“A lot of people think there’s one black experience. A lot of people think that if someone’s black it means that they’re religious. So we want to be able to show people that that’s not true, that there are non-religious people out there,” Debbie Goddard, director of African Americans for Humanism (AAH), told The Christian Post on Wednesday.

The AAH launched an advertising campaign in late January in six major U.S. cities – New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Durham, North Carolina – with a seventh city, Dallas, being added on Feb. 6. The campaign was designed to coincide with February’s Black History Month.

Each billboard, poster or banner that goes up says “Doubts about religion? You’re one of many” and has AAH’s website printed on it. Each sign will also feature the image of a famous historic black freethinker – like poet Langston Hughes, social reformer Frederick Douglass or writer Zora Neale Hurston – across from the photo of a contemporary black atheist leader.

Goddard said the organization’s primary goal in the campaign is to encourage black people who already have doubts about religion or who are already atheist but haven’t told anyone to make themselves known.

But that can be a difficult decision for an African-American, she said, because many people feel that the black identity is inextricably tied to religion. Black communities look to churches, pastors and holy books to help them make decisions, she noted, including decisions on who and what to vote for during elections.

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Source: Christian Post –Jaff Shapiro

Even though the DVD is geared to children, I learned sooo much!  Why do we cut down trees?  Where did the name ‘Christmas’ actually come from?  What about Santa?  Those are some of the questions it addresses.  The best part about it is that it leads children back to salvation-the reason Jesus came.  How wonderful is that!

For those of you who want to teach this as a unit in homeschool and/or in a small group format, they offer great resources!  Take a look!

Sisters of the Faith is so excited to sponsor a “Why Do We Call it Christmas” sweepstakes!  One person will receive one free copy ($12.95 value) of “Why Do We Call it Christmas.”  The sweepstakes will run from December 11, 2011 to December 31, 2011.  All you have to do is enter here!  (Please see sweepstakes official rules).

Want to get more information about the whole series?  Visit:

http://www.buckdenver.com/

http://www.facebook.com/WhatsintheBible?sk=wall

Oprah has been real–transparent.  Her struggles with weight, family, career, etc. played out for us like a Lifetime movie.  She has used her platform in innovative ways and fashioned the opinions of viewers everywhere.  She made people think.  She taught us that learning is a continual process.  She even had people that hated to read reading with her book club; talk about impact!

The Oprah Winfrey Show, movie roles, O Magazine, and philanthropic deeds will not be the last chapters in the story of the Winfrey chronicles.  During the last season of her show we were introduced to the O Network!  Can you imagine owning your own television network? Talk about a legacy!

As I scan my memory I find little compromise, at least publicly, in her life.  She stuck to her convictions and quite frankly, I’m impressed– to a point.  You see, during a Webinar class, in which she promoted the book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, Winfrey stated “God is a feeling experience and not a believing experience. If your religion is a believing experience [...] then that’s not truly God.”  Simply put, Christianity is incompatible with New Age thought.  So, sadly, for all of the accomplishments, accolades, awards and acknowledgements from men, it will all have been in vain.

In Mark 8:36 Jesus asks a pivotal question: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Many a believer might say that if they had Oprah’s platform they would do thus and so.  But, would we really?  Or would we find ourselves with a watered down Christianity because we don’t want to lose the adoration of men?

So many of us that name the name of Christ fail to acknowledge that we are yet works in progress.  When God elevates us we seem to forget to draw nearer to the cross.  Compromise begins to creep in and we begin to satisfy people with what they want to see and hear, what they are thirsty for, instead of following God’s instructions.

When God gives us a platform it is our responsibility to remember our mission. Thirteen of the New Testament epistles are attributed to the Apostle Paul.  He was known Jerusalem to Rome.   Paul used every ability and resource that he had for the furtherance of the gospel.  His reward…souls!  Churches were established–congregations grew.  He could see growth in the youth like Timothy.  Lives were changed as he declared that he was a servant of Christ set apart for the gospel.

We have to ask ourselves, are we fulfilling the great commission?  Are we making disciples?  I don’t know about you, but I want my legacy to be a kingdom legacy.  Remember me for my love of God’s people.  Remember me for the desire to see the kingdom of God advance.  I want to have an impact on a generation.  I want people to want to know the God I serve.  I don’t want my living to have been in vain.  What about you?

It brings to mind the old analogy about the man in the hurricane.  He had numerous opportunities to be rescued but he turned them all down.  He was waiting on God himself.  Ulitmatly, after death he questioned God about not saving him.  God told him that he sent numerous people to his rescue but he turned them all down.  Believers in America find themselves in the same situation now — waiting on the Lord.

I can not help but think about how God used the Persian King Cyrus to allow the people of Judah to return to Jerusalem.  Although Cyrus was, by nature a covetous and war mongering, king he was, as the Bible plainly states, specifically used by God for that purpose, just as numerous others have at “course adjustment” times of history (e.g. God used the pagan Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar not only for Judah’s prophesied exile, but also to deliver one of the most detailed prophecies of the Bible, see Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream).  The fact is that God appoints leaders.

Daniel 2:21 He (God) changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Romans 13:1 Everyone 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.

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities ; all things were created by him and for him.

John 19:11 (speaking to Pilate) Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above . Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Daniel 4:17 “`The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’

Daniel 5:21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.

The fact that God appoints leaders does not negate our responsibility to participate in the political process. The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 13 clearly states that we must obey governmental leaders because all authority comes from God. Here’s the catch: in America, the people are the leaders! Here, at least, we express our obedience to God by exercising our rights and privileges as citizens. That means voting.

The political process requires more than faith.   James 2:14-24 is a great illustration.

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b] and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

Abraham was justified by what he did as well as his faith as are we.  We have a duty to vote.  How can we stand in our churches and pray for a nation and we have not chosen to do our part?  Are we not hypocrites?

God has granted us authority. All authority belongs to God, but He has put human beings on the earth as caretakers.  In America, our task is to vote. Tell us what you think.

Little Lilly’s Sunday school teacher had his five-year-old students bow their heads and say a one-sentence prayer at the end of every class. For several weeks, he would hear Lilly pray the same thing: “Lord, please make my mommy feel better.”

The teacher wondered what could be afflicting Lilly’s mother. Then, one Sunday, when it was time for Lilly to pray, she was silent.

“Are you okay, Lilly?” asked the teacher.

Lilly mumbled, “Yes.”

“Is there some reason you don’t want to pray?”

“Well, I want to say more.”

“That would be fine. And the reason why?”

Lilly raised her head and said with the biggest grin, “Because Jesus made my mommy feel better.”

“Oh? How so?”

“He took her away to be with Him in heaven.”

The teacher gasped and was astonished at Lilly’s perspective about her mother’s death. Not wanting to dampen Lilly’s happiness that her mother was no longer suffering, the teacher said, “In that case, take as much time as you need, Lilly, and use as many words as you want to say.”

That day, the teacher learned a valuable lesson from sweet little Lilly: It matters not what happens in life that affects us. It is how we see things that determines our joy or sadness.

Copyright 2010 by Bob Valleau. Bob has over 25 years of writing experience for the Christian market. He was once named Christian Writer of the Year by the American Christian Writers Association. Currently, he freelances and lives in Texas.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS-MAKE A WEBSITE

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/05/11/dnt.lord.jesus.christ.hit.by.car.wshm

The survey revealed that 28 percent of the population—some 65 million adults—have not participated in any church activities or services in the past six months. As many churches try to attract this group to worship on Sunday, the study showed that the makeup of unchurched Americans may be surprising.

For example, 18 percent of unchurched Americans say they are born again, that they have “made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today” and that they will go to heaven only because they have accepted Him as their Savior. Two-thirds (68 percent) say God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe. However, slightly more than one-third (35 percent) agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all its principles, and only 15 percent say their religious faith is very important in their life.

Demographically, among the unchurched, women outnumber men, baby boomers and older generations outnumber younger generations, and conservatives outnumber liberals.

Why does such a large group of people who believe in God avoid church? The Barna Group claims that a previous study may shed some light on the question. The study showed that 37 percent of non-churchgoing Americans avoid churches because of negative past experiences in churches or with church people. [barna.org, 4/12/10]

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Many people have become disillusioned with the current state of the “church.”  Often, the unchurched have an innocence that we life-long, card carrying members have lost.  They tend to recognize that the church should be a movement.  The early church gives us numerous examples of that fact.  They also recognize that the church is not a monument.  There is nothing wrong with being proud of the facility in which you worship, but many take it too far.  However, they miss the mark on the importance of assembling ourselves together.  Sure, they have a personal relationship with Jesus, but how is that relationship being cultivated?  The fact is that we need each other.  We should be encouraging one another, organizing ourselves in order to win souls for the kingdom and so much more.  How can we accomplish any of these goals if we are not on one accord?  And what example are we for the lost if after we have been given the privilege of drawing near to God, thanks to salvation through Jesus Christ, yet we fail to do so?

Failure to assemble ourselves also makes us easy targets.  I can not help but think of National Geographic when a lion is on the prowl.  Beautiful antelopes or gazelles suddenly sense danger and they communicate the need to rally together and flee.  Meanwhile, the lion is always on the lookout for the slowest, weakest or better still, the loner.  Our enemy works the same way.  He would love to get us by ourselves with no one to encourage us or pray us through our situations.

Many will argue that the assembly spoken of in scripture was much different from our Westernized assembly and they are correct.  However, once we choose to join a body we should be useful parts of that body. Whether you assemble in the basement of a house, a mega-church, tent or college dorm it is up to believers to encourage one another.   Let us not be of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved!

Today, I ran across an interesting video that I believe captured worship. An up and coming musician, Carlos Whittaker, was attempting to record a promotional video for his upcoming release when a homeless man, Danny, walks up to him as he prepares to sing.  Danny appears to kneel in reverence as he worships through song. It is difficult to ignore the sincerity in both of their voices.  The result is amazing.

Carlos shares some more on his blog that is hard to pick up from the video:

If you listen carefully at the end you hear me saying this to Danny. “Keep trying to make it man.”

He looked me square in the eye… cocked his head sideways with a confused look on his face… and said, “Trying to make it? No man. I ain’t trying to make it… I’m making it. Jah puts his soldiers everywhere. Jah says, Yea though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death… So he places some of us, in that valley.”

What is so amazing is that this obviously homeless man understands that he might just be there for a reason.  I know that would be a hard pill to swallow for most of us.  Yet, with humility he seems to have accepted the call and continues to simply worship.  Could you?