Christians matyred yearly

The featured article is from The Gospel Herald. 

The only place i have ever heard of Muslims being persecuted is in the Hindu-Muslim rivalries in India, and in Tibet, the Buddhists are in danger. I have seen many footages on youtube and both ´secular´and underground tv stations showing persecutions of Christians all over the world. Why is this so? Why are people persecuting others and forcing them into or out of something, if not killing them because of differences? All through the ages, it seem to me, evil has proven its bloodthirsty grip runs through mankind so easily. So much hate. 

Let us not forget to pray for our brothers and sisters. 

May the Lord always be our light, in our hearts, minds and spirit. Thank you Lord for your blessings, your lessons and your everlasting love.

Shocking Figures Reveal 105,000 Christians Martyred Each Year

By Daniel Blake  Christian Post Correspondent   Thu, Jun, 09 2011 05:28 AM PT

An international interfaith conference has revealed that 105,000 Christians are being killed every year simply because of their faith.

The shocking figures revealed at the “International Conference on Inter-religious dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims,” held in Hungary, show that a Christian is killed every five minutes somewhere in the world because of their faith.

Massimo Introvigne, representative of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, added that these figures did not include the victims of civil wars, or wars between nations, but only the people put to death because they are Christians.

According to the “Catholic Culture” publication, Introvigne said, “If these figures are not cried out to the world, if this massacre is not stopped, if it is not recognized that the persecution against Christians is the first worldwide emergency with regard to religious discrimination and violence, dialogue between religions will only produce wonderful symposia but no concrete results.”

Metropolitan Hilarion, who is the foreign minister of the Russian Orthodox Church, highlighted to the delegates that of the Christians being persecuted every year “at least one million” were children.

The event was hosted by the Hungarian government as a highlight of its EU presidency of the European Union, and religious representatives from across the world, and from across various faiths, gathered.

In a hopeful sign, the Egyptian diplomat Mahmoud Aly told congregants that the North African country was preparing to pass a number of laws that would protect the Christian minorities in Egypt.

Aly explained that new legislation would ensure those that commit hate speech, or gather in hostile groups outside churches, would be prosecuted.

Cardinal Péter Erdo of Budapest commented: “But the danger is for many Christian communities in the Middle East to die out for emigration. For all Christians will escape feeling threatened. And Europe should be preparing for a new wave of emigration, this time of Christians fleeing persecution.”

my thoughts: Praising God: 20 Bible quotes for Thanksgiving

— I have a lot to be thankful for. I have been called to hear God´s word – Thank you Lord God. My heart has been opened to Him – Thank you Jesus. I live with a wonderful, beautiful man (with specific characters i personally need) in a wonderful, beautiful land where i learn something new every day. I am blessed with learning about patience and sacrifice, humility and reminders of giving, wonders of prayers and worship and loving the people He has made – Thank you Holy Father. I am blessed with wonders of God´s creations everywhere i look. I feel loved; fear does not dominate me and I feel the breeze of peace every now and then. – Thank you God, how I love you. Thank you for all your blessings and love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. — 

Praising God: 20 Bible quotes for Thanksgiving

¨Thanksgiving is a time when we consciously sit back and reflect upon the good things in our lives and remember why we should be grateful for what we have. But if you’re religious, you are probably taking stock in your life and praising God on a regular basis—instead of waiting for the holiday season to show your gratitude. This collection of quotes is for people to thank God for what they have—this Thanksgiving and beyond.

1. “Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead!”
–I Peter 1:6

2. “Be content with what you have, for God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’”
–Hebrews 13:5,6

3. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence.”
–Jeremiah 17:7

4. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
–Psalms 119:105

5. “Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.”
–Job 37:14

6. “God has poured out his love into our hearts.”
–Romans 5:5

7. “In the Lord, put your trust.”
–Psalms 11:1

8. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”
–Proverbs 3:5,6

9. “A merry heart doeth good like medicine.”
–Proverbs 17:22

10. “O, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.”
–I Chronicles 16:34

11. “I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, and sing praises unto thy name.”
–Psalms 18.49

12. “To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
–Psalms 30.12

13. “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay your vows unto the most High.”
–Psalms 50.14

14. “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.”
–Psalms 75.1

15. “Let us thank God for his priceless gift!”
–2 Corinthians 9.15

16. “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”
–Ephesians 5.4

17. “Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and songs; sing and make music from your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God.”
–Ephesians 5.19-20

18. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
–Colossians 3.17

19. “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God.”
–I Thessalonians 5.16-18

20. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
–I Timothy 4.4-5¨

my thoughts: be positive

— i was reading this blog: be positive! by Moment with Jesus. great blog. learning some new words. learning bible chapters in Bahasa Indonesia. ..

being positive, especially being positive all the time, even when bad things happen to us. it is truly a reminder and an encouraging to read the bible of people who are patient, positive and preserver. i  have to remember that God does not measure time as we do, He works in eternity mode. being positive helps us cultivate patience and hopefully understanding and wisdom, not to mention living righteously. 

Thank you so much for this. 🙂 —

¨Baca: Kejadian 50:15-21

Banyak orang bilang, “Think Positive!” ato “Be Positive!” kepada orang yang lagi putus asa dan butuh dihibur. Sayangnya seringkali kalimat seperti itu enggak dianggap terlalu serius. Padahal kekuatan sikap positif enggak sekedar membuat perasaan kita jauh lebih baik, melainkan sanggup mengubah keadaan ato situasi yang kita hadapi. Bersikap positif enggak berarti kita sedang menenteramkan bagi ato menyangkali kenyataan pahit. Kalo kita berpikir bahwa bersikap positif berarti menyangkali kenyataan, maka kita salah besar!

Bersikap positif adalah soal cara pikir kita. Cara pandang yang benar sangat menentukan reaksi kita. Waktu temen lupa ngembaliin CD yang dipinjamnya, kita bisa menduga dia sengaja pengen nilep ato kita berpikir dia lagi sibuk banget ampe kelupaan ato enggak sempat. Negative thingking membuat reaksi kita negatif juga. Kalo kita menganggap doi sengaja enggak ngembaliin barang kita, maka kita akan merasa jengkel, bersikap ketus dan memarahi dia. Sebaliknya kalo kita berpikir positif, reaksi kita pun akan jadi positif. Mungkin kita bisa SMS ngingetin sebelum ketemuan untuk membawa CD itu ato nyamperin rumahnya mengambil barang tersebut sekalian main kesana.

Kalo kita masih menganggur sampai hari ini, masih jomblo, masih nyusun skripsi yang enggak kelar-kelar, ato tengah menjalani kondisi apapun yang enggak kita harapkan-tetaplah bersikap positif. Bersikap positif adalah modal yang kuat untuk kita bertekun, terus berusaha dan akhirnya berhasil. Bersikap positif membuat kita semangat menghadapi hari seberat apapun. Bersikap positif membuat kita menjalani hari dengan ucapan syukur. Bersikap positif membuat kita punya banyak teman. Bersikap positif membuat kita melihat tangan penyertaan Tuhan dalam setiap aktivitas kita. Yusuf memberi kita teladan bersikap positif sepanjang hidupnya. Saat menjadi budak, saat dipenjara, saat dilupakan bahkan saat ada kesempatan untuk membalas dendam baik kepada saudara-saudaranya, kepada isterin Potifar ato kepada siapapun yang telah menyakitinya selama ini. Sepanjang hidupnya Yusuf bersikap positif sehingga ia bisa memahami rencana Allah dalam kehidupanya untuk memelihara kehidupan bangsanya. Bagaimana dengan kita?¨

my thoughts : “Every truly Christian household is a church”

“Every truly Christian household is a church” 

— Read this blod from The M Blog the other day. Its is wonderful. To have God with us all day long at home ( and wherever we are), to consciously invite Him be with us throughout the day: as we wake up, as we do our chores and work, as we eat, as we walk, talk about Him to each other, learn and worship all day everyday is something we must all strife for I think. It is always the littlest things that add up and become great. I think church is a time for true fellowship with the people and the Lord but everyday is the time for fellowship with God personally and with family. 

p.s need to work on making home ¨a palace of joy¨too. —

¨I am indebted to Alan Knox for pointing out the following April 5, 1874 excerpt from a message entitled, Building the Church: Additions to the Church. At the end of the quote is the name of the well known pastor who preached these words.

I want you to notice this, that they were breaking bread from house to house, and ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart. They did not think that religion was meant only for Sundays, and for what men now-a-days call the House of God. Their own houses were houses of God, and their own meals were so mixed and mingled with the Lord’s Supper that to this day the most cautious student of the Bible cannot tell when they stopped eating their common meals, and when they began eating the Supper of the Lord. They elevated their meals into diets for worship: they so consecrated everything with prayer and praise that all around them was holiness to the Lord. I wish our houses were, in this way, dedicated to the Lord, so that we worshipped God all day long, and made our homes temples for the living God… 

Does God need a house? He who made the heavens and the earth, does he dwell in temples made with hands? What crass ignorance this is! No house beneath the sky is more holy than the place where a Christian lives, and eats, and drinks, and sleeps, and praises the Lord in all that he does, and there is no worship more heavenly than that which is presented by holy families, devoted to the fear of the Lord.

To sacrifice home worship to public worship is a most evil course of action. Morning and evening devotion in a little home is infinitely more pleasing in the sight of God than all the cathedral pomp which delights the carnal eye and ear. Every truly Christian household is a church, and as such it is competent for the discharge of any function of divine worship, whatever it may be. Are we not all priests? Why do we need to call in others to make devotion a performance? Let every man be a priest in his own house. Are you not all kings if you love the Lord? Then make your houses palaces of joy and temples of holiness. One reason why the early church had such a blessing was because her members had such homes. When we are like them we will have “added to the church those who were being saved.” 

–C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) ¨