November 6
Shintoism: The indigenous belief of Japan, from shen-tao, meaning “the way of the gods.” A very ancient concept based on the superiority of the Japanese people to all others. Japan is “the country of the gods and its inhabitants are descendants of the gods.” At the heart of their beliefs is kami, a mysterious creating and harmonizing power in both animate and inanimate objects. It is held that “man is kami’s child” and therefore as his life came from kami, his nature is sacred. It is a polytheistic belief, with the sun goddess Amaterasu holding the central place (the Japanese name for Japan...
Read MoreNovember 5
Vaughn Shoemaker (1902–1991) was a widely-published American editorial cartoonist. He won the Pulitzer Prize not once but twice for his work, and is remembered for creating the character John Q. Public. During World War II, he had the dubious honor of having his cartoons criticized by the German Reichsmarschall Herman Goering, founder of the Gestapo and commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, who described Shoemaker’s work as “horrible examples of anti-Nazi propaganda.” Shoemaker was a committed believer, and gave this ringing testimony: “Far more important to me than the appreciated lines in...
Read MoreNovember 4
Regeneration means to be born anew. It is the imparting of divine life from above, instantly transferring the soul into the realm of the eternal. It is only used once in this sense: “according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). But the idea is found elsewhere, especially in the words of the Lord Jesus as cited in John’s Gospel. For example, in John 3 He tells Nicodemus he must be born again (anew or from above). Note John 5:24-25, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has...
Read MoreNovember 3
Archibald Brown wrote: “The gospel is a fact; therefore tell it simply. The gospel is a joyful fact; therefore tell it cheerfully. The gospel is an entrusted fact; therefore tell it faithfully. The gospel is a fact of infinite moment; therefore tell it earnestly. The gospel is a fact of infinite love; therefore tell it feelingly. The gospel is a fact of difficult comprehension to many; therefore tell it simply. The gospel is a fact about a Person; therefore preach Christ!” Charlie Peace, a notorious burglar and murderer from Sheffield, England, was executed in Armley Prison on February 25,...
Read MoreNovember 2
“Men…suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:18-20). Harvard biology professor Richard Lewontin expresses the a priori religious belief of evolutionists and their faith-based acceptance of materialism, the notion that the material world is all that exists. He writes: “We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its...
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