Blogger News Network » Ted Haggard–The root of all evil?

Blogger News Network » Ted Haggard–The root of all evil?

This about says it all. Hate the sin, love the sinner. And yes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander--for example it's wrong to condemn all Dem.s because Clinton had sex with Lewinsky. However, please note that Haggard is acknowledging the wrong in what he has done. There are some who deny any wrongdoing, or who even deny that there is any wrong in what they are doing. You don't have to be perfect, but you do need to confess it when you're not!

Chicago Tribune | Will Howard Stern's shock lose its awe?

Chicago Tribune Howard Stern's shock?: "There's no question, however, that, in the short term, at least, audiences have been intrigued by the opportunity to hear X-rated radio uncensored. New York-based Sirius announced last Thursday that it ended 2005 with more than 3.3 million subscribers, up from 1.1 million a year earlier. The firm gave a great deal of the credit to Stern, rewarding him with 34 million shares of stock worth about $220 million."
Could someone please explain what cause for this attraction to vulgarity there could be, other than a sin nature as described in the Bible? I would really like to know.

Professor backs "intelligent design" in testimony

Notice, what this trial is determining: "decide whether intelligent design can be mentioned in public-school science classes as an alternative to the theory of evolution."
We're not asking to be able to indoctrinate (the way the evolutionists have for years!), simply to provide alternatives to a very leaky theory. I note that some of these same science-worshipers condemn those in history who refused to teach an alternate theory to the notion that the earth is located at the center of the universe. Hmmm... What's good for the goose?

New Orleans: TRIBES

This guy has some good points concerning the response to help in New Orleans and the very real difference between "tribes", i.e. people's values and the things they do. There IS a difference between doing the right thing and not doing it--or worse, doing the wrong thing. There's also a very interesting contrast between Guliani and the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana. (Beware the offensive language in his blog.)
Don't get me wrong--we need to think about what went wrong. But we don't need to waste our time pointing fingers.

Jaar van de Geest bij pinkstergemeenten

"Heilige Geest, kom met kracht!"??? Waar staat het in de Bijbel dat we op de komst van de Heilige Geest moeten wachten of verlangen? De belofte van de Geest in Ha. 1.8 is op de Pinksterdag vervuld. Waarom, en tot welk baat bidden we, of verlangen we, of maken we tot een jaarthema iets wat we niet terug kunnen vinden in Gods Woord?

ARTICLE: Furor erupts over Pat Robertson's call for assassination

"Robertson's pro-assassination comment was particularly troubling, Morgan said, because it seemed to endorse murder and contradict Christian teachings.
Any reasonable Christian ethicist probably lies awake at night wondering whatever possessed an individual like Pat Robertson to make the kind of comments he did, Morgan said. It defies reason.
Robertson's remarks are appalling to the point of disbelief, Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, said in a statement issued in New York. The council is a liberal-leaning organization representing 35 Protestant and Orthodox Christian denominations around the country.
It defies logic that a clergyman could so casually dismiss thousands of years of Judeo-Christian law, including the commandment that we are not to kill, Edgar said." (The Virginian-Pilot - HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com)"

Indeed! It is disturbing that US interest could be used so blatantly to justify immoral activity. The US already appears to the world to have gone over the line--though I still believe their acts are justified, both by truly international interests as well as the interests of justice and democracy for the nationals in the country they're in. Mr. Robertson, help the US stay the right course, not abuse it's position as the most powerful nation in the world.

Columbus' True Motivation

: "evangelism"

How to get your blog listed on the search engines

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This article speaks for itself.

At the same time, it's a parable of the incarnation. If we want to be "seen" by the world, we need to be there, to be Jesus' hands and feet, to be there. I'm not saying its about us--I'm saying that we are the ones Jesus has chosen to represent Him in today's world and we need to be about doing that.

More Dutch Plan to Emigrate as Muslim Influx Tips Scales

The New York Times > International > Europe > More Dutch Plan to Emigrate as Muslim Influx Tips Scales

So, what does this mean? Do we give up trying to reach the Dutch since they're leaving anyway?

I would argue that it means that we need to further integrate our evangelism and church planting to include "the future" of Holland. There will always be Dutch here, and they certainly need Jesus. But there will continue to be more and more from the outside. They need Jesus too. And they need a church that is here where they are, to nourish them and to be a place where God's love is made tangible, God's name is glorified.

Who knows. Perhaps it is through this hybrid church that the gospel will make great advances in this country! Glorify Your Name, O Lord!

40 dagen (days) wagon

We started Sunday with a woman who expressed worship to the Lord in dance. Then we looked at God's first purpose for us--that we respond to His love by loving Him. Another word for this love is worship. Worship is not limited to an activity like prayer, singing, or religious exercise, but is a total life response. When all that we do is done for Him, that is worship. When we work on our relationship with Him, that is worship.

40 dagen wagen
I closed the message by bringing out a wheelbarrow. I explained that when God, Who is the axle of life, is in the center of our lives (= worship), then our life works well. I then mounted alternative wheel I had made, one with the axle not mounted in the center. That was a rough ride for our son who was pushed at breakneck speed through the room! When something else takes the place of God at the center of our lives, pushing Him to the side, our life becomes rough, even impossible.

40 Days progress

There have been so many new faces in church the last two Sundays! One of our leadership couples is thrilled because their best friends (picture) agreed to join us for 40 Days of Purpose. We have gone from 8 to 12 small groups and have 100 people participating! Thank you, Lord!

The most powerful moment in the service was when we showed a 10 minute video our daughter Alexa had made. Last week she went into the city and asked people—what is the purpose of your life? It moved me to tears as I saw person after person not know any answer, or guess “happiness—but I don’t know how to achieve it”, and even one man who said, “My conclusion is that there is no purpose to life.” Please pray that God will use us to show that He has created everyone with a purpose, and that that purpose is found in His Son’s love.

people don't know the purpose of life!

Tuesday my daughter made a video here in our city. She asked people on the street, “What is the purpose of your life?” I almost wanted to cry when I watched the video. Half the people admitted honestly that they had no answer to this question. The rest made guesses; gave cliched answers like, "to be happy" or "to live for our children”. Not a single one had an answer that they gave full of conviction or certainty! How sad that people "live" like this, without the answer to life's most fundamental question. God help them!

Rick Warren

Tall trees catch a lot of wind, the Dutch say. This is sure the case with Rick Warren. He has been used by God to write a book and a church curriculum to help people discover God's purpose for their lives. He claims that Christians should: worship God, evangelize, fellowship, minister, and become more like Christ. Now, that seems about as biblical and as obviously true as it can get! But still there are people who are calling him a false teacher, that he is preparing the church for the anti-christ, etc.! What is going on here? What drives people to this?

Someone sent me some sites with criticism of Warren. As I looked at them it became very clear that, though the charges are extremely severe, the arguments to support those charges are weak, take statements out of context, and are driven by thinking that says: Warren is wrong/bad and if he says anything that sounds half-fishy, I'm going to attack! Here's an example: http://www.bereanbeacon.org/articles/rick_warren_purpose_driven.htm. And here are two more: "Warren teaches that God "created the church to meet your five deepest needs" just as the Roman Catholic Church says, "The Church is the mother of all believers." Warren, like Rome, has switched from obedience to the Word and Person of the Living God to submission to a church to achieve one's needs. It is the oldest and cleverest temptation known to man."—Richard Bennett, The Adulation of Man in the Purpose-Driven Life There's no way you can reach this conclusion--unless you started off by believing it in the first place. Read the book! You will see that Warren does indeed teach obedience and submission to God and His Word!

Another example: "[Rick] Warren has turned the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a method."—Pastor Bob Dewaay Twin City Fellowship, MN Dewaay says (http://www.twincityfellowship.com/cic/articles/issue80.htm) "Rick Warren’s gospel is never clearly described. Here is one of his statements about it: “God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him?” (Warren: 34). But, doctrine does matter because our doctrine of Christ determines whether we believe in the Christ of the Bible or the Christ of Mormonism or some other religion." Again, we're way out of context here. Warren is not arguing that Mormons or people of other religions will be saved based on their own beliefs. This is twisting his words! And, he does state the gospel (simply) in this very passage: "accept what Jesus did for you". Warren's gospel is about Jesus, not about man's effort, it's about what Jesus did (dying for our sins and rising from the dead), and it's about accepting (believing) that. See John 1.12; 1 Co. 15.1-8.

Warren is a prolific writer, and what he has written must be seen in context. If you take the time to read all he has to say, instead of twisting certain passages out of context, you will discover that he is sound in doctrine, faithful to the Scripture, and preaching a biblical gospel.

EXTRA: Here's a transcript of Warren's interview with Larry King on CNN:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/22/lkl.01.html

40 Days of Purpose

We just started our second 40 Days of Purpose campaign. It is so cool to be able to help people deal with such important issues in their lives. And the presentation (book, videos, small group discussion) is so powerful!
It hasn't been easy setting up a campaign like this--there is always resistance (wonder where that comes from?). But we're off and running and we have a LOT of people participating! Wow!
Purpose Driven - Churches Changing Lives on Purpose

Tips-Blogging advice

Here's some tips I found about blogging. Some of them sound good. Don't care for the language, though. Can't people express their feelings without using foul language? (Makes you wonder where their foul comes from--sad.)

Blogger Forum - Articles, Reviews, Tips-Blogging advice

introductions

As you might have guessed from the title, this is my first blog.

Here's an interesting couple of links (see if they work):
www.ekvriendschap.nl
www.qualityinliving.nl

I hope to be a friend by providing encouragement and helpful information.