PositivePartners

NIGER DELTA RESTORATION AGENDA (NDRA)

2007-08-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Niger Delta Restoration Agenda (NDRA) & “THE N.D.D.C. CARE Expo ‘07”

The Niger Delta Restoration Agenda (NDRA) is a non-partisan, non-profit body founded on the urgent need to develop the Niger Delta; and the belief (shared by most local, national and global analysts, including the Commission of Nobel Laureates to the Niger Delta) that the capacity of government and its agencies (such as the NDDC) to meet current and future infrastructure and service obligations can be best enhanced through public-private partnerships.

NDRA’s Board of Trustees/Advisory Group will boast reputable local and international personalities with varying relevant backgrounds. These, hopefully, will include Chief Hope Harriman, Dr. Joseph Wayas, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Professor Pat Utomi, Mallam Danladi Bako, Chief Bill Knight, Barrister Joi Nunieh, Ambassador Segun Olusola, Professor Kimse Okoko, Mrs. Nkoyo Toyo, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief StGeorge Ekeh, Mr. Ken Enahoro, Barrister Kare Yekwe, Mr. Bassey Eniang, Professor Des Wilson, Dr. Rose Akwagbe, Barrister O.C.J. Okocha, Mr. Harcourt Adukeh, Mrs. Teju Abiola and Mr. Tony I. Uranta. They will be supported by a seasoned team of Executives that will, hopefully, include Mr. Asume Osuaka, Ms. Ann-Kio Briggs, Mr. Effanga Henshaw, Ms. Ibiba Don-Pedro and Ms. Baarong Etta headed by Tony I. Uranta, the Executive Secretary.

Following the recent successful launching of the brilliant NDDC Niger Delta Masterplan, and in solidarity with the vision NDDC’s re-invented management team has for Peace and Progress in the region, the Niger Delta Restoration Agenda (NDRA) has invited the NDDC to facilitate a special tri-podal programme tagged “THE N.D.D.C. CARE Expo ‘07”; which will be a 1-week long Education/Training/Exhibitions event to:

• Provide a strong public-accessible platform for selling the NDDC Niger Delta Masterplan to very relevant stakeholders (especially the peoples, as opposed to the governments, of the Niger Delta) through open-house hospitality suites and a round of Peoples’ Village Square Meetings;

• More robustly and widely identify the best stakeholders (local and global) that could potentially partner with NDDC to promote and implement the NDDC Niger Delta Masterplan by allowing the one-stop showcasing of diverse offerings by existing and potential stakeholders in the national & global sectors of FINANCE, TOURISM, HEAVY INDUSTRY, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HOSPITALITY, COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY, TRANSNATIONAL ALTRUISM, EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING et al.; and

• Create a trained Corps of 1st-Line Community Peacekeepers and Monitors (along the lines of the dynamic 6-days crash-course UN/AU-proven C.O.M.P.A.C.T. Train-the-Trainers module) to promote sustainable peace in core communities subsequent to the peoples’ buying-into the NDDC Niger Delta Masterplan vision.

NDRA, in active partnership with likeminded local and transnational bodies, offers to partner with NDDC to develop the “THE N.D.D.C. CARE Expo ‘07” strategies, goals, processes and budgets for the optimalisation of the above stated objectives. The “C.A.R.E.” in the appellation is an acronym for the core values we must emphasise, viz. COMPASSION, AMITY, RESTORATION & EMPOWERMENT (CARE). The theme/message being that the NDRA and NDDC care!

You and other members of the Board of Trustees and the Advisory Group are invited to meet at the earliest possible opportunity, to fast-track the realisation of this viable initiative. Please send e-mail confirming your preparedness to serve on the Board and Advisory Group.

In anticipation of your early consent to partner with the future, we look forward to your joining us as we come together to ensure holistic Peace and Progress is expedited in the Niger Delta.

GENTLY LEADING

2006-09-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Os Hillman, September 22, 2006

So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir. - Genesis 33:14

Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. God saw something in Jacob that He could use.

Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man, I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.

Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises.

Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.

MUSLIMS STOP THE VIOLENCE TODAY!!

2006-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Muslims MUST GROW UP and join the 21st Century.
They are giving themselves a bad name and not letting the great values of Islam (THE WAY OF PEACE) be seen, because they have given themselves the image of "intolerant killers",

What a gross abuse of the liberal power of interpretation.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Let the killings, arson and vandalism cease TODAY in Dutse and the rest of the world.

Ex-Nigerian leader seeks return

2006-09-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Former Nigerian military ruler Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a leading candidate in next year's elections, has said he is proud of his time in office.
Gen Babangida, known as IBB, is extremely wealthy and is seen as one of the kingmakers in Nigerian politics.

But the BBC Nigeria correspondent says his military regime was accused of massive corruption and annulled democratic elections in 1993.

The former leader told the BBC he had brought development to the country.

'Credit'

"In eight years, we made a lot of progress and development of this country and people also benefited," the former military ruler told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

He also said organising the 1993 election was a "credit".

The results were cancelled as Moshood Abiola was about to win. He later died in prison after declaring himself president.
Gen Babangida said the election had been hailed as "one of the best and freest elections that has ever been conducted in the country".

He refused to explain why they had been cancelled, saying reasons had been given at the time.

Gen Babangida is seeking to be the candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party.

However, the PDP is deeply split between supporters of the incumbent Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

They fell out after the vice-president backed the successful campaign to stop President Obasanjo seeking a third term in office.

He accuses Mr Obasanjo of trying to block him from running in elections in April next year.

Some analysts say a lot depends on whether Mr Obasanjo will choose to back Gen Babangida or try to stop him.

HELP SAVE DARFUR

2006-09-20T08:42:00.002-07:00

Sunday was amazing! Over 30,000 people turned out for the rally in New York City. Tens of thousands more made their voices heard at events around the country and the world. The day was a powerful demonstration of the international community's outrage at the genocide in Darfur.

And it's clear the pressure you, and hundreds of thousands of Darfur activists just like you, have applied is having an impact. Just a short time ago, in an address to the UN General Assembly, President Bush appointed Andrew Natsios the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan. President Bush also called on the UN to act on the recent Security Council resolution authorizing a peacekeeping force in Darfur.

This is an encouraging step. The appointment of a Special Envoy now means there is a coordinator at the highest levels of the Bush Administration to oversee U.S. policy on Darfur and ensure stopping the genocide remains a top priority.

I wish we could stop to celebrate. Unfortunately, the situation in Darfur is growing more desperate every day. Fighting has intensified. The Sudanese government has renewed aerial bombing. Humanitarian aid groups have had to pull out, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without food and water. And at the end of this month, the African Union peacekeeping force now stationed in the region is scheduled to leave.

Appointing a U.S. envoy is an important step, but only a UN peacekeeping force will bring peace to the people of Darfur. We must intensify our efforts to compel President Bush and other world leaders to do all they can to ensure the peacekeeping force is deployed.

Can we count on you to help? Join our Weekly Action Network and commit to take one action a week to stop the genocide in Darfur.

Click here to join.

You've already made a tremendous difference. Now we're asking you to join us as we turn up the heat. We're building a Weekly Action Network to make our call for peace stronger and clearer than ever.

The people of Darfur are starving. Innocent men, women, and children are being killed and driven from their homes. We must demand that world leaders put an end to the violence NOW.

Sunday's events marked the beginning of a new stage in our efforts. We're ramping up the pressure, but we need your help. Do it for the people of Darfur. Don't let the first genocide of the 21st century continue.

Click here to join our Weekly Action Network.

Your ongoing work is being felt in Darfur. Thank you for your time and for your energy.

Sincerely,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Pope says he was 'misunderstood'

2006-09-20T08:42:00.001-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI has told pilgrims at the Vatican his remarks on Islam that angered Muslims around the world had been misunderstood.
He expressed his "deep respect" for Islam during his weekly audience.

He said his use of medieval quotes from a 14-Century Byzantine emperor, which were critical of Islam, did not reflect his own convictions.

But he said he hoped his German speech could lead to a "self-critical dialogue" among faiths and cultures.

"I included a quotation on the relationship between the religion and violence. This quotation unfortunately was misunderstood. In no way did I wish to make my own the words of some medieval emperor," he told thousands of faithful.

"I wish to explain that not religion and violence but that religion and reason go together. I hope that my profound respect for world religions and for Muslims who worship the one God and which help to promote peace, liberties, justice and moral values for the benefit of all humanity is clear.

"I trust that after the initial reaction, my words at the university of Regensburg can constitute an impulse and encouragement toward positive, even self-critical dialogue both among religions and between modern reason and Christian faith," he added.

'Inhuman'

This is the third time the Pope has apologised for the effect of his words at a public lecture in Germany last week, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome, but it remains to be seen whether his words are going to be accepted by his Muslim critics.

The Pope has faced calls from Muslims for an unequivocal apology, but has so far only said he regrets the offence his words caused.

In the speech in Germany, he quoted medieval Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos criticising some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman".

The speech sparked several days of protests in Muslim countries.

Decision for Darfur peacekeepers

2006-09-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

President Omar al-Bashir has reiterated his opposition to any United Nations force being deployed in Darfur saying it was part of a "Zionist plot".
But Sudan's leader said he would allow African Union troops to stay on and may accept "non-African" advisers.

AU leaders, including Mr Bashir, are to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to decide on the future of its Darfur force.

More than two million people have been displaced in the three-year rebellion.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution last month calling for the deployment of up to 20,000 UN peacekeepers to replace the 7,000-strong AU force whose mandate expires at the end of the month.

The UN wants to send a full international peacekeeping operation to end what some governments, including the United States, have called genocide perpetrated by the Sudanese army and its associated militias.

President Bashir, who is part of the AU security council, said he "totally rejected" the UN taking over peacekeeping in Darfur, although his government is split with African members from the SPLM and SLA backing the plan.

A BBC analyst says the issue is exacerbating old tensions between Sudan's African and Arab populations, that Sudan's peace process was designed to resolve.

Weak

Speaking from the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Mr Bashir said the plan to replace AU troops with a UN force was intended "to weaken states in the region in order to help Israel".

He said the move would allow opponents to dismember Sudan and plunder its resources.

If the Sudanese government does not approve the peacekeeping force quickly, the U.N. must act.
US President Bush

He also maintained that reports of a humanitarian crisis in Darfur were exaggerated.

But much of Darfur is inaccessible to aid agencies and the security situation has deteriorated in recent weeks.

A recent academic report said the number of additional deaths caused by the three-year conflict in Darfur ran into the hundreds of thousands and not tens of thousands.

The BBC's Mark Doyle says that the key issue is not so much whether the force is a UN one or an AU one, but whether the AU can operate with a tougher mandate allowing them to shoot if things get tough - which is how UN peacekeepers operate.

He says that if that happened, then the money and management support needed to run a successful operation could be forthcoming and the diplomatic impasse could be resolved.

It is thought that a three-month extension of the AU troops' mandate may be proposed.

Action

The UN general assembly has already heard forceful calls for action in Darfur.

US President George Bush said the credibility of the UN was at stake and announced the appointment of a special American envoy, former USAid chief Andrew Natsios, to help in the efforts.

"If the Sudanese government does not approve the peacekeeping force quickly, the UN must act," Mr Bush said.

President Chirac of France warned that a crime against humanity was being prepared in Darfur.

Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the UN had a duty to protect the helpless and intervene militarily "to restore peace, security and stability to Darfur".

The UN mission in Sudan has warned that hundreds of thousands of people could be freshly displaced if international peacekeepers leave Darfur.

Violence has worsened since a peace deal was reached with one of the three main rebels groups earlier this year and aid workers may pull out of Darfur if the AU peacekeepers leave and are not replaced by a UN force.

Thai coup leader unveils PM plans

2006-09-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

The leader of the military coup in Thailand has said a new prime minister will be named within two weeks.
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin told a news conference that new elections would take place in a year's time, once a new constitution had been written.

A statement read on state television said Thailand's king had endorsed Gen Sonthi as temporary leader, although the monarch has not spoken in person.

The coup was staged late on Tuesday as PM Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York.

The UK's foreign office confirmed that Mr Thaksin was expected in London later on Wednesday.

We have two weeks. After two weeks, we will step out
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Coup leader

He was preparing to address the UN General Assembly when news of the coup emerged.

The coup followed months of growing tension in Thailand, with protests against Mr Thaksin and a general election which was annulled due to concerns about its legitimacy.

So far, reporters in Thailand say the atmosphere remains calm and no outbreaks of violence have been reported.

New constitution

In the news conference on Wednesday evening, Gen Sonthi claimed he was acting in line with the wishes of the Thai people, blaming government mismanagement for forcing coup leaders to act.

But he denied the military wanted a permanent hold on power, attempting to reassure his audience by putting a deadline on how long he would remain in power.

HAVE YOUR SAY
I think there is actually a sense of relief that this has happened and they are rid of Mr Thaksin once and for all
Roachie, Bangkok

"We have two weeks. After two weeks, we will step out," he said.

He said coup leaders were considering candidates to appoint as the new prime minister, who would rule until fresh elections in a year's time.

In the interim, he said, a new national assembly would be appointed to draft a new, permanent constitution.

He said "fellow countryman" Mr Thaksin would be welcome to return to his homeland, but warned he could face criminal charges for corruption.

A statement on state-run television on Wednesday declared the apparent support of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej for the coup leader.

"In order to create peace in the country, the king appoints Gen Sondhi Boonyaratkalin as head of the council of administrative reform," the statement said.

"All people should remain peaceful and civil servants should listen to order from Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin from now on."

Gen Sonthi has said the king had nothing to do with the coup. The UK's foreign office has confirmed Mr Thaksin is expected in London, "as he has relatives in the UK".

Yellow ribbons

In the capital Bangkok, tanks have cordoned off the government district. They have yellow ribbons tied around their barrels to signify loyalty to the king.

The BBC's Kate McGeown in Bangkok says on the surface it is functioning as normal. But she says there is a strange quietness about the usually vibrant city.

Regional army commanders have been in charge of areas outside the capital, Bangkok, and Wednesday has been declared a public holiday.

The coup leaders have ordered provincial governors and heads of government agencies to report to them. They have also banned assemblies of more than five people, which are now punishable by six months in jail.

A statement urged "farmers and workers" - an apparent reference to Mr Thaksin's rural base of support - to remain calm.

In another move to defend against a counter-coup, a senior general said Mr Thaksin's main deputy, Chidchai Vanasathidya, had been "invited to stay" at Army headquarters on Tuesday night.

Shock and concern

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, told CNN Mr Thaksin was "constitutionally and legally elected" and should be returned to office.

But Mr Thaksin's official spokesman, Surapong Suebwonglee, told Associated Press news agency: "We have to accept what happened. We are not coming back soon."

Thailand's regional neighbours expressed shock and concern at the events, and the US urged Thais to resolve their differences peacefully.

It is the first coup attempt in 15 years in a country where they used to be commonplace. There were 17 of them between 1932 and 1991.

TURN TO CHRIST TODAY!

2006-09-13T07:16:00.001-07:00

Christ's reaction to the spiritual condition of the Laodiceans could not have been more vivid: "Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:16). It's hard to think of a less flattering reaction, especially from the only Person in the universe whose opinion really matters. He said, in short, "You make me sick!"

If someone told us that we made him or her want to vomit, we might expect those words to be the last ones we would ever hear from that person. Such words seem appropriate for ending a relationship. However, while Christ's nature as the "faithful and true witness" meant He held nothing back in his indictment of the Laodiceans, His love and grace were present and active.

The people of Laodicea felt financially secure because of their thriving banking industry, luxurious textile trade, and famous eye salve. They thought they were rich and in need of nothing, but Jesus said they were spiritually poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17). The only effective solution was to turn to Christ for spiritual riches, garments of righteousness, and insight (3:18). The message rang out loud and clear: turn away from self-sufficiency and superficiality—turn to Christ!

Stolen body parts 'sold to NHS'

2006-09-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Potentially contaminated body parts allegedly stolen in the US may have been implanted into British patients, a government agency says.
Over 1,000 body parts were plundered by gangs in New York and then sold for transplants, it has been claimed.

Biomedical Tissue Services, the firm at the centre of the scandal, exported 77 body parts to the UK last year.

NHS regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said it had alerted 20 NHS trusts.

We would say any risk is minimum and this is just a precautionary measure
MHRA spokeswoman

Late last year, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered a recall of the potentially tainted products and warned that many patients could have been exposed to HIV and other diseases, but insisted the risk of infection was minimal.

New York investigators say death certificates were doctored to make the dead out to have been younger and healthier than they actually were.

The tissue, in the form of skin, bone and tendons, was later sold for use in procedures like dental implants and hip replacements.

Four people have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The body of veteran BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke, who died of cancer aged 95 in March 2004, was reported to have been caught up in the case.

Infected

A spokeswoman for the MHRA said: "It's not to say that the 77 body parts that were brought in came from stolen cadavers or were infected.

"But they did come from Biomedical Tissue Services and we alerted hospitals of this earlier in the year."

She added it was up to individual doctors to decide what to do in regards to removing the implants or deciding it was less risk to leave them in.

The body parts were all pieces of bone which were grafted on to patients needing hip or jaw operations.

The MHRA would not say exactly where in the UK the imported parts were sent because the procedures were unusual enough that the patients involved could be identified.

And the spokeswoman added: "We would say any risk is minimum and this is just a precautionary measure."

Forge Emotional Intimacy in Your "Nice Guy" Marriage

2006-09-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Paul Coughlin.

You have a lot to teach one another—if both of you are willing to call a truce and approach your problems from a better perspective. The goal of every Christian Nice Guy marriage is to forge the Third Path of Us. This requires both injured parties to stop thinking, talking, and acting as if their way is the only way and approach their marriage from a better perspective. Here are some practical steps you can take today.
For Mrs. CNG
The age-old phrase, you get more bees with honey than vinegar, is at the heart of your important and possibly heroic work. You need to draw him toward you, and the most important thing to remember when dealing with your sometimes maddening CNG is that he must feel safe and comfortable around you before he’s going to become more emotionally connected, truthful, and assertive.
When it comes to emotional intimacy, men usually prefer physical touch and doing activities together that are more active in nature, as women tend to prefer more intimate conversations and thinking together.
So in order to increase the kind intimacy you prefer, you will need to first do it through his preferred forms since CNGs are not likely to make the first move. Increase your willingness to physical touch and action-based activities. And while partaking in them, be careful not to correct him by telling him what to think or do. Just let him be him.
A great way for both of you to get the kind of intimacy you want is to go on regular walks together. Studies show that men are more likely to open up when doing something physical.
Use Your Power Wisely and Justly
You, Queen of Words, have the upper hand when it comes to verbal skill and agility. Chances are you can talk circles around him during these walks or similar activity, often keeping multiple topics going at once while he struggles to stay on track with just one topic.
Just as society encourages men to curtail their physical strength, you too should throttle back on your superior ability to out talk him.
In order to exercise your power wisely and justly to create the Third Path of Us, realize that statistically women are more prone to start relational conversations, and when they do begin them more harshly. Compared with men, women are more comfortable with emotional discomfort and are more prone to blame from the outset, which is bad news for CNG marriages. CNGs don’t do harsh talk or blame—it turns their ears to wood, halting your ability to turn conflict into an intimate moment.
Intimacy expert Dr. Paul Coleman recommends the following gracious but still honest conversation starters:
"I'm angry about something, and I'd like to talk about it"
"I know we've talked about this before, but I need to bring it up again. I'll try to be brief."
"You might not like what I'm about to say, but I need you to listen and see if there is anything that has merit."
"I know that you see things differently than me about this topic, but I’d like to try finding some common ground."
"This isn't easy for me. If I twist my words, please give me a chance to get it right."
When talking with him about important matters, approach him for solutions to the problem instead of as the problem itself. Never, under any circumstance, should you pull out the bazooka of shameful words on him, which create feelings of dishonor, unworthiness, and embarrassment. Such treatment just sends him further into his CNG ice cave.
Talk less but more to the point. Being more talkative isn’t wrong. It’s just less effective when communicating with most guys. And to keep him drawn to you, be mindful of your eyes. Women tend to be more comfortable with prolonged eye contact. Be sensitive to this fact so you don’t mistake his looking away as an automatic sign of evasion.
The number one complaint of married women is that their husband "doesn’t listen." Many men say that they used to listen more. And talk more. But what they said was not treated with consideration. So they have partaken in a time-honored tradition of tuning their wives out. It’s the only way some men know how to handle this situation since going toe to toe with someone who can usually out talk them is not an attractive option.
If you want him to listen, then give him time to think and to speak. And then don’t correct him when he does.

For Mr. CNG
Brother, You’ve Got Soulwork to Do
Overarching fear is a smarmy little liar. It is often False Evidence that Appears Real that suckers you into bad decisions. Consuming fear deceives you into forming a false understanding of who you are (you don’t really matter), who God is (He’s out to get you), others (they are not as critical as you think), and the world at large (it is more receptive to you than you currently realize.) No wonder Jesus said that the devil "is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). This is why your battle for marital harmony is a combination of psychological and spiritual transformation. So commit it today to prayer. Ask God to show you where this fear came from and for the strength to face it. When you face your fear, look for the lie and the deception it fosters that slants your thinking to worst-case scenarios. For some, this may include professional help.
When in a fearful situation with your wife who is trying to draw you closer to her, ask yourself, "What am I really scared of?" And "Is it real or is it an illusion?" The results may surprise you. Like me, you may discover that she has far more goodwill toward you than you thought.
When you feel your heart pounding and your mind begins to go wild in a tense situation, call someone you can trust, who’s not another Nice Guy, and bounce the situation off them and then really listen to what they have to say. This will reduce fear’s cataract-like influence by anchoring you in reality.
Focus on Emotions, Not Marital Rules
CNG, forget about playing by all the "rules." I know what you’re thinking. You went into marriage pretty much like our fathers did. If you don’t get angry with your wife, hold down a job, get the family to church, and spend some time with the kids that this is pretty much all that’s required. More so, you think that your wife should "get off your back" when she asks for more. You may well end up divorced if you stick to this failed script because today’s wife wants and sometimes demands emotional closeness. You must be willing to grow your emotions and then express them.
A lot of men still think that expressing emotions makes them appear weak. Not so, Grasshopper. Not only does it make you more like Jesus, who was more emotional than those around him, but it makes you feel alive in ways you never could before.
Emotions, properly handled, make you more manly and attractive. They grow our souls. They make us more loving, protective, authentic, honest, faithful and optimistic, which is important since Nice Guys often suffer from undisclosed depression, addiction, and even impotency, which is caused in part by repressed anger, another CNG characteristic.
For most of my life I never cried at movies. Or funerals. Or when my children were born. Fear and a false understanding of Christian manliness stopped me from being fully alive.
I remember as a Christian Nice Guy watching the movie Sam I Am with my wife. This movie about a mentally challenged father losing his only child has the hanky factor written all over it. But not for me back then. I remained aloof to the emotional overtones and instead focused on the legal and cultural angles. I was proud that I didn’t get caught up in the "emotion." Oh, arrogance and foolishness of passivity and fear.
Then I saw the movie with my wife and kids after dealing fear a substantial blow. I lost track how many times my eyes welled up, laying with my head in my wife’s lap. She felt my tears and wiped with her slender hand.
This free flow of emotions made me want to love, pardon, and protect. I felt alive, like someone put jumper cables on my earlobes. These emotions, fuel to my body, made me a better leader. And, guys, a better lover.
Women don’t find appropriate emotional displays a turn off. It’s a turn on. As the wife of a CNG told me, "Don’t you guys know that if you cried in front of us that we would run into your arms?"
Write down the 10 most impacting events of your life. Travel the spectrum from happy (wedding night) to sad (the day Buddy your dog died). Then share them with your wife over the next two months on date nights. In addition to sharing the facts of these events, share how they made you feel. If tears come, so be it. You’ll feel so much better afterward and she’ll find you more knowable and loveable.
If it Was Right for Jesus…
With a journal in hand, read the Gospel of Mark, which records more of Jesus’ tough and rugged behavior than any other Gospel. Keep track of how often Jesus wasn’t "nice" but good. This will give you courage and inspiration to be like the real tender-to-tough Jesus, depending on what is needed at the time. My book No More Christian Nice Guy, lists plenty examples of Jesus’ tougher side and specific commentary as to why he behaved the way he did.
You’ll see that sometimes it’s wrong to be pleasant. For example, a father is good to show kindness toward a toddler’s common folly. He is negligent and naïve when he shows the same level of niceness to his teenage son who’s doing drugs. Being pleasant when tough love is needed can be a sin.
The Third Path of Us takes time and effort to find. Expect to make mistakes, and take special care to forgive these mistakes. With time, courage, and intent, his war-zone thinking will be replaced by peace-time living, making you both married and engaged.

Know and Be Known

2006-09-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

Whitney Hopler
The following is a report on the practical applications of Marcus Ryan's new book, Restless Journey: Every Man’s Struggle for Significance, (Harvest House, 2006).

Picture yourself lying inside a casket at your funeral. Will the mourners there be able to eulogize you accurately? Will there be enough people who truly knew you well to carry your casket? Will the story of your life live on in people’s memories and inspire them to influence the future?

Make sure you truly live before you die. Accept the quest God has made you for – to discover who you are, and let other people know that person.

Here’s how you can come to know your true self and be known by others:

* Understand significance. Recognize what’s most important in life (knowing and being known) and what pales in comparison (such as earning money, power, or degrees). Know that what matters most isn’t what you achieve, but who you become as a person. Ask God to help you focus on what’s significant in life and avoid distractions.

* Take off the masks. Realize that refusing to look at who you really are and letting others see that person leads to feelings like restlessness, uneasiness, inadequacy, futility, and despair. Stop wearing masks of your own making or that others have placed on you. Don’t worry about trying to project a certain image; decide to value the real you and share that with others. Know that once you discover yourself and help others perceive you for who you are, your relationships will be richer, your goals will come into focus, and your personal level of satisfaction will rise. So put aside the roles you’ve been playing, and start to become the person you were born to be.

* Know what it means to be known. Understand that being known doesn’t mean being a celebrity or the life of a party. It doesn’t require you to make yourself vulnerable to strangers or act in any ways that aren’t natural to you. Instead, being known simply means that you discover yourself through interacting with others, and that they witnesses your life and become keepers of your story.

* Find your path. Acknowledge that God was intentional when He made you, and that He has a purpose for your life. Make it a high priority to discover and fulfill that purpose. Reflect on your life to see if you see a pattern emerge from your memories of relationships, activities, successes and failures. Ask God to reveal your path clearly to you.

* Beware of detours. Understand that you will face dangerous detours off God’s path for you in the form of temptations you’ll need to resist. Be especially careful about appetites – for greed, power, lust, or something else – that go out of control. Refuse to feed unhealthy appetites, such as by installing Internet blocking software and having your spouse monitor your computer use if you struggle with pornography. Whatever appetites are threatening your spiritual growth, cut them off before they destroy you. Then pursue healing. Take some time to reflect on past experiences that may have triggered certain appetites to spiral out of control. Pray about your thoughts and feelings, and ask God’s forgiveness for your mistakes. Then invite God to renew your mind through the power of the Holy Spirit, and protect you from evil that seeks to prevent you from becoming the person you were intended to become.

* Consider who you are right now. Take an inventory of your life right now and seriously consider who you currently are as a person. Ask yourself honestly whether or not you’re pleased with yourself. Don’t feel ashamed if the answer is “no,” because there’s hope for you to grow and mature.

* Think about people who have shaped your identity. Know that many people throughout your life – such as parents, siblings, friends, and teachers – have helped shape your self-image. Understand that the opinion you have of yourself is often powerfully influenced by the opinion other people have of you. But realize that your identity is based on who you are in Christ – God’s beloved child. Embrace and guard your true identity, recognizing that it is a treasure.

* Find people who will mirror your true self back to you. Don’t hide from people who can support you in your quest. Seek out a handful of people you can trust (such as your spouse or other family members and close friends) to get to know you for who you really are, reveal that person to you, and to challenge you to become more and more true to that person. Consider entering into a mentoring relationship to learn valuable life skills that you can later impart to someone else you care about.

* Find your vocation. Understand that no matter what type of work you do to earn an income, you have a calling to a specific type of life’s work – your vocation. Consider your interests and talents for clues as to what it is. Ask yourself, “What am I supposed to do?”, “What do I continue to return to regardless of disappointments and setbacks?” and “When or where do I feel God’s pleasure?”. Know that your vocation will always involve service to others, because it represents the type of contributions God wants you to make to the world. Once you identify your vocation, refuse to waste your time and energy on unrelated tasks that do nothing more than keep you busy. Do all you can to tie your vocation in with your paid work, as well, so you can spend the most time possible pursuing your vocation. Remember that pursuing your vocation is vital not just to your own life, but to others’ lives as well, because people around you can’t become all they are supposed to be unless you become all you’re supposed to be and contribute to their lives as God has planned. Affirm that what’s truly worth working for isn’t just money, power, or prestige – it’s to make the contributions you’re supposed to make during your lifetime.

* Let your life tell a story of faith. If you haven’t already, begin an eternal relationship with Christ. Ask God to help you act on your faith so that every aspect of your life reflects God at work in you. Strive to make every decision an act of worship, and to live with integrity in all you do. Share stories of how God has – and is – operating in your life when you talk with people who are close to you. Remember that God will use even the worst experiences to bring about good purposes if you invite Him to do so. Show and tell others how your successes, failures, joys and sorrows alike have drawn you closer to God through Christ. Know that, after you die, these people will help you story live beyond you.

* Live with passion. Don’t settle for just getting by as best you can. Reject the pull of ritual, boredom, fear, or ignorance that causes you to feel apathetic about life. Decide, every day, to learn more about yourself and help others know themselves so you all can live with passion. Expect the path to lead closer and closer to God. Seek to get to the point where Christ living in you is greater than the man you were before, and His light reveals the person you were designed to be.

Sing a Song: Hannah, David & the Lamb

2006-09-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

by Eva Marie Everson

Sing a Song… is a short series which looks at specific songs of the Bible and their Ah-ha Moments. This is the fifth and final installment.

In the last few Ah-Ha articles we have looked at a series of songs: the song of the angels, the song of Moses, the song of Deborah, the song of Zechariah, and the song of Mary. The last three songs we will study are the song of Hannah, the song of David, and the song of the Lamb.

Laid out in the order in which way you have read them (hopefully), we find a story. Do you know what it is?

The Song of Hannah
Have you ever wanted something so much… so intently… that you would be willing to give it away if you actually got it? Hannah was such a woman. Though she had a husband who loved her and, no doubt, a nice home to love him in, she was most unfulfilled.

She also had an enemy that taunted her at every turn in the form of her husband’s “other wife,” Peninnah. Would you know it; Peninnah had children.

Their husband, Elkanah, did everything he could to make Hannah happy, but it just wasn’t enough. She knew what she had been born into this life to do - to be a mother. One year, as was the custom, the family went to Shiloh for worship and sacrifice on the Feast of Tabernacles. While there, Hannah made a bold move; she went to the temple and poured her heart out to the Lord. Her emotions were so expressive and so raw, the old priest, Eli, thought she was drunk. But when he heard her pleas, he blessed her.

God blessed Hannah, too. Hannah gave birth to a baby boy; she named him Samuel.

But she did not rear him, for in her prayer to the Lord she made a vow, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life…”[i]

And Hannah sang….

The Song of David
I stood in front of the group of women who had listened to me speak during the sessions of their weekend retreat. “What song,” I asked, “would you like played at your funeral? What song would most express your life?”

An older woman named Joy, sweet of face and with gentle eyes, answered, “The Potter’s Hands.”

Joy was a potter. It was her hobby, her profession, and her ministry.

I could write an entire book just on the song[ii] David sang over his life, but there is no room to do that here. What I would like to do is share with you something I read once (and recorded in my notes) about him. I believe it adequately summarizes a life well lived.

There is no other character in the OT to be compared to David in the complexity of its elements, passion, tenderness, generosity, and fierceness; David was a soldier, shepherd, poet, statesman, priest, prophet, and king…He founded a dynasty. He was patriotic, generous, and kind, a man of strong impulses, and firm faith, brave and forgiving; yet a child of his time. He placed religion above everything. Of him alone has it been said that he was a man after the heart of God. He fostered a simple trust in God; he was a heinous sinner, but a correspondingly sincere penitent. He was the “sweet psalmist of Israel.”[iii]

He was the sweet psalmist of Israel, it says, and goes on to say: His songs lead the worshiper up to God….

Because, imperfect as he was, David sang!

The Song of the Lamb
It is a song all believers will one day come to sing, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. John recorded in his revelation:

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."[iv]

But is this a song we must wait to sing?

In his priceless work, Into the Depth of God, Dr. Calvin Miller wrote: There’s not one verse in the entire Bible that teaches we are going to have life after death. The Bible teaches we can have life instead of death. Jesus Christ comes into a life, and at that precise moment eternal life begins. Someday pulse or respiration may cease, but not us — we will already have taken the giant step into the pleasure of God! Heaven begins at that moment. Eternity is now (emphasis mine).[v]

The Ah-ha Moment
The shepherds heard the Good News first, the ancient Hebrews were freed by Moses, ancient Israel was led to victory by Deborah after their stubborn fall back into slavery, Zechariah learned that a time in silence is filled by a time of singing, Mary was empowered to do what otherwise she could not have done, Hannah learned that the only true sacrifice is total sacrifice, David had a life well-lived, and — one great day — believers from every nation will sing the Song of the Lamb.

In this way, you heard the Gospel, you asked Jesus to free you from the slavery of sin, you tripped and fell and had to call out to Him again. As you walk with Him you learn that a time of silence is followed by a time of singing, that in order to do what you are called to do, you must pour out of yourself to be filled with His Holy Spirit. Hopefully, at the end of your life you will recount a life well-lived and will, with the redeemed and the angels, sing the Song of the Lamb!

In the course of the Christian life, we must experience maturity in Christ. We take it one step, one note, one measure, and one song at a time.

And then we sing! For He alone is holy!

Can the pursuit of wealth bring true happiness?

2006-09-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

David Jeremiah

In 1934, the American people had a monopoly on depression. The stock market had crashed in 1929 and millions of workers were jobless. Industrious citizens tried to find ways to feed themselves and their families. So Charles B. Darrow invented a board game and took it to Parker Brothers, calling it MONOPOLY®.

Here's some MONOPOLY trivia:

? More than 200 million games have been sold since 1935.

? The longest game in history lasted 70 days.

? The total amount of MONOPOLY money in a set is $15,140.
How fitting that a game about living the high life as a financier was introduced at a time when the country was trying to rebound from its worst economic depression. People dreamed that money, wealth, and power were the answer to all of life's problems.

How Much Does It Take?
If people work to attain a certain level of prosperity, thinking then they will be happy, they quickly become accustomed to their prosperity, grow discontent, and start striving for the next level. Church growth strategists have found that within three generations of the Gospel having penetrated a primitive culture, resulting in increased wealth and higher standards of living, people start losing interest in the very spiritual truths that pulled them out of poverty. A little bit of money creates a longing for more. What Solomon Discovered
Solomon found that wealth does not-indeed, cannot-satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. And yet he tried to make it happen. In spite of all his wealth, King Solomon was a dissatisfied soul. He discovered that money and power were not the secrets to happiness. He had escalated his expectations farther than anyone in history and met them all, only to find that money could not meet his expectation for happiness. He tried satiating himself with wine and exotic food served in solid gold vessels, but that didn't work (1 Kings 4:22-23). Then he tried to find happiness by spending money on building projects (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6). Still nothing. So he started accumulating "stuff:" servants, wives, concubines, flocks, herds, singers, gold and silver (1 Kings 11:3; Ecclesiastes 2:7-8). But the dull ache of emptiness just wouldn't go away. The God-Shaped Vacuum
The vacuum in the human heart is not money-shaped, but God-shaped. When Solomon tried to fill that vacuum with everything except God, He grew more and more dissatisfied. The book of Ecclesiastes recounts Solomon's sorrowful search for meaning in life and how he finally realized it could be found in God alone (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Classifying Currencies
What, then, is the purpose of wealth? If God is supposed to fill our hearts, what are we supposed to do with money? Nowhere does the Bible say that money is evil or that to have it, even in large quantities, is inappropriate, much less a sin. Our problem is the "love of money" (1 Timothy 6:10). Money is neither good nor bad. Paper currency is nothing more than a man-made means of exchange. The problem comes when we try to use money as a medium of exchange in an eternal kingdom. To function in an eternal kingdom, we need an eternal currency. The currencies in the kingdom of God are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You recognize these as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). And they come only from God. Economists refer to "guns and butter" as the staples of this world, and they can only be bought with money. But the staples of God's eternal kingdom can only be purchased with that which the Holy Spirit provides. Solomon's Syndrome
To do business with the world, you need temporal means-money. But to do business with God, you need eternal means-a heart of love, joy, peace . . . the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Don't try to monopolize anything finite, like money. But accumulate all you can of the limitless fruit of the Spirit-that's a perfectly legal monopoly in the kingdom of God!

Shine as lights in the world!

2006-09-08T02:39:00.000-07:00

"In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as
lights in the world."-Philippians 2:15

We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his
life, that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the
gospel. His conversation should be such that all who are about him
should clearly perceive whose he is, and whom he serves; and should see the
image of Jesus reflected in his daily actions. Lights are intended for
guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to
hold forth to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the
Saviour, and the weary to a divine resting-place. Men sometimes read their
Bibles, and fail to understand them; we should be ready, like Philip,
to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God's Word, the way of
salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also used for warning. On
our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected. Christian men
should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in the
world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Sa!
tan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of
pleasure; they hoist the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true
light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what it
leads to, that so we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as
lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so
have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on
his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever
he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal,
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.

Significance

2006-09-08T02:38:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, September 5, 2006

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. - Psalm 90:17

Many of us begin our careers with the goal of achieving success. If we haven't entered our work as a result of God's calling, we will eventually face a chasm of deep frustration and emptiness. Success flatters but does not provide a lasting sense of purpose and fulfillment. So often we enter careers with wrong motives-money, prestige, and even pressure from parents or peers. Failing to match our work with our giftedness and calling is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If that happens over an extended period, a person crashes.

At this time, many make another mistake. Workplace believers think that beginning a new career in "full-time Christian work" will fill the emptiness they feel. However, this only exacerbates the problem because they are again trying to put another square peg into a round hole. The problem is not whether we should be in "Christian work" or "secular work," but rather what work is inspired by gifts and calling. If there is one phrase I wish I could remove from the English language it is "full-time Christian work." If you are a Christian, you are in full-time Christian work, whether you are driving nails or preaching the gospel. The question must be, are you achieving the God-given calling for your life? God has called people into business to fulfill His purposes just as much as He has called people to be pastors or missionaries.

It is time for workplace believers to stop feeling like second-class citizens for being in business. It is time workplace believers stop working toward financial independence so that they can concentrate on their "true spiritual calling." This is the great deception for those called to business.

Significance comes from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which you were made. Ask Him to confirm this in your own life.

'Virtually untreatable' TB found

2006-09-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

A "virtually untreatable" form of TB has emerged, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Extreme drug resistant TB (XDR TB) has been seen worldwide, including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa, although Western Europe has had no cases.

Dr Paul Nunn, from the WHO, said a failure to correctly implement treatment strategies was to blame.

TB experts have convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss how to address the problem.

TB presently causes about 1.7 million deaths a year worldwide, but researchers are worried about the emergence of strains that are resistant to drugs.

This is very worrying, especially when mixed with HIV
Dr Paul Nunn, WHO

Drug resistance is caused by poor TB control, through taking the wrong types of drugs for the incorrect duration.

Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB), which describes strains of TB that are resistant to at least two of the main first-line TB drugs, is already a growing concern.

Globally, the WHO estimates there are about 425,000 cases of MDR TB a year, mostly occurring in the former Soviet Union, China and India.

Treatment requires the use of second-line drugs, which are more toxic, take longer to work and costly.

But now, according to researchers, an even more deadly form of the bacteria has emerged.

High prevalence

XDR TB is defined as strains that are not only resistant to the front-line drugs, but also three or more of the six classes of second-line drugs.

This, according to Dr Paul Nunn, coordinator of the WHO team at the Stop TB department, makes it virtually untreatable.

A recent survey of 18,000 TB samples by the US-based Centers for Disease Control and the WHO between November 2004 and November 2005 found 20% of them were multi-drug resistant and a further 2% were extreme drug resistant.

Further detailed analysis of several countries found the prevalence was even higher.

In the US, 4% of all MDR TB cases met the criteria for XDR TB; in South Korea, the figure was 15%.

In Latvia, and according to Dr Nunn other areas of the Baltics and the former Soviet Union, 19% of all multi-drug resistant cases were extreme drug resistant too.

Dr Nunn said XDR TB was present across several strains, but added it was not yet clear how transmissible it was or whether it was limited to isolated pockets.

HIV peril

But he warned HIV positive people were at particular risk.

He highlighted a study recently presented at the International Meeting for Aids, held in Toronto.

XDR TB is very serious - we are potentially getting close to a bacteria that we have no tools, no weapons against
Paul Sommerfeld, Stop TB

In Kwazulu-Natal, in South Africa, 53 patients were found with XDR TB. Of these, 52 died within 25 days, and 44 of the 53 had been tested for HIV and were all found to be HIV positive.

He said XDR TB could have a bigger impact on developing nations, including Africa, because of the prevalence of HIV.

Dr Dunn said: "This is very worrying, especially when mixed with HIV.

"We need to make sure we do the basics properly, in other words, ensuring, and where necessary, supervising that the patient takes ever pill for the course of the treatment.

"If you do that, then the rate of development of resistance drops dramatically, even in the context of HIV."

He added that it was key that new drugs were developed in future. He said work was underway looking at new drugs, including research into TB vaccines.

The meeting in South Africa will discuss the recent findings and how to curb the growing problem.

Paul Sommerfeld of TB Alert, said: "XDR TB is very serious - we are potentially getting close to a bacteria that we have no tools, no weapons against.

"What this means for the people in southern Africa, who are now becoming susceptible to this where it is appearing, is a likely death sentence.

"For the world as a whole it is potentially extremely worrying that this kind of resistance is appearing. This is something that I am sure the WHO will be taking very seriously."

2006-09-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, September 7, 2006

The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. - 1 Chronicles 13:10

A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hos. 4:6).

God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.

Many workplace believers I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.

Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1 Chron. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death.

Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

When Married Life Tests Your Patience

2006-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Betsy St. Amant

As Christians, we’ve all heard the joke "Never pray for patience, or you’ll get it." Ironically, our prayers sometimes come out sounding a little like this: "Hurry up, God, I need patience NOW."

Nobody likes to wait. We prefer getting things quickly, and with each successive generation our tolerance for waiting seems to diminish. Take, for example, the coined phrased "microwave generation." We want what we want, and we want it as soon as possible! We don’t want our desires or dreams or goals to "bake" in the oven. We want to "nuke" our plans and get results immediately! That is the urgency people feel today, fueled by the media, propaganda, and plain selfishness from within.
Waiting for the Little Things
The vocation of marriage frustrates our natural hurriedness by forcing us to wait – a lot. You wait for your turn in the bathroom. You wait to use the sink to brush your teeth. You wait for your spouse to get home to eat dinner. You wait to use the phone. You wait for your turn to use the computer. You wait for them to finish getting ready so you can leave. It seems nothing is on your time or your schedule anymore – because life is no longer about you.
Everybody waits, but not everybody waits patiently or with grace. What makes patience so difficult? Patience stems from a deep level of unselfishness, something that doesn’t come naturally to most of us. As unnatural as selflessness may feel, being selfish in your marriage is a surefire way to cause problems. These everyday frustrations offer a wonderful opportunity to cultivate a selfless heart. Why not wait with a good attitude, since you’re going to have to wait anyway? When life throws an opportunity to wait at you, put a smile on your face and adopt a carefree _expression in order to avoid an argument over something that is beyond your control anyway.
"A harsh word stirs up anger, but a soft answer turns away wrath" (Psalm 15:1).
In time, these little opportunities to learn grace will strengthen your character when bigger challenges come along – and your spouse will thank you for it.
Waiting on Material Things
Not only do we find ourselves waiting on trivial, every day matters, but as married couples, we’re often waiting for our worldly dreams to come true. My husband has wanted a boat, a jet ski, a four wheeler, and a new truck ever since he was five years old! I personally would love to have a horse again, and a new house in the country with a private office for my writing – oh, and maybe a trip to Europe! But it doesn’t take long to learn that married life isn’t an automatic invitation to material wealth. Married life frequently brings on new responsibilities and expenses, and we find ourselves setting aside our childhood fantasies for the sake of the other.
Newlyweds in particular may struggle with tight funds the first few years and most of the things they want are simply not realistic purchases. It’s more important to pay the house note and put food on the table than it is to put money aside for a recreational vehicle. Paying your car insurance beats out purchasing new clothes, every time.
The good news: All this isn’t to say you’ll never have what you want. It’s a matter of time, and once again, patience. If you start saving now, you could buy a boat or horse several years down the road. God wants us to be good stewards of our money, and I believe that involves saving and planning. My husband started a separate savings account with his credit union about a year ago. A small percentage is deducted from his paycheck and automatically deposited into this account. We never see or touch the money, and it slowly builds up week after week. We pretend it’s not there, and have promised never to use it unless there is a real emergency. The purpose of the money is for us to take an extended vacation somewhere really fabulous in about three years. By then, the money will have built up, with no harm done to our budget, and we’ll have a nice trip together, all expenses paid.
If you put in a little effort now, you can enjoy the fruits later. If you and your spouse feel tense about money matters, sit down and map out a long term plan. Knowing you are working towards fulfilling your financial dreams – even if at a slow pace – will take some of the day-to-day pressure off and make waiting that much more rewarding.
Waiting on the Big Things
Sometimes the call to wait seeps into some of the most profound elements of marriage, including childbearing. Over the past several months, many of my friends and coworkers have welcomed children into their homes. Each case strikes me with an instant case of "baby fever." Every time I get back from a baby shower or from visiting a new mom, I question my husband on our own timeline. "But why not now? They’re so cute!" Once the fever subsides, I step back into reality and realize unless God decides otherwise, right now is not the best time for us to have children and that a few years down the road would be the best choice for us. Then we’ll be more financially stable, my husband will have completed his five year schooling program with the union, and I’ll have put in valuable time at my current job. We’re waiting, even though it’s hard sometimes, because we know it’s the best thing for us and for our future children.
For some, waiting is even a source of profound sadness. Some waiting is an exercise of will, but sometimes marriage presents us with situations beyond our control. A couple experiences infertility, and must wait perhaps indefinitely for a child. A spouse gets sick and waits for treatment and recovery. A door is closed on a certain career or mutual dream, and you find yourselves readjusting your plans together. It’s times like this – when our dreams are on the line – that waiting seems more like a curse than a blessing.
But "wait" does not have to be a four letter word. Patience truly is a virtue. God wants us to be obedient to Him in seeking His will and timing for our lives, and not just our own. Even in sadness and uncertainty, God has great plans in store. He will bless our obedience and give us more than we could have ever dreamed possible according to His will for our lives. In the meantime, recognize the blessings you have right now in your spouse and in your married life together even in the midst of waiting.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, patience; and to patience, godliness" (2 Peter 1:5-6).
What are you waiting for today? What is your goal, or dream, or plan for the future? Have you prayed about these plans, and given them to God? Are you seeking His timing on your life, or clinging to your own? There is such joy and freedom that comes when we surrender the burden of our timepieces to Jesus. Hand Him your watch, and be content to keep your eyes on God’s clock. His ways are so much higher than ours, His knowledge so infinite, His timing so perfect. We can trust that if we wait until His timer dings, blessings will be sure to follow.
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The Relationship God Desires with Us
Dr. Beverly Rose
Why would an omnipotent God want to meet us — mere fallen creatures in a fallen world? Why should he care whether or not we want to spend time with him? A powerful, omniscient God could run the universe just fine without us. Jesus didn’t have to die on the cross, reaching out to us in saving grace. He didn’t have to come from behind the veil that we put in place by our sin. In his final hours on earth, he didn’t have to tear the curtain in two to restore our relationship with him. Why did he do all this for us? He did it because we were made for relationship with him.
Why do I continue to pray? Because I know that a loving God is with me working everything for the good. An indifferent God would most likely give us whatever we ask. It would be far easier for him to grant our requests than to deny them. But a loving God chooses, instead, to give us his best answer. He even loves us so much that at times he says no.
A loving God has also given us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our prayers, hoping that we will come to desire more and more what benefits us spiritually. As Richard Foster reassures us, “God is not destroying the will but transforming it so that over a process of time and experience we can freely will what God wills. In the crucifixion of the will we are enabled to let go of our tightfisted hold on life and follow our best prayers.”[i][i]God hopes we will pray our best prayers. Yet he remains ever attentive to the unspoken desires of our heart.
When we fall to our knees in prayer, perched on the threshold between this life and the next, what do we desire most? We wish, first and foremost, for God to be with us. Mercifully that is the prayer he always grants. Just as he answered us long ago by coming to earth, he is answering us still every moment of every day simply and miraculously by being there in loving relationship with us.
Why should I empty myself, relinquishing myself to God? Because I know God loves me and wants to fill me with his presence. In fact, Jesus loves us so much that he emptied himself so that the power of God could work in him. Paul told us, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus could have called in legions of angels to avert his dreaded fate. Instead he submitted obediently to the will of the Father, praying, “If you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Why should I fall silent, believing that I will hear God’s voice? Because Jesus talked to sinners, tax collectors, and outcasts, so why not to me? Jesus didn’t concern himself just with creating masses of followers but forged a relationship with each person individually, especially the ones with whom others didn’t. In reaching out to all of us, he demonstrated that he loves each of us too much not to embrace every one of us.
Why should I believe that if I practice the presence of God, Jesus will meet me in the muck and mire of my everyday life? Because he loved us enough to leave heaven to meet us in a fallen world. It would have been easier for God to stay in paradise or to show up exclusively in the beauty of a majestic cathedral. Jesus could have remained in the Temple, waiting for people to bow down at his feet. Instead he spent time with poor villagers, washing theirs. Maybe God is with us in every messy moment of our lives because he loves us too much to wait for Sunday.
Why should I meditate on God’s Word? Because that’s how a loving God speaks to us. In fact, his love is so great that he was willing to die to bring us the Word.
Why should I fast in hopes of encountering God? Because Jesus gave his body and blood for us — gifts we feast upon spiritually during Communion. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33). There is no greater love than this — that Jesus gave his life for us, even calling us his friends.
Why do I seek God’s presence in nature? Because I know that a loving God desires to meet me there, escorting me up mountains when I can barely walk. He didn’t have to make the world beautiful and give us five senses to enjoy it. Nor did he have to make Eden a paradise. He did it purely out of love.
John wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Loving us first, God breathed himself into us before we could take a single breath. He came to earth to be the Answer to our prayers, and he answers our prayers still with his presence before we even ask. And in an act of ultimate sacrificial love, he died on the cross for us, forgiving us before we sin, giving us eternal life in his Kingdom before we enter heaven.
God can manifest himself in big displays or in subtle movements. It is up to us not to be so busy trying to make a divine encounter happen that we fail to notice that the one who loved us first is reaching out to us first in love.
Everything Jesus did, he did out of love. He could have performed spectacular miracles in front of the priests and teachers of the law. He could have stood outside the Temple gates like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Instead he used his powers, not for personal profit, but in the service of love. His healed us in love. He preached to us in love. He died for us in love. He rose in love, and he remains with us today, reaching out to us in love.
Why do I, born and raised Jewish, believe that while lying in a sickbed, Jesus’ presence actually came over me? It’s because I know that what I was experiencing was not some indifferent supernatural entity overtaking my body. It was the presence of a God who personally came to seek a relationship with me. Does that guarantee I will always experience his presence? Not necessarily. None of us can presume to understand the mysterious ways of communion with God. What we can know for certain, however, is that God loves us enough to move heaven and earth to reach us in this fallen world — in thin places.
Simone Weil wrote poignantly, “God wears himself out through the infinite thickness of time and space in order to reach the soul and to captivate it. If it allows a pure and utter consent (though brief as a lightning flash) to be torn from it, then God conquers that soul... The soul, starting from the opposite end, makes the same journey that God made toward it. And that is the cross.”[ii][ii]
The night of my friend’s visit, I prayed in front of a wooden cross someone had given me when I first became a Christian. It spells out the name Jesus and has nails fastened to the back to symbolize his crucifixion. I prayed so fervently that I actually began to see a halo around the cross. It grew brighter and brighter until it shone with the most beautiful golden luminescence I had ever seen. It was as if God were responding to every syllable I prayed, every tear I shed. Or were the tears in my eyes causing the light to appear that way? I don’t know.
What I do know for sure is why I am here. Jesus reaches out to me in miraculous ways every day because he lovingly made me for relationship with him. That is more than sufficient for me.

PEOPLES' CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

2006-08-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA HAVE FINALLY FASHIONED AND PROVISIONALLY AADOPTED A
"PEOPLES' CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA"

BBC Wap use flourishing in Africa

2006-08-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

Africa, in particular Nigeria, is dominating international mobile phone access to the BBC's website.
According to July's statistics, 61% of the BBC's international Wap users came from Nigeria and 19% from South Africa.

"Wap is the one platform where African countries continue to appear in the top five in our statistics," said BBC developer Gareth Owen.

Africa is the world's largest-growing mobile phone market with unreliable landlines encouraging the growth.

Wap technology - which stands for wireless application protocol - allows people to access basic information on the internet, like news summaries, through their mobile phone handset.

I'm in Uganda and the only access I have 2 the outside world is this pinhole 2 info
Ugandan texter to the BBC

According to the BBC's statistics, page views for Wap usage are growing at 100% year on year.

UK users account for 65% of Wap traffic; and international usage for 35%. Mobile phone providers in many African countries have only recently begun rolling out Wap-enabled handsets.

And the large take up of BBC news via mobiles in Nigeria contrasts starkly with the relatively small number of users accessing the internet via pcs - hampered by slow and unreliable landlines.

The BBC's Technology correspondent Mark Ward says that in many places on the continent PC ownership is low but PC literacy surprisingly high.

Internet cafes tend to be very popular, as much a meeting place as well as a place where people access their email, he says.

The BBC receives regular messages of thanks from people in Africa, who say the only access they have to news is via their mobiles.

"I'm in Uganda and the only access I have 2 the outside world is this pinhole 2 info cause I don't have access to TV. Thanx," said one texter from Uganda. The country accounted for 7% of BBC Wap usage in July.

Other top countries helping account for the 58m Wap page views in July were Jamaica, Singapore and Israel.

In the UK, the BBC has about a 20% share of the market with a reach of 1.2m users monthly.

Nigeria promises kidnap crackdown

2006-08-18T11:28:00.004-07:00

Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo has promised to act against those suspected of involvement in a string of kidnappings in the Niger Delta region.
He said he had ordered 24-hour patrols in the Delta's creeks and swamps, and threatened action against oil firms who paid ransoms for their workers.

"We are going to be firm and say no to violence and hostage taking," he said.

Five groups of foreign oil workers have been seized in the delta in the past two weeks but no-one has been arrested.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, shortly after four foreign workers were freed unharmed, Mr Obasanjo vowed to confront "force with force".

"Wherever we find hostage-takers now, we will hunt them down. We will not accept this any longer," the statement read.

The two Norwegians and two Ukrainians freed on Tuesday were seized on 9 August from a supply vessel moored in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

They were freed one day after four other workers were seized and five released.

Determination

Earlier this year, Mr Obasanjo pledged to create thousands of new jobs and construct a new motorway to the Niger Delta in an effort to calm tensions in the region.

Wherever we find hostage-takers now, we will hunt them down
Olusegun Obasanjo
Nigerian president

But continued violence and kidnappings have seen a change in the president's tone.
A rise in attacks in recent months by militants, seeking more local control of the Niger Delta's rich oil resources, has cut Nigeria's oil production by 25%.

"Wherever we find hostage-takers now, we will hunt them down. We will not accept this any longer," he reportedly said at a meeting in the region.

"Nigeria is a signatory to international conventions which categorise hostage-takers and their accomplices in non-international conflict situations as terrorists to be hunted down wherever they go."

Confusion

Oil industry sources say hostage-taking has become an attractive business, as oil companies strike clandestine ransom deals.

The Delta is awash with weapons, unemployment is high and communities feel aggrieved at the lack of development.
Armed groups have proliferated, often linked to local politicians.

Three Filipinos, a Belgian and a Moroccan were released on Monday.

But four more workers, including two Britons, were seized on Sunday.

Nigerian authorities say they still do not have full details on how many hostages remain in captivity, although reports say at least six are still being held.

'Cannibals' confess in Mozambique

2006-08-18T11:28:00.003-07:00

By Jose Tembe

A husband and wife in Mozambique face multiple charges after confessing to exhuming corpses to eat the flesh and powdered bones, say police.
They were arrested in the western village of Vanduzi last weekend in possession of human organs.

In a confession, the couple said that eating human flesh strengthened their power to heal people, police say.

Gorongosa district police say they are still investigating the case in an area where belief in witchcraft is strong.

Gorongosa district police commander, Jose Cumbe, said that it was the first case of self-confessed cannibalism he had uncovered since he began working in Gorongosa two years ago.

The husband, 50-year-old Neva Mafunga said he had been eating human flesh for more than 20 years, the police say.

His 34-year-old wife, Nhanvura Faera, said she began eating human flesh on the orders of her husband.

Woman jailed for giving son drugs

2006-08-18T11:28:00.002-07:00

A drug addict mother has been jailed for nine years for supplying heroin and crack cocaine to her son from the age of nine.
Emma Kelly, 31, formerly of Eastbourne, in East Sussex, admitted the offences, which could have killed the child, at a hearing at Hove Crown Court last month.

Kelly admitted supplying the drugs between August 2002 and May 2005.

She also admitted two counts of cruelty to a child between August 2003 and January 2005.

Judge Anthony Niblett told her she had betrayed her son.

You offered no explanation or excuse for it, and there can be none
Judge Anthony Niblett

He said: "On 5 May 2005 you went to his school and you supplied him there with a wrap of heroin. This was, in my assessment, an act of pure wickedness.

"You offered no explanation or excuse for it, and there can be none."

Kelly was sentenced to nine years in total for supplying her son with class A drugs, including five years to be served concurrently for child cruelty.

This includes two six-year sentences to be served concurrently for supplying him with heroin and crack cocaine, and a consecutive sentence of three years for giving him heroin when he was in foster care.

The court was told Kelly had plied her son with opiates from the age of nine, until he was 11.

She had driven him around as she toured Sussex and London in search of drugs.

Ibitayo Adebayo, prosecuting, said Kelly and her son were arrested in January 2005 on suspicion of shoplifting and taken to Eastbourne police station.

The police contacted a drug referral worker who saw the boy, and noted that the pupils of his eyes were very large, suggesting he was going through a withdrawal from drugs.

Judge Niblett said the boy was able to tell police that he rarely went to school.

He did have a bond with his mum, but that was borne out of his addiction
Det Sgt Wendy Fuller

The boy spent a week in hospital withdrawing from his opiate addiction.

Outside the court, Det Sgt Wendy Fuller of Sussex Police described how the boy was "rocking in his hospital bed, very agitated, crying for his mum" when he was experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

"He did have a bond with his mum, but that was borne out of his addiction," she said.

The boy, now aged 12, is in foster care and is said to be thriving and back at school.

Rebecca Upton, defending, said Kelly's descent into drug abuse was triggered by the death of her partner in 1996.

'Truly disgusted'

Before then she had a promising career as a jockey and also worked regularly before developing a dependence on drugs.

Ms Upton said Kelly felt "truly disgusted" at her actions and expressed her "utmost and sincerest remorse".

The role of East Sussex Social Services was questioned by Judge Niblett, who said that if it had not been for the arrest, social services might not have intervened.

This was despite a social services case conference about the boy being held in 2004, he said.

The social worker connected to the case was changed "and the situation was allowed to continue".

He said that a social services representative had not attended the court to answer concerns, but added he was pleased that he would receive a report within 14 days.

After the case Sussex Police Child Protection Team (CPT) at Eastbourne said the boy could have died every time he was supplied with the drugs.

'Lessons learnt'

In a statement, Matt Dunkley, director of children's services for East Sussex County Council, said: "Our service has the highest possible rating for child protection and naturally our primary concern is for the safety and welfare of the child.

"The child concerned is still in our care and we are delighted that he is thriving and doing well."

The statement added that all major decisions to protect the child prior to him being taken into care were taken jointly with all the agencies involved, including the police.

"Together with partners in other agencies, we will learn from any of the lessons that arise from this case."

Humble but high?!

2006-08-18T11:28:00.001-07:00

The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.

Do you find yourself in humble circumstances? If so, James tells us that we are to take pride in this "high" position. These two things would seem to be an oxymoron. Most of us would not consider humble circumstances a high position. Successful business tells us that being on top means being wealthy, attaining favor and status, or having power to influence. However, Jesus influenced not from power, but from weakness.

J.C. Penney is a name synonymous with department store. He first launched his chain of "The Golden Rule" stores in 1907. In 1910 his first wife died. Three years later, he incorporated as the J.C. Penney company. In 1923 his second wife died giving birth to his son. In 1929 the stock market crashed and he lost $40 million.

By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy...creditors. This left [Penney] virtually broke. ...Crushed in spirit from his loss and his health suddenly failing, Penney wound up in a Battle Creek, Michigan sanitorium. One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whate'er betide, God will take care of you.... Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, and ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six.

By 1951 there was a J.C. Penney store in every state, and for the first time sales surpassed $1 billion a year. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 340-343.]

The success of J.C. Penney can be traced to God's mercy in his life to bring him out of his humble circumstance. Do you find yourself in a humble circumstance? God is the only one who can help you see your humble circumstance from His viewpoint-a high position. It is a high position because of what God is going to teach you in this place. He does not intend you to stay there; it is merely a stopping place to learn some important things you would not learn otherwise. Press into God and trust Him for the outcome to your circumstances.

"SAVE DARFUR NOW: Voices to Stop Genocide,"

2006-08-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

We invite you to attend "SAVE DARFUR NOW: Voices to Stop Genocide," a rally and concert in New York City on September 17.

Click here for more information and to sign up to attend.

On April 30, 2006, tens of thousands of Darfur activists gathered on the National Mall in Washington to call attention to the genocide in Darfur and to demand action by the U.S. government.

And our message was heard, prompting President Bush to dispatch an aide directly to the Darfur peace talks in Africa. The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed, offering a glimmer of hope that the genocide could be stopped.

But since then other events have consumed the world's attention and the Darfur genocide has fallen off the agenda.

We must demonstrate a global commitment to establish a lasting peace for the people of Darfur. That is why the Save Darfur Coalition is organizing "SAVE DARFUR NOW: Voices to Stop Genocide," a rally and concert in New York City on September 17 and why organizations around the world are organizing a Global Day for Darfur.

Click here for more information and to sign up to attend.

For two weeks in September, the United Nations General Assembly will meet in New York City. This is an opportunity to bring our efforts on behalf of the people of Darfur directly to the United Nations. That is why, in addition to "SAVE DARFUR NOW: Voices to Stop Genocide," we begin 10 Days of Action on September 7 leading up to September 17.

If you cannot make it to New York City, September 17 events are taking place in cities around the country and the globe all with the same goal: to show worldwide support for the people of Darfur and to put pressure on world governments to protect Darfur's innocent civilians.

Click here for more information and to sign up to attend.

Thank you for your continued support. As we approach September 17, we will announce information on speakers, performers, event time and location.

Sincerely,

David Rubenstein
Save Darfur Coalition

Riots follow killing in Nigeria

2006-08-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Nigerian youths have been rioting in the south-western Ekiti state after the murder of a leading local politician.
Nigeria's police chief has gone to the state capital Ado Ekiti to take personal charge of the investigation into Ayodeji Daramola's killing.

He was found stabbed on Monday after addressing a rally the day before.

Mr Daramola was a leading ruling party aspirant for governorship elections due next year and is the third high-profile figure to be murdered this year.

Three weeks ago, another leading People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor in neighbouring Lagos state, Funsho Williams, was also murdered.

So far, nobody has been charged with the killing.

The BBC's Sola Odunfa in Lagos says there's growing concern there could be a spate of assassinations in the run-up to the national elections.

Reward

Police Inspector General Sunday Ehindero has travelled to Ado Ekiti, some 300km from Lagos, to take charge of the case.

According to reports from Ado Ekiti, Mr Daramola was stabbed to death last night less than 12 hours after addressing a mass rally.

The killing took place in his country home in Ijan Ekiti which is only a few minutes drive from the state capital.

As news of the murder spread violence broke out in the state.

On Monday evening, young men took to the streets burning houses and cars in Ado Ekiti.

Ekiti's state government has offered a 50m naira (about $390,000) reward to anyone with information that will lead to the arrest of the killers.

Our correspondent says the states most vulnerable to pre-election violence are those where the incumbent governors are seeking re-election.

In these states the governors are intolerant of any opposition from either within or outside their parties, he says.

In others, like Lagos, the violence so far has been among candidates of the same parties in a battle for nomination at the primaries.

The Culture of Offendedness & the Christian Challenge

2006-08-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Albert Mohler

A new and unprecedented "right" is now the central focus of legal, procedural, and cultural concern in many corridors -- a supposed right not to be offended. The cultural momentum behind this purported right is growing fast, and the logic of this movement has taken hold in many universities, legal circles, and interest groups.

The larger world received a rude introduction to the logic of offendedness when riots broke out in many European cities, prompted by a Dutch newspaper's publishing of cartoons that reportedly mocked the Prophet Muhammad. The logic of the riots was that Muslims deserved never to be offended by any insult, real or perceived, directed to their belief system. Unthinking Christians may fall into the same pattern of claiming offendedness whenever we face opposition to our faith or criticism of our beliefs. The risk of being offended is simply part of what it means to live in a diverse culture that honors and celebrates free speech. A right to free speech means a right to offend, otherwise the right would need no protection.

These days, it is the secularists who seem to be most intent on pushing a proposed right never to be offended by confrontation with the Christian Gospel, Christian witness, or Christian speech and symbolism. This motivation lies behind the incessant effort to remove all symbols, representations, references, and images related to Christianity from the public square. The very existence of a large cross, placed on government property as a memorial, outside San Diego, California, has become a major issue in the courts, and now in Congress. Those pressing for the removal of the cross claim that they are offended by the fact that they are forced to see this Christian symbol from time to time.

We should note carefully that this notion of offendedness is highly emotive in character. In other words, those who now claim to be offended are generally speaking of an emotional state that has resulted from some real or perceived insult to their belief system or from contact with someone else's belief system. In this sense, being offended does not necessarily involve any real harm but points instead to the fact that the mere presence of such an argument, image, or symbol evokes an emotional response of offendedness.

The distinguished Christian philosopher Paul Helm addresses this issue in an article published in the Summer 2006 edition of The Salisbury Review, published in Great Britain. As Professor Helm argues, "Historically, being offended has been a very serious matter. To be offended is to be caused to stumble so as to fall, to fail, to apostasize, to be brought down, to be crushed." As evidence for this claim, Professor Helm points to the language of the King James Bible in which Jesus says to his disciples: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast in to hell" [Matthew 5:29].

Likewise, Jesus also speaks a warning against those who would "offend" the "little ones." As Professor Helm summarizes, "So to 'offend' in this robust sense is to be an agent of destruction. And to be offended is to be placed in desperate straits."

The desperate straits are no longer required in order for an individual or group to claim the emotional status of offendedness. This shift in the meaning of the word and in its cultural usage is subtle but extremely significant.

Offering a rather robust definition of this new usage, Professor Helm describes this new notion of offendedness as "that one is offended when the words and actions of another produce a feeling of hurt, or shame, or humiliation on account of what is said of oneself about one's deepest attachments."

Professor Helm's definition is rather generous, offering more substantial content to this modern notion than may be present in the claims of many persons. Many persons who claim to be offended are speaking merely of the vaguest notion of emotional distaste at what another has said, done, proposed, or presented. This leads to inevitable conflict.

"People have always been upset by insensitivity and negligence, but the profile of offendedness, understood in this modern sense, is being immeasurably heightened," suggests Professor Helm. "The right never to be offended, never to suffer feelings of hurt or shame, is being touted and promoted both by the media and by the government and interest in it is being continually excited." Thus, "Claims to be hurt or shamed are noticed. They are likely to be rewarded."

The very idea of civil society assumes the very real possibility that individuals may at any time be offended by another member of the community. Civilization thrives when individuals and groups seek to minimize unnecessary offendedness, while recognizing that some degree of real or perceived offendedness is the cost the society must pay for the right to enjoy the free exchange of ideas and the freedom to speak one's mind.

Professor Helm is surely right when he argues that the "social value" of offendedness is now increasing. All that is necessary for a claim to be taken seriously is for the claim to be offered. After all, if the essence of the offendedness is an emotional state or response, how can any individual deny that a claimant has been genuinely offended? Professor Helm is right to worry that this will lead to the fracturing of society. "We all hear things we don't like said about people and causes that we are fond of but in the changed social atmosphere we are being encouraged to give public notice if such language offends us. I am now being repeatedly told that I am entitled not to be offended. So -- from now on -- not offended is what I intend to be. Does this heightening of sensitivity make for social cohesion? Does not such cohesion depend rather on enduring what we don't like, and doing so in an adult way? Does not the glue of civic peace rest on such intangibles as the ability to laugh at oneself, to take a joke about even the deepest things? And is it not a measure of the strength of a person's religion that they tolerate the unpleasant conversation of others? Isn't playing the offendedness card going to result in an enfeebling of the culture, the development of oversensitive and precious members of the 'caring society'? Whatever happened to toleration?"

Given our mandate to share the Gospel and to speak openly and publicly about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith, Christians must understand a particular responsibility to protect free speech and to resist this culture of offendedness that threatens to shut down all public discourse.
Of course, the right for Christians to speak publicly about Jesus Christ necessarily means that adherents of other belief systems will be equally free to present their truth claims in an equally public manner. This is simply the cost of religious liberty. An interesting witness to this point is Salman Rushdie, the novelist who was once put under a Muslim sentence of death because he had insulted Muslim sensibilities in his novel The Satanic Verses. Mr. Rushdie presents an argument that Christians must take seriously.

"The idea that any kind of free society can be constructed in which people will never be offended or insulted is absurd. So too is the notion that people should have the right to call on the law to defend them against being offended or insulted. A fundamental decision needs to be made: do we want to live in a free society or not? Democracy is not a tea party where people sit around making polite conversation. In democracies people get extremely upset with each other. They argue vehemently against each other's positions," Rushdie insists.

As the novelist continues: "People have the fundamental right to take an argument to the point where somebody is offended by what they say. It is no trick to support the free speech of somebody you agree with or to whose opinion you are indifferent. The defense of free speech begins at the point where people say something you can't stand. If you can't defend their right to say it, then you don't believe in free speech. You only believe in free speech as long as it doesn't get up your nose."

As the Apostle Paul made clear in writing to the Corinthians, the preaching of the Gospel has always been considered offensive by those who reject it. When Paul spoke of the cross as "foolishness" and a "stumbling block" [1 Corinthians 1:23] he was pointing to this very reality -- a reality that would lead to his own stoning, flogging, imprisonment, and execution.

At the same time, Paul did not want to offend persons on the basis of anything other than the cross of Christ and the essence of the Christian Gospel. For this reason, he would write to the Corinthians about becoming "all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" [1 Corinthians 9:22].

Without doubt, many Christians manage to be offensive for reasons other than the offense of the Gospel. This is to our shame and to the injury of our Gospel witness. Nevertheless, there is no way for a faithful Christian to avoid offending those who are offended by Jesus Christ and His cross. The truth claims of Christianity, by their very particularity and exclusivity, are inherently offensive to those who would demand some other gospel.

Christians must not only contend for the preservation and protection of free speech -- essential for the cause of the Gospel -- we must also make certain that we do not fall into the trap of claiming offendedness for ourselves. We must not claim a right not to be offended, even as we must insist that there is no such right and that the social construction of such a right will mean the death of individual liberty, free speech, and the free exchange of ideas.

Once we begin playing the game of offendedness, there is no end to the matter. There simply is no right not to be offended, and we should be offended by the very notion that such a right could exist.

Spanish police find 'drugs' sub

2006-08-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

A submarine which police say may have been used for cocaine smuggling has been found floating off Spain's north-western coast.
It was spotted by a member of the public in an inlet along the rugged coastline on Sunday.

No drugs were found on board the vessel, but it is now being dismantled at a shipyard in Moana, near Vigo.

It is reported to be about 10m (33ft) long, made by amateurs from basic materials, not by professionals.

It is an example of how narco-traffickers are advancing in technology
Jaime Gonzalez, journalist

Jaime Gonzalez, a journalist in the north-western city of Santiago de Compostela, told the BBC World Service's Europe Today programme that the region was well-known as a gateway for drugs into Europe.
Technical problem

While submarines are not known to have been used for drug trafficking in Spain, they have been used for this purpose in Colombia.

"It could take drugs from a ship in the ocean and take them to the coast without being seen," Mr Gonzalez said.
"There has been nothing like this before in Spain. It is an example of how narco-traffickers are advancing in technology."

Mr Gonzalez said it was thought that the submarine could have been built in southern Spain, in Andalucia, and brought to the north-western region of Galicia by road.

He said one theory was that the vessel was undergoing tests when a technical problem arose.

The owners may have been planning to return to it, he added, if the police had not got there first.

Fr. George Ehusani: SILVER JUBILEE!

2006-08-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It is with profound gratitude to God that I announce to you all that the Silver Jubilee of my ordination to the Catholic Priesthood comes up tomorrow, August 15, 2006.

As I mark this occasion quietly on the grounds of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Lagos, I am aware of my indebtedness to you all whose inspiration, friendship, wise counsel, collaboration and support, have contributed to making my 25 years in this privileged vocation such a joyful, fulfilling enterprise. I am who I am today in large measure because I am related in one way or the other to, or have come in contact as some point with you.

Please join me in giving thanks to God at this time, and keep me in your prayers, that as I grow older in age and in His service, I may get closer to God in Christ, and that I may become more wise, more focused, and more passionately determined to bear witness with utmost credibility to the Lord Jesusâ€™ civilization of love, as expressed in the pursuit of truth, justice, peace and reconciliation and in the promotion of human compassion, forgiveness and non-violence.

I have attached below my jubilee poem, â€œThunderous Ovationâ€ and my jubilee prayer, â€œMysterious Desire,â€ which Iâ€™d like to share with you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. George Ehusani

Thunderous Ovation

The Good Lord has made
These twenty five years
In his Vineyard
A hilarious interpolation
In the eternal stream of laughter
That rocks the Chorus of Heaven
And fills the firmaments
With delight

Providence has made
My twenty five years
In the Presbyterate
The sonorous refrain
Of the beautiful birds of dawn
Heralding good tidings
For all who subscribe
To the logic of the Kingdom

The Almighty One has made
My twenty five years
In the Ministry of Christ
A privileged glimpse
Into the celestial bliss
Of the beatific peace
That is the prize of faith

Ah, my brokenness
My woundedness
And my utter vulnerability
Notwithstanding
The Tremendous Lover
Has made my twenty five years
In His providential stewardship
An astonishing display
Of a potpourri of talents
And a hotchpotch of graces

Oh what mysterious flame of favour
That earned my fragile and feeble self
Such propitious years of fervour
Oh what benevolent vocation
That turned my poor humble existence
Into such a thunderous ovation!

MYSTERIOUS DESIRE

Amidst historyâ€™s dark night
Of loveless toil
My soul thirsts and my flesh pines
Like parched soil awaiting the rain

Give me oil in my lamp
Keep me burning with passion
For the Bridegroom whose deathless love
Is the object of my mysterious desire

Ignite the fire of your love
In the sanctuary of my being
Grab my soul as by a magnet
And take hold of even the faintest stirring
In my spirit

Hush my heart
Still my soul
And bend my knees
In humble supplication

Then at the point of convergence
Between my feeble desire
And your awesome love
Dissolve my many loves
Into the One Love
That is better than life.

___________________________________________
Rev. Fr. George Ehusani,
Secretary General, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, P O Box 951, Lagos, Nigeria. Phone 234-1-2630347; Fax 234-1-2636680
Official Email: gehusani@cbcn.org
Personal Email: ehusani@yahoo.com; ehusani@infoweb.com.ng

“Jesus and the 12 Dudes Who Did”

2006-08-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Katherine Cottle

John 13: 14-15, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (NIV)

I once heard that a good test of our parenting skills is how well your children act when you are not around. Who are they when they do not have your constant guidance? When given the choice between the forbidden fruit or life in the garden will they have enough sense to choose life and not repeat the fall of man?

With that in mind, I confess that I am afraid whenever we leave our four-year-old son, Ethan, with a babysitter. What will he try to get into that, he knows is off limits? Did I remember to warn the babysitter about his escape techniques? Will he choose to obey? Will my babysitter ever want to come back? I remind myself that perfect love casts out all fear and I take my husband’s hand and pray for both of them as I shut the door (1John 4:18).

One evening our babysitter, Miss Allison, read the book Jesus and the 12 Dudes Who Did by Mindy MacDonald at bedtime. She told Ethan that Jesus washed the disciple’s feet to give them an example of how to serve one another. She explained that we could show others love by serving them. Suddenly, our impulsive son bolts out of the bed shocking Miss Allison. What was going on in his little head? Where did he go? What was he up to?

A minute later, in the doorway stood Ethan with a dripping wet washcloth in his hand.

“I have to wash your feet Miss Allison to show you that I love you,” he said.

My heart was full when Allison told me what happened. Happiness replaced the fear. It was overwhelming to hear how quickly he heard what the Lord wanted him to do and did it. He chose to act like one of the 12 dudes who did. The disciples may not have always gotten it right the first time but we know about salvation today because when Jesus asked them to go out and tell the world about him, they did. They showed Jesus that they loved him by serving others.

I was secretly jealous because “Mom” has to tell Ethan things repeatedly but the beautiful babysitter did not even ask and he jumped at the opportunity to serve her. Looking past my jealousy, I started to think about how often the Lord has shown me ways to serve others. How have I responded? Did I jump right up and do as He asked, or did I run as hard as I could in the opposite direction? Did I make several excuses about how I could not possibly be the right one for the job and give him a complete list with phone numbers and addresses of others who are far more qualified than I am? I am sure they would at least have more time than I do! When given the choice that will lead to life, will I choose it?

Our son is showing signs of a servant’s heart, one that hears the Lord and does what he is asked. I desire to be that type of child. I want to be a “dudette” who does. What type of child are you choosing to be?

My Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, Please help me to be a dudette who does your will, In Jesus’ Name Amen.

Application Steps:

Prayerfully consider what the Lord has enabled you to do and make a list of the opportunities that God has given you for service. Stop making excuses and get to work loving and serving others as God leads.

Reflection Points:

What are some ways that the Lord is currently using you to serve others?
How can you encourage others to serve with you in a community outreach?
Do you need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for service to others?
Jesus washed the disciples’ feet; no act of service is too small or too unimportant.

Power Verses

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (NIV)

Luke 18:17, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (NIV)

Matthew 20:26-28, “…Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NIV)

Stop Arguing and Start Agreeing about Money

2006-08-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

Whitney Hopler

Studies show that the top reason couples argue is disagreement about money. That’s because money taps into deep emotions and affects every area of spouses’ lives.

If your marriage is one of the many filled with tension over financial issues, there’s hope. You and your spouse’s different views on money don’t have to result in constant conflict. Once you learn to understand and respect each other’s perspectives, you’ll be able to communicate wisely and reach agreements about your finances.

Here’s how you and your spouse can stop arguing and start agreeing about money:

Let your differences complement each other. If one of you is a saver who craves security and the other is a spender who likes to take risks, consider the value you each bring to your relationship by balancing your shared approach to money. Respect and appreciate your partner’s unique desires, without trying to make him or her more like you. Decide to work together to draw upon the strengths you each have to offer, for the benefit of your marriage. Cooperate to take informed, sensible risks that will pay off for both of you, with one spouse helping to think plans through carefully, and the other encouraging the other to be willing to take a risk.

Beware of debt. Understand that debt can cause huge amounts of stress in your marriage. Commit to pay off existing debt as aggressively as possible, and to avoid incurring any new debt. Know that the short-term gain of debt is rarely worth the long-term pain. Don’t allow your emotions to overrule your rational thinking. Think and pray about what you and your spouse are and are not willing to go into debt for, what borrowing limit you feel comfortable with, and how you plan to repay debt. Discuss these guidelines in advance to protect yourselves from the consequences of making impulsive purchases.

Talk about your expectations. Make sure you clearly communicate and understand each other’s expectations about your finances. Understand that the degree to which your expectations are met (or that you can adjust to different assumptions) has a lot to do with how satisfied you’ll each be in life. Discuss issues such as: whether or not both of you will work, how much you’ll each be expected to earn, who will pay the bills and handle other administrative tasks, how much freedom you’ll each have to spend money as you choose, who will contribute your household’s primary income, how much you’ll spend on gifts for holidays and other occasions, whether you’ll have separate or combined accounts and checkbooks, whether or not you’ll pay for your kids’ college tuition, and to what extent should you help each of your elderly parents. Be willing to adjust your assumptions for the sake of harmony in your marriage.

Don’t fly blindly. Get your finances in order so you have a clear idea about where you stand financially. Lay out all your financial records and list all your assets (what you own) and liabilities (what you owe). Throw out whatever records aren’t necessary for you to keep, and organize the rest in well-marked files or envelopes. Cancel every credit or debit card that isn’t essential. Designate a secure spot as a central place to keep your most important documents, such as birth certificates, Social Security cards, insurance policies, and wills.

Figure out how your family history has shaped your current attitudes toward money. Explore how each of your family backgrounds have affected the way you handle money. For example: Did your parents argue about money? Who primarily oversaw the finances? Who paid the bills? Did your parents give you an allowance? How much did your parents spend on birthdays and vacations? What patterns did your parents model about saving, spending, giving, and investing? Once you understand how the past has affected you and your spouse, work to get rid of unhealthy habits and create new, healthy ones so you can move into the future together with productive attitudes.

Understand how society’s messages affect your approach to money. Seriously consider the extent to which you may have bought into cultural myths such as: "Money really does bring happiness," "You can have it all now," "Enough is never enough," and "Bigger is better." Pray for the strength you each need to stay true to biblical values like contentment and self-control despite society’s pressures. Decide to live by your convictions instead of the media’s prevailing messages.

Get to know the way you’re each wired. Realize that you and your spouse’s basic temperament types directly affect each of your spending and saving habits. Understand the way you’re wired so you can know why you each respond to money the way you do.

Check your heart. Ask God to reveal what’s in your heart about money, and help you to live by His principles for managing money. Remember that God owns everything because He has created everything. Understand that even the ability to earn your income is a gift from God, because He enables you to do so. Out of gratitude, decide to be wise and responsible with how you use your money and other resources (such as time and energy). Recognize that every financial decision is also a spiritual decision, and always seek God’s wisdom before making the decision. Know that God is much more concerned about your attitudes than He is about how much or how little money you have at any given time. Understand that it’s God – not money – that gives you worth and determines your identity.

Learn from the past. Remember the experiences you’ve had – both positive and negative – that have changed your perspective on money. Discuss those incidents with your partner. Ask God to help you gain wisdom from them, by learning from your mistakes and noticing what you did right that led to your successes.

Schedule regular money meetings. Meet with your spouse every week, every other week, or every month for half an hour to discuss the state of your finances. Focus just on money during these meetings, where you can review your budget and goals, discuss purchases, share feelings, identify action items, and delegate assignments. Be sure to listen intently to each other, give each other compliments and encouragement, give each other equal time to speak, clearly communicate your specific thoughts and feelings, try your best to understand each other’s point of view, accept the fact that you can disagree about some issues yet still both have valid points of view without either of you being wrong. Don’t criticize your spouse, refuse to talk openly and honestly, lecture your spouse, hide the whole truth from him or her, or get distracted.

Use conflict to your advantage. Understand that arguments aren’t necessarily bad; they can be a source of great growth for you and your spouse. Expect conflict to occur as a normal part of life, and don’t avoid it. Instead, make it productive by: focusing on how you’re arguing as well as why to make sure the tone doesn’t become nasty, stopping to determine precisely what you’re arguing about so you don’t get off-track, brainstorming possible solutions to the problem you’re arguing about, settling your disagreements as quickly as possible, seeking a victory for both of you, refusing to demean or degrade your spouse, remaining open-minded while realizing there may be a solution you haven’t thought of yet, and staying focused on the primary goals of your conflict – unity and understanding. Don’t force consensus, but use negotiation, compromise, and teamwork to reach an agreement. When the issue is resolved, celebrate together.

Work toward creative compromise. Be open-minded, flexible, and willing to change. Clearly communicate exactly what you want, and why. Keep negotiations grounded in reality. Set aside plenty of time to discuss options. Stay focused on the end result – a solution you’ll both enjoy. Submit to one another in love.

Hold each other accountable. Don’t look the other way when your spouse acts irresponsibly or unreliably with your finances. Take personal responsibility for your own failures. Communicate openly, tell the truth, refuse to hide anything from each other, and commit to making mutual decisions. Meet consistently to make sure you and your spouse both are fulfilling your agreed-upon assignments, agree on new action steps, and encourage each other.

Dare to dream. Think and pray about how you can use money as a tool to make your dreams come true. Discuss those dreams with your spouse, and listen as your spouse shares his or her dreams with you. Then create a plan to turn your individual and collective dreams into reality. Begin your plan by focusing on where you want to end up. Describe your dreams as precisely as possible. Piece together incremental goals to check your progress along the way. Periodically review your progress. Make adjustments if you get off course. Include some goals that will require extra effort but help you leap ahead. Be flexible and willing to replace old dreams with new ones if your passions and God’s leading change. Work with your spouse to keep each other accountable as you pursue dreams.

Establish and maintain a budget. Realize that a budget is crucial to have for your financial health. For one month, track every penny you and your spouse spend so you can make informed choices about future expenditures. Once you’ve identified your regular monthly expenses and other, less frequent expenses, determine the amount of net income you can spend per month. Then organize a budget around all the different categories of goods and services on which you spend money (housing, food, auto, insurance, child-care expenses, savings, charitable giving, etc.). Work together to live within your budget.

Discuss your future. Talk with your spouse about your plans and options for major future expenses, such as retirement, your children’s college education, and taking care of elderly parents.

Consider investment options. Discuss how you both would like your money to work for you, through investments such as real estate, annuities, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Consider what risks you do and don’t feel comfortable taking as a couple. Diversify by investing your money among a variety of investments to spread out the risks. Think about the time frame in which you want to realize the greatest return on each investment. Handle disappointing results in healthy ways without lashing out at each other, and enjoy success together when your assets grow.

Consider insurance. Ask yourselves what will happen to your family if either you or your spouse isn’t healthy, becomes disabled, need to be cared for on a long-term basis, or die before settling your financial commitments. Then purchase health, disability, long-term care, and life insurance to help provide for your family’s future needs.

Give. Realize that no matter how much or how little money you and your spouse have, God wants and expects you to give to further His work in your church, community, and the world. Make giving a high priority, and give cheerfully and generously as God leads you, remembering how you have been blessed. Communicate freely and often about how much and where to give, and discover mutual passions so you can give to causes about which you both feel strongly.

Gender Roles in Marriage: What it Means to Lead and Follow

2006-08-13T05:26:00.000-07:00

Paul Coughlin
Author, Married But Not Engaged

Like a growing number of Americans, we're finally taking dance lessons. You could give both of us a drink with Sodium Pentothal in it and we still couldn't tell you why, after 15 years of talking about it, we finally bought those special shoes and threw pride to the wind. Perhaps we weren't ready to push aside our fear of public humiliation, which was actually kind of fun.

Though we still don't know what got us over the hump and onto the dance floor, we now possess a deeper insight into what it means to lead and support each other in our evolving marriage thanks to some stunning visual displays.

Tango is by far the most arresting dance we're learning. By arresting, we mean what other couples accomplish through unique roles, not what we are able to stumble through. These roles of men leading and women supporting, properly executed, give the impression that there are no roles at all. It's not obvious that anyone is leading or supporting. What you witness is the fruit of their abilities, which is delicious.

You witness two people mustering their talent, power, and sensuality to create a level of physical and emotional intimacy that cannot be created by an individual dancer. He steps forth and leads with intention; she supports his intention, enhancing their shared desire to create something grand. He leans into her, and she into him. Technically it's leadership. But practically, his behavior looks more like guidance, provision, and care with style.

Advanced tango dancers, as in advanced marriages, ad lib their way across the floor because there are no shoe prints outlined in white to follow. They move by the impulses of their hearts, by the room's physical borders, around others in their path, and by the direction of his firm hand and her receptive body. As in marriage, someone has to guide, or they will fall on one another. It would just be a matter of time before everyone on the dance floor fell into a heap of twisted ankles and angry words.

Her support and receptivity are not degrading. She glows with dignity. She honors him with donations of her trust. His lead is not stern or overbearing. He exudes reverence and, in doing so, cherishes her.

He does not fall into the sin of domination; she doesn't cower and become a passive accomplice to such ugliness. That would be heartbreaking to witness: He pushing her around the floor with a scowl on his face, and she retaliating with spiteful words and punitive glares. A creation with so much potential for beauty would become a foul display, another gender-war skirmish and hash mark on the wall of sexual disillusion. It would be like watching an anti-miracle of wine turned into stagnant pond water.

I sometimes stand on the edge of the floor and juxtapose the elegance and harmony of our instructors' display with how poorly we Christian men sometimes understand leadership in marriage. I've heard some crazy ideas as a Christian talk show host from callers regarding this pivotal issue. I've heard even crazier ideas from Christian men over dinner about their role as leader in their home. Substitute the word leader for fearful dictator, and you are closer to the real story.

One of these men, I'll call Bill, had a "biblical" answer for every problem in his marriage, much of which revolved around his wife's inability to "submit." Remarkable how his "biblical" answers helped create one of the messiest divorces I've ever seen.

I stand on the edge of this clean dance floor, water in hand, some sweat on my brow, and I wonder how they would fare. Not whether or not they could dance well because no one does at first, but could they treat each other well on this wide and somewhat slippery metaphor of life where the weakness of rigid roll play is easily exposed.

But Bill is not the dancing kind. Dominating men don't bring their wives to places where something blessedly unexpected might happen. Fear owns them, and fear does not suffer the company of freedom (and with it growth) well.

I also think that the marital insights gleaned from dancing would be lost on him. Such men are transmitters of self-serving information, not receivers of richer insights. As I would see two people creating something inspiring, he would focus on whether she were submitting to her man or not. Such men see what they want to see and in doing so, see hardly anything at all.

When a Christian husband leads well and a Christian wife actively and creatively supports his lead, you don't notice who's doing what because roll play is not the main point that lingers in your mind. What you notice is what kind of fluid and God-glorifying life they forge together. When done well, it's a powerful, graceful, and intimate creation of gender harmony that is uncommon and electrifying. It makes others want to know your secret of your engaged marriage because the blessings they witness are palpable.

DISCUSS: What are your thoughts on gender roles in marriage?

Psalm 104:16

2006-08-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

The cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted.

Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which He had Himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, unmoistened by human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplieth them. Thus it is with the Christian who has learned to live by faith. He is independent of man, even in temporal things; for his continued maintenance he looks to the Lord his God, and to Him alone. The dew of heaven is his portion, and the God of heaven is his fountain. Again, the cedars of Lebanon are not protected by any mortal power. They owe nothing to man for their preservation from stormy wind and tempest. They are God's trees, kept and preserved by Him, and by Him alone. It is precisely the same with the Christian. He is not a hot-house plant, sheltered from temptation; he stands in the most exposed position; he has no shelter, no protection, except this, that the broad wings of the eternal God always cover the cedars which He Himself has planted. Like cedars, believers are full of sap having vitality enough to be ever green, even amid winter's snows. Lastly, the flourishing and majestic condition of the cedar is to the praise of God only. The Lord, even the Lord alone hath been everything unto the cedars, and, therefore David very sweetly puts it in one of the psalms, "Praise ye the Lord, fruitful trees and all cedars." In the believer there is nothing that can magnify man; he is planted, nourished, and protected by the Lord's own hand, and to Him let all the glory be ascribed.

Soyinka Lauds Obasanjo Over NDDC

2006-08-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

4th August

By Daniel Alabrah, Regional Editor, Niger Delta
Commendations came from an unlikely quarter on President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday with Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, describing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as one of the positive points of the Obasanjo administration.
Soyinka, a strident critic of the government, made the commendation in Port Harcourt when an advance team of the Nobel Laureates Commission visited the interventionist agency to exchange views and proffer solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta area.
"The NDDC has taken on an enormous burden on behalf of this beleaguered area (Niger Delta region). This organisation, created by the President, should be marked down as one of the positive points of this administration any time I want to criticise him," he said.
An advance team of the Nobel Laureates Commission, an independent international pressure group comprising the almost 200 living Nobel Laureates in the world, was in the region on a three-day visit, which ended on Wednesday after meeting with the Bayelsa and Rivers states governors, the NDDC management and select Niger Delta leaders.
The visit to the NDDC is to assist the Commission promote dialogue, peace, welfare and the well being of the people and communities in the region.
"We are trying to see what can be done to de-marginalise those who have been marginalised for so long," Soyinka said, according to a statement by the Head, Corporate Affairs, Aniete Usen.
Speaking also, the leader of the advance team and Executive Director of Elie Wiesel Foundation, Mr David Philips, explained that, "we are here to identify some of the key areas of concern in the Niger Delta and pave the way for a visit by a larger body of Nobel Laureates in future. We envision over the long term, a strategic partnership with the NDDC."
Under the impending accord, members of the Nobel Laureates Commission will wield their moral authority and deploy advocacy to garner support for the NDDC to develop the Niger Delta.
Responding to an inquiry by the team leader, the NDDC Executive Director (Projects), Beniah Ojum, explained that the agency’s projects are conceived and executed with the active participation of the beneficiary communities.
Similarly, the Managing Director, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, described the Commission’s method of execution of projects as bottom-up approach. "We ensure that people of the communities where our projects are located are involved in our projects," he said.

Why We’re In N’Delta, By Nobel Laureates

2006-08-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

1st August
By Odudu Okpongete (PH) and Emma Gbemudu (Yenagoa)

The Commission of Nobel Laureates to the Niger Delta, on Monday, explained its visit to the Niger Delta.
Nobel Laureate David Phillips said the commission considered the nation oil region as one of the three top areas of the world that deserve international attention and intervention.
Phillips is among the advanced team of the Commission, including Wole Soyinka that arrived the Port Harcourt International Airport on Monday on a preliminary visit to the area. He said the body would suggest solutions arrived at in areas that had similar problems.
The commission, however, ruled out any direct intervention in the political equation of the country in addressing the Niger Delta crises.
The Executive Director of Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity spoke just as militants in the region under the auspices of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) urged the body not to be apprehensive as it visits the creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta.
Fielding questions from reporters, Phillips disclosed that Soyinka attracted their attention to the region. He added that a careful analysis of the situation on ground qualifies it as an area of grave concern to the world.
The commission, he said, has no affiliation with any of the parties such as the government, oil companies and host communities. It is only playing a neutral role to find solutions to the problems.
On the expectations from the body, Phillips said it is premature to assess the intervention in terms of whether it would succeed or fail. He promised they will open a channel of dialogue for all stakeholders to meet and agree on a common position.
Soyinka, who is not a member of the intervention team, said the commission has done a lot of researches on the Niger Delta. He promised that it would rely on its status and independence to play an unbiased role in the crises.
"The commission might succeed in the Niger Delta depending on the situation. It might be positive or it might get stalled as happened in Darfur. There are a lot more variants, so I agree that we cannot express optimism or pessimism at this point," he said.
The team later left for Bayelsa in the company of the Executive Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and human rights activists. They were expected to meet with interest groups.
But Bayelsa State Governor Goodluck Jonathan has blamed the 50-year injustice meted out to the region for its predicament.
He regretted that the people have been pushed to the wall, their sources of living, such as fishing and farming, have been terminated by pollution from multinational oil firms in the region. He spoke through his Deputy, Peremobowei Ebebi, at the meeting with the body.
"The people are still largely marginalised, with mass poverty, environmental degradation. The Niger Delta remains under threat with social tension. The situation is so bad due to the lack of political will on the path of the Federal Government," he said.
In his submission, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) President, Kimse Okoko, said the problem of the region started during the colonial administration.
He said the Ijaw nation remains the most disenfranchised in the region, as it has been balkanised into six states.
The INC president stated that the Ijaw produce 70 per cent of the oil resources but the area is riddled with poverty.
"What happens when the oil is gone? The answer is Oloibiri. What happens if there is no Nigeria? I have seen the evil plot of Federal Government on the proposed Interim National Government. We want to own and control our resources," he said.
In his view, Prof. Pat Utomi, said the challenge of the region is to create jobs. He said millions of dollars has been allocated to commissions to develop Niger Delta without positive result.

ARE YOUR PRAYERS WORKING?

2006-08-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah
was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not
rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced
its crops." James 5:16-18

How would you rate your prayer life today? Are you praying more compared to last month, or even last year? Do you understand about the power of prayer more now than you did a year ago? Are you receiving more answers to your prayers now? I hope you are. Your Heavenly Father loves you and wants the best for you. Think about the prayers of Elijah who was a ordinary man just like you. May I ask you a personal question that needs a honest answer? Are your prayers working in your own personal life and for others that you pray for regularly?

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves
and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then
will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the
prayers offered in this place." 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

As I have studied about prayer, I have learned that there are requirements or conditions to receiving answers to our prayers and there are also hindrances that will block our prayers.

Let me share some conditions that you and I need to havein receiving answers to our prayers.

In James Chapter 5, one of the conditions to receiving an answer to prayers was that they were from a righteous man. What is a righteous man? Righteous means: "without guilt before God." Let me use another example or phrase, "right standing with the Lord." You know in your heart that there is nothing blocking or hindering your prayers.

Your Heavenly Father knows your heart. He knows your intentions and the sins that you think you are hiding, but if you are sincere, repenting when you do a wrong and growing in the Lord, trying not to repeat them again, your Lord is considering you in right-standing or a righteous man or woman. You do not have to be perfect. I fear that you may feel as if your many of your prayers are hitting the ceiling and bouncing off, with your prayers are not going anywhere. I have learned and studied for many years about prayer more than any other subject. Why? Because I know that our Lord created us to have a personal relationship with us daily by communicating with Him by prayer. Remember to use Jesus as your example.

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16

Years ago, I thought praying was optional in my life. I found out very suddenly that was the farthest truth in my life. That was one of the devil's lies to deceive me. I did not understand the power of prayers until after our divorce. I did not know or believe that the Holy Spirit could speak to my heart and I would be able to hear His soft voice to know His will and way in my life. Can you relate?

May you and I never forget the tricks and schemes of the nemy, Satan. He deceptively lurks around masked as an angel of light, causing Christians to be not be alert and fall into the trap of: Indifference, Passivity or Prayerlessness. May I take you back to 2 Chronicles 7 which tells us that we must humble ourselves before God. That means we must recognize our failures, show sorrow for our sins and make a commitment to doing God's will in our lives which will be the best for us. Do you believe that yet?

In this scripture, it shows us that if we want God to intervene in our lives, that we must pray, crying out desperately to Him seeking His mercy, depending and trusting in Him for His divine intervention in our lives of circumstances. The scripture shows us that we must "seek His face" turning our lives (our whole heart), surrendering everything to our Lord's will and way. Then God stresses that we must "turn from our wicked ways." When we confess and repent turning from our sinful lifestyle, we are drawing near to our Lord God to receive His grace, mercy, forgiveness and cleansing.

When these conditions are met then God's says He begins to hear and answer prayers from Heaven. God will forgive His people, cleansing them from their sins, restoring His presence, peace, truth and power among them. Then our Lord God will heal His people and their land (marriage) giving us physical favor and blessings. What a promise.

I pray that you will examine your heart and see if you have been harboring sin in your life such as anger, jealousy, or unforgiveness regarding your spouse and marriage problems. Often, our prayers are not being answered due to the condition of our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

I remind you of David who had committed murder and adultery. Please read Psalm 51 today as David prayed a very powerful prayer that would be wise for each of us to pray, as well as pray, that your spouse will pray this same prayer in the days to come. Are your prayers being answered? I believe the majority are saying right now, "Yes, my Lord God is faithful." If not, may you seek your Lord today and turn to Psalm 51 and pray as David did, asking the Lord to cleanse you from your sins and give you a pure heart. Then your prayers will be answered.

Honing Your Communication Skills

2006-08-11T03:14:00.000-07:00

Dr. Neil Clark Warren

Quality of life. We all strive for it. We plan for it. After 35 years of seeing patients as a psychologist, I have decided that there is one central factor that is germane to your quality of life. With it, doors will open, people will feel connected to you, relationships will flourish, and life will have more meaning. Without it, you become more isolated, less happy and influential.

Your ability to communicate is the key to your quality of life.

In part one of this series we examined the four traits are needed to be a great communicator. They are:

1. You need to be able to access you innermost thoughts and feelings.

2. You need to be able to identify and verbalize these thoughts and feelings.

3. You have to be able to accurately understand what another person is saying.

4. You need to be able to make conversations as personal as possible.

Now I'm going to give you a concrete plan for realizing these traits.

I want you to simply have one hour a day that you give to becoming a first-class communicator. One hour a day for 70 days. Are you willing to do that? If you're willing to do this, then here are some ideas about how you can accomplish some things that will make you a great communicator.

1. Go out today and buy yourself a journal. Right now. It needs to have a lot of pages in it. I carry a journal around with me all the time. I have one right now. It has about three, four hundred pages in it, and I want you to buy a journal like that.

I want you to spend 20 minutes each day, exactly 20 minutes, writing in that journal about whatever it is you're thinking and feeling at the time. Don't take your pencil or your pen off the page. Just write for 20 minutes. I don't want you spending longer than that; just 20 minutes to think on the page about what you're feeling and thinking at any given point in the process.

2. Sign up with the very best person you can find for 10 sessions of counseling. This doesn't have to be expensive, it certainly doesn't need to be a psychiatrist or even a psychologist. It can be a marriage counselor. It can be the minister of your church. I want you to sign up for exactly 10 one-hour sessions.

3. Find yourself three partners with whom you can talk for one hour each week for 10 weeks. If they say, "What do you want to talk about?" Tell them, "I'm trying to become a better communicator and I want to talk about anything you want to talk about or I want to talk about or we want to talk about. I just want to talk to you for an hour a week in an effort to build my own communication skills."

I want each of these meetings to be built on what I call the Rogerian format. You talk for 30 or 60 seconds, or they do, it doesn't matter who starts, and then the other person puts into their own words what they have heard the opposite person say. They labor at getting it right until the person who made the original comment says, that's right. That's it. You understand. And then the person who labored at understanding gets to speak for 30 or 60 or 90 seconds. Keep these comments relatively short. After which, the other person labors to fully understand.

What we know about great communication is that both people will feel deeply heard and understood and so we want to build that kind of format in which you begin to really understand another person. Now, what I have to tell you is that sometimes in these one-hour talks, more time is spent trying to understand what the person has said than in actually saying new things. Stay at it.

Once these meetings are over consider the results in your journal. Did you do a pretty good job at understanding what they said? Are you getting better at understanding the deep thoughts and feelings that another person projects? How did it feel when the other person accurately understood you, and how did it feel when they didn't accurately understand you?

4. At the end of 10 weeks, write a final report in your journal. I want you to assess where you think you have made progress and where you still need to work. I want you to ask yourself, "What do I still need to do to become a great communicator?" I want you to commit yourself to doing exactly what I've said in the next 10 weeks.

If you will make this effort for 70 days, I guarantee you will be a far better communicator. If you're a far better communicator, I guarantee every relationship you have will be a better relationship for you and if you're searching out the love of your life right now, let me encourage you. Get to be a better communicator and you will become maximally attractive to that other person. There is no other quality in a romantic relationship that so binds you together as the quality of good communication. You get to be good at communication and your relationships on the romantic level will become so much better. I promise.

Four Steps to Peace in a World Out of Control

2006-08-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

Tony Beam

The fighting rages on in the Middle East. Violence is escalating in Iraq and Afghanistan. It sometimes seems as if every demon of hell has suddenly and furiously been released from the abyss to wreak havoc on an unprepared and unsuspecting world.

In addition to the hostilities brewing in the traditional world hot spots, our personal lives seem to lack true peace. We get up every morning and we face whatever the day throws at us with as much courage as we can muster, but at the end of the day it always seems like we have more day than courage. Peace is longed for, sought after, and clamored for, but rarely is it ever achieved.

Why? I mean, after all, didn't the Prince of Peace promise He would leave His peace behind? The problem with the modern-day peace seeker is he misses the message of the ancient peace speaker. Peace is not the lack of conflict in the physical world. It is the presence of God dwelling in the heart of His people.

In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul captured the true meaning of the peace Jesus promised we would experience. "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).

Cognitive theory speaks of the relationship between activating events (things which occur that have an impact on our emotional health), beliefs (the values we hold which allow us to deal with the activating events), and consequences (the result of activating events).

Where most of us lose our peace is between the activating event and the consequences. If we want to head down the path of peace, we have to change the way we think about the circumstances that arise from activating events. That is where our beliefs come into the picture. Activating events are not the cause of our emotional pain. Our pain comes from what we tell ourselves about the event.

God's word teaches that you win victories in your brain, cutting off the lies the enemy tries to tell you about your circumstances and replacing those lies with the truth. I believe Paul gives us four steps to peace in Philippians 4:6-9.

The first step is to pray. Thankful prayer brings release from fear and worry because it affirms God's sovereign control over every circumstance that is generated by an activating event. Paul says we should be "anxious for nothing," but rather we should "pray about everything." Unfortunately, too many believers reverse this process being anxious for everything and praying for nothing.

The second step is found in verses 6 and 7. Paul says "the peace of God... will guard our hearts and minds" when we pray "with thanksgiving." Satan cannot win a victory over our minds if our minds are fixed with thanksgiving on the blessings and the promises of God. For example, think about the last time you entered a worship service weighed down by circumstances that flow out of an activating event. If you entered into a genuine state of worship with your focus on God, your thinking about your circumstances was transformed.

Step three is the command to "think on these things," which means we need to strive for pure thinking. The things we are to think on are those things which are true, honorable, just, pure, commendable, and moral. The key word is the word 'dwell,' which is the English form of the Greek word logizomai. It means to habitually and consistently practice the art of pure thinking. There are literally millions of thoughts which vie for domination of the mind. We must become gatekeepers, choosing which thoughts we will dwell on and which ones we will reject.

Finally, verse 9 tells us we have to put into practice what we know to be true. Think of it this way... if I couldn't swim but I watched a video about swimming, and then, without actually practicing any of the techniques I saw on the tape, I jumped into the deep end of the pool, I shouldn't be surprised if someone has to throw me a lifeline to keep me from drowning. Most believers have heard hundreds - perhaps thousands - of sermons, but for any truth to take hold we must put that truth into practice. There are many things we have heard, seen modeled, and received from the lives of others, but these things will not bring the peace that passes understanding for us until they become our habit.
Let me encourage you today to pray, praise, focus on pure thinking, and discipline yourself to practice what you know to be true. The world will still rage with conflict but you will find the peace of God will guard your heart, guide your thinking, and bring comfort to your soul.

Should the Church Steer Clear of Politics?

2006-08-11T03:08:00.000-07:00

Matt Friedeman

There has been quite a bit of conversation recently about a New York Times article concerning the Rev. Gregory Boyd who, in a series of sermons titled "The Cross and the Sword," advised his mega-church congregation to "steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a 'Christian nation' and stop glorifying American military campaigns."

"When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses," Mr. Boyd preached, according to the Times. "When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross."

Boyd's message contains some food for thought. Even so, 1,000 of his 5,000 members in Maplewood, Minnesota, took a walk. He has raised even more eyebrows with his new book, The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church, based on some of his messages.

The Church must become very wary of power plays because power, as Lord Acton has reminded, has a corrupting influence. But, in truth, so does powerlessness insomuch that it can make us complacent. And that complacency, on all issues of import, is dangerous to the Church as well.

The "emerging church" movement promotes a term we could learn from -- sacralization. It is, in the words of authors Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger (Emerging Churches), "the process of making all of life sacred" and "represents the interaction of kingdom and culture." Christians should indeed have the goal of making all of life His, and that would include the issues facing contemporary culture and political solutions.

The problem occurs when people start equating the acts of voting, writing to congressmen, and saying "Amen" to the anti-homosexuality sermon to the epitome of Christian living. "Sacralization" demands that a whole life be laid upon God's altar and that a life of political involvement and hard-edged holy pronunciation be accompanied by hands-on compassion on the front lines and in the desperate places of a community.

David Augsburger's volume Dissident Discipleship contains an insight relevant to this discussion. He offers the German "gelassenheit." Not an easy word to translate, it has over 15 acceptable definitions. In medieval devotion, according to Augsburger, this word for self-surrender was invariably passive. But in the Radical Reformation of Anabaptism it came to mean both "passive yieldedness and active unyieldedness." Passive yieldedness as in self-surrender demonstrated by the spirit of Jesus: "yet not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Mt. 26:39). Active unyieldedness as in radical obedience demonstrated by our Lord when He said, for instance, "Enough! ... Up, let us go forward!" (Mark 14:41-42)

The evangelical life is one of both self-surrender and radical, hands-on, demonstrated obedience. To give up participation in politics is simply unacceptable for the Church. So is a Church that becomes absorbed by politicians and political viewpoints. Let us embrace "sacralization" and "gelassenheit," immersed in the humble pursuit of biblical truth and a life of prayer.

Not Comfort only, but Character mainly....

2006-08-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

For reading & meditation - Job 2:1-10
"... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (v. 10)

We come today to one of the most difficult principles to understand in relation to suffering - but it must be grasped nevertheless. It is this - accept suffering as a gift from God. This principle flows out of today's verse - a verse which one commentator describes as "the most profound verse in the Bible." It is obvious from reading this passage that Job's God is not a celestial Being who sits on the parapets of heaven, dropping nice little gifts into the laps of His children, at the same time saying, "There, that will make you happy; that will surely please you." There is much more to God than that. The God of the Bible dispenses the things that bring most glory to His Name. If, in achieving glory, He sees that suffering is the best means to that end, then that is what He will give. So mark this well - God is not under an obligation to make you comfortable. Can you see the truth that is contained in the words of our text today? "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (NASB). You are ready to accept good, but are you just as ready to accept adversity? You see, God's goal is not our comfort, but our character. That is why it is wrong to tell a non- Christian, "Trust God, and your troubles will all be over." It's unfair, dishonest, and downright unbiblical. In fact, becoming a Christian may mean that you will have more troubles than before. And why? Because character is formed in the furnace of affliction - no suffering, no character.
Prayer:

Father, if ever I needed Your help I need it now. It's easy for me to accept good from Your hand; help me also to accept adversity. Etch these words, not merely into my mind, but into my spirit. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

'Airlines terror plot' disrupted

2006-08-11T02:51:00.000-07:00

All airports have been put under the restrictions
Reid statement
A plot to blow up planes in flight from the UK to the US and commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said.
It is thought the plan was to detonate explosive devices smuggled in hand luggage on to as many as 10 aircraft.

Police are searching premises after 21 people were arrested. Home Secretary John Reid said they believed the "main players" were accounted for.

High security is causing delays at all UK airports.

The threat level to the UK has been raised by MI5 to critical after the arrests in London, High Wycombe and Birmingham.

Critical threat level - the highest - means "an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK".

Three US airlines are believed to have been targeted.

Mr Reid said had the attack gone ahead it would have caused a loss of life of "unprecedented scale".

He said they were "confident" the main players were in custody, but neither the police nor government are "in any way complacent".

We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson
Police statement

Prime Minister Tony Blair, on holiday in the Caribbean, paid tribute to the the police and the security services.

He said they had tracked the situation for a "long period of time" and had "been involved in an extraordinary amount of hard work."

"I thank them for the great job they are doing in protecting our country.

"There has been an enormous amount of co-operation with the US authorities which has been of great value and underlines the threat we face and our determination to counter it," he said in a statement.

BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said the plot was thought to have involved a series of "waves" of simultaneous attacks, targeting three planes each time.

He also said the plan "revolved around liquids of some kind".

"Officials say the explosives would have been sophisticated and extremely effective," our correspondent said.

Airport 'crammed'

Meanwhile, at Heathrow Airport incoming short-haul flights have resumed, but long-haul services are seriously delayed. Several outbound services have been cancelled.

The airport is crammed with thousands of passengers, while at Stansted more than 2,000 people are queuing to pass through customs.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said the alleged plotters had intended "mass murder on an unimaginable scale".

HAVE YOUR SAY
This disruption is one of the short term limits on freedom that are needed
Tony Shield, Chorley

"We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and to commit, quite frankly, mass murder," he said.

"We believe that the terrorists' aim was to smuggle explosives on to aeroplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight. We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the United Kingdom to the United States of America."

Police had spoken to a "good number of community leaders to make them aware that a major operation was under way," he added.

Head of the Met's anti-terrorist branch Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said the investigation had had "global dimensions" and had seen an "unprecedented level" of surveillance.

The decision to take action had been taken on Wednesday night, he added.

According to BBC sources the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born. There are also understood to be links to Pakistan.

BBC home affairs correspondent Andy Tighe said police sources had told him they had found "interesting items" which were being examined.

In other major developments:

Houses in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, are evacuated by police

US air marshals are being sent to the UK to provide extra air security

The US Department of Homeland Security increased the threat level applied to US-bound commercial flights originating in the UK to "red" - the first time it has done this for flights coming in from another country

The Home Office confirmed there had been meetings overnight and on Thursday morning of the Cabinet's emergency committee, Cobra, chaired by Home Secretary John Reid, to discuss the terror alert

A spokesman for Number 10 said Tony Blair had briefed US President George Bush on the situation during the night

BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said despite the arrests the threat level had been raised "in case there is some other sub-plot, back-up plot around this that the police aren't aware of".

Total: 21 people arrested
London: 'Majority' of arrests - exact locations not known
Birmingham: Two arrests
High Wycombe: At least one arrest

The Department for Transport set out the details of the security measures at UK airports.

Passengers are not allowed to take any hand luggage on to any flights in the UK, the department said.

Only the barest essentials - including passports and wallets - will be allowed to be carried on board in transparent plastic bags.

"We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the government, will need to be in place for a limited period only," the statement said.

Do they run when they see you coming?

2006-08-09T04:23:00.003-07:00

by Jonathan McKee (Youth Specialties/Zondervan)
McKee’s book might well be described as the little book that could. Small, unassuming and easy to use, one might not guess what a gem it truly is. Hailed by a veritable Who’s Who of youth ministry gurus, including Les Christie (William Jessup University), Jim Burns (Partnering With Parents in Youth Ministry, Regal) and Wayne Rice (Understanding Your Teenager, W), McKee’s insights hit a nerve.

The book’s publisher, Youth Specialties, shares a recent letter to McKee from a youth pastor named Jonathan: “I used to think I did a halfway decent job reaching out to unchurched students, until your book smashed my illusion. Thank you, really. I needed to hear what you had to say.”

“Do They Run … asks the question begging for scrutiny behind the walls of many of our evangelical enclaves,” says panelist Jeremy Del Rio. “Why is so much of what Christians do irrelevant to the people Jesus commissioned us to lovingly reach?” McKee, Del Rio says, approaches his topic in a non-threatening way.

The focus of the book is practical application, which McKee shares through anecdotes and simple steps, all leading to his conclusion that evangelism is more than a presentation. It’s not what we say—it’s who we are. Says Del Rio: “It’s an excellent resource to provoke youth ministers to rethink how and why Christ still calls us to be fishers of men.”

Do they run when they see you coming?

2006-08-09T04:23:00.002-07:00

Do they run when they see you coming?

2006-08-09T04:23:00.001-07:00

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene...

2006-08-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

"He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven
devils."-Mark 16:9

Mary of Magdala was the victim of a fearful evil. She was possessed by
not one devil only, but seven. These dreadful inmates caused much pain
and pollution to the poor frame in which they had found a lodging. Hers
was a hopeless, horrible case. She could not help herself, neither
could any human succour avail. But Jesus passed that way, and unsought, and
probably even resisted by the poor demoniac, He uttered the word of
power, and Mary of Magdala became a trophy of the healing power of Jesus.
All the seven demons left her, left her never to return, forcibly
ejected by the Lord of all. What a blessed deliverance! What a happy change!
From delirium to delight, from despair to peace, from hell to heaven!
Straightway she became a constant follower of Jesus, catching His every
word, following His devious steps, sharing His toilsome life; and
withal she became His generous helper, first among that band of healed and
grateful women who ministered unto Him of their substance. When !
Jesus was lifted up in crucifixion, Mary remained the sharer of His
shame: we find her first beholding from afar, and then drawing near to
the foot of the cross. She could not die on the cross with Jesus, but she
stood as near it as she could, and when His blessed body was taken
down, she watched to see how and where it was laid. She was the faithful
and watchful believer, last at the sepulchre where Jesus slept, first at
the grave whence He arose. Her holy fidelity made her a favoured
beholder of her beloved Rabboni, who deigned to call her by her name, and to
make her His messenger of good news to the trembling disciples and
Peter. Thus grace found her a maniac and made her a minister, cast out
devils and gave her to behold angels, delivered her from Satan, and united
her for ever to the Lord Jesus. May I also be such a miracle of grace!

THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS -

2006-08-08T10:28:00.004-07:00

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let
him sing songs of praise." James 5:13

What would it take to make you really happy? What would make you
that kind of person, who awakens each morning saying, "Thank you,
Lord! Another new day! I am so happy to be alive!" Instead, too
many people wake up thinking, "Why am I even here?" Today let’s
explore what it would take to make you a happy and content person.

Right now, you are saying, "He already knows what would make me
really happy–the return of my spouse." Before you give that answer,
let’s look at what seems to make people happy.

Maybe it’s money. If you are struggling to pay the bills, money
would certainly seem to be the key to your happiness. I once heard a
Christian multi-millionaire speak on, "It’s Lousy to be Rich." He
said that he had six homes around the world, but he still could only
sleep in one bed at a time. He had few real friends, because people
he wanted to be close to were either after his money, or were
intimidated by his vast wealth. This large man said that he could
only eat about four times a day, even though he could travel to and
eat anywhere he desired. He could only wear one of his fine suits at
a time. He had nothing to wish for, to save money for, or to dream
about. Hearing that man’s sincerity, I suspected he would gladly
trade places with any of that congregation.

Do you think fame would make you happy? Imagine not being able to go
out to a restaurant without being mobbed by fans, or having to have
bodyguards everywhere you went. Your every move would be reported by
some publication. Everything you did was under constant scrutiny.
(The church has even made celebrities of some called-out men and
women of God.) Being famous might bring you more hindrances that
happiness.

Good looks? That might be it! Would being a beautiful person make
you happy? Be warned that you would have to be so careful not to
damage your beautiful body, even restricting what you ate and the
activities you participated in. Your happiness would be so fragile
that an accident could take it away.

Would good health make you happy? If an individual were healed
today, they could still count their time remaining on earth in years,
as opposed to all of eternity. To someone depending on good health
for their happiness, a different affliction could strike them down at
any time.

Since none of these worldly secrets to happiness can make an
individual happy, how about a bit from each? Maybe if you had just a
little more money, just a few more people appreciated you, you looked
just a little better, and had health that was somewhat improved.
Would you then be happy? You have only increased your risk of losing
your happiness four-fold, just as Job did.

I forgot, your spouse coming home would make you happy, correct? It
would thrill us also, but if your entire happiness depends on another
individual, their being called home by the Lord would some day take
away your happiness.

How, then, can you experience real happiness consistently, day after
day, for the rest of your life. Here comes the key to finding real
happiness:

Discovering The Will of God For Your Life And Doing It.

Happiness is that simple. Once you discover what the Lord wants you
to do, and start doing it, your will achieve happiness.

"This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for
you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid
attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:17-18

Each day Charlyne and I hear over and over how miserable prodigal
spouses appear. We read what they have told their standing spouse,
and about their actions, as well as their appearance. Your prodigal
is miserable because they are outside of the will of God.

Before someone sends an email about how "happy" their prodigal seems
to be, you are viewing only one side of their life, a camera shot of
their life. No one can bear guilt and shame, living in a life of
sin, often built upon lies, for any extended period of time and know
the happiness that brings lasting peace. The Bible says that sin is
pleasant for a period.

"As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax
melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may
the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and
joyful." Psalm 68:2-3

Here is the bottom line: If you are serious about seeking real
happiness, get alone with God and discover His will for your life–and
then go about doing it with everything you have. Then tomorrow, get
alone with God and discover His will for your life–and they go about
doing it with everything you have. The following day, do the same
thing. Doing this every day for the rest of your life will bring you
happiness.

The Lord may not be calling you to be a missionary to a distant
country, but He may be calling you to be a missionary to a friend or
co-worker who needs to know about Jesus. He may be calling you to
change diapers in your church’s nursery. If He is, even that
assignment will bring you happiness.

Some of the most miserable people we have met are men and women who
God has told to stand for their marriage, and they have walked away
from that assignment. Some of the happiest people we know are
standers, who have none of the happiness traits the world envisions,
but they have discovered the will of God for their marriage, and are
standing in His strength, not their own, for the duration, until
Jesus brings their prodigal home.

We do not have to wonder, "How is so-and-so doing this week?" Yes,
certainly they will have their ups and downs, but they have allowed
Jesus to watch over them, and we don’t have to.

The standers we know best are the men and women who come to Rejoice
Pompano Beach each Monday night for Bible study. Many of those people
have horrible circumstances, yet you should hear that room when we
sing praises to God. We do not hear from most of them from one week
to the next. You would think they would be calling us or showing up
at the door every day. How did these people become so mature in
standing and so happy? Be hearing Charlyne teach one hour each week,
having biblical truths drilled into them, over and over. (That’s why
we suggest tapes or CD's to you). If you want to see examples of
true happiness in standers, come visit us any Monday evening.

If God has told you to stand for marriage restoration, you will not
be happy doing anything else.

If God has told your prodigal spouse to repent and to go home, I can
assure you from experience, they will never be happy until they do.
The one you love may not follow God’s will the first time they are
told, but His voice to the prodigal only gets louder with time.

Charlyne and I pray that today both you and your spouse may find the
will of God and do it. That’s when marriages are restored!

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to
be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in
need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well
fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do
everything through him who gives me strength."
Phillippians 4: 11-13

May God bless you,
Bob Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc

The Gospel's Getting There, Even if You Can't

2006-08-08T10:28:00.003-07:00

Kenneth D. MacHarg

Without a doubt, the Lord is at work in every nook and cranny of the globe. From bustling cities to dusty small towns to the deepest jungle, the love of Jesus Christ is being shared with spiritually-hungry people world-wide.

But getting to those places is another story.

Take Puerto Cabezas, a hot, sultry, dirty, remote town on Nicaragua’s isolated Caribbean coast. Where ever you are in the world, you can’t get here from there. You have to go somewhere else first, and the trip itself is an adventure.

So, you either take a bone-rattling, almost-impossible 24 hour or more trip by bus, through mosquito and bandit-infested jungle and scrub land, or you hop aboard a creaking, rattling, vibrating, wheezing two-engine, 15 or so passenger Shorts SD3 60 airplane and fly from Managua’s international airport to the landing strip at Puerto Cabezas, or Biliwi as it is known in the local Miskito language.

I did just that recently to visit a struggling but exciting evangelical radio station that serves the almost 100,000 people, mostly indigenous, who live in the area (see related story). There, in the midst of illiteracy, crime, drug trafficking and unemployment, Rev. Salvador Sarmiento and his staff broadcast the Gospel in Miskito, Spanish and English, sharing biblical answers to daily concerns and offering people hope in the midst of serious problems.

The isolation and thus self-dependence of the town reminded me of another airborne adventure that I experienced back in 1994. Then, I accompanied a team of missionaries into the Amazon jungle of Ecuador to recover the airplane piloted by Nate Saint which carried five missionaries in their attempts to reach the Auca Indians back in the 1950s. Those men of God were martyred and yet, in His power, the Lord used that event both to reach the Auca Indians for Christ and to inspire thousands to dedicate themselves to missionary work around the world.

I remember the feeling of isolation as the MAF missionary airplane took off from the jungle air strip, our last physical contact with the rest of the world until at least the next morning -- weather permitting. Yet, over the years, missionaries such as Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went to that unbelievably remote corner of the world to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Then, my mind flashed back to the 1970s as I joined some other missionaries aboard another MAF airplane to fly from Panama City to the remote San Blas Islands off of Panama’s coast. There, missionaries had established a hospital and carried the biblical message to yet another indigenous group for whom Christ died. We went to deliver supplies and encourage those who had chosen to live so far away from the world they know in order to introduce others to the Lord of all the world.

For most of us, getting to church is a simple drive or a short walk. For many who serve in developed nations the living is comfortable, the pay adequate, the transportation quick.

For others, getting to a place of ministry involves work, hours of travel, risks and frustration. But, whether in a city, the countryside, or the remote parts of the world, God cares for each and every person and sent Jesus Christ, His only son, to give them fullness of life and eternal salvation.

To God be the glory!

Nigeria starts Bakassi withdrawal

2006-08-08T10:28:00.002-07:00

Nigerian troops have started to leave the Bakassi peninsula, ahead of Friday's deadline to hand the oil-rich area over to Cameroon, the army says. Up to 3,000 troops will complete their withdrawal by next Monday, said Nigerian military spokesman Brig Gen Felix Chukwuma.

In June, President Olusegun Obasanjo said he would abide by a World Court ruling that gave the area to Cameroon.

Most Bakassi inhabitants are Nigerian and oppose the handover.

One group, the Bakassi Movement for Self Determination, has declared independence for the region, saying it would reject Cameroonian sovereignty. "

The people have declared their own republic, known as the Democratic Republic of Bakassi. We will no longer have anything to do with Nigeria, since Nigeria does not want anything to do with us," said Tony Ene, the interim head of the movement.

Transition

The BBC's Alex Last in Nigeria says most of the troops are expected to leave over the weekend, with an official ceremony to take place next Monday.

The troop withdrawal will be monitored by Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

A special transitional arrangement for the civilian administration will be in place for five years.

The territorial dispute sparked military clashes between Nigeria and Cameroon during the 1990s, before both sides agreed to go to the International Court of Justice.
Mr Obasanjo has tried to reassure Bakassi residents that their safety will be guaranteed even when Nigerian troops leave.

Cameroon has pledged to respect the culture, language, beliefs, property and fishing rights of the peninsula's people, and not to impose "discriminatory" taxes.

Residents have the choice of remaining in Bakassi with their Nigerian nationality, taking up Cameroonian citizenship or moving to other parts of Nigeria, such as nearby Cross-Rivers State.

Bakassi juts into the Gulf of Guinea, an area which may contain up to 10% of the world's oil and gas reserves.

It is also rich in fish.

The 2002 International Court of Justice ruling was based on a 1913 treaty between the former colonial powers, Britain and Germany.

The agreement also settles the border between Nigeria and Cameroon for 1,690km (1,056 miles) up to Lake Chad.

Some villages further north have already been exchanged.

Let Grace Capture You

2006-08-08T10:28:00.001-07:00

Whitney Hopler

Mistakes can lead you far away from God. But no matter where you run, God will chase after you, pursuing you with a love that never gives up. You’re never beyond the reach of His truly amazing grace.

Let grace capture you so can rest in God’s love. Here’s how:

* Know grace’s power. Realize that grace is powerful enough to overrule any kind of sin. Trust that grace will shine the light of God’s love into even the darkest corner of your heart. Remember that there is never any limit to God’s grace, and that it’s equally available to all who believe.

* Acknowledge your sin and repent. Recognize the reality of sin in your life, and genuinely repent so God will forgive you and pour His grace into your life. Thank God that He won’t punish you as you deserve, but instead offers you the gift of His grace. Know that you are totally contaminated by sin, yet also totally forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, so in that redemption you can stand before a holy God as if you live with utter purity and perfection.

* Accept the gift. Understand that there’s nothing you can ever do to earn grace. Know that God offers you grace completely for free, as an invaluable gift that He paid for in full through Jesus’ death on the cross. Don’t worry that you don’t merit His grace; know that He loves you unconditionally and offers grace to you because of His great love. Accept and embrace God’s gift of grace to you. Thank Him for it, and rejoice in it.

* Don’t take it for granted. Remember that grace isn’t cheap; it cost God dearly to offer it to you. Live with a constant appreciation for God’s kindness, patience, and forbearance toward you. Thank and praise God whenever He surprises you with His grace

* Celebrate the access you have to God. Since grace has given you free access to God through Jesus, use every opportunity to build a close relationship with God. Pray often, and remember that nothing can ever separate you from God’s love.

* Notice grace at work in your challenges. Know that struggles plus grace equals transformation. Because of grace, tough times can make you stronger and wiser. Remember that tribulation leads to perseverance, perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope. List your current trials and temptations, then pray about each one. Trust God’s grace to help you overcome any problem you confront. Ask God to help you be aware of His presence with you at all times and in all situations. Realize that God wants to constantly bless you – not always with what you want, but always with what you need. Whenever you go through a challenge, ask God to give you His perspective on it and to use the experience to teach you what He wants you to learn from it. Know that God will cause everything in your life to ultimately work together for good purposes if you love Him. Understand that God won’t waste any of experiences as He works to move you toward His good goals for your life.

* Let grace inspire you to revere God and respect others. Live with a sense of awe as you notice grace at work in your life, and let that motivate you to worship God and remember that other people are made in His image.

* Give God the gift of sharing His message with others. Out of gratitude for the grace God has given to you, decide to give back to Him by sharing the gospel with your family members, friends, and other people you meet. Help others experience God’s grace for themselves.

* Surrender your agenda to see God’s dreams for you come true. Ask God to convert your personal ambitions into faithful ones that tie into His purpose for your life
Ask Him to cover your relationships with His grace, empowering you to be the kind of spouse, parent, child, friend, employee, sibling, etc. He wants you to be. Know that God wants to capture your whole life with His grace, so He will follow you until you follow Him.

* Know that God wants to use you. Don’t worry about your lack of any particular talent whenever God calls you to do something. Trust that, thanks to grace, He will empower you to do whatever He asks you to do, whenever He asks you to do it. Remember that He has used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes throughout history. So be willing to serve!

* Ask “Why?” after blessings, not just tragedies. Realize that, while it’s natural to ask “Why me?” after experiencing a tragedy, the question is just as valid after God blesses you. Remember that no one deserves any blessing from God, since everyone is sinful. Thank God that He chooses to bless you anyway.

End Dating Relationships With Grace

2006-08-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thomas and Donna Finn

What should we do if it becomes clear that a relationship will not bring us to the lasting, true love that we desire? Do we stay in the relationship anyway, or end it and begin to move on?
Staying in. If we know that a relationship is at a dead end and still choose to stay in it, we do so either out of fear or out of comfort.

The fear of being alone is, perhaps, the most common fear that keeps us in a dead-end relationship. Our core beliefs and life experiences have taught us that to be without a partner is intolerable.

We fear that if we leave this relationship, we may not find another one. So we bite the bullet and stay. Even if, in the most unlikely of circumstances, we did find someone else, he or she could be worse. So we settle for the current guy or girl.

The fear of failure is not only a fear that the relationship has failed; rather it is the fear that I have failed. This is hard to overcome, especially if we have experienced several broken relationships. This fear becomes magnified by more dysfunction as one becomes aware of a bind: "This has been a bad relationship for a while, so if I end it now, that means I could have ended it earlier and not wasted all this time. I may be a failure for staying in it, but if I leave it now after staying in it for so long, then I'd be a stupid failure. I don't want to be a stupid failure so I might as well stay in this one and just be a failure for trying."

Moving on. If these fears are not present or can be worked through, one should be able to see a clearer road ahead for moving on from a troubled relationship. The following reference points can be helpful once the decision to move on is made:

1. Be timely. Once we're aware that attempts to improve the relationship have been fruitless, it is better to end the relationship immediately rather than wait. The longer the wait, the more difficult the breakup can be.

2. Be honest and direct. Put clear closure on a relationship rather than hope it will just fade away. By respectfully stating why the relationship is over, we can help to tie up any loose ends. While a face-to-face discussion is usually the best way to go, a phone call or letter is a good "Plan B" if you suspect that problems would arise through an "in-person" breakup.

3. Be consistent. If you say it's over, act like it's over. It often happens that someone breaks up on Monday and then is on the phone to the "breakee" by Wednesday. This sends a mixed message that makes the breakup harder and possibly increases the level of future conflict.

4. Be firm. Sometimes the "breakee" will try to keep the relationship going. Try not to put yourself in positions you don't want to be in - especially out of guilt. The more resolute you are, the better it will be for him or her in the long run.

5. Stay in tune with your emotions. Ending a relationship triggers many strong feelings of sadness, emptiness and loss. It is common for these feelings to be present even when we acknowledge a sense of relief that the relationship is over. Stay tuned to these feelings, process them within yourself by way of journaling or reflection and, if possible, talk about them with supportive family or friends.

Second Chances

Should we give a second chance to a girlfriend or boyfriend with whom we've become dissatisfied? Again, the answer is, "Maybe," but not without different, definitive boundaries or expectations in place to help us be objective about the likelihood of change. The specifics of the "second chance plan" will vary from person to person, but, in general, should include a clear "if-then" contingency: "If you can change and show me in the following specific ways for (fill in number) months, then I will consider reestablishing the relationship. If you do (blank) again, then I will end the relationship for good." If your boyfriend or girlfriend says in response, "You shouldn't put conditions on me. What kind of relationship is that?" then it is time to walk away. This kind of self-centered response indicates that the prospects for change are weak.

What if you or I want the second chance and our boyfriend or girlfriend wants to end the relationship? Our initial reaction in this situation is always one of rejection. Being told by another person that we are no longer loved and wanted is very difficult to hear, and our response can run a continuum of emotion from shock to depression to anger. Our spectrum of behavior can range from withdrawal to rapid-fire attempts to win back the heart of the other with flowers, phone calls, e-mails and so on. Where we actually fall on these feeling-action spectrums is often determined by the messages we hear coming from rejection, especially if they confirm a preexisting negative view of our self-worth. Let's say, for example, that I entered the relationship thinking, "Maybe I'm not good enough to be loved." If I end up dumped, it is very likely that this fear will be intensified, leading me to become depressed, angry or defensive.

Self-Defeating Reactions

Regardless of whether a difficult relationship ends through our own decision, the other person’s decision or a mutual decision, several self-defeating reactions can ultimately limit our ability to move forward toward lasting love in the future: panic, depression and rebounds. …

To experience a healthy reaction to a broken relationship, we need to develop a positive focus about ourselves, our circumstances and our future. Creating this trio requires that we take time after a breakup to focus on our thoughts and feelings and accept them as real and valid. If we’re sad, we should cry. If we’re angry, we should express it in positive ways.

Talking to supportive friends, praying, writing our thoughts and feelings in a journal and so on, are excellent tools for helping us process both our emotions and experiences in ways that help us learn from what we’ve been through. In addition, it is also important to set solid boundaries around starting a new relationship. A good reference point is to hold off on any dating for a couple of months. This doesn’t mean that we can’t spend time with opposite-sex friends who are fun to be with or who offer us support. It does mean, however, that we shouldn’t pursue any romantic interests. We need time to get our head together.

We should also be sure that we’re staying active, eating right, getting rest and following through on any other aspects of healthy living that will serve to keep us in balance. Sure, we’ll fall off once in a while, but we have to be clear that just because a relationship has ended, we’re not a ball rebounding out of control. We have a say in which direction we want to go and have a much better chance of finding a future path to lasting love if we stay focused, deal constructively with our emotions (avoid panic, depression or retaliation) and take time before beginning a new relationship.

Can We Still Be Friends?

“If we can’t get our relationship back together, can we at least stay friends?” Probably not, at least not if your relationship was emotionally intimate. There are certainly exceptions to this, but usually couples who have experienced some form of a best friendship/love relationship have a very hard time relating to each other as nondating friends. This is especially true if there was any sexual involvement. Couples who are able to stay friends seem to be those who have a strong sense of themselves as individuals, have a deep respect for each other as persons and can maintain both when each begins new relationships. At some point, if the new relationship becomes serious, the ex-lovers-now-just-friends need to be distanced if the new relationships are going to work.

Blessing God's Chosen

2006-08-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, August 4, 2006

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. - Numbers 6:24-26

Recently, a friend from London sent this personal account of an experience he had:

"I was walking past the Stock Exchange in the City of London when I overtook an Orthodox Jew with his black hat and long gray beard. As one does, I put my arm on his shoulder and gave him the blessing which God gave to Moses to give to Aaron with which he was to bless the Jews.

" 'The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.'

"The Jewish gentleman turned round with a smile. 'God said to Abraham, "Those who bless the Jews will be themselves blessed." You will be blessed!'

" 'I know,' I said. 'Ten years ago, I blessed a Jew at Kennedy Airport and I was upgraded to Club class and this happened again on my next two transatlantic flights. Every time I blessed a Jew I was upgraded!'

" 'You're the man, you're the man!' cried my friend. 'I read that article in the Jewish Chronicle and was just going to tell you the story.'

"We ended up embracing each other on the pavement, no doubt to the astonishment of passing stockbrokers and bankers!"

Is there an opportunity to bless Israel and the Jewish nation today? You might find yourself blessed if you do.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure (Ps 122:6).

Finding Peace under Pressure

2006-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Chip Ingram

We’re living in a “right now” world. Every day we face pressure, stress, and multiple demands. We have no peace because we’re being pulled in every direction with no time to stop and evaluate objectively where we’re going. We end up living from moment to moment, week to week, paycheck to paycheck. We live by the seat of our pants. We wing it. And we hope it’ll work out okay.

But my concern is, living the way we live, where are we going to end up 10, 15, or 20 years from now? In the short term, we can run the rat race. We can live at a frantic pace and try to experience and accomplish everything right now. But in the long term, that’s devastating. If we allow ourselves to be pulled in every direction by life’s demands, ultimately we will get nowhere.

I want much better for you. I want you to end well. I want you to finish as God intended you to finish. I want your visions to become reality in your life. I want you to have a plan and a clear list of priorities about how to say yes to this and no to that, for it’s the people who can say no to the good and yes to the best who finish well.

How do you balance life’s demands?
First, let’s look at biblical priorities. I wish I could tell you there was a book in the Bible called First Priorities, but it’s just not there. Instead, we will glean them out of what are called the Twin Epistles - Colossians and Ephesians - which were written about the same time.

Ephesians was written to instruct the church how we’re supposed to live our new life in Christ in a fallen, pressure-packed world. The first three chapters are doctrine; the last three are practical. Colossians was written to explain the preeminence of Christ and what it looks like to live out His prominence in every aspect of our lives. Again, the first chapters are doctrine, the last are practical. Note that after the clear doctrinal teaching, both books apply that truth to our lives in a very systematic manner, beginning with a relationship to God and then moving to relationships with others. I believe that’s a divine design.

But there’s something I want you to consider. Often we hear that we should put God first, family second, and so on. But life simply doesn’t work that way. We can’t live a “linear” life. You can’t say, “I’m not going to talk to my wife until I talk with God, and I won’t to talk to my kids until I’ve talked with my wife.” There may be days when you need to spend 15 hours at work and not even see your family, or vice versa.

Instead, I believe we need to view these priorities as concentric circles, one depending on the other. The idea is that you need to be fully connected in your relationship with God so that out of that relationship will flow the love and energy to give to your mate. Then your rich, loving relationship with your mate will overflow into your children, the marketplace, your ministry, and so on.

If we fully cultivate and enrich a relationship with God, then each of the other concentric circles will benefit from the overflow of that relationship. That’s what biblical priorities are all about.

But that takes time and effort. I can’t give you a formula. I don’t know how much time you need with God, or with your spouse and your family. You need to determine that for yourself. But I can tell you the place to begin. We all have 168 hours per week, and if you don’t take control of your time, you’ll never have control of your priorities.

Where does the time go?
Wasting hours is just like burning money. Those hours never come back. Give God the first minutes of your day. As you begin each day seeking to know and do God’s will, it will transform you. Read from God’s Word and ask Him to teach you. Pray honestly through the events that are coming in your day and you will have a grid, a means to say yes and no to things that come your way because God will speak to you.

A prioritized life was the secret of Jesus having peace under pressure and power under adversity. And as we live in a world where pressure, demands, and adversity are coming at us from every side, living under God’s priorities rather than living under pressure will bring us power and peace as well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chip Ingram is President of Walk Thru the Bible in Atlanta, GA, and Teaching Pastor of Living on the Edge, a national radio ministry.

Two by Two

2006-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, August 5, 2006

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. - Ecclesiastes 4:9

Have you discovered yet that you are incomplete by yourself? During my "warrior" stage of life you would have been hard-pressed to convince me that I needed you or anyone else. I know few people willing to admit their need for others, but many who live according to this principle. However, sooner or later we discover God's truth regarding our need for others.

God made us to need others. We may not discover this until we fail - fail in a business, a marriage, a close friendship, or in a client relationship. We are incomplete without the ongoing input from others into our lives. An independent spirit is one of the most detestable sins from God's viewpoint. It is the highest form of pride. "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice" (Prov. 13:10).

God has made each of us so that we have only so many gifts. He did not give any of us all the available gifts. Hence, we learn to depend on others and to humbly trust others to complete us where we are deficient.

David had Jonathan. Paul had Silas. John Wesley had George Whitefield. Martin Luther had Philip Melanchthon, who was 14 years younger. Martin Luther learned that he needed someone in his life to complete the work God called him to do. Luther had the greatest respect for this friend who helped him reform the Church of their day, and the Church as we know it at present. Luther learned a great deal from Melanchthon, who was a great scholar at a young age. He could speak several languages, and he became Professor of Greek at the new University of Wittenberg at 21 years of age. This was ten months after Luther posted his famous theses on the church door in Wittenberg. Melanchthon helped shape the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century through his research, writings, moral purpose, and religious conscience. Luther and Melanchthon became inseparable, and when they died, they were buried next to each other.

Who has God placed in your life to complete you? Perhaps it is a mate. Perhaps it is a close friend. Perhaps it is a business partner. If you lack this in your life, I encourage you to seek someone out who can speak into your life. If you have someone like this, tell him or her how much you appreciate the role he or she plays in your life.

I want to be like my Father God

2006-08-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

The most natural thing in the world is to become like our parents even when we don't want to become like our parents! Isn't it amazing? I've heard people say, "When I grow up, I'm not gonna be like my father!" Or, "I'm not going to be like my mother." Yet when they grow up, they are just like their father or mother. Why? Because they know their parents; they've been around them. Their mother's or father's thumbprint is indelibly imprinted on their lives.
That's the way it is with God our Father. The more I get to know my God, the more I become like Him. I discover He's holy; I want to be holy. I discover He's good; I want to be better. I discover He's strong; I want to be more confident. I discover He's in control; I don't want to panic my way through life. I don't want to ricochet from one event to another; I want to move through life calmly, consistently. I want to be like my Father. And in order to be like Him, I need to know what He is like.

Niger Delta Militants' Joint Revolutionary Council Press Release : Visit of the Commission of Nobel Laureates

2006-08-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Joint Revolutionary Council positively recognizes the interventional and fact-finding visit of the honored and respected Commission of Nobel Laureates to the Niger Delta.
As the body is made up of internationally recognized, respected and independent members of the international community who have at one time or the other witnessed and experienced oppression and have spoken out on the side of truth, justice and rights, we want to believe that they will seek for genuine and lasting solutions for the Niger Delta people, her land, environment and our just and reasonable march towards self-determination.
We welcome Professor Wole Soyinka and his colleagues of the advance team of the Commission of Nobel Laureates as they arrive our creeks and swamps for consultation and fact-finding visits starting on the 31 st of July 2006.
On our part, we express our support for our brothers and sisters who are involved in this process to find a lasting and equitable resolution to the criminal and satanic occupation of our land and the dubious appropriation of our resources by an occupation Nigerian state and her imperialist and multinational oil and gas collaborators. We identify with the efforts of;

- Tony Uranta
- Isaac Osuaka
- Ibiba Don Pedro
- Eme Okon
- Ann Kio Briggs
- Oronto Douglas
- Abiye Kuromiema and the others.

The Commission of Nobel Laureates and the members of the Commission are hereby notified that despite the concern that has been expressed to them, they have no reason to be apprehensive of their stay here particularly in Ijaw territory as they talk to our people.
We call on the occupation Nigerian state and her Bantustan state governments in the Niger Delta to be civilized in their dealings, interactions and discussions with the members of the Commission by providing them with the needed assistance to get the facts to enable them reach a true conclusion that will provide the basis for an internationally recognized Commission of Inquiry supported by the United Nations to forever lay to rest, the criminal, satanic and illegal occupation of the Ijaw and Niger Delta territory.
We are also grateful to our patriotic and esteemed leader, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari for granting his endorsement and total support to the visiting team.

The Struggle is Unstoppable

Cynthia Whyte
Spokesperson, Joint Revolutionary Council

COMMISSION OF NOBEL LAUREATES TO THE NIGER DELTA

2006-07-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

Professors Wole Soyinka & David Phillips will lead an Advance Team of the special "COMMISSION OF NOBEL LAUREATES TO THE NIGER DELTA" into Nigeria on Monday July 31, 2006, to begin a two-days consultations and assessments visit into that country's Niger Delta region.

The Advance Team will hold discussions with a select group of 50 Niger Delta Leaders at an Intimate-Meeting to be hosted by Bayelsa State's Governor Goodluck Jonathan, visit sample-communities in Bayelsa and Rivers States, meet with Senior Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission and prepare an Independent Report on Security, Logistics etc. realities, that will guide the activities of the fuller "Commission of Nobel Laureates" when they eventually come into Nigeia to commence their much-anticipated positive intervention aimed towards expediting the process of justice, peace, stability and development in this beleaguered region and nation.

The Commission's activities are being facilitated within Nigeria by a Local Support Team (LST) coordinated by Tony I. Uranta, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria-based civil society group, Positive Partners.

All international, national, local & specialist media are hereby invited to cover the Commission's adtivities commencing from their arrival at Port-Harcourt Airport at 8:30am on Monday July 31, 2006. Media Enquiries may be made to Ibiba Don-Pedro, LST Head of Media, on 08037279489.

SHALOM!!!

Bad Alliances

2006-07-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman,
"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not Mine, forming an alliance, but not by My Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting Me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge." - Isaiah 30:1-2

Have you ever entered a business relationship with someone you knew you were not supposed to? Throughout the history of Israel, the people were called to come out of an old way of life. Egypt represented that old way; when things got tough, the Israelites reverted to what was comfortable. They always knew they could take a trip to Egypt and find what they lacked. Perhaps this was their reasoning: "If we can't get it accomplished under the new way, why not go back to the way we used to do it? At least we know we can get it there."

When God calls us into a walk of faith, we can expect to be tested in this walk. If we enter into alliances that God has not ordained, it will only bring heartache. Such was the case for Israel. "But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace" (Is. 30:3).

Beware what you perceive as an alliance that may advance your business. It may actually bring you great distress if God has not directed you to align it. Ask yourself what the motive is behind this possible alliance. Make sure that it is not based on fear or a quick fix. Get confirmation that God is leading you to make such an alliance. Then you will not end up in the way of Israel, experiencing shame and disgrace.

"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." -John 6:37

2006-07-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

No limit is set to the duration of this promise. It does not merely say, "I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming," but, "I will in no wise cast out." The original reads, "I will not, not cast out," or "I will never, never cast out." The text means, that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.

But suppose the believer sins after coming? "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." But suppose that believers backslide? "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him." But believers may fall under temptation! "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will "Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; He will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow"; "From all their iniquities will I cleanse them."

"Once in Christ, in Christ for ever,
Nothing from His love can sever."

"I give unto My sheep," saith He, "eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." What sayest thou to this, O trembling feeble mind? Is not this a precious mercy, that coming to Christ, thou dost not come to One who will treat thee well for a little while, and then send thee about thy business, but He will receive thee and make thee His bride, and thou shalt be His for ever? Receive no longer the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby thou shalt cry, Abba, Father! Oh! the grace of these words: "I will in no wise cast out."

Scriptures that help us breathe

2006-07-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

I like to think of certain verses in Scripture as those that help us breathe. By that I mean they encourage true freedom. They liberate! I suggest that all who wish to be free—truly free from bondage traps and legalistic prisons—read these verses again and again and again. I would suggest you type them on three–by–five cards and tape them to your bathroom mirror. Read them aloud each morning. They will help awaken grace within you on a daily basis. Here are a few that I often quote and claim:
It was for freedom that Christ set us free. (Galatians 5:1)
For he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:7)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free. (Romans 8:2)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32)
So if the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)
Chuck Swindoll

Is Your Daughter's Wardrobe Too Sexy?

2006-07-29T03:14:00.000-07:00

Hayley DiMarco
Author

Editor's Note: The fashion industry doesn't make it easy for our daughters to choose clothes that are both attractive and modest today. In her recent book, Sexy Girls, purity expert Hayley DiMarco gives girls suggestions on how to determine if their clothes are too sexy, and how to remedy the situation without compromising their sense of style or breaking the family budget.

What I want you to do is get a friend or two together and show off your wardrobe. Do a fashion show of all your stuff and talk about each item. How does it fit with your new PR campaign? Do you think guys are going to be all hot and bothered seeing you in it? Is the old man down the street drooling every time you walk by in this particular skirt?

Pull out all the stops. It’s like doing a What Not to Wear party for your wardrobe. Nothing should be left out. You and your friends can make popcorn, put on some funky tunes, and do a little show, just for girls. You might even want to invite an adult, maybe a youth leader or a female youth pastor—someone who can help you make those hard calls on the stuff you really, really like that just isn’t compatible with your new way of thinking and dressing. This isn’t a time to go all Amish on me and throw out everything but turtlenecks and baggy pants; you still need to look girlish and cute. You still have a right to love your clothes—just be smart about them. Which ones show off too much skin? Which ones will lead guys and men down a path of destruction?

Also look for fun ways to mix things you might never have thought of. Take a look at some of these examples that will make you cute without drawing all eyes to your skin:

• Spaghetti-strap top too revealing? Add a little T-shirt underneath to cover up your cleavage.

• Pants too low-waisted, showing off your sexy belly? Why not put a dress over the top of your pants? They can make great funky tops that no one else will have.

• Skirt too short? Why not try it on over some of those tight jeans? It will cover up your sexy behind and make your legs look really long.

•Layer! Layer! Layer! A lot of things don’t have to be thrown away if you just think of ways to layer them. Put a long-sleeved tee under your short baby doll tee to cover up your stomach.

• Get creative.

The cutest girls who make the biggest statement are girls who experiment with clothes. The key is really just to always be wearing something unique. A funky hat or weird shoes will set you off better than low-rise pants and a tank top. Think about adding personality to your wardrobe by going to a thrift store and buying something funky. Think 1970s, or pick another era that you like. There are all kinds of ways to be totally cute and not compromise on your image. So get a group together, do your dressing party, and check out new ways to be really cute without being sexy.

Arab leaders fear rise of Hezbollah

2006-07-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

By Roger Hardy
BBC Middle East analyst

Hezbollah is riding a wave of popularity on the Arab street. Not since it played a role in forcing Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 has it enjoyed such adulation.
Its leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is enjoying something akin to a personality cult.

At a time when Arab governments are seen as largely powerless to influence events, Hezbollah is seen as taking on the Israelis - and behind the Israelis, the American superpower.

This has put Arab leaders - in particular those allied to the United States - in a difficult quandary.

At the start of this crisis the rulers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan did not hide their view that Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers was "reckless adventurism".

This was unusual enough, but they also openly directed their displeasure at the group's backers, Syria and Iran.

Their stance pleased the Bush administration but was roundly criticised at home.

They were seen as siding with the Israelis against the new champions of the Palestinian cause.

Dark warnings

Now there is a distinct shift.

Washington's Arab friends are pressing urgently for an immediate ceasefire.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has warned darkly of the danger of a wider regional war.

Saudi television this week organised a day-long appeal - or "telethon" - which raised some $29 million (£15.55 million) for Lebanon.

The Saudi media made much of the fact that the king and the crown prince made handsome personal donations.

In addition the Saudi state has given $1.5 billion (£800 million) to support the Lebanese pound and help rebuild the shattered country.

It is not that these rulers have changed their minds.

They fear the growing influence of Iran and Hezbollah.

They believe the regional balance of power is shifting in Iran's favour.

They think Iran and Hezbollah are trying to hijack the Palestinian cause.

Some Saudi religious figures have gone much further. For them the issue is not so much political as sectarian.

One well-known sheikh, Abdullah bin Jabreen, has issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, declaring it illegal for Muslims to join, support or even pray for Hezbollah.

This reflects the view of conservatives in the Saudi religious establishment that the Shia are not proper Muslims and are not to be trusted.

Joining the bandwagon

But the critics of Hezbollah find themselves in the minority.

Al-Qaeda does not want to be upstaged

The predominant view in the Middle East and the wider Muslim world is overwhelmingly supportive of Hezbollah.

For most people, the Palestinian cause transcends sectarian differences.

Even al-Qaeda, no friend of the Shia, has felt obliged to speak out.

The group's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has issued a video saying no Muslim can stay silent in the face of events in Lebanon.

Al-Qaeda does not want to be upstaged.

When the Lord Tarries

2006-07-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. - Habakkuk 2:3

God has a storehouse of blessings that He has reserved for you and me. However, our timing to receive those blessings may not be the same as our Lord's. God has a specific timetable that He requires to accomplish His purposes in the life of the believer. Sometimes that timetable seems excruciatingly cruel and painful, yet it is needful.

When we read that Joseph remained a slave in Egypt and was then placed in prison after being wrongfully accused, it would be easy to second-guess the God of the universe. Oh, how cruel and uncaring, we might think. Joseph thought he was going to be delivered from prison when he interpreted a dream for a court official, but then he was forgotten another two years. Why? An early release would have disrupted God's perfect plan.

God takes time to develop character before anything else. God could not afford to have a prideful 30-year-old managing the resources of an entire region of the world.

We can sometimes delay this timetable if we refuse His correction.

Although it is sometimes difficult to understand, the Lord is just and gracious in His dealings with His children. When He does decide to move on our behalf, we will appreciate the delay and will often understand the reason it was needed. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! (Is. 30:18)

If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. It will be worth the wait.

Malawi's ex-president is arrested

2006-07-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

Malawi's former President Bakili Muluzi has been arrested on the orders of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
He was escorted on Thursday morning from his home in Blantyre to the ACB's offices for questioning about financial transactions during his time in office.

A spokesman for Mr Muluzi's United Democratic Front (UDF) party said the arrest did not come as a surprise, and called it "political persecution".

Mr Muluzi fell out with his successor Bingu wa Mutharika after polls in 2004.

ACB Director Gustave Kaliwo confirmed in an earlier interview that "we have some issues Mr Muluzi needs to explain regarding some of his financial dealings while in power".

In October, anti-corruption agents raided Mr Muluzi's home and removed papers.

Mr Muluzi has denied any wrongdoing.

Crowds gather

The BBC's Raphael Tenthani in Blantyre says Mr Muluzi was not handcuffed when he left his house, and was allowed to travel in his personal car to the ACB's offices.

Our correspondent says that as news of the arrest has spread, a crowd of curious onlookers and supporters has gathered outside the ACB's offices.

Mr Muluzi's lawyer, Shabir Latif, confirmed to the BBC that the ACB had served an arrest warrant on the former president. But he did not give details of the charges.

The UDF's publicity secretary Sam Mpasu said the development was "a continuation of political persecution".

Mr Muluzi stepped down as president after serving two terms in office in 2004.

He hand-picked Mr Mutharika to run for president on the UDF ticket.

But eight months after his victory, the new president resigned from the UDF over what he says was hostility to his anti-corruption campaign.

In April, Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, who is close to Mr Muluzi, was arrested and charged with treason.

He is on bail under strict conditions and may not leave his house without permission from the president.

The crucible of crisis

2006-07-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

God's Word is filled with examples of those who believed God and "commenced prayer." David certainly did." I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm" (Ps.40:1–2).

Paul and Silas experienced the same thing in that ancient Philippian prison when all seemed hopeless (Acts 16:25–26). And it was from the deep that Jonah cried for help. Choking on salt water and engulfed by the Mediterranean currents, the prodigal prophet called out his distress:

"Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, 'I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; Thou didst hear my voice . . . All Thy breakers and billows passed over me . . . But Thou has brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God'" (Jonah 2:1–6).

Often it is the crucible of crisis that energizes our faith. Think it over.

World 'backs Lebanon offensive'

2006-07-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

Israel says diplomats' decision not to call for a halt to its Lebanon offensive at a Middle East summit has given it the green light to continue.
"We received yesterday at the Rome conference permission from the world... to continue the operation," Justice Minister Haim Ramon said.

His comments came ahead of an Israeli cabinet meeting to decide whether to intensify the military offensive.

There have been more Israeli air raids and fighting continues in the south.

Foreign ministers attending crisis talks on the violence in Rome on Wednesday failed to unite in calling for an immediate ceasefire, vowing instead to work with "utmost urgency" for a sustainable truce.

Speaking on Israeli army radio, Mr Ramon - a close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - said "everyone understands that a victory for Hezbollah is a victory for world terror".

He said that in order to prevent casualties amongst Israeli soldiers battling Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, villages should be flattened by the Israeli air force before ground troops move in.

'All southerners terrorists'

He added that Israel had given the civilians of southern Lebanon ample time to quit the area and therefore anyone still remaining there can be considered Hezbollah supporters.

"All those now in south Lebanon are terrorists who are related in some way to Hezbollah," Mr Ramon said.

Mr Ramon's call for the use of greater firepower came as the Israeli cabinet was set to decide whether to broaden its military offensive.

LEBANON TWO WEEKS ON
Three airports bombed
62 bridges destroyed
Three dams and ports hit
5,000 homes damaged

The chief of Israel's northern command, Maj Gen Udi Adam, has warned that he expects the fighting to "continue for several more weeks".

The BBC Jim Muir in Tyre says that the progress of Israeli ground troops has not been as fast as expected as they battle through the difficult terrain of southern Lebanon.

They still have not managed to capture the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil, where they have suffered their worst losses.

An Israeli military official told the BBC that Israel has destroyed 50% of Hezbollah's weapons arsenal, but nonetheless the group's ability to inflict damage appears undiminished - on Wednesday they fired some 150 rockets into Israel, more than on any other day of the conflict.

Pursuing Mr Olmert's plan of pushing Hezbollah back from border areas, in order to prevent them continuing to fire rockets into Israeli territory, and establishing a "security zone" in the south will take many weeks, our correspondent adds.

'Suicide mission'

Meanwhile, Israel's attacks on Lebanon have continued with air strikes on a Lebanese army base and a radio relay station north of Beirut.

Fighting is continuing around the town of Bint Jbeil, in south Lebanon, where nine Israel soldiers died on Wednesday.

And in Tyre the bombing of nearby areas, combined with last night's raid on apartments right inside the city, has sparked a civilian exodus.

In a separate development, Australia has said it will withdraw a contingent of 12 UN peacekeepers, following the death of four UN observers in an Israeli air strike, whom the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, says were "apparently deliberately targeted".

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, speaking at the Asean conference in Malaysia, said sending an international peacekeeping force into southern Lebanon while the conflict continues would amount to a "suicide mission".

Foreign ministers attending crisis talks on the violence in Rome on Wednesday agreed on the need for an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, but not on when and how such a force should be deployed.

I cannot believe the level of force with which Israel has decided to retaliate in Lebanon
Glen, Edinburgh

The meeting was overshadowed by outcry over the deaths of the UN observers, whom UN officials say had asked Israel repeatedly to stop attacking them before they were killed by an Israeli war plane.

At least 405 Lebanese and 51 Israelis have died in violence since Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on 12 July.

The BBC's Clare Bolderson in Jerusalem says that despite the escalating death toll public opinion in Israel remains solidly behind the government.

Israelis believe Hezbollah is a threat to their state's existence, our correspondent says, and though there are signs of a weariness with the rockets launched daily at Israel's northern towns, there is no indication they want the bombing to stop.

A poll published by Israel's Maariv daily newspaper on Thursday, has 82% saying they back the continuing offensive and the number saying "Israel's reaction to Hezbollah attacks is justified" remained unchanged at 95%.

The poll was conducted before the death of nine Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon on Wednesday - the biggest loss of Israeli life in a single incident so far during the conflict.

"Exceeding great and precious promises."-2 Peter 1:4

2006-07-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

If you would know experimentally the preciousness of the promises, and
enjoy them in your own heart, meditate much upon them. There are
promises which are like grapes in the wine-press; if you will tread them the
juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will often be the
prelude to their fulfillment. While you are musing upon them, the boon
which you are seeking will insensibly come to you. Many a Christian who
has thirsted for the promise has found the favour which it ensured gently
distilling into his soul even while he has been considering the divine
record; and he has rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the promise
near his heart.

But besides meditating upon the promises, seek in thy soul to receive
them as being the very words of God. Speak to thy soul thus, "If I were
dealing with a man's promise, I should carefully consider the ability
and the character of the man who had covenanted with me. So with the
promise of God; my eye must not be so much fixed upon the greatness of the
mercy-that may stagger me; as upon the greatness of the promiser-that
will cheer me. My soul, it is God, even thy God, God that cannot lie,
who speaks to thee. This word of His which thou art now considering is as
true as His own existence. He is a God unchangeable. He has not altered
the thing which has gone out of His mouth, nor called back one single
consolatory sentence. Nor doth He lack any power; it is the God that
made the heavens and the earth who has spoken thus. Nor can He fail in
wisdom as to the time when He will bestow the favours, for He knoweth when
it is best to give and when better to withhold. Therefore, see!
ing that it is the word of a God so true, so immutable, so powerful,
so wise, I will and must believe the promise." If we thus meditate upon
the promises, and consider the Promiser, we shall experience their
sweetness, and obtain their fulfillment.

Keep your light "on" and your saltshaker tipped!

2006-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Charles R. Swindoll

God calls us to be salt–and–light Christians in a bland, dark society. We need to remember salt must not lose its taste and light must not be hidden. Let me suggest three statements that declare and describe how to fulfill this role:

"I am different." We should not become like the world. We must guard against being sucked into the prevailing culture and conforming to society's expectations.
"I am responsible." Every once in awhile we need to ask some hard questions: Are we making contact with others? Are we seeking isolation? It's up to us to spread the salt and light.
"I am influential." Let's not kid ourselves. The very fact that we belong to Christ — that we don't adapt to the system, that we march to a different drumbeat — gives us an influence in this society of ours. We are influencing others in our every behavior, be it good or bad. Even when we aren't trying, out comes the salt and on comes the light.

Remember to keep your light "on" and your saltshaker tipped!

Making a Case for Dating

2006-07-26T08:55:00.001-07:00

Michael Smalley, M.A.
Smalley Relationship Center

Genesis 29:17-19: Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."

Mark 12:33: To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:17: This is my command: Love each other.

Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Romans 12:10: Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 13:9: The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The list of verses mentioned above outlines what love is about, and what I want to stress is that the Bible, to my knowledge, doesn't directly speak about a specific stance on dating. If you're looking for something that says, unequivocally, "dating is wrong" or "dating is right," you won't find it. The Bible tends to address ways of living and how to treat others.

All the verses above talk about love and how we should go about the business of love. Nowhere does it say that "dating" is an abomination of God's will or that "dating" is the wrong way to go about courting a potential mate. What the Bible tells us is how we should treat anyone we do choose to date.

If you read the above verses, and you followed God's blueprint for love, your dating experience would be a blessing! I believe that if we follow what the Bible says about loving each other, dating or not, our relationships would be healthy, satisfying and glorifying to God.

Would you seriously discourage your child, or yourself, from dating if you were to follow God's instruction on loving others? I seriously doubt it because when we follow God's will, we are exactly where we ought to be. That is when life is the most satisfying and healthy.

If I choose to be sincere, devoted, protecting, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and never failing, I believe my dating years would be incredible years. Just because a relationship does not end in marriage, doesn't mean we are now less capable of giving someone else just as much honor, love, patience, kindness and trust.

I recently had a discussion with a trustworthy gentleman who tends to agree with my stance on dating. He said something that stood out to me. If we are telling our children that dating is bad because they can get hurt or hurt people deeply, are we not saying that they have no ability for self-control?

By ignoring dating entirely, we are telling ourselves that we are incapable of dating in the manner God intends us to date. We are capable of living how God instructs us to live. God has given us the blueprint to having a great dating experience. All we have to do is follow God's direction.

Being an Overcomer

2006-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, July 26, 2006

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

"Why does it seem that those involved in Christian enterprise find the way so hard? It seems as though it is harder for those who are committed Christians in business. Have you found this to be true?" This was the comment from a business associate recently. My answer was a definite yes. In fact, if you were not a Christian and sought to do a similar business without regard to maintaining a biblical philosophy, the way would be much smoother sailing. It makes us think of the prophet who asked, "Why do the wicked prosper?" (see Jer. 12:1)

It is a spiritual principle of which we speak. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan before they entered the Promised Land, they fought only two battles. Then after they entered the Promised Land, they fought 39 battles. The way of the cross is not paved with lilies; it is paved with grace. When we seek to honor God in our business life, we will be met with opposition from the spiritual forces of this world. This is why each of us must commit ourselves to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and to be as gentle as doves but as wise as serpents.

Do not be surprised when you find the way harder as a believer than when you were a non-believer. You now have more at stake among the spiritual forces that desire you to be defeated and ineffective.

Stand firm against the evil forces that desire to keep you from walking in freedom in the Promised Land. Jesus is your victory for every battle you will encounter. Call on His name.

Nobel Laureates sending Advance Team into Nigeria: July 31 - August 2, 2006

2006-07-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

COMMISSION OF NOBEL LAUREATES ON THE NIGER DELTA
(David Phillipsâ€™ Visit to Nigeria July 31 â€“ Aug 2, 2006: Proposed Programme)
Monday, July 31
1. Arrival-MM-Airport, Lagos (Received by WS & TIU)
2. Leave for Port-Harcourt (PH), Lagos
3. Arrival PH-Airport, PH (Received by LST & Protocol/Security Detail)
4. Leave for Yenagoa
5. Arrival Yenagoa (Check-Into Lodgings)
6. Meeting with Local Support Team (LST), Yenagoa (15mins)
7. Meeting with Dr. G. Igali, Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Yenagoa (15mins)
8. Courtesy-Call on H.E. G. Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor, Yenagoa / Intimate Meeting with Gov. Jonathan & select-few Stakeholders of the Niger Delta, Govt. House, Yenagoa (1hr)
9. Retire for the night, Yenagoa
Tuesday, August 1
10. Meeting with LST & SSG, Yenagoa (10mins)
11. Community visits: Imiringi (Bayelsa State); K.Dere, Kweniama (Rivers State)
12. Retire for the night, PH
Wednesday, Aug 2
12. Courtesy-Call on H.E. P. Odili, Rivers State Governor, Govt. House, PH (30mins)
13. Meeting with NDDC Chairman, & Management, PH (30mins)
14. Depart PH-Airport
15. Arrive MM-Airport, Lagos
16. Depart MM-Airport

Darfur rebel to meet US president

2006-07-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

US President George Bush is due to hold talks in Washington with the leader of the main rebel group in western Sudan's Darfur region, Minni Minnawi.
Mr Minnawi heads the SLA, which was the only rebel organisation to sign a peace deal with Sudan's government in May.

The talks are intended to show US support for the peace deal and the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in war-torn Darfur.

Some 2m people have fled their homes in Darfur and violence continues.

Two other Darfur rebel groups refused to sign up to the peace deal saying the terms were inadequate.

The Sudanese government remains strongly opposed to the idea of a UN force replacing the current African Union force, which is seen as too small and too poorly funded to be effective.

Darfur has been in the grip of violence since the rebellion was launched three and a half years ago.

While the peace agreement has had an effect in some areas, the UN says that fighting between the rival rebel factions is bringing renewed violence.

Singled Out for Him: Remaining Morally Pure

2006-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Author

In today's world, we are bombarded with sensual advertisements and entertainment urging us to fulfill the natural lusts of our flesh.

The temptations that confront us today are really not so different from those that faced the first man and woman in the garden or our Savior in the wilderness.

We are encouraged to indulge our natural, fleshly appetites and assured that there will be no negative consequences – only happiness and fulfillment. We are duped into thinking that our deepest and most critical needs are physical and sensual rather than spiritual. We are led to believe that God's laws are outmoded, irrelevant and unreasonable – that He really doesn't understand us or have our best interests at heart. And we are encouraged to fulfill our God-created desires in ways that bypass the laws He has built into the universe.

What we are not told is that the one making those appeals to our flesh is our archenemy – that he is a deceiver, a defiler, and a destroyer. We are not told that what he presents as the way to freedom and happiness is actually the pathway to bondage, misery and destruction.

Lack of moral discipline is one of the greatest disqualifiers of those who run the Christian race. On the other hand, a commitment to moral purity is essential to experiencing the fullness of blessing that God intends for us. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the will of God for every believer is that we be morally pure, that we abstain from every form of immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3f).

I have made only a few vows in my life. A vow is a sacred, binding commitment to God. It is not to be made lightly, for it cannot be broken without serious consequences. There is no vow that I take more seriously than the vow to be morally pure. Although I grew up in a godly home, have had the best possible training, and have been graciously protected by God, moral purity is not something I take for granted. I believe it would be foolish to assume that anyone is ever beyond sinning against God in this realm.

In a world that has been ravaged by the sexual revolution, I want to share a special burden with those readers who are women. I believe there is not a man alive who doesn't have the potential for moral failure, and that, as Christian women, there is much we can do to establish a climate where men are motivated to be morally pure. At the same time, you and I as women can be the instrument of causing any man to fall morally.

Many years ago, I was sobered by the passage in Proverbs 7 that says, speaking of the woman with an immoral heart, "Many strong men have been slain by her" (v. 26 NIV). Think of it – many men; many strong men – destroyed by a woman who is not morally pure. What incredible influence and responsibility we have as Christian women!

Undoubtedly, the prayer I have prayed more than any other in my life is "Oh, God, please guard my heart." I know that I will never outgrow my need for Him to protect my heart and my desires. In addition, I pray that God will make me wise, prudent, and discreet in my relationships with men. I ask God to make me an encourager and a blessing to the men with whom I am in contact, to use my life to edify and build them up in their faith.

Recovering Assurance through Faith

2006-07-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Albert Mohler
Traumatic world events and nagging questions of belief sometimes cause Christians to be troubled in spirit and to question their assurance of faith. In every generation, believers have struggled with the question of assurance in salvation. As always, the church confronts this issue as both a pressing theological question and as an urgent pastoral concern. Answering these questions anew, we are reminded once again that all doctrine is practical and that the great biblical truths of the Christian faith are meant not only for our intellectual acceptance, but for our spiritual health.
Many Christians suffer from an absence of Christian assurance. They lack confidence in their salvation and are troubled by nagging doubts, perplexing questions, and a lack of clarity about whether assurance of salvation is actually possible. At the same time, the church has always faced the reality of false professors and those who fall away. These are problems that trouble the soul and raise unavoidable theological questions.
Clearly, now is the time for clarification and for the recovery of a biblical concept of assurance. Beyond the immediate questions of assurance and false professors, the church must also confront superficial and inadequate understandings of assurance -- concepts that can actually mislead and confuse.
The Apostle Paul assured the Christians in Philippi of his absolute confidence "that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" [Philippians 1:6]. The logic of that passage is of vital importance. Paul's confidence was not that the Philippians would be able to preserve themselves. To the contrary, Paul's confidence was established in Jesus Christ and in the promise that Christ would complete the work He had surely begun in them.
Coming to the end of his own life, Paul expressed personal confidence that the Lord would "bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom" [2 Timothy 4:18]. Without this confidence, how could Paul have faced the prospect of his own death? His desire was for fellow believers to experience this same confidence and assurance.
Jesus taught His disciples a great deal about the believer's assurance, ultimately establishing assurance in the Father's promises to the Son. In the Gospel of John, Jesus teaches that "this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I would lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day" [John 6:39]. This is a magnificent promise, and one that makes sense only in light of Jesus' straightforward revelation concerning the Father's authority in salvation: "All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out" [John 6:37]. Those who are in Christ's hands will never be lost, for they have been called, drawn, and given to Him by the Father Himself. As Jesus the Good Shepherd said in John 10, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand" [John 10:27-29].
Thus a consistent biblical theme emerges from the scriptural text. Jesus assured His disciples that their salvation was rooted in the eternal purposes of God and that those who truly come to faith in Him are safe within God's mercy. No one is able to snatch believers out of the Father's hand, and all who come to the Son are preserved by the Father.
Christians should find great comfort in the biblical promises of assurance. This is because these promises are founded ultimately in the eternal purposes of God, in the Son's accomplished work, and in the Father's vindication of the Son. Those who truly come to Christ by faith are guarded, preserved, and kept by the power of God. Our Lord did not intend His people to be trapped in a maze of doubt and insecurity. To the contrary, Christ instructed His sheep to trust in Him and His promises.
Assurance of salvation is indeed possible -- and is a Christian responsibility. Pernicious doubt concerning salvation may be an indication that the believer does not truly trust the character, power, and purposes of God. Thus a believer's insecurity -- sometimes disguised as an artificial humility -- can be evidence of a heart that does not adequately trust in the promises of God.
At the same time, saving faith is demonstrated in a transformed life. Peter, for example, instructed believers to observe their lives, looking for the evidence of authentic faith and the marks of true discipleship. Peter summarizes his exhortation with these unforgettable words: "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall" [2 Peter 1:10].
How are believers to make their "calling and election sure?" There can be no question that Peter expected Christians to look and strive for the characteristics which should mark those who have been transformed by the power of God. Thus, the believer's calling and election--the very foundation of the salvation experience--would be evident in a new heart and a transformed life.
Paul also repeatedly warned Christians not to abandon their faith or to fall prey to false teachers. He even went so far as to identify some who had "nullified" the grace of God [Galatians 2:21] and others who had fallen away and abandoned their faith. Demas, for example, "in love with the present world," had deserted Paul and the gospel [2 Timothy 4:10]. Hymanaeus and Alexander had "made shipwreck of their faith" and thus had been handed over to Satan by Paul "that they may learn not to blaspheme" [1 Timothy 1:20].
In pondering biblical warnings like these, most Christians think of the passages in Hebrews which have spawned so many different interpretations. How are we to understand these warnings -- particularly as found in Hebrews 6:4-8? No doubt this is a crucial question, for how we interpret this passage is inextricably tied to larger theological issues -- including our understanding of the church itself. The warnings of Hebrews 6 are seen in the clearest light when put alongside Jesus' parable of the sower and the soils as found in Matthew 13 and Luke 8. Comparing the human heart to soils of the field, Jesus pointed to the reality that the church would encounter those who would "believe for a while," but would fall away under testing or persecution. When Jesus identified the shallow soil, He was certainly speaking of those whose faith would be, as described by the Puritans, a temporary or false faith. Thus, those who are described as falling away in Hebrews 6 are those who falsely confessed faith in Christ. As with the soil that bore fruit for a time but withered, so with those who have "tasted the heavenly gift" but fall away. Theirs was not a genuine and enduring faith, but a fickle and false faith. This is an urgent and sober warning.
In the final analysis, the gift of assurance rests on the biblical doctrine of perseverance. This doctrine teaches that true believers are those who persevere in and by faith. Their endurance -- having been preserved by the power of God -- becomes the demonstration of their salvation and the mark of authenticity. The biblical doctrine of perseverance corrects misunderstandings implied by more superficial conceptions of the believer's state. Some teach that anyone who has at any time made a profession of faith in Christ or exercised the slightest belief is secure. These teachers actually argue that true believers may demonstrate absolutely none of the marks of gospel authenticity. In other words, such persons never repent of their sins, and may even repudiate the faith -- but are supposed to be secure in their salvation. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Furthermore, the doctrine of perseverance harmoniously links the believer's assurance of salvation to the larger scheme of redemption. God's determination to save sinners is affirmed from beginning to end. The believer's faith in Christ, exercised as an act of the believer's will, is understood to be itself a gift of God and a result of God's calling. Thus, the doctrine of perseverance grounds assurance in the eternal purposes of God, by which God determines to redeem His people through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to preserve Christ's church throughout all the ages.
In his first letter, Peter reminded Christians that the Father "has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Believers are promised "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" [1 Peter 1:4-5]. The Christian's proper assurance of salvation is God's gift -- a gift given to the believer by the very God who has accomplished our salvation. True believers are those who have genuinely responded to the call of the Gospel, whose belief is evident in a life transformed by God's grace, and whose profession of faith in Christ is accompanied by repentance from sin and an eagerness to follow Christ.
Believers do sin, and may sin grievously, but they can never finally remain in sin. Peter promised that God will guard His own through faith, even as salvation will be revealed "in the last time." In the end, the gift of assurance and the doctrine of perseverance take us back to the very essence of the gospel -- we are saved by grace through faith. Grace alone... nothing more and nothing less.

Expectations

2006-07-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, July 21, 2006
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. - Philippians 1:20

Have you ever had expectations that did not get fulfilled? Perhaps a coworker let you down. Perhaps you were trusting God for something in your life that never materialized. Perhaps you became devastated by an unmet expectation that you felt you were entitled to. Expectations can be a difficult trap for each of us if we are not fully committed to God's purposes in our lives.

Paul wrote this verse from prison to the people of Philippi. He had an expectation that his life would bring glory to God, whether through his continued ministry or his death. His joy in living was not based on his expectations getting fulfilled, but on remaining true to the purpose for which God made him.

When we react to circumstances with bitterness and resentment as a result of unmet expectations, we are saying that we know better than God, and that God has made a mistake in not meeting our expectations. The process of resolving unmet expectations may require full disclosure to the individual who was the source of the unmet expectation, and of how the unmet expectation made you feel. This is not to make the person feel obligated to meet the expectation, but simply to share your feelings about it. If God was the source, then it is important to share this with the Lord. However, once we have done this we must let go of the situation and allow God to work in our hearts the grace that is needed to walk in freedom from the pain of the unmet expectation. If we do not do this, we will allow the seed of bitterness and resentment to enter in. This seed of bitterness will create leanness in our soul and eventually will spread to others.

Ask yourself today if you have any unmet expectations. How have you responded to them? Have you processed this with the Lord and others who may be involved? These are the steps to freedom from unmet expectations.

HALLELUJAH!

2006-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

My ever-faithful God reassures me that ALL is well with me, with the NOBEL LAUREATES COMMISSION TO THE NIGER DELTA Programme, with my love life, with my career life, & more than anything else, with my spiritual life!

HALLELUJAH!

Shalom!!!

US marines aid mass evacuation

2006-07-20T12:46:00.001-07:00

US marines have landed in Beirut to help American citizens as a mass evacuation from Lebanon gathers pace.
Three ships, chartered by different nations, docked in Cyprus late on Wednesday carrying hundreds of people.

Britain is now operating a regular naval shuttle service between Beirut and Cyprus.

More than 300 Russians have flown from Damascus to Moscow, and Germany has transported at least 500 people to Syria in a convoy of buses.

It is the first time in nearly 23 years that US forces have operated in Lebanon. They pulled out after Hezbollah guerrillas blew up their barracks in Beirut, killing 240 - the US military's single worst loss of life since World War II.

The first contingent of 40 marines went ashore at dawn on a landing craft from the troop carrier USS Nashville.
A total of 1,200 troops from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are being deployed as part of a massive land, sea and air operation to bring out thousands of Americans.

An official said the US had the capacity to evacuate 6,000 nationals over the next two days.

Meanwhile, Cypriot foreign minister George Lillikas has warned that Cyprus is filling up with evacuees and running out of room to house them.

He said his country would appeal to the European Commission for additional planes to fly evacuees from Lebanon back to their home countries.

FOREIGNERS IN LEBANON
Sri Lanka: 80,000
Canada: 40,000
Philippines: 30,000
Australia: 25,000
US: 25,000
UK: 22,000 (inc. 10,000 with dual nationality)
France: 20,000
Figures correct at start of conflict

"We are talking about a very, very big number of people - around 60,000 people - so if they stay in Cyprus even for a few days it will be a complicated and almost impossible task," he said.
"We've just used all the hotels we have... apartments. We now use schools. The best solution it seems is to have enough planes in Cyprus in order to evacuate immediately these people towards their countries."

A US-chartered cruise ship, the Orient Queen, arrived in Cyprus overnight with more than 1,000 people aboard, while more than 300 evacuees arrived on a French frigate.

The US state department estimates that some 25,000 US nationals are in Lebanon, France says it has 20,000 and Britain 22,000.
Many of these have dual nationality, and it is not clear how many want to leave.

But it is estimated that there are a further 80,000 Sri Lankans, 12,000 Indians and 30,000 Filipinos stranded in the country.

Canada has more foreign nationals in Lebanon than any other Western country.

Some 21,000 people are registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut, but consular officials estimate that 40-50,000 Canadians are in the country.

The Canadian government has been severely criticised for its response to the crisis which has been seen as slow and poorly planned.

Nouha Fadlalla, who was on holiday in Lebanon with her husband and three children said they had found their own way back to Montreal.
"Bombs were around us," she said. "We tried to call the Canadian embassy, there was no answer, it was closed. So, on our own initiative, we bought tickets that we found finally, after a lot of work."

The criticism has put Canadian government ministers on the defensive. The country's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, pointed out that there are many more Canadians to assist in Lebanon than other foreign nationals.

"There have been literally hundreds of federal employees who have been working day and night for the past several days to put in place the largest evacuation of Canadian citizens from another country in our history," he said.

Mr Harper has now promised to take more than 100 Canadians home on his government plane.

US marines aid mass evacuation
US marines have landed in Beirut to help American citizens as a mass evacuation from Lebanon gathers pace.
Three ships, chartered by different nations, docked in Cyprus late on Wednesday carrying hundreds of people.

Britain is now operating a regular naval shuttle service between Beirut and Cyprus.

More than 300 Russians have flown from Damascus to Moscow, and Germany has transported at least 500 people to Syria in a convoy of buses.

US contingent

It is the first time in nearly 23 years that US forces have operated in Lebanon. They pulled out after Hezbollah guerrillas blew up their barracks in Beirut, killing 240 - the US military's single worst loss of life since World War II.

The first contingent of 40 marines went ashore at dawn on a landing craft from the troop carrier USS Nashville.
A total of 1,200 troops from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are being deployed as part of a massive land, sea and air operation to bring out thousands of Americans.

An official said the US had the capacity to evacuate 6,000 nationals over the next two days.

Meanwhile, Cypriot foreign minister George Lillikas has warned that Cyprus is filling up with evacuees and running out of room to house them.

He said his country would appeal to the European Commission for additional planes to fly evacuees from Lebanon back to their home countries.

FOREIGNERS IN LEBANON
Sri Lanka: 80,000
Canada: 40,000
Philippines: 30,000
Australia: 25,000
US: 25,000
UK: 22,000 (inc. 10,000 with dual nationality)
France: 20,000
Figures correct at start of conflict

"We are talking about a very, very big number of people - around 60,000 people - so if they stay in Cyprus even for a few days it will be a complicated and almost impossible task," he said.
"We've just used all the hotels we have... apartments. We now use schools. The best solution it seems is to have enough planes in Cyprus in order to evacuate immediately these people towards their countries."

Stranded

A US-chartered cruise ship, the Orient Queen, arrived in Cyprus overnight with more than 1,000 people aboard, while more than 300 evacuees arrived on a French frigate.

The US state department estimates that some 25,000 US nationals are in Lebanon, France says it has 20,000 and Britain 22,000.
Many of these have dual nationality, and it is not clear how many want to leave.

But it is estimated that there are a further 80,000 Sri Lankans, 12,000 Indians and 30,000 Filipinos stranded in the country.

Canada has more foreign nationals in Lebanon than any other Western country.

Some 21,000 people are registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut, but consular officials estimate that 40-50,000 Canadians are in the country.

The Canadian government has been severely criticised for its response to the crisis which has been seen as slow and poorly planned.

Nouha Fadlalla, who was on holiday in Lebanon with her husband and three children said they had found their own way back to Montreal.
"Bombs were around us," she said. "We tried to call the Canadian embassy, there was no answer, it was closed. So, on our own initiative, we bought tickets that we found finally, after a lot of work."

The criticism has put Canadian government ministers on the defensive. The country's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, pointed out that there are many more Canadians to assist in Lebanon than other foreign nationals.

"There have been literally hundreds of federal employees who have been working day and night for the past several days to put in place the largest evacuation of Canadian citizens from another country in our history," he said.

Mr Harper has now promised to take more than 100 Canadians home on his government plane.

US marines aid mass evacuation

2006-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

God Wants You to Be Best Friends with Your Spouse

2006-07-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

Beverly LaHaye

A marriage based on friendship is one that has the strength and the power to endure. Passion is important, but friendship is strong stuff. Friendship creates a firm security that makes just being together renew your spirit. It's the place in marriage that's like a warm blanket on a cold winter night -- a place of serenity, peace, calm, and joy.

Marriage to your very best friend is the deepest of friendships. You can share everything in confidence, talk endlessly about your dreams, and care deeply for each other. In fact, your sharing continues even when words are not spoken -- your spouse's mere presence is your peace.

I love the biblical statement: "This is my lover, this my friend" (Song of Songs 5:16). It says it all. This is the best friend you'll ever have; you'll share more with this person than with any other friend you have in a lifetime. You share your life, your future, and your body with this very special friend.

Marriage is the ultimate in friendship; it has all the qualities of a good friendship and then some. Good friendships are a give-and-take proposition; marriage is even more so. Other key qualities of friendship include the following: friends can say almost anything to one another, friends are confidants and keep certain things confidential, friends counsel and advise one another, friends listen, friends make sacrifices for the other person, they have no hidden agendas, they can always be counted on, they have fun together, and friends overlook the small stuff.

Good friendships are never selfish. The apostle Paul told the Philippians, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4). This is great advice for a marriage relationship as well.

Unselfish love is putting the needs of your spouse first. Genuine love flourishes in giving. Robert Moeller in his book To Have and to Hold prefers to call it "giving love" rather than "making love": "Making love sounds too much like the mechanical joining of a male and female body. Giving love sounds much more like the sharing of your soul, your affection, your respect, your deepest concern, and you heart with another person." The best sex is the mutual giving of our body to our spouse -- nobody should be making anyone have sex; that's selfish and using the other person for your personal gratification and purpose. But when you give love, you're concentrating on the other person's pleasure and enjoyment; you're loving your spouse, not using him or her.

Another aspect of friendship in marriage is "a friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17). This type of love goes the distance. It endures through a bout with the flu, through ten checks that bounce at the bank, through the car that won't start on Monday morning, through conflicts with parents, and through disagreements over how to squeeze the toothpaste tube. Through all that, friends love. Friendship is the bricks of marriage -- passionate sex is the cement.

God Wants Your Marriage to be Fun

Marriage is definitely serious business, not to be taken lightly or to be thought of as temporary or just until the romance fades. But God wants you also to have fun. Marriage is a relationship with the person who means more to you than any other relationship you will have. This person is your soul mate who knows and cares about you better than anyone (even your mother). So be joyful, be playful. There's an old song that says, "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative." Do that. When life is good, enjoy it. Learn to be content with what you have and live in the moment. Don't misunderstand me, you need to have dreams and make plans for your future, and God has promised us a great future (Jeremiah 29:11), but be sure you enjoy getting there. Too many couples get so wrapped up in what will be that they miss the fun they can have along the way. Most of the fun is in achieving your dreams.

When you laugh, laugh together. Laughter with each other and at what's happening in life will get you through a lot. Never have fun at your partner's expense. Be sensitive to each other's needs and "sore spots." Don't make fun of the fact that he's not handy with a hammer; don't criticize her cooking; don't make fun of weight gain. But do learn to laugh at yourself.

Try new things too: Go on an adventure, drive to a new town and see something different. In marriage you can experience each other's interests as well as your sexuality. God doesn't limit your joy -- you do.

Not Uplifting? Then Not Worth Publishing!

2006-07-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

Randall Murphree

AgapePress writer Randall Murphree interviewed Charles Martin in 2005 after his highly-acclaimed first novel "The Dead Don't Dance." His current title, "When Crickets Cry," is a finalist for a Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction (winners to be announced this month). Not only a gifted writer, Martin also delivers an entertaining interview. He and his wife Christy live with their sons Charlie, John T. and Rives in Jacksonville, Florida.

Q: What was the impetus for "When Crickets Cry"?

A: Two things got me going on the story for "Crickets." One was just a casual thought I had one day about my heart, the physical organ. It pumps nonstop for an entire life, never with rest. I just got to thinking how I take for granted the little engine inside me. I had been reading Solomon's admonition to his son in Proverbs. In chapter 4, verse 23, he says, "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Why was it that important to him? How do you guard it? It just struck me as something I ought to pay attention to.

Along with that, I happened to have one of my flashes that I seem to have with my stories. I saw a little girl in a yellow dress standing on a street corner selling lemonade. I knew she was wearing a pill container around her neck and I knew she had a scar on her chest. So I started following her around [in my mind] as well. I think those things all happened within about a week of each other.

Q: You left a business career to write. How has this transition played out for you and your family?

A: You got a 90-minute tape in there!? It's been an awesome journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Christy would tell you the same thing. It has not been safe, and it has not been certain. And it has not been easy. But had I to do it over again, I wouldn't even blink. I'd do the same thing.

I left a career in business because I knew that is not why God put me on this planet. I had a deep-seated dream or desire to write books. And I know it is a place of privilege to leave a successful career and chase a pipedream. I am grateful for my wife giving me the opportunity to do that.

When I tell people our story, I hear things like, "Wow, you really hung in there. You have great tenacity." I really cringe at all of those. Yeah, I did hang in there a little bit. Yeah, I'm a little bit tenacious, but when I went to pull myself up by my bootstraps, they were broken. I had help. I had a wife who stood beside me and said, "We can do this." This is not my story, this is our story, and I wouldn't be here without us. The Lord gave me an awesome gift in her.

Q: What about that boat? (Martin has previously said his boys were praying for a boat.)

A: We don't have any plans to buy a boat right now because it's not practical. It'd probably be better to buy my boys some kayaks, and that would give us something to do together – you know, father-son.

But that may be a closer reality than I had previously thought. Here's why. I want to be careful when I say this because I'm really grateful for WestBow, my current publisher. But I had been talking with my agent for a year, asking, if my books are appealing to a larger audience, how can I find a publisher who will broadcast my books to that larger audience?

I was given an opportunity about three months ago to speak with three of the top five publishing houses in New York, and each one of them made me an offer. After a whole bunch of talking about it and praying and trying to figure out what we felt was best, we signed a three-book contract with Doubleday Broadway.

So I'll finish my last book for WestBow and then come September, I'll start working on my first book for Doubleday. So, (laughter) if my books sell – to answer your question – maybe we'll get us a boat one day.

Q: What are the best things you and Christy are doing with your boys this summer?

A: We love the mountains. Right now, we're in a mountain house in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The view looks out for about 50 or 60 miles. It's fun to come up here and unwind a little bit. We went for a hike today. We'll go for one tomorrow. This weekend, we'll go to the lake house that is the setting for "When Crickets Cry." It's one of my favorite places on the planet.

Q: What about movie possibilities?

A: You know, the Hallmark movie [of "The Dead Don't Dance"] was cancelled. Last Christmas we got an e-mail from the producer saying the movie was cancelled. That's really all I know. They returned the rights to me, so if somebody else comes along, I can sell them. I don't know of any film possibilities on my other books.

I'd love to see Miss Ella ("Wrapped in Rain") on the big screen. I'd love to see Reese and Annie ("When Crickets Cry") on the big screen. I just think it's going to take the right producer. Maybe sometime in my career, I'll get to meet that person. It's going to take the right person with the right sensibility to pull off great cinema with my stories. I pray about that a good bit.

Q: What is your next book about?

A: I have two books yet to come out with WestBow. "Maggie," the sequel to "The Dead Don't Dance," will release in September. The next book – as of yet it's untitled – will release next June.

It's about a Southeast Georgia journalist, in Brunswick, who has to investigate the identity of a child found beside a railroad track. He's maybe eight or ten. They know he was thrown out of a car just before it was hit by a southbound train in the parents' suicide. He's mute and he's had a pretty rough life. The scars of physical abuse pretty much cover his body.

On the surface, the story is about discovering the identity of this boy. But really the story is of the journalist figuring out who his dad is and what his dad gave up in order to get him back. At bottom, it's the story of one father's love for his son and what he gave up, which is everything, to go get him.

I think I've bitten off maybe more than I can chew. If I can pull it off, I think it'll be pretty good. If I don't pull it off, well (yes, more laughs), we'll all know it.

Q: Anything else you want to say to your readers?

A: I never know quite how to answer that question. Here's what I pray about my stories. C.S. Lewis said he hoped his stories stand as road signs to Jerusalem. I hope my stories do that. I hope they filter down through people's heads into their hearts and kind of shake off the scales on the hard spots and get through the crusty exteriors to the soft stuff inside, and then touch that. I hope that's what they do. Hope is worth writing about. It's worth lifting up. If my books don't do that, then I hope they're not published.

Q: Isn't that a pretty strong statement?

A: Well, it's my heart. It's what I hope, because one of these days, I'm going to stand before the Lord with my gift, and I will have either honored Him with it or not. What I hope is that when I get there, I'll look on His shelf and see He's got my books there.

© 2006 AgapePress. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

31 Days to a More Powerful You

2006-07-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

David Jeremiah

A number of years ago, I attended a men's retreat at which the speaker challenged us to begin a practice he said would change our lives dramatically. I was ready to write down a complex spiritual formula, and I have to admit I was initially a little disappointed at what I heard: "There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. I challenge you to read a chapter a day each month for the next year. If you do that faithfully for a year, you will have read the book of Proverbs 12 times and your life will never be the same."
I decided to accept his challenge. I was amazed at how many times I found myself in a situation during the day for which I had insight (or direction or a warning) taken directly from that day's reading in Proverbs. I came to the conclusion during that period of my spiritual life-a conviction I continue to hold today-that Proverbs offers the simplest, yet most profound, daily spiritual "pick-me-ups" to be found in all the Bible.
Why is Proverbs so powerful-such an effective stimulant for spiritual living? Because each proverb provides the one thing we all need in large daily doses: wisdom. But lest you think wisdom is something possessed only by philosophers, professors, and political sages, let's look at what the word really means. There is no more practical, hands-on word in the Bible than wisdom.
Wisdom's roots run deep into Old Testament soil.
Interestingly, the word did not at first signify "wisdom," but rather "skill." We tend to equate "wisdom" with "intelligence." But one can have great intelligence without great wisdom, and vice versa. If the root idea of wisdom is skill, then we can say that Proverbs will teach us the skill of living. Just as there is skill in sewing, designing, speaking, navigating, and carving, so there is skill needed for living life effectively and successfully. And that is the kind of wisdom the book of Proverbs offers its readers.
Think of all the encounters you have in a week, and how many of them require skillful navigation. Not a day goes by in which we don't feel hesitant, even confused, about how to act. Pure and simple, we need wisdom-the skill of living life. And there are numerous verses in Proverbs which address every category of crisis we will ever face.
Fortunately, wisdom from God is just a prayer away. The book in the New Testament most like Proverbs is James. The hands-on nature of James mirrors its Old Testament cousin. And James is the one who tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
The author of Proverbs, King Solomon, gained the wisdom to write more than 3,000 proverbs the same way James advises us to get it: by asking God (I Kings 4:32). When Solomon succeeded his father David as king over Israel, God presented Solomon with a blank check: "Ask! What shall I give you?" (I Kings 3). Understandably, twenty year-old Solomon's knees were knocking at the prospect of being king. So instead of asking for riches and long life, he asked God for wisdom, and God was true to His word: "I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you" (verse 13).
For specific wisdom in unique situations, we may not have because we have not asked (James 4:2). But in many more of life's situations, we may lack wisdom because we haven't poured over the proverbs of Solomon. I invite you to take up the challenge I accepted-a challenge which changed my life. Check today's date, read the corresponding chapter of Proverbs, and keep it up for a year. I believe you'll be amazed how something so simple can energize your spiritual life-and give you needed skill for living. Get ready for 31 days to a more powerful you!

Handle any difficulty as a team

2006-07-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Work with your partner to handle any difficulty as a team. Decide, together, how each of you will adjust in response to the problem. Because you are not a parent to your mate, you can suggest adjustments that might be helpful, but only your partner can make his or her decision. Your role is to stay close, remain committed, and be your partner's ally, confidant, sounding board, and mirror as the Holy Spirit does His work on the inside. Commit to knowing your mate intimately, which means you must never assume you know all there is to know. This perspective will help make your partnership a journey of mutual discovery.

He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God.
They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.

2006-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

BP shuts down 12 Alaska oil wells
BP has shut 12 producing wells at its Alaskan operations after workers told the Financial Times the wells were leaking oil or diesel insulating agent.
The British oil firm said they had been shut while the allegations were being investigated.

The 12 wells being shut at Prudhoe Bay, North Star, and Milne Point fields pump a combined 8,000 barrels of oil a day.

BP's move comes as the firm could face a criminal investigation in the US over a massive oil spill in Alaska in March.

It is under investigation by a grand jury over the spill of some 267,000 gallons (1 million litres) discovered at the Prudhoe Bay field, and the largest ever on Alaska's North Slope region.

'Arctic pack'

The leaking liquids in the latest claims are a freeze protection material used in well cellars.

The material known as "arctic pack", is usually crude oil or diesel fuel added to the well.

None of the leaked material had reached the Arctic tundra, the firm said.

The recently appointed head of BP's US operations, Robert Malone, has made cleaning up the firm's public image a top priority.

BP says Mr Malone has ordered that an ombudsman should be employed by September to independently deal with staff concerns about environmental or safety issues.

If this wee to happen in the NIGER DELTA region of Nigeria, nobody would move a finger to rectify the situation ... at least, not unless some militants kidnapped ome foreign workers, or some such easily avoidable scenario born out the multinational oil companies' insensitivity! selah!!

2006-07-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

New building collapses in Nigeria
Many are trapped and at least 11 people have died after a building collapsed in Nigeria's main city of Lagos.
The block of flats caved in on Tuesday evening and rescuers have so far pulled more than 30 people from the wreckage.

Heavy lifting equipment has arrived at the site to help people using their bare hands to reach those inside.

But a BBC correspondent at the scene says there are fears for the trapped in the rubble as they are no longer reachable by mobile phone.

Overnight, distraught relative were in touch with those inside, but the calls had stopped by morning.

Earlier, rescuers say they heard the trapped people crying out for help.

The crowds cheered as a woman was brought out alive on Wednesday morning, AP news agency reported.

Tears

The BBC's Uwais Idris says a construction company sent its equipment to help with excavating the wreckage on Wednesday morning.

I was coming out of my house when I heard a loud bang and the four-storey structure suddenly caved in
Debo Ajala, eyewitness

He says hundreds of people, some relatives in tears, are at the scene anxious to see if they can help.

"Nobody knows how many people are trapped under the rubble, but rescue work is still going on," Red Cross officer Umar Mairiga told Reuters news agency.

The collapse happened after many of the occupants had returned from work on Tuesday evening.

"It was a gory sight. I was coming out of my house when I heard a loud bang and the four-storey structure suddenly caved in," eyewitness Debo Ajala told AFP news agency.

Lagos state police spokesman, Bode Ojajuni, said the authorities had launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse, the agency reports.

Our correspondent says the building in the residential area of Ebute Metta was relatively new - thought to be not more than three years old.

Such collapses in the past have been blamed on substandard construction and flouting of building regulations, he says.

Dozens have died in recent years in Lagos as poorly maintained buildings have collapsed.

In March, one of Lagos' tallest buildings caved in during a heavy thunderstorm in the heart of the commercial district. The building had been sealed off after a fire on the eighth floor.

Have you been affected? Or do you know anyone who has? Send us your experiences. You should not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

Avoid the Dumb Mistakes Christians Make

2006-07-19T08:37:00.002-07:00

--Whitney Hopler

We’re connected to God and His ultimate wisdom, yet others sometimes view us as foolish. We represent a faith that people urgently need, but too often, they refuse to take us seriously. That’s because we’re prone to making dumb mistakes that render our witness ineffective.

Here are some dumb mistakes Christians make – and how you can avoid making them yourself:

* Dropping out of church. Don’t be one of those Christians who is missing in action. Make sure you’re participating in worship services and other church activities regularly, so you can keep growing and others can see that you’re serious about your faith.

* Chronically complaining. Rather than focusing on the negative, ask God to help you to see the positive. Make it a habit to notice your blessings, thank God for them, and think and act in positive ways. Ask God to help you be content, peaceful, and joyful – no matter what your current circumstances. Whenever you have a problem with particular person or group of people (such as church leaders), go directly to them to work it out rather than just blabbing about it to others. Try to encourage other people on a regular basis, through kind words and actions.

* Taking without giving. Instead of taking everything the church has to offer without giving anything back, commit to volunteering your time and energy to help out in at least one of your church’s ministries. Know that contributing however you can – even in small ways – will make a big difference in your congregation.

* Misbehaving. Be sure to practice what you preach. When you say you believe something, yet act in ways that are inconsistent with that belief, you become a hypocrite who turns people away from the faith. Ask God to help you life every part of your life with integrity. Don’t participate in any activities that you’d be embarrassed about if other people in your church knew you were engaging in them.

* Winning people to the church rather than to Christ. Remember that the reason why you’re trying to reach people with your faith isn’t simply so they can join your church – it’s so they can have a relationship with Christ. Focus on Him, whether or not the people you’re reaching end up worshipping in your particular church or not. When you discuss your church, make sure you’re not giving people unrealistic expectations about what to expect there. Recognize that just joining a church won’t magically make people’s problems disappear. Be honest about the fact that church, like any other place, is full of difficult and unpleasant people and that the church someone joins isn’t always going to be like it is currently, because change is inevitable. Emphasize that Christ (not the church) is the way, the truth, and the life.

* Living below the level of your beliefs. Be alert to sins that can slip past your spiritual radar and become part of your daily routine. Reject materialism by refusing to waste time and energy on pursuing things God isn’t clearly calling you to pursue. Reject worry by trusting that God is in control, even when you’re under pressure. Reject superiority by praying for a humble heart. Help your church become a place that presents God’s whole message instead of watered-down, seeker-friendly principles. Get to know the Bible well, and be ready to speak from Scripture rather than pop psychology when talking with others. Stay connected to God through daily prayer, and give Him your heart anew each day to stay close to Him.

* Speaking above the level of your knowledge. Be careful about saying more than you truly know. Resist the temptations to analyze people, explain suffering, spread rumors, or believe everything you hear. Take the time to think before you speak. Ask God to keep you from doing harm through your conversations and help you do good through them instead.

* Hopping from church to church. Realize that there’s no such thing as a perfect church. Rather than constantly searching for a church that can serve you better, decide to serve your current church. Ask God to give you the motivation to become committed and involved. Remember the blessings that come from a long-term commitment to one church: a sense of belonging, a sense of accomplishment, discoveries about yourself, lots of meaningful relationships, and a powerful witness for Christ. Start giving your time, energy, and money on a regular basis to contribute to your church’s work. Join a Sunday school class or small group to build friendships with others in your congregation. Understand that there are many biblical commands that you can’t fulfill if you’re church-hopping, such as: being devoted to one another, serving one another, building yourselves together, teaching and counseling each other, building each other up, leaving peaceably with each other, encouraging and warning each other, confessing your sins to each other and praying for each other, and living in harmony with one another.

* Fighting among yourselves. Do all you can to work conflicts with other Christians out peacefully. Understand that church feuds lead to disaster, because: church leaders are distracted, church members not involved in the feud are discouraged, God’s work is disrupted, the community’s seekers are disenchanted, important beliefs such as forgiveness are disregarded, the congregation’s testimony is discredited, and God Himself is dishonored. Remember Christ’s statement that believers’ love for one another will prove to the world that they are His disciples. Help create a calm and loving culture in your church by obeying church leaders, confronting troublemakers, refuting heresy, meeting hurting people’s needs, suppressing legalism and modeling grace and kindness, discouraging arguments, and forgiving sinners.

* Missing golden opportunities. Don’t overlook the mundane moments in life when opportunities to share the Gospel suddenly materialize. Seize opportunities that arise at the grocery store, PTA meeting, bank window, gas pump, ball field, or anywhere else God nudges you to witness to someone. Know that some opportunities, if they are missed, will be lost forever. Understand that God will give special opportunities to those who are committed and prepared, so make sure you know Scripture well. Recognize that some opportunities are much larger than they first appear, and that on opportunity is too small or insignificant. Understand that some opportunities bear immediate fruit for the kingdom. Remember that the goal of every opportunity should be to lead people to Christ, rather than to a church program. Ask God to give you the passion you need to seize the opportunities He brings your way.

* Settling for mediocrity. Don’t believe that the quality of your work doesn’t matter when you volunteer in ministry, because you’re not a professional. Realize that excellence matters, because: God loves excellence, the Bible commands it, and people respond to it. Ask God to give you the courage to make decisions for excellence. Decide to serve in your areas of giftedness. Invest the money necessary to provide excellent services, programs, equipment, etc. at your church. Thoroughly plan and prepare for events. Persevere and work hard, trusting that your best efforts are worthwhile.

* Allowing wolves to live among the sheep. Watch out for spiritual wolves (troublemakers) among the sheep (faithful people) in your congregation. Confront gossips, liars, caustic critics, legalists, and power-hungry manipulators. Realize that they can be deceptive, but will eventually reveal themselves by how they act. Don’t be afraid to call evil what it is – evil. Don’t allow people to destroy others in your congregation through their bad behavior. Confront them, all the while remembering that your goal isn’t to shame them, but to bring them back into a right relationship with God. Don’t be afraid to follow biblical principles for church discipline whenever you need to do so.

* Accepting the unacceptable. Ask God to help you be consistent in how you apply your faith to your life. Stop doing things halfheartedly and decide to act with your whole heart in every part of your life.

Avoid the Dumb Mistakes Christians Make

2006-07-19T08:37:00.001-07:00

Avoid the Dumb Mistakes Christians Make

2006-07-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Let Go of the Past to Move into the Future

2006-07-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributor

You can’t drive life’s road without sometimes hitting bumps like regrets, disappointments, and tragedies. When you do, it’s easy to get stuck there, gazing back into your rearview mirror at the past.

But God wants you to move on toward the future He has planned for you. It’s a future filled with hope – but to get there, you’ve got to turn your focus forward and look through the windshield at the road ahead.

Here’s how you can let go of the past to move into the future:

* Realize that you have a choice. Understand that you’re not a victim of your circumstances and that no one but yourself can tie you to the past; you can decide whether or not to move on. Ask God for the courage to choose to break free of whatever is chaining you to the past.

* Know Who travels with you. Remember that God is right beside your side all the time. Trust in His unsurpassed power, wisdom, and love when He urges you to keep going into the future. Don’t linger in any place God is calling you to leave. Be willing to put your own agenda aside to follow wherever God leads you.

* Recognize the difference between learning from the past and letting it control you. Understand that it’s healthy to look back as long as you’re learning from your past and remembering how God has worked in your life. But beware of becoming so preoccupied with your past that it begins to dictate your present and future. Don’t let your past define you; that’s God’s job.

* Seek deliverance from parts of your past you’re struggling to let go. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you mentally take those past experiences and lay them in trust at the foot of the cross for Jesus to handle. Acknowledge that holding onto the past is sin because it keeps you from obeying God’s call to move on. Repent of making the past an idol in your life. Make whatever changes you need to make in your life to reinforce your decision, such as discarding past possessions. Surround yourself with people who support your decision to move on. Seek God with all your heart and be excited about His plans for you. Read and meditate on Scripture as a new perspective gradually emerges for you.

* Avoid nostalgia. Don’t be duped into thinking that your best days are behind you. Expect God to continue to bless you in new ways. Recognize that your success is not dependent on any special time or place that can never be captured again. Know that the same God who was with you back in the past is with you now and will continue to be. Don’t rest on your laurels or become intimidated by your past successes; keep active and contributing to the world as He leads you. Trust God to bring you encore success and joy.

* Seek healing for a broken heart. Know that God understands and feels the pain of your heartbreak over a broken relationship with someone you’d loved. Understand that, no matter what happened to wrest your loved one from you, God can transform your pain into positive growth for you. Realize that everything that happens to you plays a part in God’s greater purposes for your life. Give up trying to change the past; it’s futile. Instead, ask God to help you learn to trust His sovereignty in your relationships. Don’t waste time and energy trying to numb a broken heart with drugs or alcohol, denying your feelings, starting a “rebound” relationship, or trying to distract yourself with busyness. Know that God wants to heal you. Pursue healing by repenting of any sin that was involved in your lost relationship, carrying your feelings and shattered dreams to God, saturating your soul with Scripture, and being patient as He gently guides you through the healing process. Trust God to bring something good out of your pain. Understand that God brings some people into your life briefly for a specific reason, some for a longer season, and some to stay your whole life. Ask Him to help you discern which people are which, and to recognize when it’s the right time for some people to make their exits. Remember that, while some people may leave you, God never will.

* Overcome failure. Ask God to help you move past two obstacles that stand in your way after you’ve experienced failure: the consequences of your actions; and your inner sense of condemnation, guilt, regret, and self-inflicted punishment. Take your failure to God and allow Him to restore your strength, hope and confidence. Honestly pour out all your thoughts and feelings about the failure to God. Ask Him to teach you what He wants you to learn from your failure. Accept God’s forgiveness, and forgive yourself.

* Break free of trauma’s chains. In prayer, freely express the anger, fear, disillusionment, mistakes, and regrets that have resulted from a past trauma in your life. Ask God to direct you to Scripture passages that relate to that trauma, and to use those passages as a surgeon would a scalpel to bring about the healing you need. Don’t blame God for your trauma; realize that it was the result of living in a sinful, fallen world. Invite Jesus into your pain, realizing that He is the ultimate answer to your problem. Ask Jesus to give you new hope and restore your sense of purpose.

* Get rid of the poison of bitterness. Realize that holding onto bitterness after someone has hurt you will only continue to hurt you more by poisoning your soul. Know that there is only one antidote to that poison – forgiveness. Decide not to allow people who have wronged you to keep controlling your life and distancing you from God. Remember all that God has forgiven you for, and let your gratitude and love for Him motivate you to obey His command to forgive others. Always be willing to forgive, even when people repeatedly offend you, don’t ask for your forgiveness, refuse to reconcile, or are deceased. Understand that forgiveness doesn’t depend on what you consider fair, reasonable, or just – it’s a matter of being faithful to God. Don’t wait until you feel like forgiving someone; you probably never will. Instead, decide to do so and trust God to help you. Expect God to clear bitterness out of your life as you forgive.

* Let go of unhealthy attachments. Don’t waste time and energy trying to hold onto someone or something from the past if that person or thing doesn’t have a place in your present or future. Accept reality when you can’t bring back a marriage, job, child, church, reputation, or anything else you’re trying to resurrect. Realize that it – whatever it happens to be – is truly over. Refuse to wallow in sorrow over something you can’t do anything about. Get up, return to life as normal, worship God, and ask Him to help you enjoy life again. Trust God to give you new beginnings filled with promise.

* Rely on God’s strength to get you through stormy crossings. Expect a struggle every time you try to move beyond your past and cross over into your future. Don’t let challenges take you by surprise; instead, use them as tools to grow closer to God. Don’t give up; ask God for the courage and strength you need to keep going. Ask Him to teach you whatever He’d like you to learn from your crossings. Invite God to strengthen your character and renew your mind so you can become the person He wants you to become. Ask God to show you a side of Himself you’ve never seen when you make each crossing.

* Encourage others. Realize that your experiences in life aren’t just for your own benefit – they’re also designed to help other people. Use what you’ve learned about moving on to encourage others to do the same.

* Fulfill your potential. Remember that your past doesn’t determine your future. Invite God to help you understand His purposes for your life and give you a vision for the new adventures He has in store for you. Realize that your greatest potential can only be realized in and through Jesus. Ask Him to help you fulfill His highest potential for you. Step boldly into your future!

Why I Am Committed to Teaching the Bible

2006-07-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

John MacArthur

I have never aspired to be known as a theologian, a polemicist, or an academician. My passion is teaching and preaching the Word of God.

Even though I've dealt with theological questions and doctrinal controversies in some of my books, I have never done so from the perspective of a systematic theologian. It is of little concern to me whether some point of doctrine fits with this tradition or that. I want to know what is biblical. All my concerns are biblical, and my desire is to be biblical in all my teaching.

Preach the Word
That is how I have approached ministry from the beginning. My father was a pastor, and when I first told him years ago that I felt God had called me to a life of ministry, he gave me a Bible in which he had inscribed these words of encouragement: "Preach the Word!" That simple statement became the compelling stimulus in my heart. It is all I have endeavored to do in my ministry-preach the Word.

Pastors today face a tremendous amount of pressure to do everything but preach the Word. Church growth experts tell them they must address people's "felt needs." They are encouraged to be storytellers, comedians, psychologists, and motivational speakers. They are warned to steer clear of topics that people find unpleasant. Many have given up biblical preaching in favor of devotional homilies designed to make people feel good. Some have even replaced preaching with drama and other forms of staged entertainment.

But the pastor whose passion is biblical has only one option: "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2).

When Paul wrote those words to Timothy, he added this prophetic warning: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth" (vv. 3-4).

Clearly there was no room in Paul's philosophy of ministry for the give-people-what-they-want theory that is so prevalent today. He did not urge Timothy to conduct a survey to find out what his people wanted. He commanded him to preach the Word-faithfully, reprovingly, and patiently.

In fact, far from urging Timothy to devise a ministry that would garner accolades from the world, Paul warned the young pastor about suffering and hardship! Paul was not telling Timothy how to be "successful," he was encouraging him to follow the divine standard. He was not advising him to pursue prosperity, power, prominence, popularity, or any of the otherworldly notions of success. He was urging the young pastor to be biblical-regardless of the consequences.

Preaching the Word is not always easy. The message we are required to proclaim is often offensive. Christ Himself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8). The message of the cross is a stumbling block to some (1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 5:11), mere foolishness to others (1 Corinthians 1:23).

But we are never permitted to trim the message or tailor it to people's preferences. Paul made this clear to Timothy at the end of 2 Timothy 3: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (v. 16, emphasis added). This is the Word to be preached: the whole counsel of God (cf. Acts 20:27).

In chapter 1 Paul had told Timothy, "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me" (v. 13). He was speaking of the revealed words of Scripture-all of it. He urged Timothy to "Guard . . . the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (v. 14). Then in chapter 2 he told him to study the Word and handle it accurately (2:15). Now he is telling him to proclaim it. So the entire task of the faithful minister revolves around the Word of God-guarding it, studying it, and proclaiming it.

In Colossians 1 the apostle Paul, describing his own ministry philosophy, writes, "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God" (v. 25). In 1 Corinthians he goes a step further: "When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (2:2). In other words, his goal as a preacher was not to entertain people with his rhetorical style, or to amuse them with cleverness, humor, novel insights, or sophisticated methodology-he simply preached Christ crucified.

Faithfully preaching and teaching the Word must be the very heart of our ministry philosophy. Any other approach replaces the voice of God with human wisdom. Philosophy, politics, humor, psychology, homespun advice, and human opinion can never accomplish what the Word of God does. Those things may be interesting, informative, and entertaining, but they are not the business of the church. The preacher's task is not to be a conduit for human wisdom; he is God's voice to speak to the congregation. No human message comes with the stamp of divine authority-only the Word of God. How dare any preacher substitute another message?

I frankly do not understand preachers who are willing to abdicate this solemn privilege. Why should we proclaim the wisdom of men when we have the privilege of preaching the Word of God?

Be Faithful In and Out of Season
Ours is a never-ending task. Not only are we to preach the Word, we must do it regardless of the climate of opinion around us. We are commanded to be faithful when such preaching is tolerated-but also when it is not.

Let's face it-right now preaching the Word is out of season. The market-driven philosophy currently in vogue says that plainly declaring biblical truth is outmoded. Biblical exposition and theology are seen as antiquated and irrelevant. "Churchgoers don't want to be preached to anymore," this philosophy says. "The baby-boomer generation won't just sit in the pew while someone up front preaches. They are products of a media-driven generation, and they need a church experience that will satisfy them on their own terms."

But Paul says the excellent minister must be faithful to preach the Word even when it is not in fashion. The expression he uses is "be ready." The Greek term (ephistemi) literally means "to stand beside." It has the idea of eagerness. It was often used to describe a military guard, always at his post, prepared for duty. Paul was speaking of an explosive eagerness to preach, like that of Jeremiah, who said that the Word of God was a fire in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9. That's what he was demanding of Timothy. Not reluctance but readiness. Not hesitation but fearlessness. Not motivational talks but the Word of God.

Reprove, Rebuke, and Exhort
Paul also gives Timothy instructions about the tone of his preaching. He uses two words that carry negative connotations and one that is positive: reprove, rebuke, and exhort. All valid ministry must have a balance of positive and negative. The preacher who fails to reprove and rebuke is not fulfilling his commission.

Years ago I listened to a radio interview with a preacher known for his emphasis on positive thinking. This man had stated in print that he assiduously avoids any mention of sin in his preaching because he feels people are burdened with too much guilt anyway. The interviewer asked how he could justify such a policy. The pastor replied that he had made the decision early in his ministry to focus on meeting people's needs, not attacking their sin.

But people's deepest need is to confess and overcome their sin. So preaching that fails to confront and correct sin through the Word of God does not meet people's need. It may make them feel good. And they may respond enthusiastically to the preacher, but that is not the same as having real needs met.

Reproving, rebuking, and exhorting are the same as preaching the Word, for those are the very same ministries Scripture accomplishes: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Notice the same balance of positive and negative tone. Reproof and correction are negative; teaching and training are positive.

The positive tone is crucial, too. The word "exhort" is parakaleo, a word that means "encourage." The excellent preacher confronts sin and then encourages repentant sinners to behave righteously. He is to do this "with great patience and instruction" (4:2). In 1 Thessalonians 2:11, Paul talks about "exhorting and encouraging and imploring . . . as a father would his own children." This often requires great patience and much instruction. But the excellent minister cannot neglect these aspects of his calling.

Don't Compromise in Difficult Times
There is an urgency in Paul's charge to young Timothy: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" (2 Tim. 4:3). That is a prophecy reminiscent of those found in 2 Timothy 3:1 ("Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come"), and 1 Timothy 4:1 ("The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith"). This, then, is Paul's third prophetic warning to Timothy about the difficult times that were to come.

Note the progression: The first warning said that the time would come when people will depart from the faith. The second one warned Timothy that dangerous times were coming for the church. Now the third one suggests that the time would come when those in the church would not endure sound doctrine, but desire instead to have their ears tickled.

That is happening in the church today. Evangelicalism has lost its tolerance for confrontive preaching. Churches ignore the biblical teaching on women's roles, homosexuality, and other politically charged issues. The human medium has overtaken the divine message. That's evidence of serious doctrinal compromise. If the church does not repent, those errors and others like them will become epidemic.

Note that Paul does not suggest that the way to reach such a society is to soften the message so that its people will be comfortable with it. Just the opposite is true. Such ear-tickling is abominable. Paul urges Timothy to be willing to suffer for the truth's sake, and keep preaching the Word faithfully.

An appetite for ear-tickling preaching has a terrible end. Second Timothy 4:4 says these people will ultimately "turn away their ears from the truth and will be turned aside to myths." They become the victims of their own refusal to hear the truth. "They will turn away" is in the active voice. The people willfully choose this action. "Will be turned aside to myths" is in the passive voice. It describes what happens to them. Having turned from the truth, they become victims of deception. As soon as they turn away from the truth, they become pawns of Satan.

The truth of God does not tickle our ears, it boxes them. It burns them. It reproves, rebukes, convicts-then it exhorts and encourages. Preachers of the Word must be careful to maintain that balance.

There have always been men in the pulpit who gathered crowds because they were gifted orators, interesting storytellers, entertaining speakers, dynamic personalities, shrewd crowd-manipulators, rousing speech-makers, popular politicians, or erudite scholars. Such preaching may be popular, but it is not necessarily powerful. No one can preach with power who does not preach the Word. And no faithful preacher will water down or neglect the whole counsel of God. Proclaiming the Word-all of it-is the pastor's calling.

© 2006 John MacArthur. All rights reserved.

God's Selection Process & Being ever battle-ready!

2006-07-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

by Os Hillman, July 16, 2006

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." - Judges 7:5

Would you ever take on an army of 100,000 with only 300 men? Sound preposterous? I agree. However, this is exactly what happened with Gideon. It was bad enough that he began with 10,000 against 100,000, but this was too many men according to God. He would not allow Gideon to fight with this many soldiers, because the temptation would still remain to believe that it was the strength of his army that won the victory. God told Gideon to pare down his army to a mere 300. This would ensure that God would receive total credit for the victory. This is a law in the Kingdom of God. All glory must go to Him. "Announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained" (Judg. 7:3).

Now there are 10,000 men left but that was still too many. God gave Gideon an interesting selection method for the 300 as he took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink" (Judg. 7:5b). What was the significance of this? Those soldiers who lapped water like a dog were soldiers who were more aware of the enemy around them compared to those who kneeled to drink. The lappers were men who were on constant guard to the danger around them, keeping their eyes up and looking about them. The others could be easily picked off.

If you and I are going to be one of God's elite, we must be battle ready. We must be sensitive to the spiritual dangers around us. We must be trained to go about our business while, at the same time, discern when the enemy of our souls is prowling about seeking to destroy us. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Beware of the spiritual dangers around you.

UN calls for Lebanon peace force

2006-07-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

UN chief Kofi Annan and UK PM Tony Blair have called for an international force to be sent to Lebanon.
The force could "stop the bombardment coming over into Israel and therefore gives Israel a reason to stop its attacks on Hezbollah", Mr Blair said.

The calls came as Israel struck targets across Lebanon for a sixth day, killing 15 people in air strikes in the north.

Two people were hurt in a new Hezbollah attack on the Israeli city of Haifa, where eight people died on Sunday.

Monday's rocket attack brought down a three-storey building in the city, Israel's third-largest, and rescuers were searching the rubble for more victims.

Lebanese guerrillas have been firing hundreds of missiles into Israel.

On Monday, Lebanese TV showed footage of what it said was an Israeli F-16 fighter aircraft falling from the sky over Beirut in flames. Israel said none of its aircraft had been shot down.

International action

Mr Annan's call for an international force suggested a "package of actions, not exhortations" that would require parties to release prisoners, stop both rocket attacks into Israel and retaliatory action and "pursue this idea of a stabilisation force".

The call was made after talks between Mr Annan and Mr Blair on the sidelines of the G8 summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

It is unclear which countries would contribute to the force, and what its mandate would be.

A 2,000-strong UN mission has been monitoring the Lebanese-Israeli border since 1978 - but it does not have the power to enforce peace.

Israeli spokeswoman Miri Eisin told the BBC it was too early to consider the deployment of a new force.

However she added that her government would "welcome any international energised effort" to implement UN resolutions calling for the disarming of Hezbollah - which controls the Lebanese side of the border.

Israeli air raids

Israel launched its offensive last Wednesday following the capture of two of its soldiers by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Since then, more than 130 Lebanese people have been killed.

Early on Monday, Israeli air strikes targeted the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, and the nearby port of Abdeh.

HAVE YOUR SAY
Hezbollah, Syria and Iran are using our country as a battleground against Israel
Nayef, Beirut

Fifteen people - including nine Lebanese soldiers - were killed in what Israeli said were attacks on radar stations used by Hezbollah there.

Two other people died when Israeli jets bombed northern parts of Beirut - including fuel tanks in the port area, where fires are raging. Targets in the Bekaa Valley in the East were also hit overnight.

Later, Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon. There are few details, but Israeli officials said this was not the start of an large-scale invasion.

They said that Israeli troops had crossed the Lebanese border back and forth in recent days.

In related developments:

The evacuation of foreigners continues, as a cruise ship chartered by France was due to start picking nationals from EU countries

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is due to brief EU foreign ministers in Brussels after his visit to Lebanon

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is due in Beirut as an expression of solidarity with the Lebanese people

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has gone to Damascus - a day after Tehran swore to stand by Syria if Israel attacked it.
Israeli forces have also kept up their offensive in the Gaza Strip - which began after an Israeli soldier was seized by Palestinian militants last month.

Two Palestinian militants were killed in separate air strikes overnight. The Palestinian foreign ministry building in Gaza City was hit for the second time in a week and largely destroyed.

G8 leaders seek trade talks push with LDCs

2006-07-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Leaders of the G8 nations have asked counterparts from developing countries to help them push through for a breakthrough on stalled trade talks.
Leaders from Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa took part in talks on the final day of the G8 summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

G8 leaders have given World Trade Organization (WTO) members one month to revive the Doha round of trade talks.

Tony Blair said he was pleased with progress made in the discussions.

Loggerheads

The developing nations represented are key players in the so-called G20 group.

WTO director Pascal Lamy also attended the meeting which focused on the removal of trade barriers.

US trade representative Susan Schwab is set to go to the WTO's headquarters in Geneva at the end of the summit to push for a "robust" round of talks.

The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001, have hit problems over tariffs and subsidies.

The EU and US have been at loggerheads over agriculture.

G8 SUMMIT: 15-17 JULY
The world's seven richest nations - the US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada have met annually since 1975
Russia joined in 1998, turning the G7 into the G8
2006 summit being held in St Petersburg - the first time Russia has hosted the G8
Energy security, infectious diseases and education are on Russia's agenda
Mid-East crisis, Iran, North Korea, and international terrorism are also likely to be discussed

The US has criticised EU plans to cut tariffs on farm imports as inadequate, while the EU has said the US is not doing enough to cut farm subsidies.

Developing countries agree with both these criticisms.

Meanwhile, the US, the EU and others have urged big emerging economies, especially India and Brazil, to do more to open their markets to industrial imports.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Sunday that there was agreement on the new "ambitious goal" of reviving the WTO talks.

He added: "It shows they (G8) are aware of the importance of this trade round."

'Action needed'

"We welcome the decision to ask the WTO director general to consult members intensively in order to promote early agreement," a G8 statement said following the announcement.

"[We] call upon him to report to the WTO membership as soon as possible with the aim of facilitating agreement on negotiating modalities on agriculture and industrial tariffs within a month," it continued.

A spokesman for Mr Barroso explained that "modalities" meant G8 leaders had ordered their WTO negotiators to reach "broad agreement on key figures" as a way of carrying the trade talks forward.

A year from now the US president's special authority to negotiate trade deals will expire.

After that it will be harder to get congressional approval, and if the US cannot deliver on whatever its negotiators might agree, other countries will not want to either.

"Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path."-Joel 2:8

2006-07-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Locusts always keep their rank, and although their number is legion,
they do not crowd upon each other, so as to throw their columns into
confusion. This remarkable fact in natural history shows how thoroughly the
a Lord has infused the spirit of order into His universe, since the
smallest animate creatures are as much controlled by it as are the rolling
spheres or the seraphic messengers. It would be wise for believers to
be ruled by the same influence in all their spiritual life. In their
Christian graces no one virtue should usurp the sphere of another, or eat
out the vitals of the rest for its own support. Affection must not
smother honesty, courage must not elbow weakness out of the field, modesty
must not jostle energy, and patience must not slaughter resolution. So
also with our duties, one must not interfere with another; public
usefulness must not injure private piety; church work must not push family
worship into a corner. It is ill to offer God one duty stained wi!
th the blood of another. Each thing is beautiful in its season, but
not otherwise. It was to the Pharisee that Jesus said, "This ought ye to
have done, and not to have left the other undone." The same rule
applies to our personal position, we must take care to know our place, take
it, and keep to it. We must minister as the Spirit has given us ability,
and not intrude upon our fellow servant's domain. Our Lord Jesus taught
us not to covet the high places, but to be willing to be the least
among the brethren. Far from us be an envious, ambitious spirit, let us
feel the force of the Master's command, and do as He bids us, keeping rank
with the rest of the host. To-night let us see whether we are keeping
the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, and let our prayer be
that, in all the churches of the Lord Jesus, peace and order may prevail.

Three Ways To Achieve Financial Freedom

2006-07-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

When someone asks me for help getting their financial house in order, I tell them that it is a matter of learning to control their money. I only know of four ways to do it. I strongly advise against one of them since it involves the use of a mask and a gun. The other three options are totally legal, incredibly simple, but frequently overlooked:

1) Spend Less.

2) Earn More.

3) Invest Wisely.

I know, it’s so simple. You didn’t need to read this to learn something so basic—right? I’ll grant you, conceptually speaking, this is no-brainer stuff. But in my experience, not one person in twenty is willing to follow these simple steps. Have you ever wondered why doctors smoke cigarettes and insurance agents don’t buy coverage? It’s not because they believe smoking is safe or that living without insurance is wise. It’s because they don’t have the intestinal fortitude to do what they know is right!

I like this simple three-step approach because, for me, it answers all the questions.

Spending speaks to what we’re doing with what we already have. Earning involves the actions we can take to improve our standard of living. And, investing focuses on future planning. Taken together, these three steps will determine how well we control our money.

There’s no rocket science involved here. It’s all pretty simple stuff. It involves about 1 part information, and about 9 parts dedication. The hard truth: Until you make a personal commitment to the three steps above—financially speaking, your life isn’t going to improve.

New aid for AU Darfur peace force

2006-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Major donors have pledged to increase aid for peacekeeping in Sudan's Darfur region, responding to warnings that the delicate peace process is in danger.
The 7,000-strong African Union force in Darfur is running short of funds.

At a donor conference in Brussels, the US pledged an extra $116m (£64m), while the EU offered $30m (£16m).

Earlier, aid agencies and the EU warned that the region is teetering on the brink of disaster, amid fears a peace deal signed in May could collapse.

The aid agencies said Western donors were failing African Union (AU) soldiers in Darfur who depend on their funds.

Correspondents say the security situation in Darfur has got worse despite the peace deal.

Most of Darfur's two million displaced people have rejected the deal and rebel movements continue to fight one another.

'Limitation'

Despite the cash injection, which came after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made a personal appeal, questions remain over the AU's longer-term deployment.

It is the conviction of the African Union that it has taken the responsibility for peacekeeping operations in Darfur to the limit of its capacity
Said Djinnit
African Union

Sudan's government has not yet given backing for UN troops to take over from the AU, but the AU itself needs even more money to remain in the region past September.
Said Djinnit, from the AU, said the organisation would need more support if it was to stay on until the end of the year.

"The African Union has made that specific operation because of its commitment to peace to Darfur and to Sudan. It was aware of its limitations.

"It is the conviction of the African Union that it has taken the responsibility for peacekeeping operations in Darfur to the limit of its capacity."

Troops 'set up to fail'

In their statement, the eight agencies - which include Oxfam, Care International, Islamic Relief and Oxfam International - said the 7,000 AU soldiers in Darfur are being set up to fail.

The agencies accused donors of treating Darfur's people like a bargaining chip, and said $300m (£165m) was urgently needed to fund the AU mission until the end of the year.
The agencies insisted that more focus was needed on the situation on the ground now, rather than plans for the months to come.

"While an enormous amount of energy is being spent debating what will happen in six months' time, no-one seems to have noticed that people are still being killed today," said Denis Caillaux of Care International.

Genocide warning

The EU representative to Sudan also spoke out ahead of the conference, warning of the potential for greater conflict - or even genocide - in Darfur.

"If the African Union says: 'Sorry, we have to finish now, we cannot run this operation,' we lose the last internationals who are following the situation - in the camps, around the camps, who are giving at least a minimum protection to these refugees," Pekka Haavisto told the BBC.

"I think internationally we cannot afford this... because then we are very close to the possible scenarios of genocide, or Rwanda scenarios, if you don't have any organised international force on the ground."