Religion News : [Shincheonji testify] - 18-Minute Sermons?Pastors Blast TED Ispired Advice

18-Minute Sermons? Pastors Blast TED Inspired Advice

By Tyler O'Neil, CP Contributor

August 9, 2013|4:29 pm


Several pastors criticized the suggestion that 18-minute sermons would be the most effective way to share the Gospel on Sunday mornings, as proposed by a seminary student inspired by TED talks.

Jeff Tatarchuck, an Andrews University seminary student and guest writer on TED, a non-profit dedicated to "Ideas Worth Spreading," suggested pastors limit their Sunday messages to 18 minutes. He argued that shorter messages would make more sermons go viral.

If "the topic is short and simple enough for people to listen and digest the information, it makes it much easier for the audience to take action, which is to share the information with others," he wrote. Making the Gospel short, simple, and shareable would greatly expand the pastor's reach, and bring more people to Christ, he said

While agreeing that they need to broadcast the Gospel as widely as possible, several pastors said that 18 minutes proves extremely insufficient for their mission in the pulpit.

Ken Hutcherson, former NFL linebacker and senior pastor of Seattle's Antioch Bible Church, told The Christian Post, "I guess we'd better make professional football games eighteen minutes – have you noticed how bored they are when the fourth quarter comes around?" Hutcherson found Tatarchuck's suggestion of 18-minute sermons laughable.

"No one can drive over eighteen minutes anywhere because their attention span drops," he quipped. Like some people's morning commute, his sermons go for about 40 to 45 minutes, "and sometimes that's too short."

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Hutcherson, who has spent three years preaching through the Gospel of John, claimed that inspiration from the Holy Spirit and connecting with his audience matter a great deal more than the length of his sermon. He traced the problem back to pastors themselves, who too often make their sermons dry.

"As in the football stadium, people in church get excited by something that stimulates them," he said. To better connect with his congregation, Hutcherson said he studies the word, trusts God, and uses all of himself, "steadied up under the Holy Spirit, I turn myself loose when I get in the pulpit."

"I love TED talks," Ryan Carrell, lead pastor of Indianapolis' The Southeast Project Church, to CP Thursday, but said his focus, like Hutcherson's, isn't on brevity.

Less heavy on step-by-step exegesis, Carrell zeroes in on connecting with people, he said. He acknowledged that every week "there are churched and unchurched, Christians and not-yet-Christians, in the same room." He connects people with biblical narratives, not by holding up biblical heroes, but by linking their struggles with the struggles of his congregation – and showing how God changes everything.

Carrell emphasized that faith grows gradually, over time, in the process of sanctification. His "modern church" uses sermons as a path to relationships with his congregation. "We can do a lot of teaching on Sunday mornings, but discipleship really occurs in those community moments as people are wrestling with faith together, not staring in rows and listening to somebody preaching," he said.

Despite his church's modern style, the Indianapolis pastor said he would never limit his sermons to 18 minutes, because sometimes it takes 40 or 45 minutes to inspire his audience through scripture.

Wallace Henley, senior associate pastor of the 60,000 member Houston Second Baptist Church and columnist for CP, echoed both Hutcherson and Carrell's main points. "What happens when the Spirit of God manifests itself through the world and people are magnetically attracted to it? They want more after 18 minutes," he told CP. Also, "it would be wrong to think that we could truly disciple a person in an 18-minute time span."

Henley also emphasized the need, even in topical sermons, of setting the exegetical background for a bible passage. He said his 40-minute sermons explain the background, why the text was written, and how to apply the passage today.

He related Hutcherson's focus on teaching and Carrell's emphasis on community with the call for discipleship. "You can make a disciple, as Jesus made disciples, in the relationship and the intentional teaching ties, as modeled in the Sermon on the Mount."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/18-minute-sermons-pastors-blast-ted-advice-101947/#F3DCLsmsQlMFPDvC.99


Source: http://global.christianpost.com/news/18-minute-sermons-pastors-blast-ted-advice-101947/

    Recently, Christianity tries to pay attention to people, so it makes their duties useless. Even though sermons are absolutely part of God, human’s convenience is becoming a standard of many Christians’ activities. Reducing the sermon time is nonsense on the ground that people can be easily boring. It could be possible, however; if the word is truth and word of life, anyone really wants to listen to the word whether it takes one minutes or one hour.

  Word which makes people feel good can be found other places in the world. However, the word of truth, life is nowhere. If people know the word of truth, the time would not be a problem.

Shincheonji Testify : [24 Q&A - 1] - How can you prove God's exisrence?

[24 Q&A] 1. How can you prove God’s existence?
Posted 6/15/2012 8:46:00 AM | Updated 2012-06-16 AM 8:46:56
Photo caption: May 12th, after the Open Bible Seminar in Europe, one of the ministry leaders is sincerely asking the Chairman to host an Open Bible Seminar in his country in tears. 1. How can you prove God’s existence? Why doesn’t God clearly reveal himself? Looking at oneself gives proof of God’s existence. God does not reveal himself to people because God and men have become enemies. There are two kinds of gods or spirits: God the creator, who is life, and an evil spirit, who is a created being. Each kind of god has both a parent-god and a child-god. The god who exists inside of a person is the child-god. A person (body) is like the house for a god. A god is a spirit and the soul is life. Even if the god leaves, a person is able to breathe and live if he still has the soul. When both the god and the soul leave, the person dies. However, even if a body is dead, the spirit is still alive. We cannot know God if we do not know about religion. Man (Adam), who was created and was the child-god of the Creator (Acts 17:29), became a living spirit after receiving the breath of life (Gn 2). However, as a result of receiving the evil spirit of the dragon, who is a created being, the living spirit and the evil spirit became one. This caused confusion, anxiety, and pain. The soul and the spirit left, the flesh returned to the dust and became dust (Gn 3). People who are born with the genes of the first man (Adam) are the people who have been living on this earth until today. When man, who is the child-god of God, receives another god, the parent-god, who gives life, leaves and after living the life they are left with, the man dies. As a result of inherited sin and personal sin accumulating on top of original sin; sin increased and our lifespan became shorter (Gn 6:1-3; Ps 90:10). Because evil entered into life, pain and death also came into existence. By receiving another god, sin was committed and because of this sin, the holy God of life left men. The parent-god cannot come to people because of sin and people cannot go to the parent-god because of sin. This is how there came to be a division between heaven and hell. Confirmation: I am dreaming. My spirit (god) that looks like me comes out from me, goes far away and wanders around. The spirit wanders around and is able to see and hear. My body’s soul, which is still within the body, is not dead and is still breathing. The spirit (god) and soul (life) are separated. The spirit which left even has the ability to fly. The soul which remains in my body lies still and breathes. When the soul (body), which is the house of the spirit, is shaken, the spirit comes back immediately. The spirit then lets the soul know what it has seen and heard. The child-god cannot receive help from the parent-god as a result of sin. One cannot know God through worldly knowledge or wisdom. Since there are two kinds of gods, which give two kinds of thoughts of the heart, it causes confusion; and after suffering under this kind of captivity and pressure, the spirit leaves, the soul also leaves and only the body (house) is left to return to the ground. Heavenly religion belongs to the parent-god and it is education which is given to the child-god. This education provides a way for the child-god to meet the parent-god and receive the breath of life. The spirit, which became a living spirit as a result receiving of the breath of life, became a dying spirit and soul as a result of receiving an evil spirit. How does it cause death? It sends all kinds of illnesses and destroys the inner parts of the body (house). Because the house is destroyed, the spirit leaves. By understanding religion, escaping from the evil spirit, and believing in the parent-god, who helps people to become living spirits, the body will be judged and die because of the original sin, hereditary sin, and personal sin, but the spirit will live by being encouraged through faith. This is due to a separation between the child-god and the evil spirit, which was with the child-god. In order to save mankind, who is in this kind of state from the evil god, first the cost of sin must be paid (with the blood of a righteous man). The evil god must be overcome and one must overcome oneself. This is when one is able to find oneself once again, escape from the evil god and become one with the parent-god, who is the Creator and life. This is the path of religion. This does not occur simply by wishing for it, but rather, it is possible through the one who gives us the path and life (religion). It is similar to a reunification where an orphan finds and drinks the breast milk of his mother. I have seen the God of heaven, have heard his voice, dreamed dreams and have experienced the spirit and the soul leaving my body. I have also experienced the spirit and the soul leaving and returning (to the body, which is the house of flesh) twice. Both times I tried hard not to die. After the spirit and soul left, I did not think at all about the body, which was the house. With the same outfit I wore while I was alive, I was traveling somewhere on earth. This happened when I was walking on a path by myself. I do not remember for how long I had left the flesh. I was going far away and the moment I thought about the body, I was back in the body and came back to life again. Conclusion: The proof of the parent-god is to look at oneself, who is a child-god. How can the son say the father does not exist because he has not seen him? The reason why the parent-god does not show himself is because the child-god has committed sin by uniting with another god. This is why the parent-god (holy spirit) has been groaning (Rom 8:19-27). If I wrote based on the evidence recorded in the Bible, I would have a lot more to say; but I have explained, as you can see above, so people who do not believe would also be able to understand.

Source : http://www.scjnews.net

Shincheonji Truth : [24 Q&A] - 24 answers of wisdom given by Man Hee Lee

24 answers of wisdom given by Chariman Man Hee Lee
Posted 6/15/2012 11:29:00 PM | Updated 2013-02-24 PM 11:29:59
Photo caption: Chairman Lee Byoungchul and Chariman Lee Manhee   24 questions of wisdom asked by Chairman Byoungchul Lee, founder of Samsung- answers of wisdom given by Chariman Manhee Lee     The Joongang Daily News published an article on December 17, 2011, which listed a series of questions the late founder of the Samsung Group, Byeongcheol Lee, asked about religion. The bold-print, front-page article has since drawn a lot of attention around Korea because Mr. Lee directed his 24 questions concerning religion, to a catholic priest a month before he passed.     The world is paying careful attention, not only because the questions were asked by one of the top leaders in the global economy, but also because no one has been able to properly answer them for the last twenty-four years.     The following article provides clear and definitive answers to Lee’s 24 questions about religion. It has been 24 years since these questions were asked, but the answers are finally being proclaimed to the public. Now the people of the world can find the truth they have been seeking.   Religion and the mindset of the world     There are two kinds of entities in the spiritual world. Of the two, I respect God and those who belong to him. In the physical world, I would like to acknowledge the Buddha, the eastern prophet Nam Sa Go, the Buddhist monk Seongcheol and Samsung’s Lee Byeongcheol because they are honest.     Just as the Buddha questioned religion as he agonized over the difficulties of life, Lee Byeongcheol asked his questions about religion in emotional pain as he faced death. Neither of them had the ability to answer their own questions. The Buddha and Nam Sa Go could only speak about what they knew. Before we talk about God, we must first understand the origin of religion. Who can answer questions such as these correctly (1 Cor 2:10)?   Source : http://www.scjnews.net

[Shincheonji News] - NBC Introduces Instructor Man Hee Lee

NBC Introduces Instructor Man Hee Lee
Posted 8/16/2012 11:28:00 PM | Updated 2013-02-24 PM 11:28:55
Controversial religious leader comes to Bakersfield   A controversial religious leader came to Bakersfield on Monday.   Korean Christian instructor Man Hee Lee was here to speak about the fulfillment of the Book of Revelation and to what some people call the most disputed content in the Bible about the end of time.   The ballroom at the Double Tree Hotel was filled with more than 100 followers and local church leaders to listen to Man Hee Lee testify on the Fulfillment of Revelation, something that often sparks controversy.   Man Hee Lee was born to a poor farming family of royal descent. He claims Jesus appeared to him and anointed him.   "He says that he has sent a angel, a messenger, to testify to the churches. And, that is what was promised. So to the churches, Jesus sent this individual here to testify to those very churches," said Man Hee Lee through an interpretor.   Lee claims he is the only person who saw and heard the events of Revelation and can testify to their meanings exactly according to the Bible. His words Monday peaked the interest of some local ministries to do further research.   "It's important that we study this in a lot more detail. This was just an overview, but we need to dissect it a little more and make sure it's spot on with the Word. I feel good about it, but I want to check it out a little bit deeper," said Lawrence Gonzales, Fresh Start Ministries.   Controversy seems to go hand in hand with many parts of the Bible and interpretations.   Another local minister says she can see why there would be controversy with Lee's instruction.   "He is very sure of his interpretation, and I think when there is someone who is very sure of their interpretation, there is always somebody else who interprets it differently," said Doris Dunham, Church of the Brethren.   Bakersfield wasn't Lee's first California stop on this trip. He spoke at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove on Saturday, where many members were angry that he was appearing at their venue.   Lee also spoke in New York, Belgium and Germany.   His Tabernacle of the Testimony, headquartered in South Korea, has 140,000 members worldwide.   Lee says the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.   We spoke with local Catholic leaders who said they did not know Lee was speaking here on Monday.     Source : http://www.scjnews.net

[Religion News] - Shinchonji testify : Evolutionism or Creationism?

< Religion News - 6 >

Only 1 in 5 Americans Believe in

 Complete Evolution Without God - New Poll

A woman walks beside an exhibit displaying the evolution of humans, at the Darwin's Evolution Exhibition

 in the Calouste Gulbenkina Foundation in Lisbon February 12, 2009.

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter

July 23, 2013|7:34 pm

A new poll indicates that only one in five Americans believe in evolution without the guidance of God, while a majority at 62 percent believe God played some role in human creation.
The results come from a recent YouGov poll, which was conducted among 1,000 participants in the U.S. from July 8 to 9 and questioned peoples' views on the origins of humans.
The poll asked the question "Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin of human beings," with 21 percent answering "Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process."
A total of 62 percent answered that God had a hand in human creation, with only 27 percent saying "Human [beings] evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process."
In addition, 55 percent said, "God created human beings in their present form within the last ten thousand years."

A total of 17 percent of participants said they were unsure of the origins of man.

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The YouGov poll says that although these results indicate a small portion of the American population believing in pure, godless evolution, they actually show a spike in pure evolutionists, compared to a poll taken in 2004.

The same question was asked by a CBS poll in 2004 and found that only 13 percent believe in total evolution without God; when the question was asked again in 2008, the number rose to 15 percent, and as seen by the most recent findings, the number has now risen to 21 percent.

YouGov said in a press release that the number of Americans believing wholly in evolution without the influence of God may increase in the coming years, if the trend from 2004 to 2013 continues.

"This number may continue to increase in the coming years, as the belief in evolution without the influence of God is most common among those 18-29 years old, with 31% of those in that age group believing it," the U.K.-based market research firm said in the press release.

The recent YouGov poll also asked Americans what they thought about the teaching of creationism in public schools, with 40 percent saying they favor the teaching of creationism and intelligent design, and 32 percent saying they oppose it; 29 percent said they are not sure.

Of those results, 57 percent of Republicans favor the teaching of creationism, compared to only 30 percent of Democrats; only five percent of Republicans believe God played no role in human creation or evolution.

YouGov, an internet-based, international market research firm founded in the U.K., conducted the survey among a "representative sample of 1,000 Americans" earlier in July.

Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/only-1-in-5-americans-believe-in-complete-evolution-without-god-new-poll-100727/#dPgQwsWQeyRVLwyA.99

  Which one is the truth, Evolutionism or creationism? Scientists and Christians have argued continuously about this controversy. We cannot ignore these two theories easily. If you realize the real truth, you can find out the answer that can lead you to the right way.
  
  God had hidden the truth, the secrets of the Bible, through the parables, and the meaning of the creation of heaven and earth is not an exception. The contents of Genesis are in parables, so it has deeper meaning that we should understand. The creation of heaven and earth is the re-creation of new heaven and earth, and it is the spiritual meaning.
 
  It is time to realize the true meaning of the creation of heaven and earth. Shinchonji can explain this, so you can understand the words of God that he wanted to tell us. Come and listen to the word of God in Shinchonji.

 Belief in Shinchonji, belief in God! That comes from only through the bible. Please come and see what is the truth and the belief God wants from us. 

Religion News 5 - Audio Version of Bible Now Available in 733 Languages

Audio Version of Bible Now Available in 733 Languages


July 13, 2013|12:58 pm

New Mexico-based ministry has added eight more languages to its Scripture recordings, which are now available in 733 languages with the potential of reaching three-quarters of the world's population with the Gospel. The ministry offers free access to its digital resources.

"Whether it be through resources, technology, our talented and dedicated staff, or ministry partners from all over the world, God's provision continues to make our work possible," said Jerry Jackson, founder and president of Faith Comes By Hearing, in a statement announcing the newest additions.

The new languages include Awajun from Peru; Canela from Brazil; Chadian Arabic and Kenga from Chad; Tharaka from Kenya; Toura from Cote d'Ivoire; and the Copala dialect (part of the Trique dialects) and Yatzachi dialect (of the Zapoteco dialects) from Mexico.

Chadian Arabic is the largest people group from these new releases, while the smallest is Canela, spoken primarily in Brazil, the ministry said. The new releases represent more than 1.4 million people who now have God's Word in audio available in their heart language.

The 733 languages collectively represent a potential outreach to more than 5.7 billion people in more than 189 different countries.

Faith Comes By Hearing offers free access to its digital collection of Scripture via streaming, downloads, and podcasts. The ministry has also developed apps, like Bible.is and Deaf Bible.is.

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To reach out to those who do not have regular access to the Internet or mobile devices, the FCBH provides audio versions of New Testaments via its 330,000 solar-powered proclaimers.

The FCBH seeks to help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation by providing access to the Word of God in every translated language. Its mission is to "record and use heart-language Audio Bibles to bring His church together and make disciples from every nation, tribe, language, and people."

The audio version of the Bible is significant because 50 percent of the world's population is illiterate, the ministry says. "A vast majority of people living in underdeveloped countries cannot read the Word of God, even when it is translated in their own language … The easy accessibility of our Audio Bibles makes them an effective tool in spreading the Word to every person around the world who wants or needs to hear about God's Love.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/audio-version-of-bible-now-available-in-733-languages-99989/#PD6xGOd8i0lVy88u.99

Source:http://global.christianpost.com/news/audio-version-of-bible-now-available-in-733-languages-99989/


    The audio version of the Bible will be helpful for people who do not easily access to the Bible. They can hear the words of the Bible easily, and they can accept the words of God more through this version. As the Bible translated into all languages in the world, I hope people in the world would realize the true meaning of the Bible and believe it to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Religion News 4 - Alabama Preacher Becomes Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church at 19 Years Old

< Religion News - 4 >

Alabama Preacher Becomes Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church at 19 Years Old
Courtney Meadows, Preaching Since the Age of Six, Believes He's Been 'Called' by God to Ministry

By Nicola Menzie, Christian Post Reporter

July 9, 2013/1:53 pm

(Photo: Facebook/Courtney D. Meadows)

Courtney Meadows, 19, was installed as pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in White Hall, Ala., on Sunday, June 30,

Courtney Meadows, currently 19 and preaching since the age of six, was finally able to answer his calling when he was installed as pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in White Hall, Ala., during a recent and well-attended Sunday service.

"I can honestly say, there has never been a time when I couldn't imagine myself preaching," Meadows told the Montgomery Advertiser. "I always make this statement: If I'm not preaching, life is not worth living for me, because I know that's what I've been called to do."

Meadows couldn't help but smile, and the congregation laugh with him, when the presiding bishop mentioned during his installation service the New Testament requirement for a church leader to be the husband of one wife and manage his children — "when the time comes," the bishop added.

Despite his age, the 19-year-old minister has been described as an "old soul" for his spiritual insight, a "blessing" and an "exceptional leader." Meadows, according to his mother, started asking questions about God when he was three years old, preached his first sermon at the age of six, became a licensed minister at age nine, and was finally ordained when he turned 18.

The "highly requested and gifted preacher and speaker," as noted on his website, will have his mother become acting first lady of First Missionary Baptist Church. She told the local paper, "He's always been an extraordinary child. Just different. He really loved to go to church and worship God."

The Rev. L.L. Brown Sr., who has led the White Hall church for more than 40 years, said of Meadows, "I've met a lot of preachers, but he stands out to me."

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"I thank God for this young man," the reverend added.

Meadows' mentor and pastor of the past seven years, the Rev. Ezekiel Pettway Sr. of Maggie Street Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery, called it a blessing to be "used by God at such a young age." He added that he "always knew there was greatness" in the teen minister.

The teen pastor, who has excelled at public speaking throughout his academic career, is studying marketing full time at the University of Montevallo, where he is president of the Student Government Association.

Meadows travels regularly to speak at various churches in Alabama as well as across the nation, recently making a stop at Riva Tims' Majestic Life Church in Orlando, Fla. In addition to his speaking engagements, new pastoral role and serving as leader of his university's student government, the young minister is also the National Youth Director for the The Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute.
"Although anointed by God while in the womb of his mother, Pastor Meadows affirmed his call to the Evangelistic Ministry at age six and has since devoted his life to empowering mankind through the gospel of the Kingdom of God," reads the teen's biography.

During his installation ceremony, Meadows thanked the First Missionary Baptist Church congregation for "taking a risk" on him as their new pastor. The church's former pastor, Meadows' mentor as well as the church's board of deacons and trustees were expected to help guide the young minister.

Meadows' story might bring to mind that of another young preacher who attracted national attention when he was featured on ABC News in 2012. Ezekiel Stoddard, 12 years old and ordained as minister at his parents' independent Fullness of Time Church in Capitol Heights, Md., has spoken clearly of the moment he believes he was called by God to preach the Gospel.

"When I was about 7-years-old God spoke to me. He was saying, 'Son, I want you to do my will. I want you to preach the Gospel,'" Stoddard has said. "I can't describe what the voice sounded like but it was the voice from God because when that Man comes by and tells you to write a sermon, an eight-page sermon? He'll give you everything."

Read "Md. Boy Ordained as Pastor, Claims God Called Him to Preach" for more about Stoddard.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/young-alabama-preacher-becomes-pastor-of-first-missionary-baptist-church-at-19-years-old-99669/#EwU6s8oBzZ3TqVKd.99

Source:http://global.christianpost.com/news/young-alabama-preacher-becomes-pastor-of-first-missionary-baptist-church-at-19-years-old-99669/

   A vocation of pastor is to preach the word of God to the whole world. Starting sacred vocation in young age is so remarkable thing, and it is a very honored job that used by God.    

   However, people cannot understand the whole word of Bible by their own power. Realizing the true meaning of Bible can be possible by being with the Holy Spirit, the Counselor.

 * but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  – 1Co 2:10

   We cannot understand God’s will without the Holy Spirit even though a preaching is so excellent.  

  Then, who is the pastor that preaches the word of truth and is being with the Holy Spirit? The proof is that the promised pastor testifies the prophecies and its fulfillments which no one in heaven and earth could open or solve (Rev 5: 3).

One important thing we should remind is that there is the promised pastor who preaches the word of truth, prophecies and fulfillments in Shincheonji. This means that Shincheonji is the right place to find out the word of truth.

 I hope that you come to Shincheonji and listen to the word of truth. You can be a real believer loved by God.