzzle--the origin of the Moon. The name of the planet is Theia," says Mike Kaiser, STEREO project scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center. "It's a hypothetical world. We've never actually seen it, but some researchers believe it existed 4.5 billion years ago—and that it collided with Earth to form...

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11:31 With the exception of possibly Sarah (Hebrews 11:11), Rahab is the only woman listed by name in this long list of Faith Warriors. Rahab was not Jewish, yet she is named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. She was a known prostitute. She lied to the King's men when they came looking for the two spies. Then she asked the spies to have mercy on her and her family because of what she did for them (Joshua 2:12)...

The church I belong to has a unique but incredibly scriptural tradition for this time of year. Most Christians know the stories of the night Jesus was betrayed and “The Passion” by heart , but many (including me for a long time) never took the time to read it in detail. From the scriptures, we can see exactly when Jesus was betrayed, when the Last Supper (Passover) took place, and when Jesus died and was resurrected. It all revolves around the spring Holy Days of the Old Testament, or, more appropriately, God’s Appointed Times. You can see a video series...

Faith has disparagingly been characterized as a "crutch" for "weak minds." And on one real level, that is true: every Christian, for example, in exercising faith, has realized that he or she is a spiritually helpless sinner facing a just, holy and morally perfect God. Christianity has been called the only religion in which one must first claim personally helplessness in order to join. If someone wants to trivialize the faith of the Christian as a "crutch," I cannot help but ultimate affirm the characterization. But, for "weak minds"? There I would profoundly disagree. Faith is not a sign of...

As Christians gather to celebrate Easter this Sunday, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 88% of adults nationwide think the person known to history as Jesus Christ actually walked the earth 2,000 years ago. That’s up five points from a year ago. Today, 5% disagree and 7% are not sure. Eighty-two percent (82%) also believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God who came to Earth and died for our sins. Another 10% think otherwise and 8% aren’t sure. Nearly as many, 79% believe the central claim of the Christian faith--that Jesus Christ rose from the...

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R.-Ind.) is callling on President Obama to withdraw his appointment of a gay activist to the White House advisory council on faith-based programs because the activist has recently called Pope Benedict XVI a “discredited leader” and attacked other Christian leaders. “Appointing a man who has publicly attacked the pope and other religious leaders for their support of traditional marriage is deeply offensive to millions of Americans and the faith-based community he is appointed to serve,” Pence said in a statement. “I call on the president to withdraw this appointment and select a person who...

"The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become."

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. Hebrews 11:24-26 Moses could have chosen the easier route of living in Egypt as royalty and lived quite comfortably all his days. He didn't choose the "path of least resistance," but he chose to...

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. Hebrews 11:23 In Exodus 6:20 we learn Moses' and Aaron's parents' names: Amram and Jochebed. It's probably the first you've heard the names. It's intriguing to me that the book of Hebrews doesn't mention them by name. But that also encourages me that out of the millions of lives in the world, we can remain faceless and God will still know our deeds and our faith. Secondly, those parents knew...

This is a distressing new Gallup poll. It shows that churchgoing Catholics are far more likely to approve of moral behavior (sex between unmarried people, homosexuality, etc.) that their church deems immoral than are churchgoing Protestants. This is a conundrum to me, one I thought about a lot when I was a Catholic, and troubled over. Why is it that Catholics have a Pope and a Magisterium -- a clear teaching authority -- as well as a complex, coherent and profoundly intellectual moral theology ... and yet these things, which ought to give it a tremendous advantage in maintaining the...

Evolutionists Tell Us What Nature Intended April 2, 2009 — Can nature intend anything?  A true materialist lacks access to the concept of purpose and intentionality.  Whatever is, is.  Nevertheless, some staunch evolutionists avail themselves of the purpose-driven life by telling us what evolution intended. Meredith Small tells us on Live Science, for instance, that nature did not intend single parents.  Having become one herself recently, she can vouch for the fact that single parenting is hard.  She used the subject to tell us that evolution intended for us to be social, cooperative creatures.  She got this inspiration not just...

It is with out a doubt that a majority of Americans believe “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1. Unfortunately, most who believe these words cannot answer the questions raised by the thousands of fossils that archeologist's have dug up and claim are millions of years old. ...

Brain-scanning experiments carried out by scientists last week revealed that religious faith is embedded deep within key parts of the brain. This suggests that belief in a higher power evolved at some early point in human history. Scientists argued that it explained the widespread nature of religion among human cultures, but the findings also highlighted a growing tendency for science to be used as a way of attacking religion. It comes at a time when the gulf between science and religion could not seem any wider. ...The mounting debate over evolution and creationism has now left many people asking whether...

Brian Welch of the band Korn, tells of fighting a crystal meth addition and about his new found faith that led him to leave Korn. link is to Brian's video... http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Brian_Welch/

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:17-19 When you first read the story of God coming to Abraham and telling to offer up his son as a sacrifice, you're puzzled by it. For one thing, why would God do ask such a thing?...

For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10 After my first extended visit overseas, I remember flying into San Francisco, my port of entry. I was 23 and had been on my own in England, and was now on my way back to Alaska. I was giddy as we came in to land. The air hostess said this immediately upon touching down, "If this is your first time in America, Welcome to the United States of America. If you are returning, welcome home!" That's it, Welcome Home! It brought...

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 Abraham had no guarantees. Like many of us, he didn't know where he was going, when he'd get there, or what he would experience along the way (Genesis 12). It was certainly a faith journey, especially because he was 75 at the time, and many others also accompanied him (Genesis 12:5). It might have been easy for him to ignore the calling God had on him by making...

Washington, DC -- Several representatives of leading national pro-life groups held a meeting with President Barack Obama's top White House faith office staffer on Tuesday. One participant describes the meeting as polite and cordial, but pro-life groups aren't expecting much from Obama given his pro-abortion record.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:6 It has to be the longest construction project ever: 120 years working on a wooden ship. Noah did it by faith. Up to that point, it had never rained before, so even the concept of rain was foreign to Noah and those who watched him day after day (Genesis 2:5-6). I suspect he was harassed and ridiculed. The people probably laughed...

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 After discussing creation, Cain and Abel, and Enoch as they all relate to faith, the writer of the Book of Hebrews pauses to expound slightly on pleasing God. It's perhaps one of the better known verses in Hebrews. How can we please God? By faith. The two words are as complex as they are short. People have faith in a lot of different things: Some strongly believe that there...

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. Hebrews 11:5 Pleasing God. It's what many of us aspire to do. We yearn for God to find favor in the things we say and do. We long for His approval. Enoch did just that and God commended him for it. Enoch was a unique individual. He was one of three Bible characters (Melchizedek and Elijah were the other two), who...

According to a new study, terminally ill cancer patients who “drew comfort from religion” don’t want to die if they don’t have to. Well, no surprise. But, says the Times, they’re less eager to die than people who don’t draw “comfort from religion.” Well that’s interesting, perhaps, but there is a more important as well as more troubling aspect to the story that’s going unnoticed.The study appears in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston used questionnaires and interviews “to assess the level of reliance on...

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4 Genesis 4. Cain and Abel. Cain brought "the fruit of the land" as an offering and Abel brought the firstborn from the flock of his sheep. Both were probably taught about offerings and the need to bring first fruits or the firstborn. The passage is clear that Abel brought the firstborn while Cain gave some of his fruits and vegetables....