Wednesday, August 22, 2007
This and That in Pictures
Monday, August 20, 2007
Voice of the Martyrs
IndonesiaThe Sword will not SeparateBrought to you by The Voice of the Martyrs
From the left side, Noviana Malewa may look like any other 15-year-old girl. In her eyes you see a sadness and a strength much too deep for any girl her age. She has the look of someone who has witnessed more than they want to see and endured more than they think they can survive.
In October 2005, Noviana and three other teenagers were taking a small footpath on the way to their Christian high school near Poso, Indonesia. Suddenly, from out of the jungle, sprang six masked men in all black, wielding machetes. Noviana fought bravely, but was struck across the side of her face and neck with a machete. She fell to the ground and rolled down into a ravine. Above, she heard her friends screaming. Just when she was about to lose hope, a van of soldiers appeared and took her to a hospital.
Noviana was the only survivor that day. After the attack, she was hidden in a Christian village and guarded by police because her testimony was needed in court. The radical Muslims who had killed her friends were still looking for her. It was even too dangerous for her to attempt a hospital visit.
After months of negotiation to guarantee her safety, VOMedical was finally able to arrange transportation to a hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. While in hiding VOMedical will continue follow-up treatment. Though Noviana's physical scars are beginning to heal, she still struggles with the emotional and mental scars from witnessing the brutal murder of her three friends. Yet, she remains steadfast in her faith.Check out this link for information on Voice of the Martyrs
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Some Words of Wisdom
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.
Blessed are those who can give without remembering And take without forgetting.
The irony of life is that, by the time you're old enough to know your way around, you're not going anywhere.
I was always taught to respect my elders, But it keeps getting harder to find one.
Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear. So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But the man did not see. And the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And a life was born. But the man did not notice. So the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here." Whereupon God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away .. and walked on. Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Can You Say Appeasment?
From an article posted on WorldNetDaily August 15, 2007:
Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop.
Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.
The Almighty is above such "discussion and bickering," he insisted.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57178
Exodus 3:13-15
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
God did not tell Moses that His name is "Allah".
Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Him as Jehovah, not "Allah".
Nowhere in the Holy Bible is God referred to as "Allah". God insured that His people knew His name. What makes Bishop Muskens think that God doesn't care what He is called? My name is Trudy. I would soon be offended if someone insisted on calling me "Sally" when they already knew what my name is just because they liked "Sally" better or because someone else liked that name better. For that matter, what makes Christians think that Muslims will like us any better if we appease them? If anything, they will lose even more respect for us because we don't even have the courage to stand fast for what we believe. Well entrenched hatreds will not go away simply because we back down on matters of our own faith.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
My Pumpkin Turned Into a Coach
Friday, August 10, 2007
Pastor Berlin V Guerrero
This is a press release when Pastor Berlin V Guerrero was kidnapped: PRESS STATEMENT *presented to the media, 12 nn, May 28, 2007 The United Church of Christ in the Philippines condemns in strongest terms the latest abduction of one of its pastors, Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero who was taken at gunpoint yesterday at 5:45 pm Sunday, May 27, 2007 in front of Seven Star gas station at Bgy. Casile, Binan, Laguna by undetermined number of armed men who were on board two L 300 FB vans whose plate numbers were covered. Pastor Guerrero, 46 years old, pastor assigned at the UCCP local in Malaban, was with his wife Mylene and three children when the abduction took place. According to his wife, they were on board a tricycle when military looking armed men blocked their way, poked their guns on them, grabbed her bag as they forced Pastor Guerrero in one of the vans. According to witnesses, some of the abductors were even video taping the incident. The vans fled to the direction of Carmona. As of press time, efforts to locate Pastor Guerrero in various military and police facilities are fruitless. This update was then printed: We have found Pastor Berlin. He is detained here at Camp Pantaleon Garcia in Imus, Cavite. The Philippine National Police (PNP) says he faces murder and sedition cases filed in 1991 and 1993. He is tortured. The following is a poem that he apparently wrote while in prison: A PASTOR IN PRISON When a pastor is in prison his ministry is not impaired; the bars and walls are only futile attempts to cut his connections to the world beyond the state curtain. His confinement is limited only to the physical body and never to his spirit; transcending the man-made prison he is ever connected to the Source. He remains a priest -- meditating on the liberating Gospel together with fellow prisoners, they come before the God of freedom and justice. He remains a prophet -- speaking the truth, exposing the crookedness of the prison meant to straiten persons pointing out the negligence and faults of the court system which add up to injustice already done to the poor and the oppressed. His understanding and skill of pastoral care is deepened and honed in the countless narratives of human frailty, failure and hopelessness where the only the spoken language is that of forgiveness, love and hope. He becomes a healer -- of the sick and broken -a sea of humility, its will defeated and dying. His touch caresses the hardened heart and calms the troubled soul. His ears are attuned to the whisper pleas and unspoken prayers of the remorseful, lost and heavy-laden. His voice echoes God's message of redemption in a pit of forsakenness and a ravine of damnation. He is humbled in finding himself among the wicked and downtrodden which reminds him of his own imperfection. He treats each inmate as a child of God invited to partake in Christ's feast and into God's reign in the here and now of the concrete prison cell. Christ is enfleshed through the pastor's acts in the redeemed and redemptive community he prayerfully works to bring about within the wall and iron bars of the cursed state prison. Pastor Berlin V. Guerrero June 21 2007 CPJ - TMC |
Please pray for Pastor Berlin V Guerrero and his family as they attempt to get through this ordeal.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Judge Not
Matthew 7:1
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
It can be frustrating that this verse is often mis-quoted by persons who wish to justify their own sin. If we dare to call any action sin - pre-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, drug abuse, etc - we are often told that we are not permitted to judge others. The answer, of course, is that we did not decide that these actions are sin, God did. "Judge the fruit but do not judge the motives or the intentions of the heart." This is a quote from John Bevere I do not wish to get into the debate over whether or not John Bevere promotes false teachings; I only know that this particular quote is right on. "Judging the fruit" means that we are agreeing with God that the actions that He has called sin are in fact sin. "Not judging the motives or the intentions of the heart" means that human beings are not capable of reading either minds or hearts. Only God can do that. If we say "He is only doing that to impress people" or She is only saying that for her own gain" or "If they do that they must not love God" then we are judging motives and intentions, something we are not permitted to do. We are to leave those judgements to someone who is qualified to do them accurately - God. 1 Samuel 16 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. |
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
A Blast From the Past
Monday, August 6, 2007
The Dangers of Dissing Yo Mama
It doesn't pay to disrespect your mother. A Sicilian mother took away her 61 year old son's house keys, cut off his allowance and hauled him to the police station because he stayed out late and disrespected her, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. See the whole story at: http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Mum-cuts-off-61yearold-sons-allowance/2007/08/03/1185648104257.html Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. |
Friday, August 3, 2007
In The News
Cucumber flavored Pepsi. Available only in Japan.
The Duggar family of Rogers, Arkansa - Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar just had their seventeenth child, a girl named Jennifer.
All of the children have names beginning with the letter J. Joshua 19, John David 17, Janna 17, Jill 16, Jessa 14, Jinger 13, Joseph 12, Josiah 11, Joy-Anna 9, Jedidiah 8, Jeremiah 8, Jason 7, James 6, Justin 4, Jackson 3, Johannah 2 and baby Jennifer. Michelle has been pregnant for 126 months or 10.5 years of her life. She says that they would like to have more children.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Guerilla Gardening
Sunday, May 6 ~ 2pm519 Centre at 519 Church St
We need to get together to make the seed bombs and "Please Water Me" signs that we use for the season. Please bring whatever paints and art supplies you may have...