I have heard on more than one occasion a true story about a preacher in an English church who one day caught the attention of two young boys who were in the pews. The illustration he used to explain to the congregation about Christ’s death for us went something like this:
There was a father and his son who often went fishing together in the waters off the coast of England. On this one particular occasion the father told his son that he could bring a friend along. Now the father was a parish priest or something like that. He was a deeply religious man anyway. He and his son were speaking about the Lord quite a bit. The boy’s friend did not know the Lord and he did not know entirely what to make of all this.
While they were out on the water one of those terrible sudden storms came up. The storm tossed their little ship to and fro and among the rocks in the English Channel. Try as they might, the three of them were not strong enough to regain control of the boat. When the storm reached its fiercest at one point both boys were thrown overboard. The father ran to grab the life preserver. There was only one (and there wasn’t much time so even if there was more than one he couldn’t possibly throw two in two different directions then pull them both to safety). There was only one. The sea was frantically trying to claim the life of both boys. It would get one for sure. There was no time to save them both. The father grabbed the preserver and he threw it. He threw it … he threw it to… his son’s friend. The friend grabbed the preserver and was pulled onto the boat – but by the time the father had gotten his child’s friend aboard, there was no sign of his own son. The father sacrificed his own son, his only son so that the other boy could live.
This is what it is like for our heavenly father and his son (Ephesians 1:7; John 15:1-17). God let his son -whom he loves- die so that even those of us who do not know him, even those of us who are sinners, even those of us who are his enemies can be saved. God’s son died for us at just the right time so we all could be saved.After this sermon, the boys queried the old preacher. They asked if that was a true story or if he was just making it up. He said it was true. They were unconvinced. One boy asked why a father would let his own son die for a kid he doesn’t even know.
The preacher told him that the father knew that his own son knew Jesus. He knew that even if his own son were lost, yet he would be saved. He knew that his own son, even if he died, yet would he live; he would see him again at the resurrection of the just. His son’s friend however did not know Jesus then so if he died, he would be lost forever. The father sacrificed his son to save the other boy.
‘How do you know that that story is true?’ demanded one of the two boys listening to the story.
‘I was the boy who was saved that day,’ replied the old preacher.
And so it is with all of us. Today we have the choice before us of life and death. God the father has already sacrificed his one and only son so that we can live. All we need to do now is to grab hold of the life preserver of our salvation, hold tight in holiness, and not let it slip away. Christ died so that we can live.
So today I urge us all not to let Jesus’ death to have been in vain in our own lives. If there is anything we are holding onto today that is preventing us from grabbing hold of our salvation, let us cast it aside. If there is any aspect of our lives that we are holding onto so tight that we are not fully clutching that preserver of our salvation, today let us cast it aside. If there is any sin in our life that we have not confessed to God, let us today take this time, confess it to Him and in so doing, reach out and grab hold of that life preserver of His salvation so that we can all be gloriously saved.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
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www.sheepspeak.com
Friday, July 31, 2009
Enemies of Christ
The consequences of our countries’ actions do affect us all. When I was younger, Canada was still seen as a peacekeeping nation. At that time we saw very clearly not only the blessings of being a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) but also the consequences of overt military aggression. I don’t know if you remember but in those days American students when travelling around the world would wear Canadian flags on their backpacks so that people would think they were Canadian and hopefully as a result no one would want to harm them. Canada as peacemakers, which we were back then, didn’t make the enemies that the US did. And even though the American students never killed anyone themselves, their government – rightly or wrongly – had waged (or sponsored) many wars, killed many people, and in the process made enemies for all of its citizens -even those not yet born!
Likewise, sin makes us enemies of Christ. When we sin, we are warring against Christ. Before we served Christ, our moral self-government was perpetually warring against Christ. When we were sinners, though we may not have even been totally aware of it, we were very much Christ’s enemies and we obviously could never win this war and the consequence of this war, this rebellion against Christ is death (Romans 6:23). Paul in his letter to the Romans explains it in terms of Adam (Romans 5:12-21; cf.1 Corinthians 15).[11]
Adam and Eve were the original sinners.[12] They were the first to transgress the will of God. God told them that they could pretty much do anything that they wanted in all the world so long as they ‘go forth and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28, see 9:1) and abstain from eating the fruit from just one of the many trees in God’s garden that he let them look after(Genesis 2:17). And then what is one of the very first things they do after a short conversation with some snake they meet? They disobey God; they sin. In doing this in essence our fore-parents declare war on God and humankind has been in rebellion against him ever since (Romans 3:23).[13] Furthermore, as the author of Hebrews tells us, every time we sin we are taking up arms against Christ (Hebrews 10:28-30).
But even so, at a point in our history, at a point in history that was probably about as bad as it is today in terms of disobedience to God, at a certain time, Romans 5:6, “…at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” And Verse 8, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
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www.sheepspeak.com
Likewise, sin makes us enemies of Christ. When we sin, we are warring against Christ. Before we served Christ, our moral self-government was perpetually warring against Christ. When we were sinners, though we may not have even been totally aware of it, we were very much Christ’s enemies and we obviously could never win this war and the consequence of this war, this rebellion against Christ is death (Romans 6:23). Paul in his letter to the Romans explains it in terms of Adam (Romans 5:12-21; cf.1 Corinthians 15).[11]
Adam and Eve were the original sinners.[12] They were the first to transgress the will of God. God told them that they could pretty much do anything that they wanted in all the world so long as they ‘go forth and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28, see 9:1) and abstain from eating the fruit from just one of the many trees in God’s garden that he let them look after(Genesis 2:17). And then what is one of the very first things they do after a short conversation with some snake they meet? They disobey God; they sin. In doing this in essence our fore-parents declare war on God and humankind has been in rebellion against him ever since (Romans 3:23).[13] Furthermore, as the author of Hebrews tells us, every time we sin we are taking up arms against Christ (Hebrews 10:28-30).
But even so, at a point in our history, at a point in history that was probably about as bad as it is today in terms of disobedience to God, at a certain time, Romans 5:6, “…at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” And Verse 8, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
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www.sheepspeak.com
While we were still sinners...
Romans 5:7,8: ‘Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die (8) but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.’ Christ died for all of us when we were still sinners (cf. Romans 4:5).
Romans 5:10 tells us that not only were we still sinners but we were more than that: we were his enemies (cf. 1 John 4:10). Christ died for us while we were still his enemies. What is an enemy?[6] An enemy is one who means us harm. An enemy is one who is in opposition to us. An enemy is against us. When we were still in our sin we were indeed Christ’s enemies. When we were not under Christ’s lordship and leadership, we were necessarily under our own and/or someone else’s. We were not part of his kingdom and indeed by our actions, our deeds, our words, and our thoughts, we were his enemies. By our actions, our deeds, our words, and our thoughts, we fought against Christ even though his only desire in this was for all of us to be saved and come to a full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). It was in this condition that we were when Christ died for us.[7]
might say, “… that while I didn’t know Christ, I was not his enemy, really. I led a good life. I didn’t hurt anybody. I just happened to get to know God later on in life and then become ‘born again’…that doesn’t mean that I was God’s enemy does it?” The Apostle Paul argues here that the sinner is an enemy of God and a sinner here is anyone who is not experiencing the joys of ‘life with Christ’ (Cf. Romans 5:1, 12:12, 14:17, 15:13) – the sinner here is anyone who has not yet grabbed hold of the salvation that Christ offers. The Greek word in verse 7, ‘hamartōlŏs’, comes from ‘hamartanō’ that we looked at two weeks ago[8] and, as we remember, it means to ‘miss the mark’, to be short of the standard,[9] which is what we are when we don’t serve the Lord.
Paul makes a real distinction between the ‘sinner’ and the ‘saint’. The former (the sinners) are God’s opponents. The latter (the saints) are the ones on his side; this is where we want to be.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
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www.sheepspeak.com
Romans 5:10 tells us that not only were we still sinners but we were more than that: we were his enemies (cf. 1 John 4:10). Christ died for us while we were still his enemies. What is an enemy?[6] An enemy is one who means us harm. An enemy is one who is in opposition to us. An enemy is against us. When we were still in our sin we were indeed Christ’s enemies. When we were not under Christ’s lordship and leadership, we were necessarily under our own and/or someone else’s. We were not part of his kingdom and indeed by our actions, our deeds, our words, and our thoughts, we were his enemies. By our actions, our deeds, our words, and our thoughts, we fought against Christ even though his only desire in this was for all of us to be saved and come to a full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). It was in this condition that we were when Christ died for us.[7]
might say, “… that while I didn’t know Christ, I was not his enemy, really. I led a good life. I didn’t hurt anybody. I just happened to get to know God later on in life and then become ‘born again’…that doesn’t mean that I was God’s enemy does it?” The Apostle Paul argues here that the sinner is an enemy of God and a sinner here is anyone who is not experiencing the joys of ‘life with Christ’ (Cf. Romans 5:1, 12:12, 14:17, 15:13) – the sinner here is anyone who has not yet grabbed hold of the salvation that Christ offers. The Greek word in verse 7, ‘hamartōlŏs’, comes from ‘hamartanō’ that we looked at two weeks ago[8] and, as we remember, it means to ‘miss the mark’, to be short of the standard,[9] which is what we are when we don’t serve the Lord.
Paul makes a real distinction between the ‘sinner’ and the ‘saint’. The former (the sinners) are God’s opponents. The latter (the saints) are the ones on his side; this is where we want to be.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
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www.sheepspeak.com
TSA in the temporal wars of history
The Salvation Army often plays a big role in Remembrance Day ceremonies in this country because of the great work that the Lord did through us during the so-called the First and Second World Wars.[3] "It would be easier to forget one's name than fail to remember the times without number when The Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend," remarks General Harry Crerar (Former Commander of the First Canadian Army, Second World War)[4]
During both world wars and throughout the Cold War, The Salvation Army provided Canadian military personnel with comforts such as hot drinks and snacks and helped maintain morale by establishing leave centres for rest and recreation.
Very close to the battle front, The Salvation Army showed films, established canteens, organized sporting events and other recreational activities, provided reading material, stationary, cigarettes and other items which the troops greatly appreciated. The Salvation Army also offered spiritual guidance and personal counselling to all military personnel seeking it: comforting the wounded, even helping bury the dead. In short, they did whatever was necessary to help maintain military morale. The Salvation Army instructed its supervisors to “care for the body, mind and soul of every [service person] irrespective of creed or personality.” The Salvation Army tried to offer a ‘touch of home’ in the midst of the horrors of War.
In Canada, The Salvation Army Home League raised funds and sent tens of thousands of comfort packages containing socks, underwear, Christmas presents, and other items directly to The Salvation Army chaplains for distribution. Salvationists also visited the homes of departed soldiers to look into the welfare of their dependants and comfort many bereaved families. In short, The Salvation Army “provided the reassuring link between the fighting man and his world of peace and kindness and sanity.” [5]Personally, in the very short time we have been here, I have heard individual accounts from no less than 3 veterans of WWII or their widows about just how much God used ‘Sally Ann’ during ‘the war’.
Canadian Salvationists were sent overseas to serve Christ by serving the soldiers in the hopes that some might be saved. Canadian soldiers were sent overseas in the world wars to fight and to die for ‘God, King, and country’. Many were saved and many did lay down their lives in the name of God, our King, and our country (cf. John 15:17).
5:7,8: ‘Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die (8) but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.’ Christ died for all of us when we were still sinners (cf. Romans 4:5).
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
www.sheepspeak.com
During both world wars and throughout the Cold War, The Salvation Army provided Canadian military personnel with comforts such as hot drinks and snacks and helped maintain morale by establishing leave centres for rest and recreation.
Very close to the battle front, The Salvation Army showed films, established canteens, organized sporting events and other recreational activities, provided reading material, stationary, cigarettes and other items which the troops greatly appreciated. The Salvation Army also offered spiritual guidance and personal counselling to all military personnel seeking it: comforting the wounded, even helping bury the dead. In short, they did whatever was necessary to help maintain military morale. The Salvation Army instructed its supervisors to “care for the body, mind and soul of every [service person] irrespective of creed or personality.” The Salvation Army tried to offer a ‘touch of home’ in the midst of the horrors of War.
In Canada, The Salvation Army Home League raised funds and sent tens of thousands of comfort packages containing socks, underwear, Christmas presents, and other items directly to The Salvation Army chaplains for distribution. Salvationists also visited the homes of departed soldiers to look into the welfare of their dependants and comfort many bereaved families. In short, The Salvation Army “provided the reassuring link between the fighting man and his world of peace and kindness and sanity.” [5]Personally, in the very short time we have been here, I have heard individual accounts from no less than 3 veterans of WWII or their widows about just how much God used ‘Sally Ann’ during ‘the war’.
Canadian Salvationists were sent overseas to serve Christ by serving the soldiers in the hopes that some might be saved. Canadian soldiers were sent overseas in the world wars to fight and to die for ‘God, King, and country’. Many were saved and many did lay down their lives in the name of God, our King, and our country (cf. John 15:17).
5:7,8: ‘Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die (8) but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.’ Christ died for all of us when we were still sinners (cf. Romans 4:5).
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html
www.sheepspeak.com
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Repentance
from 'For Deliverance and Freedom:
The Biblical Doctrine of Repentance'
by WILLIAM DOUGLAS CHAMBERLAIN
Interpretation 4 no 3 July 1950, p 271-283
SINCE THE WORD repentance occurs in the Old Testament only once, and then not in the sense that it has in the New, the biblical doctrine of repentance is essentially the New Testament doctrine. One may deal with the New Testament material in one of two ways. He may either study this material as it occurs in the various documents, or take the New Testament as a whole. I am choosing the latter method, because a careful study of this subject has convinced me that there is complete uniformity among New Testament writers as to the essential meaning of repentance.
It is necessary to distinguish first between repentance and sorrow for sin; for, historically, the church has thought of sorrow for sin as synonymous with repentance. Paul draws the distinction more sharply than any other New Testament writer. According to him, there are two types of sorrow for sin. One he calls the sorrow of the world, which leads to death; the other he calls godly sorrow, which leads to repentance. He does not, however, confuse godly sorrow with repentance. It is a preparation for repentance, but it is not repentance (II Cor. 7:8-10).
The sorrow of the world is no more than remorse. When Judas said, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood, he was speaking of the remorse that gnawed deeply into his soul. Sorrow for sin without faith is remorse. Judas went out and hanged himself for lack of faith. Faith could have changed his remorse to repentance. Repentance does not lead to suicide, but rather to confession, pardon, and fellowship with God.
When the Authorized Version says that Judas "repented himself", it is translating the word metamelomai, which means to have sorrow after a sin has been committed. The root idea of repentance, metanoia, is reversal of mind, not sorrow for sin. Repentance is a change of the mindset from "the mind of the flesh" to the mind of Christ. God, rather than self, becomes the center of one's thinking and planning. Repentance gives one a new set of values, new loyalties, new ambitions, a new purpose in life. This new purpose was expressed by Paul when he wrote that Christ died for all men, that they should no longer Uve for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again from the dead (II Cor.5:i5)·
This is essentially the same demand that Jesus laid upon all his followers. They must put him first: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). To deny self is to dethrone self as master of your life. The denial of self is a prerequisite to enthroning Christ as Lord. The wisdom of the world says, "Feather your own nest; look out for your own interests." Christ says that he who looks out for number one is destroying himself: "He that would save his life shall lose it." The wisdom of the world disagrees with Jesus' philosophy of life. It is necessary to have a new standard of values before any one can really believe that by losing his life for Christ's sake he discovers the real meaning of life. According to Jesus, however, this is the first requirement for Christian living.
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
The Biblical Doctrine of Repentance'
by WILLIAM DOUGLAS CHAMBERLAIN
Interpretation 4 no 3 July 1950, p 271-283
SINCE THE WORD repentance occurs in the Old Testament only once, and then not in the sense that it has in the New, the biblical doctrine of repentance is essentially the New Testament doctrine. One may deal with the New Testament material in one of two ways. He may either study this material as it occurs in the various documents, or take the New Testament as a whole. I am choosing the latter method, because a careful study of this subject has convinced me that there is complete uniformity among New Testament writers as to the essential meaning of repentance.
It is necessary to distinguish first between repentance and sorrow for sin; for, historically, the church has thought of sorrow for sin as synonymous with repentance. Paul draws the distinction more sharply than any other New Testament writer. According to him, there are two types of sorrow for sin. One he calls the sorrow of the world, which leads to death; the other he calls godly sorrow, which leads to repentance. He does not, however, confuse godly sorrow with repentance. It is a preparation for repentance, but it is not repentance (II Cor. 7:8-10).
The sorrow of the world is no more than remorse. When Judas said, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood, he was speaking of the remorse that gnawed deeply into his soul. Sorrow for sin without faith is remorse. Judas went out and hanged himself for lack of faith. Faith could have changed his remorse to repentance. Repentance does not lead to suicide, but rather to confession, pardon, and fellowship with God.
When the Authorized Version says that Judas "repented himself", it is translating the word metamelomai, which means to have sorrow after a sin has been committed. The root idea of repentance, metanoia, is reversal of mind, not sorrow for sin. Repentance is a change of the mindset from "the mind of the flesh" to the mind of Christ. God, rather than self, becomes the center of one's thinking and planning. Repentance gives one a new set of values, new loyalties, new ambitions, a new purpose in life. This new purpose was expressed by Paul when he wrote that Christ died for all men, that they should no longer Uve for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again from the dead (II Cor.5:i5)·
This is essentially the same demand that Jesus laid upon all his followers. They must put him first: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). To deny self is to dethrone self as master of your life. The denial of self is a prerequisite to enthroning Christ as Lord. The wisdom of the world says, "Feather your own nest; look out for your own interests." Christ says that he who looks out for number one is destroying himself: "He that would save his life shall lose it." The wisdom of the world disagrees with Jesus' philosophy of life. It is necessary to have a new standard of values before any one can really believe that by losing his life for Christ's sake he discovers the real meaning of life. According to Jesus, however, this is the first requirement for Christian living.
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
Covenant: Marriage breakdown leads to poverty
www.christianweek.org
By Deborah Gyapong
Friday, July 24, 2009
OTTAWA, ON—High school students need to be taught that marriage helps prevent poverty and leads to happier, more stable families.
That's one of the recommendations of a study published by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC), which puts a $7 billion price tag on family breakdown in Canada.
"We educate teens about the psychological and physical implications of sexual activity and bullying," says Rebecca Walberg, co-author of Private Choices, Public Costs: How Failing Families Cost Us All. Teens also learn the importance of a high school diploma for future success, she says.
"We need to place equal importance on family formation throughout our culture," says Walberg.
The report estimates cutting the rate of family breakdown in half could save $1.78 billion a year and pull about 50,000 adults and 80,000 children out of poverty.
read more: http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=600
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related: http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/search/label/covenant
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
By Deborah Gyapong
Friday, July 24, 2009
OTTAWA, ON—High school students need to be taught that marriage helps prevent poverty and leads to happier, more stable families.
That's one of the recommendations of a study published by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC), which puts a $7 billion price tag on family breakdown in Canada.
"We educate teens about the psychological and physical implications of sexual activity and bullying," says Rebecca Walberg, co-author of Private Choices, Public Costs: How Failing Families Cost Us All. Teens also learn the importance of a high school diploma for future success, she says.
"We need to place equal importance on family formation throughout our culture," says Walberg.
The report estimates cutting the rate of family breakdown in half could save $1.78 billion a year and pull about 50,000 adults and 80,000 children out of poverty.
read more: http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=600
--
related: http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/search/label/covenant
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
TSA Position Statement on Gambling
The Salvation Army takes a stand against gambling that involves the act of risking money, property or something of value on an activity that gives material advantage based on chance and at the expense of others. The Salvation Army opposes gambling on spiritual and moral grounds and because of its tragic social implications.
The Salvation Army is deeply concerned that gambling, used by governments and organizations to raise revenues, has become an accepted aspect of our daily lives. Gambling undermines the true spirit of charitable giving. The Salvation Army’s experience confirms that there are those who disregard personal and family needs to indulge in gambling and may become addicted. Even in its simplest form gambling can lead to excess and undermine the personality and character of the individual. The Salvation Army therefore cautions governments and individuals of the inherent dangers of gambling.
Salvation Army soldiers pledge to abstain from gambling, based on our belief that all our resources belong to God and that we depend on Him through faith and work. This position is supported by Scriptural teachings* concerning the responsibility to use money productively, to guard against greed, and not to gain at the expense of others.
*e.g., 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 17-19, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Amos 6:1-6
The Salvation Army, Canada & Bermuda, 2006
The Salvation Army is deeply concerned that gambling, used by governments and organizations to raise revenues, has become an accepted aspect of our daily lives. Gambling undermines the true spirit of charitable giving. The Salvation Army’s experience confirms that there are those who disregard personal and family needs to indulge in gambling and may become addicted. Even in its simplest form gambling can lead to excess and undermine the personality and character of the individual. The Salvation Army therefore cautions governments and individuals of the inherent dangers of gambling.
Salvation Army soldiers pledge to abstain from gambling, based on our belief that all our resources belong to God and that we depend on Him through faith and work. This position is supported by Scriptural teachings* concerning the responsibility to use money productively, to guard against greed, and not to gain at the expense of others.
*e.g., 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 17-19, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Amos 6:1-6
The Salvation Army, Canada & Bermuda, 2006
Church gamble away millions on Stock Market
Millions in savings lost on stock market
Last Updated: Monday, July 27, 2009 8:13 AM ET
By Tim Duboyce, CBC News
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City became the first Anglican cathedral built off the British Isles, when it was completed in 1804. (Courtesy Anglican Diocese of Quebec)Religious institutions and faith-based organizations across Canada are praying for an end to a recession that is forcing the hardest-hit to consider radical rescue plans, including selling houses of worship.
Garth Bulmer, the executive archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, says some smaller churches in his region will likely have to close.
"Some of them will simply have to shut their doors. That's all there is to it," Bulmer told CBC News.
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and gurudwaras (Sikh temples) depend largely on donations to pay the bills and finance day schools, camps, and other faith-oriented programs.
Religious orders also routinely use investment income from private trusts to finance building repairs and other projects.
But, this year, religious groups are being forced to do more with less, and in some cases are projecting the closure of churches in the wake of the economic recession.
Church leaders worry out-of-work parishioners can't be as generous as usual, either with the collection plate or during annual fundraising drives. In some cases, those worshippers who are down on their luck come knocking at their church's doors in search of handouts or other help, placing an even greater strain on already-stretched resources.
Calculating the impact of the recession on religious groups in Canada is difficult, since organizations are generally decentralized and don't compile national figures.
Numbers released in Britain indicate staggering losses. The Church of England told the Christian Science Monitor that the recession has resulted in a $2.1 billion US loss in its investments.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/22/f-religion-recession-sell-churches.html
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Salvation Army fighting to save services
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 1:29 PM NT
CBC News
The Salvation Army is cutting costs to ensure it can continue to help people through tough economic times.
Last week, the group told congregations across the country to freeze spending on administrative staff. Donations haven't dropped but the Salvation Army believes that as the recession continues it will need to save money wherever it can.
"We're reducing travel expenses, there's a salary freeze for officers, there's a hiring freeze from coast to coast. It allows us to continue spending on programs … which is where the focus should be," said Salvation Army spokesman Andrew Burditt from Toronto on Monday.
The Salvation Army runs social services such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens. As the financial crisis continues, demand for those programs has increased up to 30 per cent in some parts of the country.
Burditt is confident the Salvation Army will survive the economic downturn.
"We've been around in this country for more than 125 years. We've always found a way through numbers of recessions and numbers of difficult periods of time to find a way to make things work and that's, that's the collective that we'll continue to operate with."
Still, Burditt fears the group may not be able to avoid cutting services, if the recession drags on.
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
Last Updated: Monday, July 27, 2009 8:13 AM ET
By Tim Duboyce, CBC News
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City became the first Anglican cathedral built off the British Isles, when it was completed in 1804. (Courtesy Anglican Diocese of Quebec)Religious institutions and faith-based organizations across Canada are praying for an end to a recession that is forcing the hardest-hit to consider radical rescue plans, including selling houses of worship.
Garth Bulmer, the executive archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, says some smaller churches in his region will likely have to close.
"Some of them will simply have to shut their doors. That's all there is to it," Bulmer told CBC News.
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and gurudwaras (Sikh temples) depend largely on donations to pay the bills and finance day schools, camps, and other faith-oriented programs.
Religious orders also routinely use investment income from private trusts to finance building repairs and other projects.
But, this year, religious groups are being forced to do more with less, and in some cases are projecting the closure of churches in the wake of the economic recession.
Church leaders worry out-of-work parishioners can't be as generous as usual, either with the collection plate or during annual fundraising drives. In some cases, those worshippers who are down on their luck come knocking at their church's doors in search of handouts or other help, placing an even greater strain on already-stretched resources.
Calculating the impact of the recession on religious groups in Canada is difficult, since organizations are generally decentralized and don't compile national figures.
Numbers released in Britain indicate staggering losses. The Church of England told the Christian Science Monitor that the recession has resulted in a $2.1 billion US loss in its investments.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/22/f-religion-recession-sell-churches.html
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Salvation Army fighting to save services
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 1:29 PM NT
CBC News
The Salvation Army is cutting costs to ensure it can continue to help people through tough economic times.
Last week, the group told congregations across the country to freeze spending on administrative staff. Donations haven't dropped but the Salvation Army believes that as the recession continues it will need to save money wherever it can.
"We're reducing travel expenses, there's a salary freeze for officers, there's a hiring freeze from coast to coast. It allows us to continue spending on programs … which is where the focus should be," said Salvation Army spokesman Andrew Burditt from Toronto on Monday.
The Salvation Army runs social services such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens. As the financial crisis continues, demand for those programs has increased up to 30 per cent in some parts of the country.
Burditt is confident the Salvation Army will survive the economic downturn.
"We've been around in this country for more than 125 years. We've always found a way through numbers of recessions and numbers of difficult periods of time to find a way to make things work and that's, that's the collective that we'll continue to operate with."
Still, Burditt fears the group may not be able to avoid cutting services, if the recession drags on.
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday's Sermon: Romans 5:8
Click the Pict. to read the sermon or visit http://sheepspeak.com/sermons.htm for this and even more sermons.
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Romans 5:8: 'but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.'
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www.sheepspeak.com
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