As watered down Believers we are led by Satan to believe that the
only time we deny Christ is when a gun is pointed at our head and we are
asked "Are you a Christian?" But nothing could be further from the
truth for we deny Christ many more times that we might ever believe.
100 Ways We Deny Christ
1. We fail to regularly read our Bible
2. We do not accept Him as our Lord & Savior.
3. We do not live like we accepted Him as our Lord & Savior.
4. We have a job and do not start a weekly Bible study at our office.
5. We don't invite our neighbors to church.
6. We don't serve at church.
7. We don't pray for others.
8. Jesus was not a mime. We think the way we live is enough.
9. We are a chameleon Christian bending this way and that.
10. We believe there are shades of gray in our faith walk.
11. We believe some Bible stories to be "just stories."
12. We look to hang out with the "in crowd."
13. We don't study God's word.
14. We believe science's story of evolution.
15. We see a sunset and fail to know the truth.
READ MORE to get the rest of the list
Monday, October 15, 2012
Why young people are setting time aside for faith
For those of us who came of age in the past decade, two forces have
us racing to keep up: First, we are immersed in a 24-hour cycle of news
and information with a constant flow of tweets and text messages,
cellphones clutched tightly in our hands like Linus’s blanket. And
second, we’re starting our adult lives in a world without enough
decent-paying jobs, where we might become the first generation in memory
to have less opportunity than our parents.
So it’s no wonder that many people our age struggle with the depression, anxiety and disconnection that come with living at a breakneck pace. As a 28-year-old Conservative rabbi and a 30-year-old Seventh-day Adventist minister, we’ve found that many are coping, at least in part, by turning to a rather old-fashioned prescription — religion and, in particular, observance of the Sabbath.
That may sound surprising. After all, sociologists and pollsters often find that, compared with previous generations, young people today are turning away from religious observance. Just this past week, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that rates of religious affiliation in the United States are falling; among those of us under 30, nearly one-third answer “none” when asked about our religion.
As a Seventh-day Adventist and a Jew, we find that the Sabbath brings spiritual discipline to our lives. Each week is punctuated by a day of conscious abstaining from the distracting, the noisy and the ordinary. Instead, we carve out time to focus on family, community, relaxation and reflection. For at least one-seventh of our lives, we put away our wallets, park our cars, shut down our digital devices and try our best to live like we already have everything we need to be happy and fulfilled.
An insistence on creating sacred time and space is one of the key components of nearly all faiths. Traditional Jews and many Christian denominations observe one day a week of sanctified rest. Muslims around the world pause five times a day to bow in prayer. Many religions derived from Eastern traditions include a daily meditative practice. While many Americans feel distant from religion, establishing fixed times for personal renewal has universal appeal.
READ MORE
So it’s no wonder that many people our age struggle with the depression, anxiety and disconnection that come with living at a breakneck pace. As a 28-year-old Conservative rabbi and a 30-year-old Seventh-day Adventist minister, we’ve found that many are coping, at least in part, by turning to a rather old-fashioned prescription — religion and, in particular, observance of the Sabbath.
That may sound surprising. After all, sociologists and pollsters often find that, compared with previous generations, young people today are turning away from religious observance. Just this past week, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that rates of religious affiliation in the United States are falling; among those of us under 30, nearly one-third answer “none” when asked about our religion.
As a Seventh-day Adventist and a Jew, we find that the Sabbath brings spiritual discipline to our lives. Each week is punctuated by a day of conscious abstaining from the distracting, the noisy and the ordinary. Instead, we carve out time to focus on family, community, relaxation and reflection. For at least one-seventh of our lives, we put away our wallets, park our cars, shut down our digital devices and try our best to live like we already have everything we need to be happy and fulfilled.
An insistence on creating sacred time and space is one of the key components of nearly all faiths. Traditional Jews and many Christian denominations observe one day a week of sanctified rest. Muslims around the world pause five times a day to bow in prayer. Many religions derived from Eastern traditions include a daily meditative practice. While many Americans feel distant from religion, establishing fixed times for personal renewal has universal appeal.
READ MORE
Former NY Mafia Boss to Share Why He Accepted Christ
Michael Franzese, a former Colombo family mobster, will speak at a large church in New Jersey this month, sharing why he walked away from organized crime after generating more money than anyone since Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone and decided to follow Jesus.
Franzese, previously highlighted as number 18 on Fortune magazine's list of "The Fifty Biggest Mafia Bosses," will share his dramatic testimony with nearly 2,500 people at Liquid Church in Morristown, N.J., on Oct. 21."Michael's story is a powerful one putting on display what happens when you go from a 'Goodfella' to a 'God-fella' -- that's the message we're illustrating this Sunday," Tim Lucas, lead pastor of Liquid Church, says in a statement.
Franzese will speak as part of a three-week series called "Gangsta," based on the life of the apostle Paul – a murderer who called himself the "chief of sinners"... but whom God ended up using to write much of the New Testament, the church says on its website.
As the former "Prince of the Mafia," Franzese faced dozens of grand jury appearances, three major racketeering indictments, five criminal trials, seven years in prison and a Mafia death sentence. However, in 1987, while in prison, he made a decision to walk away from the Colombo family and organized crime.
"It's rare to meet someone who leaves the Mob and lives to tell about it. But Michael's story is living proof that no one is beyond hope. God specializes in using people with dark pasts to bring light to the world," says Lucas.
READ MORE
'Unaffiliated' people may be churches' opportunity, local clergy says
Everyone chuckled when they thought the speaker had said something about "nuns on the rise."
But when they realized he had said "nones," instead of "nuns," the tone changed. "Nones" on the rise refers to the number of people in the United States who identify themselves as "religiously unaffiliated" or who check "none" on a survey about religion.
That number has risen significantly in the past five years, reaching a historic high of 1 in 5 adults. Even more telling, the "unaffiliated" group includes 1 in 3 adults under age 30.
Those are among the major findings of a new survey from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, in conjunction with the PBS program, "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly."
An embargoed copy of the survey was made available to reporters attending the annual conference of the Religion Newswriters Association on Oct. 4-6 in Bethesda, Md. The report was released nationally last week.
Before church leaders start to panic, the survey did contain some promising news. Of those "unaffiliated" responders, 68 percent expressed a belief in God and 37 percent say they are "spiritual but not religious."
And, institutional religion got high marks when it came to questions about the role of religious institutions in society. More than 75 percent agreed that religious organizations strengthen community bonds and play an important role in helping the needy.
A summary of the study explained that the large jump in the percentage of "unaffiliated" is "largely driven by generational replacement, the gradual supplanting of older generations by newer ones."
The study showed that although 32 percent of adults younger than 30 have no religious affiliation, only 9 percent of those 65 and older fall into the "unaffiliated" category.
The survey's results were not surprising to local people who interact daily with both the "affiliated" and the "unaffiliated."
As chaplain at Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University, Kelly Pigott said he has noticed similar trends among students over the years.
"They're uncomfortable with labels," he said. "Denominational loyalty is pretty much out the window."
READ MORE
But when they realized he had said "nones," instead of "nuns," the tone changed. "Nones" on the rise refers to the number of people in the United States who identify themselves as "religiously unaffiliated" or who check "none" on a survey about religion.
That number has risen significantly in the past five years, reaching a historic high of 1 in 5 adults. Even more telling, the "unaffiliated" group includes 1 in 3 adults under age 30.
Those are among the major findings of a new survey from the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, in conjunction with the PBS program, "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly."
An embargoed copy of the survey was made available to reporters attending the annual conference of the Religion Newswriters Association on Oct. 4-6 in Bethesda, Md. The report was released nationally last week.
Before church leaders start to panic, the survey did contain some promising news. Of those "unaffiliated" responders, 68 percent expressed a belief in God and 37 percent say they are "spiritual but not religious."
And, institutional religion got high marks when it came to questions about the role of religious institutions in society. More than 75 percent agreed that religious organizations strengthen community bonds and play an important role in helping the needy.
A summary of the study explained that the large jump in the percentage of "unaffiliated" is "largely driven by generational replacement, the gradual supplanting of older generations by newer ones."
The study showed that although 32 percent of adults younger than 30 have no religious affiliation, only 9 percent of those 65 and older fall into the "unaffiliated" category.
The survey's results were not surprising to local people who interact daily with both the "affiliated" and the "unaffiliated."
As chaplain at Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University, Kelly Pigott said he has noticed similar trends among students over the years.
"They're uncomfortable with labels," he said. "Denominational loyalty is pretty much out the window."
READ MORE
BREAKING NEWS: Iran Launching Massive Arrests Of Evangelicals
TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)--
Massive arrests of evangelical Protestant Christians, including many
former Muslims, are reported in Iran, with men and women being dragged
to prisons across the Islamic nation.
"We have learned that at least 100, but perhaps as many as 400 people, have been detained over the last 10 days," said Firouz Khandjani, a council member of the 'Church of Iran' house church movement.
Speaking from an undisclosed location, he told BosNewsLife late Saturday, October 13, that forces of the feared intelligence service, who he called "Iran's Gestapo", broke up worship services in Esfehan, Shiraz and Tehran areas.
"They are of several movements. But it has become clear that Protestant Christians are now viewed as enemy number one of the state," Khandjani said. "We need urgent prayers," he added when asked what believers need most.
READ MORE
"We have learned that at least 100, but perhaps as many as 400 people, have been detained over the last 10 days," said Firouz Khandjani, a council member of the 'Church of Iran' house church movement.
Speaking from an undisclosed location, he told BosNewsLife late Saturday, October 13, that forces of the feared intelligence service, who he called "Iran's Gestapo", broke up worship services in Esfehan, Shiraz and Tehran areas.
"They are of several movements. But it has become clear that Protestant Christians are now viewed as enemy number one of the state," Khandjani said. "We need urgent prayers," he added when asked what believers need most.
READ MORE
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