Unemployed Father Takes In Homeless Family For Christmas
Posted: 12-22-10 05:01 PM
Earlier this month, Gregory Schauer, 50, says he looked around his large, one-bedroom apartment in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and realized that he was barely using his master bedroom. Since he slept on the couch most nights anyway, he decided the best thing he could do with all of his extra space would be to invite in a homeless family for the holidays.
"I wanted to help someone else out by at least providing them a roof for shelter and a Christmas tree," he told HuffPost. "I can just barely cover all my bills, but I know there are people who are worse off than I am right now."
Schauer, who has been collecting unemployment checks since he was laid off from his engineering job in late July, posted an ad on Craigslist offering up his empty bedroom to a needy family. He would take care of rent and utilities, he promised, as long as they could afford to feed themselves. A homeless woman with three young children responded to the ad.
"I took in a mother and her three kids who were living at a shelter," he said. "It's a very nice, cozy apartment where they don't have to worry about bills or going from shelter to shelter. At least I can give them that."
Schauer said his new tenant works at Anthony Wayne Services Foundation, an organization that helps disabled people be more independent, and is on food stamps to supplement her modest income and feed her children. All Schauer does, he says, is keep a roof over their heads.
"I try to give them their space," he said.
Meanwhile, Schauer has five children of his own, all of whom live with their mother. He has been scouring Craigslist for extra work this holiday season to be able to afford presents for them.
"I am unemployed but I want to be able to give my kids a Christmas," he wrote in a Craigslist ad. "I'm very educated and also very handy. Will do just about anything for Christmas money so I can get my kids some presents to open on Christmas morning."
Schauer said he has received no replies to this ad so far, and since he has been paying 50 percent of his unemployment checks to child support, the prospects of buying presents for his kids this year look grim. But despite a disappointing job search, he said he still feels "blessed" to be able to provide Christmas shelter to one other family.
"If it inspires anyone else to open their doors or their hearts to help anyone out, it was all worth it," he said.
Comments section
stoves48
11 hours ago (10:36 AM)
For all of you cold hearted skeptics out there who thought this was a stunt, I wrote to the author to see if I could send this guy some cash and this was the response that was sent from Greg Schauer,
"Please let them know that the best thing they can do is pass it on so to speak. Instead of sending me anything, call a shelter, sponsor a family for Christmas, give to the food pantries, spread the spirit of Christmas to as many people as they can. This would be Truly wonderful. God Bless everyone who wrote such nice things. To me you are wonderful people. The warmth and love in my heart for others has never been greater."
What a fantastic person this guy is. I aspire to be so generous in action and in spirit.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Rally together to address the problem of broken homes
Man arrested, charged with murder of three-year-old boy
By Faris – December 23rd, 2010
A man has been arrested for causing the death of a three-year-old boy, who was beaten and subsequently died from his injuries.
Muhammad Raffiq Jaffah, 23, who is a friend of the toddler’s 22-year-old mother, was arrested and charged for causing causing grievous hurt to Danish Iman Abdullah on Dec 15, reported The Straits Times.
Currently in remand, he will appear in court next Tuesday and faces the death penalty if convicted.
Muhammad is alleged to have hit the boy in a Geylang Road apartment between 5.30pm and 6.15pm on Dec 15 by using his hand to slap the toddler’s face, causing him to hit the wall.
Danish was then taken to the intensive care unit of the hospital and six days later, he succumbed to his injuries at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital at 3.30am on Monday.
According to Singapore’s Malay newspaper Berita Harian, the child’s death certificate states that he died from a traumatic injury to the head.
A family friend who had visited Danish at the hospital told the paper, “His whole body was covered in black and blue bruises, his left leg was broken in eight places and the doctor said he suffered brain damage.”
He was buried at the Pusara Abadi cemetery in Chua Chu Kang on Tuesday. A man believed to be Danish’s father declined to be interviewed when Berita Harian approached him at the funeral.
It is understood that Danish and his mother used to live with his maternal grandmother in a four-room flat at Serangoon Avenue 2. However, neighbours said they had not seen both mother and child in recent months.
A neighbour, Ms K. Packyaletchumy, 48, said she used to see the petite, young mother walking with her son to school in the morning.
“The boy was very cute and chubby. He would always cry when he had to go to school and when he came home,” said Ms Packyaletchumy, a patient care assistant.
Another neighbour, Mr Ho Soon Chye, 55, said the family had moved into the flat about three years ago but he had stopped seeing both mother and child a few months ago.
The toddler’s death is the latest in a string of child abuse cases involving Malay families in recent years. Since 2006, there was a total six incidents of such child abuse cases which resulted in deaths.
Last year, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, called for the Malay community to rally together to address the problem of broken homes. This comes after the death of six-year-old Muhammad Nor Rashidy Rahmat, who was allegedly killed by a family friend.
On Wednesday, Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC, Madam Halimah Yacob, said such abuse cases occurred mostly in dysfunctional families.
“Part of the problem is having young couples that are not mature enough to handle stressful situations that arise from marriage and parenthood,” she said.
Mdm Halimah added that further stress is created in families where parents remarry and bring in children from previous marriages.
The situation is also made worse by the fact that these families tend to belong to the lower income group and face pressures trying to make ends meet.
“Although there are many counselling programmes in place, most of these couples have to work all day, and they cannot attend the sessions.
“The challenge is in reaching out to them,” she said.
On the other hand, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, an MP for Hong Kah GRC, said understanding the profile of such families would help to target them more effectively.
He added that in the past year, he had seen changes in attitudes within the lower income group, and with parents wanting to do better.
Highlighting that the cases were not representative of the Malay community, Mr Zaqy said, “But once in a while, you get cases like these that make us take notice and reflect on whether we have been able to reach out to all corners and all sectors.”
Thank you for the incredible, amazing response to Yahoo!’s Fit-To-Post blog so far. We continue to welcome your views and comments but please don’t abuse this opportunity. Be nice. Be courteous. Be sensible. Respect the feelings of others and refrain from using any kind of offensive language. And in the spirit of great conversations, please don’t stray from the topic at hand.
By Faris – December 23rd, 2010
A man has been arrested for causing the death of a three-year-old boy, who was beaten and subsequently died from his injuries.
Muhammad Raffiq Jaffah, 23, who is a friend of the toddler’s 22-year-old mother, was arrested and charged for causing causing grievous hurt to Danish Iman Abdullah on Dec 15, reported The Straits Times.
Currently in remand, he will appear in court next Tuesday and faces the death penalty if convicted.
Muhammad is alleged to have hit the boy in a Geylang Road apartment between 5.30pm and 6.15pm on Dec 15 by using his hand to slap the toddler’s face, causing him to hit the wall.
Danish was then taken to the intensive care unit of the hospital and six days later, he succumbed to his injuries at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital at 3.30am on Monday.
According to Singapore’s Malay newspaper Berita Harian, the child’s death certificate states that he died from a traumatic injury to the head.
A family friend who had visited Danish at the hospital told the paper, “His whole body was covered in black and blue bruises, his left leg was broken in eight places and the doctor said he suffered brain damage.”
He was buried at the Pusara Abadi cemetery in Chua Chu Kang on Tuesday. A man believed to be Danish’s father declined to be interviewed when Berita Harian approached him at the funeral.
It is understood that Danish and his mother used to live with his maternal grandmother in a four-room flat at Serangoon Avenue 2. However, neighbours said they had not seen both mother and child in recent months.
A neighbour, Ms K. Packyaletchumy, 48, said she used to see the petite, young mother walking with her son to school in the morning.
“The boy was very cute and chubby. He would always cry when he had to go to school and when he came home,” said Ms Packyaletchumy, a patient care assistant.
Another neighbour, Mr Ho Soon Chye, 55, said the family had moved into the flat about three years ago but he had stopped seeing both mother and child a few months ago.
The toddler’s death is the latest in a string of child abuse cases involving Malay families in recent years. Since 2006, there was a total six incidents of such child abuse cases which resulted in deaths.
Last year, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, called for the Malay community to rally together to address the problem of broken homes. This comes after the death of six-year-old Muhammad Nor Rashidy Rahmat, who was allegedly killed by a family friend.
On Wednesday, Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC, Madam Halimah Yacob, said such abuse cases occurred mostly in dysfunctional families.
“Part of the problem is having young couples that are not mature enough to handle stressful situations that arise from marriage and parenthood,” she said.
Mdm Halimah added that further stress is created in families where parents remarry and bring in children from previous marriages.
The situation is also made worse by the fact that these families tend to belong to the lower income group and face pressures trying to make ends meet.
“Although there are many counselling programmes in place, most of these couples have to work all day, and they cannot attend the sessions.
“The challenge is in reaching out to them,” she said.
On the other hand, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, an MP for Hong Kah GRC, said understanding the profile of such families would help to target them more effectively.
He added that in the past year, he had seen changes in attitudes within the lower income group, and with parents wanting to do better.
Highlighting that the cases were not representative of the Malay community, Mr Zaqy said, “But once in a while, you get cases like these that make us take notice and reflect on whether we have been able to reach out to all corners and all sectors.”
Thank you for the incredible, amazing response to Yahoo!’s Fit-To-Post blog so far. We continue to welcome your views and comments but please don’t abuse this opportunity. Be nice. Be courteous. Be sensible. Respect the feelings of others and refrain from using any kind of offensive language. And in the spirit of great conversations, please don’t stray from the topic at hand.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
You're not some guy's fun time
Should You Ever Date a Guy Who is Separated but Still Married?
Dear DDHG,
I have a big problem and I'm hoping I can turn to DDHG to some advice. I'm a single, 28-year old woman with no kids. I have a good job, own my condo and have been supporting myself since I was 17 years old.
I put myself through college and am working on another degree right now. About three weeks ago, I met a really nice guy who seemed just perfect. There was one problem though, he said he was "separated, but still married". He told me about all the problems he had with his wife and why they were divorcing. He hasn't filed for divorce, neither has she, but they live in separate houses. Is this the kind of guy I should be investing my time in? Should a guy like this be on the dating scene in the first place?
- SEEKING ADVICE, New York
Dear Seeking,
The answer is no, this guy should not be on the dating scene. He should wait until he is divorced and so should you before you even think about dating him long term. Guys who have recently left marriages aren't really emotionally equipped to jump right into another serious relationship.
"Most guys want to play before they settle," says DDHG resident male The Average Guy. "If a guy has been in a marriage or committed relationship and it ends, the first thing they want to do is find something new. But they're not looking for a serious relationship, they're looking for fun."
You're not some guy's fun time. You're better than that. It seems like you've accomplished a lot in life and you don't need a guy who is still married to weigh you down. :)
Dear DDHG,
I have a big problem and I'm hoping I can turn to DDHG to some advice. I'm a single, 28-year old woman with no kids. I have a good job, own my condo and have been supporting myself since I was 17 years old.
I put myself through college and am working on another degree right now. About three weeks ago, I met a really nice guy who seemed just perfect. There was one problem though, he said he was "separated, but still married". He told me about all the problems he had with his wife and why they were divorcing. He hasn't filed for divorce, neither has she, but they live in separate houses. Is this the kind of guy I should be investing my time in? Should a guy like this be on the dating scene in the first place?
- SEEKING ADVICE, New York
Dear Seeking,
The answer is no, this guy should not be on the dating scene. He should wait until he is divorced and so should you before you even think about dating him long term. Guys who have recently left marriages aren't really emotionally equipped to jump right into another serious relationship.
"Most guys want to play before they settle," says DDHG resident male The Average Guy. "If a guy has been in a marriage or committed relationship and it ends, the first thing they want to do is find something new. But they're not looking for a serious relationship, they're looking for fun."
You're not some guy's fun time. You're better than that. It seems like you've accomplished a lot in life and you don't need a guy who is still married to weigh you down. :)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Hang on, God will give us the victory!
Be faithful
Adoniram Judson and his sweet wife, Ann, were missionaries in India and Burma. During their tour of service, Adoniram was arrested as an enemy agent when his homeland, England, and the nation in which he served became disenchanted with one another. Immediately, Judson was imprisoned. The tiny cell in which he was incarcerated was so crowded and small that the prisoners had to take turns sleeping. There was not enough room for all of them to lie down. The hot sun beating upon the dingy cell caused unbearable suffering through heat prostration. The stench also became obnoxious as the men were never allowed to bathe.
One day the government officials decided to punish the prisoners and Judson was hoisted into the air by his thumbs. Pain filled his body as he remained suspended in mid air for hours at a time. His precious helpmeet, Ann, would come by the cell daily, look inside, and weep. However, this soldier of the cross always encouraged her man by saying, "Hang on, Adoniram. God will give us the victory." As the days and weeks past, faithful Ann no longer made the visits and Adoniram's loneliness increased. No one had informed him that she was dying. All he had now was a memory of his sweetheart saying, "Hang on, Adoniram. God will give us the
Months later, upon his release, he immediately began the search for Ann. As he approached the area where he formerly lived, he saw a child so begrimed with dirt that he failed to recognize the little one as his own. He the dashed into the tent and saw the form of one so small and weak from malnutrition, that she appeared to be a skeleton. Her beautiful flowing hair had also fallen out and she was
As Adoniram called, she failed to respond. It seemed as though she were already dead. He took her in his arms and wept. The hot tears dropping on her angelic face revived Ann and she said, "hang on, Adoniram; God will give us the victory."
Adoniram lost his sweetheart, but not his faith and courage. He continued under dire circumstances to preach and to build churches, and when this man of God was buried, scores of churchs had come into existence through his labors. Adoniram and Ann ran the race faithfully unto the end and experience the "abundant entrance" I have been proclaiming. What will your homegoing be like, Christian?
Adoniram Judson and his sweet wife, Ann, were missionaries in India and Burma. During their tour of service, Adoniram was arrested as an enemy agent when his homeland, England, and the nation in which he served became disenchanted with one another. Immediately, Judson was imprisoned. The tiny cell in which he was incarcerated was so crowded and small that the prisoners had to take turns sleeping. There was not enough room for all of them to lie down. The hot sun beating upon the dingy cell caused unbearable suffering through heat prostration. The stench also became obnoxious as the men were never allowed to bathe.
One day the government officials decided to punish the prisoners and Judson was hoisted into the air by his thumbs. Pain filled his body as he remained suspended in mid air for hours at a time. His precious helpmeet, Ann, would come by the cell daily, look inside, and weep. However, this soldier of the cross always encouraged her man by saying, "Hang on, Adoniram. God will give us the victory." As the days and weeks past, faithful Ann no longer made the visits and Adoniram's loneliness increased. No one had informed him that she was dying. All he had now was a memory of his sweetheart saying, "Hang on, Adoniram. God will give us the
Months later, upon his release, he immediately began the search for Ann. As he approached the area where he formerly lived, he saw a child so begrimed with dirt that he failed to recognize the little one as his own. He the dashed into the tent and saw the form of one so small and weak from malnutrition, that she appeared to be a skeleton. Her beautiful flowing hair had also fallen out and she was
As Adoniram called, she failed to respond. It seemed as though she were already dead. He took her in his arms and wept. The hot tears dropping on her angelic face revived Ann and she said, "hang on, Adoniram; God will give us the victory."
Adoniram lost his sweetheart, but not his faith and courage. He continued under dire circumstances to preach and to build churches, and when this man of God was buried, scores of churchs had come into existence through his labors. Adoniram and Ann ran the race faithfully unto the end and experience the "abundant entrance" I have been proclaiming. What will your homegoing be like, Christian?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Permissible Man-Slaughter
50 FACTS ABOUT WOMEN
1. Women love to shop. It is the one area of the world where they feel like they're actually in control.
2. Women especially love a bargain. The question of "need" is irrelevant, so don't bother pointing it out. Anything on sale is fair game.
3. Women never have anything to wear. Don't question the racks of clothes in the closet; you "just don't understand".
4. Women need to cry. And they won't do it alone unless they know you can hear them.
5. Women will always ask questions that have no right answer, in an effort to trap you into feeling guilty.
6. Women love to talk. Silence intimidates them and they feel a need to fill it, even if they have nothing to say.
7. Women need to feel like there are people worse off than they are. That's why soap operas and Oprah Winfrey-type shows are so successful.
8. Women don't need sex as often as men do. This is because sex is more physical for men and more emotional for women. Just knowing that the man wants to have sex with them fulfills the emotional need.
9. Women hate bugs. Even the strong-willed ones need a man around when there's a spider or a wasp involved.10. Women can't keep secrets. They eat away at them from the inside. And they don't view it as being untrustworthy, providing they only tell two or three people.
11. Women always go to public restrooms in groups. It gives them a chance to gossip.
12. Women can't refuse to answer a ringing phone, no matter what she's doing. It might be the lottery calling.
13. Women never understand why men love toys. Men understand that they wouldn't need toys if women had an "on/off" switch.
14. Women think all beer is the same.
15. Women keep three different shampoos and two different conditioners in the shower. After a woman showers, the bathroom will smell like a tropical rain forest.
16. Women don't understand the appeal of sports. Men seek entertainment that allows them to escape reality. Women seek entertainment that reminds them of how horrible things could be.
17. If a man goes on a seven-day trip, he'll pack five days worth of clothes and will wear some things twice; if a woman goes on a seven-day trip she'll pack 21 outfits because she doesn't know what she'll feel like wearing each day.
18. Women brush their hair before bed.
19. Watch a woman eat an ice cream cone and you'll have a pretty good idea about how she'll be in bed.
20. Women are paid less than men, except for one field: Modeling.
21. Women are never wrong. Apologizing is the man's responsibility, "It's there in the Bible". Hmmm, who was it that gave Adam the apple?
22. Women do not know anything about cars. "Oil- stick, oil doesn't stick?"
23. Women have better restrooms. They get the nice chairs and red carpet. Men just get a large bowl to share.
24. The average number of items in a typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.
25. Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.
26. Women love to talk on the phone. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.
27. A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, or get the mail.
28. Women will drive miles out of their way to avoid the possibility of getting lost using a shortcut.
29. Women don't try as hard as men during sex; after all, they don't fall asleep afterwards.
30. Women do NOT want an honest answer to the question, 'How do I look?'
31. PMS stands for: Permissible Man-Slaughter. (Or at least men think it means that. PMS also stands for Preposterous Mood Swings and Punish My Spouse.
32. The first naked man a women see is "Ken".
33. Women are insecure about their weight, butt, and breast sizes.
34. Women will make three right-hand turns to avoid making one left-hand turn.
35. "Oh, nothing," has an entirely different meaning in woman-language than it does in man-language.
36. Lewis Carroll's Caterpillar had nothing on women.
37. Women cannot use a map without turning the map to correspond to the direction that they are heading.
38. All women are overweight by definition; don't agree with them about it. Women always have 5 pounds to lose, but don't bring this up unless they really have 5 pounds to gain.
39. If it is not Valentines day and you see a man in a flower shop, you can probably start up a conversation by asking, "What did you do?"
40. Only women understand the reason for "guest towels" and the "good china".
41. Women want equal rights, but you rarely hear them clamoring to be let into the draft to cover the responsibilities that go with those rights. All women seek equality with men until it comes to sharing the closet, taking out the trash, and picking up the check.
42. Origin of the word "woman" is: woo-man.
43. If a man ticks off a woman she will often respond by getting a fuzzy toilet cover which warms their rear, but makes it impossible for the lid to stay up thus it constantly gets peed on by the guys. (which gets them in more trouble)
44. Women never check to see if the lid is up. They seem to prefer taking a flying butt leap towards the bowl and then chewing men out because they "left the seat up" instead of taking two seconds and lowering it themselves.
45. Women can get out of speeding tickets by pouting. This will get men arrested.
46. Women don't really care about a sense of humor in a guy despite claims to the contrary. You don't see women trampling over Tom Cruise to get to Gilbert Gottfried, do you?
47. Women fake orgasm because men fake foreplay.
48. It's okay for women to dance with each other and not be gay. You don't see straight men dancing together.
49. Women will spend hours dressing up to go out, and then they'll go out and spend more time checking out other women. Men can never catch women checking out other men; women will always catch men checking out other women.
50. The most embarrassing thing for women is to find another woman wearing the same dress at a formal party. You don't hear men say, "Oh-my-GOD, there's another man wearing a black tux, get me outta here!"
1. Women love to shop. It is the one area of the world where they feel like they're actually in control.
2. Women especially love a bargain. The question of "need" is irrelevant, so don't bother pointing it out. Anything on sale is fair game.
3. Women never have anything to wear. Don't question the racks of clothes in the closet; you "just don't understand".
4. Women need to cry. And they won't do it alone unless they know you can hear them.
5. Women will always ask questions that have no right answer, in an effort to trap you into feeling guilty.
6. Women love to talk. Silence intimidates them and they feel a need to fill it, even if they have nothing to say.
7. Women need to feel like there are people worse off than they are. That's why soap operas and Oprah Winfrey-type shows are so successful.
8. Women don't need sex as often as men do. This is because sex is more physical for men and more emotional for women. Just knowing that the man wants to have sex with them fulfills the emotional need.
9. Women hate bugs. Even the strong-willed ones need a man around when there's a spider or a wasp involved.10. Women can't keep secrets. They eat away at them from the inside. And they don't view it as being untrustworthy, providing they only tell two or three people.
11. Women always go to public restrooms in groups. It gives them a chance to gossip.
12. Women can't refuse to answer a ringing phone, no matter what she's doing. It might be the lottery calling.
13. Women never understand why men love toys. Men understand that they wouldn't need toys if women had an "on/off" switch.
14. Women think all beer is the same.
15. Women keep three different shampoos and two different conditioners in the shower. After a woman showers, the bathroom will smell like a tropical rain forest.
16. Women don't understand the appeal of sports. Men seek entertainment that allows them to escape reality. Women seek entertainment that reminds them of how horrible things could be.
17. If a man goes on a seven-day trip, he'll pack five days worth of clothes and will wear some things twice; if a woman goes on a seven-day trip she'll pack 21 outfits because she doesn't know what she'll feel like wearing each day.
18. Women brush their hair before bed.
19. Watch a woman eat an ice cream cone and you'll have a pretty good idea about how she'll be in bed.
20. Women are paid less than men, except for one field: Modeling.
21. Women are never wrong. Apologizing is the man's responsibility, "It's there in the Bible". Hmmm, who was it that gave Adam the apple?
22. Women do not know anything about cars. "Oil- stick, oil doesn't stick?"
23. Women have better restrooms. They get the nice chairs and red carpet. Men just get a large bowl to share.
24. The average number of items in a typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.
25. Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.
26. Women love to talk on the phone. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.
27. A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, or get the mail.
28. Women will drive miles out of their way to avoid the possibility of getting lost using a shortcut.
29. Women don't try as hard as men during sex; after all, they don't fall asleep afterwards.
30. Women do NOT want an honest answer to the question, 'How do I look?'
31. PMS stands for: Permissible Man-Slaughter. (Or at least men think it means that. PMS also stands for Preposterous Mood Swings and Punish My Spouse.
32. The first naked man a women see is "Ken".
33. Women are insecure about their weight, butt, and breast sizes.
34. Women will make three right-hand turns to avoid making one left-hand turn.
35. "Oh, nothing," has an entirely different meaning in woman-language than it does in man-language.
36. Lewis Carroll's Caterpillar had nothing on women.
37. Women cannot use a map without turning the map to correspond to the direction that they are heading.
38. All women are overweight by definition; don't agree with them about it. Women always have 5 pounds to lose, but don't bring this up unless they really have 5 pounds to gain.
39. If it is not Valentines day and you see a man in a flower shop, you can probably start up a conversation by asking, "What did you do?"
40. Only women understand the reason for "guest towels" and the "good china".
41. Women want equal rights, but you rarely hear them clamoring to be let into the draft to cover the responsibilities that go with those rights. All women seek equality with men until it comes to sharing the closet, taking out the trash, and picking up the check.
42. Origin of the word "woman" is: woo-man.
43. If a man ticks off a woman she will often respond by getting a fuzzy toilet cover which warms their rear, but makes it impossible for the lid to stay up thus it constantly gets peed on by the guys. (which gets them in more trouble)
44. Women never check to see if the lid is up. They seem to prefer taking a flying butt leap towards the bowl and then chewing men out because they "left the seat up" instead of taking two seconds and lowering it themselves.
45. Women can get out of speeding tickets by pouting. This will get men arrested.
46. Women don't really care about a sense of humor in a guy despite claims to the contrary. You don't see women trampling over Tom Cruise to get to Gilbert Gottfried, do you?
47. Women fake orgasm because men fake foreplay.
48. It's okay for women to dance with each other and not be gay. You don't see straight men dancing together.
49. Women will spend hours dressing up to go out, and then they'll go out and spend more time checking out other women. Men can never catch women checking out other men; women will always catch men checking out other women.
50. The most embarrassing thing for women is to find another woman wearing the same dress at a formal party. You don't hear men say, "Oh-my-GOD, there's another man wearing a black tux, get me outta here!"
Do you sell heart medication?
Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in.
Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:
'Are you the owner?' The pharmacist answers yes.
Says Jacob: 'We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course we do.'
Jacob: 'How about medicine for circulation?'
Pharmacist: 'All kinds.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for rheumatism, scoliosis? '
Pharmacist: 'Definitely.'
Jacob: 'How about Viagra?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?'
Pharmacist: 'Yes, a large variety. The works.'
Jacob: 'What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?'
Pharmacist: 'Absolutely.'
Jacob: 'You sell wheelchairs and walkers?'
Pharmacist: 'All speeds and sizes.'
Jacob says to the pharmacist: 'We'd like to register here for our wedding gifts, please.'
Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:
'Are you the owner?' The pharmacist answers yes.
Says Jacob: 'We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course we do.'
Jacob: 'How about medicine for circulation?'
Pharmacist: 'All kinds.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for rheumatism, scoliosis? '
Pharmacist: 'Definitely.'
Jacob: 'How about Viagra?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?'
Pharmacist: 'Yes, a large variety. The works.'
Jacob: 'What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?'
Pharmacist: 'Absolutely.'
Jacob: 'You sell wheelchairs and walkers?'
Pharmacist: 'All speeds and sizes.'
Jacob says to the pharmacist: 'We'd like to register here for our wedding gifts, please.'
Blur husband
You Don't Need to Be a Weatherman...
It was two o'clock in the morning and a husband and wife were asleep, when suddenly the phone rang.
The husband picked up the phone and said, "Hello? ... How the heck do I know? What am I, the weather man?" -- and promptly slammed the phone down.
His wife rolls over and asks, "Who was that?"
The husband replies, "I don't know. Some guy who wanted to know if the coast was clear."
It was two o'clock in the morning and a husband and wife were asleep, when suddenly the phone rang.
The husband picked up the phone and said, "Hello? ... How the heck do I know? What am I, the weather man?" -- and promptly slammed the phone down.
His wife rolls over and asks, "Who was that?"
The husband replies, "I don't know. Some guy who wanted to know if the coast was clear."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
I love you
Dearest Jimmy,
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking off our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.
I love you, I love you, I love you!
Yours Forever, Marie
P.S. And congratulations on winning the state lottery!!!
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking off our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me.
I love you, I love you, I love you!
Yours Forever, Marie
P.S. And congratulations on winning the state lottery!!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
“What has Jesus done?” becomes more important than “What would Jesus do?”
How to Avoid Christless Christianty
Mon, Nov. 22 2010 09:16 AM EDT
Scripture is of no use to us if we read it merely as a handbook for daily living without recognizing that its principle purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and his gospel for the salvation of sinners. All Scripture coalesces in Christ, anticipated in the OT and appearing in the flesh in the NT.
In Scripture, God issues commands and threatens judgment for transgressors as well as direction for the lives of his people. Yet the greatest treasure buried in the Scriptures is the good news of the promised Messiah.
Everything in the Bible that tells us what to do is “law”, and everything in the Bible that tells us what God has done in Christ to save us is “gospel.”
Much like medieval piety, the emphasis in much Christian teaching today is on what we are to do without adequate grounding in the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. “What would Jesus do?” becomes more important than “What has Jesus done?”
The gospel, however, is not just something we needed at conversion so we can spend the rest of our Christian life obsessed with performance; it is something we need every day – the only source of our sanctification as well as our justification.
The law guides, but only the gospel gives. We are declared righteous–justified – not by anything that happens within us or done by us, but solely by God’s act of crediting us with Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith alone.
Preachers, read that paragraph over and over.
As I’ve said here before, don’t make the mistake of assuming that people understand the radical nature of gospel indicatives, so that your ministry is focused primarily on the imperatives.
The commands in the Bible are like a set of railroad tracks. The tracks provide no power for the train but the train must stay on the tracks in order to function. The law, in other words, never gives any power to do what it commands. It shows us what a sanctified life looks like but it has no sanctifying power. Only the gospel has power, as it were, to move the train. This is why the Bible never tells us what to do before first soaking our hearts and minds in what God in Christ has already done.
The fact is, that any obedience not grounded in or motivated by the gospel is unsustainable. No matter how hard you try, how “radical” you get, any engine smaller than the gospel that you’re depending on for power to obey will conk out in due time.
Preach the gospel!
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) is a Florida native, the new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. A graduate of Columbia International University (philosophy) and Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Tullian is the author of Do I Know God? Finding Certainty in Life’s Most Important Relationship (Multnomah), Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different (Multnomah) and Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (Crossway). Tullian is also a contributing editor to Leadership Journal. He speaks at conferences throughout the U.S. and his sermons are broadcast daily on the radio program Godward Living.
Mon, Nov. 22 2010 09:16 AM EDT
Scripture is of no use to us if we read it merely as a handbook for daily living without recognizing that its principle purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and his gospel for the salvation of sinners. All Scripture coalesces in Christ, anticipated in the OT and appearing in the flesh in the NT.
In Scripture, God issues commands and threatens judgment for transgressors as well as direction for the lives of his people. Yet the greatest treasure buried in the Scriptures is the good news of the promised Messiah.
Everything in the Bible that tells us what to do is “law”, and everything in the Bible that tells us what God has done in Christ to save us is “gospel.”
Much like medieval piety, the emphasis in much Christian teaching today is on what we are to do without adequate grounding in the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. “What would Jesus do?” becomes more important than “What has Jesus done?”
The gospel, however, is not just something we needed at conversion so we can spend the rest of our Christian life obsessed with performance; it is something we need every day – the only source of our sanctification as well as our justification.
The law guides, but only the gospel gives. We are declared righteous–justified – not by anything that happens within us or done by us, but solely by God’s act of crediting us with Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith alone.
Preachers, read that paragraph over and over.
As I’ve said here before, don’t make the mistake of assuming that people understand the radical nature of gospel indicatives, so that your ministry is focused primarily on the imperatives.
The commands in the Bible are like a set of railroad tracks. The tracks provide no power for the train but the train must stay on the tracks in order to function. The law, in other words, never gives any power to do what it commands. It shows us what a sanctified life looks like but it has no sanctifying power. Only the gospel has power, as it were, to move the train. This is why the Bible never tells us what to do before first soaking our hearts and minds in what God in Christ has already done.
The fact is, that any obedience not grounded in or motivated by the gospel is unsustainable. No matter how hard you try, how “radical” you get, any engine smaller than the gospel that you’re depending on for power to obey will conk out in due time.
Preach the gospel!
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) is a Florida native, the new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. A graduate of Columbia International University (philosophy) and Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Tullian is the author of Do I Know God? Finding Certainty in Life’s Most Important Relationship (Multnomah), Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different (Multnomah) and Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (Crossway). Tullian is also a contributing editor to Leadership Journal. He speaks at conferences throughout the U.S. and his sermons are broadcast daily on the radio program Godward Living.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Reduce the number of missionaries?!
Southern Baptist Agency to Cut Missionary Force by 600
Thu, Nov. 26, 2009 Posted: 12:09 PM EDT
The Southern Baptist Convention’s international mission agency will cut its overseas force by as many as 600 missionaries in 2010.
Due to a severe budget shortfall, the International Mission Board decided to reduce the number of missionaries it has on the field, with the process already starting this year. The board will not bring home missionaries already serving on the field, but the reduction instead will result from natural attrition.
“We are simply not going to be sending as many new missionaries,” explained Wendy Norvelle, IMB spokesperson, to The Christian Post on Wednesday.
Some missionaries serve two- to three-year terms, Novelle pointed out, and the IMB will simply let those terms expire. Other long-term missionaries will retire or resign to take on positions in other ministries.
There are currently a little above 5,500 IMB missionaries overseas and the plan is to decrease that number to about 5,000 by the end of 2010.
The decision to reduce the missionary force is based on several factors, but mostly because of the economy, Norvelle said.
IMB has three major sources of income: regular offering in churches through the Cooperative Program, investments, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which makes up more than half of the agency’s annual budget.
Last year, all three sources of income were down by millions of dollars each. The 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering was $9 million less than the total received in 2007. Moreover, it was $29 million short of the $170 million goal.
A smaller budget means less money to support overseas missionaries.
Norvelle said reducing the number of missionaries will have an effect on the Southern Baptist Convention’s mission work.
“Obviously, what we are about is taking the Gospel to people who never had the opportunity to hear and sending fewer people means there will be fewer forces and personnel on the field taking the Gospel where it needs to go,” she said.
“So yes, it will affect us. We are not able to, for instance, put some new personnel in an unreached people group.”
But Norvelle said SBC churches are widely becoming aware that the resources provided for mission work were not adequate and are discussing the concern. Many SBC leaders are “sounding the alarm” and saying the situation is unacceptable, she said.
“Southern Baptist [churches] took in $12 billion in 2008 in their offering plate,” the IMB spokesperson pointed out. “And so some of it may be a matter of priority of how churches choose to spend their dollar. Whether they use it to focus on reaching the lost world or spend it on programs and ministries that benefit themselves.”
The International Mission Board is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest evangelical denomination. The SBC claims more than 40,000 churches with nearly 16 million members.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Nov. 26, 2009 Posted: 12:09 PM EDT
The Southern Baptist Convention’s international mission agency will cut its overseas force by as many as 600 missionaries in 2010.
Due to a severe budget shortfall, the International Mission Board decided to reduce the number of missionaries it has on the field, with the process already starting this year. The board will not bring home missionaries already serving on the field, but the reduction instead will result from natural attrition.
“We are simply not going to be sending as many new missionaries,” explained Wendy Norvelle, IMB spokesperson, to The Christian Post on Wednesday.
Some missionaries serve two- to three-year terms, Novelle pointed out, and the IMB will simply let those terms expire. Other long-term missionaries will retire or resign to take on positions in other ministries.
There are currently a little above 5,500 IMB missionaries overseas and the plan is to decrease that number to about 5,000 by the end of 2010.
The decision to reduce the missionary force is based on several factors, but mostly because of the economy, Norvelle said.
IMB has three major sources of income: regular offering in churches through the Cooperative Program, investments, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which makes up more than half of the agency’s annual budget.
Last year, all three sources of income were down by millions of dollars each. The 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering was $9 million less than the total received in 2007. Moreover, it was $29 million short of the $170 million goal.
A smaller budget means less money to support overseas missionaries.
Norvelle said reducing the number of missionaries will have an effect on the Southern Baptist Convention’s mission work.
“Obviously, what we are about is taking the Gospel to people who never had the opportunity to hear and sending fewer people means there will be fewer forces and personnel on the field taking the Gospel where it needs to go,” she said.
“So yes, it will affect us. We are not able to, for instance, put some new personnel in an unreached people group.”
But Norvelle said SBC churches are widely becoming aware that the resources provided for mission work were not adequate and are discussing the concern. Many SBC leaders are “sounding the alarm” and saying the situation is unacceptable, she said.
“Southern Baptist [churches] took in $12 billion in 2008 in their offering plate,” the IMB spokesperson pointed out. “And so some of it may be a matter of priority of how churches choose to spend their dollar. Whether they use it to focus on reaching the lost world or spend it on programs and ministries that benefit themselves.”
The International Mission Board is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest evangelical denomination. The SBC claims more than 40,000 churches with nearly 16 million members.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
The two enemies of the Gospel
Are You Holding Back?
By Colin Smith
"Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Romans 1:5
God calls you to a life of obedience through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. God calls you to find in Christ what you do not have, to receive from Christ what you cannot offer, to accomplish through Christ what you cannot do.
The two enemies of the Gospel
The Gospel always lives in the presence of two enemies-one is called "legalism," the other is called, "antinomianism." Legalism says, "Obey God's command, so that you may believe His promise." But if you have to clean up your life before you come to Christ, how will anyone ever be able to come?
Antinomianism says, "Believe God's promise, so that you can ignore God's command." There will be some in every church who, having made a decision for Christ, live carelessly and sin presumptuously. There are others who, falling many times by the same temptation, are overwhelmed by the sense of their own unworthiness.
The Gospel says something radically different, "Believe God's promise, so that you may obey His command." The gospel answer to antinomianism is that God calls you to a life of obedience. The gospel answer to legalism is that God calls you to a life of faith.
Are you holding back because you think you cannot change?
Come to Christ and you will find you begin to love what you used to hate, and you begin to hate what you used to love. The obedience that is beyond you by nature, is possible for you through a living union with Christ that the Bible calls "faith." Through this bond He will give you new desires, new strength and new life that you did not have before.
Are you holding back because you have problems and wounds?
Stop looking at yourself. You won't find the answer there. God is calling you to a faith in Christ and a life of obedience that flows from His life in you.
Are you holding back because you have doubts and questions?
Come to Christ with your doubts and questions, "Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:24).
Are you holding back because you do not think you need Christ?
Your obedience is far from complete. God commands you to repent and obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17).
Are you holding back because your sins are many?
Look at the cross. The Savior is there for sinners. He is there for you. The blood of Christ has the power to cleanse you from every sin. This Savior is able to take you from a slimy pit and set your feet on the rock (Psalm 40:2). He is able to present you faultless and with great joy in the presence of Almighty God (Jude 1:24). Come to Him and find hope in Him today. Christ calls you to the obedience of faith.
By Colin Smith
"Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Romans 1:5
God calls you to a life of obedience through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. God calls you to find in Christ what you do not have, to receive from Christ what you cannot offer, to accomplish through Christ what you cannot do.
The two enemies of the Gospel
The Gospel always lives in the presence of two enemies-one is called "legalism," the other is called, "antinomianism." Legalism says, "Obey God's command, so that you may believe His promise." But if you have to clean up your life before you come to Christ, how will anyone ever be able to come?
Antinomianism says, "Believe God's promise, so that you can ignore God's command." There will be some in every church who, having made a decision for Christ, live carelessly and sin presumptuously. There are others who, falling many times by the same temptation, are overwhelmed by the sense of their own unworthiness.
The Gospel says something radically different, "Believe God's promise, so that you may obey His command." The gospel answer to antinomianism is that God calls you to a life of obedience. The gospel answer to legalism is that God calls you to a life of faith.
Are you holding back because you think you cannot change?
Come to Christ and you will find you begin to love what you used to hate, and you begin to hate what you used to love. The obedience that is beyond you by nature, is possible for you through a living union with Christ that the Bible calls "faith." Through this bond He will give you new desires, new strength and new life that you did not have before.
Are you holding back because you have problems and wounds?
Stop looking at yourself. You won't find the answer there. God is calling you to a faith in Christ and a life of obedience that flows from His life in you.
Are you holding back because you have doubts and questions?
Come to Christ with your doubts and questions, "Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:24).
Are you holding back because you do not think you need Christ?
Your obedience is far from complete. God commands you to repent and obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17).
Are you holding back because your sins are many?
Look at the cross. The Savior is there for sinners. He is there for you. The blood of Christ has the power to cleanse you from every sin. This Savior is able to take you from a slimy pit and set your feet on the rock (Psalm 40:2). He is able to present you faultless and with great joy in the presence of Almighty God (Jude 1:24). Come to Him and find hope in Him today. Christ calls you to the obedience of faith.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Connecting with an old flame
N.J. Pastor Tells Church Leaders to Get Off Facebook
Thu, Nov. 18, 2010 Posted: 07:02 AM EDT
A New Jersey pastor is requiring all married church officials to delete their Facebook accounts in the wake of increasing marital troubles in his church.
The Rev. Cedric Miller of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church told The Associated Press that he has been in extended counseling with many couples because of problems posed by Facebook – namely a spouse connecting with an old flame.
"What happens is someone from yesterday surfaces, it leads to conversations and there have been physical meet-ups. The temptation is just too great," he told AP.
Church leaders have until Sunday to permanently sign off Facebook or resign from their positions. Miller also plans to delete his account this weekend.
Miller isn't the only one seeing Christian couples run into trouble because of the popular social networking site.
Texas pastor Kerry Shook of Woodlands Church told The Christian Post earlier this year that he has seen at least one marriage break up over connections made with a past girlfriend or boyfriend on Facebook.
"When you start playing around with that kind of thing, you think it's no big deal. 'They friended me. I'll find out what's going on with them.' [When] you start down that path, you know where that path ends," the megachurch pastor stated then.
At Living Word Christian Fellowship Church, Miller said the misuse of Facebook has posed problems for 20 couples.
Miller plans to warn his entire congregation this weekend about the dangers of Facebook. The mandate to delete one's account, however, won't apply to the congregation.
He told Asbury Park Press that though some may see his action with the church staff as controlling, he's more concerned about saving families and marriages.
Living Word Christian Fellowship Church is more than 20 years old and draws some 1,100 attendees.
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Copyright © 2010 Christianpost.com. All rights reserved.
Thu, Nov. 18, 2010 Posted: 07:02 AM EDT
A New Jersey pastor is requiring all married church officials to delete their Facebook accounts in the wake of increasing marital troubles in his church.
The Rev. Cedric Miller of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church told The Associated Press that he has been in extended counseling with many couples because of problems posed by Facebook – namely a spouse connecting with an old flame.
"What happens is someone from yesterday surfaces, it leads to conversations and there have been physical meet-ups. The temptation is just too great," he told AP.
Church leaders have until Sunday to permanently sign off Facebook or resign from their positions. Miller also plans to delete his account this weekend.
Miller isn't the only one seeing Christian couples run into trouble because of the popular social networking site.
Texas pastor Kerry Shook of Woodlands Church told The Christian Post earlier this year that he has seen at least one marriage break up over connections made with a past girlfriend or boyfriend on Facebook.
"When you start playing around with that kind of thing, you think it's no big deal. 'They friended me. I'll find out what's going on with them.' [When] you start down that path, you know where that path ends," the megachurch pastor stated then.
At Living Word Christian Fellowship Church, Miller said the misuse of Facebook has posed problems for 20 couples.
Miller plans to warn his entire congregation this weekend about the dangers of Facebook. The mandate to delete one's account, however, won't apply to the congregation.
He told Asbury Park Press that though some may see his action with the church staff as controlling, he's more concerned about saving families and marriages.
Living Word Christian Fellowship Church is more than 20 years old and draws some 1,100 attendees.
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Copyright © 2010 Christianpost.com. All rights reserved.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Do you ever think about God?
Breaking the Ice to a Spiritual Conversation
When your non-Christian friends do not bring up a spiritual subject, make a statement about God, or ask a question about religion or Christianity. You may need to break the ice to a spiritual conversation yourself. These are nine suggested ways to break the ice:
1. Ask a question about your friend’s religious background.
This is a simple exploration of the history of your friend’s religious experiences that will provide you with information about where he is on his spiritual journey and how he came to be there. It may also reveal if he has excess baggage and/or false beliefs that you may need to deal with.
For examples:
“Jane, may I ask you a question?” After her response, ask, “Do you have a religion?”
“Andrew, you may think this is a strange question, but do you ever think about God?” After his response, ask, “What is your religious background?”
If he or she has no religious background, ask, “Then, Jane, who do you think God is?”
2. Ask a few exploratory questions about his belief.
For examples:
“Betty, I have a question for you. Do you think there is a God who created the universe?” – “What do you think about God?”
“Robert, you are a Mormon/ Buddhist / Roman Catholic, aren’t you?” – “Would you tell me something about your church / religion?”
Or, “Would you tell me what your view of God / the Bible is?”
Or, take the personal approach: “How long have you been a Mormon (or other)?” – “What led you to become a Mormon?”
Use your reflective listening skills to draw him or her out and show your interest (refer to point 7 on “Reflective listening, or speaking for the other person”).
3. Begin with an apologetics question
For examples:
“Alan, you are Mormon/ Buddhist / Roman Catholic aren’t you?” – “Well, I am interested in why people believe what they do. So, tell me this. How do you know for sure that what you believe is true?”
You can also ask your friend to describe his beliefs in these ways:
“Would you describe for me what you basically believe?”
“How does this help you in life?”
“What do you hope to gain from your belief?”
4. If you see a religious symbol.
If you see any religious symbol in a person’s home, car, place of business, or worn as jewelry, use the following questions to ask about it:
“I see a cross on your wall / I see you are wearing a cross. It looks nice. Is that just a decoration / piece of jewelry, or do you have a Christian background?”
“Is that a religious symbol you are wearing?” – “Can you tell me what it means?”
“I see a picture of a religious person on your bookshelf. Are you a member of Self-Realization Fellowship?”
5. When your friend expresses any sense of awe at the beauty of nature.
For example, if you observe a non-believer expressing awe and reverence at God’s creation, or new parents expressing such feelings as they look lovingly at their newborn baby, ask:
“That sunset is awesome. Have you ever thought about God being a beautiful artist who makes living art and not just still pictures on the wall?”
“You must be having a great time with your new baby. Have you ever thought about God being the Giver of wonderful gifts like this?”
6. After a tragedy that impacted the other person.
In this situation, use the person’s heightened sensitivity to death and eternity to lead him, first to express his feelings about the tragedy, and then to understand his need to know about eternity by saying, “Anna, where do you think people go when they die? Would you want to know for sure where you would end up?”
7. Reflective listening, or speaking for the other person.
There are some situations where a conversation about spiritualality is not easy to start. People who are not open to spiritual conversations often have something hidden behind the closed doors of their hearts. They either do not know how to say it or are afraid. This method helps to open a closed door to a person’s heart.
Reflective listening is showing your sincere interest and understanding by making your own statements that reflect back the thoughts, feelings and situation of the other person in a way that he could have said for himself, but didn’t. Reflective listening is non-judgmental and gives no advice. By paraphrasing, you show that you have been listening and therefore demonstrate empathy. People love to know that you understand or are trying to understand. It would help to draw out the deeper thoughts and feelings of the other person. For example:
Jenny: I came home last night and saw my lazy husband sitting in front of the TV while the dirty dishes were left in the sink. I had to wash them before I could fix dinner.
You: It certainly is tiring to have to do all the work around the house.
Jenny: Yeah, especially when I work just as many hours as he does.
You: I’ll bet you wish he would help with the work and make it a little easier for you around the house.
Jenny: I sure do.
Other examples of reflective listening concerning someone’s belief:
“Then you believe that you can know God through your feelings / experiences / understanding / meditation?”
“Then you believe that the Koran / the Book of Mormon is also from God?”
“Then you think you can get along fine in life by yourself without considering God?”
“Then you see Christianity as just a crutch, and you don’t want to have anything to do with it?”
“Then you are saying that, even if there is a living God who has the power of life and death over you, you don’t want to have a thing to do with Him?”
In order for your reflective listening to be effective, it is good to ask some exploratory questions to find out about the person’s belief first, before you can accurately reflect back his thoughts, feelings, and situation about his faith (refer to point 2 on “Ask a few exploratory questions about his belief”).
Sometimes it is helpful to reflect back what you observe, not just what you hear.
Examples are as follows:
“Wow, look at that stack of papers on your desk! You must be snowed with work.”
“It looks to me as if something heavy is weighing down that heart of yours.”
“You miss your mom, don’t you?”
These statements show your attention, interest, insight, and caring. Just simply
stating the facts of what you see about another person will show that you are aware of what is happening to him or her. Showing that you understand and are interested will help open the other person to share deeper thoughts and concerns with you and to be more open to what you have to say.
Suppose you know a teenager who used to attend church but who has mostly dropped out and is having some struggles or failures in life. After some preliminary conversation, you may say, “Jonathan, I have noticed something that may indicate that you are carrying a burden alone. When I look at you, I see someone who used to attend church regularly, but who now doesn’t find it important to him. [Pause] You are looking for something in life and you don’t see it in the church. [Pause] You don’t find any meaning in the worship service or in what the pastor says. [Pause] You don’t find any friends there that you would like to spend time with.”
He may respond at some point that this is not the problem, but he may also fail to give any additional information. You can then continue in your attempt to speak for the other person: “Maybe it is that you are facing some problems in life and don’t see any help from the church, the Bible, or God.” You indicate by your expression your sincere interest in him and your puzzlement as to what is causing his behavior.
At some point, he may give you a glimpse into the problem hidden in his heart. When he does, continue your statements in the same manner and tone of voice. You want him to understand that you can state his problem from his viewpoint with understanding and empathy and without any judgment, criticism, or advice whatsoever. This may go a long way towards solving his problem and opening his heart spiritually. You must not rush through this conversation, but rather, be patient in understanding his frustration and discomfort over his situation. If it is something that is deep within him, it probably would not be appropriate for you to try to give him your answers to his problem at this time.
Some people may slam the door harder by saying something like, “Don’t bother me about this. I don’t want to talk about it. Just leave me alone.” If he does this, you can respond empathetically that you don’t want to interfere with his life, but that you are concerned for his well-being. It is probably appropriate to leave the subject at that point, leaving the door open for him to approach you at a later time.
8. Use a truth statement.
A truth statement is a brief statement that links a person’s basic need to an action based on God’s truth. It provides a bridge, or emotional link, from where your friend is to where God is. These statements are made with a sense of urgency as one concerned friend for another. They provide a knock on the door of his heart that hopefully will lead him to open the door for further consideration and eventual acceptance of God’s truth.
You can learn to make your own truth statements from Scripture. Find a verse that relates to two conditions: one that you do and another that will be a result of what you do. Put the second behind the “going to” and the first behind the “need to”. For example:
For a fearful person: “If you’re going to get rid of your fears, then you need to get to know the God of peace who can help you and give you strength.” (Isa 41:10)
For a person grieving: “I know that you are grieving now and have a lot of pain. But our creator God is the God of peace. If you’re going to receive peace in your heart, you need to know the God of peace. He will help you through this. Do you know God?” – “Would you like to receive His comfort?” (2 Cor 1:3-5)
A feeling or need revealed by your friend can become a springboard to a truth statement. Present only one truth statement at a time, and then allow adequate time for him to think about and discuss fully the truth that this statement conveys to ensure that he understands it. If he has a negative reaction, don’t back off or soft pedal your statement. Your very conviction and genuine care and concern for him may eventually cause this statement to embed itself into his heart.
9. Use single sentence testimonies.
Give your testimony by allowing your natural reaction to come out about a circumstance that demonstrates your faith in God and Jesus Christ. For example:
During a conversation about a difficult situation in your life, you could say, “If it weren’t for my faith in Jesus Christ, I don’t think I could have gotten through this.”
If someone asks the reason for your cheerfulness or caring attitude, you could say, “Well, this may sound strange to you, but I have the love of Jesus Christ working within me; and He gives me meaning and purpose in my life.”
When you are speaking with a person who has expressed some personal problem or concern, offer to pray for him by saying, “I would like to pray for you [name the particular situation and party involved]. What specifically would you like me to pray for?”
If a close loved one has recently died, you could say, “You know, if it weren’t for my faith in Jesus Christ and my close relationship with Him, I would have had a far more difficult time getting through this. I had a very close relationship with [name the one who died]. But my strength at this time is the result of an even closer relationship with Jesus Christ who gives me meaning and purpose in life, and a desire to keep going and make new friends. Oh, at times it has been hard, but my relationship with Jesus Christ has made a big difference.”
A word of caution concerning personal testimonies – It can be risky to proclaim what God has done for you tangibly, especially to those who have little or no faith. They might think, “God healed his son. Why hasn’t God healed my daughter? Does God hate me? Are they better than we are?” Or “God brought him a car when he needed it. I just need a new lawn mower, and I can’t afford it now. If God can give him a car, why can’t God give me just a lawn mower? I guess God doesn’t care about me.” Hence, instead of testifying of tangible blessings, testify of your feelings and how God helped you through your difficult times.
Adapted from: Don Ashcraft, Tongue-tied No More: A Complete Guide to Conversational Evangelism (Fullerton, CA: Evangelism House Publisher, 2003), 15-18,38-47, 49-52, 54-56.
When your non-Christian friends do not bring up a spiritual subject, make a statement about God, or ask a question about religion or Christianity. You may need to break the ice to a spiritual conversation yourself. These are nine suggested ways to break the ice:
1. Ask a question about your friend’s religious background.
This is a simple exploration of the history of your friend’s religious experiences that will provide you with information about where he is on his spiritual journey and how he came to be there. It may also reveal if he has excess baggage and/or false beliefs that you may need to deal with.
For examples:
“Jane, may I ask you a question?” After her response, ask, “Do you have a religion?”
“Andrew, you may think this is a strange question, but do you ever think about God?” After his response, ask, “What is your religious background?”
If he or she has no religious background, ask, “Then, Jane, who do you think God is?”
2. Ask a few exploratory questions about his belief.
For examples:
“Betty, I have a question for you. Do you think there is a God who created the universe?” – “What do you think about God?”
“Robert, you are a Mormon/ Buddhist / Roman Catholic, aren’t you?” – “Would you tell me something about your church / religion?”
Or, “Would you tell me what your view of God / the Bible is?”
Or, take the personal approach: “How long have you been a Mormon (or other)?” – “What led you to become a Mormon?”
Use your reflective listening skills to draw him or her out and show your interest (refer to point 7 on “Reflective listening, or speaking for the other person”).
3. Begin with an apologetics question
For examples:
“Alan, you are Mormon/ Buddhist / Roman Catholic aren’t you?” – “Well, I am interested in why people believe what they do. So, tell me this. How do you know for sure that what you believe is true?”
You can also ask your friend to describe his beliefs in these ways:
“Would you describe for me what you basically believe?”
“How does this help you in life?”
“What do you hope to gain from your belief?”
4. If you see a religious symbol.
If you see any religious symbol in a person’s home, car, place of business, or worn as jewelry, use the following questions to ask about it:
“I see a cross on your wall / I see you are wearing a cross. It looks nice. Is that just a decoration / piece of jewelry, or do you have a Christian background?”
“Is that a religious symbol you are wearing?” – “Can you tell me what it means?”
“I see a picture of a religious person on your bookshelf. Are you a member of Self-Realization Fellowship?”
5. When your friend expresses any sense of awe at the beauty of nature.
For example, if you observe a non-believer expressing awe and reverence at God’s creation, or new parents expressing such feelings as they look lovingly at their newborn baby, ask:
“That sunset is awesome. Have you ever thought about God being a beautiful artist who makes living art and not just still pictures on the wall?”
“You must be having a great time with your new baby. Have you ever thought about God being the Giver of wonderful gifts like this?”
6. After a tragedy that impacted the other person.
In this situation, use the person’s heightened sensitivity to death and eternity to lead him, first to express his feelings about the tragedy, and then to understand his need to know about eternity by saying, “Anna, where do you think people go when they die? Would you want to know for sure where you would end up?”
7. Reflective listening, or speaking for the other person.
There are some situations where a conversation about spiritualality is not easy to start. People who are not open to spiritual conversations often have something hidden behind the closed doors of their hearts. They either do not know how to say it or are afraid. This method helps to open a closed door to a person’s heart.
Reflective listening is showing your sincere interest and understanding by making your own statements that reflect back the thoughts, feelings and situation of the other person in a way that he could have said for himself, but didn’t. Reflective listening is non-judgmental and gives no advice. By paraphrasing, you show that you have been listening and therefore demonstrate empathy. People love to know that you understand or are trying to understand. It would help to draw out the deeper thoughts and feelings of the other person. For example:
Jenny: I came home last night and saw my lazy husband sitting in front of the TV while the dirty dishes were left in the sink. I had to wash them before I could fix dinner.
You: It certainly is tiring to have to do all the work around the house.
Jenny: Yeah, especially when I work just as many hours as he does.
You: I’ll bet you wish he would help with the work and make it a little easier for you around the house.
Jenny: I sure do.
Other examples of reflective listening concerning someone’s belief:
“Then you believe that you can know God through your feelings / experiences / understanding / meditation?”
“Then you believe that the Koran / the Book of Mormon is also from God?”
“Then you think you can get along fine in life by yourself without considering God?”
“Then you see Christianity as just a crutch, and you don’t want to have anything to do with it?”
“Then you are saying that, even if there is a living God who has the power of life and death over you, you don’t want to have a thing to do with Him?”
In order for your reflective listening to be effective, it is good to ask some exploratory questions to find out about the person’s belief first, before you can accurately reflect back his thoughts, feelings, and situation about his faith (refer to point 2 on “Ask a few exploratory questions about his belief”).
Sometimes it is helpful to reflect back what you observe, not just what you hear.
Examples are as follows:
“Wow, look at that stack of papers on your desk! You must be snowed with work.”
“It looks to me as if something heavy is weighing down that heart of yours.”
“You miss your mom, don’t you?”
These statements show your attention, interest, insight, and caring. Just simply
stating the facts of what you see about another person will show that you are aware of what is happening to him or her. Showing that you understand and are interested will help open the other person to share deeper thoughts and concerns with you and to be more open to what you have to say.
Suppose you know a teenager who used to attend church but who has mostly dropped out and is having some struggles or failures in life. After some preliminary conversation, you may say, “Jonathan, I have noticed something that may indicate that you are carrying a burden alone. When I look at you, I see someone who used to attend church regularly, but who now doesn’t find it important to him. [Pause] You are looking for something in life and you don’t see it in the church. [Pause] You don’t find any meaning in the worship service or in what the pastor says. [Pause] You don’t find any friends there that you would like to spend time with.”
He may respond at some point that this is not the problem, but he may also fail to give any additional information. You can then continue in your attempt to speak for the other person: “Maybe it is that you are facing some problems in life and don’t see any help from the church, the Bible, or God.” You indicate by your expression your sincere interest in him and your puzzlement as to what is causing his behavior.
At some point, he may give you a glimpse into the problem hidden in his heart. When he does, continue your statements in the same manner and tone of voice. You want him to understand that you can state his problem from his viewpoint with understanding and empathy and without any judgment, criticism, or advice whatsoever. This may go a long way towards solving his problem and opening his heart spiritually. You must not rush through this conversation, but rather, be patient in understanding his frustration and discomfort over his situation. If it is something that is deep within him, it probably would not be appropriate for you to try to give him your answers to his problem at this time.
Some people may slam the door harder by saying something like, “Don’t bother me about this. I don’t want to talk about it. Just leave me alone.” If he does this, you can respond empathetically that you don’t want to interfere with his life, but that you are concerned for his well-being. It is probably appropriate to leave the subject at that point, leaving the door open for him to approach you at a later time.
8. Use a truth statement.
A truth statement is a brief statement that links a person’s basic need to an action based on God’s truth. It provides a bridge, or emotional link, from where your friend is to where God is. These statements are made with a sense of urgency as one concerned friend for another. They provide a knock on the door of his heart that hopefully will lead him to open the door for further consideration and eventual acceptance of God’s truth.
You can learn to make your own truth statements from Scripture. Find a verse that relates to two conditions: one that you do and another that will be a result of what you do. Put the second behind the “going to” and the first behind the “need to”. For example:
For a fearful person: “If you’re going to get rid of your fears, then you need to get to know the God of peace who can help you and give you strength.” (Isa 41:10)
For a person grieving: “I know that you are grieving now and have a lot of pain. But our creator God is the God of peace. If you’re going to receive peace in your heart, you need to know the God of peace. He will help you through this. Do you know God?” – “Would you like to receive His comfort?” (2 Cor 1:3-5)
A feeling or need revealed by your friend can become a springboard to a truth statement. Present only one truth statement at a time, and then allow adequate time for him to think about and discuss fully the truth that this statement conveys to ensure that he understands it. If he has a negative reaction, don’t back off or soft pedal your statement. Your very conviction and genuine care and concern for him may eventually cause this statement to embed itself into his heart.
9. Use single sentence testimonies.
Give your testimony by allowing your natural reaction to come out about a circumstance that demonstrates your faith in God and Jesus Christ. For example:
During a conversation about a difficult situation in your life, you could say, “If it weren’t for my faith in Jesus Christ, I don’t think I could have gotten through this.”
If someone asks the reason for your cheerfulness or caring attitude, you could say, “Well, this may sound strange to you, but I have the love of Jesus Christ working within me; and He gives me meaning and purpose in my life.”
When you are speaking with a person who has expressed some personal problem or concern, offer to pray for him by saying, “I would like to pray for you [name the particular situation and party involved]. What specifically would you like me to pray for?”
If a close loved one has recently died, you could say, “You know, if it weren’t for my faith in Jesus Christ and my close relationship with Him, I would have had a far more difficult time getting through this. I had a very close relationship with [name the one who died]. But my strength at this time is the result of an even closer relationship with Jesus Christ who gives me meaning and purpose in life, and a desire to keep going and make new friends. Oh, at times it has been hard, but my relationship with Jesus Christ has made a big difference.”
A word of caution concerning personal testimonies – It can be risky to proclaim what God has done for you tangibly, especially to those who have little or no faith. They might think, “God healed his son. Why hasn’t God healed my daughter? Does God hate me? Are they better than we are?” Or “God brought him a car when he needed it. I just need a new lawn mower, and I can’t afford it now. If God can give him a car, why can’t God give me just a lawn mower? I guess God doesn’t care about me.” Hence, instead of testifying of tangible blessings, testify of your feelings and how God helped you through your difficult times.
Adapted from: Don Ashcraft, Tongue-tied No More: A Complete Guide to Conversational Evangelism (Fullerton, CA: Evangelism House Publisher, 2003), 15-18,38-47, 49-52, 54-56.
Count Your Blessings! Be a Blessing!
20% of the world’s population consumes 80% of the planet’s resources.GEO4, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) 2007.
The world spends 12 times more on weapons than on aid to developing countries. OECD, 2008 (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
5,000 people die everyday because of polluted drinking water. 1 billion humans have no access to safe drinking water! UNDP, 2006 (United Nations Development Programme).
1 billion people are going hungry. FAO, 2008 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
75% of fisheries products are exhausted, depleted or are in danger of being so. UN (United Nations).
The average temperature of the last 15 years has been the highest since records began. NASA GISS data.
The ice cap has lost 40% of its thickness in 40 years. NSIDC, 2004.
There could be 200 million climate refugees by 2050. The Stern Review: The economics of climate change part II, chapter 3, page 77.
Over 50% of grain traded around the world is used for animal feed or biofuels. Worldwatch Institutue, 2007.
40% of arable land is degraded. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).
Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear. FAO, 2005.
1 mammal in 4, 1 bird in 8, 1 amphibian in 3 are threatened with extinction. Species are dying out 1,000 times faster than the natural state. IUCN, 2008 (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
The world spends 12 times more on weapons than on aid to developing countries. OECD, 2008 (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
5,000 people die everyday because of polluted drinking water. 1 billion humans have no access to safe drinking water! UNDP, 2006 (United Nations Development Programme).
1 billion people are going hungry. FAO, 2008 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
75% of fisheries products are exhausted, depleted or are in danger of being so. UN (United Nations).
The average temperature of the last 15 years has been the highest since records began. NASA GISS data.
The ice cap has lost 40% of its thickness in 40 years. NSIDC, 2004.
There could be 200 million climate refugees by 2050. The Stern Review: The economics of climate change part II, chapter 3, page 77.
Over 50% of grain traded around the world is used for animal feed or biofuels. Worldwatch Institutue, 2007.
40% of arable land is degraded. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).
Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear. FAO, 2005.
1 mammal in 4, 1 bird in 8, 1 amphibian in 3 are threatened with extinction. Species are dying out 1,000 times faster than the natural state. IUCN, 2008 (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Quickie marriages among young couples
Young couples quick to marry and quick to divorce
Thursday November 18, 2010
KUCHING: Quickie marriages among young couples is one of the factors behind the increasing divorce rate among Muslims in Sarawak.
According to statistics, about 50% of registered marriages in the state ended up in divorce.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said the divorce rate among Muslims in big cities such as Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu had risen.
“The number of Muslim couples getting married is increasing every year. Unfortunately, the divorce rate is also going up.
“The major contribution to divorce in the state is that couples are getting married too early and too fast.
“Initially, they think they are compatible but after some time, they realise they are not. Then, they bid goodbye and divorce. Some of them even left their spouses and disappeared,” he told reporters after attending the Aidiladha sacrificial slaughter of animals at the Nur Hidayah surau in Kampung Kolong 2 Wetan here yesterday.
Daud said the state Islamic Council offered counselling to couples who wanted to save their marriage. — Bernama
Thursday November 18, 2010
KUCHING: Quickie marriages among young couples is one of the factors behind the increasing divorce rate among Muslims in Sarawak.
According to statistics, about 50% of registered marriages in the state ended up in divorce.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said the divorce rate among Muslims in big cities such as Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu had risen.
“The number of Muslim couples getting married is increasing every year. Unfortunately, the divorce rate is also going up.
“The major contribution to divorce in the state is that couples are getting married too early and too fast.
“Initially, they think they are compatible but after some time, they realise they are not. Then, they bid goodbye and divorce. Some of them even left their spouses and disappeared,” he told reporters after attending the Aidiladha sacrificial slaughter of animals at the Nur Hidayah surau in Kampung Kolong 2 Wetan here yesterday.
Daud said the state Islamic Council offered counselling to couples who wanted to save their marriage. — Bernama
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Make listening to God a habit of your life
The Seven Foundations of Jesus’ Leadership
By Rick Warren
There are no perfect leaders. I’m not a perfect leader. Neither are you. But Jesus is. There’s no better teacher on leadership than Jesus. What made him such as effective leader? Lots of reasons. In this article I’ll give you seven of them.
1. Identification: I must know who I am. To be a leader you’ve got to know who you are. All great leaders know their strengths and their weaknesses. We’re a bundle of both. Leadership is not ignoring one in favor of the other. It’s being honest about them. Good leaders don’t try to be something they are not. They are self-aware.
Jesus had no doubt about his identity. He said:
I am the light of the world.
I am the Son of God.
I am the way.
I am the truth.
I am the life.
I am the bread of life.
Jesus defines himself 18 times by saying, “I am…” He didn’t let other people define him. He defined himself. If you’re going to be a leader, you must know who you are.
2. Clarification: Know what you want to accomplish. You must clarify what God has called you to do with your life. The direction of your life is your choice. If you don’t like the direction your life is headed right now, change it. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head. Nobody’s making you a victim. Nobody’s forcing you to serve in the manner you’re serving.
Jesus knew exactly what God had called him to do. He was a straightforward leader who established clear-cut goals. In John 8 Jesus says, “I know where I came from and I know where I’m going.” Jesus had a clear purpose. He knew not only who he was, but what was he trying to do with his life. He truly was a purpose-driven leader.
God has a purpose for your life and ministry. If you don’t fulfill it, you have wasted your life. You were put on earth to live for the purpose God created you for. A leader knows that purpose and pursues it with passion.
3. Motivation: Know who you’re trying to please. You need to settle the issue of motivation. You can’t please everybody. Just about the time you get one person happy, you’ll tick someone else off.
Jesus lived for an audience of One. His whole purpose was to please his heavenly Father. Jesus says this in John 5, “I only try to please the One who sent Me.” Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity content; he just wanted to please God.
That’s a lesson we have to learn as leaders. You’ve got to learn not to care about the opinions of others. You’ve got to focus on God’s opinion of what you’re doing. Don’t pay attention to those who cheer you or jeer you. Either one will sidetrack you.
4. Collaboration: Work with a small group. You never lead by yourself. You always do it in context of a team. All great leaders are great team builders. In fact, if you don’t have a team, you’re not a leader. You’re a loner. The test of leadership is whether anyone is following you.
Jesus modeled this kind of ministry. He never did ministry alone. Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Jesus enlisted other people to serve the cause with him.
If God gives you a vision for your ministry, he’s going to bring other people with the same idea together with you. If nobody agrees on your idea, guess what? It’s not from God.
5. Concentration: Focus on what’s important. Leaders must focus on what’s important. Life is filled with things that will distract you from what’s important. Sometimes we can be distracted by good things as well. If Satan can’t mess up your life by getting you to do wrong things, he’ll mess up your life by giving you too many good things to do.
Jesus was a master of concentration. He focused his life like a laser. He refused to be distracted. Luke 9:51 says, “As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will.” He headed toward Jerusalem to die on the cross for us. He did it with an iron will. He would not let anything distract him from what was important.
Your ministry has incredible potential. But that ministry potential won’t be realized until you decide what’s really important. Settle on what’s most important, and God will use your life like you could never imagine.
6. Meditation: Listen to God. Make listening to God a habit of your life. Jesus did. Prayer was a regular part of his life. The Bible tells us in Mark 1:35, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
If Jesus needed to get alone and listen to God, don’t you think that you need to? You need quiet times to reflect, renew, and recharge. You need time to just get alone, be quiet, and listen to God.
7. Relaxation: Take time to recharge. Leadership is draining. It’s hard work. We all need time to just relax. Jesus encouraged his very busy disciples to take some time for relaxation. Mark 6:31 says, “Crowds of people were coming and going so that they did not even have time to eat. He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], ‘Come away by yourselves, and we’ll go to a lonely place to get some rest.’”
Jesus realized the disciples had been busy serving, and they were tired. They needed a break. So he told them to get away and rest. Rest is so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment says this: every seventh day you take a day off. Pastor, this applies to you as well. You need a day away from the church.
Years ago I learned a key to lasting in leadership: divert daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.
Divert daily means doing something fun every day. Get a hobby. Do something that relaxes you.
Withdraw weekly means you take a day off every week for relaxation and restoration.
Abandon annually means you get away and forget everything for some time each year.
Your leadership is a key ingredient to helping your church become what God has called it to be. In fact, the Bible says this in Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise leadership a nation is in trouble.” That’s true of every single area of life. Without wise leadership, your church is in trouble. Learn about leadership from Jesus. We have no better guide.
By Rick Warren
There are no perfect leaders. I’m not a perfect leader. Neither are you. But Jesus is. There’s no better teacher on leadership than Jesus. What made him such as effective leader? Lots of reasons. In this article I’ll give you seven of them.
1. Identification: I must know who I am. To be a leader you’ve got to know who you are. All great leaders know their strengths and their weaknesses. We’re a bundle of both. Leadership is not ignoring one in favor of the other. It’s being honest about them. Good leaders don’t try to be something they are not. They are self-aware.
Jesus had no doubt about his identity. He said:
I am the light of the world.
I am the Son of God.
I am the way.
I am the truth.
I am the life.
I am the bread of life.
Jesus defines himself 18 times by saying, “I am…” He didn’t let other people define him. He defined himself. If you’re going to be a leader, you must know who you are.
2. Clarification: Know what you want to accomplish. You must clarify what God has called you to do with your life. The direction of your life is your choice. If you don’t like the direction your life is headed right now, change it. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head. Nobody’s making you a victim. Nobody’s forcing you to serve in the manner you’re serving.
Jesus knew exactly what God had called him to do. He was a straightforward leader who established clear-cut goals. In John 8 Jesus says, “I know where I came from and I know where I’m going.” Jesus had a clear purpose. He knew not only who he was, but what was he trying to do with his life. He truly was a purpose-driven leader.
God has a purpose for your life and ministry. If you don’t fulfill it, you have wasted your life. You were put on earth to live for the purpose God created you for. A leader knows that purpose and pursues it with passion.
3. Motivation: Know who you’re trying to please. You need to settle the issue of motivation. You can’t please everybody. Just about the time you get one person happy, you’ll tick someone else off.
Jesus lived for an audience of One. His whole purpose was to please his heavenly Father. Jesus says this in John 5, “I only try to please the One who sent Me.” Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity content; he just wanted to please God.
That’s a lesson we have to learn as leaders. You’ve got to learn not to care about the opinions of others. You’ve got to focus on God’s opinion of what you’re doing. Don’t pay attention to those who cheer you or jeer you. Either one will sidetrack you.
4. Collaboration: Work with a small group. You never lead by yourself. You always do it in context of a team. All great leaders are great team builders. In fact, if you don’t have a team, you’re not a leader. You’re a loner. The test of leadership is whether anyone is following you.
Jesus modeled this kind of ministry. He never did ministry alone. Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Jesus enlisted other people to serve the cause with him.
If God gives you a vision for your ministry, he’s going to bring other people with the same idea together with you. If nobody agrees on your idea, guess what? It’s not from God.
5. Concentration: Focus on what’s important. Leaders must focus on what’s important. Life is filled with things that will distract you from what’s important. Sometimes we can be distracted by good things as well. If Satan can’t mess up your life by getting you to do wrong things, he’ll mess up your life by giving you too many good things to do.
Jesus was a master of concentration. He focused his life like a laser. He refused to be distracted. Luke 9:51 says, “As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will.” He headed toward Jerusalem to die on the cross for us. He did it with an iron will. He would not let anything distract him from what was important.
Your ministry has incredible potential. But that ministry potential won’t be realized until you decide what’s really important. Settle on what’s most important, and God will use your life like you could never imagine.
6. Meditation: Listen to God. Make listening to God a habit of your life. Jesus did. Prayer was a regular part of his life. The Bible tells us in Mark 1:35, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
If Jesus needed to get alone and listen to God, don’t you think that you need to? You need quiet times to reflect, renew, and recharge. You need time to just get alone, be quiet, and listen to God.
7. Relaxation: Take time to recharge. Leadership is draining. It’s hard work. We all need time to just relax. Jesus encouraged his very busy disciples to take some time for relaxation. Mark 6:31 says, “Crowds of people were coming and going so that they did not even have time to eat. He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], ‘Come away by yourselves, and we’ll go to a lonely place to get some rest.’”
Jesus realized the disciples had been busy serving, and they were tired. They needed a break. So he told them to get away and rest. Rest is so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment says this: every seventh day you take a day off. Pastor, this applies to you as well. You need a day away from the church.
Years ago I learned a key to lasting in leadership: divert daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.
Divert daily means doing something fun every day. Get a hobby. Do something that relaxes you.
Withdraw weekly means you take a day off every week for relaxation and restoration.
Abandon annually means you get away and forget everything for some time each year.
Your leadership is a key ingredient to helping your church become what God has called it to be. In fact, the Bible says this in Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise leadership a nation is in trouble.” That’s true of every single area of life. Without wise leadership, your church is in trouble. Learn about leadership from Jesus. We have no better guide.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
Woman becomes first US transgender trial judge
Published: Wednesday November 17, 2010 MYT 7:44:00 AM
OAKLAND, California (AP) - A 49-year-old California patent lawyer has been elected as America's first openly transgender trial judge.
Alameda County elections officials say Victoria Kolakowski beat prosecutor John Creighton 51 to 48 percent - a margin of nearly 10,000 votes - in the Nov. 2 election to fill the vacancy in California's Superior Court.
Kolakowski had been leading since election night, but outstanding absentee and provisional ballots made the race too close to call until Monday.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has said she is the first openly transgender trial court judge in the country.
Kolakowski spent the past three years as an administrative law judge settling energy contract and environmental compliance disputes for the California Public Utilities Commission. She underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1991.
Published: Wednesday November 17, 2010 MYT 7:44:00 AM
OAKLAND, California (AP) - A 49-year-old California patent lawyer has been elected as America's first openly transgender trial judge.
Alameda County elections officials say Victoria Kolakowski beat prosecutor John Creighton 51 to 48 percent - a margin of nearly 10,000 votes - in the Nov. 2 election to fill the vacancy in California's Superior Court.
Kolakowski had been leading since election night, but outstanding absentee and provisional ballots made the race too close to call until Monday.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has said she is the first openly transgender trial court judge in the country.
Kolakowski spent the past three years as an administrative law judge settling energy contract and environmental compliance disputes for the California Public Utilities Commission. She underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1991.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Praying for the folks in Belaga, Sarawak
Belaga folk left high and dry
By ZORA CHAN
zora@thestar.com.my
Saturday November 13, 2010
BELAGA: Life is tough. That's a fact the people in the district have learnt the hard way.
The impoundment of the Bakun Dam in the upper reaches of Rajang River since a month ago has not only changed the natural landscape but also impacted the people's life socio-economically.
With very little water flowing from upstream, the river has shrunk and restricted navigational activities along the river.
Sandy banks and riverbed are visible and in some places, rocky beds are exposed, making navigation impossible for tugboats and express boats.
It has also become a joke in Belaga bazaar that people can play football on the riverbed.
Community leader Penghulu Neo Hood Joo, 62, said he had lived in Belaga all his life and had never come across sand banks or riverbeds until about two weeks ago.
Even in the driest months, between June and July, the water level was still higher than what it is now, he said.
Although he and other community leaders had been briefed on the impact of the impoundment and passed on the information to the ground, many were still caught by surprise when water level dropped drastically, he added.
"We didn't expect the water level to be so low that it stops express boats and tongkang operations from Kapit to Belaga," he said.
Neo said the government and experts should have anticipated this and built a road to link Kapit and Belaga before the impoundment began.
"Some shopkeepers still get their supplies through tongkang from Kapit because they do not have 4WDs to buy supplies from Bintulu, which is about four hours from here by logging road," he said.
He said the locals also feared that the coming rainy season would hamper transportation by land as some parts of the logging tracks would become too muddy and slippery.
"What if we were also cut off by road as well due to bad weather? Are we ready to face the challenges ahead?" he asked.
Neo said people in Belaga who worked in Kapit and Sibu would have problems getting to their villages for Christmas next month because the express service had stopped.
"They will have to fork out extra expenses to return by land from Bintulu. This also means a longer journey home, from just three hours by express boat from Kapit to two days by express boat from Kapit to Sibu, then from Sibu to Bintulu by land or air.
"A trip home that used to cost RM50 or less is now up to RM200 per person," he added.
All this would cause financial hardship to the people who were from low and medium-income groups, he said.
Neo said students studying at SMK Belaga would also face difficulty going back to their longhouses along the river.
"They can only use small longboats that will take a longer time to reach their villages compared to express boats. It is also dangerous because they have to navigate past rapids downstream," he added.
There are about 30 longhouse villages along the river.
Echoing the same sentiment, Penghulu Nicholas Mering Kulleh, 52, said most villagers could not afford to buy life jackets which cost between RM30 and RM50 each.
"If there are five people in a family, that's more than RM100 and the people, who are mainly self-sufficient farmers, cannot afford it," he said.
He said the impoundment had already claimed two lives, one at Korea Rapids upriver and another near Punan Biau downriver.
"Those living along the river are putting their lives at risk whenever they go to Belaga bazaar because of rapids, rocky riverbeds, jutting logs and dead trees," said the community leader, fondly known as Penghulu Nyalang.
Nyalang said he was also worried about sick villagers not being able to get help from Belaga Hospital due to the drying river.
"Life is tough. I am afraid it will be tougher in the coming days if the water level gets lower each day and there is not enough rain," he added.
He urged the government to build roads connecting some of the villages to the logging road that connects Belaga to Bintulu.
A villager from Rumah Tanjong, William Liah, 43, said he used to catch three to four fish a day weighing a few kilogrammes each, but that had changed.
"It's getting harder to catch fish as the fish have gone elsewhere," he said, adding that he planted padi and caught fish to survive.
Showing a fish weighing about 4kg that he had just caught after a week, he said it would fetch him about RM90, which was just enough to buy fuel to return home from the Belaga baazar.
"Some of us used to catch a lot of fish like labang, baung, mengalan, empurau and tapah further upriver near the dam's gate when the impoundment started. But that windfall was shortlived," he lamented.
He said he was among the few villagers who dared to navigate through the rapids to sell fish and buy rations.
"It's tough and risky, but do we have a choice? We still need to eat and live," he said.
On Thursday, former environment adviser to the Sarawak government, Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit, said water released from the dam should be about 150 cubic metres per second based on the Downstream Environ ment Assessment study done in the mid-1990s.
However, Sarawak Hidro was only releasing 110 cubic metres of water per second.
By ZORA CHAN
zora@thestar.com.my
Saturday November 13, 2010
BELAGA: Life is tough. That's a fact the people in the district have learnt the hard way.
The impoundment of the Bakun Dam in the upper reaches of Rajang River since a month ago has not only changed the natural landscape but also impacted the people's life socio-economically.
With very little water flowing from upstream, the river has shrunk and restricted navigational activities along the river.
Sandy banks and riverbed are visible and in some places, rocky beds are exposed, making navigation impossible for tugboats and express boats.
It has also become a joke in Belaga bazaar that people can play football on the riverbed.
Community leader Penghulu Neo Hood Joo, 62, said he had lived in Belaga all his life and had never come across sand banks or riverbeds until about two weeks ago.
Even in the driest months, between June and July, the water level was still higher than what it is now, he said.
Although he and other community leaders had been briefed on the impact of the impoundment and passed on the information to the ground, many were still caught by surprise when water level dropped drastically, he added.
"We didn't expect the water level to be so low that it stops express boats and tongkang operations from Kapit to Belaga," he said.
Neo said the government and experts should have anticipated this and built a road to link Kapit and Belaga before the impoundment began.
"Some shopkeepers still get their supplies through tongkang from Kapit because they do not have 4WDs to buy supplies from Bintulu, which is about four hours from here by logging road," he said.
He said the locals also feared that the coming rainy season would hamper transportation by land as some parts of the logging tracks would become too muddy and slippery.
"What if we were also cut off by road as well due to bad weather? Are we ready to face the challenges ahead?" he asked.
Neo said people in Belaga who worked in Kapit and Sibu would have problems getting to their villages for Christmas next month because the express service had stopped.
"They will have to fork out extra expenses to return by land from Bintulu. This also means a longer journey home, from just three hours by express boat from Kapit to two days by express boat from Kapit to Sibu, then from Sibu to Bintulu by land or air.
"A trip home that used to cost RM50 or less is now up to RM200 per person," he added.
All this would cause financial hardship to the people who were from low and medium-income groups, he said.
Neo said students studying at SMK Belaga would also face difficulty going back to their longhouses along the river.
"They can only use small longboats that will take a longer time to reach their villages compared to express boats. It is also dangerous because they have to navigate past rapids downstream," he added.
There are about 30 longhouse villages along the river.
Echoing the same sentiment, Penghulu Nicholas Mering Kulleh, 52, said most villagers could not afford to buy life jackets which cost between RM30 and RM50 each.
"If there are five people in a family, that's more than RM100 and the people, who are mainly self-sufficient farmers, cannot afford it," he said.
He said the impoundment had already claimed two lives, one at Korea Rapids upriver and another near Punan Biau downriver.
"Those living along the river are putting their lives at risk whenever they go to Belaga bazaar because of rapids, rocky riverbeds, jutting logs and dead trees," said the community leader, fondly known as Penghulu Nyalang.
Nyalang said he was also worried about sick villagers not being able to get help from Belaga Hospital due to the drying river.
"Life is tough. I am afraid it will be tougher in the coming days if the water level gets lower each day and there is not enough rain," he added.
He urged the government to build roads connecting some of the villages to the logging road that connects Belaga to Bintulu.
A villager from Rumah Tanjong, William Liah, 43, said he used to catch three to four fish a day weighing a few kilogrammes each, but that had changed.
"It's getting harder to catch fish as the fish have gone elsewhere," he said, adding that he planted padi and caught fish to survive.
Showing a fish weighing about 4kg that he had just caught after a week, he said it would fetch him about RM90, which was just enough to buy fuel to return home from the Belaga baazar.
"Some of us used to catch a lot of fish like labang, baung, mengalan, empurau and tapah further upriver near the dam's gate when the impoundment started. But that windfall was shortlived," he lamented.
He said he was among the few villagers who dared to navigate through the rapids to sell fish and buy rations.
"It's tough and risky, but do we have a choice? We still need to eat and live," he said.
On Thursday, former environment adviser to the Sarawak government, Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit, said water released from the dam should be about 150 cubic metres per second based on the Downstream Environ ment Assessment study done in the mid-1990s.
However, Sarawak Hidro was only releasing 110 cubic metres of water per second.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Having considered all evidence, I am left in no reasonable doubt
Former teacher gets 36 years and whipping for raping girl, 12
By RUBEN SARIO
Published: Wednesday November 10, 2010 MYT 12:24:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday November 10, 2010 MYT 2:14:17 PM
KOTA KINABALU: A former teacher at a private school here has been sentenced to a total of 36 years in jail and four strokes of the rotan after being found guilty of two charges of raping his 12-year-old student earlier this year.
Sessions Court judge Duncan Sikodol ordered Adrian Simon, 31, to be imprisoned 18 years for each charge but allowed the jail term to served concurrently.
He also allowed a stay of execution pending an appeal.
Adrian was accused of raping the the 12-year-old girl between February and March this year at about 2.10 to 3.30pm.
He was also accused of raping the girl at about 10.25am on March 26.
The offences were alleged to have taken place at the store room of the school’s science laboratory.
Both charges under Section 376(2)(e) of the Penal Code provided for a jail term of up to 30 years and whipping.
Duncan said he found that the “very credible and consistent” evidence from the girl was enough to convict Adrian.
“Although I am aware of the danger of convicting the accused on uncorroborated evidence and having warned myself of the same, given the very credible and consistent evidence of the victim, I think it is safe to rely on her evidence alone as it outweighs the inherent risks.
“Having considered all evidence, I am left in no reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of both charges against him,” he said.
Adrian’s counsel Khairul V Othman immediately asked the court for a lenient sentence as his client had been cooperative with the authorities and suffered much anguish since his arrest.
In pressing for a deterrent sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Luke Ressa Balang said as a teacher, Adrian had the responsibility of caring for his students and that he had breached this trust.
“He raped a young girl. Imagine the stress and humiliation her family has to endure,” he added.
By RUBEN SARIO
Published: Wednesday November 10, 2010 MYT 12:24:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday November 10, 2010 MYT 2:14:17 PM
KOTA KINABALU: A former teacher at a private school here has been sentenced to a total of 36 years in jail and four strokes of the rotan after being found guilty of two charges of raping his 12-year-old student earlier this year.
Sessions Court judge Duncan Sikodol ordered Adrian Simon, 31, to be imprisoned 18 years for each charge but allowed the jail term to served concurrently.
He also allowed a stay of execution pending an appeal.
Adrian was accused of raping the the 12-year-old girl between February and March this year at about 2.10 to 3.30pm.
He was also accused of raping the girl at about 10.25am on March 26.
The offences were alleged to have taken place at the store room of the school’s science laboratory.
Both charges under Section 376(2)(e) of the Penal Code provided for a jail term of up to 30 years and whipping.
Duncan said he found that the “very credible and consistent” evidence from the girl was enough to convict Adrian.
“Although I am aware of the danger of convicting the accused on uncorroborated evidence and having warned myself of the same, given the very credible and consistent evidence of the victim, I think it is safe to rely on her evidence alone as it outweighs the inherent risks.
“Having considered all evidence, I am left in no reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of both charges against him,” he said.
Adrian’s counsel Khairul V Othman immediately asked the court for a lenient sentence as his client had been cooperative with the authorities and suffered much anguish since his arrest.
In pressing for a deterrent sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Luke Ressa Balang said as a teacher, Adrian had the responsibility of caring for his students and that he had breached this trust.
“He raped a young girl. Imagine the stress and humiliation her family has to endure,” he added.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Money cannot buy happiness
Canadian lottery winners give most of cash away
By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 05/11/2010
An elderly Canadian couple have become beloved instant stars after winning more than 11 million dollars on the lottery -- and then quietly giving almost all of it away.
Violet and Allen Large, who live in a modest home in Lower Turo, Nova Scotia, scooped the jackpot in July.
But believing they already had everything they needed, they have been distributing the cash among charities, keeping only about 200,000 dollars in case of a rainy day.
The couple drew up a list of worthy causes, starting with their families and then adding hospitals, fire services, churches, cemeteries and charity groups, and sending off checks in the mail.
"Money cannot buy happiness," said Allen Large, 75, a former welder, explaining their decision to give away the loot.
His wife has been battling cancer, and chemotherapy treatment has caused her hair to fall out. But she said she feels lucky as it did not make her nauseous.
As news of their generosity filtered out they were first feted in their village, but now their smiling faces have appeared on television screens across the country and on the front pages of the national newspapers.
By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 05/11/2010
An elderly Canadian couple have become beloved instant stars after winning more than 11 million dollars on the lottery -- and then quietly giving almost all of it away.
Violet and Allen Large, who live in a modest home in Lower Turo, Nova Scotia, scooped the jackpot in July.
But believing they already had everything they needed, they have been distributing the cash among charities, keeping only about 200,000 dollars in case of a rainy day.
The couple drew up a list of worthy causes, starting with their families and then adding hospitals, fire services, churches, cemeteries and charity groups, and sending off checks in the mail.
"Money cannot buy happiness," said Allen Large, 75, a former welder, explaining their decision to give away the loot.
His wife has been battling cancer, and chemotherapy treatment has caused her hair to fall out. But she said she feels lucky as it did not make her nauseous.
As news of their generosity filtered out they were first feted in their village, but now their smiling faces have appeared on television screens across the country and on the front pages of the national newspapers.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
It has always been on my heart to reach the unreachable
New church aims to attract the 'unreachables'
BY ASHLEY BATES
For The Times
October 30, 2010
The Rev. Kenny Rice decided five years after "planting" Set Free Baptist Church in Dahlonega, it was time to create a church with the same rock ‘n' roll, biker feel in Gainesville.
With the help of the Chattahoochee Baptist Association, Good Samaritan Baptist Church was created and it had its first service last Sunday.
"I'm kind of a church starter; we were up there for five years and it was time to start another one," he said. "That was my seventh church, so that seems like what we do - start them up and then get another one going."
Set Free was known for its nontraditional meeting space in Dahlonega - an old converted chicken house.
Rice hopes that he can reach the unreachable in Gainesville.
"We had 40 people at our first service, and that was nice, so we'll just grow it from here. That was the first service, we may only have 25 or 30 this Sunday, I just don't know" Rice said. "The Chattahoochee Baptist Association has been praying for years to start a ministry like what I do, down here in Gainesville. Just reaching people that wouldn't normally go to church."
And the church won't just meet on Sundays, there are plans for Bible study in local apartment complexes along with a Wednesday morning service at the CBA headquarters.
"There are a lot of apartment complexes here in Gainesville, and we're going to be starting Bible studies in those complexes and then everyone come on Sunday together," he said. "Our mission is to mission all during the week, not just on Sunday.
"We are having a traditional Southern Baptist service at 9 a.m. on Sunday and then what we're having is the Good Samaritan Baptist Church ‘Unleashed' at 11 a.m. That will be more like I'm used to with the rock ‘n' roll music with the words changed.".
Currently Rice is looking for Christian musicians for the classic rock band during services at Good Samaritan.
Rice moved to Dahlonega with his wife, Judy, and son five years ago. Rice was born in Compton, Calif., in 1950 and saw hard times as problems began with drugs, alcohol and violence and an eventual prison sentence, he said in a 2007 interview.
In 1985, he became a Christian. He was ordained in 1992 by Set Free Christian Fellowship in Anaheim, Calif. Soon after, Rice was sent to Washington to begin new Set Free churches.
The outreach ministry to bikers and reaching the unchurched and unreachable is Rice's main emphasis as a self-proclaimed former "outlaw."
"My background is out of that environment," Rice said. "And it has always been on my heart to reach the unreachable, and outlaws are pretty much as close to unreachable that you can get."
He even has a bike shop in the works at his own home so local bikers can work on their bikes in a Christian environment.
"We are very excited (as well as) the people he is beginning to meet with," said Mike Taylor, a church start strategist with the CBA and pastor at West Side Baptist Church. "We are excited about Kenny working with a group of people that feel like they don't fit in a traditional church. He's gonna reach a group of people that aren't going to wear a coat and tie.
"They will have access to hope and coming to know the Lord."
BY ASHLEY BATES
For The Times
October 30, 2010
The Rev. Kenny Rice decided five years after "planting" Set Free Baptist Church in Dahlonega, it was time to create a church with the same rock ‘n' roll, biker feel in Gainesville.
With the help of the Chattahoochee Baptist Association, Good Samaritan Baptist Church was created and it had its first service last Sunday.
"I'm kind of a church starter; we were up there for five years and it was time to start another one," he said. "That was my seventh church, so that seems like what we do - start them up and then get another one going."
Set Free was known for its nontraditional meeting space in Dahlonega - an old converted chicken house.
Rice hopes that he can reach the unreachable in Gainesville.
"We had 40 people at our first service, and that was nice, so we'll just grow it from here. That was the first service, we may only have 25 or 30 this Sunday, I just don't know" Rice said. "The Chattahoochee Baptist Association has been praying for years to start a ministry like what I do, down here in Gainesville. Just reaching people that wouldn't normally go to church."
And the church won't just meet on Sundays, there are plans for Bible study in local apartment complexes along with a Wednesday morning service at the CBA headquarters.
"There are a lot of apartment complexes here in Gainesville, and we're going to be starting Bible studies in those complexes and then everyone come on Sunday together," he said. "Our mission is to mission all during the week, not just on Sunday.
"We are having a traditional Southern Baptist service at 9 a.m. on Sunday and then what we're having is the Good Samaritan Baptist Church ‘Unleashed' at 11 a.m. That will be more like I'm used to with the rock ‘n' roll music with the words changed.".
Currently Rice is looking for Christian musicians for the classic rock band during services at Good Samaritan.
Rice moved to Dahlonega with his wife, Judy, and son five years ago. Rice was born in Compton, Calif., in 1950 and saw hard times as problems began with drugs, alcohol and violence and an eventual prison sentence, he said in a 2007 interview.
In 1985, he became a Christian. He was ordained in 1992 by Set Free Christian Fellowship in Anaheim, Calif. Soon after, Rice was sent to Washington to begin new Set Free churches.
The outreach ministry to bikers and reaching the unchurched and unreachable is Rice's main emphasis as a self-proclaimed former "outlaw."
"My background is out of that environment," Rice said. "And it has always been on my heart to reach the unreachable, and outlaws are pretty much as close to unreachable that you can get."
He even has a bike shop in the works at his own home so local bikers can work on their bikes in a Christian environment.
"We are very excited (as well as) the people he is beginning to meet with," said Mike Taylor, a church start strategist with the CBA and pastor at West Side Baptist Church. "We are excited about Kenny working with a group of people that feel like they don't fit in a traditional church. He's gonna reach a group of people that aren't going to wear a coat and tie.
"They will have access to hope and coming to know the Lord."
I don’t know for sure if I’m going to heaven
Pastor Breaks Islam Code for Christians
Thu, Feb. 25, 2010 Posted: 06:19 PM EDT
A megachurch pastor who understands Islamic theology said the majority of Christians would agree for the most part with the five core beliefs of Islam.
J.D. Greear, who holds a Ph.D. in Christian and Islamic theology, told Debbie Chavez of the eponymously named Christian internet talk show that the five core beliefs of Islam is a good conversation starter when talking with Muslims.
“That is a real key in learning to dialogue with Muslims is starting with the things that we share in common,” Greear, who is senior pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., said on the radio show last week to promote his new book, Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions of Every Muslim.
The five core beliefs of Islam are: there is only one God; God revealed His will to mankind through a series of prophets; God ‘s revelations are recorded in holy books; angels exist; and there is an afterlife.
Greear, who had lived in a predominantly Muslim country in Southeast Asia for two years, said Muslims believe God revealed His will to mankind through a series of 25 major prophets, 24 of which Christians would recognize.
Muslims are taught, for example, that the first prophet is Adam, the 23rd is John the Baptist, and the 24th is Jesus. The major difference is they believe the 25th and last prophet is Muhammad, who brings together the messages of all 24 previous prophets.
Regarding the Islamic holy books, most Christians only know about the Quran. But Muslims also believe God’s revelation is recorded in other holy books, including the Suhuf Ibrahim, scrolls of Abraham; the Tawrat, the writings of Moses or Torah; the Zabur, writings of David or Psalms; and the Injil, or the Gospel.
“In fact, one of the verses in the Quran, in Surah (chapter) 10, says to Muslims that if you have questions about the previous prophets ask the Christians who have read these things before you,” Greear explained. “It actually points Muslims to Christians because all the Muslims get is little bits and pieces of the story of the previous 24 prophets.”
The pastor and church planter said he would cite the verse in the Quran that tells Muslims that they should ask him, a Christian, if they wanted to hear the full story of Moses. Then he would sit together with an interested Muslim and read together the story of Moses in the Bible.
Statistics show that over a third of all non-Christians in the world are Muslims, but only .05 percent of Christian evangelists in the world focus on Muslims. The area in the world with the most non-Christians is in the 10/40 Window – from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, which includes the Middle East and extends from West Africa to East Asia.
But the Bible, Greear pointed out, says that before Jesus’ return “every nation, tribe, people and language” will come to God. Looking at the history of the Roman Empire and communism, which both opposed Christianity, Greear believes God will next move in Islamic countries.
“Islam is the one great stronghold that we've never really seen a massive breakthrough of the Gospel really ever take place,” he noted. And that is why Greear wrote Breaking the Islam Code, because he believes that the next movement of God will be among Muslims.
Though Greear readily acknowledges similarity between Islam and Christianity and that it is a good conversation starter, he is also quick to point out the differences between the two religions.
Muslims believe Jesus is only a prophet, not the son of God, and that he did not die on the cross. They also believe Muhammad is the prophet of God and that Muslims are saved by their good works that earn them favor with Allah.
Greear, while talking about the five practices of Muslims, highlighted their prayer and how it is connected to Islam’s merit system. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day facing Mecca. They do not pray spontaneously from their hearts, but repeat verses from the Quran after going through a washing ritual.
Muslims earn credit towards entering heaven by keeping their prayer standard, so they have to do them or make it up if they miss the prayer because it reduces their chances of getting into heaven. If a Muslim prays in a mosque it is worth 25 times more than if they pray at home. If they pray in Mecca, it is worth 50,000 times more than if they prayed at home.
But despite Muslims’ hard work to enter heaven, there is no guarantee they will.
“This is probably the saddest things about Islam, because nobody knows for sure,” Greear said. “[I]n the Hadith (the collection of Muhammad’s sayings) you find out that Muhammad said, ‘I don’t know for sure if I’m going to heaven.’"
“It’s sort of classic religion, if you do more good works than bad works then it increases your chances of getting into heaven,” Greear noted. “But nobody knows for sure.”
Greear, who has led Muslims to Christ, said one of the best ways to share the Gospel with them is simply by being their friend and letting them see the Christian community. Muslims consistently say that one of the key factors that made them accept Christ is seeing the love that exists in a true Christian church.
“It is a love that they have never known,” Greear said. “Let them just see the community and brotherhood.”
The Durham pastor also recommends allowing Muslims to read the Bible.
“It is like what Martin Luther said, the Bible is like a caged lion,” he said. “If a caged lion is attacked, rather than defending it, just unleash it. Let the Bible do its own work. The main goal talking with a Muslim is not to convince them that Christianity is true, but to invite them to read the Bible because when they do that the Bible will do its own work.”
The Muslim expert said one of the biggest objections Muslims have about Christianity is the trinity. They believe Christians are polytheists because the Quran teaches them that Christians believe God the father had sex with God the mother and gave birth to Jesus and that constitutes the trinity. Greear said Christians should just plainly state that they only believe in one God despite what Muslims think.
The former church planter in Southeast Asia said, like many other missionaries, that many Muslims are coming to Christ through dreams and visions. In their dreams, some Muslims say they see a person dressed in white handing them a book. After repeatedly receiving these dreams, these Muslims would look for Christians to ask them to interpret their dreams.
“God can send these dreams, but there must be messengers on the ground who can share the Gospel,” Greear stated. “That is the way that God has limited Himself, if I can say it like that. The Gospel has to move forward by people preaching the Gospel.
“So yes, God will do His part, but we have to do our part by being there and witnessing,” he said.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Feb. 25, 2010 Posted: 06:19 PM EDT
A megachurch pastor who understands Islamic theology said the majority of Christians would agree for the most part with the five core beliefs of Islam.
J.D. Greear, who holds a Ph.D. in Christian and Islamic theology, told Debbie Chavez of the eponymously named Christian internet talk show that the five core beliefs of Islam is a good conversation starter when talking with Muslims.
“That is a real key in learning to dialogue with Muslims is starting with the things that we share in common,” Greear, who is senior pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., said on the radio show last week to promote his new book, Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions of Every Muslim.
The five core beliefs of Islam are: there is only one God; God revealed His will to mankind through a series of prophets; God ‘s revelations are recorded in holy books; angels exist; and there is an afterlife.
Greear, who had lived in a predominantly Muslim country in Southeast Asia for two years, said Muslims believe God revealed His will to mankind through a series of 25 major prophets, 24 of which Christians would recognize.
Muslims are taught, for example, that the first prophet is Adam, the 23rd is John the Baptist, and the 24th is Jesus. The major difference is they believe the 25th and last prophet is Muhammad, who brings together the messages of all 24 previous prophets.
Regarding the Islamic holy books, most Christians only know about the Quran. But Muslims also believe God’s revelation is recorded in other holy books, including the Suhuf Ibrahim, scrolls of Abraham; the Tawrat, the writings of Moses or Torah; the Zabur, writings of David or Psalms; and the Injil, or the Gospel.
“In fact, one of the verses in the Quran, in Surah (chapter) 10, says to Muslims that if you have questions about the previous prophets ask the Christians who have read these things before you,” Greear explained. “It actually points Muslims to Christians because all the Muslims get is little bits and pieces of the story of the previous 24 prophets.”
The pastor and church planter said he would cite the verse in the Quran that tells Muslims that they should ask him, a Christian, if they wanted to hear the full story of Moses. Then he would sit together with an interested Muslim and read together the story of Moses in the Bible.
Statistics show that over a third of all non-Christians in the world are Muslims, but only .05 percent of Christian evangelists in the world focus on Muslims. The area in the world with the most non-Christians is in the 10/40 Window – from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, which includes the Middle East and extends from West Africa to East Asia.
But the Bible, Greear pointed out, says that before Jesus’ return “every nation, tribe, people and language” will come to God. Looking at the history of the Roman Empire and communism, which both opposed Christianity, Greear believes God will next move in Islamic countries.
“Islam is the one great stronghold that we've never really seen a massive breakthrough of the Gospel really ever take place,” he noted. And that is why Greear wrote Breaking the Islam Code, because he believes that the next movement of God will be among Muslims.
Though Greear readily acknowledges similarity between Islam and Christianity and that it is a good conversation starter, he is also quick to point out the differences between the two religions.
Muslims believe Jesus is only a prophet, not the son of God, and that he did not die on the cross. They also believe Muhammad is the prophet of God and that Muslims are saved by their good works that earn them favor with Allah.
Greear, while talking about the five practices of Muslims, highlighted their prayer and how it is connected to Islam’s merit system. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day facing Mecca. They do not pray spontaneously from their hearts, but repeat verses from the Quran after going through a washing ritual.
Muslims earn credit towards entering heaven by keeping their prayer standard, so they have to do them or make it up if they miss the prayer because it reduces their chances of getting into heaven. If a Muslim prays in a mosque it is worth 25 times more than if they pray at home. If they pray in Mecca, it is worth 50,000 times more than if they prayed at home.
But despite Muslims’ hard work to enter heaven, there is no guarantee they will.
“This is probably the saddest things about Islam, because nobody knows for sure,” Greear said. “[I]n the Hadith (the collection of Muhammad’s sayings) you find out that Muhammad said, ‘I don’t know for sure if I’m going to heaven.’"
“It’s sort of classic religion, if you do more good works than bad works then it increases your chances of getting into heaven,” Greear noted. “But nobody knows for sure.”
Greear, who has led Muslims to Christ, said one of the best ways to share the Gospel with them is simply by being their friend and letting them see the Christian community. Muslims consistently say that one of the key factors that made them accept Christ is seeing the love that exists in a true Christian church.
“It is a love that they have never known,” Greear said. “Let them just see the community and brotherhood.”
The Durham pastor also recommends allowing Muslims to read the Bible.
“It is like what Martin Luther said, the Bible is like a caged lion,” he said. “If a caged lion is attacked, rather than defending it, just unleash it. Let the Bible do its own work. The main goal talking with a Muslim is not to convince them that Christianity is true, but to invite them to read the Bible because when they do that the Bible will do its own work.”
The Muslim expert said one of the biggest objections Muslims have about Christianity is the trinity. They believe Christians are polytheists because the Quran teaches them that Christians believe God the father had sex with God the mother and gave birth to Jesus and that constitutes the trinity. Greear said Christians should just plainly state that they only believe in one God despite what Muslims think.
The former church planter in Southeast Asia said, like many other missionaries, that many Muslims are coming to Christ through dreams and visions. In their dreams, some Muslims say they see a person dressed in white handing them a book. After repeatedly receiving these dreams, these Muslims would look for Christians to ask them to interpret their dreams.
“God can send these dreams, but there must be messengers on the ground who can share the Gospel,” Greear stated. “That is the way that God has limited Himself, if I can say it like that. The Gospel has to move forward by people preaching the Gospel.
“So yes, God will do His part, but we have to do our part by being there and witnessing,” he said.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
This is a good and a timely step for them
Hillsong's Darlene Zschech Leaves After 25 Years of Service
Thu, Oct. 28, 2010 Posted: 06:17 PM EDT
After serving at Hillsong Church for 25 years alongside Pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston, renowned worship leader Darlene Zschech will be leaving the megachurch to assume a senior pastor role at a nearby Pentecostal church.
She will be leading Church Unlimited, near Syndey, with her husband, Mark, beginning in January 2011.
“We are incredibly honored and VERY excited to be heading into this great opportunity to serve the people of the Central Coast and everyone at Church Unlimited. We are entering into what we believe will be a wonderful and fruitful season ahead,” Mark Zschech said in a statement earlier this week.
“We really feel like God's called us to the central coast and to really have an impact there. And really the two words that are on our hearts are to lead and to build. We're going to build a church for everybody.”
Church Unlimited began searching for senior leaders several months ago, in conjunction with Australian Christian Churches (ACC) State and National leadership.
“Our aim was to find God’s choice, those who would lead us into the incredible destiny God has for our house,” the church stated. “God is faithful!”
Hillsong pastor Brian Houston expressed good wishes for the Zschechs.
“I feel good about it ... and our church leaders and elders feel good about it because Mark and Darlene have really sown into our church for a long, long time,” he said in a message to his mega-congregation, which is also part of the ACC denomination, formerly Assemblies of God.
“The Zschech family have been an integral part of our church family and whilst they will be greatly missed, we feel as though this is a good and a timely step for them.”
The Zschechs will still be involved in various Hillsong praise and worship projects, including an upcoming live album as well as Hillsong conferences.
Mark highlighted, "Whilst Darlene will remain very much in her various roles in worship ministry and myself in mission and media endeavors in the developing world, we have always been local church people."
They will begin in their new role as senior pastors at Church Unlimited on Jan. 23.
Felicia Howard
Christian Post Correspondent
Thu, Oct. 28, 2010 Posted: 06:17 PM EDT
After serving at Hillsong Church for 25 years alongside Pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston, renowned worship leader Darlene Zschech will be leaving the megachurch to assume a senior pastor role at a nearby Pentecostal church.
She will be leading Church Unlimited, near Syndey, with her husband, Mark, beginning in January 2011.
“We are incredibly honored and VERY excited to be heading into this great opportunity to serve the people of the Central Coast and everyone at Church Unlimited. We are entering into what we believe will be a wonderful and fruitful season ahead,” Mark Zschech said in a statement earlier this week.
“We really feel like God's called us to the central coast and to really have an impact there. And really the two words that are on our hearts are to lead and to build. We're going to build a church for everybody.”
Church Unlimited began searching for senior leaders several months ago, in conjunction with Australian Christian Churches (ACC) State and National leadership.
“Our aim was to find God’s choice, those who would lead us into the incredible destiny God has for our house,” the church stated. “God is faithful!”
Hillsong pastor Brian Houston expressed good wishes for the Zschechs.
“I feel good about it ... and our church leaders and elders feel good about it because Mark and Darlene have really sown into our church for a long, long time,” he said in a message to his mega-congregation, which is also part of the ACC denomination, formerly Assemblies of God.
“The Zschech family have been an integral part of our church family and whilst they will be greatly missed, we feel as though this is a good and a timely step for them.”
The Zschechs will still be involved in various Hillsong praise and worship projects, including an upcoming live album as well as Hillsong conferences.
Mark highlighted, "Whilst Darlene will remain very much in her various roles in worship ministry and myself in mission and media endeavors in the developing world, we have always been local church people."
They will begin in their new role as senior pastors at Church Unlimited on Jan. 23.
Felicia Howard
Christian Post Correspondent
Monday, November 1, 2010
Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine
Study: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine
Monday November 1, 2010 MYT 8:56:00 AM
LONDON: Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.
British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole.
Researchers analysed how addictive a drug is and how it harms the human body, in addition to other criteria like environmental damage caused by the drug, its role in breaking up families and its economic costs, such as health care, social services, and prison.
Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most lethal to individuals.
When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the deadliest.
But overall, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower.
The study was paid for by Britain's Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and was published online Monday in the medical journal, Lancet.
Experts said alcohol scored so high because it is so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers, but for those around them.
"Just think about what happens (with alcohol) at every football game," said Wim van den Brink, a professor of psychiatry and addiction at the University of Amsterdam. He was not linked to the study and co-authored a commentary in the Lancet.
When drunk in excess, alcohol damages nearly all organ systems. It is also connected to higher death rates and is involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.
But experts said it would be impractical and incorrect to outlaw alcohol.
"We cannot return to the days of prohibition," said Leslie King, an adviser to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and one of the study's authors. "Alcohol is too embedded in our culture and it won't go away."
King said countries should target problem drinkers, not the vast majority of people who indulge in a drink or two. He said governments should consider more education programs and raising the price of alcohol so it isn't as widely available.
Experts said the study should prompt countries to reconsider how they classify drugs.
For example, last year in Britain, the government increased its penalties for the possession of marijuana. One of its senior advisers, David Nutt - the lead author on the Lancet study - was fired after he criticised the British decision.
"What governments decide is illegal is not always based on science," said van den Brink.
He said considerations about revenue and taxation, like those garnered from the alcohol and tobacco industries, may influence decisions about which substances to regulate or outlaw.
"Drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit," he said. - AP
Monday November 1, 2010 MYT 8:56:00 AM
LONDON: Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.
British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole.
Researchers analysed how addictive a drug is and how it harms the human body, in addition to other criteria like environmental damage caused by the drug, its role in breaking up families and its economic costs, such as health care, social services, and prison.
Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most lethal to individuals.
When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the deadliest.
But overall, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower.
The study was paid for by Britain's Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and was published online Monday in the medical journal, Lancet.
Experts said alcohol scored so high because it is so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers, but for those around them.
"Just think about what happens (with alcohol) at every football game," said Wim van den Brink, a professor of psychiatry and addiction at the University of Amsterdam. He was not linked to the study and co-authored a commentary in the Lancet.
When drunk in excess, alcohol damages nearly all organ systems. It is also connected to higher death rates and is involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.
But experts said it would be impractical and incorrect to outlaw alcohol.
"We cannot return to the days of prohibition," said Leslie King, an adviser to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and one of the study's authors. "Alcohol is too embedded in our culture and it won't go away."
King said countries should target problem drinkers, not the vast majority of people who indulge in a drink or two. He said governments should consider more education programs and raising the price of alcohol so it isn't as widely available.
Experts said the study should prompt countries to reconsider how they classify drugs.
For example, last year in Britain, the government increased its penalties for the possession of marijuana. One of its senior advisers, David Nutt - the lead author on the Lancet study - was fired after he criticised the British decision.
"What governments decide is illegal is not always based on science," said van den Brink.
He said considerations about revenue and taxation, like those garnered from the alcohol and tobacco industries, may influence decisions about which substances to regulate or outlaw.
"Drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit," he said. - AP
Friday, October 29, 2010
Completely Absurd
US woman faces fine for ‘Christian roommate’ ad
According to the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, the woman's advert was illegal.
Wed, 27 Oct 2010
An American woman who advertised at her church for a Christian roommate is facing a legal case and massive fines after her action was branded “illegal”.
In a case which has been described as “completely absurd” by her legal backers, the 31-year-old single woman has been landed with a civil rights complaint accusing her of illegal housing discrimination.
She is being supported by a US religious liberty group, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which says the woman’s actions are “obviously legal” and protected by the US Constitution.
Fines
The woman, whose name is being protected for her privacy, posted the notice at her church asking for a Christian roommate but an anonymous civil rights complaint was subsequently filed with the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.
The Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center said depending on the outcome of the case, the 31-year-old woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again”.
Joel Oster, from ADF, said: “Clearly this woman has a right to pick and choose who she wants to live with”.
Legal
Mr Oster commented: “Christians shouldn’t live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians.
“It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church – an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity.”
According to the Fair Housing Center, the advert expressed “an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths”.
People are free to choose a roommate based on religion, but they cannot publish an advert with that intent, Nancy Haynes, the Executive Director of the Center said.
Single
ADF said it had sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, who are now dealing with the complaint, but had received no reply.
ADF’s letter explains that the woman “is not a landlord. She does not own a management company. She does not run an apartment complex”.
It continues: “She is a single person seeking to have a roommate live with her in her house.
“She is not prohibited by either federal law or state law from seeking a Christian roommate”.
According to the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, the woman's advert was illegal.
Wed, 27 Oct 2010
An American woman who advertised at her church for a Christian roommate is facing a legal case and massive fines after her action was branded “illegal”.
In a case which has been described as “completely absurd” by her legal backers, the 31-year-old single woman has been landed with a civil rights complaint accusing her of illegal housing discrimination.
She is being supported by a US religious liberty group, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which says the woman’s actions are “obviously legal” and protected by the US Constitution.
Fines
The woman, whose name is being protected for her privacy, posted the notice at her church asking for a Christian roommate but an anonymous civil rights complaint was subsequently filed with the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.
The Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center said depending on the outcome of the case, the 31-year-old woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again”.
Joel Oster, from ADF, said: “Clearly this woman has a right to pick and choose who she wants to live with”.
Legal
Mr Oster commented: “Christians shouldn’t live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians.
“It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church – an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity.”
According to the Fair Housing Center, the advert expressed “an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths”.
People are free to choose a roommate based on religion, but they cannot publish an advert with that intent, Nancy Haynes, the Executive Director of the Center said.
Single
ADF said it had sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, who are now dealing with the complaint, but had received no reply.
ADF’s letter explains that the woman “is not a landlord. She does not own a management company. She does not run an apartment complex”.
It continues: “She is a single person seeking to have a roommate live with her in her house.
“She is not prohibited by either federal law or state law from seeking a Christian roommate”.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Healing To The Nations
Healing To The Nations
By Bob Fitts
Key: d
Verse 1
D A/C#
I hear a young child crying,
G/B D
and see tears of unending pain,
Bm G
I've watched as war torn nations
Em A
treated life with such disdain.
G A
My heart grieves to know that
D Bm
these haven't come to understand
C A
that I suffered for their suffering
G A D
and died that they might live again.
Chorus
A
Take My healing to the nations,
G D
bind their broken hearts with love.
A
Stretch My hand throughout creation
G D
with this message of My love.
D Dmaj7
That I came to bring light in their darkness,
D7 G
and bring joy where there once was pain.
Em A
Take My healing to the nations,
G D Em7 A D
bind their broken hearts with love.
Verse 2
For the fields they're ready for harvest,
and the labourers they're so few,
countless millions still that I want to fill
but the task isn't mine to do.
I gave My commandment:
go and preach good tidings of love,
for I finished the work on Calvary,
their healings already been done.
By Bob Fitts
Key: d
Verse 1
D A/C#
I hear a young child crying,
G/B D
and see tears of unending pain,
Bm G
I've watched as war torn nations
Em A
treated life with such disdain.
G A
My heart grieves to know that
D Bm
these haven't come to understand
C A
that I suffered for their suffering
G A D
and died that they might live again.
Chorus
A
Take My healing to the nations,
G D
bind their broken hearts with love.
A
Stretch My hand throughout creation
G D
with this message of My love.
D Dmaj7
That I came to bring light in their darkness,
D7 G
and bring joy where there once was pain.
Em A
Take My healing to the nations,
G D Em7 A D
bind their broken hearts with love.
Verse 2
For the fields they're ready for harvest,
and the labourers they're so few,
countless millions still that I want to fill
but the task isn't mine to do.
I gave My commandment:
go and preach good tidings of love,
for I finished the work on Calvary,
their healings already been done.
Protesting against the enforced reading of the Qu'ran to Christian children
Iranian Authorities to Execute Pastor for Apostasy
Posted on: 2010-10-27 14:06:07
By Joseph C. DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
After a court order temporarily delayed his death, a Christian pastor in Iran is again scheduled to be executed.
Worthy News reports that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani will be executed this weekend for the crime of apostasy unless the court again delays his execution.
Before he was arrested in October 2009, Nadarkhani led one of the largest Christian communities in Iran. He was singled out by authorities for helping Muslims turn to Christ even though leaving Islam is punishable by death.
He was finally arrested after protesting against the enforced reading of the Quran to Christian children. His wife was also arrested and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Rights activists are petitioning for the release of both Nadarkhani and his wife.
Posted on: 2010-10-27 14:06:07
By Joseph C. DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
After a court order temporarily delayed his death, a Christian pastor in Iran is again scheduled to be executed.
Worthy News reports that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani will be executed this weekend for the crime of apostasy unless the court again delays his execution.
Before he was arrested in October 2009, Nadarkhani led one of the largest Christian communities in Iran. He was singled out by authorities for helping Muslims turn to Christ even though leaving Islam is punishable by death.
He was finally arrested after protesting against the enforced reading of the Quran to Christian children. His wife was also arrested and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Rights activists are petitioning for the release of both Nadarkhani and his wife.
Need to accumulate more for their old age
S’pore may need to raise retirement age to 68, says Lim Boon Heng
By Channel NewsAsia, Updated: 28/10/2010
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Boon Heng has indicated that the country may need to raise its retirement age to 68.
Mr Lim, who’s in Finland accompanying President S R Nathan on his state visit there said Singaporeans need to work longer as their life span increases.
That is because they need to accumulate more for their old age.
Mr Lim who is also the minister in charge of issues on ageing in Singapore, cited Finland as an example, and will use this trip as an opportunity to study how the Finnish are dealing with their ageing population.
Mr Lim added there are areas that Singapore can emulate. One of which is to mobilise the elderly to organise themselves and form retirement communities that can provide mutual support and friendship.
A law that will make it mandatory for employers to offer re—employment to workers beyond the age of 62 will be in place by 2012.
"We are raising the retirement age, through the process of re—employment from the current 62 to 65 in January 2012. Beyond that we would have to examine how we can further raise the retirement age. In Finland, they have raised it to 68, so it gives us an indication about where we should be heading.Because the Finns are not living longer than us, we have a life expectancy of about 80, I think the finns are little less than us," said Mr Lim.
—CNA/ac
By Channel NewsAsia, Updated: 28/10/2010
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Boon Heng has indicated that the country may need to raise its retirement age to 68.
Mr Lim, who’s in Finland accompanying President S R Nathan on his state visit there said Singaporeans need to work longer as their life span increases.
That is because they need to accumulate more for their old age.
Mr Lim who is also the minister in charge of issues on ageing in Singapore, cited Finland as an example, and will use this trip as an opportunity to study how the Finnish are dealing with their ageing population.
Mr Lim added there are areas that Singapore can emulate. One of which is to mobilise the elderly to organise themselves and form retirement communities that can provide mutual support and friendship.
A law that will make it mandatory for employers to offer re—employment to workers beyond the age of 62 will be in place by 2012.
"We are raising the retirement age, through the process of re—employment from the current 62 to 65 in January 2012. Beyond that we would have to examine how we can further raise the retirement age. In Finland, they have raised it to 68, so it gives us an indication about where we should be heading.Because the Finns are not living longer than us, we have a life expectancy of about 80, I think the finns are little less than us," said Mr Lim.
—CNA/ac
Friday, October 22, 2010
Time will end within the next .... 3.7 billion years?
Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study
AFP - Saturday, October 16
Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The end of the world as we know it cannot be avoided, but it can be predicted, according to a group of astrophysicists who see a 50 percent chance of the final countdown ending in 3.7 billion years.
"Time is unlikely to end in our lifetime, but there is a 50 percent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years," according to the team of US and Japanese scientists, who are challenging a long-standing theory of the universe.
While scientists have long concluded that the universe is expanding, and will do so for an infinite period of time, the researchers say the very rules of physics suggest that "an eternally inflating universe" is far from given.
"The point of this paper is to show that certain methods and assumptions that have been widely used by physicists for years -- most prominently, the use of a time cutoff in order to compute probabilities in an eternally inflating universe -- lead to the conclusion that time will end," Raphael Bousso of the University of California, Berkeley told AFP.
"In other words, the time cutoff, which we may have thought was just a calculational tool, actually behaves like a physical event, whether we like it or not," said Bousso, lead author of the study published on arXiv.org
Current theories of the universe begin with the "Big Bang," which cast our living space into being some 13.7 billion years ago in a massive explosion.
Since then, theorists have assumed the universe will simply continue to expand forever, but have also used a theoretical expiration date to help calculate the laws and rules of physics.
But Bousso and his colleagues says the discipline simply cannot have it both ways.
He cautioned however that the complex thought experiment and calculations proposed by the research could not be used to draw definitive conclusions.
"It's very important to understand that we are not saying that we are certain of the conclusion that time will end (though we cannot rule out that it may be correct)," he wrote.
But he said even if the theory was false, discovering why that was the case would help scientists better understand the universe.
"In science, this kind of reasoning is often valuable: you realize that your reasonable-seeming theory predicts something that sounds crazy, so you have to come to grips with that," he told AFP.
"Either you have to abandon the theory, or you have to understand why the crazy-sounding thing may not actually be so crazy."
For astrophysicist Charles Lineweaver, of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory, Bousso's conclusions are simply incorrect.
"Bousso's average life of a universe is a set time, only because that's what happens when you introduce a cutoff point to get a reasonable probability," he told ABC Television.
"It's a statistical technique being taken probably too seriously," he added.
But Bousso said he and his team had not invented or introduced anything.
"These cutoffs have been used by many leading physicists for years," he told AFP. "We merely pointed out that it's not such an innocent thing to do.
"The cutoff on time is inevitably physical and hence requires a physical justification. It cannot be considered a mere mathematical trick."
AFP - Saturday, October 16
Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The end of the world as we know it cannot be avoided, but it can be predicted, according to a group of astrophysicists who see a 50 percent chance of the final countdown ending in 3.7 billion years.
"Time is unlikely to end in our lifetime, but there is a 50 percent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years," according to the team of US and Japanese scientists, who are challenging a long-standing theory of the universe.
While scientists have long concluded that the universe is expanding, and will do so for an infinite period of time, the researchers say the very rules of physics suggest that "an eternally inflating universe" is far from given.
"The point of this paper is to show that certain methods and assumptions that have been widely used by physicists for years -- most prominently, the use of a time cutoff in order to compute probabilities in an eternally inflating universe -- lead to the conclusion that time will end," Raphael Bousso of the University of California, Berkeley told AFP.
"In other words, the time cutoff, which we may have thought was just a calculational tool, actually behaves like a physical event, whether we like it or not," said Bousso, lead author of the study published on arXiv.org
Current theories of the universe begin with the "Big Bang," which cast our living space into being some 13.7 billion years ago in a massive explosion.
Since then, theorists have assumed the universe will simply continue to expand forever, but have also used a theoretical expiration date to help calculate the laws and rules of physics.
But Bousso and his colleagues says the discipline simply cannot have it both ways.
He cautioned however that the complex thought experiment and calculations proposed by the research could not be used to draw definitive conclusions.
"It's very important to understand that we are not saying that we are certain of the conclusion that time will end (though we cannot rule out that it may be correct)," he wrote.
But he said even if the theory was false, discovering why that was the case would help scientists better understand the universe.
"In science, this kind of reasoning is often valuable: you realize that your reasonable-seeming theory predicts something that sounds crazy, so you have to come to grips with that," he told AFP.
"Either you have to abandon the theory, or you have to understand why the crazy-sounding thing may not actually be so crazy."
For astrophysicist Charles Lineweaver, of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory, Bousso's conclusions are simply incorrect.
"Bousso's average life of a universe is a set time, only because that's what happens when you introduce a cutoff point to get a reasonable probability," he told ABC Television.
"It's a statistical technique being taken probably too seriously," he added.
But Bousso said he and his team had not invented or introduced anything.
"These cutoffs have been used by many leading physicists for years," he told AFP. "We merely pointed out that it's not such an innocent thing to do.
"The cutoff on time is inevitably physical and hence requires a physical justification. It cannot be considered a mere mathematical trick."
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Cities are where churches can reach the next generation
Tim Keller: Churches Worldwide Need to Move into Cities
Thu, Oct. 21, 2010 Posted: 06:45 AM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – New York pastor Tim Keller awed the crowd Wednesday evening with his well thought-out argument on why churches around the world need to move into cities.
Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan told attendees of Lausanne III that if Christians want human life to be shaped by Jesus Christ then churches need to go into cities.
Cities are where churches can reach the next generation (young adults want to live in the city); reach more unreachable people (people are far more open to the Gospel in the cosmopolitan city than in their hometown); reach people who have a big impact on the world (filmmakers, authors and businessmen); and reach the poor (about one-third of city dwellers live in shanty towns).
“Human beings, according to Genesis 1, are made in the image of God and reflect God’s glory more than anything else in creation,” said Keller, whose Redeemer City to City has planted more than 100 churches around the world.
“In these cities you have more image of God per square inch than anywhere else in the world,” he said. “So God makes the numbers argument.”
The influential pastor known for his deep thinking shared a story about a missionary friend. Keller’s friend once quipped that the country is where there are more plants than people and the city is where there are more people than plants. And because God loves people more than plants, He has to love the city more than the country.
About 300 years ago, less than three percent of the world’s population lived in cities. Today, more than 50 percent of the world’s population lives in cities and the number is growing rapidly. It is estimated that eight million people, or about the population of Bangkok, move into cities every two months.
“The people are moving into the cities faster than the church is,” Keller emphasized. “If you love what God loves then you will love the cities. If you want to go where the people are you got to go into the cities.”
But churches that want to go into the cities need to be contextualized in order to be effective, he said. Just like how urban China is different than China and urban America is different than America, an urban church is different than a church in the countryside.
An urban church, which has people from many cultures, is required to be extremely patient about accusations of cultural insensitivity and should expect to be accused of such. Pastors of urban churches need to accept that they can never fully solve complaints of cultural insensitivity, but that they can learn from criticisms.
Churches in cities also need to show people how their faith relates to their work because jobs are a much bigger part of urban dwellers’ life, Keller said.
“I had only known how to disciple people by bringing them out of the work world and into my church world,” the New York pastor shared. “But if you are in an urban church you can’t do that. You have to help people apply their faith to their work.”
Urban churches also need to expect disorganization and changes; be intensely evangelistic but at the same time famous for its concern for justice; be committed to the arts; and cooperate with other denominations and faith, he said.
“Look at the cities of this world. Look at the masses of these cities, God says. Why aren’t you moved by them? Why aren’t you going there?” Keller asked. “So let’s go.”
The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, also known as Cape Town 2010, has drawn more than 4,000 Christian leaders representing over 190 nations to Cape Town, South Africa. The conference was founded by American evangelist Billy Graham in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to bring together the global body of Christ for world evangelization.
This Congress is unique in the diversity of its attendees and for discussing a wide range of global problems faced by today’s church, including secularization, Islam, HIV/AIDS, prosperity gospel, nuclear weapons, and environmental concerns. The conference program will conclude on Sunday.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Oct. 21, 2010 Posted: 06:45 AM EDT
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – New York pastor Tim Keller awed the crowd Wednesday evening with his well thought-out argument on why churches around the world need to move into cities.
Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan told attendees of Lausanne III that if Christians want human life to be shaped by Jesus Christ then churches need to go into cities.
Cities are where churches can reach the next generation (young adults want to live in the city); reach more unreachable people (people are far more open to the Gospel in the cosmopolitan city than in their hometown); reach people who have a big impact on the world (filmmakers, authors and businessmen); and reach the poor (about one-third of city dwellers live in shanty towns).
“Human beings, according to Genesis 1, are made in the image of God and reflect God’s glory more than anything else in creation,” said Keller, whose Redeemer City to City has planted more than 100 churches around the world.
“In these cities you have more image of God per square inch than anywhere else in the world,” he said. “So God makes the numbers argument.”
The influential pastor known for his deep thinking shared a story about a missionary friend. Keller’s friend once quipped that the country is where there are more plants than people and the city is where there are more people than plants. And because God loves people more than plants, He has to love the city more than the country.
About 300 years ago, less than three percent of the world’s population lived in cities. Today, more than 50 percent of the world’s population lives in cities and the number is growing rapidly. It is estimated that eight million people, or about the population of Bangkok, move into cities every two months.
“The people are moving into the cities faster than the church is,” Keller emphasized. “If you love what God loves then you will love the cities. If you want to go where the people are you got to go into the cities.”
But churches that want to go into the cities need to be contextualized in order to be effective, he said. Just like how urban China is different than China and urban America is different than America, an urban church is different than a church in the countryside.
An urban church, which has people from many cultures, is required to be extremely patient about accusations of cultural insensitivity and should expect to be accused of such. Pastors of urban churches need to accept that they can never fully solve complaints of cultural insensitivity, but that they can learn from criticisms.
Churches in cities also need to show people how their faith relates to their work because jobs are a much bigger part of urban dwellers’ life, Keller said.
“I had only known how to disciple people by bringing them out of the work world and into my church world,” the New York pastor shared. “But if you are in an urban church you can’t do that. You have to help people apply their faith to their work.”
Urban churches also need to expect disorganization and changes; be intensely evangelistic but at the same time famous for its concern for justice; be committed to the arts; and cooperate with other denominations and faith, he said.
“Look at the cities of this world. Look at the masses of these cities, God says. Why aren’t you moved by them? Why aren’t you going there?” Keller asked. “So let’s go.”
The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, also known as Cape Town 2010, has drawn more than 4,000 Christian leaders representing over 190 nations to Cape Town, South Africa. The conference was founded by American evangelist Billy Graham in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to bring together the global body of Christ for world evangelization.
This Congress is unique in the diversity of its attendees and for discussing a wide range of global problems faced by today’s church, including secularization, Islam, HIV/AIDS, prosperity gospel, nuclear weapons, and environmental concerns. The conference program will conclude on Sunday.
Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Megachurch Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy
Calif. Megachurch Enters Bankruptcy amid Lawsuits
Tue, Oct. 19, 2010 Posted: 01:56 PM EDT
After years of leadership transitions and struggles with declining donations, renowned megachurch Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy.
In an announcement Monday, the Southern California church said it found it necessary to seek the protection of a Chapter 11 because of pending lawsuits by creditors.
The church had been facing at least three lawsuits for the more than $2 million in debts it owed vendors for services rendered for its 2009 "Glory of Christmas" production. Though creditors had agreed to work things out by providing a grace period, ultimately negotiations did not move fast enough to satisfy all parties.
Church officials said they will work with the Creditors Committee to finalize a payment plan "that is fair to all vendors and consistent with our belief as a Ministry and emerge from Chapter 11 as quickly as possible."
While the church addresses past due expenses and revenue decline, Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman, senior pastor of Crystal Cathedral, said ministry operations will continue as is. This includes Sunday services, the weekly "Hour of Power" television program, weekly church activities and the Crystal Cathedral Academy & High School.
"Just as we have taught for years, this is an opportunity to model God's sustaining strength through anything," Coleman said. "Many of the persons who support our Ministry are facing similar challenges and when they hear our message of hope, they know we are speaking from a point of true understanding."
Coleman expressed that she was not daunted by the financial woes.
"Challenging situations are nothing new to our 55-year Ministry," she said. "Many people said we'd fail when we started our church in a drive-in theater. But look how successful that was! Many said we'd fail in 1970 when we made the commitment to televise our first worship service in Los Angeles and then New York...but look how far we've come!
"We've always believed in a big God ... a God Who is greater than any problem or challenge we could ever face. Our announcement today to file for the protection of Chapter 11 is just one more chapter in the book that He is continuing to write – and we know that God's plans are good – we have no doubt His chapter will be good!"
Rumors that the Crystal Cathedral, based in Garden Grove, was headed toward bankruptcy began last year as the church put up for sale a four-story office on its campus along with a 170-acre piece of land. It also laid off some staff and canceled for the first time in 27 years its "Glory of Easter" production this year. And in August, the family of the ministry's founder, Robert H. Schuller, announced that they would take a voluntary 50 percent pay cut for two months.
But church officials reported that they are bouncing back as the most recent financial reports "indicate the best cash flow the ministry has experienced in 10 years."
The Crystal Cathedral claims to have over 10,000 members and is internationally known for its televised program. The leadership of Crystal Cathedral was handed to Schuller's son, Robert A. Schuller, in 2006. The younger Schuller resigned a couple years later following disagreements over the direction of the church's popular "Hour of Power" television program. In 2009, the Crystal Cathedral announced that the eldest Schuller child, Coleman, would co-lead the church with her father. She now serves as the senior pastor.
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Tue, Oct. 19, 2010 Posted: 01:56 PM EDT
After years of leadership transitions and struggles with declining donations, renowned megachurch Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy.
In an announcement Monday, the Southern California church said it found it necessary to seek the protection of a Chapter 11 because of pending lawsuits by creditors.
The church had been facing at least three lawsuits for the more than $2 million in debts it owed vendors for services rendered for its 2009 "Glory of Christmas" production. Though creditors had agreed to work things out by providing a grace period, ultimately negotiations did not move fast enough to satisfy all parties.
Church officials said they will work with the Creditors Committee to finalize a payment plan "that is fair to all vendors and consistent with our belief as a Ministry and emerge from Chapter 11 as quickly as possible."
While the church addresses past due expenses and revenue decline, Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman, senior pastor of Crystal Cathedral, said ministry operations will continue as is. This includes Sunday services, the weekly "Hour of Power" television program, weekly church activities and the Crystal Cathedral Academy & High School.
"Just as we have taught for years, this is an opportunity to model God's sustaining strength through anything," Coleman said. "Many of the persons who support our Ministry are facing similar challenges and when they hear our message of hope, they know we are speaking from a point of true understanding."
Coleman expressed that she was not daunted by the financial woes.
"Challenging situations are nothing new to our 55-year Ministry," she said. "Many people said we'd fail when we started our church in a drive-in theater. But look how successful that was! Many said we'd fail in 1970 when we made the commitment to televise our first worship service in Los Angeles and then New York...but look how far we've come!
"We've always believed in a big God ... a God Who is greater than any problem or challenge we could ever face. Our announcement today to file for the protection of Chapter 11 is just one more chapter in the book that He is continuing to write – and we know that God's plans are good – we have no doubt His chapter will be good!"
Rumors that the Crystal Cathedral, based in Garden Grove, was headed toward bankruptcy began last year as the church put up for sale a four-story office on its campus along with a 170-acre piece of land. It also laid off some staff and canceled for the first time in 27 years its "Glory of Easter" production this year. And in August, the family of the ministry's founder, Robert H. Schuller, announced that they would take a voluntary 50 percent pay cut for two months.
But church officials reported that they are bouncing back as the most recent financial reports "indicate the best cash flow the ministry has experienced in 10 years."
The Crystal Cathedral claims to have over 10,000 members and is internationally known for its televised program. The leadership of Crystal Cathedral was handed to Schuller's son, Robert A. Schuller, in 2006. The younger Schuller resigned a couple years later following disagreements over the direction of the church's popular "Hour of Power" television program. In 2009, the Crystal Cathedral announced that the eldest Schuller child, Coleman, would co-lead the church with her father. She now serves as the senior pastor.
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
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