Cornerstone TeleVision Blog

The tongue is one of the most vital organs in the human body. It directs us in 2 of the most important things we can do for ourselves. 1. It is a primary tool for eating and 2. it's secondary function is speech. Food keeps us alive and speech can either keep our relationships alive or kill them all together. In James chapter 3 verses 5-10 the writer tells us:

"The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

OUCH!

Though James was speaking in general to all Christians in first century AD, it is a lesson that still applies today. Many of the books of the new testament are letters written to a specific church or group of people, but this letter is written to all Christians alike. When people or situations get the best of us we must remember that we are all created in the God's image and our mouths should speak with words that edify, encourage and correct in love. This goes for gossip as well as speaking harsh words of slander and abuse. Gossip kills the spirit and makes us assume that what we hear is what it is. This is not always the case. We should not have a preconceived notion of a person, action or event when we have no business otherwise. This only leads to a judgmental spirit and that is not a characteristic of Jesus Christ. If we are to be like Him we need to follow His example. This is one of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn and re-learn. I've found that taming the tongue is one of the most difficult things for myself as a Christian to do. We must not live in a self-righteous bubble like so many of the Pharisees had done. When we hold our tongue, we unify the body. Just try not to bite it, because that really hurts  

Vampires, werewolfes, superheroes, and large blue people (Avatar) are what's trending the big screens, google searches, twitter pages, and mobile devices. While these are all fun and exciting phenomenons beckoning young people to follow the fabulous life of Hollywood A-listers, they have done little or nothing to show the rare and extrordinary real life super hero we have in Jesus. You know I never really had a picture of Jesus as a superhero before I studied the book of Revelation. Did you know that when Jesus returns he will be riding on a white horse? And not just any white horse, I imagine for the whole world to see him, it would have to be a rather large horse, wouldn't you think? He is described as appearing radiant like the sun with eyes that blaze like fire and is wearing MANY crowns upon his head. While I have heard that description before I had never really stopped to ponder this image of Jesus which follows in Rev. 19: " He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God " And Isaiah 63 adds this to the image:

 " It is I, speaking  in righteousness, mighty to save."

"Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?"

 " I have trodden the winepress alone; from nations no one was with me...I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground."

Ok let's stop to think about this for a moment. Righteousness? Blood? Trampled? Those are pretty vivid adjectives surrounding Jesus' return. See when Jesus comes back one day it will be in ALL of his glory and slendor and righteousness. He is soaked in the blood of our enemies. He will make vengenance on those who have caused harm to us, followers of the antichrist who are unrepentant. Kind of sounds like a great script for the next oscar award winning movie. But in this case it's the real deal, a real life superhero who will save us from every offense and will be victorious forever and ever.

And they all lived happily ever after.

As many of you know we have missionaries that we support as one of our 33 boots on the ground in Iraq. They are in the midst of an election re-count and a changing of the guard will be happening soon which could be the reason for some of the upheaval the citizens are experiencing. I urge you to pray for them and in particular our brothers and sisters in Christ who are surrounded by the constraints of Muslim Fundamentalism. Please see the article below to get a clear picture of the persecution there.--Toni

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Iraq: Christians Under Siege

By Elizabeth Kendal
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) 054
Special to ASSIST News Service

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Iraq's last official census (1987) counted 1.4 million indigenous Assyrian and Chaldean Christians. As Islamic zeal and Arab nationalism rose in the wake of Gulf War 1 (1991), Christians with means emigrated. By the time of the March 2003 US invasion, the Christian population of Iraq was estimated at between 1.2 million and 800,000. Today, after seven years of war, sectarian conflict and ethnic-religious cleansing, a remnant of some 400,000 Christians remains. The Shi'ite south has been virtually 'cleansed' of Christians and few remain in the Sunni-dominated centre. Christians now live mostly in the north: in the historic Assyrian homeland of the Nineveh Plains, a fault-line region between the Arabs (who invaded up from Arabia in the 7th Century) and the Kurds (who invaded down from Turkey in the 14th Century). Terrorism targeting Mosul's churches and Christians has escalated ever since the US 'surge' forced al-Qaeda elements out of the central provinces of Anbar, Baghdad and Diyala to reloc ate north. Christian families continue to flee Mosul in large numbers. Those still there report being intimidated and harassed with threatening phone calls and letters. Many Christian women have taken to wearing the hijab to hide their Christian identity.

Christians are so endangered in Northern Iraq that Christian students must travel to university in convoys with Iraqi military escorts. On Sunday morning 2 May two bombs ripped through a convoy of buses transporting Christian college students from the mainly Christian town of Hamdaniya, 40km east of Mosul in the Nineveh Plains region of Northern Iraq, to the University of Mosul. According to reports, once the first buses had passed through the Kokjali checkpoint (manned by US, Iraqi and Kurdish soldiers) a car bomb parked on the shoulder of the highway exploded in their path, followed moments later by a roadside bomb. A local shopkeeper was killed and more than 100 people were wounded (17 critically) including some 70 of the targeted Christian college students.

Jamil Salahuddin Jamil (25), a geography major on the first bus, told reporters one of his classmates lost her leg in the attack and two others were blinded. 'We were going for our education and they presented us with bombs,' he said. 'I still do not know what they wan t from Christians.' Of course Jamil knows exactly what the Islamic terrorists and the Muslim fundamentalists who support them want from Christians: he just can't bear to contemplate it let alone verbalise it. What they want is Christians to be driven out of Iraq and those remaining to be 'utterly subdued' (Qur'an, Sura 9:29).

Despite the desperate pleas of church leaders, Iraqi Christian refugees are reluctant to return. Speaking in Damascus, Syria, Christian refugee Toma Georgees told CNS (23 April 2010): 'It's . . . impossible to turn back to Iraq. Our problem is not with the Iraqi government. Our problem is with Iraqi people . . . who want to kill us, who want to kill all the Christians.' In the early 1950s Iraq's more than 120,000-strong ancient Jewish community -- which dated back to the Babylonian captivity and had come to comprise the elite of Baghdad -- was eradicated. Now it appears it is the turn of the indigenous Assyrian and Chaldean Christians.

When it erupts -- as it eventually will -- the battle f or fault-line Nineveh and oil-rich Kirkuk will engulf northern Iraq and draw in regional players. Meanwhile the dark smoke of sectarianism is rising again out of the volcano that is Baghdad. When ethnic and sectarian conflict resumes -- as it eventually will -- the Christians will lose the state protection they presently have. The future of Iraq is bleak indeed.

(Links and further details on the plight and future of Iraq's Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, as well as coverage of the March 2010 election results, can be found at Religious Liberty Monitoring, http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com/ )

WE PRAY THAT OUR SOVEREIGN AND MERCIFUL GOD WILL:

• assist Christian families fleeing for refuge and protect those staying. 'Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock . . . .' (Psalm 77:19,20a ESV.)

Lea d and protect your people again, O Lord our Saviour (Psalm 17:7), Good Shepherd (Psalm 23) and Rock (Psalm 18). 'Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.' (Psalm 17:7 NIV.)

• open up places of refuge for Iraq's Assyrian-Chaldean Christians who have lost so much, including homeland and loved ones; may he mend their broken hearts, heal their pain and in his grace grant them peace, hope, friendships and bright futures amongst God's people in other lands.
• open the eyes and minds of many Iraqi Muslims to recognise the superiority of the Gospel and then open their hearts to receive it. 'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.' (Ephesians 2:8,9 ESV.)

I guess Justin Beiber is the new kid on the block on the billboard charts this month. Poor kid, doesn't even know what "German" means. What does this say about the state of our country's education system? And English isn't even his 2nd language! Stop the madness!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkKqihEUmH4&feature=player_embedded

It seems like there has been a lot of talk about "cleaning house" these days. First with the TEA party movement where conservatives are urging and encouraging loyal tax-paying Americans to vote out the old and vote in the new. Then there is the situation here in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, in which 3 high profile champs are making headlines each day--not good headlines either. The Rooneys (the owners) have already begun to "clean house" as Santonio Holmes will now play for the NY Jets in the upcoming season. And the other two are on thin ice.

Then there is the annual ritual of dreaded Spring Cleaning in our homes. I would just love to know where all of this "STUFF" comes from and how I did not know I had it? And no I am not a candidate for "Hoaders," but you get my drift-- I just had to have that extra set of Christmas dishes because they were a great bargin after the holiday--ladies you know it! My husband and I have a quaint little 3 bedroom home (I mean little, our queen size bed and dresser are the only things that fit in the room, my shih tzu can barely fit in there unless I stuff him under the bed!) I quite often am running out of space so why do I keep accumulating stuff? I have come to the conclusion that I am not taking inventory as much as I should. Now I don't mean going around with a little clipboard and checklist, but I do mean that I am not taking the time to see what I really need and what I don't. I love bargains and when I see a good deal I don't pass it up, my mind has already distinguished what I want vs what I need and I can easily convince myself that the wants are justified as needs because of this great deal--I mean I'm saving money right?

That said, all of the above are great examples of what happens when we don't stop to take inventory. The government is growing larger and larger everyday, the lifestyles of the rich and famous are in a talespin, and our homes are becoming a fire hazard. It all boils down to the very most important inventory we need to take, and that is within ourselves. When our insides are balanced according to our Creator's plan, our outsides will be a reflection of that. A few months ago I decided to take an inventory of my health because I was so run down, tired, and having allergic reactions to the most basic forms of food. Odd, yes but it was God's way of slowing me down and making me realize that I needed to take an inventory of my health. So, I got involved in one of those 30 day natural cleanse programs to de-clutter my digestive system, and guess what? I feel great! And not only that, I am making better decisions to continually improve the quality of my health. Sometimes we need to strip our lives down to the very core and start fresh. I believe there is a passage in Scripture where Jesus talks to us about de-cluttering our lives-John Chapter 15 the vine and the branches. This inventory is necessary for our growth.  See, even Jesus encourages a little Spring Cleaning now and then.

It's been at the forefront of every major media outlet this past week and a half: HEALTHCARE. To be honest I have not been keeping as close of an eye as I have in the past about this primarily because I am turned off by the arguing back and forth of both parties about what should be included and not included in the bill. How about this let's see what the people want.What a crazy thought! This is why the average American doesn't show up to the polls come the 1st Tues in November. The person they vote for, put their trust and confidence in behind the push of a button, votes in completely the opposite direction. Don't be fooled the Republicans want this nationalized healthcare bill just as much as the Democrats do, each party just wants it on their terms. It's funny, I saw a clip of a Michael Moore interview this morning and even he was against the healthcare bill (albeit it wasn't liberal enough for him) but that's got to speak at some volume to Congress. At least you think it would? Feels like the twilight zone sometimes, doesn't it? However the fact that even the President is rethinking SOME of the wasteful spending involved in this bill shows that your voice is getting heard. My beef with this healthcare bill is not about insuring the uninsured. I think that is a wonderfully idealistic and a Christ-like thing IF done correctly. We are supposed to help our neighbor in need but that is not the draw. It is an agenda and will always be an agenda until hearts are changed and Jesus comes again. So, when you go to the voting booth (and yes I have all of the confidence in you that you will do your part this November!) vote for what is right and true and not what sounds nice on paper. Do your homework, pray, and vote so we don't end up in this place another 10 years (or sooner) from now. Peace y'all. And for those who are reading this in another country outside of the US, pray for us! We want to be your allies not your enemies in the near future!

What can we say about this unusual amount snow? Global warming in reverse? Judgment from the Lord? Entering into an ice age? The end of the world? Maybe one or all or none of those reasons but these are the reasons we hear the most. How about some positives? Families get to spend time with their children. I just have to stop a moment and say that this has to be a great thing. However, I have heard many news reports of frustrated parents who are inconvienced by their children being home for a week and a half. What then do you do about the summer time? Just asking. But seriously enjoy your kids because before you know it they'll be grown up, off to college, and will be starting families of their own. Another great reason for this snow is that the drought in the midwest is officially over. So you know what that means? Prices in produce will start to decline because there will be an abundant harvest. And the most important reason, I think, is that there is a renewed sense of hospitality in coming together to help our neighbor. People who have never worked together before are building new relationships, stepping outside of themselves, and going beyond the call as Jesus did to help those in need. So let's go forth and embrace the snow not as our circumstance but as an opportunity to stop and take a look at good things we have. 

Just wanted to keep all of you informed about the state of Israel. It's so important for us who know the word of God to keep one eye on America and one eye on Israel. I love the philosophy of Billy Graham to keep "a Bible in one hand and the newspaper in another." Though we live in a world filled with bad news we have immediate access to good news at all times. So keep your Bible close to your remote or computer!

The following is a report from Joel Rosenberg, a dear friend of Cornerstone TeleVision

NETANYAHU SAYS EZEKIEL 37 HAS COME TRUE By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., February 1, 2010) -- Thanks for your prayers. I just got home late last night from a month-long teaching tour around the world for The Joshua Fund. It's good to be home, but upon landing I learned that Ahmadinejad is threatening to unleash a "harsh blow" to the Judeo-Christian world on February 11th. No one's sure what he means exactly, but the U.S. is moving new naval forces and Patriot missile batteries into the Gulf region, just in case.

A few highlights from the past few days:

* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week traveled to to Poland to commemorate the 65th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. Speaking on the actual site of the Nazi death camp, the Prime Minister warned the world of new genocidal threats against the Jewish people and the importance of acting early enough to prevent such threats from coming to pass. In a stunning and remarkable moment, Netanyahu also declared to the people of Europe and the world that the prophecies of Ezekiel 37 have been fulfilled. The Holocaust, he said, represented the "dry bones" and "graves" of the Jewish people, and out of that horror the State of Israel was resurrected, just as the Lord said would happen through the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel. Rarely has any world leader given a major address on an international stage declaring End Times prophecies from the Bible have come true. But that is exactly what Netanyahu did. [Details and the full speech on the weblog.]

Check out Joel's website for more information