Idiot Sarah Palin Thinks Paul Revere Warned The British: www.politicalarticles.net
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WRONG!: Clueless Sarah Palin’s Interpretation of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride is Patently False
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WRONG!: Clueless Sarah Palin’s Interpretation of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride is Patently False
Animated Christian Movie- Lion of Judah- reveals cross to kids
Lion of Judah movie wins Sabaoth Award- Best Animated Film
Christian Movie, Christian Film, Kids Movie, Kids Film, Christian Animated Movie, Lion of Judah
The Lion of Judah, not your average Kids Film- Sierra White
Visit the official Lion of Judah Movie website at http://lionofjudahthemovie.com/
“The Lion of Judah”- movie review- This Christian movie is centered around a group of animals that live in the stable where Jesus was born. These animals were present when Jesus was born and meet Him (the King) and the movie is set 33 years later around the time when Jesus will die on the Cross.
I went into this movie not expecting much, not even expecting to enjoy it. I’ve seen other “Christian” kids movies and they normally bore me but the Lion of Judah is my exception. This movie is PACKED with lessons on respect, trust, honor and truth. However, the main point is to teach children about Christ’s love for them and His death on the cross. Children and parents alike will walk away from this movie having learned something.
In the movie there is a little lamb named Judah. Judah is a young, rambunctious lamb who has been taken from his mother in order to be sold in the market as a sacrificial lamb to pay the price for mans sins. As Judah is being taken away his mother his mother tells him that he has a specific purpose and he was born to set people free! She tells him he was born a perfect lamb. They don’t know it but Judah was born to be a sacrificial lamb, to pay the price for sin. However, just before he is to be sacrificed he is set free by Jesus’ death on the cross.
Prequal to Lion of Judah- Free DVD
There is a donkey named Jack who has been treated as a work animal for years. He has scars on his neck from being yanked around by ropes, he has been abused and he even says that he doesn’t have a heart any longer that his ropes have become his life. The other animals begin to tell him about Jesus, the true King, and that Jesus has the power to free Jack from his ropes and his slave life. They tell Jack that all it takes is one look in Jesus’ eyes to fall in love with Him. Jack scoffs at them and the next day he is taken from Jerusalem, dragged by ropes and is given to a man outside the city who is dressed in white. This man is Jesus and Jesus begins to show Jack love. He releases Jack from his ropes and as Jesus loves Jack, Jack accepts His love and ends up being the donkey that Jesus rides into Jerusalem as the people wave palm branches and shout, “Hosanna!”. Jack is freed by Jesus’ love and He is able to love others because He knows how much Jesus loves Him.
The last 40 minutes of this movie were especially profound. The animals are being held in cages in the temple, they are being sold. As they are in their cages and tied up all of them firmly believe that the King (Jesus) will be coming for them any minute to save them and set them free. I watched as Jesus came into the temple where all the animals are being held, sold and bartered. Jesus comes in and becomes visibly angry. He yells, “My house will be called a house of prayer, you have turned it into a den of thieves”. (Matthew 21:13) Jesus begins to overturn the tables and release all the animals proving to them that He cares about them and has freed them. However, Judah has been bought and taken away to be sacrificed.
As the animals are working to save Judah from being killed, we see glimpses of Jesus carrying His cross through the streets of Jerusalem. We watch as the animals are all shocked to see the King being taken to die, and they don’t understand how the people could do this to someone so kind and so innocent.
As I watched Jesus walking through the streets I was thinking about how God loved us so much He was willing to send His son, the person He loved the most, to earth to die and free us from the ropes/cages of sin and death. I was watching this movie with my 4 year old sister Katie who was constantly asking me to explain things, which was great! I had opportunity after opportunity to talk with her about Jesus and why He died on the Cross for us.
As we watched Jesus dragging His cross through the streets Katie asked me, “Why does he have spikes on His head and why does He have to pull a cross with Him?” I explained to her why Jesus had to die, and why He let the people treat Him so badly. I explained to Katie about how God loves us so much that Jesus came to show His love by giving His life up so that we could be in Heaven forever. This movie opens lots of doors for conversations with your kids.
At the end of the movie Jesus has been taken to be buried and Judah the lamb will not accept that He is dead for good, even though all the “grown up” animals insist Jesus is not coming back, that He is dead. Judah’s childlike faith in the King helps Him believe that Jesus will walk out of the grave and when Jesus does come out Judah leaps into His arms knowing that Jesus loves Him.
There were parts of this movie that made me look at the Christ sacrifice in new, powerful ways. At one point Judah is in the temple, tied up, on the alter as a Priest stands over him about to sacrifice him when the earth quakes and the veil in the temple splits down the middle and Judah is sent flying off the alter and is freed from his ropes.
Towards the end of the movie, while the animals are waiting with Judah for Jesus to rise from the dead, Judah tells the animals that He knows that it was Jesus’ love that set Him free from being sacrificed, it was Jesus’ love that tore the veil in the temple. It was Jesus’ love that has freed them all. It was Jesus’ love that freed Jack from his slave life and His ropes. As I heard this little speech I began to tear up. I began to realize that God’s love is just so big and so wide that He can even use a kid’s movie to move a “grown up” heart.
“The Lion of Judah” is such a powerful tool for parents to teach their children about Gods love, Jesus’ death on the Cross and the power of childlike faith. This movie is not only a great tool for parents to use but also for Sunday School teachers, VBS leaders and anyone involved in Children’s Ministry. This movie is so powerful even my 4 year old sister sat in awe of God’s love for a moment after the movie was over. She was in amazement that God loved her so much. As a parent you can use Lion of Judah to your advantage. Take your kids to see it in theaters and then talk about it with them after. Ask them what they liked, what they learned and explain to them the message of the Cross.
“The Lion of Judah” will be sure to engage your child while teaching their brain and pouring the love of God into their hearts. Most animated movies these days are just mindless fluff, nothing to really teach your child and most of those movies usually have questionable content. “The Lion of Judah” has nothing in it that is questionable or negative. It has no rude/crude language like a lot of kids movies these days and has a lesson at the heart of it. This movie is definitely one you want to take your kids to see and one you will want to add to your families DVD collection.
Economy, Unemployment and Bush Tax Cuts on Lame Duck Agenda-Politics News
Unemployment Extension on Lame Duck Agenda
Economy, Unemployment, Lame Duck, Congress, Agenda, Bush Tax Cuts, Obama
From: http://www.houmatoday.com
Congress will meet in a lame-duck session next week to resolve a number of complex and contentious issues that avoided easy solutions during the year.
What to do about taxes will be the lame-duck session’s thorniest issue. Numerous tax breaks are expiring at the end of the year, and the Internal Revenue Service needs time to update forms.
Obama and Democratic leaders want to extend Bush-era income tax cuts only for families earning up to $250,000 per year. But some Democrats have joined Republicans in calling for extending all the cuts – including income tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts in capital gains rates – enacted in 2001 and 2003.
“On the economy, we will work hard to ensure Democrats don’t raise taxes on anybody, especially in the middle of a recession,” McConnell said two days after the election.
Lame Duck Congress Window only two weeks long- Obama Watch
Lame Duck Congress Agenda
Lame Duck, Congress, Politics News, Obama Watch, Obama News
President Obama only has a two-week window to get the rest of his agenda through the Lame Duck congress. It will take a voting marathon to get everything through. Will they try?
From: http://www.foxnews.com
With the elections in the rearview mirror, a lame-duck Congress is preparing to convene its final session – one that might turn out to be quite short and unproductive despite a laundry list of items.
That’s because Democrats, who took an election beating last week — losing control of the House and barely hanging onto the Senate — will likely be in no mood to wage any tough legislative battles. And Republicans, energized by their historic gains, will likely be less willing to compromise on critical issues just two months before seizing more power.
Congress returns Nov. 15 for a post-election session that will be dominated by tax-and-spending issues. But there also are issues ranging from giving seniors $250 Social Security special payments to repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against gays serving openly.
After the first week, the session resumes after Thanksgiving. But on Dec. 1, departing lawmakers are required to vacate their offices. If Congress is still in session, they will be relocated to the basement where they will only have cubicles – a scenario that makes it even more unlikely that lawmakers will still be around by Christmas Eve, as they were last year for the health care debate.
Planned Parenthood endorses book promoting Casual Teen Sex-Christian News- Top
Planned Parenthood
Christian News, Planned Parenthood, Sex, Teens
From: http://www.lifesitenews.com
The world’s leading abortion provider is continuing to promote a graphic brochure advocating casual sex among youth. According to International Planned Parenthood Federation, the brochure called “Healthy, Happy and Hot” has become their most popular publication.
Aimed at young people with HIV, the brochure contains sexually explicit language and promotes casual sex with multiple partners, as well as oral, anal, and homosexual sex.
e publication encourages youth to keep their sexual activity secret from their parents, as well as visits to family planning clinics. “You should find out whether there are any centers near to you where you can go without needing the permission of your parents or guardians.”
The brochure criticizes countries with laws requiring disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners. Such laws violate the rights of people living with HIV, the pamphlet argues.
Christians in Baghdad are targets for “holy war”-Christian News- Brief
The face of Iraqi Christian Churches after massacre
Iraq, Christian, Persecution, Muslim, Islam, Christian News
From: http://cnsnews.com
Sunday, on the eve of All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, 2010, the faithful gathered at the Assyrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad.
As Father Wassim Sabih finished the mass, eight al-Qaida terrorists stormed in, began shooting and forced him to the floor. As the priest pleaded that his parishioners be spared, they executed him and began their mission of mass murder.
When security forces broke in, the killers threw grenades to finish off the surviving Christians and detonated explosive-laden vests to kill the police. The toll was 46 parishioners and two priests killed, 78 others wounded, many in critical condition after losing limbs.
Within 48 hours, al-Qaida in Mesopotamia issued a bulletin: “All Christian centers, organizations and institutions, leaders and followers, are legitimate targets for the (holy warriors).”
Facebook makes effort to stop cyber bullying-Tech News
Facebook, cyber bullying, Tech News
From: http://mashable.com
In response to increasing concerns about teenagers’ safety on Facebook, SafetyWeb.com, a web-based monitoring site, has introduced a new “Find Help” application on Facebook.
The app allows users to report any violation or cyberbullying to Facebook(
) officials while also connecting to safety and support organizations related to cyberbullying, child exploitation, suicide, depression, substance abuse and LGBT issues.
Clicking on the app brings up links for reporting incidents and useful numbers from organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Facebook Abuse Reporting.
Bully victims can find it difficult to self-report incidents; this app will hopefully make it easier for them to not only report abusive behavior but seek help and guidance at the same time. Cyberbullying is a real problem that has only recently gained mainstream attention after a rash of teen suicides.
Are Dems turning on Nancy Pelosi?-Politics News
Nancy Pelosi, Democrats, Politics, House Minority, House Speaker
From: http://www.google.com
In a fresh sign of turmoil among defeated Democrats, a growing number of the rank and file say they won’t support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a politically symbolic roll call when the new Congress meets in January.
“The reality is that she is politically toxic,” said Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, one of several Democrats who are trying to pressure Pelosi to step aside as her party’s leader in the wake of historic election losses to Republicans last week.
Pelosi startled many Democrats with a quick postelection announcement that she would run for minority leader. She has yet to draw an opponent for the post.
Party elections are scheduled for next week, although a postponement is possible.
In the interim, Pelosi’s critics have become more vocal in their efforts to retire her from the party leadership.
There’s “starting to be a sense that this may not be as much of a done deal as people might have thought,” Rep. Jason Altmire said of Pelosi’s quest to remain the top Democrat.
“If enough people come out and voice a little discomfort with the idea of her continuing on, maybe she would reconsider,” said the Pennsylvanian, one of a handful of Democrats who said he won’t cast a ceremonial vote for her.
Rock Melt-Will it melt your face off with its awesomeness? I say YES!-Tech News
Review by Sierra White
FYI: Before you race over to www.rockmelt.com you should know that you cant just download the program. You will need to link your facebook account to rockmelt to get an invite.
Rock Melt combines Social Networking, Chatting, Internet, Google, Searches, IM and many other things right onto one screen!
With Rock Melt (it seems) you won’t have to open 5 tabs just to be on your favorite sites since you can have Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc open on the sidebar and chat/IM on the other side. Your tabs are still on top but with side options it lets you keep more open on one screen rather than clicking around to many screens and being annoyed with how many tabs and screens are open at the same time.
For Social Networking freaks, such as myself, I can keep them ALL open while I do my work, use google, check my email, etc!
Rock Melt also offers personalized Searches, URL shortening already built in (so you dont have to go to a website to shorten), faster search engines with more personalized results and soooo much more!
According to http://blog.rockmelt.com/ it seems there are a few glitches with Rock Melt, but as with any new program , that is to be expected! Things such as Log In issues and feed problems seem to be the most current issues but Rock Melt is currently working on them as they say, “Around the Clock”.
Check out: www.rockmelt.com for more!
Rock Melt appears to have everything for people who are on the web and would like to save time (and tabs) by keeping everything in one windown and all at the click of your mouse!
How the Paycheck Fairness Act will change America, but not for the better-Link Report-Lame Duck Watch
Paycheck Fairness Act not so fair
Paycheck Fairness Act, Lame Duck Watch, Politics, Obama News, Obama Watch, Economy, Joe Manchin, Mark Kirk
From: http://www.prnewswire.com
Next week, the Senate is scheduled to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would vastly expand the role of government and the scope of litigation by requiring data collection from employers on the sex, race, and national origin of employees, significantly adding to red tape, paperwork, and hiring costs, and trapping firms in costly litigation.
At a time when the unemployment rate is 9.6 percent and almost 14.8 million Americans are out of work, the Paycheck Fairness Act would impose substantial new burdens on employers that would encourage hiring overseas and discourage hiring in America.
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From: http://blogs.forbes.com
President Obama on Tuesday called for the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, calling it “a common sense bill.”
Allan Dinkoff with the employment law practice at Weil, Gotshal & Manges has a problem with that description. Some parts may be common sense, Dinkoff says, such as expanding the anti-retaliation provisions, developing training for girls and women to improve their negotiating skills and studying the reasons for persistent pay disparities in the workplace. ”But the core of the bill is anything but common sense,’ says Dinkoff, who was in charge of employment law at Merrill Lynch and general counsel of GAF before joining Weil in 2009. “The bill risks altering in very fundamental ways how corporate America compensates its employees without any real justification for imposing that burden,” he says.
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From: http://shopfloor.org
Chris Stirewalt of The Washington Examiner reports at Fox News on the political speculation surrounding newly elected West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, including his wooing by Republicans to switch parties. Seems unlikely, even with GOP support of coal-to-diesel.
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From: http://michellemalkin.com
Uh oh — Obama and the Democrats are talking about “fairness” again, which means we’re all on the brink of being screwed, but more fairly than ever.
The ACLU endorses the proposal, as does every visibly aroused trial lawyer from here to Neptune.
If women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn, then why not call on government to immediately cut taxes 23% for working females until this gross injustice can be sorted out? (pause for laughter).
The irony is of course that maybe parents wouldn’t have to work so much if these alleged seekers of “fairness” weren’t strangling the private sector to death. But it’s not like they don’t know that.
Rest assured the Democrats won’t address any wage gap among government employees by bringing the high end down to match the low end, but rather the other way around.
The “Paycheck Fairness Act” will be about little except lawyers, ratcheting up pay for Federal employees (and more importantly, the dues those employees pay the unions who back Democrats), allowing the government to dig their snouts even deeper into the pie of American business (how many more IRS agents will this Act require in order to enforce it?), and, perhaps most importantly, artificially ratcheting up private sector taxable income via yet another government mandate.
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From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Last month, the Census Bureau released data that show that the gender wage gap is stagnant. In 2009, women who worked full-time, year-round made 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. This 23 percent gap in wages represented no change from the prior year. The wage gap for women of color was even more staggering than for women overall. In 2009, Black and Hispanic women only made 62 and 53 cents, respectively, for every dollar made by white, non-Hispanic males. Women and their families cannot sustain a wage gap this deep in this economy. The nearly $11,000 per year in lost earnings is far more than pocket change — these shortchanged wages could pay for key items such as rent, utilities, child care or health insurance premiums.
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From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
THERE SHOULD BE no tolerance for gender-based discrimination in the workplace, and the Paycheck Fairness Act contains sensible provisions on the issue, including protections against retaliation for employees who challenge pay schedules. But the proposal, which builds on the existing Equal Pay Act, would allow employees and courts to intrude too far into core business decisions.
The bill, which is pending in the Senate, would allow employers to defend against equal-pay lawsuits by proving that pay disparities between men and women were based on “bona fide” factors, such as experience or education, and that these factors are “consistent with business necessity.” This provision would codify the current state of the law as developed in the courts over the past 30 years. During that time, judges pressed employers to prove the need for educational requirements that had no nexus to advertised jobs. Such requirements were often used to deny employment to minority applicants.
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From: http://townhall.com
Last week the Department of Labor reported that for 14 straight months—the longest stretch since the 1930s—the unemployment rate remains above 9.5 percent. This is pretty glum, but don’t despair, good news is on the way: The Senate will likely vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act this November! In addition to increased healthcare costs and the uncertainty about pending tax increases, the amendment to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 should really get businesses excited about hiring again.
If only that were the case. Irony aside, Americans should know that Congress is about to make a bad situation worse. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a misguided policy proposal which will hurt businesses and the economy and is likely to backfire on its intended beneficiaries: working women.
Proponents of the Paycheck Fairness Act note that, at a time when women earn roughly 60 percent of higher education degrees and hold 51 percent of high-paying management, professional, and related occupations, working women on average still earn only about 78 percent of working men’s salaries. They presume that discrimination is the cause of this infamous wage gap, and seek to give women extra protection against sexism in the workplace.
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From: http://www.humanevents.com
Tea Party voters will be dismayed to see the GOP spending a billion tax dollars to hire a mercenary. We might also wonder why West Virginia voted for a Senator from the Democrat Party after President Obama explicitly promised to destroy the coal industry during the 2008 campaign. It would be nice if something beyond political considerations determined whether the armed forces began using converted coal.
There is another reason to oppose luring Manchin away from the Democrats: he’s already been bought by the unions, and they expect a return on their investment. With Card Check on the back burner for the time being, their top legislative goal is the Paycheck Fairness Act, another nasty piece of work with a candy-coated Orwellian name.
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Facebook and Skype could be partnering up!-Tech News
Tech News, Skype, Facebook, connect, Tech
From: http://mashable.com
Facebook and Skype are working on a deal that would integrate Facebook Connect with Skype accounts, AllThingsD has learned, citing sources familiar with the situation.
ATD has managed to get a hold of a screenshot showing the new features in action. Once you connect Skype () with Facebook (), you’ll be able to SMS, chat with or call your Facebook friends directly from Skype. You should also be able to log in to Skype with your Facebook credentials.
The new features should go live on Skype 5.0 when the new version goes out of beta in a couple of weeks.
Social Media in Schools-good or bad idea?
Social Media, facebook, twitter, social networking, high school
From: http://mashable.com
A year after seventh grade teacher Elizabeth Delmatoff started a pilot social media program in her Portland, Oregon classroom, 20% of students school-wide were completing extra assignments for no credit, grades had gone up more than 50%, and chronic absenteeism was reduced by more than a third. For the first time in its history, the school met its adequate yearly progress goal for absenteeism.
At a time when many teachers are made wary by reports of predators and bullies online, social media in the classroom is not the most popular proposition. Teachers like Delmatoff, however, are embracing it rather than banning it. They argue that the educational benefits of social media far outweigh the risks, and they worry that schools are missing out on an opportunity to incorporate learning tools the students already know how to use.
What started as a Facebook-like forum where Delmatoff posted assignments has grown into a social media component for almost every subject. Here are the reasons why she and other proponents of educational social media think more schools should do the same.
Lawmakers hope to give Obama Internet “Kill Switch” before end of year-Obama News
Obama News, Internet Kill Switch, CyberSecurity, Obama Watch
From: http://www.prisonplanet.com
An amalgamated cybersecurity bill that lawmakers hope to pass before the end of the year includes new powers which would allow President Obama to shut down not only entire areas of the Internet, but also businesses and industries that fail to comply with government orders following the declaration of a national emergency – increasing fears that the legislation will be abused as a political tool.
The draft bill is a combination of two pieces of legislation originally crafted by Senators Lieberman and Rockefeller. One of the differences between the new bill and the original Lieberman version is that the Internet “kill switch” power has been limited to 90 days without congressional oversight, rather than the original period of four months contained in the Lieberman bill.
In other words, President Obama can issue an emergency declaration that lasts 30 days and he can renew it for a further 60 days before congress can step in to oversee the powers.
The new powers would give Obama a free hand to not only shut down entire areas of the Internet and block all Internet traffic from certain countries, but under the amalgamated bill he would also have the power to completely shut down industries that don’t follow government orders, according to a Reuters summary of the new bill.
Obama slams “Fox News” in an interview with Rolling Stone-Obama News
Rolling Stone, Obama News, Fox News, Obama, News, U.S.
From: http://www.rollingstone.com
Rolling Stone: What do you think of Fox News? Do you think it’s a good institution for America and for democracy?
Obama: [Laughs] Look, as president, I swore to uphold the Constitution, and part of that Constitution is a free press. We’ve got a tradition in this country of a press that oftentimes is opinionated. The golden age of an objective press was a pretty narrow span of time in our history. Before that, you had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition — it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. It’s a point of view that I disagree with. It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world. But as an economic enterprise, it’s been wildly successful. And I suspect that if you ask Mr. Murdoch what his number-one concern is, it’s that Fox is very successful.
Flotilla Raid could hit up the International Court-World News
flotilla, Israel, World News, International Court, raid, UN General Assembly
From: http://in.reuters.com
The mission investigating the raid was not asked to make any recommendations and did not do so. But the suggestion that the case could end up at the ICC — to which Israel is not a signatory — maintains pressure on Israel over the incident.
Pakistan, on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), proposed a resolution on Monday at the council calling on the U.N. General Assembly to consider the report of the three-member fact-finding mission.
The council will vote on the resolution on Friday and it is likely to pass because the OIC and its allies have a majority in the 47-member body.
The mission, with which Israel refused to cooperate, found that the commando raid, in which nine pro-Palestinian activists — eight Turks and a Turkish-American — were killed was unlawful and violated human rights and international law.
Israel, which has blockaded Hamas-ruled Gaza since 2007, dismissed the U.N. investigators’ work in advance as unnecessary and irrelevant, and has said the human rights council is hopelessly biased against the Jewish state anyway.
Scientists say they are closer than ever with Malaria Vaccine-World News
Malaria Vaccine, Scientists, World News, Vaccines
From: http://news.smh.com.au
Scientists are closer than ever to rolling out the first malaria vaccine, which could be available in Africa by 2015, a co-inventor of the shot against the killer disease said Tuesday.
Advanced trials of the RTS,S vaccine against falciparum malaria, the deadliest strain of the disease, are under way in seven African countries and going “very well,” said GlaxoSmithKline researcher Joe Cohen, who has been working on developing the vaccine for over 20 years.
“We believe we’ll have the first data coming out of the trials in 2012, and, to make a long story short, we could have the first implementation in Africa between 2015 and 2016,” he told AFP.
Will GOP stand for a pro-life based Congress?-Election 2010
Pro-Life, GOP, Congress, Election 2010, Susan B Anthony, Abortion, Republican
Summary: In ’94 the GOP launched its ”Contract for America” shortly before the midterm election and took back the Congress. This Contract had some great ideas, however, the issue of abortion was placed on hold and left on hold. Now, in 2010, the GOP is working to form a similar “Contract” with many of the same ideas and policies but once again, where are the Family Values?
Susan B. Anthony List launched http://www.LifeSpeakingOut.com, which encourages Republicans (a normally pro-life group) to include looking into the protection of women and the unborn.
According to the artcle, it appears that Congress, this term, will be full of pro-life leaders.
From: http://www.redstate.com
Consider these pro-life legislative initiatives that should be passed and would save lives:
- Legislation such as the “Protect Life Act” which would ensure that no federal funds authorized under the health care reform law are used to pay for abortions. 67% of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortion in health care.
- Legislation such as the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” which would establish a permanent government-wide prohibition on the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion. 61% of Americans support a ban on taxpayer funding of abortion.
- Legislation establishing parental consent for minors seeking abortion. 69% Americans support parental consent for minors under 18 seeking an abortion.
- Legislation such as the “Child Pain Awareness Act” which would require abortion providers to notify women who want to have an abortion 20 weeks after fertilization that the evidence suggests their unborn child feels pain. 77% of Americans favor such legislation.
This shouldn’t be a heavy lift. All we need is a little leadership.
Join the cause today at http://www.LifeSpeakingOut.com to finish building Reagan’s three-legged stool of conservatism and to ensure the Republican Party speaks for all Americans — born and unborn
Churches are now using Blogs-Tech/Web News
Blog, Church, Ministry, Outreach, Web, Internet
Many churches are now using Blogs to keep their members, community and everyone else up to date on what is going on in their church. (WordPress is a great, simple to use blog site)
Why is a blog relevant you may ask? Well I will tell you:
1. Having a blog can keep your members up to date as to what the leadership is thinking about, praying about, etc for the ministry.
2. Blog entries from the Pastor are always wanted by the congregation. Everyone wants to know what their Pastor has to say.
3. Use it to get your church known in the community. Use twitter to “promote” it. Post new blog entries online.
4. Blog about what happened in a service. Whether it was a healing, a testimony, or just to send some shout outs to the people who served that week.
5. Post videos, clips, etc. Use it to be personable with your members. Show a funny video of something that happened in a staff meeting or when your leadership is just hanging out.
6. Blog about what God is doing in your Church.
7. Blog about what God has been revealing/showing you as the Pastor.
8. Use a blog to witness or teach. Blog short Bible Studies.
Here are some church blogs you can see:
Pastor Brady Boyd New Life Church- http://newlifeblogs.com/bradyboyd/
Gateway Church Blog: http://blog.gatewaychurch.com/
International House of Prayer Blog: http://blog.ihop.org/
Blogging is not only relevant to the Church but its fun!
Try www.wordpress.com
www.blog.com
www.blogspot.com
The Fathers House is involved!-Christian Outreach
The Fathers House in Rochester, NY has 2 main Church Sites. The Fathers House’s main building is located in Chili, NY and their second location is in downtown Rochester called the “TFH Downtown Campus”. The Fathers House in Chili has 3 morning services on Sundays and many groups, meetings, activities and outreaches during the week. The church has endless areas where the church members can serve and be involved. Everywhere from Church events, Worship Teams/Choirs, Youth, Children and Young Adults groups, etc. This church is also actively involved in the community.
In October, on Halloween Night, the church hosted an event called, “Trunk or Treat”. This event brings the Church and the Community together. Hundreds of church members park their cars in the parking lot of the church and open their trunks, which are filled with candy! People from all over the community come to the church and get candy and are invited into the church to meet people (from the church) and are given an invitation to attend the church that Sunday!
Another event they do is at the Downtown Campus. People from the city, mostly homeless, low income/poor families, are invited to a service at the church and then are sent home with a food care package.
This church has gained members and is talked about all over Rochester by its members as well as members of other churches. This church shows what it really means to be involved in your community.
Switching Perspective-Muslims in America in 2010-Christian News
Muslim,Islam,America,Mosque,freedom,religion,9/11
Summary: As Americas we need to take a look at Muslims and Islam from every side. We see the terrorists and the extremist Islam groups, but what about the people who are just like us the difference being Islam is their religion? When you see a woman wearing a headscarf do you automatically get suspicious? When you see a “Middle Eastern” family do you suspect possible terrorism?
Until I read this article I never really sat and thought about how hard it must be for Muslims in America following 9/11. Muslim families deal with suspicion, hatred and racism all the time. As Americans we need to take a step back and look at Muslims from the other perspective. They are people just like the rest of us, the have feelings and emotions, they have families, they have just as much right to practice their religion in this country as Christians, Buddhists and Scientologists do.
Granted, its not the best idea to build a Mosque right near the site of an Islamic hate attack, but we still have to love and respect Muslims. Not all muslims are terrorists or extremists. Not all Muslims are out to bring America down. Many Muslims in this country live here for safety, freedom of religion, and all of the things this great country stands for.
From: http://www.theurbanpolitico.com
As part of our series on Islamophobia in America and as the controversy over the Ground Zero Mosque Islamic Cultural Center continues, I asked an American Muslim, living in New York City her thoughts on the “mosque” controversy, the treatment of American Muslims since 9/11, and whether projects like the Islamic Cultural Center can begin to bridge the gap between the false perceptions of Islam and the reality. I have omitted her name in order to protect her privacy. I have not changed the content of her responses because I think her responses should remain unfiltered.
Q: As a Muslim American how have you been treated since 9/11? Did you have any personal experiences with xenophobia in the aftermath of the attacks?
A: 9/11 marked the moment when Muslims moved from being the ‘other’ to the ‘feared other’. I live in New York City and have not had any personal experiences with xenophobia, but we have witnessed a shocking rise in hysteria and fear mongering. A Time Magazine poll this week showed nearly 50% of Americans hold negative opinions of Islam and many don’t even know a Muslim. Even other groups, such as Sikh and Hindus, have suffered hate crimes due to being mistaken as Muslims.
I have a Sikh friend who cut his hair after 9/11 for fear of hate crimes. I also know that travel changed that day for my brother and countless other brown men with Arab sounding names. I remember the first time my brother and I traveled together after 9/11 – the agent was all smiles with me – but her smile vanished as soon as she saw that my brother had Mohammed in his name. I felt very bad for my brother that day.
Judas Iscariot-A look into Judas’ mind
Judas Iscariot. We all know him as the disciple who betrayed Jesus. We know him as a deceiver, a liar, a manipulator, etc.
I have been watching Hero the Rock Opera and listening to the soundtracks and really observing what and who Judas was.
Judas, as far as we can know, was from the village of Kerioth, and he was also the only Judaean disciple among the Twelve. Judas, again, as we all know was the disciple who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, in return for money. Judas, after he recieved his payment, threw the money back at the ones who gave it to Him and went and hung himself. I would assume out of guilt.
This is basically what we know about Judas, or at least what he is remembered most for. But is there more to this story? Some questions I am asking:
1. When Jesus called Judas to follow Him, did He know that Judas was the one who would hand Him over?
2. Was Judas “the bad guy” from the beginning or did Satan start working in Judas’ heart and little by little Judas was decieved?
3. Why did he hang himself?
4. What was Judas’ motive for betrayal?
5. What was Judas’ role as a disciple?
Here are some answers I am looking into. I dont say they are “Gods” answers necessarily, they are just some of the possibilities and probabilities that could be true.
1. When Jesus called Judas to follow Him, did He know that Judas was the one who would hand Him over?
-Honestly, I cannot even begin to answer this question. There are such mixed opinions as to whether Jesus could know or not. This is all surrounding the predestination or nonpredestination debate which I will not even get into, but I would love to know what other people think about this question. SO LEAVE COMMENTS!
Also, I think its sort of interesting that Jesus gave Judas charge of the money.
–John 13: 29 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.
-Was Jesus giving him the money as a test? Or did He already know Judas would betray Him and may as well have access to the money to do it? Some more questions I would love opinions on.
2. Was Judas “the bad guy” from the beginning or did Satan start working in Judas’ heart and little by little Judas was decieved? On the same note, why did he hang himself?
-I am not sure if Judas was a bad guy from the beginning.
John 13:18-30
18“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.‘[b]
19“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit (I wonder if God had maybe JUST revealed who the betrayer would be and waited until that moment to let Jesus know who it would be? Just a thought.) and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
”What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Luke 22:1-6
1Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
FROM: http://www.dianedew.com/judas.htm
Luke 22:3 “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”
John 13:27 “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
John 13:2 says, “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s [son], to betray him.”
John 13:27 “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
John 13:2 says, “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s [son], to betray him.”
Jesus called Judas a devil:
John 6:70 “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? “
John 6:70 “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? “
Yet Scripture refers to Judas as “one of his disciples” (John 12:4 and Luke 6:13, 16), and “one of the twelve” (Luke 22:47; John 6:41)
Judas saw the miracles (Luke 6); he attended prayer meetings of Jesus with his other disciples (John 18:2). He had a “ministry” (Acts 1:17) and place of responsibility among the believers (John 13:29). He was trusted by the other believers – enough to carry the bag of money (John 13:29).
Judas was suspicious of his own spiritual condition – it says he even asked Jesus if he was the one who would betray him:
Mat 26:25 “Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”
Mat 26:25 “Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”
So, I dont really know the answer to this question but here is some info on his background to maybe give us a little insight into Judas’ mind.
3. Why did he hang himself?
Matthew 27:3-5
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
”What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
So, the question is, did Satan enter Judas just to get the job done and then leave once Jesus was captured? Did Judas feel remorse and guilt afterwards? I doubt he could have felt bad when he was posessed by Satan. So, I am guessing that Satan had used Judas for what he needed him for and moved on leaving Judas with the realization that He had just changed history and done something really screwed up. He admitted that he had sinned and admitted that Christ was innocent. I wish I could have been in Judas’ brain when that clicked. I dont think he could live with the guilt of delivering the Son of God to death.
4. What was Judas’ motive for betrayal?
Well, this is a loaded question. This also goes along with the #2. Was he bad from the beginning?
It seems as tho Judas had alot of inner turmoil. Satan couldnt have just been like “cool. lets enter a disciple.” Judas had to have had some open doors for him to enter. I bet Judas felt pretty good about himself since Jesus trusted him with the money, he probably felt important being one of the “chosen” 12, he probably felt awesome getting to be involved with miracles, he probably felt pretty awesome because people looked up to him as a disciple. Judas probably had alot of arrogance and pride issues.
John 12:4-6
4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
It also doesnt appear that Judas was personally very close to Jesus. You hear alot about Peter and James being favored but not much about Judas except when he was in trouble (lol). It never seemed as though Jesus and Judas had any great, close encounters with each other. You never see Judas even admit that Jesus was the Son of God (AT LEAST NOT THAT I COULD FIND IN SCRIPTURE).
Was Judas just out for fame, money, power? Did he think if he betrayed Jesus he could get in with the big dogs aka the Pharisees?
From: http://www.gotquestions.org/Judas-betray-Jesus.html
Additionally, Judas, like most people at the time, believed the Messiah was going to overthrow Roman occupation and take a position of power ruling over the nation of Israel. Judas may have followed Jesus hoping to benefit from association with Him as the new reigning political power. No doubt he expected to be among the ruling elite after the revolution. By the time of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus had made it clear that He planned to die, not start a rebellion against Rome. So Judas may have assumed—just as the Pharisees did—that since He would not overthrow the Romans, He must not be the Messiah they were expecting.
5. What was Judas’ role as a disciple?
Judas, it seems, was the treasurer. As we noted in Scripture above, Jesus entrusted the moneybag to Judas. Judas went with ther 12 wherever they went. He saw the miracles, He hung out with Jesus all the time, He got to experience the SOn of God firsthand yet He still was the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
This comes down again to was Judas chosen as a disciple because someone had to betray Jesus? Was that his “predestined” role? All over the New Testament prophets we read about Judas, just not by name.
So, we ask, was it “pre-planned” for Judas to betray Jesus? Was that his role? Was they why Jesus called him?
Ive seen a play called, “Hero the Rock Opera”, which is about the ministry of Jesus in modern Brooklyn. It gives a little insight into the thought process of Judas that I find fascinating. Watch the videos below (Judas (known as Jude in the play-acted by Michael Quinlan) and get a little insight into what may have been the inner turmoil of Judas Iscariot. This is what provoked me to thinking about Judas as a disciple.
These are just questions I find myself asking and would love some input from the readers! Please leave comments and your own thoughts and ideas!!
Bible Chapter Summaries on twitter-Christian News
twitter, social networking, bible, scripture, tweeting
Summary: Twitter is seriously one of the biggest phenomenons in communication in 2010. People use it for everything from status updates, sharing quotes, invitations, marketing and now sharing scripture. I love how this guy is taking on the tweet world for the Kingdom. His tweets could be exactly what someone needs that day and could also be great study tools for other Christians.
From: http://www.christianpost.com
A U.K. church worship leader recently set out on a three-year journey to tweet the entire Bible – one chapter at a time.
Chris Juby, 30, began his modern-day proclamation of the Bible on Aug. 8. He is scheduled to complete his undertaking in November 2013.
Every day, he condenses a chapter of the Bible into less than 140 characters.
“It is my normal habit to read a chapter of the Bible each morning and I always read through from Genesis to Revelation,” said Juby, director of worship at King’s Church in the northern city of Durham, to the U.K. Daily Telegraph.
“As I was coming to the end last time, I thought I needed a way of focusing my mind a little bit more on what I was reading. I thought a summary would be a good way of doing this. I already use Twitter, so I thought I’d share my summaries.”
Christian Inspiration- 6 praise and worship songs to wake you up
Kim Walker- I have Found
I love this song because its a great song to sing to the Lord. Tell God just how much you are in need of Him as Your Saviour!
Grace Williams-Your Annointing
This song is peaceful, beautiful and annointed. Great Soaking song!
Counting On God-Desperation Band
Awesome, upbeat song. This song is all about relying on God and knowing He is always around!
Misty Edwards-People Get Ready
This song is all about getting ready for Christ’s return! Also looking into the reality of our own hearts, are we ready for His return?
Jesus Culture-I exalt thee
No matter our circumstances or troubles, we can always give God praise! This song is an oldie but is awesome!
Chris Tomlin-God of this City
This song is a declaration! Sing it about your city, town, etc. Expect God to move and eventually He will!
Astounding Abortion Stats-Christian News
Abortion, Statistics, murder, Bound4Life
Summary: Ever wonder what the statistics are for abortions in America? Well thanks to Bound 4 Life you can have access to them.
Abortion, to me, is one of the most saddening and heartbreaking things going on in our country right now. So many women are getting pregnant whether it be rape or just having an unplanned child, and so many women are aborting these babies! The blood of these babies is on the hands of this country! We will be held responsible as a country for all of the lives that have been taken through abortion. I pray that God pours out His Spirit soon and saves America from the judgement we will receive from abortion being legal in this country.
From: http://bound4life.com
The following are facts and statistics gathered from the most-cited sources regarding abortion. Ultimately, to know the truth is to know more than just the facts and numbers. Truth is a person, so it’s not an encounter with an idea that will adequately change us. It is an encounter with God that will bring true transformation. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Minds can be swayed by facts, but an encounter with the Lord changes both hearts and minds.
Click Here for these stats: http://bound4life.com/statistics
Run with Fire Ministries-Roy and Melanie Fields-Christian Outreach
“Revival is not free. It will cost you.” -Melanie Fields
Roy and Melanie Fields have been touring the world with their ministry, “Run With Fire Ministries” for 5 years bringing the Spirit of Revival and the Fire of God wherever they go. Roy and Melanie served, in 2008, at the Lakeland Revival aka the Lakeland Outpouring, Roy being the main worship leader.
Roy and Melanie have travelled the globe in countries like Scotland, South Africa, Australia, England, and North and South Ireland. Roy and Melanie live a life of faith, never knowing where they will be in a month, never knowing where the money will come from, but they know that God has sent them and he is ALWAYS faithful. They have never charged a set amount for coming and ministering at a church. They trust that if God sent them somewhere He will always provide the finances they need, and He always has come through. The Fields’ family lives out of their RV touring the country and ministering in churches nationwide.
In June 2010 they arrived at New Life Church in Canton, PA, a small town in a rural area. Roy and Melanie spent a couple of days at New Life with Roy leading worship and teaching and Melanie ministering to the people by Roy’s side. At the end of the 2 days they were in Canton, the Fields’ and the Pastors of New Life felt that God wasnt done yet and Roy and Melanie agreed to come back in August 2010 and stay for another week.
Roy and Melanie have been here at New Life Church in Canton, PA for 6 days now and we are seeing the Fire of God fall, young people surrendering their lives to God, people being healed, desperate, hungry people crying out for God and encounters with Christ. God is moving and the people are hungry! Roy leads worship from a heart that has encountered the Holy One and his heart is to impart the Fire of God into the people! Melanie lays hands on people to pray for healing from everything from physical to emotional. Their ministry has seen miraculous miracles happen before their eyes: cripples walking, deaf ears opening, cancer disappearing, people being healed from seizures and epilepsy. We have seen some of these same things happening here in Canton.
God is moving! On Tuesday night during worship the music stopped and the people began to cry out with one voice to God. Joy, Roy’s daughter, said to Melanie, “Even all the kids are shocked and stopped to watch”. Even the kids are being encountered and experiencing God in these meetings.
I spoke with Melanie a little about what Melanie thinks is going on in these meetings.
Her thoughts:
“The people love Roy’s personability. Hes very personable. The people are connecting with him. The people are open and receptive and are stepping out during worship specifically. Stepping out of comfort zones and trying something new whether its clapping or dancing in the Presence of the Lord. The people are open and ready for change. They are hungry to get their lives right. When the people leave they are free and it will flow into the community.” -Melanie Fields
God is doing a new thing in Canton, PA. God is encountering His people because they are hungry, desperate.
iPhone app used as a witnessing tool- Christian News
Tech News, Christian Tech, iPhone, witnessing, tool, Christian
Summary: I am amazed at how far technology has come in the last decade. Its so awesome that the Church can now use technology in our favor! Witnessing tools, Bibles, apps, etc all at our fingertips on our cell phones, ipads, laptops, etc.
From: http://www.freechristianpress.com
Faith Comes By Hearing , a non-profit Audio Bible organization, recently released this free Bible app to the App Store.
The Bible.is for iPhone app’s major features include:
- Listening and reading together
- Dramatized audio with 180 characters, music and sound effects
- Audio New Testaments with full text in 37 languages in 63 versions
- Simple verse sharing on Facebook
- Complete Bible in English (Old and New Testaments)
“There are many free Bible apps out there, but this is the first that allows you to read and listen to your favorite Scripture together,” said Troy Carl, Faith Comes By Hearing’s national director. “You can also bookmark, highlight, and add notes to verses just like in a print Bible.”
More Young Adults going into Ministry-Church News
Young Adults-Ministry-Leaders-Church New-Christian News
Summary: God is definately raising up a generation of Young Leaders. He is training young adults to go into full time ministry like Paul, John the Baptist, the Disciples, etc. He is looking for forerunners, people who will prepare the way of Christ’s 2nd Return! Young Adults nationwide are stepping up to respond to the call of God on their lives, leaving all else behind to do the work of the Lord!
From: http://www.urbanchristiannews.com
For the past 10 years, the estimated median age of candidates for master of divinity degrees has fallen steadily, from 34.14 in 1999 to 32.19 in 2009, according to an analysis by the Center for the Study of Theological Education (CSTE) at Auburn Seminary. That marks a reversal: From 1989 to 1999, the estimated median age had climbed steadily from 31.4 to 34.14.
Denominations hail this new pattern as a positive sign now, as churches increasingly depend on aging leaders and struggle to attract parishioners under age 30.
“A pastor usually attracts persons 10 years above and below their own age range,” says Gail Ford Smith, director of the Center for Clergy Excellence at the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. “If you have a 27-year-old starting a new worship service, they’re going to attract people ages (17) to 37. That really does appeal to us if we’re trying to reach mission fields of those who’ve not yet been connected to God through Jesus Christ.”
Christian men get disorderly conduct accusation for praying while standing still-Christian News
Christian News-Christian Persecution- Abortion Clinic
Summary: America, welcome to 2010. A man can stand still and pray and be rapped with “Disorderly Conduct”? What did he even do that was diosorderly? Americans need to read the Constitution before they go around hauling Christians out for stupid things and tagging them with labels that dont even make sense. Just sayin.
From: http://www.wnd.com
Two Chicago-area men have been accused of “disorderly conduct” for standing on a public sidewalk outside an influential abortion business and praying, and the move appears to be a deliberate attempt by officials to intimidate Christians, according to a law firm.
“This arrest was about one thing: trying to scare pro-life people away from Planned Parenthood,” said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society.
Finding God through Trials- How a Death Brought People to Christ- Christian News- Outreach
Shannon Lynn Mckenzie, Christ, Christian News, Christian Outreach
This past week the Freedomist Staff took a blow when a close friend and former employee was killed on impact in a tragic car accident on July 14, 2010. Shannon Keith McKenzie was only 25, she was a dear friend, sister, daughter, mother and wife.
This past week has been very hard for her family and friends. Her mother, Jean, and her sister, Sierra, said that they would miss Shannon immensely but said that their prayer was that others would be drawn unto Christ and receive Salvation through this tradgedy. Throughout the weekend Sierra, Jean and I would sit around and talk about Shannon, remembering her life. I was constantly being amazed at how strong and peaceful Jean and Sierra were being. They told me they were just so at peace because they knew Shannon was in heaven and was happier there than she had even imagined being on earth.
The night Shannon passed her brother-in-law Jose had a dream about her, confirming to them that Shannon was happy in Heaven. 2 days later a close friend of Sierra’s (Jessica), had a dream about Shannon as well confirming once again that Shannon was happy in Heaven. Jessica was not a Christian but gave her life to Christ the very next day. We rejoiced in welcoming a new sister into the Kingdom that day through Shannon’s death.
The day of the funeral, Tuesday, July 20, 2010, I was singing “I can only Imagine” and “Revelation Song” with Shannon’s cousin Jericho. As I walked in that morning I felt such peace and comfort for such a hard day that was just beginning. My heart felt so sad, for the millionth time that weekend, but I felt the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t be sad. Its all ok.” As I watched the crowd of mourning friends and family I saw such a mix of emotion: sadness, anger, peace, regret, anguish. There in the front row was Shannon’s family giving glory to God and worshipping Him at their daughter/sisters funeral! I was blown away by this. I was playing and singing “Revelation Song” and Jean and Sierra stood to their feet and began to worship God and give Him all the glory. They had broken hearts but they still stood and praised God.
I learned through Shannon’s death that God really is in control, that He is still on the Throne and He is still worthy to be Praised! It is through our sadness and trials that we should cling to Him and worship Him all the more!
Cell Phone apps becoming useful as Christian Study Tools-Christian Tech
Blackberry-Droid-Apps-Tech News-Christian Tech News
From: http://www.kansascity.com
There was a time when Werle carried her leather-bound and dog-eared Bible everywhere she went, scribbling in the margins as she read. These days she accesses the Word and makes her notes on her iPod Touch.
“It’s nice to have a portable and easily accessible copy with you when you’re out and about,” said Werle, who attends the non-denominational New Day Church in Greendale, Wis. “You never know when you might get into a discussion with a friend about what it does or doesn’t say, or run into someone who has questions.”
Werle is among the millions who have turned to hand held technology to further their faith and spirituality. Software developers have obliged, creating hundreds of applications for smart phones and other mobile devices that do everything from translating ancient texts to alerting a user when it’s time to pray.
Social Media being used in Ministry-Christian News
Social Media, Social Networking, Blog, Video
The Church has come a long way in the last 100 years. We’ve gone from meeting in homes and small, quaint church structures to having the capabilities of building megachurches and meeting in huge, beautiful churches. We used to read the words to our worship songs out of hymnals, now we can see them projected on a screen or wall. We used to hear about church functions from mouth to mouth but now we have the internet, social networking, advertising, etc.
In 2010 the Church has nearly endless ways to use technology to its advantage. The Church has an opportunity to use technology in Church and outside of Church, heres how:
1. YouTube
YouTube is used by many churches during services. It is used to show media clips, promote church events (thru video), show promos for Conferences and other church events.
2. Twitter
Twitter is a great resource for churches to use during church, before and after church and through the week. During church alot of people are tweeting out excerpts from the Pastors sermon, clips from the service, etc. Its really great when the Pastor and the Church have twitter accounts so you can reference them during the service. “I am at @ChurchName and @PastorSoandSo is teaching on Agape Love.”
People are using twitter during service and some people find that offensive, personally I think its great. Get the good news out to your twitter followers, give them something worth retweeting, or starting a discussion on the subject matter.
Twitter is also a great tool for church leaders, and pastors to keep Church members updated on whats going on. Here is an example, “@PastorSoandSo Had an awesome meeting with the Elders. We know God is moving and are excited for what He wants to do thru @ChurchName.” Or say Worship Team practice is getting moved back an hour and you dont have time to call everyone you could tweet it out, “Worship Practice @ChurchName has been moved to 6:30! RT!”
Twitter can be used to keep church members and the leadership in contact throughout the week. Updates on life, events, location, etc. can be tweeted out and invites for others to join! The leadership team being relational with the members is awesome!
3. Facebook
Facebook is a great tool to use to have a “Page” for the Church where you can post events, Church stuff, etc. Keep Church members up to date with church activities and a place to connect as a Church online throughout the week.
Facebook also has an app where you can put Events up and invite people to attend! Great tool for reminding people of events and getting the Word out about concerts, guest speakers, etc.
Facebook is also just a great tool to connect with and “Friend” the people in the Church and keep up to date on your congregation.
4. Blogging
Blogging is great because it gives the church a place to keep the members up to date on what God is speaking to the leaders, what is new and up and coming with the church, and a weekly or bi-weekly blog as a note from the Pastor would be awesome!
Blogging is also great to have as a place to post sermon notes, words of encouragement for the congregation, etc.
I recommend WordPress over any other Blog site ive tried out.
So, here are some useful tips on using Social Media in Ministry!
Leave comments and let us know what you think!
Bound4Life against Abortion-Christian News
Pro-Life, Abortion, Bound4Life, Life
Summary: Bound4Life is an organization that is all about LIFE! Support them in their mission against abortion! http://bound4life.com/about-us
Follow them on twitter: twitter.com/Bound4LIFE
From: http://bound4life.com
One of our nurses got a call this week from a fifteen year old girl who was pregnant and seeking a free ultrasound. She was planning to abort and needed an ultrasound to date her pregnancy. (Most abortion clinics don’t give free ultrasounds and they are required for an abortion.) As our nurse was speaking to this girl she could hear the mother yelling in the background such things as, “All we need is an ultrasound!” and “We don’t need anything else from you!”
As our nurse spoke more to the young girl she discovered that the mother was pressuring her to abort. This young girl was asking about many abortion procedures including RU-486. Our nurse on staff shared the dangers of RU-486 and invited her to come and get a free ultrasound at our center.
The next morning the girl came in with her mother and had an ultrasound. During the ultrasound the mother, who was so persistent on the phone about her daughter getting an abortion, started crying. After the ultrasound, the mother said how grateful she was to have “seen the baby” and that she was “given a choice to change her mind about the abortion.”
Presbyterian Church not sure how to treat Homosexuals-Christian News
Christian News-Homosexuals-Presbyterian Church
From: http://www.google.com
U.S. Presbyterians continue to be divided over how to treat gay and lesbian Christians.
The church’s leaders have approved a more liberal policy on gay clergy but decided not to redefine marriage in their church constitution to include same-sex couples.
Approval of both measures could have made the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) one of the most gay-friendly major Christian churches in the nation.
Summary: All I can really say is this, the solution is simple. Read your Bible and you will see that this shouldnt even be a discussion. If you claim to be a Christian Church then read your Word and you will know. You have to love the people but not accept their lifestyle. Also, you definately shouldn’t be putting gays/lesbians in church leadership. Read Titus for more on that.