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TheWayCM — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:19 CST

The Misconception of Suffering
Video: http://www.getthegist.net/
John 10:10….. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
I have met many Christians who have a misconception of suffering. They seem to think that suffering is a legacy that we inherit when we become a Christian.
Wrong! Jesus Christ went to the Cross to set us free from sin, suffering and death. He hung on that Cross in our place and took every rotten thing we had upon Himself. He died with the full weight of fallen man upon Him. He died instead of you and me.
However, that was not the end. After three days Jesus rose from the dead; having conquered sin, suffering and death. He rose triumphantly from the grave and He is alive today and for evermore.
We, who believe in Jesus Christ and who have asked Him to be our Lord and Saviour are now free from the shackles sin, suffering and, ultimately, death. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness not life in all its foulness.
When we come to Jesus at the Cross and we repent before Him; when we ask Him into our lives and exchange all we are and have for all He has to offer; when we truly surrender to His lordship forfeiting everything, then, and only then, can we say that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
The Divine Exchange takes place and we no longer live but Christ now lives in us. Christ who died and rose again for us. What a glorious, magnificent Saviour. Our legacy is that, through faith, we have become sons of God, reconciled to our Father for all eternity.
Suffering does not come from God, it comes from a corrupt human race, a fallen planet and the pit of hell. Do not mistake persecution for suffering. Persecution will come but we can overcome persecution because God’s grace is sufficient for us.
There is no reward for stoic Christian suffering; that is a lie that comes from the father of all lies. Jesus has set us free from suffering but we need to believe it, appropriate it and overcome the world through faith in the finished work of Calvary.
It was for the joy that was set before Him that Jesus endured the Cross, now enter into His Joy.
Lord Jesus, thank you for breaking the chains that bound us. Amen

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The Centrality of the Cross
Video: http://www.getthegist.net
1 Corinthians 2:2….. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The Cross where Jesus Christ was crucified is so pivotal that it even determines our western-world calendars. Traditionally, we speak of events in history taking place BC; before Christ and AD; (Anno Domini) – the year of Our Lord’s birth, the official start date of the Gregorian calendar.
However, it is not only in the establishing of historical times and dates that gives the Cross of Jesus such importance, far more important are the events that took place there.
Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son – God manifest on earth, was crucified on Calvary’s Cross. The innocent Lamb of God who never sinned, took your sin and mine upon Himself and paid the penalty for our sin on our behalf so that, if we choose, we can be reconciled to His Father in heaven.
If we believe this and acknowledge that our sins are now paid for by the blood of Jesus, we will be forgiven, washed clean and adopted into the family of God as sons and co-heirs with Christ. His Father will become our Father.
Jesus won a tremendous victory on the Cross for us. He overcame sin and death and made the way for us to spend eternity with Him.
That’s not all, when we ask Jesus to forgive us and invite Him to be not only our Saviour but our Lord also, we embark on an amazing journey of salvation that leads to our destiny and the fulfilment of the purpose of our life on earth.
After His death on the Cross and His burial, on the third day Jesus rose from the grave. He overcame death to give us the hope of eternal life. Forty days after His crucifixion He ascended back to heaven telling his disciples as He was taken into the clouds, to wait on the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Ten days after His ascension, on the first day of the Feast of Pentecost, that promise came to pass when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 followers of Jesus who were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem.
By the end of that day there were 3,000 more people added to their number through the outworking of what the prophet Joel speaks of in Chapter 2 of his book in the bible….
A series of cataclysmic events starting at Calvary’s Cross and spread over the next fifty days have changed the whole course of mankind. Have they changed you?
Lord Jesus, thank you for the Cross. Amen

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I am Coming Soon
Video: http://www.getthegist.net/
Revelation 22:7…… “Behold, I am coming soon!”
It is no secret, Jesus Christ is coming back soon. The question is; are we ready? The answer is, sadly, no!
All the signs are there, End Times prophecy is being fulfilled on an almost daily basis yet the church, Christians at large, are apathetic and oblivious ….whatever L. Even non-Christians are aware that there is an almighty shaking of the planet taking place before our very eyes. This is our wake-up call.
The word ‘soon’ in the NIV translates as ‘quickly’ in the KJV of the bible. The word ‘quickly’ in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, is ‘tachu’. ‘Tachu’ is defined as; without delay, soon or (by surprise) suddenly….the word for the instrument that records the driver’s speed in a commercial vehicle is, ‘tachometer’.
The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back with His foot going down on the accelerator pedal. He could be here anytime. If He came in the next hour would we be ready?
Is Jesus delaying His return to give us an opportunity to be ready? His tremendous grace and great mercy towards us could be why He has not yet returned. Oh yes, there are still prophecies to be outworked; events to take place, but God, in His sovereignty, could orchestrate these in the twinkling of an eye.
If you knew that Jesus was coming back in three days, what would you do to be ready? Who would you contact, who would you visit, what would you say and what would you do?
My point is that time is short, there is no time for lethargic inactivity. We should live our lives as though Jesus WAS coming back tomorrow.
Lord Jesus, please help us to be ready. Amen

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What a Saviour
Video: http://www.getthegist.net
Colossians 1:15-16 …. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Our God is an awesome God. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God; He is both man and God. He is the firstborn and was with the Father when their was nothing else in the beginning. He spoke the words His Father gave Him and by His word all that is was created. The Holy Spirit, active in all of this, hovered over what was made.
The Holy Trinity, therefore, was united in glorious harmony for the magnificent creation of a perfect world that sin was soon to taint.
God, who was put out of reach because of our filth and shame, made a way for us to regain paradise. In a surge of phenomenal power and awesome love, God made Himself manifest on the earth; Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World became the only way by which fallen mankind could be reconciled to our Father.
What a Saviour, what a Redeemer; what a price He paid for our lives. What manner of love is this that we should be called children of God, but that is what we are? (see 1 John 3:1).
Jesus Christ came down from heaven and He lived among us as the sinless, perfect sacrifice. He atoned for us at His crucifixion and made the way for us to become at one with God. He took our punishment upon Himself. He was momentarily separated from our Father and He died in our place. He even went to hell where He took back the authority that Satan usurped from man when he deceived Adam in the Garden.
Triumphantly, he conquered death and rose again to give us the hope of eternal life. As He ascended back to heaven He gave us permission to use His supreme authority to help us to live the victorious Christian life and to be with Him forever – what a Saviour!
Let’s choose to live as God intended. If you have not done so already, ask Jesus to be your Saviour and allow Him to be your Lord……come back to the Father today.
Lord Jesus, you are wonderful. Amen

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Read the Instructions
Video: http://www.getthegist.net
Proverbs 8:33 ……. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
Are you one of those people who open the package and read the instructions or are you one of those who ignore the instructions preferring to work it all out for yourself?
Sometimes the instructions are not easy to follow but, if we work out what they mean we will benefit by accomplishing what the manufacturer intended.
Sadly, some Christians have the same attitude towards the bible; the instruction manual for life. There are those who try to work it out for themselves and do not quite manage to put it together properly and there are those who read the bible, listen to the Father’s instructions, and get wise with heavenly wisdom.
Recently, at TheWayCM, we have embarked on a huge multimedia learning curve. We now have to go deeper into software programmes to find potential functionality that was hidden to us when we were doing less. As we have made progress in our multimedia development we have found wonderful treasures in our software and our equipment; functions that they can perform that we did not know were possible, instructions written in the manual that we never saw before.
The same is true of the bible, much more so. The bible was written by men who were under the inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit. As we read it, the Holy Spirit who lives in very born again believer in Jesus Christ, begins to bring us revelation and insight that unlocks our full potential.
Revelation by its nature is progressive, therefore, as we make progress in our Christian walk the bible begins to release its hidden treasures. As we apply this revelation to our lives it manifests in us as the wisdom of God.
The choice is ours; follow the Maker’s instructions and be built-up as God intended or ignore the bible and its life application and do the best we can based on our own understanding. What will you do?
Lord Jesus, thank you for doing what our Father told you. Amen

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THEWAYCM http://www.christianromanichals.com/account/TheWayCM

TheWayCM — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:57:09 CST

VERY VERY IMPORTANT some of us are about to lose our homes at 4 weeks notice

cathayb — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:34:53 CST

Your petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and
is now available on the Number 10 website at the following
address:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Travellerrights/

Your petition reads:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Amend the Act
of Parliament pertaining to security of tenure of Gypsies and
Travellers on rented pitches to ensure that security of tenure
is given.

The European Court of Human Rights (in 2004)and the House of
Lords (in 2008) stated that the situation regarding the lack of
security of tenure for Gypsies and Travellers on rented pitches
amounted to a breach of Human Rights. The Government said they
would amend the law by including Council sites within the
provisions of the Mobile Homes Act 1983.

The Government then released an e-mail to certain organisations
on 10th February 2010 saying that they no longer had time to
introduce the necessary amending powers. This is despite the
fact that security of tenure could be introduced with a few
simple sentences. We call on the Government to take action now
to resolve this breach of Human Rights by amending legislation
to ensure Gypsies and Travellers on rented pitches have the
same rights to security of tenure as other social housing
tenants.

Thanks for submitting your petition.

-- the ePetitions team

TheWayCM - News

TheWayCM — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:15:50 CST

TheWayCM Toolbar
I recently installed The Way Christian Ministries Toolbar. To find out more about it and how to download it go to: http://ning.it/atAiAD

Virtual Teaching Update

Last Monday February 22nd, TheWayCM began broadcasting in English into Liberia, Africa – praise God.
The broadcast goes out at 10.00am GMT and you can listen to it live on Skype if you add The Way Christian Ministries to your contacts.
The Skypecast is also broadcast live onto Worship 101.7FM Liberia.
A recording of the broadcast is available on Peter Stanway’s Podcast. If you subscribe (free) to our podcast on iTunes you will be automatically updated whenever we release any new episodes.

There is also an Urdu Skypecast (English and Urdu) every Monday at 1.15pm GMT (13.15). This is also available on TheWayCM’s Urdu Podcast. Again you can subscribe (free) on iTunes.
....to hear our first Liberia broadcast:
http://peterstanway.podOmatic.com/entry/2010-02-24T22_31_31-08_00

Peter Stanway's Podcast
New Podcast - The Holy Trinity Part 2...hear six exciting new messages at: http://peterstanway.podOmatic.com

TheWayCM's Urdu Podcast

Hear it now: http://thewaycmurdupodcast.podomatic.com/

The Virtual Teaching project into TheWayCM’s Training for Life Teaching Centre in Multan, Pakistan has been a success – thank you Jesus.

We will be broadcasting on Skype at 6.15pm Pakistan time (that’s 1.15pm GMT) every Monday. You can tune into the live broadcast by adding Skype Name: RevStanway to your Skype Contacts.

We are recording the teaching for the use of students who missed it and future students who will join us. The teaching is also available on our new Podcast - TheWayCM’s Urdu Podcast: http://thewaycmurdupodcast.podomatic.com/

Subscribe to TheWayCM’s Urdu Podcast via iTunes and they will automatically update your iPod each week:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=354097768

It is our aim to replicate Virtual Teaching in all of the languages of TheWayCM resources, currently that is 12 languages. At the moment we are working on the Kiswahili (East Africa) and Telugu (India) languages.

Please visit: http://thewaycmnews.weebly.com/

Virtual Teaching

This Monday 25th January I will be virtually broadcasting into TheWayCM TFL Centre/Bible College in Multan Pakistan. This is the beginning of our Global Virtual Conferencing Vision that you have heard me speak of. We are very excited and give all the glory to God.
The initial broadcast will go into one classroom of Training for Life Trainees but the amazing thing is that any of our members who have access to the internet (on pc or laptop) can also tune-into the broadcast from anywhere. Very soon all of TheWayCM members throughout Pakistan will tune-into the broadcasts. It is even possible to receive the broadcast onto a mobile phone or landline.
We will be broadcasting at least once a week and the broadcast is interactive; the trainees can ask me questions and we can pray and worship together. There will be a simultaneous live translation.
Initially we will be using the Skype software but, in time, we will use TheWayCMTV platform.
The broadcast can be recorded and then sent as a file or burned onto a disc for future use or immediate use for people who have no broadband access.
We would like to reproduce this model in all of the countries where TheWayCM and TFL is established. Please contact us for more details….
Thank you.

Haiti Earthquake

The recent devastating earthquake in Haiti has brought an outpouring of sympathy and support from around the world. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti who have been affected by this disaster, along with their concerned relatives and friends.

We wish them strength and God's protection as aid and rescue efforts continue in the coming days.

If you are considering making a personal donation, multiple organizations will accept donations, but be warned of scams which may result in personal identity theft. Please beware of unsolicited appeals, and do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.

Below is the link to one organization that has been featured prominently in media reports this week. They are Christian Aid:
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/haiti-earthquake-appeal/index.aspx

The Way Christian Ministries Toolbar

I recently installed The Way Christian Ministries Toolbar and thought you might also find it interesting.
It has lots of useful features and many people seem to like it.
To find out more about this toolbar and how to download it, go to:
http://thewaychristianministries.ourtoolbar.com/

Access the Best of Our Site
Get our freshest content delivered directly to your browser....

Alerts to Your Desktop
Receive our most important news and announcements instantly.

New Community Page

...visit our new Community Page: http://www.thewaycm.com/community.html

This Week's Hot Links......

The Overcoming Series: http://www.ucb.co.uk/index.cfm?itemid=6024
To request free printed booklets please call UCB: 0845 6040401 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting0845 6040401end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting0845 6040401end_of_the_skype_highlighting (UK only).

New Radio Broadcast: http://www.thewaycm.com/tvradio.html
Exciting News: http://thewaycmnews.weebly.com/

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr2hkVjDKyQ
GodTube/Tangle video: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=fea797a0222866ec2360
TheWayCMTV: http://bit.ly/5N5C6X
Podcast: http://peterstanway.podOmatic.com/entry/2010-01-02T03_46_28-08_00

Training for Life (TFL) Flow – Update December 2009

In the pursuit of excellence in all things significant developments have been made in The Way Christian Ministries (TheWayCM) Training for Life (TFL) Online Course.
The TFL Course is holistic and is outworked through five key elements in a global network of TFL Centres – visit this link for more details: http://www.thewaycm.com/tfl.html
I have been working on a brand new website called GlobalTFL to look exclusively at the ‘Spiritual’ aspect of the course. The site is almost finished and you can visit it now at: http://www.globaltfl.com
I have been working with VisionColleges (collectively the world’s largest online bible college) and they are happy to count modules completed with TFL towards a legitimate qualification awarded by them. For more information about Vision Colleges visit: http://www.internetbiblecollege.info/
I am currently preparing to complete a Bachelors Degree with VisionColleges who have recognised the academic merit of our TFL course and my part in creating it. In doing this I will pioneer a path for our own students to follow. Our modules and theirs will dovetail into each other making the transition fuss-free and straight-forward for TheWayCM students who want to pursue academic studies.
All of this costs money. Our online course will comprise of Three Modules of Thirty Weeks each done in Three Semesters of Ten Weeks per year. Each student can do the course semester by semester. Uninterrupted, the full TFL course will last for Three Years (each year comprising of Thirty Weeks)
The cost of each Ten Weeks Semester Online is: £250 (GBP Sterling).
For additional information, please visit: http://www.thewaycm.com/tfl.html

Get the Gist on UCB Radio: http://thewaycmnews.weebly.com/

News Update
Watch this video to catch-up on the latest news from TheWayCM: http://bit.ly/40FRyF
The Way Christian Ministries Mission to India
Our mission to India has been postponed until early in the new year of 2010.
Praise God for His perfect timing and His perfect plan.
Whilst we are sincerely grateful to those of you who have already contributed we are still short of our target figure. Therefore, we are asking you to consider helping us raise the necessary funds for this mission.
Ground-Breaking
This will be a pioneering and ground-breaking mission.
We want to put in place the technology required for setting-up the prototype for ‘virtual conferences’. We believe this will lead the way for Global Multimedia Interactive Conferencing that will connect the growing number of TheWayCM members around the world.
We will be able to feed and disciple them in a highly effective way.
Making Disciples
It is our purpose to make disciples out of Christians in fulfilment of the Great Commission and to do that we need to utilise the tools of the 21st century
Please watch this video for more information: http://bit.ly/40FRyF
You can make a donation here: http://www.thewaycm.com/donate.html
Thank you and bless you,
Peter

BLUEBELLS

YvonneJade — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:06:46 CST

Have you walked through a bluebell wood the smell
Is beautiful and its like a sea of flowers within the wood.
This is one of my favourite flowers, a wildflower altho
culivated now. Sometimes you get pink Bluebells
Sometimes you get White these are the rarer Colours.
Yes The Lord made these flowers, Solomon in all his
Glory was not arrayed like one of these, How much
more will he not provide for us all we need, and all we desire.

PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO

cathayb — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:58:15 CST

Muslim Students at the University of California/Irvine give example of "Peaceful" Muslim Religious Tolerance

Uncivilized Tactics at UC Irvine (Rough Cut)
StandWithUs2009
Please read and see the video below. This took place at UC Irvine on Monday evening and I have no words to explain just how scary and saddening the situation was. It took close to an hour before the mob left the room.
We need as many people to watch this video as possible.
We have over 8,000 views in just 24 hours and if we can get it up to 25,000 it will be newsworthy.
The more attention this issue receives, the better.
The Muslim students made a huge mistake at UC Irvine on February 8th,
and the administration is going to need to figure out how they intend to secure free speech at UC Irvine.
All eyes are on UC Irvine right now.
This is an issue for campuses around the world.
Please join this effort and help us get the word out widely.

See Video Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w96UR79TBw

THE LAST DAYS

cathayb — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:35:39 CST

The Last Days: Not a Test of Knowledge But Faith

February 4, 2010

Shalom in Christ Jesus,

The following commentary is one of the most practical "end times" teachings I have ever come across. Usually the last days and practicality don't go hand in hand in the church, yet they very well should and that is what is so sadly missing and I painfully concur with Danny that it is difficult to "cheer on" the return of Christ when the church is in such terrible shape and when those who should know better are more concerned with "getting out of here" than ministering to the brethren or seeing the lost saved. I do not excuse myself from this group as my heart becomes very hard at times, by what is happening in the world and the church and I become angry and closed off. Additionally, growing up and living (and then thankfully getting saved) in the richest and most privileged country in the world in the last days I have come to realize just how self-centered I am, and it is very difficult because we live in a culture that is self-centered that has therefore conformed the majority of the church here also in it's self-centered image (I'm talking about the true believing church). I pray this ministers to you and praise the Lord Jesus our Messiah for blessing Moriel with it's many gifted teachers. May the Lord bless you and keep you, BE/\LERT!Scott Brisk

The Last Days: Not a Test of Knowledge But Faith

MORIEL MINISTRIES - By Danny Isom - January 23, 2010

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also. - 2 Timothy 3:1-9 (NASB) I have never doubted that sin and wickedness and every aspect of evil would increase as the Day of the Lord draws closer. We are warned in Scripture of the particular intensity of Satan's wrath to come when he is thrown down to the earth in the waning days leading up to Christ's return. So in the course of my life whenever I have read passages like this I have thought, "How awful things on earth are going to be in the Last Days for those who don't know Christ." But what I did not realize in my youth which has become painfully clear in my twilight is that everything James is speaking of has already begun to occur, and it is not limited to non-believers. Every single behavior listed here has been adopted by a host of people claiming the title "Christian" and operating within the walls of the church - in stunning depth and not simply as an aberration here and there. Is there a Bible-believing, born-again Christian with even an ounce of discernment who does not recognize that the Great Apostasy - the "falling away" - signaling the imminent return of Christ is not already underway? Intellectually I know that when we see these things occurring we should "straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Lk. 21:28). Our faith is supposed to be affirmed by the approach of such things. But in all honesty, I have wondered if something is basically wrong with me. For the vast majority of my life I have been the "glass is half full" kind of a guy who usually picks the mood up for most everyone else in the room. Lately, however, I have been at best a borderline downer. I freely admit that I seem to be incapable of cheering on the return of our Lord while witnessing the corruption and falling away of God's people. Every new trend of sin becoming entrenched in the church disturbs me deeply; every additional teacher who at one time solidly held to God's Word who has in latter years themselves fallen away doctrinally grieves me beyond words; every secular reference to the documented hypocrisy and misbehavior in the name of Christ brings me to my knees. I cannot seem to "get happy" that people, organizations, and entire movements are going down the earthly drain as a prelude to His return. I expect such from the world's institutions, not from those with a Christian heritage.

Video's Starlet Made for our enjoyment

YvonneJade — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:05:40 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Waiting on God

YvonneJade — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:00:33 CST

Don't it always seem difficult to wait upon God in times of trouble and Trial.
Yes I got to be honest and say many has been the time I have struggled
with that one. Till I learned something which to be truthful I have learned
now once but many times. I learned what it was to rejoice in trouble, in the
middle of sorrow, in the of great difficulities. How did I do that? By letting
Christ be my everything, my consolation, my comfort. By Fixing my eyes
straight on Christ. In the words of the old song describe it better..I would rather
have Jesus, than anything this old world affords today. You see I love Jesus,
more than anything else in this world. I love Jesus cause he first loved me.
I plainly say I am a stranger, a sorjounerer, am looking for a the city that is
not built with hands but made by God. Faith is substance of things not seen
but hoped for.

Photo

YvonneJade — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:52:51 CST

MESSAGE BOARD. PLEASE POST NOTES HERE.

cathayb — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:54:09 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

OUR BIBLE STUDY,please take part weekyly texts to discuss!!!

rawnymum — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:10:31 CST

Zechariah 7

In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, together with their men, to entreat the LORD by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"
Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?' " And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry. 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty. 'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate .

Francis Frangipane ministries

rawnymum — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:26:34 CST

John and Andrew began their spiritual commitment to God’s will as disciples of John the Baptist. In fact, they had actually been standing near the prophet when Jesus walked by. As the Baptizer saw Jesus, he cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” and from that moment the two disciples began to follow Jesus (John 1:35-37).
This was an insightful account. It is John’s handwritten testimony of how he came to the Son of God. Yet, John has deeper truths to reveal beyond this historic portrayal. He is also going to reveal what we should each ultimately seek when we come to Christ.
Let’s pick up the narrative. The two disciples, having heard and believed John’s messianic proclamation about Jesus, are now walking, perhaps hurriedly, to catch up to Jesus. They are within conversation range.
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see.
—John 1:38-39 KJV
There are many reasons one comes to Christ. We may seek Him for health issues or to possess the keys to prosperity. Perhaps we need deliverance or are burdened with the cares of a loved one. Yet, as the Lord asked John and Andrew, so He asks each of us: what are you seeking in life? What goals compel us? When we approach the final season of our lives, will the things we have achieved be transferable into eternal accounts? Or will we have spent our time and energies on that which is void of true life?
Jesus asks, “What are you seeking?” It is a very important question. The Lord desires that we take inventory of our passions and objectives, and then chart our course toward heavenly values. You see, many say they love Jesus. What they mean is that, in time, they hope to get around to loving Jesus. Right now, however, they barely know Him and almost never spend time seeking Him.
The proof that we love Him is that we keep His commandments (John 14:15). What must He think when so many who say they love Him are, in fact, not loving Him but actually having an affair with this world? May God have mercy.
Yet, this is not your situation. In spite of your flaws and weaknesses, you sincerely desire to possess more of God. You have emerged from your past trials, determined to walk closer to the Lord. Indeed, Christ sees this holy desire and, to Him, it is the most precious part of you.
The Lord’s heart is also moved toward those who follow Him, though they may walk limping. To those wounded by injustice or the effects of sin, the Lord’s promise remains faithful: “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish.” Surely, He will bring to victory the justice due you (Isa. 42:3; Matt. 12:20).
Like John and Andrew, we, too, “behold the Lamb of God.” Just as He asked them, so He asks us, “What are you seeking?”
The Dwelling Place of Christ
In response to Jesus’ probing question, the disciples’ answer may seem strange. For they did not ask Him for greater power or one of His many spiritual gifts. Instead, they asked Jesus something more personal, and intimate: “Where dwellest Thou?”
I’d like us to consider the poignancy of their answer. They wanted to know where Jesus lived. There are times when a question transcends the simple boundaries of intellectual curiosity and actually reveals one’s quest in life. Such is now the case: they are seeking to live with Jesus. They are searching for the dwelling place of God.
Our Father wants us to ask for spiritual gifts and special blessings of health and financial prosperity. To desire these things is not wrong; it is just not enough. Inside the heart of a God-seeker is a quest for more. We are in search of the “dwelling places” of God. In truth, our hearts have been divinely programmed. There are within us “the highways to Zion” (Ps. 84).
Our destination is nothing less than oneness with Christ. All fruitfulness comes from living in spiritual union with Jesus. In contrast, whatever we offer as service to God that is not the result of our union with Christ, that labor is in vain; it is a weak comfort. For apart from Him, we can do nothing.
John tells us in his first epistle that those who say they abide in Him ought to walk “in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Abiding in Jesus leads to walking like Jesus.
Beloved, there is yet much more to learn and discover concerning our Lord! We must beware of spiritual complacency. Recall the prayer of Moses: At the end of his life – after being used by God to confront and defeat the gods of Egypt, after dwelling in the Lord’s glory and beholding miracle after miracle for forty years – Moses prayed, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand” (Deut. 3:24).
You have begun? No matter how much we attain, no matter what revelations of God’s glory are ours, we have only begun to see His glory.
The disciples answered astutely, “Rabbi, where dwellest Thou?” May this become our prayer as well: Where do You live, O Son of God? Where is Your dwelling place? To all who feel similarly, Christ says to us what He promised them: “Come and see.”
Dear Master, I turn to You now. You are my life’s greatest goal. I desire to live with You, to abide in the wonder of a life united with You.
The following chapter has been taken from Pastor Frangipane's newest book to be released in November 2009, And I Will Be Found By You available from Arrow Bookstore. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please feel free to forward this message to others; acknowledging our web site would be kindly appreciated. Reprint Agreement
Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is permitted provided that complete source and website information for the Ministries of Francis Frangipane www.frangipane.org
Kindly allowed by Francis Frangipane ministries , please check out the website http://www.frangipane.org/

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

cathayb — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:49:39 CST

The Night Before Christmas
A more spiritual version of the famous Christmas story

By: Sister St. Thomas, B.N.D. de N

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town,
St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down;
Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild,
While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child.
The children were nestled, each snug in their beds,
The grown-ups wouldn't bother, there's no room they said;
When even the innkeeper sent them away,
Joseph was wondering, where they would stay.
He thought of the caves in the side of the hills,
Lets go there said Mary, it's silent and still;
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go.
And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay,
Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day!
The Father was watching in heaven above,
He sent for His angels, His couriers of love.
More rapid than eagles God's bright angels came;
Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name;
Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael,
Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel.
Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live,
Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give;
The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night,
And saw in the heavens and unearthly light.
The Angels assured them, they'd nothing to fear,
It's Christmas they said, the Savior is here!
They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door,
Till Mary invited them in to adore.
He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet,
Never did the Shepherds see a baby so sweet!
He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew,
He was telling them secrets and blessing them too.
Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay,
And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day;
Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill,
Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will! Twas The Night Before Jesus Came

Anonymous

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their bibles were lain on the shelf without care,
in hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
not once ever kneeling or bowing a head;
And mom in her rocker with baby on her lap,
was watching the late show while I took a nap;
When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter;
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
threw open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The light of His face made me cover my head,
it was Jesus returning, just like He said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the book of life, which He held in His hand,
was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name,
when He said, "It's not here!" my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound,
while all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late:
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight.
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear,
the coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when the last name is called,
we'll find that the bible was true after all.

VIDEO YVONNEJADE MADE FOR OUR ENJOYMENT

cathayb — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:07:03 CST

SEASONS GREETINGS TO YOU ALL

cathayb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:32:26 CST

i dont send cards at this time of year but i do send my love and prayers and give thanks for what the Good Lord has done for me.please join with me this season and remember:........loads of love cathayb

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THE MANHATTON DECLARTATION

cathayb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:54:30 CST

The Manhattan Declaration
Our Regretful Inability to Become a Signatory

December 4, 2009

Shalom in Christ Jesus,

The Manhattan Declaration (Website; Manhattan Declaration Summary pdf; Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience (Full) pdf) is the latest bandwagon that a number of Evangelicals are flocking to due to the serious lack of biblical discernment that has become epidemic in the church. Considering that a few of Evangelicals on the list of signatories have been strong defenders of Scriptural truth, one has to wonder if this decision was based on emotion rather than proper prayerful and Scriptural consideration. It is my opinion that those such as Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. and Kay Arthur clearly should know better.

Below are five responses on why Bible believing Christians should not "sign on" to this cause. As you will see, it is not the cause (which is quite noble and godly) but false unity with unbelievers that is clearly forbade by the Holy Scriptures.

Surely there will be some who have problems with the viewpoints presented and will disagree, but please realize that in each case the view presented is well referenced with Scripture and if you do have a problem, then it is with The Word of God, not man.

I pray this alert helps to encourage and strengthen your walk in these days of ecumenical compromise and apostasy in the church.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
BE/\LERT!
Scott Brisk

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Revelation 18:4
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

Ezra 4:3
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel,...

In This Alert

1) Jacob Prasch & Moriel - The Manhattan Declaration: Our Regretful Inability to Become a Signatory

2) Mike Gendron/Proclaiming the Gospel - Reply to Moriel and The Manhattan Declaration

3) John MacArthur - "The Manhattan Declaration"

4) Alistair Begg - "The Manhattan Declaration"

5) Pastor Claude T. Stauffer, Calvary Chapel of Hope - Unity, Diversity and Division that Glorifies God

The Manhattan Declaration
Our Regretful Inability to Become a Signatory

By Jacob Prasch
On behalf of Moriel Ministries
December 2, 2009

In an era of the diminishing Judeo-Christian religious and moral liberty upon which the founding of both American and British democracy were historically predicated there is indeed a vital urgency to actively confront the assault on those rights by the agenda set by what in effect amounts to a tyranny of a highly vocal and disproportionately over-represented minority in everything. This has manifested itself in a virtual suppression of solid scientific fact in everything from the implausibility of Darwinist presupposition to the clinically documented reduced longevity of homosexuals to the embryonic and obstetric realities of elective non- clinical abortion as a de facto means of birth control. The forced imputation of these and other social insanities to the violation of the moral convictions of a statistical majority constitutes an abrogation of both constitutional principle and the very national heritage that bequeathed us constitutional government and liberty to begin with. No one in his right mind could read the preamble of the U. S. constitution, the Declaration of Independence or the highly theistic writings of the British parliamentarians and logically arrive at the absurd non-theistic misinterpretation of separation of church and state currently demanded by such organizations as the ACLU.

We further state that in the USA, despite the efforts of certain political moguls to attribute these trends to the liberal Democratic Party, it was in fact Eisenhower's Republican Supreme Court of Earl Warren who ordered God out of the classroom contrary to the will of the popular majority; it was the Nixon Republican Supreme Court of Warren Burger who ordered God out of the maternity ward with Roe v. Wade; and it was Ronald Reagan's Republican pro-abortion Supreme Court appointee, Sandra Day O'Connor (appointed by Reagan after he lied to voters promising to be pro-life) who ordered God out of the courtroom with the decision she authored to remove the 10 Commandments from the Alabama Judicial building. Again, it was Reagan's Sandra Day O' Connor who also wrote the Supreme court decision outlawing Texas anti ****** laws opening the flood gate for same-sex marriages. It was likewise a George W. Bush appointed Republican federal judge who ruled against intelligent design being allowed to be taught in schools alongside of Darwinistic evolution.

All of these policies, legislated from the bench by an out of control judiciary usurping the power of congress and imposing anti-democratic decisions on the majority, were achieved courtesy of the Republican Party who were usually supported by the "religious right" and many undiscerning and naïve Christians who foolishly believed the lies of these professional connivers. Thus we note that the Manhattan Declaration's senior architect, Chuck Colson, is a recognized kingpin of this religious right of the Republican Party who have consistently betrayed the Christians who voted for them by doing the diametric opposite in areas of religious freedom and social morality from what they promised. We find it impossible to accept Chuck Colson as anything more than a stooge of a Republican Party establishment that has repeatedly proven itself to be no more interested in Christian concerns than the Democratic Party, and the Manhattan Declaration must in significant part be viewed in that context.

Chuck Colson also, however, is co-author of the Evangelicals and Roman Catholics Together betrayal, which sells out the millions of biblical Evangelicals who converted from Roman Catholicism to scriptural Christianity. This agreement defers from the biblically Evangelical Gospel to the sacramental and auto-atonement purgatorial false gospel of Roman Catholicism, rejecting the need to evangelize Catholics and accepting its transubstantiated idolatry and necromancy as somehow compatible with The New Testament, which it is not.

The iconic theosis and necromancy of Eastern Orthodoxy is likewise not Orthodox Christianity in the biblical sense but a heterodox Patristic invention of the Eastern Church Fathers alien to the authentic Gospel. More alien still are the beliefs of Mormonism which teaches that Jesus Christ, whom Scriptures identify as "monogenes" or "only begotten" of the Father is rather the "spirit brother of Satan".

It is obvious that Moriel and Jacob Prasch share in all of the concerns expressed in this declaration and always have even prior to its being drafted regarding the important issues of assisted suicide, non-therapeutic abortion, embryo destructive research, and same-sex marriage (in effect made possible by Mr. Colson's fellow Republicans).

If this were a mere secular document on behalf of Moriel, Jacob Prasch could and would easily become signatory. It is however packaged and presented as a Christian document inherently carrying the implication of accepting elements of Christendom, which we cannot, on the basis of Scripture, hold to be genuine Christianity as our fellow believers.

This is not to imply any opposition to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Mormon people by Moriel or Jacob Prasch. It is, however, to establish our fundamental disagreement of their basic doctrinal theology and to voice our firm opposition to ecumenical figures Mr. Colson, Norman Geisler and other supposed Evangelicals who compromise the essential substance of the New Testament Gospel for a counterfeit unity not grounded in scriptural truth.

The current pope Benedict, upon assuming office, issued a statement, which was tantamount to a papal edict proclaiming that only Roman Catholicism is a true church. As we speak, another humongous scandal exposing widespread ********** by sex criminal Roman Catholic clergy is unfolding in Ireland where they were protected by the hierarchy under a Roman Catholic doctrine that allows intentional misleading of people and authorities in order to protect criminal sex pervert ********* priests and nuns instead of the defenseless children whose lives they destroy without their "church" considering it to be a lie [Ed. Note: Alert soon forthcoming]. Countless thousands of small children have been victims and droves of child molesting sex criminals shielded from arrest and prosecution according to official Irish government investigations.

Mormonism has likewise repeatedly denounced in its doctrines and covenants non-Mormon Christianity and, dating back to the serial polygamy of its founders, has an ugly history of what most would consider to be **********.

One signatory of this declaration is Peter Kreeft who argues in print for a vision of Mohammed and others having salvation and being in heaven without a personal saving faith in Christ. In his book, Ecumenical Jihad Kreeft calls for ecumenical union with Islam to morally redeem society.

Moriel and Jacob Prasch can have no partnership with such wickedness and cannot convey any impression that we accept those propounding such erroneous beliefs and practices to be our brethren in Christ. Indeed, the evils perpetrated by these false religions are as co-equally wicked as the evils the declaration seeks to counter. Mr. Colson is an arch-agent of a deception we are compelled on the basis of God's Word to classify as utterly satanic. (2 Cor. 11:14-15)

Independent of ourselves, we learned that such figures as John MacArthur and Alistair Begg have nobly voiced some of our concerns involving the compromise of the biblical Gospel inherent in this declaration and likewise have quite correctly declined to become signatory although endorsing its aims. We thank God and them for their stance and Christian integrity.

We again emphasize that we are not opposed to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Mormon people personally and we share in the convictions contained in this declaration. While sanctioning the contents, however, we can never become signatory to anything published under the demonic auspices of ecumenical deception or allow ourselves to be hoodwinked by the political antics of Mr. Colson and the religious right of the Republican Party, which has duped Christians and betrayed us so consistently.

J. Jacob Prasch

Posted on the Moriel Ministries Website

Mike Gendron/Proclaiming the Gospel
Reply to Moriel and The Manhattan Declaration

December 2, 2009

My brother Jacob,

I commend you for speaking the truth in love. The document that was drafted by Chuck Colson and Princeton University professor Robert P. George, a Roman Catholic [and] is clearly another attempt to bring ecumenical unity to all of professing Christianity and blur the lines that separate apostates from true Christians. Why are evangelicals putting their signatures on another accord drafted by Colson, who has stated that the following differences should not divide Catholics and Evangelicals as "brothers and sisters in Christ" - baptismal regeneration, the Eucharist, sacramental grace, justification by works, purgatory, indulgences, the role of Mary and the saints in salvation, and salvation for those not evangelized? (1997 ECT II).

Many of the signers of Colson's Evangelicals and Catholics Together Accord have given their name to this accord as well. Purposefully, the Gospel is never defined, explained or presented in the Manhattan Declaration. This is because of the contradictory and opposing views on the issue of justification and salvation that are held by the signatories. The implication throughout the document is that Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Evangelicals share a common faith. This blatantly ignores the fact that there can be never be spiritual unity between true Christianity and apostate Christianity, between believers and unbelievers or between light and darkness (2 Cor. 6:14-18). The apostle Paul never signed unity accords with people who perverted the Gospel of Jesus Christ; he condemned them with anathema (Gal. 1:6-9). It was Paul's great fear that, just as the serpent deceived Eve, we would put up with counterfeit Christians who preach another Jesus and another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4). He warned us that these false apostles and deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as our brothers in Christ, would corrupt our minds and lead us astray (2 Cor. 11:13).

Whereas it is good to unite as co-belligerents with a united voice to fight moral and political issues, any accord that attempts to overlook, dismiss, nullify or compromise the Gospel is antithetical to the command for all Christians to earnestly contend for the faith. We can never deny the profound importance of protecting the life of every baby and the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. We must earnestly contend against those who seek to destroy both. However, we must remember that this is a spiritual battle, which can only be won through fervent prayer and the proclamation of the true Gospel, a Gospel that is denied by every Catholic priest when he offers the Eucharistic Christ upon his altar for the forgiveness of sins. If Evangelicals must put their names on accords, why not draft our own accord that, first and foremost starts with a God-honoring, Christ-exalting unity in the one and only Gospel of grace?

Charles Spurgeon said "To pursue union at the expense of truth is treason to the Lord Jesus". Since we have been sanctified by the truth, we must remain separate for God's glory and purpose. Let us pray to our sovereign Lord, proclaim His glorious Gospel and contend earnestly for the faith.

Blessings,
Mike Gendron
Proclaiming the Gospel
(972) 495-0485 www.pro-gospel.org

The Manhattan Declaration

(By John MacArthur)

Posted on Shepherds' Fellowship, a ministry of GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH - November 24, 2009

Here are the main reasons I am not signing the Manhattan Declaration, even though a few men whom I love and respect have already affixed their names to it:

Although I obviously agree with the document's opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion, and other key moral problems threatening our culture, the document falls far short of identifying the one true and ultimate remedy for all of humanity's moral ills: the gospel. The gospel is barely mentioned in the Declaration. At one point the statement rightly acknowledges, "It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season"-and then adds an encouraging wish: "May God help us not to fail in that duty." Yet the gospel itself is nowhere presented (much less explained) in the document or any of the accompanying literature. Indeed, that would be a practical impossibility because of the contradictory views held by the broad range of signatories regarding what the gospel teaches and what it means to be a Christian.
This is precisely where the document fails most egregiously. It assumes from the start that all signatories are fellow Christians whose only differences have to do with the fact that they represent distinct "communities." Points of disagreement are tacitly acknowledged but are described as "historic lines of ecclesial differences" rather than fundamental conflicts of doctrine and conviction with regard to the gospel and the question of which teachings are essential to authentic Christianity.
Instead of acknowledging the true depth of our differences, the implicit assumption (from the start of the document until its final paragraph) is that Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant Evangelicals and others all share a common faith in and a common commitment to the gospel's essential claims. The document repeatedly employs expressions like "we [and] our fellow believers"; "As Christians, we . . ."; and "we claim the heritage of . . . Christians." That seriously muddles the lines of demarcation between authentic biblical Christianity and various apostate traditions.
The Declaration therefore constitutes a formal avowal of brotherhood between Evangelical signatories and purveyors of different gospels. That is the stated intention of some of the key signatories, and it's hard to see how secular readers could possibly view it in any other light. Thus for the sake of issuing a manifesto decrying certain moral and political issues, the Declaration obscures both the importance of the gospel and the very substance of the gospel message.
This is neither a novel approach nor a strategic stand for evangelicals to take. It ought to be clear to all that the agenda behind the recent flurry of proclamations and moral pronouncements we've seen promoting ecumenical co-belligerence is the viewpoint Charles Colson has been championing for more than two decades. (It is not without significance that his name is nearly always at the head of the list of drafters when these statements are issued.) He explained his agenda in his 1994 book The Body, in which he argued that the only truly essential doctrines of authentic Christian truth are those spelled out in the Apostles' and Nicene creeds. I responded to that argument at length in Reckless Faith. I stand by what I wrote then.

In short, support for The Manhattan Declaration would not only contradict the stance I have taken since long before the original "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" document was issued; it would also tacitly relegate the very essence of gospel truth to the level of a secondary issue. That is the wrong way-perhaps the very worst way-for evangelicals to address the moral and political crises of our time. Anything that silences, sidelines, or relegates the gospel to secondary status is antithetical to the principles we affirm when we call ourselves evangelicals.

Unity, Diversity and Division that Glorifies God

Living Hope
A monthly Internet teaching ministry of
Calvary Chapel of Hope - Pastor Claude T. Stauffer
803 County Line Road, North Amityville, New York 11701
Phone: 631-789-4837 or 631-224-1761.
E-mail: shepherdofhope@optonline.net
Website: http://www.calvarychapelofhope.org

There is a unity that glorifies God. There is a diversity that glorifies God. There is a division that glorifies God. God is clear on what unity, diversity and division is acceptable to Him and brings glory to Him. The Bible reveals that in the Last Days there will be a one world religion. This religion of unity is referred to as Mystery Babylon and has its roots at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). This false religious system will ultimately be brought down by God (cf. Revelation 17). The unity of Mystery Babylon is not glorifying to God but opposes God with all deception and rebellion against Him and His word. This false unity is on the rise today. That is a unity true Christians do not want to be a part of. Having a Biblical God ordained understanding of how unity, diversity and division relate to one another is critical to glorifying God by both what we participate in and what we separate from.

What marks the unity that glorifies God? Jesus expressed that one of His main purposes was to bring a unity to His followers that would be representative of the unity He experienced in the Triune Godhead (John 17:20-23). It glorifies God when people come together who are steadfastly devoted to the Bible, fellowship, worship and prayer (Acts 2:42-47). God is glorified by the unity of those who hold to "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" with "Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" and where the Holy Spirit dwells (Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:4-6; Philippians 2:1-2).

What marks the diversity that glorifies God? Jesus acknowledged diversity in ministry (Mark 9:38-41). He initially came to give the gospel to Israel but thank God He also spoke of opening the gospel to the diversity of the Gentile world! (John 10:16). When people of different races, nations, actual genders, financial means, intellectual capacities, and cultural backgrounds come together in Christ, it glorifies God. When people who have different spiritual giftings, callings and roles in the church (1 Corinthians 12) come together in the love of Jesus (1 Corinthians 13) it glorifies God. When people who worship God differently come together it glorifies God. Whenever people who agree in the essentials of the faith but differ in nonessentials of the faith come together, it glorifies God.

Diversity in the body of Christ is good. We can all learn from those who are different from us. And diversity is necessary to make us whole. God Himself is diverse in that He is One God in Three persons. My wife and I are different in many ways. She is a woman. I am a man. She is practical. I am not always practical. I am big and strong. She is delicate and soft. She sees things I do not always see. I see things she does not always see. Separately we might be vulnerable. Together we are strong and watch each others' back. The same is true of the church. When churches unite regardless of denomination, location, or mode of worship, it glorifies God. People in the church are different in many ways but our differences make us stronger. Our differences make us more versatile, perceptive, sensitive to the needs of the lost and empathetic. Our differences enable us to watch each other's back. Such diversity does not only glorify God, it is the will of God.

What marks the division that glorifies God? Division based on prejudice, ignorance and a lack of love never glorifies God. Division characterized by backbiting and gossip in the church does not glorify God. But there is a division that glorifies God. God glorified Himself when His people separated from Egypt (Exodus 4-14). And when God's people were about to enter the Promised Land He warned them through Moses to remain separate from the pagan peoples, false prophets and their false teaching (Deuteronomy 7; 13 and 18). God tells us to watch out for those who cause division because of doctrinal deception and false teaching and that we are to "keep away from them" (Romans 16:17). It is not doctrine or the teaching of God's word that we are to keep away from; we are to unite in the truth of God's word. We are to stay away from those who teach false doctrine. Whether a person or group holds to the teaching of God's word determines whether they belong to God and so this is eternally important and therefore worth dividing over (2 John 9).

What makes this area of division a bit more complicated sometimes is the mindset expressed by the Arabian quote the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There are certain circumstances and situations in life where we are tempted to join with those who we had previously opposed to unite in confronting a common foe. Is it ever right to unite with a secular group or religious group who has unscriptural or Christ denying ways? There are many diverse groups that oppose abortion, immorality, and what we would call sin. Uniting with those who believe differently than God says in His word is permissible if and only if you can maintain your scriptural Christian identity. But don't allow yourself to be manipulated into a situation where you compromise the truth of God's word. If uniting in such situations means approving of or condoning sin or scriptural heresy and falsehood, then it would be better to fight whatever cause it is separately. God put Joseph in a position that was second in command to Pharaoh of pagan Egypt to save the messianic line (Genesis 37-50). God used the pagan Persian King Artaxerxes to help Nehemiah rebuild the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1-2). God can use the unsaved for His purposes. And it is by infiltration rather than isolation that we can be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). In such situations we serve as a restraining force against evil (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

But the Bible also says we are to "come out" and not be "unequally yoked with" unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6). We are not to be united with unbelievers in a way that disregards the holy difference of God's people. Unity with the ACLU, NOW, or the Church of Satan would not glorify God but division from them would. A worship service where Christians unite with Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and other religions would be inappropriate because all of these groups define "God" in unscriptural and even blasphemous ways. What about certain church movements? Would it glorify God to unite with churches that ordain homosexuals or who perform same sex marriages or who approve of abortion, even partial birth abortion? No, divisions from such groups and opposition to their sin by proclaiming the truth of God's word in love to them is what would bring glory to God. What about uniting with those who claim to be a church but whose teachings deny the truth of God's word? For instance, what if a "church" group denies the deity of Christ or teaches that salvation is by works and not by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone? What if a "church" teaches that Jesus is not the only way of salvation but that there are many roads of many religions that are acceptable to God? (See John 14:6 and Acts 4:12.) Do we really want to unite with "churches" that misrepresent God? God is clear on how He feels about those who misrepresent Him; His judgment is on them. God barred Moses from the Promised Land because he misrepresented God (Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13). God allowed His people to be defeated and taken into captivity because of their associations with pagan sinful peoples and adopting their sinful religious practices (2 Chronicles 36:14-21). The New Testament is full of exhortations to maintain purity and unity in the teachings of God's holy word (for example Jude 3-4). When we divide from those who disregard or rebel against God, it glorifies God. It glorifies God because it demonstrates we put Him and His word above the comfort that comes from tolerance of sin and compromising the truth He has revealed (for example Matthew 5:10-16; 10:32-39). But even if we disagree with someone and have to remain separate from them, it should still always be in love (John 13:34-35). Making the distinction and separating from the groups I just mentioned is clear cut to anyone who respects and holds dear God and His word. We speak the truth in love and share the gospel with such groups, but we do not unite with them. Division sometimes glorifies God.

There is a unity, diversity and a division that glorifies God. I pray we obey God and submit to Him in these things and that He is glorified greatly as a result.

Pastor Claude Stauffer

Calvary Chapel, Amityville, NY (USA)

THE MANHATTON DECLARATION

cathayb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:48:29 CST

PLEASE READ THE LINK TO THE DECLARATION AND THEN SEE WHY WE CANT ENDORSE IT!!!
AS CHRISTIANS TRULY COMMITTED TO THE WORD OF GOD WE CANNOT ALIGH OURELVES WITH CHURCHES THAT DONT KEEP TO SCRIPTURE.WE LO0VE THE FOLKIE IN THOSE CHURCHESD AND WE PRAY FOR THEIR ENLIGHTMENT FROM GOD OUR FATHER,WE AGREE WITH SO MUCH OF THIS DECLARATIONJ BUT WE CANNOT BE CO SIGNATURIES WITH THOSE THAT DO NOT SHARE OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF IN GODS REDEEMING SON AND WORK UPON THE CROSS.CATHAYB

The Manhattan Declaration
Our Regretful Inability to Become a Signatory

December 4, 2009

The Manhattan Declaration
Our Regretful Inability to Become a Signatory

PUT CHRIST INTO CHRISTMAS.

cathayb — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:51:52 CST

Jesus’ Birthday has become a secular carnival of excess spending, waste, greed, and hypocrisy.

What ever happened to the inspirational Christmases of yesterday with their simple family gatherings, their moving church services, their pretty hand-made ornaments, and the spirit of giving to the less fortunate?

How could something so wonderful as the beautiful and miraculous birth of the Christchild in a rustic stable over two thousand years ago have turned into a festival of material lust?

If Jesus were born today, the Star of Bethlehem would not even be visible due to smog and light pollution. The stable owner would see a money making opportunity and would sell tickets to anyone wishing to see the Baby Jesus. Film makers would try to buy the rights to film Mary and Joseph as they fled to Egypt. Instead of receiving only a few simple gifts, Jesus would be inundated with gifts from companies hoping for endorsements of their products. The family would be put up in a big name hotel for the publicity it would bring, diaper companies would fight over who could provide Jesus with the biggest supply of diapers and Mary would be hounded by baby food manufacturers who would want her to report that Jesus preferred their brand of pabulum over another brand.

Jesus’ Birthday and the Christmas Season must be made simple days of worship, meditation, relaxation, and family togetherness.

HOW THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED:

1. Protest the erecting of any Christmas decorations before December 12.
2. Recycle any Christmas gift catalog received before December 12 without opening it.

3. Resolve to purchase only one or two presents for each family member or special friends and stick to it.

4. Talk to your Priest or Pastor about delivering a message of what Jesus would want good Christians to do during the Christmas Season, which should never begin before December 12.

5. Take your children to help feed the hungry, provide shelter to the homeless, visit the sick and infirm, and sing carols to the elderly.

6. Teach your children the blessings of giving to the less fortunate rather than developing a greed lust for more and more presents for themselves.

7. If you hear your local radio station play Christmas music before December 12, call them and protest.

8. Let your local merchants know that you do not want to be inundated with Christmas advertisements, music and decorations when you are shopping during Thanksgiving.

9. Purchase or build a simple Nativity scene and use simple hand-made decorations in your home, church, or place of business.

Jesus’ Birthday and the Christmas Season must not be allowed to continue as a festival of greed and commerce.

ETHICIUS I

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON?

cathayb — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:45:53 CST

Is Jesus really the reason for the season? Many people like to say, "Jesus is the reason for the season." But is this really true for the Christmas season? If we were to look at the origin of the holiday we would find that Christmas comes from a conglomeration of pagan practices. Many of our Christmas traditions seem more properly associated with the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia than they do with any practice of the church. Historical evidence shows that the Christian message was simply grafted into these pagan customs. Even so, today the message of the birth of Christ is generally accepted as the general theme of Christmas. It is a time where the Christian can tell the whole world about the incarnation and it is a time where, in most cases, we can loudly proclaim, "A Savior is born" without being censored. It can also be a wholesome time of family gatherings and a time to show others you care about them. However, the question remains, "Is Jesus really the reason for the season?" The so-called "hap-happiest time of year" in many cases is a time for depression, grumpy people, commercialism and busyness. The meaninglessness of our indulgent culture bothers many of us and we wonder why we are like this and what we can do about it. I propose that the answer to this dilemma is found in one word, "Savior." The message, "A Savior has come" that was so fresh and exciting for the shepherds and the Magi causing them to respond in worship has become stale and perfunctory to American culture. Jesus Christ, angels, shepherds, Mary, Joseph have all become cartoonized and commercialized. Retailers make a great deal of money on Jesus this time of year singing, "Oh, what a friend I have in Jesus." Even churches attempt to package and sell Jesus in an ergonomically acceptable form: "Jesus will give you love, joy, peace, healing and everlasting happiness." As churches sing Christmas songs with thick lyrics like, "Peace on earth, and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled" and "Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ…" they fail to give a reason why a Savior is needed. A minister once asked me, "Saved? Saved from what?" Perhaps the reason for the artificial nature of Christmas and the demeaning of the story of Christ's birth is that we are a country that has not been given a reason for a Savior. Unless the church first presents the "bad news" there is no need for the "good news" of the gospel. Unless we realize that it is Jesus alone that came to save us from a sure and certain judgment, then the Christmas songs we sing will be meaningless. God's wrath, judgment, condemnation and anger toward sin can only be appeased through a Savior. Thus, celebrating the coming of "Immanuel" (meaning "God with us") is one of the most meaningful times of the year for the Christian who understands his need to be saved. Only by understanding that Jesus came to give eternal salvation from eternal suffering is real meaning is attached to Christmas. We can only appreciate the coming of the Savior when we understand why He left. The Lord God walked with Adam in the garden until Adam sinned. Then He "sent him out from the garden of Eden." With the birth of Jesus, God once again walks with man. The church must be clear about certain death in Adam if it is to be clear about life in Christ. "For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. A gospel that fails to point out the nature of sin and the consequences of it, is not only incomplete and confusing, it is apostasy. Jesus becomes nothing more than a porcelain figurine lying in artificial hay. In fact, this Christmas, if Jesus is nothing more than a gift-giver and not a redeemer then He is a false God, a violation of the first commandment. Jesus is not only the reason for the season but He's the reason for everything. So then, what's the reason for Christmas? We are! We are the reason that He came. We are the reason He died. Christmas can only be meaningful when we realize our certain demise without Christ is found in Immanuel, God with us.