Child Labour

Food for Prayer:

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work in developing countries-at least 120 million on a full time basis.

Child labour ranges from four-year-olds tied to rug looms to keep them from running away, to seventeen-year-olds helping out on the family farm. In some cases, a child's work can be helpful to him or her and to the family; working and earning can be a positive experience in a child's growing up. This depends largely on the age of the child, the conditions in which the child works, and whether work prevents the child from going to school.

more at: http://www.hrw.org/children/labor.htm

Continuing a thread ...

The unforgivable sin:

Though not necessarily the point of the parable often referred to as 'the parable of the prodigal son', one might say that it relates to our discussion on this subject. The son left the father. The son came back to the Father. The Father accepted him. The Father did not drag the son back against his will. The son chose repentance and so can you, me, or anyone who has voluntarily strayed.

Just another thought on this topic prompted by our inter-session class here on hermeneutics.

Click the text reference to read the parable in its entirety: Luke 15:11-31 , Luke 15

The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Sin Nature

"If Paul we're here today and we were to ask him about the 'sin nature', he
would probably say that there is nothing natural about sin..." - Dr. R. Jeal

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Fundamentals of Faith

"The Fundamental central notion of the New Testament of the Christian Faith
is the Resurrection: Jesus is alive!"
"If he is still dead why are you wasting your time?" - Dr. R. Jeal

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

People of the Book

From the Koran:

"Unbelievers are those who declare: 'God is the Messiah, the son of Mary.'
Say: 'Who could prevent God, if He so willed from destroying the Messiah,
the son of Mary, his mother, and all people of the earth?" 5:15, The Koran
(The Table).

Question: Are we really all people of the book and servants of the same
God - Jews, Muslims, and Christians - or is Jesus the ONLY way to the
Father?

This question, like my others, is a legitimate one meant to open discussion.
I think particularly of a couple of Friends of mine, with whom I used to
enjoy hours of theological discussions before we were separated by oceans
and continents, who happen to be of the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

New Challenges

1) I have been trying to make this blog somewhat controversial - as well as
reflective - this time around in order to draw more readers and encourage
conversation. The problem is this: I am returning to full-time studies
on-top of our ministry here today; so, I hope that I will be able to keep it
up - and I pray that I do not alienate anyone (through my handling of the
issues in the blog)in the process!

2) I have spoken with a number of old friends over the Christmas break. One
couple is pregnant (on purpose, Yeah!), another couple are struggling under
attack as they serve the Lord where they are at the moment, a third may be
re-entering the world of internet and/or gaming addiction. So, if anyone
would like to remember couples one and two and person number three in prayer
at this time, I would greatly appreciate it

Michael

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

What is an Officer?

What is an Officer?

Orders  & Regulations, vol. 1, p.11 defines officers as:

"...soldiers who have relinquished secular employment in response to a spiritual calling, so as to devote all of their time and energies to the service of God and the people and who, having successfully completed the required period of training, are commissioned as officers and ordained as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ"

Personally, I understand it as serving God with all my heart, mind, body and soul within the Salvation Army. I understand an officer to be a representative of God and the Army. So, as much as possible, an officer will line up his actions with the will of God, the Bible and the Army's teaching. Leadership should be beyond reproach and given that the Church is made up of a Priesthood of believers, one of the officer's primary objectives should be equipping others to do just that. 

I understand that an officer is not necessarily merely (or even) a 'church pastor'. I realize that the Salvation Army has a number of services for the glory of God. (From the moment I began the Renew Network and 3 R's Tutoring Programme for the Salvation Army and continuing now, I have had an opportunity to interview officers with a wealth of different experiences within the Army). I understand that it is an officer's duty (as with all Christians) to fulfil the Great Commission and make disciples of all people and to win the world for Christ starting in your assignment within your giftedness.

Whole article: http://www.renewnetwork.net/introtoofficershipcourse.htm#My%20Call%20to%20Officership

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

---
Cadet Michael Ramsay
Herald of the Good News
The Salvation Army's Renew Network
www.renewnetwork.net

 

An awesome responsibility

Canadians, the Lord has given you an awesome responsibility: you are to evaluate the performance of your local political representative over the next couple of weeks and if (s)he has done something worthy of dismissal, you are to assist in hiring a suitable replacement.

Don't forget to pray over the names of the people in  your riding. Don't be ignorant. Be Berean instead. The Lord has entrusted us with a great responsibility here so do this, as everything, as for the Lord.

Find the candidates in your riding: http://www.elections.ca/home.asp?textonly=false%20
Check out the political parties registered in this election on-line: http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&document=index&dir=par&lang=e&textonly=false
Quiz yourself: Try this quiz to see the political party's leader with whom you most identify: http://www.votebyissue.org/cbc/

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Climate change a spiritual crisis says WCC

"We would like to light a candle" is how a World Council of Churches (WCC) statement to the UN climate change conference in Montreal, Canada, begins. The statement affirms that climate change is not only a technological, economic and ecological crisis but also a spiritual one.

The statement is to be delivered on 9 December at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the First Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol by WCC climate change programme coordinator Dr David G. Hallman.

The statement, and the [non-fossil-fuel!] candle, will celebrate the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, and evoke "the pain and disaster already suffered in various regions due to climate change". It will signal that "time is running out" for negotiating equitable and sustainable targets for post-2012 when the present protocol expires.

The candle will also symbolize "that what we suffer from is not simply a technological, economic or ecological crisis, but a spiritual crisis". It is for this reason that the statement includes a spiritual declaration on climate change drafted by faith community participants at the conference.

The declaration was circulated at an inter-faith ceremony attended by up to 1000 people at St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal on 4 December. In an earlier statement in support of WCC work on this issue, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I defined climate change as a "profoundly moral and spiritual problem".

The WCC has been working on climate change ever since 1990, when this was identified by the scientific community as one of the most threatening social and ecological issues of our times, affecting creation as a whole.

Representatives from over 180 countries are meeting in Montreal to negotiate the future of action on climate change. The talks are primarily about next steps in implementing the Kyoto Protocol, including resources needed by developing nations for adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The parties are attempting to start a process of negotiation for a climate policy framework that will be needed once the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The full text of the WCC statement and spiritual call is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/climatechange-cop11.html

The 12 August statement by HH Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the WCC working group on climate change is available at:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/climatechange-bartholomew-2.html

More information about the conference and ecumenical involvement on the Kairos Canada website:
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/ecology/climateChange/copmop/index.asp

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

---

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.