tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37861494379969764112024-03-05T23:43:29.094+08:00Ministry Wives Resource Centera collection of resources we authored or came across withUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-23866761511717652932017-06-20T07:49:00.003+08:002017-06-20T07:49:50.619+08:00Devotional: Wisdom in time of Need<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: "Roboto Slab", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I'm out of wisdom or when I feel I'm in the dark, the Holy Spirit is there to give wisdom and to guide me into all truth (John 16:13) This means, that I can know what I need to understand about Him and His Word. James 1:5 says I must ask in full trust and reliance and God will grant the wisdom that I need to understand and to make decisions that will not go against His Word. I like it that the verse says that when I come, God won't shame, ridicule, or think low of me for not knowing the things I don't know. He knows my limitations, He is not at all surprised so I don't need to hide nor make excuses. When I ask, He will be there to empower and equip me.</span><br style="background-color: #fafafa; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: "Roboto Slab", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="background-color: #fafafa; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: "Roboto Slab", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: "Roboto Slab", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I pray for diligence and tenderness to come to God so I can grow from ignorance and immaturity.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-48168026872086699762016-04-29T21:47:00.000+08:002016-04-29T21:47:05.714+08:00God in Your Uncertainty<h2 class="subtitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Being-Sure-When-Youre-Not" target="_blank">Basic Realities in this World</a></h2>
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<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Being-Sure-When-Youre-Not" target="_blank">1. Nothing is permanent. Everything has an end.</a></div>
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<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Being-Sure-When-Youre-Not" target="_blank">2. Nothing is sure. Everything is variable.</a></div>
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<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Being-Sure-When-Youre-Not" target="_blank">3. Nothing satisfies. Everything has a saturation point.</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-90798558352875090972016-04-29T21:45:00.000+08:002016-04-29T21:45:04.279+08:00Pain at Work<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 20.7px;"><a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-God-at-Work" target="_blank">I found my most meaningful moments of communion with God during trials, testings, and failures.</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-35692723928241723892016-04-29T21:44:00.000+08:002016-04-29T21:44:05.029+08:00We Have a Living God<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 20.7px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Our-God-Lives" target="_blank">God lives, He is alive today.</a></div>
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<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Morning-Devotions-Our-God-Lives" target="_blank">Integrating this truth into our daily living makes a huge difference. It changes the way we see things; it changes the way we live.</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-66472953209205509692016-04-29T21:43:00.001+08:002016-04-29T21:43:15.308+08:00Why We are Dissatisfied with Life<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 20.7px;"><a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Why-We-are-Dissatisfied-with-Our-Life" target="_blank">Life is the greatest gift we can receive from above. To be born into this world and experience God and His creation, and the gift of New Birth is life's greatest blessing.</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-1512638282568787512016-04-26T07:43:00.000+08:002016-04-26T07:43:27.761+08:00Why Prayers Go Unanswered<a href="http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Why-Your-Prayers-Go-Unanswered" target="_blank">The Bible does let us know that our prayers may not always be answered and the growing Christian ought to learn the reasons behind unanswered prayers.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-20727693232727831442013-12-26T06:33:00.001+08:002013-12-26T06:33:18.910+08:00Christmas Night<p dir="ltr">From 'God Came Near' by Max Lucado</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's Christmas night. The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I'm awake. I'm kept awake by one stunning thought.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed. The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stopwatches and weapons. We stepped off our race tracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the start of Bethlehem. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's the season to be jolly because, more than at any other time, we think of him. More than in any other season, His name is on our lips. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And the result? For a few precious hours, our heavenly yearnings intermesh and we become a chorus. A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, Boston lawyers, illegal immigrants, housewives, and a thousand other peculiar persons who are banking that Bethlehem's mystery is in reality, a reality. </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Come and behold Him" we sing, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child. For a few precious hours, He is beheld. Christ the Lord. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Those who pass the year without seeing Him, suddenly see Him. People who have been accustomed to using His name in vain, pause to use it in praise. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Eyes, now free of the blinders of self, marvel at His majesty. All of a sudden He's everywhere. In the grin of a policeman as he drives the paddy wagon full of presents to the orphanage. In the twinkle in the eyes of the Taiwanese waiter as he tells of his upcoming Christmas trip to see his children. In the emotions of the father who is too thankful to finish the dinner table prayer. He's in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home her son from overseas. He's in the heart of the man who spent Christmas morning on skid row giving away cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes. And He's in the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings "Away in a Manger." </p>
<p dir="ltr">Emmanuel. He is with us. God came near. It's Christmas night. In a few hours the cleanup will begin-lights will come down, trees will be thrown out. Size 36 will be exchanged for size 40, eggnog will be on sale for half price. Soon life will be normal again. December's generosity will become January's payments and the magic will begin to fade. But for the moment, the magic is still in the air. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Maybe that's why I'm still awake. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. I want to pray that those who beheld Him today will look for Him next August. And I can't help but linger on one fanciful thought: if He can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could He do if we thought of Him every day?</p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-80509173405520107952013-12-19T11:12:00.001+08:002013-12-19T11:12:35.601+08:00In Him is No Darkness<p dir="ltr">Source: Institute for Creation Research</p>
<p dir="ltr">“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) </p>
<p dir="ltr">  Light is the most fundamental and important form of energy, and energy includes every phenomenon in the physical universe. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It is appropriate for John to affirm that God is light, because everything created must reflect the character of its Creator. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The term “light,” therefore, has come to be applied not only to light in the physical sense, but also to that which is true in the intellectual realm, and holy in the moral realm as well.   </p>
<p dir="ltr">In terms of truth and genuine knowledge, “the entrance of thy words giveth light” (Psalm 119:130). “In thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Without God’s truth, there is only darkness. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). <br>
The Bible also speaks of light as moral holiness. “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. . . . And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:8, 11).   </p>
<p dir="ltr">There are still other analogies: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Not only is light symbolic of life itself, but it also depicts God’s daily guidance for our lives. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). </p>
<p dir="ltr">Since there is no darkness in God, “if we walk in the light as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7), there remains no excuse for any darkness in our lives. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). HMM</p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-69461474721331387002013-12-10T06:43:00.001+08:002013-12-10T06:44:12.352+08:00Lack of sleep: what it does to your brain<p dir="ltr">Very informative article from emily sohn of discovery news</p>
<p dir="ltr">Source: <br>
http://mashable.com/2013/12/06/lack-of-sleep/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link</p>
<p dir="ltr">Behind the controls of the Metro-North train that derailed in New York earlier this week was a tired driver, according to new reports that engineer William Rockefeller fell asleep at the wheel.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Could lack of sleep cause such a fatal mistake?Biologically speaking, experts said, yes. <u>Sleep deprivation affects the brain in multiple ways that can impair judgment, slow reaction times and increase the likelihood of drifting off during monotonous tasks</u>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When you're sleep deprived, your brain reverts to a teenager — it's all gas and no brake," said Michael Howell, a neurologist at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. "Suddenly the part of the brain that says, 'Let's think through this,' is not functioning well."</p>
<p dir="ltr">The purpose of sleep has long mystified scientists, said Maiken Nedergaard, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In an evolutionary conundrum, lying unconscious for hours on end makes people and other animals vulnerable to predators. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yet, <u>not sleeping for long enough can actually lead to dementia and death. Chronic sleep-deprivation can cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ills</u>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Studies have shown that exhausted people do worse on tests of memory and have more trouble learning. Tired basketball players sink fewer free throws. Even golfers who fail to get enough shut-eye take more strokes to finish a round.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Almost everything researchers have looked at," Howell said, "they've demonstrated is impaired if you don't get enough sleep.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"When it comes to accidents, sleep matters <u>because failure to get enough rest hampers functioning of the brain's frontal lobes, which are responsible for executive judgment, or the ability to pay attention and make good decisions</u>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In overtired people, Howell said, imaging studies have shown that <u>there is less blood flow to these areas in the front of the brain and brainwaves there move more slowly.The result is a compromised ability to respond to things, along with a faulty tendency to do things you shouldn't have done. </u></p>
<p dir="ltr">When the frontal lobes aren't working efficiently, people also have more difficulty paying attention during boring tasks, such as driving a car on a highway or operating a morning commuter train.Early morning hours, like when the Metro-North train crashed, are some of the most vulnerable times for sleepy accidents, Howell said, especially for <u>people whose circadian rhythms favor a later sleeping schedule and make it biologically difficult to function well after waking up with an alarm clock at 5 a.m.</u></p>
<p dir="ltr">Reports that Rockefeller had been driving for 20 minutes since his last stop and felt zoned out before the accident suggest that he probably fell asleep before the crash, Howell added.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Recently, scientists have begun to piece together an even more nuanced understanding of why sleep is so restorative. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In a study published in Science this fall, Nedergaard and colleagues injected mice with a green dye that allowed them to track the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As our brains do their work throughout the day, previous work had shown that cerebrospinal fluid collects the waste products of normal metabolism and functioning. Then, a network of tiny channels works like a dishwasher to regularly flush out the dirty fluid and send it to the liver for detoxification.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The new study found that <u>sleeping facilitated the flushing of this toxic fluid, which was much slower to drain in sleep-deprived rodent brains</u>. Nerve cells are very sensitive to the presence of waste, Nedergaard said. <u>When surrounded by contaminated fluid, communication at the cellular level likely slows down.</u>"What we described is that this <u>microscopic cleansing system turns on as soon as we fall asleep and washes the brain clean</u>," Nedergaard said. "From our standpoint, when you're sleep deprived, you get a dirty brain."<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">via Blogaway</p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-80473039004430127292013-12-04T08:51:00.001+08:002013-12-04T08:51:32.661+08:00
American Pastor Saeed Abedini: condition worsening<p dir="ltr">Source: http://aclj.org/iran/american-pastor-saeed-abedini-robbed-life-threatened-knifepoint-health-deteriorates-deadly-iranian-prison<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">American Pastor Saeed Abedini Robbed, Life Threatened at Knifepoint, as Health Deteriorates in Deadly Iranian Prison</p>
<p dir="ltr">By: Jordan Sekulow Filed in: Iran 11:38 AM Dec. 3, 2013 </p>
<p dir="ltr">American Pastor Saeed Abedini not only faces deadly conditions in Iran’s Rajai Shahr prison, but we can now confirm that he faces direct threats on his life from other prisoners. Pastor Saeed’s Iranian family was able to visit him yesterday – the second visitation allowed since he was transferred to the deadly new prison last month.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Pastor Saeed is facing constant threats to his very life in the new prison.  There have been several nights where he has awoken to men standing over him with knives.  Pastor Saeed’s “cell” is only separated by a curtain from the rest of the violent prisoner ward he is forced to share, allowing dangerous prisoners – murderers and rapists – unfettered access to him 24 hours a day.He has also been robbed at knifepoint several times, stripping him of what few necessities he has been permitted to purchase for personal hygiene.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As a result of the robberies, the utterly deplorable conditions of the prison, and the lack of doctor-prescribed medication which is being withheld by prison authorities, Pastor Saeed’s health has quickly deteriorated.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The pain in his stomach has returned and he is now experiencing increased pain in what he described to his family as his kidneys. </p>
<p dir="ltr"> As a result of repeated beatings in Evin prison, Pastor Saeed suffered from internal bleeding.  After months of being refused medical care, Pastor Saeed was allowed to see a doctor and was prescribed medication earlier this year.  As a result of that medication, his physical condition had improved and his pain had subsided. </p>
<p dir="ltr"> However, since being moved from Evin to Rajai Shahr last month, Iranian officials have refused to allow him this critical medication and his condition is worsening.He is being refused medication, prescribed by Iranian doctors, for injuries he sustained from prison beatings.  This is one of the most deplorable human rights violations imaginable.</p>
<p dir="ltr">To make matters worse, the prison conditions and lack of basic hygiene have led to his body being covered head to toe in lice.  Because of the lice and increased pain, Pastor Saeed has been having trouble sleeping. </p>
<p dir="ltr"> He is also experiencing symptoms of recurring urinary tract infections.  There is no medication to stop the infections.  He is now also experiencing significant joint pain.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His family reports that Pastor Saeed has also noticeably lost weight in the new prison from lack of proper nutrition.The conditions he faces are unfathomable.  He faces direct threats to his life on an almost daily basis.Iran has sent him to disappear.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">The Obama Administration abandoned this U.S. citizen when given the opportunity to negotiate his release, even reportedly releasing an Iranian scientist for nothing in return.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">Pastor Saeed has been left for dead.We must not forget Pastor Saeed.  We must take action now.I, along with ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, am in Berlin this week meeting with foreign dignitaries and world leaders across Europe urging them to use international pressure to free Pastor Saeed.The time is now to pressure Iran for his release.  Each day could be his last.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Join tens of thousands in standing with Pastor Saeed by signing our petition demanding international sanctions until he is freed.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> CALL OUR PETITION LINE1-877-989-2255CALL JAY SEKULOW LIVE1-800-684-3110Lines open Mon-Fri noon to 1pm ESTGET LEGAL HELP757-226-2489</p>
<p dir="ltr">The ACLJ is an organization dedicated to the defense of constitutional liberties secured by law</p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-40418299456219534402013-12-03T23:48:00.001+08:002013-12-03T23:48:53.387+08:00Paul walker believes there is GOD<p dir="ltr">Source http://m.christianpost.com/news/paul-walkers-daughter-meadow-walker-encouraged-dad-to-keep-acting-as-he-reassessed-his-life-photo--109961/cpt<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">By Jessica RodriguezDecember 3, 2013 |<br>
Paul Walker's Daughter, Meadow Walker, Encouraged Dad to Keep Acting as He Reassessed His Life <br><br></p>
<p dir="ltr"> It has emerged that Paul Walker's daughter, Meadow Walker, 15, encouraged the Hollywood actor to continue acting after turning 40. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The "Fast and the Furious" actor was contemplating to pull back from his career to reassess his life and even "go in a completely different direction," but his daughter inspired him to carry on. Walker was set to appear in six new movies from 2013 to 2014.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Comments that Paul Walker made just months ago have reemerged recently following his tragic death at the weekend.The actor was killed in a car accident on Saturday, Nov. 30, after a vehicle driven by his good friend crashed into a tree and exploded in flames, killing Walker and the driver.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Walker is survived by father Paul Walker III, mother Cheryl Walker, brothers Cody and Caleb, sister Ashley and his 15-year-old daughter Meadow from a previous relationship.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Meadow had just moved in to live with her father in recent times, and they were reportedly very close.In an interview with GQ UK magazine in August, Walker explained how his daughter encouraged him to keep acting.Walker said, "It's so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things.""She keeps encouraging me to do all this stuff. I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her, but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> Would that be so bad?"He added, "Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I've grown up with is tough, but also very freeing."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Walker was born on Sept. 12, 1973, in Glendale, Calif., and was raised in a Mormon family. He graduated from Village Christian School in Sun Valley, Calif, and became a non-denominational Christian and was well-known for his compassion and work to help those less fortunate than himself.</p>
<p dir="ltr">IMDb has reported Walker as saying, "I'm a Christian now. The things that drove me crazy growing up was how everyone works at fault-finding with different religions. The people I don't understand are atheists. I go surfing and snow boarding and <u><font color ="#000000">I'm always around nature. I look at everything and think, 'Who couldn't believe there's a God? Is all this a mistake?' It just blows me away."</font></u></p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-16543739607614888822013-11-28T07:22:00.001+08:002013-11-28T07:22:24.487+08:00The Soldanelle Plant Is Solitary Of Natures Amazment<p dir="ltr">By Farid</p>
<p dir="ltr">Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Soldanelle-Plant-Is-Solitary-Of-Natures-Amazment-/1161926#.UpZ8APWwqSw</p>
<p dir="ltr">Actually this little plant and the way it grows and bloom is one of our great creators marvels.</p>
<p dir="ltr">These plants grow and bear flowers in the most <u>atypical way.</u> There are snow patches in these areas edged with frozen ice. Through this ice curst these soldanelle flowers blossom and the surprising fact is that <u>these weak flowers come out through the ice safe and unscratched</u>.</p>
<p dir="ltr"> In the by-gone summer the plant is said to spread its leaves wide and flat on the floor, and <u>drink in the sun-rays, and it keeps the heat stored in the root through the winter</u>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When spring comes and stirs the pulses under the snow and when it sprouts, the warmth that was stored in the roots through summer is given out in the strangest measure that a little dome is thawed in the snow over its head.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As the plant keeps getting taller and taller this bell of air as well rises higher. And on fine day the flower bud forms <u>safely within it. </u>Even though it is under the ice the flower is safe and not ruined because it is in the bell of air. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Then to conclude, the icy covering gives way and allows the little flower to blossom through in to the warm sun shine.The mauve petals shine like snow itself, and the crystalline texture of its petals seem to reveal the flight through it came.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Although the conditions seem unworkable this bell shaped flower blossoms in the Alpine meadows. Frequently there are 2 or 3 flowers on each stem. The flowers are bell shaped and bent over. The flower is divided into five lobes and each lobe is divided into many fold narrow strips. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This is <u>an uncommon plant which grows in harsh weather and under the strangest surroundings. </u></p>
<p dir="ltr">This pretty flower not only adds grand beauty to nature but also <u>reveals the creative power and the capability of the almighty creator.</u></p>
<p dir="ltr">We human beings can gain knowledge of a great lesson from this simple but strong plant. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><u>When things seem to be impossible and under the most difficult conditions, we must rely only on the power that is above us.</u></p>
<p dir="ltr"> This God who has created us has the power and ability to change any circumstance or else take us through any variety of weather, if we will only have faith in him and not trust and depend on our own feelings and influence.</p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-81273471852651105662013-11-27T10:28:00.001+08:002013-11-27T10:28:14.887+08:00Overcome with Awe<p dir="ltr">Insightful article :)</p>
<p dir="ltr">(Source: THE GOSPEL COALITION http://thegospelcoalition.org/mobile/article/trevinwax/overcome-with-awe)<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Trevin Wax<br>
Trevin Wax Blog | November 26, 2013</p>
<p dir="ltr">After spending 11 chapters magnifying the grace of God shown to us in Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul broke out into a hymn of praise:"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Rom. 11:33).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Have you come to this place before? A place of awe before an all-knowing, all-wise God?Whenever we study the big questions of life, the big debates of our world, and the development of a biblical worldview, we can easily become smug and confident in what we know. We put God in a box and assume we have figured out His ways and His plans.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Reacting against this arrogant overconfidence, some Christians make everything about the Scriptures a mystery. They wonder whether we can know anything with certainty about who God is and what He has done.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The apostle Paul struck the right balance. Paul believed he knew things about God, and he held these truths with confidence. At the same time, the more Paul knew, the more he realized he didn't know everything. In other words, though Paul could know many things about God with absolute certainty, he understood that he didn't know God exhaustively.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So what was Paul's response? He bowed his knees in worship. He proclaimed what he knew about God based on God's revelation of Himself, and then he knelt in worship, fully recognizing his own limitations of knowledge. </p>
<p dir="ltr">That's where intellectual growth should lead us, not to overconfidence in our ability to figure God out but to our knees in worship, in awe of His goodness to us.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What is the role of worship in developing a Christian worldview?What are some ways you can turn your knowledge of God into more opportunities for worship?<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">***This post is adapted from a session I wrote for The Gospel Project's Winter 2013-2014 Bible study on "A God-Centered Worldview." </p>
<br/><font size="2">via Blogaway</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-15528602324265528252013-11-23T16:43:00.001+08:002013-11-23T16:43:54.004+08:00C.S. Lewis book 'Mere Christianity'<p dir="ltr">Here's a link to downloading C.S.Lewis' book Mere Christianity :)</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.churchleaders.com/mobile/pastors/free-resources-pastors/152257-free-ebook-mere-christianity.html</p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0West Kamias, Quezon City, Philippines14.6292758 121.0487544tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-37600697243267357182013-11-23T07:03:00.001+08:002013-11-23T07:03:20.385+08:00Narnia and Camelot: A Tribute to C.S. Lewis
<div style="text-align: center; padding: 5px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIupC69Q0MlIOSpWWNu81iGInF1ztuKDDmpn7ivCQhhRJK5GR7F9TyNNAGI_dUEZ3lmFFwNbzAcIStxZLFXgkN0zLnVQxzyE-0rgKQl7sCVkI3i4xULfnyhx95RbSkOvxPCPvEoAQ7-9Y/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIupC69Q0MlIOSpWWNu81iGInF1ztuKDDmpn7ivCQhhRJK5GR7F9TyNNAGI_dUEZ3lmFFwNbzAcIStxZLFXgkN0zLnVQxzyE-0rgKQl7sCVkI3i4xULfnyhx95RbSkOvxPCPvEoAQ7-9Y/ cursor: pointer;" height="224" width="320" style="border: 1px solid; border-radius: 2px;padding: 5px;" /></a></div><p dir="ltr"><br>
Dying on the same day, JFK and C.S. Lewis exemplify two contrasting reasons for hope.Ed Stetzer</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/november/narnia-and-camelot-tribute-to-cs-lewis.html?paging=off<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">4,694 miles—that's what separates Dallas, Texas from Oxford, England.But on November 22, 1963, they were brought together in the deaths of two influential men called "Jack" – John F. Kennedy and C.S. Lewis.I don't remember either event-- my parents had not yet married, let alone had any children. Yet, that day would be significant for many reasons.The president of the United States had been assassinated and the eyes of the world turned to Dallas, Texas. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean, an Oxford professor collapsed in his bedroom, succumbing to an illness that had ravaged his body for more than two years.Seeing the president shot dead as he rode through the streets will dominate the news and grab the attention of everyone. Lewis' death in his home due to a kidney illness he had been living with since 1961 doesn't jar the senses and beg for headlines quite as much. </p>
<p dir="ltr">But, the latter had much more influence on me than the former.Over the next decade of upheaval, Lewis' works remained almost dormant. Disillusionment following the assassination of JFK and Bobby Kennedy, Vietnam, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution pushed aside his place in the culture.But turmoil and revolution can only last so long. People needed something solid. There was Lewis, ready to be rediscovered by a generation of Christians looking to engage culture and move beyond the isolationist mindset of fundamentalism.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I was one of those who discovered—and in many ways was bolstered by—C.S. Lewis.I think the first book I read was Out of the Silent Planet and then followed up with the whole Space Trilogy. I was a young teen at the time and my mother (a new Christian) gave them to me. I knew, because she told me, he was a Christian, but I did not know just how much of an influence he would have on me later. I just liked to read science fiction and I loved the idea that a Christian would write such... and then later saw more in the Chronicles of Narnia.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But, it was his other writings that would later light my fire for accesible theology. It was first Mere Christianity, which I would later share with hundreds of different people as an apologetic defense of the gospel. Then, later, it was The Screwtape Letters, Miracles, The Problem of Pain,and Surprised by Joy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I read them all as a teenager—and more.I was unimpressed with a lot of the teen devotionals. Having been raised in a nominally Catholic home outside of New York City, and having come to Christ in an Episcopal Church, I did not relate to much of the bubble gum devotionals that were birthed from the evangelical bubble. As a young, recently converted believer, I was drawn to his writing—an articulate Anglican talking so much about this Jesus.Lewis made it OK to love Jesus and have a brain.Half a century later, we still read Lewis because he wrote in such an accessible, but passionate manner about the convictions of our faith. He was an atheist whose life had been transformed by Christ. In a lecture to the Oxford Socratic Club entitled, he said, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."He was able to communicate with reason and imagination. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The same mind that developed the logical arguments within Mere Christianity created the fantasy world of Narnia. And Lewis did so because he was informed and shaped by his Christian faith. He wanted others to know Christ as he knew Him.In many ways, Lewis was before his time. There has been a recent emphasis on telling the story of Scripture. When we were developing The Gospel Project, this was part of our focus—helping people see the unifying story within the Bible. With Narnia, Lewis wanted to communicate the biblical truth through fictional stories.He discovered that people would automatically become defensive if the conversation turned to spiritual matters. Even in his own childhood, he felt his feelings toward Christianity were hampered because they seem to be obligated. The way around that, he discovered, was through a story."But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday School associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"So 50 years after his death, Lewis still influences countless readers, including many whose dragons are caught unaware. Yet those who believed Kennedy would usher in an age of prosperity and peace were confronted with the very reason Scripture tells us to not place our hope in princes.Perhaps Camelot and Narnia are a reminder to us. We should not attempt to use political means to accomplish spiritual goals. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Our hope for change hearts does not come at the ballot box, but rather as we form relationships with others and tell them the story that has transformed us. Our hope flows from a blood-stained cross and an empty tomb, not Supreme Court rulings or Oval Office decisions.On that fateful November day, Camelot was over, but Narnia lives on.</p>
<p dir="ltr">//Aaron Earls, our resident C.S. Lewis guru (who blogs at Wardrobe Door, no less) contributed to this article.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ed Stetzer</p>
<p dir="ltr">EdStetzer.com© 2013 ChristianityToday.com</p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0West Kamias, Quezon City, Philippines14.6292758 121.0487544tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-91675941493582206182013-11-23T01:50:00.001+08:002013-11-23T01:50:46.708+08:00A Very Special Servant<p dir="ltr">http://m.blogs.christianpost.com/keys-for-kids/a-very-special-servant-18901/<br></p>
<p dir="ltr">By Children's Bible HourNovember 21, 2013 | 10:00 am</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dad's a servant of Jesus because he's a preacher, thought Amber, remembering the Bible verses her father had read that morning. Uncle Robert and Aunt Claire are God's servants, too. Her aunt and uncle were missionaries.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But I'm only eight. How can somebody my age be His servant? Amber wondered.Amber's thoughts were interrupted by her teacher's voice. "Will someone please stay in during recess and help me with the bulletin board?" Mrs. Powell asked. The kids often liked to help their teacher, but this time no one volunteered. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Somebody should help, thought Amber, who had been looking forward to jumping rope with the other girls. I can jump rope at noon recess, she decided, so she raised her hand.At noon, Mandy asked Amber to stay inside and help her learn the spelling words. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Amber hesitated for a moment but stayed in to help her friend.When Amber got home, Mom was relieved to see her. "Davie's asleep, and I need you to stay with him while I take Amy to the doctor's office. She's running a high fever," said Mom. "Mrs. Scott said to bring Davie next door to her if he wakes up." Amber nodded, glad to be able to do something to help.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After dinner that evening, Amber washed the dishes and then rocked Amy while her mother put Davie to bed. When both the little ones were asleep and the toys were picked up, Amber decided to ask her mother the question that had been on her mind all day. "Mom, how can I serve God?" she asked. "Daddy's a preacher; Uncle Robert and Aunt Claire are missionaries; you're the church organist; but I'm not anything. What can somebody my age do to serve Jesus?"Mom hugged her daughter. "Oh, Amber honey, you are serving Him!" she exclaimed. "The Bible teaches that one way to serve God is to serve others. Helping with chores around the house--and with Amy and Davie--is serving God."Amber was surprised. "It is?" she asked. "Really?"Mom nodded. "It certainly is," she said. "I've talked with your teacher a few times, and from what she says, I know you also serve God by helping at school. You're definitely one of His servants."Happy to think she was a servant of Jesus, a warm feeling filled Amber's heart.</p>
<p dir="ltr">HOW ABOUT YOU?Do you want to serve God? Do you think you’re too young to be His servant? You’re wrong. You’re old enough to serve God by doing something for others—your parents, grandparents, classmates, friends, or neighbors. What can you do for someone today? Can you help with chores? Mow somebody’s lawn? Run errands? Read a story to a smaller child? Think of a way to be a helper—and then do it! Serving others is one of the ways you can serve God.</p>
<p dir="ltr">TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Matthew 25:40 (KJV)Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.</p>
<br/><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beanie.blog"><font size="2">Posted via Blogaway</font></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0West Kamias, Quezon City, Philippines14.6292758 121.0487544tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-22709178505271649882013-11-23T01:43:00.001+08:002013-11-23T01:43:33.404+08:00Questionable Dating of Bloody Mosquito Fossil <h2 class="ByLine">
by Brian Thomas, M.S. * </h2>
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<a href="http://www.icr.org/article/7848/">http://www.icr.org/article/7848/</a></div>
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Researchers recently examined a spectacular mosquito fossil from the Kishenehn Formation, finding fresh blood—remnants of its last meal—still stored in its abdomen. They wrote, "The data reported herein provide incontrovertible documentation of the presence of heme- and arguably hemoglobin-derived porphyrin in a 46-million-year-old compression fossil."<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span></sup> How did they obtain this age for the fossil, and are their methods and conclusions reliable?<br />
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An earlier Creation Science Update news article confirmed the fossil's genuine blood remnants. It also introduced the biochemical decay rate experiments that give compelling reasons for excluding hemoglobin from materials that could possibly last for even one million years.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span></sup><br />
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Publishing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the authors of the mosquito fossil report did not independently test the fossil's age but cited a previously published age given to the Kishenehn Formation.<br />
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The cited publication listed two "age" results for the relevant layers within the Kishenehn: 46.2+0.4 and 43.5+4.9 million years.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup> Why the PNAS authors chose 46 million years, an age based on radioisotope dating involving argon decay, over other dates ranging within the error span (38.6 to 46.6 million years) was not explained.<br />
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Argon-argon dating begins by measuring relative amounts of argon isotopes in an igneous rock sample. Though the Kishenehn is largely sedimentary, not igneous, it contains some igneous material that holds argon. Researchers generated age estimates, assuming 1) that no argon had entered or exited the material after a volcano deposited it and 2) that all of the argon was only one of the two possible isotopes when it was initially deposited.<br />
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However, independent studies have debunked the second assumption. For example, one geologist compiled 23 examples of rocks of known ages and recorded when scientists actually watched them form. The results? The rocks were "producing excessively old K-Ar 'ages'" when tested.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">4</span></sup> In 23 of 23 cases, these radioisotope "ages" rose orders of magnitude above the rock's actual ages. The culprit? <br />
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Contrary to assumption, extra argon had entered the hardening volcanic rocks from sources other than radioisotope decay, greatly skewing the rock's apparent isotope ages.<br />
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So, absolute ages obtained from argon-related dating techniques should not be trusted. And they give different results than a separate uranium-based radioisotope "age" of only 33.2+1.5 million years that was found for the same region within the Kishenehn.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">5</span></sup> Is the formation's age 46 or 33 million, some figure in between, or none of these?<br />
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To narrow down the answer, secular scientists typically correlate the rock layer's fossils to a geologic chart with numbered ages printed alongside fossil descriptions.<br />
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For example, one paper reported, "It [the Kishenehn Formation] contains a fauna of nonmarine mollusks and mammals, the latter permitting an age assignment to the Early Oligocene or Late Eocene"—ages that fall within an assumed 28- to 38-million-year range.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span></sup><br />
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In another technical report, petroleum geologist Patrick Monahan wrote, "The Kishenehn Formation has a diverse fauna and flora that suggests a range of ages between late Eocene and early Miocene. However, a fission track age of 33.2+1.5Ma in the lower member in the Kishenehn Basin, and a K/Ar date of 29.9+5.3Ma in similar strata in a nearby basin indicate that the lower part of the Kishenehn is early to middle Oligocene."<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">7</span></sup><br />
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Is the formation from Eocene, Miocene, Oligocene, or none of these?<br />
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The idea that rock layers represented eras, like those named Eocene and Oligocene, actually surfaced hundreds of years ago when European naturalists decided different kinds of fossils are found in different rock layers because those creatures lived and died in separate ancient times. It became established dogma.<br />
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But other models might actually fare better. For example, what if each rock layer represents animals and plants from a particular ecosystem that was inundated and deposited by a tsunami-like wave, resulting in strata that show unique ecosystems, not separate times?<br />
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In sum, the study authors dated the bloody mosquito fossil as 46 million years old based on the age other researchers gave the rocks in the Kishenehn Formation. The age of the Kishenehn came from matching its fossils with those listed and dated on the geologic chart. Radioisotope ages were then hand-picked to match the fossil-related age range from the chart. This way, a "separate" technique added a rubber-stamped appearance of independent confirmation. Finally, scientists accepted that those organisms actually lived in the long-ago eras on the geologic chart because, as the teaching has been for generations, evolution requires extended eras of millions of years.<br />
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In short, the Kishenehn mosquito study illustrates typical secular dating using complicated circular reasoning and unproven assumptions. It involves deep-time age assignments given to certain fossils on the premise that those fossils were deposited during separate time eras rather than separate areas at nearly the same time.<br />
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If the Kishenehn Formation is younger than 46, 43, 33, or 30 million years—if it is in fact only thousands of years old—then that would explain why it still contains abundant biodegradable oil and fresh, red blood protein remnants.<br />
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References</div>
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<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Greenwalt, D. E. et al. Hemoglobin-derived porphyrins preserved in a Middle Eocene blood-engorged mosquito. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online before print October 14, 2013.</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Thomas, B. <a href="http://www.icr.org/article/7735/" target="_blank">Bloody Mosquito Fossil Supports Recent Creation</a>. Creation Science Update. Posted on icr.org October 25, 2013, accessed October 28, 2013.</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Ar40/Ar39 ratios from 12 biotite grains yielded the 46.2-million-year age, and fission track analysis of uranium decay from seven zircon crystals showed a 43.5-million-year age. See Constenius, K. N. 1996. Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt. Geological Society of America Bulletin. 108 (1): 20-39.</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Snelling, A. A. 1999. <a href="http://www.icr.org/article/excess-argon-achillies-heel-potassium-argon-dating/" target="_blank">"Excess Argon": The "Archilles' Heel" of Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon "Dating" of Volcanic Rocks</a>. Acts & Facts. 28 (1).</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> 1989. Constenius, K. 1996. Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt. Geological Society of America Bulletin. 108 (1): 20-39.</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Russell, L. S. 1964. Kishenehn Formation. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology. Special Guide Book Issue: Flathead Valley. 12 (2S): 536-543.</li>
<li style="font-size: xx-small;"> Monahan, P. A. 2000. <a href="http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/PublicationsCatalogue/OilGas/OpenFiles/Documents/PetroleumGeology/PGOF2000-2.pdf" target="_blank">The Geology and Oil and Gas Potential of the Flathead Area, Southeastern British Columbia</a>. Petroleum Geology Special Paper 2000-2. Brentwood Bay, British Columbia: Monahan Petroleum Consulting.</li>
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* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.</div>
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Article posted on November 20, 2013.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-1170929606059448672013-11-22T16:44:00.001+08:002013-11-22T16:44:58.025+08:00Costco labels Bibles as Fiction<a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#axzz2lMV8OTpI">http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#axzz2lMV8OTpI</a><br />
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Costco has <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/11/20/costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-as-fiction/">apologized</a> for labeling Bibles for sale in a Southern California store as "fiction."<br />
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<span>Caleb Kaltenbach, pastor of <span>Discovery Church </span></span>in Simi Valley, saw the Bibles with "fiction" on the price tag and took note. "Costco has Bibles for sale under the genre of FICTION Hmmmm...," he tweeted.<br />
One member of his congregation felt more strongly about it. “I was completely offended. It’s wrong, and I believe that <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-costco-labels-bible-fiction-20131120,0,2267292.story">the Bible is real</a>,” Shellie Dungan told KTLA-TV.<br />
The discount retailer was not trying to offend Christian shoppers. While it took responsibility for the labels, it said the action took place within its supply change. <br />
“Costco’s distributor mislabeled a small percentage of the Bibles, however we take responsibility and should have caught the mistake. We are correcting this with them for future distribution,” Costco said in a statement. “In addition, we are immediately relabeling all mislabeled Bibles. We greatly apologized for this error."</div>
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<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#ixzz2lMVmjtJX" style="color: #003399;">http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#ixzz2lMVmjtJX</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-49461427668767935322012-07-18T11:02:00.001+08:002012-07-18T11:02:06.629+08:00If you sing for the Lord, this is a must-read<div>In 4 Sentences, John Wesley Teaches Us How To Sing In Church</div><div>source: <a href="http://theworshipcommunity.com">theworshipcommunity.com</a></div><div> </div><div><strong><font color="#000099">"Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this <em>attend strictly to the sense of what you sing</em>, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he comes in the clouds of heaven."</font></strong></div> <div>---Quote from <em>Select hymns with Tunes Annext: Designed chiefly for the Use of the People Called Methodists</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>This exhortation is fitting for all of us who aim to worship God as we sing, whether we are writing or leading the songs being sung, or if we're in the gathered worshiping congregation, or in our cars, or even exercising while listening to worship songs.</div> <div><p> </p><p>Wherever we are, in whatever we're doing while listening to and/or singing songs of worship, we should have our hearts fixed upon our Savior, tuned to sing HIS praise. It's too easy for us to miss the meaning of the words we're singing, to be caught up in the swelling dramatic sounds accompanying the lyrics.</p> <p> </p><p>Keeping my focus on the Lord in every word and lyric sung is a difficult challenge for me, and I'm sure for every worshiper. However, with the help of God's Spirit we are able to sing with the eyes of our hearts opened to see the Risen Christ, to ponder the depths of His love and the meaning of His sacrifice for us.</p> <p> </p><p>Praise God that His Holy Spirit enables us to sing spiritually.</p><p><em><strong></strong></em> </p><p><em><strong>Bobby Gilles</strong> is Sojourn Church's Director Of Communications, and works with Lead Pastor Daniel Montgomery to communicate Sojourn's mission and vision. He co-wrote the children's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-Home-like-Little-Church/dp/1845505522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305575456&sr=1-1">Our Home Is Like A Little Church</a>, published by Christian Focus. As a former radio disc jockey and music director, he was twice named a National Top 10 Finalist for Gospel Music DJ of the Year</em>.<strong><a href="http://mysonginthenight.com/2012/04/26/in-4-sentences-john-wesley-teaches-you-how-to-sing-in-church/"><em>Originally published at MySongInTheNight.com (Bobby Gilles).</em></a><em> Republished with permission.</em></strong></p> </div><span></span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-24325604785525801462012-04-10T11:11:00.001+08:002012-04-10T11:11:50.426+08:00Loving Instead of Lecturing"I hate night class. My throat is on fire—"<div> </div><div>During the lengthy pause, I wondered why I had answered my cell.</div><div> </div><div>"—and I got a 65 on the test."</div><div> </div><div>Kyle's cranky attitude set my stress on fire.</div> <div> </div><div>Twice a week, he griped about Spanish night class and twice a week I lectured about ten key ways to study for college.</div><div> </div><div>I gripped the phone. The semester ended in a few weeks. Not much time left to pull up his grade. "Come home and we'll talk about it."</div> <div> </div><div>He cut our connection with a typical, "Whatever".</div><div> </div><div>What did he expect? You have to work hard in college—even if you are still in high school. His college transcript reflected these grades. That's what dual credit meant.</div> <div><em></em> </div><div><em>That's not what he needs to hear.</em></div><div> </div><div>Lord, of course that's what he needs to hear. Slacking off is not an option. Where's his drive? His motivation?</div><div><em></em> </div> <div><em>Love on him. No lectures. No advice.</em></div><div> </div><div>Over the last year, I'd given a <em>lot</em> of advice in an attempt to fix him. Study more. Use better time management. Make a plan. </div><div>Beg for extra credit.</div> <div><em></em> </div><div><em>Love </em>is <em>the fix.</em></div><div> </div><div>This has nothing to do with love, Lord. Love doesn't motivate him or push him to try harder. Look at all the mistakes I made when I was seventeen. I didn't realize my choices then would affect my life now.</div> <div><em></em> </div><div><em></em> </div><div><em>This isn't about you. Love on him.</em></div><div> </div><div>The garage door opened with a slow grind and a few seconds later, the back door slammed. Kyle wandered in, dropped his backpack on the couch, and kicked off his shoes in the middle of the hallway. I opened my mouth—</div> <div><em></em> </div><div><em></em> </div><div><em>Love on him</em></div><div> </div><div>—closed it and wrapped my arms around him. Taller than me, he rested his chin on the top of my head. Where was my little boy?</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>He shivered. "I'm cold and my throat hurts."</div><div> </div><div>Ah, there he was. </div><div><em></em> </div><div><em></em> </div><div><em>Love on him</em>. <em>Say the opposite of what you want to say.</em></div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>I wanted to say, you were sick last week. Instead, I hugged him tighter and mumbled into his chest. "Do you want to take a hot bath? I can make you some hot chocolate." I waited for his standard, "whatever".</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>It didn't come. He pulled back and lifted the corners of his mouth, just a bit. "A bath and hot chocolate?" His smile deepened. "You gonna run this bath and make the hot chocolate?"</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a mug. "Right now.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>"We're not gonna talk about the test?"</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>"Nope." I filled the cup with milk and stuck in the microwave.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>He picked up his backpack and shoes and headed for the stairs. "Cool. Be right back."</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I slumped against the counter. You were right, Lord. You always are.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>Kyle needed loving, not fixing. He needed understanding, not pressure—so he could relax, renew, and recharge.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Exactly the way I do when Jesus loves on me.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div>Now, Lord, help me remember that next week.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7 NIV).</div> <div><em></em> </div><div><em></em> </div><div><em><a href="http://lafreeland.wordpress.com/"><strong>Lori Freeland</strong></a> is a freelance author from Dallas, TX with a passion to share her experiences in hopes of connecting with other women tackling the same issues. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a full time home school mom. You can visit her blog at</em><em><b> </b><a href="http://lafreeland.wordpress.com/">http://lafreeland.wordpress.com/</a>.</em></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-39948020139844212692012-04-10T10:52:00.001+08:002012-04-10T10:52:17.972+08:00Work Successfully with Difficult People<div>resource from: Whitney Hopler/ Editor's note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Elizabeth B. Brown's new book, Working Successfully with Screwed-Up People (Revell, 2012).</div><div> </div> <p>People who don't really listen to what others have to say, people who won't cooperate with others, people who offend others with their rude or mean-spirited words and actions … unfortunately, every workplace in this fallen world is full of people who are messed up. Factor in the personality clashes that occur on the job, and it's easy to see why many people struggle with how to get along with the people around them at work.</p> <div> </div><div>But with God's help, it is possible to work successfully with difficult coworkers, customers, or supervisors. Here's how:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Realize that just one person – you – can change a relationship for the better</u>. You don't have to wait for difficult people to change in order to change your relationships with them. In fact, often, difficult people simply don't change. But God has given you the power to choose to be unflappable, imperturbable, and unflustered by difficult people. Whenever you make that choice, you improve the dynamic of your relationships.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Ask God to give you His perspective on difficult situations with people at work</u>. Pray about each difficult situation you're facing with each difficult person at work. Honestly consider how much of the problem is due to other people, and how much your own behavior (even your reactions to others) has contributed to the problem. Ask God to give you the wisdom you need to deal with each situation as you should.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Defuse tension in conversations with difficult people</u>. Rather than reacting negatively to negative comments that difficult people make to you on the job, decide to respond positively despite their negativity. Defuse the emotional tension by either politely laughing off their comments or making a polite, non-committal statement that you've prepared for such situations (like "Interesting. I'll consider that.").</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Appreciate and respect the temperament differences between you and others at work</u>. You and each of the people you work with has been hardwired differently by God. Don't waste your time and energy trying to change other people's personalities. Instead, realize that each of you can contribute in unique ways to achieving workplace goals, while expanding each other's perspective on your work. Don't view the temperament differences between you and the people you work with as personal challenges. Instead, figure out how to use those differences strategically to accomplish more together than you could separately.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Choose new behavior around difficult people to inspire them to change their own behavior</u>. While people's temperaments never change, their behavior can and does change. If you change the way you react to difficult people's behavior so that they can no longer get what they want by behaving the way they have in the past, you force them to behave differently around you to accomplish their goals.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Communicate to understand each other better</u>. Ask the people you're having trouble getting along with to meet with you to talk about contentious issues between you, with your mutual goal to understand each other's perspective better (rather than to debate). Ask respectful questions and listen carefully. Seek agreement, or at least compromise.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Consider whether or not your personality fits your company's culture.</u> Every company culture has distinctive qualities that meld well with certain people's personalities and not with others. Ask God to help you discern whether or not your own personality fits well into your current workplace. Keep in mind that you should enjoy your job and see that you're making positive contributions there.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Decide whether or not to stay in your current job</u>. If you choose to stay, know why you're choosing that, and also know your limits and set up boundaries accordingly. Think about how you might alleviate some of the tension (such as taking a sabbatical or changing positions within the same company). If you choose to leave, leave with dignity and express gratitude for the experiences you've had there.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Refuse to define yourself by what others say or do to you</u>. Your worth isn't based on other people's reactions to you; it's based on the reality that God loves you completely and unconditionally. Don't allow difficult people to control your confidence. Instead, ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Cope well with stress in your workplace</u>. Even though stress can make you feel out of control, the fact is that you do have the power to do something about your stress. Identify what situations, events, or people trigger stress in you while you're working. Then plan specific steps to take to eliminate as much stress as you can and cope with what remains by relying on God's guidance to deal with it. Invest in your life outside of work so you'll have healthy relationships with friends and family to turn to after work, which will reduce your stress levels. Don't let your job overtake other areas of your life; regularly ask God to help you keep each area of your life in the proper balance, centered around Him.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Manage your emotions well</u>. Your emotions have only the amount of strength that you give them. Don't let you emotions guide you; let God guide you. God will empower you to deal successfully with even the most emotionally troubling circumstances at work when you place your trust in Him rather than in your emotions.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Give and receive forgiveness</u>. Rely on God to help you through the process of forgiving the people you work with who have hurt or offended you. Ask people who you have hurt or offended to forgive you for your mistakes.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Communicate wisely with difficult people</u>. Combine careful words with kind actions as often as possible when communicating with difficult people at work. Keep in mind that they may misinterpret your words, but they can clearly read your body language. Sandwich comments about a negative behavior that they need to change between positive comments to make it easier for them to listen to you.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Handle bias against you carefully</u>. Deal with prejudice against you in the workplace quietly, without rancor. Document interactions that show bias and remain calm as you go through proper channels (such as human resources) to deal with it.</div> <div> </div><div> </div><div><u>Learn how to work with people of different generations.</u> Some of the problems you experience getting along well with others may be due to generational differences. Focus on what you can learn from people of another generation, and be willing to help them learn from your perspective.</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-89375380486180772552012-04-03T07:50:00.001+08:002012-04-03T07:50:17.630+08:00Never think you've done too much for Christ<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>resource article from Nancy</div><div><span><div style="border-color:rgb(194,217,231)"><table style="table-layout:fixed;word-wrap:break-word" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <td style="padding:0px;border:11px solid transparent;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";font-size:11px"><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11px">"<em>And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple"</em></span></p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-align:center"><i>Luke <a>14:27</a></i></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="border-color:rgb(194,217,231)"><table style="table-layout:fixed;word-wrap:break-word" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td style="padding:0px;border:5px solid transparent;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";font-size:11px"><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Spiritual exhaustion is natural. When it happens, it affects our attitude and our outlook. Whether you serve in the church or the community, you have probably had the<u> feeling at some point that you've done all you could do</u>: "I've helped in the soup kitchen for years. I deserve a break!" Or "I've led this Bible study long enough. There are plenty of others who should be helping."</p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">I've felt that way too. It's <u>human nature to get tired of serving</u>. We would much rather do our own things; we'd much rather serve ourselves instead of others.</p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Whenever I start thinking this way – that I've done too much for Christ – I try to think of what He has done for me. Jesus took up my cross and carried it into Calvary until His broken body couldn't carry it any more and Simon was summoned to help him.</p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">I'm so glad He never said, "I've been enduring this abuse for several hours now. I don't think I have to go through this any longer. There are others who can take it from here. I've had enough!" Jesus told his disciples that in order to follow Him, they would have to take up their crosses daily (Luke <a>9:23</a>) At the time Jesus told them this, they hadn't seen Him taking up the cross they deserved. But I'll bet they thought about it after seeing Him go to Calvary. They must have; not a single one of the disciples who followed Jesus to the end ever turned back. They all volunteered to serve Him to the end of their own lives.</p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">I pray I wont ever get to the point where I think ive done too much for Christ. If I do, that will be a sure sign that I have begun to <u>devalue what He willingly did for me.</u></p> <p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px">For the rest of your life, take up your cross and follow Christ, whatever the cost.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> </p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span><br>Via<span> iPhone</span></div></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-59938595429628873002012-03-28T11:10:00.001+08:002012-03-28T11:10:10.894+08:004 Things to Help Develop a Vision for You Life<div class="entry-content"><div>Do you have a vision for your life?</div><p>Life is way too short and you are way too important to God and the plans He has for your life for you to not have a vision for your life.</p><p>If you don't have a vision for your life, you will take to your grave a lot of what "could have been"!</p> <p> </p><p>4 things to help develop a vision for my life:</p><div><strong>1. Know yourself.</strong></div><p>If you'<a class="bibly_reference" title="Read Revelation 5" href="http://bib.ly/Re5.NIV" rel="Revelation 5">re 5</a>'3" and 112 lbs. and 20 years old, you won't play middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Ever!</p> <ul><li>Who are you? What are your passions and do your passions align with your strengths?</li></ul><p><strong>2. Develop your strengths that align with your passions so you can carry out your vision.</strong></p><ul><li> Once you discover your strengths– and this takes some time–develop them, hone them, and become an expert in them! This will take about 10,000 hours. Becoming an expert isn't an overnight deal; it takes years of grinding. Are you willing to grind?</li> </ul><p><strong>3. Learn from people who are doing what you want to do.</strong></p><ul><li>Learn from successful people who are doing what you want to do. You do this, not to become a carbon copy of them, but to see how they do what they do, and incorporate it into your unique God-given "you-ness."</li> </ul><p><strong>4. And, finally, if your vision only makes your life better, it's way too small and self-centered. And that sucks!</strong></p><ul><li>Have a life vision that when you die, not just your family cries, but people you didn't even know cry, because their life was better as a result of God working through your life. </li> </ul><p>source: just marinating/derwin gray</p></div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-66853403435338792012012-03-22T08:02:00.001+08:002012-03-22T08:02:45.977+08:00Enjoying the Flow of God's Presence<p>Enjoying the Flow of God's Presence </p><p>excerpts from ...Dawn Marie Wilson </p><p>Scurrying, hurrying, worrying ... that characterized my ministry a few years ago. As a result, I lost my health, had to give up a ministry I loved, and sat confused in my bedroom one day, wondering where I'd gone wrong.</p> <p> I knew that this was more than a Job experience. I'd made some foolish choices that got me into my condition. Yet I told some caring friends—wise counselors I should have heeded—that I had everything "under control."</p> <p> I didn't. I wasn't lying; I just didn't know how far I'd traveled into Crazyland. I not only couldn't see the forest for the trees, I couldn't see the trees! All I saw was my own agenda, and from that selfish focus, I couldn't see the signs God was posting to warn me all along the way.</p> <p> I was brought up short in a "Revival Week" meeting at Life Action Ministries. Dr. Bill Elliff, pastor of the Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, reminded the staff and members of the revival ministry—of which I am a part—that "Everything flows from the presence of God."<br> There was something about that word "flows" that captured my attention. Nothing in my life at that time was flowing. I struggled between dry and barren and a flood of activity. My heart ached for the peace of a "flowing" life.<br> I decided that if God's presence is that powerful, I need to understand it more and be intentional in seeking it. </p><p>The Bible tells us that God's presence is inescapable (Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:24), but<u> I didn't know how to enjoy and rest in His presence</u>. My personal "Quiet Time"—when I took time for it—had<u> become more duty than delight</u>. It was <u>more about meeting my needs than meeting with God</u>.</p> <div> Over time, as I focused on pastor Elliff's simple words, my scurrying, hurrying, and worrying dropped away. It wasn't that my calendar was less full, but that I was <u>more filled with the knowledge of God's presence as I considered the activities of my life.</u></div> <div><u></u> </div><div>truths to ponder on from this article:</div><div>Discover the promise of God's Presence. Jesus, our Immanuel, will always be with His people (Matthew 1:23; 28:20). We have protection, peace, provision, and so many other blessings because of our Lord's ever-present shepherding (Psalm 23).</div> <div> </div><div>Relish the Place of God's Presence. God is before His people (John10:4), leading them personally, but also following close behind (Psalm 139:5). He hovers above us with His protecting shadow of love (Psalm 63:7; 91:1) and is beneath us, carrying us through the difficulties of life (Isaiah 40;11; 46:4). He is all around us, surrounding and protecting us (Psalm 125:2). Most precious of all, He is in our midst, delighting in our presence (Zephaniah 3:17).</div> <div> </div><div>Be more confident of the Power of God's Presence.Such encourages me in my struggles (Exodus:14), bringing me courage when I needed it most (Deuteronomy 20:1), and comforting me in my trials (Isaiah 43:2). </div> <div> </div><div>Learn to dwell in the power of the Holy Spirit. Rest in Him and not my own flesh (Galatians 5:16, 25).</div><div> </div><div>Practice the sweet presence of God,Become conscious of what He desires.Let your life be altered in the Priorities of God's Presence (Acts 4:13). Have an increased consciousness of God's presence. Author says, I changed what I talked about, what I watched and listened to, and where I went. I cancelled some activities completely because of <u>new heart convictions</u>. I chose <u>activities that aligned with God's will and ways</u>. I made decisions based on His callings in my life, not the expectations of others. In short, my character changed, and I made wiser, godly choices that helped me<u> enjoy and glorify God</u>.</div> <p> God is always there, but we wander away, or we ignore God, or we disobey and grieve Him; but confession of sin and repentance are God's solution to that wall of sin that blocks the sense of His presence. In the days following the revival meeting that changed my perspective, I tied a piece of red yarn around my wrist. Every time I saw it, I remembered: "God is with me, right now!" The reminder also helped me keep shorter sin accounts with God.</p> <p> The scriptures tell us that God is "not far from every one of us..." (Acts 17:27). What a blessing. God is our greatest untapped resource for peace. Oh, that we would earnestly seek and fully enjoy His presence!</p> <p><br>Dawn Marie Wilson is the director of Heart Choices Ministries, and writes Heart Choices Today. She co-authored with Pam Farrel LOL with God: Devotional Messages of Hope & Humor for Women (Focus on the Family) and posts regularly at LOL with God. Dawn works as a contracted writer/researcher for two national ministries, is the San Diego affiliate director of NEWIM—Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry, and is a freelance writer with Christian Examiner</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786149437996976411.post-5855910053760489612010-03-30T23:38:00.000+08:002010-03-30T23:38:24.941+08:00John Piper takes leave of absenceWell-known evangelical preacher John Piper announced Sunday that he will be taking his first-ever break from ministry to reexamine his soul. <br />
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Pastor John Piper announces on March 28, 2010, that he will take an eight-month leave of absence. Elders of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis approved his request. <br />
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RelatThe long-time preacher apologized to his congregation for not a specific deed but for the "sins of my own soul," "ongoing character flaws" and stresses that they have caused to others.<br />
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"I see several species of pride," Piper told Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. "They may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry. Nevertheless, while I don't think they do, I grieve over them."<br />
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Piper, who is considered one of the most influential preachers among Protestant pastors, made the announcement after preaching about Jesus Christ and the cross he beared. It was the first of four final sermons before his eight-month leave from the church and ministry.<br />
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In the 30 years he has been preaching, Piper said he has never let go of his passion for public productivity – ever. That is, until now.<br />
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"In this moment (the leave of absence), I'm letting go of all of it," he said.<br />
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That means no preaching, no book writing, no blogging, no tweeting, no articles, no papers and no speaking engagements – with a few exceptions that his wife, Noel, agreed to.<br />
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"One of the goals of fasting," he noted, "is to determine levels of addiction or, as Paul Tripp of Tim Keller would say, levels of idolatry."<br />
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"The reality check is what will happen to John Piper's soul ... and to my marriage ... and to my future ... when there will be no prideful sipping from the poisonous cup of international fame and notoriety," the 64-year-old preacher said. "I need to find that out and I don't know any other way to do it."<br />
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"I just want to preach so bad I can hardly stand it," he admitted. "I love what I do."<br />
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The break from ministry will also serve as a period for him to work on his marriage to his wife of 41 years.<br />
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The couple is "rock solid" in commitment to each other, he stressed, and there is "no whiff of unfaithfulness on either side." However, Piper said the term "rock solid" is not always an emotionally satisfying metaphor.<br />
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"The precious garden of my home needs tending," he told his congregation.<br />
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"I want to say ... to you, Noel, that I want you to feel precious, precious over the ministry."<br />
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Piper's leave has been approved by the elders at Bethlehem Church, which currently has three campuses. The elders have also appointed a group to stay in touch and keep Piper accountable for the leave.<br />
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Though future plans are not certain, Piper said he hopes to return after the leave of absence to preach for at least five more years.<br />
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"My prayer and my high expectation is that these months will be a launching for a humble, happy, fruitful five years – I believe the best five years of 35 years and the best five married years of 46," he said.<br />
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Piper will be preaching three more times, including on Easter Sunday, before his leave.<br />
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souce: <br />
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100329/john-piper-to-take-leave-to-reexamine-soul/index.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0