The Mercury-Church News

Marlys Johnsen Norris (Life Message Workshops) Marlys Johnsen Norris believes strongly that every person has a Legacy worthy of writing and she has held workshops during 2006 to help people write them. Marlys is a published author of five books, one of which won Best Christian book from Northern California Publishers and Authors for 2003-2004.

Have you ever met someone with such a joyful spirit, your spirit was immediately lifted? The other night we were at a dinner party and I met a new friend (Joyce) who had lost her beloved husband just a few months before. As she shared with me about adjusting to her great loss, I found myself hoping and praying that I might someday have that same love experience she and her husband enjoyed during his dying process. Talking to her was a beautiful experience I will cherish forever.

She shared that they both were vulnerable with one another and said everything that needed to be said about “everything”. Everything from what she might do after he was gone to what he was experiencing each day as his body was weakening and he was preparing for the day he would leave and go to his eternal home. They left each day with nothing undone. It was obvious the love they shared was something very special.

Her faith in God, His timing and His provision of an eternal home because of their personal faith in a Beloved Savior that made it all possible was evident. God’s love was in her countenance and Jesus joy and peace surrounded every word she spoke. We shared when a person does what is right, affirming words of love, often the grieving process is transformed into an unbelievable joy which explained completely what I observed in this wonderful woman of God. Death of someone we love can be a beautiful experience!!

Every trip has its surprises and every road traveled is unique as well. There is a promise in Scripture that states, “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) Be confident that the Lord will guide you, His knowledge of you is perfect—He understands your personality, strengths, weaknesses, joy, needs, desires and all that concerns you. He loves you and always has your interest at heart.

Jesus should be your guide because He created you for a distinct purpose. Let Him set your course to follow. “We are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) You were born with a special assignment He planned for you to accomplish in your lifetime. A tailor-made road just for you as you travel through life. He knows the most effective way and will guide you as you trust in Him.

He promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8) God knows exactly where you are today. He knows what you need to do in every situation you are facing, and how to get you to the wonderful destination He’s planned for you. So, trust Him in every situation, because He will bless your faith as you follow Him.

Marlys Johnsen Norris LIFE MESSAGE WORKSHOPS “Intimacy Begins Going God’s Way” Marlysj@sbcglobal.net

You only have your kids at home for a season. They’re not going to be with you forever, so you’d better make the most of it. You’d better enjoy them while you have them. Children are to be enjoyed, not endured.

Someday your kids will be grown and gone. It will be then that your kitchen will become incredibly neat! Just the way you always wanted. You won’t have any more sticky counter tops, spoons down the garbage disposal or spills on the floor. The refrigerator will no longer be stuffed with nine cartons of milk, sticky jelly jars, cool-aid or messy ketchup bottles. Someday you’ll actually be able to see out of your car’s side windows! The finger prints, the tongue licks and sneakers prints will become conspicuously absent.

One by one, they’ll grow up and leave your nest, and the house will then begin to resemble a place of order, maybe even a touch of elegance. The clink of fine china and silver no doubt will be heard on occasion and the crackling of the fireplace will echo through the empty hallways. The phone will grow strangely silent. In fact, the entire house will be quite calm and quiet, filled not with the pitter-patter - the noise of little feet- but the memories. You’ll spend your time not looking forward to the day, but looking back at what was and reminiscing.

Your children are a gift from God and parenting is the greatest privilege and responsibility in the entire world. Nothing compares to the honor and responsibility of raising another human being to know God.

As a parent, you may be hurting inside. You may be emotionally exhausted. You’re worried about your kids. You may feel frustrated or disrespected. You may be fearful about the direction that one of them is going. You may feel a little guilty, like a failure in some areas. You may feel hopeless. You may be broken-hearted, maybe disappointed by your child or children, and the deepest hurt of your heart is when you think about that child and you want to resign from being a parent…but you can’t resign, because you signed on for life.

If you try to parent on your own, in your own strength, in your own wisdom, you’re going to fail. It takes God’s wisdom, because human wisdom fails. It takes God’s love and God’s power, because human love and energy runs out. As you plug into God, He will give you His power and His love and His wisdom. Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (TEV)

No matter how you feel emotionally about your kids today, Jesus is ready to help. He's ready to step into the gap, anytime and anywhere. You just need to ask Him. Do that today. Turn to Christ and He will give you His love, power and wisdom as you love and enjoy your kids no matter where they’re at today.

Calvin and Lisa Wulf

Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, "It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them." Jeremiah 2:25 (NIV)
The alarm clock rings, "Time to get up."
The grandfather clock chimes, "Time to go to work."
The computer beeps, "Time for your next appointment."
The time clock punches, "Time to go home."
The microwave dings, "Time for dinner."
The cuckoo clock sings, "Time for bed."

We live on the clock. It tells us when to go out and when to come in. We either try to beat the clock or kill time. So the pressure mounts. We juggle our lives to keep as many clocks in the air as possible. If one should fall, the whole system shatters

Ever notice that the clock is often the focal point of a room? It's given an honored place on the mantel. Even churches aren't immune. The cross used to be center stage. Today many sanctuaries have no cross but there's a clock in the back so the preacher can get us out on time.

Jesus never said, "Hurriest thou for we are late!" We don't see him rushing around. Yet he accomplished everything that was necessary. That's because he fixed his eyes on the Father, his compass, and not on the clock. Let's get real. Time consciousness fuels our modern world so we can’t eliminate clock tyranny altogether. But we can make better use of our compass. God gives us all the time we need to do what he has for us. Want to stop dividing life into seconds and minutes? Here's how:

Does your wristwatch have you by the throat? Perhaps now is the time to stop juggling and let your timepieces fall to the ground. Don't let clock worship eclipse God's plan for your life. Free up your hands and eyes to follow the one true compass.

Living for God (TM) offers resources on Christian living. Check them out at www.livingforgod.net or call (719) 578-8837.

Recent Poll Shows Christians Believe Religious Freedom is Crucial to Foreign Policy Issue
May 2008 poll commissioned by Open Doors shows presidential candidates must address religious liberty as key foreign policy topic

Christian Newswire-- More than half of Christians in America believe religious freedom should be a high priority in crafting U.S. foreign policy, according to a recent Wilson Research Strategies survey commissioned by Open Doors USA.

"The persecution of Christians in the world today is on the rise, with an estimated 100 million suffering some sort of repression and even death for their faith," said Carl Moeller, president and chief executive officer of Open Doors USA, a Christian ministry that has served persecuted Christians around the world for more than 50 years. "Open Doors commissioned this study to try to understand what Christians in America feel about religious freedom. Clearly, it is a priority."

Fifty-four percent of U.S. Christians polled consider religious freedom an important issue in making U.S. foreign policy, according to the survey. This is an especially high priority with those who attend church most frequently (60 percent), compared with those Christians who never attend (40 percent).

The study shows that 96 percent of respondents believe strongly that religious freedom is a basic human right, and that more than eight in 10 believe it is a very important basic right. Those who feel most strongly about the issue are women who frequently attend church. Ninety-one percent believe it is a very important issue.

Respondents did not believe that direct intervention should form our religious freedom foreign policy. Instead, they favored the U.S. using more indirect policies, such as economic sanctions (20 percent) and diplomatic measures to pressure persecuting regimes rather than having the U.S. directly intervene.

"The findings of this study demonstrate that senators McCain and Obama must address the issue of religious freedom in their foreign policy positions if they are intent on winning the vote of faithful Christians," said Moeller.

Geographically, the weakest support for religious freedom as a basic human right is in New England, with only 76 percent of respondents ranking it as very important, compared with Mountain States, where 9 out of 10 say it is very important.

Among Christian groups, the strongest support came from Baptists, non denominational/independent churches, Lutherans and charismatics. The weakest group support came from Catholics, Presbyterians and Episcopalians.

Of special interest is the finding that 98 percent of frequent listeners to Christian radio believe strongly that religious freedom is a basic human right. Wilson Research Strategies was commissioned to conduct a research study of 1,000 Christian adults nationwide. A sample of 1,000 has a margin of error of ±3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The study was conducted by telephone May 27-29, 2008. This sampling represents 72 percent of the United States population, which is equal to roughly 150.5 million people who call themselves Christians. Christians in this study were defined as people who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that by believing that He died for their sins they have eternal life. All respondents were contacted via Random Digit Dialing methodology. The sample was stratified by key demographics, including age, gender and area in order to representatively measure the United States' Christian population at large.

An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to their website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

A lawmaker in Colorado who challenged the authors of SB200, a new law that bans discrimination based on the "perception" of gender, contends it was written to give a wide open door to anyone who wants to banish Christian beliefs or the Bible. "This is so loaded. It's written in an open-ended fashion that anybody can take just about any part of it and grow it into a huge monstrosity," state Rep. Kevin Lundberg told WND today. "It was written with intentional [vagueness]."

This highly practical book is developed around a construction theme, making it accessible to all readers. Following the structure of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Joe takes otherwise difficult topics about the Catholic faith and makes them relevant to the lives of average Catholics without compromising the rich depth of Catholic teaching and tradition.

"Can you imagine your pastor asking you to represent him at a meeting of non-Catholics who wanted to learn more about the Catholic faith?" asks Paprocki. "I've asked this question to numerous groups of Catholics, especially catechists, and the number of people who feel they would have the right tools to represent the Catholic faith properly is extremely low."

A Well-Built Faith serves a broad audience of individuals who want to deepen their own knowledge of the Catholic faith. It can be used effectively with RCIA candidates, catechists, parents, adult faith- formation groups, pastoral council members, and anyone else who is eager to learn more about their faith.

Joe has been a catechetical leader and religious educator in the Chicago area for more than 20 years. His books include The Catechist's Toolbox, God's Library, and Living the Mass (Loyola Press). He is the managing editor of parish life resources at Loyola Press.

To interview Joe Paprocki or for a review copy, please contact Carrie Freyer (contact info above). Visit www.loyolapress.com/wellbuiltfaith for more information.

Legislator: Law Allows Banishment of Bible
Faith Under Fire
'This is written so anybody can take any part and grow it into monstrosity'
By Bob Unruh
© WorldNetDaily

He spoke with WND after a news conference at which a number of groups and organizations announced plans to challenge the law. Among those promising to dispute the new limitations on speech and actions was Liberty Counsel, which is reviewing the situation now in preparation for a legal challenge.

"Section 8 of Senate Bill 200 is a wide open door for any judge to censor anything that condemns homosexuality, including Scripture," Lundberg said at the news conference. Section 8 is headlined, "Publishing of discriminative matter forbidden."

"I do believe that the Bible is banned, under the plain language of this new statute," said Steve Crampton, general counsel of Liberty Counsel. Others represented at the news conference were WND columnist and national syndicated talk show host Janet Folger, who wrote "The Criminalization of Christianity;" Steve Curtis, president of the American Right To Life Action and former chairman of the Colorado GOP; Kevin Swanson of Christian Home Educators of Colorado; Mark Hotaling of Christian Family Alliance and Colorado for Family Values.

Lundberg told WND the statute includes some "very troubling" provisions "that can be used in fairly heavy-handed ways. It goes so far and it goes so broad … the more I read it the more troubled I get."

He said Section 8, for example, regarding the publication of discriminatory material.

""When it was on the floor of the house and we were debating it I discounted the overall effect, thinking it applied to the posting of rules for hotels and lodging," he said. "When I more seriously looked at all the particulars, then it starts to encompass a prohibition on anything of a printed nature that's distributed or sold or shared for virtually any purpose."

Curtis told WND that the legal challenge will be launched soon by Liberty Counsel, and participants deliberately violated the law with a display of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, provided by the Denver Tech Center Marriott where the news conference was held at the same time as a pastors' conference at which former presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was a speaker.

"We questioned whether the Marriott Corp. was in violation for distributing [the books] to us," he said. "We displayed them, which is a violation, we sold Janet Folger's book, which is a violation. We gave it away, which is a violation.

"We will go ahead and continue to violate [the law]," he said. "Our challenge to the governor is go ahead and issue the citation, arrest us, do whatever you want."

Lundberg said it's clear the Bible could be targeted by those using the vague definitions in the law.

"If you're going to be distributing Scriptures, there are clear passages that someone of a homosexual orientation could easily find offensive," he said. He said not only did Colorado lawmakers create an open-ended document, "any court could take it to whatever direction they wanted to take it, and they would have the authority of the statute to fall back onto."

The lawmaker said there is an exemption for churches, mosques and synagogues in Section 6 of the law, dealing with public accommodations. But that definition is only for Section 6 and doesn't apply to Section 8, restricting printed material, he said.

And he said the new burden for business owners will force Christians quickly to abandon their principles, or their business.

"When you read all of the particulars, you discover it is much more inclusive of any type of commerce," he said of the rules. "When I confronted the House sponsor [Rep. Joel Judd] in debate on a photographer who found it morally unacceptable to shoot a same-sex commitment ceremony, the answer was, 'If you choose to do commerce in Colorado you have to abide by these rules.'"

There are two other important factors, he noted, including the law itself which includes not just civil, but criminal penalties of up to a year in jail, for violations. And the other is the fact the legislature included a "safety" clause in the law, specifying that the law is necessary for the safety of the state, which means voters cannot take the law and put it to a vote.

"The reason I consider this to be a big deal … to my knowledge people were going to exercise their rights with a citizens referendum, before [that right] was stripped away from them by the legislature," he said.

Curtis said his organization, American RTL Action, is a political 527 group headquarter half a block from where the legislature meets.

"We're not going to hire someone cohabitating outside of marriage," he said. "We will also violate SB200's prohibition on publishing certain biblical teachings on homosexuality."

WND reported earlier that one of the supporters of the bill, Cathryn Hazouri of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the state House Judiciary Committee: "One may practice one's religion in private; however, once a religious person comes into the public arena, there are limitations in how the expression of their religion impacts others."

The Christian publishing house Focus on the Family has called it a payback by the Democrat-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter to homosexual activists such as millionaire Tim Gill, who has donated widely to pro-homosexual political candidates.

The Focus analysis of the plan, according to spokesman Bruce Hausknecht, shows that besides the obvious impacts of opening restrooms and locker rooms statewide to members of either sex, depending on a perception of their gender, "the biggest danger this law poses is to the religious or moral consciences of small business owners who may object to doing business with people whose lifestyle they do not want to promote."

"Who would have believed that the Colorado state legislature and its governor would have made it fully legal for men to enter and use women's restrooms and locker-room facilities without notice or explanation?" Focus founder James Dobson said. "Henceforth, every woman and little girl will have to fear that a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser or even a homosexual or heterosexual male might walk in and relieve himself in their presence."

"Now, as I stand outside of a movie theater bathroom or a swimming pool shower room door and guard the most precious thing in my life: my wife and daughter's safety, modesty and privacy, I can no longer stop a man from entering a woman's domain," wrote a concern resident whose name was withheld. "(I will anyway, that's why I'm a criminal!)"

"An act that once was criminal is now legitimate, and what was taught to me as a virtue is now a vice. Not only am I liable for civil penalties but criminal, as I can be sentenced for up to a year in jail," he wrote.

"Will SB200 be the end of it? No. Next, hate crime legislation must be passed so that it is illegal for me to write this letter (as it is now illegal in Canada); then enforced homosexual/transsexual indoctrination of our children in the public educational system; finally, all other alternative forms of education must be outlawed. Impossible, you say? It's already happened in California," he said. "As I'm being forced into this 'shotgun wedding' with the radical homosexual agenda, I hope it's not too late to 'speak now, or forever hold my peace.' What is it called when you are forced, against your will, to participate in a sexual lifestyle that you find objectionable? I believe that is called 'rape.' My state legislature has 'violated' me and charged me with the crime."

Tom Minnery, the senior vice president of government and public policy for Focus, said every Christian, Jewish or Muslim business owner now is under a threat. "We've seen … charges brought by homosexuals against a video reproduction business in Virginia, a medical clinic in California, an adoption service in Arizona and a church in New Jersey," he continued. "Colorado tops them all on the potential outrage meter, however, because in addition to civil fines and penalties, small-business owners can be prosecuted under the criminal laws of Colorado and spend up to one year in jail for trying to live according to their faith."

Giving is on the Decline in America's Churches: Want to Know Why?
New Book Provides the Answer

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. McSwain's revealing book, The Giving Myths, is a must-read for every church leader in America. It answers the question, "Why is giving in decline?" It is not just because the economy is down. Giving has never been up. The economy only highlights the problem every church faces in teaching members how to be generous in giving and living.

Filled with stories of real people who are learning the joy of giving, you'll laugh at its humor, cry at its warmth, and cringe at its frankness as Dr. McSwain boldly confronts the 7 most common myths about giving in the church today. These widely-held myths keep people trapped in the madness of materialism and in self-defeating lifestyles. And, they are the principle reason for the decline in giving churches today struggle to overcome and, especially, in today's economy. Learning, however, the secrets contained in this book will unlock the mystery to life's meaning and propel you and your church onto the pathway toward a life of generosity--the life you were Divinely-designed to live.

If you are a church leader, or in philanthropic work of any kind, you must read this book. It will help you to understand the cultural myths about giving held by church members and potential donors. These myths prevent people from becoming self-less and generous and from finding and living a genuinely fulfilling life. Dr. McSwain says, "I've observed these myths at work in my own life and scores of other people. I've written this book, not only to expose them, but to help free people from them. As people are freed from them, then they have the potential of living the life they've really always wanted. The church will see greater revenues as well."

Packed with real-life stories, this book will help you understand the myths that keep members from giving and to develop strategies for positively changing the present giving culture of your church. After reading this book, a pastor in one of the largest churches in America said, "This book is so important, I'm going to see to it that a copy gets into every household in our church."

For more than a decade, Dr. McSwain has crisscrossed America speaking to thousands of people each year and consulting with hundreds of churches and parishes representing virtually every Christian communion in America. In this book, Dr. McSwain shares from his own experience and the experience of others who are discovering the meaning of life and are living the life they've always wanted. If you're looking for answers as to why giving is poor in your church, or, if you are simply looking for happiness or feel discontented about the life you're currently living, this book is a "must read."

To speak with Dr. McSwain personally, call him at 502- 777-9426. To schedule a consult with him, contact Cargill Associates, Inc., at 800-433-2233. Or, to book him for a speaking engagement, contact Jim Rittenhouse @ www.mckinneyspeakers.com or call Mr. Rittenhouse at 502-583-8222.

To order THE GIVING MYTHS, visit any of the on-line retail bookstore outlets or, for bulk orders for group study, order directly from the publisher at Smyth & Helwys, Publishing at http://www.helwys.com/books/giving_myths.html.

OPINION, June 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pastor John Hagee is a towering leader in the Evangelical Church who has dedicated a great part of his enormously successful ministry to reaching out in love and loving-kindness to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. He has admirably defended our right to our historic homeland even when our enemies have attempted to disgorge us from our homes and drive us into the sea; he has praised the Lord for having imbued us, the "post- Holocaust dry bones of Ezekiel," with renewed life and vigor even when our arch-enemy and the arch-enemy of the free world has called us a "stinking corpse." He has organized Christian lobby groups for the only true democracy in the Middle East across the length and breadth of the United States even when a former American President and professors from Harvard and Chicago Universities have denounced our own lobbying efforts as un-American and anti-Democratic.

Pastor Hagee has expressed his profound affection for us even when it has been most unpopular to do so. Can we, the recipients of his heart and goodwill, dare be silent now, when the political frenzy of primary elections hysterically seeks to defame and discredit one of the greatest voices on behalf of Christian- Jewish healing and cooperation? No, for the sake of Jerusalem and for the sake of the God of love and peace we must raise our voices in support of and friendship for the very individual who has never faltered in his support and friendship for us!

Does this mean that I must necessarily agree with all of the theological positions taken by Pastor Hagee? Not at all! True friendship means that I continue to love and even partner with my friend, despite disagreeing with him on even fundamental positions of theology and ideology - as long as his views do not threaten the life or limb of innocent human beings. And in fact in subsequent articles I hope to express my own theological position about God and the existence of evil, Jewish history and the place of Hitler (may his very name be blotted out). But if I can only love those with whom I agree completely, then I cannot even love myself - because I may very well come to disagree tomorrow with whatever I may have thought and said today! As Pastor Hagee himself has remarked, if I am completely in accord with whatever you think and say, then one of us becomes superfluous.

We are living in a world divided between those who believe in a God of love and peace, and those who believe in a Satan of Jihad and suicide bombers. Any attempt to marginalize and slander leaders of the camp of the former will only serve to strengthen the camp of the latter, with the future existence of the free world perilously hanging in the balance. And so I continue to proudly shout from the rooftops that this rabbi in Israel stands firmly alongside -his beloved friend, a true friend of Israel and the free world, Pastor John Hagee.

Shlomo Riskin
Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel
Founder: Ohr Torah Stone Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new analysis entitled "Pope Benedict XVI on Marriage: A Compendium" and published by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy on the eve of Benedict's historic U.S. visit, finds that in the first three years of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has spoken publicly about marriage on 111 occasions, connecting marriage to such overarching themes as human rights, world peace, and the conversation between faith and reason.

"Over and over again he has made it clear that the marriage and family debate is central - not peripheral - to understanding the human person, and defending our human dignity," says Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy.

For example, when receiving the credentials of the new U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Harvard Law Professor Mary Ann Glendon, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his appreciation for America's recognition of the importance of a dialogue of faith and faiths in the public square and linked this to respect not only for religious freedom but for marriage as the union of husband and wife:

Pope Benedict devoted about half of his message for the January 1 World Day of Peace to the significance of marriage in developing a culture of peace:

Marriage essential to world peace? This may strike American ears as an oddity. If so, Benedict has made clear it is not an unintentional one. On September 21, 2007, in an address to participants in a conference of the Executive Committee of Centrist Democratic International, Pope Benedict prefigured the same theme:

"The short pontificate of Benedict XVI is already a standing rebuke to those voices of our time who seek to make us ashamed or embarrassed of caring about marriage and sexual issues, who try to get us to view the contemporary marriage debate as merely a distraction from more important issues," notes Gallagher, "Pope Benedict clearly connects life and marriage, the human person in the human family, with the most fundamental international issues of peace and human rights facing our times."

Source: Institute of Marriage and Public Policy
CONTACT: Maggie Gallagher of the Institute for Marriage and PublicPolicy, 1-914-522-5310, maggie@imapp.org
Web Site: http://www.marriagedebate.com/

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