Tag: God

In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, there is an absence of belief in God. In agnosticism, the existence of God is deemed unknown or unknowable.

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The Success of Marketing via Image-Based Websites

The success of marketing via image-based websites
The success of marketing via image-based websites

First there was MySpace, a fun network that ruled the roost online and captured independent music fans a-plenty. In time, Facebook soon enough came along and blew that old social networking site out of the water and almost off the web. Later, in a near sneak attack, the runaway success of mostly image-based social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest would displace a portion of Facebook’s throne.
The recent major buyouts of various social sites that focused on featuring photos prominently – over and above the words and captions adjacent to them – proved that a picture really is worth 1,000 words, and that loads of pics truly possess the power to draw many eyeballs on the World Wide Web. It is no wonder that many specialized segments of websites using similar layouts and replicated business model designs of these popular image-based sites would also become a hit with users. Take for example  Godinterest.com, a website that looks a whole lot like Pinterest, however, the main focus is in providing the type of image-based content that is popular with Christians, from clothing emblazoned with Scripture to inspirational quote memes to sermon videos and beyond.

Marketing via specialized social network sites

It seems natural that like-minded individuals would want to branch off from the free-for-all types of social networking websites into their own specialized interests where they can bond freely with one another over one centralized topic or theme. Expect that momentum to grow, because no one can deny the power of a viral joke, product, or even a story that has been set on fire by web users sharing it with one another.

Even entrepreneurs that appear on popular television shows such as Shark Tank admit that a lot of their marketing success could be directly attributed to social media websites where one photo has been spread of viral nature, which causes even new companies to experience quite an uptick in sales beyond their wildest imaginations. Such was the circuitous path to stardom for a company called “Grace and Lace,” whose photos of their long, thick lacy socks that extended beyond the tops of boots went viral on Pinterest and exploded the startup firm’s sales.

Therefore, taking advantage of the innate desire folks have to share good and pretty things with one another can become s bih part of a viral marketing campaign that might not cost a ton of money – even if it does take time to “pin” or upload various images to your company’s virtual board. Let’s say you’re a maker of faith-based clothing. One good marketing strategy could mean using a site like Godinterest to both gain exposure to your brand and to try and get buzz going for your line of gear for believers. It could take plenty of sharing, re-tweeting and uploading, however it may take only one interesting image or meme to spread like wildfire across the Internet, and make the time well worth the sacrifice.

This is especially a good method for entrepreneurial individuals who have a whole lot more time than money to throw at their marketing strategy.

Read more:  http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1153261

Sign-up:  https://godinterest.com

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Author Sees Growing Religious Censorship in U.S.

America’s religious believers are facing a growing government push to censor expressions of faith and should prepare to put up a fight, a prominent Christian leader and author told the Family Research Council Tuesday.

Too often, religious beliefs are now regarded as “toxic waste” — something to be contained and kept at bay or underground by official policy,  Dr. James Tonkowich, former president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told the District-based traditional-values organization.

Recent examples include: Houston city officials seeking subpoenas for pastors’ sermons to scrutinize their stands on sexuality; colleges harassing or ejecting Christian ministries from campus for their faith; and courts and officials forcing Christian business owners to participate in same-sex weddings.

Christians and other believers should “recognize that the world is sinful,” expect problems, and prepare to respond with “holiness, virtue and heroism,” said  Mr. Tonkowich, author of “The Liberty Threat: The Assault on Religious Freedom in America Today,” from St. Benedict Press.

Don’t allow “people around us to blow us off as haters or behind the times,” he advised.

But instead be prepared to suffer, even while “taking heart” that God has taken over the world, said  Mr. Tonkowich, who worked with the late Chuck Colson and his BreakPoint Radio and leadership-building Centurions Program.

This article was posted on Jan 3 2013 at Washington Times

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

 

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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

The name Halloween derives from the Roman Catholic holiday All Saints’ Day, The Feast of All Saints, or All Hallows’ Day (hallow means “to make holy” or “consider something sacred”), celebrated on Nov. 1.

All Saints’ Day commemorates the saints who have not been assigned a special day in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The day before All Saints’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve, from which Halloween is derived.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the origin of Halloween goes back to a festival of the Druids, an order of pagan priests in ancient Gaul and Britain, in pre-Christian times: “In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on Oct. 31, at the end of summer.

This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of the herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the process of nature.

The Celtic festival of Samhain, which signaled the commencement of winter, consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1). It remained popular among the Celtic people even after the Christianization of Britain in the fifth century. The Christian church in Britain adapted the feast of Samhain by adding the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day to the festival. Until the eighth century, the Feast of All Saints was celebrated on May 13.

It seems that because the British custom to celebrate All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 had spread to other countries, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) transferred the feast of May 13 to Nov. 1.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia claims the reason was, “because provisions were inadequate for the numerous pilgrims coming to Rome in May,” but it acknowledges that some believe “the November feast originated in Gaul and was immediately adopted in Rome.”

Irish and Scottish immigrants introduced All Hallows’ Eve observances to the United States, and after the massive immigration of the Irish during the potato famine (1845-1852), Halloween became a national festival.

The custom for children to go trick or treating from door to door also goes back to the ancient Druid priests, who would go from house to house demanding food for their own consumption as well as for offerings to their deities. If the people in a home would not provide them with food, they would speak a demonic curse over the home, and, history claims, someone in the family would die within the year.

 

Halloween and its customs have no roots in Scripture or in the Christian church. They are firmly rooted in the occult and in pagan practices. These connections, however, are today forgotten or made light of. Nevertheless, any practice derived from the occult is incompatible with the teachings of Scripture (Leviticus 20:6).

Since many people no longer believe in the existence of a personal devil and his demons, they feel there is no harm in making fun of these “religious relics of the past.” The children are taught that there are no such beings as witches and evil spirits and that it is fun to dress up as ghosts or goblins. The modern denial of the existence of Satan and demonic forces is clearly contrary to Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible affirms the existence of Satan and demonic spirit beings (Genesis 3:1; Job 1:6; Matthew 8:31; Revelation 12:9).

 

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

 

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Godinterest Featured in the Messenger – Journal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Seventh-Day_Adventist_Church_logo.svg(London England 2014) – For those who love the social media site Pinterest but want to share within a Christian environment, Godinterest.co.uk could be a safe, family-friendly Christian alternative. Godinterest.co.uk is a new online photosharing platform, which strives to have Christian content.

It is owned by Dean Jones, a 35-year-old Seventh-day Adventist project manager from London. According to him: ‘We are a Christian social networking website and are mindful of the values that Christians are bound by.’ This Christian alternative to Pinterest was created to allow people to post photos within a Christian environment that disallows ill-mannered language and distasteful images. Jones said, ‘Pinterest in no doubt one of the leading social media sites that allow users to share things they like, largely through images. However, the posts on Pinterest are not always guaranteed to be family friendly.

Godinterest.co.uk is a platform for sharing and discovering that we hope will provide an additional cushion of safety. It’s a beautiful and fun way to capture and share God’s world in moments with friends and family. Free registration includes access to all of the website’s features, including sharing images with friends and following friends’ updates.

Continue reading “Godinterest Featured in the Messenger – Journal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church”

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Coffee with God

ALLOW GOD TO SPEAK TO YOU?

In the quiet, allow God to speak to you (you might want to write your thoughts down in a journal) and if you want to, let us know how daily Bible study and ‘Coffee with God’ is helping to impact your life.

BE GRATEFUL.

It’s really simple. What is one thing today you are really grateful for? What is another? If you can list 3 things a day, you’ll see you have much more going for you than you thought. Soon your list will get so long you’ll be beaming with energy.

All images are under copyright ©  Laurent Nivalle

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Getting started with Godinterest Community

Getting started

Let’s walk through the basics.

Create account:   Accounts can be created and accessed by linking Godinterest to  Facebook,  Twitter  or Linkedin profiles.  You can also signup using a valid email address.

To create an account on the web:

  1. Go to http://my.godinterest.com  and find the sign up box, or go directly to  http://my.godinterest.com/sign-up.  
  2. Enter your  full name,  and a  password.
  3. Click  Sign up for Godinterest.
  4. In order to verify your account, we will send you an account activation email message with a link.  Click on this to authorize your account.
  5. Once you’ve clicked  Sign up for Godinterest, you can login, click on your username at the top tight  hand side of the page, scroll down to settings and select a  username  (usernames are unique identifiers on Godinterest) — type your own. We’ll tell you if the username you want is available.
  6. Double-check  your name, password, and username.

Login:  You can then log in using your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin account, or you can just use your email address.

Posts: It all begins with a Post. Most posts you see on Godinterest links back to the site it came from, so you can learn more.

  1. Click on the the “+” button at the top of the page to upload a image or file, post a link to a website or video or simply start a new topical conversation. Pick an image to upload, and give your “image or video” a name and a good description.
  2. Paste a link (URL) to your photo in the Photo Link box.  A thumbnail of the photo will appear. If for some reason a thumbnail does not appear then you do not have a valid photo link.
  3. Click on the “Upload a photo” link.  Click on “Choose file” and select the photo you want to upload from your computer or mobile device.
  4. Give your photo a “Title”.  It’s always good practice to give your posts a title as it distinguishes it from other posts.
  5. Write a “brief description” about your photo.  This can be added in the last box.
  6. Select a “Category” for your photo from the drop down box.  This will help other users of the site to find your post.

Search: To search for something, click the search bar at the top of any page on Godinterest, enter what you’re looking for and choose from the results. While typing something, you may see suggestions for what you’re looking for. If you see what you’re looking for in these suggestions, click it to save time searching.

Follow members:  Like what you see? Make it a full-time thing. Follow members accounts to see all their Posts. Following people is how you fill up your home feed with good stuff.  Like Twitter, it’s an open network, so follows don’t require permission to follw, and you don’t have to follow anyone back.

Comments and mentions:  You can join conversations on Godinterest by replying to others and by mentioning them in your own Posts. A reply is a response to another person’s Post. When two people are replying to one another, only relevant people, such as those who follow the person who replied and the person in the conversation, will see the reply  in there Notifications tab..

How to post a comment:

  1. Find the Post you want to reply to.
  2. Type in your message and click or tap  Reply  to post it.

Mention overview:

  • A mention is a Post that contains another person’s @username anywhere in the body of the Post. We collect these messages, as well as all of your replies, in your Notifications tab. If you include multiple @usernames in your Post, all of those people will see your Post in their Notifications tab.
  • Visiting another account’s profile page on Godinterest will not display Posts that mention them. However, you can search Godinterest for Posts mentioning their @username.

How to post a mention:

  1. Type your message in the Post compose box.
  2. Type the “@” symbol before the username(s) when addressing a particular account(s).
  3. Example: “I’m Posting on @Gointerest!”
  4. Click or Publish to post.

Categories: Explore Godinterest using the categiories menu or search box at the top of the page  to search for members or discover more beautiful, interesting, and inspiring posts.  Get inspiration from our category feeds, like Bible or Christianity.

Like and Comments: Like or Comment on photos or videos that strike your fancy.

Feed: Your home feed is just for you. When you first log in to Godinterest, you’ll see your home feed empty. Once you follow people your homepage becomes a collection of Posts from the people you follow including your own.  You’ll find lots of new ideas from your home feed, or by browsing through categories or doing searches.

Hashtag:  Wondering what everyone’s talking about? Click on a hashtag and find out. Hashtags connect Posts that talk about the same thing in one place. Find more tips in our  Using hashtags on Godinterest article.

  1. If you post with a hashtag anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your post
  2. Don’t #spam #with . Don’t over-tag a single post. (we  recommend using no more than 2 hashtags per post.)
  3. Use hashtags only on posts relevant to the topic.

What are @, # ?
Confused by our lingo? Don’t worry, check out the Godinterest  glossary  and become a pro in just minutes.

Direct Messages:  DYou can use Direct Messages to have private conversations with people  about Posts and other content. You can start a private conversation with anyone who follows you. Anyone you do not follow can send you a Direct Message if:

  1. You have opted in to receive Direct Messages from anyone or;
  2. You have previously sent that person a Direct Message.
  3. Anyone in a conversation can send Direct Messages to the group. Everyone in a group can see all messages, even if everyone doesn’t follow each other.
  4. In group conversations, anyone in the conversation can add other participants. Newly added participants won’t see the prior history of the conversation.

To send a Direct Message

  1. Tap the  the profile  icon at the top of the page. You’ll be directed to your messages.
  2. Tap the  message  icon, scroll down and select private messages to create a new message.
  3. In the address box, enter the name or @username(s) of the person you wish to send a message to.
  4. Tap  Send.

Who reads my updates?  

Your followers read your Posts. Anyone who runs a search for a keyword in your Post may be able to see that message. Your Posts are public by default.

Blocked accounts:  If your account is blocked you won’t be able to like images, add tags to images or follow more users. You will still be able to log in and browse images on the site. Your account may be blocked due to:

  1. nudity / pornography content
  2. discriminative, xenophobic or racist content
  3. sensitive, disgusting or upsetting content
  4. spam / scam
  5. child abuse
  6. tag abuse
  7. fake profile
  8. posting in the wrong categories
  9. trolling

 

 

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The Christian Pinterest? ‘Godinterest’ Launches, Gives Users an Outlet to Share Religious Content

AL.comAL | By Alex McDaniel

A new Pinterest-inspired social network aims to give Christians an outlet for  sharing religious content in a  family-friendly environment.

At first glance, Godinterest  could pass for a  genuine Pinterest  spin-off  with  its modular, navigable design and similar logo.

But London project manager Dean Jones developed the website as an original product, an answer for those who  use  Pinterest, but long for  a exclusively Christian content-sharing experience.

The product is also aimed toward Christian organizations  as an engagement tool.

“In today’s busy world, I believe that Christian ministries need to engage the public with social media and that there is added value in doing so,” Jones said in a press release.

So far,  Godinterest’s  trending  content mirrors that of its  secular inspiration, including event planning, inspirational quotes, home decor, children’s activities, wedding planning and recipes, all with a Christian focus.

Read more here!

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Godinterest Is Christian Pinterest

 |  By

Wishing that your Pinterest was just a little more Christian?

Well, Godinterest is now here to fill that need, with a very dramatic promo video and a family-family friendly social media platform based on Christian values.

The site was developed by Dean Jones, a 35-year-old project manager from London who said in a press release, “The popular photo-sharing Web site Pinterest  is known for allowing its users to post a wide range of content. However, we are mindful of the values that we as Christian’s are bound by. Godinterest will enable our users to share within an Christian Social Network.“

If you’re interested, Jones has a disclaimer to share. He wrote, “Godinterest Christian Social Network is a fun way to put all of your favorite Godinteresting in one spot, but be aware, it is very addictive!”

Read more here!

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Dear Christian: You Stink Of Death

Dear Christian: You Stink Of Death

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sneer? Someone scrunching up their nose in distaste? According to Scriptures, it’s because you stink of death. Now, I’m not saying that you literally smell of a decomposing body, but you, dear Christian, represent death for those that are perishing.

We have a lot of hate directed towards us. It seems as though professing our faith is becoming as bad as declaring war on a defenseless country! To top it all off, people are throwing historical events and facts in our faces, blaming Christianity and not individual people for the destruction, control, and death of people for centuries. So, would it be accurate of us to say that we hate Germans because from the 1930’s to 1945 they executed a multitude of Jewish people as well as many other ‘unmentionables’? Should we hate the Belgian people for their horrific ill-treatment of the Congolese people during colonial times? Should the people of colour in South Africa hate Afrikaners because of Apartheid? Anyone with any sense in their head would realize that this should not be the case- you cannot blame a whole country or race for the acts of a select group of people! So why is it acceptable to identify a few bad eggs out of a nest and then seek to destroy the rest of that nest with perfectly good and nutritious eggs? I’ll tell you why- because to the majority of the world who are perishing, we are the aroma of death that leads them to their death.

There is something within the perishing world that wants us gone, or at least, they want us to revoke our faith and deny Christ, but that would lead to our death, and not just a physical death, but a spiritual death as well. You see, we smell of Christ and it’s a wonderful scent to us who are saved. There is something special within us that is offensive to the perishing world, and that is the knowledge of the truth. The truth is that Jesus came down to earth in the form of man, died on the cross for our sins, arose from the dead on the third day and now sits on the right-hand side of GOD as our Mediator. Because we believe this, we are thus the fragrance of Christ.

Some people will go so far as to show us a point. For example, the members of the Temple of Satan have sought to push their religion wherever and however they can to come against the Christian faith. In the past few years, they have tried to set up their own monuments to Satan wherever Christians monuments have been installed. The Ten Commandment monument in Oklahoma was set to get a rival in the form of a Baphomet monument (which is now installed in Detroit), the metal silhouette of an infantryman kneeling before a cross (which was removed by the way) in Minnesota, had the Satanic temple wanting their own monument in the shape of a solemn black cube holding an upturned helmet, its sides adorned with an upside-down pentagram (it thankfully got the axe). They even want to introduce ‘After school Satan clubs’ in challenge to Christian evangelical groups that sponsor after-school religious programming. Oddly enough, Lucien Greaves aka Doug Mesner (founder of the Temple of Satan), said that his organization does not worship the devil, but that they are a nontheistic religious organization. Lies. When the Baphomet monument was put up, a video was shown of people coming to pay their respects to the monument, and to worship their dark lord- Lucifer.

The state of California is also trying their best to control the Christian faith. People in other countries are dying because of their beliefs and many Christians are meeting in secret for fear of persecution just to come together to praise and worship GOD. I recently came across an article based in Scotland that stated that Christians are finding it difficult to practice their faith because they are being questioned about it- a young child saying grace before eating her meal was questioned by her peers and teachers about her purpose in praying! It seems as though some people no longer know what the purpose of praying is.

Let’s just face it, more and more people are finding us troublesome, harmful and dangerous. Can you imagine that? We, who are meant to be as gentle as doves, are the dangerous ones! What is the world coming to? To put it bluntly, they are coming to their death.

Honestly though, are we really that dangerous? It seems that people choose either the flight or fight option when they encounter a Believer: they will run away from us, or they will attack us and demonize us for all the world to see. I watched a news report that claimed Chick-fil-A has infiltrated New York City with their ‘pervasive Christian traditionalism’. Infiltrated and pervasive are rather strong words, don’t you think? This method of publicly attacking us is gaining supporters from all walks of life who would like to see the demise of the Christian faith. It’s a war out there, people, and it’s only getting worse.

I know that Christians have been preaching about the End Times for centuries, but that preaching is needed. We need to be ready for the return of Jesus, and it seems as though He is well on His way to coming back to earth to collect His saints. You may stink like death now, but to those who hear the Word of GOD spoken from your mouth and choose to believe in Jesus, you become an aroma of life leading to life.

Ending Thoughts: To one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” 2 Corinthians 2:16. You may be the aroma of death to some, but most importantly, you are the aroma of life that will lead a once lost soul to life.

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Christian Social Network

London, UK – The Web as a medium is so broad that for any person it can be ‘what you want it to be’. For some, it is merely best way of keeping in touch with friends and family by email. For others, it can be any or all of: finding new friends, seeking information and doing research, hearing news, playing online games, networking with others about a hobby or interest, sharing opinions, asking questions, making choices about purchasing, publishing their writing, photographs or videos, and much more. And so the opportunities for online evangelism are equally wide. And it is, in many ways, an ideal  mission  field.

Godinterest Christian Social Network allows members to upload and share photos from across the web with other users and create boards.

For those who love the social media site Pinterest but want to share within a Christian environment Godinterest could be a safe family friendly Christian alternative. A new online photo-sharing platform which strives to have Christian content, the site has been developed by Dean Jones a devoted Christian.

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Jones, a 35-year-old Project Manager from London said, ” The popular photo-sharing Web site Pinterest.com is known for allowing its users to post a wide range of content. However, we are mindful of the values that we as Christian’s are bound by. Godinterest will enable our users to share within an Christian Social Network.“

“On Facebook you see a lot of violence and pornography,” explained Dean Jones. “That’s why we thought of creating a network where we could talk about God, love and spread His word.”

However, should Christians use social media?
Jones said, “In today’s busy world, I believe that Christian ministries need to engage the public with social media and that there is added value in doing so. However, learning even the basics of social media can be a daunting task that’s why like Pinterest and Twitter, Godinterest was designed with the beginner in mind, this means that people can easily create an account that they can use to market and brand their business.”

Godinterest Christian Social Network is presently being used for organising ideas including Church events, travel planning, inspirational quotes, home decorating ideas, meal planning and advice, wedding or event planning, activities for children, or any combination of ideas one’s heart desires.

Godinterest virtual meeting place at a whole range of levels. Users can contact other people, post blogs, videos, and pictures, or discuss issues and interact in many other ways. Of course, it has long been possible to do these things online – but the Godinterest Christian Social Network combines them together in an easy coherent whole.

When asked what’s special and about Godinterest Christian Social Network? Jones stated the following points: ”

  • Visual Imagery – “Imagine getting to do window-shopping of all the best and most creative things in the Christian world without having to go to the mall. Would you rather browse a beautiful shop or a list of items in a catalog? It is the use of visual imagery that sets Godinterest apart (in an important way) from traditional (text based) bookmarking sites.”
  • Organised Sets – “Godinterest has a way to organise these single images into sets. This adds a layer of value (Christian quotes, books, music and so on) to an otherwise Godinteresting photo.”
  • Self Expression – “Another innate human trait, there is a need to leave our mark on the world, to show how we see and experience God worlds. This shows up in how we decorate homes and trips we’ve been on, restaurants we have enjoyed, putting our spin on another person’s picture.Godinterest boards are a form of this self-expression, whether in the topics that interest users, or how they choose to fill a godinterest board to make it inspirational!”
  • Social Sharing – “Once we create something, we naturally want to share it with others. In this respect, I think Godinterest (just like Pinterest) lends itself better to social sharing far more than other services do. Think about how all the distasteful stuff that ends up in the news feed in other sites. But, contrast that with something created by someone else that you might find personally relevant, or at the very least simply amazing.”
  • Simple User Interface – “Want to increase participation in something? Lower the bar on what’s required.”
    – Discovering New Sites – “Use Godinterest to discover more Christian sites and products.”
  • Posts – “Unlike the posts on other sites, the posts on Godinterest have no expiry date.”

Godinterest could also offer both parents and teachers an easy, engaging way to share resources with other parents.

Jones said, “Did you ever notice all of the bulletin boards and posters covering the walls of most classrooms? Teachers have been part of the bulletin board culture for ages. Godinterest gives teachers the ability to do the same thing in a virtual environment. Boards provide a virtual space for teachers to share activities, lesson plans, and ideas.”

“Savvy Christian business owners could use this social media site to market their business.”

Jones said, “Godinterest Christian Social Network is a fun way to put all of your favorite Godinteresting in one spot, but be aware, it is very addictive! If you serve a congregation, educators or families, you could have a great friend and outreach tool in Godinterest. ”

Free registration includes access to all of the website’s features, including sharing images with friends, following friends’ updates and creating boards.

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Organ Trafficking: a Deadly Trade

Organ trafficking

One January night in 2004, Susan Sutovic was woken from her sleep by a persistently ringing phone. “It was an international call from Belgrade,” she says. “Telling me my son Petar was dead.” Twenty-four-year-old Petar Sutovic was, at the time of his death, staying in his mother’s holiday apartment in Belgrade and studying law. Petar’s body was allegedly discovered in his bed late at night by his flatmate.

The demand for organ transplants is so high that people are willing to pay a large sum on illegal organ trafficking. The growth of illegal transplants has risen due to the decrease of legitimate organs available. Fewer young people die in vehicular accidents on the road. The transplant waiting list continues to grow each year and as a result, unscrupulous organisations harvest kidney, heart and pancreas for rich clients.

Groups involved in illegal organ trafficking have set up websites where poor people can sell their organs to a broker, who in turn will deal with the traders. According to a study made by the World Health Organisation, traffickers unlawfully obtained around 7,000 kidneys in 2013.

In some instances, healthy individuals are kidnapped and forced to give up an organ. Other cases showed that some people were made to believe that they need an operation and didn’t know that the organ was removed during the surgery. Some people were just desperate to make ends meet and resorted to selling an organ or two.

Organ trafficking takes place at a rate of one per hour. This was according to an estimate made by the WHO. The practice has led to five to ten per cent of the total kidney transplants around the world. Majority of the victims of organ trafficking are children from poor backgrounds or children with disabilities.

Organs sold in the black market vary in prices. A heart can cost up to £1 million.

It is not only parts for transplant that are sold illegally. There is also a market for hip, knee and whole cadavers. In the UK, it is illegal to sell any organ but that doesn’t stop desperate people offering their kidneys, lung, or a piece of their liver in exchange for a large amount of money.

Organ trafficking is an organised crime that commonly involves a recruiter, transporter, medical professionals, contractors, buyers and the banks where the organs are stored before the actual transplant. The seller usually receives the smallest portion of the take as the largest portion of the money goes to the broker, medical professionals, and towards travel expenses.

Patients who are on the transplant waiting list are tempted to buy organs illegally on the black market.

Some people who sold their kidneys have stated that they do it for the money and said that what they did save lives.

Organ trafficking should be stopped. The EU has stepped up its efforts to curb the practice in Europe. One way of doing so is to promote legal organ donation. More people should be willing to donate their organs. This is the only way to finally end the practice of illegal organ selling.

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Anti-Christian Bigotry and Censorship Tactics Surges, Godinterest an Oasis Online

Christian Censorship

This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire

Great Denham, Bedford — (ReleaseWire) — Social media sites (such as Wikipedia, WordPress, Facebook and Twitter) have played critical roles in real-world revolutions. The ability for the average person to spread news, ideas and general information – without corporate or government censorship has brought about massive power and freedom to people. But what happens when these key websites – the ones people rely upon to spread those messages start censoring that content? Bad things, right? Well, this seems to be happening a lot recently, especially to Christians and most recently to Elizabeth Johnston, also known as “Activist Mommy”, who was shocked when Facebook shut down her account for expressing biblical views.

So what’s the alternative?

Godinterest a Christian social networking service created in 2014. Its core purpose is to promote Christian values and facilitate spiritual inspiration through the sharing of photographs and other media in the style of Pinterest and Twitter. Its content includes media about Christian history, personal, family oriented stories and various contents from a Christian viewpoint.

The site was developed by Dean, a 39-year-old Construction Project Director from London. Jones said, “We are a Christian social networking website and are mindful of the values that we as Christian’s are bound by. God is the creator, his creation is not only humans but extends further than we can imagine. Godinterest enables users to capture elements of life from different points a view within a Christian environment and will never BAN users for quoting verses from the Bible unlike other mainstream social networking sites who have liberal agendas, including Wikipedia who mysteriously deleted the Godinterest page after a long reoccurring online debate.”

Jones said “Although this is the Golden Age of censorship, it’s hard to express the degree to which the Internet is changing society. With mobile technology becoming such a huge part of our lives most people couldn’t envision life without it. At every point within the bible God made a way for His Church to embrace the opportunities to tell more people of His love, and I believe that the Internet is no different. At Godinterest we couldn’t be more convinced that God has a purpose for this technology, and so Godinterest is dedicated to utilising it to empower believers throughout the world to share the life changing message of Jesus.”

“Churches can register and share their sermons, videos, photos and updates online. Church members can converse with other likeminded individuals in the safe knowledge that the information shared and stored will not be used for marketing or promotion. Non-Christians are also welcome.”

Other reasons to sign up?

  1. “Godinterest will not BAN users for quoting verses from the Bible unlike other mainstream social networking sites who have liberal agendas. Godinterest continues to withstand attacks by hackers and censors as the media outlet expands.”
  2. “There are no adds. I repeat, there are NO ADS. Users will never again click on a sponsored post which inevitably leads to a popup advert.”
  3. “If users decide to leave Godinterest their posts are deleted from the site forever.”
  4. “Our users friends won’t know your exact location If you’ve updated your Facebook app recently, you may have noticed that you now get a lovely notification whenever one of your Facebook friends is nearby. Luckily, it won’t happen with Godinterest. According to the website’s Godinterest collects only anonymous info about a users location, language, referring website and time spent.”
  5. “Godinterest isn’t trying to be the next Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter “Because Godinterest does not sell ads, Godinterest does not consider them to be competitors,” Dean said. “Godinterest considers mainstream social networking services as an advertising platforms. Godinterest operate’s on a non for profit basis.”
  6. “Godinterest lets users upload full-screen, high quality photos or animations to their profile.”

It’s clear that Godinterest values privacy in a way that no other social media site does. Jones said “Godinterest is not trying to sign up everyone in the world, if people are not into what Godinterest provides, they can go use Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter instead. Non-Christians are welcome.”

However, if people are ready to see what’s happening on Godinterest? Sign up today at https://godinterest.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/anti-christian-bigotry-censorship-tactics-surges-godinterest-oasis-online-874270.htm
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3514545#ixzz4wGngug8D

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Let’s Talk About Heavenly Calling

What is a heavenly calling? Is it common to all believers or is it unique and specific to each one? Clearly, God has set each of us on a unique path that we must travel on for His purposes. But common to all of us is our one united purpose: to give God the praise and glory in everything we become and do. (1 Cor. 10:31). Hebrews 3:1 talks of a heavenly calling that all believers are partakers of. ‘Calling’ in this verse means a “summon” and this particular passage points to a calling that all believers have been summoned to. Scriptures give various insight on our heavenly calling or what we are called to.

Called out of Darkness into Light

In 1 Peter 2:9 we find that the redeemed “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Cor. 1:9 says, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Acts 1:8 tells us that with the Holy Spirt inside us, empowering and guiding us, God’s children will bear witnesses of Him across the globe.

God has called His elect for redemption and that doesn’t stop there. We are called out of darkness into His wonderful light. This means there is a change of destination, a change of direction, and a change of situation. We now are destined for heaven, walking in pursuit of His plans for our lives, and walking in the light of His Word. We also know that in all pursuits, bearing witness of the God who saved us is the utmost goal. A life lived in the light will demonstrate to the lost a very big difference in how we are faring compared to how they are faring. There is spiritual clarity and in the midst of doubts and changes, we stay solidly strong because we trust in a loving and an unfailing God.

Called to a Holy Life

God, the Holy One, desires holiness in our lives. In Leviticus 11:44 He says, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” He repeats immediately in the following verse: “Be holy, for I am holy.” Paul in 2 Tim. 1:9 gives insight by saying, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.”

To live holy is to live separate and unique. It is to be different in mind and heart from those who live worldly or unspiritual. It is not a call to sinless perfection in rituals, but there is a call for growth and change, for betterment. It is a call for a heart and life that imitates the heart and life of God. It is a call to take on the mind of Christ, to be imitators of Him in every way possible. (Philippians 2).

Christians are not called to cut themselves off from the world nor to distance themselves from the lost. We are Christ bearers. We are to be among the people so that they have easy access to finding God through us. But as ambassadors for Christ, we are not to take on their identity nor their priorities and methodologies which go against the delight and honor of God. Let us be careful to fulfill our heavenly calling and never sacrifice it just so we can blend in with the crowd and be accepted of them. Let’s be bold about being different as God desires us to be so that they will know their need and seek the God they see at work in our lives.

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11 Valuable Lessons We Learned from Noah’s Ark

Prayer for the End of The School Year

Everything I needed to know about life, I learned from Noah’s Ark (Author Unknown)

  1. Don’t miss the boat.
  2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
  3. Plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
  4. Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
  5. Don’t listen to critics, just get on with the job that needs to be done.
  6. Build your future on high ground.
  7. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
  8. Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
  9. When you’re stressed, float a while.
  10. Remember, the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic, by professionals.
  11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.

Now wasn’t that nice? Pass it along and make someone else smile too.

Noah’s Ark (Hebrew: תיבת נ×–’Ž’Ž; Biblical Hebrew: Tevat Noaḥ) is the vessel in the Genesis flood narrative (Genesis chapters 6–9) by which God spares Noah, his family, and a remnant of all the world’s animals from a world-engulfing flood.  In Genesis the first book of the bible, God gave Noah instructions for building the ark. Seven days before the flood, God told Noah to enter the ark with his household and the animals. The story goes on to describe the ark being afloat for 150 days and then coming to rest on the Mountains of Ararat and the subsequent receding of the waters.  The story is repeated, with variations, in the Quran, where the ark appears as Safina NÃ…«Ã¡¸¥ (Arabic: سفÙŠÙ” Ã˜© Ù” Ã™Ë†Ã˜­’Ž’Ž “Noah’s boat”). The Genesis flood narrative is similar to numerous other flood myths from a variety of cultures.

 

 

 

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How To Handle The Uncertainties of Life

How To Handle The Uncertainties of Life

The uncertainties of life are things beyond our control and knowledge. We cannot predict the outcome. Maybe we can do little to influence it. These can keep us awake at night. Not only do they bother us all night long, they are ghosts that troll us during the day. We lose focus. We are unable to connect with people around us because these uncertainties have taken hold of our mind and heart.

“Is my job secure?” “Do people approve of what I’ve done?” How can we handle these kinds of uncertainties? How do we fruitfully manage them?

1. Trust the love of God.

At times, failings and incapability cause other people to lose love and confidence in us. Friends shy away. Relationships end because you lost your job or you made a complete fool of yourself in public. But God is not repulsed by any of that. He loves us passionately. He loves us the same, whether we do well or not. Lamentations 3:22 says God’s love is stedfast. It never stops. His love never wavers. His love is forever loyal.

Trusting the love of God allows us to remain secure in the middle of uncertainties. God loves us. He will work things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

2. Trust the wisdom of God.

That we do not know something can be very debilitating. We are unable to proceed because we don’t know what’s ahead. Decisions are hard to make because we are banking on predicted outcomes before we even take the plunge. We don’t want to act aimlessly. We don’t want to invest efforts and emotions into something or someone when there is no promise of fruit.

It is in these times that the follower of God needs to trust the wisdom of God. Keep holding on to Him and the truths and promises of His Word. Maintain a life guided by the principles of His Word. Joshua 1:8 assures that those who live by the wisdom of His Word will be prosperous and have good success in his life. Although this may be material in nature, it is not solely so. The Hebrew root word translated as prosperous carries the meaning of “advancement” while the root translated as success carries the meaning of “to understand, to gain insight”. This means Scriptures are never dated or obsolete. This means dedication to God’s Word leads to advancement and understanding in life. This means that in God’s Word you find what you need for right and fruitful living.

Best-selling books sold on shelves today talk about how to be successful in dealing with people. People buy pricy self-help books and attend expensive seminars to hear life coaches encouraging them towards positive and successful living. But in the very pages of God’s Word are all the tools we need to live positive in this negative world. In His Word are principles for right communication and relationships with the people around us.

Now, in immersing yourself with the guidance of His Words, uncertainties will still present themselves. It is in these moments that you need to trust the wisdom of an all-knowing God who plans good things for you, never evil. When you doubt and worry about the things He allows to happen in your life, seek assurance and comfort from His Word. Never let the enemy sow lies. God promises to never abandon us. (Hebrews 13:5) So at all times, run to God and not away from Him.

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Godinterest: The 'Christian' Version of Pinterest?

https://www.philcooke.com/godinterest/Do we really need Godinterest?  Another Christian version of a successful idea?  (Right down to the font style of the logo).  When will we start creating instead of simply ripping off the world?   I find it fascinating that God chose to introduce Himself to us in the first verse of the Bible as a ‘Creator.’  We’re made in His image, and yet we refuse to embrace that calling.  Let me know what you think, because I believe it’s high time we started leading the culture instead of doing a poor imitation. 

 

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