Socialism in America | The Voice Christian magazine by Jonas Clark Communications

THE VOICE

Advancing Christian Life and Culture

SOCIALISM PREDATORY POLITICIANS, Destructive

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Leftwing Policies & THE ROOTS OF THE HOUSING CRISIS The Ethics of MODERN LIBERALISM • A New Perspective ON JOB LOSS Governing CHRISTIANS • The Voice EN ESPAÑOL SATAN’S BEST Spiritual Warfare STRATEGY WWW.THEVOICEMAGAZINE.COM

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FROM THE

No. 4

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THE VOICE

THE DESK OF

PUBLISHER

Volume IV • Issue 4 • Fall 2008 Edition __________________________

ID WE LOSE MORE OF OUR NATION TO SECULAR HUMANISTS THIS YEAR?

IT’S

obvious that Christian values are under attack. This year many think we reached a tipping point with a rise of socialistic ideology and big government fascism that will continue to erode more and more of our religious freedoms.

AS CHRISTIANS,

WE MUST RESIST THE DUMBING DOWN OF THE

CHURCH

THROUGH A

diluted humanistic gospel that teaches us how to cope with life but not how to live in victory. To combat this erosion we must educate ourselves with a biblical worldview. Christ taught His disciples, for example, to be salt and light in a dark world. He never taught them to withdraw themselves from the world. He taught them to bring glory to the Father by bearing much fruit. He even rebuked a man in the Parable of the Talents that buried his talent in the ground. Unfortunately, some of the Church has been distracted, disarmed and deceived. Instead of equipping the saints to invade, occupy and influence the world for Christ, some have focused on blessing-only, entertainment-only and rapture-only. What we need is a righteous revolution that invades our nation with righteous leadership.

THE TERM “REVOLUTION” HAS BEEN USED SO MUCH THAT ITS MEANING HAS BEEN DILUTED

or connected to violence or right wing extremist behavior. Let’s look at the first use of the word revolution, however, to discover its genesis in the western culture. The term “revolution” was first used by St. Augustine. You may remember him promoting Christian values as the author of the “The City of God.” His definition was “the return of an object to its place of origin; a re-volution back to a more natural order.” Sounds like the restitution of all things:

“REPENT YE THEREFORE, AND BE CONVERTED, THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT,

when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21).

THIS

IS A REVOLUTIONARY VERSE. IT IS A CALL TO PUT FIRST THE

KINGDOM

GOD

and His righteousness. Scripture declares “of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Our source of victory is our identity with Christ. That identity will lead you into a war in the world of ideas. Let’s take our nation away from the hands of the God haters. We can do it! Jesus said “I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.” We can’t fail if we work together.

IN THIS ISSUE OF THE VOICE MAGAZINE WE TALK ABOUT THE RISE OF SOCIALISM, HOW TO stop Satan’s best spiritual warfare strategies, overcoming weariness, the ethics of modern liberalism and the ideology of Islam. Your partner, Jonas Clark

T H E V O I C E is a media platform for the apostolic voice. Our editorial board is pulling on the Spirit of God to bring present day truth about issues that impact our readers. _______________________

PUBLISHER Jonas Clark EDITOR Jennifer LeClaire MANAGING EDITOR Melanie Madon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Barton Carl Bosch Deborah Brown-Volkman David Coker Dr. Don Colbert Christopher Evans Newt Gingrich Guy Rodgers Dr. R. L. Wysong ART DIRECTOR Brian Burke DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Karen Ledbetter EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Elvera Baker Rhonda Clark C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 0 8 b y Jo n a s C l a r k Communications, Inc. All rights reserved, including translation. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations in this magazine are from the King James version of the Bible. EDITORIAL INQUIRY: Have a question? Send your letters to: T H E V O I C E , 27 W. H a l l a n d a l e B e a ch B l vd., Hal landal e Beach, Fla. 33009 or send e-mail to editor@thevoicemagazine.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE: For a change of address or other customer ser vice issues, call 954.456.6032 or send e-mail to service@thevoicemagazine.com.

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C O N T E N T S

THE VOICE

36 SOCIALISM:

FEATURES

A UTOPIAN REVOLUTION

47 GOVERNING CHRISTIANS

For unto us a child is bor n, unto us a son is given: and the gover nment shall be upon his shoulder..Of the increase of his gover nment and peace there shall be no end… (Isaiah 9:6-7) By David Coker

We have heard much about the rise of socialism in our nation. Does socialism affect you? Will it affect your life, family, children, work or future? What is socialism? Is socialism an evil thing? Should Christians be concerned? BY JONAS CLARK

COLUMNS

PREDATORY POLITICIANS

25 Society & Culture

ISLAM: THE IDEOLOGY OF CONQUEST

W hat is Islam? A religion or a political machine? W hile world leaders ignore the true facts about Islam the Body of Christ cannot. Discover the naked truth about the ideolog y of Islam. By Guy Rogers

54 Family Life

HOW TO RAISE A BRAT

It’s easy, really. Won’t take much effort at all. Start early. Stay consistent. Before you know it, they’ll be well on their way to “brathood.” By Carl Bosch

Destructive leftwing policies and the roots of the housing crisis. Are free markets at the root of the current economic crisis, or meddling politicians? In short: Is our problem predatory lenders, or predatory politicians? BY NEWT GINGRICH

THE ETHICS OF MODERN LIBERALISM True classical liberalism does not deny all

law; it puts in place benevolent law, like the Constitution, that guarantees the very liberty liberals seek.. BY DR. R. L. WYSONG

More Articles Online: www.thevoicemagazine.com

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C O N T E N T S

DEPARTMENTS

en Español

Politics

KEEPING FIRST THINGS FIRST

15 Health & Healing

CONTROL STRESS BY CONTROLLING YOUR TIME

Helpful tips on how to build mar gin into your life. By Dr. Don Colbert

The Bible offers clear guidance on how a Biblical voter votes. By David Barton

50 Christian History

STEPPING STONES: WALTER RAUSHENBUSCH

18 Spiritual Warfare

SATAN BEST SPIRITUAL WARFARE STRATEGY

God created you with the ability to see all things possible. Your adversar y the devil, seeks to utilize this gift to sur plant your destiny. Here’s how you discer n Satan’s best spiritual warfare strateg y. By Jonas Clark

29 Spiritual Growth

The heritage of the social gospel. By Christopher Evans

57 Education

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN GROW UP?

Global Education Standards have passed the United States by, and Americans have no idea that it has happened. By Robert Compton

SICK AND TIRED? Breaking the cycle of weariness and defeat in your life. By David Coker

Five-Fold Ministry

DISCIPLESHIP VS. EVANGELISM

CARACTERÍSTICA 44

FUEGO EXTRAÑO Mucha gente está persiguiendo el ministerio profético y parece que no hay falta de confusión alrededor de su apropiada función. Aunque fueras llamado al ministerio profético o solo estas sirviendo a Cristo con todo tu corazón, te enfrentaras con muchos problemas. Aun cosas extrañas que necesitaran mucho discernimiento espiritual durante tu camino con Dios. Discernimiento espiritual viene del Espíritu Santo y encuentras confirmación en muchas escrituras a través de la escrita Palabra de Dios. Por Jonas Clark

DISCERNIR LOS SIGNOS Y LO SUPERNATURAL Que es el proposito de los signos supernaturales que apuntan su destino? Por David Coker

He called us to be a body that is structured for constant numerical growth through evangelism and constant spiritual growth through discipleship. By David Coker

32 Marketplace

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON JOB LOSS

THE VOI CE

Don’t cope with job loss. Here’s seven tips that will encourage your heart and equip you for career success. By Deborah Brown-Volkman

COLUMNA 42

RITMOS TRANQUILIZANTES DE GRACIA Como sobreponerse al espíritu de cansancio. Por Jennifer LeClaire

More Related Articles Online: www.thevoicemagazine.com

P R E D AT O R Y POLITICIANS DESTRUCTIVE LEFTWING POLICIES & THE ROOTS OF THE HOUSING CRISIS By Newt Gingrich

N THE MIDST OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THE

predatory politician take advantage of taxpayers’ money and the power of the government to advance their leftwing agenda. And as we will see, predatory politicians made the work of predatory lenders much easier by putting the U.S. taxpayers in the role of guaranteeing all the bad paper predatory lenders could produce.

BUT ARE FREE MARKETS AT THE ROOT OF THE CURRENT

• Predatory bankers (and there were plenty) exploited a booming housing market to give loans to people who never should have received them. But predatory politicians forced banks to make bad loans.

wake of the Paulson bailout, the mainstream media have begun publishing obituaries for the free market. The elite press has begun to trumpet “the end of American-style capitalism” and “the bankrupt dogma of Reagan-Thatcherism.” economic crisis, or meddling politicians? In short: Is our problem predatory lenders, or predatory politicians?

Predatory Politicians Use Government to Get What They Want Predatory politicians are vastly more dangerous than predatory lenders because they bring the full authority and vast resources of the federal government to their attempts to coerce and control the American people.

IF PREDATORY LENDERS SEEK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF peoples’ desperation and ignorance to make bad loans,

• Predatory politicians (and the pursuit of profits) pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into buying up more and more risky, subprime loans, creating incentives for mortgage providers to issue even more bad loans. • Predatory politicians resisted attempts to reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as the lenders put the taxpayers on the line for trillions of dollars in bad

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loans – all while Fannie and Freddie cooked their books to boost their executives’ multi-million dollar compensation packages. • Predatory politicians took millions in campaign funds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in exchange for political protection against attempts at reform. • Predatory politicians funded radical groups like ACORN which receive millions in taxpayers dollars to extort banks into making risky loans, all the while they work to get out the vote for the liberal politicians that are their benefactors.

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TO UNDERSTAND THE CENTRAL ROLE THAT FANNIE MAE

and Freddie Mac played in the making of the economic crisis – at the behest of predatory politicians – it is important to first understand what these two governmentsponsored enterprises do.

FANNIE

AND

FREDDIE

DON’T MAKE MORTGAGES TO

individual home owners. Instead, they purchase mortgages from banks and other mortgage providers. The theory is that, by taking these mortgage obligations off the books of private bankers, Fannie and Freddie would free up capital for these banks to make more loans to other home buyers.

Predatory politicians forced banks to FANNIE AND FREDDIE WOULD THEN TAKE THESE mortgages and “securitize” them by bundling them make bad loans. together and selling them to investors such as investment During the Carter Administration Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) with the laudable goal of helping the poor afford homes. It forced banks to prove they weren’t “redlining” inner city neighborhoods by refusing to lend to urban residents while using their deposits to lend to suburban homeowners with better credit.

The CRA, as strengthened under the Clinton Administration, gave leftwing, anti-free market groups veto power over bank mergers unless banks could prove they were making loans to credit risks. THE CRA,

AS STRENGTHENED UNDER THE

CLINTON

Administration, gave leftwing, anti-free market groups (more about them below) veto power over bank mergers unless banks could prove they were making loans to credit risks. Wielding this power, these leftwing so-called “community groups” have extorted hundreds of millions from banks. These community groups, in turn, finance both lending to low income mortgage seekers and get-outthe-vote activity for liberal politicians. As the City Journal reported in 2000, using the power to extort granted in the CRA, the radical, anti-free market group ACORN received $760 million from the Bank of New York, the Boston-based Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America dragged $3 billion out of the Bank of America and a coalition of “community groups” in New Jersey got an astounding five-year, $13 billion agreement with First Union Bank. • Predatory politicians (and the pursuit of profits) pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into buying up more and more risky, subprime loans, creating incentives for mortgage providers to issue even more bad loans. More Related Articles Online: Headline News

banks and pension funds. Investors received returns on their investments as long as home values continued to climb and the underlying mortgages were paid. The risk for the investor, then, is in the quality of the underlying mortgages. And under pressure from predatory politicians and in pursuit of profits, Fannie and Freddie became increasingly involved in risky subprime mortgages in the 1990s. But because Freddie and Fannie are backed by the federal government, investors continued to buy their securities, safe in the knowledge that if there was a problem, the government would bail them out.

I N 1999,

UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE

C LINTON

Administration to increase home ownership rates among low income borrowers, Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines lowered his company’s lending standards to include, “individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans.”

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FRANK HAD A HABIT OF MAKING PUBLIC EXCUSES FOR

Freddie and Fannie. In 2000, Franks said that he said concerns about Fannie and Freddie were “overblown.” In 2002, Franks categorized them as “great assets.” In 2003, he said that the American people did “not face any crisis” with containing the risk in Freddie’s and Fannie’s portfolios. Frank clearly ignored the obviously unsound investment practices of Freddie, so that he could continue to pass on rewards to industry insiders.

I N 2005, F EDERAL R ESERVE C HAIRMAN A LAN

THE RESULT, GOVERNMENT REGULATORS TESTIFIED LAST

month, was that by 2008 about 33 percent of Fannie and Freddie’s business involved risky loans. And as of May 2008, Freddie and Fannie had guaranteed $2.2 trillion in mortgages, about 75% of all mortgages in the U.S., and owned a quarter of the all the mortgage back securities issued on the market.

HERE’S

HOW A NEW REPORT FROM THE MINORITY

staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee captures Freddie and Fannie’s role in the current crisis:

“AS

THE LARGEST PURCHASERS AND SECURITIZERS OF

mortgages and [mortgage-backed securities] in the world, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exert a powerful influence on the rest of the mortgage lending market. By signaling their willingness to dip ever deeper into the pool of risky subprime and Alt-A mortgages, they created powerful incentives for non-bank lenders like Countrywide Financial and Lehman Brothers to continue scraping the bottom of the mortgage barrel. This fueled the disastrous housing bubble that collapsed with such dire consequences for the U.S. and global financial system.

• Predatory politicians resisted calls to reign-in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as they put the taxpayers on the line for trillions of dollars bad loans …

MUCH

OF THE CURRENT CRISIS COULD HAVE BEEN

prevented if Congressman Barney Frank would have encouraged reform instead of prevented it. As the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank resisted any regulation of Freddie and Fannie’s investment strategies and even sought to increase their portfolios. The mission of Freddie and Fannie – to provide low income housing – became a smoke shield for Frank to reward his buddies from Freddie and Fannie.

Greenspan sounded the alarm to the House Financial Service Committee, for the second time in two years, about the undercapitalization of Freddie and Fannie’s portfolios. He warned that by “[e]nabling these institutions to increase in size […] we are placing the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk.”

ALSO

2005, REPUBLICAN SENATORS

INCLUDING

John McCain, introduced legislation to tighten up regulation of Freddie and Fannie. Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Chris Dodd and other Democrats resisted, and the legislation lacked the support to get any traction. After the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, all chances of reform were lost.

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN HAS CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR

reform. He has argued that Freddie and Fannie should be dissolved, and that new regulations should be passed that “limits their ability to borrow, shrinks their size until they are no longer a threat to our economy and privatizes and eliminates their links to the government.”

As the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank resisted any regulation of Freddie and Fannie’s investment strategies and even sought to increase their portfolios. …

WHILE

F ANNIE

AND

F REDDIE

COOKED THEIR

books to boost their executives’ multi-million dollar compensation packages.

IN ADDITION TO THE WILLFUL IGNORANCE DISPLAYED BY

the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, the executives of Freddie and Fannie were busy gambling away tax payer money on dicey investment products.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF FREDDIE MAC, RICHARD F. SYRON

ignored the warnings from regulators that Freddie Mac’s portfolio was built on shaky, financial grounds. According to the New York Times, Syron was warned in 2004 that Freddie Mac needed to cut back on investments in risky loans. New York Times reports that Syron received a memo

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an Enron-like accounting scandal in 2004, former head of Fannie Mae, Franklin Raines, was forced to resign. Raines still managed to walk out of the door with at least $20 million in compensation. Raines is now a consultant with none other than the Obama campaign.

REPLACING MR. RAINES, DANIEL H. MUDD

BECAME

chief executive in 2004. Under his leadership, shareholders of Fannie Mae lost millions of dollars. Nevertheless, he managed to earn at least $42 million in compensation. • Predatory politicians took millions in campaign funds from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in exchange for political protection against attempts at reform.

FANNIE

Fannie and Freddie worked hard – and paid millions – to protect themselves from reform efforts in Congress. Between 2000 and 2008, Fannie and Freddie employees contributed nearly $15 million to the campaigns of Members of Congress on key committees responsible for their oversight. from the chief risk officer, David A. Andrukonis, raising alarm about questionable loans.

MR. ANDRUKONIS WARNED SYRON THAT THE COMPANY’S

investment strategies were “an enormous financial and reputational risk to the company and the country.” According to Andrukonis, Syron said that government regulators had no right to dictate their investment strategies. Mr. Syron reportedly said in a private meeting with investors that: “This company will bow to no one.”

IN APPARENT FRUSTRATION, ANDRUKONIS EVENTUALLY

left Freddie Mac to take a teaching position in 2005. Over the next three years, Freddie Mac continued buying riskier loans. And last month, in the midst of the crumbling share values, the government took the drastic step to bailout Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. As taxpayers footed the bill, Syron brought home a reward for his ineptitude. From 2003 to Aug 2008, Syron has collected $38 million in compensation.

LIKE SYRON, THE CHAIRS OF FANNIE MAE HAVE ALSO reaped a profit from the mismanaged endeavors. Amid

AND

FREDDIE

WORKED HARD

–

AND PAID

millions – to protect themselves from reform efforts in Congress. Between 2000 and 2008, Fannie and Freddie employees contributed nearly $15 million to the campaigns of Members of Congress on key committees responsible for their oversight.

T OPPING

THE LIST IN THE

S ENATE

WAS

S ENATE

Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd at $165,400 in contributions. But coming a close second is Barack Obama, despite having been in the Senate only since 2004.

OPEN SECRETS

REPORTS THAT IN JUST FOUR YEARS IN

office, Senator Obama has received $126,349 in political donations, whereas Senator McCain, first elected in 1986, has only received $21,550. • Predatory politicians funded radical groups like ACORN which receive millions in taxpayers’ dollars to extort banks into making risky loans, all the while they work to get out the vote for the liberal politicians that are their benefactors.

WE’VE SEEN, THE RADICAL, ANTI-FREE MARKET

group ACORN has been one of the most successful of the leftwing “community” groups at working hand-in-glove with predatory politicians to fuel the economic crisis.

PERHAPS THAT’S WHY LAST SUMMER’S HOUSING BAILOUT

bill, and the Paulson bailout bill after congressional Democrats got done with it, contained hundreds of millions in new funds to groups like ACORN.

WHETHER

THEY’RE RECEIVING FUNDS FROM BANKS

via the Community Reinvestment Act, through contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or direct payments from the taxpayer via Congress, these radical groups have been the shock troops of predatory politicians seeking to advance their leftwing agenda. They disrupt meetings, harass public officials and use other “in your face” tactics to justify their funding. And

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in return, they work to get out the vote for the liberal politicians who support them.

THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE FACTOR, PREDATORY

politicians used the weight and power of the federal government to create the market for the subprime loans that are at the heart of our financial melt-down.

AND

NOW THESE SAME PREDATORY POLITICIANS ARE

looking into the cameras and saying:

“THE

PRIVATE SECTOR GOT US INTO THIS MESS.

government has to get us out of it.”

THE

TRUTH IS, PREDATORY POLITICIANS GOT US INTO

this mess. Now the taxpayers are footing the bill to get us out of it.

IT’S NOT THE FREE MARKET THAT’S SICK, IT’S GOVERNMENT

that’s sick. As P.J. O’Rourke once wrote, “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” It’s time to take away the whiskey and the car keys from the predatory politicians. NEWT GINGRICH is well-known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in forty years. After he was elected Speaker, he disrupted the

status quo by moving power out of Washington and back to the American people. Under his leadership, Congress passed welfare reform, passed the first balanced budget in a generation, and passed the first tax cut in sixteen years. In addition, the Congress restored funding to strengthen our defense and intelligence capabilities, an action later lauded by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. Visit Newt Gingrich’s website at www.Newt.org.

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T DH EEP A V ROT IM CE EN T

Health & Healing

CONTROL STRESS BY CONTROLLING YOUR TIME Y

EARS AGO, WHEN

I ENCOUNTERED

one of my patients or friends I would ask them, “How are you doing?” Their response was nearly always, “Fine.” Now when I ask that same question, I find that people tend to respond with answers such as “Busy,” “Tired” or “Exhausted.”

HAVE MET PEOPLE WHO GENUINELY

believe being busy is a sign of success. Some even take pride in being busy and push themselves to the point of exhaustion. As a nation, America seems to be trapped in a work-and-spend cycle. Author John de Graff calls this “afluenza”—a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.1

BUILDING MARGIN INTO YOUR LIFE. BY DR. DON COLBERT I CAN RECALL PLAYING GOLF WITH A GROUP OF friends a few years ago. One of my friends was on his cell phone making business calls almost

the whole time we played. To me, that degree of busyness is not relaxing. But for many people, it’s as if every waking minute has to be spent doing something in order to be perceived as productive. They aren’t enjoying the minutes as they are lived. Later, many awaken to realize with sadness that they have missed out on a great deal of enjoyment. HIS BOOK THE OVERLOAD SYNDROME, Dr. Richard Swenson accurately paints the picture of overload in our society. He states that a concept he calls margin is necessary as a space between vitality and exhaustion. Margin is the time in which we experience breathing room and access reserve energy. Having sufficient margin in our lives daily is necessary to keep us from overload.2

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FOR

T H E EXAMPLE, IF A PERSON IS FLYING FROM

New York to Los Angeles with a change of planes in Dallas, would they leave themselves only five minutes to make the connection between flights? If they did, there would be a very high probability that they would miss their flight. They would probably also experience anxiety and frustration because they have not left themselves sufficient margin for an enjoyable journey.

WHEN WE BECOME TOO BUSY, WE LOSE OUR joy. As a result, people irritate us, and we often

become frustrated, anxious and critical. How can we break out of the trap of being too busy and practice keeping a healthy margin in our lives? Primarily by organizing our time and cutting out anything that is not in line with our top priorities. This is a simple thing to do, but many people don’t know where to begin.

HERE

ARE SOME BASIC STEPS

to help you get started.

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on your media time and spend more time being with people and creating your own “fun times.” 8. Make the most of your waiting times. Everybody finds themselves in waiting rooms from time to time. It may be a doctor’s or dentist’s office, bank or airport. Always have a book or something else with you to fill this time with something positive and productive. 9. Limit the amount of time you spend with negative, pessimistic people. They will not only sabotage your goals, but they will also drain your energy.

minutes to connect with family members at mealtimes and avoid arguments and stressful topics at the table. Also, avoid eating on the run or in your car. A great deal of stress can be eliminated if a person will simply use mealtimes as opportunities to relax. 13. Choose to be a good steward of your time, and as a part of your stewardship, build in a healthy margin of totally unscheduled time. These moments are likely to fuel your creativity and energy and defuse your stress level simultaneously. Remember, your time is ultimately your most precious possession. How

RECOMMEND

1. Purchase an organizer/calendar and put key dates, deadlines and major events in it. 2. Organize your desk at work and at home—the place where you do your paperwork, pay bills and so forth. This way you won’t waste a lot of time looking for things you need to accomplish these tasks. 3. Throw away junk mail daily. 4. Buy a filing cabinet for storing important papers, such as articles, warranties, documents, deeds, wills and other valuable items that may be stuck in various places around the house. 5. Organize your kitchen. Countless hours are spent searching for items in the kitchen as one prepares meals. 6. Prevent bothersome phone calls by telemarketers. Get call-block, caller ID, or simply unplug the phone during certain hours to avoid wasting time on unnecessary calls. 7. Declare a “media fast” one day a week, or perhaps one weekend a month. That means no computer, television, radio, news, videos or DVDs. Use this time to connect with your family and friends. As a general rule, cut down

10. Refuse to be distracted if you are focused on a work project. Turn on the answering machine or have somebody answer your calls. Don’t allow interruptions. Stick with one task until it is finished before moving on to the next. You can get more done in an hour of totally focused time than in three hours of time that has only a few interruptions. 11. Make a to-do list each evening before you go to bed. Then refuse to think about it until morning! As part of this list, set a specific time to exercise, have your daily devotions, and eat meals. Make sure you have a little margin for relaxation and unavoidable interruptions. 12. Make meal times an experience by tasting, smelling and savoring every bite of food instead of “wolfing it down.” I recommend that you give yourself at least thirty

you spend it determines, in many ways, how you will spend eternity. Use it wisely. (1) Don Colbert, M.D., Stress Less (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), p. 149. (2) See note 1, p. 151.

DR. DON COLBERT, MD graduated from ORU Medical School in 1984. He then moved to Central Florida where he did his internship and residency at Florida Hospital. For over twenty years, Dr. Colbert has practiced medicine in Central Florida. He has been board certified in Family Practice since August 1987, and is also board certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He can be reached at www.drcolbert.com.

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SATAN’S God created you with the ability to see all things possible. Your adversary the devil, knowing the hidden power of human potential seeks to utilize this gift to surplant your destiny. Here’s how you discern Satan’s best spiritual warfare strategy. By Jonas Clark

TACTIC IS A PLAN OF ACTION FOR

attaining a particular goal. Satan has one goal, to steal, kill and destroy. Many Christians are interested in spiritual warfare strategies dealing with principalities and powers, territorial spirits and demons. Spiritual warfare is simply binding and loosing in prayer and attacking on purpose spiritual strongholds of opposition and resistance against the Gospel of Christ in your life (Matthew 18:18-20). It is taking up, in prayer, the authority of the believer that Jesus gave His disciples (Luke 10:17).

A LTHOUGH

SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST

powers in the unseen spirit world is important, most of your daily battles will be within your own mind and imagination. Satan understands spiritual warfare and uses man’s own ignorance of his delegated spiritual authority and the fertile ground of man’s unguarded imaginations to attack him. This is why it is important to renew your mind with the Word of God. Satan has no authority over you unless you remain ignorant of his tactic to use your imagination against you.

THE BEGINNING MAN’S IMAGINATION WAS

pure and produced mighty exploits. It wasn’t until the fall that sin entered the soul of man

and altered his imagination forever. Let’s examine Satan’s tactics to defile man by corrupting his imagination.

BEFORE

THE FALL ALL THOUGHTS AND

imaginations were centered on the mind of Elohiym, “all things possible to him that believeth.” Man was only capable of good thoughts and positive imaginations. When Adam named God’s creation he never questioned his ability to believe it possible to do so. God created the creatures and Adam simply named them. It was that simple. But one day the imagination of man was altered by the power of sin.

GOD

CREATED

ADAM

AND

EVE

AND

placed them in the Garden of Eden. Eden was the kingdom of God on earth. It was man’s place of habitation and dominion. In the garden they were free to enjoy God’s creation and govern according to their divine, God created, yet, Godlike natures (2 Peter 1:4). In the garden were two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of all the trees they could partake excepting the tree of the

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imagination. Eve did exactly as God had created her. She imagined the possibility. Like Eve our imaginations are designed to image “all things possible”, even wrong things. Eve took the bait by entertaining the possibility the tree would make her like God. The formation of that possibility was within her imagination. Just as God created her, she was using her imagination to create. It was, however, the wrong image. This is what happens in our lives too. Eve pondered Satan’s words within her imagination.

TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST YOUR LIFE YOU MUST

conquer the vain imaginations that attack your mind. When you receive a thought contrary to God’s word for your life don’t let it incubate within your imagination, bind it up and cast it down.

S IN

IS ALWAYS CONCEIVED WITHIN THE

imagination of man. Good people are not impulsive sinners. They don’t just wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to destroy my life today.” Sin is formed within the imagination of man.

ELLIOTT SPITZER

USE YOUR IMAGINATION IN A POSITIVE WAY. DON’T LET THE REALM OF IMAGINATION BE USED TO CONCEIVE SIN. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GODLY THOUGHTS AND UNGODLY THOUGHTS AND TREAT THEM ACCORDINGLY. INCUBATE THE GOOD ONES AND DESTROY THE BAD ONES. knowledge of good and evil. If they did partake the penalty was death (Genesis 2:17). deceive God’s greatest creation, our parents. Scripture declares, “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (Genesis 3:2-3). Eve knew the truth. She knew that God forbade the partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil yet the serpent challenged God’s command. The serpent answered, “You shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).

the challenge well. Satan, disguised as a serpent, offered his perverted opinion of God’s decree. “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat” (Genesis 3:5-6). In this scripture we learn the process of Eve’s deception and Satan’s tactics to use her imagination as a weapon against her: She doubted God’s Word, gazed at the tree, took the fruit, ate and gave to her husband.

S ATAN

THE STRATEGY UNCHANGED

LET’S GO BACK IN TIME AND WATCH the Serpent

CONTINUED HIS ATTACK AGAINST

God’s word by creating opportunities to doubt. Everyone will find the enemy question God’s Word but it is how we respond to his challenge that controls the outcome. Eve didn’t handle

The devil hasn’t changed his strategy. The tactic that worked with Eve he will try with you by introducing doubt and focusing you on imaging the forbidden. Satan took advantage of Eve’s More Related Articles Online: Spiritual Warfare

RESIGNED AS GOVERNOR

of New York after allegedly being caught using the services of a prostitute. He attended Princeton University for his undergraduate studies and Harvard University for law school, was a successful lawyer and happily married to a beautiful wife and together had three children. He didn’t sin impulsively but was taken captive to sin because he continued to incubate lust within his imagination. Imaginations need to be cast down. Take note of this. It is one thing for you to have an evil thought it’s another to entertain that thought within your imagination. Be careful of lingering on ungodly imaginations. When you do that gives them time to conceive.

SIN IS ALWAYS FORMED WITHIN THE IMAGINATION

of man. The serpent came to Eve and challenged God’s Word in her life. That’s what the devil will do to you too. He will challenge God’s Word in your life and then try to pull you into the realm of vain imagination to mull over his words of doubt, unbelief and rebellion. That is the way he attacks you.

USE

YOUR IMAGINATION IN A POSITIVE WAY. Don’t let the realm of imagination be used to conceive sin. Know the difference between godly thoughts and ungodly thoughts and treat them accordingly. Incubate the good ones and destroy the bad ones. A sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to know the source of your thoughts and imaginations and deal with them accordingly.

B y D r. R . L . Wy s o n g

F WE VOLUNTARILY JOIN A CLUB AND AGREE TO ABIDE

by its rules, violating those rules is ethically wrong. The United States is a club. To break or subvert its rules–the Constitution and its laws–is likewise unethical. People who disagree with the rules have every right to do so, move elsewhere, and join another nation (club) where the rules are different.

JUST BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES IS A DEMOCRACY AND WE HAVE CERTAIN

voting rights, does not mean this is a free for all. Actually, we and our leaders live under a dictatorship and are duty bound to it. The Oath of Allegiance to the United States says, in part: “that I will support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same”

SINCE

OUR OBJECTIVE AS INDIVIDUALS IS TO HAVE FREEDOM, SUCH

constraint, at first glance, may seem like oppression. But the Constitution

is a unique dictator; it is a benign one in that its very purpose is to guarantee us freedom from oppression. It is the culmination of thousands of years of intelligent thinking about government. The Constitution has elements dating back to the democratic ideals of the Greeks and Romans; the common law wisdom of the British Magna Carta; and to the Age of Enlightenment that liberated man from the oppression of the divine right of kings, state religion, hereditary status, and protectionism.

THUS WE HAVE COME TO THINK OF LIBERATION—BEING A LIBERAL—AS

a good thing. However, true classical liberalism does not deny all law; it puts in place benevolent law, like the Constitution, that guarantees the very liberty liberals seek. The great thinkers who put together the Constitution, and the sages upon whose shoulders they stood, were not so silly to think that freedom and liberty could ever occur in a lawless society that just trusted the good and fair nature of citizens.

More Related Articles Online: Culture

ELECTION 2008: KEEPING

FIRST THINGS FIRST

As the November general election approaches, the Bible offers clear guidance to Biblical voters to help them evaluate the candidates.

By David Barton

AINTAINING A NATIONAL AND NOT A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE: Because the Scripture declares that “Righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34), then advancing issues that directly impact national righteousness must be a primary consideration. According to the Bible (c.f., Deuteronomy 28; 1 Chronicles 21; 1 Kings 18), a nation’s righteousness is determined by its public policies and how well those policies conform to God’s standards.

rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Very simply, if a nation wants God-honoring policies, it must have leaders like Daniel, Nehemiah, or David rather than like Ahab, Manasseh, or Jeroboam. In America, the only way there will be God-honoring leaders is if God-honoring citizens elect them; so the first and foremost consideration in any election is whether the candidate will advance policies that promote Biblical standards of righteousness. Prioritizing the Issues

SO HOW DOES A NATION ENSURE THAT IT WILL

have God-honoring policies? Proverbs 29:2 answers that question: “When the righteous

RECENT ELECTIONS , THE MILLIONS OF

Biblical voters who sought to advance issues of righteousness through their vote were dubbed More Related Articles Online: Politics

“value voters.” Those whose agenda did not benefit from these voters are now trying to win their support by making their own particular issue seem Biblical or moral. Therefore, the Rev. Robert Edgar (the former general secretary of the very liberal National Council of Churches) asserts, “You can’t read the Old Testament without knowing God was concerned about the environment, war and peace, poverty. God doesn’t want 45 million Americans without health care.” Supporters of homosexual marriage now assert that it is “moral” to extend partnership rights to homosexuals who have “committed” themselves to each other, and pro-abortion advocates similarly claim that

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V O I C E

P. 43

it is “moral” for a poor mother to have an abortion rather than give birth to a child she might not want.

BUT THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE REV. EDGAR is wrong in claiming that the Bible addresses helping the poor, war and peace, the environment, and health care. It does – and it also speaks about numerous issues he did not mention, including immigration, treaties, taxation, property rights, and national sovereignty.

E AC H

OF THESE IS ADDRESSED IN THE

comprehensive system of 613 laws delivered through Moses in the Old Testament. But God also made it abundantly clear that not all issues were equal, for within that expansive system He issued His “Top Ten” (the Ten Commandments), thus creating a prioritization of what was most important to Him.

PROTECTING INNOCENT LIFE DID MAKE GOD’S

Top Ten (#6), as did protecting the sanctity of marriage (#7), but the issues of poverty, environment, health care, immig ration, taxation, etc., did not make His Top Ten. This is not to say that the other issues are not important but rather that citizens should always keep the most important things at the top of the list. Because the Bible does establish priorities, four of the highest ranking issues directly affecting national righteousness will be presented below.

ISSUE 1: JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS The

Scriptures direct that we are to “appoint judges who know the laws of God” (Ezra 7:25) and judges who will “rule in the fear of God” (Exodus 18:21), because – as Isaiah 1:26 unequivocally affirms – the righteousness of a land is directly impacted by its judges. (America clearly demonstrates the truth of this Scripture, for it has been judges and not legislatures who have imposed most of the un-Biblical policies now in place: abortion-on-demand, homosexual marriage, prohibitions against the public acknowledgment of God, etc.) A President will be gone in eight years or less, but his judges may remain on the bench for decades afterwards and their influence is far greater than that of the President who appointed them.

THIS

ELECTION WILL LIKELY HAVE A GREATER

impact on the nation through the judiciary than any presidential election for the past three decades, for when the next President takes office in January 2009, six of the nine Supreme

“

Therefore, where a candidate stands on the issue of abortion is of paramount importance not only for the sake of the unborn but also for the preservation of our other inalienable rights.

”

Court Justices will be at least 70 years old – and five of those six Justices have repeatedly struck down public policies friendly to Biblical values. Therefore, Biblical voters should make their selection for President based first and foremost on the type of judges he will appoint.

was established on the thesis that certain rights come from God and that government must protect those rights inviolable. Significantly, if a leader does not protect the inalienable right to life, then all other inalienable rights are likewise in jeopardy.

ISSUE 2: ABORTION AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS Defending the unborn must

MODERN HISTORY DEMONSTRATES THAT WHEN

continue to remain a priority for Biblical voters. The right to life is the first of the three specifically enumerated inalienable rights set forth in our founding documents, and American government More Related Articles Online: Politics

a leader is wrong on the inalienable right to life, then he will almost certainly be wrong on the protection of private property (as guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution), the Biblical right of self defense (the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed in the Second

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WHILE

THERE ARE MANY AREAS SPECIFICALLY

addressed by God’s moral law (e.g., adultery, premarital sex, etc.), only homosexuality is currently the focus of favorable political action. Therefore, where a candidate stands on that issue is one of the best indicators of whether he recognizes and embraces God’s moral absolutes.

ISSUE 4: PUBLIC RELIGIOUS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Ten

Commandments begin with the pronouncement, “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). Christians often attach this declaration as a crucial prologue to the Ten Commandments but Jews consider that forceful declaration to be the First Commandment. They properly believe that acknowledging God is the highest priority and that the commands listed after that affirmation have force only because God is recognized for Who He is and is acknowledged as the Source behind those commands. Therefore, acknowledging and honoring God is a priority in His Top Ten.

TODAY,

Amendment), the right of religious expression (guaranteed in the First Amendment), the sanctity of the home (guaranteed in the Third Amendment), etc. Therefore, where a candidate stands on the issue of abortion is of paramount importance not only for the sake of the unborn but also for the preservation of our other inalienable rights.

ISSUE 3: HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE MORAL LAW If a candidate is willing to

accept, empower, and advance homosexuality, it is a clear indication that he does not embrace the moral absolutes of the Bible. Today, some have rejected the Biblically-established rights and wrongs in favor of their own personal preferences – a situation thrice denounced in the Scriptures as “every man doing that which is right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8, Judges 17:6, and 21:25).

GENERATIONS UNDERSTOOD THAT

obeying God’s moral laws always benefited a society (Deuteronomy 6:24). In fact, a popular

1814 legal commentary documented the adverse effect on a society from rejecting God’s moral law regarding homosexuality:

IF IT [SODOMY] ONCE BEGINS TO PREVAIL, NOT

only will boys be easily corrupted by adults but also by other boys; nor will it ever cease – more especially as it must thus soon lose all its shamefulness and infamy and become fashionable and the national taste; and then ... national weakness (for which all remedies are ineffectual) must inevitably follow; not perhaps in the very first generation, but certainly in the course of the third or fourth.... Whoever, therefore, wishes to ruin a nation has only to get this vice introduced, for it is extremely difficult to extirpate [remove] it where it has once taken root because it can be propagated with much more secrecy … and when we perceive that it has once got a footing in any country, however powerful and flourishing, we may venture as politicians to predict that the foundation of its future decline is laid and that after some hundred years it will no longer be the same … powerful country it is at present. More Related Articles Online: Politics

SECULARISTS HAVE CONVINCED MANY

Americans to accept a compartmentalization of their faith, telling them that it is appropriate to acknowledge God at church, home, or in other private settings but not in public venues. If a candidate holds this position, it means that he is willing to disconnect God from what he does, and the entire nation is put at risk by leaders who compartmentalize faith.

BIBLICAL

VOTERS SHOULD SELECT LEADERS

who will seek to protect and expand rather than restrict or weaken the opportunity for the public acknowledgment of God and the inclusion of His principles in public venues.

SEPARATING FACT FROM RHETORIC : INVESTIGATING A CANDIDATE: In identifying a candidate’s

positions in each of these four non-negotiable areas, the candidate’s recorded votes are to be trusted far more than their public speeches (c.f., Matthew 7:20, Titus 1:16, and Luke 6:46). But how can an official’s actions – i.e., his voting record – be checked on any specific issue? Fortunately, dozens of groups now track the votes of elected officials on numerous issues.

F OR

EXAMPLE , PRO - LIFE GROUPS SUCH AS

National Right to Life monitor votes on the abortion issue and award a score to each official – as do pro-abortion groups such as National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and

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Planned Parenthood. Similarly, pro-homosexual groups such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) monitor the voting record in support of homosexual issues, and militant secularist organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) also monitor voting records.

THERE

IS NOW A SINGLE WEBSITE TO WHICH

voters may turn to see the ratings of such groups. (The candidate needs to have a high score from groups like Right to Life and low scores from pro-abortion groups such as NARAL and

P. 45

Planned Parenthood, pro-homosexual groups HRC and GLSEN, and secularist groups such as ACLU and AU in order to win the support of the Biblical voter.)

CASTING A VOTE

Once you have examined where a candidate stands on the four non-negotiable issues, only then should you extend your consideration to include other issues (e.g., economics, foreign policy, taxes, military, health care, energy, etc.).

CANDIDATE WILL EVER BE THE PERFECT

4. When the page comes up for that candidate,

candidate and support everything you do, but that must never be the sole measuring stick for selecting a candidate. After all, if that were true, then today’s faith voters likely would not have supported most of the Biblical heroes had they run for office today, for David – although a man commended by God and recommended as our example in numerous areas – was guilty of adultery (and more); Noah had trouble with drunkenness; Samuel, Eli, and Gideon did not control their children; Lot committed incest; Moses was guilty of murder; etc. God regularly used very imperfect individuals – even individuals with major flaws – to accomplish great and positive things in the life of a nation. We should therefore always support the candidate most in line with the four non-negotiables, not the superficially “perfect” candidate.

under the candidate’s photo, click “Interest Group Ratings.”

BIBLICAL VOTERS MUST DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE

SEE CANDIDATE SCORECARDS ONLINE

1. Go to Project Vote Smart, http://www. votesmart.org.

2. At the top right of the front page, click on “Presidential Candidates” (which will take you to http://www.votesmart.org/election_ president.php?dist=bio.php).

3. Click on the photo of a presidential candidate.

5. Dozens of scorecards will appear, listed alphabetically by categories. To see where the candidate stands on abortion, go to the “Abortion” section at the top. Scroll down to “Civil Liberties and Civil Rights” to see the ratings of secularist groups like the ACLU and AU, as well as the ratings of pro-homosexual groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Scroll down to “Conservative” to see the ratings of Biblicallyoriented pro-family groups such as Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, and Christian Action Network; and scroll down even further to “Family and Children Issues” to find the ratings of Biblical-values groups such as the Family Research Council.

6. Realize that in each category will appear the ratings of secular and religious, liberal and conservative groups; therefore make sure you know the philosophy of each group to understand whether its rating is good or bad from a Biblical viewpoint.

of unswervable duty coupled with a resolute steadfastness and must vote in every election. In Luke 19:13, Jesus commands: “Occupy until I come,” and for the sake of this generation as well as future ones, we must be active citizens. The responsibilities facing God-fearing citizens in this election are somber, and the potential repercussions from our actions (or lack thereof) are both far-reaching and long-lasting. DAV I D BA RT O N i s the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, with the subjects being drawn largely from his massive library of tens of thousands of original writings from the Founding Era. David and his wife Cheryl have three grown children, Damaris, Timothy, and Stephen, and reside in Aledo, TX. He can be reached at www.wallbuilders.com. More Related Articles Online: Politics

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GOVERNING CHRISTIANS For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end… (Isaiah 9:6-7)

F YOU LOOKED IN THE NATURAL, YOU MIGHT

say the Kingdom of God is not increasing, but withering up and dissipating. You see Islam, Hinduism and secular humanism taking over the earth. According to Christian researcher George Barna, thousands of people are leaving the church every week. Why are they leaving? What are they looking for? People are hungry for truth; searching for meaning and purpose. They are looking for kingdom structure and government that would provide them with relevance and opportunity to make a difference in the world.

BY DAVID COKER

THE

WORD SAYS THAT THERE IS A

KINGDOM

that is going to increase; like a mustard seed, the Kingdom of God will grow. In order for the Kingdom of God to grow, we must build churches structured according to the pattern of Kingdom government established in the Word. Every church is not a governing church. You may ask, “Why does there need to be an apostolic, governing church?” Look around at the things that are happening in our world today: violence, drugs, perversion. God knows what strategies the enemy has planned for your territory. He More Related Articles Online: Christian Living

also knows that the only way the enemy fails to overtake a territory is if there is a territorial, apostolic, governing church that will prevent it from happening.

HAVE BUILT THE ENTIRE OPERATION OF

God around church services. The church service was never intended to be the culmination of our Christian walk. It was never meant for our lives to be built around church services. The church service was designed for believers to come together to learn the keys to the mysteries of

P. 48

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. The geographic planet Earth belongs to God. The war is not over terra firma. The war is over the government. The war is over who is in control. The war is over who has control over the government.

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the Kingdom. Jesus instructed His disciples in parables. Parables provide opportunities to learn what you want to know. If you ask questions of the parable, you will learn the true meaning. When a parable is told, you don’t have to learn anything you don’t want to know. Many Christians do not want to know anything new, because we become responsible for what we learn. It is a lot easier to put all the responsibility on God so we don’t have to take responsibility for our personal growth.

PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY WILL ASK QUESTIONS

like the disciples did. When they asked, “What in the world does this parable mean?” Jesus replied, “Unto you is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom.” True disciples will seek understanding to know the mysteries of the Kingdom. Think about natural kingdoms. It is possible to be a citizen belonging to a kingdom or country, but not have access to the inner workings of the government of that kingdom. It is just as possible to belong to the Kingdom of God and not know or understand the mysteries or the keys of His Kingdom. Jesus explained to Peter that the revelation he had came to him because he was a disciple. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Yes, you know who I am. I am the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter, on this rock of revelation I will build My Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you, my disciple, the keys to My Kingdom.” Who receives the keys to the Kingdom? Those with the revelation of the Kingdom!

UNDERSTAND THE

Kingdom, we must go back to God’s original purpose. He created Adam and made him the first ambassador and overseer of this earth realm. He gave Adam dominion and, through Adam, He gave dominion to all of us. Adam committed high treason against the Kingdom of God when he gave information

concerning God’s Kingdom to the Kingdom of Satan. Adam left the government that he was under and obeyed another government, becoming the servant of another government. Through him, we became servants of another government, too.

GOD

GAVE

ADAM

A MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

for this earth, and Adam took that management contract and gave it to Satan. When Jesus came, He did not come to bring us another religion. He came to bring us another government; another management contract. The devil took Jesus up on a mountain and showed Him the Kingdoms of the world and said, “If you will fall down and worship me, I will give you all of this.” You may say, “Well, he could not do that.” The fact is he could do that because they belong to him. The kingdoms of this world belong to Satan. He is the god of this world. Now, we’re not talking about the earth itself. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. The geographic planet Earth belongs to God. The war is not over terra firma. The war is over the government. The war is over who is in control. The war is over who has control over the government.

WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER RELIGION. AS A

matter of fact, if a territory is to change, it is going to change because there is a change of government. Look at what is going on in Iraq right now. They are trying to change that nation by putting in a new government. The only way anything changes is when government changes. If the spiritual territory assigned to us is ever going to change, then the government has got to change.

JESUS CAME TO BRING US THE GOVERNMENT OF God and was crucified because He was the King. Wherever Jesus went, the Kingdom of Heaven went with Him. Wherever He went, change took place. When He walked in the presence of sickness and disease from the kingdom of darkness, He brought healing to the people from the Kingdom of Heaven. He said, “If I cast out the devil by the finger of God, or by the Spirit of God, then you know that the Kingdom of God has come nigh unto you.” He said, “I am coming and bringing another government, and this other government is going to increase.” If Jesus came to set up His Kingdom, we can find the pattern that He used and follow that pattern so that we produce the same thing. The Word says the government of God would be on His shoulder; we are His body where that government rests.

More Related Articles Online: Christian Living

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As governing churches produce effective disciples who understand God’s government, the Church will increase instead of decrease. We are going to change our territories by changing the government. Every time God gets ready to change governments and bring restoration, He starts with a man. How does God set up his government? 1. He supernaturally calls a man 2. He anoints a man 3. He tests a man. The man comes out of the test in the power of the Spirit. 4. Man begins to preach his message. He begins to tell the people God has called him, given him a message, and spoken to him. 5. The next thing the man does is he begins to carefully choose disciples, because without disciples the message and the government will never last.

JESUS

TRAINED HIS DISCIPLES ACCORDING TO

this pattern. He called them and began to put His message in them. He began to teach them about His government. He took his disciples up on a mountain and began to tell them about the Kingdom.

NOT

ONLY DID

TEACH THEM THE THINGS

of the Kingdom, but He demonstrated and showed them how to function in the Kingdom. He preached the Kingdom, cast out devils, healed the sick, raised the dead, and exercised the authority that Adam originally had. He came to reestablish the rule and dominion that was lost in the first Adam by teaching and raising up disciples. He worked together with them in the ministry. He demonstrated the supernatural part and taught them to do the natural part. Many people will not do the natural part, and never get to the supernatural. Once the disciples were equipped to do the natural, He sent them out to do the supernatural. When they rejoiced over demons being subject to them, He corrected them, reminding them that they should rejoice over having their names written in Heaven. Jesus established the pattern for apostolic government by making disciples.

YOU

counsel in the heart of a man is as deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. We are here today, not because Jesus worked miracles, but because Jesus knew how to disciple people. He learned how to walk His disciples through the process of self-discovery, equipping them to implement the government of the Kingdom.

THE KINGDOM

GOD

WILL BE ADVANCED

in the earth. The Apostle John prophesied, “the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our lord, and of His Christ.” As governing churches produce effective disciples who understand God’s government, the Church will increase instead of decrease. We are going to change our territories by changing the government. As the governing rule is brought under the authority of the Church, the kingdom of darkness loses influence. The government of the Kingdom of God can only come through disciples in the Church.

DO NOT MAKE DISCIPLES BY BRINGING

people to church three times a week and preaching to them. A disciple is somebody who sells out. They are not looking to have a good name in the community and go to a popular church, or be a member of the best country clubs. Disciples are people who are ready to lay down their lives for Christ. They realize they are seeing something bigger than other people see, and they have a hunger for something other people do not even care about. The Bible says in Proverbs that More Related Articles Online: Christian Living

DAV I D C O K E R i s a 1985 RHEMA graduate and the founding apostle of Gateway Believers Fellowship in Carnesville, Ga. He is also the founder of Breakthrough Apostolic Ministries Network (B.A.M.) His ministry can be reached at www.gatewaybelievers.com.

Stepping Stones

WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH

The Heritage of the Social Gospel BY

CHRISTOPHER

ALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH (1861-1918) IS SYNONYMOUS

with one of the most enduring legacies of Christian reform, the Social Gospel. The Social Gospel was a movement in American Christianity from approximately 1880 to 1920, represented by church leaders who applied Christian teachings to the social-economic problems of that era. Among the movement’s major figures were Washington Gladden, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Columbus, Ohio, Charles Sheldon, author of best-selling Christian fiction (and the man who popularized in his 1897 novel, In His Steps, the expression, “What Would Jesus Do?”), and Rauschenbusch.

BORN ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL

War, Rauschenbusch was raised by his German-immigrant parents, August (a fifth-generation Lutheran pastor who later became a Baptist) and Caroline, within a tradition of strict piety. After graduating from Rochester Theological Seminary, he spent eleven years as pastor of an impoverished German-immigrant church in the Hell’s Kitchen section of New York City.

EVANS

The experience of living in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city served as Rauschenbusch’s single biggest influence.

REFLECTING ON HIS MINISTRY YEARS LATER, HE RECALLED THE

anguish he felt over the poverty in his church, and the pain he felt officiating at the funerals of little children who died from contagious diseases. “Oh, the children’s funerals! They gripped my heart—that was one of the things I always went away thinking about—why did the children have to die?”

BY THE EARLY 1890S, RAUSCHENBUSCH BECAME AN ADVOCATE FOR

municipal reform, including the building of public parks, and government legislation that would protect workers from exploitation in the nation’s growing “sweatshops.” He preached that Christians needed to do all in their power to work toward the improvement of social conditions on earth, noting “the best way to get the self ready for Heaven… is to get this world ready for God.”

More Related Articles Online: Christian History

No. 4

AFTER

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YEARS OF POOR HEALTH, INCLUDING BECOMING ALMOST

totally deaf, Rauschenbusch turned to full-time teaching. From 1897 until his death in 1918, he served on the faculty of Rochester Theological Seminary, where he taught church history and wrote several influential books exploring the relationship between Christianity and contemporary social problems. Rauschenbusch’s 1907 work, Christianity and the Social Crisis, was one of the biggest selling non-fiction books on religion in the early 20th century, and had a major influence upon subsequent developments in American Christianity.

RAUSCHENBUSCH POSSESSED A POWERFUL CHRISTIAN FAITH, ROOTED

in prayer and spiritual discernment. He never renounced the Christian piety that had long been part of his family heritage, and was never afraid to speak openly about his love for Jesus. Early in his career, he collaborated with Ira Sankey, the partner of Dwight L. Moody, in translating Sankey’s gospel hymns into German. While Rauschenbusch worried that Christian piety was no guarantee of a relevant ministry, social action alone was a poor substitute for a God-centered faith. During his lifetime, Rauschenbusch was accused by his critics of dismissing the key tenets of Christian belief, a criticism that continues to be leveled against him by some today. Yet even a cursory reading of his writings reveals the depth of his faith, and an awareness that the quest for justice was inseparable from a vibrant piety.

RAUSCHENBUSCH

TENDED TO APPROACH THEOLOGY FROM THE

angle of a working minister. He engaged theological issues not from a systematic perspective, but in terms of the practical usefulness of specific ideas. At his core, Rauschenbusch was an evangelical who embraced that which was most sacred from his Baptist-pietist heritage, and a liberal who was not afraid to relate Christian theology to the socialpolitical context of his era. His theological outlook built upon an earlier foundation of pre-Civil War Protestant evangelicalism that identified conversion and social reform as central components of Christianity. While acknowledging that faith in Christ’s imminent return had the potential to stir conviction in the short run, he doubted if such a faith alone could be sustained with great zeal over the long haul. “The question is, which will do more to make our lives spiritual and to release us from the tyranny of the world, the thought that we may at any moment enter into the presence of the Lord, or the thought that every moment we are in the presence of the Lord?

CENTRAL

RAUSCHENBUSCH’S

THEOLOGY WERE HIS TEACHINGS

on the kingdom of God. His view of the kingdom was never rooted in anything approximating a theological utopia. At a time when many secular and religious leaders were engaging a host of social problems related to industrialization, urbanization, and drastic economic disparities between the rich and poor, Rauschenbusch had the foresight to see these problems as faith issues that needed to constantly prod the Christian’s conscience. For Rauschenbusch, the kingdom of God was always an ideal that faith communities struggled to obtain, but could never ultimately achieve within history. Writing at the end of Christianity and the Social Crisis, he asserted, “we know well that there is no perfection for man in this life; there is only growth toward perfection... At best there is always but an approximation to a perfect social order. The kingdom of God is always but coming.”

SWEATSHOP WORKERS: Eight girls sitting and facing a narrow table, sewing by hand on material held in their laps, during a sweatshop inspection in Chicago, Illinois. The girls are all looking at the camera. Source: Wikipedia, courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.

At a time when many secular and religious leaders were engaging a host of social problems related to industrialization, urbanization, and drastic economic disparities between the rich and poor, Rauschenbusch had the foresight to see these problems as faith issues that needed to constantly prod the Christian’s conscience. RAUSCHENBUSCH

WOULD BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT HE WAS NO

economist or political scientist. Yet his economic-political analysis defined issues that succeeding generations of church leaders would follow. Rauschenbusch defined himself as a Christian socialist and, for better or worse, that label has followed him to this day. Yet Rauschenbusch was a liberal capitalist in sentiment and in practice. While he did call for extensive government control and regulation of industries that he believed were essential to the greater public welfare (such as railroads and public utilities), he believed in the right of economic competition and was highly critical of Marxist theorists who advocated for a government controlled, command economy.

RAUSCHENBUSCH TENDED TO DERIVE THE HEART OF HIS THEOLOGY

from the Old Testament prophets and the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). In this regard, his theology reflected the theological assumptions of many liberal church leaders of the late 19th century who attempted to show how Jesus’ teachings from the first century might be applied to conditions of contemporary society. Also, he

More Related Articles Online: Chritian History

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incorporated disparate theological influences, ranging from Catholic mystics, Puritan and Anglican divines, Anabaptist martyrs, and 19thcentury political thinkers. Christ’s teachings against wealth, his solidarity for the dispossessed, and his teachings on the radical reversal of values, where “the last would be first, and the first would be last,” represented the core of Rauschenbusch’s faith. It was this premise that made Martin Luther King, Jr. comment that Rauschenbusch reminded the church that Christianity needed to address both the spiritual needs of the individual and the material needs of society. “It has been my conviction ever since reading Rauschenbusch that any religion which professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the social and economic conditions that scar the soul, is a spiritually moribund religion only waiting for the day to be buried.”

WHILE THERE WERE LATER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL

movement that came precariously close to associating specific socialreform systems with the teachings of Jesus, this oversimplification certainly does not apply to Rauschenbusch. Despite the assertions of later critics of the Social Gospel, Rauschenbusch’s optimism was always counterbalanced with a clear sense of human sinfulness. While he did not rely on Augustinian views of original sin, he repeatedly emphasized the fact that humanity’s proclivity was toward sin. “Ethically man sags downward by nature,” he wrote in the early 1890s, “moral gravitation is downward. It is accelerated in us by years of sin and by the swirling rush of centuries of wrong which pushes us from behind.”

OVER

TWO DECADES LATER, AT A TIME WHEN

AMERICA

HAD JUST

entered World War I, Rauschenbusch repeated a point that he expressed many times in his career that realizing signs of the kingdom of God in earth came only through the human struggle for justice. As he noted in his last major book, A Theology for the Social Gospel in 1917, “The coming of the Kingdom of God will not be by peaceful development only, but by conflict with the Kingdom of Evil. We should estimate the power of sin too lightly if we forecast a smooth road.” Rauschenbusch’s beliefs on the collective nature of sin defined a larger tradition of Christian social ethics in the 20th century. A recovery of this tradition is essential for churches that seek to challenge a social complacency that uncritically accepts the sanctity of contemporary uses of political, military, and economic power that victimize the poor and the suffering.

RAUSCHENBUSCH

NEVER TURNED A BLIND EYE TO THE SUFFERINGS

caused by unjust economic practices, and believed that the church’s critique of these injustices was part and parcel of Christian discipleship. It could be argued that the problems that Rauschenbusch addressed in the early 20th century such as child labor, minimum wage legislation, and worker protection from unsafe working conditions, represent problems that have been “solved” through the ministrations of various 20th-century social reform efforts. Yet casting an eye to a landscape defined increasingly by the rhetoric of globalization, and its pleas for competitive markets, one recognizes that the causes Rauschenbusch fought for are still very much a part of our contemporary landscape. In looking at this unsettled landscape, we need church leaders who can reclaim Rauschenbusch’s emphasis that critiques current economic practices (whether from the “left” or “right’), through incisive theological worldviews.

HELL’S KITCHEN: Circa 1890s

“It has been my conviction ever since reading Rauschenbusch that any religion which professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the social and economic conditions that scar the soul, is a spiritually moribund religion only waiting for the day to be buried.” -- Martin Luther King Jr. DESPITE HIS LOVE FOR THE CULTURAL AND THEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

of his German ancestral roots, Rauschenbusch was always clear that his political allegiances lay within the United States. He loved the democratic history of America, and at times became carried away in his praise for the uniqueness of the American democratic experiment (and as a professor of church history, he tended to equate signs of the kingdom with those church movements that did the best job of promoting democratic precepts in their theology and ecclesiology).

WHILE NEVER A PACIFIST, HIS LATER THEOLOGY EMPHASIZED THE tenets

of nonviolence that characterized numerous social reform movements throughout the 20th century. Amidst the current tumult surrounding American military actions associated with the war on terrorism, we would do well to remember these words that Rauschenbusch wrote in his 1910 book, Prayers of the Social Awakening.

GRANT

TO THE RULERS OF NATIONS FAITH IN THE POSSIBILITY OF

peace through justice and grant to the common people a new and stern

More Related Articles Online: Chritian History

T T HH E E VV OO I I C C E E

P. 53

enthusiasm for the cause of peace. Bless our soldiers and sailors for their swift obedience and their willingness to answer to the call of duty, but inspire them none the less with a hatred of war, … May our young men still rejoice to die for their country with the valor of their fathers, but teach our age nobler methods of matching our strength and more effective ways of giving our life for the flag.

THE SENTIMENT OF THIS PRAYER IS AS TRUE TODAY AS IT WAS ALMOST A hundred years ago. It is a reminder to us that social action by the church should never be divorced from a deeply-rooted personal faith.

CRITICS OF RAUSCHENBUSCH NOTED THE EASE WITH WHICH HE formed

friendships with politically conservative men of power (including a long-term friendship with the Rockefeller family). Yet the core of Rauschenbusch’s theology emphasized that the quest for justice was inseparable from personal relationships that were predicated on friendship, pastoral care, and mutual accountability.

IN THE SPRING OF 1918, AS RAUSCHENBUSCH LAY DYING OF CANCER,

her wrote a poem, later named by his widow, Pauline, “the Little Gate to God.” This poem reflected Rauschenbusch’s belief that our lives are not judged as much by our earthly successes, as by our faithfulness to God--even when hope seems at an end. In the castle of my soul Is a littler postern gate, whereat, when I enter, I am in the presence of God. In a moment, in the turning of a thought, I am where God is. This is a fact. God is the substance of all revolutions; when I am in him, I am in the Kingdom of God And in the Fatherland of my Soul. Is it strange that I love God? And when I come back through the gate, do you wonder that I carry memories with me, and my eyes are hot with unshed tears for what I see, and I feel like a stranger and a homeless man, where the poor are wasted for gain, where rivers run red, And where God’s sunlight is darkened by lies?

TODAY, WE FIND OURSELVES IN A CULTURE DEFINED BY THE QUEST OF Americans for economic and spiritual prosperity. Amidst the anxiety of our times, there is a great deal of spiritual substance within the heritage of Christian faith that Walter Rauschenbusch bestows upon us. It is built upon a legacy of Christian social thought that is evangelical, inclusive of all God’s people, and not afraid to wrestle with the complex social and cultural ambiguities that define our particular era of religious history.

CHRISTOPHER H. EVANS is Sallie Knowles Crozer Professor of Church History and Director of United Methodist Studies. He regularly preaches and teaches in numerous Rochester area churches. His Recent books are The Kingdom is Always but Coming: A Life of Walter Rauschenbusch; The Faith of Fifty Million: Baseball, Religion and American Culture and The Social Gospel Today. He can be reached at www.crcds.edu/chevans.asp More Related Articles Online: Chritian History

Family Life

How to raise a brat. By Carl Bosch

t’s easy, really. Won’t take much effort at all. Start early. Stay consistent. Before you know it, they’ll be well on their way to “brathood” by

the time they enter school. If you’re lucky, when they reach middle school age, they’ll be well entrenched. Here’s how you do it. Make excuses for them. All the time, on as many occasions as possible. Misbehavior? It must have been the other kids! Bad grades? That’s an easy one; there’s a personality conflict with the teacher. Didn’t make the Pop Warner football team? The coach picked favorites! On and on, just make sure that you deflect everything so they’re not responsible.

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GIVE

T H E IN TO WHINING, CRYING, COMPLAINING

and temper tantrums. Whenever things don’t go their way, immediately attempt to quiet or appease them. Give them a treat or whatever it is they’re griping about. If you try saying no at first that will only make them howl and complain more. Be sure to give in to them when it reaches this point. That will help to teach them that they’ll always get what they want, it’s just that sometimes they’ll have to pout and badger a bit more until they bother you enough so that you’ll give in. Just remember, it’s always easier to give in. They’re stronger and more persistent than you are.

DISCIPLINE

SPORADICALLY, INCONSISTENTLY

and with anger. Make accusations and threaten consequences that you’ll never follow through on. Make punishments that are severe, but lack follow through. If you use “grounding” as a strategy make it harsh and long term. Then in a few days or so forget about the grounding. Allow them to be back on the phone to friends and watching T.V. again. What the heck, grounding is harder on you then it is on them anyway. This serves two purposes in creating your novice brat. First, it shows that your authority and control are lacking. Secondly, it proves that your word means little.

ROLE

MODEL POOR BEHAVIOR, INSENSITIVITY,

and selfishness. Make fun of people for being old, slow, less able and less gifted. Bully people; especially people in the service industry like waitresses, secretaries and those checking you out at the grocery store. Talk down to everyone from fast food servers, to delivery people, to telephone operators. Demonstrate that you often feel smarter, quicker and wittier than the average person. Get angry with people occasionally and show your power by yelling. Especially yell loudly and long at umpires and referees while

No. 4

your kids are playing sports. Your sons and daughters will notice. They’ll watch and follow in your footsteps.

HELP

THEM WITH EVERYTHING.

WHEN

THEIR

shoes are untied, tie them. (It’s quicker.) When they fall down while skiing, pick them up. (They’re little and they’re just learning.) When they have to write a difficult report or paper for school, write most of it for them. (They’ll learn by example.) Talk to the coach and get them on the team. (They didn’t really display their talents in the tryouts.) Never let them taste failure. Ever. For anything. Failure might make them sad or moody and hurt their self-esteem and you certainly wouldn’t want that.

GIVE

THEM EVERY NEW TOY , ELECTRONIC

video game, fashion clothing, hairstyle, CD, and cell phone they want. Never wait a reasonable length of time when they request something new and don’t make them earn any portion of the cost of items they desire. If something breaks make sure you go out and quickly purchase a new one and if anything becomes outmoded or a little older or slower, be certain to rush out and get the newest, best, and preferably more expensive version. That way they can show it off to their friends. It’s status, after all.

W HEN

MAKING DINNER MAKE SURE THAT

everyone’s happy and gets to eat exactly what they want. If Kristen doesn’t want chicken, but that’s what the family’s having tonight, make sure to prepare some pasta or a hamburger just for her to that she’ll be happy. Make only what they want for school lunch, regardless of nutrition. Make sure they have some extra money so they can buy some of the wide variety of junk food

YOU could do the exact opposite of all these suggestions and find that you’re raising a polite, considerate, selfreliant and competent youngster. More Related Articles Online: Family Life

V O I C E

that most school cafeterias sell. With regard to dinner never make anyone sit down at the table together and have a conversation while eating. Encourage them to take their dinners elsewhere and eat while they’re doing something else. The can play X-Box, read magazines or even do homework. Better yet, turn on the television and let them watch T.V. instead of talk.

ALLOW

THEM TO INTERRUPT ADULTS AT ANY

time. If you’re talking on a phone, speaking with someone at a store or even having a conversation with your spouse or a neighbor out on the lawn allow him or her to butt in any time they like. After all, they’re children and their needs should be placed above everyone else’s.

BE A BUDDY TO YOUR CHILD, A PAL, AN EQUAL.

Dress alike and try to do the things they do. Grab a second chance at childhood and treat your child as if they have the same emotions, responsibilities and rights that you do. Have them be your confidant and tell them all the stories and anecdotes that you’d share with an adult. Blur the boundaries between adult and child and you’ll always feel closer to them.

SOUNDS

RIDICULOUS?

COURSE IT IS.

YOU

could do the exact opposite of all these suggestions and find that you’re raising a polite, considerate, self-reliant and competent youngster. But look carefully and you might see a few parenting techniques that you do use at times. Watch out. Here comes the brat.

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Education

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

S THE PROUD FATHER OF TWO TEENAGE

girls with straight “A” grades, I never imagined how a classroom of first graders in Bangalore, India would change my girls’ education, their lives and my own life forever. But that is exactly what happened on my very first trip through exotic, engaging, emerging India in 2005.

HAD A FRIGHTENING FLASH OF INSIGHT IN

that first grade classroom – Indian children are better educated, more motivated and more likely to succeed in the 21st century economy than American children. It came from asking a simple le question to a dozen 5 and 6-year old Indian

BY ROBERT COMPTON children – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

THEIR AMBITIONS ASTONISHED ME – “ENGINEER,

engineer, scientist, cardiologist, engineer, fighter pilot, engineer, doctor…” How amazing! Those first graders had already set high intellectual and career goals. Perhaps this class was an aberration, a coterie of little Indian geniuses, or perhaps there was something more profound in Indian education and Indian culture than I ever imagined. More Related Articles Online: Education

WORRIED ABOUT HOW MY GIRLS WOULD COMPETE in the 21st century with such ambitious chil-

dren, I decided to more fully explore education in the countries we hear little about in the U.S. – India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Thailand. What I learned in two years of travel and visiting K-12 schools throughout these countries worried me deeply, not only about my own daughters’ ability to compete economically but the ability of all American children to have a rising standard of living in their life times.

DISTURBING CONCLUSION EMERGED FROM

my travels – that Global Education Standards have passed the United States by, and Americans

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No. 4

These students spend less time on sports and more time in school – as much as 100% more in the case of China. They spend less time socializing and more time in tutoring. socializing and more time in tutoring. They don’t hold part time jobs, because they see intellectual pursuits as a full-time requirement.

MOST

TROUBLING OF ALL, THIS EDUCATIONAL

superiority is occurring in countries where the K12 student population dwarfs our own: India has 211 million K-12 students; China has 200 million as compared to America’s 53 million.

THESE

have no idea that it has happened. Particularly in India and China, K-12 education produces students clearly more advanced in math and science but also better-rounded in literature, history, language, economics, art and music.

THESE STUDENTS SPEND LESS TIME ON SPORTS

and more time in school – as much as 100% more in the case of China. They spend less time

ARE TWO COUNTRIES THAT

AMERICANS

have not had to compete with until recent years. China opened itself to global competition in 1978 after Mao’s death and the end of the Cultural Revolution. India only opened itself to global competition in 1991 with the abolishment of the Raj system.

IN THE DECADES AHEAD

AMERICANS WILL

still be competing economically with our historic competitors – the Japanese, who crushed the U.S. auto industry, the Koreans, Singaporeans, Taiwanese who captured electronics and steel and the Europeans who remain potent competitors. Now every American child will also be competing with four Indian children and four Chinese children – children who are getting a better education, are more highly motivated and whose countries are unified in their economic focus.

AS A PARENT, WHAT WAS I TO DO FOR

my own teenage daughters – to help them be globally competitive while they were being educated in an insular U.S. education system oblivious to the Global Education Standards?

FIRST, WE CHANGED HOW THE GIRLS

prioritize their time. We reduced year round athletics to seasonal and filled that time with tutoring in math and science. In America, tutors are for helping the slow students. Much as an American parent with an athletically gifted child would hunt for the best coaches, camps and equipment, in India and China the more talented the student, the more tutoring the parents seek.

S ECOND , I

NEEDED TOOLS TO

ASsess and advance my girls’ learning.

I tried the Kumon math system but found it slow and too paper intensive. So with an Indian partner, I designed and produced an online math education system, built to the Indian Math Standards – www.IndianMathOnline.com.

AS I

SHARED MY STORIES OF

I NDIA

WITH

friends I struggled to communicate how accelerated the Indian education system was compared to the U.S. I published a blog of my travels through India – to help other American parents understand their views of India are 20 years outdated. Here I described my experiences in K-12 schools in India – how motivated the students are and how much time they dedicate to their studies.

ADDITIONALLY, I

SPEAK

THE

entrepreneurial spirit that is embodied by so many young Indians. For example, one 12year-old boy, named Ravi, started his own retail sales business – selling trinkets on the street. From there, he learned to give tours to visitors at the Hanging Gardens in Mumbai, learning NINE languages – at least conversationally – which greatly increased his selling success with foreigners. Ravi aspires to someday be a certified Tour Guide – a well-paying, respectable career – or to buy a business. I was amazed by how enterprising Ravi was – especially at such a young age and coming from a background of little opportunity.

A R E S U LT O F M Y O B S E RVAT I O N S O F

education – and students’ motivation and dedication to it in India and China – I decided to make an hour long documentary film that compares and contrasts the high school experience in the U.S., India and China called Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination. The title comes from the fact that every child has roughly 2,000,000 minutes of life during high school. ROBERT COMPTON is an Indianapolis venture capitalist and the creator and executive producer of “2 Million Minutes”, a provocative new documentary that looks at how American education falls short in today’s global economy. He can be reached at www.2mminutes.com. More Related Articles Online: Education

DISCIPLESHIP vs

EVANGELISM By David Coker LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN THE RIGHT CORNER, WEIGHING IN AT 2 TONS, THE NEED-MEETING, care-providing, sinner’s prayer-saying, heavyweight champion of the church world… EVANGELISM! And on the left, at 50 lbs., but standing 40 feet high, the leadership-developing, people-challenging, vision-carrying… DISCIPLESHIP! More Related Articles Online: Five-fold Ministry

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Many times the pastors have a great new “initiative” for the church, but to effectively implement God’s strategy in the Great Commission, demands a church structure with the weight on vision-led teams, not just new initiatives. I

USE HUMOR TO INTRODUCE THIS TOPIC, BECAUSE IT’S SCARY HOW

lopsided the Body of Christ has become. Most churches center around one of these two “champions” of the church world. Some churches live to evangelize, while others exist to disciple. They end up either 100 miles wide and 1” deep or 40’ deep and 1” wide. The challenge comes when you try to do both. God has designed His church to be balanced! Most pastors wrestle with; do I develop the people I have, challenging them to go further, or do I focus on bringing in new people and let things slide? Doing both is difficult.

WHEN

YOU START TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE THEM

disciplined followers of Christ, the evangelistic side of your church

No. 4

becomes upset thinking you have “hurt” the people they brought in. Focus on evangelism, and you end up with a big church filled with people who don’t pay tithes, bills, or live a Godly life. Somewhere, there must be a middle ground, a structure to support both evangelism and discipleship.

MY ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR

RAISES CATTLE.

RECENTLY,

ONE OF HIS

cows had twins. The twins looked and acted very differently. One was wild, running through the fence anytime you came near it (sounds evangelistic doesn’t it), while the other was more attached to its mother (like a good disciple). Yet, the same mother was able to raise both calves. Any farmer that has raised a set of twins can tell you that many cows don’t handle it well. Often the more aggressive calf grows big and the other one falls behind. Even if the cow does have enough milk for both, often she loses too much weight to continue giving effective support.

AS A SENIOR MINISTER, I CAN RELATE TO THE MOTHER COW. GOD HAS

called His church to be the mother of “twins”, and like the calves, the most aggressive twin gets the milk. Many ministers have given up. Because of hurt, frustration, and loneliness many ministers fall into a “survival mode.” They have tried evangelism and were hurt because their structure wasn’t designed to disciple those they reached. Others tried discipleship and people left because they weren’t willing to be accountable. Sometimes, ministers do strive to provide for both, but the strain on the leadership is so heavy that what once was effective, just isn’t enough.

THE NEW TESTAMENT DISTINCTIVELY RECORDS THE GREAT COMMISSION

differently in Mark and Matthew. In Mark, it says to go into all the world and make disciples, in Matthew it says to preach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God never intended for the church to choose one or the other. Instead, He called us to be a body that is structured for constant numerical growth through evangelism and constant spiritual growth through discipleship.

MUST DEVELOP OUR CHURCH STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT BOTH

LET

ME TELL YOU SOMETHING,

discipleship and evangelism. Many times the pastors have a great new “initiative” for the church, but to effectively implement God’s strategy in the great commission, demands a church structure with the weight on vision-led teams, not just new initiatives. In Ephesians 4:16 God says that every joint supplies. The growth of the body rests on every joint, not just on the lead minister!

GOD

HAS CALLED YOU TO CHAMPION

both of them. Where the Lord guides, He provides! If you feel like your pastor is just “surviving,” I encourage you to pray for him. You can change the atmosphere. You can hook up with his vision and support it with your words, time, and money! Show him you are beside him, not just behind him. God didn’t call him to carry the load alone. Let’s turn the power of Evangelism and Discipleship into an effective team instead of competitors! DAVID COKER is a 1985 RHEMA graduate and the founding apostle of Gateway Believers Fellowship in Carnesville, Ga. He is also the founder of Breakthrough Apostolic Ministries Network (B.A.M.). His ministry can be reached at www. gatewaybelievers.com. More Related Articles Online: Five-Fold Ministry

THE VOICE

en Español Característica Discernir Los Signos Y Lo Supernatural Que es el proposito de los signos supernaturales que apuntan su destino?

Columna: Ritmos Tranquilizantes De Gracia Como sobreponerse al espíritu de cansancio.

FUEGO EXTRAÑO

IOS ESTA EDIFICANDO Y ESTABLECIENDO

su Reino. Pero El no esta apresurado a construirlo usando excita miento y hocus-pocus. No, El lo esta haciendo a su manera, de acuerdo a su Palabra. El está estableciendo Iglesias apostólicas gobernantes en territorios para construir Su Iglesia. Una función de los apóstoles y profetas verdaderos es la de exponer operaciones falsas de Satanás que tratan de entrometerse y subvertir la credibilidad de La Palabra. Si Satanás puede desacreditar la calidad de un movimiento de Dios, mandando falsificaciones, entonces es capaz de restringir y limitar la efectividad de un verdadero movimiento cuando suceda. En estos tiempos, es vital que construyamos todo lo que hacemos

sobre la fundación de La Palabra de Dios. No estoy tratando de criticar cualquier movimiento del pasado o presente. Mi meta hoy es equiparlos con conocimiento y entendimiento para que puedan identificar a un verdadero movimiento de Dios.

IMAGÍNESE

A USTED MANEJANDO A SU LUGAR

favorito de verano. Cuando esta como a 30 millas de su destino, usted ve su primera señal con el nombre de la ciudad. Qué hace usted? Poner los breques, resbalarse en la cuneta y saltar al rotulo? Espero que no! Sin embargo, en el cuerpo de Cristo, parece que nos hemos convertido en cazadores de señales. A la primera señal de un “milagro” o de lo “sobrenatural”, traemos todo Visit the homepage: The Voice Magazine

a un alto de manera que podamos tomar fotos de la señal, bailamos alrededor de la señal y hasta construimos iglesias en honor de la señal. Que tontos nos hemos hecho!. El propósito de una señal es revelar una localidad. Señales espirituales no son diferentes. Cuando veas una señal espiritual, es meramente indicando el camino donde Dios quiere que vayas.

JESÚS

DIJO EN

MATEO 12:39, “UNA

MALA Y

adultera generación busca una señal, pero ninguna señal le será dada, pero la señal del profeta Jonás. Jesús no dijo que estaban en un “poco de error”. El los llamo MALVADOS Y ADULTEROS! Lo que está diciendo es que si están buscando por una señal, estas mostrando amor por la señal

T H E

V O I C E

EN EL VIEJO TESTAMENTO, LA GENTE TENÍA

que vivir por señales. Ellos no tenían un espíritu renacido de Dios para darles dirección a través de un testimonio interno (Efesios 3; 16) Ellos necesitaban señales externas de Dios para poder saber dónde ir y qué hacer. Moisés siguió a una nube de fuego y Gedeón puso cueros de ovejas, pero Pablo simplemente oro en lenguas y fortaleció su hombre interior (1 Corintios 14:18). Entonces el procedió a escribir dos tercios del Nuevo Testamento! En Proverbios David escribe proféticamente que el espíritu del hombre es la candela del Señor y descubre todas las partes íntimas de nuestras entrañas. Como Cristianos del Nuevo Testamento con la naturaleza del Espíritu de Dios habitando en nosotros, no tenemos que buscar por señales externas. Nosotros simplemente sabemos en nuestro “CONOCER”. Somos llamados a caminar por fe y no por lo que vemos (2Corintios:5:7) significa que seguimos la dirección del Espíritu que habita en nosotros.

EL NUEVO TESTAMENTO NO SOLAMENTE NOS

dice las señales que son de Dios, sino que nos muestra las señales que son usadas en diferentes situaciones. Hay señales que siguen a los creyentes (Marcos 16:17), y hay señales para el no creyente (1Cor.14:22), y hay dones del Espíritu que son operaciones del gobierno y poder del Espíritu Santo. (1Cor.12 y Efesios 4).

SEÑALES

VIENEN DE DIFERENTES FUENTES Y

sirven a diferentes propósitos. Algunas son señales que regulan el conducir, otras son rótulos que advierten y otras son señales que nos dicen que y donde las cosas están localizadas. Todas estas señales son legítimas, pero no son de las mismas personas. En lo sobrenatural, hay tantas señales pero no son todas de Dios. Como saber la diferencia entre una legitima señal de Dios y solamente un rotulo? en vez de por el cual que te da la señal. Estas actualmente entrampando con la verdad. Eres un adultero, buscando beneficios de algo con el cual no tienes una relación verdadera.

C UANTAS I GLESIAS

“ CRUZADAS “ SE

HAN

concentrado en las “señales” que se han convertido en adúlteros de la Verdad?

EN NUESTRO MUNDO SENSITIVO A LOS MEDIOS DE

comunicación, tenemos rótulos por dondequiera que pueden distraernos de nuestro enfoque real. Si estamos mirando intensamente a un rotulo, podemos perder la señal del otro conductor y causar un desastre. Cuando la señal se convierte en el enfoque, perdemos visión del verdadero destino.

DOMINGO MIENTRAS ESTABA PREDICANDO

en mi Iglesia, justo cuando señalé a uno de los abanicos, alguien lo encendió. Ahora, yo se que algunas personas lo tomaron como una señal “del viento del Espíritu moviéndose”. No, fue meramente una coincidencia. Le llamo “las señales de Santa Claus” porque es como un niño se convence a sí mismo de que Santa es real porque la leche y las galletas no están a la mañana siguiente cuando se despierta. Cuando quieres algo con mucha fuerza, las circunstancias pueden alinearse para soportar tus esperanzas de que sea verdad. Si estas buscando por una señal, el diablo se asegurara de darte una. Yo creo absolutamente en señales proféticas y sobrenaturales, pero también se como medirlas con mi espíritu nacido de nuevo.

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Muchos signos te llevan a un punto muerto. Es importante de acordarse que hay un mundo real y espiritual, y Dios no es el unico poniendo signos en el camino espiritual. HE

CONOCIDO MIEMBROS DE LA FAMILIA Y

amigos- buena gente, muchos de los cuales aman a Jesús sinceramente- pero que visitan síquicos. Esos síquicos fueron capaces de decirles la razón por la cual estaban allí, que buscaban y el resultado de la situación, y todo fue cierto. Significica esto que debemos consultar a síquicos? Por supuesto que NO! Los síquicos operan con ayuda demoniaca, espíritus familiares, no del Espíritu Santo. Los poderes demoniacos pueden ser reales, no solamente imitaciones sin poder. En ningún lugar en las escrituras encontramos joyas apareciendo, polvos de oro cayendo, gente actuando como animales, estigmatas { sangre o aceite saliendo de las manos de la gente como las heridas de Cristo), amistades con ángeles o ángeles especiales que llevan unciones especiales.

ESTOS

SON

“LETREROS”

SEÑALES

QUE HAN

sido puestos por otros poderes sobrenaturales pero que no encajan en la realidad de Dios. Lo importante es reconocer que estas falsas señales parecen tan reales como las otras. Alguna vez has seguido un letrero buscando por algún restaurante o café y cuando llegas allí encuentras que no existe? Solo porque la señal es real no quiere decir que viene de Dios o que te lleva hacia Dios. Muchas señales te llevan a callejones sin salidas. Es importante recordar que hay un mundo espiritual real y Dios no es el único que pone señales en tu camino espiritual.

ME TOMES A MAL;

HE VISTO A

DIOS

hacer algunas cosas muy interesantes. He visto personas sanadas y liberadas. He visto milagros que simplemente son inexplicables. Sin embargo, hay un común denominador en todo lo que Dios hace… Su Palabra. La respuesta de Dios es siempre en línea con su Palabra. Y Su Palabra traerá una verdadera transformación en las vidas de sus gentes.

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SI HAY ALGO QUE SE, ES QUE HAY GENTE QUE

puede ser completamente ignorante y operar en el Espíritu. Una vez trabaje para un gran hombre Dios. El amaba a Jesús y quería vivir correcto delante de Él. Una vez el estaba en el hospital con neumonía y tuvo una visión del Señor Jesucristo con sus espaldas llagadas y sangrientas. El me describió esta visión con tanto detalle, aun recordando el contraste de la sangre roja con el verde del pasto. No tengo duda de que era una visión verdadera de Dios. El problema es que el ignoraba como interpretar la visión. El pensó que quería decir que si Jesús había estado dispuesto a sufrir tanto por el, entonces el debería estar dispuesto a sufrir de neumonía por Jesús. Qué triste? La visión le mostraba que Jesús ya había llevado todas sus enfermedades y sanado todas sus dolencias para fortalecer su fe, pero porque el carecía de entendimiento, este hombre lo capto muy mal!

HE CONOCIDO OTRAS PERSONAS QUE AMAN a Dios

genuinamente, pero se distrajeron por los letreros estrategias de Satanás. Esas buenas personas querían experimentar un poderoso movimiento de Dios, tanto que se enredaron en la inestabilidad del avivamiento que ocurría al momento. He observado a muchos excitarse acerca de “algo

No. 4

E S P A Ñ O L

CUALQUIER

nuevo” y después desalentarse (y algunas veces profundamente adoloridos) acerca del resultado. Desafortunadamente, también he visto muchos de estas personas que se han decepcionado tanto que han perdido completamente contacto con el Plan de Dios para sus vidas. Consideremos a William Branham, el gran evangelista en sanación en los años 1940. El empezó persiguiendo a Dios, pero después empezó a experimentar visitaciones de ángeles. El fue engañado y empezó a creerse el Profeta Elías. Por este engaño muchos creyentes empezaron a dudar de si la voluntad de Dios era sanarlos. Esto es exactamente lo que el enemigo intenta; desacreditar a Dios, destruir ministerios, y alejar a la gente de la Fe.

TEXTO QUE TOMEMOS FUERA DE

contexto es un pretexto. Lo mismo que una señal. Cualquier señal tomada fuera de contexto (bueno o malo) es un pretexto y puede traernos problemas. Ese es el problema de depender en señales. Pueden ser interpretadas incorrectamente. Pueden venir de gente equivocada. Podemos construir un templo y alabar a la señal y nunca llegar a nuestra meta diseñada por Dios. DEBEMOS aprender a caminar por fe por el Espíritu. Debemos comprender como discernir señales y compararlas con nuestro manual de instrucción. Debemos mantener nuestro enfoque en donde Dios nos está guiando y no quedarnos entrampados en lo sobrenatural que nos rodea en el camino. DAVID COKER has a refreshing voice and the heart of spiritual father. He is a 1985 RHEMA graduate and the founding apostle of Gateway Believers Fellowship in Carnesville, Ga. He is also pioneered Breakthrough Apostolic Ministries Network (B.A.M.), A relational network of apostolic ministries. His ministry can be reached at www. gatewaybelievers.com.

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FUEGO P. 66

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EXTRAÑO POR JONAS CLARK

ucha gente está persiguiendo el ministerio profético y parece que no hay falta de confusión alrededor de su apropiada función. Aunque fueras llamado al ministerio profético o solo estas sirviendo a Cristo con todo tu corazón, te enfrentaras con muchos problemas. Aun cosas extrañas que necesitaran mucho discernimiento espiritual durante tu camino con Dios. Discernimiento espiritual viene del Espíritu Santo y encuentras confirmación en muchas escrituras a través de la escrita Palabra de Dios. DÉJAME

DECIRTE ESTO:

EL ESPÍRITU SANTO

no es algo extraño, raro o místico. El es la tercera

parte de la Trinidad. El es un caballero, un hombre de Estado y un amante espíritu quien levanta a Cristo, el único engendrado Hijo de Dios. El no es una presencia femenina. El no es una “cosa”, “sentimiento” “niebla “o fuerza.

L A H ISTORIA

HA INTRODUCIDO MUCHOS

líderes divagantes con extrañas manifestaciones. Tu ventaja es 4,000 años de historia bíblica, desde Adán hasta Cristo, para servirte como guía de precisión. Una piedra angular para permanecer bíblico es usar la historia escrita como tu fundación para medir la verdad. Cuando pasan cosas extrañas, busca en La Palabra por ejemplos bíblicos. Si no puedes encontrarlos, entonces algo esta terriblemente malo.

EXPERIENCIAS,

AUN VIVIDAS , PODEROSAS Y

sobrenaturales no son medidoras de la verdad. En mi generación he visto reuniones donde había polvo de oro, plumas, piedras preciosas y gente latiendo y rugiendo como leones. La búsqueda a través de las escrituras no da evidencia de wwww.thevoicemagazine.com

que el Espíritu Santo usa ninguna de esas manifestaciones para confirmar la resurrección de Cristo. Estos son solo unos pocos ejemplos del fuego extraño.

ALGUIEN

TE PUEDE DECIR QUE LAS COSAS DE

Espíritu no se pueden entender por el hombre natural. Esto no es cierto porque el Espíritu Santo si puede ser entendido. El nunca viola la Palabra escrita. Las cosas del Espíritu son entendidas

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LOS GRUPOS PROFÉTICOS

DE JEZABEL Y

BALÍN

– y otros que te encontraras- tienen todo tipo de cosas extrañas, señales y maravillas en sus reuniones. Solamente recuerda que no toda maravilla, no importa cuán mística ni excitante, es del Espíritu Santo (1ª de juan4:1). Aun milagros legítimos en reuniones no confirman el que estos ministros estén fluyendo correctamente. Las escrituras dicen, “ Muchos me dirán en ese día, Señor, Señor, que no profetizamos en tu nombre? Y en tu nombre expulsamos demonios? Y en tu nombre hicimos muchas maravillas? Y yo les contestare, nunca te conocí: apártate de mí, hacedores de iniquidad” (Mateo 7:22-23)

UNA

PA RT I C U L A R I DA D E N T R E A L G U N O S

ministros es el amor al dinero que paga por sus estilos de vida extravagante. Algunos que abrazan estos espíritus son mercaderes. Mercaderes venden profecías, sanaciones, aceites religiosos, pociones y varios productos que reenfuerzan el mensaje. Típicamente ellos trabajan dentro de sus propias redes, enfocando en sacar de la gente todo el dinero que sea posible. Tienen toda clase de trucos para manipular a la gente. Siempre reclutando seguidores que se enlisten en sus grupos. He visto algunos trabajar con mucha malicia para robar a la gente de Dios.

UN JOVEN LE LLAMAREMOS SCOTT, SE ASOCIO

con una de estas redes de mercaderes. El vino a visitarme recientemente buscando arrepentirse. Scott ofreció sus papeles de ordenación de los varios ministros dentro de la red y renunciando a su participación. Paso después a revelar el propósito de sus muchas conferencias: recaudar dinero, no para avanzar el ministerio de Cristo. Después de estos servicios los organizadores dividen las ofrendas entre ellos mismos. Scott me sorprendió cuando compartió la mentalidad de estos mercaderes. Ellos creen que la cantidad de dinero que recaudan confirma el nivel de la unción profética.

POR VARIAS HORAS, SCOTT HABLO DE MUCHOS

por el logos, la Biblia (Hebreos 4:12) Otra vez, el Espíritu Santo no es extraño raro o místico.

PROFETAS DE DECEPCION

En mi generación, Jezabel y Balín profetas eran los enemigos predominantes del verdadero ministerio profético. En los últimos 20 anos estos espíritus se han hecho más sofisticados. Ellos han construidos sus propias redes de iglesias, seguidores y escuelas de entrenamiento.

Ellos han escrito libros y producido muchos videos de entrenamiento. Estos espíritus intentan sabotear al ministerio profético y revelarse como los “expertos” en ese medio. Ellos condenan criticismo como irrelevante, falto de amor, ignorante y critico. Espero que al tiempo de leer este material usted se dar cuenta de la locura y escapara de sus decepciones. Probablemente las cosas empeoraran, y usted encontrara que son su oponente más fuerte. wwww.thevoicemagazine.com

individuos algunos bien conocidos y otros oscuros. El divulgo numerosas estrategias malas en reuniones a través de la nación. Aprendí que ellos se mercadean entre ellos mismos. Ellos buscan por jóvenes ingenuos para volverlos demonios como ellos. Hay toda clase de males trabajando entre bastidores entre esta gente. Ellos miran y escuchan videos con la intención de aprender las maneras de hablar y actuar de los verdaderos ministros del evangelio para imitarlos. (Jeremías 23:30) evítalos y no te reúnas con ellos. Ten cuidado de sus halagos y sonrisas. Al principio te halagaran. Si surte

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efecto, te mercadearan. Solo recuerda que si aceptas sus halagos te pueden comprar. Los servidores de Cristo no son prostitutas.

ESPÍRITU DE RECHAZO PUEDE

atacarte SI estos líderes te dan la espalda. Si te sientes así piensa de esta manera, rechazo es protección. No necesitas la aprobación de nadie a excepción de la de Cristo. Los servidores de Dios no se compran a ningún precio! No trates de aprender nada de ellos. No eres un síquico, ni místico, ni espiritista. Tú eres un ministro de Cristo. Tienes la responsabilidad de usar tus dones como un fiel miembro servidor del cuerpo de Cristo. El propósito de la unción es establecer y avanzar el Reino de Dios, dar testimonio del amor de Dios y confirmar al mundo la resurrección de Cristo nuestro Salvador. Los verdaderos profetas son también llamados a volver los corazones de los hombres hacia Dios, a caminar en santidad, enfrentar el pecado y construir la Iglesia de Cristo. Evita la fama, los elogios de hombres y vana gloria y ten en cuenta tus motivaciones en todas las cosas. (Proverbios 4:12)

Dios. Ellos no necesitan objetos de las ropas de la gente, cabellos o fotos para asistirlos en sus declaraciones proféticas. Ni tampoco proyectos astrales dentro del mundo espiritual. Verdaderos profetas no se mezclan con las enseñanzas de la Nueva Era acerca del dios-ego, o tratan de desenllavar secretos escondidos dentro de las escrituras. Ellos no venden profecías, pociones ni elixires. Ellos no son ocultistas, médiums o chamanes. Los ocultistas buscan secretos escondidos y el “conocimiento de lo oculto”. Ellos usan varios métodos para encontrar oscuras “verdades” como numerología y la lectura de símbolos y letras del idioma Hebreo. Numerología es el estudio de la relación entre números y objetos que los espiritualistas necesitan para adivinación. Los practicantes de Kabala por ejemplo, buscan por el conocimiento de lo oculto en números y símbolos. Esto no es bíblico!

FLUJO DEL

PROFETA

DEL

NUEVO

Testamento es primeramente usado para edificación, exhortación y consolar (1 Corintios 14:13). Este don también ayuda a convertir el logos, la palabra escrita, a rema, la palabra viviente, la voluntad del Espíritu Santo. Nuevamente, los profetas de Nuevo Testamento no son síquicos. Un síquico usa poderes demoniacos para profetizar. Como ya dijimos, profetas no son místicos; un místico es aquel que usa falsificaciones espirituales para aparecer como que tienen un acceso especial al favor de Dios.

LOS FALSOS PROFETAS PUEDEN LANZAR

HE VISTO GENTE USAR EL CALENDARIO

PROFETAS VERDADEROS SON LLAMADOS A VOLTEAR EL CORAZON DE LA GENTE A DIOS, CAMINAR EN SANTIDAD, CONFRONTAR PECADO Y EDIFICAR LA IGLESIA DE CRISTO. DEBEN DE EVITAR FAMA, ELOGIOS DE HOMBRES Y GLORIA EN VANO, Y CUIDAR SUS MOTIVOS EN TODAS COSAS (PROVERBIOS 4:23).

miedo y maldiciones. He oído algunos decirle a la gente que están en peligro si no obedecen sus palabras proféticas. Este tipo de cosas no son más que brujerías. Átalas y continúa con Jesús. Ningún profeta es ungido por el Espíritu Santo para maldecir a las personas. Pablo dijo” no bendigan no maldigan” (Romanos12:14) Maldecir es una señal segura de un falso profeta. Balín, un verdadero profeta que se malogro y por ello perdió su vida. Dios no manda tormentas, huracanes y terremotos para juzgar a la gente, ciudades y naciones por sus pecados. Jesús dijo

que estas cosas aumentarían antes de su regreso. Si, un día habrá un juicio de los vivos y muertos pero el miedo no lleva a las personas a Cristo. Son las buenas nuevas de la amorosa benevolencia de Dios y su ofrecimiento de perdón de pecados a los que se arrepienten. (Juan 3:16)

BUSCANDO SECRETOS ESCONDIDOS

Los Profetas de Cristo dependen solamente en el Espíritu Santo y en la Palabra escrita de wwww.thevoicemagazine.com

Hebreo y sus símbolos anuales para profetizar eventos del año venidero. Esto no es el trabajo del Espíritu Santo, sino que señales de brujería de la antigua Babilonia. La escritura dice que los secretos pertenecen a nuestro Señor y lo que Él ha escogido revelar está en su Palabra, solo ocultistas buscan por lo prohibido.”Las cosas secretas pertenecen al Señor nuestro Dios: pero las cosas que son reveladas pertenecen a nosotros y a nuestros hijos para siempre, para que podamos hacer todos sus mandamientos de la ley”. (Deuteronomio 29:29)

A LGUNAS

COSAS NO PODRÁN SER

discernidas fácilmente. En algunos casos se tendrá que esperar hasta que los frutos aparezcan (Mateo 7:17) Mientras se espera por los frutos, recuerda que el Espíritu Santo no produce personas inestables, extraños ni raros. Ellos serán fuertes en el Señor y en el Poder de su Fuerza. Ellos estarán llenos de amor, poder y en sano juicio. (2 Timoteo 1:7)

T EN

CUIDADO CON MEZCLAS IMPÍAS . No prediques con maestros inmorales, predicadores, músicos o cantantes inmorales- y no te sientes en sus reuniones tampoco. Encontraras que algunos por error son muy talentosos pero el talento no invita la presencia del Espíritu Santo. Talento es visto en actuaciones de habilidad utilizadas para

T H E entretener. Entretenimiento, sin embargo, no cambia los corazones. Los profetas del Nuevo Testamento son llamados a volver los corazones hacia Cristo. No a poner un acto para la gente.

EVITA

EL ORO, LA GLORIA Y LAS MUCHACHAS.

Este es un viejo proverbio que te ayudara. Si, Dios te prosperara porque la obediencia a su palabra siempre trae una medida de prosperidad. Las escrituras dicen “El amor al dinero es la raíz de toda maldad”. Mientras ministras, no olvides que la gloria pertenece a Dios. La escritura nos recuerda “el no comparte su gloria con nadie” (Isaias42:8). Finalmente, cuídate de los pecados sexuales. Cuando te cases, se fiel a tu esposa de tu juventud. El pecado sexual ha destruido ministerios de miles de gentes aun antes de que tú vinieras a esta tierra. Te puede destruir a ti también.

PULIDO ESPECTACULO

Como ya dijimos, evita el fuego extraño, pues es la introducción a algo extranjero dentro del ministerio, del mensaje, de la iglesia, profecía, oración, ofrenda o dentro de la “unción”. Los hijos de Aron , Nadab y Abihu, ofrecieron fuego extraño y perdieron sus vidas. (Levítico 10: 110). El ministerio es un ministerio santo con servidores santos sirviendo a Dios.

V O I C E

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DON DEL PROFETA NO ES PONER UN

espectáculo. Los profetas no son artistas. Los profetas embusteros son artistas y saben cómo trabajar al público. Pulido espectáculo, no importa cuán místico, aparentemente espiritual o entretenido, no es la unción. Usted puede vivir en una época donde la diferencia no es my clara y Dios te puede usar para traer clarificación. Algunos reavivamientos atraen fuego extraño .Puedes leer la historia del reavivamiento de Welch en Whales y la de Azuza en Norte América como ejemplos de fuego extraño que entro en las reuniones.

C UANDO

NO ESTÁS SEGURO DE LAS COSAS

ten cuidado de los ministerios de jóvenes y busca el consejo de los viejos ministros, esos santos de pelo canoso que han estado caminando con Cristo por largo tiempo. Los más seguros son aquellos que han estado en el ministerio un mínimo de 25 anos y tienen un fruto constante. No veas a los principiantes aunque parezcan que son altamente ungidos (1 Timoteo 3:6) Yo he visto a estos jóvenes “superestrellas” ir y venir. La carrera de los ministros de Dios es larga. Es un maratón que se acaba al llegar a la meta del Cielo. LOS PROFETAS JEZABEL Y BALÍN SE presentaran como los expertos en las cosas más extrañas.

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También debes Saber de que el movimiento del Espíritu Santo no es confirmado por el número de gente que atiende Estas reuniones o por la representación de celebridades cristianas. Solamente por la Palabra, testimonio Y el fruto es que puedes estar seguro. Aun el fruto puede engañarte. Como dijimos antes busca por fruto Constante, vidas cambiadas, salvaciones y gloria solo para Cristo.

ALGO DE LO QUE HE ESCRITO PROBABLEMENTE

te ha entristecido. Esto es bueno. Si no, entonces hay algo Malo; si vas a caminar cerca con Dios, será necesario que mueras por dentro a través del camino. Muchas cosas te entristecerán. Lamentaciones, luto y dolor serán tus compañeros. Esto te impulsara a Interceder por las vidas de tus hermanos y hermanas en el Señor. Las buenas noticias son que puedes Llegar y dar honor a Cristo en el camino. El Apóstol Pablo lo dijo mejor, “Camina digno de la vocación por La cual has sido llamado, con humildad, mansedumbre, largo sufrimiento, sobrellevando los unos a otros En amor. Esforzándose para mantener la unidad del Espíritu y la paz (Efesios 4:1-3)

EVITA EL EXTRAÑO FUEGO Y ESTATE ATENTO A la venida del Rey de Gloria, el Autor y Terminador de tu Fe, Jesucristo nuestro Señor.

Click these links to order: NextLevelProphetic.com, TheVoiceBooks.com.

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C O L U M N A

LA VIDA APOSTOLICA

RITMOS TRANQUILIZANTES

DE GRACIA Como sobreponerse al espíritu de cansancio. P OR J ENNIFER L E C LAIRE

i alguna vez te has sentido cansado, estas en buena compañía. Moisés se canso de tener sus manos alzadas cuando los Israelitas peleaban contra los Amalequitas (Éxodos 17:11-13).

JOB SE SINTIÓ CANSADO EN MEDIO

vencido. El cansancio distorsiona tu perspectiva. Te hace mirar al mundo- y tal vez a tu iglesia- con ojos turbios. Cansancio tiene amigos llamados desaliento y confusión y los tres cantan una canción que suena algo así:

de su tribulación desgarradora de su corazón (Job 10:1). Y David se sintió cansado con sus gemidos tanto así que remojo la almohada con sus lagrimas y empapo sus sabanas con su llanto (Salmos 6:6). Eso sí que es cansancio!

“!ESTOY PONIENDO TODO DE MI

QUE ES EL CANSANCIO? FORTALEZA

H AS

agotada. Resistencia fallida. Vigor acabado. El cansancio trae consigo espíritus de pesadez y fatiga que te hacen sentir y querer darte por

parte y no estoy llegando a ningún lado. La única luz al final del túnel es una locomotora arrollándome. Nada va a cambiar así que mejor dejo de tratar. Ya no sé ni lo que estoy supuesto a hacer ¡” OÍDO ALGUNA VEZ ESTE

refrán, o algo similar? Es fácil formar un quarteto con estas voces- y aun ser el líder. Cantaran la cansada canción a cualquiera que

El cansancio trae consigo espíritus de pesadez y fatiga que te hacen sentir y querer darte por vencido. El cansancio distorsiona tu perspectiva. Te hace mirar al mundo- y tal vez a tu iglesia- con ojos turbios. escuche. Otros soldados cansados se unirán al coro y agregaran nuevos versos. Recuerden la vieja canción, “nadie conoce el problema que he visto… nadie conoce mis tristezas”? Creo que va al tiempo de Job, pero muchos de nosotros todavía la cantan de vez en cuando.

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MIRA,

SI ESTÁS HACIENDO ALGO

grande para el Señor – sea dirigiendo un ministerio internacional o dirigiendo una casa de madrepadre soltero- puedes esperar que cansancio visite tu domicilio. Jesús dijo hace 2,000 anos que la cosecha es abundante pero los obreros son pocos. Desafortunadamente, no

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mucho ha cambiado al respecto, desde sus días en la tierra.

ENTONCES,

QUE ES LO QUE UN

creyente apostólico debe hacer cuando cansancio viene cantando esa canción? Bien, dobla tus medias de “súper-cristiano” y tú capa en tu guardarropa. En otras palabras, descansa a las primeras señales de cansancio. Recuerda, cansancio es el primer alto en el camino a agotamiento. Dios nos manda a guardar el Sabbath, una vez a la semana. Aun Jesús se sintió cansado algunas veces y él es el Hijo de Dios.

R ECUERDAS

CUANDO

J ESÚS

sus discípulos iban caminando de Judea a Galilea? El grupo apostólico tenía que viajar a través de Samaria. Jesús llego a una ciudad llamada Sychar cerca de un pedazo de tierra que Jacob dio a José. El pozo de Jacob estaba allí. “Jesús, cansado del viaje, se sentó a descansar al lado del pozo. Era cerca de la sexta hora (mediodía) (Juan 4:36 AMP). Jesús estaba cansado, y era solo mediodía! Así que toma un descanso. Está bien que descanses si estas cansado.

AUN JESÚS

ALENTÓ A SUS

apóstoles a descansar. “Y el les dijo, aléjense a solas aun lugar desierto y descansen por un rato- pues muchos iban y venían continuamente sin tener tiempo ni para comer. Y se fueron en el barco a un lugar solitario.” (Marcos 6:32 AMP) Puedo oírlos a ustedes ahora mismo decir “mándenme ese bote por aquí!”

AHORA,

SI TE VAS EN ESE BOTE

y descansas por un rato y sigues agotado, bien amigo, tenemos un caso diferente. El escritor de Hebreos nos advierte no agotarnos porque podríamos perder ánimo de corazón y desmayar en nuestras mentes (Hebreos 12:3). Claro

Si estas agotado, Jesús esta llamándote. Te está diciendo, “ estas cansado? Agotado? Quemado con religión? Ven a mí. Vente conmigo y recobraras tu vida. Yo te enseñare a descansar realmente.” que el enemigo planea atacarnos mientras estamos cansados y débiles (2 Samuel 17:1-3). Yo creo que agotamiento trae a sus primos desanimo y confusión y la melodía es tan miserable como la más triste música que has oído cantar.

TÚ

SABES YA LA RESPUESTA AL

agotamiento. Es la Palabra de Dios. Mientras busco en la Biblia, me da animo y aliento (lo opuesto a desanimo y confusión) y es el remedio para el agotamiento. La Biblia está llena de promesas para el soldado agotado. Así que prepara tus cuerdas vocales y alístate a cantar estos versos al enemigo la próxima vez que estés cansado.

“QUE

NO SABES?

QUE

NO HAS

oído, que el Dios Eterno, El Señor, El Creador de los confines de la tierra, no desfallece, ni se fatiga

con cansancio, y su entendimiento no hay quien lo alcance. El da fuerza al ansado y multiplica las fuerzas del que no tiene ninguna. Los jóvenes se fatigan y se cansan, flaquean y caen pero los que esperan en el Señor tendrán nuevas fuerzas; Alzaran a volar como las águilas, correrán y no se cansaran; caminaran y no desmayaran.” (Isaías 40:28-31)

TENEMOS UNA PARTE QUE JUGAR.

Tenemos que esperar en el Señor. Me gusta como lo dice la Biblia Amplificada, expande en la palabra “espera”: esperar con expectación, buscar, poner tus esperanzas en El. Cuando David estaba en una tierra desierta, no había agua el busco desesperadamente a Dios, clamando, “Mi alma tiene sed de ti, mi cuerpo te anhela.” (Salmos 63:1 NIV) El oraba a Dios,”Fortaleceme

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de acuerdo a tu palabra.” (Salmos 119:28 NIV)

ESTAS AGOTADO,

JESÚS

ESTA

llamándote. Te está diciendo, “ estas cansado? Agotado? Quemado con religión? Ven a mí. Vente conmigo y recobraras tu vida. Yo te enseñare a descansar realmente.” Camina conmigo y déjame enseñarte como yo lo hago. Aprende el ritmo de gracia. Yo no te daré nada pesado sobre ti. Acompáñame y aprenderás a vivir libremente (Mateo 11:28-30 MSG).

RITMO DE GRACIA NO FORZADO…

me gusta esa promesa. Déjame terminar con otra promesa de Gálatas 6:9 “No nos cansemos ni agotemos ni desmayemos de hacer el bien noblemente, pues a su debido tiempo hemos de cosechar, si no perdemos coraje y desmayamos.”

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MY ABSURD RELIGION

by Steve Gray

Steve Gray takes on the popular religious system. Pulling back the curtain, Gray reveals the inner motives and absurdities of religion in America! Finally someone is saying what we’ve all been thinking! TIME Magazine, Newsweek, Charisma, The 700 Club, TBN, Daystar and numerous others have documented Grays experience bringing people a religion that works! Get your copy today! SPECIAL OFFERS AVAILABLE!

ORDER INFORMATION: Visit www.myabsurdreligion.com or www.stevegrayministries.com E-mail: mediarelations@ stevegrayministries.com

DUMBING US DOWN

by John Gatto

The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling - With over 70,000 copies of the ﬁrst edition in print, this radical treatise on public education has been a New Society Publishers’ bestseller for 10 years! Thirty years in New York City’s public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine. This second edition describes the wide-spread impact of the book and Gatto’s “guerrilla teaching.”

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S e c t i o n

VOICES CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS by Alison Teed God’s call for you is to keep advancing with boldness. Fear, lack of knowledge, uncertainty and oppression may be holding you back. But, God is calling you to step out and move forward WITHOUT FEAR. This Holy Spirit inspired text will motivate you to stand strong in uprightness, courage tenacity and faithfulness. Jesus is longing for you to step into the ranks - by His side - to advance His Kingdom. This book is a prophecy for this hour and - the hour to come.

To order call: 866.909.2665 Ext. 1173 or visit: www.xulonpress.com, Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com E-mail: wepublish-it@hotmail.com

THE SEVEN PILLARS OF HEALTH by Dr. Don Colbert What you can do for yourself concerning your health, God will not do. It’s up to you to do it now. Most diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and inadequate sleep. This book, based on best-selling author Dr. Don Colbert’s life message, reveals seven fundamental principles that will enable people to walk in and enjoy the health God intended. Dr. Colbert explains the body’s vital need for: Water, Sleep and rest, Living food, Exercise, Detoxiﬁcation, Supplements and Coping with stress.

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Voices )))))) MUCH MORE THAN A JOB

by Dr. W. Paul “Buddy” Crum

The “workplace” is the arena in which most people spend the majority of their time and where the Gospel is needed most. This author is a visionary leader with a heart to empower people in the marketplace and fulﬁll the great commission. A successful business background makes Dr. Buddy Crum uniquely qualiﬁed to help develop marketplace ministry. Change your destiny today as you discover your mission to the marketplace for good success.

Order Now! www.lifecenter.org Barnes & Noble Borders Book Store www.buddycrum.com

BECAUSE THEY HATE

by Brigitte Gabriel

A Christian Arab journalist who witnessed the deadly beginnings of fundamentalist Islam issues a passionate wakeup call to America. Brigitte warns that radical Islam will stop at nothing short of domination of all non-Muslim countries. She points out mistakes the West has made in consistently underestimating the single-mindedness with which fundamentalist Islam has pursued its goals over the past thirty years. Gabriel outlines the history, social movements, and religious divisions that have led to this critical historical conﬂict. Fiercely articulate and passionately committed, she refuses to stand silently by while it happens here.

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M I NOI SNT - FRI RY E DCIHRUERCCTHO R Y M I N I S T RY D I R E C TO RY THE VOICE Ministry & Church Directory is also online: www.thevoicemagazine.com

Locate an On-Fire Church or Ministry in your City, State or Country.

C o n n e c t i n g Minis tr ies, Lea der s a nd B e l i e v e r s W o r l d wid e COLORADO FLORIDA (Cont’d) DELAWARE INDIANA

FLORIDA Christ’s Kingdom Life Center International Apostle Leslie Brown III Hollywood, Florida (954) 963-1355 communitymission@bellsouth.net Prophetic Revival Center Pastor/Prophetess Sandra Moore Miami, Florida (305) 248-0033 www.sandramoore.org Restoration World Outreach Ministries Apostle Steve & Michelle Lyston Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (954) 297-9552 Jamaica (876) 754-0500(1) rwominc@yahoo.com Resurrection Life Family Worship Center Apostle Trevor & Pastor Martha Banks Fort Pierce, Florida (772) 465-0036 www.trbanks.com

Spirit of Life Ministries Apostle Jonas & Pastor Rhonda Clark Hallandale Beach, Florida (954) 456-4420 www.jonasclark.com GEORGIA Sandy Hall Ministries Rev. Sandy Hall Jonesboro, Georgia (678) 479-6472 www.sandyhallministries.com Gateway Believers Fellowship Apostle David Coker Carnesville, Georgia (706) 384-5242 www.gatewaybelievers.com Dr. Kluane Spake Jubilee Alliance Atlanta, Georgia (678) 478-4958 www.kluane.org ILLINOIS Faith Center Apostle Don Lyon Rockford, Illinois (815) 964-8000 www.rockfordfaithcenter.com

Sharejoy Ministries International Pastor Andra Maxwell Fort Lauderdale, Florida (954) 825-7189 andramc@hotmail.com

Whole Truth Gospel Tabernacle Bishop Kevin B. Wise, Sr. Gary, Indiana (219) 884-1353 www.wholetruthgospeltabernaclehc.org MARYLAND Redeemer International Family Church Pastors Chris and MaryEllen Geeslin Frederick, Maryland (301) 514-2759 www.RedeemerFamily.org MINNESOTA Five-Fold Ministries Bishop Mark & Kathryn Shaw Rochester, Minnesota (888) 808-5455 www.5fold.org LOUISIANA AEGA International Headquarters Dr. Henry Harbuck, General Overseer Monroe, Louisiana (800) 842-5176 www.aega.org MISSISSIPPI End Time World Ministries International Apostle James & Prophetess Theresa Jones South Haven, Mississippi (901) 628-6969 jamesjones1027@yahoo.com

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M I N I S T RY D I R E C T O RY

Praise to the King Ministries, Inc. Apostle Nailah & Pastor Wayne Gilliam Wilmington, Delaware (302) 571-0695 www.praisetothekingministries.org

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M I N I S T RY D I R E C TO RY NEBRASKA Zion Restoration Int’l Ministries Apostle Donnetta Mathis Lincoln, Nebraska (402) 435-4260 www.zrimhome.org NORTH CAROLINA

MINISTRY DIRECTORY

HE VOICE Activate Church Pastor Jorge Parrott Charlotte, North Carolina (704) 517-2557 www.activatechurch.org Heart House Ministries Apostle Noland M. & Prophetess Jo E. Owens Raleigh, North Carolina (919) 413-5260 hearthousenc@aol.com Healing Rain Ministry Prophet Michael and Lyn Bacon Wake Forest, North Carolina (919) 671-3614 www.healingrainministry.org OHIO Believer’s Church International Apostle O. Michael & Prophetess Beverly Smith Deﬁance, Ohio (419) 782-9723 www.believerschurchinternational.org Judah Tabernacle Pastors Jeff & Louanne Leslie Columbus, Ohio (614) 492-6000 www.judahtabernacle.com OREGON Voice of the Trumpet Ministries Apostles Gary & Traci Carson Clackamas, Oregon (503) 630-4294 www.voiceofthetrumpet.org

PENNSYLVANIA Awake The Bride Ministries Lisa Jo Fanelli-Greer Grantham, Pennsylvania (717) 802-0922 lisajogreer@awakethebrideministries.com Jubilee Ministries International Apostle Mark & Pastor Jill Kauffman New Castle, Pennsylvania (724) 657-3884 www.jubileeministriesint.com Prevailing Word World Outreach Center Apostle David M. Young, Sr. & Pastor Diane Young New Castle, Pennsylvania (724) 658-5282 www.prevailingwordwoc.org SOUTH CAROLINA Disciples of Christ Evangelistic Church Apostle Daniel & Eva Harmon Elloree, South Carolina (803) 353-8681 Harvest Center Church Apostle Rufus & Bertha Smalls Summerville, South Carolina (843) 875-6238 RufusLSmalls@comcast.net World Harvest Ministries Apostle Alvin Green & Apostle Alva Green Columbia, South Carolina (803) 765-9090 www.worldharvestministries.org TENNESSEE Christ the King Inc Apostle Prega Gounden Dandridge, Tennessee (423) 790-9980 goundenprega@yahoo.com

Click www.thevoicemagazine.com to find more Churches and ministries online.

TEXAS Equippers Outreach Fellowship Apostle Jerry Adkins Weimar, Texas (979) 725-8233 pastorja@equippersoutreach.com VIRGINIA Cornerstone Ministries Prophetess Thialyn Reed Quinton, Virginia (804) 536-4945 Cornerstoneministries1@gmail.com Covenant Life Church Apostle Jeff H. & Prophetess Linda R. Herbert Alexandria, Virginia (703) 321-8092 www.covenant-life-church.org Mercy and Truth Ministries Apostles Eric & Johniene Miller Newport News, Virginia (757) 240-4695 www.matministriesva.org INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY BAHAMAS Bahamas Faith Ministries Dr. Myles Munroe Nassau, Bahamas (242) 341-6444 www.bfmmm.com HONDURAS Grace Life Ministries Pastors John Paul & Edith Yesenia DuBose Siguatepeque, Honduras (504) 773-4977 NICARAGUA Center of Christian Fellowship Apostle Arturo Sanchez Managua, Nicaragua (505) 265-7096 www.casabetesdanicaragua.com Redeemer International Ministries Apostles Chico Hernandez, Chris Geeslin Jenotepe, Carazo, Nicaragua (301) 514-2759 www.WinNicaragua.com

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