Integrity, Of A Deeper Value Than Activity

I found this on an atheist website. It is more than well worthwhile and certainly thought provoking. Integrity and purity of the believer is essential to the completion of the mission and representation of Christ.  When the Gospel is "used" as a means to an end instead of lived, this is the result. Also, see the ppdate at the end of this post. 

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Secial thanks to my debate friend John Loftus at Debunking Christianity. Even Atheists deserve to know that Christians will live the life they believe in. The church must get its house in order!

What the critic can't understand is that there really is noplace to escape the power and presence of the Lord. Even in tragedy, there is victory in Christ as will be seen.

Blessed!

Update 4/29/2010 9:00PM cst: A person identifying herself as "Annette" responded in the comments section of the atheist website saying that part of this stroy was about her. This is what she said:

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To Publically Pray Or Not To Pray? That Is The Question.

Since 1952, the National Day Of Prayer (NDOP)has been a solid part of the public landscape of religion, Christianity in particular, in the United States. The first Thursday in May all around the country has been generally filled with high expectation and ceremony as the religious faithful call on the name of the Lord and discuss how irreligious ideas and concepts have damaged the nation taking it away from its foundational and biblically centered principles.

As you can see from the video, the prayer has become a complex legal matter. Legal pressures have challenged the celebration and a recent ruling by a federal judge may cause this years celebration to be the last time that public prayer receives the encouragement and endorsement of the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal Government.

Certainly Shirley Dobson, spouse of James Dobson and leader of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, isn't excited about this. Although President Obama, after not attending or seeming too excited about the NDOP in 2009, even refusing to acknowledge the gatherings by proclamations until late in the day, after most ceremonies were completed, has vowed that his White House will fight to maintain the Governmental endorsement of the NDOP.

Biblical Prayer vs. Public Prayer?

Matthew 6:5-7 ~ "5-And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6-But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7-But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8-Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

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"Pray For Me And Leave Me Be!"

The ministry of Joyce Meyer has been filled with controversy for a number of years. Many claim that she is simply bilking the flock of God in a womanly way. After 80 books, national and international television and radio broadcasts, annual conferences and a host of other ministry marketing schemes, she has got to be hailed as one of the most prolific sellers of the gospel of our time. 

Remember this, out of $100 Million raised annually by her organization, only $14 million is spent on humanitarian aid and relief efforts. Although Joyce receives less than .5% of ministry proceeds in salary, the question is raised is the ministry "right sized" in proportion to what it is supposed to do?

The following is an interview recently completed by ABC News's Nightline. Please note the answers to the questions asked and judge biblically whether her expectations are biblically centered. I've enclosed a few excerpts that I thought were interesting:

The Jet 

Q: So if Jesus were here he's have a coorporate jet?

Meyer: He might today, maybe they weren't available then so...y'u-know it's like, why can't you look at the good I'm doin'?"..."She is helpin' so many people, y'u-know, we can, we can just allow her that one luxury, because man, she's worked hard for 32 years, she's helped a lot of people, she's given up her privacy...So, it's like; is there no reward for anybody that's doin' what I'm doin? y'u-know do we only have to just suffer and never have anything so people will be happy?"

The Money

Meyer: You see giving, is a major part of the whole Christian dogma...

Q: But do you believe that is someone gives money to the ministries that more will come back to them?

Meyer: Yes. Absolutely.

Conclusion

Aside from the doctrinal errors of Joyce Meyer, which I haven't discussed here, I would like to pose  additional questions:

• 
  
  Can a ministry be so commercialized until ministry becomes secondary?
• 
  
  Has God called ministry to be commercialized in this sort of fashion?
• 
  
  Should ministers seek to accomplish and do what Joyce Meyer and other mega-ministry preachers are doing? 

Blessed!

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The Myth Of Magnet Morality

“You think of morality as being a really high-level behavior,”...“To be able to apply (a magnetic field) to a specific brain region and change people’s moral judgments is really astonishing.”

~ Dr. Liane Young MIT

First, it is beyond me what lengths the critic of absolute morality and moral values will go to in trying to assert that man can be moral without God. Although that is another issue there is a relationship between that and what I discuss in this article.

Recently there was additional ongoing research about discovering the "role of emotion in moral judgement" seeking to find out if individual moral judgements can be altered by manipulating certain parts of the brain believed responsible for morally deciphering and judging the moral actions of others. The question was can those judgements and ultimately perceptions of morality, be altered by manipulation or causing the brain to function abnormally?

The problem is however, that many (such as atheist and Moral Nihilist [who considers himself to be neither],Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, professor of philosophy at Duke University) interpret the study as research on how morality itself comes to be and suggests that the understanding of how one judges or interprets the morality of others is the same set of functioning and or reasoning whereby we construct and conduct moral actions or develop moral values.

To be clear, there is a big difference between understanding the existence of moral values and understanding how one interprets moral actions and values. Mainstream media and radicals such as Armstrong, have managed to blur the lines (when it's convenient) lumping the two together as if the existence of moral values and the interpretation of moral values and actions are one in the same.  What we will discover is that this is a false assumption, one based more on philosophy rather than science. 

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The Sharpton Challenge

Will Rev. Al Sharpton respond to our challenge and challenge Bishop Charles E. Blake to institute steps in favor of the victims of COGIC clergy sexual abuse?

The enclosed  post and podcast expounds on a radio interview conducted on the April 7th, 2010's edition of 'Keeping It Real' with Rev. Al Sharpton. In this segment discussion centers around an article by Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. who provocatively states that the black church is dead. He is rebutted by Dr. Eugene Rivers, the Chief Policy Advisor to Bishop Charles E. Blake, Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, who claims that Dr. Glaude has not supported his position with evidence to the fact. As a point of agreement however, both men hail Bishop Charles E. Blake as a visionary with global concern for individuals and children, and as a 'voice crying in the wilderness' in favor of President Obama's recently enacted health care reform.

As a call in guest, I take the time to address some reasons as to why I feel that the black church has lost its influence within the community and set forth the notion that the black church has misplaced its sense of value for souls seeking associations, political favors and seeking to profit off of the people instead of minister to the people. I also set forth the notion that the 'little people' who are hurting victims of sexual abuse, have slipped through the cracks of the system as noted at Reportcogicabuse.com . As Bishop Blake is hailed for his humanitarian service, we must also ask why has there been no action within the Church Of God In Christ to institute any resemblence of a victims advocacy program to help the church minister to its own hurting victims of clregy sexual abuse and misconduct? Dr. Rivers claims this area is a "legally complicated issue" and offers his own version of why the church is doing what it is doing and approaching the subject as it has been. See what you think of his apologetic and please chime in with your comments. If you cannot listen to the full 30 minute broadcast below, go to our The Dunamis Word Podcast and download this cast for yourself.  Don't forget to pass it on to a friend also!   

The Challenge: 

Within the Church Of God In Christ Bishop Blake has instituted reforms of educating ministry personell on clergy sexual harassment and misconduct and even clergy sexual abuse, but has not instituted anything to secure or minister to the victims of such abuse and misconduct. I challenge Rev. Sharpton to address Bishop Blake on this issue and ask him to institute an acceptable victims advocacy program that will be sustainable and viable within the Church Of God In Christ. In a followup email I ask that this be addressed by Sharpton to Bishop Blake directly as  Bishop Blake  will be receiving a Keepers Of The Dream Award at the National Action Network National Conference on Thursday April 15th 2010. 

"What time is it? It's Rev. Al Sharpton's Time

The Sharpton Challenge

Podcast Hosting at CyberEars.com

The Dunamis Word Podcast

{The Podcast is approximately 30 minutes and the dialogue between Dr. Rivers and myself is at approximately 13:44 in. If you cannot get the full cast here please go to The Dunamis Word Podcast Page and play the entire broadcast.}

Blessed!

For additional information go to GCMWatch.com. In addition please read Clergy Sexual Sins Pt. 2 on this site for additional information contained within the podcast.

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The New Enlightenment Pt. 7

John 3:19-21 ~ "19-And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20-For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21-But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

Can I Get A Word From The REAL Gospel Sistahs On This?

Dr. Iyanla Vanzant (pictured below and second from left) a supposed Yoruba Priestess, recently completed what she called the 'Take Back Your Life Mind, Body and Soul Women's retreat' in Chicago, IL. For those who don't remember, Dr. Vanzant gained her claim to fame through my dearest "Teflon Donett" Oprah Winfrey. She was a regular on her show and was one of the first to have a show spun off in her name and supported by Oprah. 

Word is that Dr. Vanzant  and Oprah ran into some production issues as Vanzant is said to have wanted to include people (Barbara Walters) in her production staff which Oprah wasn't trying to hear or allow. Others suggest that Vanzant felt that she couldn't come out with her full message as she wanted to and felt pressured too often by Oprah. It could be a combination of all of the above, but aside from that, Vanzant certainly continues to do what she does...deceive thousands with a false religion and diversionary tactics that draw hearts away from  the truth of the Gospel and who Jesus really is!

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