Pray for Mumbai

Hi all do keep mumbai in prayers.... Last week people were struggling because of excessive rains.... and now the bomb blasts.... may our Lord's protection be on Mumbai... `peace`

Playing to "Bring Glory to God"

Posted: Monday, June 12 , 2006, 16:38 (BST) (This is an article I got recently, thus I'm posting it now) With the World Cup 2006 now well underway in Germany, the tournament is beginning to switch its focus to the opening game for the reigning world champions Brazil, which takes place Tuesday 13th June. With most of the major teams in the competition winning their opening game so far, Brazil will face the difficult task of taking on European opposition Croatia, in its first game. As well as being the nation that has won the World Cup the most times in history, there are always certain qualities associated with Brazil’s successful football team; passion, skill, and elegance in their play, legendary players such as Pele, Socrates, Romário among scores of others. All of these go towards making the team one of the most popular footballing teams for the neutral fan to watch. However, there is one thing at the core of the Brazilian national team that in undeniable; its devotion to giving all glory in their victories back to God. Christianity is a faith centred around the teachings of Jesus Christ, telling all man to “love your neighbour”. However, sport rarely has this image, and the two often fit uncomfortably when placed together. But the Brazilian team is one that looks to keep its balance perfectly tuned. Alex Ribeiro is the chaplain for the Brazil team, as he has been for the past 4 World Cups. He helps the team in their preparations and stays with them in the players’ training camp and hotel to provide spiritual support to the devout Christians within the Brazilian team. Brazil's Edmilson lifting the 2002 World Cup with a T-Shirt testifying 'God Loves You'. Ribeiro has previously stated how he is convinced that the result of everything, including football matches, is in God’s divine hands. In addition, where as most people tend to thank Ronaldo, who scored both goals in Brazil’s 2-0 victory against Germany in the 2002 World Cup Finals, Ribeiro is quick to thank God for the victory. Ribeiro testified, “A German journalist asked me, 'Do you really think God helped Brazil to win the World Cup?'. “I said yes. He said, 'How can he do it? Why choose Brazil and not Germany?“I asked him if the German team got down to their knees to thank God, and praise him after the game. He said no. I said that was one reason.” Former Zimbabwe footballer Bernie Bitter, who now works for Sports Outreach in South Africa, is a chaplain for elite athletes at major sporting events. He described the important role of the team chaplain to Norman Brierley of 2K+, saying, “There’s two roles to a Chaplain…to be in the village and make yourself available for anybody who wants spiritual encouragement; to pray with them, and also looking for opportunities just to share the Gospel.” He continued by revealing how some aspects of the Brazilian team were the perfect examples of faith in top-level sporting events: “I terms of the World Cup soccer, I know that if you take Brazil for example, Alex Ribeiro, is the chaplain for the Brazil team, and he has for the past 4 World Cups.” Brazil's Lucio wearing a shirt testifying his faith in Jesus Christ. He told how Ribeiro would be “having Bible Studies with some of the known Christians; guys like Lucio, Jorginho in the last World Cup, and Kaka. These guys have regular Bible Studies.” Bitter continued, “We know there are key guys [in the Brazilian team] that regularly attend Bible Study, not only during the World Cup, but when they are back in Brazil with Alex. I know other countries will have their chaplains with them as well.” The Brazilian team is known for celebrating by taking off their football shirts to reveal testimonies to God in vests underneath. When asked about this, Bitter replied, “I think there is a ruling though that during a game you can no longer lift your shirts. But if I am not mistaken, during the Confederation Cup in Germany, which Brazil recently won, then after the game which was officially finished, several of them…had shirts displaying their commitment to Jesus Christ; in different languages not only in English.” Revealing the beautiful faith that Brazil has incorporated into the centre of its game, Bitter said, “So I am hoping that Brazil will win the World Cup. It is interesting that the prayer focus for Brazil team in the previous World Cup was not ‘God or Lord help us win the World Cup’, but their prayer was ‘Lord whichever team brings you the most glory, may they win the World Cup.’” Bitter concluded: “I think there is a real desire from many of the players in the Brazil team to glorify God. Proclaiming that God has given them the gifts and talents to play the game. So it will be interesting to see what sort of Christian witness comes out in the tournament.”

Brazilian Footballer Offers All Glory to God

(I posted this from a mail I got) Brazilian Footballer Lucio Offers All Glory to God 28-year-old Brazilian football player, Lucio, says the team that gives God the utmost glory deserves to be the champion in the World Cup 2006. 28-year-old Brazilian football player, Lucio, says the team that gives God the utmost glory deserves to be the champion in the World Cup 2006. The Brazil team consists of seven Christians, who are known for regularly praying on the field, and have also been seen displaying shirts with slogans such as 'Jesus Loves You' after scoring a goal, or winning a game. Brazil defeated Germany four years ago at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, as Lucio told the German magazine “Neues Leben” (New Life), his team prayed before that match – “not for victory but rather that our team praises God as is His due”. According to Lucio, even if the Brazilians had lost, they would have shown their Jesus-Loves-You shirts. “We should always give Jesus the glory – in good times and bad”. The Brazilians are the current world champions.The World Cup kicked off 9 June in Munich, with an ecumenical church service held before the opening match. Bishop Wolfgang Huber, leader of the main line Protestant Churches in Germany, called for fair sportsmanship and mercy during the competition. “Those who do not win, are not failures”, said Huber. Spectators and players alike should enjoy the matches without fear that a negative result will “bring the world down”. He told how the real victory should belong to faith in God and not to the one, who carries the trophy, said the bishop. He paid his respect to those players who show their devotion to God. In addition, many Christian initiatives are accompanying the World Cup, which ends 9 July. Evangelistic outreach projects are planned as well as prayer meetings. Approximately 1,200 local churches are opening their premises for football fans, offering twelve selected World Cup matches on large screens with an accompanying Christian TV program. Christians affiliated with the Evangelical Alliance in Frankfurt are praying round the clock for a safe and fair World Cup, with the initiative having kicked off with a worship service in front of the main line railway station, 9 June.

Who Paid David to write the Psalms???

Y do we pay for music inspired by God, or dedicated to God?? It has always been a question hard to answer. Some argue that artists should not be putting such a high price to their music, because it is anyways a Worship / Praise song.. It is virtually impossible to pay and buy all the songs we listen to ... But there is another side to it .. Luk 10 :7 says "for the laborer is worthy of his wages." Should there be an alternate solution to this?? should the albums/songs be given for free?? or at some affordable rate?? how do we define affordable? because we could be talking about releasing the same music in different countries... Do come up with your views and post them as comments .... (Piracy is stealing .. dont copy and justify it by saying "it is God music anyways"

Noah sat down and had a coffee....

Well it isnt about my friend Noah... I have always suspected Rock Bands, and ever since i came to know about Gospel Rock bands , i have become even more critical.... initially i could not stand the Screaming gospel rock bands... then figured out they were harmless.. and eventually kinda got hooked too... Most of these bands like Petra(a different league) , Bloodgood, Idle Cure, Divinefire, Narnia, Rob Rock had a very strong message through each of their songs... well the hardest of all was to accept the gospel counterpart of Death Metal, fondly called Life Metal... Death Growls and morbid feel of the bands kinda made me repel them... i found nothing appealing, although i was a big fan of secular(rather anti-christian/ black ) metal bans... specially because of the creativity they came out with.... perhaps having been affected negatively by the Death Metal itself.. i wasnt ready for a gospel version anyways... i had a deep feeling that it would be the same sad and heart numbing experience.... and then i got to attend the Parra Camp, and got to hear Sudds talk bout music being innately harmless... and the lyrics and the inspiration separates the good music from the bad.... Recently i got to hear a track by Mortification (a gospel band from Australia)... to say the least, the word mortification did remind me of corporal mortification and stuff.. the song was "Noah was a Knower" the song is about God's calling, and how it can sometimes be not what u expected... get the video form youtube just search for "mortification" and select the video "Noah was a knower" since i couldnt get most of the lyrics by just listenin to the song, i picked it up from here and i was spellbound ... and i heard it again .. and again.. just a few days back i took a walk on the hills with a friend of mine and we discussed how Noah had to build the ark, how many people would have scorned him, and how hard it is to hear and obey God's calling sometimes... this song resonated those thoughts... here are some .. "100 years of banging tools Laughed at by his neighbours scorn" "God's calling is always a challenge It may not be what you would seem But following his ways through life ends up leading to the mountain top" "100 years of real hard work Noah sat down and had a coffee" ooh!!!! what lyrics... and i loved the song.. the guitars and the DRUMS!!!! the song ministered me.... i was moved to realise that one gotta be ready to hear and obey Him, whatever be the price... and He would vindicate... i couldnt keep myself from digging more on the band (i am just writing what i found most striking u can find more infor here)... these guys started out as a proper death metal band with heavy sound and growl (Form late 80's to '96)... later on Steve Rowe (Vocals & Bass) contracted Accute Lymphatic Leukemia "Steve almost died several times, but through MUCH prayer and a strong will to live to see his vision for his family, band, and label fulfilled, Steve managed to make it through. God has performed miracle and he lived to tell about it. This was despite doctors who had given him only hours to live - on more than one occasion - and a seemingly failed bone marrow transplant." from Wikipedia.. i wasn't expecting a Life metal band to be so interesting, and i was sure God chose Steve to spread the gospel... strangely , now the band has very little death metal elements... I just pray that these guys never loose their focus.. mightily live to tell His greatness.... Some links noLifeTilMetal Official Site

"Da(N)" Vinci Code - Da(N) Brown

If the title looks a bit weird and hiding somethin.... it is just written that way to resonate what the book is all about.... some links:

• RZIM India - One of my favs...
• Bible . org
• Answers . org
• Dialogue Initiated by Sony Pictures
• Irr . org

any link you come across on this discussion just feel free to add comments or add a new post itself...

(While engaging in a debate with unbelievers on this issue kindly talk to them out of love... and not for the sake of argument) God Bless

HillSong - The Church

I had heard a lot about the Hillsong church. No! I actually came across their worship videos (the 1st one being "Shout to The Lord 2000") and maybe countless tapes of their's. Anyone connected to the Christian circle would have come across something that must have stemmed from this church. Especially their songs. Catchy and cool they were.

This prompted me to check out their website. Awesome is not the word. I personally haven't seen any church website as good as their's. Go check it out Hillsong Browsing through it shows the amount/varity of stuff they do. This shows the amount of dedication/commitment they put into the work they are assigned.

The church was established in 1983. 26 years from then today Hillsong Church operates from a 21 acre site in a modern business park in the Hills District, and from a contemporary facility in Waterloo near the heart of Sydney's CBD. With a total attendance of over 19,000 on any given weekend, the reputation of the church continues to expand, having a dynamic influence and impact in Australia and many other nations. Hillsong also has churches in London, Kiev and Paris.

The live praise and worship albums produced by Hillsong Music Australia have achieved gold status in various countries, and the songs are sung in churches around the world. Hillsong's Worship Pastor Darlene Zschech and other members of the worship team have become internationally renowned for their songwriting and anointed worship leading.

The Hillsong International Leadership College attracts students from all over the globe and is committed to training, equipping and building leaders in pastoral, music and other ministry skills.

You gotta check out their state-of-the-art facilties and venues

Check out how the y support ministries and initiatives globally

I think all of this needs a vision because it is only a vision that can create stuff...... and by stuff i mean STUFF. They have talked about visions in different areas in the site. Here are some of their statements:

(i) "Nation Builders is the mission's vision of Hillsong Church, which helps people by supporting ministries and initiatives outside our own four walls."

(ii) "As Hillsong Church continues to increase and grow, the vision remains consistent: to build the Church of Jesus Christ and bless the body of Christ world-wide."

(iii) "Phil is passionate about bringing practical wisdom and vision to raise up leaders and see people of all ages won to Christ."

(iv) "To reach and influence the world by building a large Bible-based church, changing mindsets and empowering people to lead and impact in every sphere of life " - This is their Mission Statement.

Nothing great is accomplish without a vision.

(Some part of this post has been copied and pasted from the Hillsong site itself)