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Eight of the 10 Americans once detained in Haiti have landed at Miami International Airport

Eight of the 10 American church workers jailed for trying to take 33 children out of Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake were freed from their tiny cell today after a Haitian judge ordered their release.

[The Church Report]

Abortionists Are Upset About Super Bowl Ad

Focus on the Family has purchased time during this year's Super Bowl broadcast to air a compelling pro-life ad featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and the decision his mother made 23 years ago to give birth to her unborn son when doctors were urging her to abort him.

CBS has come under withering fire from the left for its decision to air this ad. Joy Behar of "The View" even said abortion would have been an appropriate choice since there was no way for Tim's mom to know that he wouldn't grow up to be a "rapist pedophile."

The hypocrisy here is thick. Abortion proponents claim to be all about choice, but they are outraged over an ad that features a woman exercising her right to choose life for her baby son.

Unfortunately, CBS sent a signal this week that it would be willing to accept "responsibly produced" ads that promote abortion or homosexuality. But a message that promotes death or sexual deviancy is not the moral equivalent of a message that celebrates life, and CBS must be urged to reject any such advocacy ads.

If you choose, you may E-mail CBS Chairman Les Moonves and CBS Entertainment President Nancy Tellem in support of their decision to air the Tebow Super Bowl ad.

Haiti's Prime Minister Wants to Prosecute Americans

Haiti's prime minister says it's clear to him that the ten U.S. Baptists who tried to take 33 children out of his quake-ravaged country without permission "knew what they were doing was wrong." But Prime Minister Max Bellerive says his country is open to having the Americans go before courts in the United States because Haiti's judicial system was devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake.

The purported Baptist "rescue mission" has become a distraction for a crippled government trying to provide basic life support to millions of earthquake survivors.

But Bellerive said some legal system must determine whether the Americans were acting in good faith as they claim or are child traffickers in a nation that has struggled to fight exploitation of children.

Meanwhile, Idaho's congressional leaders say they're closely monitoring the safety and health of the ten Americans arrested in Haiti Friday while trying to take dozens of children out of the country. Nine of the people detained by the Haitian government are from Idaho and members of Baptist churches in Twin Falls and Meridian.

Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Congressmen Mike Simpson and Walt Minnick say they're keeping in touch with the U.S. State Department to ensure that adequate food, water, and medical care are provided.

The detainees were arrested by Haitian police near the border after failing to show proper documentation to take the children from the country. They've said they were on a mission to rescue abandoned Haitian children and get them to an orphanage being set up in the Dominican Republic. But some of the children say they were misled and have parents who survived the earthquake.

Also in Haiti, Haitian police at the Port Au Prince airport, refused to allow a private plane load of medical supplies from doctors in Miami unload without paying a bribe to police. The more the Haitian government is allowed to resume control, the more of these stories come to light.

Please pray for all Americans in Haiti.

Today's Quote

"Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." — Earl Nightingale

Does this bother you? Comment below.

Top 5 Deadly Sins of Leaders

1. Arrogance and insensitivity to others - Whether it’s yelling, screaming, and berating, or a more subtle approach to letting everyone else don’t they don’t matter, everybody can’t stand an arrogant jerk.

2. Not listening - Not listening is another way of displaying arrogance and insensitivity, even if you don’t mean to be.

3. Manipulative - Getting things done by manipulating people shows a lack of authenticity and keeps people guessing what your true intentions are. It fosters a lack of trust.

4. Lack of integrity - Lying, cheating, fibbing, blaming others for your mistakes – it only takes one mistake to ruin a reputation for life.

5. Selfishness - A "me first" approach, inability to collaborate or build a team, and unwillingness to collaborate.

Leaders of these sins seldom know it. They always deny them. They will read this and say, "Right on. I know people who should read this." The only way to know if one is guilty is to actually listen to others, maybe even someone we do not like.

If you've ever been told you display any of these traits, then do yourself and everyone around you a big favor – get some help!

Unfortunately, a lot of very "successful" and experienced leaders shrewdly use these very same characteristics to their advantage. You can achieve short-term success by lying, cheating, and abusing your power. However, at some point, it’s going to catch up to you. In the meantime, you’ll end up "lookin" like a fool.

[from Great Leadership by Dan McCarthy]

Legal Answers - Church and Super Bowl

Pastor Ed Young says Washington is Broken

The Rev. Dr. Ed Young of Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, brought politics to the pulpit this past weekend as he preached on what he calls "a broken Washington."

"Far too long we have been in a valley, a deep, dark valley that's been brought on by the indifference and lethargy of the people and by those who are willing to exploit us on so many levels at the highest realm of government – city, state and national," he said.

His sermon is part of a series on "Healing Broken America." When viewing America today, Young sees what was recorded in the early days of biblical history – that is, a broken Jerusalem.

"We either learn from history or we repeat history," he told thousands at the multi-site church. America is on the latter path, he indicated.

Just as King Solomon from the Old Testament began as a faithful believer and later turned away from God and became an idolater, Young sees many in Washington, D.C., doing the same, placing God on a shelf and making everything of the world an idol.

"Our government is trying to make us into a secular God-free society," he said. "Our government should be secular. I'm not for theocracy. But secular government is ... taking God out of every area of our life."

Moreover, Washington is not listening to the people, Young asserted on Second Baptist's large stage.

Though the majority of Americans claim belief in God, "the courts and much of our legislatures are doing everything for us to be politically correct and to get God out of everything in our life," he noted.

"Washington is not only not listening but they're exercising poor discernment," Young said, alluding to the unstable economy and the current health care reform legislation.

He charged members of Congress of governing by fear and bribery, noting that a number of senators changed their mind to support the health care bill after some "back room" conversations.

Government, Pastor Young told Second Baptist congregants, is getting bigger and bigger with every administration.

The solution, he said, is to go back to the worldview, namely a biblical worldview, from which documents like the Constitution were drawn up – documents that clearly state that the power is primarily vested in the people.

"It looks like this: creation (we were created in the image of God; I am special); fall (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God); and redemption (the answer; salvation)," he explained.

"This is the grid upon which we have to operate. It's the grid upon which our Constitution was drawn up. ... It is the worldview that must be reactivated – a concept of the dignity of man."

Second Baptist Church claims a membership of over 53,000 with campuses in five different locations.

[By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter]

Haiti Update - 1/16/10

We have finally made direct contact with the orphanage and people of Haiti. Last night at about midnight Ben Feliz (who I serve with on the Administrative Committee) received a call from Bishop Flavio Rosario, who was able to meet with Bishop Dorlean. Brother Rosario and his team spent the night with Bishop Dorlean in a church member's house that was not damaged.

Bishop Rosario's team was able to bring food and water to feed the children of the orphanage for a few days. We are currently coordinating a team of full size trucks that will be getting to the people in Haiti with food, water, tents, sheets , blankets, tooth paste, etc.

Bishop Dorlean could not express with words his graititude this act of Christian solidarity. We assured him that we are praying with them in this dark hour and that we are making many efforts to show Christian love to our brothers and sisters of Haiti.

We expect to receive a report from Bishop Flavio Rosario today that will update and prioritize the needs that the people have on the ground.

We are coordinating with Bishop Quiterio Rosario in the Dominincan Republic who will go back to Haiti with a full size truck containing food, water, sheets, supplies, blankets and some tents since the children are staying out in soccer field. Bishop Rosario is heading for Santo Domingo to return to Haiti with help as soon as possible.

Isn't it wonderful how the family of God works in times like these?!

Church Security

In 2009, there were at least 1,237 crimes against Christian churches and ministries in the United States, according to a report released earlier this month by the Christian Security Network. The 2009 "Crimes Against Christian Organizations in the United States" included 12 homicides and 38 other violent incidents — with three sexual assaults and three kidnappings — 98 arsons and over 700 burglaries. Burglaries resulted in an estimated $12 million in property loss.

Even though the FBI has established Hate Crimes statistics in its agency reporting, very few crimes against churches and Christian organizations are classified as hate crimes because it is difficult to determine the motive for the crime, the report explains.

What makes it even more difficult in determining the number of such crimes is the fact that many of them go unreported. Churches and ministries, for various reasons — including forgiveness of the offender to fear of bad publicity — do not always report crimes. Jeff Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network, said that crime rates "are likely much higher than contained in the report, conservatively five to six times higher."

CSN approaches the collection of data in a conservative manner, only counting criminal incidents where the church or ministry building, staff, volunteers or guests were the actual target or victim. It does not, for instance, count a death on church property if the church was closed at the time or if the death had no connection to the church (e.g., natural causes).

Just two weeks into 2010, officials in east Texas are already investigating five arson-suspected church fires — three in one town and two in one night. Experts and officials alike warn churches to take every possible precautionary step to provide a safe environment and security for anyone who will be on church grounds.

[ChristianPost.com, CBSNews.com]

Pictures Coming Out of Haiti

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Contact Has Been Made With Haiti Orphanage

We have received a report from the orphanage in Haiti.

Five of the children have died, along with two employees. Four more children remain buried under the rubble.

Please continue to prayer for this nation.

Haiti People Before the Earthquake

This is a video recorded by Gabriel Vidal in Haiti in July 2008 of the Church of God of Prophecy orphanage.

Look at the faces.

No one has been able to reach any of them since the earthquake. Their condition is unknown.

Please pray for all of them.

CLICK HERE to download more info in PDF.

Haiti Disaster

"As you may know, the Church of God of Prophecy has a significant presence in Haiti, with about 58,000 members, many of them in the Port au Prince area, in addition to the orphanage which houses almost 70 children about an hour from the capital. Since the earthquake hit, we have not been able to reach Bishop Dorlean, our national overseer. We are continuing to try to make contact and will keep in touch through Facebook, the International Office website (www.cogop.org) and the E-newsletter, Connections.

"Although our information is limited right now, we know the needs are astronomical. The website has information on how you can begin to give."

http://www.cogop.org/

David Bryan
Missions Director
Church of God of Prophecy