Tuesday, October 27, 2015

SCARY MOVIE

I found this movie to be an overall piece of detritus. However, you get the feeling that, if the people who made these fratboy parodies wanted to, they could actually make really funny, clever films.

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: TRUNEWS MOVING UP IN THE WORLD; CKOL CAMPBELLFORD ANNOUNCER REALLY SHINING

Cool that TruNews is now on Sirius-XM and has casts.

Weezy on CKOL sounds immensely better as an announcer than she used to.

One day, one of the horses from "Heartland" will write its memoirs.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

It sucks CJBQ ended their election coverage early.

Haven't been able to pick up WTWW 5830 lately.

It will be cool if that new St. Catherine's station gets approved but it will also mean I won't be able to get WHKW as well as I have been the last few years.

Monday, October 19, 2015

INTERNET STUFF

Finally, Rock Radio Scrapbook is starting to put their airchecks in mp3 format.

Go Comics is a good site for newspaper comic strips, editorial cartoons and, from what I can tell, other newspaper features.

Cric Free looks like a good site for streaming all kinds of sports.

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

Picked up WDCX this morning with Alistaire Begg.

Picked up WEDG this morning with morning show, talking about sports, commercials, other topics.

That "Keep It Scottish" program on CKOL Monday mornings is actually pretty cool.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

That new show "Radio Northern Ireland" on WBCQ 9330 plays some quite good music.

It was good to hear Uncle Eric on The Mighty KBC again last night, even if the signal was poor.

Caught about of "Shortwave Saturday Night" with J.P. on WBCQ 7490 last night.

REPLY AWL

I enjoyed the article on gratitude in the August 10 issue of Maclean's, but without knowing to whom you are supposed to be grateful it's quite useless.

The profile of R. A. Dickie in the September issue of Good Times was actually quite good.

Regarding the article in the September issue of Chatalaine about the mother whose son is getting the HPV vaccine, look online at all the testimonies of young women whose lives have been ruined by this vaccination's terrible side effects.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

JOHN PIPER-THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD DEMONSTRATED PART THREE

Propitiation doesn't mean God poured out His wrath on His Son; it means that because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross the wrath of God that would have been poured out on us believers in the form of us being sent to Hell when we die was set aside.

Remission doesn't mean the sins we committed before we came to faith have been passed over; it means something has been done to make it so they aren't accounted to us anymore. When we are baptized for the remission of our sins, that is how we contact the blood of Christ which has made it possible for those sins to be remitted.

Hear and read the original sermon here.http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-demonstration-of-gods-righteousness-part-3

Friday, October 16, 2015

THIS SUNDAY OCTOBER 18 2-5 P.M. -- 'THE AMAZING JAM' AT THE BLACK DOG IN STIRLING

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Good songs and good music,  and good company to share them with!
That’s what you’ll find this  Sunday afternoon at the Black Dog in Stirling.
Yes! THIS Sunday afternoon! 
So come on out and join us  to share a few tunes at the Amazing Jam? Maybe some of your own, maybe a couple  from someone else....
The Black Dog, 227 West Front St. in Stirling.   
We start up at 2 pm, run until    5....
Looking forward to see you  there.
*And    don’t forget to check the Facebook page ‘BV Amazing Music’ for postings    about more music and events in this area. There’s something happening    here....
The ‘Amazing Jam’! Even more amazing music... 
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This Sunday afternoon  at The Black  Dog in Stirling. We’ll be playing music there for about 3 hours. Welcomed by both staff and the patrons in the lounge and  restaurant, our music is appreciated. 
Once a month on Sunday afternoons. This Sunday afternoon  (October 18th). Time is from 2 pm until 5.
The format is a ‘song circle’ with  the lead changing from person to person among the group. Everyone has the option  to offer a tune when their turn comes around, or pass to their neighbour if  they’d rather. Depending on the music, the mood, choice of instruments, etc.  some will choose to support whoever is leading a song, others may prefer to sit out and listen.   DSCF1663
We invite you to come out and join us, making music with old friends;  for sure, there’ll be some new faces too.
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Remember....
“Bring your instruments, your voices and your music. It’s  all unplugged  and it’s all good! Guitar, bass,  harmonica, banjo,  mandolin, ukulele,  fiddle, accordion,  flute, celtic harp – the list goes  on.
“There may be only 4 or 5 of us or maybe a whole room full of  musicians. A place for ‘first-timers’ and experienced  players alike. A  good bunch of people playing all kinds of music together.  People in their teens all the way through  proto-geezers. Maybe even an incipient-geriat or two....
“The blues does not rule. Any acoustic music from punk to polka!”
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(Baritone sax and tuba set up in the  parking lot....)
Hope to see you Sunday afternoon in  Stirling.
James

Thursday, October 15, 2015

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

Picked up WRUR Rochester Saturday morning with eclectic mix of music.

Then, picked up 89.1 The Point with top 40 music and female anncr talking about Haloween parties and giving weather forecast.

That Loyalist College internet station, Hot Hits, is certainly better than what I had in my first year. Kudos to whoever made the decision to launch that.

Been downloading old episodes of "Brave New Waves" and "Nightlines." I regret I never appreciated those programs and their music more when they were on.

Man, Premier Christian Radio from the UK is just so good; they've got a good emphasis on Jesus Christ without becoming starchy and dull.

That music program on RTE Monday-Fridays at 8:00 p.m. is good. When I tuned in the other week I heard some classic rock tunes followed by some jazz tunes.

Didn't know we could get Joy 1250 in this area at this time of year before the sun went down.

Listened to the Jays win on Monday night on CIWW Ottawa, then listened to Christian country music on WXRL Buffalo, checked out some of the ethnic stuff on CJMR Toronto, then listened to some hymns on WQEW New York. The AM band can still offer interesting stuff.

Also listened to the Jays win today on CIWW.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

CHRISTIAN BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

1 and 2 Thessalonians by Geoffrey B. Wilson: A good, simple yet thorough commentary on these two books of the Bible with an introduction that provides a good background for the context of these letters and a good foundation for learning from them.

 A Voice In the Night by Brenda Sloggett: Autobiography of a woman who, among other things, took in Burmese refugees. Shows what cool things British people are doing for Christ.

 After the Locusts by Meg Guillibaud: An Anglican bishop tells about how the Rwandans are healing after the genocide and how their stories illustrate various aspects of forgiveness.

 Angels On the Walls by Wallace and Mary Brown: An Anglican vicar is called to a counsel estate in an English town. This is one of the best Christian books I have ever read. I found it so cool how, as an Anglican, this man was open to things such as words of knowledge. One can’t but get caught up in his infectious zeal for turning a staid Anglican parish church with an old, dying, unenthusiastic congregation into a place welcoming to the younger people on the estate, which also entails their various troubled backgrounds.

 Back to Jerusalem by Paul Hattaway: Details the mission given to the Chinese church by God to take the Gospel through the 10-40 region all the way back to Jerusalem from whence it started. I was completely unaware of this mission. Also has a really edifying chapter on how the Communist persecution of the church in China and everything they did to “improve” society actually ended up strengthening and growing the church.*

 Cockney On Cloud Nine by Ken Calder: Testimony of a man who grew up in a poor family in London during World War II. Shows how God directed his life and how God has us do one thing for a while, then calls us to something else.

 Discovering Acts by Stephen Gaukroger: A Crossway BibleGuide that provides a lot of good commentary on this book of the Bible.

 Discovering Joshua by Charles Price: A Crossway Bible Guide that provides a good commentary on this book of the Bible. This commentary really cleared up the question of Calvinism versus Arminianism for me.

 Even The Darkness by Carole Simpson: Testimony of a woman from a dysfunctional family who subsequently got addicted to drugs and all the rest of it. Illustrates how Christians can fail to properly care and understand new believers who have come out of such situations.

 In Search of the Source by Neil Anderson & Hyatt Moore: Also one of the best Christian books I have ever read. The story of a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators who went with his family to work among a tribe in Papua New Guinea. Shows the challenges and rewards of translating the Bible. It also shows that good missionaries respect and immerse themselves in the culture and the people among whom God has called them.

 Into the Glory by Jamie Buckingham: Tells of interesting things that happened among the Natives of Brazil once they became Christians from the perspective of a pilot for Wycliffe Bible Translators.

 Kathryn’s Story by Kathryn Green: Recounts the suffering from and subsequent healing of a rare illness in a teenage girl.

*Here is a link to the website of this movement.http://www.backtojerusalem.com

Friday, October 9, 2015

PASTRIX: THE CRANKY, BEAUTIFUL FAITH OF A SINNER AND SAINT

By Nadia Bolz-Weber. Nashville, TN: Jericho Books, 2014

This was a very interesting read from a more emergent church kind of perspective which is a side of things I don't often delve into when I read.

I found it very intriguing how Bolz-Weber felt called to ministry because she was the only religious person among her friends. It is probably correct to say she would have been the only kind of Christian from which her friends and the kind of people who go to her church would have been willing to hear about Jesus. I would not compare her to Esther though. Instead, I would compare her to Debra, stepping up when there was no man willing to do what was required.

Bolz-Weber's story about going from an alcoholic, drug using wannabe stand-up comic to an emergent-type Lutheran pastor is definitely inspiring, thrilling and heartwarming and once again proves the passage in Jeremiah which ends, "but what will you do at the end of it?"

Bolz-Weber can bloody write! One gets into her patter like a warm bath, and the description of her writing style in the front of the book is certainly apt. Heck, she can speak, despite what her self-deprecating comments would lead you to believe. From even first hearing about this book on "Tapestry", I wanted to have lunch with her and chew the fat.

Some of the lessons Bolz-Weber learns along her journey of being a pastor are pretty obvious to someone of a different background, but you can still get into the telling like the aforementioned bathtub.

That is the praise I have for Bolz-Weber and "Pastrix.", Now for the major sticking-point between her and me, namely, homosexuality and transgenderism.

First of all, let me say that, while they should never compromise on homosexuality being a sin and abomination and on the fact that God-who is incapable of making mistakes-created us male and female, many Christians need to approach these issues and, indeed, these people differently.

Having said that, though, I will not compromise on what God has said through the Scriptures.

Emergent and Christians of other pro-lgbtq8&&((*%^&fdksk ilks do a disservice to homosexuals and transgender folk when they tell them they can lead a life in Christ without having to address these sins, for they are only serving to dis-empower the homosexual by doing this. Homosexuals (in which group I would include transsexuals and other gender-dysphoric persons) have deep-seeded feelings of inadequacy-not about who they are as girls or guys-but about themselves as people. Thus, Christians need to, in love, get at the individual's particular version of that inadequacy.

In the case of Mary Kristene Calahan, (which is the name and gender I will use so as not to further dis-empower her), I would not have baptized her into being a man. I would have prayerfully considered and talked to her about what it is that makes her feel she's meant to be a man. Then I would have told her to talk to God about whatever her answer to my previous question would have been.

Finally, to Nadia and all others who think so: True faith in and obedience of God is not for the purpose of "becoming like us", that is, being made into what some particular group of so-called Christians think a follower of Jesus should look and act like; it's about becoming your true self. God is trying to restore each one of those who are truly seeking for and trusting in Him to the way He wants them to be.

We are born into this world and get flack from all quarters and messages telling us we have to be like someone else and conform to others expectations. This often leads to many terrible consequences to the person being put upon by the world in this way.

God the Father sent His son (who was actually a part of Himself) down to Earth to die on the cross in part that we would have a way to become our true, God-designed individual selves we were meant to have been had the events of the Garden of Eden not taken place. God wants to free you from that homosexuality and gender-dysphoria (as well as all your other sins) so that you can become the you you were meant to be.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

Twas good to be on The Lorne Brooker Show last week.

Picked up WDCX last evening with John McArthur.

Listened to an episode of "Matinee With Bob and Ray" a little while ago. Forgot how much I enjoyed those guys.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

FULL PLAYING CARDS WITH ELEMENTS OF GRANDEUR AND OPULENCE


There is a new set of playing cards making some serious buzz in the high quality gaming and luxury space. It’s called Grinders Playing Cards and each design of the Grinders Deck embodies elements of grandeur and opulence.

 

The Grinders Tuck Box, Cards and Custom Brick Box will all be printed by Legends Playing Card Co. The Cards will utilize Legend’s awesome Classic Finish which is a softer and slicker paper. Pick up a deck of Grinders Playing Cards today to bring over to the next Poker game with friends!

Find out more here.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/randybutterfield/grinders-playing-cards/description

Monday, October 5, 2015

I AM NO LONGER INSTITUTIONALIZED

At the end of March of this year, I quit the church where I had been attending for the past fourteen years.

At first, I had thought about finding another church but ultimately decided against, preferring to have fellowship with other believers throughout the week instead.

The institutional church, be it Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical, or otherwise, is like the proverbial oxcart in the Biblical story. It is a thing constructed by man for the purpose of conveying Jesus, but because it is manmade, it tips every time. When people try to reach out and steady the oxcart, they get struck down by the other members of that denomination. The one who was struck down then goes out and then builds his own oxcart.

If believers want to gather in a weekly meeting, let it be according to 1 Corinthians 14. There are much better articulated resources on the web about how the early church worked so I won't go into more details here.

My journey with Jesus Christ has been exciting, interesting, enlightening, life-saving, life-affirming, and a whole bunch of other things I can't think of at this time and I look forward to where He will lead me in the future.

YOU LOST ME: WHY YOUNG CHRISTIANS ARE ABANDONING CHURCH AND RETHINKING FAITH

By David Kinnaman. Ada, MI: Baker Books, 2011.

First, Kinnaman seems to be under the mistaken notion that it is mostly young people who are leaving the institutional church when in fact Christians of all ages are doing so.

Second, Kinnaman seems to be in a sort of huff that young Christians would think the things about the traditional church they do. Hey, lots of church people don't like anyone but those who fit into their exact denomination and many youth pastors are overprotective of teenagers.

Thirdly, Kinnaman is taking a man-centred, patrimonial approach to this problem. Jesus clearly told his disciples at the last supper that it is the Holy Spirit who guides Christians into all truth. Sure, a believer might get off track and believe something unbiblical for a while, but they won't stay deceived if they truly have the Holy Spirit.

Sure, some churches are making a few changes to address the reasons why their numbers are shrinking, but, due to it's very structure, the institutional church can not change into being what the body of Christ should be.

Lastly, this guy seems really down on music downloading. Wonder if any parties responsible for putting together this book owns a record label?

Sunday, October 4, 2015

JOYFUL NOISE

I quite enjoyed this movie. I don't think a lot of Christians would like it because it has some swearing and other content in it most of them wouldn't approve of, but I really liked the fact this movie contains a lot of things involving people dealing with life.

The most ironic part is when the choir is at the finals and the choir of twelve year old kids are singing about being humble. The church choir in this movie isn't humble; they're in it to win a competition and get glory for themselves.

ZOMBIELAND

This movie starts off as a horror movie with some funny bits thrown in for comic relief, then turns into a zany comic farce, something I wasn't really comfortable with. Think of the usual Hollywood formula and that completes the essence of this picture.

Also, zombies have human teeth; just wear a leather jacket.