Another day, and some more links.
To start off this one, here is an article dealing with aid in disaster situations and when it is appropriate for us to go. While there are certainly exceptions to every rule, it does offer some good food for thought (including the fact that local people are well equipped to do a lot of the legwork and that it often acts as a healing agent for them to be involved).
Speaking of Haiti articles, here is a CRAZY one! You may or may not recall Chuck Baldwin as the Constitution Party candidate for president. I definitely wasn’t impressed then, and I’m even less impressed now. In the article, he questions the veracity of the quake (even if he fails to believe it, my brother felt it on the other side of the island). And why? Among other things:
I am personally convinced that certain members of the Bush and Clinton families have been involved in the international smuggling of illicit drugs for decades.
- I was glad to see that there were conservatives upset over the big supreme court ruling a week and a half ago.
With the Citizens United ruling, the court revealed the depth of its contempt for judicial restraint, original intent, and deference to the legislature. The ruling is nothing short of a coup, a fundamental change in the structure of the America polity. It will work not only to the defeat of democracy, but to the destruction of what’s left of the small businessman. From this day forward, no one will hold office who does not have the approval of the corporations, no small business will exist save by their sufferance.
- Speaking of big business and corporations, a documentary recommended to me by Sam D. called The Corporation is now on Hulu. I’ve watched the first 3rd and its good so far and I hope to finish it soon.
And now for some “revival warnings”; Todd Bentley is back in the game. If you don’t remember that name, he was the instigator of the Lakeland fiasco a year and a half ago. It crashed and burned when it came to light that he was having an affair with an intern. After the revival ended, he divorced his wife and married the mistress. Oh and no actual healings or other signs could be found true. World Magazine attempted to verify but everything came back as “not true/not really healed/currently dead.” There are some discerning people within the charismatic world and we’d do well to at least consider their words:
Dan from Cerulean Sanctum shares a warning that details some occultic practices.
Grady also laments the loss of annointing in the American Church; speaking as an insider, his words are especially meaningful (if you were unaware, he has for many years been an editor of Charisma Magazine).
Switching gears yet again, a minister from The Journey, Adam Schuster, just started a new nonprofit called Share the Sound that seeks to provide new or as-good-as-new sound equipment to ministries and missions across the world that don’t have access to it.
Neil Cole with a theology of SAFE vs a theology of DEATH. You can probably guess which one I’m for.
Self-preservation = our mission
Avoidance of the world and risk = wisdom
Financial security = responsible faith
Education = maturityDie daily to who we are
Empowerment of others (not self) is our life
Acceptance of risk is normative
Theology is not just knowledge, but practice
Hold tight to Christ with an open hand for everything else.