Sunday, May 23, 2010

Human Rights or Animal Rights?

Matador gets Spain and suffering

Read the story and see the slide show here

CAREFUL INFIDELITY


"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on."  
Matthew 6:25

Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, in these new books? He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.

"Take no thought . . ." don't take the pressure of forethought upon yourself. It is not only wrong to worry, it is infidelity, because worrying means that we do not think that God can look after the practical details of our lives, and it is never any thing else that worries us. Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the word He puts in? The devil? No, the cares of this world. It is the little worries always. I will not trust where I cannot see, that is where infidelity begins. The only cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit.

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon.

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) 
was a Scottish minister and teacher whose teachings on the life of faith and abandonment to God have endured to this day. 

Friday, May 21, 2010

IBCD Summer Institute



Abraham Lincoln PortraitIBCD Summer Institute
June 24-26
New Life Presbyterian Church
Escondido, CA

In the midst of all of the situations that a Christian faces, it can be difficult to keep focused on the most important thing - keeping a passion for Christ.  Sometimes even our counsel, though well intended, can fail to point people to the person and work of the Savior.  At this year's conference, we are going to be challenged to consider how we can keep the main thing the main thing, not only in our own lives, but also in the lives of the people to whom we minister.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer


"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Paul Anderson-Walsh The Jesus That John Knew Part ONE


Study the Gospel of John with Paul Anderson-Walsh

Point/counterpoint: Attacking the judiciary, or holding it accountable?

Campaign is all about a conservative religious agenda

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 12:04 a.m

An unprecedented, organized campaign is being waged to unseat four Superior Court Judges and replace them with individuals who will support the agenda of a coalition of conservative religious organizations.
Under the banner of a web site called www.bettercourtsnow.com, the coalition claims it used a team of legal experts to evaluate the decisions of all the sitting judges who are up for re-election. Read more here....
Brownlie is the managing partner at the San Diego office of DLA Piper, a law firm. One of the challenged judges, Longstreth, is a former DLA Piper partner.

An elite few select judges to further their special interests

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

I am a registered voter. I take the responsibility seriously.
The reason? My right to vote was earned – by the shed blood of thousands of people before me who agreed that a government of the people, by the people and for the people was something worth dying for. When people give up their lives so that I might have the right to vote, I ought to take that seriously.
In a government of, by and for the people, every branch of government – the executive, the legislative, and the judicial – is accountable to the people. Right? Read more here.....
Clark is pastor of East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church.



Kill Your Granny & Save Your Life



What shape is your idol?


I worship Ganesa, brother, god of worldly wisdom, patron of shopkeepers. He is in the shape of a little fat man with an elephant's head; he is made of soapstone and has two small rubies for eyes. What shape do you worship?

I worship a Rolls-Royce sports model, brother. All my days I give it offerings of oil and polish. Hours of my time are devoted to its ritual; and it brings me luck in all my undertakings; and it establishes me among my fellows as a success in life. What model is your car, brother?

I worship my house beautiful, sister. Long and loving meditation have I spent on it; the chairs contrast with the rug, the curtains harmonize with woodwork, all of it is perfect and holy. The ash trays are in exactly the right place, and should some blasphemer drop ashes on the floor, I nearly die of shock. I live only for the service of my house, and it rewards me with the envy of my sisters, who must rise up and call me blessed. Lest my children profane the holiness of my house with dirt and noise, I drive them out of doors. What shape is your idol, sister? Is it your house, or your clothes, or perhaps even your worth-while and cultural club?

I worship the pictures I paint, brother.... I worship my job; I'm the best darn publicity expert this side of Hollywood.... I worship my golf game, my bridge game. . . . I worship my comfort; after all, isn't enjoyment the goal of life? ... I worship my church; I want to tell you, the work we've done in missions beats all other denominations in this city, and next year we can afford that new organ, and you won't find a better choir anywhere.... I worship myself....

What shape is your idol?

from Joy Davidman’s book, Smoke on the Mountain 1954


New website offers review of churches

 Posted on Thu, May. 20, 2010
 

New website offers review of churches

By MANYA A. BRACHEAR
Chicago Tribune
A graduate student at DePaul University, atheist activist Hemant Mehta avoided being a church hater by becoming a church rater.
Enlisted four years ago on a lark to attend about a dozen Chicago-area churches and honestly rate his experience, Mehta's beliefs did not change, but his attitude toward organized religion did.
His journey inspired an interreligious group of entrepreneurs to recently launch ChurchRater, a new approach to church shopping modeled after Yelp, a popular website where users rate local businesses. By inviting ordinary worshipers to post reviews from the pews, the web site aims to help Christians navigate the more than 330,000 churches across the U.S. to find where they fit on Sunday morning.
The Rev. Jim Henderson, an evangelical pastor from Seattle and one of the site's founders, insists that Sunday morning worship is when most churches choose to open their doors to the public and hence invite critique. Churches should welcome the evaluations at churchrater.com, he added. While Henderson and his staff work to filter unnecessarily vile material to keep reviews useful, he said hard truths can hurt and help. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE......