Sharing Our Faith Can Be Controversial

Brit Hume has aroused the ire of some secularists as well as some Buddhists by advising Tiger Woods to seek redemption through Christianity in place of his mother's religion of Buddhism. Said Mr. Hume about Mr. Woods, "He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn your faith — turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"

Almost immediately, the far left began mocking Hume as a religious fanatic. Some of the comments directed at him were as hateful as anything directed towards Tiger Woods.

So, let's look at what happened. According to the Buddhist journalist Barbara Hoetsu O'Brien, Hume is correct about Buddhism. That faith does not offer forgiveness and redemption the way Christianity does. That's because Buddhism has no concept of sin.

Brit Hume was asked if he was proselytizing, as he is a devout Christian. He said no, and put forth he was just giving Mr. Woods some advice he might consider. So, why are people like Washington Post critic Tom Shales and TV's Jon Stewart going after him?

The answer, I believe, lies in the explosive nature of right and wrong, good and evil — also, the unease some Americans feel when a religious conviction they don't hold is displayed before them.

Brit Hume has a perfect right to espouse what he believes is a healing tonic. The forgiveness Christianity offers has helped millions of human beings throughout history. The world would be a better place if every person on earth understood the basic philosophy of Jesus. Mr. Hume was simply exercising his free speech rights and the fact he is paid well to do that speaks to his intellect and insight.

Anti-religious sentiment is currently chic in America. You can see it displayed in the media almost everyday. Brit Hume sent some advice to Tiger Woods. He did so meaning well. Mr. Woods is free to take it or leave it. There was no harm in this.

[By Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com]

A Word for Pastors

With the New Year now a week old, how are you doing? Now, let me ask, what are you doing?

As I begin 2010, I have been asking myself, "What can I do better this year than I did last year?" Allow me to give you a little self-examination exercise:

1. Have you determined to get more physical activity this year than last? Just 20 minutes a day, four days a week, will do wonders for you.

2. Will you do anything about your eating habits? You really do not need to "crash diet" — but simply stay away from overeating sweets, starches, bread and red meat. Just "push away."

3. Have you thought of ways you might be able to adjust your schedule for greater productivity? Pastors have told me lately that making the most of the mornings gives them the greatest advantage. From wake-up through lunch can be your most effective hours.

4. How well do you communicate? I really need to work on this one. "Say what you mean and mean what you say" is a very good credo. Try very hard not to leave people guessing.

5. Put some excitement in your life. Are you in a rut? Do you have variety in your day-to-day routine? There should be. Every day, if possible, you need to experience something new.

6. Quality time: I could really make all of us feel guilty on this one, but are you giving your family the attention they need? If not, schedule them in. Are you spending precious moments with your Lord? Same time, same place, on a regular basis is the very best practice. Give quality time to these two areas and you will reap great dividends.

Well, I just shared with you some gentle suggestions as we come to the close of the first week of the new decade. How are you doing so far? What can you do better? "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

[By H. B. London]

President Appoints Transgendered Woman/Man to Federal Post

Amanda Simpson, a former test pilot for Raytheon, has been named to the Bureau of Industry and Security as Senior Technical Advisor by President Barack Obama. Simpson, who now identifies as a female, was nominated by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE).

In a news release from NCTE, Simpson expressed hope to "soon be one of hundreds (of transgender presidential appointees)."

"Is there going to be a transgender quota now in the Obama administration?" asked Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth. "How far does this politics of gay and transgender activism go? Clearly this is an administration that is pandering to the gay lobby."

According to most estimates, "transgender" individuals account for less than a fraction of 1 percent of the population. Yet, LaBarbera said, they have convinced the Obama administration to affirm their position that gender is fluid and changeable.

"We should consider what transgender activism is about," he said," which is essentially recognizing civil rights based on gender confusion."

Matt Barber, associate dean at Liberty University, said the appointment "boggles the mind."

"This isn't like appointing an African-American in order to try to provide diversity and right some kind of discriminatory wrong," he said. "This is about political correctness.

"President Obama, before he was inaugurated, told the world that he had signed off on every single demand of the homosexual-activist lobby."

LaBarbera said it's just another way to normalize homosexuality and transgenderism.

"It's always the incremental change that keeps moving forward and keeps getting more radical," he said. "It's hard for the American people to keep up."

[Based on an article by Kim Trobee]

Changing Themes

J. David Schmidt is a church consultant and President of J. David Schmidt and Associates. From his vantage point of working with many hundreds of churches all across the United States and the world he notes some emerging and waning themes in organizational life. We are living in a time of transition.

Change and transition is not limited to the coasts. Television, movies, music, the Internet and cell phones are shrinking our world. What once started on the coasts took 5-7 years to spread to the mid-section of our country. Today it takes 5-7 months if not 5-7 weeks!

Organizations and institutions, including churches, are immersed in a rapidly changing culture that will either reshape them or render them obsolete. While holding to the Truth of the Word of God we must adjust how we relate, communicate, work together, and organize ourselves.

What follows is one listing of changing themes for organizations in the new millennium. Much of this material is applicable to our churches as we seek to be relevant for a new day and a new century. This list could generate a healthy and helpful discussion with your Board, Leadership Team or Staff.

WANING THEMES ----------- EMERGING THEMES

Top-Down Decision Making -- Shared Decision Making

Traditional Approaches -- Entrepreneurial Approaches

Empire Builders -- Kingdom Builders

"Come Join Us" -- "How Can We Serve You"

"Trust Us" -- Prove Your Integrity

"We Have Our Way of Doing Things" -- Multiple Options To Expand The Kingdom

Male-Only Leadership -- Male/Female Leadership

"We Have a Process to Follow" -- Flexibility, Speed And Agility In Making Decisions

"We Know How to Do This" -- On-Going Learning

"We Have a Heritage to Honor" -- Stable At The Core, Fluid Around The Edges

"We Can’t Do That" -- Shockingly High Level of Customer Service

"Let’s Build Consensus" -- Value-Driven, Visionary Leadership

Sharon Daugherty to Lead Victory Christian Center

The widow of the Rev. Billy Joe Daugherty has been elected president of the Victory Christian Center Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Rev. Sharon Daugherty had worked as co-pastor with her late husband to build one of Tulsa's largest churches. Billy Joe Daugherty died of cancer in November.

In addition to pastoring the 17,000-member church, Sharon Daugherty will oversee Victory Christian School and International Victory Bible Institute, with 911 campuses in 93 countries.

She also will oversee Victory World Missions Training Center and the Tulsa Dream Center, which provides food and clothing and medical, educational and recreational services to north Tulsans.

One Nation Under God

Prepare to Win in 2010

If you believe in your vision, keep doing it until you see results. Every desire, every plan, every bit of knowledge is useless unless followed by action. The Bible states in 2 Peter 1:5 that we are to take the promises of God and add our diligence. To be a diligent person means to keep doing what is right over and over until you get the desired result. It means that you never give up and never quit. Diligence is vitally necessary in order to have a prosperous life.

It is essential that you establish clearly defined goals and a mission for your organization. Once your goals are formulated, you need to light the desire and build it strong in your mind. Visualize your goals strongly and clearly every day. Be positive about your vision and you will attract others To your mission. Have faith in yourself. Faith is the basis of all miracles and the basis for all success. Get specialized knowledge, seek counseling if necessary. While motivation is essential to begin the path to success, only persistence will keep you on the path.

Boy Shot and Killed at Church

[Decatur, GA] A 4-year-old boy, Marquel Peters, was shot and killed while in church at the Church of God of Prophecy, apparently by New Year’s Eve revelers. The circumstances that led to young Marquel Peters’ death are not uncommon on New Year’s Eve.

The boy, playing with a video game, and his mother were waiting for a 12:30 a.m. concert to begin at Church of God of Prophecy near Decatur when Marquel was shot in the head by a stray bullet. Marquel was on the floor, crying and bleeding, when medics arrived, but he died later at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

The child’s family has called for the person who fired the shot to come forward, but officials said it’s unlikely that person even knows what happened. And police are unlikely to find the shooter unless the bullet is traced to a gun recovered in another investigation.

Investigators discovered Friday the bullet had passed through the roof of the church. It’s not uncommon – though illegal -- for guns to be fired to mark the start of a new year.

Please be in prayer for this family.

Happy New Year!

Today's Quote

Unless God’s people have a clear understanding of where we are headed, the probability of a successful journey is severely limited.

Mainline Churches Declining, Aging and Lacking Diversity, New Study Reveals

Mainline Protestant churches in the United States have declined dramatically since the days of Eisenhower—from more than 80,000 churches in the 1950s to only about 72,000 today, according to a new report released by The Barna Group in early December.

No longer can the six major mainline denominations boast holding the majority of American congregants. According to the report, which was based on several national telephone surveys comparing data from studies conducted in 1998 with statistics from a new 2008 study, membership in mainline churches has taken more than a 25 percent dive. Only 15 percent of all American adults associate with a mainline church today, researchers found.

In addition to addressing the decline in mainline churches, the Barna report also examined the changes in the types of people who attend them as well as in the clergy overseeing them.

For example, the study noted, mainline churches are not doing a good job of attracting young adults and minorities. With more than one-third of mainline attendees being age 60 and above—and with the number of Hispanic and Asian congregants running at only 6 percent and 2 percent, respectively—the mainline church, it seems, is aging fast and not keeping pace when it comes to racial diversity.

One wonders if an aging clergy has something to do with those figures. Ten years ago, researchers noted, the average age of mainline senior pastors was 48. Now it’s 55. According to the study, this occurred because not enough young pastors are entering vocational ministry, and too many older pastors are refusing to retire.

For the full report, visit www.Barna.org.

[from www.foursquare.org - From the President]

Developing Effective Leaders

Developing your team into effective leaders requires more than just explaining how to do something. You must explain the why behind the how. Understanding the science behind a method is crucial to being able to effectively lead in times of unusual circumstance.

When it comes to systems, most rules have exceptions, but you can’t appropriately identify these exceptions unless you understand the principles behind the rule. Teaching rules alone creates carbon copy robots. Teaching principles creates leaders.

The Pharisees lived by rules with such rigidity that they missed the principles and the purpose behind the rules. Jesus knew the rules, but more importantly, Jesus understood the more important principles behind the rules. As a result, He made exceptions that made His ministry dramatically more fruitful and impactful than the office of a Pharisee.

Here’s the challenge – it is much easier to teach the how without the why. Teaching the science and principles behind it all requires the investment of a mentor. Often, it requires modeling. Managers teach rules. Leaders teach principles.

[This is a guest blog post from Kent Shaffer. Check-out his blog: ChurchRelevance.com.]

Enjoy

YuleLog4aCause.org from The Chapel on Vimeo.

Merry Xmas

Does "Xmas" take Christ out of Christmas?

Some people erroneously believe that the term Xmas was devised as part of an effort to “take Christ out of Christmas” or to literally “cross out Christ;” it is seen as evidence of the secularization of Christmas, as a symptom of the commercialization of the holiday (as the abbreviation has long been used by retailers).

Actually, the word “Christ” and its compounds, including “Christmas,” have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern “Xmas” was commonly used. “Christ” was often written as “XP” or “Xt;” there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters X and P used in ancient abbreviations for Xpiotoc (Greek for “Christ”), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as XP, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

The labarum, often called the Chi-Rho, is a Christian symbol representing Christ. The occasionally held belief that the “X” represents the cross on which Christ was crucified also has no basis in fact. Saint Andrew’s Cross is X-shaped, but Christ’s cross was probably shaped like a T or a †. Indeed, X-as-chi was associated with Christ long before X-as-cross could be, since the cross as a Christian symbol developed later. (The Greek letter Chi X stood for “Christ” in the ancient Greek acrostic IXOYE ichthys.) While some see the spelling of Christmas as Xmas a threat, others see it as a way to honor the martyrs. The use of X as an abbreviation for “cross” in modern abbreviated writing (e.g. “King’s X” for “King’s Cross”) may have reinforced this assumption.

In ancient Christian art, X and XP are abbreviations for Christ’s name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, X is an abbreviation for Christos, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

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