by: Cory L. Kemp
Today marks the beginning of the Group of Eight, or G8 Summit, a meeting of leaders from the world's wealthiest industrialized nations to discuss global economic and development issues. Germany, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosts France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada and Russia, the countries that make up the G8 membership. The agenda for these meetings is growth and responsibility in the global community, as well as on the African Continent. Chancellor Merkel has clearly stated her belief that we need all global players to make this happen, implying a commitment to carry on the moral agenda set forth by the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Although these Summits are held annually, it was the historic agenda at Gleneagles that drew the world's attention. That gathering settled on the reality that in order to help Africa move forward and heal, we the wealthiest countries of the world would need to increase aid, forgive the debt Africa owes to us and remove trade barriers that hinder African exports. These broad-based goals centered on the intent of eradicating extreme poverty in our world in this generation. Quite remarkable is that in this point/click/delete world we have not lost hope for ourselves that this vision can be made real. In that there is immeasurable grace. Having grown up through the 1960's and 70's believing that anything was possible, many of my generation have held onto our idealism through personal and societal struggles, long enough to see the cycles with which life blesses us. We have enough of ourselves in place to be comfortable with what we don't know, but are equally grounded in what we do know, and what it can mean to live into that knowledge for all it is worth. From such places comes care for our communities, our country, our world, our people, and faith at how education, healthcare and housing can begin to make lives whole. From such places comes wisdom that recognizes that these problems of AIDS and malaria, polluted water and inadequate sanitation, trade injustice and poverty, are not new or easily solvable, but they are indeed able to be addressed and steadily diminished over time. Perhaps because of our idealism, or maybe because we are uniquely positioned as a generation between World War II and the Iraq War, with a thick layer of Vietnam sandwiched in for good measure, we recognize that some things never change, but that many,many more can and do with an investment of will and compassion. We are fortunate materially, more so than generations which preceded us, and perhaps even those following us, but we are also blessed with an embodied hope that cannot be denied. My own memory of this kind of hope had fallen a bit dim, unbeknownst to me until I opened an alumni update bulletin from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay a few days ago. While leafing through its glossy pages I happened upon the familiar face of Julie Brickley, my favorite professor who had passed on almost ten years ago. Two of her close friends and colleagues had established a scholarship in her honor. You see, although Julie was my favorite professor, she was cherished by the university community as a whole. She was the first woman to receive the UW-Green Bay Founders Award for teaching excellence, and she founded and chaired the Women's Studies program of which I was a part. "Julie believed passionately that language lived at the heart of learning in every discipline," said her colleague. " She brought its joy and beauty to her daily teaching." This woman who had inspired me to connect with my own heart and dreams, with my hope for the future, was inspiring me again. Perhaps the G8 Summits will function in this way for our world this year and for all the years to come. The Summits are no longer just a small group of white men (and the occasional woman) meeting for a couple of days each summer, ruminating on the world's ills and delivering heady economic solutions for them. Now the G8 Summits will always be linked to the simple hope, the ready belief that we can eradicate extreme poverty in our world in this generation. Our generation. It will not happen overnight, but the process is already begun. We are doing it, one step at a time. The Biblical concept of hope is deeply rooted here, it is strong and it grows in us each day. And, indeed, we are assured that, "Hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5:5)."
About The Author
As an ordained minister, Rev. Kemp has worked in both pastoral and educational ministries in several congregations. Her ministerial background and love of writing have combined to develop Creating Women Ministries, a website dedicated to encouraging theological dialogue, particularly among women, through workshops, journaling and personal spiritual development. Her book, You Don't see Many Chickens in Clearance: Essays on Faith and Living, is available for perusal or purchase at http://www.chickensinclearance.com. Visit Creating Women Ministries at: http://www.creatingwomenministries.com for the e-book edition. Questions? Thoughts? Musings? She can be reached by email at: creatingwomen@irun.com.
Questioning the Definition of Astrology, Our Ancestors Pass On Their Memories and Behaviour Through Spiritualism
by: Nicholas Jacob
Everyone has a hard time justifying astrology as a science due to the wide variations that exist within the world of humans. The definition of astrology is an ancient system of divination using the positions of the planets, moon, and stars. According to astrology the celestial bodies exert specific energies that influence people and events. These influences may be determined by mapping positions in the sky at various times, but is still regarded today as a huge speculative issue due to the deep complexities and misunderstanding associating the field. What if the powers of Astrology had a deeper meaning, which stretched into the spiritual world and the ethereal planes of existence, including the very top-tier planes of power. Astrology is widely interpreted by every human on earth, but only a certain few have a defined ability to understand anything about it. A fair amount of people define astrology as “nonsense” and “childish” through lack of understanding. These are of course the usual human reactions to something we can’t understand. How are the powers of astrology currently portrayed to the world? Currently, people manifest numbers and equations on planetary alignments, star locations, the apparent divine powers the sun has and also the moon. Their conclusion of what is the horoscope is usually the external scripture you will read. While largely amusing, holds little scientific merit. Astrology needs to be valued more than just this. It is a concept to be considered for all walks of life; it holds bearing to the time continuum of the past, present and future settings on earth. The human race has existed for a great deal of time now and has since evolved heavily in appearance, behaviour, intelligence, structure, strength, ability, perception and so much more. Some people consider the present to hold the “maximum amount of people time has ever seen” but again we can only speculate about such mysteries told of the highly advanced civilization that apparently walked earth (theosophists define it as Atlantis, the real society and cultural name is unheard) and the age old question of just how long has the world existed? The documented time that has existed shows the definitive lives of several billion people, all born under the same planetary rotation of the earth, which is 365 days or 52.177 weeks. This universal pre-set time fixture of 365 has dated and cycled existence accordingly throughout several millions of years, and in that time has been rotating humans. Currently the study of astrology and namely Astrologists are people who predict the future by the positions of the planets and sun and moon. They do this based on their own interpretation and creativity, which can be as inventive as the person likes. Astrology to some is just a shallow fabric of life to help them feel better by reading what is known as “Powerful wording” written by novelists and professional writers. It is widely under-appreciated the similarities that hold true in the definition of each human’s star sign. In that I mean for every 500 people born in August for example, on the exact same date, hold a very strong connection to each other in terms of their memories, philosophies, beliefs and behaviour. All things which astrology boasts, these are relations not understood by many. It is in that key of understanding and spiritual-thinking that makes people wonder how many humans were born at the exact same moment in time you were, only altering the year. If we were to find that spiritual connection, just how much like that person would we be? If you were to consider sun-sign astrology ONLY, this would be fallible due to the alteration of the physical plane of life, which is earth’s galaxy. If you were to consider all aspects and relations, the planes of existence, powers to be and the akashic records, these spiritual points all connect to the “collective consciousness” Carl Jung was referring to. The collective consciousness is only Jung’s interpretation and hence a vague reference to the gateways he portrayed. Jung attempted to show the connections between dreams, anthropology and the dualism of life to astrology. His work always showed these links but the people could never grasp the concept of them, given a large amount of humans will only work on what they perceive to be fact-based evidence. The creation of humans defined by scientists is a great example of what can be construed as myth or fact. Physical items “prove” evolution to be the definitive, such as bones and relics discovered at different points in time. We believe this to be the truth because we perceive it based on our senses, which is as far as some people can stretch their mind. This article is making a bold question to the beliefs of “Astrology”, the purpose intended is to get people thinking about the world and the deeper meanings it has to offer. Consider the relations, sources and relevant knowledge available to you and you’ll always keep an open mind to the question that everyone asks. “What is life”.
About The Author
Nicholas Jacob, hails from Cambridge, United Kingdom and has contributed this article for Universal Psychic Guild. You can find this psychic article at http://www.psychicguild.com and http://www.psychicguild.com/articles.php
Angels In Your Life
by: Daniella Breen
If you've heard that angels are here to help you, improve and empower your life, then what you've heard is true. Angels are creations of God, the Divine Creator. They are loving, kind, gentle, wise and powerful. They are here to help and heal, to guide and support every one of us while we live our lives here on Earth. All they need is the request from you. Angels follow a very important divine law, that of Free Will. The law of Free Will states that no being can interfere with. The law of Free Will means that the only way one being can help another, is after being asked to do so. The only way the angels can give you the help you desire, is after you have asked for their help. The only time this law is passed over is in the case of mortal danger, in which case the angels will interfere if it is not your time to die. Another consideration the arises from the Free Will law, is that the angels will not respond to your request to interfere in another's free will. This means that if your request is to have someone fall in love with you, own something that belongs to another or take a job that is another's, it will not happen. You would do better to ask for the angels to bring to you your ideal true love and help you clear anything that stands in the way. You could also ask for the perfect job that meets your desires or something better - a wonderful proviso that allows the angels to improve upon your request to bring about something even more ideal. So, how to engage the angels in your life. First, you call them to you. This is done by saying in your mind or out aloud, "Angels, I want to start working with you, please come to me now!". The instant you call them, they come to you whether you can feel them or not. You can then make your request. When preparing your request make sure you are clear on what it is you want to bring about. Make certain that you know and feel you deserve it. If at some level you have doubts about your self worth or fear the outcome of the fruition of such a request, you can short circuit the process, and it won't work. If this so you will need to use affirmations and other tools to clear away any such negative issues. Wording for a request for a particular job, might be worded like this "I know that I am ready to move forward in my work to the next level. I call upon you, to bring to me the perfect job for me. The perfect job includes better pay, a great office with a wonderful view, greater responsibility in my area of expertise and wonderful people to work with! I ask you to create for me, this or something better!". Of course this wording is generalised, you can be more specific according to your needs. The more you work with the angels, the more you will experience their power, love, generosity, willingness to help and guide.
About The Author
Daniella Breen is a therapeutic counsellor, spiritual counsellor and teacher with a degree in psychology. She runs the Shaman Goddess College on-line at http://www.shamangoddess.com including the comprehensive and easy to follow Angel Light Course that will connect you to your angels, teach you how to receive messages from your angels. Live support and guidance are readily available.
Chanting - The Only Means of Deliverance
by: Victor Epand
Krsna-nama-maha-mantrera ei ta svabhava Yei jape, tara krsne upajaye bhava "It is the nature of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra (the great mantra of deliverance) that whoever chants it immediately develops loving ecstasy for krsna." (Chaitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.83) Unadulterated love for Krsna is eternally present in dormant state in the hearts of all living entities. When hearing and chanting purify the heart, the living entity naturally awakens. The processes of hearing and chanting-sravanam kirtan purify the heart, and one's original Krsna consciousness is immediately awakened. When one chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the heart is cleansed of all material contamination. In Brihanaradiya Purana it is mentioned that in the age of Kali Yuga, people in general are slow in self-realization and perpetually disturbed with material anxieties, and therefore the recommended means is to simply chant the holy names of the Lord. The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare is a sublime process that revives our original Krsna consciousness. Chanting awakens within us the dormant love that everyone has for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bringing great happiness and ecstasy. Chanting is simple but should be performed properly for best results. One must chant loud enough in such a way that atleast someone sitting nearby can distinctly hear each syllable. While chanting, one must concentrate the mind on hearing the mahamantra. This concentration is mantra meditation and is so powerful that it can cleanse the lusty desires accumulated in the heart for millions of lifetime. It is however, difficult to stop the mind from wandering, but as with anything else, practice makes perfect. The best time to chant is early in the morning (during the brahma-muhurta, the auspicious period before sunrise). One can chant in any circumstance, but it is best to best to finish sixteen rounds with full concentration early in the morning, before starting our routine daily activities. In this day and age, performing anything with dedication and for an extended period of time possibly life long, especially if it has nothing to do with the material world, however one must be merciful to oneself and dutifully complete one's rounds without letting any sorts of material distractions create hindrance. There are offenses involved in chanting too. If one chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra but his life is still full of sinful activities, the loving servitude position to the Lord remains elusive to him. But if in spite of being an offender one chants the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, he is very quickly freed from the reactions to his offenses. Therefore one must first take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by chanting Sri-Krishna-Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi Gaura Bhakta-Vrnda. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 8.31 purport) before chanting each round of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Chanting is also purifying for anyone who hears. That is why public chanting should take place wherever possible, so that even those who are unfortunately not interested in this great means of deliverance can receive inadvertent benefit simply by hearing accidentally. Such is the power of this incredible means of deliverance for the fallen conditioned souls of Kali Yuga.
About The Author
Victor Epand is an expert consultant at http://www.4IndiaGifts.info/. 4IndiaGifts.info offers religious gifts and puja supplies with delivery from India to anywhere in the world. Browse through our selection of handcrafted incense from India here: http://www.4IndiaGifts.info/category/natural-incense.html.
Your Christian Priorities ... Or Not?
by: Karen Wolff
Getting caught up in all the world says is important is probably the biggest hindrance to keeping your Christian priorities at the top of your list. It's so easy to go about your business every day, look out for your own interests, and if someone else is having problems, well...."thank goodness it's not me". Most of the time you can't see anything important enough to make you stop moving long enough to evaluate where you are, let alone where you're going. And of course, as long as you don't feel an immediate, pressing problem preventing you from moving forward....there's no reason to stop. At least, that's what the world says. Unfortunately, it takes some kind of tragedy to stop you in your tracks. Then you look around and wonder why it happened....why me? And that's when the struggle really starts. Sound familiar? I Can't Look..... There they all are....your priorities all laid out, Christian or not. When you're forced to look at where you are, sometimes you're faced with some really difficult truths. Often it isn't hard to see why you're in the situation, and that is pretty tough to swallow. And yet, your next step is to do absolutely everything you can to reason your way out of the mess. There has to be someone to blame, there has to be something to do....there has to be some way out of this mess.... And so the mess continues until you've absolutely exhausted every remedy you can think of. And, after all else fails, you FINALLY throw up your hands and ask God for help. God....You Want Me to Do What? It isn't until you stop trying and start relying that God has a chance to work. Being the perfect gentleman, God won't interfere with what you're trying to do until you stop, step aside, and let God into the situation. But of course, you expect God to straighten out your mess today. Right now would even be better. It may have taken you weeks, months, or even years to create the mess, but you expect God to clean it up in a day. And when it appears that He's not moving fast enough, you get frustrated. You start whining, complaining, grumbling.....and of course, you might even try to take control again, and it just delays the answers even more. When God does come on the scene, you'll know it. His Word says you will experience peace and the knowledge that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. And let's face it.....when you're in the middle of a bad situation, peace can be a very good thing. You'll be able to rest assured, knowing God is working and no matter what, you're going to be OK. Get REAL.... When God enters the picture, He does expect you to..... *** Get honest. That means taking responsibility for the choices you've made that have caused you to be in your current situation. It means stopping the blame game....it's not easy to get real. *** Forgive everyone who's hurt you. OUCH. Forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do, especially if you're still in the middle of it all, and things are still pretty awful. *** Be open to whatever He wants you to do. Sometimes that can mean doing nothing. Sometimes it can mean apologizing, walking away, or even just accepting things as they are until God has a chance to change things. God never promised the ride wouldn't be bumpy, but He did promise that He'll sit right beside you the entire way. Things may not get better today or tomorrow, but slowly, little by little, God will make sense out of it all and set you back on the right path. The trick is to stay focused on the right priorities....the ones that lead to peace. Those would be your Christian priorities.
About The Author
For more help in this area, go to http://www.christian-books-for-women.com/spiritual-growth.html. Karen Wolff is the founder of http://www.christian-books-for-women.com, a website where Christian women can find info, tips, and help with lots of issues they face every day. "Print & Pray" prayers available for many topics. This article can be distributed as long as the byline and resource links are included.
Angels in Different Cultures and Religions
by: Maraya Mullen
"Ever noticed how there seems to be angel sculptures or figurines in every home you go? This is because many cultures in the world share the belief in the existence of this supernatural being. In Judaism, angels, or malachim, serve as God’s messengers and “workers” here on Earth. It was for example, an angel who stopped Abraham just as he was about to kill his beloved son as a sacrifice to God. The angel Michael on the other hand, is viewed as the guardian and protector of the people of Israel. With the roots of Christianity closely linked to Judaism, it comes as no surprise that Christians also hold angels in high-esteem. As in Judaism, angels also played great roles in many events viewed with great importance by Christians. It was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Mary and told her of how she was chosen by God to give birth to his son Jesus, who Christians believe is the savior of mankind. The Bible also recounts that Christ’s resurrection from the dead was announced by angels. Angels, Christians believe, are God’s link to man. Angels also figure prominently in the Islam faith, one of their basic articles of faith being the “belief in angels”. Muslims believe that each person has four angels (which they call Malaa’ika, meaning, messengers) assigned to him who tallies his good and bad actions (two record the good while the other two take not of the bad). They also assign souls to newborns and are responsible for taking care of the environment. One main difference between the Islamic and Christian/Jewish views on angels, is that for Muslims, it is not possible for angels to fall from grace, as they do cannot commit sin. Hindus have their angels too. Called “devas”, these entities are responsible for natural elements like water, earth and fire. While angels are viewed as God’s workers in Christianity, Islam and Judaism and are not worshipped, the distinction between angels and the lesser gods are blurry. Like these major religions, many minor belief systems also profess a belief in angels. Followers of Zoroastrianism (estimated at just around 200,000 worldwide), also believe that each one of us has a guardian angel—a Fravashi--- that protects and guides us. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meanwhile, angels are heavenly beings in human form that help spread the work and word of God on earth. The church was established after an angel allegedly appeared to its founder Joseph Smith. So why the ubiquity of these heavenly entities? Because the idea of angels—beings that guide us, protect us from harm and give us a more personal link to God—is comforting, reassuring and one that is thoroughly welcomed. Click here to view pictures of heavenly angel sculptures: http://www.angelsculptures4u.net.
About The Author
Maraya Mullen is a copywriter affiliated Angels4u.com (http://www.angelsculptures4u.net), an online store that sells angel sculptures and other products inspired by the heavenly beings.
Gospel MBA's On The Loose...Cue The Camera!
by: James C. Tanner
Life in America has changed greatly over the years, with massive changes in technology, global politics, lifestyle choices and family dynamics. Many of us remember the days where we heard "Rock of Ages" bellowing out from windows of the local church down the street, now to hear it replaced with "gospel Rock N’ Roll". During the course of change in our society there has been noteworthy shifts in our religious behaviors and religious institutions. Two generations ago, circuit riding preachers were still for many the evangelist of the day. Through the years, as televisions arrived into each home, so too did the faces of television evangelists such as Rex Humbard, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham, to name a few. As people changed, so have the faces of ministries that attempt to reach them. The small country church has now given way to the "Mega Church", and done so at a time when the unchurched population in America is reaching an all time high. So many Americans stay away from church, that according to The Barna Group (www.barna.org, a research group based out of Ventura, California) if all the unchurched Americans formed their own nation, they’d be the twelfth largest nation in the world, and it would include 13 to 15 million born again adults and children. Powered by the great commission, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel", ministries have pushed forward in their focus, and in doing so, been forced to take on the inner workings of a major corporation. Evangelistic ministries have become known for their supporting administrative and executive organizations, with many churches now having CEOs, COOs, and CFOs. With corporate style organizations, the need for increased donor support to cover the associated costs of preaching today’s gospel has never been higher. Surprisingly, for the effort shown to date, many of America’s top 11 evangelists struggle not only to get their message out, but also in introducing themselves to America. Survey results released in February of 2007 showed that among 34 public figures from four basic fields, of the ministers, Dr. Billy Graham topped the ranks for being best known and having the highest positive impression on a majority of Americans. Second in notoriety was Pat Robertson, but paling in the field of positive impression when compared to Dr. Graham. Chuck Colson, from the former Watergate era was unknown to 87 of Americans. Bill Hybells, unknown to 96 of Americans. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, was unknown to 76 of Americans. T.D. Jakes, recently touted by a national magazine as the next Billy Graham, was unknown to 68 of Americans. Finally, Joel Osteen, known more as a writer than his role as a preacher, and while preaching every Sunday to 30,000 people in his own church and another 7,000,000 each Sunday via TV, Joel Osteen was still unknown to 67% of Americans. As ministries expand and move forward in organizational and administrative capacities they are forced to embrace the technological field for spreading thier message. International borders become a natural hurdle in the race to expand. For some ministries, this hurdle from a management view point becomes a hurdle much larger than anticipated, for the way things are done on American soil, is rarely the same in countries like Canada, the UK, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Asia. Each country has it’s own cultural differences, legal and taxation requirements. Each country has it’s own regulations on how much of the ministries office work must be done in country. Each border crossed becomes a learning curve for the evangelist and key administrative team. Birthed due to the increasing need to help ministries expand are International Facilitators, who can quickly pave the way for ministries by going first into countries, setting up the proper legal, financial, taxation, and administrative services. These contract ministry administrative and operations specialists can shave months off the time it would take a ministry to enter a country legally. At least one such organization routinely maintains offices in countries such as Canada, the UK, South Africa, and Australia, servicing several ministries simultaneously out of the same offices, keeping administrative costs for each ministry down by sharing overhead costs. Rarely seen and rarely heard, these International Facilitators empower ministries to cross international borders easily, allowing Evangelists to focus on ministry to the people, while knowing they already have in place, full compliance and operational integrity with the governing bodies of the host nation. There is no doubt, the church as we once knew it is changing. In North America, surveys are showing there is growing discontentment amongst parishioners with the conventional church, while at the same time, North America is seeing growing satisfaction amongst those who are switching over to small house churches. The television church is now deeply entrenched in our society, allowing many followers to be exposed to churches from the comfort of their own home. As the church continues to preach a message that is "marriage" or "birth" focused, Single Adults feeling alienated by this message continue, to a large part, stay away from any form of church all together. As the conventional church preaches and teaches marriage, and in recent decades marriage restoration, recent statistics are now giving those in the church community a higher divorce rate than in the non-church community. The church is definitely facing changing times. Where the church goes from today will be largely determined by the church’s ability to change, adapt, and reach it’s listeners with a personal touch, while allowing for those who wish to sit on the fringe. The "hold to the status quo" mentality of many of the church's older guard, will no longer breathe longevity into this institution. While the core message remains the same, the window dressings currently used to display that message must change to stay current with the times. In the past, churches were clearly run by the Pastor. Today it’s often the executive officers who run the church directing the administrative ministry machine, leaving the Pastor free and clear to focus on his or her first vocational priority, ministering to the people.
About The Author
James C. Tanner of http://www.silent-wonder.com, http://www.whats-he-like.com, is a retired entrepreneur, a former special Investigator, and a published writer whose articles are currently enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly.
Life in America has changed greatly over the years, with massive changes in technology, global politics, lifestyle choices and family dynamics. Many of us remember the days where we heard "Rock of Ages" bellowing out from windows of the local church down the street, now to hear it replaced with "gospel Rock N’ Roll". During the course of change in our society there has been noteworthy shifts in our religious behaviors and religious institutions. Two generations ago, circuit riding preachers were still for many the evangelist of the day. Through the years, as televisions arrived into each home, so too did the faces of television evangelists such as Rex Humbard, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham, to name a few. As people changed, so have the faces of ministries that attempt to reach them. The small country church has now given way to the "Mega Church", and done so at a time when the unchurched population in America is reaching an all time high. So many Americans stay away from church, that according to The Barna Group (www.barna.org, a research group based out of Ventura, California) if all the unchurched Americans formed their own nation, they’d be the twelfth largest nation in the world, and it would include 13 to 15 million born again adults and children. Powered by the great commission, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel", ministries have pushed forward in their focus, and in doing so, been forced to take on the inner workings of a major corporation. Evangelistic ministries have become known for their supporting administrative and executive organizations, with many churches now having CEOs, COOs, and CFOs. With corporate style organizations, the need for increased donor support to cover the associated costs of preaching today’s gospel has never been higher. Surprisingly, for the effort shown to date, many of America’s top 11 evangelists struggle not only to get their message out, but also in introducing themselves to America. Survey results released in February of 2007 showed that among 34 public figures from four basic fields, of the ministers, Dr. Billy Graham topped the ranks for being best known and having the highest positive impression on a majority of Americans. Second in notoriety was Pat Robertson, but paling in the field of positive impression when compared to Dr. Graham. Chuck Colson, from the former Watergate era was unknown to 87 of Americans. Bill Hybells, unknown to 96 of Americans. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, was unknown to 76 of Americans. T.D. Jakes, recently touted by a national magazine as the next Billy Graham, was unknown to 68 of Americans. Finally, Joel Osteen, known more as a writer than his role as a preacher, and while preaching every Sunday to 30,000 people in his own church and another 7,000,000 each Sunday via TV, Joel Osteen was still unknown to 67% of Americans. As ministries expand and move forward in organizational and administrative capacities they are forced to embrace the technological field for spreading thier message. International borders become a natural hurdle in the race to expand. For some ministries, this hurdle from a management view point becomes a hurdle much larger than anticipated, for the way things are done on American soil, is rarely the same in countries like Canada, the UK, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Asia. Each country has it’s own cultural differences, legal and taxation requirements. Each country has it’s own regulations on how much of the ministries office work must be done in country. Each border crossed becomes a learning curve for the evangelist and key administrative team. Birthed due to the increasing need to help ministries expand are International Facilitators, who can quickly pave the way for ministries by going first into countries, setting up the proper legal, financial, taxation, and administrative services. These contract ministry administrative and operations specialists can shave months off the time it would take a ministry to enter a country legally. At least one such organization routinely maintains offices in countries such as Canada, the UK, South Africa, and Australia, servicing several ministries simultaneously out of the same offices, keeping administrative costs for each ministry down by sharing overhead costs. Rarely seen and rarely heard, these International Facilitators empower ministries to cross international borders easily, allowing Evangelists to focus on ministry to the people, while knowing they already have in place, full compliance and operational integrity with the governing bodies of the host nation. There is no doubt, the church as we once knew it is changing. In North America, surveys are showing there is growing discontentment amongst parishioners with the conventional church, while at the same time, North America is seeing growing satisfaction amongst those who are switching over to small house churches. The television church is now deeply entrenched in our society, allowing many followers to be exposed to churches from the comfort of their own home. As the church continues to preach a message that is "marriage" or "birth" focused, Single Adults feeling alienated by this message continue, to a large part, stay away from any form of church all together. As the conventional church preaches and teaches marriage, and in recent decades marriage restoration, recent statistics are now giving those in the church community a higher divorce rate than in the non-church community. The church is definitely facing changing times. Where the church goes from today will be largely determined by the church’s ability to change, adapt, and reach it’s listeners with a personal touch, while allowing for those who wish to sit on the fringe. The "hold to the status quo" mentality of many of the church's older guard, will no longer breathe longevity into this institution. While the core message remains the same, the window dressings currently used to display that message must change to stay current with the times. In the past, churches were clearly run by the Pastor. Today it’s often the executive officers who run the church directing the administrative ministry machine, leaving the Pastor free and clear to focus on his or her first vocational priority, ministering to the people.
About The Author
James C. Tanner of http://www.silent-wonder.com, http://www.whats-he-like.com, is a retired entrepreneur, a former special Investigator, and a published writer whose articles are currently enjoyed by 12.5 million readers monthly.
Go Ahead and Laugh...
by: Theresa Twogood
Go ahead and laugh that we cling to our religious faith and proudly display religious items throughout our home. Go ahead and laugh when you say that we don't seem to live in the 'real' world because things aren't done that way anymore. Go ahead and laugh as you say, yes it's good to be religious but my family seems fanatical and a little weird. Go ahead and laugh as you say just how uncomfortable you are around us because you fear that you might slip up and cuss. Go ahead and laugh at how strange it is that my wife and I would rather spend time together,instead of with others. Go ahead and laugh as you declare just how 'lucky' we must have been to make it through the tough times and to avoid divorce. Go ahead and laugh as you say how easy it is to loath my children because they always seem to do just the 'right thing'. Go ahead and laugh that my children appear to be happy and they have happy friends-no gloom and doom or dark clouds overhead. Go ahead and laugh when our children dress up not as demons but rather as Biblical characters for halloween. Go ahead and laugh at the fact that we have a sacred area of our home that we call our prayer closet. Go ahead and laugh as you come up with excuses for not having family devotions and prayers together every night. Go ahead and laugh and say just how silly we look while dinning out, because we pause to say grace aloud and together. Go ahead and laugh because we strive to have a sit-down, around the table, family meal at least four nights a week. Go ahead and laugh because we believe that 'our way' provides the very comfort and security that children need and want. Go ahead and laugh because we claim to have discovered the true secret to happiness,and it's called being a Christian. Go ahead and laugh because being a Christian isn't about what we do or don't do but rather about what Jesus has done for us. Go ahead and laugh we will still pray that you will want to join in with us someday soon. Go ahead and laugh for we will worship the Lord our God; because in Him we have all and are in need of nothing. Go ahead and laugh and say that you think that 'all this' is okay for my family, but it wouldn't work for your family. Go ahead and laugh it's okay because we believe that someday soon you will wish for your family to be as ours. Go ahead and laugh my friend, for laughter is all you may have.
About The Author
Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company- http://olin.tk -Denver Colorado-USA. Visit OLIN'S e-bookstore at http://olinepublishing.com/ebookstore_index.html .
Go ahead and laugh that we cling to our religious faith and proudly display religious items throughout our home. Go ahead and laugh when you say that we don't seem to live in the 'real' world because things aren't done that way anymore. Go ahead and laugh as you say, yes it's good to be religious but my family seems fanatical and a little weird. Go ahead and laugh as you say just how uncomfortable you are around us because you fear that you might slip up and cuss. Go ahead and laugh at how strange it is that my wife and I would rather spend time together,instead of with others. Go ahead and laugh as you declare just how 'lucky' we must have been to make it through the tough times and to avoid divorce. Go ahead and laugh as you say how easy it is to loath my children because they always seem to do just the 'right thing'. Go ahead and laugh that my children appear to be happy and they have happy friends-no gloom and doom or dark clouds overhead. Go ahead and laugh when our children dress up not as demons but rather as Biblical characters for halloween. Go ahead and laugh at the fact that we have a sacred area of our home that we call our prayer closet. Go ahead and laugh as you come up with excuses for not having family devotions and prayers together every night. Go ahead and laugh and say just how silly we look while dinning out, because we pause to say grace aloud and together. Go ahead and laugh because we strive to have a sit-down, around the table, family meal at least four nights a week. Go ahead and laugh because we believe that 'our way' provides the very comfort and security that children need and want. Go ahead and laugh because we claim to have discovered the true secret to happiness,and it's called being a Christian. Go ahead and laugh because being a Christian isn't about what we do or don't do but rather about what Jesus has done for us. Go ahead and laugh we will still pray that you will want to join in with us someday soon. Go ahead and laugh for we will worship the Lord our God; because in Him we have all and are in need of nothing. Go ahead and laugh and say that you think that 'all this' is okay for my family, but it wouldn't work for your family. Go ahead and laugh it's okay because we believe that someday soon you will wish for your family to be as ours. Go ahead and laugh my friend, for laughter is all you may have.
About The Author
Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company- http://olin.tk -Denver Colorado-USA. Visit OLIN'S e-bookstore at http://olinepublishing.com/ebookstore_index.html .
How to Find Your Wealthy Place by Knowing Who You Are
by: Rosalyn Watts
What is your wealthy place? A wealthy place is that one place where everything you do seems to turn to gold. Golfers call it their sweet spot and ballers call it being in the zone. But whatever you call it, everyone has one. Your wealthy place is your place of purpose. Before I can talk about seeking your purpose you must first accept that you do have a specific purpose for being here. If this is not accepted as truth, you won’t be free to pursue the purpose with everything you’ve got. There’ll always be a gnawing at you—one that tells you you’re wasting your time. So as the Bible tells us, “…in the mouths of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1) Witness Number One: God ordained you for a specific purpose before you were formed in your mother’s womb. Jeremiah tells us, “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” Not convinced yet? Well, consider what Paul (Witness Number Two) tells us in Galatians 1:15, “It pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace.” Paul was called to be an apostle from his mother’s womb. And you were called to do a thing that only you can do. And as the third witness I’ll turn to Romans 8:8-30. That scripture tells us that God “predestined us and called us according to His purpose.” The clear implication from this scripture is that God has a purpose for every one of us. The question is, “are you fulfilling that purpose?” Who Does God Say We Are After you’ve reached acceptance—you know that God created you for a specific purpose—you’ve got to see yourself the way God sees you. From the moment we were born someone labeled us. “Ooh, isn’t she cute?” or “You’re so stupid.” Whether good or bad we’ve been called something. And for some reason the bad stuff tends to stick. We internalize those negative labels and let them strip us of who God created us to be. There are many ways God describes His children in the Bible. I’ll focus on three that really stand out and excite me. I use them to stir myself up whenever the spirit of depression tries to attach itself to me and tell me I’m not good enough. First, the word of God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. (Psalms 139:14; Genesis 1:26-27.) But, God also made each of us an original (Galatians 5:26.) There’s nobody just like you and there’s nobody just like me. Even given that uniqueness, there are certain characteristics all born-again Christians share. One of those characteristics is that we’re all overcomers. I John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world….” There is nothing in this world that we can’t overcome through the power of God. The next characteristic is that we’re more than conquerors through Jesus. (Romans 8:37.) We don’t have to struggle to find a way to succeed. Through the anointing of God not only will we enjoy success, everyone around us will also. I’ve heard Hayden Hendrix, a minister who founded More than Champions Ministry, use the comparison of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Obviously, both are conquerors (champions), but what made Michael Jordan more than a conqueror is that he made all the players around him better as well. He wasn’t all about “getting his,” he wanted to make the entire team better; he was more than a conqueror. And so are we. The last characteristic we’ll cover is possibly the most significant. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14.) We are light. That’s how God sees us—as light. And what does He want us to do with that light? Not cover it with insecurities or submerge ourselves in selfish pursuits. We are to “let [our] light so shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify [our] father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16.) We glorify God by letting our light shine. And we let our light shine by simply being our best. Thomas Merton may have put it best when he said, “A tree glorifies God by being a tree.” That’s all God requires of us—to be who He made us to be. That makes life pretty simple.
About The Author
Article by Rosalyn Watts, author of the "Finding Your Wealthy Place Guide." To learn how you can find your wealthy place, please visit http://yourwealthyplace.typepad.com
What is your wealthy place? A wealthy place is that one place where everything you do seems to turn to gold. Golfers call it their sweet spot and ballers call it being in the zone. But whatever you call it, everyone has one. Your wealthy place is your place of purpose. Before I can talk about seeking your purpose you must first accept that you do have a specific purpose for being here. If this is not accepted as truth, you won’t be free to pursue the purpose with everything you’ve got. There’ll always be a gnawing at you—one that tells you you’re wasting your time. So as the Bible tells us, “…in the mouths of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1) Witness Number One: God ordained you for a specific purpose before you were formed in your mother’s womb. Jeremiah tells us, “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” Not convinced yet? Well, consider what Paul (Witness Number Two) tells us in Galatians 1:15, “It pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace.” Paul was called to be an apostle from his mother’s womb. And you were called to do a thing that only you can do. And as the third witness I’ll turn to Romans 8:8-30. That scripture tells us that God “predestined us and called us according to His purpose.” The clear implication from this scripture is that God has a purpose for every one of us. The question is, “are you fulfilling that purpose?” Who Does God Say We Are After you’ve reached acceptance—you know that God created you for a specific purpose—you’ve got to see yourself the way God sees you. From the moment we were born someone labeled us. “Ooh, isn’t she cute?” or “You’re so stupid.” Whether good or bad we’ve been called something. And for some reason the bad stuff tends to stick. We internalize those negative labels and let them strip us of who God created us to be. There are many ways God describes His children in the Bible. I’ll focus on three that really stand out and excite me. I use them to stir myself up whenever the spirit of depression tries to attach itself to me and tell me I’m not good enough. First, the word of God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. (Psalms 139:14; Genesis 1:26-27.) But, God also made each of us an original (Galatians 5:26.) There’s nobody just like you and there’s nobody just like me. Even given that uniqueness, there are certain characteristics all born-again Christians share. One of those characteristics is that we’re all overcomers. I John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world….” There is nothing in this world that we can’t overcome through the power of God. The next characteristic is that we’re more than conquerors through Jesus. (Romans 8:37.) We don’t have to struggle to find a way to succeed. Through the anointing of God not only will we enjoy success, everyone around us will also. I’ve heard Hayden Hendrix, a minister who founded More than Champions Ministry, use the comparison of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Obviously, both are conquerors (champions), but what made Michael Jordan more than a conqueror is that he made all the players around him better as well. He wasn’t all about “getting his,” he wanted to make the entire team better; he was more than a conqueror. And so are we. The last characteristic we’ll cover is possibly the most significant. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14.) We are light. That’s how God sees us—as light. And what does He want us to do with that light? Not cover it with insecurities or submerge ourselves in selfish pursuits. We are to “let [our] light so shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify [our] father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16.) We glorify God by letting our light shine. And we let our light shine by simply being our best. Thomas Merton may have put it best when he said, “A tree glorifies God by being a tree.” That’s all God requires of us—to be who He made us to be. That makes life pretty simple.
About The Author
Article by Rosalyn Watts, author of the "Finding Your Wealthy Place Guide." To learn how you can find your wealthy place, please visit http://yourwealthyplace.typepad.com
The Price of Freedom
by: Ann Stewart
Isn't it wonderful to be free? Are you free; truly free? What is true freedom anyway? Is it the freedom to choose a mate, religion, profession or lifestyle? If you're privileged to enjoy all of them, can you honestly say that you feel free? Are you free from stress, abuse, self condemnation and unforgiveness? The Israelites had been slaves for centuries. They had forgotten what it was to be free like patriarch, Abraham and have the privileges of Joseph, who had the highest honor under Pharaoh. Once they were set free and saw all the miracles, they went back to the old attitudes and lifestyles they had been used to. They did not know how to handle freedom except by complaining about what they did not have. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in order to keep them from completely turning away from God. They had to live by every precept of the law, from circumcision to sacrifices, and what to eat and how to prepare their food. As long as they obeyed the law, they were be blessed. If they did not, they were cursed! (Deut. 28) But, that was not God's best! He wants you to walk in the freedom of Abraham, in childlike faith. Abraham was not under any law. He knew God and was steadfast in faith until one day he wavered. He decided to give God a hand in bringing his promised son to birth. Not walking in faith has consequences. God was not pleased. He had promised them a son, and it would not need to make sense. It just required simple, childlike faith! If God said it; then it would come to pass! Abraham's two sons are representative of the two covenants: Ishmael, the Law of Moses; and Isaac, the New Covenant. The Law was a curse as it required doing works to get God's blessings. Jesus, Abraham's physical and spiritual heir, became that curse by hanging on the cross, the symbol of a curse. (Gal. 4: 22 - 26) He did it so that all nations would have access to true Freedom through the Holy Spirit. (Gal. 3: 13 - 19) Whosoever believes in Him is free indeed. (John 8: 36) Do you realize that you are, like Isaac, the spiritual child of Promise? As long as you think and live according to the flesh, you are in bondage to the things of the world. Once you come to the realization that you "can do all things through Christ who strengthens you," (Phil. 4: 13) you know you're free! When the flesh is weak, the Spirit will help you soar over your problems! "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. " (Gal. 5: 1) The new Covenant is the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1: 25) Pure religion is to show God's Love to those in distress, (Jas. 2: 27) and do His Will from the heart. (Eph. 6: 6) "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11: 6) Are you completely free? That is; can you release all your troubles to Him and know without a doubt that what He says in His Word He will do for you? "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come. Buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isa. 55: 1) I pray that you may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, forget the past, and embrace your freedom in Christ. (Phil. 4: 10; 13) 'My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4: 19)
About The Author
Ann Stewart, author of With Wings as Eagles, aims to encourage and inspire you to become the person God has purposed you to be: http://lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles. You're welcome to subscribe to her free weekly, inspirational newsletter here: http://lifealteringwords.com.
Isn't it wonderful to be free? Are you free; truly free? What is true freedom anyway? Is it the freedom to choose a mate, religion, profession or lifestyle? If you're privileged to enjoy all of them, can you honestly say that you feel free? Are you free from stress, abuse, self condemnation and unforgiveness? The Israelites had been slaves for centuries. They had forgotten what it was to be free like patriarch, Abraham and have the privileges of Joseph, who had the highest honor under Pharaoh. Once they were set free and saw all the miracles, they went back to the old attitudes and lifestyles they had been used to. They did not know how to handle freedom except by complaining about what they did not have. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in order to keep them from completely turning away from God. They had to live by every precept of the law, from circumcision to sacrifices, and what to eat and how to prepare their food. As long as they obeyed the law, they were be blessed. If they did not, they were cursed! (Deut. 28) But, that was not God's best! He wants you to walk in the freedom of Abraham, in childlike faith. Abraham was not under any law. He knew God and was steadfast in faith until one day he wavered. He decided to give God a hand in bringing his promised son to birth. Not walking in faith has consequences. God was not pleased. He had promised them a son, and it would not need to make sense. It just required simple, childlike faith! If God said it; then it would come to pass! Abraham's two sons are representative of the two covenants: Ishmael, the Law of Moses; and Isaac, the New Covenant. The Law was a curse as it required doing works to get God's blessings. Jesus, Abraham's physical and spiritual heir, became that curse by hanging on the cross, the symbol of a curse. (Gal. 4: 22 - 26) He did it so that all nations would have access to true Freedom through the Holy Spirit. (Gal. 3: 13 - 19) Whosoever believes in Him is free indeed. (John 8: 36) Do you realize that you are, like Isaac, the spiritual child of Promise? As long as you think and live according to the flesh, you are in bondage to the things of the world. Once you come to the realization that you "can do all things through Christ who strengthens you," (Phil. 4: 13) you know you're free! When the flesh is weak, the Spirit will help you soar over your problems! "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. " (Gal. 5: 1) The new Covenant is the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1: 25) Pure religion is to show God's Love to those in distress, (Jas. 2: 27) and do His Will from the heart. (Eph. 6: 6) "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11: 6) Are you completely free? That is; can you release all your troubles to Him and know without a doubt that what He says in His Word He will do for you? "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come. Buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isa. 55: 1) I pray that you may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, forget the past, and embrace your freedom in Christ. (Phil. 4: 10; 13) 'My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4: 19)
About The Author
Ann Stewart, author of With Wings as Eagles, aims to encourage and inspire you to become the person God has purposed you to be: http://lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles. You're welcome to subscribe to her free weekly, inspirational newsletter here: http://lifealteringwords.com.
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