Have You Fallen Away?

The glory is departed from Israel. The glory has departed from God's people; the power of God has departed from his Church, the Body of Jesus Christ. The church today is operating in the flesh. Our own wills, our own desires, and ideas. We claim to be seeking the Lords' Will but continue to use the trends and devices of the world to try and win the world over to our side. We are not supposed to be of the world, we are to be the direct opposite!

John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

John 17:14
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

1John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The church today has become a world friendly church. It doesn't want to offend anyone's own personal or spiritual beliefs. The church changes the word of God so that it is politically correct and non-offensive. By doing this they distort the word of God and deceive the people. The church and its leaders ignore the congregation and issues in our local communities and in the world. The church turns a blind eye to the problems within its own body. The church looks for new ideas and gimmicks to bring in the lost and in doing this the infiltration of the enemy has come in like a flood. The churches eyes are dim to the immorality and witchcraft that has invaded its sanctuaries. The church is in rebellion and out of order and in chaos. The church has ignored the warnings. The church has closed its eyes and ears to the Lords instructions. The church is filled with paganism, spiritualism, symbolism and false doctrine.

Where is the concern for the lost? All that is seen in the church today is religion, pride and arrogance!

Are you feeding from the world?

• Are you more worried about which designer clothes to wear than having your mind and heart ready to commune with God?

• Are you more worried about Facebook, Twitter, and other social media than opening up and reading your bible?

• Are you more worried about sitting in front of the TV to watch your favorite show that having a nightly family bible study?

• Do you walk in the church and gossip about the people and events that are in it or do you go straight into prayer for the pastor and his message?

• Would you rather be entertained by radio and be distracted by the things of this world than be concern about the men and women that are lost around you?

• Have you replaced the reading of the word with worship?

• Has the altar become a stage of seduction, self-righteousness, or a dance floor?

• Are you lusting after one another in the pews you are sitting in at church?

• Are you wearing seductive clothing in the House of God? Are you so full of yourself (the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) that people can't see Christ through you?

• Are you more concerned about what time you are going to get out of church and what you are going to eat? When was the last time you heard a message that convicted you so strongly and left you so shaken that your last thought was on what you were going to eat?

Jeremiah 18:15
Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

By Dan Roller

Getting Started As a Magician

It is very difficult to be a magician, as it is probably one of the most difficult arts to practice and master. However, once you reach the point where you believe you've mastered some amazing stunts, you might want to gain notoriety as a magician. Let us have a brief guideline on how to get started as an up and coming magician.

We have presumed that the person in question already has some skills outside of coin and card tricks in order to get started.

Every magician has his/her own special abilities and qualities. It is a humble request to every magician not to try to copy other famous magicians because in this process you may lose your originality. It is important to learn from some of these famous magicians but one should not try to copy them, as each one of them is different in his/her own ways.

Take for example Harry Houdini and Dynamo. Both these magicians are extremely skilful and yet both have diametrically opposite styles. Houdini was more of an over the top magician who loved being flashy and extravagant. Dynamo on the other hand is like a silent killer, who lets his actions speak more than words. It is important for a budding magician to retain his/her persona and act accordingly.

The budding magician must take up small shows at birthdays and other functions in order to garner some kind of confidence. The budding magician should never shy away from these shows, as some magicians confront their egos while doing such shows. It is important to remember that a sequential manner would benefit in the longer term. Hence, these small shows should be used as a confidence building measure. In addition, if one feels that he/she has performed a mistake, try to laugh it out and show that it was meant to be one.

Last but not the least; the magician should upload his/her magic videos on various media sites like YouTube. The magician should then do a proper marketing of this video and follow it up with other videos too. These videos, when will performed and unique, will make you popular among. If you are popular on internet then it will not take a long time for you to be popular as a magician too.

Social media and practice in front of an audience has helped many a magician get started in there careers. If you're really hard up for gigs, you can even promise to do a free one to start, and then film that show for YouTube to show how you are in front of an audience.

By James J Anthony

The Revisionist Collection

Just when we thought we had caught up with Bob Dylan, he has gone and surprised us again. Most famously known as an influential and controversial musician for the last five decades, Dylan certainly never gets stuck in a rut. We first saw his ability to keep his audience on their toes when he ditched the protest songs and swapped his famous acoustic guitar for an electric one. This move bewildered a lot of his fans, but Dylan did not bat an eyelid. He had his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead and never showed any sign of looking back.

Dylan has had a long and successful career in the music industry, writing over five hundred songs in his time, including 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' and 'Blowing in the Wind'. Instead of stepping quietly out of the spotlight, he carries on to shock us all.

Firstly, it was a surprise that Bob Dylan was an artist as well as a musician. He evidenced his talents and captivated the world with a collection called 'Drawn Blank Series'. This was a great success for the artist, therefore meaning that it was not the time to switch off his creative brain. Instead we are graced with a new collection; perhaps more controversial than his previous portfolios, but nevertheless exciting.

Revisionist Art

The new portfolio released this year, could not be any more far removed from the 'Drawn Blank Series'. In fact, one would think that it was a complete different artist altogether!
The new collection is a limited edition of hand signed silkscreens which are the covers of popular magazines taken from the last half a century. The concept behind this is intriguing. They are magazine covers which have escaped history's notice. They are from a world only slightly removed from our own, and are indicative of a place more honest about its corruption. According to the works of Bob Dylan, our history is not quite what we think it is.

Dylan's artwork shows his outstanding awareness of the everyday, illustrating the same drive for renewal which epitomised his legendary music career. In this portfolio of art he has transformed popular designs, reconsidering the syntax, graphics and chromatic content and then enlarging them onto silkscreened images.

No doubt that this collection will be as popular as his last, and there is no chance of his audience becoming bored. It is sensed that this will probably not be the last we hear from Bob Dylan, and perhaps there are more shocking things to come.

By Robert Harry Smith