No respite for Kenya

Famine in Kenya from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.

A bit under the weather

I've been a bit under the weather lately and have therefore not been able to do much blogging.
I'm still not better, but just wanted to write something to keep this thing alive.

Finding God again

A friend sent this to me:

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein

I Only hope we find G'D again before it is too late ! !



The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it.It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... Terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it... No one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.



My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

FACTS AND FABLES

18. In the study of God's messages to women, I wish you to approach His Book as though, like a pagan, you had never seen it before, and knew nothing about it. Will you endeavour to cultivate this spirit of fresh inquiry? When we have heard, over and over again, with unquestioning credulity an explanation of a thing, even though the explanation be grotesque, it comes back to us with all the force of natural fact. The mention of the thing recalls to the imagination that explanation, and no other seems right. If there be an error in the explanation, we arrive at a point where we can detect it only by a real effort; the false view comes to mind first, and hinders acceptance of the true. The rabbis told their Jewish scholars that there were many fish in the sea hundreds of miles long; and that Adam was so tall, before he fell, that his head touched the firmament. After hearing such tales, oft repeated as assured facts, it is not likely that the Jewish youth could hear the story of Jonah without imagining a fish such as never existed; nor could he hear the name "Adam" without thinking of a great giant; and he would probably suppose that the Bible said these things. They seemed natural conclusions from the Scripture, but they were wildest fables. Let us get false pictures out of mind, by weighing the evidence.

19. Therefore, we will accept no views as authoritative simply because that book, so valued among the Jews, the Talmud, teaches them,--not even because Christian tradition teaches them. We will test matters by the general trend of Bible teaching itself. The famous Earl of Chatham said, once, in a great speech in the House of Commons, "I confess that I am apt to distrust the refinements of learning, because I have seen the ablest and most learned men equally liable to deceive themselves, and to mislead others." Let us maintain this attitude of mind.

20. Savonarola wrought a revolution in the morals and manners of Florence, and he did it by adhering, and teaching the people to adhere, to two underlying principles upon which he based the chapters of his remarkable book, The Triumph of the Cross. These were, "Nothing has been learnt from any man,” and, "We accept no authority save our own experience and reason." Dr. Campbell Morgan has recently voiced the same spirit in his words, "Do interpret our Bible by what the Bible says, and not by what men say that it says." We will take these as our basic principles in Bible study.

21. But does not Savonarola's use of the word "reason" savor of scepticism? Yes, as to the worth of "traditions of men;" and it savors also of the "glorious liberty of the children of God," to study the Bible for themselves, under the immediate tuition of the Holy Spirit. Savonarola further explains himself: "Not that faith, the spontaneous gift of God, can be acquired through reason, but because reason is a useful weapon with which to combat unbelievers, or open to them the way of salvation, to arouse the lukewarm, and give strength to the faithful" (1 Peter 3:15).[4] But while not bowing to any human authority as final, yet we will glean what information we can from writers; we will quote them to corroborate our statements, especially if we might have expected the one quoted to have taken an opposite view, had it been tenable at all; and make use of their works in any manner useful to our purpose: But always remembering that we bow to no authority as final but the Word of God, as illuminated by the Spirit. We will endeavor to "interpret the Bible by what the Bible says, not by what men say that it says."

22. Some will say that it is not worth our while to expend any time on the early chapters of Genesis, but that we should treat them as mere "folklore." We are convinced that they are history, and to women very valuable history. But even if we did not believe this, yet women could not afford to ignore them, for the sufferings of women from a false interpretation of their teachings, have been no unreality, and that false interpretation must be resisted.

23. Please read Genesis 1:26-28, and with it, Genesis 5:2. We find that at the first the name "Adam" belonged equally to male and female. God said: "Let US make man [or "Adam,"--it is the same word] in our likeness;" and the story proceeds,--"In the image of God made HE HIM, male and female made HE THEM." Please note that in the second clause, man is spoken of as both singular and plural. What does this mean?

24. The theory has been held among the Jews, at least as far back as the days of Jesus Christ, as shown by the writings of Philo, that man was, at the beginning, male and female in one person. This belief will also be found among other people besides the Jews. Next, after the androgynous state, it is supposed that human beings were born in pairs, male and female twins. Then there would have existed a male and female Cain; a male and female Abel, etc.; and thus Cain secured his wife. If this be correct, it lends force to the Lord's words in Matthew 19:4 (R. V.), concerning the sanctity of marriage,—and we must remember He was speaking to men who were doubtless familiar with the theory: "Have, ye not read, that He Who made [no "them" in the original] from the beginning made them male and female." The rabbis did not seem to recognize an "and" in the expression in Genesis, "male and female," but read "male-female." Dr. Hershon, in his book, Talmudic Miscellany, says: "There is a notion among the rabbis that Adam was possessed originally of a bi-sexual organism, and this conclusion they draw from Genesis 1:27, where it is said, 'God created man in His own image; male-female created He them."' This view is not unscientific, but the reverse, as those know who are acquainted with such books as The Evolution of Sex by Geddes and Thomson. We will presently continue this topic.

25. Five blessings were pronounced on them by God. Genesis 1:28.
(1) "Be fruitful:" (2) "Multiply ye:" (3, "Replenish the earth:" (4) "Subdue It:" (5) "Have dominion over . . . fish . . . fowl . . . and every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Dr. Harper in his Hebrew Method and Manual renders this literally, bringing out the plural form of each verb, so we will reproduce his translation: "Be ye fruitful and multiply ye, and fill ye the earth, and subdue ye her [the word for earth is feminine]; and have ye dominion," etc. The plural is clearly expressed in each form. As the Word distinctly says that these blessings were pronounced upon male and female, we observe the perfect equality of the sexes by God's original creation.

26. Finally, note that when God had finished all His creation, including male and female man, He pronounced all "very good."

Additional Notes on Paragraph 24.

The word androgynous means the same as the adjective hermaphrodite, though it applies properly to the human species. Hermaphroditism is defined by Webster as "the union of the two sexes in the same individual." The following quotations from Geddes and Thomson may be useful to those who have not seen this work, or similar ones: "Some observations by Laulaine as to the embryonic organs are of interest. . . . He distinguishes in birds and mammals three stages in the individual development of the reproductive organs: (1) Germiparity, (2) Hermaphroditism, (3) Differentiated Unisexuality" (p. 35). "One view of the matter is that hermaphroditism was the primitive state among multicellular animals" (p. 84). "Minot in his Theory of Genoblasts, or sexual elements, ventures little further than regarding male and female as derivatives of primitive hermaphroditism in two opposite directions" (p. 127).

The following is from Darwin, whose Darwinian theory we do not believe; but that theory could never have gained acceptance anywhere had he not based it upon well-founded facts: "It has long been known that in the vertebrate kingdom one sex bears rudiments of various accessory parts, appertaining to the reproductive system, which properly belongs to the opposite sex; and it has now been ascertained that at a very early embryonic period both sexes possess true male and female glands." It is well to note, as we proceed, how the Scriptures in no way contradict scientific facts such as these, discovered only thousands of years afterwards by human research. However, in all this which we have said regarding the physical, or animal, form of mankind, as having resemblance to God, whose image man bears, we need to remember that God Himself is pure Spirit.
Notes

[4] “I oppose not rational to spiritual, for spiritual is most rational,” Whichcote.

TEXTUAL CRITICISM

9. We repeat: The Hebrew text of the Old Testament, to which Jewish scholars have added both the vowel-letters “a h w j,” and vowel signs, may have mistakes, as regards these vowels, but must not be called into question any further. But there are destructive critics who go much farther than this. They manipulate the consonants. We will illustrate, in a crude manner—it cannot be critical—their method, taking an English sentence for the purpose. First we rob it of its vowels, and then we have the following:

GDSLVDTHWRLDTHTHGVHSNLBGTTNSNTHT
WHSVRBLVTHNHMSHLDNTPRSH.

10. Now let us decipher, remembering that according to Hebrew usage “the” is often lacking where we would use it, and therefore we may supply it; and sometimes we can read a consonant double, sometimes single. Beginning by supplying a “the,” and inserting vowels in small letters, at the same time spacing the words, we read: “The aGeD SLaVe DoTH WeaRiLy Do THaT Hay. i GaVe His [double the S] SoN LieBiG[3] To iNSiNuaTe [IHTW we alter to WTH WiTH] HiS VeRy BeLoVeD [we insert a D here, on the supposition that the text is incomplete] Tea (double the T] THeN He SHouLD NoT PeRiSH.” There is an M before the word “should,” but we drop it out.

11. In this long sentence we have not supposed many corrections necessary; and some of the corrections are lawful from the standpoint and practice of all who interpret the original text. But aside from these lawful ones, is this sort of manipulation of the consonants of the original text lawful work, with the Word of God? NO! The work of these destructive higher critics in clearing up obscure passages in the Old Testament is both tempting and fascinating, and in their works they give praise to those who have made “brilliant guesses” as to the meaning of certain sentences. The method is tempting because by its looseness almost any passage would permit of some sense being read into it, whereas, otherwise many passages will lie in more or less obscurity for centuries, before their precise meaning will be discovered. Yet, recalling the fact that though cut glass looks prettier than uncut diamond, it is worthless in comparison, we choose the consonants unaltered, even if the sense is obscure, to a pretty setting forth of mere sentiment.

12. Having made our choice, then, let us think again of the English sentence, as though it were, in very truth, an obscure Hebrew passage. It is, in point of fact, a verse from the Bible. If we cannot read it at once, we will keep it at hand and pray over it. If it be indeed a very word from God, it is worth years, or even centuries of patient waiting for God to reveal its meaning. We will assume that after a while you pass through a new spiritual experience, and all the Bible takes on fresh meaning to you,--for this result always follows a nearer approach to God. Your soul is full of love to God, and a deeper love of His Word. Fresh messages of love shine forth from every page of His Book. God is now first in all your thoughts, and turning to this sentence once more, for light, it seems to you that the opening consonants, GD, must mean “God,” not “aGeD.” Yes, and the next four consonants naturally suggest “So LoVeD.” Ah! now you have it! Not “aged slave,” but “God so loved.” We are on the right track. How beautifully it all unravels, without the loss or change of a single consonant! The printed Word tells you half the story, and your heart’s experience the other half, and the meaning of the sentence which so long may have baffled you is, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish.”

13. Now scholarship alone did not reveal the meaning to you, nor did experience alone, but a combination of the two. We are mistaken when we think we can get along on a slovenly and incomplete knowledge of the Bible. No amount of spiritual experience, or even the Spirit’s help and instruction will take the place of the study God requires us to put upon His Word. The world, the Church and women are suffering sadly from woman’s lack of ability to read the Word of God in its original languages. There are truths therein that speak to the deepest needs of a woman’s heart, and that give light upon problems that women alone are called upon to solve. Without knowledge of the original, on the part of a sufficient number of women to influence the translation of the Bible in accordance with their perception of the meaning of these truths, these needed passages will remain uninterpreted, or misinterpreted.

14. Such truths man is not equipped to understand, much less to set forth to the understanding of women, for, as the very learned Canon Payne-Smith has said: “Men never do understand anything [he refers to Bible translation] unless already in their minds they have some kindred ideas.” And such truths as are messages to women, women without knowledge of the original languages, even if having the spiritual experience, cannot discover. They find such a message often an inexplicable mystery, or even distorted into meaning something painful.

15. To return to the sentence to which we supplied the vowels: We purposely took a verse from the New Testament, and the greatest promise in the whole Bible. (Of course it does not stand in the original text in Hebrew, but in Greek). We wished to demonstrate that the most precious thing in the Word might be changed into insipid nonsense, perhaps, by the manipulation of two or three consonants of a vowel less language. They are like strong talons holding tenaciously to the only correct sense that can be legitimately made of the sentence. Bear in mind, further, a point which is passed over lightly by the destructive critics of the present time: With each consonant that is changed in Hebrew textual criticism, there is involved a change, or several changes, of the unexpressed vowels. The alteration of a consonant is not a trivial one at all, when it invades a consonantal language.

16. Twice, since the opening of the Christian era, Christians have so neglected the Hebrew Bible as to have lost the language, and they have turned to the Jews to acquire it again. They lost it first, Dr. Wall tells us, “for somewhat more than 100 years immediately preceding the time when Origen flourished [born A.D. 185]: and again, in the dark ages for a long series of centuries, terminated by the revival of learning in Europe.” The rabbis who taught the Christians each time would naturally teach them, not towards, but away from Christian ideals, and towards Talmudic ideals. Because of this fact, some things in the Old Testament, relating to women especially, demand a very careful, critical investigation, as to their precise meaning, since we know that the Talmudic view as regards women was not a just, unprejudiced view, by any means.

17. So much, as to the Hebrew Old Testament. As to the Greek New Testament, we shall not be faced with the same difficulties, and in our Lessons are not likely to call its text, as it now stands, into serious question. The Greek has always expressed its vowels, as well as its consonants, and hence no question arises at this point. The punctuation of the Greek, for the most part, is of recent invention, and at some points seriously to be questioned. But as to the interpretation of its words and their usage, there is an extensive Greek literature, independent of the New Testament, to give light, whereas, practically all that exists of ancient Hebrew literature is in the Bible. Modern Hebrew, as spoken by Jews, is merely the use of Bible words in their traditional meanings, which may be correct, but are sometimes doubtful, or even demonstrably incorrect.

Notes

[3] i.e., beef extract

1. FUNDAMENTAL

1. The object of these lessons is at least three-fold:

(1) To point out to women the fallacies in the "Scriptural" argument for the supremacy of the male sex.

(2) To show the true position of women in the economy of God.

(3) To show women their need of knowing the Bible in its original tongues, in order the better to equip themselves to confute these fallacies, and also to show that such a knowledge of the Bible would have great influence for good on the progress of the Church and womanhood.

2. Our argument assumes that the Bible is all that it claims for itself. It is (1) Inspired, 2 Timothy 3:16;[1] (2) Infallible, Isaiah 40:8; and (3) Inviolable, John 10:35. Indeed, no other basis of procedure is available for us. However freely certain male scholars of the present day manipulate the text, no confidence would be placed in the results thus obtained by a woman, at once, she would be faced with the charge that she had manipulated the text to suit her argument. But a manipulation of the text is unnecessary, even if we thought it lawful under any circumstances.

3. The assumption that the text needs amending, to any great extent, is very erroneous. A candid acceptance of the testimony as to its history proves that the original text has been preserved in manuscripts with scarcely an important change. It is known that the Scribes wrote out their copy with immense care, as to the Hebrew Old Testament. They copied even supposed errors, calling attention to seeming irregularities by slight marks, but not venturing to correct. They have left records to show that when copying they counted each consonant and vowel-letter in each line, and kept records of the same, in order to verify their finished work. Superstition alone was enough to cause the Jews to preserve their Scripture text inviolable, they prized the letter beyond the spirit of the Word. The Apostle Paul speaks in direct testimony of their faithful preservation of the Hebrew text, since had it been otherwise, the Jews would have been less in favor with God, Romans 3:1-2. Jesus Christ strongly denounced the misinterpretation of the Scriptures by the "traditions" of the Jews, Mark 7:9-13, etc., but He never accused the Jews of corrupting the text of their Scriptures.

4. The Lord Jesus said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." The "jot" (letter j), is nearly like our single quotation mark ( ‘ ), in form and size; the "tittle" is not a letter, but the distinguishing point of difference between one Hebrew letter and another much like it. For instance, the Jewish rabbis, who taught also the infallibility of the text, in a treatise called Vayikra Rabba (s.19) declare:

1. "Should anyone, in Deut. 6:4, change
(d) to (r)
he would ruin the world."

2. "Should anyone, in Ex. 34:14, change
(r) to (d)


he would ruin the world."


3. "Should anyone, in Lev. 22:32, change
(ch) to (h)
he would ruin the world."

4. "Should anyone, in Psa. 150:6, change
(h) to (ch)
he would ruin the world."

5. "Should anyone, in Jer. 5:12, change
(b) to (k)
he would ruin the world."

6. "Should anyone, in 1 Sam. 2:2, change
(k) to (b)
he would ruin the world."

Because these passages would then mean respectively,

1. "Hear, O Israel; the Lord is a false Lord."

2. "Thou shalt not worship the one true God."

3. "Neither shall ye praise [for "profane"] My Holy name."

4. "Let everything that hath breath profane [for "praise"] the Lord."

5. "They have lied like [for "belied"] the Lord."

6. "There is no holiness in [for "none holy as"] the Lord."

5. But when we speak of the Bible as inspired, infallible and inviolable, we do not refer to our English version, or any mere version, but to the original text. Prof. Deissmann has well said, "All translation implies some, if only a slight, alteration of the sense of the original." Now we must explain more precisely what "the original text" really implies, and how much it includes. The original Hebrew of the Old Testament was written without any spaces between words in totally different looking letters from those we call "Hebrew” at the present time; and the language as first written contained no vowels, as though the English of Genesis 1:1 were written:

NTHBGNNGGDCRTDTHHVNSNDTHRTH

No distinction existed between small and capital letters, and doubled letters were often written only once, as we have indicated in the word, "beginning."

6. Hebrew ceased to be spoken by the common people during the Babylonian captivity. It was practically a "dead language" as early as B.C. 250. In the absence of expressed vowels, its pronunciation was likely to become lost. So the Scribes took four consonants, "a h w and j," and inserted them into the text to indicate the vowel sounds. While this device helped to some extent, in the end it led to confusion, often raising the question: "Is this letter a consonant, belonging to the original, or is it a vowel-letter, added by the Scribes?" Moreover the insertion of these vowel-letters did not prove sufficient; then, as late as 600-800 A.D., a whole system of vowel-signs was added, most elaborately indicating the vowels of each word as tradition had preserved it. These vowel-signs were interlinear, and therefore did not confuse the text, as did the vowel-letters. With vowel-signs we might indicate the pronunciation of Genesis 1:1, as given above, something like this (separating the words):

_N TH B!GNNG GD CR TD TH HVNS ND TH RTH.[2]

7. We understand, now that the Hebrew text may have mistakes which we are free (with due respect for the scholarship which has given to it its present form, and due reverence for God's Word), to amend, so far as the vowel-letters and the vowel-signs are concerned, for no one claims that the Scribes who made these additions to the text in comparatively recent times did "inspired" work, as did the original authors.

8. And then, women must never forget that all this addition to the text was not only the work of men exclusively, but of men who, in their day, were, as Jews, bitter opponents of the teachings and of the spirit of Christianity. Furthermore, if we may judge from the spirit of the teachings of the Talmud on the "woman question" (for the Talmud was then in the ascendancy, and the sayings of the rabbis considered more authoritative than Scripture itself), these amenders of the original text, as a class, held women in utter contempt. Dr. Paul Isaac Hershon (to quote one of the many witnesses to this statement) says: "The rabbis, over and over again, teach the utter inferiority of woman: they put a definite seal as it were on the degraded life of the female sex which for ages has been lived by women in the East as in the West." A certain Rabbi Yochanan, we are told, quotes the Mishnic (the Mishna is the most ancient and important part of the Talmud) rabbis as teaching that a man may do as he pleases with his wife: "It is like a piece of meat brought from the shambles, which one may eat, salt, roast, partially or wholly cooked." A woman once complained before Rav (a great rabbi) of bad treatment from her husband. He replied: "What is the difference between thee and a fish, which one may eat either broiled or cooked?" But Jews alone did not hold women in contempt at that time in human history. It was an unfortunate time, as regards women, for fixing the sense of the Holy Scriptures.

[1] We shall use the Authorized Version of the Bible throughout these Lessons, unless we indicate the Revised by "R. V." In this place (2 Tim. 3:16) the R.V.is both incorrect and misleading.

[2] The dash (-) before three words takes the place of a needed consonant, -since no word in the Hebrew begins with a vowel. The ēē sound is always indicated by the "jot, "additionally,—so we introduce this "jot" three times.

GOD'S WORD TO WOMEN by Katherine Bushnell

AUTHOR’S NOTE

"Dost thou desire to study to advantage? Consult God more than books, and ask Him humbly to make thee understand what thou readest. Go from time to time to be refreshed at the feet of Christ, under His Cross. Some moments of repose there give fresh vigor and new light: interrupt thy study by short but fervent supplications."

This is a Study Book, yet it has been our hope to make the book equally interesting for mere reading.

Having been planned as a Study Book, paragraphs are to be paid attention to, not pages; it is indexed at the back on this plan. Those who do not know Hebrew and Greek, and yet wish to test its every point, will find much help in doing this in Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, especially in editions from the seventh onward, because of the valuable Index-Lexicons at the end of the volume, informing the student of the number of times any certain Greek or Hebrew word occurs in the Bible and of all its various translations.

Some years ago, Mrs. Alexander Whyte, wife of the late Principal Whyte of New College, Edinburgh, Scotland, became interested in the Lessons, and appealed to Dr. Rendel Harris for an opinion of them from his point of scholarship, or of some other able critic. Dr. Harris referred Mrs. Whyte to Dr. A. Mingana, Professor of Arabic at Manchester University, England, and Curator of Oriental Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library, which contains a wealth of such matter.

Dr. Mingana has read carefully through the Lessons of the book, and given me the benefit of his criticisms, which, for the most part, are very encouraging. In issuing this second edition, it has seemed well to add in footnotes the substance of his comments. I have not a personal acquaintance with this most obliging and helpful gentleman, but I hope that he will, as well as Mrs. Whyte, accept this acknowledgment of valuable help as the best return I am able at present to make. I understand that Dr. Mingana's name is one that stands high in rank among philologists and Orientalists. He is a voluminous writer for theological and other journals, and the author of a Syriac Grammar; of two volumes on Syriac Sources; a volume on The Ancient Koran; two volumes on The Odes and Psalms of Solomon; a work on Early Judeo-Christian Documents in the John Rylands Library, and of several other books.

While we in no wise question the authority and inviolability of the original text of the Bible, we hold that the present English translation of Genesis 3:16, "Thy desire shall be to thy husband," is erroneous, and proved incorrect by the ancient versions. Therefore the interpretation of St. Paul's rules regarding the conduct and treatment of women, since based on the erroneous translation, is incorrect.

A few persons will, of course, resign a measure of faith unless the traditional interpretation is left undisturbed. This cannot be helped. We must continually improve in our understanding of God's will, and this necessitates a continual improvement in our interpretation of God's Word. So the question is, --Shall the Church change its present treatment of women, or its interpretation of St. Paul? Its present course of inconsistency, in teaching Paul one way, and treating women in a more honoring way, is mischievous:

(1) The Church itself, thereby, sets an example of defiance of the authority of the Bible.

(2) To explain Paul by apologizing for Paul's faulty rabbinical logic involves the expositor in an attack on the inspiration of the Bible (see Lesson 46).

(3) If women must suffer domestic, legislative and ecclesiastical disabilities because Eve sinned, then must the Church harbor the appalling doctrine that Christ did not atone for all sin, because so long as the Church maintains these disabilities, the inevitable conclusion in the average mind will be the same as Tertullian's,—"God's verdict on the sex still holds good, and the sex's guilt must still hold also."

(4) At no point is faith in the entire Bible being so viciously and successfully attacked today as at the point of the "woman question," and the Church so far attempts no defense here of her children. It assumes that the interests of merely a few ambitious women are involved, whereas the very fundamentals of our faith are at stake.

This is a spiritual song of searching and longing. But it is also one of confusion and at finally hopelessness. It sounds like, it would be nice if Jesus had died for me and can offer all that it said he would give us, but in the end I just can't believe it'. There are too many obstacles to faith.

The is a yearning for significance and meaning, the quest for hope and love - all of which can be found in Jesus Christ.

Disasters in India and Philippines

As we have been concentrating on the famine in Kenya, news came in about first of all the flooding in Manila. More than 500.000 people are homeless. We had hardly really digested that and then we got news about more floods in India. The very places we had visited in August were now under water. Three villages in the immediate vincinity of Chillakallu have been swept away in the deluge.
Our friends are now trying to feed 10,000 people.

CLIP ABOUT THE DROUGHT/FAMINE IN EAST AFRIKA VIA SKY NEWS

PHOTOS FROM SRI LANKA

MORE GOOD NEWS DESPITE ALL THE BAD NEWS

There was quite a lot of bad news pouring in on me during the last few days. Good news seemed to be rare. However we continue to be encouraged by the generosity of friends who are supporting our effort to serve the people in Northern Kenya who are going through a famine.
The depressing news I received from Sri Lanka was also offset by good news that followed. During the (our) summer time they had a number of camps and special events for children, including the launching of a new book for children. At the events it seems that there were between 100 and 300 participants.
Good news for a far off land is like cold water to a thirsty soul.

BAD NEWS BUT ALSO SOME GOOD STUFF

I felt a little depressed yesterday as one email after the other rolled in. I got an update on the situation in Kenya. The famine is bad and our friends are looking after up to 3000 people. The best case is that they need to feed the people until spring of 2010, when the next harvest is due. If the expected rains in October fail, then this period will stretch on indefinitely. The burden is enormous as food prices have sky rocketed.
More bad news was received from Pakistan. I wont go into details as it starts to depress me when I just think about it.
I also received an email from Sri Lanka giving me the latest on the situation there. It is also a hard place to serve God in. Intimidation and threats have been expressed to our friends. We sent six good working photo-copiers and they arrived in the country in April. To this day they are still being held by the customs and excise. The children's home which we build in 2005 has still not got permission to start working.

The news is grim and depressing.
But this morning as I looked over our bank accounts I noticed that people have been generous and have given a good sum to help with the famine in Kenya. We are very pleased and relieved about that. Perhaps only a drop on a hot stone but very encouraging.

NEWS FROM NEPAL

Christians Plan Missionary Campaign. There are little more than 600,000 Christians in Nepal, less than one percent of its population, yet according to a Christian publication, Christianity Today, Nepal has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations among Asia’s 51 countries. A recent meeting of more than three dozen senior Christian missionaries at “a quiet resort just outside of the capital city” was devoted to forming “overarching strategies for the Himalayan region [Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan]” to encourage this growth. These included targeting “people not yet reached”; establishing a presence in the “neediest geographic areas”; and encouraging and promoting an indigenous Nepali missions movement. The areas of Nepal that were deemed to need most attention were its northern Tibetan Buddhist districts, the far west, and some districts in the Terai. As part of this campaign, the missionaries hope to “place personnel in national organizations or in government-sponsored positions.” They aim to establish churches on several different levels, from primary to discipleship, and give the missionary movement a “bi-vocational” character by combining its “church planting vocation” with projects that give it a “credible presence in the country,” such as hospitals. They recommend that their members seek non-tourist visas for entry into the country since “we believe it is easier to live and work in the Himalayan region as a resident expatriate.” Student visas that later could be converted might be considered as an opening option. Nepal, the world’s only official Hindu nation, allows freedom of worship but forbids proselytizing. The International Hindu Federation strongly condemned the Christian missionary plan after news of it was released, stating that any activity aimed against the national religion is a serious crime. The Christian effort may have been inspired by Pope Paul II’s call for greater evangelization in Asia and a need for “aggressive conversion” there. (Kathmandu Post, January 10, 14; February 10)

Sacrifing to the Wrong Goddess. For many years, locals have been sacrificing goats, buffaloes and chickens before a statue of the goddess Durga in Dev Daha Bhawanipur in Rupandehi district in south central Nepal. Recent excavations have revealed that the image is not that of Durga at all, but of Maya Devi, the mother of Lord Buddha. Buddhists, who are opposed to the taking of life, have tried to stop people from sacrificing animals there, and although the practice has decreased, it has not totally stopped. With its newly discovered identity, the statue has become the second most important place of Buddhist pilgrimage in Nepal, after Lumbini. “We tried to stop animal sacrifice at Dev Daha,” complained a leader of the local government, “but our efforts have gone in vain. We sought help from the District Administration Office and the Department of Archaeology but to no avail. Now we have formed a struggle committee to fight the evil practice.” (Kathmandu Post, January 20)

Drought-stricken Kenyans struggle for one meal a day

In Kenya's Rift Valley, crops have failed due to the prevailing drought. People are lucky if they can manage to eat even one meal a day. They are faced with a choice of moving to urban slums or trying somehow to make a living where they are.

In recent years there were two previous droughts but this is more serious. Livestock has already died.
During the best times 2.6 million people in Kenya receive food from the World Food Programme. There has been a sharp rise during this present drought that has turned into a famine. By November it will reach a staggering 3.8 millions.
Typical work for people who stay on in the rural area is work in the quarries. They fill 20litre buckets with broken stones and these are sold for 5 Kenyan shillings. A 2kg bag of maize cost 105 Shillings.
Wells and bore holes have dried up. People are walking as far as 30km searching for the precious liquid.

MURDERED OVER A CUP OF TEA

Young Christian murdered in Pakistan for drinking from Muslim teacup

Ishtiaq Masih, a young Christian man from rural Pakistan, was taking a long distance bus to the big city. His bus had been bumping along the dusty roads for hours, and there was no air conditioning. The passengers were ready for a break. At Machharkay village, the bus finally stopped to let the passengers get out and stretch their legs. Ishtiaq piled out with the others and followed a crowd to a tea stall on the side of the road.

Sadly, Ishtiaq did not notice a red sign with a death’s head painted on it posted on the wall that said, “You must declare your faith before you are served.” He innocently ordered his tea, sipped it quick ly, and went to the cashier to pay for his drink as the driver gave warning that the bus would be leaving soon.

However, when Ishtiaq showed the cashier his teacup in order to pay his bill, a routine bus ride turned into an afternoon of terror. The cashier was Mubarak Ali, the owner of the tea stall, a radical Muslim. Ishtiaq was wearing a cross necklace, and when Ali saw that a Christian had drunk out of his teacup, he became enraged. InPakistan, restaurants routinely provide different silverware for Christians because it is a Muslim belief that

Christians defile what ever they touch.



Ali grabbed Ishtiaq and shouted for his employees to bring anything avail able to beat him for violating the sign posted on the wall. Fourteen men responded and gathered around Ishtiaq, beating him with stones, iron rods and clubs, and stabbing him with kitchen knives as Ishtiaq pleaded for mercy.

The other bus passengers and passers-by finally intervened and took Ishtiaq to the Rural Health Center in the village. There Ishtiaq died as a result of spinal, head, and chest injuries. The doctor who took Ishtiaq’s case told that Ishtiaq had excessive internal and external bleeding, a fractured skull, and brain injuries.

People visited the tea stall and the large red warning sign with a death’s head symbol which read, “All non-Muslims should introduce their faith prior to ordering tea. This tea stall serves Muslims only.” The warning also threatened anyone who violated the rule with “dire consequences.”

A neighboring shopkeeper told on condition of anonymity that Ali is a fundamentalist Muslim and all his employees are former students of radical Muslim madrassas (seminaries).

Ishtiaq’s family said that they immediately reported the incident to the police and filed a case against Ali. Though the police registered their case, no ac tion has been taken to apprehend Ali or his employees.

When Iasked the Pindi Bha tian Saddar police station about the murder, the po lice chief said that inves tigations were underway and they are treating it as a faith-based mur der by biased Muslims. When asked about Ali’s warning sign, police chief Muhammad Iftikhar Bajwa claimed that he could not take it down.

However, the constitution of Pakistan ex plicitly prohibits such discrimination, and the police could take strong action against the warning sign. But because the police are also Muslim, Ishtiaq’s father claims that they are being derelict in their duties to prosecute the murderers who are still freely operating the tea stall.

There is a day

Revelation Song

Bad News from Kenya

Meru, Kenya: Bad news has reached us from our friends Edward and Fridah Buria in Meru, Kenya. They report widespread starvation in the Samburu area of Northern Kenya. The famine has been caused by the ongoing drought. This drought is party man-made as Kenyans have been cutting down large areas of forest for revenue for the timber. The climate in a place like Samburu is very harsh and without man's interference in the environment, life is still hard.
Buria claims though that this famine is more severe than the one they had in 2006. People look to him and his co-workers for help. The weak, aged and the very young are the most vulnerable and they suffer more than the others.
Groups of people have been coming to the church meeting places waiting for help of some kind. For a number any help is already too late. They have buried their dead on ground besides the churches.
Buria had appealed to friends all over the world to come forward and help. Since the famine of 2006 the price for food had increase enormously. Edward Buria is normally positive even in the most difficult situations, but this time, he confessed: "I have never seen such hopelessness."

Police arrest NDA chief

Shekher Ragmi
BIRATNAGAR: Nepal Police arrested Ram Prasad Mainali, chief of the Nepal Defence Army (NDA), an underground outfit, along with another four persons with weapons from Saranavatti, Jhapa on Saturday.
Organising a press conference, police announced the arrests of Mainali and Police Biswash aka Tribhuvan Yadav, Morang commander of the NDA.
According to Debendra Subedi, SP of Regional Police Office Biratnagar, Mainali and Biswash ware arrested from Jhapa and Morang respectively by the Special Task Force of Morang. He added that cases like killing, abduction, and possession of weapons would be filed according to their criminal activities. The police have found a pistol and 14 rounds of bullets, a revolver and five rounds of bullets, a dozen cell phone sim cards, different pamphlets and warning letters.
The NDA is responsible for the explosions in Assumption Church in Bhanimandal, Lalitpur on May 22, a mosque in Biratnager on March 29 and the Nepali Congress central office on August 11, 2009. Five persons were killed in the Lalitpur and Biratnagar incidents.

INDIA: Christian Elephants

In the last 40-50 years, no one has seen or even imagined the unique appearance of a herd of wild elephants such as has been recently witnessed by the people of Orissa State, India. These elephants are not ordinary elephants; these elephants are on a mission. With smaller brutes preceding the herd to apparently survey each village, larger elephants soon follow and get the job done. "Just what is their job?" you might ask. We think that it might have something to do with avenging the blood of martyrs. In fact, the local people have christened these elephants, "Christian elephants."

Were these elephants summoned by God? One would wonder, as it was in the month of August a year ago around 7-8PM that Christians in this same area began to run for their lives while their homes were being destroyed by anti-Christian rioters. Exactly one year later, at the same time of the day, the persecutors are now running for their lives, from nothing less than a herd of wild elephants! These elephants first attacked a rock crusher machine owned by a key leader of the persecution movement. They then went on to destroy his house and farms. Gaining momentum, they rampaged through other non-Christian homes demolishing gardens and singling out the homes of persecutors, leaving Christian homes untouched. People ran to the police station to report the disastrous news. In one case, a police jeep that attempted to drive away the herd was attacked and the occupants barely escaped. Truly, God is the avenger of the helpless.

According to the news report by Kusanath Pradhan, the elephants have already destroyed more than 700 houses in more than 30 villages and killed 5 people.

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

Behind enemy lines

Behind Enemy Lines from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

Who will go?

Beautiful Feet from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

Another inspiring video

Shine from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

Tears of the Saints

Tears of the Saints - hi res from Charlie McDavid on Vimeo.

Watched this video earlier today. It is motivating and moving.

Youth Conference in Chillakallu

India

From Rajahmundry we travelled on to Chillakallu. It is always a joy to be there. This was my 12th or 13th trip!
Our friends also run a children's home, they have a Bible school, plant churches and have around 120 church in their New Hope Ministries.



Before the pastors' conference started, we spent time visiting in the villages. On two evenings I spoke at a mini-crusade in a village. On both nights around 500 people attended. We also attended the engagement of a couple and I preached at the celebration with around 2 minutes notice!



I think we had around 120 pastors at this conference, which also lasted for three days. I also took the subject of 1 Thessalonians. I was so amazed and impressed that God was obviously doing much more than I could preach. He also confirmed his word with healings and prophecies.
The pastors were very encouraged and so was I!

India Report

It is of course quite difficult in just a few words to report how things went in India.
We flew first of all to Rajahmundry, a large city on the Godavari River. We have contacts there who run a children's home and minister to a number of rural churches. I spoke for three days to a group of around 60-70 pastors.
We met in the living room of a large house in the city.
It was a joy to meet those people who are serving the Lord in difficult situations. I did a series of talks from 1 Thessalonians and it went down very well. The people were very appreciative. I prophesied and also prayed for the sick. Many were healed.

Trip to India

I got a bit mixed up with the last two contributions. They are both in German and were meant for a German blog that I have.
I have just arrived back from India, where I spent the last three weeks. Over the next couple of days, I'll try and report what happened while I was there. We had a very good time, in fact it was one of the best and most effective I have had.

Indien Bericht 2

Inzwischen ist die Pastorenkonferenz vorbei.
Etwa 120 Pastoren und ihre Frauen sowie etwa 15 Bibelschüler haben teilgenommen. Der Lobpreis ist anders als bei uns. Die Melodien sind schwer zu erkennen und der Rhythmus, unterstützt von den unterschiedlichen Trommelarten, geht unter die Haut. Doch mit der Zeit gewöhnt man sich dran und hat sogar etwas Freude dran.
Elisabeths Themen waren, Dienst als Team (Mann und Frau), die Herausforderung vom Dienst (Finanzieller und Erwartungsdruck), Wie lebt man unter engen finanziellen Bedingungen – die biblischen Prinzipien vom Zehnten-geben usw.
Ich bin durch den 1. Thessalonicher-Brief gegangen, was mir große Freude gemacht hat. Viele Elemente haben sehr gut in die asiatische (indische) Kultur hinein gepasst und die Leute sehr angesprochen.
Die Konferenz ging bewusst um Samstagmittag zu Ende, damit die Pastoren früh genug nach Hause kommen können, um den Gottesdienst für Sonntag gut vorzubereiten. Doch viele sind so lange wie möglich geblieben, damit sie die Gemeinschaft noch genießen konnten! Sie sind bestimmt nur wenige Stunden oder gar Minuten vor dem Beginn ihres Gottesdienstes Sonntagmorgen angekommen.
Ihre Bedürfnisse sind vielfältig und zum großen Teil ganz anders als unsere. Sie kämpfen wirklich ums tägliche Überleben und müssen sich mit dem Hinduismus und Zauberei auseinandersetzen. Die meisten brauchten Hilfe in ihrer Ehe und mit ihren mangelnden Finanzen. Auf der anderen Seite stehen sie treu für Jesus in einer feindlichen Umgebung.

Armut, die Armen und mein Beitrag zur Erleichterung

„Nur um eins haben sie uns gebeten: dass wir die Armen nicht vergessen sollten. Und dafür habe ich mich immer eingesetzt.“ (Galater 2:10 Hoffnung für alle)

Erste Eindrücke
Es ist nun Jahre her, als ich das erste Mal die Stadt Mumbai (Bombay) in Indien besuchte. Das Flugzeug verließ Frankfurt mit Verspätung und ich verpasste mein Anschlussflugzeug in den Emiraten. Fast 12 Stunden bin ich hin und her geflogen von Bahrain nach Abu Dhabi nach Dubai nach Dohar, bis ich endlich einen passenden Flug nach Bombay bekam. Die protzigen Gebäude mit der prunkvollen Ausstattung habe ich hinter mir verlassen, um indischen Boden zu betreten.
Der Gestank der 16 Millionen Einwohner-Megastadt stieß mir in die Nase. Der Lärm und die Hektik versetzte mich in einen nervösen Zustand, als ich auf einen Taxi wartete. Bettler umzingelten mich mit ausgestreckten Händen. Sie deuteten mit den Fingern auf ihren Bauch und Mund, dass sie Hunger hatten. Mein Herz verschmolz.
Auf dem Weg zum Hotel schaute ich aus dem Fenster. Auf beiden Seiten der dreckigen, lärmenden, überfüllten und verstopften Straßen befanden sich Barracken, beschaffen aus Pappkarton, Plastikplanen und kleineren Abfallresten. Die Szene reichte soweit die Augen sehen konnten.
Frauen hockten am Straßenrand vor kleinen Feuern und versuchten Mahlzeiten zuzubereiten. Autos fuhren nur ein wenig von ihnen entfernt vorbei. LKWs bliesen ihre Auspuffgase unbarmherzig über sie. Nackige Kinder spielten in den offenen Abwasserkanälen. Menschen mit fehlenden Gliedern oder Körper, die so verformt waren durch Krankheit, Unfall oder sonstiges saßen passiv in dem Schmutz und starrten vor sich hin. Insekten schwirrten umher.
Menschen werden täglich dort geboren und sterben dort nach einem kurzen Leben im Elend.
Jahre sind vergangen seit ich diese erste Begegnung mit Menschen gehabt habe, die in der absoluten Armut leben.
Inzwischen habe ich in vielen Ländern elende Armen getroffen: Pensionäre in Minsk, die Mülleimer durchwühlen um Essbares zu finden, Straßenkinder in Kampala, Kiew oder Katmandu. AIDS-Kranke in Kenia und Indien, Drogenabhängige, Strafgefangene, einfache Menschen, die versuchen ihre Familie durchzubringen… die Liste ist unendlich.
Armut und die Armen
Armut ist der Zustand, indem sich die Armen befinden. Die Armen sind nicht abstrakte Wesen! Sie sind Menschen mit Namen, Gaben und sind eigentlich Menschen mit einer Berufung von Gott. In Anlehnung an Richard Mouws Klassifizierung (Nach zu lesen in „Walking with the Poor“ von Bryant L. Myers) stellen wir fest, dass
• Die Armen wurden in dem Ebenbild Gottes geschaffen. Sie sind arm, weil ihnen die nötig Fähigkeiten und Möglichkeit fehlen. Sie brauchen Gelegenheiten.
• Die Armen sind Menschen, die rebellieren gegen Gott. Dies kommt durch den Sündenfall. Sie sind arm, weil sie immer wieder die falschen Entscheidungen treffen und haben einen falschen Lebensstil.
• Die Armen sind Christus im Fleisch. Wir lesen in Matt. 25, dass Christus sich mit den Kranken, Nackten und Gefangenen identifiziert. Mutter Teresa: „…wir sehen Christus in der Gestalt der verzweifelten Armen“. Es mangelt ihnen an Liebe und Beziehungen; sie gehören nirgends wohin. Sie brauchen Begleitung und es liegt an uns, das Leid zu erleichtern.
• Sie sind Gottes Lieblinge. Sie sind gesegnet, denn ihrer ist das Himmelreich. Sie sind arm, weil sie unterdrückt sind durch das Sozialsystem, das sie in der Armut hält. Sie brauchen Gerechtigkeit und Hilfe, damit sie ihre Stimme finden in dem Wirtschafts- und Politiksystem.
• Die Armen sind verloren. Jesus ist für alle gekommen, aber besonders für die Armen.
Wer sind denn die Armen?
Die Armen sind Menschen, die akuten Mangel leiden. Armut bedeutet nicht nur, dass man keine ohne wenig finanzielle Mittel zur Verfügung hat. Materielle Armut ist ein Mangel an Vermögen (das Wörterbuch erklärt „Vermögen“ als „wertvolle Kraft“). Es geht nicht nur um Finanzen, es bedeutet auch schlechte Wohnbedingungen, wenig Land, kaum Vieh u.s.w.
Eine materielle Armut führt auch zu einer physischen Schwäche. Man ist unterernährt und empfänglich für Krankheiten. Man wohnt sowieso in einer Umgebung, in der die medizinische Versorgung nicht gewährleistet ist.
Ein weiterer Punkt ist die Isolation. Die Armen haben keinen oder kaum Zugang zur Bildung. Sie wohnen dort wo keine Schulen sind. Wasser ist auch schwer zugänglich. Kapital und Kredite sind fast unmöglich zu bekommen.
Dies alles führt zu der Verwundbarkeit. Es gibt keine Reserven für Notfälle: Plötzliche Krankheit oder eine wetterbedingtes Unglück. Sie sind auch kulturellen Forderungen ausgesetzt, wie z.B. der Brautpreis oder Mitgift bei der Eheschließung.
Wegen dieser Zustände sind sie machtlos. Sie haben keinen Einfluss oder soziale Kraft. Sie haben keine Stimme, werden oft entrechtet und ausgebeutet.
Und letztlich sind sie auch geistlich arm. Ihre Beziehung zum Schöpfer ist nicht vorhanden oder funktioniert nicht. Durch falsche Religion werden sie von dem lebendigen Gott, der die Armen liebt, abgehalten. Leider, leider wird in vielen Teilen der Welt ein verfälschtes Evangelium verkündet, die die Menschen tiefer in die Gebundenheit der Armut stößt.
Wir verbessern die Welt
Als kleines Mädchen sagte eine meiner Töchter, dass wenn sie groß ist, möchte sie ein „Welt-Verbesserer“ sein.
„Es gibt viel zu tun, warten wir es lieber ab!“ „Was können wir schon bewirken?“ Lieber Leser, seien Sie ermutigt. Der große Monsun beginnt mit einem kleinen Regentropfen.
Ich kam einmal zurück von Indien mit einer Bitte um etwa 300 €, um einen Brunnen zu bohren. Der Regen blieb drei Jahre lang aus und die meisten Brunnen waren vertrocknet. Aber so wie es ist, haben wir gerade ein anderes Projekt unterstützt und die Finanzen in der eigenen Gemeinde waren auch nicht so gut!
Jedoch die Kinder in der Gemeinde haben dieses Anliegen aufgenommen. Sie haben am zwei oder drei Sonntagen Eis nach dem Gottesdienst verkauft. Ein Gärtner in der Nähe hat dann eine Tonne Äpfel (Fallobst) gespendet und sie haben Apfelkuchen,-saft, -marmalade, etc hergestellt und verkauft. Sie sammelten 300 € und ein Brunnen konnte gebohrt werden. Als das Geld in Indien ankam, war Besuch dort. Er hat mitbekommen von wem und wofür der Betrag war. Sehr motiviert hat er für 10 Brunnen gespendet und hat das Anliegen nach Hause gekommen in die USA. Er war inspiriert von den Kindern in Deutschland! Als ich das nächste Mal in Indien war, habe ich ein paar der 69 Brunnen fotografiert, die durch den Einsatz der Kinder möglich geworden waren. Übrigens dort wo ein Brunnen gebohrt wurde, ist auch eine Gemeinde entstanden.
Geben wir eine Angel statt einen Fisch
Ein bekanntes Sprichwort sagt, dass wenn wir jemandem einen Fisch schenken, hat er für heute zu essen. Wenn wir ihm beibringen, wie er angeln kann, hat er sein Leben lang zu essen.
Es gibt viel zu beachten, wenn wir mit den Armen arbeiten. Wir versuchen immer wieder darauf zu achten, dass wir Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe leisten. Dies ist nicht nur wirtschaftlich sinnvoll sondern hilft den Menschen wieder ihre Würde zu gewinnen.
„Der Geist des Herrn ist auf mir, weil er mich gesalbt hat; er hat mich gesandt, den Armen frohe Botschaft zu verkünden, zu heilen, die zerbrochenen Herzens sind, Gefangenen Befreiung zu predigen und den Blinden, dass sie wieder sehend werden, Zerschlagene in Freiheit zu setzen…“ Lukas 4:18

I wish I were younger!

Report aus Kenya

Edward and Fridah Buria from Meru, Kenya visited us recently. During their stay they make a number of short video clips about, towns, people and churches. After getting back to Kenya they had their media team cut the clips up and put them together as part of a tv programme about their trip to Germany. The result was overwhelming as viewers from all parts of East Africa rang in for personal help, prayer or just to express their appreciation.
Edward and Fridah are apostolic leaders in Kenya.

Quotation

"When we are free from the law and the insanity of performance and trying to impress one another with ourselves and we find grace and the mercy and kindness and grace of God and the majesty of the gospel then it breaks down the dividing walls of prejudice and helps us see that the drunk in the street and the prostitute down the road is loved equally by God and we are as sinful as they are because there is only one standard and it is absolute perfection and anything below it is absolute imperfection. So who wants to be the best sinner?! Because the best sinner in hell is not a great rating to have. No one will get to heaven except by perfection".
Rob Rufus - "We Are God's Workmanship" - City Church International, Hong Kong - Sunday 24th May 2009.

The Use of Panta ta Ethne in the New Testament

Our immediate concern is with the meaning of panta ta ethne in Matthew 28:19,”Go and make disciples of all nations.” Since this is such a crucial phrase in the understanding of missions, and since it is tossed about as a Greek phrase today even in non-technical writings, I think it’s important to make all the uses of it readily accessible for the non-Greek reader to consider. Therefore in what follows I will provide all the texts where the combination of pas (all) and ethnos (nation /Gentile) occurs in the New Testament, either in the singular (“every nation”) or plural (“all nations/Gentiles”). The different forms of pan, panta, pasin and panton are simply changes in the grammatical case of the same word to agree with the various forms of the noun ethnos (ethne, ethnesin).
Matthew 24:9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by panta ta ethne because of My name.
Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to panta ta ethne, and then the end will come.
Matthew 25:32 "Panta ta ethne will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." (This context seems to demand the meaning "Gentile individuals" not people groups, because it says that Jesus will `"separate the sheep form the goats." This is a reference to individuals who are being judged as the "cursed" and the "righteous" enter hell or eternal life. (Cf, verses 41, 46.)
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of panta ta ethne, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Mark 11:17 And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for panta ta ethne '? But you have made it a robbers' den." (This quote from Isaiah 56:7 The Hebrew phrase behind pasin tois ethnesin is lekol ho’ammim, which has to mean”all peoples” rather than “all people.”)
Luke 12:29 "And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 "For all these things the panta ta ethne of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.
Luke 21:24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into panta ta ethne; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (This warning echoes the words of Ezekiel 32:9 where the correspoinding Hebrew word is goyim which mans nations or people groups. See also Deuteronomy 28:64.)
Luke 24:47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to panta ta ethne, beginning from Jerusalem.
Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. (This must clearly refer to people groups rather than individuals. The reference is to various ethnic or national groups from which the diaspora Jew had come to Jerusalem.)
Acts 10:35 but in panta ta ethne the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. (Again this must be a reference to people groups or nations not to individual Gentiles because the individuals who fear God are “in every nation.”)
Acts 14:16 "In the generations gone by He permitted panta ta ethne to go their own ways;
Acts 15:16 'After theses things I will return, and I will rebuild the Tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it 17 so that the rest of Mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,' (I render the verse at the end which this awkwardly literal translation simply to highlight the fact that this is a quotation from Amos 9:12, which in Greek follows the Hebrew with similar literalness. Again the Hebrew word behind ethne is goyim which means nations or people groups.)
Acts 17:26 and He made from one, pan ethnos of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, (As with Acts 2:5 and 10:35 this is a reference to “every people group” rather than individuals because it says that every nation is made up “of men”. It would not make sense to say that every indivdual Gentile was made up “of men.” Nor does the suggestion of some that it means “the whole human race” fit the meaning of ethnos or the context. )
Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among panta ta ethne for His name's sake,
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "Panta ta ethne will be blessed in you."
2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that panta ta ethne might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.
Revelation 12:5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule panta ta ethne with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Revelation 15:4 "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For panta ta ethne will come and worship before you; for your righteous acts have been revealed”
Out of these 18 uses of panta ta ethne (or its variant) only the one in Matthew 25:32 would seem to demand the meaning “Gentile individuals”. (See comments above on that verse.)

Let the Nations be Glad! The supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper Published by Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI 2000, pp193

Power in Poverty

Lyrics | Jason Upton lyrics - Poverty lyrics

Power in Poverty

Interview with Ed Stelzer

Couldn't embed the interview, but you can find it under:

http://theresurgence.com/blog

Pakistan

I got this email today:

Today I would like to draw your attention over the distress condition of God's people in Pakistan, the Clashes between Government forces and militants in north-west Pakistan are continuing to uproot people from their homes, with nearly 130,000 people being registered daily as displaced.

The provincial government authorities have noted that the number of uprooted from the Swat, Lower Dir and Buner districts registered in a fast-track process since 2 May has now reached almost 2.4 million people, still these figures are being verified and could change.

We had identified food, safe water, medical assistance and shelter from the sweltering heat as priorities, also recognizing the need for displaced children to continue schooling and for mothers and babies to access special health and nutrition assistance.

There are 250 Christian families affected by these clashes between Govt. Forces and Militants. These families need our support. We are urging the churches and ministries to show their solidarity with the nearly 2 million people who have been driven from their homes by violence in Pakistan’s north-west.

We emphasized the urgency of rising over $30,000 this month to assist some of those affected Christian families by the clashes. As founder and president of ministry, I would like to extend an invitation to work with our organization to in Pakistan to help others, we will sent you reports and pictures after all campaigns.
Please prayerfully contribute and sow your seed in this kind act. You can contribute $ 500 for 10 families and $1000 for 20 families.

Some of our Ministerial fellows has been there to see all these families and they were crying over that situation and asking for urgent help.

Doctrine from true teachers

Taken from the Mars Hill Blog with apologies

TEXT: 2 Peter 1:16–21
PREACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2009
Introduction: Six Unique Claims of Jesus Christ

1. No one says they came down from heaven but Jesus (John 6:38, 41–42, 60, 66)
2. No one says they are God but Jesus (John 10:30–33)
3. No one says they are sinless but Jesus (John 8:46)
4. No one says they can forgive sins but Jesus (Mark 2:5)
5. No one says they are the way to heaven but Jesus (John 14:6)
6. No one promised to rise from death but Jesus (Mark 10:33–34)

Where can the truth be found about Jesus Christ?

Option #1 – Ridiculous nonsense from people educated beyond their intelligence who make stuff up about Jesus and should be ashamed of themselves and repent before they see Jesus and it goes über bad for them forever (2 Peter 1:16a).
Popular Myths (Lies) about Jesus

* Liberal “Christians” – Jesus was a good man, a prophet, and an example–not fully God.
* Mormonism – Jesus is one of many gods and the polygamist half brother of Lucifer.
* Jehovah’s Witness – Jesus is the archangel Michael, a created being who became a man.
* New Age – Jesus was an Eastern holy man with an elevated state of consciousness.
* Scientology – Jesus was an implant forced upon a Thetan roughly 1 million years ago.
* Levi Dowling – Jesus underwent 7 degrees of occultic initiation making him the Christ.
* Edgar Cayce – Jesus became the Christ after shedding his karma through 13 incarnations.
* Bahai – Jesus was a manifestation of God–a prophet, but inferior to Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh.
* Buddhism – Jesus was not God but rather an enlightened man like the Buddha.
* Hinduism – Jesus was a wise man like Krishna
* Islam – Jesus was merely a man. He was a prophet inferior to Muhammad.
* The Dalai Lama said, “He [Jesus] was either a fully enlightened being, or a bodhisvatta [a being who aids others to enlightenment] of a very high spiritual realization.”
* Indian Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi said, “I cannot ascribe exclusive divinity to Jesus. He is as divine as Krishna or Rama or Muhammad or Zoroaster.”
* Dan Brown – Jesus married and had kids.

Option #2 – Believe the Bible.
Written by Eyewitnesses (2 Peter 1:16b-18)

* The gospel writer Matthew was one of the disciples.
* John wrote five books of the New Testament. He was one of the disciples, included in Jesus’ inner circle with Peter and James (John 19:35; 1 John 1:1–3).
* Paul wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament. He lived at the time of Jesus’ ministry. He initially hated Christianity, but was converted after an eyewitness encounter with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:6–8). He also worked with many of Jesus’ disciples.
* James and Jude were Jesus’ brothers and worked closely with the apostles ().
* Luke wrote a gospel account and the book of Acts. He was probably not an eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry, but emphasizes his exhaustive research, including interactions with eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4).
* Mark wrote a gospel account, and probably witnessed some of Jesus’ ministry. Though he was not an apostle, Mark worked closely with both Paul (2 Tim. 4:11) and Peter (1 Peter 5:13). Some early church fathers say that Mark’s gospel is a report of Peter’s own story.
* Peter was present with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36) and an eyewitness to Jesus’ three years of ministry (2 Peter 1:16).

F.F. Bruce writes in The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?:

One thing must be emphatically stated. The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect. The first ecclesiastical councils to classify the canonical books were both held in North Africa—at Hippo Regius in 393 and at Carthage in 397—but what these councils did was not to impose something new upon the Christian communities but to codify what was already the general practice of these communities (27).

Written by Divine Inspiration (2 Peter 1:19–21)

The Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) is:

* Prophecy
* God’s light in darkness
* Scripture (truthful, revalatory, without peer)
* Revelation (God’s self disclosure–as opposed to speculation)
* Divinely inspired

Key Doctrinal Concepts
Verbal Plenary Inspiration

* Verbal – The very words of Scripture… (Matt. 5:18)
* Plenary – …in all of Scripture… (2 Tim. 3:16)
* Inspiration – …are from God.

John Elder writes in Prophets, Idols and Diggers:

It is not too much to say that it was the rise of the science of archaeology that broke the deadlock between historians and the orthodox Christian. Little by little, one city after another, one civilization after another, one culture after another, whose memories were enshrined only in the Bible, were restored to their proper places in ancient history by the studies of archaeologists. . .Contemporary records of biblical events have been unearthed and the uniqueness of biblical revelation has been emphasized by contrast and comparison to newly discovered religions of ancient peoples. Nowhere has archaeological discovery refuted the Bible as history (16).

Inerrancy

The Bible is without error (Psalm 19:7; Proverbs. 30:5–6; John 17:17).
Sufficiency

The Bible tells us everything we need to know about God.
Sola Scriptura

Scripture alone is in highest authority, under which there are courts of lesser authority; there is truth to be found outside of Scripture (thanks to God’s common grace and general revelation), but all things are to be tested by the Scriptures.

That's the Spirit!

Listen to three pagans commenting on a BBc religious programme broadcast on Pentecost Sunday:

Chris Moyles on his Breakfast BBC Radio Show talks about the BBC televised Pentecost service: 'That's The Spirit!' from Kingsgate Community Church (Peterborough) singing O, Happy Day by Tim Hughes

FIREPROOF YOUR RELATIONSHIP

I am still enthralled with this movie. I stole this from its home page:



Relationships are wonderful gifts given to us by God. As we read in the Bible, the most-intimate relationship is marriage between a husband and a wife. Unfortunately, relationships today are under more cultural and interpersonal pressure and stress than ever before in our history.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Together, we can make a long-term difference for healthy relationships and marriages … starting with yours!
What can you do to make a difference?
Go to the Movies!
FIREPROOF, an action-packed love story from the creators of Facing the Giants, arrives in theatres this September. This heartfelt movie tells the story of a couple on the brink of divorce … until they discover God’s design for their relationship. Rally with others around opening weekend for FIREPROOF this September … and stand up for marriage and relationships!
Make the Most of This High-Impact Film:
● Plan a special date night to see FIREPROOF on opening weekend
● Invite members of your small group or Sunday school class to see the film with you
● Spend time after the movie at a coffee shop talking about the story and aspects that reflect
your relationship
● Band with others to form a FIREPROOF Action Squad by purchasing an entire opening
weekend show time for your friends, family, and coworkers.
After the movie, go to FireproofmyMarriage.com for information about:
● Understanding God’s love for you and His design for relationships
● Talking through (and listening to) issues in your relationship
● Accessing tools and resources for marriage education and training
● Investing in each other and your relationship
● Resolving conflict in a healthy manner
● Applying the relational principles from FIREPROOF in your relationship
To order FIREPROOF promotional materials, access web tools, or download business-specific resources, be sure to visit www.FireproofmyMarriage.com/couples.