The Miracle Of Healing vs. Skepticism?

(Click "Read More" to watch the video)

I want to say that the blogosphere is an interesting tool. There are all kinds of people who claim to have some sort of expertise on some sort of subject. There is probably more argumentation over God and miracles than anything else on the internet including internet porn. One one hand this is a good thing that there is robust conversation and that conversation is about God, on the other hand the misinformation that centers around God and miracles is astounding. That misinformation seems to create its own culture of either internet miracle proponents or internet miracle critics and professional critics and skeptics like Michael Shermer, James Randi and others, who are modern thinkers who are scientifically centered. (so they say) These are  individuals who follow Humes thoughts that miracles don't exist as we discussed in an earlier post The Miracle Of Life After Death.

To these individuals it really doesn't matter what anyone's personal experience with God is or what anyone has experienced so far as healing by the hand of God. Yet they persist in calling others close-minded. First, for them, God doesn't exist. Secondly, all things that are not understood in the current realm of reality are chalked off to simple ignorance or lack of knowledge of some natural process. Therefore, critics such as these men play the "naturalistic faith card" to explain what they don't currently understand saying that "We'll understanding it better (by and by) when science comes". So the critic applies a "faith" in science with an expectation that science will answer all things even if its not in their lifetimes...This is revealing. It is called Scientism or Philosophical Materialism, and is actually the worship of the creature (science) and not the creator. 

Romans 1:20-25 ~ "20-For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21-Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22-Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23-And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24-Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25-Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."  

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Has God Condemned Some While Saving Others?

2 Peter 3:9 ~"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

In my post on the Dunamis Word 2 'Is Reformed & Evangelical Theology Biblical? Pt. 2' recent discussion has focused on God's purpose and sovereignty as it pertains to the salvation of the individual. Simply put, the question is this:

Did God create some individuals to be saved while simultaneously creating others to be condemned eternally?

Within reform circles this is often referred to as Limited Atonement. This is said to be the L of TULIP. The acronym TULIP represents the 5 Points Of Calvinism outlined as follows:

Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)

Irresistible Grace

Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)

To be fair, not all individuals who hold to Reformed or Evangelical doctrine espouse a straight line or fundamental interpretation of this doctrine, but many do who are unashamed to declare it. This type of teaching seems to be more on Parr with a cumulative case type of argument building upon many different types of additional doctrines.

Popular Versions Of Limited Atonement

As noted in the previous article, the Reformed Blacks Of America address the issue of Limited Atonement by distinguishing the difference between the power and the extent of the atonement of Jesus' on the cross. Though the power of the Cross is sufficient for all, the effect of the Cross is only efficacious for those who God has deemed to be elect for salvation. Therefore Jesus didn't die for all, he only died for the elect. They sum it up in the following manner:

“Jesus died and rose for those whom the Father predestined. If God were to die for all, then all would be saved. The atonement is sufficient for all, but not efficacious for all. The atonement is accomplished and eternally secured for the elect through the cross of Christ. Christ did not die a hypothetical death for every single human being, but rather a real death for his people, his sheep whom he actually and really saves. Therefore, the atonement is not limited in power, but in extent.”

John Calvin himself seems to have taught that some are simply born to be lost. The following is a recitation of his teaching on the issue:

“…(God) does not create everyone in the same condition, but ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others.” (Cited in Alister McGrath, Christian Theology, p. 396) 

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Did Tavis Loose His Mind Or Just Go Crazy?

Special thanks to gcmwatch, I was able to secure a longer version of the interview.  Update 6/4/2010: See Tavis's defence below. Special thanks to Paul.

???WHAT???

Some things are just so unbelievable. This has to be a joke...right?

First Al Sharpton...now this!

Blessed!

Tavis's Defense:

Here’s Smiley’s Statement

“Since some members of the public have responded to excerpts from my conversation with the author Ayaan Hirsi Ali, I would like to clarify my point of view and the context in which that conversation took place."

“Ms. Hirsi Ali and I were talking about violence perpetrated in the name of religion or by people who claim to be religious. We agreed that there is extremism in Christianity just as there is in Islam and other faiths. We agreed that people have always found ways to use religion to justify heinous acts. Where we disagreed was that followers of any one religion are predisposed to violence. Unfortunately, history has shown us that believers of all stripes have been misguided.
“As a follower of that first-century Palestinian Jew named Jesus, I abhor violence in the name of religion. It is intolerable under any circumstances. I have always been very open about being a Christian and, indeed, for every program of my career, on both television and radio, I have always signed off with the biblical admonition to ‘keep the faith.’

“I have faith that the American public will continue to support diversity, pluralism, and tolerance, rather than finding artificial ways to divide us.”

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Public School Condom Distribution, Does This Disturb Us Anymore?

Washington DC and New York City, NY are the only 2 cities in the United States that allow condom distribution directly to students within the public education system. A May 2010 Washington Post blog story on DC's condom practices stated that the primary complaints from students regarding the condom distribution program was that state sponsored condoms were either "not large enough" or that getting them  from grannies and older individuals was problematic.

On one hand we are faced with the fact that young people are having sex and teen  pregnancy and diseases continue to proliferate. On the other hand we know the harmful effects of premarital sexual activity as well as the negative results and psychological effects of sexual experimentation.

It begins for many with disease and the resultant fallout from disease. In DC it is estimated that out of 600,000 residents  3% or 18,000 have HIV or AIDS. I have spoken on the real costs associated with HIV/AIDS in particular in my post "HIV/AIDS & Health Care Reform, What Do We Really Know?"

Here are some further facts:

• In Washington DC 57% of students are sexually active and not taking advantage of school condoms 
• DC Health Dept. distributed 3.2 million condoms in 2009 including 15,000 to students in schools
•  For 2010 about 2.5 million condoms distributed to the general public so far (pace of 4 million by year end) We can expect school distribution to follow suit accordingly. 
• 2009 city cost for condom distribution:  $165,000
• Estimated 2010 cost: $228,000 to $276,000 (depending on brand and size).
• In 2010 teachers will be able to distribute condoms directly to students however a teacher must complete ongoing education and  a "WrapMC" or Master Of Condoms certification. 

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The Black Church Is Dead ~ A Response To Eddie Glaude Jr. Ph.D.

The Needs Of The Black Community

vs

The Needs Of The Black Church

In an article entitled 'The Black Church Is Dead', Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and chair of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University, proclaimed that the black church, although yet well attended, has lost it's ability to speak to and shape the social and moral conscious of the community in which it has primarily and traditionally existed. Dr. Glaude Jr. suggested, in part, that this mortification is due to the increasing sophistication and mobility of individuals within the church's traditional target audience and the lack of what he calls the church's prophetic vision for the community.

The church must admit that it is competing for the time and the attention of its target audience like never before. There are various sources of information and those sources have their own vision and agenda for the community and sometimes special interests which cannot be overlooked. I would like to point out however, that if the influence of the black church is dead, that death has occurred because of what the church has both allowed, promoted and refused to commit itself to.

Interestingly, before the most recent economic recession took hold, many churches were expanding and experiencing almost unprecedented growth in both attendance and profitability. At the same time the community was suffering from a seeming total breakdown of the economic welfare of both individuals and families within the proximal locations in which many churches existed. The black community faced and yet faces record unemployment, increased violence and violent activities within many neighborhoods. There was and yet is a failed educational process leading to the under-education of our children, a broken penile system leading to higher than normal incarceration rates in many traditionally black communities where these churches operate.

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Callin' Out Da Pastors & Churches

On my favorite radio station WVON AM 1690 Chicago, IL. Mrs. Monique Caradine skillfully used her 2 hour boradcast to call out the church and Pastoral community for its stark silence and amazing absence in taking the lead in tackling Chicago's crime and violence head on.

Mrs. Caradine I personally say THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU! It's time for the church leaders to wake up and do the work of HIM that has called us!

The backdrop is this:

Wed. May 19th former Iraqi war veteran and off duty police officer Thomas Wortham IV (30) was visiting his parents in Chatham, IL., the neighborhood in which he grew up. As he was leaving his parents home he was confronted by 4 young people who were acting upon a "dare". The "dare" was to rob somone at gunpoint. The target was a mortorcycle that Officer Wortham owned. Short of the long, the incident left officer Wortham dead, one of the criminals dead, another wounded and in critical condition and two more fleeing for their lives. One of those two eventually turned himself in and the other was apprehended in an unrelated incident.

Officer Wortham was a good man interested in helping the community and doing the right thing. He was ready and willing to what he could do to bring his community back from the destruction that it seemed headed toward. Here are some of his statements regardng crime a short time ago to the Chicago Tribune:

"It's starting to feel like it's expected in this community,"..."When people think of the South Side of Chicago, they think violence. In Chatham, that's not what we see. It's happened. And we're going to fix it, so it doesn't happen again." ~ Officer Thomas Wortham IV

Officer Wortham's death was the most recent in over 145 homicides in Chicago this year. This is after a 2009 total of 458 murders and a declaration that Chicago was the murder capital of the Unied States. An additional part of the problem is that many of the deaths have occurred among them that are 30 and younger. From what we've been able to gather, the murder rate of CPS (Chicago Public School) students and injury rates are at all time highs also. Some reports say that as many as 200 children have been injured either en route or coming home from school by individuals committing street violence.

The Gospel Is The Right Tool For The Job

Romans 1:16 ~ "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

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Hate That Only Loves Itself

This blog will not be used to spread hate, dissidence or any other dogma antithetical to a healthy society, community and church.

I thought that I should make that message clear based on information that I recently received. We do not agree with ongoing antagonistic efforts against any individual or person. We challenge, debate and speak of societal issues strongly. We gladly point out problematic doctrine and identify personalities and practices that take advantage of people, society and do the church harm. We continue to identify dogmas and teachings both secular and religious which we feel are detrimental to the growth and the long term sustainability of our families, churches and community, but we decry all forms of hate speech, methodology and public or private violence and dissidence. 

Secular/Religious Ideals & Politics

The Dunamis Word gladly points out political policies which we feel are damaging on any number of levels, but once a case is made, we do not and will not continue to revisit the issues and will not attack personalities in an undue fashion. We do not promote anarchy whether that is public or in the church. Leadership is essential to any community and our purpose is to present ideas that will not only challenge leadership, but also make leaders accountable and ultimately make communities better. We will not be a part of unfounded personal rhetoric or attacks beyond the issues at hand and demand that accusations be accurate, pertinent to the subject and rooted by certain supports such as reasonable logic, or physical proofs.

Our Presidency

Since the election and installation of President Obama there has been an upturn of what is described as religious and political conservatism. This type of conservatism is nothing new, but it has taken a serious turn and become more radical akin to some brands of religious extremism. Recently we received information that was no shorter than hate speech filled with physical threats toward many of our governmental and political leaders. We notified authorities immediately and have placed such information in the proper hands. We decry the proliferation of such sentiments even if they are based on religious dogma and more specifically Christian dogmas or biblical scriptures. The message is clear, neither this blog, nor this author lends his time to destroying our country by wishing evil on it's political and secular leadership. With that said, there are a few things that I would like to address as I have observed what seems to be a circus of activity since the country elected it's first Black President.

Faulty Assumptions:

I: The Myth Of A Christian Nation

The problem is that many religious political conservatives mistakenly assume that America is or was a Christian nation. While there is a ring of truth to that statement we should know that there is not neither has there ever been a Christian nation. A truly Christian nation would never have built itself on the backs of slaves, broken land trusts and undermined hopes. That same Christian nation would not have driven Geronimo's and Cochise's children into Mexico and Canada and then create laws to keep them out when they wish to come back home.

Click HERE for Gregory A. Boyd's book.

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Is The Nature Of God Created By Our Own Understanding?

In a Monday May 17th article in USA Today, Dr. James McGrath, the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair of New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. expounded on the cultural perception of the character and nature of God. Exploring the differences between Eastern and Western religion, Dr. McGrath suggests that evolving cultural perceptions of God may be the reason that Americans are split as to the character and nature of God or what God is like.

Within Society, Who Gets The Credit For Good & Evil?

Using the the hit series Lost,  Dr. McGrath expounds on the conflict between good and evil in Taoism and its concept of yin and yang, as as contrasted to Judeo Christian monotheism's concept of separate, purely good and purely evil sources. Dr. McGrath claims that the latter type of understanding may be the culprit for many of our changing attitudes about the source of good and evil. He says this:

"In Judaism and Christianity, monotheism raises issues on how to account for evil in the world. As evil comes increasingly to be blamed on subordinate malevolent figures such as the devil, we find actions that were once attributed to God later being attributed to Satan. In the Bible, for instance, compare 2 Samuel 24, where the Lord incites David to carry out a census, with the later 1 Chronicles 21, which says that Satan was responsible."

Truly speaking, the Judeo Christian concept of God, good and evil are decidedly different from Buddhism and it's sibling Taoism as we've discussed in The New Enlightenment Pt. 6. There we examined Tiger Woods and his reversion to Buddhism as his source of attempting to overcome evil. More in depth discussion on Yin and Yang and the problems of Buddhist understanding of good and evil is available in that post.

Is Scripture In Conflict?

According to Dr. McGrath our understanding of the nature of God is evolving and has evolved over the years even leaving some scriptural evidence as proof. The issue I would like to undertake in this post centers around the biblical difficulty that Dr. McGrath presented. There are 3 conflicts I would like to address:

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The Miracle Of Life After Death

Against miracles Philosopher David Hume stated; " “…a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm  unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined”…."nothing is esteemed a miracle if it never happened in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a man seemingly in good health should die on a sudden: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. But it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must therefore be a uniform experience Against every miraculous event, otherwise that event would not merit that appellation. And as a uniform experience amounts to a proof, there is here a direct and full proof, from the nature of the fact, against the existence of any miracle, nor can such a proof be destroyed, or the miracle rendered credible, but only an opposite proof which is superior.” (Emphasis mine) [David Hume “Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals 3rd. Edition”, Oxford, Clarendon Press 1992, pg. 144-146 & 148]

In my 2 posts on antisupernaturalism and miracles, found HERE and HERE, I discuss Hume's assertions that miracles don't exist. Although some interpret that he left the door open to miracles, for all practical purposes Hume defines miracles out of existence. Those arguments and his assertions have been thoroughly dealt with and handled throughout the years, but many of his concepts of radical metaphysical naturalism are popular among academics, college campuses and most any atheist internet web site. It is the assertions of Hume that fuel sentiments against miracles as "violations" of natural law.

Dead For 15 Minutes

John King: "You're a miracle, you're a miracle in many ways"

On Thursday May 13th on CNN's John King USA Capt. Joshua A. Mantz gave his story of life, death and life again.

Capt. Mantz, a proud Army Soldier, was serving in Iraq doing his duty when both he and Staff Sgt. Marlon Harper  were suddenly stuck with a sniper's bullet. The attack happened so suddenly that Captain Mantz recalls that he only had time to act on instinct and impulse. The shot had taken Sgt. Harper's life almost instantly but had sent shrapnel with force into his leg severing his femoral artery and causing a serious bleed out. Capt. Mantz grabbed his fellow soldier of 275 lbs under an adrenaline rush, hauling him to safety as the medic was called into action. Having to decide who to save, the medic began trying to work on Captain Mantz but he would eventually go on to experience death for 15 minutes as documented in Army records.

Hear Capt. Mantz for himself in the following video:

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Inheritance, Buffett/Gates, Distinguishing Myth From Fact

New, New, New ~ The Burnett Ontological Argument ~ New, New , New 

Proverbs 13:22 ~ A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just.

As a  Christian, Wealth Transfer Strategist and provider of financial services I have often heard that the wealthiest agnostics in the country are giving away their fortunes but not to their families. Surprisingly, both the Gate's and the Buffet's children will continue to be wealthy and live from the wealth accumulated by Bill and Warren for generations to come. 

Myth: Bill Gates & Warren Buffet aren't giving any of their money to their children. This is FALSE.

As a financial advisor, I can do nothing but applaud the financial and business acumen and moves that these wealthy individuals have made and will make to assure that the money they have earned continues to impact the world according to their plans even after their death. I will conclude this article by sharing their strategy with you and briefly explaining why they are using this particular strategy and it's financial impacts and results in favor of their family.  I will also encourage you to do similar plans and take similar steps in securing the financial future of both your family, community and ministry. First let's take a brief look at the individuals involved:

The World's 2 Most Wealthy Men

Bill Gates: Estimated Salary $902,000 plus dividend income $175.6 Million, Net worth 2010 estimated at $50,000,000,000 United States dollars.  Belief system: Agnostic/ Humanist Believes in biblical style encouragements for morality has no need for the church under the current context.

How The Gates Financial Fortune Is Handled:

"Bill Gates: Well, the first thing was the decision that it probably wouldn't be good for my kids, for it to go to them, and so then the question of--

G. Stephanopoulos: Will they get nothing?

Gates: They'll get something, but not a substantial percentage. Then, the question is how to give it back to society to have the best impact. And so my wife Melinda and I talked about what was the focus in the United States that we think could have the biggest impact? And then we picked education and scholarships. And then on a global basis, what was the greatest inequity? And as we learned about these health issues, we realized that that's where you can make a huge change and that has such a positive effect on all the other things. ~ 'Why Bill Gates Is Giving Away His Fortune' 11/2005 ABC News This Week

Gifts:

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Ho Rules & The Woman With No Conscience Or Brain

This article is dedicated to all those in the church who are caught or contemplating some sort of extramarital relationship. I know there are many, so don't try to front. There are some principles of whoredom that are consistent. I call them Ho Rules. They are designed to let you know that no matter how things may appear to serve you right now, sexual immorality has an immense cost and toll on a person for a number of years. In some cases it may never be overcome. The aim of this post is to help you avoid the predictable pitfalls of sexual immorality, especially in the church. There is some humor, but please don't miss the message. 

Note: to the GODLY WOMEN, some of you may have been what I point out here, but because of Jesus you are no longer what you were. Thank God and we honor that and let you know that you are precious, valuable and needed now like never before! Teach these men how to identify these things because too many of us really don't know. (I sorry but I placed her picture on the other side of the page, it was too close to mine) Let's proceed: 

Proverbs 6:26

"For by means of a WHORISH WOMAN [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life."

Thursday April 29th, Queen Oprah presented the the story of Rielle "The Psychopath" Hunter, who was, for a time, the mistress of Senator, and then Presidential Candidate, John Edwards.

"I'm conservative that way. I believe in truth. You must live a life of integrity and get all your ducts in a row before you step out."

"I'm a person very much committed to the truth"

On a show that was revealing and personal, I couldn't help but think to myself, "This woman is CRAZY as 2 left shoes on a double clubbed right foot" Rielle tried to paint the picture of her normalcy, her humanity, her realness, her values, her conservatism as IF they were anything close to reality. She tried to explain her sex tape with a married man that she intended to be found...she tried to explain her bond with another woman's husband, which she has no regrets about hurting. Believe me John is in no way exempt and is much worse than this psychologically messed up woman in my opinion, but she the one doing the talking and blaming everyone but herself.  

What she did successfully was reveal that she is suffering from deep psychological problems, an intimate fixation and the whole nine, which from all evidence, she suffered from before she met former Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards. Rielle suffers from more than an overdose of overt selfishness, and sleepy, calculating stupidity that will bite and sting for life if one is caught in her site.

Ho Rule 1: The ho always wants others to believe that she is a good person and a person who wouldn't hurt or damage anything or anyone.

This is a sham and the ho knows it is a sham. It is a lie to make her feel better about herself and her actions which she knows she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of. Proverbs 4 and 5 are clear. The ho is destructive and ready to destroy on every hand. Her intents are no good and she will take you to hell. Her words are good and smooth, just like Rielle's, but they are full of deceit. If you didn't know, now you know!

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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. 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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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Apostates, Heretics, & False Doctrines II

Apostasy/Heresy Central: "Jesus Was Spoken Into Existence"

What amazes me is the sheer volumes of individuals who can't identify false doctrine. For a babe in Christ I certainly understand this dilemma and am here to hopefully encourage your spiritual growth and add a dimension of discernment to your spiritual walk. The problem is that we are seeing more and more of  individuals who have supposedly been around church, attending bible studies, listening to the preached message for years and who still yet don't know how to identify false doctrine or either just don't care. 

False Teachers And Heretical Teaching

In the following video, I don't know which to be more incensed by; the preacher spouting off what is clearly false doctrine, or the people that are sitting, cheering, praising and seemingly eating up every word? In my opinion, both are in a desperate situation.

Dr. Mark Chironna, who seems to be an open repository of false and non-biblical claims, has done it once again. Listen for yourself as Dr. Chironna claims that Jesus was "spoken into existence" when God said "let there be light" in Genesis 1:11. This is truly unbelievable from anyone calling themselves a Christian. I mean I would expect to hear something like this from a Jehovah's Witness or even a Mormon, but certainly not a Christian. Which makes me wonder, does Mark Chironna claim to be a Christian minister?

(Click the read more tab for the video)

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Clergy Sexual SINS Pt. 2

As Continued From Pt. 1

Often individuals can become desensitized to clergy sexual abuse and the real costs associated with sexual misconduct in general. These cases are often only considered in terms of monetary value and not the real human value and equity that is lost as a result of these incidents. Because things can be covered and "out of sight" is sometimes "out of mind" individuals can get a sense that there are no problems and that everything will simply just work out.

COGIC...Just In Case

The most easy thing to do is believe that incidents like this are confined to the Catholic Church. Quite the contrary is true. The COGIC has experienced sexual abuse and clergy sexual misconduct at what I consider to be an alarming rate over the last 20 years as documented Reportcogicabuse.com. This issue was addressed in the 2009 session of the General Assembly of the Church Of Gon In Christ. The official minutes record the following:

"He (Judge Enoch Perry) reported that in over 100 years, there have been 20-25 processed cases of sexual misconduct. He stated statistically the numbers are significantly small; however, there should not be one case among us. Judge perry reported there has not been one successful lawsuit against the church; cases have either been settled or dismissed. He further stated that Bishop Blake supports the church's zero tolerance policy against sexual misconduct." ~ [2009 COGIC General Assembly Minutes Pg. 2 Para. 2 parenthesis added]  

Later, Presiding Bishop Charles Blake remarks included the following:

"Presiding Bishop Blake thanked Judge Perry for his remarks regarding the church's policy in relationship to sexual misconduct. he pointed out that, on average, the church spends about $800,000 to settle legal matters many of which have to do with accusations of sexual misconduct. (Who made the comment? and that one singe lawsuit has the potential to bankrupt the church.)" ~ [2009 COGIC General Assembly Minutes Pg. 3 Para. 2 as it is in the minutes]

Now it seems to be somewhat of a disconnect. How can a settled lawsuit be unsuccessful when $800,000 on average is paid toward the settlement and legal matters regarding it? According to Perry's numbers,  this would mean that about $16,000,000 to $20,000,000 dollars (almost $200,000 per year over 100 years) have been paid out to adjudicate matters of this kind and this is only from the national church perspective. I believe these numbers don't even begin to tell the real story however, because the fact is that it has been documented that over the last 20 years there have been over 35 visible cases of clergy sexual misconduct and abuse among COGIC clergy. Some of these cases were highly publicized and ended in incarceration.

If we condense even Perry's numbers (which are more than likely understated) into the 20 to 25 year period of time in which we can document publicized cases of abuse and misconduct, that would mean that the church has paid an average of approximately $1,000,000 per year toward the adjudication of sexual misconduct cases. Remember this is $1,000,000 per year of national report and auxillary fund dollars collected and paid to defend and or settle sexual abuse, misuse, harassment, and other sexual misconduct cases.

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Clergy Sexual SINS Pt. 1

I wonder how many ministers are outraged at his?

A series of recent allegations began when a lawsuit was filed claiming that Rev. Lawrence Murphy (who died in 1998) admitted to diocese officials in the 1990s that he molested over 200 boys while working at St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis, Wisc., for 25 years from 1950 to 1975. This was after other allegations of sexual abuse had arisen among the priesthood in Germany where 4 Priests and 2 Nuns are said to have been responsible for the physical and sexual abuse of over 300 former students who were children at the time. In fact the Pope admits to having slapped children on occasion but claimed that such practice was common place and not considered abuse by German standards.

Aside from the horrible crimes of physical and sexual sexual abuse perpetrated by these leaders, another crime was committed when, during the 1990's,  after reviewing letters from two Wisconsin bishops rendering the priests former crimes, the administrating Bishop, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, asked for for a secret church trial and ultimately granted extreme leniency in dealing with the crimes of Murphy.

According to ABC News, the following note is said to have been the reason why then Cardinal Ratzinger granted this leniency to the criminal priest:

"I have just recently suffered another stroke which has left me in a weakened state. I have repented of any of my past transgressions, and have been living peaceably in northern Wisconsin for 24 years. I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood."  ~ Former and the late rev. Lawrence Murphy to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. 

There was so much mercy extended that the crimes of this priest (which were revealed during a secret trial) were neither reported, handled, or addressed in any sufficient manner other than shuffling off the priest to another location and keeping quiet.

One Can't Escape The Judgement Of God

Covering crimes and serious negligence has led to the current scandal and seemingly blasphemous chorus from individuals calling for the Pope himself  to step down because of his irresponsible and untrustworthy actions.

Numbers 32:23 ~ "But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."

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The New Enlightenment Pt. 6

The Struggle Of Balancing The Yin and The Yang

Q: Tiger, you’ve been a master of control your entire life, how did things get so out of control?

Woods: Going against your core values, losing sight of it. I quit meditating, I quit being a Buddhist, and my life changed upside down. I felt entitled, which I had never felt before. Consequently, I hurt so many people by my own reckless attitude and behavior.

~ The National Post 

from The Golf Channel

Tiger Woods has made more than a splash of late with the revelation of his multiple adulterous acts and subsequent offer of millions of dollars to his wife, Elin, to stay married instead of leave. Although many debated over whether Elin should have stayed and whether Tiger was serious, he has insistently claimed that his failure was due in part because he had left his "core values" associated with and relating to Buddhism.

Those of eclectic belief systems such as Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle which I have featured in various articles on this site, hold that all paths lead to the same God and there is really no reason to distinguish the differences between religion and religious thought. For many, all religions have valuable insights, sayings and teachings whereby humankind can be benefited and individuals seeking personal improvements can be benefited.

The More Things Change...

Unknowingly, what many espouse is a modern and revamped  form of Shamanism which is having a serious awakening within the Christian church, the educational arena, personal empowerment gurus and many religious fringe groups claiming to be Christian under the guise of spiritual coaching or spiritual guidance services. I'll do an article specifically on Shamanism and how it effects the modern Christian church in the near future, but I don't believe that there is anything more dangerous than the trend that has emerged and been given endorsement and credibility among biblically illiterate and non-discerning Christians. What we face is a total redefinition of the Christian faith whereby the word is interpreted in the light of personal experience and not on the basis of it's context and command.

The Religion Of Star Appeal

It should be of no surprise to the church that the differences between Christianity and Buddhism have never been blurred as thoroughly as it has been within this "pop" generation culture. However upon careful examination we can see a vast and distinguishable difference that cannot be reconciled.

The differences are especially revealing in some of Tiger Woods' statements pertaining to why he felt he failed and fell into adultery in his marriage. His statements show the true nature of Buddhism and why, as a religion, it is wholly incompatible with Christianity and (although this is a free country) not a belief system that a true believer in a biblical paradigm or worldview could ever encourage or endorse as being helpful to the spiritual and emotional well being of individuals.

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Presidential Executive Order On Abortion In Health Care Bill

It's the last hour. By Monday March 22nd, we may have a national health care law in place. Once such problem that has been raised is the problem of tax dollar funded abortions. In my opinion this is a sad issue as Planned parenthood already receives tax dollars in funding their abortion services. Nevertheless, courtesy of CNN, here is the Executive Order supposedly barring abortions from being a part of any public health care plan:

Executive Order

"Ensuring enforcement and implementation of abortion restrictions in the patient protection and affordable care act

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (approved March ­­__, 2010), I hereby order as follows:

Section 1. Policy.

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