Daily Bible Verse

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” - 1 John 4:18

Today's passage is from the New International Version, ©2010.-Biblegateway.com

Computer Love: Should Christians Look For Love On Dating Websites?

You’re single and ready to mingle, but wait you’re a Christian... 

So how do you meet other saved singles?  Their not in the clubs and neither are you. Are they at the malls, are they in the schools, or are they in church? Well, what if you don’t see any possible mates in your congregation? Finding a good Christian mate can seem difficult to some, but faint not. Now you can find love online? But, do you think God want’s you to step out on your own? We all know the scripture Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. (NIV)” So what about women who are looking themselves and log onto websites like Match.com, EHarmony.com, or for the sanctified, ChristianMingle.com? Many websites promise to match you with your “perfect” mate through all kinds of tests, color codes, and personality compatibility. But, how safe is it and is this God’s way of bringing single Christians together? We all know that with the internet dating sites, we can never be sure that people are who they claim to be. We also are taking matters into our “own hands” as the below commercial clip suggests. Take a look at the Video clip below and tell us your thoughts. So should Christians look for love on dating websites?  Leave your comments.

Daily Bread: Resolution

February 21, 2011 — by Dave Branon

In May 1884, two young parents disagreed about what middle name to give their newborn son. The mom preferred Solomon; the dad, Shippe—both family names. Because John and Martha couldn’t agree, they compromised on “S.” Thus Harry S. Truman would become the only US president with an initial for a middle name.

Over 120 years later, we still know about this conflict—but we also know that a reasonable resolution was reached.

In the New Testament, we read about another disagreement that has lived on in history. This one was between two missionaries: Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15). Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them on a trip to check on some churches they had helped previously (v.37). But Paul did not trust Mark because of an earlier incident (v.38). Paul and Barnabas disagreed so sharply that they parted ways (v.39).

We still read about this argument 2,000 years later. What’s important is not that it lived on in history, but that it didn’t leave permanent relationship scars. Paul apparently reconciled with Barnabas, and in his final days asked for Mark to be with him because “he is useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).

Arguments happen. But let’s make sure they are resolved. Grudges are a burden too heavy to carry.

Arguments can lead to grudges,
Which, if left, will cause a rift;
But if we bring resolution,
Our relationships won’t drift. —Sper

A grudge is one thing that doesn’t get better when it’s nursed.

Touch Not My Anointed And Do My Prophet No Harm

blog topic from BET-Lift Every Voice

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Just hours after news has broken that Bishop Eddie Long has been named in a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct with 4 young men, the internet is going haywire with commentary and comments.  WHERE DO YOU STAND?  Should we be talking about this or should we simply pray and leave it to the courts?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.  LEAVE A COMMENT. 

Daily Bible Verse

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” - 1 John 4:11-12

Today's passage is from the New International Version, ©2010.-Biblegateway.com

GPCC Twitter Giveaway

Greater Paradise is doing a random drawing for a prize that will be given away on Sunday, February 20th.  To be entered in the drawing all you have to do is follow greaterparadise on Twitter (www.twitter.com/greaterparadise).  You only have 2 more days to sign up in order to be entered to win.  You dont have to be present to win.

Daily Bread: Dreams or Choices?

February 18, 2011 — by Joe Stowell

I’ve received a lot of good advice in my life. Near the top of the list is this wise observation from a friend: “Life is not made by the dreams that you dream but by the choices that you make.”

He’s right—your life today is the sum total of all the choices you’ve made up to this point. The apostle Paul gave similar advice in Philippians 1:10, when he said to “approve the things that are excellent” (1:10). In any given situation, we have a whole continuum of choices—ranging from really rotten choices, to the mediocrity of average choices, to choices that are good, and then to those that are excellent. God wants to move us across the continuum, past our natural impulses, all the way to excellent choices.

Often it’s challenging to make the most excellent choice, especially if there aren’t many others joining us. Sometimes it may feel as if our desires and freedoms have been suppressed. But if you follow Paul’s advice, you’ll notice some really positive outcomes—like being pure and blameless and fruitful (v.11).

Make the choice to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Then revel in the result!

The little choices we must make
Will chart the course of life we take;
We either choose the path of light,
Or wander off in darkest night. —D. De Haan

Make an excellent choice and watch the ripple effect of blessing.

How and why is there an acceptance of same sex marriages in the Body of Christ?

Many churches across America are seeming to be more accepting to the idea of same sex marriages and unions. Surprisingly, the other week a Presbyterian church posted "Support Gay Marriage" on their billboard in North Baltimore. SHOCKED, we had to take a second look to make sure that statement said just what we thought it did.  Years ago, no church would support something so clearly opposed to the Bible. Now, it would appear that churches are siding with the law makers who seek to intergrate the two.

 

The state of Maryland just had hundreds of supporters for both sides swarm the Maryland Senate office buildings on Tuesday Feb. 8, 2011. There were advocates sharing personal anecdotes and opponents issuing warnings as lawmakers considered legislation that would allow gay couples to marry. The majority of senators on the 11-member Judicial Proceedings Committee have co-sponsored the bill, and opponents acknowledged that their efforts would probably not change any minds. It's the first year that the measure has received such support on the panel. Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who opposes gay marriage, assessed the legislation's chance of clearing the full Senate as better than 50-50. Advocates are optimistic that it will pass in the House of Delegates; Gov. Martin O'Malley has said he would sign such a bill. But opponents vowed to fight it. Maryland would be the 6th state to allow same sex marriages should this bill pass. 

 

The Bible clearly states the churches view of marriage between a man and woman in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, 1 Cor. 7:2-3, Genesis 2:24. So why do some churches accept homosexuality? Take a look at the clip below and see how one woman chose to handle her pastor's choice to accept this new concept into her church home. We are 

 suggesting anyone follow her example but HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE HER SITUATION? 

 

Benjamin S. "Ben" Carson, Sr., M.D

     born September 18, 1951      

is an American neurosurgeon and the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Sonya, had dropped out of school in the third grade and married at the age of 13. Carson's father abandoned the family after Sonya discovered he had another wife and kids, leaving his mother to fend for him and his brother. However, his mother insisted that he and his brother Curtis Carson, who is now an engineer, read at least two books a week then proceed to write reports on these books for her. This early education and encouragement shaped Carson's future. After graduating with honors from his high school, he attended Yale University, where he earned a degree in Psychology. From Yale, he attended University of Michigan Medical School, where his interest shifted from psychiatry to neurosurgery. Carson's excellent hand-eye coordination and three-dimensional reasoning skills made him a gifted surgeon.^{[citation needed]} After medical school he became a neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. At age 32, he became the hospital's youngest Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

In 1987, Carson made medical history by being the first surgeon in the world to successfully separate twins (the Binder twins) conjoined at the back of the head (craniophagus twins). Operations to separate twins joined in this way had always failed, resulting in the death of one or both of the infants. Carson agreed to undertake the operation. The 70-member surgical team, led by Carson, worked for 22 hours. At the end, the twins were successfully separated and can now survive independently. Carson's other surgical innovations have included the first intrauterine procedure to relieve pressure on the brain of a hydrocephalic fetal twin, and a hemispherical, in which a young girl suffering from uncontrollable seizures had one half of her brain removed.

Daily Bible Verse

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” - Romans 8:35,37

Today's passage is from the New International Version, ©2010.-Biblegateway.com

Daily Bread: Buried Treasure

Growing up in rural Missouri where American outlaw Jesse James (1847–1882) had lived, my friends and I were convinced he had buried treasure nearby. We wandered the woods in dreamy hopes of digging up a saddlebag or other treasure. Often we’d run into an elderly man chopping firewood with a giant axe. For years, we watched this mysterious “axe man” trudge the highways in search of soda cans, his own kind of treasure. Redeeming the cans for cash, he’d retire to his run-down, roofless, unpainted shack with a bottle in a brown paper bag. After his death, his family found bundles of money stored in his ramshackle home.
Like the axe man who ignored his treasure, we Christians sometimes ignore parts of Scripture. We forget that all of Scripture is ours to use; that each passage has a reason for its inclusion in the canon. Who knew Leviticus held so much buried treasure? In an efficient seven verses in chapter 19, God teaches us how to provide for the poor and disabled without stripping them of their dignity (vv.9-10,14), how to run our businesses ethically (vv.11,13,15), and how to embed respect for Him into our daily life (v.12).
If a few verses can contain so much treasure, think of all that can be ours if we dig into our Bibles every day.

For Further Study
Mine the treasure in Leviticus 19, and then search
for more treasure in other parts of Leviticus to put into
practice in your Christian walk.

Every word in the Bible was placed with a purpose; any part you’ve not read is your buried treasure.

Testimony Tuesday

Share a Testimony with us today. 

Leave it in our comments to bless someone. 

Doesn't matter how big or small. 

Just give God the glory!

A Christian testimony is a simple story of how your life was and is being changed through the power of God. Many people have the misconception that it is a once in a lifetime type of thing but our stories should be evolving with new and exciting things. If God is working in and through you, you will have some amazing testimonies to share.

God tends to use these life stories in two ways. First of all, by sharing how God is working in your life, you can inspire others to draw closer to the Lord. God also uses the act of preparing your Christian testimony to help you to reflect on what He has done for you. God usually uses it to point you to areas of your life that you need to work on. Many times we find that we are carrying burdens from the past that God wants us to lay at the feet of Jesus. This is a valuable tool that God places on the table to assist you in growing in your faith.

Most people are intimidated by the thought of giving a testimony. We are told, in the Bible, to be prepared to give an answer as to the reason for our hope. We are also given examples of how it is done. One of those examples is in the book of John chapter 9. This is a story of a man that was born blind. Jesus healed him on the sabbath and the Pharisees investigated the "crime".

We see that the blind man gave them a simple answer. He didn't get into an argument over religious doctrine. He merely gave them a three part answer.

Those three parts are: (1) how he was (2) how he is (3) how he was changed. He simply stated that he was born blind, Jesus healed him, and now he could see.

**NOTE** If you cannot look back and see a point where you were changed, you should examine yourself to see if you have truly met Jesus.

That is what we are also called to be prepared to do. The easiest way to be prepared to do it is to write it down. It also is helpful to remind us to be thankful for what Jesus has done for us. Start with prayer and just write down the three parts. Then continue in prayer and refine it and rehearse sharing it. That is what being prepared is all about.

Finally, look for opportunities to share it because it gets easier and easier. You can also come here and share it with the world. It may point someone to the savior and there is nothing better than that. If you wish, you can also put it on video and share it with the world.

Black History Month: Althea Gibson

The first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand Slam title

Tennis, which first came to the United States in the late 19th century, by the middle of the 20th century had become part of a culture of health and fitness. Public programs brought tennis to children in poor neighborhoods, though those children couldn't dream of playing in the elite tennis clubs.

One young girl named Althea Gibson lived in Harlem in the 1930s and 1940s. Her family was on welfare. She was a client of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She had trouble in school and was often truant. She ran away from home frequently. .

She also played paddle tennis in public recreation programs. Her talent and interest in the game led her to win tournaments sponsored by the Police Athletic Leagues and the Parks Department. Musician Buddy Walker noticed her playing table tennis, and thought she might do well in tennis. He brought her to the Harlem River Tennis Courts, where she learned the game and began to excel.

The young Althea Gibson became a member of the Harlem Cosmopolitan Tennis Club, a club for African American players, through donations raised for her membership and lessons. By 1942 Gibson had won the girls' singles event at the American Tennis Association's New York State Tournament. (The American Tennis Association - ATA - was an all-black organization, providing tournament opportunities not otherwise available to African American tennis players.) In 1944 and 1945 she again won ATA tournaments.

Then Gibson was offered an opportunity to develop her talents more fully: a wealthy South Carolina businessman opened his home to her and supported her in attending an industrial high school, while studying tennis privately. From 1950, she furthered her education, attending Florida A&M University, where she graduated in 1953. Then, in 1953, she became an athletic instructor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Gibson won the ATA women's singles tournament ten years in a row, 1947 through 1956. But tennis tournaments outside the ATA remained closed to her, until 1950. In that year white tennis player Alice Marble wrote an article in American Lawn Tennis magazine, noting that this excellent player was not able to participate in the better-known championships, for no reason other than "bigotry."

And so later that year, Althea Gibson entered the Forest Hills, New York, national grass court championship, the first African American player of either sex to be allowed to enter.

Gibson then became the first African American invited to enter the all-England tournament at Wimbledon, playing there in 1951. She entered other tournaments, though at first winning only minor titles outside the ATA. In 1956, she won the French Open. In the same year, she toured worldwide as a member of a national tennis team supported by the U.S. State Department.

She began winning more tournaments, including at the Wimbledon women's doubles. In 1957 she won the women's singles and doubles at Wimbledon. In celebration of this American win -- and her achievement as an African American -- New York City greeted her with a ticker tape parade. Gibson followed up with a win at Forest Hills in the women's singles tournament.

In 1958 she again won both Wimbledon titles and repeated the Forest Hills women's singles win. Her autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody,came out in 1958. In 1959 she turned pro, winning the women's professional singles title in 1960. She also began playing professional women's golf and she appeared in several films.

Althea Gibson served from 1973 on in various national and New Jersey positions in tennis and recreation. Among her honors:

• 1971 - National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame
• 1971 - International Tennis Hall of Fame
• 1974 - Black Athletes Hall of Fame
• 1983 - South Carolina Hall of Fame
• 1984 - Florida Sports Hall of Fame

In the mid 1990s, Althea Gibson suffered from serious health problems including a stroke, and also struggled financially though many efforts at fund-raising helped ease that burden. She died on Sunday, September 28, 2003, but not before she knew of the tennis victories of Serena and Venus Williams.

Other African American tennis players like Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters followed Gibson, though not quickly. Althea Gibson's achievement was unique, as the first African American of either sex to break the color bar in national and international tournament tennis at a time when prejudice and racism were far more pervasive in society and sports.

source-http://womenshistory.about.com/od/gibsonalthea/a/althea_gibson.htm

Daily Bible Verse

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - 1 John 4:10

Today's passage is from the New International Version, ©2010.-Biblegateway.com

Should Christians Celebrate Valentine's Day?

Flowers, chocolates, and cards are some of the gifts given during Valentine's day to show someone how much you care about them.  Have you ever wondered how Valentine's day came about?  Below is a video that will give you a brief history lesson.  Should Christians celebrate Valentine's Day when it really the origins of a pagan holiday? Is it a harmless tradition?  Please leave your comments and let us know what you think.

 

Black History Month: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass adopted Feburary 14th as his birthday.

Frederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in February 1818. He was born on a farm on Lewiston Road, Tuckahoe, near Easton, in Talbot County, Maryland.   Frederick was the son of an unknown white father, and Harriet Bailey a slave who was a part African and Native American. Frederick was born a slave on the great plantation owned by the Lloyd family. At times, they referred to him as Frederick Lloyd. When he was eight years old, he was separated from his mother and never saw her again.

As a child, Frederick was legally classified as real estate or property rather than as a human being. He experienced much neglect and cruel treatment, and hard work brought on by the tyranny toward slaves. Resistance by slaves usually resulted in even more cruel treatment. However, in Frederick’s case it paid off. By fighting back toward his cruel master, Colonel Lloyd, and following a failed escape attempt, he was sent to Baltimore as a house servant at the age of eight. In Baltimore he learned to read and write with the assistance of his mistress, although was mostly self-taught. Having now learned to read and write he soon began to conceive of his freedom. Frederick was fortunate in that the Lloyd family often would severely whip slaves who were hard to manage or who tried to escape, then sent them to Baltimore, only to be sold to a slave trader, as a warning to all other slaves.

In search of a new career, Frederick read Garrison’s Liberator, and in 1841 attended a convention of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket. One of the attending abolitionists overheard Douglass speaking with some of his black friends. Impressed, this man asked Douglass to speak at the convention. Although reluctant, he did so, and although he stammered, his speech had a remarkable effect. As a result, and to his surprise, they immediately employed him as an agent to the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, and a new career was born.

In his new position, he participated in the Rhode Island campaign against the new constitution that proposed the disfranchisement of blacks, which denied them the right of citizenship and the vote. He was the main figure in the famous "One-Hundred Conventions," of the New England Anti-Slavery Society. Here he was mobbed and beaten and forced to ride in "Jim Crow" cars and denied overnight accommodations. ("Jim Crow" refers to the "legal" repression of slavery or segregation). Yet through this all, he remained and saw the planned program to the end.

Douglass went on to establish his newspaper, the North Star, and published it for seventeen years. Furthermore, he lectured, was a supporter of woman suffrage, took an active part in politics, and helped Harriet Beecher Stowe establish an industrial school for black youth. He also met with John Brown, and counseled him. Upon Brown’s arrest, the Governor of Virginia attempted to arrest Douglass as a conspirator. To avoid arrest, Douglass fled to Canada, then England and Scotland, where he again lectured.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, additional opportunities came his way, by which he passionately fought against slavery as its major cause. He assisted in convincing black men to join the Union army, and he helped in recruiting for the 54th Massachusetts colored regiment, offering his own sons as the first recruits. Twice during the war, President Lincoln invited him to the White House to discuss important matters concerning the black soldiers in the Union Army.

Following the Civil War in 1877, Douglass was appointed as United States Marshall for the District of Columbia by President Hayes, and in 1881, President Garfield appointed him Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia.

On June 22, 1894, Douglass gave an address at the Sixth Annual Commencement of a Colored High School in Baltimore, Maryland. In his address, Douglass said:  

"The colored people of this country have, I think, made a great mistake, of late, in saying so much of race and color as a basis of their claims to justice, and as the chief motive of their efforts and action. I have always attached more importance to manhood than to mere identity with any variety of the human family..." "We should never forget that the ablest and most eloquent voices ever raised in behalf of the black man’s cause were the voices of white men. Not for race, not for color, but for men and for manhood they labored, fought, and died. Away, then, with the nonsense that a man must be black to be true to the rights of black men."