Reflection
If I change the way I look at things
The things I look at change
I think that's why the Bible seems
So changeable and strange
His word is like a magic mirror
Reflecting each man's heart
What I see in what I read
Depends on where I start
What I see depends in part
On what I think I know
Do I trust in my own thoughts
Or do I want to grow
I listen to the word of God
And hear what it should say
Conform it to my paradigms
And justify my way
And thinking I have seen the truth
I just see my reflection
A god who looks a lot like me
A god of self deception
http: //sjsterling.posterous.com

Emmanuel Swedenborg's guide to the afterlife, and the importance of the human connection to God, remains one of the most celebrated Enlightenment-era works on the subject. Originally published in Latin during the mid-18th century, Swedenborg's treatise contains rich allusions not merely to the realms of the afterlife, but also to the principles of Christianity. The nature of marriage, an argument against polygamy, and the concept of a spirit world, and how spiritual matters influence human will, are some of the notions raised by Swedenborg that render his thoughts enchanting. According to Swedenborg, the entirety of this text was inspired after he had received a divine revelation from God himself. This was simply the notion that God is the very essence of love in the universe, and that His divine force intends for every human being to go to heaven. He never descends into anger or hatred, and the traversal of every human spirit into heaven was His intention by the very act of Creation.

This book is my translation of the Bible's prophecy as well as how it ties into today's events. It breaks down a couple of books within the Bible. You don't have to be a priest or a pastor or attend a Bible school to have a better understanding of the word of God. You can read this book and follow along with your Bible. All you need is time and a clear mind. Follow along, read, and prepare for what's coming in the future.

When Joel Soukup was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of sixteen, the diagnosis changed him and his family forever. This family traveled down an unknown path and emerged from their journey in a way they never expected. Read how this young patient and his family handled the devastating diagnosis with strength, love, and faith in God.

Isaiah Jamal Borgum is a twenty-two year old young man who has already experienced every kind of grief. It is his hope that by sharing his story he can help other young people who are struggling with life. Isaiah lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he attends the University of South Dakota studying Business.

One hot July day, on a return trip home from New Orleans, Trish Dunaway received a call from Mercer University police: "Call your mother." As the minutes raced by, she learned the tragic news: her ninety-three-year-old mother had been instantly killed in a traffic accident.

Her mother's story is a remarkable one: growing up in the 1920s in the Charleston, South Carolina Orphan House, losing her husband to cancer as a young married woman, and growing into a much-loved and honored prayer warrior.

Trish gave herself a year to journal her grief. Through prayer, the ministry of the saints, journaling and poetry, Scripture, and memories of her Low Country heritage, she learned to choose God's comfort He offered through a walk into His mercy and grace.

She shares her journey during the year following her mother's death as she learns how God teaches us to listen for His comfort in the face of despair.

Have you ever wondered how to break past faulty thought patterns, traumatic experiences, social norms, deceptive traditions, and false religious beliefs that hold individuals captive, hindering accomplishment of God's Kingdom mandate? Then, "A Paradigm Shift, In the Presence of the Lord," is a great ministry resource to assist you in your quest. Because life can produce situations which manifest feelings of rejection, fear, anxiety, inferiority, and intimidation individuals may eventually back away from the will of God for their lives. In order to be fully healed and break free from such limitations, in this manuscript you will discover: 1. How to be divinely aligned with the basic principles of God's covenant, 2. How to be healed from the toxins formed in the mind, which eventually erect fortified walls around the heart, 3. How to recognize heavenly weapons assigned to every believer that will destroy satanic hindrances, 4. How to identify change agents and mid-wives divinely assigned to assist with impartation and birthing of spiritual gifts. "This is the greatest hour of the Kingdom of God. Heaven is literally opening up and pouring out God's treasures of upon the earth realm. For the believer, who is in right divine alignment with God, the works of Christ will begin to manifest greater through the vessel, causing paradigm shifts in every facet of their lives." Yvette Bell This is your season to step into the fullness of your divine destiny and obtain all that God has for you. Why be satisfied with the status quo, when you can experience supernatural transformation and victory during the "Paradigm Shift "

Dear Reader, This narrative is like none you have read before. It is written in a conversational format, without chapter headings. I would want you to sit down, have a piping hot cup of herbal tea, put your feet up and delve into my life - a life filled with joy, sadness, laughter, violence - unto Victory. Keep Kleenex tissues handy for laughter and sadness. Everything you read, I have experienced, but as the title states, "He was there ALL the time." God's had my life in His hands ALWAYS. Warm hugs from, Carol

The deception of Satan that there are many ways to God is heard in every quarter today from many prominent individuals. However, that does not mean that it is true. Jesus said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Only one way, not many ways, is available for sinful humanity; and because of their sin, only God Himself could provide that way. Sin caused alienation and separation from a holy God, making it totally impossible for humankind to stand in His presence. He did, through the shedding of His Son's precious, sinless blood, make redemption available to the whole world. The blood of Jesus runs through the entire eternal plan of God for salvation; there is no other way

A Time to Grow, the third volume of the history of the Racine Dominican Sisters, tells the congregation's story from 1901 to 1964. After briefly recapturing the tumultuous development of the community while headed by Mother Hyacintha Oberbrunner from after the death of Mother Thomasina Ginker until the election of Sister Emily Acker in 1901, the book chronicles the period leading up to the Second Vatican Council and the changes already being set in motion before the congregational elections of 1964. Illustrations depict the lives of ordinary sisters as they struggled to observe the many regulations and customs handed down from a previous monastic era while carrying out their teaching ministry.

When religion and family turn on you, what is left? This is the amazing story of a young man willing to do whatever is necessary to maintain a relationship with his children. After growing up in a polygamist family and life-style, Jason Williams is given zero chance for salvation from the leaders of the FLDS. His wife and children are kidnapped from him and he is instructed to have nothing to do with them. Instead of giving in, read the true story of how Jason took on the FLDS leaders and saved his children.

Of the 17 years Joe spent living an out of control life on the edge, five of those years resulted in time behind bars in various county jails and prisons in three different states. It was during these times when he found himself locked up that Joe wrote hundreds of poems as a release from the many emotions he experienced while incarcerated.The poems shared in Rage to Redemption were compiled and published in the order in which they were originally written. If you choose to read the poems in order from front to back, you will actually see a life transforming through the words on these pages. The book as a whole tells a beautiful story that starts with much despair and unfolds into a life of love, faith, hope and joy. While Rage and Redemption has a spiritual base, it also contains some graphic imagery that portrays where the author's frame of mind was during his darkest hours. This book is full of pain, loneliness, inspiration and redemption. There is something for everyone in this poetry, even if you are not a traditional poetry fan. They are real poems that were written by a real man who deals with real issues. Take a minute to read some of this work. We're sure you too will find something that touches you.

Barb Voss had suffered a lifetime of hurt, trauma, and loss, but that didn't stop veterinarian James A. Kennedy from wooing her and stealing her heart. In this true love story, Barb recalls how she searched, prayed, and waited for her "cowboy knight"-and eventually found him through a Christian website and divine intervention.

Including original e-mail messages, Barb's memoir recalls the love that developed between two former strangers. How do shields come down for love to finally take hold? How does a love for God shine through the most joyful and painful of experiences? How does someone get through poor health, the death of loved ones, and a variety of betrayals?

Telling her life story, Barb recounts seeking to answer these questions while leaving the past behind to find her once-in-a-lifetime love. She met an extraordinary man, and she shares all the romantic details in My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz. This book may contain what could be some of the most beautiful love letters and prayers ever.

We have many words that can describe our seasons of life. These words can lead to God's promises of love, mercy, and compassion. The Father wants to meet with you, refresh you, and encourage you...one word at a time. Jenny invites you to remember to live each day in the Light of God's faithfulness as she equips you with scriptures to remind you that, In Christ, every moment is a God moment. This devotional book is designed to be a study tool adaptable for group study, Sunday School lessons, devotions, or personal quiet times with the Lord. JENNY PFISTER is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and speaker whom God has anointed and used in a mighty way to touch the lives of countless women and men who are seeking the Lord. Gifted and lead by the Holy Spirit, Jenny thrives on teaching the Word of God through weekly interdenominational women's Bible studies and a weekly TV series called One Brushstroke at a Time. She also leads and teaches at women's retreats and conferences, offers spiritual direction and counsel to many, and regularly preaches and leads worship services at her home church, Breath of God Worship Ministry in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Jenny felt overwhelming love for Jesus at an early age, and sensed God calling her to her first teaching ministry at the age of 22 at The Whitehouse Fellowship, a singles ministry at Timonium Presbyterian Church. At the same time, while teaching music at a private Jewish school in Owings Mills, Maryland, Jenny fell in love with the Old Testament. Layer upon layer, it exploded with life and relevance and became the canvas on which the Lord would paint a perfect picture of unity, truth, and fulfillment of the Old and New Testaments. The Lord was gradually birthing in Jenny the ministry that she would later establish, Brushstroke Ministries. After moving to West Virginia to serve in the Southern Baptist Convention as the state's keyboard and piano specialist, Jenny began to conduct women's Bible studies in homes and churches. In February 2001, she stepped out in faith and founded Brushstroke Ministries, a three-fold ministry of worship, prayer, and study of the Word of God for women of all denominations. Her fervent passion for the Word, along with her spiritual gifting and keen ear for the Lord's direction, has been Jenny's motivation for writing this series of devotional books. She paints a picture with her words, one brushstroke at a time, capturing the beauty of the Lord and His unfailing love for us. Those associated with this blessed ministry pray that as you read these devotionals, you will be touched by His Peace and find comfort in His Presence. To Him be all the glory

This collection of essays constitute an extended argument for an anthropocentric, human-focused, study of religious practices. The basic premise of the argument, offered in the opening section, is that there is nothing special or extraordinary about human behaviors and constructs that are claimed to have uniquely religious status and authority. Instead, they are fundamentally human and so the scholar of religion is engaged in nothing more or less than studying humans across time and place and all their complex existence-that includes creating more-than-human beings and realities. As an extended and detailed example of such an approach, the second part of the book contains essays that address practices, rhetoric and other data in early Christianities within Greco-Roman cultures and religions. The underlying aim is to insert studies of the New Testament and non-canonical texts, most often presented as "biblical studies," into the anthropocentric study of religion proposed in the opening section. For a general reading of modern biblical scholarship makes clear the assumption that the Christian bible is a "sacred text" whose principal raison d'etre is to stand, fetish-like, as the foundational and highest authority in matters moral, ritual or theological; how might we instead approach the study of these texts if they are nothing more or less than human documents deriving from situations that were themselves all too human? Braun's Jesus and Addiction to Origins seeks to answer just that question-doing so in a way that readers working outside Christian origins will undoubtedly find useful applications for the people, places, and historical periods that they study.

"A Glimpse of Glory is a wonderful testament to God's love and promises from one who experienced death-only reluctantly returning to life as we know it from the hereafter. The author wipes away the trepidation even Christians feel toward death and an inkling of what comes next while sharing his own humble beginnings, rugged upbringing and experiences. Rick East is the real deal and has a great message in his acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and what he believes God wants him to share with as many as possible. This story is first rate with a vivid emotional impact and obviously has God's blessing."

-Nick Weyland, fellow author and Christian brother

A Glimpse of Glory

A mysterious illness caused Rick East to lapse into respiratory failure the afternoon of December 25, 2012. Rick discovered his spirit was in heaven and was being coached by the Holy Spirit. Rick saw the city of heaven and had many conversations with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit answered questions that have puzzled Christians for years.

This book contains divine inspirations truly sent from God to me. I feel so very humbled that God chose to give me encouragement in the face of battles, a clear understanding of grace through faith, and to know, without a doubt, He is the Lord, my Father God, who knows all things within my heart. His promises are true in every sense. I accept the gifts He has given and have faith in the promises He has made, no matter what the storm. Let the words given me in this book be an encouragement to anyone that may one day read its contents and be a blessing as it helps others in their lives.

"Outstanding success represents all-round success" Linda Nweke Every woman is born to excel. You were created to have influence of some sort. You were designed to impact your world. Your pursuit of excellence will position you for outstanding success. Understand that influence does not have to be rapid. The influence that endures is usually a gradual process. In order to genuinely impact the lives of those around you, patience is required, wisdom is essential and divine favour is a must. Within the pages of this book lie some powerful and practical keys that will unlock the golden potential that resides within you. Together we will embark on a journey to explore the lives of some outstanding women who have gone before us. You will learn from both their victories and their failures. A variety of subjects have been meticulously discussed in this book and some of them are: Why God made the woman. Far above rubies. The woman of covenant. Until she arose. The power of expectation. Qualities of outstanding women. Grace is enough. Linda Nweke (B.A.), is the co-pastor of the Joyful Assembly London, a Bible teacher, counselor and motivational speaker. She is the author of "Empowered by Grace" and "Transformed by a Word." Linda is the president/founder of Joyful Ladies International Fellowship. She is married to Uche and their marriage is blessed with four lovely children.

Suddenly, we awaken. Our experience was merely a dream. We return to our Earthly life for a second chance, but will we do what we know we should do? Will we seek the Bible in all its glory? Will we seek the Son of God, Jesus Christ? Hell taught us how to be serious. Thanks to a God-given second chance, we will learn to live dedicated to His purpose.