It’s no secret that the media is trying to dig up anything and everything it can on GOP Vice Prsidential candidate Sarah Palin.
A virtual army of journalists has invaded her hometown of Wasilla, Aaka and many of them have zeroed in on the candidate’s home church, the Wasilla Bible Church.
I was so impressed by her pastor, who urged the congregation to pray for the media, as told in this Christian Post story.
But we shouldn’t think Palin’s home church is alone in being so carefully examined by the media. All evangelical Christians are under similar observance these days.
DO we walk the talk? Do we have more, love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control than those nonbelievers we work and live with? Do people see Christ in us?
Do we pray for our enemies?
In this election year, we truly may be the only Bble some people see.
Can I get an Amen?

Can you imagine what it is like to me a member of GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s Wasilla Bible Church up there in Alaska?
So much attention is being paid to the Anchorage suburb with media task force teams trying to dig up anything they can on the candidate. Her church is open season.
I was impressed by
this story about how Palin’s pastor is urging church members to pray for the media.
That’s Christian maturity in action.
But his message applies to all believers everywhere this election year.
For we are all under scrutiny. Do we walk the talk? Do we have more love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, more gentleness, more faitfulness and more self contol than those around us?
And do we pray for our enemies?
Can I hear an Amen?

Here’s more news about the movie Fireproof and the various Bible studies cropping up around the country that pick up on the central theme it addresses.

This account of a recent conference shows why our Online Christian Shopper apparel store is carrying Fireproof T-Shirts for men and a matching Fireproof T-Shirt for women as well as a Fireproof hat.

We just see this soon-to-open movie as a tremendous time to point to the value of covenant marriage. The shorts and hat make us walking billboards for good Christian movies and visible reminders that God envisions marriage as a permanent commitment between a man and woman.

National groups such as Focus on the Family, Outreach, FamilyLife, The Marriage CoMission, America’s Family Coaches, AMFM, Marriage Alive Communications, and MarriageToday endorse the movie and are urging their constituencies to see it. Influencers such as marriage expert Gary Smalley and Bubba Cathy of Chick-fil-A are also working to spread the word.

We have really exciting news about what is about to generate a huge about of buzz in the Christian community!

Online Christian Shopper’s Kerusso brand is the official apparel partner for Fireproof, the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures (the creators of Facing the Giants).

Fireproof is an action-packed love story that opens nationwide on September 26. Fireproof (www.fireproofthemovie.com) will have audiences laughing, crying, and inching toward the edge of their seats as they are drawn into the world of a firefighter, his wife and a marriage worth rescuing.

We have really cool T-Shirts for men and women and a ballcap themed from the movie.

These are going to be huge. With the film, churches across the country will be holding Bible studies, showing clips and using the movie to teach about covenant marriage.

Our apparel is styled to look just like the real T-shirts firemen wear on the job - the men’s navy tee features the iconic Firemen’s Cross and Axes. The block-lettered backprint is also typical of a real fireman’s T-shirt. It features the firemen’s creed that makes it clear to Caleb (lead actor in Fireproof movie) - Never Leave Your Partner.

The woman’s Tee is hot pink and features detailed interlocked wedding rings. Share your commitment to God’s plan for marriage through this official Fireproof T-shirt. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. - Mark 10:9

And the coordinating cap features matching Firemen’s Cross appliqué. It’s a great symbol and witness to the commitment a man and wife share.

They are now shipping. We expect them to sell out as the movie sweeps the country.

Have you seen Jon and Kate Plus Eight? It has become a very popular program on TLC. The show is about Jon and Kate Gosselin who have a pair of twins, and a set of sextubplets.

In Season 3, Episode 32, you can see Jon wearing our very own Kerusso Isaiah 40:31 Christian t-shirt! The verse says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

It is so refreshing to find a television show where the stars are not afraid to show their Christian beliefs. Thank you Gosselins for being a good example for other parents and proudly telling the world that you are Christian and proud of it.

That’s right, we are giving away a free Christian T-Shirt and we are also paying the shipping to get it to your door. For our special sweepstakes offer, we are giving away is one of our bestsellers. The Christian shirt you could win is the famous Blood Donor Shirt displayed here on your left.

To enter simply:

• Leave a comment to this point telling us which Christian t-shirt is your favorite by visiting our Christian T-Shirt store, the Online Christian Shopper. Be sure to leave a comment after this post letting us which shirt you like and why. No comments like “I want to win,” please. Give it a little effort about what it is about that particular Christian tee that you most like.
• Make sure that there is a way for us to contact you. If your email does not show up in your profile, then you can either leave it in the comment, or email it to us directly if you do not feel comfortable with posting it. We would not want to have to disqualify a winner because there is no way for us to contact them.
• US entries only please and one entry per contestant.
• To get an extra chance at winning here’s some other ideas: 1. Bloggers can post about this comment or leave a link to this contest in your blog’s sidebar and email us to let us know about it. 2. You can Stumble our website, http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com and let us know where we can find your stumble.
• This contest will be ending Friday, July 18 at Midnight.

Here’s some statistics I heard from our pastor the other day:

* More than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith since the crucifixion of Jesus.
* It’s been estimated that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th Century than in all the prior 1,900 years combined.
* There have been more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in this century alone.
* More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, 60% of these are children.
* 150,000 to 165,000 are martyred each year.

Christians today are the most persecuted group in the world. Persecution is on the rise because of the expansion of Islamic and Hindu extremism, and because of the anti-Christ spirit that is prevalent throughout the world.

Makes me appreciate more the “This shirt is Illegal” Christian T-Shirt we offer. As it says, there are many places in the world where just sharing Christ is a crime!

Of the world’s over six billion people: 151 million claim to be atheists, 2 billion are Christians, 1.2 billion are Muslims, 786 million are Hindus and 362 million are Buddhists.

Literally hundreds of thousands of people today are being killed, brutalized, sold as slaves, imprisoned, tortured, threatened, discriminated against and arrested solely because they are Christians.

We’re told by Jesus to go out into the whole world and tell others about the Good News?

But just how can we do that?

Here’s my top ten suggestions on how to share Christ with a nonbeliever.

1. Look for common interests. With most people, it does little good to hit people over the head with a Bible. Instead, talk about common interests, problems, experiences. In other words, build a relationship.

2. Listen more than you talk for the first few minutes. Ask questions. How did that make you feel? What did you think about then? Then what? Open -ended questions are always the best.

3. Empathize. Sympathize. Let your eyes and body language convey to the person that you are listening and understand. Don’t pass judgment. Don’t ever say “I know just how you feel.” you don’t.

4. Ask questions that let you go for Biblical direction. “Have you read what the Bible says about this?” Or “Can we see what the Bible says about this?” Always present the Bible as an authoritative resource. Try some humor.You know the acronym for BIBLE: Basic…Instructions…Before…Leaving…Earth.

5. Share your story. Tell about your life BC - Before Christ. And your life AC - After Christ. Learn to be able to give your personal testimony in three minutes or left.

6. Don’t be afraid to say you don;t know the answer to a particular question or problem. Offer to check it out and promise to get back with an answer or scriptural reference. And do so.

7. Remember your witness. Often, before a friend or coworker seeks spiritual counsel, they’ve been watching you for weeks. If you stress out or lose your temper, apologize. No one expects you to be perfect. It’s how you handle difficulties that often open the door for a conversation.

8. Seek out open doors for a continuing dialogue. Don’t try to deal with every issue in one meeting.Take time to discuss one or two in depth. Try to arrange follow up discussion times.

9. Invite them to church. There they can find true spiritual community. Offer to pick them up and drive them and treat them to lunch afterwards.

10. Practice lifestyle evangelism. Have a Bible always handy. Wear Christian T-shirts or jewelry where appropriate. Many a spiritual conversation has started because of a Christian T-shirt.

The Christian fish symbol, known as the Ichthus dates back to as early as the first and second century A.D. The symbol is not just a sticker that people put on their bumpers or a charm on a necklace, it has a much deeper meaning and is very significant to both early Christians and the Christians of today.

Ichthus, also spelled ichthys is the Greek word for fish. The spelling in Greek is IXOYE for Iota, Chi, Theta, Upsilon, and Sigma which mean Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Read the rest of this entry »

For anyone who holds that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a man-made hoax conspired by a group of disciples should check out what happened to them.

It verifies the truth of the Bible.

For 11 of the 12 apostles, and many thousands of other early Christians, died for believing this story.

This is dramatic, since they all witnessed the events of Jesus and still went to their deaths defending their faith.

Why is this dramatic, when many throughout history have died martyred deaths for a religious belief?

Because people don’t die for a lie. Look at human nature throughout history. No conspiracy can be maintained when life or liberty is at stake. Dying for a belief is one thing, but numerous eyewitnesses dying for a known lie is quite another.

Here is an account of early Christian persecution, as compiled from numerous sources outside the Bible, the most famous of which is Foxes’ Christian Martyrs of the World… Read the rest of this entry »