Is the World About to End? -- March 25, 2011

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Commentary Is the World About to End? What Should I Do Now? Dr. Roger Barrier No society or culture lasts forever. All eventually collapse--the United States will not be the exception. So what are some of the spiritual implications for this seemingly-crumbling world as it stands today? Read the full article here China's Christianity Conundrum Chuck Colson What does the growth of Christianity in China mean for that nation's communist government? Read the full article here Finances How Much Emergency Savings Do You Really Need? Mark Biller & Joseph Slife Without an emergency savings, you can find yourself forced to sell your long-term investments just to make ends meet. Read the full article here Faith and The Church When Being the Church Seems Counter-Intuitive Alex McFarland If Christianity and Islam are merely two optional means to reach the same ultimate end, then Christian churches helping Muslims remain Muslim is a moot point. Read the full article here Movies Wimpy Kid Sequel Suffers from Stunted Growth Christian Hamaker Like the transitional adolescent phase the story depicts, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a bit awkward and unsettled. Read the full article here Christian Relationships Should Couples Stay Together for the Kids? Joe Beam Should a distressed couple work it out for the children? Marriage expert Joe Beam shares why this is the best reason to save a marriage. Read the full article here Solo Zone: Gays, Christians and Holiness Tim Laitinen "Are you gay?" Even in evangelical Christianity, probably even in your church, single adults can't avoid the question. Especially the longer we stay single. Read the full article here Today's Devotional Taking the Pressure Off (from "From His Heart, by Pastor Jeff Schreve") How shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (Judges 6:15). Have you ever felt great pressure to try to live the Christian life? Read the full article here Watch more Christian Video Sermons & Messages from Ministries on LightSource.com   •  Free Christian Book •  A degree will make a difference! •  Fundraising? Get FREE kit •  Orphans need your help! •  Free Publishing Guide Crosswalk.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: • OnePlace.com • LightSource.com • ChristianJobs.com • CrossCards.com • SermonSearch.com • Christianity.com

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UpWords with Max Lucado

UpWords with Max Lucado

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Friday, March 25, 2011  Email    Facebook Twitter    Print

The Sufferings of His Broken Heart by Max Lucado Go with me for a moment to witness what was perhaps the foggiest night in history. The scene is very simple; you’ll recognize it quickly. A grove of twisted olive trees. Ground cluttered with large rocks. A low stone fence. A dark, dark night. Now, look into the picture. Look closely through the shadowy foliage. See that person? See that solitary figure? What’s he doing? Flat on the ground. Face stained with dirt and tears. Fists pounding the hard earth. Eyes wide with a stupor of fear. Hair matted with salty sweat. Is that blood on his forehead? That’s Jesus. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe you’ve seen the classic portrait of Christ in the garden. Kneeling beside a big rock. Snow-white robe. Hands peacefully folded in prayer. A look of serenity on his face. Halo over his head. A spotlight from heaven illuminating his golden-brown hair. Now, I’m no artist, but I can tell you one thing. The man who painted that picture didn’t use the gospel of Mark as a pattern. Look what Mark wrote about that painful night, he used phrases like these: “Horror and dismay came over him.” “My heart is ready to breakwith grief.” “He went a little forward and threw himself on the ground.” Does this look like the picture of a saintly Jesus resting in the palm of God? Hardly. Mark used black paint to describe this scene. We see an agonizing, straining, and struggling Jesus. We see a “man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB) We see a man struggling with fear, wrestling with commitments, and yearning for relief. We see Jesus in the fog of a broken heart. The writer of Hebrews would later pen, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV) My, what a portrait! Jesus is in pain. Jesus is on the stage of fear. Jesus is cloaked, not in sainthood, but in humanity. The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees. The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you’ll ever get to God. Watch closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fog is a pierced one.   NEW Gift Book! This story from: This is Love - The Extraordinary Story of Jesus Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado Online Bible Study Tools Read through the Bible and other Bible study resources: biblestudy.crosswalk.com •  Free Christian Book •  A degree will make a difference! •  Fundraising? Get FREE kit •  Orphans need your help! •  Publish Your Book Crosswalk.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: • Oneplace.com • LightSource.com • ChristianJobs.com • CrossCards.com • SermonSearch.com • Christianity.com

Send a FREE Ecard! More FREE Ecards God's Promises Happy Birthday John 3:16 Genesis 1:1

TH Daily - March 25 - Michelle Malkin, Brent Bozell, Elisabeth Meinecke, David Limbaugh, Larry Kudlow and More

The Weiner Waiver Wormhole Michelle Malkin: New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner toasted the one-year anniversary of Obamacare this week -- and accidentally spilled his champagne glass all over the disastrous, one-size-fits-all mandate. ... more The Atheist Mormon-Trashing Musical Brent Bozell: Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the perpetually immature creators of the filthy cartoon "South Park," have spent years delivering product sure to please high school sophomores and L.A. Times film critics. Now they're taking aim at Mormons. ... more Illinois Gun Owners' Privacy Under Attack Elisabeth Meinecke: An MSM reporter made a legal request to the state of Illinois to disclose the identities of all gun owners in the state. They'll stay private for now, but that's a tenuous situation. ... more Obama's Libya: Completing His Remaking of America David Limbaugh: Everyone seems to have a different theory about why President Obama attacked Libya. I don't think it's that mysterious. ... more Cantor's Pro-Growth Call Larry Kudlow: Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor unveiled a strong pro-growth economic plan at Stanford's Hoover Institution this week. Cantor is afraid the Republican budget-cutting message is a little too austere, so he's attempting to balance the necessary budget cuts with a pro-growth, tax-and-regulatory reform message. ... more Memo to Chairman Priebus Hugh Hewitt: Congratulations on a great start to your term as chair of the Republican National Committee. Past supporters are returning again to GOP.com with confidence that their contributions will be well-managed and that the RNC will be about the business of building the party at every level. ... more Laureates and Leaders Oliver North: Nobel laureate Barack Obama, fresh from his Latin American spring break, is in serious trouble. ... more How Killing Libyans Became a Moral Imperative Pat Buchanan: Why did Obama launch this unconstitutional war? ... more Off to Mecca with Eric Holder's Blessing Mona Charen: The village of Berkeley, Ill., has only 5,245 residents but has attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice. ... more The Power of a Cow Michael Gerson: Malawi is a distant country, but it also feels distantly familiar. The roads and farms and livestock would have been commonplace in America a century ago. ... more Hispanic Boom Linda Chavez: New Census figures out this week show that the Hispanic population in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the last decade. ... more Dressing Like Little Hookers Suzanne Fields: Many Americans were disappointed when President Obama devoted a Saturday radio address to a celebration of the progress of women in society. ... more ACLU: 'Communism is the Goal' Matt Barber: Irony is defined as "the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning." The term doublespeak means "evasive, ambiguous language that is intended to deceive or confuse." ... more Economy: Obama's Biggest Obstacle in 2011 Donald Lambro: While President Obama was touring the capitals of Latin America this past week, Americans were being battered by one bad economic report after another. ... more Getting Richer, Not Poorer Rich Tucker: On an ancient episode of The Simpsons, Lisa sets out to write an essay about what made America great. "What would Ben Franklin say if he were alive today?" she writes. "He'd say … find a better opening." ... more		Clinton: Gaddafi troops pushed back, remain threat Rand Paul: odds good 1 of Pauls will run for prez Senator's former aide indicted over conflicts Gates urges Syrians "take lesson" from Egypt revolt White House insists Obama consulted on Libya Krauthammer: Obama's "Working On Language That Will Disguise A Failure" In Libya Greg Hengler Did Lefties Ever Care About Iraq and Afghanistan? Helen Whalen Cohen Libya Isn't War, It's "Kinetic Military Action" Helen Whalen Cohen Gov. McDonnell: Virginia Education Has "Managed Well" Without Unions Rep. Anthony Weiner's Shifting Obamacare Views Gene Simmons & Sarah Palin Visit Israel (Separately) Where Has the Anti-War Movement Gone? Norman who? Deemed offensive Hispanic Growth in the South Is A Repudiation of Liberal Economics Doctor Fears Government's Expanding Role in Health Care Kissel loses in Hong Kong "milkshake murder" retrial Reuters HK jury: US woman guilty of husband's murder APNews MISSING TITLE APNews Special report: Can an Italian Elvis make Fiat-Chrysler dance? Reuters Opposition to topple Canadian government APNews Iran blasts appointment of UN rights investigator APNews Strong quake in Myanmar kills more than 40 APNews Deaf, disabled kids harmonize in Venezuela program APNews NATO to police Libya no-fly zone Reuters Japan reactor nuclear core may have breached APNews Coulter: Liberals Elder: Anti-Iraq War Bush-Haters Squirm to Justify Libya Thomas: Norman Who? Barone: The Damning Contradictions of Obama's Attack on Libya Hanson: Energy Fantasyland Rogers: The Waiver Charade Shapiro: Obama Wags the Dog Tyrrell: Maybe Obama Should Have a Beer Summit With George W. Jacoby: The Convention-Center Follies Saunders: Why Sacramento Can't Get Cellphones Out of Prison
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