Archive for October, 2006

Deception of Halloween

Thursday, October 26th, 2006

I got this from a friend of mine i hope you all think about this:

We want to take this opportunity to write and express why we disagree with celebrating Halloween. It is a celebration of death, a celebration to and for Satan. For Christians to participate in any way, shape or form, or to teach or allow their children to participate in it is a way of giving glory to the devil.

    The jack-o-lantern, going door to door to ask for candy, costumes, bobbing for apples, black cats, witches on broomsticks and the other traditions of the holiday, are a part of the “festivities” which serve to draw innocent children into what superficially seems like fun. However, it is really part of an orchestrated evil, perpetrated by the enemy of our souls to exalt himself and his wicked demons. (”Satan’s Nite Out”, Free Tract Society)
    We recommend watching Chuck Smith’s “Pagan Invasion”, a movie where a converted Satanic priest tells of some of his most terrible Halloween experiences.  He explains how the awful, ritualistic killings and sacrifices offered on that night take place.  He states that Oct. 31st is the second most “high holy” day for Satan, a time when devil worshiping monsters of iniquity, in covenant with their Master, inflict evil. It’s our opinion that parents would serve God well by teaching their children the TRUE and horrible history of Halloween, and warn them of the evil (information appropriate to their age) that is unbelievably going on behind the scenes and seeks to engulf their spirits.
    We realize that many people don’t see the harm in Halloween and just want their kids to have fun.  Others do not want to deprive their children of what their friends are doing, but, we all need to know that there are certain “fun things” that we as Christians must give up if we intend to be God’s people.  It’s not always an easy thing to do, but one day, as parents, many will be very sorry they didn’t dare to be different than the world. 
    We really feel that God is encouraging us to write this warning. If it is not personally for you and your family, please take the opportunity at this time of year to talk about it with other friends and acquaintances. The Name of Jesus must be glorified in the lives of Christians today and every day.
     Some scripture references to warn, exhort and encourage us are: Ezekiel 44:23; II Cor. 6:14-16; Deut. 18:9-12; II Tim. 1:7; Psalm 139: 21-24; Luke 10:19. If you have additional information, please send it to us. Thank you.

Maps

Sunday, October 22nd, 2006

http://navigator.ba/maps/sarajevo/dispmap.php

Well I could not acctually get the maps up here so yes, please go to this site, or ask me for an email where i have added it to some paint files so yeah enjoy.

October Update

Saturday, October 21st, 2006

Michael Waskosky

Sarajevo, BiH

October 2006

Hi everyone,

I greet you from cold Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. Fall is here, and the trees are beautiful (if you see any, that is). In the city I do not get to see much of the countryside, but Bosnia i Hetcergovina (BiH) is a beautiful country. What’s BiH? This country is not just Bosnia. People get offended when you just refer to BiH as Bosnia, so you always should say BiH (Bosnia i Hetcergovina).

In almost two months in BiH, I have done many things both here in Sarajevo and else­where. A recent treat was that I got to see three other Bethany friends: Jason, Tyler, and Charles. They are on their internship in Vienna, but there was an Assemblies of God youth conference here in Sarajevo. They came down to speak in it, so we had them stay with us at our apartment. It was a great time, like old times back at college except we were in a different country. Thank you, Lord, for this reunion.

Another treat was that the OM (Operation Mobilization) team went on a team trip. Those of us from Sarajevo and also those from Bihac all met at Jahurina and went to something like a camp. It was a big building with lots of different rooms; some rooms had bunk beds and some rooms were for couples. The trip was fun and good. We did a lot of planning for the next year. Cory and I are just here for 8 months so we couldn’t contribute much to the planning. We didn’t know how much to say, what to say, when and how much to participate. Since we were up in the mountains, it was beautiful and a bit chilly. You can go to my website; I have new photos up. My website: www.michaelwaskosky.com

www.michaelwaskosky.com/fotos

Please pray that we move forward effectively with starting a church plant in Dobrina and starting another church in our own homes. Also pray for my English class and for the students. I want them to see God more clearly and see that the road which they are on leads to death and destruction. It’s my prayer that they accept Christ and experience joy and peace now and heaven for eternity.

Lindy, my fiancé, could use your prayers too. She is planning our May wedding while I’m on another continent. It’s not always easy to communicate long distance, but we’re thankful for Pastor Dan who has been willing to do our pre-marital counseling by email.

Lindy will be going down to Ecuador for January and February to be my brother David’s classroom aide. Please pray that she will have a safe trip, and that when she is in Ecuador she can be a blessing for David and my family, and they for her.

Thank you for keeping me and Cory in your prayers.

In Him,

Michael

Something not to laugh about

Friday, October 13th, 2006

If they know of him at all, many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks in a monotone. He’s also a very intelligent attorney who knows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to sway juries and make people think clearly.
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don’t know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise’s wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.

If this is what it means to be no longer young. It’s not so bad.

Next confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don’t feel threatened. I don’ t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution, and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him?

I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her “How could God let something like this Happen?” (regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”

In light of recent events…terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about and we said OK.

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with “WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.”

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it… no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.