Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013

The Lost Boys – Epidemic Fatherlessness Creating Deadly Consequences

by Kenny Luck
in Culture · Marriage & Family · Men
— 17 Oct, 2013

Bored, unsupervised, fatherless boys are to policemen what “unaccounted for” uranium represents to counter-terrorism worldwide—a threat to peace, to innocent people, and a major problem that demands attention.   Among boys all it takes to “weaponize” the plentiful supply of youthranium in our country today is a really bad idea offered in vacuum of moral convictions. Deep within the brain of one our nation’s fatherless at the center of the latest “boys gone evil” news story, a spark was felt, a neuron fired, and words were expressed.  “I got it!” he says. “Wouldn’t it be cool if… we killed someone?”    The idea is welcomed and executed without filters or objection. This is gonna be fun.
Meet the Lost Boys.
They have been on their own since they were little and have remained on their own as boys hoping to become men. Raised by single mothers, they have been unsupervised and un-mentored by any male figure as long they can remember. The macabre and toxic excitement rising from this deadly brainstorm is not just about a lazy summer, it’s about becoming men in a cesspool of broken male culture, character, and conduct that becomes the norm for lost boys. This broken culture produces beliefs (about self and others) and behaviors shaped by peer angst and self loathing instead offatherly concern and modeling.   The result: broken male culture that trains young men to act selfishly and separate their hearts from their heads when a decision they make impacts others negatively. It’s called alexithymia.  Look it up. The root words that form the word mean to “repel” (alexo) and “the soul” (thumos). It is a picture of being emotionally dead.
Fatherlessness is creating these types of boys by the millions with multiplied billions of their social interactions creating a titanic wave of injustice for innocent people.    Emotionally unaware and socially detached, these boys cannot connect their actions with the feelings of others. This emotional compartmentalization provides the inner freedom and sanction necessary to kill, make others suffer, and then talk about it objectively like the young men in this case. The police interviews with these boys are surreal.   They talk about killing a man the way a person would describe building a roast beef sandwich. It’s on the level of “We were hungry so we ate.”
Totally removed from all this and living with plenty of purpose was another young man who was unaware that his time on planet earth was drawing to a tragic and senseless close. Christopher Lane’s life was anything but boring. He was a college athlete and leader who met a wonderful girl living in Duncan Oklahoma. Visiting his girlfriend and deciding to go for a jog in this small town of 24,000 was a sign of who he was and where he was going in life—forward.   Running forward by a home filled with the lost boys was his only mistake on the day which he could not have possibly envisioned. One saw Christopher jog by and said the others, “There’s our target.” They proceeded to follow Lane in a car and shot him in the back before driving off.   He staggered for a few feet and collapsed.
The same boy told police, “We were bored and didn’t have anything to do so we decided to kill somebody.” The motive? For the fun of it.  Young boys can only think like this in a vacuum of moral beliefs that is not being supplied by the one person in society responsible for the shaping of boys—a father. Boys who experience healthy doses of acceptance, affirmation, authority, and accountability from a father are less likely to develop in such a compartmentalized way emotionally. Good old time, talk, and healthy touch from dads goes a long way to form souls of young boys who grow into emotionally healthy men—ones able to consider others first.
Everybody gets that.
On the local level, the guys who really get it are law enforcement officers. If you don’t believe me, talk to them. They see broken families, no fathers, lost boys, no models, no mentors, and the detached pain-makers making news and being arrested daily. They see boys being weaponized into heartless destroyers at multiple levels in the home and community. If they had one wish it would be for leadership development among dads (young and old) raising the next generation. These men and this movement are waiting out there to be awakened. It’s the Sleeping Giant and it must rise or else promising young men like Christopher Lane and countless others will fall victim to the Lost Boys looking to have some fun.

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Every Man Ministries, founded by president Kenny Luck, gives men the tools they need to walk with God and navigate the difficulties of life. As the men’s pastor at Saddleback Church, Kenny Luck created a program for men to start and lead their own men’s ministries, the Sleeping Giant program. Watch Kenny’s teachings atEveryManMinistries.com.
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Rabu, 23 Oktober 2013

TOKOH MISI: THE CAMBRIDGE SEVEN

TOKOH MISI: THE CAMBRIDGE SEVEN

Saya pernah berkhotbah dalam sebuah ibadah dengan menggunakan The Cambridge Seven sebagai teladan iman. Pria-pria ini telah melayani generasi mereka, dan kini giliran kita untuk melayani generasi kita. Alkitab dengan jelas menyatakan bahwa Tuhan menjaga hidup orang-orang yang melayani generasinya. Daud adalah contoh yang sangat baik dalam hal ini. "Sebab Daud melakukan kehendak Allah pada zamannya, lalu ia mangkat dan dibaringkan di samping nenek moyangnya, dan ia memang diserahkan kepada kebinasaan." (Kisah Para Rasul 13:36)

Daud melayani generasinya dan ia dikenal sebagai seseorang yang berkenan kepada Allah (Kisah Para Rasul 13:22). Pada ayat yang sama, Alkitab menyatakan bahwa "[Daud adalah orang] yang melakukan segala kehendak-Ku". Meskipun Daud juga melakukan banyak kesalahan, ia tetaplah seorang hamba Allah yang setia.

Memandang ke tahun 1800-an, jarang sekali ada kisah kepahlawanan yang berasal dari hamba-hamba Tuhan. Namun, pada tahun 1881, Harold Schofield, seorang dokter muda sekaligus seorang misionaris yang melayani di bagian utara provinsi Shansi sedang terbaring lemah karena menderita sakit tifus. Dalam pembaringannya, ia tetap tidak berhenti berdoa. Ia memohon kepada Allah untuk memberinya seorang pengganti karena ia tahu bahwa ia tidak akan sembuh dari penyakitnya ini. Ia berdoa agar Tuhan mau mengirim lulusan dari universitas terbaik di Inggris untuk menginjili China. Pada tanggal 1 Agustus 1883, Harold Schofield berpulang ke rumah Bapa, saat itu saudara kita yang terkasih ini baru berumur 31 tahun.

Apakah Tuhan menjawab doanya? Ya! Pada bulan Februari 1885, doa Schofield terjawab ketika tujuh mahasiswa dari Universitas Cambridge memutuskan untuk meninggalkan kekayaan dan segala kebanggaan mereka dan melayani Tuhan ke mana pun Ia akan memimpin mereka. Ketujuh mahasiswa yang di kemudian hari dikenal sebagai "The Cambridge Seven" ini terdiri atas Charles Thomas Studd, Montagu Harry Proctor Beauchamp, Stanley P. Smith, Arthur T. Polhill-Turner, Dixon Edward Hoste, Cecil H. Polhill-Turner, dan William Wharton Cassels.

Pada ibadah pengutusan, mereka berkata, "Berdoalah supaya Tuhan menolong kami untuk tetap setia."

Ketujuh orang ini menjadi inspirasi bagi ribuan orang lainnya untuk memikirkan pelayanan misionaris secara lebih serius. Salah seorang dari tujuh orang ini adalah C.T. Studd, seorang kapten tim kriket Inggris yang terbaik pada masanya -- jika ia saja sanggup menyerahkan segala-galanya, orang lain pun dapat melakukannya! Mereka menginspirasi banyak orang untuk melayani Tuhan. Pada tahun 1890, jumlah mereka berlipat ganda, dan pada tahun 1900 terdapat 800 orang misionaris yang aktif melayani di China bersama-sama dengan China Inland Mission. Jumlah tersebut mewakili sepertiga dari total kekuatan misi yang melayani dunia pada saat itu.

Di bawah ini adalah sekelumit detail atas apa yang terjadi pada anggota The Cambridge Seven.

William Wharton Cassels (1858 -- 1925)
William melayani di China selama sepuluh tahun, kemudian ia kembali ke Inggris pada tahun 1885. Di Inggris, ia ditahbiskan sebagai uskup atas keuskupan baru untuk China Barat. Setelah ditahbiskan, ia kembali ke China Barat dan melayani di sana sampai ia meninggal pada tahun 1925.

Stanley Peregrine Smith (1861 -- 1931)
Stanley diutus untuk melayani di China Utara. Ia mempelajari bahasa China dan segera menjadi seorang pengkhotbah yang sangat fasih dalam bahasa asing tersebut. Ia meninggal di China pada 31 Januari 1931.

Charles Thomas Studd (1860 -- 1931)
Atlet kriket ini dipulangkan pada tahun 1894 karena kesehatannya yang semakin menurun. Di kemudian hari, ia melayani di India dan Afrika; ia juga mendirikan badan misi WEC. Ia meninggal di Ibambi, Kongo Belgia pada tahun 1931.

C. T. Studd adalah seseorang yang menulis kutipan terkenal berikut ini, "Beberapa orang ingin tinggal di tempat-tempat mereka dapat mendengar suara lonceng gereja; sedangkan aku ingin sekali membuka pos keselamatan sedekat mungkin dengan neraka." Pada masa tuanya, orang-orang yang mengkritiknya mengatakan bahwa ia harus pulang dan pensiun. Menanggapi hal itu, Studd menolak dan berkata, "Tuhan telah memanggilku untuk pergi melayani karena itu aku akan pergi. Aku akan membuka jalan menuju kuburanku dengan menjadi batu loncatan supaya orang-orang muda dapat mengikuti teladanku."

Cecil Polhill-Turner (1860 -- 1938)
Cecil melayani tuhan di Barat Laut China dan juga Tibet. Ia dan istrinya hampir terbunuh dalam kerusuhan pada tahun 1892. Pada tahun 1900, kesehatannya memburuk sehingga ia harus dipulangkan ke Inggris. Ia melakukan tujuh kunjungan misi yang panjang. Pada tahun 1908, ia menjadi pemimpin bagi Pentecostal Missionary Union di Sunderland dan berkarya secara luar biasa dalam pembentukan Pentecostal Movement di Inggris Raya.

Arthur Polhill-Turner (1862 -- 1935)
Arthur ditahbiskan menjadi pendeta pada tahun 1888. Ia pindah ke sebuah daerah padat penduduk supaya dapat bertemu dengan sebanyak mungkin orang. Ia tetap tinggal di China sekalipun muncul gerakan untuk mengusir orang-orang asing dan tetap di sana sampai tahun 1928, saat ia pensiun dan kembali ke Inggris. Ia meninggal pada tahun 1935.

Sir Montagu Harry Proctor Beauchamp (1860 -- 1939)
Pada tahun 1900, Montagu dievakuasi dari China karena adanya pemberontakan, tetapi ia kembali lagi ke China pada tahun 1902. Pada tahun 1911, ia kembali ke Inggris dan melayani sebagai pendeta bagi Angkatan Darat Inggris. Putranya menjadi misionaris generasi kedua di China. Karena itu, ia kembali lagi ke China pada tahun 1935. Montagu meninggal di pos misi puteranya pada tahun 1939.

Dixon Hoste (1861 -- 1946)
Dixon menjadi pengganti Hudson Taylor sebagai direktur bagi China Inland Mission dan selama 30 tahun, ia memimpin badan misi tersebut. Ia pensiun pada tahun 1935, tetapi tetap tinggal di China sampai tahun 1945 saat diasingkan oleh pasukan Jepang. Ia meninggal di London pada bulan Mei 1946, dan menjadi orang terakhir dari The Cambridge Seven yang meninggal.

Dixon pernah berkata, "Seseorang yang tidak belajar untuk menanti-nantikan Tuhan dan menyerahkan pikirannya untuk Dia bentuk, tidak akan pernah memiliki tujuan hidup yang mantap dan kepercayaan yang tenang kepada-Nya. Padahal, kedua hal itu sangat penting untuk dapat memberi pengaruh yang bijaksana terhadap orang lain pada masa-masa yang genting dan sulit."

Orang-orang yang setia ini telah melayani Tuhan bagi generasi mereka. Kesaksian mereka membuktikan bahwa kehidupan yang diserahkan sepenuhnya kepada Allah akan memampukan mereka untuk memberi dampak yang besar terhadap generasi mereka bagi Kerajaan Allah. Kiranya Tuhan membangkitkan orang-orang yang setia untuk melayani generasi kita saat ini. (t/Yudo)

Diterjemahkan dan disunting dari:
Nama situs: Faith Walk in the 2nd Half
Alamat URL: http://faith2ndhalf.blogspot.com/2010/08/cambridge-seven.html
Judul asli artikel: The Cambridge Seven
Penulis: Albert Kang
Tanggal akses: 20 Oktober 2013

Selasa, 01 Oktober 2013

Host a Halloween Party

By Jeremy Myers 4 Comments

If you want to love your neighbors like Jesus, it often doesn’t take great acts of kindness or huge sacrifices on your part, but simply being open to seeing what their needs are, and willing to help out where you can. Sam Riviera gives some practical examples of how this has looked in his own life.

Every year on Halloween, rather than go down to a local church for a “Hallelujah Party” or hide out in our house with our lights turned off, we host a big Halloween party for our entire neighborhood. This is another practical way we have shared the love of Jesus with our neighbors.
The day before Halloween we hand out quarter sheets of orange paper in the neighborhood, inviting neighbors to join us at dusk.
Here are some of the things we do:

Build A Fire In The Driveway

On Halloween night, we take our iron chiminea and put it on the driveway. Then we build a fire, put a circle of chairs around it, and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters on the driveway.
We have also started to invite the neighbors to join us.
Last year, we put out a big pot of chili. And of course, chili needs cornbread to go with it. And since the night can be chilly, we put out hot cider and hot chocolate. While we’re at it, we make a few batches of our Secret Recipe Cookies.

Pumpkins, Cats, and Candy

We fill a large bowl with candy bars. Sometimes there is a neighbor who will not get home from work until later in the evening, and she gives us a package of candy to hand out for her. In addition to the circle of chairs, we set up tables to hold the food and carved pumpkins, fiber-optic pumpkin heads, and cats.
People start showing up just after dusk. We light the fire and people gravitate to the food tables and the chairs around the fire. Several neighbors bring their bowls of candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters on our driveway instead of at their houses. A few also bring food and drinks to share.
Some people stay all evening. Some only stay for a short while, eating a bowl of chili, and chatting with friends and neighbors. Others came by with their children, greet a neighbor or two, grab a cookie or cup of hot cider, and continue accompanying their children on their trick-or-treating rounds.

Tricking Our Neighbors?

Did we do this so we could invite people to a Bible study, church service, or give them Christian literature? – Never!
We do this so we can get to know our neighbors better, and so they can get to know each other better. We’re learning to love our neighbors like Jesus, and before we can do that, we have to get to know them.
halloween

And we do! Simply by spending time with, eating with them, and sharing life with them, we get to know them. Inevitably, we have conversations about life – including the meaning of life and its problems and where God is in all of that, hopes, needs and a variety of other issues. These all take place before, during, and after these events.

What A Great Neighborhood!

Do people want community? In our experience most people definitely do.
After last year’s Halloween party, several people at the Halloween party commented that their friends and relatives have said they wish they lived in our neighborhood, a neighborhood where people know each other and have neighborhood parties. One of our friends who does not live in the neighborhood commented this week “What a great neighborhood!”
People often say, “You need to go to church to be in community.” I say, “We are the church, in our community!”
We are the church as we get to know our neighbors, live in community with them, and show them the love of Jesus.

We are the church as we get to know our neighbors, live in community with them, and show them the love of Jesus.

We’re learning to love our neighbors and help them in places where they need help, in places where we are able to help. We’re helping build community, a community where people know each other and care about each other, a community where people talk about inconsequential things as well as about really important things, including Jesus.

This "Getting to Know Our Neighbors" series is by Sam Riviera, a frequent blog contributor. This series provides concrete, practical suggestions for loving others like Jesus.

If you have a question or comment about how Sam shows the love of Jesus to his neighbors, let him know in the comment section below. Maybe he will even write another post in the series!

Can Christians be Tree Huggers?

By Jeremy Myers 6 Comments

Some Christians are wary of efforts to protect and preserve nature. I think that part of their concern is that some environmental efforts seem to make an idol out of nature, or even make nature more important than humans.
Here is an example of what I am talking about:
http://youtu.be/HaxLpjPZTbU
I believe there Christians are called to protect and tend the plants, trees, animals, water, and other elements of nature in this world, but you will never find me asking a tree if I can hug it or share my energy with it.
tree huggers

But here is the thing… just because we don’t want to go off the deep end and idolize nature or damage and destroy human lives for the sake of nature, this does not mean that we can ignore the environmental needs of the world or just consume and destroy the natural resources of this plant in any way we want.
One of the first instructions of God to humanity was that we would tend to the plants and animals of creation (Genesis 2:15f). Our fall into sin has not done away with this responsibility.
In fact, since the world and everything in it is God’s good creation, should not people who follow God be the greatest champions of the environment?

since the world and everything in it is God’s good creation, should not people who follow God be the greatest champions of the environment?

Yet all too often, we adopt the mentality that “it’s all going to burn away” so we might as well rape the land, kill the animals, and destroy the environment. (And by the way, I don’t think it all going to burn anyway… God will purify creation, but we are still going to be living in creation. But that’s a subject for a future post.)
I am NOT saying that we need to worship the earth, treat animals as more important than humans, or pray to the sun and trees. No, this is idolatry. But there is a vast difference between idolatry and ignoring our God-given responsibility to tend for the earth, care for the animals, and do what we can to protect the earth and its resources for future generations.
So Christians can be tree huggers in the sense that we want to protect the environment God made. But first and foremost, we will be God lovers and people huggers who recognize that tending creation is one way to love both God and other people.
What are your thoughts on the subject?

This post is part of the September Synchroblog. Here is a list of other contributors:

Jen Bradbury – Is God Green?
Carol Kuniholm – For God So Loved the Earth
David Derbyshire – Walking Through God’s Creation
Glenn Hager – The Oblivious and the Extremist
Oliver – Dieu il Recyclable
Tim Nichols – Never a Last Leaf
Leah Sophia – September Synchroblog Creation

Minggu, 29 September 2013

RAPE FOR PROFIT

Rape for Profit

By Jeremy Myers 2 Comments

Did you know that men all over our country are paying money to rape young girls?
Worse yet, if these men get caught, they won’t go away to prison. They might get a slap on the wrist and spend a night in jail. The young girl will probably get arrested as well.
You haven’t heard about this? It sounds bizarre?
That’s because you know about it under a different name: prostitution. Or as we like to call it here in the United States: “Hiring an escort.” Essentially, prostitution is rape for profit.
Most people seem to think that prostitution is not so bad because the girls are willing. But the tragic truth is that the vast majority of them are not willing.
These young girls are out on the streets because they are in bondage and in chains. They are there against their will. They are being coerced, forced, and threatened. Sometimes, a guy they thought was their boyfriend got them hooked on drugs so that they have to go “turn tricks” for him just to get more drugs.
No matter what, prostitution is a form of rape. But since people are selling these girls, it is rape for profit. It is allowing other men to rape girls in exchange for money.
Some people seem to think the girls want to do these things, but no girl wants to be a prostitute. (See some others posts on the topic of human trafficking here.)
My wife and I have been trying to champion the needs of these poor girls for several years now, and have been trying to raise awareness of their plight in our own small ways, but we watched a documentary last week week which reiterated our need to stand up and raise the call once again.

Rape for Profit

The movie is called Rape for Profit Here is a preview:
http://vimeo.com/rapeforprofitfilm
If you are unaware about this dire issue in our own country (and around the world), I strongly recommend you watch this movie. You can watch it on iTunes here: Rape for Profit.

The stories you hear and the things you hear in this documentary will break your heart for these poor young girls who are caught into the darkest and most evil web on earth. They truly are trapped in hell.
I strongly encourage you to watch the movie.
Also, think about getting involved with some of the organizations and ministries around the country that are seeking to help rescue these young girls and show them how precious and valuable they truly are. Two groups we support are Children’s Hope Chest in Colorado Springs, and The International Justice Mission in Washington D.C. I see that Jamie (the very worst missionary) recommends a few resources as well.
And hey! As I was just visiting the website of the International Justice Mission to get the link above, I noticed that if you donate to them in the month of September (ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT), your donation gets doubled!
How aware are you of this great problem in our country (and around the world)? How did you hear about it, and what do you think can be done about it? Let us know in the comment section.
To learn more about Human Trafficking and sex slavery, check out some of these posts:

Human Trafficking Posts

Selasa, 10 September 2013

Strip Church Training

We started a ministry a few years ago called Strip Church, in which we train women on how to reach those working in the sex industry in their city. Since 2011, we have held six different training conferences in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Sydney, and Dallas. This year, we’re coming to San Diego and Miami, and we want you to join us! When you attend a Strip Church Training, you will gain insights and experiences from leaders who have been doing effective ministry in the sex industry for years. The three-day training will include presentation and discussion, training manuals, a chance to meet other women committed to reaching this industry, hands-on experience during our gift bag assembly, and strip club outreach (outreach for one person per ministry only), and an invitation into our International Network.

Whether you’re a leader in your church, a former stripper, or a stay-at-home mom, you can make an impact in the lives of women in the industry. If you have a true sense that God loves these women, and you’re passionate about this type of ministry, we want to invite you to join us in San Diego or Miami. Click one of the dates below for more information or to sign up!

San Diego: September 20-22nd

Miami: October 11-13th

Kamis, 05 September 2013

3 Ways Christian Youth Challenge the Church

by Thom Schultz

Today’s Christian teenagers embody a number of encouraging values. But those same values tend to chafe today’s church.

Today’s Christian teenagers embody a number of encouraging values. But those same values tend to chafe today’s church.
Since launching Group Magazine almost 40 years ago, I’ve been an avid observer of adolescent values, beliefs and behaviors. Much has changed over the years. I reflected on some of these changes after spending time with hundreds of kids in recent weeks at Group’s mission trips around the country.
I saw three values on display that have also been reported recently in national media accounts of the Millennial mind. These three values represent a sea change from previous generations.
1. Shared Participation. This generation wants to get out and make a difference. And they want to do it cooperatively together with others. Their teamwork and eager servanthood while putting a roof on an elderly woman’s house in hundred-degree heat illustrate their appetite for putting their faith into action.
And, in things that really matter, they want to be a part of the conversation. They want to participate, rather than sit passively while an authority “communicates.” Today’s young people have grown up with interactive media. They prefer the web and mobile apps over television—because of the ability to actively participate.
These past weeks, I saw how the workcampers resonated and responded to opportunities to actively participate in the large group gatherings. Rather than simply listen to a talking head, they wanted to join the conversation, and step into active worship experiences that allowed them to explore and express their faith with all their senses.
2. Gray Comfort. Today’s kids have determined our world is not all black and white. Some things are gray. Mysterious. Unresolved. And they’re comfortable with that.
They reject a religion that presents itself as a mere list of rules. They’re tired of the war between science and Christianity. They’re suspicious of adult talkers who overconfidently exude pat answers for everything.
This year’s mission trip theme focused on questions—questions that Jesus asked. The kids ate it up. They loved the format that welcomed their questions and their doubts.
3. Full Acceptance. This generation is so past the concept of erecting barriers based on race, national origin, clothing choice, gender or sexual preference.
They embrace the notion of unconditional acceptance. That doesn’t mean they necessarily endorse a person’s every behavior. But they accept the person.
At one camp, I watched as an openly gay boy strode to the microphone to participate in an evening program. After he finished speaking, the crowd of teenagers cheered enthusiastically—just as they did with every other young speaker that night. While the older adults in the room may have caught themselves first reacting with thoughts of, “Wait a minute, I think that kid is gay,” the young people looked right past the veneer to love and respect the individual.
There’s a lot I admire about this generation. I believe they offer a bountiful hope for the future, for the future of the church. But much of the church will need to adjust to make a safe place for these young people. Is the church ready?
Are church leaders ready ...

to share the microphone, to encourage give-and-take, to allow God’s Spirit to work through a variety of worship experiences?
to resist spewing pat answers, to make a truly safe place for questions and doubts, to authentically admit that none of us has all the answers to life’s toughest questions?
to create a real welcoming environment, to remove the unspoken barriers, to understand and demonstrate the difference between acceptance and endorsement?

Thom Schultz is an eclectic author and the founder of Group Publishing and Lifetree Café. Holy Soup offers innovative approaches to ministry, and challenges the status quo of today’s church. More from Thom Schultz or visit Thom at holysoup.com/