Monday, April 28, 2008

DMin Lecturer : Gene Getz

Personalia on

DR. GENE A. GETZ

Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Ministries

Dallas Theological Seminary

Dallas, Texas

Pastor Emeritus, Fellowship Bible Church North (now Chase Oaks Church)

President, Center for Church Renewal

Host and Teacher, Renewal Radio

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Diploma (1952), Moody Bible Institute; B.A. (1954), Rocky Mountain College; M.A. (1958), Wheaton College; Ph.D. (1968), New York University; graduate study at Northern Illinois University; Honorary Doctorate (1999), Institut Theologique de Nimes, Uchaud, France.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Radio ministry, Montana Gospel Crusade (1952-54); Youth Director, Church of the Air, Billings, Montana (1952-54); Director of Youth Camp, Clydehurst Christian Ranch (1954); Assistant Pastor, Cass Community Church, Hinsdale, Illinois (1954); Director of Christian Education, Lisle Bible Church, Lisle, Illinois (1955-57); Instructor in Christian Education (1955-68), Director of Evening School (1963-68), Moody Bible Institute; Visiting Professor, Word of Life Summer Institute of Camping, Schroon Lake, New York (1964--); Associate Professor of Christian Education, Dallas Theological Seminary (1968-74); Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary (1974--); Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Center for Church Based Training (1999--); presently Pastor Emeritus, Fellowship Bible Church North (now Chase Oaks Church); President, Center for Church Renewal.

PUBLICATIONS

REGAL BOOKS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Measure of a Church

Measure of a Family

Measure of a Man

Measure of a Woman

Partners for Life

CHARIOT-VICTOR BOOKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


God's Plan for Building a Good Reputation

Serving One Another

Building Up One Another

Loving One Another

Encouraging One Another

Praying for One Another

SERENDIPITY HOUSE--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overcoming Adversity – Insights into the Life of Joseph

Shoulder to Shoulder – Insights into the Life of the Apostles

Unwavering Tenacity – Insights into the Life of Elijah

Fearless Leadership – Insights into the Life of Joshua

Weighing Anchor – Insights into the Life of Samuel

Forever Touched – Significant Women in Jesus’ Life

MOODY PUBLISHING --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Filling the Holes in Our Souls

Biblical Theology of Material Possessions

Real Prosperity

Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church

The Measure of a Healthy Church

CENTER FOR CHURCH RENEWAL -------------------------------------------------------------------

Sharpening the Focus of the Church

BROADMAN & HOLMAN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Walk

"Men of Character" Series

Abraham: Holding Fast to the Will of God

David: Seeking God Faithfully

Elijah: Remaining Steadfast Through Uncertainty

Jacob: Following God Without Looking Back

Joseph: Overcoming Obstacles Through Faithfulness

Joshua: Living as a Consistent Role Model

Nehemiah: Becoming a Disciplined Leader

Daniel: Standing Firm for God

Moses: Freeing Yourself to Know God

Samuel: A Lifetime Serving God

The Apostles: Becoming Unified Through Adversity

Paul: Living for the Call of Christ

WORD PUBLISHING ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effective Church Growth Strategies

BACK TO THE BIBLE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interacting With God in Ephesians 1-3

Interacting With God in Ephesians 4-6

David: Anchoring Your Heart Close to God

1 Thessalonians: Moving Forward in a Backward World

HOWARD PUBLISHING------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rich in Every Way

VIDEO SERIES------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doing Church in the Twenty-first Century

Measure of a Man

Measure of Spiritual Maturity

Dynamics of a Successful Marriage

PULPIT MINISTRY

Frequent speaker at church renewal seminars and Christian education conferences. In November of 1972, Dr. Getz, along with several families, launched Fellowship Bible Church in Dallas (now Chase Oaks Church). Since that time the work has grown to include 17 churches in the Dallas Metroplex and a number of Fellowship churches in other parts of the country. The basic principles forming the foundation for this new ministry are spelled out in Dr. Getz's book, Sharpening the Focus of the Church.

DMIN : ELDERS AND LEADERS

Dr. Gene A. Getz
June 10-13, 2008

OBJECTIVE

To understand God’s principles for leadership in the local church and to discuss how to implement these principles in various cultural situations.

COURSE OUTLINE


FOUNDATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

· Considering a basic research design for understanding God’s plan for the local church as it is unfolded in the New Testament.

· Looking at biblical criteria for measuring success in the local church.

· Reviewing vital biblical functions for producing a mature church.

ELDERS AND LEADERS: God’s Plan for Leading the Church

· Learning to “principlize”

· Unfolding the biblical story

· Crystallizing observations on the biblical story

· Formulating and applying supracultural principles

SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURES

· A biblical perspective on apostles, prophets and teachers

· A biblical perspective on all spiritual gifts

ASSIGNMENTS

PRECOURSE

Read carefully The Measure of a Healthy Church by Gene A. Getz (Moody Publishers). As you do, prepare a report on your own local church, using the questions listed at the end of each chapter entitled, “Thinking and Growing Together.” Ideally, it would be best to prepare this project by interacting with several mature believers in your church. However, this may not be possible because of time limitations. Consequently, you can complete this assignment personally.

When possible, verify the answers to each question with one or more specific illustrations.

This paper is due at the beginning of the course sessions.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced.


Note: The purpose of this assignment is to lay a broader biblical foundation for studying the subject of “Elders and Leaders.”


IN-COURSE

There will be no specific assignments during the four days in class other than to interact with the lectures.

POST-COURSE

Elders and Leaders

Carefully work through Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church with a small group of current or prospective leaders in your local church.

Design your own format for this assignment, including your written report on the process. However, at the beginning of the report, describe your format and then use the following questions to prepare this report:

1. Considering each member of your group, what were their most significant new insights?

2. In what sections of the book did you have the most intense discussions and why?

3. What were some of the conclusions in the book that were questionable to members of your group and why? (Give biblical reasons for any disagreements.)

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Biblical Eldership

Carefully read Alexander Strauch’s book entitled Biblical Eldership (Louis and Roth). Compare Strauch’s research and conclusions with Getz’s research approach and conclusions in Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church. Answer five basic questions:

1. How does Strauch’s research paradigm differ from Getz’s?

2. How do Strauch’s observations and principles differ from Getz’s?

3. What are the major strengths in both works?

4. What are the major weaknesses in both works?

5. How would you improve on both studies?

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

The Measure of a Man

A PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT FOR MEN

The following assignment can be done both before and after the class sessions. Carefully work through the latest edition of The Measure of a Man (Regal Books) by Gene A. Getz. If married, do this assignment with your spouse. If you’re not married, work through the material with a close and trusted friend.

It’s suggested that you and your spouse or friend each read a chapter separately and then discuss the questions listed at the end of each chapter under the caption—“Thinking and Growing Together.”

Using feedback from your spouse or friend, write out at least one goal you would like to achieve in your life as a result of the specific quality described in each chapter.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Note: This is a confidential assignment and will be read only by the class instructor.

The Measure of a Woman

A PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT FOR WOMEN

Carefully work through the latest edition of The Measure of a Woman (Regal Books) by Gene and Elaine Getz and follow the same procedures as listed above.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Primal Leadership

Carefully review and evaluate Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee (Harvard Business School Press).

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the basic thesis of this book?

2. What areas in this book would you question theologically?

3. What do Christian leaders need to learn from this book that we often overlook?

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Note: with the exception of the personal assignment for men and the personal assignment for women, all of these post-course assignments should be done after the in-course experience.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW-UP PROJECTS

Elders and Leaders Field Guide

A curriculum has been developed for the Elders and Leaders study based on a number of “issues” faced by current Governance Boards. This material is designed to be intensely interactive based on a “six-step wisdom process”:

Step 1: grasp the issue

Step 2: study the Scriptures

Step 3: consult other sources

Step 4: form a response

Step 5: discuss the issues

Step 6: take action to obey

For more information, contact:

James Roberts

Center for Church Based Training (CCBT)

1700 Gateway Blvd.

Richardson, TX 75080

1-888-422-2896 (toll free)

www.ccbt.org

THE MEASURE OF A MAN VIDEO STUDY

Grace Products has developed an interactive video series (Part 1, Part 2) now on DVD, that covers each quality listed by Paul in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and developed in The Measure of a Man by Gene A. Getz. Each video segment includes a life story to illustrate each quality of maturity, two brief expository presentations by Gene, followed by questions for interaction and response.

For more information, contact:

Grace Products

1771 International Parkway

#111

Richardson, TX 75081

1-800-527-4014 (toll free)

www.gracevideos.com

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

God doesn’t require evangelists to wear three-piece suits or to have impressive theological degrees. He uses nobodies.

A Holy Ghost Outbreak in Florida

Charismatics are flocking to the sleepy town of Lakeland, Fla. to attend evangelist Todd Bentley’s unconventional revival services.

Todd Bentley is not exactly your grandmother’s evangelist, but that didn’t stop grandmothers from lining up to get prayer from the 32-year-old preacher last week when he opened his 14th straight night of revival meetings in Lakeland, Fla. People of all ages—including plenty of retirees with bad backs and partial deafness—crammed into the 700-seat Ignited Church to watch Bentley pray for the sick and to hear testimonies from the healed.

“If you need a miracle in your body, stand up!” Bentley shouted, waving his tattooed arms over the crowd. “There is healing in the atmosphere! Sometimes people feel fire or heat. It’s Jesus!”

The audience was pumped. Many had been coming to the meetings since April 2, when a four-day conference began and then zoomed into overdrive. Others had just arrived in Lakeland from out of state after hearing reports of the revival on the Internet. The night I attended, host pastor Steve Strader said more than 90,000 people had watched the meetings online.

“Tumors are going to be pulled out of people’s bodies tonight,” Bentley announced with a grin. “It’s gonna pop tonight!”

The scene inside this church, a former Scotty’s home-supply warehouse, was beyond unconventional. Teenagers with spiked hair worshiped God side by side with soccer moms and scruffy, pony-tailed bikers. After an hour of singing they cheered Bentley as he took the stage looking like a roadie for a grunge band.

Heavy-set with a beard and shaved head, the Canada-born preacher is rough around the edges. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt that said “Legend Killers” on the back. The metal studs in his ears and left eyebrow glistened in the stage lights. His tattoos covered both arms and most of his neck.
By his own admission, Bentley is a walking miracle. He should have died 15 years ago—but his life was spared when a burly stranger carrying a large white Bible knocked on his door and delivered what Bentley calls “the fieriest hell-and-damnation sermon I’ve ever heard.”

Immediately after his conversion at age 17, Bentley began spending four to 12 hours a day in prayer and Bible reading. It wasn’t long before he was preaching to huge crowds.

A high school dropout, Bentley has conducted healing crusades in dozens of nations including Ecuador, India and Tanzania. His staff says crippled people have left their wheelchairs behind numerous times.
But his methods are far from polished. When he prayed for people in Lakeland, he usually began by laying his hand on their heads and then yelling, “Bam!

Often the people fell backward to the floor. After one elderly woman fell, Bentley told the audience: “She doesn’t know why she fell down.” The woman then laughed and said to him in the microphone: “Because you pushed me!” He prayed for her three more times that night, and she said she could hear better.

“I’m feeling the presence of God so strong in here!” he shouted. More people ran to the stage, dodging teens who had swooned on the floor. A teenage girl walked up to Bentley on the platform and said a lump on her neck had just dissolved. During the past three weeks people have testified of being healed from heart conditions, skin rashes and back problems, and many said scars disappeared.

Bentley says he refuses to give this outbreak of Pentecostal revival a name, but some have already dubbed it the “Florida Healing Outpouring.” Strader, the former pastor of Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland, said a New Zealand preacher prophesied in March that Bentley would be used “like a boomerang” to trigger a national revival that would start in Florida.

Many charismatics are wondering if the protracted meetings will become a phenomenon similar to what happened in Rodney Howard-Browne’s meetings in Lakeland in 1993, at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in Canada in 1994 and at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola in 1995.

It’s too early to tell if this outbreak is the next Toronto Blessing—which lasted for several years and spread revivalist fervor to dozens of nations. If the crowds in Lakeland keep growing, Strader will have to move the meetings to a larger venue since his building and parking lot are already at full capacity.

Those who can’t visit Lakeland should be encouraged to know that God doesn’t require evangelists to wear three-piece suits or to have impressive theological degrees. He uses nobodies. If anything is obvious from the Lakeland revival, it is that God wants to anoint and empower ordinary people—even those who dropped out of school or got messed up in drugs—to take His radical love to a world that is desperate to see the raw power of God.


J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can learn more about Todd Bentley’s revival services in Lakeland at the Ignited Church Web site, ignitedchurch.com. Last weekend Bentley announced that he has canceled his bookings in April so he can keep the momentum going, at least through early May. Starting Thursday, Apr. 24, the meetings are being moved to Auburndale Life Church in Auburndale, Fla., about 10 miles from Lakeland.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Our methods might need to change as we grow and as our world changes


Have you named your replacement

An interview with Naomi Dowdy

Most ministry leaders don't think about the dreaded word "successor" until it is too late. They act as if they will live forever. Or they stay in control of their church or organization until they are so old that it's too late to train their replacements.

Naomi Dowdy, a veteran church planter who has worked in Asia for decades, decided to buck this trend.

She selected her successor, Dominic Yeo, several years ago, trained him and then set him in place in 2005.

Yeo's installation at the 5,500-member Trinity Christian Centre in Singapore was an impressive demonstration of the way church leadership is supposed to work—and it gave Dowdy an opportunity to share her secrets with leaders all over the world.

Ministry Today asked Dowdy to download her secrets to us. We think you'll benefit from her refreshingly practical wisdom.


Ministry Today: Why do you think most pastors don't consider it a priority to find a successor?

Dowdy: One reason is tradition. Tradition says that a pastor stays with the church until "retirement"—meaning when he or she is too old or too sick to continue.

Another reason is the old-fashioned attitude that says, "I want to die preaching in the pulpit." In the old days, ministry was considered to be about preaching and was not defined by other expressions. So we had this idea that if you really wanted to be successful you would never stop ministering.

A third reason is poor planning. Many pastors have not planned for another expression of their ministry beyond the church they pastor now. Many of them cannot picture themselves sitting around doing nothing in their older years. They have energy, and they want to be productive in some way in their later years.

To complicate things, most churches either cannot or have not helped their pastors with financial planning. How will older ministers pay their bills?

Ministry Today: You recently handed over the leadership of your church to Dominic Yeo. When did you first come to realize that you needed a replacement, and how did you identify him?

Dowdy: The realization came long before there was someone available and ready. I took steps to prepare. I had to basically grow my own leaders. This required me to break from a traditional approach to doing church.

There were not many Bible school graduates to select from. I knew I needed to begin to develop men and women who could work in every area of ministry. I needed those with pastoral skills, leadership skills and preaching skills. Mostly I was looking for spiritual sons and daughters who had the DNA of the church.

During the 1990s, when I would have our various pastoral planning retreats, I would lead our pastors into open discussions about their spiritual gifts. We talked about what gifts they thought they had versus what gifts others felt they had. We discussed their perception of themselves and how it matched the perception of other team members.

We asked many questions: Were they able to see, from among their peers, who had the gift of apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist or teacher? Could they recognize and accept that there were some leaders who had a greater anointing to lead the whole team? Would they be willing to accept and follow their leadership?

This was not a democratic process that involved voting; it was a time of dialogue. I could see which leaders were emerging, but it was necessary for the person to be accepted by their peers when the time would come for transition. This was all part of a long process to prepare both the person and the staff for new leadership. Of course, they did not know that I was doing this.

Without a lot of detail I would give my leadership team the opportunity to prove themselves in various ministry situations. In other words, I tested them. This gave them experience, exposure, time for evaluation and an opportunity to gain confidence.

Ministry Today: Obviously your congregation had come to love you over a long period of time. How did you help them adjust to the idea of a new leader?

Dowdy: I knew it was necessary to develop new leaders from within the church. The congregation had to begin to love these growing leaders, so I had to create ways for the church to experience their power and anointing. I would tell the people how great our pastors were so that I could build confidence in them.

I would also put them in charge of the affairs in the church while I was overseas on ministry trips. These things were planned with a purpose.

Ministry Today: Did you and Dominic have any different views on major issues? Does a pastor's replacement have to think just like he or she does, or is there room for the new leader to have a new style?

Dowdy: Dominic and I did have some different views in the beginning. However, we worked through those early in our relationship, before I was sure he would become my successor. There were no major differences on methodology or vision, because he was a part of the process in developing and fine-tuning our church's core values.

For this reason I know the vision of our church will not change. Our methods might need to change as we grow and as our world changes. I told him that he must always pray, hear from God and then review our methods in order to stay on the cutting edge.

Ministry Today: Now that you are traveling a lot, what function do you play in the church, and how is the congregation responding to you in your new role?

Dowdy: I have always traveled in ministry outside my church. We are more than just a local church. We have a global vision, thus we are involved in working with churches in many nations. Most of our pastors are involved in ministry beyond our church and outside Singapore. That is who we are.

However, in the earlier years of my pastorale, I did greatly reduce my travel in order to concentrate on our local church and to develop a strong leadership base. As our leaders grew, I increased my travel to other nations.

Officially my role and title in the church is that of resident apostle. I do not involve myself in the daily operations of the church—rather, I am a mentor to our leadership team. I continue to work with our new senior pastor as we mentor the next generation.

I am involved in our overseas endeavors, and I work to expand our outreach and strengthen the churches we relate to. I'm also involved in many areas of ministry, but I don't lead unless I am asked to. The church and the leadership at Trinity Christian Centre continue to love and honor me, but I don't place obligations on them.

I also have the responsibility as the resident apostle to "step in" if the senior pastor falls into sin. In such a scenario I would have to judge the matter and determine the course of action needed to deal with him, and also to lead and guide the church through troubled times.

The church has responded well to my transition, and they are flowing with Pastor Dominic and the leadership team. The church is growing, miracles are happening, and our new building is progressing on schedule. The church has also responded well to my new role.

The major complaint is that I am gone too much, and they want me to reduce my travel so I can stay in Singapore more. It is great to know they love me!

Ministry Today: What is the worst thing that can happen to a church if the pastor just continues to remain in the pulpit and never trains a replacement?

Dowdy: There are a couple of "worst" things. The pastor can overstay his effectiveness. This can result in the church becoming stagnant and drifting into maintenance mode. In this condition the church will probably lose members and become a shadow of its former self. This would mean that a new pastor coming in must pick up a church that is on decline and try to reverse the situation, losing years of impact.

The other "worst" thing that happens is when a pastor without a replacement suddenly dies or just gives the church a short notice that he is resigning. This pushes the responsibility and burden of finding a replacement in a short time onto a group of elders or a church board.

Indonesian Boy Preacher

God is able to do great things, despite our unbelief.

God is able to use different people to serve Him, even if we do not believe He can.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSlKKHoBXf4


Watch this youtube

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I CAN READ IT! CAN YOU ?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

I’m moving on you personally so you’re FILLED with faith, so a new faith dimension is in operation in you

Daniel 12:4 AMOS 3:7 2 Chronicles 7:14

Prophecy by Chuck Pierce at JUBILEE Seminar In Penang of Malaysia on 16 August 2007


This is the time to awaken and receive the wind of change here in Malaysia. Now, let’s decree right now that there will be a new wind beginning to blow right now across Malaysia. Father, we call in the wind of revival here in Malaysia. We ask You, Lord, to blow in. Lord, we thank You for Penang. We ask for that revival wind to blow across Penang. We ask You, right now, to blow mightily across this nation. Father, we ask that You begin to move on us in a whole new way. {Sound of shofar} Father, we hear the sound of the shofar and we say, right now, heaven is releasing a new wind. {Sound of Shofars being blown}.

Now, receive the wind of heaven coming down upon us while we are here. {Sound of Shofars being blown} Father, we announce to every principality and power. We make an announcement, by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, His Spirit is going to move in, in a new way, throughout this land.

Now, I believe in this season in Malaysia, you need to recognize God is looking down and He’s looking from region to region in all 13 of your states here. And He’s saying: Where are My 7 key churches that are moving forward with Me? And if you will begin to identify them…… It doesn’t just have to be 7. Remember, they can be 14, 21, 28, 35, 49. But, remember, God works in ‘7’s to bring His process in. If you would start looking in every state of this nation to pinpoint where the Spirit of God is moving or where the Spirit of God intends to move in those 13 states, you would start defining the next move of God for this whole nation. It’s time for transformation to come into Malaysia.

You’ve got groups that are there: One covenantally aligned with God; the other group is not covenantally aligned with God. And, yet, God has already positioned some key people for influence.

Now hear me. You’re entering into a new season beginning next year. Now hear what I’m saying to you. Beginning next year, God is going to start forcing a conflict. I woke up this morning and at 4.00 a.m. this morning, when I was seeking the Lord, He said, “The conflicts of the heaven have already begun in Malaysia. And I’m creating a people that will rise up in the midst of these conflicts and be the turning point that I need in the earth realm.”

Now hear what I’m saying to you: God is going to force the enemy structures to take notice of His kingdom plan in this land. What is God doing? What’s He trying to do? See, the prophetic works in four dimensions.

1. It works personally. What’s He trying to do in you personally? Why is it important that we are all here personally in Malaysia?

2. It works corporately. Who are you connected with? See? Paul shared one of his key connections this morning. Who are you connected with? That’s part of your field. That’s part of the group you’re with. In other words, your prophetic destiny is linked in to the whole of those you are connected with.

3. The prophetic works territorially. Where are you positioned? Are you positioned right for your future? Or is God moving you to a different territory so your gift can begin to operate in a new way? Are you aware that He will move you from one place to another because He knows you are not positioned right physically?

4. The prophetic works generationally. In other words, what I am doing today is affecting my six children and all the spiritual children I have connected to

See, Jubilee is not a Malaysia thing. It’s a biblical thing. See? This isn’t a Malaysia thing that is going on here. Somewhere or another in your culture, you’re saying, “We’re going to use the biblical concept of the Bible to present in this nation.” It was God who created Jubilee. So, all of a sudden, even the Moslems are participating in Jubilee in Malaysia. It’s amazing. They might not even know it because God created the Jubilee concept. See? And, so, here you are in Jubilee.

Then He told me this. He said, “I want you to teach My people about the First Fruits concept. See, what will happen at Jubilee: you would present a special offering, another first fruit offering. And, see, once you’ve learned the concept of first fruits, you’re always giving God your best. The Lord said, “Teach My people how to give Me their best and I will make sure they have the best”

See, here’s the way I see Malaysia. It has this window of heaven open. It’s not just your Jubilee time. It’s your moment in time. It’s your kairos time. And, do you know when you’re a part of a territory and it’s your kairos time, all of a sudden, God’s going to come down and meet with His people first. He’s not going to meet with people who don’t know Him. He’s not going to meet with the people who’re resisting Him. He’s going to meet with YOU first. He’s going to start moving upon you personally. He’s going to start moving on you corporately. He’s going to start moving you into a new dimension of understanding so you know how to move into the future.

The Word of God is coming down to you right now. It’s dividing asunder soul and spirit. It’s causing things to the left to be cut off, causing things to the right to be cut off.

See, one of the things the Lord showed me is that there was a movement coming from the right filled with divination to try to stop you from being creative to advance. He showed me there was a movement coming from the left trying to set an order that is not His plan of order. And God says, “Right now, I’m raising a people up through this narrow place. I’m moving on you personally so you’re FILLED with faith, so a new faith dimension is in operation in you, so you advance in a new way, because this is the time that I’m POURING down on you, I’m moving on you.”

Now, at this time, we need to see the greater purposes of God that He has. This is what the Lord spoke to me. This is where it became(?) very important for you today. While I was seeking the Lord this morning for you, He said to me. See, that’s why it’s easy for me to travel. I don’t get a lot of jetlag because I’m always up between 3 and 6. See? And He was saying to me, He said, “The conflict has begun. But tell My people to open their
eyes. I have greater
resources for them than they know. I have greater revelation for them.” Very important time.

There’s three generations that must align here in Malaysia right now and move forward because this is a time that you can begin your process of overcoming all. Now hear what I am saying to you. And though you feel like you are a minor force in this nation, God says, “Tell them to open their eyes. They have a greater influence right now because I’m putting a new mantle on them. Then, they know. I’m going to begin to use them in peculiar ways so the entire world takes notice of the changes that start next year in Malaysia.”

(1) Now, I don’t know what this means, but I want to say this prophetically to you. The Lord told me there are two pillars in this land that must shake and fall. And the Lord says, “I’m going to give My people strategy to push those pillars down and watch them fall. Then a new foundation’s coming into this nation that will and has not been seen in other nations

The sound of worship is going to start penetrating the atmosphere of every state in this nation. Many of you will come just to receive a worship anointing, then go back to where you came from. There’s a new move of God going to come on worship in this land. The worship movement is now going to begin.

And He said this, “Tell My people to see into a new dimension, to open their eyes, because even though there is great conflict over this nation, I have the host of heaven that’s coming to interact with you.”

“And I would say to you in these days of celebrations there is a clash in the heavenlies that’s occurring. And I would say clash after clash are beginning to arise. The contention of the heavens are coming into alignment. But I say I have a sound in My people and I have a mantle that I’m putting upon them that now they will rise up in favour,” saith the Lord.

(2) “I would say to you there are two political pillars that My people must address in days ahead.

(3) “I say, for My people, the prophetic anointing must flow in a new way through this land. For I am creating a new leadership that will rise up from state to state to state that will cause My people to move into freedom and advance.

(4) “And I say to you there is another pillar that will begin to rise up and it will be one from the enemy’s camp that will favour My people for the next 7 years. I say to you another will rise up and there will be great conflict in the government of this nation. I say allow the government of this nation, the civil government, to contend with each other for it will cause My people to find a window of freedom to advance forward. “I say to you, receive the mantle I am giving you this hour.”

Now, Father, I loose the seer anointing across this nation. I say Your people will begin to see the angelic intervention that You’re sending to help.

(5) “I say there will be a new uniting of your next government in this land that is linked with your spiritual government.” saith the Lord.

(6) Now I want to say this to you, beginning next year in January 2008 for 10 months, you will be confronting in prayer certain spirit is trying to hold you captives. Months after months, next year becomes a year that the church goes into intercession in a new way.

Remember at the tenth confrontation, God says now, put the blood on the door post, I’m going to Passover, I’m going to Passover. See, blood is always required. Now here is what I want to say to you, God’s children, the blood and the spirit works together for the glory of God. We don’t operate like other religion. Our confrontation is by the spirit. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ when we appropriated, forces the glory to be seen in us. We don’t operate for blood shed, none of God’s children operate from the stand point of trying to force religion. Because we operate with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ flowing through our veins, at the certain time the glory of God breaks open and is seen in the land around us…next year, we see a demonstration of God’s authority. See, this is your Jubilee year, this is your year of rest. Moses began to sing prophetically. Miriam began to dance with the tambourines. Are you aware that tambourine was an Egyptian instruments. Miriam took the sound of Egypt and redeemed it before the Lord.

You will begin to announce to the powers and the principalities that the sound of heaven is spreading this nation.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

If you will take it and give it to Jesus he will make it come alive. He will do things in your life you would never imagine,

Warren's challenge to pastors: 'What has God put in your hands?'

by Michelle A Vu, US Correspondent
Posted: Friday, April 11, 2008, 7:26 (BST)

Internationally revered Pastor Rick Warren slipped into the conference hall unnoticed Tuesday night, comfortably mingling with the hundreds of pastors gathered at the 19th annual National Conference on Preaching, before stepping on stage to deliver a sermon that reminded the audience why Warren is one of the most popular pastors in the world.

In his sermon entitled “Growing Spiritually,” Warren recounted the runaway success of his book The Purpose Driven Life – the best-selling book in history behind the Bible – to the audience gathered at Woodbridge, Virginia, in the US. The sermon was based on the story in Exodus 4 about the scene where God tells Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it transforms into a snake.

“That question, ‘What is in your hand?’ is one of the most important questions in life. What is in your hand?” Warren asked his audience, citing God’s question to Moses in Exodus 4:2.

God tells Moses to throw the staff in his hand on the ground and “something that was dead comes alive”, Warren emphasised. The pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California then made two points: God never does miracles to show off and God never asks questions that he does not already know the answer. God asks questions for our benefit, said Warren.

He went on to explain the significance of the staff which represented Moses’ identity as a shepherd; symbolised his income because wealth was tied to livestock back in those days; and symbolised his influence – Moses used the staff to pull or push his sheep.

“‘Lay it down and it will come alive, but Moses every time you pick it up it’s going to die,’” said Warren. “That simple little experience was the turning point in the history of the world.”

After that scene in the Bible, it was never again referred to as Moses’ staff but always called the Rod of God. The Rod of God was used to part the Red Sea, to turn the Nile River into blood, to perform miracles in front of pharaoh and to make water come out of a rock.

“It was just a simple stick. There was nothing magical about it, but once Moses surrendered it to God, it became the Rod of God,” Warren noted. “Pastors, what is in your hands?” the speaker challenged.

Warren then shifted gear and started talking about the success of The Purpose Driven Life and how he dealt with the fame and fortune that followed. He had to ask himself what has God put in his hands – tens of millions of dollars and enormous attention.

“If I wanted to after the book came out I could have bought an island and retire and have people serve me little drinks with umbrellas the rest of my life,” Warren joked. “But when you write a book and the first sentence of the book is, ‘It’s not about you,’ then you kind of figure the money is not for you and the fame is not for you,” he said drawing laughter.

Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, after prayer decided to not change their lives “one bit” even though they now had millions of dollars at their disposal. He said he still drives an eight-year-old Ford truck, lives in the same house before he wrote the book, and wears a watch from Target.

In addition, he stopped receiving salary from Saddleback Church in 2002 – the year the book was released; repaid all the salary he ever received from the church; set up foundations; pays for all his own travel expenses; and practises reverse tithing – where he gives 90 percent of his income and lives on 10 percent.

“I don’t want anybody doubting why I do what I do,” Warren explained. “I know with this book God has put me under the spotlight and I didn’t want anyone doubting why I do what I do,” he said, noting his main goal in life is to simply save one more soul.

The best-selling author said it was easy to resolve the money that God had put in his hands – simply give it away, but the influence was trickier to deal with. But after reading in Psalm 72 about King Solomon asking God to make him more influential so he could help the needy and oppressed, Warren understood that his fame was meant to be used to help the voiceless.

So following that model, Warren and Kay advocate for the poor and oppressed by sometimes speaking to politicians and businessmen, or by mobilising the church to help the weak and poor, especially children orphaned by Aids.

“What is in your hand? What is your identity? What is your income? What is your influence?” Warren concluded. “If you will take it and give it to Jesus he will make it come alive. He will do things in your life you would never imagine,” promised the renowned Christian pastor.

Warren spoke at the conference right after stepping off a flight from Kenya, which was one of his stops during a 12-day trip to Africa. There, he met with church, business, and political leaders. The three-day 19th annual National Conference on Preaching concluded Wednesday.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

a young man in the service or working as an apprentice to a knight or skillsman in order to gain greater knowledge of a field

Why is it Called a "Bachelor's" Degree?

The meaning behind the name.

Upon first hearing the word "bachelor" today, many people automatically think of an unmarried man. Some may even go so far as to imagine a single guy hosting elaborate parties in a decked out apartment filled with extravagant furnishings and the most up-to-date, technological goodies. So, when did the term bachelor become associated with the formal degree earned by a college graduate? Is there a link between the two? Are parents really sending their kids to get an education in the single life? To answer these questions and resolve any growing concern, let’s look at the origins of the degree and the term's etymology.

While the first universities have been traced to seventh century India, the bachelor's degree did not appear in its common form until the emergence of the medieval university. Students matriculating at these institutions entered into a three to four year study of the Liberal Arts, with a particular focus on the trivium (grammar, rhetoric and logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy). Upon completion and passage of proper examinations, candidates received a degree in the bachelor of the arts—where bachelor refers to the Latin term, baccalaureus, for young squire or knight.

When looking at the Latin etymology more closely, the word "bachelor" reveals a strong connection to baccalaria, the Latin term for "a division of land." In fact, the adjectives, baccalarius and baccalaria, respectively describe male and female laborers who worked on the land. As society progressed, labor became specialized into distinct categories based on skill level, and so the word’s meaning evolved too.

By the 13th century, the word was used in both Latin and English to refer to "a young knight or squire," but was given the French spelling bacheler. By the time the 14th century arrived, "bachelor" referred to a junior member of a guild or knight. Around this same period, an alternate spelling, bachiler, came to mean "an apprentice student," or a student completing an initial level of training. It was from this usage of the word that came the meaning of a young man in the service or working as an apprentice to a knight or skillsman in order to gain greater knowledge of a field. Individuals of this status were not considered to have a mastery of the given field of study. Furthermore, as young, untrained squires, many men did not have the time or the means to marry. Cultural norms of both class and gender made it highly uncommon for a female to enter into such an apprenticeship. Thus, one can see how this one word took on multiple meanings.

To grasp the final transformation, we must take a brief look at the common equivalent to the bachelor's degree: baccalaureate. The term baccalaureate originated from the 17th century Latin word baccalaureus, meaning "student with the first degree." In fact, baccalaureus is actually play on the Latin phrase for "laurel berries," or bacca lauri. Laurel berries were presented as a prize at the Pythian Games, an athletic competition of ancient Greece. Since this occasion, wreaths of laurels have been associated with great honor and academic achievement.

With its final spelling appearing in the 18th century, the term "bachelor" has experienced a long journey to its modern form. Common to the etymology world, the word picked up a variety of meanings along the way. Therefore, as you contemplate the meaning of your bachelor's degree, there is no reason to question its legitimacy as an academic document—even despite its peculiar name. It is all in the etymology.

Sources:

RandomHouse.com. (2000). The mavens' word of the day: Bachelor's degree. Retrieved August 2007, from http://www.randomhouse.com

Online Etymology Encyclopedia. (2001). Baccalaureate. Retrieved August 2007, from http://www.etymonline.com

Monday, April 7, 2008

Thailand has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth anywhere on the planet, despite some recent improvements

By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok

Sometimes a single incident manages to shine a spotlight deep into the soul of a society.

There was just such an incident in Thailand last year, which has just gone to court, and which speaks volumes about the dislocating impact of more than four decades of break-neck economic growth.

It was a seemingly routine accident along Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's busiest and most traffic-clogged thoroughfares.

A Mercedes-Benz was pulled up alongside a city bus, and a young man was having an angry exchange with the bus driver, whom he accused of scraping against his car.

The passengers started shouting at the man, who got back into his car and appeared to be about to leave.

But instead he accelerated forwards onto the pavement and into the crowd of passengers, crushing several of them under his vehicle.

One woman later died, and several other passengers were seriously injured.

A fit of road rage perhaps? The police charged the young man, Kanpitak Pachimsawas, with murder.

But the case very quickly turned into one about class differences, about the perceived arrogance of Thailand's rich, towards the poor.

'Bad attitude'

Kanpitak, it turned out, was the 20-year-old son of a former Miss Thailand beauty queen and a wealthy businessman.



Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people - if you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue
Suchira Insawan


He was also the nephew of a powerful police officer.

The bus driver reported that his father had arrived at the scene and threatened to use his police connections against the passengers.

"He thinks he has money and a big family name, so he can do things like this to poor people," the bus conductor told reporters at the scene.

Kanpitak's father was unrepentant. Speaking on a TV chat show two days later, he showed more concern for his son than his victims.

Responding to the bus conductor's comments he said: "They are uneducated. That's how they are.

"They think they are abused, that rich people are bad, that the police are bad. Lower class people have a bad attitude towards police officers and rich people. They hate us and curse us."

Suddenly we were witnessing something you do not see much in Thailand - open class conflict.

Inequality

Thailand has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth anywhere on the planet, despite some recent improvements.

And that yawning gap between rich and poor is most openly on view in Bangkok, where ostentatious displays of wealth are commonplace alongside the grinding poverty experienced by millions of migrant workers who have come from the countryside.

Luxury cars costing more than the entire annual income of a village rub up against the battered carts of street vendors.

New shopping centres and apartment blocks are crowding out what little open space remains in the city, projects that help the rich get even richer.

It should come as no surprise that it is in Bangkok that a five-star hotel is offering its 50 highest-spending guests what it calls the meal of a lifetime, prepared by a team of Michelin-starred chefs and preceded by the guests being flown by executive jet to a village in eastern Thailand to witness a little poverty before tucking into their 10-course feast.

Total cost: around US$300,000 (£150,000). The event has barely raised an eyebrow in Thailand, but caused such an uproar elsewhere over its questionable taste that many top chefs in France have decided to boycott it.

What is so striking about Thailand's inequality is how little visible social tension there is.

For the most part people appear to accept their lot without resentment. Some put this down to Buddhist concepts of fate and karma, others, to Thailand's deep-rooted sense of hierarchy, with the king at its apex.

Social activist and former Senator Jon Ungpakorn sees more prosaic causes.

"Because of the high growth rates in Thailand there is a sort of buffer," he says.

"Even the poor feel they are doing better than they would have done many years ago. They still see that they have opportunities ahead."

'Damage is done'

The case of Kanpitak Pachimsawas has struck a raw nerve.

Websites in Thailand are filled with comments demanding that the young man face the full force of the law, regardless of his family connections.

Some poke fun at his father's claim that it was mental stress that caused him to drive his car into the crowd.

But there is little of the blistering anger that erupted in China after a similar case four years ago, when a woman who drove her BMW at a farmer she had been arguing with, killing his wife, was given only a suspended jail sentence.

It forced the Chinese authorities to reopen the case, and to close down websites carrying the online debate over the case.

In Thailand, Kanpitak Pachimsawas was released on bail and, amazingly, even allowed to continue driving.

On his first day in court he was apparently overcome by nerves and said he was unable to answer any questions. The judge adjourned the case until November. He may never go to prison.

Suchira Insawan, the daughter of the woman he killed, says she feels no anger towards him.

She has yet to receive any compensation from the Pachimsawas family - she has asked for 7m baht ($222,000; £111,000) but is likely to get less, perhaps even less than the list price of the Mercedes-Benz that crushed her mother.

"The damage is done," she told me. "I forgive him. I don't want to destroy his future, I don't want him to be jailed. I don't want bad karma."

She also had little faith that the courts would find against such a privileged young man.

"Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people. If you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7328054.stm

Published: 2008/04/07 01:42:37 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Iraqi Christians repeatedly complain of being targeted by Islamist militants, and many have fled Iraq since 2003

An Iraqi priest has been killed in a drive-by shooting by unidentified gunmen in central Baghdad.

Fr Adel Youssef, an Assyrian Orthodox priest, was gunned down near his home in the capital's Karrada district.

His death follows the discovery of the body of Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul last month, two weeks after he was kidnapped.

Iraqi Christians repeatedly complain of being targeted by Islamist militants, and many have fled Iraq since 2003.

Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, head of the Chaldean Catholics - Iraq's largest Christian denomination - said Iraqi Christians were shocked by Saturday's killing.

Fleeing Christians

"We are praying and asking God for security in Iraq," Cardinal Delly told Reuters.



What can we do? How many people have been killed?
Cardinal Emmanuel Delly
Chaldean patriarch


The cardinal said the Church was "ready to forgive the people who committed these crimes for the sake of the single family of Iraq".

"What can we do? How many people have been killed? Christians, Muslims, Sabaens, people who have dedicated themselves to serving this country but they are killed."

Many Christians have fled as a result, and their number, believed to have been around 800,000 five years ago, has dwindled since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Shortly after the murder of Archbishop Rahho, Pope Benedict XVI had issued an anguished plea for Iraq's Christians, and called for an end to bloodshed in the country.

Elsewhere in Baghdad on Saturday, a bomb exploded on a minibus, killing three people.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7332339.stm

Published: 2008/04/05 13:53:25 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

The religious Jews aren't prepared to accept that some people live their lives in a way that's different from them.

By Jon Brain
BBC News, Jerusalem

Could a government fall because of a row over a loaf of bread?

At a time when the outside world is looking on hopefully as Israel and the Palestinians attempt to achieve a lasting Middle East peace settlement, some Israelis have other concerns on their mind.

A court in Jerusalem has caused outrage among the country's orthodox Jewish community by making a controversial ruling on the sale of leavened bread.

It has overturned the convictions of restaurants and cafes which were fined last year for selling the bread during Passover, one of the most important weeks in the Jewish calendar.

The law bans the public display of leavened bread (ie bread made from dough which has been allowed to rise) during Passover.



"The court's ruling points a gun to the head of the Jewish people
Yitzhak Cohen
Minister of Religious Services.


However, Judge Tamar Bar Asher-Zaban has now ruled that restaurants are not ''public places'' and therefore not subject to this particular law.

Israel's ultra-orthodox Shas party - part of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ruling coalition - is so incensed that it has even been muttering threats about triggering a political crisis by walking out of the government unless Israel's parliament, the Knesset, appeals against the Judge's decision.

"The court's ruling points a gun to the head of the Jewish people," said Yitzhak Cohen, the Shas member who is the administration's minister of religious services.

Shahar Levay, the owner of Restobar, one of the businesses which have been reprieved, not surprisingly takes a very different view.

He told the BBC he was dismayed by the original decision to prosecute him.

"It's a bad thing for everyone," he said.

"In a way it's a clash of civilisations... a cultural battle between Orthodox and secular. The religious Jews aren't prepared to accept that some people live their lives in a way that's different from them."

'Interfering judge'

But the Orthodox community argues that if Jewish laws cannot be applied in the nation which was created for the Jews, then the nation itself is undermined.



They're objecting because, in their view, the judge has intervened in religious law and they feel that should be their territory
Menachem Friedman
Bar-Ilan University


The professor of sociology at Bar-Ilan University, Menachem Friedman, says tensions between religious and secular Jews have existed since the state of Israel was established 60 years ago.

He believes what has particularly angered the Orthodox leaders over the bread issue is their perception that Judge Asher-Zaban has strayed into an area she has no right to have entered.

"For them this is very symbolic," he says.

"They're objecting because, in their view, the judge has intervened in religious law and they feel that should be their territory."

However, Professor Friedman thinks the Shas Party will stay in the government to fight this battle rather than giving up any influence by leaving.

The issue is not likely to disappear from the political agenda just yet.

This year's Passover begins on 19 April.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7331041.stm

Published: 2008/04/05 03:38:36 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

the West to demonstrate more respect for Islam and to regard Muslims as equals, not as inferior

Research explores what 1.3 billion Muslims think

Mon Apr 7, 2008 10:44am EDT

By Luke Baker

LONDON (Reuters) - In the years since the September 11 attacks on the United States, much has been said about the Muslim world, but little, it is argued, has been gathered on what Muslims truly think of the West.

Now Gallup, the global polling group, has conducted research in 35 Muslim countries, interviewing more than 50,000 people over a six-year period, to come up with what it is calling the first comprehensive survey of Muslim world opinion.

The results, published in a book called "Who Speaks for Islam? What a billion Muslims really think", provide often surprising clues as to how Muslims perceive the West and how misunderstanding on both sides -- often perpetuated by politicians and the media -- can fuel suspicion and conflict.

"The conflict between Muslims and Western communities is far from inevitable," co-author Dalia Mogahed said on Monday, laying out one of the fundamental conclusions she and John Esposito, a professor at Georgetown University, drew from the reams of data.

"It is more about policy than principles... Despite widespread anti-American and anti-British sentiment, Muslims around the world said they in fact admired much of what the West holds dear", including freedom of speech, democracy, technological progress and access to knowledge.

"Muslims do not see the West as monolithic -- their perception of different nations falls along policy, not cultural or religious lines," she said.

The U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, where it is closely backed by Britain, have done much to color the perception of the two in the Muslim world, where they are widely regarded "unfavorably" and described as "aggressive".

Yet both Britain and the United States are at the same time held up by many Muslims as the best representatives of what is most admired about the West -- the freedom of its citizens.

"MISUNDERSTANDING ISLAM"

While admiring Western values, many Muslims feel they are not respected by the West and that the values the West espouses, such as democracy, are only given lip service when it comes to applying them in the Muslim world.

A recent example was the 2006 election in the Palestinian territories, which the Islamist movement Hamas won in a free and fair poll. The United States and Israel have since done much to ignore the result and try to push Hamas out of office.

"More than 65 percent of Egyptians, Jordanians and Iranians believe that the United States will not allow people in their region to fashion their own political future the way they see fit without direct U.S. influence," Mogahed said.

"When we asked Muslims around the world what the West can do to improve relations with the Muslim world, the most frequent responses were for the West to demonstrate more respect for Islam and to regard Muslims as equals, not as inferior."

U.S. surveys show that Americans do in fact have a low opinion of Muslims, with only 34 percent of those polled by Gallup saying they had no prejudice towards Muslims and 19 percent saying they had a "great deal" of prejudice.

When the authors looked at where opinions of the West were lowest in the Muslim world, it tended to correlate with where conflicts were going on -- nations bordering Iraq or Israel and the Palestinian territories were more negative in their views.

The most positive Muslim nations were those in sub-Saharan Africa, especially Sierra Leone, where U.S. and British aid have done much to improve opinion after years of conflict.

A factor overlaying each side's view of the other has been media coverage. Mogahed said media-content analysis showed the majority of U.S. TV news coverage was "sharply negative" of Islam, whereas when Christianity was discussed on Muslim TV stations, the coverage was flat -- neither good nor bad.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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