Thursday, July 03, 2014
MIDDLE AMERICAN HUSTLE
Yesterday a man who can barely speak english, Rodriguez, came to the door. He want to coat our driveway. He did it before. Yes, we told him. A week before, Juan came, wanted to know if he could mow our grass. No. About a month ago Julio and his friend wanted to trim the locust tree in our front yard. I turned them down, but they were very effective. These guys hustle. They are looking to be of service. They aren't afraid to ask. Language is no barrier.
What bugs me however is this: Are they taking jobs someone else could do? Yet, where is Bill, Tom, or Joe? I see only brown at my door asking to do work... but no white or black faces ever show up at my door. Why?
I am always confident to have them do the work. They are good and clean up after themselves. I know some in my business who will not hire anyone who doesn't speak Spanish as a native tongue.
Not why but what. Have we lost our mojo as a nation?
From the SURGE conference:
I am haunted by the testimony of one of Apostle Axel Sippach spiritual sons Emmanuel Allen. It's one of those things that tells me the heart of real victory for a ministry in a community. I won't steal his thunder, it should be shared, but he and his wife Belinda Allen sold everything and moved to Glendale AZ by the instruction of God. Had nothing when they got there. He took a rake and began to clean up the area around where they lived. Now 5 years later he has favor with the city, has a building he uses for nothing furnished by the city, sits in seat of authority and pastors a work that matters. All from the heart of a rake in his hand.
One thing he said that rattled me and I hope a few others. IF you start cleaning up the outside of your community (that means picking up the garbage, raking up the debris, trimming off the dead wood and mowing the grass) to make things look better people will notice and join you. They did for him.
There are THOUSANDS of storefront churches in Chicago. On 120th st there is 20 in an 8 block stretch. YET garbage litters the street. Dirt on the sidewalks. Dead branches lying around. Howcome? IF they really took after the outside of the mess perhaps the inside of the mess would begin to come clean.
I am admonishing the pastors of Chicago to begin to clean up the area around where you worship. When someone comes to your church stepping over condoms, candy wrappers and coke cans isn't a suitable path for entering the Holy of Holies.
I have a personal clean up ministry. I don't talk about it much. On Saturdays I visit the parking lots of a few of the churches in our area and pick up beer cans, condoms and junk. Toss it in my pickup an dump it in a dumpster. It takes very little time and in the end people don't have to see the mess. Do this...
I am beginning to understand the world's political ineptness better.
We
have a globe full of people that play a scoreless meaningless game and a
nation of people who pick winners and losers. Yet our education
system keeps trying to ram a participation trophy down our kids throats.
NOPE. IF the USA lost (I don't have any idea how one would know) then
they lost. Losers. No trophy. Come on home. Put tail between legs.
I'm from Chicago. Home of the Cubs and the Bears. We know how to lose
but live to fight again. The world would be a better place if we
understood victory and defeat. It doesn't. It's all gray.
It’s funny how we can’t say “Merry Christmas” in America but I guess “Ramadan Kareem” is cool.
Read this official statement on Ramadan from B. Hussein Obama and make your own assessment, but I’m quite sure CAIR, ISNA, MAS, MPAC, and the many other Muslim Brotherhood-related organizations appreciate the shout out. After all, Obama administration Homeland Security Advisor Mohammed Elibiary has stated America is an “Islamic country” and our Constitution is “Islamically compliant.”
I do find it hilarious that liberal progressives accuse me of (gasp) treason for challenging the policies of Obama – I guess they on the other hand were just expressing their First Amendment rights when George W. Bush was president.
Statement by President Obama on the Occasion of Ramadan
On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I extend our best wishes to Muslim communities here in the United States and around the world on the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan.
A time for self-reflection and devotion through prayer and fasting, Ramadan is also an occasion when Muslims around the world reaffirm their commitment to helping the less fortunate, including those struggling because of economic hardship and inequality.
Here in the United States, we are grateful to the many Muslim American organizations, individuals, and businesses that are devoted to creating opportunity for all by working to reduce income inequality and poverty, not only through their charitable efforts, but also through their initiatives to empower students, workers and families with the education, skills and health care they deserve.
Ramadan also reminds us of our shared responsibility to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves and the basic principles that bind people of different faiths together: a yearning for peace, justice, and equality. At a moment when too many people around the world continue to suffer from senseless conflict and violence, this sacred time reminds us of our common obligations to pursue justice and peace and to uphold the dignity of every human being.
As I’ve done every year as President, I look forward to welcoming Muslim Americans from across the United States to the White House for an iftar dinner. It will be another opportunity for me to convey America’s appreciation for the contributions of Muslim Americans to our country and to wish Muslims around the world a month blessed with the joys of family, community, peace and understanding.
Ramadan Kareem
Read more at http://allenbwest.com/2014/07/
10 Things You Didn't Know About Pentecostals
Islam is not the fastest-growing faith family in the world.
Pentecostalism is. While Islam has gone from zero in 610 AD to 1.6
billion today (1,403 years), Pentecostalism went from zero to (about) a
billion from 1906 to the present day (107 years).
10 Things You Didn't Know About Pentecostals
Pentecostalism is. While Islam has gone from zero in 610 AD to 1.6
billion today (1,403 years), Pentecostalism went from zero to (about) a
billion from 1906 to the present day (107 years).
10 Things You Didn't Know About Pentecostals
10 Top Misconceptions About Pentecostal Christians
If you happen to tune into the Oxygen network's Preachers of L.A. or National Geographic Channel's Snake Salvation,
you might be tempted to believe all Pentecostals are either
money-grubbing charlatans or misguided rural bumpkins. But the truth is
never in the media stereotypes.
I'm a Pentecostal. I don't wear
that label on my sleeve, but I'm not ashamed to admit to anyone that I'm
a Christian who believes in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet when I
use the word Pentecostal to describe myself I get some funny looks.
Some
people think Pentecostals are brainless weirdos who go into
uncontrollable fits during religious services. They're surprised to
learn we have advanced degrees, own businesses, hold public office and
mobilize a lot of the world's charitable work.
To set the record straight, here are 10 facts about Pentecostals that might clear up the misconceptions:
10 Top Misconceptions About Pentecostal Christians
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
The Sins and Temptations of Young, Middle Aged, and Old Leaders |
I have been through various stages of growth and development in ministry
and character. Based on self-reflections and observations from years of
ministering to and with pastors and leaders in the church, I have
written the following article on some of the specific sins and
temptations most of us go through, based on our age and level of
experience.
The Sins and Temptations of Young, Middle Aged, and Old Leaders |
and character. Based on self-reflections and observations from years of
ministering to and with pastors and leaders in the church, I have
written the following article on some of the specific sins and
temptations most of us go through, based on our age and level of
experience.
The Sins and Temptations of Young, Middle Aged, and Old Leaders |
Just Don't.
"1. Don't ask me to PRAY, if you don't want God to move.
2. Don't ask me for TRUTH, if you want to still live a lie.
3. Don't ask for my TIME, if you're not going to value it.
4. Don't ask me for MONEY, if you're going to squander it.
5. Don't ask me for my WISDOM, if you're not going to implement it.
6. Don't ask to CONFIDE in me, if you don't trust me.
7. Don't INVITE me, if you're not going to welcome me.
8. Don't say you LOVE me, when by your ACTIONS you've proven to HATE me.
9. Don't talk ABOUT ME, when you have access to talk TO me.
10. In other words, before you attempt to DO any of these things that concerns or involves me, consider these things and... Just Don't."
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
10 Signs You Might be Under the Old Covenant:
1. You're pretty sure God is getting angry about all that sin
2. You live in fear of growing judgement of God against you, your city or your nation
3. You think the law is a good starting place to understand God and the Father
4. You tithe, avoid shrimp and keep the Sabbath (Insert other levitical laws) to qualify for blessing
5. The thought of God lighting up San Francisco or an Islamic nation gets you excited...
6. You believe the fire and judgment of God is more effective than his love
7. Most of your prayer life is dedicated to repenting for all the bad things you have done, or thought.
8. You believe the Old Testament brings right balance to the New Testament
9. If your fear of God's judgement is a wise precaution that keeps you from sinning more than his love
(This one may sting)
10. If you believe the reason you lost your job, that your child died, and you or your family got sick, got cancer -is because God was finally showing you who is boss, and punishing you for that horrible sin (adultery, pornography, cheating, stealing ect.)
*Extra credit*
11) This posting ticks you off, you are alarmed and your considering accusing me of being heretical.
This used to be me too. Sometimes I still get stuck here, especially in 1 or 2. However, it is not true. We now live in a better, brighter and more powerful covenant of grace and love stemming from faith in Jesus. If any or all of these apply to you, simply as Jesus to show you where you have come under the old covenant. Read Galatians 5 and consider that the whole and entire law was destroyed and the new Covenant in Jesus is way better. Do not come under any of it, not one letter.
**Disclaimer at the end of commercial in little tiny writing**
* I Do believe that God detests sin. So much so he actually crucified his son to cover and forgive it all.
* I do believe in one day of final judgement in the end of earth's time. I do not believe that day is years, a season or a phase.
* I do not believe we are in the "end times" where God is about to pour out all wrath. He already did that on Jesus and the old covenant.
2. You live in fear of growing judgement of God against you, your city or your nation
3. You think the law is a good starting place to understand God and the Father
4. You tithe, avoid shrimp and keep the Sabbath (Insert other levitical laws) to qualify for blessing
5. The thought of God lighting up San Francisco or an Islamic nation gets you excited...
6. You believe the fire and judgment of God is more effective than his love
7. Most of your prayer life is dedicated to repenting for all the bad things you have done, or thought.
8. You believe the Old Testament brings right balance to the New Testament
9. If your fear of God's judgement is a wise precaution that keeps you from sinning more than his love
(This one may sting)
10. If you believe the reason you lost your job, that your child died, and you or your family got sick, got cancer -is because God was finally showing you who is boss, and punishing you for that horrible sin (adultery, pornography, cheating, stealing ect.)
*Extra credit*
11) This posting ticks you off, you are alarmed and your considering accusing me of being heretical.
This used to be me too. Sometimes I still get stuck here, especially in 1 or 2. However, it is not true. We now live in a better, brighter and more powerful covenant of grace and love stemming from faith in Jesus. If any or all of these apply to you, simply as Jesus to show you where you have come under the old covenant. Read Galatians 5 and consider that the whole and entire law was destroyed and the new Covenant in Jesus is way better. Do not come under any of it, not one letter.
**Disclaimer at the end of commercial in little tiny writing**
* I Do believe that God detests sin. So much so he actually crucified his son to cover and forgive it all.
* I do believe in one day of final judgement in the end of earth's time. I do not believe that day is years, a season or a phase.
* I do not believe we are in the "end times" where God is about to pour out all wrath. He already did that on Jesus and the old covenant.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)