Real Leadership

Civil war in Africa. This simple four word phrase seems to sum up the perception of most outsiders throughout the world when asked about the state of affairs on the African continent, the birth place of mankind. In the last 40 years twenty countries, or almost 50 percent of all nations south of the Sahara, have experienced at least one period of civil war. This state of affairs has stereotyped Africa as a doomed continent rife with ethnic and tribal conflict.
Though many attribute the source of these various conflicts to ethnic and tribal differences, researchers at The World Bank concluded, after a careful study, that failure at both a political and economic level are at the root cause of most civil conflicts. Ibrahim Elbadaur and Nicholas Sambanis wrote that political and economic development can effectively reduce or eradicate political violence in Africa.
Enter Gabon, which seems to be at the eye of this tumultuous African storm. Gabon is one of the few countries in Central Africa that has never -- since its independence from France -- been affected by an armed conflict. Gabon, an oil-rich Central African nation, with a population of 1,300,000 and a geographic area of 26,700 square kilometers, is considered one of the most stable in the region.
For almost 40 years, El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba has served as President of the West African coastal country of Gabon. Under his leadership, Gabon has become one of Africa's wealthiest and more prosperous countries fueled in part by the discovery of oil. According to the World Fact Book, Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa.
Critics attribute much of Bongo's success to his strong arming of the political system and his use of patronage throughout his own political party. It is hard to argue with his success however in keeping Gabon out of armed conflict with rival factions within the country.
Bongo rose quickly within the leadership structure of Gabon. He entered civil service in 1958, was promoted to Minister of Information and Tourism in 1966, and was named Vice-President in 1967. He took over the office of President a year later at the age of 32 after Leon M'ba, the country's first president, became ill and died suddenly.
Despite the troubles in the headlines of papers throughout the world concerning Gabon's neighbors like Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Zaire, Gabon has been a rock of stability. Although the country was initially constituted around a one party system in the early 60's, Bongo prodded the country to a multiparty democracy by 1990. Although it would have served him to maintain the single party system, Bongo legalized opposition parties at that time and Gabon has been a model for the rest of Africa since. Many have attributed the success story of Gabon's unprecedented peace, stability and economic status to Bongo's experience and leadership.
In the upcoming elections, in 2005, there has been some controversy about the nature of the election process itself. The opposition, headed by a former ally of President Bongo, Zacharie Myboto, has been critical of the two day election process. He points out that the military will be voting first, alluding to the fact that this could somehow sway the general electorate. However, the mere fact that the opposition can speak out against Bongo, without fear of recrimination, is a testament to budding democracy that is forming in Gabon under President Bongo's political leadership. Bongo is quick to remind his detractors that it has taken the U.S. over two centuries to develop a legitimate election process. He also points out that many Americans still have concerns over the fairness of both statewide and national elections.
President Bongo has not solely focused all his efforts on political change. He has also been a true early adopter where the rights of women in his own country are concerned. Due to the actions of Gabon's President real social reforms have occurred focused on equal opportunity for women. Bongo institutionalized the observance of women's rights and parity. He instituted compulsory schooling of all girls age 6 to 16 years. He created a Ministry for the Family, child welfare and promotion of the woman, and the protection of widows and the orphans. "Where the men have failed the women must succeed", stated Bongo on many occasions.
The President of Gabon has also been credited for his efforts to restore peace and stability throughout Central Africa, in particular the Republic of the Congo, Chad, the Central African Republic and Sao Tome and Principe. In October 2001, the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, serving as mediator in the political and ethnic crisis of Burundi, entrusted Bongo with the mission to pursue negotiations with the armed movements of Burundi. Mr. Mandela has great respect and appreciation for President Bongo as Bongo was one of the few who supported him financially during his exile.
Recently Bongo, co-chaired the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, alongside Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, which was held in September, 2005. Bongo opened the event with an appeal for worldwide action to prevent conflict and genocide. Bongo also focused his efforts on the plight of Africa, seeking more support for the promotion of human rights and conflict resolution. The 38 year president of Gabon, echoed the sentiment of Sweden's Prime Minister, calling on the Summit to �act together to give our future generations a better world.�
The leader of Gabon has always had a strong interest in the welfare of those of African decent who now reside in the United States. Bongo, though a practicing Muslim, sought the assistance of Rodney Sampson CEO of The Intellect Group and founder of the World Christian Times , to develop a presence in the US whereby the Gabonese President could effect change in the lives of many Americans. The Living Legacy Foundation, a US non-profit organization based out of Atlanta and chaired by Bongo, has now been launched to train and raise up one million young leaders in the US, Africa and around the world.
The announcement of the organization has received broad support from a number of world leaders in politics, faith and business, including Bishop Mike Jocktane of France and Gabon and Bishop Carlton Pearson of the US. �After I was approached by President Bongo's senior advisor Bishop Mike Jocktane, about representing and advising the President in North America and Gabon, my firm conducted extensive due diligence on both President Bongo and his country.�, states Sampson. �Simply put, Bongo gets things done and facilitates real change. This global leader doesn't just talk a good game, he delivers - locally and abroad. That is refreshing when talking about any head of state�.
Living Legacy will target the pop and hip hop culture within the US. �We will accomplish our goals and objectives through a number of high profile international events, �train the trainer� training techniques, organizational partnership and strategic outreach,� said Rodney Sampson. �Our first major event, Leadership 2006, will be held next year in Atlanta.�
In direct contrast to how President Bongo's political opposition in the upcoming election portrays him, Bongo's inaugural event for the Living Legacy Foundation, LEADERSHIP 2006 is a major highly progressive global leadership event bringing together prominent leaders in business, politics, religion and government from all faiths, creeds and disciplines. Some dignitaries, celebrities and other prominent figures that have been invited to participate are: Former South African President Nelson Mandela; former US President Bill Clinton; Reverend Jessie Jackson; The Honorable Minister Lewis Farrakhan; Rick Warren; John Maxwell; actor Chris Tucker; Bono; and Kanye West. This divergent group will converge in Atlanta to exchange, contribute and plan the execution of real ongoing activities for cultivating tomorrow's leadership.
Despite criticism from his opponents, it seems that President Bongo's growing legacy is one of �stable change for the better�. It is not always the loudest in the group that gets the most done. Sometimes the person who has been around the longest is the one who can get results in the real world. That about sums up Gabon and the leader of this Island of Tranquility, Omar Bongo.
Bruce Prokopets
Executive Editor
Press Direct International

Help Your Bunny Survive the Cold

Winter is now approaching and so the issue of cold weather is on many peoples minds. Bunnies handle the severe cold much better than they handle the severe heat. There are two basic issues you must be concerned about during the winter months.
First, make sure your bunny has water available. During the winter months we go with crocks instead of water bottles for all of our outside rabbits. The tube of the water bottle freezes much too quickly. We then check the water three times a day to make sure the water is not frozen. If your bunny does not have enough water, it will not eat enough food to keep it warm.
The second thing to consider is shelter from the wind, rain and snow. A wet rabbit cannot maintain the correct body temperature, and this is further compounded by the wind. Yes, wind chill factors make the rabbit feel even colder than the actual temperature. It is important not to completely block ventilation in barns and sheds. Ventilation in your rabbitry is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. Insulating a barn for the winter will help keep the barn a little warmer. A balance between shelter and ventilation is important.
There are several other things you can do for your rabbits to keep them safe during the winter. We always give extra straw or timothy hay to our bunnies in the winter. This allows them to snuggle into the hay should the temperatures get really cold. Additionally, you can place nest boxes in all of your cages, as an extra place for the rabbits to snuggle into. This would be similar to a wild rabbit going into its den during extreme cold.
Breeding through the winter can present a problem. Baby bunnies are born without fur. The mother compensates for this by pulling her fur and covering the babies. There are a couple of options available to winter breeders. Using a heat lamp, will give the additional warmth a baby may need to survive. Also, the nestbox could also be brought inside the house for the first two weeks. Of course the nestbox would need to go out to the doe once or twice a day so that she can feed her kits. After a couple of weeks they have enough fur to survive the cold temperatures, and will often huddle together or nestle up to the doe to stay warm.
Heaters can be used to keep buildings warm. Keep in mind the extra cost of doing so. Often these are more for our comfort than for the rabbits. The nice thing about a heater is that water crocks won�t freeze as quickly, and the barn is a little warmer when you go out to care for the rabbits.
Rabbits can survive the cold. Your diligence in making sure they have fresh water, greatly increase their comfort level and chances of survival.

The Sovereignty Of God And The Gospel

What does the recent tsunami, the terrorist attacks on 9/11, The Holocaust, the Great Depression, the sinking of Titanic, the rise and fall of the great Roman Empire, and the execution of Jesus all have in common? The God of the Bible is ultimately responsible for all seven events in history!
There is a powerful yet obscure verse in the Bible that I believe heralds this the loudest. The Old Testament book of Isaiah reads, "That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:6, 7). In other words, the God of the Bible controls all things at all times.
If you have been blessed in life, those blessings have ultimately come from this God. If you have experienced suffering or have been beset by tragedy, this too, ultimately came from the hand of the same God. The Creator of the universe is sovereign over His universe; otherwise He is no God at all. God makes no apologizes for how He governs the world, nor does He seek counsel as to how to rule it. He is God. He is the independent, self-existent, and self-sufficient One.
One of the age old questions that skeptics demand answered is, "If God is all-powerful and all-loving why does He allow suffering and evil in the world?" That is a legitimate question if the ones asking it desire to know the Biblical truth behind it. Though that question cannot be adequately addressed for lack of space, the Bible does address it. In short, the God of the Bible wants you to know that though He is sovereign and has predestined all things, whether good or bad, to accomplish His eternal purposes, He is also a God of divine and perfect love.
Do you need biblical proof of that? The Apostle John stated two thousand years ago that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). How did God give His Son? God "gave" His Son over to wicked men to be crucified in order that sinners like you and I can be reconciled to the very God we have offended by our lawlessness against Him.
Who ultimately killed Jesus? The same sovereign God did! In the same book of Isaiah, less than ten chapters from the first text we read, and centuries before Christ came to earth, we read of Jesus the Messiah, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed...And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...Yet it pleased God to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief" (Isaiah 53).
The tragedies mentioned above are but a few reminders that mankind cannot control his or her destiny. God does. And though calamity is often included in His plan, He has also decreed love to be found only in Christ Jesus. And He demonstrated His love in the crucifixion of His Son.

God Does Not Believe In Atheists

Dear Atheist: When was the last time you seriously considered the diversity of nature? Have you ever questioned the instruction you received in the classroom concerning the world you live in? If you are truly open-minded perhaps you will consider the following questions.
Does evolution have direct answers to the following elementary questions: How does a big bang explain the innumerable amount of species of living things? Why is there sound and taste? And how did they evolve? Why do some creatures fly, while others swim, and some slither? Why do some creatures have two legs, while others have four and some eight? Why are some species predators while others are prey? Why do some creatures hibernate year after year while others must continue in motion to survive? Why do birds build nests, beavers construct dams, and spiders spin webs? Why are there millions of galaxies and trillions of stars? Why are there springs, rivers, and oceans? Why are there four seasons? Why does sand gather along the coastal shores and in the midst of deserts? Why do birds sing, wolves howl, and cats meow? Why is the world so colorful? Why are there a multitude of foreign languages? Why is the human brain more complex than the most powerful computer? Why do Humans have a conscience while animals have basic instincts? Why does nature possess certain natural laws while humans form laws to govern society? How did all these things come to be and why?
Can evolution adequately explain how colors evolved? How does evolution justify which birds fly, which swim, and which migrate? How does evolution account for so many species of sharks? Why could they not all be great whites? Why are there so many different shapes, sizes, and colors of flowers? Why not all evolve into red roses? Why is there big, small, short, and tall? How does evolution address the complex issue of DNA? How does the theory explain why there are no two fingerprints alike or two snowflakes that are identical?
If evolution is scientific, why does the theory suffer constant inconsistency and contradiction within evolutionary circles? And why do we teach a theory as if it is indeed a fact? Speculation, not science, is at the root of evolution. For science to be science it must be repeatable and observable. And since NO ONE has EVER observed a whale evolve into a cow, a cat into a dog, or a monkey into a man, we have nothing? The evolutionary process we long to embrace, by the very definition of science, is not scientific at all.
So why do the masses believe in and propagate an insane idea called evolution? Is it because you refuse to believe in the obvious alternative, a Creator? And not just any Creator, but a holy One, of which we are all accountable to and will someday face.
What is the one thing that God and mankind have in common? Sin, of course. God hates sin and we love it. God gave laws forbidding it and man boasts that laws are meant to be broken. We refuse to be accountable to this God for our transgressions against Him. So what did we do? We exchanged the truth of God for the lie of evolution. Now we can have our cake and eat it too. No longer shall we give an account to the God of the Bible...so it seems. But are you willing to stake your soul on that? The Bible says, "It is appointed for man to die once, and then the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
Indeed, Charles Darwin and Carl Sagan now know there is a God! And like them, you too will stand before your Creator to give an account for your offenses against Him. There is, however, a wise alternative. The very God that spoke the universe into existence became a man, was crucified, and raised from the dead. He bids you to come. Will you not do the obvious and turn from your sin and follow the Lord Jesus Christ while you have life? Your faith in an evolutionary theory that allows your sin will bring you right to the throne of God one day. He, Jesus, will either be your Savior, or your Judge.
God does not believe in atheists!

Change

Some may ask, why do people have to change? Change is a natural occurrence in all of life. There are four season changes. The weather shifts from the blistering cold to a sweltering summer. In our flesh, we transition from babies to toddlers to adults to the elderly. Change can be positive, helping our relationships become more healthy. Or change can decompose those relationships over a period of time while we look the other way. Let�s look at Isaiah 42:
8I am the LORD, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.�
Isaiah 42:8 & 9
It tells us that nothing in life remains constant. It is either growing, or dying. If a relationship is not being enhanced, encouraged and developed, it may maintain for a short period , but it will eventually deteriorate.
There can be no excuse for being overtaken by change. The old saying, �Things just changed,� is not a valid reason. Change within a relationship is never a sudden occurrence. A relationship breakup does not just happen without there being a deterioration of some kind first. This could be a lack of trust, lack of affection or no communication.
This is also the same for a positive future. It just doesn�t happen by itself. It has to be worked at. Proverbs 20:4 says �A lazy man will not plough in the winter and will beg during the harvest.� For positive change to occur hard work needs to be put into a relationship. This work is hard mentally, physically, emotionally and also spiritually.
When we are faced with difficulty in change, this can be traced back to fear. It could be a fear of failure, a fear of a lack of appreciation or any other fear. When we are faced with these fears, our natural reaction is to begin to place the blame upon others. We may even try to run away and hide so we don�t have to face the change that has occurred in out life.
�Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.
The way we can begin to face those fears and reconcile ourselves with change is to understand it begins with little steps. Everyday we can learn something small. Every day a procurable goal can be set for yourself. For example, don�t aim toward being a famous guitarist next week. First make an appointment for guitar lessons. Taking one step at a time, goals become achievable.
When we sit back in our stagnant relationships, remember just because it�s comfortable now doesn�t mean it doesn�t need work. That relationship could be slowly fading. Consistent effort and change is a positive thing. Just remember to everyday take those small steps toward a positive change.
Ps. Brent Campbell

Life Outside of You

One of the most attractive things about someone is their ability to live outside of themselves. Think about it: We are drawn by those unusual people who give all the money that they win to charity, we are emboldened by the single parent who is literally killing herself with three jobs to give a life to her son that will benefit him. We are riveted by people who risk their lives every day to save the one trapped in a dangerous situation.
It�s as if the image of God suddenly becomes more than a shadow of the things to come, but the very essence of a person as they look to benefit others instead of availing themselves.
I know a single woman who desperately wants to be married more than anything. However, her biggest stumbling block is that she is a �taker� and not a �giver�. Despite many potential relationships with pretty eligible guys, the relationships end far from the dreams she dreamed.
Getting a date is not the primary goal. Giving your life in as many ways as you can is what fuels us to the finish line. Living a life sold out to Jesus and showing that in hands-on practical ways is the most attractive thing to any other person seeking to do the same.
It�s being utterly concerned with the lost person you work with to the point of taking the plunge of being involved in their lives. It�s changing the diapers in nursery because your forward thinking puts you in those weary parents shoes some day and it�s your privilege to give them a much-needed break. It�s being the most faithful renter your landlord has ever seen.
If this quality characteristic is the most sought after part of who you are, getting dates and keeping them will be the least that you will reap. You will find yourself walking in the footsteps of the One who knew what it was like to touch a leper, heal the broken and befriend the lonely.
There were a lot of people who found that man attractive. They will see Him in you and find it attractive as well. Single. Dating. Married. All of the above. Start giving, not taking. See where it gets you.

Will the Atlantic Times address the German threat?

Congratulations to The Atlantic Times on its first-anniversary issue! As reported by "This week in Germany," the English-language paper was launched "to stop the drifting apart of Europe and America, and especially Germany and America … and to build on common ground while learning to live with our differences," said the paper's executive editor, the renowned journalist Theo Sommer...the paper has featured scores of articles by prominent leaders and experienced journalists from both sides of the Atlantic..."Our basic message, in print and online, has been, and will be: We are still friends, and we must remain friends," said Sommer. "So let us not confront each other with swollen necks, but let us reason together."
Noble aims that are praiseworthy indeed! Mr. Theo Sommer is definitely to be commended for his efforts. However, based upon the stark testimony of the two witnesses of history and the Bible, Germany and the United States are going to continue to have some very serious disagreements that will ultimately destroy our friendship, alienate our countries and find Germany leading the European Union in a blitzkrieg nuclear attack against the United States!
Before that horrifying "Time of Jacob's Trouble," "the Great Tribulation," the British-Israelites will trust the Assyrian-Germans with their security! Our Anglo-Saxon fools will increasingly rely on blind alliances with Germany and Europe that will be broken to pieces like so much shattered crystal!
Hosea 7:11
Ephraim (Anglo-Saxons) also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria (Germany).
Herbert W. Armstrong, chancellor of Ambassador College and founder of the Worldwide Church of God and editor-in-chief of The Plain Truth magazine and broadcaster of The World Tomorrow radio and television program, warned the world for years that a European combine, driven by Germany, would thresh the nations! He dared to make such bold proclamations when Germany was in rubble after WWII and divided!
Germany is destined to lead the European Union against the American, British and Jewish peoples, a divine instrument to punish us for our intolerable sins that rise up against Heaven (not that they're sinless):
Isaiah 10:5-8
5 Woe to Assyria (Germany), the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation (the Anglo-Saxons and Jews),
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
It is not in Germany's mind today, or its present peaceful people, to wage war against us, but that will all change overnight, after a head-on collision with the Islamic leader of a confederation of Muslim states, their mahdi, whetting Europe's appetite for more blood and morphing the EU into THE BEAST. They will destroy all Muslim opposition with a vengeance!
Whereas most Germans are not aware of vile intentions of influential Germans under Jesuit influence to revive the unholy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the Fourth Reich, to embark on a new crusade into the Middle East, Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall bares their grand design before the world!
The Atlantic Times, regardless of whether or not they believe any of this prophetic scenario possible, owes it to their readers to address this issue that is most serious to a growing number of Bible-believing Christians and many Jews. Can we trust them to deliver?

Learning to Trust Again

God has made full provision for healing the pain of past so you can trust again.
� He heals the brokenhearted and bindeth up their wounds. � Psalms 147:3
Have you ever trusted someone to love you that did not know how to love? Or have you ever loved someone that did not know how to receive your love? In both cases you will experience rejection. This type of rejection is very painful especially when it comes from someone whom you really trust. The pain from being hurt by someone you trust is much greater than being hurt by a casual friend. It takes years to build trust, but it only takes a moment of rejection to tear down trust. This is because when you trust someone, you open your heart up to them. When they reject you, the natural tendency is to close your heart to them in order to avoid being hurt again. The pain that comes from rejection creates a big wound that must be healed in order to be able to trust that person again.
Jesus made complete provision for our physical and emotional healing. But many people are stuck, �locked in time� desperately needing to be set free from the pain of the past. One way many people try to get rid of pain is to just forget what happened and forget about the person who hurt them. You can tear that person out of your address book and for a while you will be able to forget what happened but if healing did not occur the pain is still there. The pain that lingers from the past keeps you tied to the past. Isaiah, the prophet, said in Isaiah 1:4-6 that those people who have not been healed will go backwards. Like taking one step forward and then two steps backward, you aren�t getting anywhere.
Another way many people deal with pain is to run from it or pretend it really isn�t there. Pain is like a shadow you look around and it is still there no matter how fast you run. That is why so many people are walking around with the shadow of the past still on them. Pain must be faced and dealt with in order for it to be put away. Instead of running from pain, stop, turn around and face it. Pain must be faced to be healed. You may be one who has received some healing, but the pain still remains. Jeremiah 6:14 also says that when a person has only been healed slightly, they say peace, peace, but when there is no peace. The amount of peace you are having can be a good indicator of how much healing you have received. Once you are healed and the pain is gone you will be ale to hold your heart open again and trust. Healing produces trust in you. If the person that hurt you has proven over and over to not be trustworthy, suggest they also receive healing. Healing produces trustworthiness in them. Then wait on the Lord to give you peace.
The following steps can be taken to work through healing. These steps will need to be repeated out loud or written down several times during the healing process. You will experience the peace of the Lord as you go through this process. Now is the time for healing!
1. Step one for healing is to face it.
Who hurt you? _________
Who left you? __________
Who did not receive you? __________
Who refused to love you? ___________
2. Step two for healing is to face what you lost.
Did you loose a good friend?
Did you loose a husband?
Did you loose a wife?
Fill in the blank, I lost _________.
3. Step three for healing is to accept that the thing you lost is gone.
Make a list and write down all that you have lost.
I accept the fact that ____________is gone.
4. Step four for healing is to acknowledge to the Lord that you have been hurt and angry.
Lord, I have been angry at __________ for ___________.
I ask you to forgive me, and cleanse my heart of this anger.
5. Step five for healing is to release what you have lost.
Lord, I ask for your help to be set free from this pain. Lord by myself I can not accept the losses. I ask for your help to accept what I have lost. I accept the reality that _________ is gone; and I release (person or thing).
6. Step six for healing is to forgive the person.
Lord, I choose to forgive __________ for hurting me. They owe me nothing.
7. Step seven for healing.
My hope is in You, Lord. I know You are the one that gives life. Not the person or the things I have lost.
8. Step eight for healing is to choose life.
Lord, I choose Life; help me to continue looking forward towards the life you have given me.

5 Ways to Spruce Up Your Prayer Life!

Ok, a quick show of hands of �good Christian folk� who have nodded off while praying. Come on get those hands up! Well, I�m guilty too and as a youth volunteer, this can be your demise unless you can make some aspects of being a Christian exciting. Here are 5 techniques that I�ve used to get youth focused and excited about talking to God.
1. Prayer is an ACTION! This is a good way to give some structure to a prayer if someone feels intimidated or unsure of what to say to God.
�A� stands for adoration. Think about when you were a teen and you needed money from your parents. You didn�t just go up to them and say, �Hey, can I have some money?� NO! You �butter them up� a little first and brag on what a great parent they are. God wants that same kind of attention. I like opening prayers by establishing our relationship. God is first and great and mighty, so spend the first few moments lifting Him up.
�C� is for confession. Let�s go back to the money analogy from above. After you praise your parents, then you would often interject something like this, �I know I didn�t keep my room very clean this week, but I promise I will do better.� God wants to hear what you have been doing wrong and what you will do about it. Sure he already knows what you are doing, but it�s all about your recognition and what you are going to do about it.
�T� stands for thanksgiving. Offer some thanks for your health, friends, family, freedoms, mentors, luxuries, etc.
�I� is for invitation. Invite God into your life. This is the time to ask God to help you with that �big thing� that might have been the whole reason you decided to pray in the first place. But take it one step further. Invite Him to not only help you with whatever you are praying about, but to be your friend, guide, and savior.
�O� represents other�s needs. Now it�s time to think of all those special people in your lives and offer up some good thoughts about them. I think �other�s� could also mean places, events, or other things.
�N� is for next step. This is the most forgotten part of any prayer. We ask God to do this and that, but we never wait to just listen for a response. We need to give God a chance to respond back, and it may not happen immediately. However, finishing a prayer with some quiet, thoughtless meditation gives God the chance to tug on your heart and tell you what to do next.
2. The CSI Prayer � Have you ever seen one of the 14 versions of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) on CBS? Well, I admit I don�t watch it regularly, but I do like this one type of scene that shows up in every show. Here�s what happens: two investigators walk into a room where a murder was just committed and one says to the other, �Hmm, Looks like a murder. I wonder who did it?� and at that time the camera zooms down to the floor to show a hair follicle left by the killer. The camera focuses you on the one piece of evidence they will need to solve the crime. Focus is the key to the CSI prayer.
Too often our prayers are too big and global. We want to always pray for world peace and the millions who are poverty stricken. Those prayers are great, but sometimes it's good to focus on the smallest detail of what�s really troubling you. I used my father�s forearm as an example with our youth group. My dad is a skin cancer survivor, but he has had multiple surgeries on his left forearm. He lives about 3 hours away, so for my CSI prayer, my mind zoomed across the miles and I could picture him sitting at the kitchen table and I was only focusing on his left forearm. Don�t be afraid to be too specific with your prayers.
3. Popcorn Prayer � Here�s a fun way to add some randomness to your prayer life. You may have several thoughts or concerns that you want to pray about, but your just not sure how to put them in order. Let chance be your friend. Write down on slips of paper 5 people you really care about (a different slip for each person), a couple of your favorite verses, maybe a favorite quote or saying, 2 or 3 big issues in your life, and anything else you want to pray about. Now take all of those slips and toss them into a hat or cup. Start your prayer and every few seconds pull out a slip. This is also a good technique to add to the �O� (other�s needs) part of tip #1 from above.
4. Make it funny � Whoever said that prayer always has to be serious has never worked with youth. It only takes one �gas release� or gurgly stomach to make the most serious moment a real laugher. Understand that you can be funny without being disrespectful. After all, God gave us humor and if you ask most people, it is the number one thing they look for in potential friends.
Humor also gives us an easy way to be true with ourselves. Have you ever noticed how crying and laughing are closely related to each other and they can often occur in the same setting? Often our short comings and problems that cause us sadness can be better coped with if we can laugh about them. The other day, I was driving down the road and praying (my most frequent praying time) and I just blurted out to God, �Wow, God, sometimes I really stink at my job!� I immediately laughed at my honesty with myself and it was a great stress reliever from my hard day.
My wife was raised Catholic and when we first started dating, she was amazed at how I made-up prayers. We laugh about it now, but there is a certain �improvisation� to praying that can be intimidating. Relax! It is ok to laugh when you pray.
5. Change your location � This is a no-brainer! If you always pray in the same place at the same time with the same words, then an easy way to spruce up your prayer life is to change your environment. Some of my most memorable prayer times have been outside taking in all of God�s great creation. In fact, maybe my most memorable was by a river in Tennessee.
Mountain TOP (Tennessee Outreach Project) is a special mission trip that our church does every year. One year, I had an opportunity to lead a prayer for about 30 youth and adults down by the river at one of our evening worship services. I told everyone that they would pray many times in their life with their eyes closed and heads bowed, but tonight was going to be different. I said to look at the stars above and to look out over the river and to look into the eyes of your neighbor while I prayed, because we wouldn�t be in this place together again. I received a letter a few weeks later from one of the youth talking about that prayer and I will cherish it forever.
Eye contact can have a huge impact on your prayer. Dr. Julian Aldridge was the minister at Myers Park United Methodist Church when we joined. He would occasionally give the benediction while he was walking down the aisle to the back of the church. He would make eye contact with a few congregants along the way and it always gave me chills. What a cool way to end a service!
And I hope this is a cool way to end my article! I hope you have enjoyed it and that these tips can have an impact on your relationship with God. Shoot me an email if you found it helpful.

Helping the Dying

I have had no experience with death and dying. My grandparents and a few other friends and relatives died in my lifetime but I was too young and not skillful enough to help them at the times of their deaths.
The content of this article has been sourced from the Tibetan book on Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. This is a modern classic and introduces the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in a way which can be applied in our modern, westernized world. The chapter titled Heart Advice on Helping the Dying is itself worth 50 times the cost of the book. To obtain your copy please click on the link above.
A dying person at the time of death is in such a situation that he or she is leaving behind all that he has clung to and been familiar with all his life. Wealth, fame, prestige, family, friends, power all is being left behind. Rinpoche asks us to put ourselves in the place of the person who is dying at the time of death. He asks us to imagine ourselves on an ocean-liner or a journey to the unknown. You have no choice in the matter, the ship is already on its way out and our friends and family are on the shore to wish us goodbye. What would we want from our friends who had come to see us off in that situation? Remember you can never come back and that you have no choice � you have to leave. With a little use of the imagination we will be in a better position to help the person at the time of death and dying.
Sogyal Rinpoche gives a lot of important advice. I have attempted to summarize some important points in this article. For more detailed help please read his book.
1.At the time of death and dying give the person room to express her feelings.
Allow her to express any and all her feelings. The dying person feels fear, panic, grief, rage, in different proportions. By allowing her to express those feelings by empathizing with them we can offer immeasurable help.
2.Give the suffering person permission to die.
Rinpoche speaks of persons whom he had met or heard of who were approaching death and were dying. But they were burdened by their responsibilities, by the fact that their family depended on them.
Sogyal Rinpoche says that many dying persons refused to let go and suffered many weeks of suffering and agony. By giving such a person permission to die his family would make his passage much easier.
3.Establish trust and open communication; be yourself. Your job is to behave naturally and let the person open up. Use humor skillfully in such situations. This will establish better communication.
4.Do not interrupt, deny or diminish the person�s feelings. At the time of death the dying person needs to feel and express his feelings. This is the way he can be free of them and meet his end peacefully.
5.Do not intrude your spiritual beliefs. Do not try to convert or impose your spiritual beliefs on the dying person at the time of death. It will not help. On the other hand if the dying person expresses a wish to learn about your beliefs, do not hold back.
6.At the time of death the dying person may make you the target of his grief and rage. This is not unexpected. The person who is dying is in the deepest crisis of his life. Don�t take it personally if he takes out his feelings on you.
7.Do not expect too much of yourself. This is only so much that you can do. In the ultimate analysis people will die as they have lived. Do not expect miracles.
8.Technique to help you empathize. Rinpoche says that dying persons long to be touched, long to be treated as living persons and not as diseased. A great deal of consolation can be given to the very ill simply by touching their hands, looking into their eyes, gently massaging them, holding them in your arms or breathing in the same rhythm gently with them.
Rinpoche also describes 2 techniques for feelings and expressing unconditional love towards the dying at the time of death. Very often, due to past issues and sufferings, we may have feelings of guilt and anger towards the dying at the time of death. Rinpoche says that if you try to put yourself in the place of the dying person you will have a better idea of what the person needs and feels. You will then be in a position to accept the dying person unconditionally.
For more articles on helping the dying at the time of death please sign up for my free newsletter at the Eastern Philosophy website.
Stay tuned for more articles in this continuing series.

Trusting the Unknown

What is your first reaction when you sense a change about to occur in your life? Do you panic, run through a list of things in your head that could go wrong or have in the past? Do you lose sleep, wonder how you will cope, and when the situation will sort itself out? Who will you go to for the answers?
All these very human responses probably crossed the minds of the disciples while traveling with Jesus as they initiated their ministries. There were no rules or guides for them, other than their faith in God and their belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah. How could their hearts not be troubled? Can you imagine coming home to your spouse to share the news? It probably would be exhilarating, at first, to be heading home after spending time with Jesus, feeling the joy of his message deep in your soul, knowing who you had met, and aligning your work with his. But then, you catch a glimpse of a Roman soldier in the distance, and a chill goes down your spine. What were you thinking? Your new-found friend and colleague, and all he stood for, could at least get you and your family booted from the Temple. Or knowing him could get you killed. Further down that road, months further, it would become very clear that Jesus would be killed, no matter how well the disciples maintained their hope, and their denial. No one challenged the structures of the Roman empire without fearing or facing retribution.
Jesus understood their fears, and frequently spoke directly to those fears. John recalls Jesus' words in the fourteenth chapter of his gospel: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me." Jesus loved and trusted the disciples, and encouraged them to take another step into trusting him by relying on their known relationship with God. It being easier to trust the messenger if you are acquainted with the One who sent him, Jesus opened a way for the disciples to be able to trust themselves and their faith more easily.
We have learned step by step about God, our faith and Jesus as well. What was the first lesson you learned about God? Perhaps it was simply that God loved you. Not a bad place to start, and, indeed, a solid foundation from which to work. Other lessons followed, lessons of faith, hope, grace and more of God's great love. The more you learned, the longer and more steady the bridge into the unknown became, so that when fears and doubts struck, as they are want to do, you could steady yourself, check you footing, and take another step forward.
The disciples had the great misfortune to have their faith missteps and fears documented for all time. We have somewhat more opportunity for privacy, and the luxury of learning from their raw courage. Anyone is courageous who walks by faith into the unknown.

Be a Member of the Church of Christ

After reading my previous posts filed under the Religion Category http://kawebspy.kawebspynet.com/category/society/religion/, readers are asking why should men need to become members of the Church of Christ to attain salvation. Although, the answer to this question is already answered by those posts but still they keep on asking this to me.
Now, let me tell you this. Please take note that this is not according to me. This is according to the Bible.
In Is. 59:2, it was written:
�It is because of your sins that he doesn�t hear you. It is your sins that separate you from God when you try to worship him.� (TEV)
Man was separated from God because of his sins. And because of this, man became the enemy of God, as written on Colosians 1:21:
�At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.� (ibid)
If we are enemies of God, do you think God will hear our prayers? I don�t think so. In other words, God will hear the prayers of those who are near Him and are not His enemies, isn�t it?
Is there any way that man can be brought near to God? Yes, of course. Apostle Paul said:
�But now, in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.� (Ephesians 2:13, NIV)
Through the blood of Christ man was brought near to God, by cleansing our sins (Hebrews 9:22,14). But not all men are cleansed by the blood of Christ� only the Church of Christ, according to Apostle Paul:
�Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.� (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)
Therefore, in order for a man to be cleansed by the blood of Christ, he should become a member first of the Church of Christ, because it is the only church among churches that was cleansed by the blood of Christ and was brought back near to God.

Church Growth

A weekly newsletter I receive regarding ministerial matters arrived via email right on schedule this morning. While its contents varies from issue to issue, I find it enriching to consider the topic presented and the comments emailed in by other readers. When I feel compelled to do so I also add my thoughts to the discussion.
The topic raised today concerned church growth in general and seeker-sensitive congregations specifically. Church growth was clearly defined as increasing the number of people attending worship services and programing opportunities. Seeker-sensitive congregations are those that employ innovative measures to make church growth happen, including music, language and social programming that is accessible to people who may never have been part of a church community before.
While the intent makes sense to me, there is something familiar and uncomfortable about the method. Perhaps it most closely resembles a clearance sale at Wal-Mart: they aren't really clearing everything out, but are hoping you will be interested enough to come in and peruse the full price merchandise. The term "false advertising" comes to mind. However we present our churches, we need to consider what we are really offering to people as the body of Christ. Who are we, as people of faith, showing ourselves to be as we place out the welcome mat to come love and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Sarah? More than anything, how do we perceive God as directing us to service in creating fellowships that exemplify God's word in action?
Blessed with three fine pastors growing up in the Midwestern United States, the words of one of these ministers came forward in my mind as I pondered these questions. While accepting an award a number of years ago, he summed up for the gathering before him part of what he had learned in forty years of ministry. First, we are to be about a servant leadership, not just as clergy, but as leaders in our faith. He was quick to point out that servant did not equate with slave, because service to God and God's community are a choice. One who serves gives of the gifts they have been given. While many more people talk of a service orientation today, my pastor spoke of living with purpose and faith throughout his ministry.
Second, he pointed out the necessity of recognizing how much community matters. Having moved among congregations as a parish minister, then a church administrator and finally as a bishop of the church, he saw that coming into a new congregation with the intent of shaking things up with no purpose was disrespectful to the relationships that had created the very fiber of the community. How congregational members interact with each other represents the historical and present faith of its being. That's an incredible resource for a new minister, and a new parishioner, if s/he recognizes the gift laid out before them. It isn't a matter of fitting in, but a matter of knowing you are the next piece of the ever expanding puzzle.
Third, and I think most importantly, what we do in the church must have a theological basis. While music, language and programming choices are crucial to ministering to people where they are at, the simple fact is that the church is not a social club, a baseball team or a part time restaurant. The church functions in these capacities at times, but we are not organized around the central theme of entertainment for all age groups. We are the church, a body specifically created to bind the faithful together in loving purpose and faithful praise of God who called us into being before the beginning of time. If we lose that sense of direction in our efforts at initial translation to those seeking faith as their journey, we have not served God, honored our community or lived by what we believe. If we translate faithfully, who and what we are will become clearly apparent, and the sojourners will know that they are home.
When we are talking about church growth it is not solely a numbers game. If all we are interested in doing is drawing in the masses to a well-orchestrated clearance sale, we will surely have a temporary surge of warm bodies and excitement. But that is all. Church growth is about more than numbers. It is about service, community and an embodied, articulated faith, nurtured and attended to, and shared with those who have questions, and who want to know more.

Straight talk about David and Jonathan

A little background information: I was engaged in a strong disagreement with a militant homosexual (not all homosexuals are militant) who was twisting (to his own destruction) the perfect example of pure male bonding between David and Jonathan. May the following debate offer some insight into that biblical account. I quote him and then respond:
Quote:
Look again at the story of David and Jonathan.
What you have here is clearly two gay men
Because you're perverted, you immediately see them as perverted like you. They represent the best in male bonding that is pure and without sin and without sex.
Quote:
who are described by the bible, itself, as having "entered into a covenant" under God, "between each other's seed,"
BIG CLUE right there! They both were heterosexual and were married and had children/seed, that Jonathan, knowing God had decreed for David to become king, hoped the best for his otherwise rival seed/descendants to be spared and dealt with as lovingly as David and Jonathan, continuing their proper love - NOT SEX!
Quote:
and against one of the young men's father's wishes, who cursed the other young man, saying his son chose him "to the confusion of his mother's nakedness."
Read it in context. As far as confused Saul was concerned, Jonathan was undermining his own family's dynasty for David's House. That's why it speaks of his mother's nakedness, NOT Jonathan or David's!
Quote:
Upon the death of one of them, the survivor exclaims that their love was so great, it "surpassed the love of women."
Go watch "My Fair Lady" and understand the question, "Why can't a woman be more like a man?" wasn't a homosexual question. Men, like women, have an understanding amongst ourselves that can transcend sexual love.
Quote:
That ain't platonic love.
That ain't two best friends.
That ain't heterosexual male behavior,
THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT!
You now know the plain truth and you can thank God and let it set you free from your delusions, your misunderstanding, or you can revert to your perverted traditional darkness and get worse. I encourage you to see it in this new and proper LIGHT and reject Satan's queer ideas about perfectly straight men.
For more information, click on "God and the Gays: What the Bible Really Says

Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)

I first met Elder Mordakhai Joseph in Jerusalem during my first Feast of Tabernacles in 1980. Later, when I attended Sukkot/Tabernacles again with the Worldwide Church of God in 1982 in Jerusalem, I stayed on as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan near Haifa for five more months. Right next door in Kiryat Ata was where our only member in Israel, Simcha Gombo lived with her deaf daughter, Michal.
During my initial search for Simcha's home on Hannah Senesh Street, I "just happened" to ask directions from a young Israeli reporter who helped me to find her place. Once there he started talking with her and revealed he was a reporter and wanted to write an article about her, since he found our beliefs fascinating, since sitting and listening to us talk. He was graciously waiting to help me find my way back to the kibbutz. She told him to write about me.
Ilan Itzhayek wrote a full length article that was published in the entire Galilee region. It was about my former drug addiction, wandering in different religions looking for the truth, and how by a series of miracles God brought me into the Worldwide Church of God, mentioning some of our beliefs about Europe, and how we considered Herbert W. Armstrong in the spirit of Elijah. I was later interviewed by the local high school principal and Bible teacher about our beliefs, especially why we keep the Jewish holy days and believe we are Israel.
That same article was posted at the kibbutz in the communal dining room for all to see and read and led to an invitation for me to speak against drugs. I resisted, feeling most people have to learn for themselves, but when Ofrah, the volunteer leader, persisted saying perhaps it could help someone, I relented on the condition I could give God the glory and mention Him as the reason for my deliverance. She agreed and I spoke to over twenty young people from all over the world and mentioned how we're all missing something and try to fill it with this and that and only God and His Holy Spirit are the answer.
When Richard Frankel, a minister who used to live in Israel and served as the regular Feast coordinator for the Middle East, found out that this little ol' "shepherd boy" in the field was "making waves," he basically demanded that I return to America since he "trusts that God will get His message to the Jews through His apostle..." and how Mr. Armstrong had carefully built bridges with Israel over the years. (Acts 7:25, 35 flashed through my mind). He said in no way was Ilan (the reporter) to consider himself a spokesman for the Church or me a representative of it! (The Worldwide Church of God always taught we are representatives of God's Church and Kingdom).
I wondered why Mr. Frankel didn't trust God to see that nothing could be done to undermine those bridges that God through Mr. Armstrong had built, besides Mr. Armstrong NEVER went to the average Israeli but only addressed leaders in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, I complied.
However, another article had been sent out by Ilan for possible publication that I did receive permission from Mr. Armstrong through Aaron Dean to go ahead with it. Obviously, Mr. Armstrong didn't feel threatened! Mr. Richard Paige, then in charge of the Ambassador College digs in Jerusalem, met Ilan and I in Haifa for a pleasant visit, during his trip to make arrangements for the next archaeological dig. I humbly presented him with some grapefruits I had picked from our kibbutz orchard. He said he loves grapefruit and later reported they were the best!
I wanted to return to Israel to live, fulfilling a goal I had to live all over Israel, study Hebrew, learn the culture, etc., (which I've since done) but Mr. Frankel's influence required that I wait until I could have a minister over there to "supervise" my activities. (God had supervised them very well, thank you!).
When Raymond Clore, a Consul General for the US was assigned by our government to work over there for four years (and with whom I briefly corresponded), I appealed to Headquarters again to move over there and was denied permission because they hadn't sent Mr. Clore - the US government had! So I encountered petty politics from ministers I permitted to have power over my personal life. A local elder questioned whether they were setting an unusual precedent with me in deciding where a member can live!
During that time, Mr. George Kackos (Toledo, Ohio's wonderful minister, who was on the refresher program at Ambassador College) and Mordakhai Joseph both encountered the attitude that "we don't need him, we have plenty of AC students to send if we want." In fact, a female Ambassador College graduate from Oregon, Sylvia Owens (top of her class Mr. Paige informed me), was permitted to stay and live in Jerusalem (whom Ilan and I had arranged to meet and visited the biblical Zoo with)!
Mr. Joseph encouraged me that Jesus' disciples also tried to stop someone from casting out demons in Jesus' name because he wasn't of their clique. He was later basically told to stay out of this situation! I still remember him fondly and what correspondence we've shared and wish him all the best with his new book!

Living Simply

Those who had survived the World War II Japanese occupation would have lived through, sadly without much choice, the necessity of simple living. It was reliving our great grandparents� days of �clear tea and plain rice.� For the majority, the four or more years had taught them that a person could very well get along with two daily meals, a roof over his or her head and clothing to keep warm.
Biblical accounts imply that Jesus has only a few earthly possessions. As for his disciples, they have left theirs behind. The bible also tells us that a young man did not join Jesus and failed to share eternal life because he could not give up his possession and wealth.
St. Anthony set an example by giving up a life of comfort and wealth. He later embraced the austere life of the Franciscan Order. During the last part of his life, he lived a simple life in a tree house. On his dying days, he was lying on a plain bed in a humble monastery.
Our world today naturally cannot be compared to the previous 20th century or to St. Anthony�s 13th century. We need more transportation, communication and health facilities for our daily lives. We also require suitable housing, food, nourishments and other needs for our family and appropriate to the nature of our work. For instance, people don�t expect a bank president to take a tram to work nor a student to take a taxi to school.
There is a tendency, however, for us to go overboard and substitute �what we want� for �what we need.� We often buy the latest branded T-shirts, shoes and apparels even when our wardrobe is already bursting. We crowd our flats with electronic gadgets that we cannot find time to use. On seeing someone with over two dozen pairs of shoes, my friend said:� God will have to make you a centipede (an insect with many legs) for you to wear all these.�
Straying away from simple living invariably distracts our attention from our priorities in life: God, family and fellow-men. Searching and shopping for the best restaurants, latest DVD and CD, the newest gadgets, the latest clothing and other unnecessary things divert our energy and clutter our minds. �Like father, like sons,� and children will follow their parents� example.
Even too many good things may not necessarily be good. Buying too many books for a child often produce an opposite effect � getting tired of reading. Extra-curricular activities like ballet, piano, tennis, golf and other lessons overcrowd after-school�s schedule and deny a child time for playing or for doing what he or she � not the parents - likes best.
Before writing this article, I frowned on my wife�s suggestion: �when you buy something new, be sure to give the older one away.� This is her way of sharing and more importantly a reminder: �do I need a new one?� Giving away an old but favourite item disciplines me not to hoard material things. Remember the rich man in the gospel who was building a bigger barn to hoard his grain not knowing on that same night his life will be taken?
Hoarding our possession leads to our attachment to material things. And when we have a luxurious, comfortable and abundant life, we do not wish to give it up or to depart for another place � even for a better world. The urge to satisfy our unregulated wants serves as a warning sign and eventually will lead to greed. Excessive consumption stands for greed in disguise.
"To know when I have enough" said Sister Patty McCulloch, M.H.S.H. is her best definition for simplicity. It is synonymous with contentment. You may rightfully point out that �having enough� is a relative term, i.e. different person interprets it differently. As our guide, she referred us to Christ�s familiar gospel teachings. One teaching reminded us that we are the stewards � temporary keeper - of God�s gifts.
But we are more than a steward to our children because God holds us fully responsible. They need help to avoid following blindly what the advertisers tell them. We need to teach them the true meaning of �enough� and that simple living does not mean giving up achievements and challenges. On the contrary, it is a means to keep us focused on the purposes of life. Getting used to a simple living enables children to say �no� to drugs because they don�t have to satisfy their fantasy.
I had experienced losing possessions with sentimental value during WWII and later the uprooting of my family. Prized photographs, books, collectibles and furniture were lost or given to others. As I am preparing myself for the final journey, I shall always remember this saying: �we came to this world with nothing and shall leave it also with nothing.�

Gifts, Service and Working

We talk a lot about gifts these days. Not the concrete, boxed version, but about gifts as a manifestation of the unexpected, but greatly appreciated and valued. Time to relax, a visit from a loved one, a simple sunset, all gifts to enrich lives overspent or undernourished. Implied, but not always labeled as such, these are all gifts from God that carry the imprint of the Giver's love and grace.
Spiritual gifts are another topic of conversation altogether. As people of faith we move through our spiritual journeys in different stages, continuing to develop and learn as we grow in our beliefs. Each time we bump up against our desire to understand our purpose, we open ourselves to exploring the gifts God gave us to work that purpose out as part of God's creative process here on earth. Just as a Christmas present left in the box serves no purpose, a gift from God left ignored or unused leaves us stagnated, stuck in a moment in our lives meant to be a stepping stone, not an eternal resting place. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians gives us a framework to understand how to appreciate the gifts we are given as a part of how the whole body of Christ works as a community: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (I Corinthians 12:4-7)
The Bible talks about the varieties of gifts Paul mentions, and he goes on to talk about wisdom, knowledge and a host of other gifts God shares with us. Backing up a moment, it is important we are each clear about the definition of a gift. A gift is something we are given, even something viewed as a natural talent. Although gifts given between human beings sometimes come with unseen expectations, God's gifts do not. God's gifts to us are always given with no strings attached, no expectations of how we will use them, or whether we will use them at all. It's our choice to squander them, hold onto them for our own use, or share them in ways that follow God's intent for purpose and service in the world. If we didn't have that choice, free will would be a farce. But a gift left unopened or unused leaves us stuck, defying the opportunity to know and understand purpose more fully. As a child I desperately wanted a pair of soft blue shoes for my birthday, never expecting to receive them. When I opened the box that contained them, I couldn't believe my eyes. But, so afraid to scuff them, I never knew the joy of wearing them before my feet moved on to the next size.
Varieties of service, giving back what we have been given, takes some discernment, as well as some clarity regarding on Whose behalf we are applying our gifts. Many talk shows discuss service to the community and the world very easily these days, particularly following the devastating hurricanes the United States has suffered this fall. The dialogue is timely. We are not all Oprah Winfrey, creating a culture-shaping forum. This is one woman's way of service that has changed lives for the better. Service isn't only about volunteering your time, and I believe that people frequently assume that that is the case. Service is about returning what you have been given, by way of gift from God, back to God's people. Ms. Winfrey has certainly done that in her work. Dr. Wayne Dyer talks about living the song that is inside ourselves, about not dying with our music still in us. Our purpose, our service, is that song. And we sing this song back to God.
The classifieds concur with Paul, in that there are indeed many varieties of work. God sees work as valuable, a contribution to building and growing communities of faith and the body of Christ as a whole. Some work is more interesting and creative than other types, but those are values we place on tasks we may find more pleasurable than basic chores or necessary tasks in which we al must share. Each piece of work, however small, boring, mundane or downright nasty, has a purpose in creation, and is connected to our purpose as part of the body of Christ. I do my best to remember this whenever I change cat litter. Somehow this is part of my service package.
There is something rather mysterious and exciting about unwrapping these gifts over time, through years of practice in understanding and using them in all kinds of life events and circumstances. My personal experience has taught me to always wear the shoes right out of the box, appreciate that Oprah has a different way of service than me and that changing cat litter comes with the territory of loving cats. God's gifts are given freely, but not without purpose or ways to work out that purpose in full, meaningful ways. Perhaps the sunsets, loving relationships and time to enjoy them are reminders of the Source of all gifts.

How to Send an E

A lot of us want to have more faith and get closer to God. The question is how do we do this? Maybe we should, strip away our inhibitions, unlock our imaginations, and send an imaginary e-mail to God.
Maybe you could send God an imaginary e-mail in the form of a prayer. After all, God is always interested in hearing our prayers, isn't he? It is not the type of thing that you have to worry about him opting into. God is always listening.
How would we start? Perhaps the subject line could read, "Dear God hear my prayer." No I am afraid that would be too long. How about, "Prayer to God" That might do the trick nicely and we would have no fear of spamming the recipient.
I think it is best to leave any request for help to the body of the text. What would you like to ask for? Good health is often a way to go, but I think you need to get more personal and specific then that.
How about telling God that you are tired of patching yourself together with temporary quick fixes to control your weaknesses like smoking, eating, or drinking too much? That should get Gods attention, don't you think?
I wonder what God would say in an answer to us?
Maybe he would tell us to stop trying to patch ourselves together and find more faith so that we could be strong enough to overcome our weaknesses with his help. Maybe we could use our imaginations to develop our own personal faith patch to replace all those other temporary patches and help us deal with our problems. Maybe we could use our faith.
You don't have to worry about the address or click on the send button in this imaginary e-mail. I believe that God is always interested in hearing our prayers no matter what form they take.
Are you ready to send a message of faith to God?
You don't have to worry about sending this e-mail to the wrong address because God is always with us and has a universal address. You don't even have to type out this e-mail on your word processor. You can just think it.
Whatever you do, try and rely on your faith in God to help you overcome your weaknesses. Stop trying to patch yourself together. Try and find more faith so that you can learn to cope with your personal problems and the troubles of our time like terrorism and natural disasters.
Don't forget to leave your personal signature in your e-mail to God. It's not that he doesn't know who you are; it is just that he may be waiting to hear that you are becoming a Person of Faith. It might help for you to mention this in your signiture block.
An example could read something like this:
Your name:
Statement that you are becoming a Person of Faith
Statement that you believe in God
Your e-mail address (unnecessary)
Your telephone number (unnecessary)
God knows where to find you.
Are you ready to stop patching yourself together?
Are you ready to become a Person of Faith?
God may be waiting to hear from you.

Religious Dating

Dating someone with the same religious beliefs as you, can often result in a rewarding relationship where both you and your partner can share in the same values and traditions. It also means that if your dating becomes serious, you are less likely to have problems with family members disapproving of your choice. Of course, it shouldn't matter if they disapprove of your date or not, but in all honesty, the opinion of anyone you respect or love will have an effect on you, which could lead to problems.
Regardless of which religion you belong to Muslim, Christian, Jewish, etc. you will discover that there are many ways you can connect with others who share your religion and are interested in perusing a relationship with you. You will find that this is an excellent way to begin dating, especially since it means that you already have something in common with your date.
Having one similar interest will help to create a solid conversation that is understood by both you and your date. Once you have broken the ice, you should be able to feel more at ease with one another, so you can begin exploring new topics that are of interest to the both of you.
Another advantage that you have when dating another person from your religion is that you can:
Attend Celebrations/Ceremonies Together - Since you share the same or similar religious background as your date, you may be interested in attending prayer services or other religious outings, and share in the traditions together.
Become a Member of Any Clubs or Groups - if your religious community has any activities or meetings, it might be a good idea for you and your date to attend and become involved in something that may not only bring you closer physically, but also spiritually.
On the other side of the coin, dating someone who is of a different religious background as you can also be quite the adventure. Although highly frowned upon in the past, more than ever, especially in the Western culture, people of different religions are dating and even marrying. Naturally, not everyone agrees with these proceedings, but when it comes to love, the only opinions that should matter is yours and your partner's.
Therefore, regardless of whom you date, and what religion they follow, you can still keep up with the value and traditions that matter to you. If you and your date were meant to be, he or she will recognize what is important to you, as you should them. After all, although religions differ in beliefs and many other traditions, they all teach the importance and value of love.

Stop Patching Yourself Together

Have there been times in your life when you have resorted to quick fixes like chemical patches or pills to help you stop overeating, smoking, or other similar addictions that are ruining your health?
If you are like me, you have discovered that these temporary measures don't work. You probably need something stronger. How about a patch of faith?
Faith is not the type of thing you can buy over-the-counter at a drug store. It is something you have to find within yourself.
In order to find your faith, you need to strip away your inhibitions and unlock your imagination. You have to start listening to your inner self.
Sometimes you have to use your imagination to invent a symbol of the newfound faith that you have created - your own personal faith patch - something that can identify you as a Person of Faith.
Every time that you feel yourself about to give in to a weakness, think about your faith patch. Think about the strength you can draw from your faith in God to help you overcome your weaknesses and addictions.
Start by admitting to yourself that you do have faith. Start by listening for the words of God. Start by speaking to God. He may be waiting to hear from you.
Are you ready to get closer to God? Are you ready for him to answer your prayers? Start to believe. Become a person of faith.
You are basically a good and worthwhile person, and you are entitled to have faith in God anyway you chose. You are entitled to be a Person of Faith.
Try to strip away the inhibitions that have kept you from admitting that you are a Person of Faith. Use your imagination to help you reveal to yourself that you do have strong feelings of faith.
Don't be shy about admitting that you are a Person of Faith. Express your feelings of faith. Make yourself and your loved ones happy by acknowledging that you do have faith.
Have you ever said to yourself that you wish you could be a Person of Faith like Johnny or Linda? You can if you start to listen to your imagination and realize that you do have feelings of faith.
Think of all the wonderful things you could do with the strength that comes from believing in God. Think how great it would be to be able to cope with the troubles of our time without fear.
Imagine how great you will feel when you are free from the addictions that plague you. Imagine how wonderful and secure you will feel when you have used your faith to conquer your weaknesses.
Are you ready to stop patching yourself together? Are you ready to become a Person of Faith? Are you ready to find the strength through faith to overcome your weaknesses? God may be waiting to see what you will do. Are you ready to take action and find your faith?

The Kabbalah of Rosh Hashana: From Tears to Transformation

CHOOSING G-D
At sunset on the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, G-d** will remove some of his light from the world. He will still remain present in a basic way, of course, or the world could not sustain itself. But that presence will be remote, withdrawn.
Then He will wait. The next move is ours.
At around midday of the holy day, when Jews in every corner of the world acknowledge His sovereignty with prayers and the blowing of the shofar, G-d will once again agree to be our King. He will recommit to His relationship with our world. And when He does so, it will be with an entirely new level of light and power. Entirely new possibilities � possibilities that never existed before - will enter the world. We will advance one giant step closer to our ultimate destiny.
But the first move has to come from us. We must renew our contract with our Creator if the world is to continue to exist.
Once each year, the world must choose G-d.
FROM TEARS TO TRANSFORMATION
Why the blowing of the shofar, the ram�s horn? What power does this primitive instrument have to bring down such an intense and essential light?
More than a simple horn, the shofar is an instrument of transformation. Its sound is like a heartbroken cry, and its power is the power of tears.
Living in a physical world, subject to the many stresses and challenges of life on earth and subjugated to the relentless demands of our body and our ego, we are not even remotely aware of our own true potential. Our soul, with all of its unlimited awareness, insight, creativity, love and power, is trapped and suppressed.
But when our defenses break down, when we come face to face with our essential smallness and vulnerability within this vast universe, we cry out to G-d.
And this cry � this intense awareness of our own limitations � is what sets us free. A broken-hearted cry can release your soul from its prison and leave you open to something completely new.
This freedom, not coincidentally, is also connected with the trumpet-blast of the shofar. In fact, it is the blast of �the great shofar� � the shofar of Redemption - that will herald our ultimate freedom and transformation at the End of Days.
Weakness and power. Smallness and greatness. Isolation and Unity. Slavery and freedom. How do they go together? And how is it that the very same sound can symbolize both?
A WORLD OF OPPOSITES
Kabbbalah explains that everything that exists is made up of two polar opposites. The opposite of darkness is light. The opposite of evil is good. The opposite of death is life. The opposite of slavery is freedom. Wherever one is found, so is its opposite. They define each other. Without one, the other could not exist.
However, these negative states have no intrinsic reality. Darkness is not a permanent condition. Just like the first step in throwing a ball is to move the arm backwards, the darkness is actually a prelude, a gateway, to a far more powerful light.
That�s why tears can be so transformational. Paradoxically, it is only in realizing our smallness, weakness and aloneness � the limits of our ego-based existence - that we create an opening to expand beyond our perceived limits and become who we were truly born to be.
This possibility for transformation is intensely present on Rosh Hashana, when the world begins anew.
ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW WORLD
On this Rosh Hashana, in the year 5766, transformation is not only more possible but more necessary than ever before, not only for Jews but for the entire world.
Every year on Rosh Hashana the world waits, suspended in the dark space between the old light and the new. Between two ways of being there is always an empty space, a space of transition. In this space we have the opportunity to let go of the old � the pettiness, the resentments, the past mistakes, failures and fears. We can embrace a brand new way of being; a more passionate sense of purpose. We can commit ourselves to a new level of kindness, respect and compassion for the people around us � those we already love, and those we could love if we stopped being angry or afraid.
In opening ourselves to life, we create the greatest possible opening for G-d to inscribe us in the Book of Life for a year that is good and sweet in the truest sense.
But on this Rosh Hashana the world waits at the threshold of Redemption. In these unprecedented times an intense level of darkness hovers over the earth. Our world is shaking. Terror, war, mind-numbing natural disasters and crisis in the Middle East cast a threatening shadow over our lives. These times are frightening and challenging. But this darkness is nothing more or less than the gateway to an entirely new level of light - a new reality.
OUR TIMES IN ANCIENT PROPHECY
These chaotic times were foreseen in great detail millennia ago by the sages of biblical times. A full discussion of these prophecies is way beyond the scope of this article. But read the words below and see whether or not you think they describe our world today:
Insolence and self-centeredness will increase, there will be oppressing inflation, people will be addicted to the good life and the costs will be high, moral standards will dissolve, morality and wisdom will be denigrated, there will be unbridled irresponsibility on the part of authorities, centers of learning will turn into centers of immorality, poverty will increase, the young will denigrate the old, families will disintegrate, leadership will be impudent. The world will see a succession of troubles, epidemics of terrible diseases, and international confrontations. The face of the generation will be �like the face of a dog�. Just as dogs are not embarrassed by anything they do, so too people will lose their sense of embarrassment.
THE GREATER THE DARKNESS, THE GREATER THE LIGHT
Against this challenging, chaotic backdrop, we are being called upon to expand beyond our boundaries, to strengthen our relationship with our Creator and to actualize our own potential as partners in Creation.
We are living through the time of transition between exile and Redemption. Out of the breakdown of the old and unworkable, we have the opportunity to create something completely new.
In fact, it is our destiny.
ROSH HASHANA: IT�S YOUR CHOICE
This Rosh Hashana each one of us has a choice. We can choose to stay unconscious, trapped within the prison of our fears, confusion, resentments and longings, remaining passive victims of circumstance. Or we can use this opportunity to begin to fly. To align ourselves with our destiny. To learn to be free.
Freedom is a lofty concept, but it�s lived in the choices you make each moment. In your relationships. In your spirituality. In your commitment to a life of joy and fulfillment. In your awareness of G-d�s nurturing presence in the intimate details of your daily life. In remembering that you�re here for a purpose and being willing to do something each day to make that purpose come alive.
If you could create a new future, one not based on your fears and past failures, who would you be? How would you behave? What would you dare to create? Who would you thank? Who would you listen to and what would you share? What would you do to enhance your connection to G-d and your own essence? What part of you that you�ve given up on would you start to nurture? What dreams might you make come true?
Rosh Hashana holds within it an awesome power. The light of the past is withdrawn and the light of the future has yet to come down into the world and into your life. The Book is open. What will you choose?
**Since the Torah forbids the erasing of G-d�s name, it�s customary to avoid writing it out in full

Positive Thinking Is Not Faith

Have you ever felt down and out for one reason or another ? Of course you have, it's a part of life.
During times when you were feeling low have you ever had anyone tell you � Think positive � ? or state that � You're a minister and you sound so negative, I thought you were suppose to think positive. �
It's true I am a minister but I don't really believe in positive thinking.
Positive thinking is like wearing a wig when your hair is a mess, or spraying on lots of perfume instead of taking a bath. You're not fooling anyone, least of all yourself.
For the past 20 to 30 years or so � Positive thinking � seems to be some people's answer to everything. It seems to be a �Fad�
I'm not saying being positive is wrong. If it makes you �feel� better of course, think positive.
Let's look at � positive thinking � a little deeper.
Life is duality. Everything is a part of and contains it's opposite. For instance North and South are the same thing, just extremes of each other. You can't have one without the other. There is no way for either to exist unless you have one. Do away with one and automatically you do away with both. As long as one exist the other one has to exist also. We see this duality in all things.
Positive and negative are one and the same thing, just extremes of each other. Without having one neither could exist. For instance doubt is belief. Doubt is belief that you won't get or be or do something We always, always get what we believe. If we doubt we will get something, we are believing we won't get it and therefore we don't. So see even doubt is belief.
Belief is Faith. Faith is very powerful and faith works.
Positive thinking is not Faith. Positive thinking does not change things. Only faith can change anything.
Let me give you an example of how positive thinking and doubt are the same thing. In this example I will also show you what faith is and how positive thinking is not faith.
There is a room with a chair.
A person who doubts everything comes into the room and sees the chair. He would like to sit down but thinks � I wonder if the chair will fall if I sit down � He starts to sit down but becomes afraid that if the chair falls he will get hurt, so he decides to stand and not sit.�
Later another person who is well known for telling everyone to think positive, comes into the room and sees the chair. He puts on his happy face and says to himself, � I know this is a strong chair and if I sit down I will be safe. The chair will stand. � The chair has strong legs and the nails are all in really well. I will be ok if I sit down in this chair.� He sits down in the chair and sighs with relief. � Wow my positive thinking really works�
Than another person comes into the room. This is a person who has seen good times and bad times and has lived through them all. He knows that sometimes life throws you a curve but he also knows that life goes on and no matter what, life will always have very happy moments. This person has faith in God, himself and life in general. This person walks in and barely even notices the chair. He just sits down and waits for whatever it is he came for.
Faith doesn't question whether the chair will stand or fall
When we have do positive affirmations or find we are always having to have pep talks with ourselves, it is because we lack faith. �HAVING� to think positive shows we have our doubts.
On days you feel you need to make positive affirmations instead of doing it, just this once pray and say � God I do have faith but at this time I am afraid and my faith is low could you please help my faith and make me stronger� If you do, I think you will end up feeling better than if you had done 100 positive affirmations. Try it.
Dictionary help:
Faith: Noun: complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Doubt: noun: a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction : Lack of Trust and/or confidence. Fear
Positive: expressing or implying affirmation, agreement, or permission constructive in intention or attitude sometimes faked not necessarily real.

Christian Roommates

So you've found a group of Christian roommates to move in with. You now have a potentially wonderful center of support at your home. However, it's up to you and your new roommates to take advantage of living with fellow Christians. If you don't actively pursue God together, it will make no difference that you have roommates who are believers. Let's explore a few ways to really utilize the power of a group of Christians living together.
Firstly, be aware of each other's prayer concerns. Ask your roommates what their needs are. Make an easily updated list in a common room. Try putting a whiteboard up in the kitchen so that everyone can be kept up to date. And, of course, being aware of your roommates' needs isn't enough. You've got to actually be praying for them. Spend time everyday saying a prayer for each roommate. And let them know that you're praying for them, they'll be sure to remember you as well.
If you want to go a step further, you can have a weekly or even daily group prayer time. It doesn't have to be formal or anything. Just take two minutes a day to get together and pray for each other as well as for some common concerns. This will do wonders for your relationships with each other.
Finally, if your roommates are really fired up, you can host a monthly prayer event at your home. Invite other Christian friends and people from your churches. Cook a meal, have some fun, spend some time in worship, and pray together. You'll be doing a wonderful community service and opening up many avenues for Christians in the area. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make it an elaborate event. Just keep it simple. The important part is the fellowship and prayer time, not your decorations or fancy dishes.
Making prayer the center of your relationship with your roommates will make a huge difference. Having a Christian support group at home is incredible and will change your life. Spend time praying for and with your roommates and you will see the change.

Easy Methods For Church Fundraising

Church fundraising has got to be one of the easiest ways of fundraising that is out there. Everyone is willing to give to the church and is more than willing to help in any way possible. Church fundraising is fun and is a way of getting the whole congregation in the mood to help. Depending on what you decided to have as your fundraising product, it should go over very well. Whether it is baked goods, crafts, candles, hot suppers served, a quilt sale or one of the many choices that are out there it is sure to be a hit.
Another good idea for a Christian fundraiser is a cookbook. However, this type of church fundraising takes more time and effort, but it is well worth it. Collect all your congregation favorite recipes and get them together. Pick out the amount you want to enter in your cookbook and designate someone in the congregation to copy them off. You can have these pages tied together with pretty ribbons and depending on what time of the year it is you can make your cookbook for that season. This is one fund raising idea that always goes over well.
There is no other fundraiser like a Christian fundraiser. You will get all the support you need in getting your fundraiser together and going over smoothly. The congregation is a wonderful place to find the help you need that goes into getting a church fundraising event together. A Christian fundraiser is like no other where there are so many people pulling for the same cause.
If you choose a hot supper as your church fundraising idea, selling the tickets in advance gives you the money to buy the supplies and you know how many to cook for. Many times the congregation donates the food for this type of Christian fundraiser so that the church can keep all the profits. If your idea for a church fund raiser is a craft sale, everyone will make a few crafts and donate them for the cause and will be there to sell them also. Any Christian congregation enjoys getting together for a fund raiser regardless of what work is involved because they are doing it for their church.
The joy of giving will give you a very profitable Christian fundraiser. Not only from the congregation, but from anyone that happens to come by. If your church fundraising event is well advertised, it should be a big success. Any fund raiser needs to be organized and can be easy or difficult depending on the amount of people you have access to. Just be sure it is clear what each individual is expected to do before you begin.
Church fundraising is fun and effective, but it needs to be done well, and can be hard work.

Sickness and Disease: The Bible�s Perspective

What is sickness? What is disease? Why are both of these ailments extremely prevalent in a society that is more technologically advanced than ever before? In an age where man can build super scud missiles, devastating nuclear war heads, and can build space rovers that can roll on the planet Mars thousands and thousands of miles away, why has there not been a cure for the common cold? Why has sickness and disease remained an issue since biblical times?
The definition for sickness is to be in a disordered, weakened, or unsound condition. In other words, when one is sick, there is something that is within that individual that is out of alignment, lacking strength, and the internal infrastructure is fragile.
Disease is defined as a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning. Disease is also defined as a harmful development.
Without question, our bodies are not built to resist sickness and disease. So what is the key to winning the battle of health and strength?
Well, the answer to these questions are definitely in the bible. But before we go any further, there is one thing that needs to be stately clearly.
Hosea 4:6 reads �My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou has forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.�
We are susceptible to sickness and disease because we do not prepare ourselves to battle against them. To be equipped to fight sickness and disease, we must obtain the knowledge of how to defend ourselves, and this knowledge is found in the Word of God. Sickness and disease, just like spiritual ailments such as anger, violence and immorality, can lead to spiritual and physical enslavement. There are three derivatives of spiritual enslavement that we must conquer in order to rebuke and repel sickness and disease - Bondage, Oppression, and Curses.
Bondage is the servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force. Just like a man being in bondage through drug abuse or fornication, man can be in bondage, or under control of sickness and disease in the same manner. Is it a coincidence that some people are more susceptible to sickness and disease than others? I think not. Lacking the understanding that we have been set free from sickness and disease by the mighty work that Jesus Christ did on the cross, we will continue to live life with a slave�s mentality, freedom being hidden from our eyes through our lack of knowledge and understanding of God�s Word.
Isaiah 53:5 reads �But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.�
The lashes on Jesus� body represent all sickness and disease. We don�t have to accept sickness and disease because we were pre-destined to be healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ. The important part of the verse is the present tense statement �we are healed.� Healing is not a phenomena that happened when Jesus walked on earth, but it is a phenomena for today, this hour and this very second.
Not only is sickness and disease a form of bondage, but it is also a form of oppression. Oppression is the unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power and a sense of being weighed down in the body or mind.
Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Oppression needs healing. Oppression can also act as a disease. It is the power of God through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that destroys the yoke of oppression. In Matthew 11:30, Jesus states �my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.� It is the light yoke of Jesus Christ that we must take on, in exchange for the heavy burden of oppression that can weigh us down physically or mentally.
Beyond being in bondage and oppression, sickness and disease are also curses. Curses are caused by disobedience of the law of God, His commandments and His will. Our disobedience creates a spiritual breach in which the enemy, the devil, can step in and throw his darts of sickness and disease at our bodies without resistance. There is no resistance against the devil because God lifts His hand and anointing from us when we are disobedient.
Deuteronomy 28:61
Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
In Deuteronomy 28, God specifically lays out the game plan for blessings and curses. The blessings and curses hinge upon our obedience, or disobedience of God�s Word. We can defeat and rebuke curses that are knocking at our door by maintaining a good standard of obedience to the Word of God.
For so long have the people of God fallen in the hands of religious tradition that teaches sickness and disease are part of life, and that they come and go as they please. This false teaching is a total lie and it derived straight from the pits of hell. Satan does not want us to understand the power that we have over sickness and disease. Honestly, he has done a good job using false teaching to keep us bound, oppressed and cursed.
Let us all rise up, stand on the Word of God, the Word of Truth, and rebuke the devourer and his plans of bringing sickness and disease into our lives. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! Therefore, we are free from every trap and snare that Satan tries to set up for us, including sickness and disease!