Magyar Egyház, 2010 (89. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2010-01-01 / 1-2. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

II. oldal

Research and the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research in Nashville, said that when it comes to sharing the Gospel and also being engaged with public policy, Christians can do both. "[I]t is... both/and not either/or," he said. "You cannot stand for justice and be told you cannot speak of Jesus, nor can you love God and His word and not care for unborn children, the abused, and social justice." The findings challenge the assertion of secularists who say that Americans' religious beliefs should be purely a private matter and should be somehow segregated from weighty discussions of social issues and public policy.

Earthquake Kills Thousands in China

CNN.com reports that the Chinese government has said nearly 10,000 people have died, with the death toll sure to rise, in a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit around 2:45 p.m. Monday. The epicenter of the quake was in Sichuan province, but reports indicated tremors could be felt throughout most of China. The quake was the largest the region has seen "for over a generation." The CNN story states, "The Red Cross Society of China, coordinating some of the international aid efforts, encouraged financial donations because of the difficulty of getting supplies to those most in need.At least six different schools collapsed to some extent in the quake or aftershocks that followed, Xinhua reported. At one school, almost 900 students — all eighth graders and ninth graders, according to a local villager -- were believed to be buried."

Reaffirmation, Reformation and Repositioning at Heart of'Evangelical Manifesto'

According to a release from A. Larry Ross Communications, "An Evangelical Manifesto" was unveiled Wednesday during a press conference at the National Press Club, calling for reaffirmation of identity, reformation of behavior and repositioning in public life among Evangelicals. "This is not a rebranding or a relabeling issue," said Dr. Os Guinness, author and member of the Manifesto's drafting committee. "'Evangelical' is not a bad brand; the trouble is, we have a bad reality." Such dynamics prompted a group of theologians and Christian leaders to spend three years carefully drafting the Manifesto in an effort to reclaim the definition of what it means to be an Evangelical. In recent years, the term has often been used politically, culturally, socially -- and even as a marketing demographic. Recognizing that many people outside the movement now doubt that 'Evangelical' is ever positive, and many inside now wonder whether the term any longer serves a useful purpose, they aimed to draft a document that reclaims the term and the calling for both the culture and community of faith.

Little seeds grow into better things

Stewardship asks us, not are our talents big enough, but how do we faithfully use the talents we have, no matter how insignificant they may seem. By thinking our gifts must be perfect, we over-look important wazs we can serve our church.

Measured giving

If we are baking a cake, mixing concrete, or producing steel, we must be sure that we measure the right quantities of the ingredients. If we are to do God’s will on earth, we must also measure out our stewardship. Don’t you think a measure of tithing will make a better world?

Second fiddle

A young female reporter from the high school paper was interviewing the conductor of a great symphony orchestra on tour. She was a charming lass, with a great ambition to succeed, and no experience whatever with great artists. ’‘My editor would like to know” she began, with an evident effort to appear professional, “what instrument in the orchestra is the hardest to play.” Without a second’s hesitation, the great musician replied, “A second fiddle! In addition, it is that way with life, too. It is always easy to find those who want to play the solos. It is something else to find those who are willing to provide the harmony and the accompaniment.”

Church Humor

... " There is the story of a person who got up one Sunday and announced to his Congregation: 1 have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets.

... Somebody once figured out that we have 35 million laws trying to enforce 10 commandments.

..." A minister parked his car in a no — parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. So he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES.

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

...” A father was approached by his small son, who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?" The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay," said his father. "So, Son, what does the Bible mean?" That's easy, Daddy. It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth'.

... ” The Mischievous Brothers. Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, are excessively mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their parents know all about it. If any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town has been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon. The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?" The boys mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide eyed and his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?" Again, the boy made no attempt to answer The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boys face and bellowed, "Where is God?" The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?" The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time." "GOD is missing, and they think we did it!"