Vision Christian Newswire

Luis Palau Praises Liberty University for Maintaining Christian Standards

2012-05-17T12:47:20Z

A well-known evangelist is praising Liberty University for maintaining its Christian standards.

]]> Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Liberty University reports it has grown to some 80,000 students. Those numbers represent students who are both on the Lynchburg, Virginia, campus and enrolled through the school's online program.

Legendary evangelist Luis Palau, who has shared the gospel with more than one billion people through festivals and media, was the keynote speaker during Liberty's recent baccalaureate service. He tells OneNewsNow many universities have abandoned their Christian heritage at a time when a dedicated Christian education is needed more than ever.

"In the early years, I used to wonder whether a Christian education as such was necessary," Palau admits. "But now that the U.S. has changed so radically, it's absolutely necessary, and I've become convinced that it is essential."

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: OneNewsNow

Russ Jones

Judge Hears New York State's Appeal on Open Meeting Violations

2012-05-16T13:42:17Z

Today Rena Lindevaldsen, Special Counsel for Liberty Counsel, told an appeals court that the secret, closed-door meetings held by New York State Senate Republicans with Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg violated the Open Meetings Law. The entire argument hinged on whether the governor and mayor, who actively raised more than a million dollars to convince Republican Senators to vote in favor of the Marriage Equality Act, were guests of the Republican conference and, therefore, could meet in closed-door meetings to lobby and persuade Republican Senators to change their vote in favor of the same-sex marriage act. Today's argument was an appeal by the State of New York of a November 2011 decision by the New York Supreme Court that refused to dismiss plaintiffs' case. The Open Meetings Law guarantees the people a transparent political process in order to hold their elected representatives accountable. The state, however, argued that the people had no right to know what took place in those meetings, where Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg actively and persistently lobbied Republican Senators to vote in favor of the Marriage Equality Act, including a meeting at the governor's mansion.

Liberty Counsel argued that the Open Meetings Law was designed to expose exactly the type of lobbying and deal-making that took place during the passage of the Marriage Equality Act. The Liberty Counsel complaint asks that the entire same-sex marriage act be declared null and void because of the flagrant violations of the law.

Rena Lindevaldsen said, "New York has made the deliberate decision to give its citizens a transparent political process. Governor Cuomo and the State Senate have run roughshod over that guarantee. This case is not about whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Rather, this case is about holding public officials accountable for their actions and protecting the rule of law."

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.

Source: Liberty Counsel

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Former Homeless Man with a Golden Voice Talks About His New Book

2012-05-16T13:29:08Z

Even after a viral YouTube video helped turn him from a homeless crack addict to a media sensation, golden-voiced former radio announcer Ted Williams admitted Monday his struggles were far from over.

]]> Amid emotional moments of his remarkable journey last year, such as his tearful reunion with his mother in a segment on TODAY, he admitted he relapsed on alcohol and drugs twice, including leaving a treatment facility after less than two weeks.

Now claiming to be clean and sober for more than a year and surrounded by good people, Williams, 54, has cowritten a book with Brett Witter called "A Golden Voice." The book details how he went from being a popular Ohio DJ to a homeless crack addict to a YouTube sensation after 17 hard years on the streets. He related the ups and downs of his life to Matt Lauer, in the mellifluous tones of the memorable voice that gained millions of fans when it was heard via YouTube in January 2011.

'I never stopped praying'

"All through that journey, I never stopped praying,'' Williams said. "I never lost hope. I would ask God, 'Please, let my mother and myself stay alive one more year. Lord, please, let a life-changing turnaround happen in my life so that my mother would not close her eyes saying, 'I did a bad job raising this child.'''

Williams was forthcoming about his struggles since first appearing on TODAY in January 2011, when he was awestruck by his overnight rise to popularity after years of living on the streets. He voluntarily entered rehab that month after taping television segments with Dr. Phil, only to leave less than two weeks later amid allegations by his family members that he was drinking daily while living in California.

"I figured since it wasn't my drug of choice, alcohol could be my new drug,'' Williams said. "I could go and start drinking, and nobody would know. Everybody would know (if) Ted was on crack, but they wouldn't know that Ted was drinking.''

After emerging from his second stint in rehab, Williams celebrated his one-year anniversary of sobriety this month by walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding on May 4.

"I was able to be a part of that, something that a year and a half ago I wouldn't have even thought about, let alone become a part of,'' he said.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: Today.com

Scott Stump

Evangelist Daniel Whyte III, President of Gospel Light Society International, Calls for Global Day of Fasting and Prayer for America and the World

2012-05-15T15:42:21Z

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Commences the 165-day Global Call to Fasting and Prayer for America and the World

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 is the day that the President of the United States and leader of the free world, Barack Obama, broke thousands of years of Godly biblical tradition and announced to the world that he supports homosexual marriage. Along with other fasting opportunities, Evangelist Daniel Whyte III is calling upon all believers to join him in fasting at least one meal every Wednesday through the election (everyone is encouraged to fast the whole 24 hour period, but if you cannot do that, please fast at least one meal), praying and asking God for the following:

]]> 1. That all races understand that neither Romney nor Obama is the answer, but Jesus is the answer.

2. That we as pastors and churches repent of our hypocrisy because the church is more guilty than the government for the state of affairs in this country. The Bible says, "Judgment must begin at the house of God."

3. That both Obama and Romney, who claim to be believers, would confess their sins and repent of lying, dishonesty, hypocrisy, and intentionally deceiving people for political gain.

4. That President Obama will repent of being a Judas and betraying the Lord, betraying the Lord's church, betraying America, betraying thousands of black, white, and hispanic pastors who tried to help him, and betraying his own people who have overwhelmingly supported him; and as a Christian, that he would stand up, humble himself, and apologize to the nation for making such an abominable decision and statement.

5. For the salvation of millions of people in this country and in the world, including those in the homosexual community.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God..." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

"And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29)

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This twenty-four hour fast will begin after breakfast on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 and will end at breakfast on Thursday, May 17, 2012. This one-day fast will commence an extended period of fasting and prayer which will end on November 6, 2012 (election day). Gospel Light Society is calling on all Christians around the world who believe in traditional marriage and who are willing to stand up for God's Word to unite in fasting and prayer for any length of time during this 165 day period. Those who wish to participate may fast for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 30 days, 40 days, or any amount of time that God leads them to fast.

Gospel Light Society International is a global online ministry that seeks to present the Gospel to all people, in every language, around the world "by any means necessary". In many languages, GLS seeks to share the Gospel of Christ and help new believers grow in the saving knowledge of Jesus by connecting them with a church or a home Bible study group. For more information, visit http://www.GospelLightSociety.com.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over twenty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message and The Prophet Daniel's Report. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor's degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master's degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children.

Obama says Homosexual Marriage Stance was the 'Right Thing to Do'

2012-05-15T11:54:03Z

President Barack Obama on Monday defended his view that gay couples should have the right to marry, saying that the country has never gone wrong when it "expanded rights and responsibilities to everybody." ]]> "That doesn't weaken families. That strengthens families," he told gay and lesbian supporters and others at a fundraiser hosted by singer Ricky Martin and the LGBT Leadership Council. "It's the right thing to do."

The remarks were his first to such an audience since he announced his personal support for same-sex marriage last week. They came on a day that Obama was making a targeted appeal to three core voting blocs - women, young people, and gays and lesbians. He gave a commencement address to Barnard College, a women's college, and taped an interview on "The View," a popular day-time talk show aimed at women.

Democrats hope Obama's politically risky embrace of gay marriage will re-energize supporters who had been frustrated by his previous assertions that his views on the hot-button social issue were "evolving."

Women, young people and gay voters all made up crucial voting blocs for Obama in the 2008 election. With the president locked in a close race with Republican rival Mitt Romney, his campaign is focused on rallying support among those groups once again.

"At root, so much of this has to do with a belief that not only are we all in this together but all of us are equal in terms of dignity and in terms of respect, and everybody deserves a shot," he told about 200 supporters at the fundraising event.

Obama also called for repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. His administration has refused to defend the law in court challenges, and while Obama has voiced support for its repeal before, he specifically listed repeal as a goal.

Romney has said he believes that marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. Although Obama did not mention Romney's stance, he cast his challenger as a "rubber stamp" for congressional Republicans and cited his 2008 opponent, Sen. John McCain, as a far more independent Republican who believed in climate change and in the need for overhauling the immigration system.

"What we've got this time out is a candidate who's said he would basically rubber stamp the Republican Congress and who wants us to go backwards and not forward," Obama said.

Earlier in the day, during his address at Barnard, Obama urged the graduates to fight for their place at "the head of the table" and help lead a country still battered by economic woes toward brighter days. "I believe that the women of this generation will help lead the way," he said.

The president's choice of Barnard as his first commencement address of the spring underscored the intense focus both candidates have placed on women. An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted earlier this month showed Obama with a sizable advantage over Romney with women voters, 54 percent to 39 percent.

Obama acknowledged that today's college graduates are entering a shaky job market. To those who say overcoming the nation's challenges isn't possible, Obama said, "Don't believe it." He told the graduates that if they ever despair, they should think of the country's history and what young generations before them have achieved.

"Young folks who marched and mobilized and stood up and sat in from Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall they didn't just do it for themselves, they did it for other people," Obama said. "That's how we achieved women's rights, that's how we achieved voting rights, that's how we achieved workers' rights, that's how we achieved gay rights, that's how we've made this union more perfect."

After the speech, Obama taped an appearance on ABC's "The View," which was to air Tuesday. When asked if he would personally fight to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, he replied, "Well, look, Congress is clearly on notice that I think it's a bad idea." He also pointed to the $2 billion loss in high-risk trading at JPMorgan Chase to reiterate the need for Wall Street reforms.

Tickets for the fundraiser hosted by Martin and the LGBT Leadership Council started at $5,000 per person.

A new poll by the Pew Research Center found that about half of those surveyed say Obama's support for same-sex marriage does not affect their opinion of the president, with about one-fourth saying they feel less favorably toward him and 19 percent feeling more favorably.

There was a big disparity between older and younger adults surveyed, indicating a more intensely negative reaction among older Americans. Forty-two percent of people over the age of 65 said they viewed the president less favorably because of his decision, while 62 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 said Obama's announcement did not affect their opinion.

SOURCE: JULIE PACE

Associated Press

WATCH: Tony Perkins Says Obama's Homosexual Marriage Decision Has Given Republicans "Intensity"

2012-05-14T12:10:02Z

President Obama's support for same-sex marriage will bring conservatives around to Mitt Romney's campaign, Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Christian organization Family Research Council, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

]]> "I think that Barack Obama has helped fit that missing piece of intensity that Mitt Romney is going to need," Perkins told host Bob Schieffer.

The president on Wednesday said that "same sex couples should be able to get married." Since then, Perkins said he has heard from pastors across the nation who were previously sitting on the sidelines of the presidential campaign but are now ready to get involved.

Mr. Obama's position could be especially damaging for him in certain key states, Perkins said - 10 swing states have marriage amendments barring same-sex marriage, and several passed with strong support.

"I don't think the president did a political calculus to do this because if he did, he needs to go back to the calculator because it's a bad formula," Perkins said.

To watch the interview with Tony Perkins click on the video player above.

Singer and gay rights activist Clay Aiken disagreed with Perkins, pointing to the recent Gallup polling showing that 60 percent of Americans said Mr. Obama's support for same-sex marriage won't impact whether or not they support him.

"I think the people who say it will matter on either side of the equation, probably were not going to vote for Obama or were going to vote for President Obama anyway," he said. He added that gay men and women are going to be more energized to support the president now.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: CBS News

Stephanie Condon

Remembering Those Who Can't Have Children on Mother's Day

2012-05-13T11:07:55Z

Mother's Day is a particularly sensitive time in many congregations, and pastors and church leaders often don't even know it. This is true even in congregations that don't focus the entire service around the event as if it were a feast day on the church's liturgical calendar. Infertile women, and often their husbands, are still often grieving in the shadows. ]]> It is good and right to honor mothers. The Bible calls us to do so. Jesus does so with his own mother. We must recognize though that many infertile women find this day almost unbearable. This is not because these women are (necessarily) bitter or covetous or envious. The day is simply a reminder of unfulfilled longings, longings that are good.

Some pastors, commendably, mention in their sermons and prayers on this day those who want to be mothers but who have not had their prayers answered. Some recognize those who are mothers not to children, but to the rest of the congregation as they disciple spiritual daughters in the faith. This is more than a "shout-out" to those who don't have children. It is a call to the congregation to rejoice in those who "mother" the church with wisdom, and it's a call to the church to remember those who long desperately to hear "Mama" directed at them.

What if pastors and church leaders were to set aside a day for prayer for children for the infertile?

In too many churches ministry to infertile couples is relegated to support groups that meet in the church basement during the week, under cover of darkness. Now it's true that infertile couples need each other. The time of prayer and counsel with people in similar circumstances can be helfpul.

But this alone can contribute to the sense of isolation and even shame experienced by those hurting in this way. Moreover, if the only time one talks about infertility is in a room with those who are currently infertile, one is probably going to frame the situation in rather hopeless terms.

Click here to read more

Source: Christian Post | Russell D. Moore

Adapted from Russell D. Moore's weblog at russellmoore.com.

Dr. Russell D. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church, where he ministers weekly at the congregation's Fegenbush location. Dr. Moore is the author of The Kingdom of Christ and Adopted for Life.

LifeWay Survey Shows Americans are Split on Whether or Not Homosexuality Is a Sin

2012-05-11T14:37:17Z

Americans are split on whether homosexual behavior is a sin, and many do not appreciate if a church teaches it is sinful, according to a recent survey conducted by LifeWay Research.

]]> The random-sample survey of more than 2,000 Americans asked, "Do you believe homosexual behavior is a sin?" Forty-four percent said yes and 43 percent said no. Thirteen percent were not sure.

Being a born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christian often corresponded with a negative view of homosexuality. Among those groups, 82 percent said homosexual behavior is a sin while 14 percent said it is not a sin. In contrast, 29 percent of all other religious groups said it is sinful and 51 percent said it is not.

Men and Americans without a college degree were more likely to say homosexuality is sinful. Forty-seven percent of men said it is a sin, but only 40 percent of women.

And 49 percent of those without a college degree said homosexual behavior is a sin, compared with 35 percent who have a college degree.

"When asking questions like this to a general sampling of the population, it is important to note that people's definition of 'sin' may differ based upon their religious background and beliefs," Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said. "We intentionally used the word but also know it means different things to different people."

McConnell noted that in 2011, Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll approached the question of homosexuality asking if it was "morally acceptable."

"While we find 44 percent believe homosexuality is a 'sin,' Gallup reports 56 percent of Americans consider gay and lesbian relations morally acceptable," McConnell said.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: Baptist Press

David Roach

Christian Leaders on Obama's Support of Same-Sex Marriage: 'The Charade Is Finally Up'

2012-05-10T13:43:23Z

Citing his faith, President Obama announces his support of same-sex marriage, and conservatives see political opportunity

]]> On the heels of a landslide victory for a traditional marriage amendment in North Carolina, President Obama announced in a Wednesday interview with ABC News that he now personally supports same-sex marriage.

The announcement was practically forced upon the president a few days after Vice President Joe Biden said that he supported gay marriage. Biden's comments made the question of the president's position on the issue perennial in White House press briefings.

"I'd hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient," Obama said Wednesday. "And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word 'marriage' was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs, and so forth." Obama cited his and his wife Michelle's Christian faith as his reason for personally supporting same-sex marriage.

"In the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people," he said. "We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule--treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that's what we try to impart to our kids and that's what motivates me as president, and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I'll be as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I'll be as president."

Back in 2004 as a Senate candidate, Obama cited his faith as his reason for opposing same-sex marriage: "I'm a Christian, and so although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." He supported same-sex civil unions at the time.

Obama's announcement will have little to no effect on federal policy, but could have much effect on election-year politics. The president on Wednesday said he still thinks the issue should be worked out at the state level. And he has already done much for gay activists at the federal level: Last year he instructed the Justice Department not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act--a federal law--in court. And when Democrats were in their final days of controlling both chambers of Congress in 2010, they repealed "Don't Ask Don't Tell," the military policy prohibiting publicly homosexual service people.

The president's announcement hardly ruffled a feather among traditional marriage supporters.

"The charade is finally up," said Gary Bauer, president of American Values, in a statement. "We've always known that Barack Obama supports same-sex marriage. With every action he's taken, from court appointments to his rhetoric, he's been preparing the way to undermine traditional marriage. Obama's finally made that support explicit."

National Organization of Marriage co-founder Maggie Gallagher embraced Obama's announcement: "Politically, we welcome this. We think it's a huge mistake."

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: WORLD Mag

Emily Belz

North Carolina Votes 'No' to Homosexual Marriage

2012-05-09T12:00:40Z

North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday defining marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, making it the 30th state to adopt such a ban. ]]> With 35 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, unofficial returns showed the amendment passing with about 58 percent of the vote to 42 percent against.

In the final days before the vote, members of President Barack Obama's cabinet expressed support for gay marriage and former President Bill Clinton recorded phone messages urging voters to reject the amendment. Opponents also held marches, ran TV ads and gave speeches, including one by Jay Bakker, son of televangelists Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker.

Meanwhile, supporters had run their own ad campaigns and church leaders urged Sunday congregations to vote for the amendment. The Rev. Billy Graham, who at 93 remains influential even though his last crusade was in 2005, was featured in full-page newspaper ads supporting the amendment.

Both sides spent a combined $3 million on their campaigns.

North Carolina law already bans gay marriage, like nine other states, but an amendment would effectively slam the door shut on same-sex marriages. The amendment also goes beyond state law by voiding other types of domestic unions from carrying legal status, which opponents warn could disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples.

Six states - all in the Northeast except Iowa - and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriages.

The North Carolina amendment was placed on the ballot after Republicans took over control of the state Legislature after the 2010 elections, a role the GOP hadn't enjoyed for 140 years.

Joe Easterling, who described himself as a devout Christian, voted for the amendment at a polling place in Wake Forest.

"I know that some people may argue that the Bible may not necessarily be applicable, or it should not be applicable, on such policy matters. But even looking at nature itself, procreation is impossible without a man and a woman. And because of those things, I think it is important that the state of North Carolina's laws are compatible with the laws of nature but, more importantly, with the laws of God."

Linda Toanone, who voted against the amendment, said people are born gay and it is not their choice.

"We think everybody should have the same rights as everyone else. If you're gay, lesbian, straight -- whatever," she said.

North Carolina is the latest presidential swing state to weigh in on gay marriage. Florida, Virginia and Ohio all have constitutional amendments against gay marriage, and Obama's election-year vagueness on gay marriage has come under fresh scrutiny.

Obama, who supports most gay rights, has stopped short of backing gay marriage. Without clarification, he's said for the past year and a half that his personal views on the matter are "evolving."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan broke ranks with the White House on Monday, stating his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage one day after Vice President Joe Biden said he is "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex married couples getting the same rights at heterosexual married couples.

One fault line that could determine the result is generational. Older voters, who tend to be more reliable voters, are expected to back the amendment.

State House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican from a Charlotte suburb, said even if the amendment is passed, it will be reversed as today's young adults age.

"It's a generational issue," Tillis told a student group at North Carolina State University in March about the amendment he supports. "If it passes, I think it will be repealed within 20 years."

The amendment also goes beyond state law by voiding other types of domestic unions from carrying legal status, which opponents warn could disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples.

"Also, that amendment is against women, I believe, because also underneath the amendment, other laws are saying that people who aren't married at all, they can't file for domestic abuse cases, if they're living with their significant other. Which is wrong," Toanone said.

In North Carolina, more than 500,000 voters had cast their ballot before Tuesday, which was more than the 2008 primary when Obama and Hillary Clinton were fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination. Both sides said that bodes well for them.

___

Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Emery P. Dalesio and Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report.

Dr. Mark Hyman on His New Book "The Blood Sugar Solution"

2012-05-08T12:56:01Z

HEALTHCARE CRISIS

Dr. Mark Hyman says a staggering 1 out of 2 Americans suffers from diabesity--the condition of metabolic imbalance and disease that ranges from mild blood sugar imbalance to full-blown diabetes. Even a mild imbalance can cause major health problems.

]]> "Diabesity is the underlying cause that drives most chronic illnesses," he says. "Diabesity is the single biggest cause of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and dementia in the United States. Yet most doctors still don't know how to properly diagnose and treat this metabolic disorder even though type 2 diabetes has tripled since the 1980s." Dr. Hyman estimates that diabesity affects more than 1.7 billion people worldwide, and 90 percent of cases will go undiagnosed. He says there are no national screening recommendations or treatment guidelines to catch diabesity in its early stages, despite the fact that insulin resistance is directly responsible for millions of premature deaths every year.

Fortunately, you can win the war against diabesity, even if you've been fighting weight and blood sugar problems for decades, even if you've tried every diet under the sun without success, and even if you're already on insulin or drugs for diabetes, high blood sugar, cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, and other diabesity-triggered conditions. But Dr. Hyman says there's a catch. "You can't sit around waiting for medications to fix you. Pills simply mask the problem," he says. Dr. Hyman's step-by-step plan, The Blood Sugar Solution, is a personalized approach to health that works by pinpointing and then eliminating the true underlying causes of your blood sugar dysfunction. It treats the imbalances in your body that are driving the disease, rather than merely treating symptoms as they pop up. Put another way, it treats the true causes of your weight gain and illness instead of just papering over symptoms with medications. He says the rationale behind this approach is simple: when you restore balance to the seven key areas of your biology, great health happens. Illness and disease go away, practically as a side effect. Dr. Hyman explains that with The Blood Sugar Solution, there's no misguided effort to "stabilize" your blood sugar or "manage" the problem with drugs, because that's where he believes conventional medicine takes a wrong turn. "Taking the prescription drug route is usually the worst thing you can do because your problems will just keep snowballing," he says. "You'll start with a pill for blood sugar ... then soon you'll need another pill for cholesterol ... then another pill for high blood pressure ... and then even more pills for depression, neuropathy, and other problems triggered by blood sugar disease. Then, you'll need insulin injections as well when you cross over into full-blown diabetes. It's not a pretty picture. And it's made worse by the fact that these drugs are ineffective, have side effects, and can even increase your risk for death in some cases." Rather than letting you fall into this trap, The Blood Sugar Solution helps you treat the underlying root causes of the condition. "I want to help you cure your diabesity once and for all, not just "control" it," says Dr. Hyman.

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: The 700 Club

Suffering from Cancer, Hugo Chavez Turns from Marx and Castro to Jesus Christ

2012-05-08T12:53:20Z

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has spent much of his career praising the socialist ideas of famed atheists such as Karl Marx and Fidel Castro. Now in the thick of a prolonged battle against cancer, however, the leftist leader is drawing inspiration more than ever from a spiritual leader: Jesus Christ. ]]> Chavez has been praying for divine intervention during increasingly infrequent appearances on television, holding up a crucifix while vowing to overcome his illness. He says living with cancer has made him "more Christian," talk that has coincided with speculation by some Venezuelans that cancer might cut short his bid for re-election in October.

Chavez's voice cracked with emotion as he bade farewell to aides and supporters in Caracas on April 30 before leaving for what he said would be his final round of cancer treatment in Cuba.

"I'm sure our Christ will do it again, continuing making the miracle," Chavez said as he raised his cross to his lips and kissed it, prompting applause from an audience of aides.

If Chavez survives cancer, political analysts say his increasing religiosity could pay election-year dividends in a country where Catholicism remains influential.

"Given that he cannot hide the illness, but he can hide its characteristics and danger, he's decided to take as much advantage of it as he can, and one advantage is the symbolic and religious issue," said Luis Vicente Leon, a Venezuelan pollster and analyst. "He'll present himself as the chosen one, the man who has been cured and healed by the Lord to continue governing the country."

The president has alternated between emotional fragility and optimism in public, mentioning God and Jesus nearly every time he shows up on TV.

Chavez shed tears last month during a televised Mass with relatives in Venezuela, when he prayed aloud to Jesus to "give me life."

In a later appearance in Cuba, Chavez held up the same crucifix that he said helped deliver him from one of his darkest moments, a 2002 coup that briefly deposed him. He returned to the presidency within two days.

"I have great faith in what we're doing, in this intense undertaking against the illness that ambushed me last year, and I have faith, I repeat, in God," said Chavez, who looked pale and bloated.

"It's like a pact with God, with Christ my Lord," Chavez said. "I'm sure he will lay on a hand so that this treatment, which we're rigorously following, will have supreme success."

Chavez's religiosity contrasts with the resolute secularism of his political father figure, Castro, and other leaders who have followed the socialist path Chavez lauds.

A large majority of Venezuelans practice Catholicism, and Protestant denominations have grown rapidly in some parts of the country. Many Venezuelans also practice folk religions and leave offerings at roadside shrines.

Mixing religion and politics isn't new in Venezuela, even if religious groups generally don't get directly involved in politics. Former President Luis Herrera characterized himself as spiritually pure and promoted social programs for the poor while leading his Copei Social Christian party.

Other Latin American leaders have employed religious symbols while seeking votes.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega highlighted his Christian faith during his re-election bid last year, when his campaign rallies were accompanied by religious processions, chants and the campaign slogan "Christian, Socialist and In Solidarity." Ortega's campaign strategy dismayed Catholic Church leaders, who called his use of spirituality part of a ploy to deceive voters.

Chavez describes himself as Catholic, but his religious beliefs are eclectic. He has at times also expressed faith in folk deities such as Maria Lionza, an indigenous goddess venerated by some Venezuelans who pay homage through candlelit rituals and shrines.

Despite his recent expressions of faith, the president has had a rocky relationship with Catholic leaders. He has accused priests of siding with the country's wealthy rather than the poor and in a particularly heated clash in 2010, suggested that Christ would whip some church leaders for lying after Cardinal Jorge Urosa warned that democratic freedoms were being eroded in Venezuela.

Chavez insists his faith goes back to his days as an altar boy, and long before his illness, he was calling Jesus Christ "the greatest socialist in history."

Still, his increasing appeals for help from Christ have shown supporters a vulnerable side to a leader who for more than 13 years in office has projected power and vigor.

"We'd forgotten for so long that Chavez is simply a man like any other, a man of flesh and blood," said Florencia Mijares, an office worker who prayed for the president at a Caracas church. "For many Venezuelans, Chavez is a savior who arrived to help everybody else and now he's the one who needs help, and many of us fear all will be lost if he dies."

Chavez has been receiving radiation therapy in Cuba over the past week, the latest phase in treatments that since June have included chemotherapy and two surgeries that removed tumors from his pelvic region, though he has not said what sort of cancer he has.

Chavez spoke by phone on Venezuelan state television on Monday, vowing to win re-election and criticizing his opponents in his first such comments since leaving Venezuela a week ago. Last week, he had instead communicated with supporters through Twitter messages.

Despite the long absences, Chavez has been leading opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles by double digits in recent polls.

Some of his supporters said they see Chavez's increased devotion as a natural evolution for a president in a dire situation.

As soon as Chavez revealed he had a tumor removed last year, a pro-Chavez group called the Council of Christian Public Employees organized dozens of prayer meetings across the country, several of which were broadcast live on state television and Christian radio stations.

"The president could have decided to distance himself from God or not believed in him due what he was going through," said Linda Aguirre, the organization's president. "I thank God that he's chosen the most important decision of his life: to embrace our Lord."

Indian shamans wearing parrot feathers and beads also held a healing ritual for Chavez at a Caracas plaza last month, performing traditional dances and chants, and kneeling on the ground in prayer.

"The objective is to inject the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution with positive energy," said Jesus Antonio Juagivioy, a chieftain from the president's home state of Barinas who participated in the ceremony. "We pray for his total recuperation and we know the spirits of our ancestors will help."

Source: The AP

White House Responds to Biden's Homosexual Marriage Quote

2012-05-07T16:41:45Z

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said on Sunday that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriages and was heartened by their growing acceptance across the country, a position that moves well beyond the "evolving" views that President Obama has said he holds on the issue.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., shown in March, said on NBC on Sunday that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriages and spoke of meeting a gay couple with children.

]]> The comments, which aides described as the off-the-cuff views of a vice president not known for fidelity to a script, sent the White House scrambling to clarify that Mr. Biden was not articulating an official change in policy, a reaction that highlighted the administration's unease over the subject.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Mr. Biden invoked some of the same language that advocates of same-sex marriage use, speaking of family, equality and love.

"I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties," Mr. Biden said, while noting that the president, not he, sets policy on such matters.

Mr. Biden's unexpectedly expansive remarks made him by far the highest-ranking White House official to move closer to a formal embrace of same-sex marriage, which is now legal in six states and the District of Columbia but is unrecognized by the federal government. The Obama administration has endorsed civil unions but not marriage for gay couples.

The vice president's comments are likely to intensify pressure on Mr. Obama, who says he is still wrestling with his feelings about same-sex marriage, to take a clearer stance on it before the presidential election this fall, something the White House has shown reluctance to do.

Mr. Biden's aides, in insisting that he was not deviating from White House policy, pointed to a 2010 statement by the vice president that the country was moving toward a "national consensus" on same-sex marriage. And in Sunday's interview, Mr. Biden did not say explicitly that the federal government should recognize it.

But gay rights advocates, who spent Sunday morning parsing Mr. Biden's words, said the president's running mate had, in their analysis, conveyed new and unmistakable support for their biggest cause.

Mr. Biden called the debate surrounding the issue a simple question of "who do you love?" and "and will you be loyal to the person you love?"

"That's what people are finding out is what, what all marriages, at their root, are about," he said, "Whether they're marriages of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals."

Mr. Obama faces growing calls from gay and lesbian voters and a formidable array of wealthy gay donors to support same-sex marriage and make it a part of the Democratic Party's platform at its convention. Many of his supporters believe that he privately backs it but is unwilling to say so before a general election that may be decided in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where such a position could provoke a backlash.

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Source: The New York Times | MICHAEL BARBARO

Pastor Miles McPherson on the Death of Junior Seau and God's Love

2012-05-06T18:57:38Z

In the last couple of days, there has been so much written about Junior Seau and his extraordinary personality and athletic achievements - a three-sport athlete at Oceanside High School; drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1990 NFL draft after only three years at USC; selected to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls; a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team; but more importantly, his big brown stature, his fame, his philanthropy and that smile. He was a Superman! He was larger than life.

]]> But he was also very much a regular guy and friend of over 20 years. I remember hanging out with a group of friends when he challenged my 4-year-old son at the time to run across the room and tackle him. No lights, no cameras - just a friend hanging out playing with a little kid. He was the guy down the street.

That's why his death leaves us asking, "Why?" What could we have said or done to make a difference? It's a reasonable question that many are asking, but we cannot change the past. It is hard not to wonder what could have, should have and would have been done to save him from his pain.

Suicide is an act of desperation, often designed to end pain, when in fact it only spreads the pain of one to countless others.

Last year in San Diego County, 392 people took their own lives assuming to end their pain by doing so. It is disturbing to learn this was the highest number we have seen in 23 years, totaling more than one per day.

Even though Junior's fame and fortune made him larger than life, death is a reminder that there is something larger than life and more important than any career, achievement or reward.

This larger-than-life opportunity is something available to all of us. It is the love shared with faith, family and friends.

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SOURCE: UT San Diego

Miles McPherson

Robert Griffin III: 'My Relationship With God is My Most Important Influence'

2012-05-06T18:56:29Z

He is the new NFL quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He was selected by the Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for Baylor University, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2011. ]]>

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Hailing from a military family, with a strong, strict father, he began college at 17 years old. With dedication and hard work, he graduated in 3 years with a degree in political science, and a 3.67 GPA, all while appearing on the Dean's List two times. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in Communications. He won the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Manning Award, and the Consensus All-American award in 2011.

He said of his faith, 'I was heavily influenced by my parents to learn discipline. But my relationship with God was my most important influence...I've been in the church since I was 7. My parents didn't push it on us but they made sure we grew up in the church, so that's all we know, that's what we do.' He went further to say, 'Whenever you can be a Christian and come to a Christian university like Baylor and make a difference like this whole football team has, it's great. [God] gives you the stage to make a difference and not to just talk about yourself, but lift Him up. There are a lot of different types of Christians everywhere, but my biggest thing is it's not our job to judge; it's just our job to go out, praise Him, let people know what He's doing, and let people follow if they want to. So I praise God, I thank him for everything. Purposefully, you live every day for Him, and when He gives you the opportunity to speak up for Him or to do something in His name, you do it." The young man that I am talking about is Robert Griffin III, better known as RG3.

This is the "Chief of Sinners," Daniel Whyte III (better known as DW3), president of Gospel Light Society International, and just as Robert Griffin III gave his life to Christ, may I encourage you to do the same. Here is how:

John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For God so loved the world" means that if you are in this world, God loves you. No matter what you have done.

"that He gave His only begotten Son." His name is Jesus Christ. He suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.

"that whosoever believeth in Him", the word "whosoever" means anybody at anytime. "believeth in Him" means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.

"should not perish" where? in hell.

"but have everlasting life" in Heaven with God.

The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour!

Remember, friend, Believe by faith. Share the faith. and Keep the faith!

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of sixteen books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, and the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor's degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master's degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com.