This post comes from an email I received from “The Oak Initiative” over the Holiday Season.
I felt it important enough to share it with all the visitors to Bible-Religion.com. I hope to encourage those of you who are NOT yet a part of the Oak Initiative, to join the Initiative and get plugged in. But most importantly, to understand the message in this email…
December 29, 2009
Dear Steve,
This email is being sent so that you can consider Geert Wilders’ speech and its content and become more aware of the atmosphere in Europe and the possible cost to America. As Christians we do not want to give way to fear or rash reaction, only to be alert and use our great, powerful, and spiritual weapons. These weapons include prayer, faith, a knowledge of our salvation and the word of God, and most importantly, knowing the Mighty Lord and God that we represent and serve.
The Salvation of our ‘enemies’ is the best outcome.
Author:Geert Wilders
Title:America as the last man standing
“In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe?”
Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, chairman Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem.
The speech was sponsored by the Hudson Institute on September 25, 2008.
Dear friends,
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The danger I see looming is the scenario of America as the last man standing. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe. In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe? Patriots from around Europe risk their lives every day to prevent precisely this scenario form becoming a reality.
My short lecture consists of 4 parts.
First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few things about Islam. Thirdly, if you are still here, I will talk a little bit about the movie you just saw. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem. The Europe you know is changing. You have probably seen the landmarks. The Eiffel Tower and Trafalgar Square and Rome’s ancient buildings and maybe the canals of Amsterdam. They are still there. And they still look very much the same as they did a hundred years ago.
But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world, a world very few visitors see – and one that does not appear in your tourist guidebook. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration. All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighbourhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It’s the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corner. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighbourhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, city by city.
There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe. With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.
Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseille and Malmo in Sweden. In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighbourhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities. In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear “whore, whore”. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin. In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of the Holocaust can in many cases no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity. In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighbourhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the Ramadan. Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel. I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.
A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.
Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favour of a worldwide caliphate. A Dutch study reported that half of Dutch Muslims admit they “understand” the 9/11 attacks.
Muslims demand what they call ‘respect’. And this is how we give them respect. Our elites are willing to give in. To give up. In my own country we have gone from calls by one cabinet member to turn Muslim holidays into official state holidays, to statements by another cabinet member, that Islam is part of Dutch culture, to an affirmation by the Christian-Democratic attorney general that he is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey.
Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behaviour, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. Some prefer to see these as isolated incidents, but I call it a Muslim intifada. I call the perpetrators “settlers”. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies, they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.
Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighbourhoods, their cities, their countries.
Politicians shy away from taking a stand against this creeping sharia. They believe in the equality of all cultures. Moreover, on a mundane level, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.
Our many problems with Islam cannot be explained by poverty, repression or the European colonial past, as the Left claims. Nor does it have anything to do with Palestinians or American troops in Iraq. The problem is Islam itself.
Allow me to give you a brief Islam 101. The first thing you need to know about Islam is the importance of the book of the Quran. The Quran is Allah’s personal word, revealed by an angel to Mohammed, the prophet. This is where the trouble starts. Every word in the Quran is Allah’s word and therefore not open to discussion or interpretation. It is valid for every Muslim and for all times. Therefore, there is no such a thing as moderate Islam. Sure, there are a lot of moderate Muslims. But a moderate Islam is non-existent.
The Quran calls for hatred, violence, submission, murder, and terrorism. The Quran calls for Muslims to kill non-Muslims, to terrorize non-Muslims and to fulfill their duty to wage war: violent jihad. Jihad is a duty for every Muslim, Islam is to rule the world – by the sword. The Quran is clearly anti-Semitic, describing Jews as monkeys and pigs.
The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behaviour is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages – at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. He advised on matters of slavery, but never advised to liberate slaves. Islam has no other morality than the advancement of Islam. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad. There is no gray area or other side.
Quran as Allah’s own word and Mohammed as the perfect man are the two most important facets of Islam. Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means ‘submission’. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.
This is what you need to know about Islam, in order to understand what is going on in Europe. For millions of Muslims the Quran and the life of Mohammed are not 14 centuries old, but are an everyday reality, an ideal, that guide every aspect of their lives. Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam “the most retrograde force in the world”, and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran.
Which brings me to my movie, Fitna.
I am a lawmaker, and not a movie maker. But I felt I had the moral duty to educate about Islam. The duty to make clear that the Quran stands at the heart of what some people call terrorism but is in reality jihad. I wanted to show that the problems of Islam are at the core of Islam, and do not belong to its fringes.
Now, from the day the plan for my movie was made public, it caused quite a stir, in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. First, there was a political storm, with government leaders, across the continent in sheer panic. The Netherlands was put under a heightened terror alert, because of possible attacks or a revolt by our Muslim population. The Dutch branch of the Islamic organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir declared that the Netherlands was due for an attack. Internationally, there was a series of incidents. The Taliban threatened to organize additional attacks against Dutch troops in Afghanistan, and a website linked to Al Qaeda published the message that I ought to be killed, while various muftis in the Middle East stated that I would be responsible for all the bloodshed after the screening of the movie. In Afghanistan and Pakistan the Dutch flag was burned on several occasions. Dolls representing me were also burned. The Indonesian President announced that I will never be admitted into Indonesia again, while the UN Secretary General and the European Union issued cowardly statements in the same vein as those made by the Dutch Government. I could go on and on. It was an absolute disgrace, a sell-out.
A plethora of legal troubles also followed, and have not ended yet. Currently the state of Jordan is litigating against me. Only last week there were renewed security agency reports about a heightened terror alert for the Netherlands because of Fitna.
Now, I would like to say a few things about Israel. Because, very soon, we will get together in its capitol. The best way for a politician in Europe to loose votes is to say something positive about Israel. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I, however, will continue to speak up for Israel. I see defending Israel as a matter of principle. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.
Samuel Huntington writes it so aptly: “Islam has bloody borders”. Israel is located precisely on that border. This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam’s territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.
The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.
Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. Therefore, it is not that the West has a stake in Israel. It is Israel.
It is very difficult to be an optimist in the face of the growing Islamization of Europe. All the tides are against us. On all fronts we are losing. Demographically the momentum is with Islam. Muslim immigration is even a source of pride within ruling liberal parties. Academia, the arts, the media, trade unions, the churches, the business world, the entire political establishment have all converted to the suicidal theory of multiculturalism. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a ‘right-wing extremists’ or ‘racists’. The entire establishment has sided with our enemy. Leftists, liberals and Christian-Democrats are now all in bed with Islam.
This is the most painful thing to see: the betrayal by our elites. At this moment in Europe’s history, our elites are supposed to lead us. To stand up for centuries of civilization. To defend our heritage. To honour our eternal Judeo-Christian values that made Europe what it is today. But there are very few signs of hope to be seen at the governmental level. Sarkozy, Merkel, Brown, Berlusconi; in private, they probably know how grave the situation is. But when the little red light goes on, they stare into the camera and tell us that Islam is a religion of peace, and we should all try to get along nicely and sing Kumbaya. They willingly participate in, what President Reagan so aptly called: “the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.”
If there is hope in Europe, it comes from the people, not from the elites. Change can only come from a grass-roots level. It has to come from the citizens themselves. Yet these patriots will have to take on the entire political, legal and media establishment.
Over the past years there have been some small, but encouraging, signs of a rebirth of the original European spirit. Maybe the elites turn their backs on freedom, the public does not. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat to our national identity. I don’t think the public opinion in Holland is very different from other European countries.
Patriotic parties that oppose jihad are growing, against all odds. My own party debuted two years ago, with five percent of the vote. Now it stands at ten percent in the polls. The same is true of all similarly-minded parties in Europe. They are fighting the liberal establishment, and are gaining footholds on the political arena, one voter at the time.
Now, for the first time, these patriotic parties will come together and exchange experiences. It may be the start of something big. Something that might change the map of Europe for decades to come. It might also be Europe’s last chance.
This December a conference will take place in Jerusalem. Thanks to Professor Aryeh Eldad, a member of Knesset, we will be able to watch Fitna in the Knesset building and discuss the jihad. We are organizing this event in Israel to emphasize the fact that we are all in the same boat together, and that Israel is part of our common heritage. Those attending will be a select audience. No racist organizations will be allowed. And we will only admit parties that are solidly democratic.
This conference will be the start of an Alliance of European patriots. This Alliance will serve as the backbone for all organizations and political parties that oppose jihad and Islamization. For this Alliance I seek your support.
This endeavor may be crucial to America and to the West. America may hold fast to the dream that, thanks tot its location, it is safe from jihad and shaira. But seven years ago to the day, there was still smoke rising from ground zero, following the attacks that forever shattered that dream. Yet there is a danger even greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem.
Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe’s children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.
This is not the first time our civilization is under threat. We have seen dangers before. We have been betrayed by our elites before. They have sided with our enemies before. And yet, then, freedom prevailed. These are not times in which to take lessons from appeasement, capitulation, giving away, giving up or giving in. These are not times in which to draw lessons from Mr. Chamberlain. These are times calling us to draw lessons from Mr. Churchill and the words he spoke in 1942:
“Never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy”.
Hello to all and my apologies for not posting for awhile.
I have been involved in so many things and then my computer crashed and I’ll just say that it’s all good now.
I just completed Discovery Training (8 weeks), Ministry Training (4 weeks) and a 3 day retreat, at my local church here in Texas and I am excited to begin posting what I have learned (discovered) about Scripture and Ministering (praying for people).
Beginning soon I will start to post the Discovery Process in the “Christianity” category. This awesome process will awaken your mind, your heart and your soul. Here is a sneak peek at the agenda;
1. An Intensity For God
2. A Heart To Win The Lost
3. Dedication To Building Relationships
4. A Disciplined Lifestyle
5. Commitment To Family
6. Sacrificial Giving
7. Worship and Equipping The Saints (Bonus #1)
8. Finding the Holy Spirit (Bonus #2)
Next, I will begin the process of offering Prayer to anyone who would like my Ministry Team to pray for them. In an effort to keep your requests private and confidential, you will need to Send Me Your Prayer Requests via the “Contact Me” form, listed under “Pages”. I will reply with the Prayers we will pray for you in response to your request if you include your email address. I respect Privacy and do not keep email addresses.
For the brothers and sisters from countries outside the USA, who are using the translator, you will need to use the “Contact Me” form in English, for now, so you can enter the code necessary for your Prayer Requests to get to me. I will alert you as to when the translator plugin will allow the code to be translated so you folks won’t have to change the language to English.
Looking forward to getting this to you…
Steve
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Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 NIV/NLT
Outstanding Vision… The content of this post comes from an email I got from another faithful Christian friend this past weekend.
Title: VISION - The GREAT SEPARATION
by Dianna de Valle
September 24, 2009
‘”As I was in a quiet prayer time this morning The Lord began to show me a vision of a great pot that was being stirred. This large and very full pot was made of clear glass so that it was quite easy to see the contents inside. As the pot was being stirred the contents were churning and swirling wildly around and there was no definition or distinction whatsoever between any of the ingredients. Then, the stirring began to slow down and continued to slow until finally it stopped. As soon as it stopped, there began to be a faint line appear in the middle of the pot which quickly grew wider and wider and clearer and clearer. After every particle in the pot had ceased to move, there remained three pronounced sections. A top section and a bottom section with a very distinct middle section that was so crystal clear it looked like pure glass. There was absolutely not one single particle to be seen in that middle section. The ingredients of the pot had all very definitely either settled to the bottom or risen to the top.
As I began to ask the Lord about the meaning of this vision He told me the following:
Right now in all of creation, there is a great stirring going on. It is a stirring that will eventually affect every single ingredient in the pot and leave no ingredient untouched or unturned. Every particle WILL be stirred. This includes the government, the media, pop-culture and celebrity, the education system, the financial institutions and economy, the church and religion, and every single person’s individual life. Every single particle must be stirred because once the stirring is over then a great separation will begin to occur. At that moment each and every person will make a decision on where they stand in My Kingdom. That decision will determine whether they rise to the top where I am, or sink down to the depths of eternal pain, loss, and frustration. There has never been a separation this pronounced, and it will be such a defined separation that there will not be ANY question about it. For too long there has been no line and no separation and people have been able to be right in the middle and walk with one foot in both sides without having to really declare and determine where they stand. The stirring has begun so that there will no longer be a middle section. Everything is being forced to churn. Those who were on the bottom, those who were in the middle, and those who were at the top are being forced to churn so that in the end there will be only be two sides and each will choose whom they will serve and where they will stand for eternity.
As I have processed and meditated on this I have the following thoughts to share:
There are both good and bad sides to this of which we always knew were coming, but our complacency in the Body of Christ has kept us from fully grasping the scope of it all. The good news is that some who are steadfastly stuck in the darkness are going to be broken free in the churning and they will have a new opportunity to see the light and the truth and be made free! Those whom we have so earnestly prayed for who seemed hopelessly lost are now being churned!!! The bad news is that those who were in the middle and wanted to walk dangerously close to the line so as not to have to choose, are now being forcibly churned this way and that and will be faced with a decision.
So where does that leave us as the Body of Christ? Well, if we had a foundation built upon rock and not sand, and roots that were deeply and firmly planted, and a mind set upon the Spirit and not the flesh, then we don’t have to worry!!! Yes, we may experience the effects of some churning and shaking, but that is good for us sometimes, lest we get lazy and complacent and forget our Great Commission. But our firm roots and foundation will keep us securely fastened and able to withstand the wind and the waves. Once the hurricane is over, we will go outside and clean up the debris and press on!!!
The crucial thing that we must be aware of and focus on is that this stirring is a HUGE opportunity for us to affect eternity and build The Kingdom of God by saving souls. It is not enough for us to just make it to the top! As the pot is being stirred and we are swirling around we have an opportunity to reach out and grab those that we see flying by. That is the people that God puts in our path every day. Our purpose in being on this Earth can be boiled down to two things: The Great Commission of Mark 16:15 and the Great Commandment of Matthew 22:37-39. We must ask ourselves if the MAJORITY of our time and energy REALLY is (not just in theory - not just intending to be) being devoted to these two things. If not, then we are burying our talents (Luke 19)!!! We have each been given talents by God that SHOULD BE BEING USED for His purposes. Too often, we either bury them, or use them for our own gain. This has to stop. We must be found actively using our talents for building of The Kingdom through fulfilling the Great Commission and The Great Commandment. Otherwise, we will not be found by Him doing that which we are called to and will therefore not hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant”. We all have different gifts, callings and talents and we must prayerfully seek how God has intended those to be used in our individual lives AND THEN ACT UPON IT. We also must spend (waste) less time looking at everyone else’s gifts and talents and wishing we had them AND/OR spend less time thinking we know how everyone else should be using their talents while ours are conveniently buried! Let us be found bringing as many people as we can to the top with us, for that is what LOVE would do! God is Love and if we claim to be in Him with His Spirit then we also will be Love.”‘
Who will you serve for eternity?
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Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 NIV/NLT
I received an email this weekend, from one of my wonderful Christian friends, that included a link to an awesome website that features; Love Letters from Our Father, An Intimate Message From God To You, in video format.
“And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8 NAS
The content of this post comes from a report I received this week from a special group at my church who were researching “A Christian’s Call To A Lifestyle Of Worship.”
I thought it would answer some of the questions I have received from our readership and I am glad to be able to share this with everyone!
The chapter I am quoting is titled: “The Redemptive Gift”
“‘The list of 7 gifts found in Romans 12, are distinct from the lists of gifts found elsewhere in the New Testament. Each person appears to have one of these seven gifts and they form the foundation for the DNA of their soul and spirit. It is these gifts we refer to as the “Redemptive Gifts”
What follows after initial salvation is the process by which our purpose on the earth is worked out for God’s purpose. The Roman’s 12 primary “gift” which God has sculpted uniquely into an individual is the very avenue through which God wishes to “redeem” (use for His purpose) that life while on earth. The seven primary gifts flowing together in the lives of men causes His government/way of ruling/kingdom to operate.
Analogy: the human body is one body, however it is made up of several basic core systems, which in turn can be broken down into numerous unique parts. The core systems (i.e. nervous, respiratory, digestive, etc.) have totally different functions, which must work together to produce life. Basic differences in cells of each system are preprogrammed before conception with the end result in mind. In the same pattern we believe God also incorporates a core gift into each individual life, which we call “redemptive gift.” It explains the underlying motivational purpose that life performs for the whole body of humanity, again, because God has an end purpose in mind. He has created us to need each other.
The Bible says that without a vision, people perish. If a person does not know their purpose how can they fulfill it? The success or failure of a person’s whole life can hinge upon their ability to discover and to master the principles associated with the core gift God has purposed for their life. Oftentimes, these core gifts have been corrupted by the enemy in individuals and groups of individuals (family, church, city,state, nation, world) in an effort to prevent the government of God on earth from being realized.
Rediscovering our purpose and moving in it with the Lord’s power is the beginning of the enemy’s defeat.
Identifying the gift of an individual or a group of individuals brings a revelation of purpose and destiny and direction for life. This understanding is not meant to replace anyone’s prior understanding of Romans 12:6-8, but rather it may be a new way of looking at it with an application to “groups of individuals” (Cities) - the corporate body.
Beginning in Genesis 1, with the 7 days of creation, and continuing all the way to the Revelation message to the 7 churches, God has revealed characteristics of the 7 gifts found in Romans 12 NAS/NIV/NLT. There are more than 100 lists of 7’s found thus far, which parallel and clarify the list of 7 redemptive gifts in Romans 12.
It has come to be understood that cities also have God-given gifts, as do people. When a city perceives its destiny and begins to walk in it, God’s purpose is brought forth. Deter mining the city’s redemptive gift is even more important than discerning the nature of evil principalities. principalities rule through perverting the gift of the city in the same way an individual’s gift is turned to the enemy’s use through sin.’”
What is your redemptive gift?
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV/NLT/NAS
How Awesome… My prayers for help in disseminating the call for Christians to gather in Washington, DC, to be seen and heard by the world before the Muslim March on Washington, DC taking place September 25, 2009, was answered by one of my beautiful Christian friends who sent this message in an email this morning.
OK… not DC but I’ll take NYC!
“60,000 People Gathered in Times Square to Pray; Event Ignored by Mainstream Media”
by Teresa Neumann : Sep 23, 2009 : Staff – WorldNetDaily
Event organizers from Time Square Church had expected about 15,000 to attend but their expectations “were far exceeded at the third event of its kind in the last three years.”
(New York, N.Y.)—You may not have heard about this on CNN or MSNBC, but you’ll “hear” it here on BCN: On Sunday, September 20, 60,000 people gathered in Times Square to pray for one hour at a Christian rally dubbed “Prayer in the Square.” (Photo: NYCprayer.org)
According to a WorldNetDaily report, event organizers from Time Square Church had expected about 15,000 to attend but their expectations “were far exceeded at the third event of its kind in the last three years.” Said Carter Conlon, pastor of the Times Square Church: “The Lord called us to host, fund and organize this event for the last three years. He told us that the first year would establish credibility with the city, and we have received positive feedback from various city agencies, including the office of the Mayor himself, commending us for honesty, order, and keeping our word. The second year confirmed to local churches that this was not the beginning of some new ministry but rather a gathering for the sole purpose of one hour of prayer, in humility, with all denominations represented and no personalities or ministry showcased. Those who have attended can attest to the fact that this has been so. Everything has unfolded exactly as the Lord impressed upon our hearts it would.”
Please say a prayer for Peace In The World now! Bless you all.
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So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV/NLT/NKJV
Are you aware of the imminent danger America faces, as well as the rest of the world, from the Radical Islamic Muslims? If we don’t have a sense of urgency to help prevent what is about to start happening to our nation it will be our own fault for letting it happen.
I urge you to WAKE UP AMERICA! We need to ORGANIZE our troops! Ok, enough for the rant, but seriously…
I just received this message from one of my favorite Prophetics and we need EVERYONE to pay attention, get involved someway somehow and mobilize NOW.
Headline: Urgent Call to Prayer: Signs of the Times
by Lou Engle
Published by MorningStar Ministries
Friday, September 18, 2009
Convergence
It is critical that the church in America understands the times and what needs to be done now. The natural things speak of the invisible. Natural happenings on the earth are revealing something that is going on in the spiritual realm. There is a great spiritual conflict with a rising tide of Islamic boldness being manifested. Several happenings are converging this week. First of all, our President has recently proclaimed, honored, encouraged the Muslim holy days of prayer and fasting called Ramadan. He was very silent on the National Day of Prayer but very vocal on the support of Ramadan. Interestingly at the same time a major Christian leader of the Emergent Church called for forty days of fasting and prayer in the same Ramadan period with the goal that the church will better understand our Muslim friends. We are all for understanding but we must have spiritual discernment as to the spiritual dark powers that are being invoked into our nation.
Cause for Concern
At the same time, on the 25th of September, Muslims are calling for a Muslim Day of Prayer in Washington DC (http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/). They are calling for 50,000 Muslims to gather and pray on the DC Mall. This is the exact word of one of the Sheikhs who is leading this historic gathering, “Muslims should march on the White House. We are going to the White House so that Islam will be victorious, Allah willing, and the White House will become into a Muslim house.” These are not empty words. They speak of a dark spiritual intent and a coming day of great trouble to America.
A Divine Moment
Now one of these events is enough to awaken us to this significant throbbing moment, but when they all converge it becomes a massive spiritual alarm that must be responded to by the praying Church. However, I believe in this moment of divine providence God has raised up on the stage of history a little “Esther” that if we pray and fast for her she could be a major voice to expose the dark under-belly of Islam and radiate a bright hope for a day of salvation for Muslims in America.
Headlines
On Monday, Rifqa Bary, a young 17-year-old woman, will be in the headlines of US news. Four years ago, while living in a very devout and radical Muslim home, Rifqa met Jesus in a powerful way as her savior. She hid her conversion, began praying secretly, and began hiding her bible from her parents. Then, on Facebook, her love for Jesus was exposed to the radical Muslim community in Ohio. Rifqa’s father demanded that she renounce Jesus or he would kill her as is commanded by the Koran. As a radiant believer in Jesus she refused to renounce her Lord and fled to Orlando where she was taken in and cared for by a Christian Church and family. Now, the father is appealing to the courts to bring her back under his custody. Major television networks have already covered her story. How must the Church of America respond in this moment for our sister who is a part of the Body of Christ?
A Major Sign
This convergence, I believe, is urgently summoning us in the midst of the rising tide of Islamic influence in America to recognize that our God is above every god and that if we return to Him with all of our hearts and call upon Him with fasting and prayer then God could use what the enemy meant for evil to bring about a great day of salvation for Muslims in America, of which Rifqa is but a major sign.
Here is The Call
First of all, we cannot be passive as a Church to let these kinds of developments go on without being challenged in the spirit. Our fight is not against Muslims, it is against principalities, powers, and forces of darkness. We are calling the Church of America at the end of Ramadan, from September 21st through 25th, to five days of concerted prayer. On Monday, we must pray that God would grant supernatural wisdom to the courts so that the testimony of Jesus would be proclaimed and that the best situation for Rifqa and her family would take place. We must pray for Rifqa to be bold in proclaiming Jesus that even thousands of Muslims would hear and be awakened to the love of Christ. She has already said that this is not about her but about many Muslims coming to Jesus. We must pray for her lawyers who are being bullied, threatened, and challenged on every side. On Friday, September 25th, the Muslim Day of Prayer, we are calling the Church of America to fast and pray that Muslims would be moved by the Holy Spirit, convicted by the testimony of Christ, and even be visited by Jesus in dreams. We must pray that God would restrain the spiritual powers behind Islam and grant us the great awakening that we desperately need for America.
Let us hear the call to prayer and not miss this moment,
Lou Engle
The Call
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We need to get our country back to conformity to ideals of right human moral conduct and away from the lackadaisical immoral misfits and the socialists that are killing this country!
The time for Christians to stand together and show the world that the Body of Christ is Alive and Well and march again on Washington DC is here NOW! Will you March with us?
I came across the message of this post from my Christian neighbor and wanted to share it with all of you.
I think this post explains it better than any of the ways I would have explained it.
“The Ultimate Source Of Wisdom”
As you go through life you discover that there are many ways to gain wisdom, such as: (1) Writing down and reflecting on what you learned through experience. (2) Gleaning from the collective knowledge of others. “by pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10 NKJV). (3) Thinking outside the box. Statements like, “This is the way we do things around here” warrant scrutiny when they’re used to defend ways that no longer work. (4) Not rushing to closure. Growth is always a work in progress. Creativity is untidy and unnerving. The ability to stay focused and faith-filled in the midst of change is a hallmark of maturity.
But the ultimate source of wisdom is God! If you need wisdom, talk to God: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally…and it will be given to him” (James 1:5 NKJV). “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (Jamse 3:17 NKJV). “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will guide you” (Psalm 32:8 NKJV).
Ask the Lord God Almighty for the spirit of wisdom as often as you need to!
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Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV/NLT
Got an email from one of my wonderful Christian friends yesterday that has a provocative tone to it. The kicker is that I had a dream 3 days before about putting this very same initiative together. In my dream I questioned whether or not it could happen at all.
Great News: Turns out it is already in place… voala!
Introducing “The Oak Initiative”
‘”What is The Oak Initiative?
The Oak Initiative is a new movement to help unite, mobilize, equip, and activate Christians to be the salt and light they are called to be by having practical, workable solutions to the world’s problems. To do this, Christians must be informed and proactive in engaging in the great issues of the times with boldness, courage, and resolve to see righteousness, justice, and truth prevail.
The Oak Initiative will be boldly Christian and seek to base all of its teachings, training, and actions on biblical truth. It will also be a basic commitment of The Oak Initiative to treat those of all other faiths, political or social persuasions, with dignity and respect. When challenges or confrontation is required, we will seek to do so with the truth spoken in love, that these are the “divinely powerful weapons” that “are not carnal” or physical.’”
Please head over to “The Oak Initiative” website and watch or listen to the video there, for a powerful introduction to this coalition by one of its board members Mr. Samuel Rodriguez.
If you feel strongly about your faith in God then please join the Oak Initiative and get involved in this life changing opportunity.
Author:Geert Wilders
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