LOL

Which sermon to deliver?

One beautiful Sunday morning, Samuel, a priest, announced to his congregation: "My good people, I have here in my hands, three sermons...a $100 sermon that lasts five minutes, a $50 sermon that lasts fifteen minutes, and a $10 sermon that lasts a full hour,

"Now, we'll take the collection and see which one I'll deliver. "

Did You Know...?

Nine Amazing Facts...

1) The elephant is the largest animal on land. But it is much smaller than the blue whale.

2) The SIBERIAN TIGER is the largest cat in the world. It weighs up to 300kg (660 lbs) and can eat 27,2 kg (60 lb) of meat at one mealtime.

3) Did you know moths are not really attracted to light? Moths fly towards the blackest point which is behind the light.

4) The typical laboratory mouse runs 2.5 miles per night on its treadmil.

5) A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

6) The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.

7) The rhinoceros's horn is made of the same stuff found in our hair and fingernails which is called keratin. It also contains something called gelatin.

8) Ancients Greeks believed earthquakes were caused by giants fighting underneath the ground. The Ancient Japanese thought there was a giant spider living under the earth, and each time it moved, it caused the earth to quake.

9) The rhino is a primitive-looking animal. They have looked the same for thousands of years. There are two species of rhino: the white (or square-lipped rhino) and the black (or hooked-lipped rhino). The black rhino has three toes on each foot. Both the black and white rhino have two horns.

Today's Interesting Fact

Light, Heat and God

Darkness is nothing but a absence of light. You can measure intensity of the light to infinity but can you do the same for darkness? Cold is nothing but absence of heat. Heat can be measured to infinity but cold maintains a steady value at a certain degree. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. It was proclaimed that Albert Einstein said: "Evil does not exist, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light." There is no proof that Einstein said this and there is no proof that he didn't. However, based on constructive thinking there is no reason to suppose that Einstein was part of this "fictive" story.

True Worship

"What is true worship?"

The Apostle Paul described true worship perfectly in Romans 12:1-2: “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, or well pleasing and perfect.”

This passage contains all the elements of true worship. First, there is the motivation to worship: “the mercies of God.” God’s mercies are everything He has given us that we don’t deserve: eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, intercession and much more. The knowledge and understanding of these incredible gifts motivate us to pour forth praise and thanksgiving—in other words, worship!

Also in the passage is a description of the manner of our worship: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” Presenting our bodies means giving to God all of ourselves. The reference to our bodies here means all our human faculties, all of our humanness—our hearts, minds, hands, thoughts, attitudes—are to be presented to God. In other words, we are to give up control of these things and turn them over to Him, just as a literal sacrifice was given totally to God on the altar. But how? Again, the passage is clear: “by the renewing of your mind.” We renew our minds daily by cleansing them of the world’s “wisdom” and replacing it with true wisdom that comes from God. We worship Him with our renewed and cleansed minds, not with our emotions. Emotions are wonderful things, but unless they are shaped by a mind saturated in Truth, they can be destructive, out-of-control forces. Where the mind goes, the will follows and so do the emotions. First Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have “the mind of Christ,” not the emotions of Christ.

There is only one way to renew our minds, and that is by the Word of God. It is the truth, the knowledge of the Word of God, which is to say the knowledge of the mercies of God, and we’re back where we began. To know the truth, to believe the truth, to hold convictions about the truth, and to love the truth will naturally result in true spiritual worship. It is conviction followed by affection, affection that is a response to truth, not to any external stimuli, including music. Music as such has nothing to do with worship. Music can’t produce worship, although it certainly can produce emotion. Music is not the origin of worship, but it can be the expression of it. Do not look to music to induce your worship; look to music as simply an expression of that which is induced by a heart that is rapt by the mercies of God, obedient to His commands.

True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God's Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.

It’s also important to know that worship is reserved only for God. Only He is worthy and not any of His servants (Revelation 19:10). We are not to worship saints, prophets, statues, angels, any false gods, or Mary, the mother of Jesus. We also should not be worshiping for the expectation of something in return, such as a miraculous healing. Worship is done for God—because He deserves it—and for His pleasure alone. Worship can be public praise to God (Psalm 22:22, 35:18) in a congregational setting, where we can proclaim through prayer and praise our adoration and thankfulness to Him and what He has done for us. True worship is felt inwardly, and then comes out through our actions. "Going through the motions" out of obligation is displeasing to God and is done completely in vain. He can see through all the hypocrisy, and He hates it. He demonstrates this in Amos 5:21-24 as He talks about coming judgment. Another example is the story of Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. They both brought gift offerings to the Lord, but He was only pleased with Abel's. Cain brought the gift out of obligation; Abel brought his finest lambs from his flock. He brought out of faith and admiration for God.

True worship is not confined to what we do in church or open praise (although these things are both good and we are told in the Bible to do them). It is the acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in everything we do. The highest form of praise and worship is obedience to Him and His Word. To do this, we must know God; we cannot be ignorant of Him (Acts 17:23). Worship is to glorify and exalt God—to show our loyalty and admiration to our Father.

Recommended Resource: How to Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph Carroll.

Cartoon of the Day

Welcome

Welcome! to all of you New Apostolic Youths of the Caribbean and elsewhere. With the proposed initiative of the youth of Georgetown,Guyana this blog has been set up as a forum for the informal interaction of our youths, and improved communication through the postage of updates and information as it regards to the Church and our Faith. Ideas and comments on how we can improve this website are always welcome as they will help us to make it more youth oriented and much more comfortable for you our youths and visitors. We hope you will enjoy and appreciate this venture and grant us your affirmed support in making our Youths a formidable and recognizable force in the work of Faith with the assistance of modern techonology.

Upgrading Your Self Image

What Are You Reflecting?

Have you looked in the mirror lately? I mean, really looked in the mirror. What did you see? Were you surprised by the image being reflected back to you? Did it look like you? Did it meet the image you hold of yourself in your mind?If it didn't match, what were the differences? What was the image telling you?What do you think the image is that you are projecting out to the world? Does it match your inner view? How has it changes from a year ago? 5 years? 10 years?Think about the image you have of yourself. Has it evolved over the years as you have? Do you still see yourself in your 20’s even though you are in your 50’s?So often, we lock an image in our mind of who we are, never upgrading it or enhancing it as we change in the world. We upgrade our technology, cell phones, computers, etc, however we forget to upgrade our inner view of ourselves.Think about how much you’ve changed and ask yourself if your image is really outdated? Is your inner image stuck in the 70’s and disco, while your outer self approaches the world in the latest fashions?Internal imaging is not only about your body image, but it is about your entire being, mind, body and spirit. Body image is such a powerful subject in the media of late with actresses coming forward to speak about their struggles with food and image.While the pressure they are under comes so much from their industry, it is also self imposed. Insecurity about their appearance existed deep within their being and rattled their inner foundation long before the external pressure began.Think about your inner foundation. Is it stable or rickety and swayed by the latest fashion model to be on the cover of a major magazine? If you don’t feel stable and sure of yourself and the image you have of your self, what steps can you take?First, identify that the image is just that- an image. The image is not a real thing, but just a picture or idea you took and filed away in your memory. That snapshot has been subjected to years of media influence, family and society influences.The snapshot is no longer a clear picture, its been subjected to many layers of distortion and became an image that resembles a digitally enhanced, high-tech animation or caricature. It is no longer the truth.After many years of distortion, it requires clarity. Sorting through the layers may take some time and concentrated effort. It takes patience and commitment, along with a good dose of compassion and self nurturing.As you peel away the layers, each step of the way its important to clarify the truth. Ask yourself if the image you are seeing is the core truth for your being. Listen to your intuition. Feel the answer deep within your belly. Does the belief attached to that image ring true? Is it your belief or society’s? Is it your mother’s voice you hear, or maybe another’s?Then ask what motivates that particular image. Is it motivated to please mother? Is it motivated to please father’s image of you? Could it be motivated by attracting attention, or by not wanting to attract attention? What is the deepest motivator? Could it be motivated by aloneness and the quest to never be alone? Could it be motivated by comparison and the need to meet some fictional inner standard?Once you have identified your motivators, you can choose to address the core issues. You can face the emotion that is connected to the belief and release it, then replace the belief with a new truth.You define your own truths. You create your own images. You define who you are and how you choose to present yourself to the world. It’s all up to you. You are the creator of your world. Regain your power from the fears you have held within you. Call on friends, family, or counseling for assistance in sorting the facts from the fiction.You are the only one who knows the truth for you. Others can try to define it for you and tell you who they want you to be, or you can look to others who will help you ask questions and uncover your own truth.Seek empowerment, not mass media and pre-determined molds to try to fit in to. Seek your inner path and find the light of your own truth, then radiate that light out for the world to see.You are a unique being with your own inner beauty and shining light. If you recognize it, own it and value it, then so will others. Let that be the new image you show to the world.

2006 Jaelin K. Reece

Today's Fun Article

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS For ANNOYING PROBLEMS!!!

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic!Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto, the blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. You can avoid arguments with the wife about lifting the toilet seat just by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use an egg timer.

5. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you will be too afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:In life, you only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape.If it doesn't move but should, use the WD-40.If it should not move and does, use the duct tape

Cartoon of the Day

Today's Interesting Fact

Lion And Tiger = Liger

What happens when a male lion and a female tiger breed? A Liger - the largest of all felines. A liger looks like a giant lion with diffused stripes and some male ligers grow sparse manes. These massive creatures are 10 feet long on average and weigh about 700 lb (320kg). Liger love swimming - trait common to tigers but lacking in lions. Ligers have been bred in captivity, deliberately and accidentally, since shortly before World War II. The largest liger alive today is appropriately named Hercules and lives in Jungle Island in Miami.

NOTICE: CHOIR REHERSALS

This is a NOTICE for all Youths that are a part of the choir. Rehersals are on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 10:00am in Georgetown congregation. Please make a special effort to be there and Be On Time!

Cartoon of the Day

Perseverance is the Key...

Why does God allow us to go through trials and tribulations?

One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a child, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, worry and fear? Surely, if He loved us, He would take all these things away from us. After all, doesn’t loving us mean He wants our lives to be easy and comfortable? Well, no, it doesn’t. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children and He “works all things together for good” for us (Romans 8:28). So that must mean that the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose. As in all things, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. It is part of the process of sanctification; that is, being set apart for God’s purposes and fitted to live for His glory. The way the trials accomplish this is explained in 1 Peter 1:6-7: "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." The true believer’s faith will be made sure by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever. Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5). Jesus Christ set the perfect example. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). These verses point out aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus Christ's trials and tribulations and ours. Persevering proves our faith. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).At the same time, we must be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. "By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler" (1 Peter 4:15). God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for them has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good. Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:2-4,12).Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." These verses encourage us to see that although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Featured Bible Character of the Week

Dare to Be a Daniel...
Daniel is a figure appearing in the Hebrew Bible, and the central protagonist of the Book of Daniel. The name "Daniel" means "Judged by El (God)". At a young age, Daniel was carried off to Babylon where he was trained in the service of the court. He became famous for interpreting dreams and rose to become one of the most important figures in the court and lived well into the reign of the Persian conquerors. He retained his high position there and had influence in the decision to restore the Jews to their homeland. Daniel became distinguished for his piety, and for his strict observance of the Torah (Daniel 1:8-16), and gained the confidence and esteem of those who were over him.
At the close of his three years of discipline and training in the royal schools, Daniel was distinguished for his knowledge and proficiency in the pagan practices of his day, and was brought out into public life. He soon became known for his skill in the interpretation of dreams (Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:14), and rose to the rank of governor of the province of Babylon, and became "chief of the governors" over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel's fidelity to God exposed him to persecution by jealous rivals within the king's administration, but being highly favored by the King, Cyrus, he was untouchable. But Daniel would years later be cast into a den of lions for continuing to practice his faith but God never turned his back on Daniel who was miraculously delivered from the wrath of the lions. After this, Cyrus issued a decree enjoining reverence for "the God of Daniel." Daniel continued to prosper throughout the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian," whom he greatly influenced in the matter of the decree which put an end to the Jewish Captivity...(Read more about this wonderful story in the book of Daniel).

Featured Christian Celebrity of the Week

CeCe Winans
Priscilla Winans Love, (born on October 8, 1964) and known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American Gospel singer and winner of numerous Grammy Awards and Stellar Awards. CeCe began her solo career with the Gold certified album "Alone in His Presence." It was released in 1995 and earned her a Grammy Award and 2 Dove Awards including the Female Vocalist of the Year, an award she earned again in 1997...(Read More)