To be a liberal...
To be a liberal, you have to believe the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of funding.
To be a liberal, you have to be against capital punishment, but for abortion on demand-in short, you support protecting the guilty and killing the innocent
To be a liberal, you have to believe that the same public school [teacher] who can't teach fourth graders how to read is qualified to teach them about sex.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat to the country than nuclear weapons in the hands of the Red Chinese.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the brilliance of the sun, and more affected by yuppies driving SUVs.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being gay is natural.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create wealth and prosperity.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
To be a liberal, you have to believe there was no art before federal funding.
To be a liberal, you have to believe the military, not corrupt politicians, start wars.
To be a liberal, you have to believe the NRA is bad, because they stand up for certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good, because they stand up for certain parts of the Constitution.
To be a liberal, you have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
quinta-feira, 21 de fevereiro de 2013
Mais notícias dos missionários presos no Senegal
"A confrontação correu muito bem. No inicio o Sr. Cacheu, como se chama o suposto advogado, queria se esquivar, dar desculpas, etc., etc., mas finalmente com as perguntas do juiz e mesmo os advogados, e as provas que tinhamos, ele nao teve como negar. Aceitou seu erro de ter recebido o dinheiro e nao ter feito seu trabalho, tendo assim responsabilidade na atual situação dos irmaos na prisão.
No final o juiz perguntou a Jose Dilson se desejaria fazer uma queixa contra esse senhor(pois dali mesmo o Sr. Cacheu poderia ter sido enviado a prisao), ao que Jose Dilson respondeu: " Nao desejo o que tenho passado ao meu pior inimigo. Este homem nao tem ideia do que e dividir sua comida com ratos, baratas, moscas e viver em meio a tanta privacao. Eu o perdoo, em nome de Jesus!"
Parece que para o juiz, a partir de agora tudo esta encerrado. No entanto, a organizacao que cuida do bem estar do menor, que esteve questionando os meninos e funcionarios do projeto ainda nao passou ao procurador o resultado de sua enquete. Esse papel agora esta faltando. (Tinha que faltar alguma coisa!).
Quanto ao pedido de Habeas Corpus, nao posso dizer ao certo(porque nunca temos certeza de nada), mas parece que sera depositado hoje ou amanha. Continuemos a orar.
E a partir de agora? Tambem nao sei. Mas creio na vitoria!"
Marli
quarta-feira, 20 de fevereiro de 2013
Itiruçu: Começa matrícula na rede pública de ensino, estadual e municipal.
A matrícula de alunos da rede pública de ensino da Bahia começou nesta terça-feira (19). Até a quarta-feira (20), o atendimento nos postos de matrícula será feito aos estudantes que querem pedir transferência para mudar de escola.
A matrícula pode ser realizada presencialmente em qualquer escola do estado, independente daquela em que o aluno deseja estudar. Para os estudantes que já fazem parte da rede estadual, a matrícula também pode ser feita pelo site da Secretaria da Educação do Estado.
Tanto pela internet como presencialmente, o horário de atendimento é das 8h às 20h, sem intervalos. Pais e alunos também podem tirar dúvidas sobre a matrícula pelo telefone 0800-285-8000.as.
A matricula da rede municipal de ensino em Itiruçu começaram nesta segunda-feira 18 em todas as escolas da rede, segundo informações do secretário professor Manoel Missias.
Foto-Blog Itiruçu Online
Fonte: http://itirucuonline.com/?single=true&post=2257
The Seven Churches of Revelation 2–3
By Gary DeMar
Revelation was written to seven first-century churches as a spiritual wake-up call because of events that were “about to take place upon the whole world [oikoumenē]” (Rev. 3:10). The use of oikoumenē instead of kosmos indictes that the events that were about to unfold were confined to the Roman Empire. The same word is used in Matthew 24:14, Luke 2:1, and Acts 11:28.
Revelation is not describing a worldwide apocalyptic conflagration. Revelation is a prophetic symbolic description of what Jesus prophesied would happen to the temple, the capital city of Israel, and the old covenant world made of things that were destined to pass away. Jesus is the new everything. He’s the better temple, sacrifice, priest, and guarantor.
The book of Revelation is not a warning to what was going to happen to Israel. Jesus had made that clear 35 years before in the Olivet Discourse. Revelation was delivered to seven churches as a wake-up call. They would suffer the same fault as Israel if they followed in the theological moral footsteps of Israel. The indictments that are leveled against the seven churches drip with Old Covenant judgment language, even the threat to come in judgment if they didn’t wake up (2:5, 16; 3:3), pervades the two chapters. They were “about to suffer”; these things were “about to happen” (2:10).
Revelation was not a five year warning (if it was written around the year 65); it was an ongoing warning. Anybody reading Revelation after the destruction of Jerusalem could have said, “Jesus warned us. He showed us. Everything He said would happen did happen. It could happen to us. Revelation is a lesson for every generation. We can look back and say that what God said would happen, did happen, and we’re not exempt.
The question is, had some of these churches fallen from the faith in such a short time after their founding? Dr. Simon J. Kistemaker,[1] Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary and co-author of the completed New Testament Commentaryseries that was commenced by William Hendriksen, argues that there was not enough time for the Asia Minor churches to fall from the faith so quickly if Revelation is describing events around the mid-60s. He writes:
Even a cursory reading leaves the impression that the recipients were second-generation Christians. It does not appear that the people in the seven churches had only recently received the gospel. . . . Paul . . . wrote two epistles to Timothy, who was a pastor there in the sixties. Nothing in Acts or Paul’s epistles relates to the conditions prevalent in the church of Ephesus when John wrote the epistle that Jesus dictated.[2]
A few comments are in order. First, on the day of Pentecost, Luke records “that there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. . . . Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,” (Acts 2:5, 9). The reference to “Asia” (Acts 6:9; 16:6; 19:10; 20:4; 21:27; 24:18; Rom. 16:5; 2 Tim 1:15; Rev 1:4), the west coast province of Asia, is the area where Revelation’s seven churches were located, including Ephesus.
There’s a good chance that by the time Revelation was dictated to John (around AD 65) that the churches listed in Revelation 2–3 could have been operating for 30 years (Rom. 16:5) started from the testimony of Jews returning to their Asia Minor homeland and telling family and friends about what had been going on in Jerusalem. The message of the gospel could have also come by way of travelers by ship since Ephesus was a coastal city. “Ephesus has been estimated to be in the range of 400,000 to 500,000 inhabitants in the year 100, making it the largest city in Roman Asia and of the day. Ephesus was at its peak during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.”
A Jerusalem-wide persecution took place after the death of Stephen that scattered many believers: “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:1, 4). It wouldn’t have taken long for the gospel to reach Asia Minor. Albert Barnes writes:
The Jews at that time were scattered into almost all nations, and in all places had synagogues. [John 7:35; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1]. Still they would naturally desire to be present as often as possible at the great feasts of the nation in Jerusalem. Many would seek a residence there for the convenience of being present at the religious solemnities.
According to Dr. Kistemaker, Paul ministered in Ephesus from AD 53–56. At Paul’s departure, he gave this warning to the Ephesian elders: “savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29–30). “These words, in respect to Ephesus and several of these churches addressed in the Apocalypse, were now fulfilled; the ‘grievous wolves’ had come; these ‘perverse men’ had arisen.”[3] The first of Revelation’s seven churches in Asia is Ephesus (Rev. 2:1–7). Ephesus hadn’t completely apostatized but it was compromised.
There were constant attacks from Judaizers from Ephesus. Paul could not escape them even in Jerusalem:
When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man [Paul] who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Romancohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion (Acts 20:27–31; 2 Cor. 1:8).
The spiritual condition of the churches in Asia Minor were threatened. Paul wrote the following to Timothy: “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (2 Tim. 1:15; see 1 Tim. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:10–11, 16). This description seems to fit what was revealed to John. So whether first-generation or second-generation churches, there was spiritual decline.
Second, it didn’t take long for theological and moral problems to develop in churches. In the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst” (1 Cor. 5:1–2). If the church elders wouldn’t do the removing, then God would (cf. Rev. 2:5).
In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul writes words similar to what John was told to write in Revelation:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:14–18; cf. Rev. 2:14, 20).
Paul wrote the following to the Galatians, “I am amazed that you are so quickly desertingHim who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6–7; cf. Rev. 2:4).
Paul confronted Peter “to his face” over a doctrinal issue “because he stood condemned” (Gal. 2:11).
The writer to the Hebrews says of the recipients of his letter that they “have become dull of hearing,” that by this time in their faith they “ought to be teachers.” Now they “need again for someone to teach [them] the elementary principles of the oracles of God” so that they “have come to need milk and not solid food” (Heb. 5:11b–12).
John mentions “false prophets” that had already “gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1; cf. Rev. 2:2) and even “many antichrists” (1 John 2:18). These antichrists, John writes, “went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (v. 19). He writes similar descriptions in his second epistle. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist” and “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 7, 10–11). Could these antichrists be the ones that make up Revelation’s “synagogues of Satan” (2:9; 3:9)?
Peter writes, “But false prophets also arose among the people just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Peter 2:1). All of these things happened before Revelation was revealed to John. It’s interesting that six of the seven churches did not receive letters from the New Testament writers, at least none that we are aware of. Like Corinth and Galatia, Revelation was their spiritual wake-up call.
So it shouldn’t surprise us that some people (not all: Rev. 3:4) of the seven churches had succumbed to false teaching and even immorality within a short time of their founding as evidenced by so much material found in Acts and the epistles.
Dr. Kistemaker dismisses the pre-AD 70 date for Revelation because, as he writes:
We are never told that John was a pastor in Ephesus before the demise of Jerusalem. The church fathers related that John settled in Ephesus after the Jewish war of A.D. 66–70. But even if he had been in Ephesus before that period, his time of service prior to his exile would have been short. But according to the seven letters to the churches in Asia, John was well acquainted with the spiritual status of each one of them. This hardly seems possible if John was there but briefly.[4]
John wouldn’t have had to be present at any of the seven churches to know their spiritual condition since what he wrote was revealed to him by God (Rev. 1:1–2, 11, 19).
The more I dig through the New Testament, the more convincing evidence I see that it was written prior to Jerusalem’s destruction, not as a warning to Old Covenant Israel (that had been done already) but to New Covenant Israel made of Jewish and Gentile believers so they would not suffer a similar fate (1 Cor. 10:1–11; Heb. 12).
Endnotes:
- I learned what I know of NT Greek from Dr. Kistemaker. He would say that I should have learned more. He is right. But I keep learning. I also took a number of NT courses from him. He was a great teacher; I just think on several points he is mistaken. [↩]
- Simon J. Kistemaker, “Hyper-Preterism and Revelation,” When Shall These Things Be? A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism, ed. Keith A. Mathison (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing), 232. [↩]
- James MacDonald, The Life and Writings of St. John (New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1877), 156. [↩]
- Kisemaker, “Hyper-Preterism and Revelation,” 233. [↩]
Cartas de Missionários Rev. José Dilson (Senegal)
Queridos e mui preciosos irmãos,
Como sabem hoje dia 06, estão fazendo 90 dias que estamos presos por causa da Palavra da Verdade, por causa do Caminho que seguimos e daquEle em quem cremos.
Temos certeza, porem que a nossa aflição neste tempo esta muito longe se comparadas as aflições que Jesus passou por nos. Bendizemos e louvamos ao Senhor porque estas singelas aflições tem servido para a salvação de vários prisioneiros, bem como temos testificado a muitos do Seu Senhorio sobre tudo e todos. Temos tido oportunidade de distribuir centenas de Bíblias, folhetos e Novos Testamentos. Ha muitas historias e experiências a contar. Sei que terei muito para compartilhar com cada um.
Já por 31 anos tenho compartilhado das boas novas do Evangelho, não só no Brasil, mas ha 22 anos aqui em África. Agora este Procurador e Juiz me deram um novo publico. Fui acorrentado (não literalmente mas preso juntamente com) a pessoas que eu jamais teria acesso a compartilhar-lhes em uma outra situação. E com certeza eu jamais escolheria estar aqui por minha livre e espontânea vontade. Porem, durante estes três meses aqui, tenho visto muitos experimentarem a nova vida e outros o estar duplamente livres(que alegria!!!). Oremos para que a Palavra pregada encontre guarida nestes corações sedentos, e que nem os "pássaros", nem os "espinhos", nem as "pedras", façam esta semente ser destruída, mas sim que a seu tempo o Senhor possa dar o crescimento.
Nos dias mais angustiantes, o Senhor nos da forcas (falo por mim, mas também pela irmã Zeneide) para continuar encorajando, continuamos a orar, alimentar e vestir vários outros que passam por aflições ainda maiores que as nossas, com o agravante que não sabem a quem recorrer. O nosso consolo e que temos um Cristo algemado juntamente conosco (Ele e soberano e livre, no entanto me refiro ao fato dele estar presente conosco todos os dias e em todos os momentos) e me mostra isso de muitas maneiras, mesmo através do amor dos irmãos que vem de tão longe para nos visitar as segundas e sextas feiras, mesmo que seja apenas por 5-10 minutinhos.
Sinto Jesus me falando que esta comigo através de cada frase enviada, cada e-mail, cada palavra de encorajamento no facebook, cada oração, cada prato de comida ou guloseima enviado, cada contribuição manifestação de nos ajudar nas despesas gerais que estamos tendo, e mesmo a ajuda na construção da nova cela para ajudar outros presos para serem transferidos e aliviar seu sofrimento de não poder dormir (tenho 45 pessoas em minha cela e só tenho 30 cm de espaço para dormir – imaginem a cela do mesmo tamanho com 200 presos, e quase impossível imaginar o sofrimento destes homens).
Esse amor tem impactado toda a prisão e ate o tribunal, pois o juiz mencionou o fato de recebermos tantas visitas. Tem estado impressionado.
Tenho pedido ao Senhor que essas algemas sirvam de consolação para cada um que tem participado e orado por esta causa – que isto os ajude também a valorizar mais Jesus e sua presença em vossas vidas e que vocês possam usufruir muito mais do seu amor, presença e sua paz, que não depende das circunstancias. Façam conhecidos a cada um que se aproximem de vocês esse grande amor de Jesus, e sintam-se privilegiados por sofrerem por este Nome.
Posso afirmar que minhas prisões tem sido conhecidas desde o presidente da Republica ate ao varredor de rua. Os jornais publicaram que eu e Zeneide somos uma « dupla diabolica », e por estar estampado nas paginas de dois grandes jornais do pais, e nas rádios locais, passamos a ser odiados por toda a nação. Porem todos que tem tido contato conosco, sempre nos falam : « Vocês são pessoas de Deus », outros dizem : « Essa prisão nunca mais será a mesma depois da passagem de vocês por aqui »
Um apos outro dentro de minha cela, aos poucos foi me conhecendo, ao compartilhar comida, frutas, medicamentos, todos ficaram impressionados e começavam a dizer : “Mas porque você faz isso? Você compartilha comigo? Você lembrou de mim ?”
No Natal pedi a Marli que comprasse uns pequenos presentinhos para poder dar a esses homens para dar aos seus filhinhos. Nem esposas, nem filhos podem esperar nada de seus pais presos. Não posso expressar a alegria que sentiram ao receber aqueles presentinhos. Que bom, que felicidade em poder compartilhar com aqueles que não tem.
Eu divido meu colchão de 30 cm de largura com um outro senhor. Nos tínhamos dois colchões, um por cima do outro, pois não ha espaço. Nosso colega da frente também tinha dois, no entanto ele estava sofrendo dores terríveis nas costas e não conseguia dormir, assim sendo me pediu um dos meus colchões. No mesmo momento me pus de pé e lhe dei o meu. Agora durmo com meu colega num colchão de 2,5 cm de altura, o outro esta servindo ao meu outro colega, permitindo-lhe que durma melhor. Deus seja louvado! Tenho sentido o Senhor afofando meu colchão.
Houve dias que compartilhei da minha comida com 12 outros presos, e sabe do melhor : não perdi nenhum quilo. Dois prisioneiros italianos que foram libertos, ficaram tão agradecidos por toda a ajuda que lhes dei, todo encorajamento, as orações, que ao partirem me enviaram queijo, salame e outras guloseimas. Daqui a pouco 43 presos vão experimentar um pouco desta bênção.
Estou compartilhando estes detalhes para te encorajar a não desanimar com coisa alguma. Não importa o tamanho da luta que você esteja enfrentando, saiba que Jesus esta com você, passando pela dificuldade, ate a hora da libertação. Busque-o, ame-o, gaste tempo com ele, seja intimo dele, e o sofrimento não será nada, Ele será tua ancora segura, a tua salvação, aquele que atua e trabalha pelos seus. Seu santo nome será glorificado!
O juiz quando estava me questionando finalmente disse : “Vocês não são associação de malfeitores – estamos juntos”. Pois disse : “vocês estão ajudando crianças em situação de risco. Quando ele ouviu as crianças ficou ainda mais impressionado com a mudança de vida que estamos proporcionando a cada uma delas. Um advogado falou : “Essas crianças vivem melhor do que a maioria de nos “ e apos me disse : “Você pastor, merecia ser condecorado pelo que faz em nosso meio e por estas crianças, não estar na prisão!” Esperamos que realmente a justiça e a verdade prevaleçam!
Essa prisão não pode me deter, nem pode deter meu Cristo e o seu Evangelho, ao contrario desperta em mim mais amor e paixão por esta obra e pelo meu Mestre. Tenho meu coração agradecido a todos vocês que de uma forma ou de outra, direta ou indiretamente estão aprisionados conosco. Obrigado mais uma vez por todo o carinho, orações e mesmo contribuições. Que o Senhor os bendiga e lembre também de suas aflições e os alivie de todo o sofrimento pelos quais possam estar passando ainda que por mínimo que seja, bem sei que Ele tem prazer em ajudá-lo. Recebam nosso abraço bem apertado. Que o nosso bom e maravilhoso Senhor os console e faca-os sentir Sua presença convosco.
Orem pela sexta-feira(dia 09/02) quando um pai que pediu que seu filho pudesse ser beneficiado pelo projeto será ouvido. Também na segunda, dia 11 finalmente será depositado o pedido de habeas corpus.
Pelas marcas de Cristo.
Vosso prisioneiro,
Rev. Jose Dilson ou "Ze"
terça-feira, 19 de fevereiro de 2013
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