For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)
I suspect Paul only had one resolution on his list: “This year I resolve to know nothing but Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Paul’s message is radically simple: Salvation is in Christ alone. What does this mean?
It’s not Christ plus your good behavior.
It’s not Christ plus the number of Bible verses you memorize.
It’s not Christ plus your tithe or the church you attend.
It’s not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar.
It’s simply Christ plus nothing. Christ and Christ alone.
2009 Purpose Driven Life.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
God's gift today
today i was thanking God for the precious gift of His Son. as i do sometimes in monday night class i asked Him if He had another gift for me. He said peace. i was feeling sad that i couldn't spend christmas with the one person i really wanted to spend christmas with. God knew what i needed and He gave it to me. praise God. thank You Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Christmas
we have 2 feet of snow and i'm sitting indoors at my computer feeling sad because the one person i want to spend christmas with isn't here.
christmas isn't about getting things. christmas is about the King who was born today. God who, because of His incredible love for us, took on flesh and lived among us. who, because of His incredible love for us, suffered, died and rose again, for us, because of His incredible love.
everything He did He did for us out of love. thank you Jesus. happy birthday!
christmas isn't about getting things. christmas is about the King who was born today. God who, because of His incredible love for us, took on flesh and lived among us. who, because of His incredible love for us, suffered, died and rose again, for us, because of His incredible love.
everything He did He did for us out of love. thank you Jesus. happy birthday!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Jesus is better and greater than Santa
Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly
JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO
JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in Christmas.
Jesus is still the reason for the season.
May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2008
And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year 2009.
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly
JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO
JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in Christmas.
Jesus is still the reason for the season.
May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2008
And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year 2009.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Prayer Alert during Canada's current Political Crisis
1. Pray for Governor-General
Michaelle Jean as she consults with her advisors about
the key decisions she needs to make in the days
ahead. Pray that she would ultimately be guided by
the Holy Spirit.
2. Pray for public calm and
safety. Strong emotions are being stirred up by
this crisis. Let's pray that as various
demonstrations take place that peace and order would be
observed and no violence would erupt that might cause
personal injury or property damage. Pray that the
potential divisions and alienation that could deepen in
our land would actually be addressed and healed at this
time. We have had many calls from people who are
concerned about separatism in different parts of the
country.
3. Pray that God's good purposes would
be accomplished during this difficult "shaking"
process. Pray that all party leaders and members
would learn and grow through this crisis. Ask the
Father to thwart every attempt that the enemy is trying
to use to harm our nation and its governance. Pray
that every dark motive and plan would be exposed,
especially back room deals and hidden agendas that would
feed self-interest and not our nation's greater
good.
4. Pray for each of the party leaders that
they would resist the lust for power and would approach
their duties with humility and true
servanthood. Let's intercede that each
one would be able to receive godly wisdom and act in a
responsible manner. Pray that righteousness and
justice would prevail.
5. Pray for the media and
all the "pundits" who are seen and heard in the various
news agencies and networks, that they would be careful
to represent the truth and not take advantage of the
situation. Ask the Father to make this a time of
maturing for everyone involved in the media as
well.
6. Pray for our nation's economy and for
good leadership through 2009 as we navigate our way
through the global economic crisis along with the other
nations of the world. Pray that all parties would
understand how their decisions are affecting
average Canadians and their economic health.
7.
Pray for the emergence of a stronger and healthier
democracy in our land as we move through this political
uncertainty. Pray that all Canadians would realize
the importance of their participation in the democratic
process, especially the younger generation that needs to
be engaged more fully.
8. Pray for all our
members of Parliament, that a spirit of unity would
emerge out of this fractured time. Especially pray
for the Speaker of the House - the honourable Peter
Milliken as he presides over the debates. Pray
that M.P.s who are followers of Jesus Christ would set a
higher tone and be exemplary in their conduct and
conversation.
9. Pray for the "average
Canadian" who is generally ill-informed and therefore
reliant on the media for their perceptions. Pray
that truth would prevail and that apathy or a spirit of
resignation would be lifted from the general
public. Intercede that the people would not become
demoralized or cynical about the political
realm.
10. Let's pray for a revival of prayer to
come upon the Church in Canada. Pray that
believers would rise to the challenge of the hour, and
that a spirit of prayer would come upon us as we stand
on guard for our nation in its hour of
need.
Michaelle Jean as she consults with her advisors about
the key decisions she needs to make in the days
ahead. Pray that she would ultimately be guided by
the Holy Spirit.
2. Pray for public calm and
safety. Strong emotions are being stirred up by
this crisis. Let's pray that as various
demonstrations take place that peace and order would be
observed and no violence would erupt that might cause
personal injury or property damage. Pray that the
potential divisions and alienation that could deepen in
our land would actually be addressed and healed at this
time. We have had many calls from people who are
concerned about separatism in different parts of the
country.
3. Pray that God's good purposes would
be accomplished during this difficult "shaking"
process. Pray that all party leaders and members
would learn and grow through this crisis. Ask the
Father to thwart every attempt that the enemy is trying
to use to harm our nation and its governance. Pray
that every dark motive and plan would be exposed,
especially back room deals and hidden agendas that would
feed self-interest and not our nation's greater
good.
4. Pray for each of the party leaders that
they would resist the lust for power and would approach
their duties with humility and true
servanthood. Let's intercede that each
one would be able to receive godly wisdom and act in a
responsible manner. Pray that righteousness and
justice would prevail.
5. Pray for the media and
all the "pundits" who are seen and heard in the various
news agencies and networks, that they would be careful
to represent the truth and not take advantage of the
situation. Ask the Father to make this a time of
maturing for everyone involved in the media as
well.
6. Pray for our nation's economy and for
good leadership through 2009 as we navigate our way
through the global economic crisis along with the other
nations of the world. Pray that all parties would
understand how their decisions are affecting
average Canadians and their economic health.
7.
Pray for the emergence of a stronger and healthier
democracy in our land as we move through this political
uncertainty. Pray that all Canadians would realize
the importance of their participation in the democratic
process, especially the younger generation that needs to
be engaged more fully.
8. Pray for all our
members of Parliament, that a spirit of unity would
emerge out of this fractured time. Especially pray
for the Speaker of the House - the honourable Peter
Milliken as he presides over the debates. Pray
that M.P.s who are followers of Jesus Christ would set a
higher tone and be exemplary in their conduct and
conversation.
9. Pray for the "average
Canadian" who is generally ill-informed and therefore
reliant on the media for their perceptions. Pray
that truth would prevail and that apathy or a spirit of
resignation would be lifted from the general
public. Intercede that the people would not become
demoralized or cynical about the political
realm.
10. Let's pray for a revival of prayer to
come upon the Church in Canada. Pray that
believers would rise to the challenge of the hour, and
that a spirit of prayer would come upon us as we stand
on guard for our nation in its hour of
need.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
God - the great I AM
have you ever wondered about this name "I AM"? in Exodus 3:14 God identified Himself to moses as "I AM" it's an unusual name whose full meaning is somewhat hard to grasp - at least until the New Testament, when Jesus completes the thought.
John 6:35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 10:9 "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 6:35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 10:9 "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
a most amazing story
https://www.seeds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50
An Amazing Revival in the Fiji Islands
Written by David S. Rathjen
Thursday, 21 August 2008
The story I am about to tell you will stretch your belief to the very limit. I am telling it as near as I can remember, from the many times I heard it from the lips of Pastor Bill, Superintendent of the Western Division of the Assemblies of God in the Fiji Islands. He is the Director of three hundred pastors on the western side of Fiji. (no photos needed for this up-date!) Early in February 2008 four young men went on an evangelistic mission in the Yasawa Chain of Islands. After the meetings as they were returning home from the ferry on the Main Island, they were involved in a terrible accident. Their car went out of control and tumbled end over end seven times, ending up-side down in a deep ditch. The first part of the story was told by three of the boys who were totally uninjured.
Part One:
As they were gathering their wits in the over-turned vehicle, they heard the voice of the driver asking them if they were alright. When they affirmed that they were OK, he then asked them to get out of the car and flag down the first motorist who would come along. Upon reaching the roadside, they realized that Sevuloni, the driver, was still in the car. They found that his body was halfway through the broken windshield with his head buried in mud. They were amazed that he could have uttered any words from the position he was in.
Upon pulling him out of the mud, both his eyes popped out and hung down on his cheeks. His skull was severed across the forehead, with the upper half raised up like a trunk door of a car. His head and hair were full of shattered glass and mud. Stranger still, came the calm voice of the terribly injured boy when he uttered the words, “Thank you Jesus”. Sevuloni wasn’t breathing, nor were there any signs of life.
A police cruiser had stopped, and the officer asked what was going on. The body was quickly loaded into the van, and a speedy trip was made to the hospital some twelve kilometers away. In the high-speed journey, there was a fly-by accident with another vehicle. Seeing that no one was hurt, the police officer elected to keep on going and settle damages later. To his amazement, the injured boy said, “I love you Jesus.”
“Is this man a preacher?” asked the surprised officer. When informed that the lad, whose name is Sevu (abbreviated), is just a sincere young Christian boy, the policeman continued to drive. At the emergency entrance of the hospital, the paramedics were so shocked, they had to be told to hurry up and bring a stretcher and get the boy into the emergency ward.
A doctor examined the young man, finding he was not breathing, nor were there any signs of life. Taking into account the terrible injuries to his head, he pronounced him dead. As he turned to go, the injured boy quietly said, “Thank you Jesus!” Greatly puzzled, the doctor wheeled about and said, “What is going on here? You better clean him up and remove the glass out of his head. Cover his eyes with a bandage and keep him right here under observation.”
They called his mother to sit at his bedside, and nurse to attend to him and report any changes. His brain was so damaged that nothing could be done regarding his broken skull. His eyes, though protected with bandages, were still hanging out of their sockets. There was no sign of life, except for the occasional utterance, “Thank you Jesus”, or “I love you Jesus”. The body laid there in this ultra-comatose condition for three and one half days.
There was no medical description for the state of this inert, yet talking man. His body functions were so faint and decelerated as to be almost non-existent. Perhaps it was similar to extreme hibernation that some species achieve when there is no detectable functioning metabolism. Word began to spread about this patient’s highly unusual condition. Many were the prayers that ascended to God on his behalf. The nurse who was given charge of this unprecedented case, happened to be a Christian. She was very attentive because she realized something supernatural was taking place.
Part Two:
As Sevuloni was driving the car, suddenly he was blinded by a great light, and lost control of his vehicle. He doesn’t remember the crash, but only of being suddenly lifted up and out of the tumbling vehicle by two angels in white garments. He was taken up to a place they called Paradise. He described Paradise as being a waiting place for the souls who are redeemed, and are waiting for their mansions in the New Jerusalem.
One of the first things the angels showed him was the death-rate of planet earth. Streams of disembodied souls were streaming out of the world like grains of sand being poured out of dump trucks. Thousands upon thousands were being poured out every minute. The vast majority of them were going to Hell. A tiny minority were entering into Paradise. The road to Hell and the gates thereof were very wide in order to accommodate the surging river of lost humanity. The gates of heaven, on the other hand, were so narrow that redeemed souls were entering single file. This was very troubling to Sevu. Could it be that many who were convinced that they were right with God, were deceiving themselves?
According to the angel, construction in the New Jerusalem is all complete. All mansions are finished and waiting for occupancy. He was told that the size and value of each individual mansion depends entirely on the number of souls one wins to God during one’s life-time on earth. “The winning of souls to Jesus Christ”, according to the angel, “is the highest priority in the Kingdom of Heaven. Nothing compares with the value of snatching souls from the fires of Hell, and pointing them to Jesus, The Doorway into the joys of Heaven.”
He remembered the story about the Lost Sheep, and how the Shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep safely in the fold and went out into the darkness to search for the Lost Sheep. The way Jesus told it, there is more rejoicing in Heaven over one lost sinner being rescued from certain destruction, than in ninety-nine who are safely in the fold.
The angel pointed to a big clock on a wall. “Look,” he said, “it is a minute and a half before midnight! At any moment now the Rapture will take place and Christ will bring home to heaven all those who truly believe in Him, See, the tables are all prepared for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The food is already on the tables. Food preparation is already complete. All that remains is for the Guests to arrive.” He was then shown a place where God keeps an immense supply of body parts. “When the Lord performs miracles of healing on earth,”
the angel explained, “God does not repair or mend the problem part, He replaces it with a new one. God makes everything new. The old is removed as the new replaces it.” God is prepared for every human emergency, but so few people claim by faith what He has provided!
Sevuloni was told that Paradise is presently located inside the enormous City Four-Square. Paradise is the ‘waiting place’ of the dead in Christ, and for those who will go up in the coming Rapture. Jesus, the Judge, will then try by fire the works of believers at the Bema Seat Judgment. All works that are not done in the will and power of Jesus Christ and for His Glory, will be burned up. Then, and only then will believers place in the New Jerusalem be determined and allotted. The Central place in the New Jerusalem will then become the residence of the Great Triune God. The angels emphasized the importance that all our efforts on earth be engaged in the rescuing of souls from the horrors of Hell, and preparing them for everlasting Life in Heaven. Any other type of Gospel will be judged, not rewarded.
Sevu tried to describe the innumerable precious gemstones everywhere apparent, that were being illuminated by the Glory of Father God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The whole of Heaven was lit up in this way in an astonishing, indescribable, fluorescence of glory.
Sevu was amazed that he instinctively knew people in Paradise. He knew relatives who died before he was born. He saw Christians he had known, who had died and gone to Heaven. He was amazed at the very few young people he saw in Heaven. Paradise was full of people of all ages, but young people were conspicuous by their scarcity. The angel told him he would soon be returned to his body on earth, and that he must warn the young people especially that they must repent and turn to God.
“Now, we will show you what Hades is like,” said the angels. “It is located in the middle of the Lake of Fire. It is the waiting place of the damned, until the Great White Throne Judgment takes place. After those who have rejected Jesus Christ are judged and sentenced to eternal punishment, Death and Hades, with all who are imprisoned in them, will be poured into the eternal Lake of Fire, which is heating up right now.”
Hell, according to Sevu, is a place of unending torment. He saw a woman he knew who had been a very negative critic on earth. She enjoyed spreading hurtful stories about others. The very demons who prompted her in evil deeds while on earth, were her tormentors in Hades. He was troubled at the enormous number of young people in Hell. “Why are there so many young people here,” he asked the angels. “Youth is the age when people on earth are choosing whom they will serve,” was the answer. “Young people tend to go through a period of rebellion. In this condition they often precipitate their death, and end up here. When you return to earth, you must warn them to get right with God, now, not later.”
There were preachers in Hell that Sevuloni had known. He was amazed to find them there. He was told that they had not preached the frightening truth about Hell, the destination of those who reject Jesus Christ. These preachers also had not been warning people of the very soon-coming of Jesus Christ. Then again, they had been watering down the Bible truth about the deadly seriousness of personal sin. “You must tell your people,” stressed the angel, “that Hell is very real, and that they must seek God and Heaven through Jesus Christ with
all their soul, strength and being. Tell them to resist Satan and evil completely so they will not come to this dreadful place.
Sevu was then taken back to Paradise. “You must return now to earth, and your waiting body,” the angel told him. “But I don’t want to go back to earth,” Sevu cried, “I want to stay in this wonderful place of love, blessing and joy!” The angels were adamant that he return to earth. “That is why you have experienced this whole ordeal. You must warn people that they must prepare to meet their God.” The angel picked a fruit from a tree growing by the River of Life, saying “Eat this and it will help with your healing. Your healing will be progressive. You will spend four days in Intensive Care, and two weeks in Recovery. Your complete healing will depend on your being faithful in humbly telling your people the things you have seen and heard.”
Sevu was taken down until he could see his death-like body as it lay on the hospital bed. He was concerned about how he would re-enter that emaciated form with its broken skull and gaping eye sockets. He had been free of its hindering limitations for three and one half days. His questions were soon answered as he entered the body with a swoop, headfirst through its feet. As soon as he entered his body, it became alive, beginning to stir and waking up from its deep sleep.
Those lingering lovingly near that ultra-comatose body began seeing amazing things. As the Doctor removed the covering bandage, the dangling eyeballs popped back into their sockets. The severed skull went back into place. The young man sat up, saying, “I am hungry. Please give me something to eat.” Seeing a plate of fish and vegetables near-by, he asked if he could have it. The nurse told him he must have liquids only, no solid food. Sevu insisted that he was OK, and wanted the fish and vegetables. He ate it up with no after ill-effects. True to the angel’s predictions, healing occurred progressively. He spent four days in Intensive Care, and two weeks in Recovery.
Pastor Bill Naivalu, Superintendent of Fiji’s Western Division of the Assemblies of God, was naturally wary that the lad’s imagination may have played some part in the amazing story he had to tell. “I don’t want you to be telling your story until everything is documented, and every-thing lines up with the Word of God. Too much discredit has occurred in Christendom because of well meaning people who let their imagination prevail over actual facts.” He examined the whole matter from beginning to end, and arrived at the conclusion that there were too many witnesses who all agreed. There was too much documentary evidence for it to be other than as recounted. The sincere transparency of Sevu was convincing as he told and re-told his experiences. Everything lined up with the truth as recorded in the Bible.
We are going to do a test event,” he told Sevu. “You say you have a message from God? We will hold a test service in the remote town of Vatu Colo.” The meaning of the name is ‘Gold Town’, a once-thriving town near a gold mine. Since the gold has been depleted, the town now has only half its former population. Everything, including the Christian religion has been in decline there for years. It would be a good place to test the event.
After modestly informing the town’s people that Sevuloni would be sharing his experience at a meeting on April 27, 2008, the team arrived at the big meeting hall. The whole town had turned out for the meeting. An enormous crowd was trying to get into the building. Pastor Bill requested that all the Church people go
outside the building so that invited Town folk could get inside. The building was filled to fullest capacity, with many people standing outside.
The service was purposely kept low key. Pastor Bill offered a simple opening prayer. A hymn was sung. There was no special music. A brief introduction was made. Then the service was turned over to Sevu. There was no preaching. Sevu simply recounted his experiences in the other world. The congregation of non-church people was intensely impacted by his words. The presence of God in that meeting like nothing Pastor Bill had ever witnessed in forth-five years of ministry. No invitation was given, but everyone in that meeting, plus those who were outside, wanted to get right with God. Two thousand people that day registered their decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives.
The next weekend saw another momentous gathering. It happened at a Youth Convention in the huge Assembly of God church building in Lautoka. It was a three-day event, with the closing meeting being given over to Sevu’s testimony. Again, there was no hype or worked up excitement in the meeting. Once again the simple recitation was backed up by a tremendous sense of the presence of a Holy God.
The young people were sitting in the front rows of the huge wrap-around sanctuary. Thousands of others filled the rest of the place to capacity and then some.
For an hour and twelve minutes the lad related the message the angels had given him. The effect on the vast congregation was electric, with multitudes drenched in tears. Pastor Bill affirmed that even he was affected as never before by an over-whelming sense of the presence of a Holy God. Many believers also were re-evaluating their present relationship with God, and realizing that their own righteousness was like filthy rage to a holy God. They realized anew that only by God’s grace was salvation possible. They also realized in a new and powerful way, that acceptance before God’s infinite purity is only possible when one is clad in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.
As Sevu was summing up his story, Pastor Bill said that the seat he was sitting in became too hot to sit in. He stood up and looked up. The whole ceiling at the front of the great sanctuary was full of ethereal fire. Suddenly all the young people saw it also. There was no need for an alter call. The youth group literally rushed forward, throwing themselves prostrate before the altar.
They fervently prayed, repented, confessing their sins, and re-dedicated their lives to God for a period of four hours – from nine PM until one AM. During that time they simply could not get up because of the weight of conviction that was so heavy upon them. The travail of their souls was followed by a scene of intense joy and peace over the realization that their sins were forgiven, and for the glory of a renewed relationship with God.
Many others had crawled under the pews, covering their heads with their hands and crying out to God for mercy. Pastor Bill had never seen anything like it before. He asked some of them later why they had done that. Their answer was that they were scared stiff because they felt so unprepared and unworthy in the presence of such a loving and holy God. Time alone will tell out of the thousands who had undergone such soul searching that night, how many received a renewed and lasting relationship with the beloved Son of God.
One week later, another meeting was held in the sleepy little town of Ba. As Pastor Bill would be in San Francisco at that date, he asked that the meeting be held in the park, because there was no venue in town big enough to accommodate the crowd that would attend. Those in charge thought otherwise, and decided to use a church building. Never in their life-time, had there been need of a bigger venue in Ba for religious purposes, than would accommodate three hundred people.
To their dismay, eight hundred intensely determined people nearly wrecked the place trying to get into the building. It was mayhem, with people trying to crowd by and over one another in order to find a place where they could hear and see what would happen. They tried desperately to enter at every door and window in the place, as if their very lives depended on getting in. No one remembered to try getting into the meeting place through the roof. Over six hundred made decisions that night to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. More business was accomplished for eternity in that one Holy Spirit meeting than in the previous forty years.
The most amazing thing about this move of God is that, whole towns and cities are being mightily impacted. Someone has come back from death and is warning them to prepare to meet a Holy God. The loving Holy Spirit of God is melting the resistance of the most hardened and rebellious of sinners. Those who had a cool head-knowledge of God, new have an exhilarating heart-relationship with Him. The fear of God, which is a very deep, reverent and loving submission to the Lord, is the prevailing response of those who are touched by these meetings. People are forgetting about denominational differences as thousands from many faiths are crowding together to hear what God has to say to their hearts today.
At the time of this writing, May 24th, 2008, two more meetings have been held in the towns of Raki and Nadi. One thousand and seventeen persons accepted Christ in Raki. The meeting in Nadi (pronounced Nandi), was even more amazing. Altar-workers, who were trying to help earnest seekers, were overwhelmed by the response. Somewhere well in excess of one thousand persons registered decisions to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in that meeting.
Pastor Bill made a special trip to Abbotsford, to see Phyllis and myself in order to tell us the story. In two and one half days while in Abbotsford, he told this story fourteen times to churches, small meetings and interviews. Many were stirred deeply as he shared. He is greatly concerned because there are no adequate follow-up materials in Fiji for the thousands of converts coming to Christ each week. With meetings in Fiji lined up for Sevu until December, and more in 2009, it is crucial that an adequate Follow-up program be initiated immediately.
We, of Multi-Media Ministries Inc., are working together with Seeds International to meet this urgent need. We are short $10,000 to reprint enough copies of the ‘Seeds’ follow-up booklet in order to begin this project. After returning from a three week mission to Romania on July 3rd, we plan to go to Fiji in mid July, The Assemblies of God want me to examine every detail of Sevu’s experience and write a booklet about it. We need your most earnest prayers during this busy summer!
An Amazing Revival in the Fiji Islands
Written by David S. Rathjen
Thursday, 21 August 2008
The story I am about to tell you will stretch your belief to the very limit. I am telling it as near as I can remember, from the many times I heard it from the lips of Pastor Bill, Superintendent of the Western Division of the Assemblies of God in the Fiji Islands. He is the Director of three hundred pastors on the western side of Fiji. (no photos needed for this up-date!) Early in February 2008 four young men went on an evangelistic mission in the Yasawa Chain of Islands. After the meetings as they were returning home from the ferry on the Main Island, they were involved in a terrible accident. Their car went out of control and tumbled end over end seven times, ending up-side down in a deep ditch. The first part of the story was told by three of the boys who were totally uninjured.
Part One:
As they were gathering their wits in the over-turned vehicle, they heard the voice of the driver asking them if they were alright. When they affirmed that they were OK, he then asked them to get out of the car and flag down the first motorist who would come along. Upon reaching the roadside, they realized that Sevuloni, the driver, was still in the car. They found that his body was halfway through the broken windshield with his head buried in mud. They were amazed that he could have uttered any words from the position he was in.
Upon pulling him out of the mud, both his eyes popped out and hung down on his cheeks. His skull was severed across the forehead, with the upper half raised up like a trunk door of a car. His head and hair were full of shattered glass and mud. Stranger still, came the calm voice of the terribly injured boy when he uttered the words, “Thank you Jesus”. Sevuloni wasn’t breathing, nor were there any signs of life.
A police cruiser had stopped, and the officer asked what was going on. The body was quickly loaded into the van, and a speedy trip was made to the hospital some twelve kilometers away. In the high-speed journey, there was a fly-by accident with another vehicle. Seeing that no one was hurt, the police officer elected to keep on going and settle damages later. To his amazement, the injured boy said, “I love you Jesus.”
“Is this man a preacher?” asked the surprised officer. When informed that the lad, whose name is Sevu (abbreviated), is just a sincere young Christian boy, the policeman continued to drive. At the emergency entrance of the hospital, the paramedics were so shocked, they had to be told to hurry up and bring a stretcher and get the boy into the emergency ward.
A doctor examined the young man, finding he was not breathing, nor were there any signs of life. Taking into account the terrible injuries to his head, he pronounced him dead. As he turned to go, the injured boy quietly said, “Thank you Jesus!” Greatly puzzled, the doctor wheeled about and said, “What is going on here? You better clean him up and remove the glass out of his head. Cover his eyes with a bandage and keep him right here under observation.”
They called his mother to sit at his bedside, and nurse to attend to him and report any changes. His brain was so damaged that nothing could be done regarding his broken skull. His eyes, though protected with bandages, were still hanging out of their sockets. There was no sign of life, except for the occasional utterance, “Thank you Jesus”, or “I love you Jesus”. The body laid there in this ultra-comatose condition for three and one half days.
There was no medical description for the state of this inert, yet talking man. His body functions were so faint and decelerated as to be almost non-existent. Perhaps it was similar to extreme hibernation that some species achieve when there is no detectable functioning metabolism. Word began to spread about this patient’s highly unusual condition. Many were the prayers that ascended to God on his behalf. The nurse who was given charge of this unprecedented case, happened to be a Christian. She was very attentive because she realized something supernatural was taking place.
Part Two:
As Sevuloni was driving the car, suddenly he was blinded by a great light, and lost control of his vehicle. He doesn’t remember the crash, but only of being suddenly lifted up and out of the tumbling vehicle by two angels in white garments. He was taken up to a place they called Paradise. He described Paradise as being a waiting place for the souls who are redeemed, and are waiting for their mansions in the New Jerusalem.
One of the first things the angels showed him was the death-rate of planet earth. Streams of disembodied souls were streaming out of the world like grains of sand being poured out of dump trucks. Thousands upon thousands were being poured out every minute. The vast majority of them were going to Hell. A tiny minority were entering into Paradise. The road to Hell and the gates thereof were very wide in order to accommodate the surging river of lost humanity. The gates of heaven, on the other hand, were so narrow that redeemed souls were entering single file. This was very troubling to Sevu. Could it be that many who were convinced that they were right with God, were deceiving themselves?
According to the angel, construction in the New Jerusalem is all complete. All mansions are finished and waiting for occupancy. He was told that the size and value of each individual mansion depends entirely on the number of souls one wins to God during one’s life-time on earth. “The winning of souls to Jesus Christ”, according to the angel, “is the highest priority in the Kingdom of Heaven. Nothing compares with the value of snatching souls from the fires of Hell, and pointing them to Jesus, The Doorway into the joys of Heaven.”
He remembered the story about the Lost Sheep, and how the Shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep safely in the fold and went out into the darkness to search for the Lost Sheep. The way Jesus told it, there is more rejoicing in Heaven over one lost sinner being rescued from certain destruction, than in ninety-nine who are safely in the fold.
The angel pointed to a big clock on a wall. “Look,” he said, “it is a minute and a half before midnight! At any moment now the Rapture will take place and Christ will bring home to heaven all those who truly believe in Him, See, the tables are all prepared for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The food is already on the tables. Food preparation is already complete. All that remains is for the Guests to arrive.” He was then shown a place where God keeps an immense supply of body parts. “When the Lord performs miracles of healing on earth,”
the angel explained, “God does not repair or mend the problem part, He replaces it with a new one. God makes everything new. The old is removed as the new replaces it.” God is prepared for every human emergency, but so few people claim by faith what He has provided!
Sevuloni was told that Paradise is presently located inside the enormous City Four-Square. Paradise is the ‘waiting place’ of the dead in Christ, and for those who will go up in the coming Rapture. Jesus, the Judge, will then try by fire the works of believers at the Bema Seat Judgment. All works that are not done in the will and power of Jesus Christ and for His Glory, will be burned up. Then, and only then will believers place in the New Jerusalem be determined and allotted. The Central place in the New Jerusalem will then become the residence of the Great Triune God. The angels emphasized the importance that all our efforts on earth be engaged in the rescuing of souls from the horrors of Hell, and preparing them for everlasting Life in Heaven. Any other type of Gospel will be judged, not rewarded.
Sevu tried to describe the innumerable precious gemstones everywhere apparent, that were being illuminated by the Glory of Father God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The whole of Heaven was lit up in this way in an astonishing, indescribable, fluorescence of glory.
Sevu was amazed that he instinctively knew people in Paradise. He knew relatives who died before he was born. He saw Christians he had known, who had died and gone to Heaven. He was amazed at the very few young people he saw in Heaven. Paradise was full of people of all ages, but young people were conspicuous by their scarcity. The angel told him he would soon be returned to his body on earth, and that he must warn the young people especially that they must repent and turn to God.
“Now, we will show you what Hades is like,” said the angels. “It is located in the middle of the Lake of Fire. It is the waiting place of the damned, until the Great White Throne Judgment takes place. After those who have rejected Jesus Christ are judged and sentenced to eternal punishment, Death and Hades, with all who are imprisoned in them, will be poured into the eternal Lake of Fire, which is heating up right now.”
Hell, according to Sevu, is a place of unending torment. He saw a woman he knew who had been a very negative critic on earth. She enjoyed spreading hurtful stories about others. The very demons who prompted her in evil deeds while on earth, were her tormentors in Hades. He was troubled at the enormous number of young people in Hell. “Why are there so many young people here,” he asked the angels. “Youth is the age when people on earth are choosing whom they will serve,” was the answer. “Young people tend to go through a period of rebellion. In this condition they often precipitate their death, and end up here. When you return to earth, you must warn them to get right with God, now, not later.”
There were preachers in Hell that Sevuloni had known. He was amazed to find them there. He was told that they had not preached the frightening truth about Hell, the destination of those who reject Jesus Christ. These preachers also had not been warning people of the very soon-coming of Jesus Christ. Then again, they had been watering down the Bible truth about the deadly seriousness of personal sin. “You must tell your people,” stressed the angel, “that Hell is very real, and that they must seek God and Heaven through Jesus Christ with
all their soul, strength and being. Tell them to resist Satan and evil completely so they will not come to this dreadful place.
Sevu was then taken back to Paradise. “You must return now to earth, and your waiting body,” the angel told him. “But I don’t want to go back to earth,” Sevu cried, “I want to stay in this wonderful place of love, blessing and joy!” The angels were adamant that he return to earth. “That is why you have experienced this whole ordeal. You must warn people that they must prepare to meet their God.” The angel picked a fruit from a tree growing by the River of Life, saying “Eat this and it will help with your healing. Your healing will be progressive. You will spend four days in Intensive Care, and two weeks in Recovery. Your complete healing will depend on your being faithful in humbly telling your people the things you have seen and heard.”
Sevu was taken down until he could see his death-like body as it lay on the hospital bed. He was concerned about how he would re-enter that emaciated form with its broken skull and gaping eye sockets. He had been free of its hindering limitations for three and one half days. His questions were soon answered as he entered the body with a swoop, headfirst through its feet. As soon as he entered his body, it became alive, beginning to stir and waking up from its deep sleep.
Those lingering lovingly near that ultra-comatose body began seeing amazing things. As the Doctor removed the covering bandage, the dangling eyeballs popped back into their sockets. The severed skull went back into place. The young man sat up, saying, “I am hungry. Please give me something to eat.” Seeing a plate of fish and vegetables near-by, he asked if he could have it. The nurse told him he must have liquids only, no solid food. Sevu insisted that he was OK, and wanted the fish and vegetables. He ate it up with no after ill-effects. True to the angel’s predictions, healing occurred progressively. He spent four days in Intensive Care, and two weeks in Recovery.
Pastor Bill Naivalu, Superintendent of Fiji’s Western Division of the Assemblies of God, was naturally wary that the lad’s imagination may have played some part in the amazing story he had to tell. “I don’t want you to be telling your story until everything is documented, and every-thing lines up with the Word of God. Too much discredit has occurred in Christendom because of well meaning people who let their imagination prevail over actual facts.” He examined the whole matter from beginning to end, and arrived at the conclusion that there were too many witnesses who all agreed. There was too much documentary evidence for it to be other than as recounted. The sincere transparency of Sevu was convincing as he told and re-told his experiences. Everything lined up with the truth as recorded in the Bible.
We are going to do a test event,” he told Sevu. “You say you have a message from God? We will hold a test service in the remote town of Vatu Colo.” The meaning of the name is ‘Gold Town’, a once-thriving town near a gold mine. Since the gold has been depleted, the town now has only half its former population. Everything, including the Christian religion has been in decline there for years. It would be a good place to test the event.
After modestly informing the town’s people that Sevuloni would be sharing his experience at a meeting on April 27, 2008, the team arrived at the big meeting hall. The whole town had turned out for the meeting. An enormous crowd was trying to get into the building. Pastor Bill requested that all the Church people go
outside the building so that invited Town folk could get inside. The building was filled to fullest capacity, with many people standing outside.
The service was purposely kept low key. Pastor Bill offered a simple opening prayer. A hymn was sung. There was no special music. A brief introduction was made. Then the service was turned over to Sevu. There was no preaching. Sevu simply recounted his experiences in the other world. The congregation of non-church people was intensely impacted by his words. The presence of God in that meeting like nothing Pastor Bill had ever witnessed in forth-five years of ministry. No invitation was given, but everyone in that meeting, plus those who were outside, wanted to get right with God. Two thousand people that day registered their decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives.
The next weekend saw another momentous gathering. It happened at a Youth Convention in the huge Assembly of God church building in Lautoka. It was a three-day event, with the closing meeting being given over to Sevu’s testimony. Again, there was no hype or worked up excitement in the meeting. Once again the simple recitation was backed up by a tremendous sense of the presence of a Holy God.
The young people were sitting in the front rows of the huge wrap-around sanctuary. Thousands of others filled the rest of the place to capacity and then some.
For an hour and twelve minutes the lad related the message the angels had given him. The effect on the vast congregation was electric, with multitudes drenched in tears. Pastor Bill affirmed that even he was affected as never before by an over-whelming sense of the presence of a Holy God. Many believers also were re-evaluating their present relationship with God, and realizing that their own righteousness was like filthy rage to a holy God. They realized anew that only by God’s grace was salvation possible. They also realized in a new and powerful way, that acceptance before God’s infinite purity is only possible when one is clad in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.
As Sevu was summing up his story, Pastor Bill said that the seat he was sitting in became too hot to sit in. He stood up and looked up. The whole ceiling at the front of the great sanctuary was full of ethereal fire. Suddenly all the young people saw it also. There was no need for an alter call. The youth group literally rushed forward, throwing themselves prostrate before the altar.
They fervently prayed, repented, confessing their sins, and re-dedicated their lives to God for a period of four hours – from nine PM until one AM. During that time they simply could not get up because of the weight of conviction that was so heavy upon them. The travail of their souls was followed by a scene of intense joy and peace over the realization that their sins were forgiven, and for the glory of a renewed relationship with God.
Many others had crawled under the pews, covering their heads with their hands and crying out to God for mercy. Pastor Bill had never seen anything like it before. He asked some of them later why they had done that. Their answer was that they were scared stiff because they felt so unprepared and unworthy in the presence of such a loving and holy God. Time alone will tell out of the thousands who had undergone such soul searching that night, how many received a renewed and lasting relationship with the beloved Son of God.
One week later, another meeting was held in the sleepy little town of Ba. As Pastor Bill would be in San Francisco at that date, he asked that the meeting be held in the park, because there was no venue in town big enough to accommodate the crowd that would attend. Those in charge thought otherwise, and decided to use a church building. Never in their life-time, had there been need of a bigger venue in Ba for religious purposes, than would accommodate three hundred people.
To their dismay, eight hundred intensely determined people nearly wrecked the place trying to get into the building. It was mayhem, with people trying to crowd by and over one another in order to find a place where they could hear and see what would happen. They tried desperately to enter at every door and window in the place, as if their very lives depended on getting in. No one remembered to try getting into the meeting place through the roof. Over six hundred made decisions that night to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. More business was accomplished for eternity in that one Holy Spirit meeting than in the previous forty years.
The most amazing thing about this move of God is that, whole towns and cities are being mightily impacted. Someone has come back from death and is warning them to prepare to meet a Holy God. The loving Holy Spirit of God is melting the resistance of the most hardened and rebellious of sinners. Those who had a cool head-knowledge of God, new have an exhilarating heart-relationship with Him. The fear of God, which is a very deep, reverent and loving submission to the Lord, is the prevailing response of those who are touched by these meetings. People are forgetting about denominational differences as thousands from many faiths are crowding together to hear what God has to say to their hearts today.
At the time of this writing, May 24th, 2008, two more meetings have been held in the towns of Raki and Nadi. One thousand and seventeen persons accepted Christ in Raki. The meeting in Nadi (pronounced Nandi), was even more amazing. Altar-workers, who were trying to help earnest seekers, were overwhelmed by the response. Somewhere well in excess of one thousand persons registered decisions to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in that meeting.
Pastor Bill made a special trip to Abbotsford, to see Phyllis and myself in order to tell us the story. In two and one half days while in Abbotsford, he told this story fourteen times to churches, small meetings and interviews. Many were stirred deeply as he shared. He is greatly concerned because there are no adequate follow-up materials in Fiji for the thousands of converts coming to Christ each week. With meetings in Fiji lined up for Sevu until December, and more in 2009, it is crucial that an adequate Follow-up program be initiated immediately.
We, of Multi-Media Ministries Inc., are working together with Seeds International to meet this urgent need. We are short $10,000 to reprint enough copies of the ‘Seeds’ follow-up booklet in order to begin this project. After returning from a three week mission to Romania on July 3rd, we plan to go to Fiji in mid July, The Assemblies of God want me to examine every detail of Sevu’s experience and write a booklet about it. We need your most earnest prayers during this busy summer!
the most amazing sermon ever
http://northview.org/WeekendSermons.html
check out november 22 sermon "two fatal errors" when jeff gave an altar call several people went forward, another young man just sat in his seat and wept. i was so happy when my friend who has been wrestling with God went forward. i thought of many other friends and family members who needed to hear this message and my heart broke for them, believing they were saved, but Jesus would say He never knew them and they would spend eternity in hell.
check out november 22 sermon "two fatal errors" when jeff gave an altar call several people went forward, another young man just sat in his seat and wept. i was so happy when my friend who has been wrestling with God went forward. i thought of many other friends and family members who needed to hear this message and my heart broke for them, believing they were saved, but Jesus would say He never knew them and they would spend eternity in hell.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
shane claiborne wall street money drop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ETBMhEzYKU
ok so i'd never heard of the guy before this weekend and now i'm watching all his youtube videos. he's walking the way i want to walk and the way all christians should be walking. wow - i am so inspired by him.
ok so i'd never heard of the guy before this weekend and now i'm watching all his youtube videos. he's walking the way i want to walk and the way all christians should be walking. wow - i am so inspired by him.
shane claiborne at fusion youth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPANKUHabx4
until saturday i'd never heard of shane claiborne. i left church early so i could hear another speaker at another church. it was a very small church, maybe 50 people, but you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. it was awesome. then i heard friends talk about the service at northview and how amazing it was. thankfully northview downloads all it's sermon and i was able to watch it.
man that guy is what christianity is all about. i want that kind of walk.
check out http://northview.org/WeekendSermons.html
nov. 8 a scandal of grace.
until saturday i'd never heard of shane claiborne. i left church early so i could hear another speaker at another church. it was a very small church, maybe 50 people, but you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. it was awesome. then i heard friends talk about the service at northview and how amazing it was. thankfully northview downloads all it's sermon and i was able to watch it.
man that guy is what christianity is all about. i want that kind of walk.
check out http://northview.org/WeekendSermons.html
nov. 8 a scandal of grace.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Esso's (Imperial Oil) record profits - OUTRAGEOUS!!!
Record profits for Imperial Oil - Montreal Gazette 10/31/08
Imperial Oil Ltd., Canada's biggest integrated oil company, said today its third-quarter earnings hit a record $1.4 billion or $1.57 a share, up from $816 million or 88 cents a share a year earlier, with higher oil prices. That brought nine months' profit to $3.22 billion or $3.60 a share, up from $2.3 billion or $2.15 a share a year earlier.
The U.S. Exxon Mobil Corp., which owns 70 per cent of Imperial, yesterday posted earnings of almost $15 billion U.S.
Fort McMurray Today 10/31/08
Imperial Oil has announced record earnings for its third quarter with a jump of about 70 per cent to just over $1.3 billion, the largest quarterly profit in its 128-year history. WHILE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM STARVATION, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEM AND ESSO MAKES THE LARGEST PROFIT IN 128 YEARS. I AM SO-O INFURIATED.
“Contrary to the doom and gloom out there, we think the future looks very bright for Imperial,” said Wong. GIVE ME A BREAK. THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET POORER.
you sure as heck won't see me at an esso station.
Imperial Oil Ltd., Canada's biggest integrated oil company, said today its third-quarter earnings hit a record $1.4 billion or $1.57 a share, up from $816 million or 88 cents a share a year earlier, with higher oil prices. That brought nine months' profit to $3.22 billion or $3.60 a share, up from $2.3 billion or $2.15 a share a year earlier.
The U.S. Exxon Mobil Corp., which owns 70 per cent of Imperial, yesterday posted earnings of almost $15 billion U.S.
Fort McMurray Today 10/31/08
Imperial Oil has announced record earnings for its third quarter with a jump of about 70 per cent to just over $1.3 billion, the largest quarterly profit in its 128-year history. WHILE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM STARVATION, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEM AND ESSO MAKES THE LARGEST PROFIT IN 128 YEARS. I AM SO-O INFURIATED.
“Contrary to the doom and gloom out there, we think the future looks very bright for Imperial,” said Wong. GIVE ME A BREAK. THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET POORER.
you sure as heck won't see me at an esso station.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
US elections
Will Barack Obama Support Israel?
By: Dr. Michael D. Evans
Barack Obama’s campaign cries of “change” mimic those of Jimmy Carter’s campaign rhetoric in the 1970s. Carter chose the Shah of Iran, one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East, as his scapegoat for change. I can only stand and wonder which American ally will take the brunt of Obama’s presidential aspirations. Our only real ally in the Middle East is Israel; if elected, would Obama sell Israel down the river just as Carter did the Shah of Iran?
Early in his presidential campaign, Barack Obama added former Carter National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski to his own list of “advisors.” Brzezinski, of course, got himself into trouble early in his role as advisor when “he published an essay in the summer issue of the journal Foreign Policy, defending a controversial new book about the power of the “Israel Lobby” in American politics. One of Brzezinski’s first jobs as advisor was to defend Obama’s plan, if elected, to meet with Iran and Syria: “What’s the hand-up about negotiating with the Syrians or Iranians?” asked Brzezinski. “What it in effect means is that you only talk to people who agree with you.” People who agree with you? I, for one, would like to know just why Obama would want to talk with Iran’s president who denies the Holocaust, has called Israel a “stinking corpse,” and vowed to wipe it off the map.
Another man from whom Obama sought advice was Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund. Cirincione is said to have decidedly anti-Israel leanings. Ed Lasky, writer for American Thinker, wrote that Cirincione was “another in a disconcertingly long line of Obama advisors, who seemingly have an anti-Israel bias and who would be very willing to apply American pressure on our tiny ally to disarm itself in the face of its mortal enemies.”
I might also add here that Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yousef seemed delighted with Mr. Obama: “We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the elections.” Obama also drew a pseudo-endorsement from Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani during a stop-over in Bahrain. Larijani purported that “Iran would prefer Democrat Barack Obama in the White House next year.” Larijani also dismissed any idea that the US would attack Iran. “We are leaning more in favor of Barack Obama because he is more flexible and rational, even though we know American policy will not change that much..”
Now, why do you suppose a terrorist organization or a rogue state would support one candidate over another? Could it be the knowledge that one candidate is likely to be more anti-Israel than the other? Or that one candidate would respond to terrorism more forcefully than another?
During a speech to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in June 2008, Obama “clarified” some of his earlier statements: Yes, he is “still in favor of meeting with Iran’s leaders…but (clarification) only at the suitable levels and at a place and time” of his choosing. He favors a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq…but (clarification) it must be gradual. He prefers diplomatic and economic pressure…but (clarification) says the military option “should be left on the table.” After all, one must be willing to “clarify” in order to achieve the highest office in the land.
How committed is Obama to Israel’s security? He promised the members of AIPAC a “Palestinian …state that is contiguous and cohesive, and that allows them to prosper...[and] Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided…[but that the final solution for Jerusalem] must be negotiated between the two parties [Israelis and Palestinians], an agreement that they can both live with.” How can this be, when the Palestinians have demanded again and again that Jerusalem must become the capital of any Palestinian state?
In his formative years and with a myriad of churches from which to choose, Obama aligned himself with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., a man he calls his spiritual mentor. Wright’s stance regarding Israel and the Jews became well-known during Obama’s campaign. The pastor, a Black Muslim sympathizer is riddled with anti-Semitism. He has “damned” America from the pulpit, and his diatribe following 9/11, an event Wright labeled as “chickens coming home to roost,” was particularly offensive and provoking. He insinuated that the horrific assaults were godly revenge for America’s many failures at race relations.
Wright embraces what is called “black-liberation theology,” a tenet that is often associated with the racial supremacist Black Power movement of the 1960s. Rev. Wright openly supported Louis Farrakhan, Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan has labeled the Jews “bloodsuckers” and openly endorsed Obama’s presidential bid (which Obama publicly rejected.) Farrakhan has likened Obama to the forerunner of the Messiah, and points as proof to the candidate’s mixed race background.
Was it from his own experience that Obama articulated one of the bigger gaffes of his campaign? He was overheard saying of the people of Pennsylvania, “And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them…” Obama was referring to the Bible-believing, working-class voters. Does he feel the same way about Israel?
In the first World Policy Forum, held at a French lakeside resort, Rev. Jesse Jackson promised "fundamental changes" in US foreign policy; the most important change would occur in the Middle East, where "decades of putting Israel's interests first" would end.
Jackson told author and journalist Amir Taheri that he believes although "Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades" remain strong they'll lose a great deal of their clout when Barack Obama enters the White House. "Obama is about change," Jackson told Taheri in a wide-ranging conversation. "And the change that Obama promises is not limited to what we do in America itself. It is a change of the way America looks at the world and its place in it." And, in fact, Jesse Jackson told me at the White House Middle East Peace Summit in 1993 that the multitudes of problems in the Middle East were caused by the Jews.
On foreign policy issues, Obama’s call to eradicate nuclear weapons worldwide would leave the West and Israel at the mercy of unscrupulous, hate-filled leaders in countries such as Iran and Syria. Those nations would simply go farther underground and continue the secret production of nuclear arms. A part of Israel’s firewall against the launch of a globally inclusive attack is its nuclear arsenal. Obama’s plan would effectively disarm Israel, while making it impossible to police the Irans of the world. Has he considered the danger of beating our collective swords into plowshares? That would leave the world even more vulnerable to those who don’t follow suit; who, instead, keep their swords at the ready.
Jimmy Carter felt that talking with our enemies, i.e. Ayatollah Khomeini, in the name of human rights while castigating pro-American allies such as the Shah of Iran would make the world a better place. Apparently Mr. Carter still feels that way. He considers Israel an apartheid state and Hamas and Hezbollah human rights movements rather than terrorist organizations that need only economic support and understanding. Does Barack Obama embrace Carter’s liberal world view?
By: Dr. Michael D. Evans
Barack Obama’s campaign cries of “change” mimic those of Jimmy Carter’s campaign rhetoric in the 1970s. Carter chose the Shah of Iran, one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East, as his scapegoat for change. I can only stand and wonder which American ally will take the brunt of Obama’s presidential aspirations. Our only real ally in the Middle East is Israel; if elected, would Obama sell Israel down the river just as Carter did the Shah of Iran?
Early in his presidential campaign, Barack Obama added former Carter National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski to his own list of “advisors.” Brzezinski, of course, got himself into trouble early in his role as advisor when “he published an essay in the summer issue of the journal Foreign Policy, defending a controversial new book about the power of the “Israel Lobby” in American politics. One of Brzezinski’s first jobs as advisor was to defend Obama’s plan, if elected, to meet with Iran and Syria: “What’s the hand-up about negotiating with the Syrians or Iranians?” asked Brzezinski. “What it in effect means is that you only talk to people who agree with you.” People who agree with you? I, for one, would like to know just why Obama would want to talk with Iran’s president who denies the Holocaust, has called Israel a “stinking corpse,” and vowed to wipe it off the map.
Another man from whom Obama sought advice was Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund. Cirincione is said to have decidedly anti-Israel leanings. Ed Lasky, writer for American Thinker, wrote that Cirincione was “another in a disconcertingly long line of Obama advisors, who seemingly have an anti-Israel bias and who would be very willing to apply American pressure on our tiny ally to disarm itself in the face of its mortal enemies.”
I might also add here that Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yousef seemed delighted with Mr. Obama: “We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the elections.” Obama also drew a pseudo-endorsement from Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani during a stop-over in Bahrain. Larijani purported that “Iran would prefer Democrat Barack Obama in the White House next year.” Larijani also dismissed any idea that the US would attack Iran. “We are leaning more in favor of Barack Obama because he is more flexible and rational, even though we know American policy will not change that much..”
Now, why do you suppose a terrorist organization or a rogue state would support one candidate over another? Could it be the knowledge that one candidate is likely to be more anti-Israel than the other? Or that one candidate would respond to terrorism more forcefully than another?
During a speech to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in June 2008, Obama “clarified” some of his earlier statements: Yes, he is “still in favor of meeting with Iran’s leaders…but (clarification) only at the suitable levels and at a place and time” of his choosing. He favors a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq…but (clarification) it must be gradual. He prefers diplomatic and economic pressure…but (clarification) says the military option “should be left on the table.” After all, one must be willing to “clarify” in order to achieve the highest office in the land.
How committed is Obama to Israel’s security? He promised the members of AIPAC a “Palestinian …state that is contiguous and cohesive, and that allows them to prosper...[and] Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided…[but that the final solution for Jerusalem] must be negotiated between the two parties [Israelis and Palestinians], an agreement that they can both live with.” How can this be, when the Palestinians have demanded again and again that Jerusalem must become the capital of any Palestinian state?
In his formative years and with a myriad of churches from which to choose, Obama aligned himself with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., a man he calls his spiritual mentor. Wright’s stance regarding Israel and the Jews became well-known during Obama’s campaign. The pastor, a Black Muslim sympathizer is riddled with anti-Semitism. He has “damned” America from the pulpit, and his diatribe following 9/11, an event Wright labeled as “chickens coming home to roost,” was particularly offensive and provoking. He insinuated that the horrific assaults were godly revenge for America’s many failures at race relations.
Wright embraces what is called “black-liberation theology,” a tenet that is often associated with the racial supremacist Black Power movement of the 1960s. Rev. Wright openly supported Louis Farrakhan, Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan has labeled the Jews “bloodsuckers” and openly endorsed Obama’s presidential bid (which Obama publicly rejected.) Farrakhan has likened Obama to the forerunner of the Messiah, and points as proof to the candidate’s mixed race background.
Was it from his own experience that Obama articulated one of the bigger gaffes of his campaign? He was overheard saying of the people of Pennsylvania, “And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them…” Obama was referring to the Bible-believing, working-class voters. Does he feel the same way about Israel?
In the first World Policy Forum, held at a French lakeside resort, Rev. Jesse Jackson promised "fundamental changes" in US foreign policy; the most important change would occur in the Middle East, where "decades of putting Israel's interests first" would end.
Jackson told author and journalist Amir Taheri that he believes although "Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades" remain strong they'll lose a great deal of their clout when Barack Obama enters the White House. "Obama is about change," Jackson told Taheri in a wide-ranging conversation. "And the change that Obama promises is not limited to what we do in America itself. It is a change of the way America looks at the world and its place in it." And, in fact, Jesse Jackson told me at the White House Middle East Peace Summit in 1993 that the multitudes of problems in the Middle East were caused by the Jews.
On foreign policy issues, Obama’s call to eradicate nuclear weapons worldwide would leave the West and Israel at the mercy of unscrupulous, hate-filled leaders in countries such as Iran and Syria. Those nations would simply go farther underground and continue the secret production of nuclear arms. A part of Israel’s firewall against the launch of a globally inclusive attack is its nuclear arsenal. Obama’s plan would effectively disarm Israel, while making it impossible to police the Irans of the world. Has he considered the danger of beating our collective swords into plowshares? That would leave the world even more vulnerable to those who don’t follow suit; who, instead, keep their swords at the ready.
Jimmy Carter felt that talking with our enemies, i.e. Ayatollah Khomeini, in the name of human rights while castigating pro-American allies such as the Shah of Iran would make the world a better place. Apparently Mr. Carter still feels that way. He considers Israel an apartheid state and Hamas and Hezbollah human rights movements rather than terrorist organizations that need only economic support and understanding. Does Barack Obama embrace Carter’s liberal world view?
Monday, October 27, 2008
spiritual attack
a friend told me her ex biker-boyfriend taught her something that always stuck with her. "every member knows that if you want to hurt someone beyond repair, go get the one he loves the most"
if satan can't get to us he will go after the ones we love the most.
lift your loved ones up and surround them with prayer. trust that God is the one in control and that everything works together for good (even if we don't see it at the time) for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. God will give you total supernatural peace.
if satan can't get to us he will go after the ones we love the most.
lift your loved ones up and surround them with prayer. trust that God is the one in control and that everything works together for good (even if we don't see it at the time) for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. God will give you total supernatural peace.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
supernatural healing
i want everyone to read "And Jesus Healed Them All, by Gloria Copeland. yesterday at oasis i was praying for someone for healing. listening to her and another lady it was like no wonder people don't get healed. doubt kept creeping in. and saying that if it's God's will. God's will is not for His kids to be sick.
we are all wondering what God's will is in our lives and pastors keep telling us that God's Word is God's will. well God's Word says over and over and over how Jesus came to heal us. and if God's Word is as relevent today as it was when Jesus was alive then that means God's will is that we all be healed. and if God's Word is the truth and Jesus is the truth....
when afshin talked he told stories of so many people coming to Christ because in Jesus name all these people had been healed.
why is it so hard for believers then to be healed? besides if there is unconfessed sin in our lives, if we don't REALLY believe that God's Word is living and active and His will for us....
that was the clincher for me. so many people, all the pastors, etc. praying for healing and i kept thinking well if God can use it to bring my family into His kingdom. God doesn't need me to bring my family in His kingdom. He can do that without me.
but... when someone asked if i REALLY believed that God wanted to heal me, when he looked me in the eyes, it was like my eyes were opened to the truth.
what glory does God get if i die. but if i live and declare the glory of God....
i just want people to believe.
we are all wondering what God's will is in our lives and pastors keep telling us that God's Word is God's will. well God's Word says over and over and over how Jesus came to heal us. and if God's Word is as relevent today as it was when Jesus was alive then that means God's will is that we all be healed. and if God's Word is the truth and Jesus is the truth....
when afshin talked he told stories of so many people coming to Christ because in Jesus name all these people had been healed.
why is it so hard for believers then to be healed? besides if there is unconfessed sin in our lives, if we don't REALLY believe that God's Word is living and active and His will for us....
that was the clincher for me. so many people, all the pastors, etc. praying for healing and i kept thinking well if God can use it to bring my family into His kingdom. God doesn't need me to bring my family in His kingdom. He can do that without me.
but... when someone asked if i REALLY believed that God wanted to heal me, when he looked me in the eyes, it was like my eyes were opened to the truth.
what glory does God get if i die. but if i live and declare the glory of God....
i just want people to believe.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database
Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database
hormone altering cosmetics chemicals found in teens.
search your skin and hair care products. you might find you want to throw some of them in the garbage.
hormone altering cosmetics chemicals found in teens.
search your skin and hair care products. you might find you want to throw some of them in the garbage.
cancer causing skin and hair care products
www.glimpseinvitation.com
wow this is a great video on all the chemicals and toxins in all the skin and hair care products we use on our bodies every day.
my naturopath has been telling me about this stuff for years and i have quit some of the most toxic ones but i had no idea about all of them.
it's scary especially when the doctor's told me i had terminal cancer and that it was caused by chemicals and pesticides (which are covered in the video).
wow this is a great video on all the chemicals and toxins in all the skin and hair care products we use on our bodies every day.
my naturopath has been telling me about this stuff for years and i have quit some of the most toxic ones but i had no idea about all of them.
it's scary especially when the doctor's told me i had terminal cancer and that it was caused by chemicals and pesticides (which are covered in the video).
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