Health Upgraders

A Focus on True Love and Joy during Lent and Easter
An Author Interview with Antoinette Bosco, Lent: An Uncommon Love Story
By Lisa M. Hendey

My favorite Lenten resources and devotions focus on the occasions for joy and the emphasis on love and service during this season of preparation for Easter and the glory of Jesus’ resurrection. This Lent, I’ve added a new resource to my devotional library. Lent: An Uncommon Love Story (Pauline Books and Media, January 2005, paperback, 128 pages) is a wonderful Lenten reflection by noted Catholic author Antoinette Bosco. This simple yet profound look at Lent focuses upon the story of Christ’s love for us. In moments of despair and pain, Bosco points her reader to the opportunity for a deepening relationship with God.

Bosco, mother of seven and prolific author, writes about transcending suffering from an informed perspective. In this book, she freely shares her own family’s sometimes tragic experiences, as well as her personal Lenten journey. In addition to Lent: An Uncommon Love Story, Bosco is also the author of the award winning children’s book The Jesus Garden: An Easter Legend (Pauline Books and Media, February 2004, hardcover, 44 pages).

As we enjoy the culmination of our Lenten devotions and enter into the glorious season of Easter, I took the opportunity to speak with Antoinette Bosco about her writing.

Q: Antoinette Bosco, author of the newly released Lent: An Uncommon Love Story, would you please start off by telling our readers a bit about yourself?

A: It is always difficult to say a few words about oneself because we become self-consciously nervous about putting too much in, or leaving something important out. I was very fortunate to be the daughter of Italian immigrants, who gave me my Catholic faith and my values at a very early age. I am the mother of seven, three deceased, was fortunate to have had a college education so I could support my children when I became a single parent in 1967. My work has always been in media, as a magazine writer, a book author, a reporter and an editor, both for the Catholic and secular press. Since I was very young, I also worked for social justice, even serving for many years as a Human Rights Commissioner on Long Island, N.Y. My son John and his wife Nancy were murdered by an 18-year old in 1993, and ever since then I have worked to end the death penalty in our country. My alma mater, the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y. awarded me an honorary doctoral degree in 1996; my book “Choosing Mercy, A Mother of Murder Victims Pleads to End the Death Penalty,” was give both a Christopher Award and a Pax Christi Award. To date I have written 14 books.

Q: I have to say that I was deeply touched by your book, Lent: An Uncommon Love Story – would you please tell our readers what message you were trying to convey through this book?

A: I was asked to write a book about Lent by Sister Madonna, the acquisitions editor at Pauline Books & Media, at the very time my son Sterling was hospitalized with a failing heart. He was a devout Catholic, and when I told him about the request, saying I just couldn’t write a book right now, he was the one who made me change my mind. We talked about how Lent is the time that assures us we are never alone in our sufferings, losses or hardships. We are there, in the desert with Jesus, who could have said “no” to his Father, knowing the pain, rejection and death that would be ahead for him. But Jesus said “Yes,” and then left the desert and worked full time for the next three years doing nothing but loving us. Jesus lived a love story for us that began in his Lenten days in the desert. The week I finished the book, my son Sterling died, but he left me with his affirmation that Lent is a love story that he wanted me to underscore.

Q: You shared so deeply and so personally in the book about your own Lenten journey that I came to feel a closeness to you through your words. I know that your family has endured many hardships, and that their cumulative effect makes you the person you are today. Is it difficult or cathartic to share your life’s challenges with such openness and sincerity?

A: I have written several books in which I share some of the difficult experiences of my lifelike the suicide of my youngest son Peter, who suffered from a bi-polar mental disorder and the murders of my beloved John and Nancy. But I wrote these books not as the sad story of my life, but as an affirmation of faith, which gives us strength, hope, vision, power, grace, empathy, compassion for others, and after a hard journey, the joy of Christ, who pioneered all the difficult paths we face so as to show us we have never been alone. The response I have received from people who have read my books or heard me speak has assured me any difficult I have faced in sharing my stories is worth it.

Q: What meaning does Lent hold for you at this stage in your life?

A: At this stage of my life, Lent is a very special time. I always remember the early days of my single parenting, when I worked day and night, little sleep, many hardships. I was angry at the Lord at times, and I remember crying one night that I live in Lent, that I am lost and locked in the desert. It was as if I heard a voice asking, “Then why do you stay?” Without a thought, spontaneously I whispered, “because I love my children.” And I was given to know that’s why Jesus stayed in the desert, because he loved his children. Every Lent, I focus on this incredible love of the Lord for us, and it helps me not get lost in the cutting paths I still must sometimes travel.

Q: I am also a major fan of your wonderful children’s book, The Jesus Garden: An Easter Legend, also published by Pauline Books and Media. Could you please share about the creation of this book?

A: “The Jesus Garden” is my surprise book. It contains stories that I wrote and told my children when they were small. A few years ago, after a lovely meeting with Sister Madonna, I thanked her by sending her a copy of these stories for her to enjoy. To my surprise, sometime later I got a call from the Pauline Sisters that they wanted to hire an artist and publish my stories as “an Easter fantasy.” I was delighted and my children were soaring. We love the book, which has just received a Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media!

Q: I loved the book for your ability to make Christ’s passion, death and resurrection into something that was not “scary” for children, but rather a reflection of his great love for each of us as individuals. How can parents share with their children the true joy of the Easter message?

A: The best way that parents can share the true joy of the Easter message is to be joyful and believing themselves. There’s an old saying that “What you are shouts so loud I can’t hear what you say.” All parents should remember that.

Q: Do you have any future projects in the works?

A: Right now I am working very hard speaking mainly to young people in high school and college about the need for reform of our criminal justice system and the immorality of the death penalty. I’ve written 14 books in my years of being in the media, with a recent one that contains much of my life learning called “One Day he Beckoned, One Woman’s Story of the Difference Jesus Made,” (Ave Maria Press), followed by “Miracles Abound, When We Open Our Hearts to God,” (Twenty-Third Publications). With “Lent, An Uncommon Love Story,” I am taking a bit of a break, to catch my breath!

For more information on Lent, An Uncommon Love Story visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0819845140/catholicmomcom

For more information on The Jesus Garden: An Easter Legend visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0819839795/catholicmomcom

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more information.

About the Author

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more information.

Question

What is the mark of the beast, the now world famous 666?

Answer

There is more controversy flying around this loaded question than I care to address, but for the sake of those who have no knowledge at all on this subject I will try to break it down in terms that are understandable. What can be known about it for certain is that it is the mark that represents the antichrist’s economic system. Those who don’t have this mark will not be able to buy or sell anything. Whose name it actually represents, is too soon to say. It does seem to be a representation of the trinity of Satan, Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet being the three constituents of that trinity.

An interesting development of late has been something called, Recommendation 666. This is one among many recommendations being adopted by the emerging government of the EU. This particular recommendation was introduced by the European Union’s security minister, Mr. Javier Solana. It is a matter of concern for many people for two reasons. The first is that the final vote on the European constitution is only about a year away. The second reason is because recommendation 666 seems to be worded in such a way that it gives emergency war powers to the leader of the EU if he has been sufficiently apprised of a terrorist threat or the country has actually undergone an actual terror attack. I have thoroughly read every word in this document and while I’m not sure that it something to worry about, it certainly is something to keep an eye on.

My strongest sense of conviction is to go with what we know about this dreaded number and keep a watchful eye on what develops hereafter. Using biblical numerology to point to some particular person is highly questionable and has only failed so many times before. A cautious and thoughtful approach is highly advisable, and a large application of watchful patience will win the day on this subject.

Question

If the pre-tribulationists are mistaken, and some of us are called upon to die at the hand of the antichrist, how will we he able to face this terrible and fearful matter.

Answer

Years ago I showed the movie that is now part of Billy Graham Ministries, called The Hiding Place. The movie is about Corrie Ten Boom who was delivered to tell her story to the world after spending time in the notorious Nazi prison camp named Ravensbruck. Besides seeing her parents and her siblings die under the Nazis, over ninety thousand women met their death in that dreaded camp. In one of Corrie’s books she tells a story about a question she asked her father when she was just a little girl. Her question to him was. How will I be able to find the strength or courage to die if I should be asked to die for my faith in Jesus Christ? Her father answered her question with a question of his own. He said, Corrie, when you go to see your aunt in the country every summer on the train, when do I give you the ticket to board the train? She replied, you give me the ticket the day I’m boarding the train. Her father said, that is correct, and Jesus will give you the strength and the courage to die for him if you have to on the day you are asked to die. I have never heard a better answer anywhere over the years. Gods grace for living will shift to Gods grace for dying as it is needed and not until then.

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is,

http://americanprophet.org

There is much to be said on Christian attitudes towards homosexuals. Recently, some who claim to be Christian have taken a militant approach to homosexuals and used the Bible to justify persecuting them and denying them of all rights. Whether their case is supported by the Bible shall be examined.

Before we begin this examination, however, it is important to point out that homosexuals need to respect the right of heterosexuals, particularly Christian heterosexuals, to reject homosexuality as sin, as deviant behavior, and as biblically and morally wrong. On the other hand, it is also important that homosexuals not be persecuted by Christians and be denied certain basic civil rights and liberties.

What is unfortunate is that many Christian believe in applying Old Testament justice to people today who commit particular sins. In the New Testament Christ changed the treatment for certain sinners. Was Christ then implying that the Old Testament system of justice was wrong? Absolutely not! God’s purpose in the Old Testament was to emphasize His justice through the uniquely theocratic relationship that He had with the nation of Israel at that time. Why did God do this? One reason for why God so emphasized His justice in Old Testament times is precisely so that we can appreciate His undeserving mercy in the present New Testament times. This is why Christ forgave and released the woman caught in committing adultery. According to Old Testament standards this woman should have received the death penalty.

God’s eternal justice, of course, was finally and ultimately satisfied in the death and atoning work of Jesus Christ for our sins, and through repentance and faith in the resurrected Christ we imperfect humans (who will always have some kind of sin) are freely forgiven and receive the promise of eternal life.

Sincerely,
Babu G. Ranganathan
(B.A. Bible/Biology)
www.religionscience.com

The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, is an experienced Christian writer. He has his B.A. with academic concentrations in Bible and Biology. As a religion and science writer he has been recognized in the 24th edition of Marquis Who’s Who In The East. The author has a website at: http://www.religionscience.com

Independent commentator Charles Nevin states: “What Europe needs is an inspiring figurehead” and notes how Boris Johnson (journalist, columnist and Member of Parliament for Henley on Thames) in The Dream of Rome contrasts Rome’s successful methods of holding their empire together with current EU attempts to build cohesion.

Johnson concludes that Europe is missing the mark: they lack awesome ideas and transcendent symbols to rally round, something to claim and embrace as uniquely European. Or, Charles Nevin suggests, someone. “And, when you’re looking for an inspiring figurehead, it’s easy to see the advantages of having an emperor who is also a god possessed of the power to end your life with the downward flick of a thumb and a high-pitched giggle.”

Both men are in for a shock, as well as the rest of the world. Why? Because the Bible announces that the present European Union will morph into the final revival of the Roman Empire! Not only will the increasingly fascist EU turn into the beast that was and is imminent Rome, but such a revived Roman Empire will be ruled by a wannabe divine emperor!

What could bring all this together? Especially when the prophet Daniel acknowledges that the Europeans are clearly of different and often divisive mettle, lacking the right chemistry to maintain a long-lasting relationship or union:

Daniel 2:41-43

41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

Daniel was also given amazing insight, extraterrrestial knowledge, divine inspiration, to reveal that the European Union will ultimately consist of the top ten nations of Europe, a core group, a nucleus the other member states will circle like a crown of stars around the sun.

Would “miracles” do the trick? Aren’t we warned to watch for a pagan sorcerer-pope to start performing many supernatural deeds, counterfeit miracles, to mislead the masses and get them eating out of his hand to support the Vatican’s elect to “defend” Europe and “Western Christian Civilization” and murder any who oppose them? Won’t this new Antiochus Epiphanes (“god-in-the-flesh”) command his shock troops to have zero tolerance for any who expose him as a man and demand “off with their heads”? Will the Bavarian pope soon sweep Europe off their feet?

Will Europe soon rally around the cross to defeat the crescent? Will the EU cross soon drive a stake into the heart of the Middle East, responding to their jihad with a new crusade? Will Islam provide the basis for uniting Europe, circling their wagons, against the threat of Muslim nuclear terrorism? Didn’t Constantine conquer in the sign of the cross? Will Europe wield the sign of the cross to drive away the evil of Islam?

Is a world dictator about to appear? Would such a victorious individual, thrust into office by force of circumstances and papal promotion, appear as Europe’s savior? However, once secure in office, will the mask come off and the BEAST appear?

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out Beyond Babylon.

This holiday season has seen an upsurge of one of the
oddest (to my mind) campaigns to keep Christmas in the
season. Emails are flying around the internet about
Christmas trees and there are Christian groups having hissy
fits about people saying “Happy Holidays.”

Yes, for the Christian community all over the world, it IS
Christmas. But, Christians are not the only group
celebrating Holy Days this time of the year and they need
to remember that.

December 25th this year also marks the beginning of
Hannukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. It begins three
days before the moon closest to the Winter Solstice, which
just occurred the 21st. It is the time of rededication for
them in remembrance and celebration of when the Macabees
retook the Temple of Jerusalem from the Syrians and
rededicated it.

December 26th marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, an African
American celebration of the family and the self. While it
is not considered a political or religious holiday, it does
include some spiritual aspects and being of the family,
should be honored.

That day is also Boxing Day, or Saint Stephen’s Day in the
United Kingdom. Since Stephen was the first martyr for the
Christian cause, I’d say it’s pretty holy.

Ramadan is in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and
happens to fall now, too. It is a time of submission to
Allah for the Muslims. A month-long celebration with
fasting and prayers. Holy times, indeed.

There are many more celebrations that fall now that are
holy to those that observe them. The Winter Solstice (12-
21), Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu–the day the Buddha found
enlightenment–12-8), Day of the Holy
Innocents (the victims of Herod’s attempt to exterminate
the Christ were all male children under the age of two–12-
28).

The largest complaint going around is against the retailers
like Target, WalMart, K-Mart, etc. for not keeping
Christmas in their advertising or, supposedly, not letting
their employees say, “Merry Christmas.” As one of my co-
workers said, “The holiday season begins at Thanksgiving.
By the time Christmas comes, you’re so used to saying Happy
Holidays, you don’t say anything else.”

I know for a fact(as a former employee) that WalMart does
NOT forbid the use of Merry Christmas, but as a Christian,
I will not intentionally offend those that are not
Christians. Did it once and got my ears pinned back–and
rightly. So, I am more circumspect about it.

It is not even about being “politically correct” (what an
idiotic term–not much correct about the politics of this
country, but that’s another article). It is about having
care for your fellow humans and honoring their right to
observe their beliefs, just as they should honor ours.

This country was founded on a desire for religious freedom
and tolerance. Why are we so intolerant now? Why curb the
freedom of others to enjoy their religion?

So, what is wrong with Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays?
Well, these groups claim to be fighting to keep Christ in
Christmas, but it seems to me that they might better direct
their efforts toward keeping God in our everyday lives.
For instance, the atheists fighting in the courts to remove
“In God We Trust” from our currency are a greater threat to
the Christian beliefs this country was founded on than
‘Happy Holidays’ is.

Not being able to display the Ten Commandments in public
places is a greater threat. Not being able to display
religious symbols publicly in squares or public traffic
areas is a greater threat as well. Why make an issue of
“Christmas” versus “Holiday?” Seems to me there are
greater battles to fight.

For the non-Christians, we ask that you tolerate us if we
do wish you a Merry Christmas. It is simply our way of
expressing the joy we feel at this time of the year. Wish
us a Happy Hannukah or Blessed Ramadan or Great Kwanzaa
back. We won’t be offended–usually. At least, I won’t.

The majority of religions in existence today honor a
supreme being. Whether you call it God, Goddess, Allah, or
whatever, the basic tenet of all the beliefs I’ve looked at
seems to be love for others. So, why not express that love
at this time, rather than enmity? Why separate ourselves
further from our fellow humans just because they believe a
little differently? This seems to be a jihad being fought
on the internet and about issues I don’t believe Christ
would advocate.

But, that’s just my opinion.

C. Rogers Upson is a published author on several websites and in
several anthologies. This article can be published on your website or in your newsletter, so long as the resource information is intact and nothing is changed. Her website is http://www.edragonmarketing.com and she has a blog at http://edragonmarketing.blogspot.com.

How To Deal With Co-workers

This article is Part II of “How To Be a Christian In the Workplace”

Keys To Building Better Relationships With Co-workers: Colossians 3:23; Galatians 6:9; Proverbs 12:24; 13:4; 19:15; 24:30-32; Titus 2: 9-20; 1Timothy 6:1-2; James 1: 8.

To be interesting and liked, you need to be interested in and like others!

Be open to others around you who can teach you more about your job!

Care about what you do, and show you care.

Be a pleasing and warm person, not a gossiper or conniver and schemer!

Find an expert from whom you could learn insights about your job, so you can seek how to be better in it. No matter how long you have been there, you can always learn more, and ultimately become the best you can be for our Lord!

Avoid laziness and procrastination like the plague (Proverbs 10:4,5,2:11, 15:19; 18:9)!

Remember, your work is an act of worship, since it is God you are serving!

Reevaluate your attitude toward your employer and fellow employees as much as you can.

Notice others in your workplace, how you can learn from them, and how you can come along side and help them!

Focus on objectives, not obstacles, and make sure your objectives are clear!

Be totally honest with your time, expenses, and relationships!

Remember your workplace is also your most effective outreach. You may not be able to verbally share the gospel, nor should you on work time, but you can be a Christ-like example so others will seek you out and ask you what makes you different!

Fighting Depression In the Workplace Jeremiah 29:11

Make sure you have someone in your church you can talk to and vent to at times also, such as a small group or a trusted friend. Be growing in your faith and study of the Word. That will make you stronger, and will enable you to better weather the storms of life. Be aware that depression is usually a sign of a deeper problem. Thus, do not afraid to seek help. Even Moses, Elijah, and Jonah suffered from depression! The real problem is not so much on how you feel, but what are the root cause(s) of those feelings. Here are three of the most common causes of depression–fatigue, fear, and frustration:

Fatigue! (Moses’ problem) If you are a control freak, attempting to control everything and everyone around you, you will be riddled with anxiety. When you try to continue in a stressed out and hectic pace without delegating or having support, you will burn out. This will set you up for depression as well as many other problems! You cannot do it all! So, you need to be a team player, seeking out relationships and team building, not competition and antagonism. Moses’ father-in-law had to teach him to delegate. (Numbers 11: 10-17).

Fear! (Elijah’s problem) Whenever you try to manage all of your worries and fears, your body will break down. Instead of focusing on your depression, ask yourself, What is the worse case scenario? How can I get through it with help from God and others? Are my fears realistic? How can I let go of them? Elijah had to recognize that God was indeed in control and then learn too trust Him to handle the situations he was in (1 Kings 19: 1-18).

Frustration! (Jonah’s problem) When you do not see a plan or purpose behind the trials and activities of your life, you will get confused, and even disillusioned! Eventually, hopelessness will come in and overpower you. We, as humans, need to feel significant and needed. Thus, when we feel our life has no meaning, we will become depressed. When we finally understand God’s purpose for our life, or just trust Him for it, our depression will fade fast! Jonah had to also trust that God was in control and had a bigger plan that what he could envision (Jonah 1-4)!

Sometimes, life in the workplace can seem to be an endless rat race! Stop and rethink your actions, your attitudes, and your options. Search out these Scriptures on how you can improve your situation, understanding that the best way we can do that is improve ourselves! Ask God to open your eyes and help you see His purpose and plan for your life. If you still feel disoriented and confused, focus on the character of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit (Romans 12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 1:3-4) that we are to emulate, as this is the primary Will of God and what we are to heed! Remember, God made you. He loves you, and has something to say to you, so focus on Him and not your situation!

How To Get Excited For Work (when we usually dread it!)

When we stay in a rut or a bad situation with continual weariness and fatigue, we will lose our primary focus, be ineffective, become a stumbling block to others, burn out, or go into a depression. We will miss out on other options and opportunities, start to disintegrate into a person with a bad attitude, and even become ill!

I am mainly speaking about physical and emotional fatigue, which can turn into spiritual fatigue. There is no normal order. Each one could be the one to start it off, and the other two will soon follow! Thus, frustration, stress, worry, anger, guilt, indecision, unrealistic expectations, resentment, and many other negative emotions will accumulate and then compile upon ourselves to bring us down in our personal relationships, family, and our relationship to God. We, therefore, will not be able to function as He called us, nor will we be able to worship, as is our primary reason for being and existing in life! Work, which is supposed to be a tool for living and an opportunity for outreach, becomes our focus and sole life, when it is not to be so.

You can visualize your personal and work life as a three legged stool. The first leg is a good diet of fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and lots of clean filtered water, with vitamin supplements and exercise along with a lot of regular rest to help out the physical fatigue. The second leg is a concentration on attitude and outlook, which will help you with the emotional fatigue. The third leg is a good church, Bible study, daily prayer, and devotions that will help your spiritual life. Each one leans against the other. If you let one leg go, you will not be able to stand, or work effectively!

Just a little more rest will be some help to you, but it will not keep the stool from falling from under you. Neither would even a weekend of rest and fun. You must develop a plan including all three legs, and be consistent! God desires you to take good care of His temple, your body (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16)!

More Ways To Balance Your Stool and Work

Be a person who forgives, who lets things roll off his/her back. If you let resentment build, it will break your back. If you let it go, you will be stronger and more effective (1 John 1: 9)!

Keep your focus on Christ. Look at your work as worship, and as serving Him, not just a labor or chore. Be open for opportunities, and take them as gaining insights and experience so as to be better for Him and others around you! If you get stuck, consider a new perspective. Try to look at your work from a different viewpoint. You cannot always control your situation, but you can control your attitude and respond as our Lord has called us to do!

Anxiety and stress is often a matter of outlook (Col. 3:23).

Get yourself involved in a good church (Isaiah 40:31).

Surround yourself with people who will listen to you and give you godly advice (Heb. 10:25).

See your work as a means to use the talents, creativity, and gifts that God has given you (Gen.1: 26-28).

Let your work give you self-respect and self-confidence (Prov. 22:29).

Allow your work to develop your aptitude and confidence, patience, forgiveness, values, loyalty, integrity, and be a place to build and develop character (Eccl. 10: 10; Luke 16:10-12).

Set goals and keep focused (Phil.3: 13-16).

Allow your work to build you up, not tear you down. If it does, and you have tried all of these suggestions, take a career assessment test. Perhaps you are not in the career for which you were designed. Remember, we are not to be devoted to our work, but rather devoted to our Savior. At the same time, we are to be diligent and be the best we can be in our job. The Christian should be the finest person at their job by means of integrity, godly character, and modeling Christ, regardless of the situation!

What would we have to gain if we put all of our selves and our time in our career, giving up all the other aspects of life? Nothing! When I visit rest homes with youth groups, I ask the youth to get life stories and perspectives from the elderly residents to catch sight of what they have learned in life, and what youth can learn from them. These were very rewarding. With dozens upon dozens of visits over twenty years, we never had anyone say they regretted that they did not spend more time in their career. The regrets expressed, if any, were about losing time with family by being workaholics, forfeiting relationships, and such. All could have been avoided just by adhering to Jesus’ simple words in Mark 8:36. Look it up and see for yourself!

Our work ethic will be the measure of how people see our true character, as well as that of our Lord!

This is from a supporter of our ministry:

How do I pray for my coworkers or workplace?

B-L-E-S-S them!

Praying for unsaved and hurting coworkers:

B. Body – health, protection, strength L. Labor – work, income, security E. Emotional – joy, peace, hope S. Social – getting along at home, at work, and in the neighborhood S. Spiritual – salvation, faith, grace

Praying for others at work:

B. Board of Directors L. Lordship of the business E. Employees S. Senior management, Supervision S. Stockholders Praying for my company:

B. Bottom line, profitability, paying expenses L. Lawful, longevity, lasting E. Excellence, equality S. Synergy – good relationships between management and employees S. Satisfied customer/clients and employees

Richard J. Krejcir Into Thy Word © 2003 www.intothyword.org

Not all conservative Christians believe that the Bible teaches or supports the traditional view of hell with its teaching of eternal torment or suffering. The Bible does teach a period of conscious punishment in hell for individual sins, but the ultimate and eternal punishment for sin itself is the eternal death (the eternal loss of life and access to immortality) for soul and body – not eternal existence in conscious torment.

In his article “The Bible Vs. The Traditional View of Hell” at http://www.religionscience.com conservative Christian (Baptist) theologian, B.G. Ranganathan, explains how certain words, phrases, verses, and, in some cases, entire passages in Scripture have been misinterpreted and taken out of context to support the teaching of eternal suffering. An historical explanation and understanding as to how and why belief in eternal suffering entered very early into the Christian church.

All Christians, regardless of denomination, share in common the primary or core doctrines of Christianity. Where Christians have differed throughout history are on matters of secondary doctrine such as the one being presented here.

Below is the first paragraph of the article. The rest of the article may be read at the website.

The conditionalist view is that the wicked in hell will suffer a period of agony and anguish in proportion to their individual guilt and then be eternally destroyed or cease to exist. Thus, although the wicked will suffer consciously for their individual sins, the ultimate penalty for sin itself will be their eternal death (i.e., their eternal destruction or loss of life). That, then, is their eternal punishment (i.e., their eternal loss to life and immortality). But, what about those passages in the Bible which say that the wicked will go into “eternal fire” and that in hell there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth forever and ever,” and other similar passages that seem to teach eternal torment? We shall examine, in this essay, those and other passages from the Bible in the light of the context of Scripture. Be assured, however, that the ultimate and eternal annihilation (destruction) of the wicked is supported abundantly by the Christian Scriptures.

Is God’s righteous wrath an end in itself or is God’s righteous wrath a means to an end (that end being the eternal destruction of the wicked)? Will a thrice holy God allow sin the right to exist for eternity in His universe by sustaining and keeping sinners alive eternally and burning in hell? Is eternal torment the only way God can satisfy His eternal justice? Is the ultimate penalty for sin in the Bible eternal torment or is it eternal death (of both soul and body)? These and many other important questions and issues (such as how to reconcile the immutability of Christ as God with His death on the Cross) will be biblically answered in this essay.

The view that the wicked will be eternally destroyed is also supported in the writings of the first and second century Christian Fathers, as well as by some prominent groups of the Protestant Reformation such as the Anabaptists, and today the conditionalist view is supported by some very prominent evangelical Christian scholars and theologians such as John R. W. Stott and Clark H. Pinnock. Although there have been individual Christians in various denominations, and even some famous such as the great hymn writer Isaac Watts (author of “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”), who have come to believe in the conditionalist view, the only major Christian denomination today which officially incorporates this belief as part of church doctrine and creed is the Seventh Day Adventist…

The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, is an experienced Christian writer. He has his B.A. with academic concentrations in Bible and Biology. As a religion and science writer he has been recognized in the 24th edition of Marquis Who’s Who In The East. The author has a website at: http://www.religionscience.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A church that burned to the ground earlier month was deliberately set on fire, officials announced Wednesday. The fire took place on Feb. 10 at the Full Gospel Sons of God Church, located at 1200 Vera Place.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Assailants wearing uniforms detonated two bombs inside one of Iraq’s most revered Shiite shrines Wednesday, blowing the top off its landmark golden dome and spawning mass protests and reprisal attacks against dozens of Sunni mosques as leaders pleaded for calm.

Alabama Burning; 6 Baptist Churches Burn to ground in the South. India News, 2006; India and Pakistan urged to build Nuclear weapons by U.S. Government.

West Virginia; 2006; Another Baptist Church is burnt to the Ground, no arrest have been made.

India 2006, Murder for Church Building was a frame. Apparently, members of the local Hindu nationalist political party advised the parents to dash their dead child’s body against some rocks, breaking its bones. They then took the body to a doctor for a postmortem examination.

Only after threats from the radical Hindus did the physician reluctantly file a false report, citing murder as the cause. Then the radicals advised the parents to file murder charges against Pastor Kasota and 10 other Believers Church members, including four other pastors, saying the murder was part of a plot to grab land for a church building.

We have seen churches burned sense the early times of mans existence. Time after time, the ungodly take it upon themselves to try to change the course of mankind’s involvement with God. Church buildings are not necessary to become involved with God and neither does it take one to become saved. Man today takes himself a little to seriously.

The Buildings are considered an intricate part of their worship, prestige and notoriety. When you get people to donate $500.00 to buy a brick to place in a sidewalk, what you have is a $500.00 brick. God is not noted because of buildings nor any other structure that man can build but of His Awesome Power over creation. Before we go any further we must go to the scripture for Gods view on Buildings.

2Ch 6:18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! God cannot be contained in any House, Temple nor Universe. God is not in the Building of Rock and Stone but He dwells within the Individual. There have been many that have tried to kill God by burning down the Temple or Church. Not realizing that God is from everlasting to everlasting.

Hitler tried, Cos cove tried and now the Spirit of Anti-Christ is trying. Removing the building is not going to kill God but in fact will make peoples resolve to worship God the more greater. You can kill a body but you cannot kill a spirit. God is Spirit.
Acts 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Dwelleth: To kill you must find the victim. In Acts 7:49, we see that God has no one dwelling place. Wherever you find a believer, you will find God, wherever you are, The Mountains, The Valleys, The Rivers and Streams and the Oceans, you will find God.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. For man to kill God he must also kill the people that believe in Him, not in the flesh but rather in the spirit.

Here we see prophecy of the end times;

Amos 9:10-12; All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. And finally, Lets see what Jesus said about the most beautiful temple ever built by man for God, Solomon’s Temple; Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Clark states of the destruction of the Temple; The temple was destroyed because of,
1st. Justly; because of the sins of the Jews.
2ndly. Mercifully; to take away from them the occasion of continuing in Judaism: and
3rdly. Mysteriously; to show that the ancient sacrifices were abolished, and that the whole Jewish economy was brought to an end, and the Christian dispensation introduced.

If you remember your Bible Study, you should notice that Jesus was not upset with the knowledge that Solomon’s temple would be destroyed. Even Jesus being the Son of God, was not upset about the destruction of a building, for He stated that, we were the stones, we were the Building, we were the Temple of the Most High God. A building is just a building, if Gods Spirit does not inhabit the building it is empty.

Acts 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: To kill God, man has tried everything that is imaginable, fire, stones, war, rumors of War, genocide and selective breading. Their efforts have come to nothing.

You can kill an animal but you still cannot kill its spirit. You say,”Does even an animal have a spirit.?” Yes. The Bible clearly states that this is true. To kill God you must kill the memory of Him, the Sanctity of Him, The very Idea of Him. Many have tried and still fail.

In James 4:2, we see how limited man is, how week and unlearned. How week is man that he should try to fight against God? “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

Acts 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. If mankind cannot even change the mind of God, change the prophecy’s of God, nor change the will of God, he cannot kill God, but only quench the spirit of God in an uncontrolled setting.

1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit. In closing I wanted to add what Clark states of 1 Th.5:19; “The Holy Spirit is represented as a fire, because it is his province to enlighten and quicken the soul; and to purge, purify, and refine it. This Spirit is represented as being quenched when any act is done, word spoken, or temper indulged, contrary to its dictates. It is the Spirit of love, and therefore anger, malice, revenge, or any unkind or unholy temper, will quench it so that it will withdraw its influences; and then the heart is left in a state of hardness and darkness. It has been observed that fire may be quenched as well by heaping earth on it as by throwing water on it; and so the love of the world will as effectually grieve and quench the Spirit as any ordinary act of transgression.

Every genuine Christian is made a partaker of the Spirit of God; and he who has not the spirit of Christ is none of his. It cannot be the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which the apostle means, for these were given to few, and not always; for even apostles could not work miracles when they pleased; but the direction in the text is general, and refers to a gift of which they were generally partakers.” ars

1Ki_9:7, 1Ki_9:8; Jer_26:18; Eze_7:20-22; Dan_9:26, Dan_9:27; Mic_3:12; Luk_19:44; 2Pe_3:11
Act_17:24, Act_17:25; 1Ki_8:27; 2Ch_2:5, 2Ch_2:6, 2Ch_6:18.
as: Isa_66:1, Isa_66:2

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Great men and women of great faith and conviction who are able to attract an international following emerge rarely. Sister Theresa is obviously one such person.

Though not quite in the same league, but very close is a Jesuit Priest who made a major impact on people of all faiths and beliefs in the 1980s. Born in Goa 1931, once a Portugese colony on the Indian subcontinent, He died of a sudden heart attack in 1987 at Fordon, the great Jesuit University, in New York preparing for his annual summer lecture tour across the great cities of the U.S.A. Fortunately for us his writings, tapes and videos live on. Many are questioned for their true authenticity but there is a hard core of work which no one disputes. Reading his works are very inspirational and I always go to them when I need security, reassurance and comfort. He talks directly to you.

SOCIETY OF JESUS

Father Anthony de Mello J.S is one of the great spiritual teachers of the second half of the last century. He was a member of the Company of Jesus as it was first known; better known now as the Society of Jesus and its members are called Jesuits. It is one of the great Roman Catholic Orders and was founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1540. The Jesuits emphasise spiritual purity and intellectual acumen with a stress on logic. Its educational system is exemplorary and it prides itself in having produced some the brightest and best leaders the world has known.

The 20,000 Jesuits work in 112 nations and focus on parish and retreat ministry, in high schools and colleges. They may be found working as lawyers and doctors, psychologists and counselors, writers and journalists, theologians and philosophers, researchers and scientists. In short, Jesuits do all kinds of work. Their mission is everywhere and always the promotion of faith in Jesus Christ and the justice demanded by that faith. Jesuits seek to make Christ’s Kingdom available to our times. They are men with a singular passion: to do the world a world of good.

FATHER DE MELLO

Jesuits have a long history of work in Indian. There are for example 25 Jesuit universities and some 200,000 students in all educational sectors at any given time. De Mello became the Director of the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counselling in Poona India. Many of his lectures were published in India initially and eventually they came to the attention of publishers in the West who recognized their uniqueness. During the 80s de Mello came to the U.S. and undertook a rigorous annual summer tour of U.S cities when thousands would flock to listen to him. In addition he held other workshops, prayer meetings conferences, often help at Fordham University.

One participant said” He was an entertainer, a storyteller and a challenger. He blows you mind. He is one of the most powerful speakers I have ever heard. He makes you see things in different ways. He was a genius of devising exercises for people to keep in touch with themselves and to pray out of that experience.

De Mello recognized his ability as a teacher and counseling and presenting his faith in a unique way, through stories and poetry. He drew on an eclectic fund borrowed from Hasidic, Zen and the Sufi Masters as well as Jesus and the mystics of the west. He tried to awaken his listeners to the presence of God in their midst.

Others said de Mello’s greatest strength was his insistence that prayer is made with the heart not the head. Rather than more words about god, people want a taste of him. With this in mind he stressed the need for people to be aware, to wake up to the world around them. He challenged us thus: How can you hear the song and not hear the singer? How can you see the wave and not see the ocean? How can you see the dance and not the dancer?

NOTIFICATION

This great man who has done so much good to bring his church and his ideas to the ordinary person has nonetheless not gone unnoticed by the authorities. Indeed, he has been brought under suspicion by the Vatican . The warning underlies certain passages from his writings as not in conformity with the teaching of the Catholic Church. It appears that it has put dogma before the spiritual growth and faith of its flock.

Eleven years after de Mello’s death, a Notification was approved by Pope John II “concerning the writings of Father Anthony de Mello”. It was penned by none other than Cardinal Ratzinger, The Papal Policeman who has since become the new Pope! Basically, the Notification claims that de Mello challenges the nature of God and Jesus as espoused by the church. It concludes “the above-mentioned positions are incompatible with the Catholic faith and can cause grave harm”

An official response to this accusation is being prepared by the Institute for Missiology and for the study of Religion (IMR). The purpose of the response is to point out the real significance of Father de Mello’s writings and teachings, as well as the faulty quotations brought out in the Note. The IMR concludes Father de Mello is certainly a danger to a particular type of Catholicism but not to those who believe in Jesus Christ and live by his Gospel in the Unity of the faith .

The Church has even tried to have his books banned. What publisher would give up so prized a possession. It has been unsuccessful at least in the U.S.

In the end this great man, loved by thousands, eschewed by his Roman Catholic authorities aimed simply to teach us How To Pray and How to Wake Up and Live. He left many best selling books still selling in the millions and in his short lifetime he was renowned for his workshops, his retreats and prayer courses. Despite the efforts of his Church, he is as alive today as when he lived. Perhaps when the Vatican loosens up, he may well be made a Saint!

Review the Internet if you have any doubt. Father Stroud (see below) is the key spokesperson today for Father de Mello. From his website his books and tapes can be obtained. So also are they available on http://www.abebooks.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com ; http://www.amazon.com

RESOURCES AND LINKS

Select Books – http://www.demello.org/textlist.doc

Sadhana: A Way to God

The Song of the Bird

Wellsprings

The Heart of Enlighenment

Awareness

The Way to Love

Contact with god

The Prayer of the Frog

Vatican’s Notification. www.ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/demello.htm

Official de Mello site: http://www.demello.org/

Fr. J. Francis Stroud, S.J. Executive Director,

deMello Spirituality Center,

Fordham University, Bronx, NY

Check the Author’s website which has nothing to do with spirituality:
http://www.ehomebiz.org/

Michael Brooke Ph.d is a retired senior university administrator at University of Victoria British columbia. He has also done corporate training, recruiting and is a published author in the area of adult education.

He now spends time enjoying life and running his ebusiness http://www.ehomebiz.org

The Israeli-Palestinian problem is not just another typical regional conflict; it is a major global conflict! In fact, the entire Middle East problem is the world’s “Gordian knot”. If humanity manages to solve it, then we can hope that present civilization may survive. If not, then apocalyptic tragedies await the world. Therefore, it is in everybody’s interests to contribute peacefully towards the solution of this long and fierce conflict. This article is my own humble contribution to this end.

It is an axiom that words, especially when they are fortified with strong emotion, are powerful “tools”, both for blessing and for cursing. People have known this instinctively and experientially since languages were formed, and they have used their tongue as a weapon to bring good and, unfortunately more often, evil on fellow human beings.

Some people’s words are inherently more powerful than those of others, and the most effective ones are those of prophets, especially when they are pronounced in the name of God, even without His approval. In the Old Testament we find many accounts of the fulfilment of catastrophic prophecies pronounced against Israel by its prophets, whenever the “chosen people” failed to obey God’s – the prophets’ – commandments.

In the knowledge of the above, the critical question to which all believers are called to answer is this: How is Israel affected today by the curses of its Old Testament prophets, taking into account that millions of Bible believers consider them as God inspired? To what degree is Israel still “bound” by them?

Difficult questions, indeed, which take a true mystic to answer for sure. (By the way, I do not claim to be one…)

If the answer to these questions is “YES”, then the next question must be: how could Israel be loosed from the curses the Jewish prophets have bound around its neck, thousands of years ago? Let us remember that Jesus said, “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”. Could Christians, or any other compassionate believers, intercede on behalf of Israel, although they know that the loosening from those curses was invariably tied with specific conditions that still have not been met by Israel?

Furthermore, wouldn’t it help if all these curses that are written in the Bible were eliminated and the relevant chapters deleted? In my opinion, these curses receive spiritual energy by those who believe them as God inspired, and so they appear to remain forever effective.

Personally, I would have never bothered wondering about curses pronounced over a people some thousands years ago, nor would I ever suspect that they would, in any way, be still effective, if there hadn’t been such a continuous bloody conflict in the “Holy Land”, and if, of course, the Jews had not suffered so much by the “gentiles” over the centuries.

Of course I am aware of the realistic problems of land-sharing between Israelis and Palestinians and that the solution to those requires understanding and a realistic approach by both parties. However, it has been in my heart for a long time to highlight the possible negative effect of those curses and what could the world do about them.

Bearing in mind that the Bible, however holy and inspired in certain parts, is a book written by fallible human beings with limited understanding of God’s Ultimate Truth, contemporary enlightened spiritual leaders should not hesitate to suggest elimination of every curse from the Bible. Humanity urgently needs another model of God, if the world is to find some peace.

Isn’t it strange that I feel inhibited and embarrassed even to quote here what is written in a Book considered being the “infallible and “inerrant” Word of God? I am sure, you, the unbiased reader, will have difficulty even reading those curses. I really feel to apologize in advance, but please remember, I did not write the Bible! And I am only doing this out of compassion for a people carrying a heavy yoke given by its prophets, in their zeal to make them a holy nation. But individuals have been granted the freedom to decide how they want to conduct their own lives and nobody can force them to be saints against their will, pronouncing curses upon them! This practice, apart from being unholy, it just doesn’t work!

In any case, although with great hesitancy, I must quote here a few of those heavy curses, and let those who are spiritually aware seek enlightenment, discernment and revelation on how to free Israel from them.

Deut. 27:1 – Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today.” (…) (…)

Deut. 28:15 – “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.” (…) (…)

Deut. 28:25 – “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.” (…) (…)

Deut. 28:45 – “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.”

As you can see, I have omitted all the specific curses between the above verses, for they are utterly repulsive and sickening.

Christian leaders of all denominations should seriously consider eliminating these and all other curses from a Book they consider to be the “Word of God”!

After all, Christ said, “Bless and not curse”! What excuses do they have for keeping any curses in the Bible? And what excuses do Christians have for believing that these curses are really God inspired? Isn’t this a blasphemy against the Creator, “Who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”?

The time has come for Christians to open their spiritual eyes and stop idolizing a Book with curses!

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