The Encounter [October 24]

Date: This Sunday, October 24th
Time: 7-10pm
Location: Hope Christian Church (6251 Ammendale Rd, Beltsville, MD)
Admission: FREE!

If you're in the DC area, please be sure to check out The Encounter. It's an amazing event hosted by Brandon Camphor and One Way on the 4th Sunday of the month to unite young adult believers, worship God and promote righteous living. At each gathering a topic is highlighted through discussion and various performances.

Transitioning from last month's topic of "Intimacy & Relationships", BC and One Way are introducing this month's topic of "Relationships: Do You Know Him?"

Special Guests include:

-Brittney Wright
-Danton Whitley
-Brandon Camphor & 1Way
and More...

You don't wanna miss it!!

The Levitical Consortium in concert: A Tribute to Walter Hawkins

The Music Ministry of the Sharon Baptist Church
in association with Darnita Hassell Ministries Present

“A Special Gift; The Music of Walter Hawkins”
An evening to honor one of history’s greatest composers and to benefit
...The Walter Hawkins Memorial Foundation

With a Special guest appearance on behalf of his late Brother and The Walter Hawkins Memorial Foundation, by the Father of African - American Contemporary Gospel,
"Edwin Hawkins"

Monday October 18, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
The Sharon Baptist Church
3955 Conshohocken Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131
215-473-3000
www.sharonbc.org
Bishop Keith W. Reed, Senior Pastor

For those who missed Jaeson Ma & the 1040 Screening

Hey guys. UPenn's Jaeson Ma screening went exceptionally well on thursday. Below is a student's personal blog recap about the night. In addition, you will find the video of both the musical introduction by Jaeson Ma, the sermon that followed the 1040 Movie along with the prayer and performances by three Christian rap artists.

1040 Movie Screening BLOG TESTIMONIAL

Blessed be His name. Just got rocked at Jaeson Ma's "1040" screening. Was truly an inspirational evening. I felt what was more significant was the fact that I was absolutely exhausted. Yet I sucked it up, and went to this event, knowing it would last several hours. I'm not gunna lie, but I was seriously tempted into skipping the event to catch up on some sleep. But the moment I stepped foot into the auditorium, I knew I made the right choice. This is just a testament to the true power of God. He takes us at such a fragile moment in our lives--when we're at the breaking point, when we're tired and weak, when we feel as if we have nothing significant to offer--and radically moves in us, speaks in us, and motivates us to answer our true calling. After the event ended, I just felt so refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited about what God's about to do in my life. I think two things really struck me tonight: China and Government/Law.
As of lately (I don't know why) I've been feeling that my heart was being drawn towards China and the Chinese people. Tonight just confirmed what my heart felt. I now truly feel that there is a REAL PURPOSE in my education. I don't want to just go through the motions anymore. At times I felt that the things I learned in school wouldn't really serve a significant purpose in the future. Boy was I wrong. Jaeson's message really stirred in me some crazy emotions...something that I just can't express in words--there's such peace in my heart that what I'm investing in my education right now WILL pay off in the end. Everything has a purpose. Everything is for a greater purpose.
Tonight was a great night, spent with great people, speaking about great things.

FOR VIDEOS OF THIS EVENT see below

[GUEST BLOG] For Your Glory, I Will do Anything

Check the following guest blog from Nifesmi Olojde

On my way to work this morning, I was listening to a song called “For Your Glory” [click HERE]. 

The lyrics are:

Verse

Lord if I Find favor in your sight

Lord please hear my hearts cry

Desperately waiting to be where you are

I’ll Cross the hottest dessert

I’ll Travel near or far

Chorus:

For your glory

I will do anything

Just to see you

To behold you as my king

Verse 2:

I want to be where you are

I got to be where you are

As I listened to these lyrics, I couldn’t help but think about my own life and whether I was truly living for God’s glory. You might ask, what exactly is God’s glory? What is this glory that is worth laying everything down for? What is this glory that is worth more than anything that this world could ever offer? The word glory signifies honor, renown, and that which renders honorable, or demands honor, or reverence adoration, and worship.

Jaeson Ma + 1040 Movie Streaming

Beijing Blocks Travelers To Christian Conference

In light of what God is doing in China and the anticipation of tonight's 1040 Movie screening, it is so interesting to find the following report by NPR today [article here: Beijing/Christians]. Please read below:

Beijing Blocks Travelers To Christian Conference

A massive global evangelical gathering known as the Lausanne Congress will begin Oct. 16 in Cape Town, South Africa. But it looks likely to take place without the participation of more than 230 Chinese delegates.

So far, at least 11 people planning to attend have been forbidden to leave China, and many others have come under pressure. Many fear Beijing is moving to exert control over underground Christians.

 

Church elder Abraham Liu Guan
was turned back at Beijing airport customs
and blocked from attending a global
evangelical gathering in Cape Town,
South Africa.



Christianity in China is flourishing, with tens of millions of Christians openly worshiping. Many gather in private assemblies, or house churches, rather than in the official government church, known as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The authorities have largely turned a blind eye in the past.

But when a grouping of house churches decided to send some 200 delegates to attend the Lausanne Congress, the government stepped in.

Abraham Liu Guan is a church elder who tried to leave Sunday for the meeting with six others. Authorities warned him not to meet NPR, but in a phone interview he explained what happened at Beijing airport customs. "The border defense people said they'd received a notice from the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. It said our participation in this meeting threatened state security, and they should not let us pass customs," Guan said.

Son of a Gun [R-Swift]

Son of a Gun by Rapzilla

My good brother Joshua Toala is back, producing the above R-Swift track, recently released. Check it out & share your thoughts.

Passing The Torch [October 14&15]

Passing The Torch is a two-day conference designed to encourage and inspire young people to really pursue God wholeheartedly. Some veterans who have been walking with God for many years will be teaching us and, in a sense,"passing the torch" to the younger generation.

So if you're in the DC area then you definitely want to be there. This event is completely FREE!

To register for this free event click [HERE].

I'M BLIND

These my boys. Shout out to Philly & the great Glory of the Lord being the displayed in the lives of Da Union. They go HARD in the paint if i might quote my man Joshua Bennett. Walking in 1 Timonthy 4:12

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

As Christians we are called to blind. So idk about you, but I'm blind. HOLLA

Check the video below:

Greetings from S. Korea!

HALLELUJAH! All Praise and Glory to our Father in Heaven.

Hello, from S. Korea! This is my first entry on this blog, so I shall introduce myself.  Hi, brothers and sisters! My name is Alina Kim.  I'm a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, and I'm currently at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea as an exchange student.  It would take me days and pages to describe how good God has been during my stay here and the amazing things that He is doing in S. Korea right now, but hopefully, my little snippets will give you a glimpse of how He is moving in this nation!
God's placed me in New Philadelphia Church (http://newphiladelphiachurch.com/), a church on fire for the Lord that desires for heaven to touch the earth as we, as a church, intercede for this nation.  God has placed on our hearts the issue of North Korea, and so each week, we pray that the walls surrounding N Korea may be broken, that His people may rise in that place, and His light be shone and His name glorified in that persecuted nation! Hallelujah.  Although not a huge church (New Philly's congregation is of little less than 200 people), God's anointed this church to build up prayer warriors and to be a part of establishing His kingdom in this nation.  New Philly's most recent church plant in Itaewon, Seoul holds Sunday service in a bar, in an area that we call "Hooker Hill"!... that the church may truly live out its calling to be the light in the darkness!  God is moving, and I know that He is going to move in amazing ways this coming semester-- lives will be transformed for the Lord! Hallelujah. 
This past weekend, a couple good friends that I met during my missions trip to China last year came to Korea, and we met up on Sunday for church and to just catch up on life.  They flew in from China, where they committed to serving for at least another year, and they just went back yesterday.  The stories that I heard about their stay there were mind-blowing...Daddy's moving in China!!
Because there's been so much going on, I've only been able to give glimpses of what is happening (sorry!), but I would greatly appreciate it if you can keep me and Korea in your prayers!.. that His people here would be obedient to the work that God is doing around us, that we would have the eyes to see and the ears to hear Him, that we would be the light in this nation that is so hungry for power and materialistic things, that we would walk with greater faith and boldness, and that only the Lord's name may be glorified in this country until His return.
Thanks!


extra:
A CALL TO GOSPEL-CENTERED REPENTANCE

A call for Gospel-centered Repentance from Solus Christus on Vimeo.
this is a video that I came across several months ago, but just wanted to share on this blog. :)

Your sister,
Alina

1040 Movie Intro. Jaeson Ma @ Penn

Check out the introduction to the last 1040 movie screening at the University of Pennsylvania in April 2010:

Hello by Champion

Glory to the Lamb

For those who are ready & willing to worship, let this take you into the presence of the one true & living God.  Be blessed & stay encouraged.

WE NEED THE GLORY OF THE LORD

What is a Christian?

I was christened as a baby and have been to church a few times. Does that make me a Christian?

Being a Christian is not like being a member of a club, it is not about what you do or wear or coming to church and that being enough. Being a Christian is about what you believe and where you put your trust. 

I tell the odd white lie but I am not too bad. Surely I will go to heaven?

Jesus said, No-one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:18) Gods standards are perfection and none of us match up to that which means that we are faced with a problem. If Gods standards for getting into heaven are perfection, and we are not perfect - we cant get to heaven on our own.

Wont I get to heaven anyway, no matter what I believe?

Jesus Christ said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14: 6) So it is not just about having a faith in something or anything. It matters who you believe in. You will get to heaven by believing in Christ and him alone as the one who died to pay for our mistakes, our lack of perfection.

Ok, I believe that God exists, but I am not sure what I think about Jesus.That is alright though isnt it?

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome he said, If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. (Romans 10: 9) Jesus is Gods Son and he is the one who reveals to all of us what God is like and it is by trusting in him that we are rescued.

But Christianity is just a set of rules and regulations. That doesnt sound like fun!

Actually, Christianity isnt about what we do but about what has already been done for us.

Lots of other religions burden you with what you have to do, how often you have to pray, but we dont have to do, we have to trust and believe.

Jesus Christ, who was perfect, offered his life as a sacrifice in our place, so that we can get to heaven. We who are not perfect can do nothing but trust in Christ and believe that his death has rescued us.

Why cant I do what I want now and think about this later on?

In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus tells the story of a man who has a plentiful harvest and stores up great wealth for himself. All he thinks about is how he will spend his money and increase his wealth further.

But God says to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? (Luke 12:20)

The man was so concerned with living a comfortable life on earth that he wasnt prepared for what would happen when he died he left it too late.

We can be encouraged that God is patiently waiting for those to turn to him, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) but none of us should leave it too late like the rich fool.

The church doesnt have a great history, and doesnt seem to be very tolerant. Why should I come along?

Yes some people in the church have made mistakes in the past and we should be ashamed of some of our history but dont let that put you off coming to church now.

The church that God wants is a united church, where members love and respect one another but most of all a church that loves God and is grateful for his rescue through Jesus Christ. Believers are trying to be that church together. The most important thing is to not be concerned with other people but think about where you stand before God.

So what is a Christian then?

God created a perfect world and created us to look after the world for him but we werent happy with that and wanted to have his knowledge and power. This created a problem. Our relationship with God and with each other was then broken and death entered the world.

This is a bad situation but it is not the end of the story. Enter Jesus, Gods Son. He lived a perfect life but he was put to death, to die, like a criminal, on a cross. Why did he die when he was perfect? He died in our place, to pay the price for our rebellion against God and so that we could be forgiven.

But three days later Jesus was raised to life. This shows us that death is not the end, and that we can have new life in Christ. A Christian is someone who believes and accepts this and continues to trust in Christ each day.