Bibledonate Featured In Upcoming Book

Bibledonate.org will be featured in a book called, “How To Be An Everyday Philanthropist.”    Here is an excerpt:

Want to help make your community, your town—your world—a better place, but don’t know where to begin?  How To Be An Everyday Philanthropist shows you the way.

A handbook, a resource guide, a call to action, and an inspiration, it offers 330 concrete, direct ideas for making a difference—all of which have nothing to do with the size of your checkbook and everything to do with using the hidden assets that are already a part of your life. Whether you’re shopping, working, exercising, or surfing the Web, there are hundreds of ways to slip small but deeply meaningful acts of philanthropy into your life, using 330 of the most innovative and effective charitable organizations around.

Have an old pair of sneakers lying around the house? Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program will recycle them into safe playground surfaces. getting rid of that old cell phone? Call to Protect will refurbish it as an emergency lifeline for abused women. Racking up frequent-flier miles? Donate them to an ill child so they can travel and get the care they need. Like to knit? Knit hats for cancer patients. Start a petition, sign a petition, send out an awareness e-mail, and network with like-minded givers and doers at Care2.com. There are ideas for giving things you might never have thought of—your hair, old prom dress, breast milk for African AIDS orphans. Ideas for using your hobbies, talents, time, trash, technology, and more. Each suggestion can be accomplished in the course of a day, most within an hour. In tough times it’s more important than ever that people and communities pull together— How To Be An Everyday Philanthropist makes it easier than ever before.

www.bibledonate.org

Where Have All The Christians Gone?

From Foxnews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/25/bruce-feiler-christians-americans-gone/

Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing.  A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims.

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Non-believers now represent the third-highest group of Americans, after Catholics and Baptists.  Other headlines:

1) The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in American history.

2) The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. Twenty percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women.

3) Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20’s profess no organized religion.

4) But these non-believers are not particularly atheist. That number hasn’t budged and stands at less than 1 percent. (Agnostics are similarly less than 1 percent.) Instead, these individuals have a belief in God but no interest in organized religion, or they believe in a personal God but not in a formal faith tradition.

The implications for American society are profound. Americans’ relationship with God, which drove many of the country’s great transformations from the pilgrims to the founding fathers, the Civil War to the civil rights movement, is still intact. Eighty-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power.

But at the same time, the study offers yet another wake-up call for religious institutions.

First, catering to older believers is a recipe for failure; younger Americans are tuning out.

Second, Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God.

Finally, Americans’ interest in religion has not always been stable. It dipped following the Revolution and again following Civil War. In both cases it rebounded because religious institutions adapted and found new ways of relating to everyday Americans.

Today, the rise of disaffection is so powerful that different denominations needs to band together to find a shared language of God that can move beyond the fading divisions of the past and begin moving toward a partnership of different-but-equal traditions.

Or risk becoming Europe, where religion is fast becoming an afterthought.

Who Will Join Me?

Dear Friend in Christ,

 This letter was recently sent to me and my siblings. This first paragraph has been changed to be a little more generic. The original letter contained some personal greetings in this first paragraph that only family could appreciate. You have been selected to receive this letter from someone who cares about you and your family, and more importantly cares about Christ and his Church. I want to personally urge you to read this carefully and select some people who are important in your life to receive this letter from you.

Feel free to delete this first paragraph and fill in with a personal greeting from you to the person you have selected to receive it. I hope you will keep the essence of the following letter intact. Although it is just one Christian’s thoughts on the scripture and our jobs as Christians, it was worded with a great deal of prayer. It is hoped that God played a big part in the wording and to him goes all the glory and praise. I will pray that you receive this letter with the assurance that I have prayed for it’s accuracy and inspiration. I will also pray that you devote some time to reading it and putting it into action and passing it along to others. Please pray that God uses His power to inspire people into action for the growth of his Kingdom and that lives will be touched in a great way. All the Glory goes to God!

I really feel a strong sense (if not extreme sense) of urgency in sharing with you something that is really on my mind. I feel that our country has really fallen away from God and I feel he is not pleased at all. I have been very lax over the years in my Bible study and have not always been a faithful churchgoer. Thankfully, I found renewed interest and zeal a few years back and have found a place where I can be effective as a Christian and try to make up for lost time. Although nobody understands God’s timing, I personally feel that the end times are quickly approaching. It seems to me that current events really fit a lot of the prophesy that the Bible offers to us. I can see future events poised to happen that fit as well. I have really felt a strong sense of becoming more of a warrior for God and for all that is good, although I know I have many shortcomings. I have read and reread and reread Ephesians chapter 6 regarding the armor of God. I am sure you have read it and are familiar with it. Paraphrased and shortened, it tells us to stand firm, and to buckle the belt of truth around our waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We are to take up the shield of faith which will extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Every time I read this scripture, I feel emboldened and feel that no evil can come to me with this armor on. Sometimes, I feel that some of the armor has not yet been properly fitted to me, but I’m working on that. The same scripture also tells us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:18 continues: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” This has caused me to consider the spiritual wars that take place. The every day battles of good verses evil. We can all see the systematic elimination of God from our country. God was the basis and the foundation of the establishment of the United States. Now you can scarcely find his name associated anywhere with our government. We have all become numb to the current happenings and calloused against the outcome. Sometimes I feel that one person is helpless in this battle. We can send emails around the country to our friends and associates about the current events, but it seems as if nobody reacts to these other than to express their dismay in agreement. This has caused me to think more about how to fortify our side and to work against evil. It was called to my attention this past Sunday when our sermon was on 1 Samuel:17. This is a story with which you all are familiar–David and Goliath. Armies would not stand up against Goliath. The shepherd David felt called to battle against the giant. David knew that God, who had delivered him from lions and bears as he attended sheep, would also deliver him against the Philistine. He went into battle against what seemed an overwhelming foe, armed only with five smooth stones and his sling. We all know what happened. David told the giant “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied”. 1 Samuel 17:47 states “All those gathered here will know that it is not by the sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” I believe that it is imperative that we lean upon God in our spiritual battle and to have strong faith like David. This all has caused me to ponder how to be a warrior for God. It has caused me to study prayer, and the power of prayer, and how to pray. This has changed how I personally pray. I found myself guilty of using my standard cookie-cutter prayer way too often. It had almost become without meaning, with it’s myriad of standard catch-phrases that were repeated with each prayer. Although I think every prayer is important, maybe we all need to reconsider how we pray. God is deserving of great-great praise and glorification. Examples of prayer found in the bible begin with praise to God. I have begun to really, sincerely praise God for individual circumstances that I find praise-worthy. Glorify God. Give thanks to God. Sincerely and reverently give thanks to God for whatever you think is deserving of thanks. Present God with specific petitions (such as for the leaders of our country, that they call upon God for guidance and that God will intervene in their decisions). Tell God that there are still good, believing, and faithful Christians within our nation and to give us guidance and wisdom and the armor we need for our battle. Pray for the churches and their leaders. Pray specifically for your own needs. Always glorify God because of the sacrifice of his Son for us and be thankful each time for this sacrifice and pray in the name of his Son. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of spiritual gifts which may individually be given out, with different ones receiving different gifts with the end result be the common good of all. Because of this, as I try to be a warrior, I ask for spiritual gifts in my prayers. Pray sincerely with extreme reverence, from the heart, and from your emotions. Hebrews 5:7 says: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Never minimize your prayers because of their power. I think we should pray from our heart like a good musician makes music from his heart. I believe that you fight evil with good. Every time a believer does a good deed with God’s will in mind, and for the purpose of glorifying God’s name, then evil suffers a setback. Whether it is visiting the sick, helping a widow, supporting the poor, or any other good deed, we glorify God and all that is good and help defeat evil. My prayers have come to include asking God for my awareness of ways to be of service to Him. It is amazing the things that he points out to me. I ask him to give me the ability to see needs around me and the abilities to attend to those needs. We should make ourselves stand out as Christians to those around us. The moon reflects the light of the sun, and like the moon, Christians should reflect the glory of God to our associates. People should be able to quickly determine that we are Christians by our actions and our words. Like I began this letter, I feel a real sense of urgency–extreme urgency. I know that I am preaching to the choir, because we are all believers, brought up in the same home, with like beliefs. I hope that this does not sound presumptuous, but I sincerely ask each of you to do the following: Pray reverently every day, if not twice daily or more. Glorify God with much praise. Pray for strength, guidance and wisdom. Study prayer. Pray with EXTREME reverence and sincerity. Pray for our country and it’s leaders. Pray that God’s Will be done. Pray that God influences the decisions of our leaders. Ask him to block evil at every turn within our country. Do good service for God without ceasing, routinely. Fight evil with goodness. Spread the seeds of the Word mentioned in the parable. Pray that many seeds fall on fertile ground. Make every attempt to bring souls to Christ, especially within our families and circles of friends. Take a look at your immediate and extended family and minister to those whom you believe may fall short, or have not committed to the Lord, or have physical needs. I pray that you will redouble your efforts to help family members find salvation. Also, identify close friends and associates who need a closer relationship with God, or other special needs and minister to them as well. Routinely read the bible and pray for wisdom and understanding. Finally, and extremely important! Pray about this letter. I have prayed a lot about it before I sent it to you. I have prayed that the words are exactly accurate with His will. I have prayed that it is well received. I have prayed that it will be multiplied a million times or more. Prayerfully identify five associates, or friends, or family scattered here and there and send them this letter. Please pray reverently for each person you pick to receive this letter. Pray that they take the time to read it carefully and pray that they take it to heart. This letter can be rewritten if you wish, but I hope you will keep the essence of it the same, and pray for it’s accuracy and inspiration. I feel it would be good to send this letter to five people whom you believe are strong in the faith, and firmly rooted in the Lord so that they might use their God-given wisdom and pray fervently. I think it would be good to include a personal greeting to your intended recipient, as this may make it more a personal plea to family or friends. Going back to 1 Samuel 17, David went to a stream and selected five smooth stones and put them in his pouch and with his sling, went off to face the giant. Using our faith, I hope we can picture ourselves as “David-like“ because of his faith and courage. Pray that we do have strong faith and courage. Pray that with faith in the Lord, we will also be mighty warriors for God. I do think it is a little symbolic and thought provoking–that I am sending out to my family five letters. Which of these five letters will ultimately be the stone that slays the giant? If each of you will send it on to five people and they commit to sending it to five people, and so-on, just within 10 cycles of being multiplied (if nobody drops the cause), it will have reached almost 49,000,000 people. Think of the power of 49,000,000 fervent prayers offered to God on a routine basis. Please hurry! Time is of the essence!

TO BIBLEDONATE SUBSCRIBERS… You are encouraged to copy this letter and pass it along to your friends and family.  I believe it will have a greater impact if you actually mail it to your friends and family thru the postal service rather than by email.  May God Bless You Richly!

www.bibledonate.org

The Old Man On The Porch

A four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife…  Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went up to the  elderly gentleman’s porch, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.  When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

Letter From The Editor

I recently fell and broke my leg.  As a result, this blog will not be updated for a little while.  Please check back soon!

It Takes An Audience To Make A Play

Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told  me that he’d set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.  On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.  “Guess what, Mom?” he shouted,  “I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer!!!”

 

It Is Well

One might think to write a worship song titled, ‘It is well with my soul’, you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, “When sorrows like sea billows roll … It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Horatio Spafford’s life.

On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy. Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago.  In 1870, however, things started to go wrong.

The Spaffords’ only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings were wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England.  And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later.

With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: “Saved alone.” On November 2nd 1873, the ‘Ville de Havre’ had collided with ‘The Lochearn’, an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people.

Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up.

When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford’s first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, “You were spared for a purpose.” And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father’s voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. “A careful reckoning has been made”, he said, “and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep.”

Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn. The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told “her soul is vexed within her”, she still maintains that ‘It is well.” And Spafford’s song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.

It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us. No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford… When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul! It is well … with my soul! It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Batter Up!

On my way home one day, I stopped to watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was.

“We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile. “Really,” I said. “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.”  “Discouraged?”, the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face…

“Why should we be discouraged?  We haven’t been up to bat yet!!!”

When you feel discouraged, grab a bat and step up to the plate.  It’s YOUR turn to bat!

The Lean’n Side

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of an old friend who always prayed, ‘Lord, prop us up on our leanin’ side.’ After hearing him pray that prayer many times, I asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, ‘Well sir, you see, it’s like this… I got an old barn out back. It’s been there a long time; it’s withstood a lot of weather; it’s gone through a lot of storms, and it’s stood for many years.

It’s still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit.

So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn’t fall.

Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn…. I’ve been around a long time.

I’ve withstood a lot of life’s storms. I’ve withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I’ve withstood a lot of hard times, and I’m still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, ’cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.

Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward jealousy, leaning toward gossip, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn’t .. So we need to pray, “Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.”

Burned Biscuits

When I was a wee ”tike”, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.

And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed. Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Baby, I love burned biscuits.”

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.

He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s really tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”

You know, life is full of imperfect things…..and imperfect people.

What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults – and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that’s my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He’s the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn’t a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship.  In fact understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife,  parent-child, siblings,  or friendship!   (Author Unknown)

 

Stranded On A Deserted Island

WHEN YOUR HUT IS ON FIRE

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Everyday he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! ‘How did you know I was here?,’ asked the weary man of his rescuers. ‘We saw your smoke signal,’ they replied.

The Moral of This Story:

It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives…. even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.  “Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will.”  

Sweet Peace