The years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 

The days of our lives add up to seventy years, 

or eighty, if one is especially strong.

But even one’s best years are marred

by trouble and oppression.

Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away…

So teach us to consider our mortality,

so that we might live wisely...

Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last?

Have pity on your servants! (Psalm 90:10-12).

The Vatican announced Tuesday it was making it easier for Anglicans to convert to Roman Catholicism – a surprise move designed to entice traditionalists opposed to women priests, openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions according to Toronto Star (Vatican welcomes disaffected Anglicans, October 21^st 2009). According to the Star, the decision, reached in secret by a small cadre of Vatican officials, was sure to add to the problems of the 77-million-strong Anglican Communion as it seeks to deal with deep doctrinal divisions that threaten a permanent schism among its faithful. The change means conservative Anglicans from around the world will be able to join the Catholic Church while retaining aspects of their Anglican liturgy and identity, including married priests. Until now, disaffected Anglicans had joined the church primarily on a case by case basis.

“The unity of the church does not require a uniformity that ignores cultural diversity, as the history of Christianity shows,” said Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in announcing the decision. “This is a moment of grace, perhaps even a moment of history, not because the past is undone but because the past is transformed,” the group’s leader, Archbishop John Hepworth said in a statement welcoming the Vatican decision.

What to make of this article? What do you think?

October 31 is coming and it celebrates the Reformation in Europe when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517.  This act triggered the movement in world history known as the Reformation.

What the Church of Christ need today is a true reformation, a true and “New Great Awakening”, a revival. The church is struggling because she is walking away from the fundamentals of Christian faith namely, the reality of sin, death, hell and heaven. We have worked hard to reduce Christianity to activism against issues like abortion and homosexuality as if these are the only sins that are worth mentioning. I am not suggesting that we must close our eyes on these devastating issues in our society. It is time to go back to the exposition of scripture and to the preaching of the whole counsel of God.

Let’s pray for another Great Awakening. May the Lord teach us to pray because “The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God” (Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire).

If our churches don’t pray, and if our people don’t have an appetite for God, what does it matter how many are attending the services? The angels rejoice in heaven not when the pews are filled but when a single sinner repents. Only the true preaching of the Gospel will spark moral, social and why not political change.

Both Anglicans and Roman Catholics will do better to go back to scriptures, to leave superstitious traditions behind and to re-examine the Truth. Likewise, Reformed Evangelicals will do better to think of October 31 as a day of self examination, to refocus our priorities on what Luther, Calvin and many others have fought for. The Lord I believe will bless a church however small it is if these priorities are set aright.

Despite all the political discourses and rhetoric, the conferences held here and there for peace and eradication of poverty, our world is going from bad to worst. Of course we need to work together to promote peace, justice and equality. To do nothing is unthinkable.  However, humanity needs to learn that there is no such thing as peace or justice outside of God. The true peace the world is dying for is the one that comes through the reconciliation with God.

Why reconciliation? Simply because we have rejected the authority and the supremacy of God over our lives. This is called rebellion. We have decided to ignore God and take the matter, “our destiny?” in our own hands so to say. We stop the fire here and suddenly a new one is starting somewhere else. It is taking us a long time to realize that we are finite beings despite what the scientists will say about our achievement. Without God we can do nothing. A Lasting peace, a lasting justice is only found in God.

The Apostle Paul gives us a hint:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised...Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice… ( Rom 18-30).

Let us pray today for the people in Asia – Pacific Region where severe natural disasters has left millions of people in distress across Asia and the Pacific. Since September, a total of six countries have been hit by flooding, a typhoon, a tsunami and a number of earthquakes. There are more severe tropical storms targeting countries from Philippines to Viet Nam. Meanwhile the rest of our world is not exempt from other forms of struggles.

“These disasters are larger than what the country can respond to,” says UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault, who called the triple punch in the Asia-Pacific region an “extraordinary” event. Well there is nothing extraordinary in these events, it is previsible. The world is in agony and yield for peace and freedom.The end is nearer than ever. Let us apply our hearts to wisdom. Come Lord Jesus Come!

As many of you know I have been away for couple weeks due to the accident I had ( Broken leg) while I was playing soccer(football) with other students at our annual TBS retreat. I really appreciate all your prayers and support in this time. The Lord has blessed me a lot with the support of my wife, my church and many friends like you who sustained me in prayer and words of encouragement.

Today I am feeling quiet well with less pain and you could tell by the fact that I am able to seat and write!

I am looking forward joining my church body and the folks at school. Please continue to pray for I still have a long way to go for a complete healing. Knowing that all things happen for reason I thank God for what he has done and is continuing to do in this time through me. I will give a testimony of my experience when I could write much longer. Right now I cannot seat or read for too long probably because of the painkillers I am taking.

enjoy this wonderful song below

The Prayer Call of 1784

as presented by John Sutcliff to the
Baptist Association assembled on 2-3 June 1784.

Upon a motion being made to the ministers and messengers of the associate Baptist churches assembled at Nottingham, respecting meeting for prayer, to bewail the low estate of religion, and earnestly implore a revival of our churches, and of the general cause of our Redeemer, and for that end to wrestle with God for the effusion of His Holy Spirit, which alone can produce the blessed effect, it was unanimously RESOLVED, to recommend to all our churches and congregations, the spending of one hour in this important exercise, on the first Monday in every calendar month.

We solemnly exhort all the churches in our connexion, to engage heartily and perseveringly in the prosecution of this plan. And thus it may be well to endeavour to keep the same hour, as a token of our unity therein, it is supposed the following scheme may suit many congregations, viz, to meet on the first Monday evening in May, June and July from 8 to 9. In Aug. from 7 to 8; Sept. and Oct. from 6 to 7; Nov. Dec. Jan. and Feb. from 5 to 6; March from 6 to 7; and April from 7 to 8. Nevertheless if this hour, or even the particular evening, should not suit in particular places, we wish our brethren to fix on one more convenient to themselves.

We hope also that as many of our brethren who live at a distance from our places of worship may riot be able to attend there, that as many as are conveniently situated in a village or neighbourhood, will unite in small societies at the same time. And if any single individual should be so situated as not to be able to attend to this duty in society with others, let him retire at the appointed hour, to unite the breath of prayer in private with those who are thus engaged in a more public manner. – The grand object in prayer is to be, that the Holy Spirit may be poured down on our ministers and churches, that sinners may be converted, the saints edified, the interest of religion revived, and the Name of God glorified. And at the same time remember, we trust you will not confine your requests to your own societies, or to your own immediate Connection; let the whole interest of the Redeemer be affectionately remembered, and the spread of the Gospel to the most distant parts of the habitable globe be the object of your most fervent requests.
- We shall rejoice if any other Christian societies of our own and other denominations will unite with us, and do now invite them most cordially to join heart and hand in the attempt.

Who can tell what the consequence of such an united effort in prayer may be! Let us plead with God the many gracious promises of His Word, which relate to the future success of His Gospel.

He has said:

“I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them, I will increase them with men like a flock”

Ezek 36 v 37.

Surely we have love enough to Zion to set apart one hour at a time, twelve times in a year, to seek her welfare.