Muslim Students Association Pledge: “Jihad is my spirit”

The first organization the international Muslim Brotherhood founded in America was the Muslim Students Association (MSA), in order to recruit young people into its fold. 

This radical organization has chapters on hundreds of college campuses. As Erick Stakelbeck recently reported in his “Stakelbeck on Terror” program, the MSA has been “a virtual terror factory.”

	Stakelbeck is a sought after authority on terrorism and  national security issues and is one of our featured   speakers at this year’s National Conference and  Legislative Briefing. He has extensive experience in  television, radio and print media. His new book,  The Terrorist Next Door: How the Government is  Deceiving You About the Islamist Threat, will released  in early May.
	At our conference Erick will expose how the  government refuses to acknowledge the ideology  driving radical Islam and continues to embrace  Islamist organizations and leaders. To find out   more about the conference, or to register,  please click here.

And in this short video, you can view for yourself the MSA’s commitment to jihad as Muslim youth are led in a group pledge that includes “jihad is my spirit.”

Great Quote by Chuck Smith

The Sign of God's Promise

New Hymn for today . . . 'Worship Him'

Worship Him  788  

We will go on every street,

Proclaim to everyone we meet

That Jesus Christ came down to save.

We will bow and bend the knee,

We will proclaim His majesty,

We’ll worship Jesus Christ, the Lord.

He is our eternal Lord,

He is the true and living Word,

We’ll praise Him and we’ll worship Him.

He is Saviour, He is Love,

He’s been sent down by God above

To rescue and redeem us all.

© 2006 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Samantha Link sings 'O Mio Babbino Caro'

If you've read my Blog about Samantha Link's new album, but have never heard her sing, here is a taster for you from Youtube, in which Samantha sings, O Mio Babbino Caro. Hope you enjoy it!

Great Quote by E. M. Bounds

"Are not the Church in their present state a standing, public, perpetual denial of the gospel? Do they not stand out before the world, as a living, unanswerable contradiction of the gospel; and do more to harden sinners and lead them into a spirit of caviling and infidelity, than all the efforts of professed infidels from the

beginning of the world to the present day?"

"A revival of real praying would produce a spiritual revolution."

-E.M. Bounds

THE THINGS KIDS SAY . . . (4)

      The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.
      "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
      "How come He doesn't answer it?" she asked.

I'm a Millionaire!

      One of my best-kept secrets, at least until this moment in time, is that I am a multi-millionaire. Now, there's a statement to set the pulses quickening and the heart racing! The problem is that all of my millions are in cash-strapped Zimbabwe, and even if I spent them all at once, would not even buy me a bag of mealie-meal or even a solitary loaf of bread, such is the rampant inflation in the land that lies in tatters as a result of thirty years of despotic Robert Mugabe's iron rule.
      In January 2009, new hit the Press that Zimbabwe was to issue its first 100 Trillion Dollar note, and there is a picture of it at the top of this column. Yes, that's the real thing folks, not a film-maker's dream! When it was first issued it was valued at about US$300, but I guess that about an hour later that was reduced by at least 5% due to the rampant inflation.
      To put its value in perspective it's useful to know that at the time of issue a loaf of bread cost about 300 Billion Zimbabwean Dollars, and with the currency in free-fall, that price increases on a daily basis.
      There's an expression about the fact that sometimes things are not worth the paper that they are printed on, and whilst that usually applies to the promises of politicians, used-car salesmen and insurance sales staff, it is most aptly applied to Zimbabwean currency.

Samantha Link's new CD: 'Bring Me To Life'

Classical Crossover songstress Samantha Link's latest CD, Bring Me To Life is due to be released on 25th April on iTunes and Amazon. You can pre-order it from Amazon if you like, so why not do so today.

Here's the Track Listings

1. Bring Me To Life

2. How Could I Ever Know

3. All I Need

4. Broken Vow

5. No Woman No Cry (Duet)

6. Symphony

7. I Dreamed A Dream

8. O Mio Babbino Caro

9. The Star In You

10. We Live On Borrowed Time

11. Myfanwy (Bonus Track)

Looks like something to really look forward to and enjoy over and over once you get your hands on it!

New Hymn for today . . . 'Walking in the Footsteps'

Walking in the Footsteps 76 76

TUNE: Cara

We’re walking in the footsteps

Where our dear Lord once trod;

We’re marching ever onward

To glory and to God.

The saving grace of Jesus,

Is something you must know,

To take the Gospel message

To every place you go.

The Saviour offers freedom

To all who know His name;

The offer of salvation

Is waiting to be claimed.

The message is so simple,

It speaks of God above;

Of how He sent us Jesus,

To save us by His love.

It tells of grace and mercy,

Of freedom from earth’s strife;

And points us ever onward

To everlasting life.

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Poem for Today : 'In Summer Time'

In Summer Time
In summer time, in summer time,
when the trees are all a-greening;
when golden sun shines down
from skies of blue, with the
scurrying white of cotton-wool clouds,
then will I walk down country lanes.
Past hedgerow full of singing birds
and the sound of the rabbit's tread,
gazing across from the old farm gate
at the end of the day, to skies of red
as the sun falls down to rest,
and the tree in gold are dressed
for sleep, until the 'morrow comes;
in summer time, in summer time.

© 1969 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Will you be resurrected one day?

      I find it both surprising and disturbing that many of the folk who profess Jesus Christ as Saviour nevertheless are shaky in their faith. If you ask a congregation of God's people whether they believe in the resurrection you can expect to hear a resounding 'Yes!', yet if you then ask them about whether or not they believe that they will be resurrected one day the result is quite different. A few will quickly respond with a very positive 'Yes', but many will be far from certain. 

      Surely, to harbour no real hope of resurrection from the dead is to deny one of the most basic tenets of the Christian faith. Paul writes to the Corinthians: Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain (1 Corinthians 15: verses 12-14 NAS).

      To deny the resurrection of Christ is to deny the Christian faith altogether, and to accept Christ's resurrection and yet deny the hope of the resurrection of all believers is to limit the power of God to the raising of Christ alone, and in this to make God as small as the individual human mind can accept rather than acknowledging Him to be omnipotent.

      Is it the fault of the church in general that causes people to have such weak faith, such weakness being born out of  lack of knowledge? Certainly, in my experience, the numbers of those attending Bible Study meetings, when taken as a percentage of the congregations to which they belong, is abysmal. There are many who believe that their commitment to the Christian faith and to Jesus Christ is fulfilled by an hours attendance at the Sunday service, leaving the rest of the week to themselves.

      When it comes to Prayer Meetings, then the attendance percentage is even worse, with only a small percentage of churches even having a regular Prayer Meeting. Yet prayer is acknowledged as the power house of the faith. It is through prayer that we can speak to God, yet even more important to our walk of faith, it's through prayer that we can hear God speak to us and let us know what His will for us is. To neglect either the study of Scripture or prayer is to neglect our faith altogether, and it is this neglect, I believe, that causes the problems of belief such as whether or not we will one day be resurrected to glory.

Joanne Lowe's Meditations

NOT JUST OUR SOUL

"For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.  And they went to another village."

Luke 9:56 (King James Version)

      Our precious Saviour allowed them to crucify Him on a cross of horror and excruciating pain so that we can have our sins forgiven.  There is no love greater than the love of Jesus.  What an amazing and unconditional love flows from the heart of Jesus for us.

      However, it's not just our soul that He saves, He also saves us from danger and there are times when He has to save us from ourselves.  Sometimes we get off of His highway and travel down the highway of the world.  We make poor choices and we even go to places where we should not go.

      Priscilla Jane Owens wrote a beautiful hymn "Jesus Saves".  "Give the winds a mighty voice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Let the nations now rejoice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Shout salvation full and free; highest hills and deepest caves; This our song of victory; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!"

      Thank God for the victory we have in Jesus!  I am so thankful that on August 14, 1980, I invited Him into my heart to be my personal Saviour.  There are no words to describe the happiness that filled my heart on that day.  From that day until this day, He has never left me, not even for one minute.

      Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for Jesus.  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Him into the world so we may be saved.  Jesus, thank You for opening Your heart of love to us and for dying for us.  I love You so much, my precious Saviour.  I appreciate all that You do for me.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.joanne-ourprecioussaviour.blogspot.com

New Hymn for today . . . 'All Within Me'

All Within Me    7575

TUNE: Bruce

Let all that is within me,

Praise the Living Lord;

Let all that is within me,

Share His holy Word.

Let me always live for Him,

Serve Him all my days;

Let me have His gentle touch,

And His caring ways.

Let me think the way He thinks,

His compassion show;

May I be a shining light,

From me praises flow.

Every good thing that we have

Comes from God above;

And Christ’s pure and saving grace

Demonstrates His love.

So let all that’s within me,

Give to Him all praise;

Let my soul, my heart and voice,

Worship Him always.

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

THE THINGS KIDS SAY . . . (3)

      A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter.
      Little Rick was excited about the task - but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line..
      On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

Psalm 51:3 'My sin is ever before me'

'My sin is ever before me' [Psalm 51.3].
"A humble soul sees that he can stay no more from sin than the heart can from panting, and the pulse from beating. He sees his heart and life to be fuller of sin, than the firmament is of stars; and this keeps him low. He sees that sin is so bred in the bone, that till his bones, as Joseph's, be carried out of the Egypt of this world, it will not out.Though sin and grace were never born together, and though they shall not die together, yet while the believer lives, these two must live together; and this keeps him humble."
- Thomas Brooks.

Poem for Today : 'Three Spiders'

Three Spiders

Observed at 5, St Breock Close, Salisbury

Casually looking upward

at white-painted ceiling,

I watched them:

a multitude of legs

scattering pin-bodied owners

to and fro;

carrying them to secret places

in the great oak beams;

niches, carved by time.

There they weave their

gossamer webs of conspiracy,

patiently awaiting passers-by

who will fill their larders,

slowing the kaleidoscope.

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Judge orders use of Islamic law

Judge orders use of Islamic law in Tampa lawsuit over mosque leadership
By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/article1158818.ece
TAMPA — The question of what law applies in any Florida courtroom usually comes down to two choices: federal or state.

But Hillsborough Circuit Judge Richard Nielsen is being attacked by conservative bloggers after he ruled in a lawsuit March 3 that, to resolve one crucial issue in the case, he will consult a different source.

"This case," the judge wrote, "will proceed under Ecclesiastical Islamic Law."

Nielsen said he will decide in a lawsuit against a local mosque, the Islamic Education Center of Tampa, whether the parties in the litigation properly followed the teachings of the Koran in obtaining an arbitration decision from an Islamic scholar.

The suit was filed by several men who say they were improperly ousted as trustees in 2002. The dispute may decide who controls $2.2 million the center received from the state after some of its land was used in a road project.

But attorney Paul Thanasides last week appealed Nielson's decision with the 2nd District Court of Appeal, saying religion has no place in a secular court.

His client: the mosque.

"The mosque believes wholeheartedly in the Koran and its teachings," Thanasides said Monday. "They certainly follow Islamic law in connection with their spiritual endeavors. But with respect to secular endeavors, they believe Florida law should apply in Florida courts."

The four ex-trustees suing the center did not return calls for comment. And attorneys representing them declined comment.

Nielsen, an appointee of Gov. Jeb Bush in 2000 who was subsequently elected, also did not return calls for comment.

The judge's ruling comes as conservative lawmakers in Florida and around the nation are increasingly discussing legislation to ban or curtail the use of Islamic law, sometimes called sharia law, in U.S. courts.

Two Florida Republicans, Sen. Alan Hays and Rep. Larry Metz, this month announced legislation to prevent Islamic law, or any foreign legal code, from being applied in state courts.

The Tampa case is drawing attention from some who cite it as proof judges are improperly using foreign law.

"Florida has joined the march towards Sharia," a writer on the Constitution Club blog said.

Markus Wagner, a professor of international law at the University of Miami School of Law, said it is not improper for a judge to use foreign law in an arbitration if all the parties agree to do so.

"If we both sign a contract agreeing to be governed by German law, then Florida courts will interpret German law," he said.

Others are less certain, including Neelofer Syed, a Tampa immigration lawyer who is a guest lecturer on Islamic law at Stetson University College of Law.

The mosque, she said, is incorporated under the laws of Florida and so is ruled by state law.

"I think the judge's ruling is flawed," Syed said. "If you live in a country, you are subject to that country's laws."

Just about everything involving the arbitration is in dispute.

An a'lim, a Muslim scholar trained in Islam and Islamic law, said the parties agreed to his arbitration if the lawsuit against individual trustees was dismissed. This occurred, though the ousted trustees then re-filed against the mosque itself.

Thanasides said the mosque's directors would have to appoint a representative to participate in any legally binding arbitration. That, he said, didn't happen because the board was never notified of the arbitration.

Thanasides said the arbitration was not binding on the mosque for a litany of reasons. He said the mosque was not properly notified of the proceeding and did not participate. He questioned whether the a'lim had proper standing to decide anything.

He also questioned whether the arbitration actually took place, noting two participants the a'lim said were present were overseas at the time.

The a'lim ruled in a Dec. 28 decision that the ex-trustees were ousted improperly.

The ex-trustees then asked Judge Nielsen to enforce the arbitration award, which could wrest control of the money from the mosque's current leaders.

Thanasides said using Islamic law to decide the issue violates the U.S. Constitution. He said existing Florida law governs arbitration findings. At a hearing in January, Nielsen disagreed.

"It appears that the Koran provides that where two or more brothers have a dispute, they are first required to try to resolve the dispute among themselves," the judge told attorneys, according to a transcript of proceedings.

"If that does not occur, they can agree to present the dispute to the greater community of brothers within the mosque or the Muslim community. And if that is not done, or does not result in a resolution of the dispute, then it is to be presented to an Islamic judge …

"The next question is whether the proper procedures have occurred. … Did they properly invoke the use of … an Islamic judge or an Islamic A'lim?"

In an appeal of the judge's decision, Thanasides wrote, "The First Amendment restricts courts' authority to review, interpret and apply religious law because these actions interfere with a party's right to choose, free from state involvement, the religious dogma it will follow."

The judge said he would use Islamic law to decide only the legitimacy of arbitration.

"What law would we be applying (at) trial?" Thanasides asked.

"That trial would be civil law," the judge said. "Florida law." 

The Value of Friendship

The Gospel Message: 'The Resurrection'

The Resurrection

Reading: Matthew 27: 50—28: 15

The legendary football commentator, Kenneth Wolstenholme, uttered the words “They think it’s all over, it is now!” at the end of England’s World Cup victory at Wembley, in 1966.

After enduring six hours of the most agonising pain on the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” Then He gave up His spirit and died. Would those words of Kenneth Wolstenholme have been said then, had he been there I wonder? Is this the end of the Messiah, and does it foretell the end of Christianity as well? Was death the victor after all?

Almost everyone thought that it was all over, even the closest of His disciples, but the words uttered by Jesus were words of triumph not failure. The story of The Cross is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end, although that’s how most must have seen it at the time.

But death had not conquered Christ! In facing dying He had conquered death, and hell, and the grave, and then risen again, exactly as He had promised! This was just the beginning for Jesus and everyone who chooses to follow Him will receive the gift of  salvation.  The world order had been changed and Jesus was about to make all things new.

From the point when Jesus cried It is finished and died there was no more abuse heaped on his body. Normally, when someone was crucified, after they had died their legs would be broken as a precaution against the body reviving, yet this didn’t happen to Jesus, and this meant that the Scripture saying: Not a bone of His body shall be broken (John 19:36) was fulfilled. Instead, one of the soldiers thrust a spear into His side and out flowed blood and water. That was the last time that the soldiers touched Him in any way, even though they would have taken Him down from the cross in normal circumstances. Because the next day was the Sabbath, it was necessary for Him to be removed from the cross and taken to the burial chamber. This task was granted to one of His followers, Joseph of Arimathea, by Pilate. Joseph was a secret follower because he was also a member of the Sanhedrin. Joseph had arranged that Jesus be placed in the tomb that he’d purchased for himself when the time came. A man named Nicodemus helped him, the two men coming to complete the task under cover of darkness for fear of retribution by the Jews. They took the body down, and taking with them a mixture of aloes and myrrh, they wrapped it for burial, and laid it in the private garden tomb.

Pilate commanded that a large stone be used to seal the burial chamber, after which a seal was placed on the stone as well, and guards posted in case the body was stolen by Jesus’ disciples to make it appear that a miracle had taken place, having been reminded by the chief priests that Jesus had said that after three days He would rise again.

Jesus had also foretold the disciples where they should meet Him after His resurrection, but in their state of shock and grief they forgot. They’re living as if they have no hope, yet the chief priests and the Pharisees — all unbelievers — remember Jesus’ words!

For a while it was as though the Light of the world had been condemned to the darkness. The One who came to give life in abundance is now dead, but not for long! The reason that the symbolic cross in our church is empty is because Jesus is no longer on that cross. We do not serve the memory of a Messiah who is dead, but we serve the Living Christ! The living Saviour! His resurrection was the single proof sign of His deity. He had claimed to be God, and on the cross at Calvary. Only the resurrection could prove that He was God! The Antichrist will be able to work miracles in order to deceive people, but once sent to hell you can be certain that he’ll never rise again!

Christ’s resurrection verifies the truth of Scripture, that He would die and yet within three days He would live again. If He had remained dead after being taken down from the cross then there would be no promise for us to place our hope in, and the Bible would fall apart, but since He was resurrected we have all the proof that we need to know that the Bible is true. There are many predictions about the coming of the Messiah who would conquer death, in the Old Testament.

Jesus told the disciples that He would return: I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also (John 14: 18/19). His resurrection secures our future resurrection.  Paul writes to the Church at Corinth about the effect of the resurrection for believers: Now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15: 20/21). Our hope in Christ is the promise that He will return for us.

Following Christ’s ascension into heaven He sits at the right hand of God the Father as our Mediator. This is a continuation of His ministry, and this demonstrates the fact that the resurrection completes the gospel. Scripture refers to Him as the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find help in time of need.

Following the resurrection Jesus appeared on several occasions, both to small groups such as the women in the garden, and the disciples, and to a crowd of more than five hundred people. Thomas states that he will only believe that Jesus is alive if he is able to see him, and the next moment Jesus is there with him, inviting him to place a finger in the imprint of the nails that fixed Him to the cross.

Such was the impact on the disciples that they shared the gospel despite the personal danger that doing so placed them in. Many of them were put to death for doing so. If they had not seen and spoken to Jesus after the resurrection then why would they continue to place themselves on the line for him? They preached the Word and declared the victory that Jesus had won for us all.

No person has ever had the global impact that Jesus has had.  There is immense power in the Name of Jesus to transform lives, and for more than 2,000 years that name has transformed people’s lives, and continues to do so today.

There is no other religion amongst the great religions of the world that can make the claim that their Founder is alive today. Only Christians can make that claim and know it to be true. We can say:

I serve a RISEN Saviour,

He’s in the world today,

I know that He is living,

whatever men may say.

I see His hand of mercy,

I hear His voice of cheer.

And just the time I need Him,

He’s always near.

He lives, He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today.

He walks with me and talks with me

along life’s narrow way.

He lives, He lives!

Salvation to impart.

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart!

Amen

 (Sermon preached by Rev’d Colin Gordon-Farleigh, at St John’s Presbyterian Church, Runcorn, 23rd March 2008)

Great Quote from Vance Havner

THE THINGS KIDS SAY . . . (2)

MOSES AND THE RED SEA

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School.

"Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."  

"Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his Mother asked.  

"Well, no, Mom, but, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"

New Hymn for today . . . 'Christ Alone'

Christ Alone  76 76

TUNE: St Alphege

O Christ alone is worthy,

The choirs of heaven sing;

Loud praises of the angels,

To glorify the King.

Ten thousand times ten thousand,

Angelic choirs above,

Whose praise rings  out in heaven,

The story of His love.

For Christ alone is worthy,

He’s seated on the throne;

With ev’ry voice proclaiming

For Christ and Christ alone.

Now all of heaven lauds Him,

Their praise and worship bring;

For Christ alone is worthy,

And Christ alone is King!

Jesus alone is worthy,

The sacrificial Lamb:

By Him the seals are broken,

For He’s the great I AM!

© 2011 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Great Quote on Life's #1 Priority

Out of the mouths of children

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, "We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?"

One child blurted out, "Aces!"

New Hymn for today . . . 'Near Enough'

Near Enough  7677 R

 TUNE: Anonymous

When you call upon the Lord

He will be close to you;

He’s near enough to reach out,

And then hold Him in your heart.

      He is near enough to feel,

      He’s near enough to hear;

      And He’s near enough to know

      That He’s Jesus Christ our Lord.

When you hold Him in your heart,

And you cry out His name,

He will always keep you safe;

He will never ever change.

He is near enough to feel,

He’s near enough to hear;

And He’s near enough to know

That He’s Jesus Christ our Lord.

 © 2011 Colin Gordon-Farleigh