Jesus...I'm Comin Home To Be With U Lord!!

I'm ready for Jesus Christ to come and swoop me up. After reading the news online, it's hard to imagine the world getting in any worse of a state than the present. With gas prices, high rate of unemployment, foreclosures, school closings, youth beating up innocent citizens, parents killing their children, husbands killing their pregnant wives...I'm just wondering what is taking my Lord so long to come back??? The two following stories almost took me over the edge...I'll include a succinct synopsis and u can click the link for the stories. SMH

Preacher killed wife, stuffed body in freezer, police say

Anthony Hopkins appeared in court Thursday to face murder, rape and incest charges.

1 of 3

I can pretty much guarantee this story will be either on Lifetime or HBO. I KNOW some aggressively hopeful author has already finished the manuscript to this story, so a 'real crime' novel can be publi
shed! Briefly, a small town preacher was raping his daughter since age 11. Wife confronted him, he killed her, daughter helped put her in freezer in 2004. Daughter left a couple of weeks ago and told. He was found ministering on forgiveness. The courteous officers waited til the end of the sermon before arresting him for the murder of his wife. See-not all police officers are callous and heartless. Read the tragic story here.

**Please do not use the above story to justify why u don't go to church. This has nothing to do with church-it has to do with a sickened selfish and cruel human who terrorized his home and was a minister.

Decapitation suspect appears in court

***Update: here's the video that includes account from witnesses, the suspect in court, and pic of the victim***
**contains graphic description-caution**

This one...smh...this one is soooo weird. A passenger on a greyhound in Winnipeg CA was stabbed to death while he was sleeping. The passenger was 22 y/o, and the killer..(i ain't allegin' NOTHING) continually stabbed the young while passengers were on the bus. Since he had more energy to expend and grew bored with stabbing (i added that in) the victim, he proceeded to CUT HIS HEAD OFF, walked to the front of the bus with the head, held it up for all (outside of the bus to see), dropped the head, went back to the body, eviscerated (gutted) him and proceeded to EAT THIS BABY'S FLESH-with what looked like a butcher knife. What in goodness' name is going on????? The lunatic is 40 yrs old. U have to read it to believe it, click here


**OK THIS JUST IN another dismemberment. I wish I could move to the moon, I swear.

Man accused of decapitating British girlfriend

Police released this photo of Cara Marie Burke with Mohamed D'Ali Carvalho.

WTH?? A 17 y/o young lady was killed at the hands of her bf (surprise surprise). What's shocking is her 20y/o bf (pic'd abv). When Cara threatened to tell her bf's parents that he sold dope, and may even call the police-he stabbed her to death, went to a party, dismembered her the next day. Oh btw he took pics of her DISMEMBERED body with his CELL PHONE.

Read this incredible story here.

Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

For the latest on the village idiot known as Kwame Kilpatrick (Detroit City Mayor)

click
here

And on that note...

I Know Today's Sunday...

I know today's Sunday...and unlike alot of other blogs, I'm not posting gospel songs, devotional, or giving praise to God.

Why?
I praise Him everyday-at least I try to.

Must I post on Sunday about the goodness of God?
If I don't post about the goodness of God, am I any less saved than those who post faithfully on Sunday?




Of course not.
However, I was starting to feel bad (not convicted) cuz I didn't dedicate an obligatory spiritual post on Christ.

After searching earnestly in myself, I've discovered that I felt pressure (from myself) to follow everyone else.

Problem with that.

I'm NOT a follower.

Although, I'm @ a crossroads in my life regarding church (I've left church, and am at total peace) and it's perversion, by no way am I at a crossroads regarding my love for Christ.

And the fact that i communicate with Him (need to increase my frequency, admittedly), and care about what He thinks seems to outweigh the fact that I don't do gospel posts on Sunday.

I love God EVERYDAY...including Sunday, and I honor him everyday.
Not in my dedicating a post (to him), but I try to in my daily life.

Please do not think I'm pointing at anyone...I'm writing to say that I'm FREE from a self-imposed bondage.
I did it.
To myself.
And it took the love of Christ...to free me.
Again.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 mIn all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct^[a] your paths."

New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Be blessed family.



Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

Jesus Christ & Kathy Griffin...

My blog sibling Kingskid
sent me an email re: comedian Kathy Griffin and her emmy award winning speech.
Seeing as how I rarely watch TV...I viewed a snippet of a youtube clip K.K. sent me, but it only played 1:30 out of approx 8min.
So...searched youtube for the speech, and came upon Larry King's interview w/Kathy Griffin and this is the unedited speech:



Griffin's attention whoring antics are nothing new.
She says things for shock value so that we'll talk about her.
I understood her explanation on Larry King, but she still used poor judgment.
However, she got what she was seeking...interviews, write-ups, blog posts...etc.
Then when she's feeling worthless again, she'll have to pull a PR stunt that will overshadow this speech. what a vicious cycle.
I understand it was a parody of those who get crunk, drunk, calling people hoes, b*tches and then have the nerve to thank God for winning an award.
God awards misogyny?
However, if it was truly a parody of such people..why didn't she come on the stage w/an entourage, sagging pants, video hoes etc?



Mark 8th chapter starting at 36 says:
36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”


I don't agree with all religious beliefs, but I will not mock or condemn it either. Griffin is Jewish and I'm sure although she may make a joke out of it, i know she wouldn't appreciate people degrading her cultures/beliefs.



Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

It Doesn't Matter Where U R In Life...DON'T GIVE UP!

Thank you, Jesus...

Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

What IT'S NOT About...

It ain't about how you topped your mop...

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It Ain't About the suit you wore...


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It ain't about an Easter basket or Easter bunny...huh?

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Nooooo Wayyyy!

Eggs and the Resurrection of Christ????? Not!
(*note-eggs ARE a great source of protein and Omega 3-oils lol)

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Well, what is Resurrection of Christ About??

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Message # 95006
By P. G. Mathew, M.A., M.Div., Th.M.
Copyright © 1995 by P. G. Mathew

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very heart of Christianity. In 1 Corinthians 15 St. Paul reasoned, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . .We are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead." In that same chapter he says "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen sleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." But then Paul triumphantly declares, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:14-20).

The First Easter

What do we mean by the resurrection of Christ? Jesus Christ came into this world to die as our substitute for our sins. The sinless Son of God came to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). On that first Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. We know he died because one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to ensure his death. Some of his disciples then buried his body in a new tomb (John 19:30-42).

While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that he would rise from the dead. He challenged his enemies: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." He was speaking about his body (John 2:19-22). Jesus also told his disciples many times that he would be killed by the leaders in Jerusalem, but be raised to life on the third day. The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that he would rise from the dead. Although they did not believe it, they wanted to ensure that it would not happen, so they set a guard around the tomb. In Matthew 27:62-66 we read, "The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 'Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive, that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise again." So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body, and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard."

Did the strategy of the chief priests and Pharisees succeed? No! Despite their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead. Remember how Jesus had said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life"? During his ministry on earth, Jesus brought a number of people to life from the dead, including Martha's brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days (John 11). But the resurrection of Jesus Christ was different. It was not just resuscitation, as was the case with Lazarus, who later died again. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead with a transformed body that was clothed with immortality and glory. His resurrection body could appear and disappear, go through material objects, and ascend to and descend from heaven.

On Easter morning some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb, expecting to find his body. But the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "He is not here; he has risen!" Later they saw their risen Lord face to face. The gospels record these events, but the earliest written report concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ was written by St. Paul within twenty-five years of Christ's death in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." Later St. Luke the historian wrote in his introduction to the book of Acts, "After [Jesus'] suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).

Because of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, Jesus' depressed and disappointed disciples were instantly transformed. They began to preach the gospel with power, and the resurrection of Jesus was at the heart of their preaching. Why? Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. These disciples of Jesus willingly suffered martyrdom for their faith. The enemies of the gospel were totally unable to refute this central claim of the gospel. They could not produce the body of Jesus Christ and put a stop to Christianity. The Jewish believers, meanwhile, were so impressed by this miracle that they began to worship on the day of Christ's resurrection, Sunday, rather than on Saturday, as their custom had been.

Unbelief and the Resurrection of Christ

Many people do not believe in the resurrection. Even in New Testament times we find those who refused to believe in the resurrection. The Sadducees were materialists who did not believe in resurrection as the Pharisees did. Even in the church, some people did not believe in the resurrection. St. Paul wrote concerning this in 1 Corinthians 15. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18 Hymenaeus and Philetus were mentioned by Paul as people who did not really believe in the resurrection of the body.

Therefore, unbelief in the resurrection is not a recent idea, but especially beginning in the latter part of the seventeenth century, some in the church began to question putting faith in miracles, particularly in the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ. In England deists like John Toland refused to believe in the resurrection. Rationalists like H. S. Reimarus refused to believe in miracles, and questioned the authority of the Bible and the church. The theologian David Strauss systematically denied any miracles in his work, Life of Jesus, and in the twentieth century Karl Barth, along with Rudolf Bultmann, also denied the resurrection of the body. Today most liberal churches deny the resurrection as well as any miracle as recorded in the New Testament.

Such people deny the resurrection. They do not say it is not historical, or it is not recorded in the text of the New Testament. They deny it simply out of unbelief. They reason that normally the dead do not rise, and therefore Jesus could not rise from the dead. In spite of all textual and historical evidence, such people refuse to believe in the resurrection because they trust in the ultimate authority of fallen human reason rather than in God's Holy Scriptures.

Although they may be members of churches, such people are really pagans who are without hope. St. Paul speaks about them in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope." They are "without hope and without God in the world," Paul says in Ephesians 2:12. They will not believe the New Testament, which declares the resurrection of Christ with great clarity.

How Does the Resurrection Affect Us?

If we believe in the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament, what significance does the resurrection have for us?

1. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we see the clear demonstration of the power of the true God. Ephesians 1:19-21 tells us that it is the power of our heavenly Father that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
   
2. The resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is God. That is exactly what God the Father wanted to communicate to us, as we read in Romans 1:4. The Jews crucified Jesus Christ because, to them, he was blaspheming when he said that he was the Son of God, equal to the Father. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates the truth that he is who he said he was.
   
3. Our salvation depends on our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:9, we are told how to be saved. It says that "if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." This means that you cannot be a Christian unless you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This should tell us that even if some people are in churches, if they reject the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they are not Christians.
   
4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates to us that all the teachings of Jesus Christ are true. Everything Jesus taught was true, including his great promise in John 6:40, "Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Jesus' teachings concerning his person, his work, heaven, hell, and the future judgment are all true.
   
5. The resurrection of Jesus Christ secured our justification. "Christ died for our sins and he was raised for our justification," Paul says in Romans 4:25.
   
6. Our own resurrection depends completely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:14: "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." There are a number of other verses concerning this, including 2 Corinthians 4:14, and others.
   
7. The power for our Christian life in the present is the power of his resurrection. We read about this in Ephesians 1:19-21, as well as in Romans 6:4: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." People ask me, "How can we live this Christian life?" We can live it by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
   
8. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates that this Jesus Christ is going to be the appointed judge of all the wicked people in the world. In Acts 17:31, Paul told the Athenians, "'For he [God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.'" We see the same idea in John 5:22 where Jesus said, "Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son." In verses 27-29 he continued, "And he has given him authority to judge, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." The resurrection of Jesus Christ means that he will raise up everyone who ever lived--some to eternal life and some to eternal damnation--and Jesus Christ will be the judge of the wicked. All who have trusted in their fallen reason and rejected the claims of Jesus Christ will be raised up from the dead by Jesus Christ himself. He will judge and damn them.

How Do We Respond to the Resurrection?

How do we respond to the resurrection of Christ? I urge you to repent now and believe in him who is the Judge of the whole world. "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved," Paul told the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31). The Lord Jesus is the Son of God who became man. He is very God and very man. He was crucified, he died and was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. This same Lord Jesus Christ ascended into the heavens, is ruling and reigning even now, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Will you bow down before him and be saved forever?

May God give you faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and particularly in the fact that God raised him from the dead. May you come to know that Jesus Christ is the only Savior and there is no other. May we all remember that Jesus is the Judge whom we will all face, because it is appointed to man once to die and then comes judgment. May God have mercy on us, that we will beg for mercy and pardon from him and be saved. Amen
(source)

**Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!**

Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

A Son Is Born...

Christmas is NOT about gifts received, going into debt, or being overcome with depression.

It's about Christ Jesus, who
John 3:16 says,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
****
To my blog family, I wish you nothing but peace & blessings in Jesus' name!

@Cop, THANKS for ALWAYS stopping by and leaving your mark on YBR, it's so appreciated.

Question: what r u waiting on??

CREATE YOUR BLOG-So we can return the love!! :)

Christmas - Glitter Graphics

File This Under: Jesus...PLEASE PLEASE Take The Wheel!

Courtesy of TMZ.com

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London lady soul singer Amy Winehouse left home after powdering her nose (left) and was chauffeured to her first party stop -- where along the way, she decided that she'd change her pants (right) -- leaving paparazzi gaping at the half-naked, gap-toothed, beehived, lovelorn wreck.

<<<<<

After an evening of "entertainment" it appears Wino lost her keys, and had to get back into her home, not by ringing for Jeeves, but by sliding under the gate (below). According to sources she made it inside.

File This Under: Jesus Take The Wheel!

Talent wasted...

Winehouse seen in bra, jeans outside of house
Rep says embattled singer got out of bed to investigate noise
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LONDON - Embattled songstress Amy Winehouse was photographed in nothing more than a bra and blue jeans wandering outside of her London home before dawn on Sunday.
click here

But according to her rep, Amy’s disheveled look wasn’t due to a night of hard-partying, but rather, an apparent case of bed head.

“She was not on an all-night bender,” her U.K. rep told People, who added the singer had been sound asleep when she heard a noise outside her London flat and went to see what it was around 5:45 AM. “She heard all these noises and she went outside to look and there were all these photographers ... She’d been sound asleep ... of course she looked startled.”
Story continues below ↓advertisement

Photographed sans makeup and without her trademark beehive hairdo, Amy was “muttering incomprehensibly,” according to British newspapers.

When contacted by Access Hollywood, Winehouse’s U.S. rep said the singer was “awakened at 6 a.m. by a lot of noise. Came outside her flat to investigate and was met by photographers.”

Last week, Winehouse announced she was canceling the remainder of her concerts in 2007 after a run of personal and professional setbacks.

She made the announcement on the heels of news that her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was in a London prison awaiting trial on charges of witness tampering and assaulting a pub landlord.

“I can’t give it my all onstage without my Blake. I’m so sorry but I don’t want to do the shows half-heartedly; I love singing. My husband is everything to me and without him it’s just not the same,” Winehouse said in a statement on her Web site.

More from Access Hollywood
Photo gallery: Half-dressed Winehouse and more

That news came just weeks after the singer slurred her words and wobbled around the stage during a concert in Birmingham, England. Amy then threatened a booing and hissing crowd.

As far as the recent photograph of the scantily-clad “Rehab” singer, her rep told People that folks shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

“In light of recent reports, it’s easy to make assumptions, but she’s trying to get better and she needs the space to do that,” her rep said.

Trials & Tribulations Will Come...

(Sometimes I must be reminded, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!)

Romans 8:28-39 (New King James Version)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 3oMoreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”^[a]

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Read the Bible online

Father..

(image courtesy Google Images)

I remember when Father sent a laborer to minister the Word to me.

I was angry, bitter, suicidal & homicidal.

But yet, he saw fit to send someone to tell me He loved me.

It was on a Sunday in May 2002, and I was at work.

I tried avoiding this woman, at every turn-but God will have his perfect way.

I was entrenched in sin, and instead of ministering to the sin (as many christians do) Lanette ministered to me-with God's perfectly flawless unconditional love.

I was saved on my job, on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

The next day it was soooo quiet (you know that scary, creepy kind of quiet??) I thought someone was in my home.

Someone was. God. I had been formally introduced to peace.

Without Him-I am nothing, and I'll always be grateful for His son Christ Jesus dying for me.

Ivent

What- In-The-Tom-Cruise-John-Travolta-Girl-From-King-of-Queens-Celebrity-Hell?!

Some Christian pastors embrace Scientology
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TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help -- the Church of Scientology.

Rev, Charles Kennedy uses Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's book during a Friday night sermon.

Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings?

Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when it comes to practicing what they preach in a modern world, borrowing from Scientology helps.

The Rev. Charles Kennedy, of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in Tampa, Florida, and the Rev. James McLaughlin, of the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, are among the theological hybrids.

They say they are not scared off by programs with ties to a church that critics say has aggressive recruiting, secretive ways and rigid theology. As men of God rooted in Christian values, they do not see Scientology as a threat to their faith, but rather as a tool to augment it.

Scientology was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Followers are taught that they are immortal spiritual beings called thetans. Although the church says there is a supreme being, its practices do not include worshipping God.

"I'm looking for solutions, and the people that I help, they don't ask me who L. Ron Hubbard is," said McLaughlin, who works with addicts. "You know what they say? 'Thank God.' "

Critic Rick Ross, a court-certified Scientology expert, sees something more sinister at work. He warned that mainstream acceptance makes it easier for the Scientologists to achieve their ultimate goal -- new recruits.

"Their hope is that through these programs, people will become more interested in L. Ron Hubbard, what else Mr. Hubbard had to offer, and this will lead them eventually to Scientology," Ross said.

The church has long been in the headlines for practices critics say are little more than cult-like mind control. It is also known for its stable of devout celebrity followers.
And according to published reports, Scientology has been recently diversifying its outreach to include other religions and ethnic groups.

Kennedy, McLaughlin and a handful of other Christian church leaders -- no one can say how many -- are finding answers to their communities' needs in Scientology's social programs.
For Kennedy, it began two years ago when he attended a meeting at the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He was introduced to a book called "The Way to Happiness" -- Hubbard's 64-page, self-described "common sense guide to better living."
In the book, which lays out ways to maintain a temperate lifestyle, Kennedy found a message he believed could help lift his predominantly lower income African-American congregation. He said the book's 21 principles help them with their struggle in an urban environment where there is too much crime and addiction and too little opportunity.

Kennedy knew that before he could introduce any Scientology-related text to his congregation, he would have to prove that it did not contradict his Christian beliefs. And so, he found Scripture to match each of the 21 principles.

Now Kennedy uses "The Way to Happiness" as a how-to supplement to his sermons. He believes it is easier to understand and clearer to follow than ancient Scriptures taken from the Bible.

When asked whether Scientology's values contradict the religion of Jesus Christ, Kennedy replies, "Sometimes yes. Sometimes no." But he says his congregation can relate to "The Way to Happiness."

Kennedy admits other pastors have criticized him, but the disapproval is not enough to discourage him. He insists that he has witnessed the changes "The Way to Happiness" has inspired in people. He also maintains that the Scientologists, many of whom he calls friends, are successful at outreach and getting desired results.

At Kennedy's C. L. Kennedy Center, free tutoring based on Hubbard's "study tech" philosophies is provided to dozens of children and some adults. Kennedy's daughter, Jimirra, is one of the instructors. She said "study tech" and the Scientology orientation classes she attended helped her graduate from high school and become a poised woman.

Though Jimirra Kennedy insists she does not ascribe to the religious side of Scientology, she still considers herself, at least in part, Scientologist. "We say this all the time and I know my father says this, but I am like a Pentecostal Scientologist, that's what we are."
Critics like Ross are alarmed by such a blurring of the lines. They consider it a marketing win for Scientology.

In Houston, McLaughlin says he is not one to argue with success. Driven by a need to address the rampant drug problem in his community, McLaughlin spent years searching for a solution before he discovered "Narconon," Scientology's nonprofit drug rehab center, in 2001.
McLaughlin trained at Narconon and brought the techniques back to his community to launch

"First Step Faith Step," a program that combines Hubbard's methods with the teachings of Christianity.
He claims a 70- to 80-percent rehabilitation success rate.

Kennedy and McLaughlin said they have never lost a member of their congregations to Scientology.
"I think that they truly believe that this may help their communities, but in my opinion, they're naïve," Ross said. Scientologists, he added, "have their own agenda."
The Church of Scientology would not grant CNN an interview, nor would its representatives answer questions about the Hubbard-based programs.

***

Westboro Baptist Church?

How does God feel about our pastors embracing Scientology?

Or does it depend upon how many gay people are in the congregation??

He Chose Me...

He is God
(image courtesy of Google Images)

No longer striving to make a name for myself
for I now walk in the name of "Jesus,"
I recount the days of not long ago,
as a babe in Christ new to this faith walk,
fearful when I didn't hear from you or speak to you.
Alone without you or so I thought.
Feeling abandoned yet again, I wanted to leave you, but was unable.
Foolishly believing you were like the rest, I wanted to shut down, and hide.
But with faith the size of a seed , yes mustard I mustered up strength.
"PLEASE DON'T WALK AWAY" Lord, I cried!
Not realizing the magnitude of the faithful God I now worshiped.
"Because of who you are" you picked me up, and loved me.
you wiped away tears, brushed away stray strands that lay plastered to my face.
Realizing you my Lord, would never leave me, never forsake me, it is an inconceivable thought.
How is it possible to mess up, foul up, drop the ball, miss it by this much, come so close, oops no cigar,
better luck next time, this was not my season, everything happens for a reason, what is wrong with me, there's a time and a place for everything, and yet You still love me?

When I said I would never serve Him again, because his children hurt me.
He loved me the same.

When I vowed to never utter another prayer.
He loved me the same.

Through thin pages of power you speak the Word.
You said, I can do all things, i can ask for wisdom, i have a sound mind,
To build on a solid foundation, and to all people be kind.
I sing when I'm happy, blue, confused, misused, and abused, because regardless of circumstance
you've promised to see me through.
*****
I tell all what you've done for me, but also what you'll do for them.
I say he'll make the darkness light again
Can you believe that my friend?
I've purposed in my heart to be grateful in all things.
Because, I have eternal gratitude for Christ Jesus who allowed this captive's freedom to ring.
I sing because I can.
Not for attention or a record deal.
I sing because I'm a walking miracle.
Because my life the enemy wanted to destroy kill & steal.
I know for myself, not based on what I heard or read,
That my Almighty God is great, as I'm made mindful every time I rise out of bed.
As you healed me from my past, my hurts, and pain-You infused me with love, and I began to live again.
Your love poured out of me, just as rivers flow do.
I look in the mirror and a smile shines through.
Because my Father saved me, the devil's defeated, and I your baby girl whom you knew before creation..
have been made anew.
You..And...You Alone...Are God, and for that reason alone, I'll always be eternally grateful. Amen.
-Bridgett Crutchfield

*It's M.M. Monday!* Jesus Take The Wheel!

Chyna Bunny Wobbles All the Way Home
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If you were wondering how many people it takes to carry Chyna around town, the correct answer is two.

The wrestling diva was dressed up as a bunny for Halloween, and apparently needed a little help from her friends to get around. It's unclear from the pic where she hid her carrot.

***

Lawd, this child...she's a one woman wreckingball!

I hope she's ok, cuz these two look real scuzzy, and she looks...well, i've seen her look better.

I pray she gets the help she needs, quick, fast, and in a hurry.

Note to Jesse Jackson: Open Mouth, Insert Foot & Keep it There!!

I love dropping in at independentconservative.com's website. Brother IC, always knocks the ball out of the park w/his posts.

I'm not sure what Jesse Jackson was thinking, but he was very irresponsible in his statement. I'm glad the young man was released, but to liken it to Christ's ordeal is disrespectful. Jesus did not have his face in the place, committing sexual immorality for all the world to see (videotaping). Maybe he was overwhelmed with emotion because Genarlow was surprisingly freed, I don't know. But he better issue a statement and clean this mess up. This is why he would never become President...not of the U.S. anyways. Now he's addressed as "reverend"(i'll NEVER address a human as 'reverend-that's another post) but what local body does he preside over? When does he minister? and to whom? I'm just asking.


Read Bro. I.C's passionate post below:

"Jesse Jackson Blasphemes. Compares Genarlow Wilson’s Release with Resurrection of Christ!"


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This man Jesse Jackson is just the biggest manipulator and spewer of heresy in Atlanta at the moment. Today a kid named Genarlow Wilson, who had been locked up for having sexually immoral activity with a girl was released. The whole dispute was her age, some early assessments of events and details in GA’s sexual abuse laws. I recall when it first all occurred. The kid’s made video of it all. And it certainly appeared he had taken advantage of a mentally unstable girl. (The girl is mentally challenged.) Just nastiness. Honestly, that’s why I never said a word about it. Once upon a time groups like the NAACP had a morality standard and if you didn’t meet the standard, you didn’t go crying to them when you got locked up. Now it’s different, but I was not going to cry about consequences of sexually immoral behavior. The court has ruled and I respect their opinion as much as any previous decisions in the case. But Jesse Jackson said a prayer (which of course was not closed in the name of the Son of God Christ Jesus, because it was Jesse Jackson’s prayer), where he said some things of flat out heresy.

He mentioned IN THE PRAYER, that Tom Joyner, Steve Havery and others speaking on behalf of Genarlow Wilson were like (paraphrasing) “voices in the wilderness like John the Baptist. “

Notice Jesse picked John the Baptist, like a run-up to Christ.

Then as the AJC.com Political Insider blog notes and they have link to the full audio of Jackson
Jackson on Genarlow: ‘We’ve endured the crucifixion, and now we see the stone is rolling away’

…
But most interesting was the prayer at the end of the press conference, which Jackson led.

“We thank You for his parents, who would not surrender in the face of tyranny,” Jackson said. “Now its morning time, and we feel a sense of joy that it’s morning time. We’ve endured the crucifixion, and now we see the stone is rolling away.”

“In Genarlow Wilson, You say the ground is no place for a champion. And so we rise.”
…

Well no wonder he didn’t close the prayer in the name of the Lord! He’s making the guy released from prison out to be Christ!

This is just a height of blasphemy and needed to be noted here. If you don’t believe me, click the audio link above and and they have an audio link where you can hear it all for yourself.

JESSE JACKSON, STOP BLASPHEMING THE WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Does anybody think Jesse Jackson spoke to Genarlow Wilson about if he has accepted Christ as Savior? I would ask did the so-called reverend counsel Wilson to turn from sexual immoral behavior given the mess it’s caused him more, but I won’t because Jesse Jackson has been caught forsaking his own wife and I know he probably never once showed any care for Genarlow Wilson’s soul. So if you meet Genarlow, since Jesse Jackson probably didn’t do it, see if you can speak with him about Christ. His body is free from man’s prison and it would be good that he was given assistance regard

It's "M.M. Monday"-The Devil is Gay!

J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character
source


NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.

After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members.

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the Internet have speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction.

Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character.

Rowling, finishing a brief "Open Book Tour" of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority."

Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.

****

It does promote witchcraft, and this gives us more reason

TO PRAY FOR YOUR SOUL, J.K.!!

It's "M.M. Monday": File This Under Celebrity's Mother Must Be Awful Proud

Kid Rock arrested after fight
source

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Musician Kid Rock was arrested on Sunday after a fight in a Waffle House restaurant in Atlanta just days after he scored his first No. 1 album on U.S. pop charts, police said.
DeKalb County police said they arrested Rock, 36, and five members of his entourage at 5:15 a.m. after an argument with a man who entered the Waffle House escalated into a fight.


"Rock along with five members of his entourage were charged with one count of battery, which is a misdemeanor. The victim ... was treated and released at a local hospital for his injuries," Mekka Parish, spokeswoman for DeKalb police, said.

The Waffle House pressed charges against the man involved in the fight with Rock's entourage after a window was punched out during the fight, which started inside but ended in the parking lot, Parish said.


She said Rock had given a concert in Atlanta earlier in the evening and left the scene on his tour bus after the fight. He was stopped and arrested about a mile down the road, Parish said. He
was released on bond later on Sunday.

Rock scored the first No. 1 album of his career on Wednesday with "Rock N Roll Jesus."

****

Ok, Kid-it's time to be a doggone man, now.

You have a black child, who will NEVER be able to get away with that crap,

so GROW UP, and be a role model for him, ok?

There Is Life After Death...There's Just the issue of what will your address be...

I love You Tube!

You Tube gives you a platform to speak...basically it allows you to be your own DJ, VJ, anchor person etc, and it doesn't cost a dime!

Having said that, i watched a thought provoking video on You Tube, and i had to share it.

Which road are you walking down-wide or narrow??

If you you now aren't walking according to His Will, CONFESS YOUR SINS-tell God, and watch How he moves in your life! (can you handle it??)

Love you,

Ivent

Scripture for the day...

Good Morning and God Bless You!!

"The saying is true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am most foremost."

1 Timothy 1: 15 (Amplified Bible)

Father, thank you for giving us your son Christ Jesus

and help us to remember, the wonderful changes we've made in our lives were through power of your Son's blood which was shed on Calvary!!

Thank you for making our sins as white as snow!

You better recognize, it was nothing YOU OR I DID-But Christ!

Ivent

You Better Recognize...Church is turning Worldly!

Are Mega-Preachers Scandal-Prone?
Friday, Sep. 28, 2007 By DAVID VAN BIEMA, time.com

Gospel singer and preacher Juanita Bynum performs at BET's Celebration of Gospel IV at the Orpheum Theatre on January 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.
Chad Buchanan / Getty
Article Tools

Juanita Bynum's story may read like soap opera, but her travails are a reminder of the longtime magnetism between celebrity Pentecostal preachers and scandal. The 48-year-old regular on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) made her reputation with a sermon renouncing pre-marital sex to search for a holy partner. She appeared to find one in a minister named Thomas Weeks III, wed him in a $1 million on-air ceremony, and together they went out to preach and teach the perfect Christian marriage. Then, in August she accused him of badly beating her in a parking lot (he has been charged, but claims he "walked away" from the confrontation), and said she planned to seek a divorce — and to become the "new face of domestic violence." A dramatic reversal of fortunes, certainly, but hardly the first in her particular corner of Christianity.

Bynum's misfortune coincided with the divorce by an even more popular Pentecostal figure, Paula White, and her co-pastor husband Randy, of the Without Walls International megachurch in Tampa, Fla. Divorce, once a taboo in evangelical culture, is now a fact of life. But the Whites' apparently no-fault parting appeared so matter-of-fact — few details were offered, and neither partner seemed to take a time out from preaching — that some grumbled about the unchristian notion of marriage as a convenience. Then there was the drugs-and-call-boy-abetted exit of marquee-name Pentecostal pastor Ted Haggard from his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals. Clearly, Pentecostalism is facing testing times.

Some suggest that the risk of high-profile meltdowns may be in the very nature of Pentecostal leadership roles. "There's a lot of soul searching in our movement right now," says J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine, because of the spectacle of highly successful preachers losing their way. "There's a saying, 'Your anointing can take you to a place where your character cannot sustain you.' I'm hearing that a lot more often these days."

"Anointing" refers to the Pentecostal belief not only in the conversion experience, but in a "second anointing in the Holy Spirit" that bestows such gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing and prophesying. From its emergence in Los Angeles exactly a century ago, it has tended to be exuberant, physical and generally more theologically adventurous than its evangelical cousins. And despite thousands of pastors and churches that pursue their joyous vision without taint, scandal has dogged some of its most prominent figures. Among the best-known were the late 1980s downfalls of televangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart: Bakker, who was undone by charges of fraud, and Swaggart who was caught with a prostitute, had preached a "theology of prosperity" suggesting that there would be divine rewards in this world for those who donated to the ministry.

Some critics, such as Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Southern Theological Seminary, see the movement as hardwired for scandal. "The Charismatic movement is so driven by emotion and by passion that it sometimes lacks both theological and moral accountability (inserted by Ivent-I agree!)," he says. Others, such as Tim Morgan, an editor at Christianity Today, see it as a more organizational problem — the absence of the kind of internal oversight common in mainline Protestantism and more recently in non-Pentecostal Evangelicalism. "Quite a few of these independent churches feel they are beholden to God alone," says Morgan.

But Anthea Butler, a professor of religion at the University of Rochester in New York believes Pentecostals are no more trouble-prone than other Protestants. "The same sort of thing is happening to Baptists and Presbyterians," she says. "Except for one big thing. They are not media figures." Notes Charisma's Grady: "There's something about someone who is excited about the things of the Holy Spirit that makes them want to get up and proclaim it" — often on TV. "But you'd better have character, or there's going to be a national scandal."
Many supporters and critics of the Pentecostal movement agree that a troubling factor is the recent resurgence of the prosperity theology (known, among other terms, as Word of Faith or neo-Pentecostalism), which introduces a material aspect to worship that could be an inducement to sin. (even the "unsaved" can see that!)

Practitioners of prosperity philosophies of varying intensity include some of the biggest names in Pentecostalism, including the Whites, Joyce Meyer and Creflo Dollar. None of these has had trouble with the law, although in 2006, after years of fencing, Joyce Meyer Ministries came to agreement with local authorities to pay 52% taxes on parts of its headquarters, which the county had maintained were a business. Nonetheless, Hank Hanegraaff, a non-Pentecostal evangelical broadcaster who calls himself the Bible Answer Man, expresses concern "about people out there emptying out their bank accounts so their daughter with leukemia can be healed." He recently read on the air a editorial by Grady denouncing "Celebrity Christianity," which described the case of an unnamed female evangelist whose appearance contract included a five-figure honorarium, a $10,000 fuel deposit for a private plane, a five-star hotel, room-temperature Perrier and two bodyguards. The column ended, "May God help us root out the false apostles ... who are making the American church sick with their.... money-focused heresies." (is J-lo or Diana Ross preaching now?!)
But Pentecostals tend to be forgiving of their preachers' lapses — both Bakker and Swaggart are back in the ministry, for example — because of a theological distinction between Pentecostalism and more austere forms of conservative Christianity. Says the University of Rochester's Butler: "Calvinism is [God's] grace, one time. This is grace after grace after grace. You can mess up a thousand times."


Many supporters and critics of the Pentecostal movement agree that a troubling factor is the recent resurgence of the prosperity theology (known, among other terms, as Word of Faith or neo-Pentecostalism), which introduces a material aspect to worship that could be an inducement to sin.

But Pentecostals tend to be forgiving of their preachers' lapses — both Bakker and Swaggart are back in the ministry, for example — because of a theological distinction between Pentecostalism and more austere forms of conservative Christianity. Says the University of Rochester's Butler: "Calvinism is [God's] grace, one time. This is grace after grace after grace. You can mess up a thousand times."

So, will this forgiving trait help Bynum keep her flock? (Does Juanita have a herd of sheep, that she failed to speak in those myriads of interviews??) Yes, say Butler and others. "Where else can you say that you were the church Jezebel," marvels Butler, "and then recast yourself as a pure, holy single woman living a godly life, then all of a sudden you get married in a big elaborate wedding to a bishop, with 40 bridesmaids and then go off and have a ministry with that husband and tell other church couples, 'This is how to love your husband because we got it right'? — and then your husband beats you up in the parking lot, and now you're an advocate for domestic violence?"

Yet Harvard African-American studies and religion scholar Marla Frederick says many of the women with whom Bynum's preaching resonates have seen just as many reversals as in their own lives, and they yearn for a God who will ride the roller coaster with them. "Pentecostal faith is really about the power of the Holy Spirit to instantaneously transform life," she says. But she admits she personally is troubled that "taking a personal story and turning it into a narrative of triumph also becomes something that can be marketed for profit." (Everyone saved or not, has drawn the same conclusion)


Indeed, beyond the scandal of the moment, Pentecostalism has produced a culture of superstar preachers whose lives are always at risk of being turned into something close to secular entertainment.

************
We, the Church, might as well walk around with sunglasses on in order to hide the bruises and black eyes we're getting from the public. As the bible says in Romans 3:23 "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory." That's true, however the trouble arises during willful disobedience. Why does it take a public exposing by God, in order to get people to do right??

I'm willing to wager $5, that every name (not the "christian celebrities" ) were most likely not Christian.

You Better Recognize...the world is not only watching, they're talking too!

Ivent

info reviewed @ Hicktownpress.com

Thank You Lord, For Hearing My Cries!!

REVEREND SENATOR JAMES T. MEEKS REACTS TO NEW BOOK: Meeks launches 'Berean Behavior' in response to Stephen Prothero's 'Religious Literacy.'
(posted on Eurweb.com on September 28, 2007)

Determined to fight off the nation's slipping Biblical literacy rates, Illinois State Senator and pastor, James T. Meeks (see photo, below) issues mandate to members and staff of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago "We are bringing the Bible back!"



Responding to the recently released book, "Religious Literacy," by Stephen Prothero which states that two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible has the answers to "all of life's basic questions," but only 16 percent of Christians who participated in a Gallup poll said they read the Bible daily, Reverend Senator James T. Meeks of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, announced that he is leading his congregation for the next six months through a series he calls, "Berean Behavior," where every single individual will be in a class geared toward learning key events, Scriptures and understanding of the Bible.



Berean Behavior classes will begin on Sunday, October 7, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the House of Hope, 752 E. 114th Street, Chicago. The book also points out that 60 percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments and only half of U.S. adults know the title of one Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). "After spending five months outside the four walls of the church where we served the needs of the community, I felt it was important to get back to the basics of learning and understanding the Bible," said Reverend Senator Meeks of Salem, which is the largest African American church in Illinois with over 20,000 members. Rev. Senator Meeks is also a state senator. "It should be the desire of Christians to emulate the citizens who lived in the ancient city of Berea." In the book of Acts 17:11, Paul and Silas were sent away to preach in Berea where the inhabitants "eagerly examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."



In what is being projected as the largest Sunday study hour in the city - apart from worship service, Reverend Senator Meeks hopes to enhance his congregation's knowledge of Scriptures and their desire to read the Bible more on their own. Recognizing that people learn better in familiar company, individuals will be in Berean Behavior classes that have been customized and segmented by ministries, staff or years in which they joined Salem.



Classes for young adults (18-21) will be held at a local college to not only ensure undivided learning but also serve as fertile ground that will hopefully inspire individuals who are not enrolled in college to pursue higher education. Members will also receive Scriptures via text messages to their cell phones



**********

Rev. Sen. James T. Meeks

It's sad a state of affairs when you're ecstatic about someone doing what ALL CHURCHES should do, and that is: TEACHING THE WORD OF GOD. Our NT churches has gotten so caught up in materialistic acquirements, and accoutrements that the "Gospel of Jesus" has become an AFTERTHOUGHT!

*sarcastically speaking* I mean why should I wonder what Jesus did, when MY PASTOR said if I "sow a $50,000 seed" I'll be blessed.


Jesus Christ, is not a "movement," nor fad. He is Lord & Savior, ruler of all. Jesus is not water, or air, or the chair you sit in, as some clueless leaders like to have you believe. He is the Son of God, who died and was raised 3 days later. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha & Omega-beginning and end. Don't believe me? Then detach yourself from your pastor's mouth, consecrate yourself before God and crack open the Bible! Not only will God give you revelation, He'll give you consistent truth. Not "truth" that depends on the audience at hand.

How has the church come to the point of looking exactly like the world? Why have we sold the Church out to the highest bidder??? How did we ALLOW false Profits, Pulpit-Pimps, and charlatans to enter the pulpit? What happened to applying Proverbs 3:5,6? Aren't we admonished to acknowledge God in all of our ways, so He can direct our path? "He" meaning God. Why have we chosen to idolize pulpit pimps & prostitutes?

Brethren, you better recognize-these false teachers, leaders cannot get you into heaven, but they can get you to hell. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to rightly divide the word of God, ask questions, seek confirmation etc. You owe it to yourself, for IT IS a matter of everlasting life, or death!

Ivent