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A Family escapes the Kibera slums, after violence broke out there after President Mwai Kibaki was declared as the winner in the General Elections in Nairobi Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007 .
11:45 a.m. ET, 12/30/07




Please be in prayer for the situation in Kenya. Unrest following the presidential election has led to widespread violence throughout the country. A number of people have been killed. As you know we have many friends in Kenya and are concerned for their safety. Following is a news report out of Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenyan police battled thousands of opposition supporters enraged over President Mwai Kibaki's allegedly fraudulent re-election, firing tear gas and live ammunition as the death toll from the violence rose to 125, officials and witnesses said.
Three police officers said they had orders to shoot to kill, while opposition supporters said they would risk death to protest what they called a stolen election.
The vote also ignited smoldering resentment between Kenya's two largest tribes, with supporters of Raila Odinga, a Luo who officially came in second, clashing with members of Kibaki's Kikuyu. The head of Kenya's Red Cross said many of the dead were killed in ethnic violence across the country.

Kenya is one of the most developed countries in Africa, with a booming tourism industry and one of the continent's highest growth rates. Many observers saw the campaign as the greatest test of this young, multiparty democracy and expressed great disappointment as the process descended into chaos.

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! -craig

Introducing KIVA

A Great Opportunity to Loan to the Working Poor

I want to introduce KIVA to you. Kiva is an organization that is doing a tremendous service in the area of microfinancing all over the world. Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back. This is an awesome opportunity to help people help themselves. I have recently become involved by helping to finance an individual in Kenya who is starting a milk producation business. Check out the KIVA website. This YouTube segment below is from the television program Frontline. It gives more detailed information.

stay off the paved road... -craig

The Mystery of Christmas

"The Mystery of Christmas" was the name of a special Primtime show aired this evening by CBS. I am not sure if this has aired previously, but there have been other programs similar in nature and equal in heresy. The graphic I am using was used by an organization that is actively refuting the outrageous assertions revolving around such heresy as The DaVinci Code, The Last Tomb of Jesus Program, The Gnostic Acts of Philip, The Gnostic Gospel According to Mary of Magdalene, and of course the infamous "Jesus Seminar."

It seems that whenever shows of this nature are broadcast on network television, the so called "scholars" are usually people who do not believe the Bible. John Dominic Crossan from the "Jesus Seminar" is a perfect example. He gave considerable commentary during the "Mystery of Christmas" program. In case you are unaware, I want to share a few of their beliefs with you:

The Jesus Seminar is a group of New Testament scholars who have been meeting periodically since 1985. The initial two hundred has now dwindled to about seventy-four active members. They initially focused on the sayings of Jesus within the four Gospels to determine the probability of His actually having said the things attributed to Him in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each scholar offered his/her opinion on each "Jesus" statement by voting with different colored bead:

# Red: Jesus undoubtedly said this or something very like it.
# Pink: Jesus probably or might have said something like this.
# Gray: Jesus did not say this, but the ideas are close to His own.
# Black: Jesus did not say this; it represents a later tradition.
Their voting conclusions: Over 80% of the statements attributed to Jesus in the Gospels are, by voting consensus, either gray or black. This means that only 20% of Jesus' statements are likely to have been spoken by Him. The other 80% are most assuredly, they say, unlikely to have ever been uttered by Jesus.

Obviously the information they present concerning the incarnation and the virgin birth does not reflect biblical orthodoxy. They try to play the Gospels against one another and come to the conclusion that Jesus was conceived the same as you or I. I think they need to change their name to the "UnJesus Seminar."

be informed ... --craig

I Saw What I Saw

This video was highlighted on the most recent album by Sarah Groves. I found it recently on YouTube. The footage is from a trip to Rwanda. She has also worked with Jars of Clay in the Blood/Water Mission Project. One of the reasons I am posting it is to give you an opportunity to once again take in scenes from the African Continent. We will be back in Africa in just 6 months. Please pray for our group as we prepare for the journey.

stay off the paved road... --craig

Great Christmas Gifts

I left the Calendar Blog up for a while because I believe it will make a great Christmas present. If you are interested in receiving a calendar, please send an e-mail to crossroadspittsburgh@msn.com.

Last year at this time I shared some other ways that your Christmas giving can touch lives in great need. You can purchase a gift from World Vision in the name of a family member or friend. Here are some possibilities;

A Goat - for a family in Haiti or Malawi.
A Fishing Kit - for those fishing the inland rivers and lakes of Angola.
A Pig - one sow can produce 20 pigs a year.
Education Support for a Child - this includes school fees, uniforms, and supplies.
Share of a deep well - this will provide 2,800 gallons a day for 300 people (clean drinking water can cut a communities child mortality rate in half).
Food for one African family - from Rwanda, Uganda, Niger (many suffer acute hunger due to poor rainfall, locusts, and natural disasters).

Give a gift this year that will truly be a blessing.

stay off the paved road... -craig

More on Mormonism

Mike Licona from the North American Mission Board makes an important contribution to the Mormon discussion. He states, "When you consider Mormon doctrines such as the plurality of gods, God having been once a man, man becoming a god, Jesus created by God, an afterlife much different than Jesus describes, and various salvation requirements, Mormonism presents a gospel much different than we find in the Bible. Therefore, the Apostle Paul's words in Galatians 1:8-9, KJV, may very well apply: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I say now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

stay of the paved road... --craig

QUIT LYING

It has often confused me why people have to lie about their belief systems. Are they ashamed? Are they embarrassed? Do they think people will consider them weird or crazy? Are they afraid of being labeled a cultist?

Recently this question has come up in the presidential primary fray. Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas has been criticized by a question he posed to a reporter in a two hour interview. Regardless of whether the quote was taken out of context, a far more important question remains. Why do people adhere to a belief system in which they cannot acknowledge or admit to the basic tenets?

The question Huckabee innocently asked was, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan were brothers?" The furor revolves around the fact that the question was asked. Does anyone care about the answer? In the past 2 days I have not heard a single reporter or news organization ask, "Do mormons really believe this?" Well, I will go ahead and answer the question. YES, they do believe satan and Jesus were brothers!

I remember a few years back sitting on my front porch engaged in conversation with two mormon missionaries. I posed this question, "I know a little bit about mormonism and it seems that you have some very different and even strange beliefs (some are listed below). Do you actually share these beliefs with people when you go door to door?" The response was, "no, we do not share these things initially because we think people might become confused."

Well, that seems to be an understatement; there would certainly be confusion. But is the real reason embarrassment? I will present a small portion of the mormon belief system below and let you decide. Either the average mormon does not know what they believe or they are embarrassed to share it. I would say QUIT LYING and boldly profess what you believe. Quit deceiving people and tell them the truth. Let your belief system stand on its merits.

With some help from C.A.R.M. I am listing some mormon beliefs taken directly from their teaching. These are not misquoted or taken out of context. Again, let them stand on their own merit.

The Devil
1. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, page 192.)

2. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163.)

3. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god." (Mormon Doctrine, page 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, page 8.)

God
1. God used to be a man on another planet, Mormon Doctrine, p. 321. Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol 5, pp. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2, p. 345, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333.)

2. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s..." (D&C 130:22).

3. God is in the form of a man, (Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 3.)

4. God the Father had a Father, (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 476; Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 19; Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105.)

5. God resides near a star called Kolob, (Pearl of Great Price, pages 34-35; Mormon Doctrine, p. 428.)

6. God had sexual relations with Mary to make the body of Jesus, (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 218, 1857; vol. 8, p. 115.) - This one is disputed among many Mormons and not always 'officially' taught and believed. Nevertheless, Young, the 2nd prophet of the Mormon church taught it.

Becoming a God
1. After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354.)

2. "Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them," (DC 132:20).

Jesus
1. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus, (Mormon Doctrine, page 129.)

2. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163; Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15.)

3. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions), (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856.)

Joseph Smith
1. If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation [the context is the full gospel including exaltation to Godhood] outside the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 670.)

Book of Mormon
1. The book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible, (History of the Church, 4:461.)

Salvation
1. "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation." (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206.)

2. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions), (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856.)

3. There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188.)

be informed... don't lie... -craig