James P Krehbiel




As I ponder decisions on an everyday basis, I ask the question, “What would Jesus do under similar circumstances?” Often, it is difficult to decipher the right answer that would lead me down the path of personal piety.

Recently, I had a dream which had a dramatic impact on my way of looking at the world. During the dream, God clearly conversed with me in an audible tone. I recall what He said because it startled me to the point of waking me out of a deep sleep. When I was finally more lucid, I recall Jesus saying to me – “I am a fundamentalist Christian Republican, and you have been remiss in failing to follow in my footsteps!”

I immediately sensed that His statement would have the affect of turning my world upside down. I got up, took a shower, had breakfast and contemplated what I should do in response to this perplexing news. Immediately my mind flashed to Pat Robertson, the preacher from The 700 Club who miraculously leg-pressed 2000lbs. If anyone could confirm the veracity of my synchronistic, spiritual experience it would Reverend Robertson. It was Pat Robertson, along with Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell and others who had ample experience with this issue of divine intervention. So I contacted Pat Robertson to make sure that I was not delusional. Pat emailed me back providing me with confirmation that I was clearly hearing the voice of God.

Trusting Pat’s wisdom regarding my pipeline to the Almighty, I realized that indeed Jesus had talked to me and was staking His claim as a bonifide fundmentalistic Christian Republican. My mind then aimlessly wandered to another thought. What changes was I supposed to make in response to this dramatic disclosure? In order to follow in His footsteps, what issue did I need to proclaim with evangelical fervor? Numerous ideas flooded my mind. If I was to be God’s vessel, I needed to:

• Dissociate myself from any vestiges of Hollywood. Burn all of my CD’s with the exception of my Bon Jovi collection.

• Renounce global warming since it is the brain-child of internet guru Albert Gore.

• Embrace creationism since evolution is incompatible with the Bible.

• Believe in my beliefs even if they contradict my experience.

• Believe that the United States is the only country that receives God’s special blessing and favor.

• Profess that the axis of evil exists only in the hearts and minds of other countries and its citizens, never our own.

• Believe that some sins are an abomination, especially the Big Three.

• Renounce the concept of separation of church and state because our country was founded on Christian principles. Faith-based initiatives should receive tax breaks even if they are exclusionary.

• Keep the government out of dictating whatever people want to do even if it hurts themselves or others.

As I pondered my new list of proclamations, I felt a sense of relief. All of my new “talking points” were simple and understandable. God had delivered His message. Jesus was a fundamentalist Christian Republican and He had given me a new set of principles to follow. No longer a “bleeding heart liberal,” I made my way out into the community to share my new mission with others.  Maybe I will end up in the Family on C Street?

Tekson Teo




A frequently asked question about Taoism is whether it is a religion.

The answer you’d get depends on who you talk to.

Taoism has indeed been practiced as a religion. There is a good number of Taoists around. Many Chinese in South-East Asia, for example, are born Taoist – although not necessarily religious. I am one of them.

Since it has been practiced as a religion, the religious Taoist would give you an affirmative answer.
There is, nevertheless, something interesting about Taoism as a religion: Do not assume that when a Christian would know Jesus Christ and Bible, a Taoist would naturally know Lao Tzu — the founder of Taoism — and his most notable text Tao Te Ching.

The question “What do you do as a Taoist?” could generate a whole host of answers. Taoists go to temples to pray to gods. But they do not necessarily pray to Lao Tzu. They worship deities from religious figures like guanyin, historical figures like Guanyu, or legendary figures like monkeys – who are not necessarily related to Taoism. Lao Tzu – or better known more as Taishang Laojun, is only one of them. And the worshippers don’t really care.

In fact, you’ll be surprised to learn that many of the religious Taoists do not know Lao Tzu, not to mention citing verses from Tao Te Ching. They would probably tell you things like filial piety, personal integrity and uprightness, which are a fusion of the Chinese culture, rather than the thinking of Lao Tzu.

From this perspective, I’d see Taoism or as a reflection of the Chinese culture, rather than a religion.

Equally interesting is that many of those who read Lao Tzu and talk about Tao do not call themselves Taoists. They study Tao Te Ching to understand the universe, and practice Tao as a way of life. But they do it in a philosophical, rather than religious, manner. There are also those who practice Tao activities, from meditation, qigong to tai chi, and do not even know that the activities are Tao related.

If you asked these people, is Taoism a religion? They would say that it is not.

So, back to a question, is Taoism a religion?

What I may conclude is that there are two ways to pursue Taoism. One is religious, the other is not. The religious approach pursues Taoism through religious rituals such as the burning of joss sticks and presentation of offerings to deities. The non-religious see it as a philosophy, and learn the teaching of sages as a way of life.

Among the Chinese, those who see Taoism as a religion would describe Taoism as Dao Jiao (may be translated as Tao region); and those who see it as a philosophy describe it as Dao Jia (Tao School of Thought).

The answer to the question of whether Taoism is a religion is therefore ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

As an avid reader of Tao Te Ching, I do not find the book to be religious at all. In fact, it was not meant to be a religious text when it was first written. It was part of the rich intellectual heritage from the Warring States Period of China in around 4th century BC — an era of vibrant cultural and intellectual development in ancient China.

Tan Mei Seen




This was the day of unleavened bread in the Passover feast. Late in the afternoon all devout Jews would eat the Passover meal. Jesus and his disciples were to eat together that evening as he had desired, and as he had carefully planned. Their place of gathering was a large upper room in the home of some sympathetic friend, probably Mary, the mother of John Mark. Before leaving the city on Tuesday Jesus had arranged for this. Accordingly on Thursday afternoon he sent his disciples on ahead to this upper room where the last details were tobe arranged. “And they went, and found, as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.”

(r) The Passover Meal—This meal consisted of a choice lamb roasted whole, unleavened bread, wine and bitter herbs. At sunset the trumpets would blast, and the meal would begin. Before the sunset hour arrived the disciples would have completed all arrangements and would await the coming of Jesus. In due time he arrived and they were ready to celebrate this memorial of the deliverance of their forefathers from Egyptian *******.

What must have been the feelings of Jesus as he came among his disciples to find them in a bitter contention among themselves as to which of them was to be the greatest. “There is wrangling among them, when he had told them that after two days he would die, and now the two days were past. Peter wanted to get the seat of honor next to Jesus, for he was the leading talker; John because he knew him best; Judas because he was treasurer. John seems to have got the chief place.”‘ How human and yet how far from what their master had taught them! He must teach them even now. He began by stating the world’s evaluation of greatness which was based on “lordship” or authority. “But ye shall not be so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

(2) A Lesson on Humility (John 13:1-20) — John’s gospel gives the beautiful story of Jesus teaching the lesson of humility at this Passover meal. The routine of observing the Paschal meal consisted of some thirteen different steps. The first was a benediction, then the cup of wine, and next the formal washing of the hands of the company. It was at this juncture that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. It was an object lesson to impress upon them the quality of true greatness. He was their Lord, and yet he became their servant as he laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself, poured water into a basin, and stooped to wash the feet of his disciples. This was a menial task usually done by a servant, and this act of Jesus would arouse the interest of his followers. He finished his task, replaced his garments and sat down with them to explain his actions. “If I, your Master, have done this for you ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that ye also should do as I have done to you.” We may understand, of course, that Jesus was not here instituting an ordinance like that of the Lord’s Supper, but was giving an object lesson in true humility of spirit.

(3) Identifying the Traitor (Mark 14:18-31; Matthew 26:21-35; Luke 22:21-38; John 13:31-38) — As they were eating the Paschal meal Jesus startled them all with the statement that one of the twelve was going to betray him. They were all “exceedingly sorrowful and began every one to say unto him, Is it I, Lord?” Jesus then gave the sign by which they should know. According to John’s account: “He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.” John further states that again Satan entered into Judas, and that Jesus told him to do quickly what he was to do. “He then having received the sop went out straightway; and it was night.”

All knew then that Judas could not be trusted. When he had left Jesus spoke tenderly to these friends, expressing his love for them and warning them of the danger to which they would be exposed. Peter, in over-confidence, asserted that, though every one else should be offended and desert, he would not. He would go with him to death! Then it was that Jesus announced the sorry deed that Peter would do that very night: “This night before the **** crow thou shalt deny me three times.” Again Peter most vehemently asserted that he would not, and that he would die with him. “Likewise also said all the disciples.” Little did they know what was ahead.

(4) The Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26) — After the paschal lamb had been eaten with the bitter herbs, and the time for the explanation of this ancient feast arrived, Jesus instituted the memorial supper. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying: “Take ye, eat it, this is my body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me.” A little later he took a small cup of wine, gave thanks again and said: ‘”Drink ye all (all of you) of it for this is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many unto remission of sins. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord’s death till he come.”

“The Supper was a new institution. It, like baptism, is symbolic of the life in Jesus. Christ left us only two church ordinances; but the two cover symbolically the whole Christian life. Baptism stands at the beginning and symbolizes the spiritual transformation which takes place in the new birth the death to sin and resurrection to a new life. The Memorial Supper represents the means of continuation of the disciple’s life through the continuous assimilation of Christ who is our bread of life —our Passover. The Supper commemorates theatoning death of Jesus, but at the same time symbolizes the life —flesh and blood which must be eaten by the disciple for the sus¬tenance of his spiritual life.”‘

(5) Farewell Discourse (John 14-17) — The paschal meal and the Lord’s Supper together would consume about two hours or more. But since it was still early in the night Jesus used the remaining three or four hours before midnight Thursday for a long farewell discourse with these friends, who despite their weaknesses, were very dear to him. This conference began in the upper room and continued informally as Jesus and his friends walked through the streets out of the eastern gate, down into the valley of the Kedron and up the slopes of the Mount of Olives to his place of retreat, the Garden of Gethsemane. The reader should study carefully this long discourse with these disciples since it is one of the richest treasures of the Christian faith. Understanding the situation under which Jesus spoke these immortal words should give them a new meaning to us. Jesus opened his heart to his disciples as the great rush of emotions swept over him. The fourteenth chapter, so familiar to every devout Christian, was intended to console his disciples in view of his death. They are not to grieve too much for his death, for it is expedient — and they will have the Holy Spirit as their comforter, teacher and helper. And this is better.

Chapters fifteen and sixteen are devoted to exhortation. The disciples must be true to him; they must love each other; they must follow their new teacher, they must watch for his return, they must wait for further light. Chapter seventeen is the real Lord’s prayer. In this deeply moving experience he prays: first for himself (1-5); for these disciples (6-19); and for the whole world — all believers in all ages (2o-26).

(6) In Gethsemane (Mark 14:26, 32-42; Matthew 26:3o, 36-46; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1) — The last event in the life of Jesus on this mo¬mentous day was his experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the way to Gethsemane they crossed the brook Kedron, now swollen with winter rains and tinged red with the blood of animals slain for the sacrifices of the Passover feast. Gethsemane, a garden of olive trees, was a favorite retreat of Jesus not more than half mile directly east of the Golden Gate. The present garden, about seventy yards square, is enclosed by a wall and contains about seventy-five gnarled olive trees which present-day guides erroneously claim are the same trees under which Jesus suffered that night.

Reaching the gate of the garden, Jesus left eight of his eleven disciples (Judas was no longer with them) to watch. He then took Peter, James and John and went a little distance inside. The strange and awful experience awaiting him caused him to be “amazed and sore troubled.” “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death.” Com¬manding these three to abide there and watch, he himself went on a little further and fell on his face and prayed. These disciples could hear his cry of anguish, “0 my Father, if it be possible let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt.” As he suffered his three friends, weary in body, fell asleep. He had counted on them for comfort and sympathy, but they failed him. Arising he went to them and said to Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” He went back to his lonely retreat and prayed again. Then he came a second time to find his friends once more asleep. This time they were greatly embarrassed and knew not how to answer him. Still a third time he retreated and prayed again “using the same words.” Returning to them he said, “Sleep on now and take your rest: behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed unto the hands of sinners.” He had won his victory, but without their help.

Even as he spoke to them he saw the torches of the company led by Judas coming up the hillside to the garden. He knew the purpose of their coming. He then said to his disciples, “Arise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that betraycth me.” The four of them went immediately to the gate to join the eight other disciples. It was now midnight or later. His enemies had come to take him.

Dave Smith




I’ve read through my copy of the Women’s Weekly (January 2007) as part of my preparation for today’s sermon.

Anyway, I went straight to the Magi page – the 2007 Horoscope by Jessica Adams (senior astrologer in the Women’s Weekly’s court of the magi).

My stars looked quite enticing at first glance this year. Apparently all my personal struggles are due to come to an end!

“If you’ve had ongoing anxieties about a rival, opponent or object of loathing … this issue will disappear or your attitude relax.” That’s encouraging, isn’t it? Jessica even gives a date for this turn-around. “Mark September 2nd in your diary.” Not so encouraging! I wish she’d left that out!

Indeed, as I read through my future for the year to come, it seems advisable that I go to sleep for at least the first six months, as my fortunes aren’t really set to improve until we get towards the end of the year!

Mind you, I am encouraged in the mean time to “forget the man who was such hard work, or the prolonged shortage of suitable partners.” (I assume she means ‘business partners’)

Now, I need to be honest with you and confess that I don’t really put a lot of trust in these astrologers – not Jessica Adams, nor Athena Stargazer, nor Zelda the Gypsy nor even Bob the Psychic. Indeed, in case you hadn’t picked it up, I actually regard the entire business of astrology with a fair degree of cynicism. And I’m in good company, for our forefathers and foremothers in the faith held to a strong tradition of decrying and even ridiculing the practice of stargazing!

The Old Testament prophets took the lead in this regard, veritably railing against the pagan magi:

Isaiah said, “Those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons predict what shall befall you. Behold, they are like stubble, the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame.” (Isaiah 47:13-14)

Or from Jeremiah chapter 10: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are false.’” (Jeremiah 10:2-3)

In the New Testament, generally speaking, the magi don’t receive much better treatment. Two turn up in the book of Acts – Elymas the false prophet in Acts 13, and Simon Magus in Acts 8, who tries to buy the Holy Spirit for money. Both receive rather short shrift from the Apostles.

Like their more ancient predecessors, these magi are not respected for their art by the early church. Theirs is not considered to be a valued component in the spiritual landscape that makes up of the Kingdom of God. Their spirituality is not affirmed as an authentic expression of godly intuition. Rather, the magi are considered to be members of an alternative religion.

They do not worship the God who made the heavens and the earth. They do not seek for God in the right way. Their predictions are not to be relied upon or even listened to. These magi are, from the Biblical point of view, superstitious pagan idolaters who are strangers to Bible truth and not remotely part of the people of God, and yet … when we gather around the baby Jesus at Christmas time, we notice that they are there too, and what’s worse, they are there because God invited them!

‘How did you know that the baby was going to be born here?’ Herod asks. “God revealed it to us”, they said, “in the stars. We followed the stars and we got here.’”

There is something wonderfully peaceful and pure to be found in standing around the baby Jesus at Christmas time – taking our stand alongside the virgin mother and the godly Joseph and the gentle animals. There’s something wonderfully pure and peaceful about it, at least until you start to notice some of the others who’ve been invited to stand around there with you – the dirty old shepherds, the tax-collectors and sinners, the loose women and violent street kids, Athena Stargazer, and Bob the Psychic. And that’s not to mention all the C&E’s that we just finished saying goodbye to for another year!

Epiphany reminds us that our Christmas celebration is also their Christmas celebration because, to be blunt, our baby Jesus is actually also their baby Jesus, because our God is their God!

The visit of the Magi reminds us that Jesus is not someone that we have a copyright on, not someone that we own the rights to, not someone who is actually ours at all. He is the Lord of all, the savior of the world. The Magi did not know much. They were confused about much. But what they did know was that our baby Jesus was also their baby Jesus.

Just when we were feeling nice and smug, just when we thought we had it all sown up – knowing who was on the inside and who was on the outside. Just when we were settling down to another year of church, knowing that it is indeed we who are were God’s own people (the really serious followers of Jesus), God comes and puts in our way some good Samaritan, some godly tax-collector or drug-pusher, some Christmas and Easter, see-you-next-year-sorry-but-I-don’t-like-to-talk-about-my-religion-type, who, like the magi, doesn’t really understand very much but who realizes that Jesus is relevant to him too.

And the truth is that they’ve got as much a right to be a part of all this as we have. For we are all guests – you and I and us and them – invited together to take our stand in worship around the Lord Jesus.

Oh come. Let us adore Him. Christ the Lord.

Thomas Greenslade




Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.” There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:31 (NLT)

Jesus experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn’t seem to disturb his peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, his life reflected a calm sense of balance.

If you want to be stressed do the opposite of what Jesus did.

1. Let others press you into their molds. (John 8:12)

Don’t try to know who you are. Try to be someone you really aren’t. That will give you lots of stress. Jesus, on the other hand, told the people who he was eighteen times.

2. Try to please everyone. (John 5:30)

You can’t please everyone. Even God doesn’t! When you get “Person A” happy, then “Person B” will be upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

3. Wing it. Don’t sweat the details. (John 12:27)

Jesus said, “…it was for this very reason I came…” (NIV) He had priorities based on his focus. Wing it all the time, put off planning, and one day you will sweat it. Preparation prevents pressure, but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

4. Try to do a lot of things at one time. Multitask as much as possible. (Luke 4:42-44)

You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted because he knew his primary goal. In fact, He sometimes turned distractions into opportunities to accomplish his goal.

5. Do everything yourself because other people are a pain and get in the way. (Mark 3:14)

We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. Don’t allow trying to be perfect, or the fear that others may not do a good enough job, keep you from involving others in the task.

6. Prayer time is a waste of time. Don’t stop thinking about the things you have to and want to do. (Mark 1:35)

No matter how busy Jesus got, he made time to be alone to pray. A daily prayer time is a great stress reducer. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems. Through reading your Bible you will evaluate your priorities, and discover peaceful living.

7. Work is the most important thing. Don’t stop till you drop. (Mark 6:30-31)

Balance is the key to stress management. Jesus balanced work with fun and rest.

Based on the article, “Seven Secrets of Stress Management,” by Rick Warren.

Debbie Przybylski




What Jesus Teaches About Prayer

“Here on earth, Christ as man came to reveal what prayer is. To pray in the name of Christ, we must pray as He prayed on earth, as He taught us to pray, in union with Him, as He now prays in heaven. We must study Him in love and accept Him in faith as our Example, our Teacher, and our Intercessor.”

Jesus has so much to teach us about prayer. He is our example, our teacher and the greatest intercessor throughout all of history. No wonder his disciples called upon Him to teach them to pray. He taught by example, He taught by passion, and He taught by words. The heartbeat of Jesus was for prayer and communion with the Father. Take a moment, be silent and imagine the King of Kings coming into your home and sitting down in your living room. Lean over carefully so as to catch His every word, and ask Him, “Jesus, what are the most important things we must personally learn about prayer? The following are nine lessons that Jesus wants you to personally incorporate into your own prayer life.

Prayer Lessons from Jesus

“‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ No one can teach like Jesus. A pupil needs a teacher who knows his work, who has the gift of teaching, who in patience and love will descend to the pupil’s needs. Blessed be God! Jesus is all this and much more. It is Jesus, praying Himself, who teaches us to pray. He knows what prayer is. He learned it amid the trials and tears of His earthly life. In heaven it is still His beloved work. His life there is prayer. Nothing delights Him more than to find those whom He can take with Him into the Father’s presence, clothing them with power to pray down God’s blessing to those around them, training them to be His fellow workers in the intercession by which the Kingdom is to be revealed on earth.”

Here are nine fantastic lessons on prayer by Jesus. He was the greatest, most outstanding example of prayer for all of us. His life and His words on prayer are vital for a victorious prayer life. It would do us much good to practice these lessons. If Jesus taught them, they are absolutely critical to a successful prayer life.

· Pray with Sincerity – We must pray in spirit and truth to God. The Pharisees did not pray from the heart but only to be seen by man. Their lives contradicted their prayers.

God wants us to pray with sincere hearts.

“Yet a time is coming, and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

· Pray in Humility – God hates pride and selfish ambition. He loves the meek and lowly.

A good example of both the proud and the lowly is the story about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector found favor with God.

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his ****** and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:13-14).

· Pray with Faith – God wants us to pray in faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Great intercessors are those who pray with great faith without doubting.

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:6-8).

· Pray with a Forgiving Heart – We can’t expect to be forgiven by God unless we are willing to forgive others. Forgiveness was a major theme in the teachings of Jesus.

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-16).

· Pray with Persistence – God wants us to pray with determination. We should have the attitude that we will pray persistently until God answer. This can be seen by example in Luke 11:5-10 and in Luke 18:1-8.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up…” (Luke 18:1-8).

· Pray in Privacy – Jesus often went away to lonely places to pray to His Father in solitude. Often He would go out into the hills to pray (Luke 6:12). We must also do the same and cultivate that alone time with the Father.

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

· Pray in Accordance with God’s Will – We must know God’s will when we pray. If we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we can pray with assurance and know that He will answer our prayers.

“This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (I John 5:14-15).

· Pray in the Name of Jesus – We should pray to the Father, in the Spirit, through the Son. Praying in Jesus’ name means that we are praying as he would pray if in our place.

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

· Pray with Fasting – Jesus emphasized fasting with prayer as a means of power in the spiritual life. Every believer should practice some form of secret fasting.

”When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18).

“Lord Jesus, enroll my name among those who confess that they don’t know how to pray as they should, and who especially ask You for a course of teaching in prayer. Lord, teach me to be patient in Your school, so that You will have time to train me. I am ignorant of the wonderful privilege and power of prayer, of the need for the Holy Spirit to be the spirit of prayer. Lead me to forget my thought of what I think I know, and make me kneel before You in true teachableness and poverty of spirit.”

As you study these lessons, carefully evaluate where you are in your prayer life. Are you like Jesus? Which one does God want you to personally work on this year? Let us each pray and ask God to help us to become better prayer warriors and worshippers for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Lord, teach us to pray. May we grow deeper in prayer this year than we ever have grown before. You are showing us how important it is to pray. We are experiencing a greater grace for prayer, and you are bringing us into higher dimensions. Teach us to pray according to your will. Teach us to pray with sincerity and in humility. Help us to be forgiving towards everyone. Help us to be persistent in our prayers and never give up. Increase our faith to pray big prayers, supernatural prayers in Your name. Give us the discipline to get alone with you even when others don’t. Help us to practice fasting on a regular basis. Lord, teach us to pray, and help us to teach others to pray by example and words. We ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen

“Christ’s life and work, His suffering and death were all prayer. They were all dependent on God, trust in God, receiving from God, surrender to God. Your redemption, believer, is a redemption brought about by prayer and intercession, because your Christ is a praying Christ. The life He lives for you, the life He lives in you, is a praying life that delights to wait on God and receive everything from Him. To pray in His name is to pray as He prayed. Christ is our example because He is our head, our Savior, and our Life.” Quotes by Andrew Murray

Article written by:

Debbie Przybylski

Intercessors Arise

deb@intercessorsarise.org

www.intercessorsarise.org

To subscribe to Intercessors Arise, click

intercessorsarise-international-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org

To subscribe to 24/7 Prayer Arise, click

24-7prayerarise-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org

To subscribe to the Elijah Company Mentorship Network, click

elijahcompany-mentorshipnetwork-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org

To subscribe to Health Arise, click

health-arise-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org

Kevin McNally




Religious beliefs in Spain are changing.

Although still about 90% of Spaniards are still Roman Catholics religion in Spain has begun to accept other religions in to their culture. In fact in Spain today you will find that there are about 300,000 Muslims living in the country along with about 250,000 protestants (Evengelists, Mormons, Lutherans, Baptists etc) as well as about 15,000 Jews who are most Sephardic. These particular Jews came from the countries of North Africa and have now settled in the large urban areas such as Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Cordoba.

One great big change that has occurred in the last few years is that many Catholics living in Spain no longer attend weekly services at their local change in fact only about 75% of the Catholics that live in Spain will attend church on a regular weekly basis.

However what you will find with Spanish Roman Catholics is that they are religious in a uniquely Spanish way and this religion continues to play a major role in the life of this country. Certainly the religion that you find in Spain today has been shaped by Roman control and only really begun to be established during the 2nd Century. Certainly for many centuries Spain is a nation born out of religious struggles between the Catholics, Islamists, Judaists and Protestants. It was during the Spanish Inquisition that Catholicism really took a hold as the Christian Spaniards fought hard to drive the Moors from the country. However the inquisition was finally got rid of in the 1830′s. However even after this religious freedom was often denied. Then in 1851 Catholicism became the states religion and a pact was signed by the Spanish Government (Concordat) which meant that Madrid had to pay the salaries of the clergy and to subsidize any other expenses that the Roman Catholic Church may incur in order to compensate them for the seizure of monachal property. However this pact was then renounced in 1931 and which threatened the very existence of the Church in Spain. Because of this the church provided support to General Franco during the uprising that occurred in 1936.

However both religious beliefs and religion in Spain is much more diverse and certainly things are slowly changing and there could be an even greater number of people who will be included into the Spanish culture who practice different religions in the future.

Sanoj Jose




 

Hi friends! We all think of Jesus Christ as a great teacher, religious guru, son of the almighty God and above all a great person who lived in this world 2000 years ago. Of course he was all these. And being a Christian myself I love him and look forward to him as my redeemer. But is he worth only that much to be remembered as. I don’t think so. Whose name comes to your mind first when you think about the marketing gurus? Of course many and the foremost could be Philip Kotler – The father of marketing. Well, good enough but I can’t ignore Jesus Christ in that list. I think Jesus deserves a better place and name than all those. Probably the first and greatest marketing Guru who lived 2000 years back. 

So what do I intend to tell here? Indeed no blasphemy. When you think about a marketing guru, what are the lists of things that come to your mind first? It could be laying down certain set of marketing principles, strategies and probably a leader by himself who lead by example by living his/her talk right. Okay let’s do some analysis here. 

What did Jesus Christ do? He taught certain principles and a way of life. And the result is “Christianity” – the largest religion in the world today. Even Bill Gates or say Philip Kotler couldn’t build a brand so popular, lasting and recurring. Okay now, let’s take a typical corporates’ marketing division. What does the CEO of the company or other marketing heads down the line does to achieve the company’s objectives? Let’s list few major ones below: 

A leader who leads by example by showing other how to perform (Many of them fail in this of course) Someone who motivates others to perform Someone who imparts confidence on his team members Someone who is a tree of confidence and belief in oneself Someone has a list of objectives that he makes his team members achieve Someone who walks his talk Someone who is ethical in his practices Someone who is a great strategist Who selects the best team and delegates efficiently Terminates someone who doesn’t perform 

Okay it’s not all, but still hopefully I’ve covered the important ones. Now let’s take one by one.

A leader who leads by example by showing other how to perform – Jesus Christ never Read more on this article at http://sanojjose79.blogspot.com/2010/01/jesus-christ-greatest-marketing-guru.html

We were all taught in school that our forefathers left England to escape religious dictatorships. Okay, there was a lot more to it then that, but it was a big enough deal that they made sure it got honorable mention in our rulebook. They clearly made the point that we were to have freedom of religion here in America. They also used the word “God” in some of their formal paperwork and even on our money. I don’t want to argue politics here, but rather semantics. They didn’t say “freedom of Christianity,” they said “freedom of religion.” The boys who wrote up all of our formal paperwork were wordsmiths and they debated long and hard to find the perfect set of words to govern ourselves by. It wasn’t decided that we had the freedom to choose whichever form of Christianity that we liked, but whichever form of religion. Religion is in and of itself a much broader concept then Christianity. “God” can mean a lot more then just the Christian definition too.

No, I don’t agree with all the bickering and arguing over whether or not there should be prayers in school or if the Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional. You can’t stop someone from praying whenever or wherever they choose. Nor can you force a prayer out of someone either. It’s a dumb thing to argue about and not worth being offended over either way. I think it’s important to teach out children what our country’s Pledge of Allegiance is, but I don’t know that it’s right to force anyone to state a pledge, especially children. Seems a bit dictator like and kind of like brainwashing. Teach them what it means. Teach them what prayer means. Teach them what making a pledge of any kind means whether it’s a pledge of one’s allegiance to their country’s flag, a pledge of fidelity to a spouse, or a pledge of loyalty to a boss. But also teach them that in this country we have the freedom to make pledges or not. Teach them that in this country we have the freedom to pray to whoever or whatever we like and the freedom not to pray. Teach them just how important that freedom is.

I’m saddened when I hear of Pagan’s being persecuted for their spiritual beliefs in this country. Did the Sunday school teachers forget to mention that using the colors green and red for Christmas is Pagan? Did they mention that Christmas lights, yule logs, and wreaths are all Pagan? Did they mention that almost every single Christian holiday is celebrated ironically on top of a Pagan festival? Why do you think we have bunnies, baby chicks, and pretty flowers as part of our Easter celebration? Because it coincides with the Pagan’s celebrations of Spring’s renewal. From what I can see, Pagans aren’t all evil ugly witches anymore than all Christians are white supremacists.

I don’t have a deep knowledge of all of the different religions of the world, but I can tell you that it doesn’t take much research to see that they’re all very much the same. Get past which church uses which secret handshake and which rule book you should follow, and you find that they’re all teaching us to respect each other, to love each other, to conduct yourself with honor, and to be good to the planet and animals that we’re blessed with. The rest is all dogma and debatable. Nobody has any real concrete proof that their particular form of God is the only one. Who’s to say that God or Jesus isn’t wise enough to visit more than once using different names and different forms? Wouldn’t it make sense given the size of the planet that the rest of the world would need to be given a fair chance at knowing about God too? Is Buddha so very different from Jesus? Their teachings are incredibly similar. Why limit God to a concept that only fits what your particular culture or region of the world knows about?

Another thing that always puzzled me is why prophets and seers are allowed to channel holy books and tell of the Messiah’s coming, but then we’re told by the churches that being psychic is demonic? It seems a bit contradictory to me. Every psychic I’ve ever met lost power over their visions if they weren’t acting in the highest good. Most of the psychics I’ve met believe very deeply in a form of God or some sort of a higher magical loving guidance over us. They’re visions into the other side created that belief. There’s nothing quite like chatting with the All-Mighty to make a believer out of you. Isn’t prayer in and of itself a form of telepathic psychic connection with the other side?

It just seems to me that if we quit arguing over what words, labels, and names we give these concepts and quit arguing over methods of prayer and such that we’d see that we’re all so much more alike then we are different. I’ve known three different Catholic men who fell in love with the Buddhist faith because it so beautifully highlights the teachings of Christ. I really believe that is what we’re meant to do. All of the holy books tell us to love one another. You can’t truly love someone if you don’t take the time to really get to know them and what they stand for. Shouldn’t we learn about each other from a place of love rather than from a place of judgement? Nobody can prove that anyone else’s religion is wrong and nobody can prove that theirs is right. Too many translators over the course of history to be able to be 100% sure about anything any more. We can’t really assume that the others are completely wrong and we can’t assume that our own religion is completely right. Religion and God is so much more than we can fully understand at this time.

Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow’s Edge