From williamguenter identi.ca: Missionary Still in Jail Months Later http://ping.fm/MVpxk

Global Mission -well worth a read

From @NationsBeGlad: "Why are so many missional Christians uninvolved in God's global mission?" -- Ed Stetzer http://ow.ly/Fvnl

Are you saved? | Liturgy

Are you saved? | Liturgy

Posted using ShareThis

World Prayer Rock This Boat! Posted: 22 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST Katherine Russeell @onAssignment is a "pilgrim on assignment", a blogger and a Jesus follower. Katherine is a serious student of the Bible and an active regular at Twitter Nightly Worship and Twivotions. The Church today finds itself bogged down in the sludge of the 'status quo'. This sludge seduces you to be satisfied to just keep things the way they currently are. It looks good, smells good, sounds good and we've always done things this way, so why mess with what's comfortable? The sludge of the 'status quo' discourages change. It says, "this is the accepted and expected way to behave. It's familiar and we want no interruptions/changes." But here is the problem: If the flow of the River of God is interrupted, stagnation and death are the end result. Jesus came to disrupt the spirit of the 'status quo'! The religious leaders of that day liked things just the way they were. While Rome had power and control over them, they had control over the people of God. When Jesus came, however, He rebuked them saying, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. (Matthew 23:27) Are we stuck in the sludge of the 'status quo'? Is it easier to just keep on the way things are? Or, are we going to get into the Word, and out of the sludge of this casual, lukewarm existence, focused on this world kind of living, and do what we have been called to do? It is as if we are bound by invisible chains and the chains have become so comfortable that we no longer even know we are bound. We are living in a very dangerous time and it's the obligation of the Body of Christ to bring the only Hope for a lost and dying world. The Body of Christ is the Truth Bearer in this world, but, like a cobra charms it's victims, the Church has become hypnotized by the portrait of the violence and evil painted before us and we remain motionless! We must awaken and fulfill God's purpose, as individuals and as a corporate body. The Army of God must be mobilized to carry the Truth of the Gospel to a world that is failing, breaking the hypnotic pull of strong holds in our own lives and the lives of the Body of Christ. The disciples were in the trenches, not in a sterile, pristine, comfortable environment. They were dirty, sweaty, hungry, in peril, beaten, in chains and finally, most were killed for what they brought to the world. They engaged the enemy every day, every second of their lives and paid the ultimate price. Page Two Rock This Boat June 2009 Katherine Russell The Third World Body of Christ knows what it's like to live their life for Christ! They are captured, tortured and killed on a daily basis. We, on the other hand, have got it all in a neat, sterile, controlled, non-confrontational package. Any other way is too messy! Warfare is messy! Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Was He just talking about, "I can't make my car payment; my girlfriend does not like me; my boss does not treat me right," kind of trouble? The Greek translation for the word 'overcome' is the military word, conquer. Conquer is a warfare word, therefore, 'overcome' is a warfare word! It has been demonstrated over and over again that this is a battle that we are in and we cannot be asleep on our watch (satisfied with the 'status quo')! The Church in America, behaves as if we have passed through some kind of veil that others have not yet reached, and we are exempt and do not have to engage the enemy any longer. As if we are special and we act as if others ought to be drawn to Christ simply because they are breathing the same air we breathe! We are going to have to break out of this sludge of the 'status quo,' get in the trenches and fight this battle for souls that are lost without Him! The battle will never end until we get Home. We are going to have to ROCK THIS BOAT to dislodge it from our casual concept of what a Christ Follower really is. This is about souls…but there is warfare to be done in the atmosphere, to break the assignments of the enemy from our communities, and to tear down strongholds that keep the Body of Christ divided. It's dirty work and emotionally and physically draining, but it's ours to do. We must break out of this log jam of the 'status quo' so that the River of the Holy Spirit can flow in us and to those who still don't know how much He loves them. ROCK THIS BOAT with warfare prayer! Keep ROCKin' until the RIVER FLOWS. Don't stop until we get Home! You are subscribed to email updates from World Prayer To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Rebuilding His Church in Baghdad- with new photos

 

UPDATE FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR RELIEF AND RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST PO Box 229 Petersfield Hampshire United Kingdom GU32 9DL  office@frrme.org www.frrme.org +44 (0) 1730 267 673 Canon Andrew White writes... Rebuilding His Church   Dear Friends,   Greetings and blessings from Baghdad. Well we may be in one of the most dangerous places in the world, we may have just been bombed, but we have no fear because we know that the Lord is here and his Spirit is with us. Our people almost have nothing and yet they have been giving sacrificially. They know they are giving to G-d to rebuild his church. I also give great thanks to all our friends around the world who have also given sacrificially to us, in a church they have never seen, so that it may continue to do the work of the Almighty. Yesterday we had a meeting of the Church and Clinic staff. About 40 of them came together and the first thing they said to me was that even if there was no money to pay them they would still do their work. The children have rallied together to draw pictures to sell so their church can be repaired. The only people who have left us are the contractors who were supposed to be building the Kindergarten. They say it is too dangerous to continue here. They were the only people who were not members of our church. With the clinic now up and functioning and looking better than ever before there is great hope amongst all. Here are photos that shown the difference between the dentistry room after the bombing and today. Clinic after the bomb blast. Clinic now. The biggest problem now is the structure of the Church; this has been badly damaged, at the moment we still cannot afford to repair it, but we know that in G-d's time it will happen. At  our prayer meeting yesterday there were simply prayers of thanks for all who have helped us. So again I say thank you for your love and care. We know that with G-d all things are possible and we WILL get there. I ask for your prayers for one of our closest friends Brian Murphy. He is here in Baghdad with us, in our congregation and on the Board of FRRME America. Last night he had surgery here and is being flown out today. Love and Blessings, Andrew White P.S. Christmas cards featuring Havan, a young artist from St George's are now available alongside the 2010 calendar, an excellent Christmas gift. All profits go to St. George's Church. Go to www.frrme.org for more details. P.P.S. Christmas Gift Appeal coming soon - a chance to buy a loved one a gift that gives, to improve the lives of the people of Baghdad.            For more information on the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East please visit our website www.frrme.org

 

Forward email This email was sent to angfam@angfam.com by office@frrme.org. Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Foundation for Relief & Reconciliation in the Middle East | P.O Box 229 | Petersfield | GU32 9DL | United Kingdom

Report Exposes Forced Conversions of Christian Women in Egypt | Christianpost.com http://ping.fm/zNp6T

FW: J.John's eLetter 16 November 2009

16th November 2009 This week I am delighted my friend Canon David White has written an eletter. David will be appointed, in March, as the new Vicar of St Andrew's Church, in Chorleywood, where Killy and I worship. We are delighted by his appointment and pray for David and his family as they prepare to leave Cornwall and move to Chorleywood. I am currently reading Charles Wesley's journals and have been deeply inspired by his life and ministry and I asked David to write on Charles Wesley.   Website www.philotrust.com For a printable version of this eLetter click here   Connect with us on the following social networking sites

 

Charles Wesley Say the name Wesley and most people automatically think of John: that administrative genius, that mighty man of God who lived simply, travelled extensively and preached his heart out. Here was a man who cared for the poor, who wrote dictionaries and medical cure-alls, who changed the face of this nation. But (I have to say) he was a cold sort of fish, difficult to love, and very inconsistent theologically. His preaching possessed a restless quality (not altogether at ease with himself, you would think), he 'stole' his best ideas and practices from his brother, and his relationships with women were notoriously naïve. Me? When I hear the name 'Wesley' I think of the other brother – the seraphic Charles, whose passionate rapture in God expressed itself gladly in his devoted love of all he met. He exemplifies the adventure of holiness, in which the whole person is renovated in the image of God. Here was a man who really did model what he taught. His marriage was a huge love affair throughout his life, and he was a fine husband and father – though how he managed to be so is a mystery: it was said of him that, 'the man is either mad or making verses'. He wrote more poetry than William Wordsworth and Robert Browning put together – that's between 7 and 9 thousand separate pieces – no mean feat! In his hymns he used over 30 titles to refer to Christ. Lose your Bible (Authorised Version) and you could reconstruct it from the hymns of this dear man. It was Charles who first preached outside, who first used non-ordained folk to help spread the great good news of the gospel, who first used non-consecrated buildings, who first preached in pubs and by the roadside, who first baptised by full immersion, and who was the first to be called 'Methodist' – then a term of abuse applied to the rigour of his devotional life. It was Charles who thought the great message was two-fold: salvation by faith for all who called on the name of Christ, and experiential holiness, by which people would know Christ had truly saved them. Behind all of his life and ministry there was a burning fire to see people won for Christ, the nations changed and the Church of England rediscovering its power, message and life. He received much opposition – once, in Redruth, the enraged townsfolk tried to tear down the walls of the place where he was staying, so that in turn they could tear him from limb to limb. Much the same happened in Wednesbury. His journals are full of such incidents – and for my money are more inspirational than those of his better known brother's – full of humility and rapture, self-deprecation and faith. He was called 'seraphic' because he was full of love, full of the shining glory of God. The Lord had answered his prayerful hymn, 'O thou who camest from above / the pure celestial fire to impart / kindle a flame of love / on the mean altar of my heart' – like the fire in the temple, the fire in Charles' life never flickered or failed. (By the way, there are about 25 references to books of the Bible in the 16 lines of this one short hymn.) Yes, he got annoyed about the way Methodism was developing, and yes, he fell out with his brother – but most people did. He could be too humble – why, even on his deathbed he wrote a short verse bemoaning the fact that he was 'a worm'. Yet he died as he lived: his last words were, 'Lord – my heart – my God.' Wesley? Depends which one you mean! Canon David White

Quick Links - Who is J.John? - Events Diary - Shop - News - J.John's Reflections - Articles - Support our work - Contact us   Shop Categories - Books - CDs - DVDs - Bulk Buy - Downloads

 

The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD ? Psalm 89:5/6

FW: Clinic re-opened by Governor of Baghdad.

 

UPDATE FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR RELIEF AND RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST PO Box 229 Petersfield Hampshire United Kingdom GU32 9DL  office@frrme.org www.frrme.org +44 (0) 1730 267 673 Canon Andrew White writes... Clinic Re-opened by Governor of Baghdad   Dear Friends,    Well praise G-d the clinic is now open again; looking wonderful and full of patients. The Governor of Baghdad and his staff came this morning to re-open it; it looks wonderful and is so well repaired. The Governor could not believe all its facilities. He was very grateful for all the care we have given to his staff. He made it clear that we would continue to work closely together. The Governor's office is next to our compound where many people were killed and injured in the bombing. The weekend has been more than busy with the usual services both at the Church and in the US Embassy. By far the most important event was the marriage of two of the members of our US Embassy Chapel  - David and Susan, that I officiated at. It was simply wonderful to have an event where two such wonderful people became one. This weekend's readings very much focussed on the second coming. We had a reading from Daniel Ch 10 - events that took place at the Tigris River, just yards from the church. What shocked me the most was that our Iraqi people said they had never been told of this before. For those of you I wanted to phone, I apologise I have not been able to call. I have had a very bad throat and Chest infection and have had to save my limited voice for speaking engagements.  Blessings Andrew White Rev. Canon Andrew White St George's Church, Baghdad. P.S. Christmas cards featuring Havan, a young artist from St George's are now available alongside the 2010 calendar, an excellent Christmas gift. All profits go to St. George's Church. Go to www.frrme.org for more details.            For more information on the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East please visit our website www.frrme.org

 

Forward email This email was sent to angfam@angfam.com by office@frrme.org. Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Foundation for Relief & Reconciliation in the Middle East | P.O Box 229 | Petersfield | GU32 9DL | United Kingdom

Letter from Andy Economides, Soteria Trust, November 2009

Dear Friend

 

In my recent trip to Nigeria I spoke 13 times. Pius heard me throughout and was pleasantly surprised at the content of my teaching, commenting that, ‘I was preaching the Gospel and Jesus’. The prominent diet of teaching is ‘How to Be Blessed’ and ‘Prosperity’. All the while, the Gospel is not advancing as it should and helping the poor is neglected. At a secondary school in Ibadan I taught 70 students (16 year olds) for 40 minutes about Jesus being ‘Lord, Saviour and Friend’. After that class another, then another. The response from the 210 young people was very positive. Pius is the Soteria School Premises Manager and my apprentice.

 

Trousers, Shirts and Dr. Martens

John the Baptist said, ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same’ (Luke 3 v 11). During this sermon I asked Pius to come and stand before the church. I instructed him to go and feed the very poor and disabled. And to tell them of Christ. I publicly gave Pius two shirts, trousers, my watch, money to purchase food, and took my beloved red Dr. Marten shoes off. I asked for volunteers to go with him and for all to give. There was a great response. Pastor Elijah took his shoes off. A collection for the poor taken. Watches were given. The group have since been out twice to feed the poor, love the poor and tell them of Christ. Alan Hounsham, engineer, did improvements, repairs and installed a fantastic hot water system at the Soteria School. He was gold.

 

We Are His Servants

Amos 3 v 7 says; ‘Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to his servants the prophets’. You and I are God’s servants with a prophetic gift. During this Christmas season let us receive His plan. God does nothing without…

 

Please pray:

·         22 November           Immanuel Church, Chichester, West Sussex, 6pm. World Religions and Cults.

·         13 December           Thundersley Congregational Church, Essex, 6.30pm. Christmas service.

·         20 December           Waltham Chase Methodist Church, Hampshire, 6.30pm. Christmas service.

·         For the Soteria Business School. The staff, students and those on scholarship. For continued educational development and spiritual maturity. Finance.

 

With kind regards and Christ’s peace

 

Love,

 

Andy Economides

 

P.S. Can you sponsor a child or young person through Soteria Trust at £19/month?

 

 

Soteria Trust  2 New Town  Chichester  West Sussex  PO19 1UG  UK

Tel: 01243 771494  Fax: 01243 771240  Email: admin@soteriatrust.org.uk  Web: www.soteriatrust.org.uk

 

Fw: World Prayer

World Prayer Childlike Persistence Posted: 12 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST Priscilla Tagle @PriscillaTagle brings youthful energy to Worldprayr and to her own ministry GospelFriday. Check out Priscilla's blog, Fulfill His Purpose. "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, And it will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9, ESV) One day I went to Toys R Us to buy my brother a game he was longing to have. So, I directed myself to where the Game Section was, and I saw this kid, on the floor, crying and yelling at the top of his lungs "… but, but Mommy I've got to have that!" And he went on bugging his mom in every way, shape and form he would imagine for about twenty minutes until his mom gave in and bought him the toy he wanted. Many of us can recall the same or somewhat different story from our childhood. I, myself, just like this kid, got many goodies for being persistent! Even though I'm not a parent I imagine how this mother felt. This mother was mad. The kid was driving her crazy! And even though she said "NO!" so many times, the kid continued to be persistent, until he got what he wanted. Have you ever wondered that, that is exactly what God wants from us, He wants us to be like that kid in the store yelling, bugging his mom. He wants us to have that "childlike persistence." It don't matter how many times we knock on that door, or how many times we come to him in prayer with the same request or problem, He wants to hear us pleading to him, because at the end when everything seems hopeless and lost He will open that door with the solution to our problems and needs. Luke 18:16 presents us with a very beautiful scenario, Jesus blessing the Children. Jesus was always surrounded by large crowds, but this time he was surrounded by a very special playful little crowd. Jesus was blessing the children who came up to Him. Imagine Jesus receiving the kids with a warm smile and his arms wide open to those who came running to him. His Disciples didn't understand why Jesus was doing this, but Jesus told them "… the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children" (Luke 18:16 NLT). That's the key point; we have to be like Little Children who don't care what the situation is, who don't have to ask a million questions to God, or wonder why something is happening, we simply have to TRUST HIM. Have you decided to give up on God because he didn't answer your prayer? He's not going to get sick of you. Remember...God is working things out for a greater purpose. Even when it seems like it's taking longer than you expected. Pursue Him…And never stop praying…KEEP KNOCKING! Priscilla Tagle