December 29, 2006

Got A Great Business Idea?

Click on the Link Above to Enter a Chance to win $100,000
to Launch Your Business Idea in New York City!

I think I said this before but as I grow in my Christian walk I become more aware of the fact that I do not live or work in a Christian friendly world. I live in a secular world where it takes money and lots of faith to sustain a ministry. I know that the sponsors of the contest above are probably not Christians and probably aren't thinking about spreading the Word of God, but we as Christians could use this contest as an opportunity to create something that will help build or sustain a ministry that introduces Christ to the masses!

"....May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright...." - Psalm 20:4-8 (NKJ)

"....May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm..." - Psalm 20:4-8 (NIV)

"....May God do what you want most and let all go well for you. Then you will win victories, and we will celebrate, while raising our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all of your prayers! I am certain, LORD, that you will help your chosen king. You will answer my prayers from your holy place in heaven, and you will save me with your mighty arm. Some people trust the power of chariots or horses, but we trust you, LORD God. Others will stumble and fall, but we will be strong and stand firm..." -Psalm 20:4-8 (CEV)

http://www.biblegateway.com/

December 27, 2006

Celebrating Women Who Make A Powerful Difference


Have you seen how powerful one person can be in your community?
Pine-Sol® wants to recognize the achievement of remarkable women everywhere with the Powerful Difference Awards. Tell about the woman who inspires you. From your nominations, two women will receive a Powerful Difference Award - a $10,000 contribution to the organization or group of her choice and her special story will be featured in ESSENCE magazine.
Celebrating Women Who Make A Powerful Difference!
To submit a nomination, visit http://www.abcrn.com/powerful

December 23, 2006

Something to think on this holiday season....



"The following is an excerpt from http://www.theyuinon.com/articles/christmas.htm:"

A Merry Mess?


As a child I grew up loving Christmas, I never was taught about the importance of the day. All I knew was Santa Claus, food and family. When I had reached the age of 19, I started questioning the traditions of Christmas and what on earth did they have to do with Jesus. At the age of 22, I started studying Egyptology and Islam. From my studying, I discovered many things about Christmas that wasn’t godly. When I rededicated my life to Christ in 1996, I still had many questions about Christmas. God has been dealing with me for the past three weeks on sharing some insight on this holiday.

I know this holiday means so much to many people, but I have to listen to my Father. So as I submit to Him, I pray that this is received in love. I also pray that this article will spark you to question some of these traditions. Some of the information that I share will be referenced so that you can study for yourself (2 Timothy 2:15). I don’t have time to break down everything, so I will try to address as much as possible.

When you deal with a subject like Christmas, many people will turn you off before you even say a word. A Christian sister asked me one day, “Why don’t you just fit in?” Also I have been told to, “Pick my battles, this isn’t that serious!” Oh it’s not serious when many Christians every year go into financial debt for this holiday? It’s not serious when many Christian children have bad attitudes towards their parents and God for not getting what they want? It’s not serious when many Christian parents get depressed and discouraged because they cannot afford to buy their children the toys they wish for? It’s not serious when many Christian parents end up participating in illegitimate money schemes to obtain them?

“ Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven.” – Jeremiah 10:2

You often hear Christians say, “Let’s put the Christ back in Christmas.” Maybe we need to research how Christ got into Christmas in the first place. The only time I hear Christ’s name on Christmas is right before dinner in prayer. If we continue to close our eyes to what’s really going on, the life of Christ will eventually be just a fairy tale. We must stand firm on the teachings of the Bible, not the world. Yeah, yeah, I know, we (Christians) don’t worship pagan gods on December 25th and we (Christians) don’t refer to Christmas trees as gods. The purpose of this article is to get us to think on things we do religiously that are not biblical. Nowhere in the bible is it written that people observed a special day to celebrate Jesus' birthday and or, we today are required to acknowledge Him on his birthday. Where did this tradition come from? Is the origin of this day wicked and ungodly?

Here’s an example to ponder: Let’s say Klu Klux Klan uniforms became fashionable in the year 2020, would you let your children rock them? Prayerfully your answer was no, because of what those uniforms once represented. Before we explore Christmas and its’ traditions, let’s first take a look at the day itself.

December 25th?

“I remember, wasn’t it December… that’s the wrong date, but it did put a end to our long wait.” – Cross Movement/Wisemen

Many pagan festivals were held during the month of December. Actually, December 25 was the date on which the many Romans celebrated the birth of the sun god. During the fourth & fifth century, the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine selected December 25th for Christmas to compete with and overshadow the pagan customs. In trying to make Christianity appealing to the pagans, the Roman church simply took the Festival of Saturnalia and implemented it into Christianity. Eventually many of the associated pagan symbols, forms, customs, and traditions were reinterpreted ("Christianized") in ways acceptable to the Christian faith and practice…

“ The pagans flocked into the Catholic places of worship, because they were still able to worship their old gods, only now under different names. It mattered not to them whether they worshiped the Goddess-mother and her Child under the old names (Isis and Horus), or under the names of the "Virgin Mary" and the "Christ-child." Either way, it was the same old idol-religion.” - Rick Miesel / Bible Discernment Ministries

Food For Thought

If Jesus was born in the winter, why were the Shepards steadfast in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night? The bible says that there were shepherds nearby in the fields when Jesus was born.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” – Luke 2:8

You would never catch the shepherds of Judea “chillin” outside in the fields with their flocks during the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the fields no later than October to protect them from the cold, rainy season. Check it out…

“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;” – Song of Solomon 2:11

“Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month (December), on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.” – Ezra 10:9

Winter in Judea was a cold and rainy season, therefore not permitting the shepherds to abide in open fields at night. So more than likely Christ was not born in the month of December. So who was? Just something to think about.

The Christmas Tree

“For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.”– Jeremiah 10:3-4

The Prophet Jeremiah condemned the pagan practice of cutting down trees, bringing them into the home and decorating them. Many Christians try and debate that the tree mentioned in Jeremiah 10 isn’t a Christmas tree, and that Christmas wasn’t celebrated during those days. Well to me, that’s not news breaking or a revelation. Every Christian should know that when the book of Jeremiah was written, Christ wasn’t born yet. So for arguments sake, let’s just call it a “decorated pine tree”. Being a partaker in many of these discussions, I went to my Strong’s Concordance for help.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance/ Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary Pg. 90 Tree: 6086 – a tree (from it’s firmness); hence wood, carpenter, gallows, helve, + PINE, plank, staff, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

There are many translations of the word tree in that verse, but only one describes what kind of tree it was. PINE. The only pine tree that I know of, that’s decorated with silver and gold, is the Christmas tree. As I stated in the before, the “decorated pine tree” in Jeremiah 10:3-4 was not called a “Christmas tree” and neither was Christmas celebrated during the day of Jeremiah (Jesus wasn’t born yet). When you do an exhaustive study, you will find that the “decorated pine tree” predates the book of Jeremiah, leading to the reason why Jeremiah had to address this serious issue in the first place.

Two key figures in the origin of the Christmas tree are Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah, and his mother and wife, Semiramis, also known as Ishtar and Isis. Nimrod, known in Egypt as Osiris, was the founder of the first world empire at Babel, later known as Babylon (Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9). From ancient sources such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and records unearthed by archeologists from long-ruined Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities, we can reconstruct subsequent events.

After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. His birthday fell on the winter solstice at the end of December.

“And I love yall but yall all got beef, Psalms 3:7, I smash the wicked teeth, Christmas Trees is pagan as Trick or Treats.” – Precise / Song: Resistance Iz Futile

Listen saints, I never want to major in the minors; every man/woman must act according to his/her own convictions. So if you wanna have a “decorated pine tree” for Christmas, I feel you, do ya thing, but let’s not twist the obvious truth into a lie. The “decorated pine tree” in Jeremiah 10:3-4 was an idol/god to many and was the womb that birthed what’s called today the Christmas tree. If that isn’t enough to make you re-think some things, ask yourself this simple question: What on earth does a “decorated pine tree” have to do with the birth of Christ Jesus?

“What’s the tree for with the ornaments? I remember one broke and mom dukes caught a fit. It’s porcelain, HE’s flesh and blood, we can purchase them, HE came to purchase us.” – J Silas / Song: Read the Book

Reference – WWW.BIBLETOOLS.COM

Gift Giving

"The interchanging of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows." - Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155

This tradition is what makes a businessperson love Christmas. Not only do people have the tendency to buy the most expensive gifts, but also the pressure in doing so almost guarantees sales! Thus leading many Christians into financial debt, which often leads to depression, crime or suicide. We have been “hoodwinked” into an economic system that was designed to keep the money flowing in this world. Now, does this sound like it’s of God? The wise men or Magi’s gave gifts to Jesus; they didn’t receive anything in return…

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”- Matthew 2:11

Why didn’t Mary and Joseph receive gifts? Were they upset at the Magi’s? The Bible clearly says that the Magi’s gave gifts to HIM. Not because it was Jesus birthday, but because He was King, praise God! The custom of trading gifts back and forth did not originate from the birth of Christ. The custom of gift giving on Christmas goes back again to the Roman festivals of Saturnalia. It went from very simple items such as twigs from a sacred grove as good luck emblems to food, small items of jewelry, candles, and statues of false gods. To the early Church, gift giving was a pagan holdover and therefore severely frowned upon.

FOOD FOR ACTION:

This year, test your motives and give gifts to the needy or people who can’t afford to give you anything. Challenge your family to give a sacrificial offering to a church or ministries like the Salvation Army before they buy gifts for each other.

“…Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” – Acts 20:35

Renewing Our Minds

Now lets take a look at how we as Christians may have dropped the ball in training our children to not be conformed to this world.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:1-2

It often blows me away when I hear Christian parents say, “What happened to my child?” “Why do he/she act this way?” “I give them what they want”, “ I take them to church every Sunday.” These are habitual activities that will not necessary produce spiritual maturity in a young person. How can you expect a godly change, when you’re not willing to make a true godly sacrifice? How will your child ever be turned off at things of the world, when you constantly give them negative things that the world promotes? Many Christians every year purchase CDs as Christmas gifts but how many of the CDs are Christian?

There are thousands of Christian homes where children have no clue who the Cross Movement is, but under their Christmas tree you will find the latest Eminem or 50 Cent/G-Unit CD. What’s wrong with that picture? The main excuse you hear parents use is, “ If I only let my child listen to gospel music, they will go “buck wild” when they get from under my roof.” That may have been true when I grew up, but now there is an alternative. Now, the quality of Gospel music is better than what the world has to offer. I praise God for Lisa Mac, Corey and Precise, Ramiyah, The Cross Movement, Dawkins & Dawkins, etc.

“Back in the day, parents never sat down and told us why we shouldn’t listen to certain secular music. They never trained us in the way to go. My Grandmother would just tell me it was evil and cut it off.”– Precise

Be Observant of the Gifts You Do Give

Training requires a sacrifice of our time and love. We as parents have become stumbling blocks and our fear to stand firm on what God has instructed us to do has caused our children to have a “boogie man” prospective of Him. I remember one year my daughter wanted a Bratz doll for Christmas. When I went out and saw what one looked like, I was grieved. First off the word “BRAT” is not used to describe a child of God. Second, the immodest dress of these dolls is very inappropriate and potentially influential. Their “down for whatever look” should alert any Christian parent. It’s already tough enough to raise a godly seed in this generation without “toys” that promote attitudes that contradict Christian values. A toy is not supposed to undermine a parents training. Proverbs 22:6, it says, “Train up a child” not compromise or conform! Training for life is serious and requires discipline from both the teacher and student.
Train (tran) v: To form by instruction, discipline, or drill. To teach so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient. To make prepared for a test of skill. - Merriam/Webster Dictionary

We as parents and mentors have to start sacrificing more of our time to train our children to be godly. There are no more excuses! We must scrutinize the toys/music our children select and not let our fear of disappointing them compromise our Christian values.


Since “Christmas” is here to stay, the apparent purpose of this day should be about the greatest sacrifice ever made, Jesus. So, this Christmas before you open your gifts, open the Bible and have a 30 min to an hour devotion with your family or friends about the life, death and resurrection of the greatest gift…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He’s the reason for any season!


Merry CHRISTmasMaji

"The text above was excerpted from http://www.theyuinon.com/articles/christmas.htm"

December 22, 2006

Another one of my cousin's published a book!


My cousin, Michael Williams, just published In The Light of Day: A Celebration of Life's Journey. Here's a copy of the book description from www.xlibris.com:

"Delight in each passing moment with author Michael Williams, as he celebrates the trials, triumphs and discoveries of living through his poetry. In the Light of Day is a remarkable collection of memories, messages, conversations and experiences that chronicle life lessons from childhood to adulthood from a father to his children. The verses of In the Light of Day are more than a father’s advice to his sons; they are a man’s hopeful glimpse into a future of promise for all children. It is truly a tribute to the strength of the human spirit, and a reminder to every reader that dreams are meant to be realized, futures are meant to be built and that anything can be accomplished if you believe. In the Light of Day is one of the few books written from a father’s perspective to his children, providing a unique view that has yet to be thoroughly explored in the genre of poetry. The universality of this wonderful collection of poems lends itself to readers young and old, at any stage in their life, and most importantly, reminds us all that 'It is a miracle that love only remembers what remains in the light of day'."

Wow! My favorite poem of the collection is "A Father's Prayer."

This is an excellent book, and I'm not just saying this because it is my cousin!

Click on the following link to purchase a copy of In the Light of Day: A Celebration of Life's Journey:

December 21, 2006

A Prayer for Our Troops



Most Merciful, and Ever Loving Father,

I come before you with a special prayer request.

My prayer is for the troops that are in Iraq or headed to Iraq to fight in this vicious war.

I ask that you touch their lives, keep them safe, and touch their families.

I ask that you prevent our soldiers from dying in vain.

I pray for the Salvation of the unsaved, so that they may have eternal life in your Kingdom.

I pray for the heads of government, that they are making Godly decisions, as opposed to prideful decisions in terms of the direction of this war.

I pray for the families who have loved ones fighting.

Please comfort them as they await word on the condition of their loved ones.

Help them to put all of their faith in you Lord.

All these things I ask in your Holy, Matchless, and Miraculous name I pray, Amen.


This prayer was posted by allisoncarey on 3/27/2003 @ www.beliefnet.com

December 13, 2006

Bennett College Needs Young Women To Enroll for the 2006 - 2007 Year!

MEMORANDUM

To: Trustees, Board of Visitors, Alumnae Chapter Presidents

From: Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Re: Fall 2006 Enrollment

Date: July 20, 2006

The 2006-2007 budget was built on a student enrollment of 580; six students more than that enrolled in fall 2005. This was not an ambitious increase. However, at this time, despite the valiant efforts of the Admissions staff, Financial Aid staff and members of a newly formed Enrollment Management Task force, we still need approximately 100 more students to meet our goal. These students can be new or returning students; but we need these young women to be able to fund this year's budget. The data presented in the following table show the impact of falling short of our enrollment goal for this semester.

Even a short fall of10 students will result in starting the year with a deficit of $165,267 which would have to be made up through increased fundraising.

Given the current economic climate in the country and our experience in the 2005-2006 academic year, it will be difficult to raise the operating funds for the new budget, let alone having to raise funds to cover the deficit. I am reaching out to you to help us identify and enroll the students needed to meet our goal of 580 for the 2006-2007 academic year.

We still have some funds available for scholarships. Ms. Ulisa Bowles, Director of Admissions and Mr. Monty Hickman, Director of Financial Aid are ready to assist new and returning students to enroll this semester. They can be reached using the information set out below:

Ulisa Bowles at 336-517-2167 or ubowles@bennett.edu
Monty Hickman at 336-517-2205 or mhickman@bennett.edu

I am soliciting your increased and sustained involvement in thisenrollment effort. Should we fail to make our enrollment goal, the college could very well suffer significant setbacks, including difficulty in recruiting a qualified individual to assume the presidency in June, 2007.

In an effort to get you started on this project, I am suggesting that you request time in your churches and social and professional organizations to introduce Bennett College for Women, and to inform them that we are still accepting students to enroll in the fall 2006 semester. I am sure you probably have other creative ways of reaching your friends, relatives and acquaintances with this message, and I implore you to do so.

We need every student we can get! Please contact Ms. Bowles or Mr. Hickman once you identify prospective students. They will continue the conversation once the student is introduced to them. I thank you for your usual support and look forward to a successful recruitment effort. Thank you.

When you educate a man you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. --Johnetta B. Cole, President of Bennett College, Greensboro, NC.

To learn more about Bennett College, click http://www.bennett.edu/

December 11, 2006

Rebuilding through Education Initiative to Help New Orleans' Black Colleges Impacted by Hurricane Katrina

Rebuilding through Education Initiative to Help New Orleans' Black Colleges Impacted by Hurricane Katrina


Nationally syndicated morning radio host Tom Joyner joined Dr. Marvalene Hughes of Dillard University, Dr. Victor Ukpolo of Southern University, Dr. Norman Francis of Xavier University, and students representing each of the schools at a National Press Conference on December 8, 2006 to announce the "Rebuilding through Education Initiative to Help New Orleans' Black Colleges Impacted by Hurricane Katrina."

Tom Joyner announced that he will be promoting this Initiative on all of his syndicated morning programs throughout January 2007 with the hope of raising at least $1 million for New Orleans' three historically Black college campuses (Dillard University, Xavier University, and Southern University) hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina severely impacted the campuses of Dillard University, Southern University of New Orleans and Xavier University. At that time, Joyner’s Foundation raised more than $1 million to provide $1,000 scholarships to students from the New Orleans’ HBCUs who had to transfer to other schools while the city was under water. Nearly 18 months later, the campuses are at varying stages of rebuilding and recovery while moving forward with their mission to educate their students. Joyner is setting out to help the schools complete the existing repairs and provide financial assistance for students.

Since 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has raised more than $55 million helping more than 14,000 students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Foundation’s sole mission is to help keep students in school so they can complete their education.

The Tom Joyner Foundation is a certified, 501-c3 not-for-profit organization, established for the purpose of helping students continue their education at Historical Black Colleges and Universities. The organization is run by a team of dedicated individuals that are committed to furthering the vision of the Foundation. Thomas Joyner, Jr. is the CEO of the Foundation and oversees the daily operations. The Board of Directors includes:
Tom Joyner
Thomas Joyner, Jr.
Oscar Joyner
H.L. Joyner
Albert Joyner
Donna Richardson Joyner
Royce West
Janyce Brannon
Julia Atherton
David Kantor
Dr. Frederick S. Humphries
Dr. William R. Harvey
For more information on how you can can support this Initiative, contact Neil Foote, the Director of Communications at Reach Media, Inc. via telephone (972-371-5840 or 214-448 3765) or email (neil.foote@reachmediainc.com). Remember, one person can make a difference and that one person is YOU! TAKE ACTION!

December 10, 2006

Understanding Spiritual Gifts



*The following information has been excerpted from http://www.eleventalents.com/gifts-list.htm*


Spiritual Gift FAQ's and Definitions


How many spiritual gifts are there?
The Bible lists eighteen spiritual gifts in three different passages. They are: Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.

Who gives the spiritual gifts?
The Holy Spirit, since the day of Pentecost has given each believer one or more spiritual gifts. See Ephesians 4:7, I Corinthians 12:7, 11

What is the purpose of the spiritual gifts?
The purpose of the gifts is to glorify God and to edify His church. We do this by using our gifts to bear much fruit that lasts. See Revelation 4:11, Ephesians 4:12-13 and John 15:8

How many gifts do I have?
Each believer has at least one spiritual gift given to them on the day of their salvation. See Ephesians 4:7, I Corinthians 12: 7, 11, I Corinthians 7:7, I Peter 4:10

What gifts do I have?
Only God knows, just kidding. We have developed a Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool to help you figure this one out. Just click the link to start.

Does anyone have all of the spiritual gifts?
No. Each believer is given a gift or gifts according to the will of God. See I Corinthians 12:29-30, I Corinthians 7:7

How do I use my gifts?
The Bible tells us to use our gifts in love. See I Corinthians 13:1-13. There are many ministries around the world that need believers with all kinds of gifts. We plan to have a ministries page that will help you find some in your area.

What is the difference between a talent and a spiritual gift?
Good question. A talent is a natural ability given at birth. This could be anything from athletic ability to musical talent to artistic genius. Talents cannot be used to glorify God unless the Holy Spirit allows them to. The possessor of a particular talent cannot use it on his own power to glorify God if he is not a Christian. If, however, that person receives Christ, the Holy Spirit may then transform his talent into a supernatural gift that would fall under one of the following gifts listed below. The Holy Spirit may also decide to give that person a totally different gift or gifts.

Administration/Ruling
Giving
Miracles
Apostleship
Healing
Pastor/Teacher
Discernment of Spirits
Helps/Serving/Ministering
Prophecy
Evangelism
Interpretation of Tongues
Teaching
Exhortation
Knowledge
Tongues
Faith
Mercy
Wisdom

Administration/Ruling

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to organize, administrate, and promote the various affairs of the local church's ministry to direct them effectively. A local church cannot grow beyond a certain point without the ministry of these individuals. See I Corinthians 12:28 Romans 12:8, Titus 1:4-5

Apostleship

This is the spiritual gift that refers to certain men called by Christ Himself and given special power to charter the newly formed church. See Ephesians 4:11, I Corinthians 12:28 See also Acts 1:22, I Corinthians 9:1

Discernment

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to know with without a doubt whether a statement or behavior is of God, satan, or man.See I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6, Acts 16:16-18, I John 4:1

Evangelism

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables particular Christians to share the Gospel to unbelievers and burdens Christians about soul-winning. All Christians are called to witness for Christ whether they have this gift or not.See Ephesians 4:11, Acts 8:5-12, Acts 21:8, Acts 8:26-40, Matthew 28:18-20

Exhortation

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to deliver challenging and encouraging words.See Romans 12:8, Acts 11:23-24, Acts 14:21-22, Acts 15:32
Faith
This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit provides Christians with great confidence to believe and expect great things from God.See I Corinthians 12:9, Romans 5:1, Romans 12:3, Hebrews 11

Giving

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to accumulate and give large amounts of their finances to the glory of God. See Romans 12:8, Acts 4:32-37, Galatians 4:15, Phillipians 4:10-18, II Corinthians 8:1-5

Healing

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit uses certain Christians to restore physical or mental health to the sick or demon possessed. See I Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30, James 5:13-16

Helps/Serving/Ministering

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit empowers certain Christians to render practical help in both physical and spiritual matters. Serving one another, like evangelism, is a calling of all Christians, but there are some who have a special desire to serve, and receive great blessing from it. See Romans 12:7, I Corinthians 12:28, Galatians 6:1-2

Interpretation of Tongues

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit gives certain Christians the ability to clarify and interpret messages uttered in an unknown language. See I Corinthians 12:10

Knowledge

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit gives certain Christians the supernatural ability to understand God's Word and to effectively communicate it to others. See I Corinthians 12:8

Mercy

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to minister to and have compassion for those who are suffering or afflicted.See Romans 12:8, Luke 10:30-37

Miracles

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit empowers certain Christians to perform events that are outside the realm of nature. See I Corinthians 12:28

Prophecy

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit empowers certain Christians to receive revelation of events in the future. See Romans 12:6, I Corinthians 12:10, I Corinthians 14:1-5, Ephesians 4:11, I Corinthians 14:30-33, I Peter 1:20-21

Pastor/Teaching

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables certain Christians to preach and teach the Word of God and to take responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a body of believers. See Ephesians 4:11, I Peter 5:1-11

Teaching

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables particular Christians to communicate and clarify the details and truths of God's Word for others to learn.See Romans 12:7, Ephesians 4:11


Tongues

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit enables a Christian to supernaturally speak a previously unknown language. See I Corinthians 12:10, I Corinthians 12:30, I Corinthians 14:4, I Corinthians 14:39, Acts 2:4, Acts 19:6


Wisdom

This is the spiritual gift where the Spirit empowers particular Christians with a supernatural understanding of God's Word and the will to apply it to life situations. See I Corinthians 12:8, James 3:13-17.


Take a FREE Spiritual Gifts Test by clicking on the following link: http://www.eleventalents.com/gifts.htm

December 8, 2006

Pastor Gunned Down Outside Maryland Church

Pastor Gunned Down Outside Maryland Church

A popular pastor known for his work with the homeless died after being shot outside his Maryland church. According to police, the Rev. Milton Leon Moore, 50, was gunned down at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday on the front steps of Warriors for Christ Ministries in Suitland, MD in Prince Georges County.

Before the shooting, people inside the church heard arguing outside, authorities said. A neighbor told police he heard at least six shots fired. Other witnesses said they heard an argument before the shots were fired. Another witness said she heard three shots fired and that one of the shots was muffled. Other witnesses on a nearby walking track told police that after hearing the shots, they saw two people run away from the church. Police do not know if those people were involved in the shooting. Police said the married father of four was walking toward the church when he was shot once in the head. Moore was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. after being hospitalized in critical condition.


Rev. Milton Moore was the Pastor of Warriors for Christ Ministries located in Suitland, MD. The ministry houses a transitional home for homeless families. The transitional home, which opened in the late 1990s, houses up to 20 families and their children.

Advocates for the homeless in Prince George's said it is an important part of the county's social safety net and helps people stay off the streets until they can find more permanent shelter. Moore was grieved by other advocates who work for the benefit of the homeless in Prince George's County and Washington, D.C. The Rev. Imogene Stewart stated that Moore's church was an important respite for homeless people struggling to make a new start. "We had a very close working relationship," said Stewart, a homeless advocate. "He was friendly with everybody."

Rev. Moore realized the call upon his life at a very young age in Albany, Georgia, where he was born and raised. He began his ministry in the churches he belonged to; he also began to bring forth the word of God in Bible studies, out of which Warriors For Christ Ministries was formed. He has been in full time ministry since February 1997. His bio on the church website stated that Rev. Moore was "training up a body of bold 'Warriors' to go forth, storming the gates of hell, setting the captives free."

Rev. Moore was married to the former Eva D. Jackson, his childhood sweetheart. They have four children.

Police do not have nay suspects or motives in the case and are asking for the public's help in the search for the person or persons who killed Rev. Moore.

Anyone with information about the shooting should call police at 301-772-4925 or Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.

Pray for strength and courage for Rev. Moore's family and church family. Pray that this important ministry for homeless families in Prince Georges County is able to sustain itself, persevere, and overcome this horrible challenge. Pray that the killers find salvation and repentance and that justice is done.

December 6, 2006

Court Reviews Race as Factor in School Plans



By LINDA GREENHOUSE
Published: December 5, 2006

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 — By the time the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments on Monday on the student-assignment plans that two urban school systems use to maintain racial integration, the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional.


Case Docket (Parents Involved in Community Schls. V. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1)
Case Docket (Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Ed.)


There seemed little prospect that either the Louisville, Ky., or Seattle plans would survive the hostile scrutiny of the court’s new majority. In each system, students are offered a choice of schools but can be denied admission based on their race if enrolling at a particular school would upset the racial balance.

At its most profound, the debate among the justices was over whether measures designed to maintain or achieve integration should be subjected to the same harsh scrutiny to which Brown v. Board of Education subjected the regime of official segregation. In the view of the conservative majority, the answer was yes.

While there is no reliable data on how common these plans are, they are thought to be widespread among school districts where residential patterns would otherwise produce neighborhood schools of one race or nearly so. Depending on how broadly the court rules, possibly hundreds of districts would need to modify or scrap voluntary integration plans.

The National School Boards Association as well as the Council of the Great City Schools, representing 66 urban districts, filed briefs on behalf of Seattle and Louisville, warning of impending disruption if the justices overturn the lower court rulings that upheld the two plans.

The Supreme Court had declined to review a similar voluntary integration plan in Massachusetts last year, shortly before the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the arrival of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. But in June, after weeks of internal debate, the justices accepted these two appeals.

One was filed by a white woman in Louisville whose son was denied a transfer to attend kindergarten in a school that needed black rather than white students in order to keep its black population at the district’s required minimum of 15 percent.

The other was filed by parents in Seattle who organized as a corporation to oppose the plan there, which applies only to the city’s 10 high schools. A racial “tiebreaker,” used when a high school attracts more students than there are places, intends to keep the schools within 15 percent of the district’s overall makeup, which is 60 percent nonwhite.

Before the arguments on Monday, the challenge for the school board lawyers defending the plans, along with their allies in the civil rights community, had appeared to be to persuade the justices that the appropriate analogy was not to affirmative action, a freighted subject for the court in which benefits are bestowed on one group and withheld from another, but rather to integration, in which the goal is to educate everyone as equally as possible.

But by the end of the tense two hours of argument, that effort had not so much failed as it had become irrelevant. Lawyers for the school systems found themselves struggling, under the justices’ questioning, to meet the even more basic challenge of explaining why the plans should be seen as something different from the intentional segregation that the court struck down in Brown v. Board of Education.

For example, Michael F. Madden, the Seattle district’s lawyer, tried to argue that because the Seattle high schools were “basically comparable,” and “everyone gets a seat,” the court should not view the plan as “a selective or merit-based system where we adjudge one student to be better than the other.”

It was, Mr. Madden said, “a distributive system” that was “quite wholly dissimilar to a merit or selective-based system.”

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. countered, “Saying that this doesn’t involve individualized determinations simply highlights the fact that the decision to distribute, as you put it, was based on skin color and not any other factor.”

He added: “I mean, everyone got a seat in Brown as well. But because they were assigned to those seats on the basis of race, it violated equal protection. How is your argument that there’s no problem here because everybody gets a seat distinguishable?”

“Because segregation is harmful,” Mr. Madden replied.

“It’s an assignment on the basis of race, correct?” the chief justice persisted.

It was, Mr. Madden replied as his 30 minutes ran out and the red light came on, an effort “to bring students together in a mix that is not too far from their community.”

As the arguments proceeded, the court’s more liberal members appeared increasingly and visibly dispirited. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg tried unsuccessfully to turn the chief justice’s colloquy with Mr. Madden in a different direction. The question of whether “using racial integration is the same as segregation,” she said, was “pretty far from the kind of headlines that attended the Brown decision.”

Bringing “white and black children together on the same school bench,” Justice Ginsburg continued, “seems to be worlds apart from saying we’ll separate them.”

Justice Stephen G. Breyer let his frustration show in several exchanges with Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, who argued the Bush administration’s position as a “friend of the court” for the challengers and against the school systems in both cases.

“Think, go back to Cooper v. Aaron,” Justice Breyer told the solicitor general, referring during the argument in the Louisville case to the court’s 1958 decision enforcing a desegregation order in Little Rock, Ark. “Go back to the case where this court with paratroopers had to use tremendous means to get those children into the school. That’s because the society was divided.”

He continued: “Here we have a society, black and white, who elect school board members who together have voted to have this form of integration. Why, given that change in society, which is a good one, how can the Constitution be interpreted in a way that would require us, the judges, to go in and make them take the black children out of the school?”

“Well, I understand that, Justice Breyer,” Mr. Clement said. “But I think the answer to that is that the lesson of history in this area is that racial classifications are not ones where we should just let local school board officials do what they think is right.”

The Louisville plan, adopted in 2000 as the formerly segregated district emerged from 25 years of federal court supervision, provides that all schools should have a black student enrollment of no lower than 15 percent and no greater than 50 percent. The district as a whole, which includes suburban areas of Jefferson County as well as the city of Louisville, is about one-third black.

Mr. Clement said the 15-to-50-percent range was a “strict racial band” that was not sufficiently “narrowly tailored” to satisfy the “strict scrutiny” to which the court’s precedents subject government actions that are based on race. The administration’s position is that those choosing to adjust the racial balance in their schools should do so by “race-neutral means,” like magnet schools that attract children across racial lines.

“There’s a fundamental difference between whether or not the policy manages to avoid classifying people on the basis of their race,” the solicitor general said.

Justice David H. Souter asked Mr. Clement why this position was not just another way of saying that “the important thing is simply to hide the ball.” If improving the racial mix was the objective, Justice Souter asked, “why can’t they do that candidly?”

There were “several responses,” Mr. Clement answered. “One is that the Constitution puts a particular premium on avoiding express racial classifications.”

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy asked the lawyers a series of questions designed to test the outer reaches of their positions. Could a school district deliberately place a new school in a location designed to supply a racially mixed student body, he asked, and appeared displeased when Harry J. F. Korrell, the lawyer representing the parents challenging the Seattle plan, answered no.

While his questions suggested that he would not rule out any and all policies undertaken with a knowledge of the probable racial consequences, Justice Kennedy made clear his distaste for the policies at issue in these cases, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District, No. 05-908, and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, No. 05-915.

To Mr. Madden, the Seattle district’s lawyer, Justice Kennedy said that unlike magnet schools, special resources, or school location decisions, “you’re characterizing each student by reason of the color of his or her skin.”

He continued: “That is quite a different means. And it seems to me that that should only be, if ever allowed, allowed as a last resort.”

*Excerpted from www.nytimes.com*

December 5, 2006

A Prayer from Kansas

This prayer was sent to me as part of an email. I completed an Internet search on the pastor mentioned in the email, Pastor Joe Wright, and found that he actually prayed the prayer in 1996 before the Kansas State Senate.


"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is
exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have
exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self
esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it
freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called
it enlightenment.

Search us O God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state.

Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the name of your son, the living savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen."

The email explained that the response to this prayer was immediate and a number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. The email mentioned that Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.