Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Camp + God = Fun
I am back from camp im sorri i wasnt able to do daily updates while i was there i didnt really have the time or access to the computer.The camp was 7 days, 6 days with the kids,we were in total working with about 110+ kids with about 30 leaders which was awesome it worked out to about 3 leaders with groups of 8 - 15 kids per group.
The first couple of days, usually the kids are a bit restless as they settle in but my group wasnt this time which was good.I had the seniors, years 5 - 6 which was good as i have had some of the kids on previous camps which worked out well in terms of discussion times.A couple of the kids in my group had to be sent home sadly due to fighting and other problems but i hope the gospel talks they did hear last week they were able to take that to what ever home they are going to and really focus on that and come to Jesus.With these camps there are alot of problem kids due to the backgrounds and homes theyve come from and for them to hear the gospel, some for the first time is an awesome thing.
On the friday one of the staff told her story and then put it to them about coming to christ as theyve been hearing the gospel everyday of the week during chapel and in discussion groups and they were given the choice if they want to know more about becoming a christian on the count of ten they stay seated, if not then they can go and be the first in line for dinner and she counted down 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 and many moved but after they all left you can see those who were remaining and there was alot more than ive ever seen which was so awesome even if we had 1 kid sitting there, it would have been the same awesomeness because thats one kid that wasnt chirsts before, but there wasnt one there was heaps and so we sat with them in little groups told them how to become christians (through repentance and faith) told them how they should pray and we sat in little groups and prayed with them which was so awesome.
There was one boy in particular, due to child protection reasons i have to give him an alias name which will be Adam, now Adam wasnt in my group but everyone knew him as he was one the most naughtiest kids on camp he would have these massive tyraids trying to fight everyone who looked at him funny and if you told him off for something he would flip and use every swear word under the sun sometimes stringing sentances together just using swear words. Now i dont know hes background what home hes coming from but i know its not too good.Now on friday when they had the thing if you wanted to stay to know how to become a christian, he stayed! and that was a big shock and he was genuine about it too so that was a massive high light for most leaders esp his leaders who were with him 24/7 that whole week.
prayer points:
> Pray for Adam i know its an alias name but God knows who your talking about, pray that he was genuine and that God will save him,and be totally different that he would put off the old man and put on the new.
> Also just for all those kids who stayed behind and prayed, some only do it because their friend were doing it no doubt, so pray that those who were genuine are saved and are accepted by God and that they also have an impact on those whos friends were only there because they did it.
> Pray for those who went to dinner and didnt want to know how to become a christian, some of these kids come every holiday camp and hear the gospel message every single camp, so pray that their hearts and minds are open and that God will move on them and convict them and accept and save them.
Only God knows which ones He has accepted cuz we dont accept Him, He accepts us and only He knows which children He saved last week. We cant make the descision and say if they are a christian or not thats God and God alones descision. So please pray for the kids on these camps as the homes they come from are hectic to the max what you imagine their homes and backgrounds are like times that by 1 trillion+, pray that God will save them more than anything.
>Finally pray for the ministry and the leaders and those who give up there time to witness to these kids and that they are able to do it many times and are able to get more workers as some holidays it gets to find workers for christ.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
A lighter side of Christmas
BAL HARBOUR - A baby Jesus statue is getting a GPS tracking device for Christmas. The statue, part of a Nativity scene in the city's Founders Circle, will be equipped with the device after a previous baby statue went missing, even though it had been bolted down. The new figure was donated by a Jeffrey Harris, a Jewish attorney in Cincinnati, who read about the crime online.
Mary and Joseph statues in the display will also be fitted with GPS devices, according to Dina Cellini, who oversees the display. The devices are being bought using residents' contributions and Cellini's own money.
Cellini has also installed a 4-foot-high plexiglass screen in front of the display
christmas for christians in india
I got the following article from the Australian newspaper website shows while we are able to celebrate christmas with freedom, christians in other countries dont have that same freedom that we take for granted.The following also talks about some missionaries from Australia who were killed,they willing went over to india knowing the risks and still went why because sharing the gospel is more important than anything and thats why we need to have that same desire to do it in a free country where theres no persecutions.
POLICE reinforcements were rushed to the Indian state of Orissa yesterday after Hindu mobs burned down 15 Christian churches in the worst outbreak of religious violence in the area since Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death eight years ago.
"The situation is desperate and there is fear and anxiety among Christians," the Reverend Raphael Cheenath, Archbishop of Bhubaneshwar, the state capital, told reporters.
A report in the respected newspaper The Hindu described the situation in the worst affected areas as "a virtual war zone".
As curfews were imposed in those areas, the state's Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, made an urgent appeal for calm.
A former close associate of Mr Staines was quoted as saying that the violence showed "the same hatred and trouble is brewing again".
Most of the violence took place in the Kandhamal district 250km west of the capital, after members of the state's 800,000-strong Christian community tried to put up a decorative Christmas arch.
About the same time there was an as yet unexplained attack on a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parisha, which has been leading a campaign against conversions to Christianity in the state, and clashes immediately erupted across a large part of the district, with Catholic as well as Baptist and Pentecostal churches coming under attack.
"Some fundamentalists forcefully removed a Christian welcome arch," Archbishop Cheenath said. "This was followed by heated arguments.
"Within minutes, a group of people with sticks and knives pounced on the group making preparations for Christmas."
Soon, according to local reporters, 15 shops had been looted and burned and Christian churches were under attack from a mob screaming "death to all Christians".
Priests and Christian worshippers were bashed, and there was an unconfirmed report of one death.
Orissa director-general of police Gopal Nath said armed police were being rushed to the area. "The situation is tense but we are trying to get back in control," he said.
At a time when millions across India - members of the dominant Hindu religion as well as adherents of Christian and other minority faiths - have been celebrating Christmas, the outbreak of violence in Orissa is embarrassing to the strongly secularist Government in New Delhi.
The state of Orissa remains a hotbed of anti-Christian and anti-conversion ferment eight years after Mr Staines and his two sons, Philip and Timothy, were burnt to death in their station wagon in an atrocity by religious extremists that remains seared in Indian consciousness as one of the worst acts of bigotry in the country's history.
One of Mr Staines's former co-workers in Orissa, Subhankar Ghosh, told Indian newspapers "the current incidents in Orissa bring back the horrific memories of 1999" when the Australian missionary and his sons were killed.
POLICE reinforcements were rushed to the Indian state of Orissa yesterday after Hindu mobs burned down 15 Christian churches in the worst outbreak of religious violence in the area since Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death eight years ago.
"The situation is desperate and there is fear and anxiety among Christians," the Reverend Raphael Cheenath, Archbishop of Bhubaneshwar, the state capital, told reporters.
A report in the respected newspaper The Hindu described the situation in the worst affected areas as "a virtual war zone".
As curfews were imposed in those areas, the state's Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, made an urgent appeal for calm.
A former close associate of Mr Staines was quoted as saying that the violence showed "the same hatred and trouble is brewing again".
Most of the violence took place in the Kandhamal district 250km west of the capital, after members of the state's 800,000-strong Christian community tried to put up a decorative Christmas arch.
About the same time there was an as yet unexplained attack on a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parisha, which has been leading a campaign against conversions to Christianity in the state, and clashes immediately erupted across a large part of the district, with Catholic as well as Baptist and Pentecostal churches coming under attack.
"Some fundamentalists forcefully removed a Christian welcome arch," Archbishop Cheenath said. "This was followed by heated arguments.
"Within minutes, a group of people with sticks and knives pounced on the group making preparations for Christmas."
Soon, according to local reporters, 15 shops had been looted and burned and Christian churches were under attack from a mob screaming "death to all Christians".
Priests and Christian worshippers were bashed, and there was an unconfirmed report of one death.
Orissa director-general of police Gopal Nath said armed police were being rushed to the area. "The situation is tense but we are trying to get back in control," he said.
At a time when millions across India - members of the dominant Hindu religion as well as adherents of Christian and other minority faiths - have been celebrating Christmas, the outbreak of violence in Orissa is embarrassing to the strongly secularist Government in New Delhi.
The state of Orissa remains a hotbed of anti-Christian and anti-conversion ferment eight years after Mr Staines and his two sons, Philip and Timothy, were burnt to death in their station wagon in an atrocity by religious extremists that remains seared in Indian consciousness as one of the worst acts of bigotry in the country's history.
One of Mr Staines's former co-workers in Orissa, Subhankar Ghosh, told Indian newspapers "the current incidents in Orissa bring back the horrific memories of 1999" when the Australian missionary and his sons were killed.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
What Christmas is really about
Christmas is about Jesus,and we all know that but everyone gets hung up on about He was born etc but forget why He came. Jesus who is God humbled Himself and came down and became a man to die on the cross, to take the punishment that we deserve so much, we deserve to be hammered by God something shocking, we deserve to go to hell for the sins we have commited against the God who created us but because He loves us so much He came down and took our place on that cross,taking the full force of Gods wrath and did that so that we could be saved from hell and go to heaven.Jesus rose again 3 days later conquering death proving He was God and what He said was true.How awesome is that and that is what christmas is about, Jesus and the cross and i think this song does an awesome job in saying that.
The guys who sings this are called Gofish if you want to find out more about them check them out here www.gofishguys.com
If you want to know more about going to heaven check my post "will you go to heaven?"
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Christmas Lights
The following bit comes from a report from the voice of the martyrs.which is an awesome organisation that provides a voice for those who are being persecuted in countries around the world and tries to help them as much as they can.While us in the western world have the easy life many christians in other parts of the world are being tortured,beaten and killed for telling others about Jesus, even as small as having a bible.heres what happens to those in China around christmas time............
The next time that you buy a box of Christmas lights why don’t you look on the label, the little label on the cord that says “made in China”.
Chances are that that string of lights that you’re holding in your hand was assembled by persecuted brothers and sisters in China.
Upon arrest, a believer is immediately beaten. Christians are usually thrown into prison without trial. The typical diet for a jailed Christian consists of 500 calories a day (about two small bowls of soup and a roll). While in prison believers work hard labour for 16 – 20 hours per day and must try to meet impossible quotas such as 3000 to 5000 Christmas lights per day. When believers do not meet quota they are beaten and sent back to finish the job – even if they must start the next day’s work without sleep. Some imprisoned believers have reported receiving only one glass of water each day. They are told they can either drink it or use it for a shower.
So what’s so torturous about making Christmas lights? Well imagine sitting on a cold or muddy ground with only a huge box of lights and wire in front of you. Without tools of any kind you must assemble 3000 to 5000 lights per day. There’s no time for rest or breaks. Quickly your fingers become numb and bloody, your teeth serve as your only crimping tool. And as you work to complete your task, you know that a severe beating awaits if you do not get it all done.
How hectics that! they are going through that for believing in God,and not giving in. Do you hold God that high? would you go through that for God?
Not just next time you look at a box but when you drive by a house with alot of lights on it fully done up looking really good, think of who made the lights and what they are going through and who they are doing it for,God.
The next time that you buy a box of Christmas lights why don’t you look on the label, the little label on the cord that says “made in China”.
Chances are that that string of lights that you’re holding in your hand was assembled by persecuted brothers and sisters in China.
Upon arrest, a believer is immediately beaten. Christians are usually thrown into prison without trial. The typical diet for a jailed Christian consists of 500 calories a day (about two small bowls of soup and a roll). While in prison believers work hard labour for 16 – 20 hours per day and must try to meet impossible quotas such as 3000 to 5000 Christmas lights per day. When believers do not meet quota they are beaten and sent back to finish the job – even if they must start the next day’s work without sleep. Some imprisoned believers have reported receiving only one glass of water each day. They are told they can either drink it or use it for a shower.
So what’s so torturous about making Christmas lights? Well imagine sitting on a cold or muddy ground with only a huge box of lights and wire in front of you. Without tools of any kind you must assemble 3000 to 5000 lights per day. There’s no time for rest or breaks. Quickly your fingers become numb and bloody, your teeth serve as your only crimping tool. And as you work to complete your task, you know that a severe beating awaits if you do not get it all done.
How hectics that! they are going through that for believing in God,and not giving in. Do you hold God that high? would you go through that for God?
Not just next time you look at a box but when you drive by a house with alot of lights on it fully done up looking really good, think of who made the lights and what they are going through and who they are doing it for,God.
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