Two Bombs Explode Near Churches in Jos, Nigeria

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• Two Bombs Explode Near Churches in Jos, Nigeria
• Question of the week: Christians and debt
• Church in Florida uses Dr. Seuss stories to share the Gospel with kids
• Bible League International, WBTC merge to bolster global Bible translation, distribution

Two Bombs Explode Near Churches in Jos, Nigeria Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:26 PM PDT JOS, Nigeria, August 2 (Compass Direct News) – Security officials are trying to determine suspects and motives for two weekend bomb explosions in predominantly Muslim areas of Jos where three churches and the residences of Islamic sect leaders are located. The explosions led many Christians to remain indoors on Sunday (July 31). One bomb exploded on Saturday night (July 30) in the Angwan Rimi area of Jos near a Baptist Church building no longer in use because of previous damage by Muslim extremists. A second bomb exploded early Sunday morning near a Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) building on Sarkin Mangu Street and an Assemblies of God sanctuary in the Kwarrarafa Area, according to police reports obtained by Compass. No one was hurt in either of the explosions. Prominent Islamic leaders residing in the area of the Sunday morning blast include Sheik Balarabe Dawud, chief imam of Jos Central Mosque, and Sheik Sani Yahaya, leader of the Izala Islamic sect. The churches near both blasts are located in areas that are predominantly Muslim because of displacement of Christians during religious conflict earlier this year. Christians have been forced to relocate to safer areas of the city. Fears that large-scale violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram sect would seize Nigeria at the end of July, on the two-year anniversary of the death of the group’s leader, were not borne out. The explosion on Saturday (July 30), from a bomb disguised as an empty can of groundnut oil, occurred in an area of Jos where Sheikh Saidu Hassan, deputy leader of the Izala Islamic sect, lives. The bomb exploded in the Angwan Rimi area at about 9:30 p.m., according to police. An incident report obtained by Compass at the Angwar Rogo police station states that the bomb caused no death or injury but shattered the windows of a parked taxi. The explosions occurred a week after five persons were killed in violence that broke out on July 26 between Muslims and Christians in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos.   “Five people have been confirmed dead and 12 seriously injured,” said Capt. Charles Ekeocha, spokesman of the Special Task Force of a Special Military Operation in Jos to restore peace. The Angwan Rukuba area became a hotbed of violence in Jos following multiple bomb explosions there last Christmas Eve. The bombs went off in three different locations in the area, killing over 100 Christians and injuring many others. Security agencies confirmed they were planted by members of the Boko Haram sect.   Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni, commissioner of police for Plateau state, called for calm over the explosions and said police were working hard to discover those responsible.

Question of the week: Christians and debt Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:55 AM PDT Question: “What does the Bible say about a Christian going into debt?” Answer: Paul’s charge to us in Romans 13:8 to owe nothing but love is a powerful reminder of God’s distaste for all forms of debt that are not being paid in a timely manner (see also Psalm 37:21). At the same time, the Bible does not explicitly command against all forms of debt. The Bible warns against debt, and extols the virtue of not going into debt, but does not forbid debt. The Bible has harsh words of condemnation for lenders who abuse those who are bound to them in debt, but it does not condemn the debtor. Some people question the charging of any interest on loans, but several times in the Bible we see that a fair interest rate is expected to be received on borrowed money (Proverbs 28:8; Matthew 25:27). In ancient Israel the Law did prohibit charging interest on one category of loans—those made to the poor (Leviticus 25:35-38). This law had many social, financial, and spiritual implications, but two are especially worth mentioning. First, the law genuinely helped the poor by not making their situation worse. It was bad enough to have fallen into poverty, and it could be humiliating to have to seek assistance. But if, in addition to repaying the loan, a poor person had to make crushing interest payments, the obligation would be more hurtful than helpful. Second, the law taught an important spiritual lesson. For a lender to forego interest on a loan to a poor person would be an act of mercy. He would be losing the use of that money while it was loaned out. Yet that would be a tangible way of expressing gratitude to God for His mercy in not charging His people “interest” for the grace He has extended to them. Just as God had mercifully brought the Israelites out of Egypt when they were nothing but penniless slaves and had given them a land of their own (Leviticus 25:38), so He expected them to express similar kindness to their own poor citizens. Christians are in a parallel situation. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has paid our sin debt to God. Now, as we have opportunity, we can help others in need, particularly fellow believers, with loans that do not escalate their troubles. Jesus even gave a parable along these lines about two creditors and their attitude toward forgiveness (Matthew 18:23-35). The Bible neither expressly forbids nor condones the borrowing of money. The wisdom of the Bible teaches us that it is usually not a good idea to go into debt. Debt essentially makes us a slave to the one who provides the loan. At the same time, in some situations going into debt is a “necessary evil.” As long as money is being handled wisely and the debt payments are manageable, a Christian can take on the burden of financial debt if it is absolutely necessary. Recommended Resources: How to Manage Your Money: An In-Depth Bible Study On Personal Finances by Larry Burkett The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey.

Church in Florida uses Dr. Seuss stories to share the Gospel with kids Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:44 AM PDT A church in Florida is using the stories of Dr. Seuss as trigger points for biblical lessons in its Vacation Bible School. The First United Methodist Church in Deltona  is utilizing works by the celebrated author, including How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Yertle the Turtle as tools for evangelism. Nancy Siebert, a leader in the church, got inspiration for the theme after reading Dr. Seuss stories to her children, and from the book, Church Programs and Celebrations for All Generations by Rachel Gilmore. In the case of the Dr. Seuss story, Yertle the Turtle, Siebert saw connections with Mark:10 in the Bible where Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” In the story, Yertle tries to build a tower on the backs of hundreds of turtles so he can be king of all things. However, a small turtle sneezes, the tower collapses and Yertle falls into the mud. Rev. Sandy Parsons approved Siebert’s concept. He told News-Journal, “It’s invigorating the hearts of everyone. We are trying to inspire love, fellowship and the joy of being alive in a community, and celebrating the spirit of God.” It is not uncommon to point out the faith lessons in the stories of Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, although the author himself was not particularly religious. This is because much of the morality in the stories parallel Christian beliefs. Green Eggs and Ham could just as easily be seen from the point of view of evangelism as from that of tasting different food. In the story, Sam I am persistently tries to convince an unnamed character to try the food, and when the character finally does, he leaves a sordid world behind for the delicious Green Eggs and Ham and all those people and places who like it and serve it. The Grinch who stole Christmas It is however in The Grinch who stole Christmas where one can most easily see Christian parallels. The story is about a mean hermit who steals all the Christmas gifts and Christmas food of the Whoville people, but fails to quench their Christmas spirit. Gilmore likens the story to Matthew 10 where Jesus says the two greatest commandments are “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … and the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Gilmore told News-Journal the Grinch story “intrigued [me] by its power to still appeal to multiple generations. That got me looking at other Seuss stories, and the more I re-read some of my childhood favorites, the more I could clearly see theological tie-ins between what I perceive as Seuss’ moral message and what I understand as biblical truths.” Horton Hears a Who Another Dr. Seuss story where Christian parallels are often cited is Horton Hears a Who, where Horton, an elephant, hears voices in the dust, and realizes that an entire population live there (Whoville, who resurfaces in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas). Whoville is in danger, and Horton, who can’t see the Mayor of Who, but who can hear him, tries to protect it. In doing so, he is tormented by Sour Kangaroo, the Wickersham Brothers and Vlad Vladikoff, and is put in a cage by other creatures in the jungle because they can neither see nor hear the Who. “[The] Mayor of Whoville talks to the elephant in the sky. This elephant, who views Whoville as smaller than a speck of dust, protects that dust with his life. This is a direct parallel to Jesus Christ,” Christian writer Nashanta Robinson wrote in The Examiner. Horton is also filled with precious quotes, such as “an elephant’s faithful 100 percent,” and perhaps his most loved quote, “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” Whether or not Seuss intended the latter phrase to parallel the life of the fetus, it does ring well with the value of the life of the unborn child, who is very, very small as an embryo. Several pro-life advocates have pointed this out.

Bible League International, WBTC merge to bolster global Bible translation, distribution Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:44 AM PDT Two Bible organizations have joined forces to maximize on their strengths and expand and consolidate their ministry of bringing the Bible to people all around the world. Bible League International (which has focused on Bible distribution since 1939) and World Bible Translation Center (which has been in operation since 1973) have agreed to merge in order to enhance one another’s strengths and enlarge the ministry’s power in distributing the Bible globally. The merging of these two organizations with complementary strengths is expected to impact largely in fulfilling the Great Commission to ensure that the gospel reaches even the most remote corners of the world. Literacy, digital technology The merge, which is expected to take off next month, will focus on expanding its literacy program globally. It will also enlarge its use of the latest digital delivery technology, which is especially helpful in remote areas of the world. BLI CEO Robert T. Frank said collaborating with other Christian organizations who share the same mission is a direction that will be strongly pursued by the merged organization in the 21st century. “This merger will strengthen operations for both of our ministries, increasing the tools available to reach the three global audiences we share: the poorest of the poor, the persecuted church and those walking in darkness,” Frank said. With the new merge, BLI will work in administration, international relationships, and field networking. WBTC will continue with producing Bible translations that are easy to read, in different languages and dialects. It will also work in the printing and distribution of each Bible translation. In this way, people can better know Jesus and comprehend His life-changing power in their lives. WBTC President Eric Fellman said, “We will do this through Bible translation, training and publishing of Scripture materials so that people prepared by the Holy Spirit will be brought into God’s community through Jesus Christ.” BLI’s Frank will be the Global CEO and WBTC’s Fellman will be president of both agencies. WBTC will be a ministry of BLI. “These are exciting days to be involved in the ministry … there are amazing new opportunities on the horizon, and our partnership with WBTC allows us both to take advantage of these more quickly, to see more hearts transformed by the power of the Gospel.” “God has been leading us into this relationship for many months. We believe His hand is in it, and we look forward to seeing what He will accomplish through our combined efforts,” Fellman said. BLI was founded by William Chapman in 1939. By 1989 it went global and has specialized in bringing the Bible to persecuted people around the world. Some 27 million globally have through its work been led into Bible studies, and five million into church memberships. Its outreach has extended to 700 language groups. WBTC has since 1973 pursued its vision to translate the Bible in a clear and simple way into all the languages of the world. It has distributed over 19 million Bibles and New Testaments, as well has supplied online portions of Scripture, including downloads from the internet, in tens of millions.

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