Well-intentioned Goofiness or a Scam? You Decide.

You've Been Left Behind

"The unsaved will be 'left behind' on earth to go through the "tribulation period" after the "Rapture"... Imagine how taken back they will be by the millions of missing Christians and devastation at the rapture. They will know it was true and that they have blown it. There will be a small window of time where they might be reached for the Kingdom of God. We have made it possible for you to send them a letter of love and a plea to receive Christ one last time. You can also send information based on scripture as to what will happen next. Each fulfilled prophecy will cause your letter and plea to be remembered and a decision to be made."

(HT: Les Jumeaux)

Books for Guys

Books for Guys -- Maybe for Dad, Maybe for Son, Maybe for You

Al Mohler costs me money. What a great reading list for the summer!

Is it Wrong to Say, “Oh, My God?”

The short answer is, "Yes."

Have you ever noticed how nobody says, “Oh, my Buddha?” Or how names like “Mohammed” or “Joseph Smith” never get used as bywords? But the name of God, and the name of Jesus in particular, are used as cuss words in almost every culture and language.

Is it just antiquated manners that makes us stop saying this around our grandmother? Or is that pang of conscience rooted in the Truth?

Old Matthew Henry had this to say about Exodus 20:5

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. It is supposed that, having taken Jehovah for their God, they would make mention of his name (for thus all people will walk every one in the name of his god); this command gives a needful caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God's name in vain,

[1.] By hypocrisy, making a profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession. Those that name the name of Christ, but do not depart from iniquity, as that name binds them to do, name it in vain; their worship is vain (Matt. xv. 7-9), their oblations are vain (Isa. i. 11, 13), their religion is vain, Jam. i. 26.

[2.] By covenant-breaking; if we make promises to God, binding our souls with those bonds to that which is good, and yet perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain (Matt. v. 33), it is folly, and God has no pleasure in fools (Eccl. v. 4), nor will he be mocked, Gal. vi. 7.

[3.] By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, or due application of mind to it, but as a by-word, to no purpose at all, or to no good purpose.

[4.] By false swearing, which, some think, is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment; so it was expounded by those of old time. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, Matt. v. 33. One part of the religious regard the Jews were taught to pay to their God was to swear by his name, Deut. x. 20. But they affronted him, instead of doing him honour, if they called him to be witness to a lie.

[5.] By using the name of God lightly and carelessly, and without any regard to its awful significancy. The profanation of the forms of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms of swearing; as also the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes himself known, his word, or any of his institutions; when they are either turned into charms and spells, or into jest and sport, the name of God is taken in vain.

If you are desperate for a substitute, I give you full permission to say, "Oh, my Paul Martin!" whenever you like.

It will be better for your soul.

Why Hockey is the Greatest Sport in the World.

What a game last night! If you went to bed, you might have missed one of the best hockey games in the last 20 years.

Penguin goalie Marc-Andre Fleury faced 58 shots and by my estimate at least 6 of his stops should have been goals. I have never seen goaltending like that.

The Pens Ryan Malone took a slap shot to the face – while standing in front of Osgoode to screen the goalie. Hal Gill’s slapper got tipped and Malone had no where to go except the dressing room. He was out in the next period with stitches and stuff shoved up his probably broken nose… and no visor.

Then Gonchar went hard into the boards and left the game with back spasms.

The Penguins lost their 2-0 lead and looked like they were dying on the vine, but that glorious hockey play of pulling your own goalie for an extra skater paid off when they tied the game at 3 with 33 seconds remaining.

What followed were two-and-a-half remarkable overtime periods. No commercial breaks. No timeouts. Just play and play and play until somebody scores. The Red Wings appeared destined to win. They looked like flies on a dead penguin! But Fleury was stopping everything.

Gonchar was not even on the bench for the 5th period, but he re-appeared for the 6th. The Wings took a high sticking penalty – a good call in a fairly officiated game – and Gonchar came back on the ice.

With massive fatigue setting in, the Pens stormed the net. It was busted-face Malone back in front of the Detroit goalie. Broke-back Gonchar on the point. And then Petr Sykora of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored at 9:57 of the third overtime to win it. Game over. Exhaustion.

Speed, skill, endurance, toughness, excitement… it makes watching baseball seem like tooth decay.