Christian Worker Articles

Addicted to Pornography?

2012-01-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

Internet pornography is barely pornography in the minds and hearts of the world. People who will not spend their money on pornography will line up to http:// the latest nude picture.

As if they are not participating, these think of themselves as good people; where in truth, they are being lustful in the sight of God.

The truth about internet pornography is it is all around us; and though this is true, it does not make it right for people to look upon the nakedness of another individual in lust.

There are those who have chose to believe if they look it is okay, as long as they don't touch. Yet, even Jesus said if you look upon another woman with lust in your heart, married men are committing the act of adultery.

Yet more than married men, looking at naked women, we have men looking at men, women lusting after other women, and all doing it in the name of what they consider decent and good. How did society get things so backward?

A Christian will tell you exactly what the problem is, the problem is our sinful nature is allowed to run rampant through the accepting heart. Like sucking on a cigarette, the more they take in the toxins, the greater the addiction.

Yet, even Christians know how hard it is to break the addictions in our life. Not a single Christian on this planet is exempt from lust or exempt from every bad thing a person can do. It is truth these Christians suffer like every other person with temptation; the difference being, they take it to God in prayer for healing.

The Bible teaches if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) This ability to forgive sin was only available to God after Jesus Christ was faithful to go to the cross and die after being a sinless man. His death on the cross allows God to do this for us, in us, and through us to others. Therefore, there is a solution to this problem.

Yet, people have to want forgiveness. Thus it takes a shift in thinking, an admitting of the problem, and an action to deal with it. Sin becomes a never give up on, thing. Though we fall, we can get back up and continue to defeat the addictions in our life.

Are you one struggling with addictions and have allowed your own self to be convinced it is okay? If so, there is help. There is an answer; and you must not give up.

If you would like help with recovery from the sins in your life meet the group at Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery groups are around the country and perhaps in your area.

Let them become your friend on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/celebraterecovery

Tim Tebow - A Christian Worker

2012-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Never has there been so much support and knowledge around the world than there is right now for this one Bible verse. It was a miraculous feet which sent this verse spiraling into the living rooms and the minds and hearts of all who watched. Yet it is not attributed to strength, talent, or hard work; it is attributed to God who used one faithful individual to score a win for the Kingdom of God.

Tim Tebow, an NFL football player for the Denver Broncos, in the United States, has long before his career honored God with his life. Tebow grew to know God as his personal savior and had carried the cross of Christ as the most important aspect to his life and the lives of others.

Football is just a sport and not his life. Tim Tebow has honored God before his family, friends, and teammates through high-school, college, leading to an career in the NFL. God is the most important aspect for all. “I'm just another guy starting out.” Tebow states.

In college, Tim Tebow, painted the Bible verse reference John 3:16 into his eye blacken-er before a championship game. In that game Tim's encouragement to trust in God lifted his team mates and made Tim a national standout.
This verse Tim would continue to cherish for it is the truth of God unto salvation. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16

It was last week on Sunday, January 7th, 2012, God reached down from heaven to honor Tim's commitment.

HAVING BEEN FIT WITH A MICROPHONE Tim's real life came through, in a game most thought his team would lose.

Before the start of the game, he knelt on the sidelines in his trademark pose and uttered this prayer: “Lord, put a wall of protection around me and my teammates today. When we go out there let us honor you with everything we do and say. I love you. In Jesus name, amen.”

As he warmed up on the sidelines, Tebow sang: "Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom power and love. Our God is an awesome God."

Throughout the game, Tebow was heard encouraging his teammates to “keep believing” even as they fell behind for the first three quarters with less than stellar play. Tebow was even heard encouraging players on the opposing team.

Behind in the game, seconds clicking away, Tebow bowed his head as he sat on the sidelines and uttered this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I need you. Please come through for me. No matter what, win or lose Lord, give me the strength to honor you.”

THE LORD HEARD the prayers of the players and in an overtime dramatic finish, Tebow's team won the game. “Way to believe baby! You’ve got to believe every day!” he shouted.

What was more impressive than the win was the statistics gather after the game. Without manipulation or trying to achieve these numbers, statisticians revealed that Tim Tebow was honored by the presence of God and no coincidence could have made the outcome more God honoring.

· Tim Tebow passed for 316 yards
· Tebow's throwing average was 31.6 yards
· Denver's time of possession was 31 minutes 6 seconds.
· Sunday TV rating was 31.6

A SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD. John 3:16 has been placed in every major newspaper, mentioned on tens of thousands web sites, all news sources, and even by people who have never read the Bible for themselves. Like a cannon firing to wake up the world, John 3:16 is an offering from God to all.

For God - let there be no mistake, we are talking about the Christian's God.

so loved - not liked, cared for, or looked down on.

the world - every living person throughout the entire existence of the planet.

that He gave - a selfless act, a risky act, a giving act.

His only Son - Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, never committed sin.

that whosoever - anyone, you, me, everyone.

will believe in Him - Jesus. God's son, the savior, the perfect sacrifice for our sin.

will not perish - live their life in vein, never spiritually die, be isolated from God.

but have ever lasting life. - Eternity with God in the Kingdom of God.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

70 Resolutions to Live By. - Johnathan Edwards

2011-09-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century revivalist, sat down at age 17 and penned 21 resolutions by which he would live his life. He added to this list until, by his death, he had 70 resolutions. He put at the top of his list: “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions… Remember to read over these resolutions once a week.” Edwards didn't casually make New Year's resolutions with an expectation of eventually breaking them. Each week he did a self-check. He regularly summed up how he was doing and sought God's help in the process.

"BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE."

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

(Resolutions 1 through 21 written in on setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to east away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.

44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14 and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear', of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and August 10, 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

Feeding Children Transforming Nations.

2011-09-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

It was a pleasure to see the outpouring of help from our church this weekend as we packaged over 100,000 meals for families of war torn Uganda.

This is done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who cares for the hurting through volunteers; people who say, "I want to make a difference."

This is why groups as Children of the Nations come to churches as ours and open opportunity for every member of the church be involved in the process.

The cost per meal is 25 cents. The food is brought to your church where your people measure it and mix it into a flavorful meal. Once in a small meal size sacks the sacks are sealed , boxed, and loaded on the truck for delivery.

A Church Packaging.

At our church, Sea Coast Grace in Cypress California, even the children got involve sending pictures and messages to Ugandan children of the families which will receive the food.

This is a great project for any school, church, or organization. By letting people become involved in the process of feeding, it changes every heart.

The courtyard was working at a feverish pitch. Mixers, packers, and packagers, put together box after box and readied them for pick up.

It gave everyone a chance to not only participate in giving, but putting a bit of them-self in every package.

What is Children of the Nations?

Feed a child. Change a life. from Children of the Nations on Vimeo.

Chris and Debbie Clark founded Children of the Nations in 1995 in answer to a child's prayer.

The vision Chris and Debbie see for the benefit of the Kingdom is to capture the heart of orphans and direct them to Christ in a way that positions them for leadership.

They believe the leadership of this unique group of transformational leaders will alter the issues currently influencing their societies. Moving beyond compassionate care to a place of true empowerment of children and partnership with nationals is Chris and Debbie's true desire and remains the single vision of Children of the Nations: raising children who transform nations.

Chris and Debbie are viewed by the children as beloved "parents" who celebrate their achievements, share their sorrows, and pray for their concerns. The children understand, from Chris and Debbie's actions, that their welfare is Chris and Debbie's God-given passion and their mission in this life.

The Organization & how it works.

Feeding tens of thousands of children daily is no small undertaking! And it is only made possible through the efforts of our COTN–USA Meal Packaging staff, supporters, and volunteers.

Through year-round, meal-packaging opportunities and annual events such as our Meal Marathons, Children of the Nations staff works with local schools, organizations, and churches to mobilize groups of people interested in providing food for orphans and destitute children around the world. Volunteers package food that is shipped overseas and served to children through our feeding centers in Africa and the Dominican Republic.

These nutritionally balanced, ready-to-cook meals consist of rice, protein-packed lentils, dehydrated vegetables, spices, and chicken powder. The meal packs, sealed in industrial-grade plastic bags, are waterproof and have a shelf life of seven years. Once in-country, cooks in our feeding centers customize these basic meals with traditional flavors and spices, supplementing with meat when available.

How Does It Work? It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!

Fundraising – Interested groups raise the funds needed for the food they expect to package. This can be done through advanced fundraising, sponsors, or on a day-of-the-event-donation basis. (Funds needed equates to only 25 cents per meal, which covers the cost of the ingredients, packaging supplies, and overseas shipping.) Depending on the size of your group, we recommend that you raise enough funds to cover the cost of 2,000–10,000 meals ($500–$2,500). If this isn’t possible please contact us anyway; we value any amount of food packaged and we will do our best to work something out.
Assembly-line Set-up – Utilizing our mobile food-packaging system, our US Feeding Program staff travels to your site, sets up the assembly-line process, provides all the supplies and training, and oversees the entire event.
Hands-on Volunteers – Event organizers need to recruit enough volunteers to work their event. Our staff will be more than willing to help you calculate how many volunteers you’ll need for your event.

Get your church, civic group, school or community organization involved in feeding children internationally TODAY! It’s great fun and a satisfying team-building event. For flyer templates designed to help you promote your event, visit the Downloadable Materials section of our website!

(NOTE: We currently have meal-packaging capabilities available in Washington State, Orange County, California and the greater Orlando, Florida area. For information on events in other locations please contact info@cotni.org.)

For more information, call Children of the Nations at 360-698-7227 or e-mail:

davespoon@cotni.org    for Washington events
fraserratzlaff@cotni.org    for Seattle, WA events (and greater King County area)
lauracook@cotni.org    for Florida events
sarabooth@cotni.org    for California events

Where do you turn in tough times?

2011-08-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Does God know how tough a situation I am in?

It seems there is no relief in sight!

I've prayed but received nothing.

I love you God, but this is breaking me apart.


The Great Blondin - The Summer of 1860

The plight of people in need is hard to address for many have given up on advice, on encouragement, and on people. Yet, in tough times the depths of our faith are exposed and the roots of our faith grow deeper.

During the summer of 1860, The Great Blondin attempted to cross Niagara Falls on tight rope, while pushing a wheel barrow full of weights. After a smooth start across the river, Blondin began to slow considerably. He wobbled and paused and then repeated the process.

Unbeknownst to the terrified crowd, Blondin was simply playing them- he had things under total control. When he neared the finish, Blondin proceeded to push the wheel barrow the last five feet with a great shove and then just stood. The tension mounted as he took a few steps back then executed a perfect back somersault on the wire and onto Canadian soil.

The crowd went wild and reporters flooded Blondin with questions. How did he do it? What was his reason? Was he scared? One particular reporter ask "What made you think you could do it?"

Blondin then turned the questions to the reporter. "Do you think I can do it again?" Blondin asked. "Sure", answered the reporter. "Do you BELIEVE I can do it once more?", Blondin inquired. "Yes, of course", assured the reporter. To which Blondin responded, "Then get in the wheelbarrow."

Every person who accepts Christ as their savior are asked to do the same. They are asked to join in faith that our Father in Heaven watches over us and takes every care to bring us to Himself safely.

Yet becoming a Christian is not the end of the line. Trials and adversity will come our ways as if God is saying, "Do you believe I am your Savior?"

For Noah, he was given a monumental trial to build an ark. With specific instructions Noah was to build a boat to float on a flood from rain which they never had seen before. God spoke to Noah about the storm and his need for safety; however, no one had ever seen it rain before.

There were no rivers of water to help Noah understand what the ark was saving him from. Yet in faith, Noah endured the hardship of cutting the trees, making each plank, and assembling the ark.

It took years to build and the hardships encountered along the way would be numerous. He had his family questioning him; his neighbors mocking him. He worked long hours and yet through the pain he endured. Yet, it would not be beyond the storyline to consider he said things as, "Does God know how tough a situation I am in?" "It seems there is no relief in sight." "I've prayed but received nothing." "I love you God, but this is breaking me apart."

God promised salvation and God brought salvation as Noah entered in as God had instructed. It would only have been after all the trials did it make sense to Noah and his family. They endured hardship for salvation. Only they would go on to a new world, a new start, and a new hope that God is faithful and loves us.

Though you may not understand the reason for your trials let Jesus help you stand through them.
Approach each trial in faith that God is doing a lasting work.
In faith cling to the scriptures which speak to us with so many marvelous promises.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:28-31(NKJV)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2 (NKJV)

Trials, persecutions, hardships, make us stronger. The tight rope which is our faith cannot plunge us to our death; only the trials which come against us can knock us off the rope. Yet if we stand in confidence on Christ we will safely make it to the other side.

Therefore, let God be your strength. Turn to Him in times of hardship. Submit to His will for your life and endure the trials of life, knowing they will be used for good.

Why Memorize Scripture?

2011-07-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Why Memorize Scripture?

First, a few testimonies: I have it third hand, that Dr. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Seminary once made the statement (and I paraphrase) that if it were his decision, every student graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary would be required to learn one thousand verses word perfect before they graduated.

Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization” (“Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7).

Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61).

One of the reasons Martin Luther came to his great discovery in the Bible of justification by faith alone was that in his early years in the Augustinian monastery he was influenced to love Scripture by Johann Staupitz. Luther devoured the Bible in a day when people earned doctorates in theology without even reading the Bible. Luther said that his fellow professor, Andreas Karlstadt, did not even own a Bible when he earned his doctor of theology degree, nor did he until many years later (Richard Bucher, "Martin Luther's Love for the Bible"). Luther knew so much of the Bible from memory that when the Lord opened his eyes to see the truth of justification in Romans 1:17, he said, “Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory,” in order to confirm what he had found.

So here are a few reasons why so many have viewed Scripture memorization as so essential to the Christian life.

1. Conformity to Christ

Paul wrote that “we all, . . . beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18)) If we would be changed into Christ likeness we must steadily see him. This happens in the word. “The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:21). Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus steadier and clearer.

2. Daily Triumph over Sin

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9, 11). Paul said that we must “by the Spirit . . . put to death the [sinful] deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13). The one piece of armor used to kill is the “sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers.

3. Daily Triumph over Satan

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight (Matthew 4:1-11).

4. Comfort and Counsel for People You Love

The times when people need you to give them comfort and counsel do not always coincide with the times you have your Bible handy. Not only that, the very word of God spoken spontaneously from your heart has unusual power. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” That is a beautiful way of saying, When the heart full of God’s love can draw on the mind full of God’s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.

5. Communicating the Gospel to Unbelievers

Opportunities to share the gospel come when we do not have the Bible in hand. Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn. We should all be able to sum up the gospel under four main headings (1) God’s holiness/law/glory; 2) man’s sin/rebellion/disobedience; 3) Christ’s death for sinners; 4) the free gift of life by faith. Learn a verse or two relating to each of these, and be ready in season and out of season to share them.

6. Communion with God in the Enjoyment of His Person and Ways

The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help to live a life that reflects the value of these attributes. Therefore, storing texts in our minds about God helps us relate to him as he really is. For example, imagine being able to call this to mind through the day:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

I used the word “enjoyment” intentionally when I said, “communion with God in the enjoyment of his person and ways.” Most of us are emotionally crippled—all of us, really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential. How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less emotionally crippled and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God.

There are other reasons for memorizing Scripture. I hope you find them in the actual practice.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Dr. Livingston I presume?

2011-07-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

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For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.

DAVID LIVINGSTONE (1813-1873)

David Livingstone was born on March 13, 1813 in Blantyre, Scotland, near Glasgow. He became a doctor and a missionary, and devoted much of his life to exploring Africa. He helped Europeans learn a lot about the continent of Africa.

Livingstone was one of the first Europeans to explore the central and southern parts of Africa. He first went to Africa as a Christian missionary in 1841, when he was 27 years old. He decided that the best way to teach Africans about Christ was to move about and see as many people as he could. That is how he became an African explorer.

He married Mary Moffat in 1845 and she (and later their children) came along with Livingstone on his early explorations. In 1849, he led a group of Europeans across the Kalahari Desert and discovered Lake Ngami. Two years later, he again traveled through the Kalahari with his family.

He continued crossing the continent of Africa during three different time periods: 1852-56, 1858-64, and 1866-73. In 1856, he traveled on the Zambezi River, and became the first European to see the spectacular Victoria Falls. He also became the first European to cross the entire width of southern Africa.

These accomplishments made him very famous in England. He wrote a book about his experiences in Africa and traveled around England giving speeches in 1856 and 1857. Livingstone went back to Africa in 1858 and is credited with the discovery of Lake Nyasa in 1858, the Chilwa River in 1859, and more of the Nile River.

In 1866 David Livingstone went on an expedition to discover more of the Nile River. While on this expedition he was lost and no one heard from him. In 1871, a New York reporter, Henry Morton Stanley, led an expedition to find him. When they found him, Stanley said those famous words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume."

In May, 1873 after Stanley left Livingstone to learn the customs of an Indian tribe, Livingstone was found on his knees, dead in prayer. His body, along with his personal items and papers, were sent back to England. This journey took almost a full year. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London in April, 1874.

As part of his travels, David Livingstone learned more about African customs, geography, and the slave trade than any other European. David Livingston's expeditions helped the world learn about the continent of Africa.

For more on Dr. Livingston see http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/giants/biolivingstone.html

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Tortured For Christ.

2011-07-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Richard was a friend of mine; I used to serve he an Sabina by doing the gardening at their home in Palos verde California. After a morning of work Sabina would fix me a plate of vegetables, a hard boil egg, and a slice of bread. Richard would come out slowly to the kitchen, his feet hurting from the beatings he received while in prison, and spend time with me in fellowship.

He had a very thick accent and would tell me of the prison fellowship he had through the bars sometimes never seeing the person he fellowship with. Singing praises to God and resisting from memory sections of scripture, the prison fellowship brought many to Christ.

I had the opportunity to hear Richard speak from the pulpit, at our church in Long Beach California and his encouragement to follow Christ through hard times was striking.

Richard and Sabina passed and I was able to attend their funeral and burial at Rose Hills Memorial Cemetery. Occasionally I visit the grave site, which is in the meditation garden. I go to pray and relive the conviction the two brought to my heart through the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is with great pleasure I present to you their biographies.

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand Biography

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was an evangelical minister who spent fourteen years in Communist imprisonment and torture in his homeland of Romania. He was one of Romania's most widely known Jewish Believer leaders, authors, and educators. In 1945, when the Communists seized Romania and attempted to control the churches for their purposes, Richard Wurmbrand immediately began an effective "underground" ministry to his enslaved people and the invading Russian soldiers. He was eventually arrested in 1948. Richard spent three years in solitary confinement, seeing no one but his Communist torturers.

His wife, Sabina, also Jewish, was a slave laborer for three years. Due to Pastor Richard Wurmbrand's international stature as a Messianic Jewish leader, diplomats of foreign embassies asked the Communist government about his safety. They were told he had fled Romania. Secret police, posing as released fellow prisoners, told his wife of attending his burial in the prison cemetery. Pastor Wurmbrand was released in a general amnesty in 1964. Realizing the great danger of a third imprisonment, Christians in Norway negotiated with the Communist authorities for his release from Romania. The "going price" for a prisoner was $1,900. Their price for Wurmbrand was $10,000. In May 1966, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand testified in Washington before the Senate's Internal Security Subcommittee and stripped to the waist and showed 18 deep torture wounds covering his body. His story was carried across the world newspapers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Read a portion of this report. Communist Exploitation of Religion Pastor Richard's Testimony from 1966.

Pastor Wurmbrand has been called "the Voice of the Underground Church." His books are best sellers in over fifty languages. You may receive a free copy of the Pastor Wurmbrand's book, "Tortured for Christ" by receiving the newsletter.

Click here for details or call Voice of the Martyrs at 1-800-747-0085 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-747-0085 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

You can have a FREE copy ofTORTURED FOR CHRIST.

Sabina Wurmbrand Biography

Not many women have their faith tested like Sabina Wurmbrand. Her husband, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, was imprisoned and tortured for his faith for fourteen years. Many times the communists told her, "Divorce him, he is dead". But Sabina listened to the still small voice of God, knowing her husband was alive. During that time, Sabina selflessly helped other believers of the Underground Church they had started together while struggling hard for her own and her little son's survival.

Sabina was subjected to unbelievable hardships and suffering. The Nazi's murdered her parents, 4 siblings, and 5 adopted children, yet she never became bitter or resentful but continued to show love to all. Sabina never relented in her endeavors to continue the work her husband had begun, to unite the Underground Church. Living in daily fear of discovery, her faith was tested to the limit and held firm to her love of the God of Israel.

She herself was arrested for subversive evangelism in 1948 in Romania and spent three years as a slave laborer on the never completed Danube Canal. Nevertheless, she survived to tell her story and is truly a remarkable woman of God.

I highly recommend her book "The Pastor's Wife ".

If you enjoyed this article share it with others.

Poor people can produce lots of money.

2008-04-09T15:48:00.001-07:00

Poor people can produce lots of money.

By Louis Austad Author of the Christian Worker

TCW Bellflower. California

The flowing statements are from a letter received from by The Christian Worker Magazine from a reader in Kampala Uganda. This one, like many others, tells of a reality hidden from the world's eyes. Driving Hummers and riding in Limousines, evangelists are spreading the gospel of wealth and greed to an audience who is eager to climb out of the poverty they live in. Poor African people can produce lots of money.

Preaching a powerful message, the well dressed evangelists summons to the isle men, to take a collection given to God. Eagerly pleading for more, his out stretched hands make motions as he speaks of the great blessing that God will poor out on the people. "If you give more, God will bless more; how much do you want to be blessed?" is the plea the audience hears. "It's all about the money," says the reader.

"Things are moving very fast and my observation is that 75% of Christians are conforming to standards to have material possessions and those who are poor are being condemned for not having faith in God."

Using one line from the scriptures, whole sermons are preached to fit the agenda of wealth and prosperity. "There is one pastor I know, in the suburbs of Kampala, who of recent became a millionaire within a single year; something has to be done!"

The term suburbs is genially used when speaking about modern cities; never would you expect to hear people refer to the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda; yet suburbia is alive as African nations have modern cities being erected as commerce is helping to change African economies.

A devotional Bible study, The Christian Worker's Spiritual Food, is read throughout many countries in Africa. The difference it brings to people's lives is shocking. A simple verse by verse devotional study through books of the Bible is not heard of in most African churches. Yet this type of study is what makes Christians strong and able to see a counterfeit when they drive up.

"Since I subscribed to your teachings 4-5 years back my prayer life has never remained the same. I use the teachings for Bible study and devotions with friends and family groups. The study has brought us far from manipulation of many schemers of the Bible preachers."

When asked about the response received, Lou Austad, the Author of The Christian Worker Spiritual Food said, "Exegetical Bible Study needs to be in every church around the world. Starting at chapter one verse one, people need to not only read the scripture, but study the scripture to see how it applies to their life and to keep in the writer's intended context. Topical preaching is good, but exegetical preaching makes people sound in doctrine. "

The Bible must be preached the way it is written. Missionaries and missionary organizations need to insist that the Bible is taught the way it was written. To find The Christians Worker's Spiritual Food Bible study see ChristianWorker.org. You can write Lou Austad at mailto:tcw@christainworker.org?subject=Re:Uganda

Faith short circuited.

2008-04-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

Faith short circuited.

Is it not every person's dream to be smarter, faster, and unordinarily skilled? People grow up wanting to be different from the rest, thought of as special, and accepted by the popular groups. With everyone striving to be better, why do they turn away from the scriptures?

Body enhancements, tattoos, piercings, and steroids are the fashionable pursuits to better ones acceptance in the society of the 2000s; today we look into the future for a glimpse of what people will be grabbing for when the fads of the 2000s are over.

Seen as an advancement, researchers are working towards making machines that will help people to achieve high levels of performance, producing extraordinary abilities. How would you like to be smarter, able to read faster, react faster, and explore a sixth science?

Ray Kuzwill is a leading US inventor working to make nanomachines that can infiltrate a person's system to make a person more intelligent and increase a person's health and stimulate healing.

This push to make artificial intelligent machines is passionately growing as researchers are experimenting to bring this technology to pass. In the near future it may be possible to inject these tiny machines into your brain to make you smarter. "It's really part of our civilization," Mr. Kurzweil explained. "But that's not going to be an alien invasion of intelligent machines to displace us."

Our society has been ruled by machines for years and now robots do complicated tasks such as heart surgery. Why not allow them to do the work from within the body? "We'll have intelligent nanobots go into our brains through the capillaries and interact directly with our biological neurons," he told interviewers.

Knowing that these advancements are in the development process, The Christian Worker would like to inject concerns to it's readers about the nature of such intrusions into the body.

Since the mind and the conscience are physically linked together through electrical impulses in neural paths of the brain, is it possible for nanotechnology to mistake these impulses as non-beneficial? Thus eliminating thoughts emitting from neural transmitters?

In our relationship with God, the knowledge of good and evil continually guides us to our need for a Savior. Yet if people feel no remorse and do not think thoughts of failure will salvation be necessary?

Could the software be written into nanotechnology to identify thoughts that produce remorse and eliminate them?

The future is being decided now and therefore, lets us explore the concepts and discuss the possibilities for all we know now is, "We'll have intelligent nanobots go into our brains... to make us smarter" Ray Kurzweil

For more information see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7248875.stm

A Models life? PT2

2008-04-09T15:33:00.001-07:00

A Models life? PT2

Part 2 in a three part series.

So you want to be a model?

In every major city around the world, there are thousands of young people wanting to break into modeling. Some go to great lengths to be discovered, yet the truth about your future can be decided by walking into an agency and hearing their criticism. Agency criticism is good for they want to make money and they do not have time trying to push people that are not industry fit.

Yet for every word of positive criticism uttered, there are tens of thousands words of bad advice from people ready to take the money of the unsuspecting. Therefore, as we have stated in part 1, there should be no service fee to help a person become and actor or model.

So you want to be a model and the jet set life seems appealing, "Why?" Before continuing on in this article, please take the time to answer this question of why you would want to be a model.

For many people they will truthfully answer that they want recognition, success, fame, money, and the travel that goes along with the model lifestyle. They think they look good and want others to agree. These are the main reason a person joins themselves to the modeling world and the picture of success is on the cover of newsstands around the world. However, this is a false front to a very evil, dirty and hard business.

When an agency wants to work with you, you had better get on your running shoes or have a good car, because daily you will call into your agency and if they have had requests for you, then you will have to make it to the clients on time. In addition you will be sent to "cattle calls" where hundreds of people show up for one job. Sounds just like the television show, Next Top Model, right?

What Tyra Bank's Next Top Model shows on TV is often very different from what goes on in the modeling world. Though they show what it takes to be a top model, the reality they show is very different from the reality of a true beginning model. Their models are coached and helped along, where for everyone else the only coach they have is following what others do.

Each model will have to have photos assembled into a book that will be used when showing up to a client's casting. Agencies are very good at helping the model gain the photos they need; yet often times when starting out, agencies will put the model in touch with photographers that they can test with for a few hundred dollars. The photos taken will be scrutinized and acceptable ones placed into the book. The question being, will it be enough for a client to desire to hire the model?

For the first few years, a model will go from casting to casting hoping to get work, yet the work they will receive may barely keep them eating unless they got extremely lucky and caught the eye of a high paying client.

Beginning models may only book one to two shoots per month and the rest of the time they will work on their appearance, their book, and hop from casting to casting. For the most part, these times can get pretty desperate and cause the model to do job that does not help their career.

Many models find night jobs so they can "go see" by day and many are used by caterers to cater high class parties. Their clients want good looking servers and for a few hundred dollars a night models can serve Champaign and hourdervs. Yet this leaves the aspiring model longing to work in his or her craft and can impair their good judgment, taking jobs where the photos may come back to haunt them.

"Okay everybody, take your clothes off and into the pool" shouted the photographer. When casting for the shoot, nobody mentioned nudity and now its decision time. Do I take my clothes off and lower myself to skin shots or do I turn down the money and go home? This happens when wanting to be a model it is tough to turn down a chance to be in the shot.

Flesh sells, but a bad reputation is hard to erase. Money, opportunity, desire, and long nights of serving can tempt a model to do things they never wanted to do; yet, the models that make it big will stay the course and not bend to the pressure of photographers that sell flesh shots for money. Remember, though cordial, most photographers do not care about a models career; they care only about the shots that the client wants and those they can sell on the open market.

Photographs can be used many ways; advertisings for magazines, billboards, editorials, and pornographic web sites. This is where a model must be very careful to know that what is taken will be used for the purpose it was taken for. Having an agency negotiating contracts is most important and getting to know photographer's reputations before shooting with them is a must. Be ready to turn down work and receive negative reactions if you want to be on top.

Everyone wants to take advantage of the model. Magazines such as Cosmopolitan, will find good looking people to contract. The shoot will pay very low and the photos will be used in numerous issues with the photos showing up in articles that have racy themes. All they want is a picture of a good looking guy or gal and then it is matched to an article of choice. Though it is not against the contract, a beginning model will face such exploitation receiving $150 and their image used in two to three issues. Do not be surprised if your photo ends up in an article about how to have the best sex life.

Though we have painted a picture of struggle, there is money to be made and it is common to find young guys and gals traveling from city to city as they work the markets. This can be very good or very bad; for these young adults must learn how to manage money and morals for the first time in their life.

One model told us, "Everything you can imagine is out here, sex, drugs, and the night life can take a toll on you. I see young people night after night living hard and hurting from what they do. I know many people who have squandered their money living big. They end up having to take loans from their agencies just to get to the next shoot. Some even get tempted into pornography and then they fight low self esteem. I know a few that partied so hard that they died."

The tragedies of exploits, burn outs, drop outs, and failures are all around the modeling world and these are the people that flock to the castings and look to be famous, hoping to get another break.

Yet though there is much evil, you can find good people. There are many models that turn their lives around and actually make something of themselves. A few are chaperoned by parents and others turn to support groups like Models for Christ.

Models for Christ, started by model & photographer Jeff CaLenberg in the eighties is a support group for models who struggled from within the dark industry. Though its growth was slow, chapters have opened in cities around the world and serve as good influences, where models can bring their problems for answers from people who have been there too.

"Models can be Christians." Though models are not understood my most church people, models have need to associate in groups that can bring them encouragement to resist the temptation of fame at the price of sacrificing their morals.

Each year, Models for Christ grows and young people are finding that they can say, "No!" Just that one word and sacrificing work can pay off by booking better jobs. Where God leads, He provides and faith to a model can be their greatest asset.

The modeling industry is a constant turnover of new faces and to make it takes perseverance, will power, and good decisions. Yet for the thousands that come with hopes and desire, few stay; the rest fail, burn out, drop out, or quit. Many leave jaded from the experiences of a dark world.

In the next article, we will look at the end result of seeking a career in high fashion and explore how it all comes together to make a success story.

Everything You Should Know before you get a Divorce.

2008-04-09T12:26:00.001-07:00

Keith Green

Marriage Passion Or Patience?

Some time ago I received a phone call from a very sad brother who had been trying to get a hold of me by phone for many days. He shared that his wife was about to leave him, and she wouldn't listen to him or their pastor, and just didn't want to talk about it anymore. He said that the reason he was calling me was that she really liked our Newsletter and had a lot of respect for me and our ministry. He felt sure - that if I was willing, she would talk to me and maybe listen to reason. I told him that I would be glad to try to share with her. So he left the phone, and in a few moments she was there on the other end, sort of giggling nervously.

I said, "I hear you wanna go and get a divorce and end your marriage."

"Yeah," she said.

I said, "Why?"

She said, "Because I just don't love him anymore... anyway, even if we get divorced, I can still serve the Lord, and so can he."

"Well," I said, "concerning 'love,' the Bible says wives should love their husbands. It doesn't say you should 'feel' love, it says you should LOVE! Love isn't a feeling, it isn't 'romance.' It's an action based on commitment. In fact, it is COMMITMENT!"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then she said, "No one ever told me that before. I thought that if I didn't FEEL love toward my husband, then what's the use of trying to "act" loving. What's the use of pretending there's hope for our marriage when I didn't 'love' him anymore?"

"I understand," I said. "The world has perverted the concept of love so badly that people go from one relationship to another, one marriage to another, simply because the 'love' feelings are gone. The simple truth is that those feelings were never 'love' in the first place! They were merely 'romantic emotions' that come and go with the wind. They're based on moods and circumstances, but mostly on the excitement and mystique of a 'new' relationship. As soon as the "newness' wears off, you find yourself sitting across the dinner table from just another human being - and that's when the challenge begins. You've made a bunch of promises - and a commitment to love and live together 'till death do us part,' - and now you'd better find out what this word 'love' really means, or there's just no hope for your marriage!"

Just then another long-distance call came in on another line and I had to go, so I prayed with that woman, right there on the phone. In the prayer I asked God to "burn these principles into her mind," so that wherever she turned, all she could see would be God's commandment to "love your husband!"

Well God's power truly fell on us during that prayer! This couple later visited with us and shared that God really healed their marriage. This woman reported that within one half hour after our phone call, she was weeping and praying with her husband. She said that I had asked God to "burn" my words into her mind, and that's exactly what He did! She shared that she had never understood before that love was not a feeling or an option, but a commandment - an
action and a choice to keep the commitment she had made to her husband and God that she would always love him.
How free she seemed! She was no longer a slave to her "non-loving" feelings; she now understood that love was something that God had not only commanded her to do, but had enabled her to do. And the feelings came after the obedience! She said that whenever she did the loving thing, she really FELT love for her husband. How grateful Melody and I were as we saw their tears and praise to God. And as their two little girls played at our feet, we had more cause to rejoice that God had spared these little ones by keeping their daddy and mommy from destroying the family they had.

The Children

How many times have you heard this: "They're just staying together for the children." I remember the first time I heard that. I wasn't a Christian at the time, and I thought, "What a drag! How can they keep a miserable relationship together just for those kids?" Well, my wife and I now have three little precious ones of our own to bring up in the love and fear of the Lord. I now can see the reasoning of these tormented parents. They might not be able to stand each other, but they both love their children so much that they wouldn't dream of forcing them to relate to two different parents living in two different homes.

In our current "liberated" society, fewer and fewer people have unselfish standards. And unfortunately, this "me first" attitude is spilling over into the Church. Instead of couples having a primary concern for their children, they reason, "If I'm not happy, what's the use in keeping my children happy?" "Why, it would be better for the children to live without all this arguing…" More times than not, many of those involved in divorce came from broken homes themselves, and they have promised themselves, "I'll never do that to my kids!" And this only adds to the guilt and condemnation later if they get a divorce.

I am not suggesting that couples stay together merely because they have children. This, in itself is not enough of a reason to keep a shaky marriage together. Many people avoid dealing with the real problems in their marriages by using the "children" excuse as the "only" reason to stay together. Then they just continue despising each other in their hearts, and things grow worse. What I want to deal with now are some rules that will help you avoid ever having to deal with this question - "Should we get a divorce or stick it out?" - by replacing it with this question - "What can we do to overcome the problems we're having in our marriage, so we can make a loving home for our family, and glorify God?"

Never Say "DIVORCE!"

Awhile back I was talking with my neighbor David Wilkerson, and he shared with me his burden for all the marriages that were breaking up in the Church. He told me of ministers and church leaders he knew who were throwing in the towel. Then he said something that really hit home. "You know, Keith, God has shown me a principle that would really save a lot of marriages from ending up in divorce. Words are powerful things, and I believe that Christians should be taught that there is one word they should avoid at all costs: Divorce!"

I can remember when Melody and I first got married, even though we weren't yet Christians, I always said that I never would consider divorce as an option. That way I would always be forced to work through any problem. When Mr. Wilkerson shared his principle with me, I knew it was the truth. "The tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
(James 3:8) I
believe that married couples should consider "divorce" the dirtiest word in the English language. It should never be used. (Better yet, it should never be considered as even a remote possibility!) You wouldn't consider murdering your own child if he was uncontrollable, would you? You would try to work it all out. Oh, things would be trying and difficult, and you might lose your temper, but you would never consider killing him! That's exactly what divorce is - the murder of a marriage and a family. And talking divorce is talking murder!
Thinking divorce is thinking murder.
That's the only way to consider it. You must never, NEVER use that word as a weapon in an argument. And if you've already been using it, STOP now! If you have your eye on the door, you'll never be able to straighten things out. The sooner you stop thinking and talking divorce, the sooner an atmosphere of love and trust will begin to form between you and your mate.

Other Things You Shouldn't Say

One of the most destructive things you can say to your husband or wife is, "Bill doesn't do things like that…" or, "Connie keeps her house looking real nice!" Whatever you do, don't compare your wife or husband to others to make a point. God didn't give you to Bill, He gave you to your husband, so you'd better start being grateful and quit looking at and talking about the "greener grass" at Bill's house. And God didn't allow you to marry Connie, so quit using her as an example to make your wife look like a total slob. You must begin by accepting each other the way each of you are, and then work from there in love and patience. Pointing to other people's supposed lack of problems will only hurt. Deal directly with the problem itself without bringing anyone or anything else into it.

But I Married The Wrong Person!

That might be very true! It's extremely possible that you went ahead and married the first person you "fell in love with." Or maybe you got married because you felt insecure and were thrilled that somebody actually wanted you! Whatever your story is, if you got married for any other reason than obedience to God, to glorify Him, it's more than likely you married the wrong person (or at least the right person at the wrong time - for all the wrong reasons).

Now before you breathe a sigh of relief and call your lawyer, hold on a minute. Even though you might have made your marriage commitment to the wrong person, even for completely selfish reasons, it is STILL a commitment,
and God wants you to honor it!

"When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not keep it. Do not let your speech cause you to sin, and do not say in the presence of God that 'it was a mistake.' Why should God be angry on account of your words and destroy the work of your hands?" (Ecc. 5:4-6)

Even though it may be true that you got married completely out of God's will, you must realize that it is now God's will for you to admit your mistake, ask His forgiveness, and then by His grace, make your present marriage A GODLY ONE! Don't think it's okay to get a divorce by using that quasi-religious excuse: '"Well, NOW I'm going to obey God and just "un-marry" the one He didn't want me to marry in the first place!" It might sound like a "spiritual" reason to you, but very few people are going to believe you're getting a divorce to "please God" - especially you! (Not to mention God.)

There is a wonderful promise in Romans: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28) How many things? ALL THINGS! That's right, even our mistakes, our blunders, our downright stupid errors! God is in the business of taking garbage and making it into jewels - look at Peter (whom the Lord had to rebuke so harshly - Mark 8:32-33), look at David (and his adultery with Bathsheba - who later became the mother of Solomon - the next king of Israel!), and look at YOU! Why, if God couldn't take someone's miserable, mistake-filled life and turn it around for blessing and growth, hardly anyone would go to heaven!

The Purpose Of Marriage

When Melody and I first became Christians, we had been married about a year and a half. We began going to a church that had quite a lot of teaching on marriage and the family. We were grateful for this, because we had had quite a few fights during our first year together. One of the things our pastor shared has stuck with us through it all.

He began his marriage series by telling us what God's purpose for a Christian husband was: To make his wife a success in the Kingdom of God. And the purpose of the wife? You guessed it: To make her husband a success in the Kingdom of God! But what does this mean? Does it mean making sure your husband makes a lot of money, or gets a promotion at work? Not at all. It means that our main function in marriage is to be praying for, encouraging, counseling, and correcting each other in love, so that our mate will fully please God in all they do. This is one of the most exciting teachings about marriage I have heard! After all, love means to serve others for their good. We should have as our goal to make our husband or wife the best Christian possible - in prayer, in ministry, in attitude, in service, in giving, and especially, in loving! If you truly make this your goal, you will have no time for the selfish attitudes that have caused all the arguments you've ever had.

The Scriptures are full of riches on this subject.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless." (Eph. 5:25-27)

This Scripture shows us that the husband should take the lead in all spiritual things as the head and priest of the household. There should be a daily time of prayer and reading of Scriptures together (as well as a time with the whole family if you have children). No couple can fight and stay bitter long, where there is a deep and sincere time of prayer together. (And beware - when you find you can't or don't want to pray, the enemy has got a strangle-hold on your relationship - true prayer is the surest way to loosen it!)

But for you wives who now are going to bring out the excuse that your husband is not the spiritual leader he should be, and that is why you feel there is no hope for your marriage, the Bible has some medicine for you as well . . .

"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the Word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior." (I Pet. 3:1-2)

Ah, the balance of the Word of God!

Finally… Love, Love And Love Again!

I cannot stress enough the principle that I shared with that woman on the phone who was convinced that divorce was the only answer because she didn't "love her husband anymore." Don't fall for that trap! Love is not a feeling, it's a commitment. I pray that God will burn this truth into your mind the same way He burned it into hers. (That's what God means when He says, "I
will write my laws upon their hearts," Jer. 31:33. He wants our conscience always to be "bearing witness to the truth" - Rom. 2:15.)

Remember, God will not do your loving for you - YOU must love your husband or wife. That means choosing to do what's best for them. It means not waiting for the right "feelings," but doing the right and loving thing NOW - don't worry, the right feelings will always follow the right action. Your marriage, your family, the body of Christ, and the cause of the Gospel depend upon you making the CHOICE to love - in all that you do.

"For love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things… let all that you do be done in love." (I Cor. 13:7; 16:14)

How can you help orphans? Think About it!

2008-04-09T11:59:00.001-07:00

How can you help orphans?

Think About it!

Think about it: Vulnerable children, with few means of supporting themselves, and are often forced to work in commercial agriculture, as street vendors, in domestic service, and in the sex trade. They are much more likely to be victims of Human Trafficking.

Think about It: What if a disease wiped out all adults on the US west coast? 12,000,000 HIV/AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan African. This is number equal to the entire child population of the California, Oregon, and Washington.

Think about it: Consider 4 children you know. What if one of them had so little to eat that they could not grow? In South Africa, one out of every four children under five has stunted growth, a consequence of malnutrition.

Think about it: How much did you spend on lunch today? Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion, live on less than $1 per day.

Think about it: Given the current number of individuals infected with HIV or ADIS, the number of children orphaned by AIDS will continue to rise for at least a decade।

Think about It: Who is caring for these kids? Less than 10% of children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS are receiving some kind of public support

To survive and thrive, children and adolescents need to grow up in a family and community environment that provides for their changing needs, thereby promoting their healthy and sounds development."

How can you help? - Rice Bowls and You!

Rice Bowls is one of the easiest and most effective ways for your organization – church, school, business, or community group – to have an impact on the escalating orphan crisis around the world.

These small bowls are provided at no cost to you. When filled with change, the funds from Rice Bowls supply much needed food to a strong network of loving, Christian Orphanages. As a faith-based non-profit, we work directly with these orphanages, which are currently in India, Haiti, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the HIV/AIDS crisis, as well as other factors, have greatly marginalized the lives of children.

We invite you to take a minute to learn how free Rice Bowls can help your o

rganization carry out its goals of making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable children.

The Facts on Today’s Orphan Crisis

2008-04-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

The Facts on Today's Orphan Crisis
Throughout the world tragedy separates parentsfrom children leaving the broken lives of little ones who need caring people to intervene and change their paths. As the love of people grows colder, stories of terrible circumstances are everywhere. How bad is it? Here are some facts to keep you informed.

Fact: Nearly 144 million children across the world are orphans.
Fact: Every 2 seconds, another orphan dies from malnutrition.
Fact: 87.6 million orphans live in Asia. 43.4 million Orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa. 12.4 million orphans live in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Fact: 6,000 children are orphaned by AIDS every day. That is newly orphaned child every 14 seconds.
Fact: Around the global, 15,200,000 children have been orphaned by the AIDS crisis. If all these children held hands, they would stretch across the United States. By 2011, this virtual chain will reach around the world.
Fact: Malnutrition plays a part in more than half of all child deaths worldwide. Every year, malnutrition is associated with the deaths of five million children under the age of five.
Fact: Even more often, malnutrition cripples children's growth, renders them susceptible to disease, dulls their intellects, and diminishes their motivation and their productivity.
Fact: India has more orphans than any other nation, totaling 35,000,000 in 2003; nearly 1 out of 10 of India's children are orphans.
Fact: In India, one out of two children under the age of 5 is underweight.
Fact: Millions of children suffer from micronutrient malnutrition, when the body lacks essential minerals and vitamins. These deficiencies can lead to severe mental or physical impairment, life-threatening anemia, lowered productivity, blindness, a weakened immune system.
Fact: 854 million people do not have enough to eat - more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union.
Fact: By 2020, southern Africa will lose one out of every five agricultural workers to AIDS. With a shrinking labor force, food is harder and harder to come by in areas that need it most.
Fact: In like sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 20% of the adult population has been impacted by AIDS, orphaned children not only lose their parents but also teachers, health workers and civil servants who die of the disease.
Fact: Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest portion of children living as orphans. In 2003, there were 43,400,000 children with no living parent. This number represents 12% of the region's children.
Fact: It is estimated that by the year 2010 in sub-Saharan Africa alone, more than 18 million children – more than all the children in the United Kingdom, will have lost at least one parent to AIDS.
Fact: Every week, AIDS claims as many lives as American fatalities in the Vietnam War.
Fact: By 2010, the total number of orphans, from all causes, in Sub-Saharan Africa will increase to 50,000,000.
What can you do? - What are Rice Bowls?

Rice Bowls are your way to impact the global orphan crisis. As the number of vulnerable children continues to rise as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, your organization can respond in a tangible way.

Rice Bowls are essentially small plastic piggy banks in the shape of a full bowl of rice. They are provided to your organization free of charge, along with information for your Rice Bowls campaign. Since rice is a dietary stable for much of the world, this design reminds participants of at risk children around the world that are in need of your partnership.

Any organization – church, school, business, or community group – can distribute these bowls to their members. Then, members fill the bowls with loose change. Once they are returned to you and the money has been counted, funds are sent Rice Bowls where they are distributed to our international network of loving, Christian orphanages.

Rice Bowls is a simple, yet extremely effective, way to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children. Since 1980, Rice Bowls have raised tens of millions of dollars to provide food around the world. Today, your spare change can change the life of a child.

Order entry, distribution, and some additional duties for Rice Bowls are made possible by donation. This allows us to give more of the funds received directly to our Orphanage Partners, maximizing your impact on the international orphan crisis. Please see our financial accountability section for additional stewardship information.

Order Rice Bowls

Click here to Order Rice Bowls today!
Katie Landon, Director of Program Growth

Call Rice Bowls Toll Free: 866-312-5791
951 South Pine Street, Suite 252. Spartanburg, SC 29302

Good Friday.

2008-03-20T09:35:00.001-07:00

Good Friday.

Why is the Friday before Easter called "Good Friday" and what does it mean to us? If we were to be truthful, what happened on the day Jesus was Crucified had only one good thing occur and that was God held back His judgment in a most terrible time.

In German, it is called "Sorrowful Friday" and of all terms used to describe the day, sorrowful is the correct one. For the events that occurred, surrounding the death of Christ, showed the depravity of people and if thinking correctly about Good Friday, people should do as James said and weep and morn their sin.

Today's Christians are taught to be happy, peppy, which is our interpretation of being a light unto the word. Light brightens and so Christian people go about their day to brighten the hopes of others in an attempt to win people to Christ.

Though Christ told us that He came that we might have abundant joy, the scriptures do not tell us that we should be joyful all the time. James writes, Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:9-10 (NKJV)

The story of Good Friday, as told in the gospels paints a picture of humankind at its worst. It is because we are double minded, weak sinners that we should at times become humble before the Lord and consider what our sin produces. When doing this, we can as James writes morn in the gloom of our sin.

If it is only one time a year, we should look deep into our hearts and expose ourselves for what we are. We are sinners and our sin sent Christ to the cross. Because we did not resist the Devil, Christ had to die. Because we acted without restraint, God had to watch His only son die on this day we call Good Friday.

Luke's account of this day tells us that though His disciples were told what would happen, they did not hear Him and the events that occurred caught them off guard; they were not ready. Luke writes, Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." Luke 18:31-33 (NKJV)

Though it could not have been spoken any plainer these men did not give the word of God much thought. It passed them by and they acted without applying it to their life. This is a reason to morn, for at times, we too do not apply God's words to our life and because of this we become narrow minded and foolish; for this Christ had to die on this day that we call good. There is nothing good about a man or woman that does not apply God's word to their life.

Matthew tells us that just prior to being taken by the temple police, Jesus could not get His disciples to pray, instead of standing with Him in prayer, they slept only to awake to their Lord being taken captive.

Perhaps it was best that they did sleep; for when they were awake, Peter took a sword and cut off a servant of the High Priest's ear. Then later as Jesus was being tortured and tried, Peter would claim that he did not know Jesus.

This too paints a picture of humankind that is not good. We all have a tendency not to pray, but are many times caught napping and when situations occur we are not ready to handle them. We lash out in bitterness, say things we should not, and are well known for deigning the Lord. Many of us never stop to recall those times, for they are the times we are at our worst, and because we are this way, Jesus was killed on the day we call good.

On this day Jesus stood before the High Priest and was condemned to death. The greatest figure head of the church did not know the Son of God. His presence and dignity, overshadowed the Son of God and people followed by joining in the chant, "Crucify Him."

On this day we call good, let it be known that the same is happening today. Pastors are preaching and commanding respect because of the honor they project, but their heart is far from God. They want the financial gain that church administration brings, and do not recognize God's Son, who comes to them as a lowly figure, poor, rejected, and despised.

On this day Jesus stood before the legal courts and though recognized for His goodness, the governor feared men more than God. Pilate saw Jesus for who He was and knew that an innocent man was being framed.

Trying a political angle to free Jesus, the people chose Barabbas instead; this caused Pilate to wash his hands of the matter. Trying to put distance between the situation and himself, Pilate reacted like our modern day governments who try to please everyone in fear of making anyone side mad.

Because of the actions of a few, Jesus is being pushed out of the courts, out of the classrooms, an out of our civic centers. This is another reason to mourn on this day we call good.

As if the events of this day were not condemning enough, one of Jesus own people committed suicide instead of seeking forgiveness. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and in remorse hung himself on this day that we call good.

Terrible sins, that we would not expect Christians to do, happened this day. We all like to think of ourselves as good, peaceable, pleasant individuals who attend church; we do good things, and love God. Let the truth be known, our hearts are quick to sin and the confusion caused from the distance that sin brings to our relationship with God, clouds our thinking.

This is why James would have us reconsider our ways, morn, and weep for our sin. Your sin killed the savior. Each hammer stroke that connected to the head of the nails that pierced his flesh had a sound and that sound should echo through our heads; for it is the sound of our sin killing God's only son.

He was beaten because He allowed it, but beaten because we deserved it and He took our punishment. The Father held back His anger towards the sin of man, because His Son gave up his life to suffer the death that we deserved.

On this day called good, whips of leather, layered with glass, hooks, and nails, dug into his back and flesh was torn exposing bones.

On this day that we call good, He was pummeled, spit on, and called names as the demons of Lucifer's brigade flew in and out of the hearts of men, freely inciting more torture with devilish imaginations.

The same Lucifer that Eve listened to in the garden, now had the ear and control of merciless men, who would do as they were told. When men do not resist the devil, all holiness is gone and evil inspired actions can seem right. On this day called good the leaders of the faith of the Jews stood by and watched as the light of God was snuffed out, in hopes that He would never bother them again.

In anger, God could have rained fire and brimstone as did He on Sodom and Gomorrah, but He withheld His wrath and directed it towards His own son. All because this son could die in our place; for God looks at evil hearted men and sees value. Our creator sees the good that can come from our life when we lower ourselves to serve others like He served the church.

He gave His life that we might have life eternal. He became poor that we might become rich. He chose those who were alienated from God and brought them to His Father as adopted children. He shares His resources with us as heirs to the Kingdom of God. Yet on this day, that we call good; we should morn and lament, repent, and think on the things that sent Him to the cross.

Each of us has a job in the Kingdom of God and gifts that we have been given to serve the Lord and with gladness we should take those gifts, giving of ourselves as our reasonable service. Yet if we do not spend time in remorse for our sin, we can never serve God with the fervor that He desires.

Though we do not seek to change the name of "Good Friday" we must acknowledge that the only good is God and we are sinners who are worthy to suffer death; yet, because of the work of the cross, we are forgiven.

Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He came that our joy may be full and He came because He loves all men. No matter the sin they have committed, we are instructed to go to them and preach the gospel. Then once they have opened the door of their heart, we are to encourage them to baptism; for baptism is significant that we die to our sinful life as it goes into the grave to bury with Christ. And if buried with Christ, our bodies raise a new with Christ; able to resist sin and open the kingdom to others.

Does this day find you lacking as a man or woman of God? Is your relationship suffering because your sin has been glossed over? If we nonchalantly go through our day, the actions of others often become our own. The trends of society are invited to our lifestyles and though we are called to come out from them and be separate, we merge as one.

IF so, then this day is truly good for today you can set straight your relationship with God. You can come to the foot of His cross and lay your sin at His feet. It is here at the cross that you can find forgives and at the fool of the cross you will find grace.

However, at the foot of the cross the blood of Christ will drip on you and you will wear it for all to see. They will wonder why you did not distance yourself and remember that you are the one who knelt at His feet. They will reject you and persecute you as they did Him. He was despised and you will be to if you come to the cross.

Yet the good that this day becomes will be truly apparent on judgment day as people are allowed to enter the gates of heaven and those who distanced themselves from God and their own sin will find a road that leads to further distance, outer darkness, and that day, remorse is too late.

This day, Good Friday, can it be a truly good day to you?

Families at Risk.

2008-02-15T18:00:00.001-08:00

Families at Risk.

"Because sin will abound, the love of many will grow cold." - Jesus.

There are some excellent families, raising children to be responsible sound adults; however, these are outnumbered by people who know no other way than to be dysfunctional. Reasons to be dysfunctional abound and those who cling to them find that from within the dark cloud called life, they are unable to see how to end the pain.

Dysfunctional people often do not see the effects that others have upon them, nor do they understand why their dysfunctional behaviors exist. In addition, dysfunctional people rarely understand that they can end the dysfunctional behavior and change the outcome of their lives and the lives of the people they influence.

What is dysfunctional behavior?

We can leave this answer up to the writers of the "Simpsons," or watch a season of "Married with Children" who each graphically display a humorous look at dysfunction. Yet dysfunction is complex and will evidence itself in actions like, chaotic parents who behave in a wild inconsistent manor with their children. Some are childlike and act needy or incompetent; others are abusive, raising their voice, threatening, and even becoming physically aggressive towards them.

Dysfunction is also exhibited when parents are stiff spoken, ridged in their discipline denying an inner life for the child. They may smother the child or work towards isolating them from social mixing.

We can add to the list parents who allow their children to experiment with alcohol, sex, and drugs; however, less defined are the dysfunctional behaviors of controlling children by withholding praise, affection, love, money, or anything else a child needs or wants.

Some parent's dysfunction lies within their perception of themselves. Because they struggle with an addiction like weight control, or a social imbalance, they force their youth to live in like manor causing mental stigmas leading children to eating disorders, binging, and even poor understanding of good citizenship or financial practices.

The problem is dysfunction breeds dysfunction and people act and react in ways they do not understand, stemming from experiences with their parental influence. Even when children disagree with their upbringing, living in the dysfunction shapes them mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Why do violent crime occur?

Each action that people make is influence by their past. When interviewing people in the aftermath of tragedy, often it is found that the person acted because of a deficit or defeat suffered during life.

As children we are often influenced to take responsibilities to make up for the dysfunction surrounding us thus triggering in many an instinct to survive. Children will take the parental role, or become responsible for the well being of siblings. Some become quiet trying to be inconspicuous, ignored, or hidden.

Some will have difficulty expressing their emotions, where others will use comedy to divert attention away from problems. Others will capitalize on other people's emotions to gain what they want. They may also become selfish and demanding of attention from those they allow into their world.

Low self esteem, difficulty in expressing emotions, poor self image, angry, obnoxious, anxious, or depressed, are all byproducts of a dysfunctional environment. From this you can see why crimes occur.

Yet the Bible says, "For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23) thus labeling every human as having a deficit. This one statement by the Apostle Paul explains that because of sin, we all have some type of dysfunction and He explains that the answer is in a savior, Jesus.

A person who identifies their dysfunction can make changes to break the hold and change the outcome of their lives. This ending of dysfunction can change the lives of future generations and create families of honor.

Such was the case of the author of this article. Coming out of his teen years, he identified that his parental upbringing had left emotional scars upon his life. He determined to end the dysfunction by starting his own family, allowing God to be his guide.

Upon meeting his future wife, the young couple started to attend church services and committed their lives to Jesus Christ, being baptized and agreeing that they both would break the dysfunction they were raised to know.

It was no overnight conversion, but took time and care with ever yielding of their wills, emotions, and desires to the correction offered in the scriptures. Even after raising two children into adult life, the dysfunction that they sought to break still carried overtones into their personalities and the lives of their children. However, the family seeks the goal of ending the dysfunction.

Immediate change has a huge impact when choosing to break dysfunction; yet time is needed to remove the long term effects that dysfunction has and often that will occur in future generation. Yet it takes one person to start that change and many lifetimes to correct the past.

If you are one that seeks to break the dysfunction, contact ChristianWorker.org to tell us your story and open up the opportunity for us to encourage you today! Everyone needs an influence towards good actions, let us be yours. Write us at tcw@christianworker.org.

A Model’s Life?

2008-02-13T18:11:00.001-08:00

A Model's Life?

By Louis Austad. TCW Author.

The glamour in the world of modeling should be judged by the impact it has on those young people who strive to be the next cover shot. While largely ignored, the truth about modeling does need to be told, for the effects modeling can have on youth can lead to their death. Modeling is not as beautiful as the pictures make it to be.

This three part article will examine the start, progress, and possible results from seeking a life as an actor or model. Today we will discuss being discovered. In the following days, we will look at a models lifestyle, concluding with a focus on the end result of seeking this fashionable career.

Glamour, glitz, and provocative poses are enough to suggest to a young teen that success awaits them. Why work at the market, fast food drive through, or in the department store when magazines will pay big money to have models grace the articles of the world's publications? This is the thinking of young people influenced to run to the world of modeling.

Television shows like America's Next Top Model, expose a small selection of young women to the world of modeling with guidance. These girls have people watching over them, counseling them, and paying the bills for travel, lodging, clothing, and food. However, only a few girls are selected from tens of thousands who want to be models.

These shows create a mystique that few girls may experience – the rest will experience the world of modeling in a different way. This too will be filled with people who act as help, but are feasting on the careers that may or may not flourish.

How does a person become a model?

Pageants, cattle calls, and auditions to be a model only produce a very small fraction of people who will enter the modeling world. The main intent of these events, billed as "talent searches," is a business that feeds off parents by manipulating them to believe their Billy or Sally can command top dollar for their looks. From both angles, this business is greed driven and produces much disappointment.

Walking through a mall, you may be surprised to have a person approach you, claiming that your child looks the part and inviting you to an open audition. With promises of opportunity to be the star, youth subjected to this type of sales pitch are filled with passion and excitement. If a parent is not filled with pride that he or she produced said prodigy, the reaction of the child is often enough to drive them to attend the audition.

At an open audition, it is common to encounter excited youth in crowds of fifty, one hundred, and sometimes more. Standing in a waiting line becomes a tool in the hands of the promoter, who is setting the desire as a hook in the minds of their targets.

Step one is the Polaroid shot. The Polaroid is used in the modeling and acting industry for casting agents selecting candidates for their projects. Whether you are a seasoned model or actor, Polaroid shots are common and suggest that your aspiring star will be considered. Besides, it slows the line down.

Step two is an interview. Often billed as "Interviews with an agent," your aspiring star will speak with one, two, or more people who ask questions – prompting the person to exhibit enthusiasm. The panel displays various reactions which target an individual's emotions, building desire.

Step three is an on-camera interview. Taken into a separate room, our aspiring star has his or her five minutes of fame. The interview starts with your name and age, followed by sharing personal interests or continually repeating a line. Though it seems legit, many of these auditions are rarely viewed and they are designed to be one more time consuming events making people feel as if they have invested themselves in the process of the star's big break.

Time invested is a hook all of its own. You stood in line for over a half-hour, then you waited to complete each station, now you have one more step where you meet a responsible looking person who will tell you the good or bad news about your prodigy. At this point in the process, parents are ready to leave and the youth is restless and bored. The desire, however, could never be higher.

Now where the approach may differ in each situation, the company that has sponsored the open audition makes their money helping your star reach their potential. They feel that a person has a chance, but will prompt both parent and youth to work hard at becoming the next star.

They will tell you that an actor or model will need to have an agent, headshots, business cards, and a few training classes so they can go on casting calls. That is the business of the company, making the future's stars; "like the ones they proudly post on their office walls."

The company will help your child with the essentials that they need to get their start; however, it will cost you. For a nominal fee, compared to what the child could make, you will receive headshots, on-camera lessons, and assistance with finding an agent. It all is legitimate and can get your child to castings where they may get lucky to land a part. However, many never make it that far.

The company that invited the potential individuals to the open call will only offer its services to you if you sign a contract with them. The contract commits 5 to 10% of the child's earnings should they get work; which seems small enough. Yet to balance the costs of the company who provided the photographer, printer, and casting crews, that have interviewed your child, a small fee of $1000 to $3000 is due at signing.

What a small amount to make millions, right? This is only the start, there will be 20% paid to the agent for the work the actor or model does. Then there will be transportation costs to the casting calls, food on the road, time away from work, and a very busy hustle and bustle where your aspiring star will join thousands of others trying to land 1 to 3 opportunities a week.

What people do not realize or stop to think about is that jumping in line is not the only way to become an aspiring artist. This truth can become a light in the darkness or a tunnel to deeper darkness, depending on what the industry life does to your child; however, there is an easier road and it does not cost you a bunch of money.

Simply enough, take a few photos of your star or yourself and write a short (very short) bio, add your phone number and email, then walk into an agency. Tell the receptionist of your intent and have a seat. Soon you will have a very busy person rush to see you who will hurl some comments towards you.

Ready to hear the truth?

You're too fat, you're too light, you're too dark, you need this or that. Rarely will you hear that you are perfect because everyone is a critic. This cold criticism will follow every aspiring star and their ability to change will make or break them. You will have either an invitation or a rejection; it is that simple.

Cold, hard truth faces actors, and models; the only liberating point is that they can choose to believe the critics or reject them. Enduring criticism and adjusting can advance one further than they imagine.

In the next article, we will look inside the world of modeling and explore the lifestyle of those selected and committed to be the next cover shot.

Nigeria Has 7m Orphans

2008-02-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

Lagos

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Saudatu Usman Bungudu has revealed that there are about seven million orphans in Nigeria, with the loss of parents through HIV/AIDS accounting for more than 25 percent of the orphans.

She expressed fears that with the estimated 10-year leg between infection and death, the numbers of orphans would continue to remain high even with declining HIV prevalence rates and said this called for concerted action to address the attendant challenges.

Bungudu made the disclosure in Calabar when she paid a courtesy visit to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke while on an advocacy visit to the State.

She said her visit was to acquaint, solicit and mobilize support for the successful execution of the National Plan of Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (NPA on OVC), adding that success of the program in Cross River would be very relevant to the overall success of the national exercise in view of its strategic location.

She called on agencies, organizations, NGOs, media and individuals to lend their support and give publicity to enhance its success.

The Minister appealed that children issues, particularly that of orphans and vulnerable children should be given priority in the State.

This, she said, can be done with adequate corresponding budgetary allocation to the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as the lead coordinator in the State and its other key partners in the implementation of the Plan of Action, namely, Ministries of Education, Health and Information.

She also called for the inauguration of the State Steering Committee, State Stakeholders Forum and State Technical Working Group for implementation of the National Plan of Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (NPA on OVC).

Governor Liyel Imoke in his response called for a close synergy between the Federal and State Governments to fight issues relating to situation of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Nigeria, stressing that the Child Rights Act should be fast tracked by the Federal Government and data bases provided to enable States implement it.

Imoke, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham lamented that it is because OVC lacks Social Welfare Scheme in Government policy that prompted the State to create Ministry of Social Development headed by a woman, saying that issues which touch on OVC should not be handled by State alone but Federal Government should also be involved while commending NGOs in their efforts to create awareness on matters affecting women and children.

He said the State government was also worried about the incidence of child trafficking in the country, adding that the trend would continue to grow until the economy of rural areas is improved. He attributed the scourge of child trafficking to poverty and said the State Government has initiated series of programs geared towards empowering women to improve their skills and income.

Imoke disclosed that it is in line with this policy that Government initiated the Rural Development Agency and Rural Electrification Agency amongst others with the view of addressing the needs of rural women and children adding that it is also in order to reduce mortality rate in the State that Government came out with a free medical services for children under five years and pregnant women.

England’s Decline and Sharia Law

2008-02-11T21:46:00.001-08:00

England's Decline and Sharia Law.

What if your country threw away its laws and adopted laws that Islamic nations live by? That is not just a question; it is a major push upon England's judicial system. English law was founded on Judaeo-Christian beliefs, now English Bishops are being split by the Muslim influence to change to Sharia law.

The push to change has taken on a different tactics than political pressure for change; the push to change is coming as Bishops are being asked to resign so their replacement can usher in the, Islamic friendly, change. This is the way of infiltration selected by Islam

Sharia would be in tension with the English legal tradition on questions like monogamy, provisions for divorce, the rights of women, custody of children, laws of inheritance and of evidence. Sharia is the body of Islamic law and the word means the "way" or "path to the water source."

Sharia promotes the Muslim way of life and reaches deep into business, politics, banking, contracts, family, hygiene, sexuality, and social issues. It is a system of how law ought to serve humanity, a consensus of the unified spirit and is based upon the Qur'an.

With the Islamic world in decline and western culture spreading into Muslim nations, the calls for reform became louder. Those leading the wave of Westernizing, sometimes pressured and sometimes forced nations to change to their law. For many years Western influence would be swallowed as bitter medicine and now the tables are turning as Islamic influence is quietly spreading its influence into Western culture.

Showing up in your town as peaceful loving people, are people devoted to the spread of Islam. As in England, they build their Mosques that open opportunities for other Muslims to move to the area able to practice their religion. Little by little they spread their influence until they grow into a sizable culture.

In England, the eventual spread soon outnumbered churches and now the growing populous is trying to affect the judicial systems. What was once a large world power is now become a dominated society unable to keep its own founding principles.

How does this affect Christian Workers?

Islam's Sharia law has guidelines that infiltrate the police and military. A bill purposed by lawmakers in Indonesia would impose Sharia law on all non-Muslims, the armed forces, and law enforcement officials.

Once in place the Muslim practice of killing Christians can become legal. Even today, Christian churches have gone underground as Muslim's have burned villages, killed people, and hunted anyone claiming to be Christian.

Indonesian Christians have written The Christian Worker with prayer requests detailing stories of being driven from their homes and having to take refuge in the jungles; none of these actions indorsed by Muslim leaders who blame religious extremists.

The spread of Islam teams many factions of Islam silently together; each side tied to faith in Allah. There are militant extremists who think them to be the sword of Islam, while quiet mild manor Islamic leaders preach peace and claim to be model citizens. Yet funding of the sword comes from quiet towns with nods from quiet leaders.

Why would Muslims do this towards Christians? Their scriptures tell them to.

Open-ended passages are interpreted by Muslims differently. One thing they all agree on is that Christians are named specifically by the Qumran and never will they be acceptable. The following are passages taken from the Qumran that detail the influence that formed Sharia law.

2:120: "Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: "Verily, Islâmic Guidance is the only Guidance. And if you were to follow their desires after what you have received of Knowledge, then you would have against Allâh neither any protector nor helper."

3:56: "As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers."

3:85: "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers."

5:51: "O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, they are but friends to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as friends, then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allâh guides not those people who are the wrongdoers."

9:123: "O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allâh is with those who are the pious."

Quran, 9:29: "Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allâh, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allâh and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not Islam as the religion of truth among the people of the Scripture, until they pay the Jizyah [religious tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.".

Christianity is being pushed out of England and as Islam gains momentum, it will become violent towards those who remain; just like it has in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Islam is a threat to Christian Workers.

Steven Baldwin- The Celebrity is a Christian.

2008-02-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

The Celebrity is a Christian.

Standing for his moral convictions, Steven Baldwin is a Christian Worker that is not afraid to say no।

Steven is an American actor, known for his amazing on camera talent. He is the youngest of four brothers who all have made television, movies, and celebrity life very interesting. Now the celebrity has turned apprentice.

Embarking on a new television venture, Steven Baldwin has joined the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice; a Donald Trump produced television show filmed on New York’s, Manhattan Island.

Each episode pits two teams of celebrities competing to complete challenges in an attempt to win money for charity. In this competition, the best and the worst of human performance are judged by Donald Trump and each week the individual with the worst performance is dismissed from the show.

The tension runs high and egos get in the way; yet in the midsts of controversial business practices Steven Baldwin stands strong in his Christian faith, even when pressured to speak about his short comings as a human.

The episode that shows Steven’s true faith to Jesus Christ occurred when the project manager for Steven’s team, resorted to espionage and spying on the planning of the opposing team. In this controversy, Steven represents Christian ethics to the television audiences as he is vocally abused by his project manager. “I think God is watching us all and as a result of that, I will not compromise who I am.”

Like most sin, what started as a light hearted joke, Steven quickly identifies as being wrong and cheating. His outspoken stand for what is right brought much response from the project manager who accuses Steven of trying to hypocritically reclaim his public persona, being a man of ministry.

What is admirable of Steven is that though he was involved in the creation of the espionage, he repents and then continues to offer salvation to his project manager. “I certainly need you in the future for one challenge I have in mind. And that is to give your life to Jesus; do you think that day will ever come?”

When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, you know which one you hit by the one who yelps the loudest and the response from the project manager became a torrent of accusations designed to silence Steven.
“You’re the one whose life is so sick and depraved that you have to crawl out of the abyss by finding something decent with your life.” The answer to which, Steven does not deny, for Steven knows that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Later in Donald Trump’s board room accountability was being served and there, it became apparent that though distancing himself from poor business ethics, the earlier actions of Steven would be linked the indiscretion by onlookers who saw him associated to the project manager.

In this confrontation, all Christians would become on trial with Steven, as Donald Trump pointedly asked, “Steven, do Christians spy?” Sheepishly, Steve would have to answer, “I can only speak for myself; I am not a judge.” After this answer, the conversation turned away from Christians towards the management of the project; yet, for a moment the world watched as Steven Baldwin became a spokesman for Christ.

I admire Steven Baldwin in placing himself in this difficult situation, for the good news of Jesus Christ must be taken to the whole world, including Mr. Trump’s board room. Christians often times hold back from participation because of the ethics of others. Choosing to insulate themselves from the world, they lose on opportunities like this one which Steven identified and ran to.

Good job, Steven Baldwin. You are a Christian Worker.

Are Christians foregoing Mission Trips?

2008-02-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

01/31/2008 Christian AP New Wire

Mission trips are no longer the soul target for Christian evangelists. Yes, there are still people that are hands on field experts; however, missionaries are now grabbing keyboard and mouse and clicking their way to foreign countries without leaving their own.

One such example is Louis Austad of Bellflower California. Ten years ago, Louis became a writer of Christian literature. With an interest in the internet, Louis saw opportunity to have an entity that could house his work.

In 2003, Louis started The Christian Worker website; a magazine devoted to Christian encouragement; what he did not anticipate was that http://christianworker.org would soon be viewed by people from countries around the world.

"The host provider I selected provided real time statistics, tracking where my publication is viewed. Counting the countries I found that The Christian Worker was being viewed in over ninety one countries."

Not long after the first issue was posted, letters from Christians around the world flooded into The Christian Worker email. Not only were people reading, they wanted to ask questions. As a Bible teacher, Louis found not only was his writing fulfilling, but he also enjoyed counseling people on their beliefs and problems. This made Louis rethink who he was; no longer was he just a writer, he had become a missionary, caring for the needs of others.

What was once a desire to write material to encourage people in his own country became a torrent of responses from around the world. Daily Louis sends out an email devotional Bible study that readers subscribe to receive. Teaching scripture by scripture through books of the Bible, each email uniquely speaks to how to apply the Bible to daily life.

"One day I sat down to process sign up requests and to my amazement there were over fifty responses from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I do not know how they translate it, but being written in English does not stop people from reading it."

When asked if missionaries no longer should travel to foreign lands, Louis replied, "The need for missionaries has never been greater, and though the internet is a great way to encourage Christian workers, it will never replace the person in the field completing the great commission. I only want to encourage them, not replace them"

For more information you can contact Louis Austad by writing tcw@christianworker.org or at his website http://christianworker.org.