Look

 

All Things New by Dr. D. James Kennedy

Look

Look! I am making all things new.

— Revelation 21:5

Have you noticed that nothing stays new in our world? A new house, a new car, a new pair of pants—it doesn’t take long before they become old, broken, and worn out.

Jesus Christ came to take things that were old, dying, and dead and make them new. Is it any wonder, then, that those who are to be a part of the new kingdom of this great King who makes things new must be “new creatures”?

From the very moment He was born of a virgin, until He was laid in a new tomb, He constantly made things new, even up until now, and will continue to do so through that great climactic day when He says, “Look! I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5a). That is the very essence of Jesus Christ.

The message of Jesus is Good News. He has established a new kingdom into which He introduces only new men who are new creatures—a kingdom which is entered by a new and living way, a kingdom which has new laws, new customs, new riches, a new charter, and a new King as well as new citizens.

Top of Mind

Top of Mind by Bill Wilson

 An I&I/TIPP Poll, conducted from August 2-4 among 1,335 adults nationwide, shows that 59% are concerned about Joe Biden’s mental health. Just 39% said they are “not very concerned” or “not at all concerned”. Only 2% said they were “not sure.” The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.8 percentage points. These concerns are further underscored by Biden’s total lapse of mental faculty at a Wednesday event in Washington where he was asking for a dead member of Congress to thank for her support in addressing hunger issues. Biden said “Jackie here? Where’s Jackie? I think she wasn’t going to be here.” Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car accident in August. 

The exchange between a White House correspondent and Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was chilling: 

Q. What happened in the hunger event today? The President appeared to look around the room for an audience member, a member of Congress who passed away last month. He seemed to indicate she might be in the room. What happened there? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The President was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday. So, of course, she was on his mind. She was on top of mind for the President…

Q. He said, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.”  

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I totally understand. I just explained she was on top of mind. You know, this wasn’t — what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up in this — at this conference at this event was how her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food insecurity in America. And this is something that he was lifting up and honoring. And, again, he knows that he’s going to see her family this coming Friday. There’s a bill signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after the late congresswoman. He knows that he is going to see her family, and she was at top of mind.

Top of mind. There are so many times that Biden has had a lapse of memory or other cognitive concerns that this should become a huge point among the American people and members of Congress as a national security issue. 

Top of mind. 

No doubt the rest of the world also has observed Biden’s mental state, and it likely causes extraordinary concern about world security. 

Top of mind. 

This is a national crisis and the powers that be seem indifferent. 

Some 58% of Democrats in the previously mentioned poll say they are not concerned with Biden’s mental health—which should call into question their collective mental health. 

II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” For those of us who have a sound mind, Biden’s mental health should be “top of mind.”

Monster Storm

 Monster Storm

Monster Storm Ian Heads for Georgia after Leaving Sharks, Boats in the Streets and Homes Flooded in Florida

Sharks in the Streets, Homes Floating Away; Monster Storm Ian Now Heads to Georgia and Carolinas  BY Dale Hurd  Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm with 150 mile-per-hour top winds, striking Charlotte harbor, south of Tampa, sending a storm surge of 12 to 18 feet through the cities of Fort Myers and Naples. It's the fifth strongest hurricane to ever hit the American mainland, trapping people in flooded homes amid rising floodwaters.  Many survivors who refused to evacuate probably wish they had. No one knows yet how many lives Hurricane Ian has taken, but fears are mounting of a high death toll. "While I don't have confirmed numbers, I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "There are thousands of people that are waiting to be rescued." Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm with 150 mile-per-hour top winds, striking Charlotte harbor, south of Tampa, sending a storm surge of 12 to 18 feet through the cities of Fort Myers and Naples. Fort Myers was left under 4 to 5 feet of water, and half the streets of Naples are impassable. Sharks were seen swimming in the streets. Video showed a door in Naples blown in from the water. Large boats were pushed around like toys. Houses were seen floating away. The storm dumped as much as a foot of rain on some cities as it barreled across the Florida Peninsula. Flash flooding is still a concern as it's expected to drop at least 30 inches of rain in some areas. The first floor of a Naples fire station was inundated under more than 3 feet of water as firefighters worked to salvage equipment. Ian will be remembered as one of the worst storms to ever hit the state of Florida, knocking out power to 2.5 million people. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says that number is going to grow. "You're going to see more power outages as this storm moves through the center part of our state and before it exits into the Atlantic," DeSantis said.  Before Ian hit, 42,000 linemen were already in place, ready to restore power in 30 different areas across the state. Rescue teams and state officials are fanning out to help victims and begin assessing damage. Alan Motes said, "We're preparing some pallets of buckets for cleaning, we have plenty of pallets of water also for distribution, and then we have pallets of tarps, all those included in the trucks we'll be sending out. We have chainsaws and plenty of people who know how to operate those chainsaws, so in the case that we need to do any downed trees or anything of that nature, we're prepared to help." Now a tropical storm, Ian has moved into the Atlantic and is expected to make landfall again in Georgia or South Carolina this weekend, bringing heavy winds, rain and storm surge.

PRAY FOR FLORIDA

 PRAY FOR FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!

'Monster' Cat 4 Hurricane Ian Bears Down on Florida

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Floridians Flee Ian, 'Landfalling Cat 4 Monster': 'Catastrophic Flooding, Life-Threatening Storm Surge' Curt Anderson (Sep 28, 2022 "This is going to be a nasty, nasty day, two days. Do what you need to do to stay safe. If you are where that storm is approaching, you're already in hazardous conditions. It's going to get a lot worse very quickly. So please hunker down." -Governor Ron DeSantis [CBN News] Hurricane Ian is a dangerous Category 4 storm as it approaches Florida's west coast, now with top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status. High winds and rain already started impacting the state early Wednesday.  Residents made last-minute preparations to board up their homes and businesses. And miles of cars packed the roads as residents sought to escape ahead of the monster storm. "We have about 2.5 million Floridians that are currently under some type of an evacuation order," said Gov. Ron DeSantis. Saint Petersburg's mayor issued a warning for those staying behind. "After a certain time when tropical force winds are here, we will not be sending out first responders," said Mayor Ken Welch. The storm is forecast to make landfall Wednesday afternoon in the Fort Myers area. Life-threatening conditions are expected, including several feet of storm surge and more than 20 inches of rain in some areas. "In some areas, there will be catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge," said DeSantis. The state is bracing for millions of power outages. Thirty thousand workers are on standby to restore electricity after the storm passes. Seven thousand National Guard members have been activated under the state of emergency. "We could be everything from security, to transportation," said Major General Eifert, head of Florida's National Guard. "Aviation is a big part if we end up in search and rescue scenarios. So, we're kind of the Swiss army knife of operations. We can be used for whatever the Dept. of Emergency Management needs us to do." "This is going to be a nasty, nasty day, two days," Gov. DeSantis said early Wednesday. "Do what you need to do to stay safe. If you are where that storm is approaching, you're already in hazardous conditions. It's going to get a lot worse very quickly. So please hunker down." An odd precursor to Ian's landfall is signaling just how powerful the storm is—strong enough to suck the water out of Tampa Bay. Meteorologist Greg Dee with WTFS-TV in Tampa shared a video of the phenomenon on Facebook.  Meanwhile, parts of Georgia and South Carolina are preparing for the storm too. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency, with 500 National Guard troops on standby if needed.

'We Acknowledge God's Sovereignty':

 'We Acknowledge God's Sovereignty': Tennessee Governor Proclaims Friday a Statewide 'Day of Prayer, Humility, and Fasting'

Steve Warren (Sep 28, 2022)

"Life is short, so we need to be about the things that matter most in life. There is no other rescuer than the rescuing arm of Jesus Christ..." -Governor Bill Lee

[CBN News] Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) has signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 30 as a day of prayer, humility, and fasting in the Volunteer State. 

In a Facebook post, Lee wrote, "Today, I signed a proclamation dedicating Friday, September 30 as a Day of Prayer and Fasting for our state. Maria and I invite Tennesseans to join us in this tradition to thank God for His many blessings, seek His wisdom in all circumstances, and ask for His continued grace & favor in the days ahead."

The full text of the proclamation reads:

"WHEREAS, we acknowledge God's sovereignty and the need for God's grace over our state and our nation; and

WHEREAS, we walk humbly together with God in hope so that we may act with justice, kindness and love, no matter the circumstance; and

WHEREAS, we seek forgiveness for our many transgressions so that our hearts and our minds may be renewed; and

WHEREAS, Scripture tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the Lord gives wisdom freely to those who ask for it; and

WHEREAS, the people of Tennessee acknowledge our rich blessings, our deep transgressions, the complex challenges ahead, and the need to pause, to humble ourselves and to seek God's guidance for the days ahead;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bill Lee, Governor of the State of Tennessee, do hereby proclaim September 30, 2022 as a voluntary Day of Prayer, Humility and Fasting in Tennessee and encourage all citizens to join me in this worthy observance."

The proclamation was signed by both Gov. Lee and Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

It is notable that the word "humility" was also included in the text of the proclamation.

The Tennessee governor, an outspoken Christian, has spoken about humility before. During an interview with CBN News in May of 2021, Lee was asked whether he thought unifying diplomacy in this time of deep political division required more forgiveness or more humility.

"Humility, no doubt," Lee said. "Because there can be no forgiveness without humility. All of us have pride and I'm certainly just as broken as any man. Humility is maybe the most powerful characteristic a leader can have because the combination of pride and power is lethal."

"I found myself, when I became Governor, being very much aware of the fact that—I'm not capable of doing this on my own, realizing that more than ever—I needed wisdom and discernment and guidance and insight. It's living and active. His Word brings life to every situation," he continued.

"Life is short," Lee continued, "so we need to be about the things that matter most in life." For Lee, that means putting his full trust in Jesus Christ.

"There is no other rescuer than the rescuing arm of Jesus Christ. And when you are in the deepest, darkest place in your life, the moment where you think there isn't going to be a rescue—and He rescues. Forever, you know that you have a rescuing arm."

It is the second time that Lee in his first term as Tennessee's governor has proclaimed a voluntary day of prayer. In October of 2021, Lee and his wife Maria also asked residents to join them in prayer for their state.

Greater Than the Storm

 GOD in Heaven, YOU are bigger, YOU are greater than the horrific storm that is approaching Florida. As YOU spoke to the storm, "Peace, be still," we ask YOU to speak to this storm, JESUS, and to diminish its power and to deliver those who are in its path from the ferocity of its current strength.

LORD JESUS, increase our faith so we can employ "that same power that raised YOU from the dead and lives in us" to reduce the impact this storm is predicted to have on the people who live in its path.

It is in YOUR mighty, matchless name we pray, JESUS. Amen.

From the Book of Ruth

Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and where you die, there shall I be buried.  Book of Ruth                                                                                       

Lord JESUS

 

Knowing GOD

JESUS Loves You

 

Who God Is

 

The Surface of Who GOD Is

IZ Over the Rainbow

 

YOUTUBE.COM

 Israel Kamakawiwo'ole  'Over The Rainbow' & 'What A Wonderful World' Medley  1993 

The Problem

 

The Problem with Vanna White’s Marriage Advice

by Dr. Jim Denison When Vanna White received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Wheel of Fortune creator Merv Griffin called her “America’s sweetheart.” She has been the show’s co-host for forty years and is one of the most famous and popular celebrities in America. She told People magazine, “I was baptized a Baptist, and I’ve always had my own personal relationship with God.” However, she says, “I don’t preach, because everyone’s entitled to their own beliefs.” According to a new article on yahoo!life, these beliefs include the marriage advice she gives her two children, now in their twenties: “Don’t get married until you’re thirty. You can live with your girlfriend or boyfriend. You can have all the fun you want. Just don’t get married until you’re thirty.” She adds: “Wait until you’re thirty, you can still do all the same stuff. Just don’t tie that knot, just in case.” Choosing “tree” as your personal pronoun My point is not to criticize Vanna White; her advice to her children is more the norm today than ever before. My purpose today is to ask why this is so. In the 1970s, when only 0.2 percent of the US population lived as cohabitating romantic partners, would you have believed that the number would climb to 15 percent in the eighteen-to-thirty-four-year-old age bracket today? This despite the fact that couples who cohabit, even as common as this has become, are still at advanced risk of divorce compared to couples who do not. If I had told you in 2005 that same-sex marriage would become the law of the land in 2015, would you have believed me? If I had told you in 2014 that a mainstream show like NCIS Hawai’i would portray a lesbian love scene on primetime television last week, would you have believed me? If I told you last year that a Massachusetts school district would promote a book teaching children how to use gay sex apps and containing pornographic descriptions I will not reproduce, would you have believed me? Or that a Chicago curriculum would prompt first graders to choose their own gender pronouns? (One character chose “tree” as their preferred pronoun.) “Take every thought captive” As I noted in a recent Daily Article, “normalization” is “the process through which wisdom becomes conventional.” A New York Times article explains that “things, simply by becoming more common, become more acceptable.” By contrast, behavior that is viewed as abnormal is easily considered weird or deviant, often resulting in ostracism or bullying. It is more urgent than ever before in American history that Christians normalize Biblical values for their fellow Christians. Dr. John Newport, my major professor in my philosophy of religion doctoral studies, often emphasized the importance of “immersing” people in the Biblical worldview. He reminded us that churches see their members for a few hours a week at best; schools and society influence them for the rest of the week. To counter the secularizing forces constantly at work, we must be deliberate and strategic about helping Christians think “Christianly.” In Biblical terms, we must “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5, my emphases). “The Lord added to their number” In other words, the best way to fight the culture wars is first to focus on Jesus. In John 15, Jesus taught us, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (v. 1). As a result, He urged us, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (v. 4).  The consequences of this decision are enormous: “Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (v. 5, my emphasis). Do we truly believe this? Do we truly believe that apart from “abiding” in Christ we can do “nothing” of true significance? If Christians do, we will “abide” in Christ every moment of every day. As a result, we will refuse sin and worldliness. We will worship and study Scripture with passion. Our lives will be marked by spiritual disciplines and intimacy with Jesus. Consequently, we will share God’s word out of the overflow of God’s Spirit in our lives. We will do evangelism because Jesus will be making us fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). We will demonstrate the “fruit of the Spirit” in our personal character and public witness (Galatians 5:22–23). We will operate in the gifts of the Spirit  Our churches will be marked by unity and compassion (Acts 2:42–47a). We will be transforming change agents in a culture desperate for the “salt” and “light” of God’s word and love (Matthew 5:13–16). And what was true of the early church will be true of us: “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b). The gospel in action In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona’s destruction in Puerto Rico, evangelical ministries Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Blessing, and World Vision are partnering to deliver emergency relief supplies across the island. Shelter tarps, water filtration units, portable family water containers, tablets for purifying water, cleaning buckets, clothes, blankets, tents, and fans are among the items being supplied. Each of these ministries embraces biblical sexual morality. Each would therefore be condemned as homophobic by secular critics. But ask the thousands of people in Puerto Rico being served by their compassion if they are modeling a faith worth following. How will you follow their example today?