But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he
appears? Malachi 3:2
You wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also
strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:7,8
Friday, May 4, 2007
On this date...
From the Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1626 that Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on what is now Manhattan Island. Two days later he bought the island from the Algonquin Indians for the equivalent of $24. The Dutch were drawn to Manhattan because of its extraordinary fertility and variety of wildlife. There were tall oaks, chestnuts, walnuts, maples, cedars, and pines, right up to the edge of the water. A vast array of flowers, including many roses, grew wild on the island of Manhattan, and the fragrance of flowers drifted far out to sea. Sailors coming into harbor said it was one of the sweetest-smelling shores they'd ever approached. There were huge 21-inch oysters and six-foot lobsters in the bay, and so many fish in the streams that they could be caught by hand.
Peter Minuit arrived, on this day, May 4, 1626, to take over as the director of New Amsterdam. There was already a small village in place, and more land was being cleared. On the west side of the island there was a cemetery, a small farm, an orchard, and two wealthy estates. Most of the houses were built along the East River, since its shore was more protected from winds than the shore of the Hudson. The main street was built over an old Indian path running from the southern tip of the island north to what is now City Hall Park. First it was called Heere Straat, which meant Gentlemen's Street, but it eventually came to be known as Breede Wegh—which became the name we know it by today, Broadway.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Voice of the Martyrs prayer list
VOM News and Prayer Update: May 1, 2007
"There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all."(I Corinthians 12:5-7)NIGERIA
Christians Fear New Muslim President Will Erode Religious Liberty - Compass Direct News
Christians worry persecution in mostly Islamic northern Nigeria will increase following the election of Musa Yar' Adua, a Muslim, as president. Church leaders are concerned Yar' Adua will aggravate existing problems for Christians in the region. "The election of Yar' Adua will aggravate the problems of Christians in northern Nigeria. Our fear is that under a Muslim president, religious liberty will be eroded," Rev. Polit told Compass. "As governor of Katsina state in northern Nigeria, Yar'Aduna imposed Shariah (Islamic) law and presided over a system of deliberate denial of land for building churches, as well as government agencies that arbitrarily closed some churches," Compass reported. Pray God encourages Christians to continue standing for him in the midst of persecution and uncertainty. Psalm 32:7, Psalms 91:14
CHINA
Chinese and American Christian Leaders in Xinjiang - China Aid Association
On April 19, 2007, more than 30 house-church leaders and four American Christians were arrested in Xinjiang province. China Aid Association (CAA) reports the four Americans are still in an undisclosed hotel for questioning and the PSB confiscated their luggage. Eight Chinese pastors received criminal detention papers for 30 days detention and were accused of being "suspects involved in evil cult activities." Eye witnesses told CAA that at least two of the arrested were seen with bleeding noses and bruises on their faces because of torture during interrogations. Pray for the pastors in prison and for their families. Ask God to protect them as they face pending charges. II Timothy 4: 16-18
TURKEY
UPDATE - Turkish church requests prayer after three Christians martyred in Malatya - VOM Sources
The Protestant Church in Smyrna is requesting Christians to pray for the families of the three believers killed on April 18, 2007, in Malatya, Turkey. According to a press release, the church urged Christians to pray that someday the perpetrators of the gruesome murders would receive Christ and for God to use the testimonies of the martyred brothers to draw others in the knowledge of Him. II Corinthians 1:3-7
INDIA
Christians Arrested and Beaten - VOM Sources
- ORISSA - On April 17, four pastors were arrested by local police in the Cuttack district after Hindu extremists saw them distributing Christian literature and accused them of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. The pastors were released on bail the following day.
- TAMIL NADU - On April 22, two pastors were beaten and jailed after more than 20 members of a Hindu extremist group disrupted a prayer meeting. The extremists surrounded the house where the Christians were meeting and verbally abused the pastors. When the police arrived the pastors were ordered to accompany them to the police station. On the way, the extremists attacked again, beating the pastors and four believers who accompanied them. The extremists accused the pastors of forced conversions and are being held in the central prison. Pray for God to speedily heal those who were injured and that Christians in India will trust Him in the midst of great persecution.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Good teaching
The 'End times simplified' conference at ZHOP was terrific! It was packed with provoking emphases and nuances concerning the end of the age and it will take some time to unpack it and 'fit it in' to my thinking with understanding so that it affects both my discernment and my heart attitudes in a number of ways. I found David Sliker's succinct treatment of dismantling the pre-tribulation rapture perspective particularly effective, simply by quoting out of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and commenting on the obvious implications of the scripture in regards to how the apostle Paul responded to the concerns the Thessalonian saints had that the day of Christ had come:
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Outside the scope of this topic, it was riveting to hear how an end-times understanding gives context and precision to prayer concerning the return of Christ and the Church's preparation for the difficulties that will escalate and overlap in the final years before Jesus returns.
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Outside the scope of this topic, it was riveting to hear how an end-times understanding gives context and precision to prayer concerning the return of Christ and the Church's preparation for the difficulties that will escalate and overlap in the final years before Jesus returns.
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