The First 100 Days-Change We Can "believe" In?

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS: MAJOR ABORTION PROMOTION, ATTACKING PRO-LIFERS
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama marks his first 100 days in the White House today and his record is replete with aggressive promotion of abortion and attacks on pro-life advocates. Obama has used tax dollars to pay for abortion and embryonic stem cell research and stacked his administration with abortion advocates.

In Memorium-80 Years of Christian Service

I didn't know this gentleman, but I thought it was interesting because of his age and years of service.

ST. MEINRAD, Ind.— Father Theodore Heck OSB, monk and priest of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, died in the monastery infirmary on April 29, 2009, at the age of 108. He was believed to be the world's oldest Benedictine monk.

Father Theodore was a jubilarian in monastic profession and priesthood, the senior member of the Swiss-American Congregation in profession, priesthood and age, and the senior in age of the entire confederation of Benedictine monks throughout the world.

Father Theodore was born in Chariton, Iowa, on January 16, 1901. He enrolled in the minor seminary at Saint Meinrad in 1918. He entered the novitiate in 1922, professed his simple vows on September 8, 1923, and was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1929. He would have celebrated his 80th anniversary as a priest next month. After ordination, Father Theodore taught in the minor seminary. In 1932, he began graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, earning a PhD in education in 1935. For over 50 years, he taught in the Saint Meinrad minor and major seminaries and held a variety of administrative positions.

For 10 years, from 1956-66, he was rector of Saint Meinrad School of Theology, also serving as rector of Saint Meinrad College for three of those years. He was responsible for gaining accreditation for Saint Meinrad's high school, college and school of theology at that time. For 17 years, he served as subprior (third in leadership) in the monastery and, for three years, as prior (second in leadership). He was a founding member of the American Benedictine Academy, serving as its first president from 1947-57.

At age 70, he began 17 years of pastoral service as vicar of St. John Chrysostom Parish, New Boston, Ind. During these years, he continued to teach on the college faculty.

The Office of the Dead will be prayed at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 1, in the Archabbey Church followed by visitation until 9 p.m. Visitation on Saturday will be from 8 to 9:45 a.m. in the Archabbey Church, followed by the funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Archabbey Cemetery. All times are Central Daylight Time.

TIME MAGAZINE PROMOTES EUTHANASIA KITS MAKING SURE ASSISTED SUICIDE REALLY KILLS
by Kathryn Jean Lopez
That Time magazine would consider covering a doctor who has advocated the right of troubled teenagers to kill themselves should set off all sorts of alarm bells. If we don't question the issue of assisted suicide and its seeming acceptance as an almost casual reality by the media, we're going to realize quickly that we have moved way beyond debating extraordinary care and the legality of assisted suicide in terminal cases.

A Small Blow to the Abortion Industry

Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A woman who posed as a doctor and performed unlicensed abortions at her clinic in Chula Vista has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

A San Diego County Superior Court judge on Friday ordered Bertha Bugarin to serve the sentence concurrently with a three-year term handed down by a Los Angeles court for similar charges.

Bugarin pleaded guilty in December to nine counts of practicing medicine without a license and one count of grand theft.

One of Bugarin's patients suffered severe complications, had to be hospitalized three times and eventually gave birth prematurely.

Bugarin's defense attorney said her client is a "get-things-done kind of woman" who recognized what she did was wrong.

Bugarin also operated five abortion clinics in Los Angeles and Santa Ana.

I wonder if we would have heard about this had she been employed by Planned "Parenthood."

Quotes From Our Founding Fathers

Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government.

George Washington, Farewell Address, Sept. 1796

Quotes From Our Founding Fathers

A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.

Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, February 12, 1779

And The Nobel Peace Prize Goes to ...Al Gore???

"When Holocaust rescuer Irena Sendler died last year at the age of 98, Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn of Kansas City’s New Reform Temple took issue with various obituaries paying tribute to her as the “female Oskar Schindler.” Schindler, he said, “should be called the male Irena Sendler, given that she saved many more Jews than Schindler.”

"It’s true — more than 2,500 children of the Warsaw Ghetto owed their lives to a Polish Catholic social worker who worked wonders right under the Nazis’ less-than-diligent gaze.

If you attended the play “Life in a Jar,” which dramatized Sendler’s career as a rescuer, then you are familiar with her remarkable story. You also may be aware of the story behind “Life in a Jar” itself: In 1999, for a National History Day project, a group of students in rural Kansas were given a challenge by their teacher, Norman Conard.

Conard produced a magazine article he’d clipped at the time that “Schindler’s List” was wowing moviegoers. The article claimed that there was a virtually unknown woman living in Poland who, half a century earlier, had rescued 2,500 Jews from the Nazis.

Surely that was a typo, said Conard, as though daring his kids to prove him wrong.

The students not only verified Sendler’s breathtaking accomplishment, they singlehandedly revived her story with a play, which has been performed hundreds of times around the world.

And now there’s a movie.

Anna Paquin stars in “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler,” airing at 8 tonight on KCTV-5 as the 236th presentation of the “Hallmark Hall of Fame.” It’s a straightforward and earnest account, adapted from the book by Anna Mieszkowska, of an unfailingly moral and caring person who spirited hundreds, then thousands of children across Nazi checkpoints into the waiting arms of Catholic families.

Honored for two decades after World War II, Sendler eventually slipped into obscurity, perhaps a result of her own humility. After the Kansas kids rediscovered her, Cukierkorn went to visit Sendler in 2004. He recalled her telling him to bring cookies — not for herself (she had diabetes) but to share with others at the nursing home where she lived.

Nor was Sendler one to burnish her own legend. When asked if she had advice for the young people dramatizing her story, she told them to “always end your performance by saying the real heroes of the story were the Jewish parents and grandparents.” After all, they had willingly surrendered their children to her. They were ensuring that their offspring would live, but in so doing they relinquished one of the last joys they had in that doomed community of Warsaw."

When I found out Irena Sendler was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize, and it was given to Al Gore...I couldn't believe it. Well, not at first. After all, spreading propaganda about unproven theories on "climate change" is surely more important than risking your life to save the lives of over 2,500 Jewish children. And they wonder why newspapers are going out of business. I wonder if Al would still travel around in his jet if they broke both his legs and feet like they did Irena's?Al should read 2 Peter 3 if if wants to know the truth about "global warming."...keith 1 Cor 13

What Would You Do?

British Scientists Tout Future Cure for Blindness with ESCs: What Would You Do If It Really Works?

The headline of this story from the Times of London--"Blind to be Cure with Stem Cells"--is really putting the cart before the horse--it hasn't even been tried yet, after all. But such hype is par for the course. From the story:

British scientists have developed the world's first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years' time.

The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells...This week Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients. The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness.

We have seen such stories planted in media before. But I think this one is notable because private money is being put into the development of the treatment--venture capital has been, heretofore, notably scarce in ESCR. Thus, I think it is fair to say that when a very big drug company puts money into a potential therapy, there is at least a decent chance it will work.

And that brings up an important question for those who oppose ESCR. What if it works and bending our ethical views could lead to our seeing again, but staying true to our beliefs would mean continuing vision impairment? Being forced to choose between better health and proper ethics is a foreseeable consequence of opposing ESCR, fetal farming, therapeutic cloning, and the like.

Some people have already grappled seriously with this question. Mark Pickup is an extremely close friend. He suffers--literally--from advanced and progressing MS, and so this issue is not merely an interesting intellectual exercise to him. Mark has written very clearly that he would refuse to receive ESC therapy, even if it meant foregoing a total cure, because to do otherwise would violate his Catholic faith and implicate him in the termination of a human life. From his column:

Here's the problem for someone like me: I do operate with moral constraints and conscience. My Christianity demands it. I cannot participate in, or take advantage of, therapies developed using embryonic stem cells. It is unacceptable for my life to get better at the expense of another.

Non-embryonic stem cell sources are fine. If, however, the therapy involves the killing of another human being in the form of an embryo then I must forego treatment, accept life in a wheelchair, and whatever lies in store for me with an aggressive, degenerative disease...

Is the allure of an embryonic stem cell therapy tempting? Absolutely! But I must resist and, with God's help, I will resist. It is better to lose the use of my body than to lose my humanity.

I strongly believe that using human life--even at the most nascent stages--as a mere natural resource is profoundly wrong, not only because of what it does but what it will lead to once society accepts using living human beings as mere instrumentalities. I hope if I am ever faced with this dilemma that I would have Mark's courage and ethical integrity to refuse to be complicit in such wrongdoing--but one never knows until the crisis comes.

This is why it is far easier to simply go along with the utilitarian flow. People who do never find themselves in such a pickle.

No one said that living an ethical life was easy. But as these issues play out, now is the time to think very deeply about the many "what ifs" that may confront us in the years to come: Because pondering these matters well before the time of testing offers the best chance to develop the courage and fortitude to make the right choice.

"Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, their destruction is not asleep." 2 Peter 2:2-3 NASB

What We Believe...

The Discipline of The Wesleyan Church:410:10"Abortion. The Wesleyan Church seeks to recognize and preserve the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and, thus, is opposed to the use of induced abortion...The Wesleyan Church encourages its members to become informed about the abortion issue and to become actively involved locally and nationally in the preparation and passage of appropiate legislation guaranteeing protection of life under law to unborn children."

Indiana House Passes Abortion Bill Requiring Hospital Admitting Privileges for Abortion Practitioners

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 16, 2009

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Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) -- The Indiana state House has approved a bill that would require abortion practitioners to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. In cases when an abortion goes horribly wrong and the abortion practitioner puts the life of the mother in jeopardy, the woman needs medical help.

Making sure a woman in a botched abortion situation had ready access to medical care an abortion practitioner can't provide at an abortion center is the main thrust of Senate Bill 89, which cleared the House on a bipartisan 73-20 vote.

"This bill is about patient safety," said Rep. Matthew Bell, a Republican. "I think it's the right statement to make when we care about the quality of care received by the patients."

Rep. Gail Riecken, a Democrats, claimed the bill was only about making it more difficult for women to get abortions.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana, which came under fire late last year for ignoring potential cases of sexual abuse of teenagers, also opposed the women's abortion safety bill.

There are nine abortion centers in Indiana located in five different counties. Testimony during the panel hearing indicated just one of the abortion practitioners operating in Indiana has hospital admitting privileges. Planned Parenthood worries that those who can't obtain access to admit patients to a local medical center in cases of botched abortions will have to close their abortion centers.

Sue Swayze, the legislative director for Indiana Right to Life, told the Indianapolis Star she is pleased the bill made it though the chamber.
"Abortion is a legal procedure, and what we are talking about is what happens afterward in the instance that there are complications," she said.

The Senate already approved the bill on a 44-6 vote in March and the measure now returns there for another vote to affirm the amendments to the bill added on the House side. Then, the measure goes to Gov. Mitch Daniels to sign or veto, though pro-life advocates expect him to sign it into law.

The bill requires abortion practitioners to have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county where the abortion is done or in an adjacent county.

The legislation came about because of problems in Fort Wayne, Indiana where local doctors had to take care of patients seen by abortion practitioner George Klopfer at the Fort Wayne Women’s Health Organization.

He also does abortions in South Bend and Gary and physicians have had to care for patients who have been injured by the abortions and required hospitalizations.

Sen. Patricia Miller, an Indianapolis Republican, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 89.

The bill comes after Vanderburgh County approved a local measure last year making sure abortion practitioners there have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Local officials said it is important in the ever-increasing cases of botched abortions where women need immediate medical care.

Under the new ordinance, any doctor doing abortions must disclose to patients the name of the hospital with which admitting privileges are maintained so as to facilitate better follow-up care in the event of post-abortion complications.

Indiana Right to Life president Mike Fichter told LifeNews.com, “Regardless of how you feel about the issue of abortion, everyone should applaud the Vanderburgh County Commission for taking this proactive step in making sure that proper safety requirements are in place if a woman experiences complications after an abortion."

Legislative attempts in 2007 and 2008 to enact statewide hospital admitting privileges requirements for doctors performing abortions were approved in the Indiana Senate with overwhelming numbers only to be defeated in the Indiana House by hostile committee assignments.

During the last legislative battle, Ft. Wayne obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Geoff Cly testified before lawmakers and recounted his experience treating women injured by abortion providers and underscored how more medical help is needed for women involved in botched abortions.

According to Americans United for Life, a national pro-life group that promotes state legislation, abortion practitioners in eleven states are required to maintain local hospital admitting privileges.

These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

The Vanderburgh County ordinance is thought to be the first locally-passed ordinance addressing the issue.

Related web sites:
Indiana Right to Life - http://www.indianalife.org
Indiana Legislature - http://www.in.gov/legislative

Indoor Holiness Camp Schedule

Our Chandler Interdenomination (Spring Indoor)Holiness Camp will be held this year at the following churches. The services will begin at 7:00PM nightly, and at 6:00PM on Sunday Night. Special Music will be provided by the individual churches. The sermon topics will cover some aspect of holiness. For further info email me at kipfoto73@sbcglobal.net

• Thursday April 23: Rev. Dan Edwards-Chandler Church of the Nazarene
• Friday April 24: Rev. Ed Ames-Newburgh Church of the Nazarene
• Saturday April 25: Rev. Kenton Daugherty-Boonville Wesleyan Church
• Sunday April 26: Rev. Dennis King: Faith Free Will Baptist Church (Chandler,In)

Please keep our campmeeting in prayer. We hope to see you there. God bless...keith 1 Cor 13

This Speaks for Itself...

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels..." Mark 8:38

CNSNews.com

Georgetown Says It Covered Over Name of Jesus to Comply With White House Request
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
By Edwin Mora

Photo of Gaston Hall stage that shows symbol "IHS" that was covered up during President Obama's speech to accommodate a White House request. (Wikimedia photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.

President Obama is greeted by Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia as he arrives to deliver remarks on the economy, April 14, 2009, at Georgetown University. Georgetown had covered the symbol "IHS" on the pediment above and behind the two men. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

“In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.

“The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” she added. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”

Pediment in Gaston Hall with "IHS" covered as photographed by CNSNews.com, April 15, 2009. (Photo by Penny Starr,CNSNews.com)

On Wednesday, CNSNews.com inspected the pediment embedded in the wall at the back of the stage in Gaston Hall, where Obama delivered his speech. The letters “IHS” were not to be found. They appeared to be shrouded with a triangle of black-painted plywood.

Pictures of the wooden pediment prior to Obama’s speech show the letters “IHS" in gold. Many photos posted on the Internet of other events at Gaston Hall show the letters clearly.

The White House did not respond to a request from CNSNews.com to comment on the covering up of Jesus’ name at Gaston Hall.

President Obama speaking at Gaston Hall at Georgetown on April 14 with the "IHS" covered up on the pediment behind him. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Georgetown, which is run by the Jesuit order, is one of the most prestigious Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.

Roman Catholics traditionally use “IHS” as an abbreviation for Jesus’ name. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “St. Ignatius of Loyola adopted the monogram in his seal as general of the Society of Jesus (1541) and thus became the emblem of his institute.” The Society of Jesus is the formal name for the Jesuits.

Gaston Hall stage as it looked on the afternoon of April 15 with "IHS" still shrouded. (Photo by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com)

Although the monogram was covered over on the wooden pediment at the back of the Gaston Hall stage where it would have been directly above and behind President Obama as he spoke, the letters “IHS” are posted elsewhere around the hall approximately 26 times on shields representing different parts of the United States and the world.

Obama did not mention the name of Jesus during his address. However, he did mention Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

“There is a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells a story of two men…‘the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house…it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock,’” Obama said.

“We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” he added. “We must build our house upon a rock.”

Please Pray for Those Serving Us

Wesleyan Position On Immigration with Action Steps

From time to time, I may post relevant positions on current issues from our Discipline and General Conference. With all the moral and social issues around us, we need to know what the Bible says and what our Spiritual leaders have to say about it.This gives us a better perspective, allows us to better defend these issues to others who may question them. This positional statement is from general Conference 2008.

Friday, June 20th, 2008
Preamble
The Wesleyan Church is inspired by a God-given vision of equipping and empowering believers, leaders, and churches for “Fulfilling the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.” Focused on this vision, our mission is to exalt Jesus Christ by . . .
Evangelizing the lost;
Discipling the believers;
Equipping the Church; and
Ministering to society.
This vision and mission are nourished by “spiritual DNA” from The Wesleyan Church’s origins in historic Methodism and the American holiness and revival movements. We proudly claim our place among an earnest corps of disciples God is raising up to spread hope and holiness everywhere, proclaiming full salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Early strategies, from circuit-riding preachers, protracted meetings and camp meetings, to the Underground Railroad and the abolition of slavery, reveal the success of our forebears in balancing passionate evangelism and discipleship with godly concern for social reform. These have long since yielded to new ministry methods, necessitated by changing times and circumstances. Like our forebears, God calls us today to engage in promoting both personal holiness and social holiness. New issues of justice, compassion, and human need require us to respond boldly and wisely.
Immigration is a contemporary issue that beckons Wesleyans to act as agents of Spirit-filled outreach and compassion in North American society. The United States and Canada are predominantly nations made up of immigrants and their descendants. Men, women, and their families seeking a better way of life, religious freedom, political asylum, opportunity to pursue great dreams and experience new beginnings have contributed to the prosperity and diversity that make our nations strong.
According to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics, as of January 1, 2006, there were 17.6 million legally resident immigrants and an estimated 11.6 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States. In 2006, U.S. Border Patrol and other agents located 1.2 million deportable aliens among the unauthorized population. Data from Statistics Canada based on 2006 census figures showed the proportion of the Canadian population born outside the country was at its highest ratio in 75 years—some 6.2 million foreign-born persons now represent 22.2 percent of Canada’s population (up from 18.4 percent just five years ago).
Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12:48 NIV). God is blessing The Wesleyan Church in many ways to be a voice and force for the gospel among immigrant persons. We celebrate the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of the North American Wesleyan family. We yearn for denominational demographics to reflect the cultural mosaic of American and Canadian society as a visible testimony of the success of our commitment to make disciples of all peoples. Ten years ago, 133 out of 1,671 Wesleyan congregations in the United States and Canada were self-identified as non-White. In 2007, 221 out of 1,691 churches were non-White—a 66 percent increase. By far, the fastest growing segment of the North American church in the last decade has been Hispanics and Latinos. Many of our newest Wesleyans are recent immigrants.
We are grateful for the steady leadership of Wesleyan districts and local churches that are setting the pace for dynamic ministries of evangelism, church growth, church multiplication and ministries of compassion that include newcomers and strangers as our neighbors. Yet, we recognize there is much more that we can and must do as Christ’s messengers of hope and as examples of holy living.
God is mindful of all people and concerned for their needs. Many immigrants face serious hardships—family separation and loneliness, financial distress, language barriers, exploitation, prejudice or racism, personal safety issues, social isolation, lack of food or shelter, problems adapting or assimilating into a new culture, insecurity and fear (especially for those who do not have proper documentation). More urgently, they are persons in need of the grace of God and the knowledge of Christ that leads to salvation.
The Church as “the body of Christ” is the ongoing incarnation of His love and life. We represent Him when we give “cups of cold water in Jesus’ name” to persons who have fled countries of origin in which they suffered persecution, poverty, or political oppression. We model His compassion when we offer charity and hospitality to strangers He sovereignly brings to our shores to offer talents, skills, and labor that can contribute positively to our society. We are His servants when we aid newcomers and their families in dealing with the enormous challenges they face in assimilating into North American society—such as language learning, friendship building, finding medical care, making economic adjustments, and meeting legal requirements. While respecting those whom God has ordained to govern and protect society and submitting to their authority (so long as it does not violate the laws of God), we are the Lord’s voice to speak out prophetically against injustice and unrighteousness towards the weak. We must treat all persons with dignity, including those who have entered the country illegally or who entered legally but are now out of status with immigration authorities.
The responsibility of the body of Christ to bear His message and to minister to all people rests in the hands of individual believers and congregations. As we wrestle with and respond to the challenges of immigration in our local communities and lands, we do so in full awareness that, as citizens of the kingdom of God, we ourselves are strangers and sojourners in the world in which we presently dwell. Therefore, Wesleyans everywhere are called to recognize and respond to the purposes of God among all peoples within their spheres of influence and to accomplish the redemptive and restorative purposes of Jesus Christ on their behalf. Trusting in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we embrace the following eight biblical principles to inform and guide The Wesleyan Church’s response to immigration issues.
Kingdom Values Regarding Christians and Immigration:
Eight Biblical Principles to Guide Wesleyan Responses
1. The Creation Principle: All persons are created equal and are of equal worth in their Creator’s eyes. Each individual possesses fundamental rights to live and be respected as a human person of intrinsic worth and dignity. These rights are derived from one’s creation in the image of God and from the vicarious death of Jesus Christ for all humanity.
26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:26-28 NIV).
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28 NIV).
Action Step: Understanding that all are made in the image of God, as Wesleyans we will seek to treat all people humanely and with dignity, regardless of race, class, nationality, gender, or legal status.
2. The Great Commandment Principle: Christ commands us to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and our neighbors as ourselves. This commandment sums up the entire Law and the Prophets, requiring us to live in perfect love with God and our neighbor, which is holiness. We are to love our neighbor unconditionally regardless of race, class, nationality, or legal status in our land.
37Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).
14The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14 NIV).
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40 NIV).
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love . . . 20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen (1 John 4:8, 20 NIV).
15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we will give of ourselves in wholehearted love to others without intolerance, judgment, favoritism or disrespect, and in spite of who they are or what they have done to live among us.
3. The Sovereignty Principle: God is sovereignly at work to establish His kingdom in heaven and on earth. He determines the times and places where the peoples of the nations should live so that people will seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him. No one can ultimately succeed in thwarting God’s work. God can bring good from the fallen intentions and actions of humanity and save many lives. Our responsibility as His people is to recognize His hand at work and cooperate with Him in ways that build up His kingdom in heaven and on earth.
26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
28 “For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring” (Acts 17:26-28 NIV).
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12 NIV)
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35 NIV)
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we view immigration as an aspect of God’s larger plan to bring salvation to the world. Immigration can be used through God’s wisdom to introduce many to Jesus who might not otherwise hear the gospel message.
4. The Submission Principle: Christians possess dual citizenship, one heavenly and the other earthly. Christians should respect and submit to the laws of the land, except when they are in contradiction to biblical principles. When there is a conflict between the heavenly and earthly citizenships as to specific claims, Christians have a moral duty and right to seek a change in the law and to act so as to maintain a clear conscience before God.
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor (Romans 13:1-7 NIV).
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it (Matthew 8:9 NIV).
“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21 NIV).
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority (1 Peter 2:13 NIV).
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV).
19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20 NIV).
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we will exercise awareness of the laws as they pertain to immigration and will endeavor to obey them, and encourage all immigrants to do the same, unless these laws are contrary to God’s Word as interpreted by the collective wisdom and authority of the body of Christ. We support the rights of those who engage in civil disobedience against harsh and unjust laws, policies and measures on the basis of biblical principles.
5. The Hospitality Principle: Christ’s love compels us to be kind and compassionate and to offer hospitality, especially to those in need, including strangers, widows, orphans, aliens, and immigrants regardless of their legal status.
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:29-37 NIV).
18He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. 19And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:18-19 NIV).
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12 NIV).
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward (Matthew 10:42 NIV).
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9 NIV).
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:13 NIV).
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we will encourage one another to engage in acts of kindness and compassion (i.e. providing food, shelter, clothing, and other resources) toward immigrants who are in need regardless of their immigration status (documented or undocumented).
6. The Great Commission Principle: Jesus Christ brings good news and has commissioned us to make disciples of all peoples, including citizens and aliens alike. We are called to follow His example and carry on His ministry, declaring good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, release to the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV).
19“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:1-11 NIV).
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we will unashamedly engage in both evangelizing and discipling immigrants in our communities, training and appointing immigrant persons as pastors, lay leaders, and workers, with respect for applicable employment laws as we do.
7. The Grace Principle: All have sinned and deserve God’s judgment and punishment. Yet, He is a merciful God and seeks to reconcile us to Himself by grace. God’s grace is a model for our own human relationships, compelling us to respond with grace to those who have sinned. We are called to seek reconciliation wherever possible, by standing against extreme and harsh measures and calling for appropriately balanced measures that restore one to a right relationship with God and with one’s neighbors.
1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2 NIV).
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV).
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV).
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7 NIV).
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
(2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NIV).
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:35-46 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we will show God’s grace by accepting those less fortunate than us. We will seek to have a welcoming heart to those that are strangers in our land, showing them acts of kindness and doing our part to understand other people’s cultures to better serve them through God’s love.
8. The Justice Principle: God’s people are called to seek justice for all persons proactively by calling for just, fair, reasonable, and humane laws and serving as advocates and defenders for those who are powerless, disenfranchised, and marginalized. Special attention ought to be given to protect the welfare of children and innocent dependents of foreigners, regardless of their legal status.
33 When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:33-34 NIV).
3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:3-4 NIV).
The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice (Ezekiel 22:29 NIV).
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NIV).
Action Step: As Wesleyans, we oppose and condemn all unjust and harsh laws, policies and measures directed against immigrants among us, whether documented or undocumented. We will act as advocates for just and humane policies for all people by all levels of government and in all parts of society.
GENERAL CONFERENCE 2008
Ronald D. Kelly, Secretary

Standing Still Before the Lord

By Keith Kiper

Reprinted from God's Revivalist & Bible Advocate

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today;for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.” Exodus 14:13

We are living in an era of ever increasing fear and tension. We are afraid to leave home without locking our houses. We are afraid to help people because of lawsuits. We can’t fly overseas without the threat of a terrorist hijacking.
With all our technology and education we are not really much different than people in Moses’ day. We tell others to trust in Jesus, what seminars they should attend, even what scriptures they should use to overcome trials and temptations.
Why is it then, that when things start going wrong for us; we so many times run to our doctors, our counselors, and our prescriptions. Why don’t we seek the wisdom and counsel of the Lord?
Part of the answer to that question could be that we live in a time when everything is readily obtained. We have instant coffee, instant meals, and even instant pictures. We want it all: RIGHT NOW, if not sooner. In short, we are not willing to stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
Standing still before the Lord involves more effort than many people are willing to put forth to seek God’s will. We want to make formulas out of scripture verse to fit our particular situations, hoping again for that “instant” cure to our problems. It becomes easy to use our salvation as a fire escape from hell, using it when we need it, rather than as a total way of life affecting every thought and every decision.
Standing still before the Lord may involve intense prayer and fasting to seek guidance in a situation.
Aside from definite decisions about particular situations, we need to learn the value of standing still before the Lord to help us in our everyday living, working, and playing.
Standing still before the Lord involves a daily time of prayer and communion with Him. We will find that our days will go better and our ministries will become more fruitful if we put that time of waiting before Him as the first priority in our lives and as the first thing on our agenda for each day.
Jesus told His disciples that without Him they could do nothing. Even Jesus waited before the Lord for 40 days in prayer and fasting. This should say it all for us.
I challenge you, wait upon and stand still before the Lord. The fears and tensions will leave you and you will find yourself involved in a more effective ministry for Him, whatever your place is in God’s plan..

This was first published in the September 1986 Issue of God's Revivalist. I was going through a time of testing. I had ministry decisions to make, and Vicky and I were going through the process of waiting for the adoption of a child. God gave me this article and it was then published by God’s Revivalist in the September 1986 issues.
Recently, some 20 years later, I found I had colon cancer. After a testing of my faith, I found the promises God have given me then to still be true. With all the economic turmoil going on in the world around us, I feel the truths God gave me then still applies today.

Please send me any articles, poems, or testimonies you may have...keith 1 Cor 13

God Still Heals Today-My Testimony

As Resurrection Sunday is fast approaching, it makes you stop and think. I think about the things I am happy to have such as life, family and friends. I wrote these things down a while back. As Wesleyans, we still believe God heals. Here is my testimony that healing is real and for God's people today.

We as a holiness people believe that God can still heal. We know He can do this in a spiritual sense. God also can heal in a physical manner. How do I know this? It happened to me. Back in September of 2006, I learned about faith and healing first hand. Just prior to that, I didn’t know I had any faith left.
I had been working in a local factory. I was earning a decent wage. Things were going along fairly well. Then everything changed. I started feeling pain and experiencing symptoms which were new to me. Sometimes, you just know when something is wrong inside. A short time later, a friend at church, Jim Walker, testified about how God had helped him through cancer surgery. His symptoms sounded an awfully lot like mine. God can use us when we are bold enough to tell others how He has worked in our life. God used Jim that day. I feared the worst. The big “C” can be very frightening when it happens to you. When I didn’t think I had any faith left, something kicked into motion. I called and emailed everyone I knew. Family and friends begin to pray. The Holy Spirit inspired my faith through their prayers and ignited my faith. No, it was not an easy road to travel. But I didn’t have to travel it alone. Family and friends helped. When Christians help other Christians, in can inspire their faith. Those who have gone through similar situations know what I am talking about. I drew closer to God in a way I had not before. Romans tells us that God will work everything for good when we trust Him. I found that to be true! I underwent several surgeries. I almost died. I had to make some permanent adjustments. No chemo or radiation, praise be to God! I am privileged to be a licensed minister in the Wesleyan Church and I am only about a year short of being ordained. I didn’t see how any of these things could be possible just a little over a couple of years ago. All credit must rest with God. You see, God still cares about and loves us, doesn’t He? The faith that inspired my heart and brought healing can only come from above. When God puts it upon your heart to testify about His great love, do what Jim did and never under estimate how He might use you...

God bless...keith 1 Cor 13

Your Tax Dollars at Work!

Federally Funded Group Advises Teens on How to Decide if They Are "Gay"(Homosexual)
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer

A sign at the CDC's Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Ga. (Photo by James Gathany, CDC)

(CNSNews.com) - A group that has received more than $16 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the past 15 years maintains Web sites that advise young people on how to decide if they are gay, how to come out to their parents and getting active in causes ranging from abortion to "comprehensive" sex education.

The group says none of the federal grants it receives are used to support its Web sites.

Advocates for Youth is a non-profit group that describes itself as an “organization dedicated to creating programs that help young people ages 13 to 24 years old to make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.”

Its main Web site contains many pages of advice and information about sexuality. The Web site also includes “tool kits” and “lesson plans” for “youth, parents, professionals and press and policymakers,” including a “heterosexual questionnaire” to give “straight people an opportunity to experience the types of questions that are often asked of gay, lesbian, and/or bisexual people.”

“Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?” one question asks. “If you have never slept with a member of your own sex, is it possible that you might be gay if you tried it?” another asks.

Advocates for Youth hosts several other Web sites for what it calls ongoing “projects,” including www.amplifyyourvoice.org for teens, www.youthresource.com, for “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth,” and www.mysistahs.org for “young women of color.”

The www.amplifyyourvoice.org site describes itself as “an online community dedicated to sexual health, reproductive justice, and youth-led grassroots movement building.”

Jesus tells us to love everyone without favor regardless of the sin. The Bible does, however, have something to say about what certain sins do to the individual and society. Romans Chapter One helps clear this up for those who are confused about the issue..keith 1 Cor 13

Time to Pray for Our Nation

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Time to Pray for Political Leaders

Senator to Oppose Budget Because of Pro-Life, Pregnancy Center Donation Cutoff

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Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life U.S. senator says he intends to oppose the $3.6 trillion budget proposed by President Barrack Obama and Congressional Democrats because it would hurt donations to pro-life groups and pregnancy centers.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas says there are several reasons why he will vote no on the budget, but he points to attacks on charitable donations as one of them.

Under the budget, Obama would limit this deduction for charitable contributions, which Cornyn says would cost charities nationwide anywhere from $4 billion to $9 billion.

Obama has proposed to reduce the tax incentives for charitable giving and wants Congress to limit to 28 percent the tax saving from contributions for taxpayers who itemize their deductions.

The president wants to use the money to fund universal health care that, ironically, could include taxpayer coverage of abortions.

"Charitable organizations depend on the generosity of donors to serve our communities, and for decades we have encouraged this generosity by making charitable donations deductible," he said.

Cornyn says the negative potential impact can be seen in his own back yard and pointed to the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides counseling and services to women who are pregnant or who may think they are pregnant.

"Some of their clients are students. Some are homeless. Some are victims of domestic violence and other abuse," Cornyn says.

"The center provides these confidential services at no cost to women in need. It relies completely on donations from individuals and businesses to fund its programs. Thanks to the generosity of the Austin community, the center now has two full-time employees, one part-time employee and about 60 volunteers," Cornyn adds.

"The recession has made it harder for the center to raise money — even as the demand for its services increases. In just one day this month, the center received nearly 20 calls from women who could not afford to buy diapers," Cornyn continues.

In the words of center Executive Director Lori DeVillez, "There are many times where a bag of diapers or a can of formula truly means the difference between 'Do I eat today, or provide for my baby?'"

The center works to ensure that its clients don't have to face such a terrible choice, but Cornyn says DeVillez estimates that up to 10 of the center's largest donors would see their taxes go up under the president's plan.

"She would like to see policies that would expand her pool of potential donors — rather than dry it up," Cornyn says.

"I believe that charitable organizations like the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center help make Texas a better place," the senator concludes. "They deserve our support. They do not deserve to suffer the impact of higher taxes."

Colleen Parro, the head of the Republican National Coalition for Life, a group that works to keep the GOP pro-life, applauded Cornyn's principled stance.

"Senator Cornyn’s focus on the importance of charitable organizations such as the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center is most welcome," she told LifeNews.com.

"Thousands of centers across the country are dedicated to offering help and hope to mothers who otherwise may have nowhere to turn," she said. "Their dedicated staff members, many of whom are volunteers, carry out their mission supported through the tax-deductible financial gifts they receive from generous donors."

"We are deeply appreciative of Senator Cornyn’s efforts to prevent the Obama administration from limiting charitable income tax deductions," she added.

Cornyn's comments came in an editorial published today in the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Whatever our political view may be,our churches and charitable organizations will be affected by higher taxation of our giving.We need to pray for and let our leaders know how we feel about this...