A NASCAR Prayer That Got Everyone Talking

You will have to decide for yourself what you think about this.  I, myself, love NASCAR.


NASCAR (The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is a multi-billion dollar business owned and operated by the France family of North Carolina.  The business is stock-car racing.  Something that anyone who watches the races notices immediately is that every NASCAR racing event is begun with a public Christian prayer, usually by a pastor who lives in the community near the racetrack.

This year, in Nashville, Tennessee, a Baptist pastor caused quite a sir with his prayer .  He took quite literally the instructions of 1Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  The phrase, "Boogity, boogity, boogity!" was popularized by retired NASCAR racer, Darrell Waltrip , an outspoken Christian.

Here is the full prayer.

More about Darrell Waltrip:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Waltrip

More about NASCAR:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascar

Hello, Laos!

Hello, Laos!  Welcome to the group of readers from ninety-two other countries who also visit this blog.  I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful.

Unfortunately, the “Translate This Page” gadget directly above the “Total Pageviews” Counter does not have the capability of translating the English text of this blog directly into Lao.

Ninety-three Countries: Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France,  Georgia, Germany,  Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kampuchea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,  Macedonian, Malaysia, Malta,  Mexico,  Moldavia,  Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,  Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam,  Yemen, Zimbabwe.

What They Think of Us: Do We Flaunt Our Christianity for Profit?

The writer of this atheist web page declares that he has grown "tired of remaining silent" and has dedicated himself to attacking "irrational belief," "anti-intellectualism," "Christian extremism," and "anti-Atheist bigotry."  The name of the site is Atheist Revolution.

The writer accuses Christians of flaunting their religion to promote their business interests .   This is a very thinly disguised insult.  Dictionary.com defines "flaunt" as "to parade or display oneself conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly. "  The post writer resents the implication that a Christian business can be assumed to be ethical and trustworthy and that non-Christians cannot.  He also thinks that Christians may have a secret agenda to proselytize their customers.

I have several "OF COURSES" in response.

1.  Assuming that the business owners are not cynical hypocrites who actually are trying to use Christianity as a marketing tool, OF COURSE they wish for prospective clients to know they are a Christian-owned business.  Christians have no reason to hide who they are.  Since making a profit is the basis for being in business, OF COURSE they are trying to make a profit.

2.  OF COURSE Christian-owned businesses should be assumed to be ethical and trustworthy.  If they are not, their owners have some "'splainin' to do."  Non-Christian owned businesses may be ethical and trustworthy; Christians have no monopoly on ethics, and thinking Christians do not make that claim.

3. OF COURSE, Christian business owners would like to share the Gospel with their customers.  That is known as the Great Commission.  It is our primary purpose in life.  It can be furthered by direct evangelism and by the example we present to the world as Christian laypeople.

"Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." Giovanni Francesco Bernardone (aka: St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

4. OF COURSE, Christians are just as intellectually proficient as anyone else.  The charge that Christian belief is irrational or anti-intellectual is, itself, bigotry based on hatred.  The charge is based more on emotion, intellectual arrogance, and snobbery than anything else and ignores the overwhelming documentary, philosophical, historical and scientific evidence that the biblical explanation of things is, at the very least, intellectually defensible.

Akiane Kramarik

You can decide about this for yourself.  I am astounded at the accomplished professional level artwork and intrigued by the story.  It may be true, I hope it is, but our faith must be based on the Bible and Jesus.

Born and raised in an atheist family, little Akiane Kramarik at age four began to have visions of Heaven.  Then she began to draw and paint what she had seen.  She's seventeen now and is still painting.  Her parents have become Christians because of what they have seen.

Here is an interview with Akiane at the age of thirteen.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=MBCC1NNU

And here is a gallery of her art.

http://www.artakiane.com/

Don't be That Guy!

Mukesh Ambani is the second richest man in Asia and the ninth richest man in the world.  He lives in Mumbai, India in a 27-story tower which serves as the personal home of his family (his wife, mother, and three children).  The tower has three helipads.


If you happen to have been blessed by God with wealth, please don't be this man.  Use your wealth for the glory of God, not of yourself. 


"And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.  And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.  And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?  And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;  And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?  And they could not answer him again to these things.
   And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,  When thou art bidden of anyman to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;  And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
  Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.  But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
   And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
   Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:   And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.    And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.   And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.   And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.   So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.   And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.   And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.   For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."  Luke 14:7-24.

They're Not Happy About it!

On Facebook they are buzzing, Stop Unblack Music !  There are calls for Metalheads to unite and fight to the death.  They feel that their musical form is being hijacked by interlopers: Christians!

Black metal, a form of Death metal, is loud, fast, aggressive, hostile, and anti-religious.  Many of the singers actually growl rather than sing.  The music speeds up, then abruptly slows down, then explodes again.  It is obsessed with violence, death, and evil.

The same musical form is used by Unblack metal bands to present Christian messages.  The music sounds the same, but instead of Satan, murder, gore, and sex, the focus is Jesus.  This is apparently greatly resented by Black metal enthusiasts.  The link below is from metalunderground.com.

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=64240  This is disturbing stuff.

My take on the issue is that Christians have every right to be in every corner of the world.  Jesus is the Lord of the Universe and we are His Ambassadors.  Though I am not personally a follower of the Unblack musical form, I believe that it is pleasing to God because its intent is to praise Him.

Music is a thing, neutral in and of itself.  Whether or not it is evil or holy depends on the message placed into it.

Solomon and the Two Mothers

"Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.  And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.   And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
  Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.   And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.   And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.   Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.   Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.   And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment." 1 Kings 3:16-28

Here is an animated version of the incident.

Free Christian Poetry

Here is a site featuring free poetry for use by individuals and churches.  Be sure to carefully read and abide by their stated terms of usage.

Hello,Sudan!

مرحبا ، السودان! مرحبا بكم في مجموعة من القراء 90-1 الدول الأخرى الذين يزورون أيضا هذا بلوق. وآمل أن تجد بعض من وظائف مفيدة أو ذات مغزى.

"ترجم هذه الصفحة" أداة مباشرة فوق "توتال مشاهدة الصفحة" كاونتر لديها القدرة على ترجمة النص الانكليزي من هذا بلوقمباشرة إلى اللغة العربية.


اثنين وتسعين بلدا : الأرجنتين ، أروبا ، استراليا ، النمسا، البحرين ، روسيا البيضاء ، بلجيكا، بليز ، البرازيل، بلغاريا ، كندا، جزر كايمان ، الصين ، جمهورية التشيك، كولومبيا ، الكونغو ، كوستاريكا ، كرواتيا، الجمهورية التشيكية ، الدانمرك، الجمهورية الدومينيكية الجمهورية، اكوادور ، مصر، السلفادور ، استونيا، اثيوبيا ، فنلندا، فرنسا ، جورجيا ، المانيا، اليونان ، هونغ كونغ، هنغاريا ، الهند، اندونيسيا ، ايران، العراق ، إسرائيل ، إيطاليا ، ساحل العاج، اليابان ، الأردن وكمبوديا والكويت ، لاتفيا ،ليتوانيا، لوكسمبورغ ، مقدونيا، ماليزيا ، مالطا، المكسيك ، مولدوفا، المغرب ، ميانمار ، هولندا، نيوزيلندا ، نيجيريا ، النرويج ، باكستان ، بنما، باراغواي ، بيرو، الفلبين ، بولندا، رومانيا ، روسيا، السعودية ، السنغال ، السنغال ، سنغافورة ، سلوفاكيا، سلوفينيا ، جنوب أفريقيا، كوريا الجنوبية ، اسبانيا، سري لانكا ، السودان، السويد ، سويسرا ، تايوان ، تنزانيا، تايلاند ،ترينيداد وتوباغو ، تركيا ، أوغندا ، أوكرانيا ، الإمارات العربية المتحدة ، المملكة المتحدة، الولايات المتحدة الدول ، فنزويلا ، فيتنام، اليمن ، زمبابوي.

General Robert E. Lee on the Bible

"There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible Word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit."  Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870), Commanding general of the Confederate Army of Virginia during the American Civil War.

Approximate Numbers of Christians in Several Countries

These are rough estimates of the number of people in several countries who self identify as Christian. United States of America 243,000,000; Brazil 175,000,000; Mexico 105,000,000; Russia 100,000,000; Philippines 91,000,000; Nigeria 76,000,000; Congo 64,000,000; Italy 55,000,000; Ethiopia 55,000,000; China 54,000,000; Germany 50,000,000; United Kingdom 45,000,000; Colombia 45,000,000; Ukraine 42,000,000; South Africa 40,000,000; Argentina 38,000,000; Poland 37,000,000; Spain 36,000,000; France 35,000,000; Kenya 35,000,000; Canada 22,000,000; South Korea 13,000,000; Vietnam 7,000,000;  Syria 2,000,000; Saudi Arabia 1,000,000; Iraq 1,000,000; Jordan 400,000; Iran 300,000; Libya 60,000; Cambodia 20,000.

The Book of the KIngs of Judah and Israel and The Vision of Isaiah

This post concerns two non-canonical books mentioned in the Bible.  They appear to have been known to the readers of 2 Chronicles.

"Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel." 2 Chronicles 32:32

"And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel."  2 Chronicles  16:11

"Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah."  2 Chronicles 27:7

It is believed by many that The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel is what we now call 1 Kings and 2 Kings.

Hello, Czech Republic!

! Vítejte na skupinu čtenářů devadesát-jedna jiných zemích, kteří Česká republika Dobrý den, navštíví tento blog. Doufám, že vám některé z míst užitečné nebo smysluplné.
"Přeložit tuto stránku" gadget přímo nad "Total Zobrazení stránek" Counter má schopnost překladu anglického textu tohoto blogu přímo do libovolného z vašich jazyky: čeština, bulharština, chorvatština, němčina, řečtina, maďarština, polština, rumunština, ruština , srbské, slovenské a ukrajinské .

Devadesát dvě země: Argentina, Aruba, Austrálie, Rakousko, Bahrain, Bělorusko, Belgie, Belize, Brazílie, Bulharsko, Kanada, Kajmanské ostrovy, Čína, Česká republika, Kolumbie, Konga, Costa Rica, Chorvatsko, Česká republika, Dánsko, Dominikánskárepublika, Ekvádor, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonsko, Etiopie, Finsko, Francie, Gruzie,Německo, Řecko, Hong Kong, Maďarsko, Indie, Indonésie, Írán, Irák, Izrael, Itálie, Pobřeží slonoviny, Japonsko, Jordánsko, Kambodža, Kuvajt , Lotyšsko, Litva, Lucembursko, Makedonie, Malajsie, Malta, Mexiko, Moldávie, Maroko, Myanmar,Nizozemsko, Nový Zéland, Nigérie, Norsko, Pákistán, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Filipíny, Polsko, Rumunsko, Rusko, Saúdská Arábie, Senegal,  Singapur, Slovensko, Slovinsko, Jižní Afrika, Jižní Korea, Španělsko, Srí Lanka, Švédsko, Švýcarsko, Taiwan, Tanzanie, Thajsko, Trinidad a Tobago, Turecko, Uganda, Ukrajina,Spojené arabské emiráty, Spojené království, Spojené státy, Venezuela, Vietnam, Jemen, Zimbabwe.

Campus Crusade for Christ Drops the "Christ" From Its Name

Another organization has done it!  This time, Campus Crusade for Christ !  In early 2012, the organization will become Cru.  Excuse me, but what is a Cru?

“We felt like our name was getting in the way of accomplishing our mission ... proclaiming Christ around the world. ... We were not trying to eliminate the word Christ from our name. We were looking for a name that would most effectively serve our mission and help us take the gospel to the world. Our mission has not changed. Cru enables us to have discussions about Christ with people who might initially be turned off by a more overtly Christian name. We believe that our interaction and our communication with the world will be what ultimately honors and glorifies Christ.”   Steve Sellers, the vice president for Campus Crusade

These people need to be very careful!  In their search for "relevancy," they are stepping very close to the edge.   We need to be more openly proclaiming Christ, not retreating into a stealth campaign. 

"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:33

  

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."  Matthew 7-20-23. 

A Choctaw Hymn

The Choctaw (alternatively spelt as Chahta, Chactas, Chato, Tchakta, Chocktaw, and Chactaw) are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana). The Choctaw language belongs to the Muskogean linguistic group.  There are about 160,000 Choctaws today. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are the two primary Choctaw associations today, although smaller Choctaw groups are located in Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. In World War I, they served in the U.S. military as the first Native American codetalkers, using the Choctaw language as a natural code.

The most notable Choctaw from history is Pushmataha (ca, 1764, Mississippi – d. 1824) Actual Choctaw name: Apushamatahahubi.

The Atheist Stance of Star Trek

These clips make explicit the atheist stance of the Star Trek series of television programs  and films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6NPq_kPSUM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V--v5Ba_cx8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjLGuve3a7w&feature=related

Biblical Sources of Phrases in Common Use: Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

In two places in the Bible, Jesus is recorded as saying that "Man shall not live by bread alone ..."  We have more than merely physical needs.  Jesus said it, but he was quoting from the scriptures.

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

"And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Luke 4:4

"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Literacy in the Biblical Era

There are estimates that the level of literacy among the citizenry during the New Testament period was about ten percent.  Even though most people were illiterate, they were not stupid.  There was a long tradition of oral learning and memorization, producing many competent intellectuals and scholars of the Law.  Presumably, many scribes memorized large portions of the Torah and, at least some could read and write.

Raised in the royal Egyptian household, Moses (ca. 1200 BC/BCE)would have been literate, having received a royal education.

Ezra (5^th century BC/BCE) and his helpers taught the Torah to the Jewish population (Ezra 7:25)  The Torah was taught: Deuteronomy 31:12-13, 2 Chronicles 17:7-9, Nehemiah 8:7-8.

In the Pharisaic tradition, men, including Jesus, a carpenter, would stand and read the scriptures in the synagogue.   John 7:15.  “Never studied” meant that he had no formal training. (Other references to Jesus’ literacy: Luke 4:16-30, John 8:6..)

  

The sign on Jesus’s cross assumed that the people who saw the crucifixion would be able to read it.   It was written in three languages to make sure that everyone could read it. (Mark 15:26, Matthew 27:37, Luke 23:37, John 19:20)

The Jewish historian, Josephus (37 - ?100 AD/CE), spoke about Jewish literacy, “… we pride ourselves on the education of our children … (the Law) orders that (children) shall be taught to read …” (Against Apion 1:12.60 and 2.25.204)

On the question of female literacy in the biblical period, remember that this was a completely male-dominated society.  This is one reason that women were so drawn to the teachings of Jesus: He insisted on treating them as persons.  The early Christians continued this: Paul said there is no Jew nor Greek, no male nor female, no slave nor free.

One estimate has it that “for every five or six men who could read and write, there was one woman who was fully literate.” (David M. Scholer, “Writing and Literature: Greco-Roman”,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, page 1283. Quoted in  JETS 50/4 (December 2007) 747–59, WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SPEECH IN ANTIQUITY, by craig keener*

http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/50/50-4/JETS_50-4_747-759_Keener.pdf

When I was at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Greek scholar and professor, Pastor Frank Stagg, was speaking on the subject of women’s education in biblical times.  While acknowledging that most women of the time were intentionally kept illiterate, Dr. Stagg was sure that many wealthy women were privately educated.  He even discussed the possibility that the reason that the author of the book of Hebrews is not named is that the book was written by a woman.

 

Other interesting links.

“On Ancient Literacy Levels”

http://www.tektonics.org/tsr/tilliteracy.html

Jewish scripture and the literacy of Jesus, Craig A. Evans

http://www.craigaevans.com/evans.pdf

Josephus

http://elfinspell.com/Shotwell11.htm

 Women in Judaism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Judaism

Were there any female writers in the Bible?

http://www.preachitteachit.org/articles-blogs/ask-roger/post/archive/2010/september/article/were-there-any-women-bible-writers/