Jesus Day, Baghdad

December 7, 2009, 5:22 PM

Jesus Day, Baghdad

By MARC SANTORA

Joao Silva for The New York TimesMembers of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra walking past a billboard with a picture of Jesus as they took to the stage at the Master of Souls Festival in Abu Nuwas Park in Baghdad.

BAGHDAD — On the banks of the Tigris, Santa Claus — wearing a tatty red robe, stringy white beard, and frightening caucasian mask — was being mauled by children as he tried to pass out some trinkets. Poets on a nearby stage recited odes to Jesus, beneath a massive banner emblazoned with Christ’s image.

Watching over the artists were hundreds of heavily armed security officers, lining the closed street around the park and dotting the rooftops of nearby buildings.

This is what is known as “Jesus Day” (officially the “Master of Souls” festival) in Baghdad.

Joao Silva for The New York Times

It was the second annual festival but the first to feature Christian imagery so prominently. Like other religious minorities, Christians in Iraq have found themselves the targets of militants in recent years. There were groups from eight churches in Baghdad invited to the festivities and they were brought there on buses for their own safety.

The event was sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior and while the stated objective was to promote tolerance and understanding, there was an obvious political calculation. The head of the ministry, Jawad al-Bolani, is one of the candidates challenging Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki in the upcoming national elections and the event provided him an opportunity to burnish his credentials among secularists.

Joao Silva for The New York TimesJawad al-Bolani, center, and Ahmed Abu Risha, robed at right, at the ceremony.

He arrived at the four hour festival with Ahmed Abu Risha, the Sunni leader who helped turn the tribes in Anbar province against Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.

There were dozens of reporters on hand as well, but few actual Iraqi residents, despite a closing performance by Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra.

The relatively small attendance might have been as much about the security precautions as the theme of the festival. However, it was a chance to hear the orchestra, which, against great odds, has continued to perform in Iraq.

Joao Silva for The New York Times

The stage was set up in front of Mohammed Ghani Hikmat’s famous statue ofSheherazade — the fictional narrator of the tales of ‘A Thousand and One Nights’ — so Karim Wasfi, the symphony’s chief conductor, decided to open the performance with Rimsky-Korsakov’s piece dedicated to the Arabian storyteller.

As he took the stage, baton in hand, he had to wait a moment before beginning as two American Blackhawk helicopters flew overhead.

Joao Silva for The New York TimesIraqi security forces guarded the event, behind the riverside statue of Sheherezade.

When his 85-member orchestra did play, it was possible to forget for a moment that one was in Iraq. The setting sun cast a red glow over the violin section, palm trees swaying gently in the background. The orchestra, in black formal wear, did not let a poor sound system or the whir of more helicopters overhead throw them off-stride.

It was beautiful, a phrase often hard to use in Iraq these last few years.

But a quick glance up to the gunners on the roofs, down to the trash-strewn ground, right to the armored vehicles lining the road, or left to the receding banks of the river, and the reality of Iraq was present again.

Joao Silva for The New York Times

Mr. Wasfi is hopeful that in the future events like Wednesday’s festival will be able to be held in a genuinely open way.

But even as he holds onto his faith in Iraq, he continues to be challenged by some of the more extreme elements of society that hold sway in parts of the country.

The orchestra was scheduled to play its first ever concert in the Shiite holy city of Karbala this past weekend. Despite securing the support of key religious figures in the city, one prominent cleric denounced the planned concert as sacrilege. It was canceled for safety reasons.

“Music is not a threat to any religious ideology,” said Mr Wasfi.

Joao Silva for The New York Tim

IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIBLICAL HUMOR ONCE IN A WHILE....

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth? 
A. Ruthless. 


Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds. 

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible? 
A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation. 

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible? 
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet. 

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible? 
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord. 

Q.. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible? 
A. Samson. He brought the house down. 

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home. 


Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible? 
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once. 

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan The banks were always overflowing. 



Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible? 
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep. 


Q. Which Bible character had no parents? 
A. Joshua, son of Nun. 

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark ? 
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan...) 

PS. Did you know it's a sin for a woman to make coffee? 
Yup, it's in the Bible. It says . . . "He-brews" 

KEEP SMILING!!!! GOD LOVES YOU BUNCHES AND BUNCHES!!!! 

Christian Sisters Released From Iranian Prison

Two sisters jailed in Iran for more than eight months after refusing to renounce their Christian faith were released Wednesday.

Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, were arrested March 5 on charges of "acting against state security" and "taking part in illegal gatherings."

During an August court hearing, the women were pressured to renounce their faith in verbal and written form, but both refused. "If we come out of prison we want to do so with honor," they said after the hearing, according to Elam Ministries, which supports Christians in Iran and has advocated for the women's release.

As a result of their response, the judge sent the sisters back to prison "to think about it," Compass Direct News reported. At a court hearing in October, the judge dropped the anti-state charge, but the women still faced charges of propagation of Christianity and apostasy.

"Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," the sisters told Elam Wednesday.

Rostampour and Esmaeilabad were held in the notorious Evin prison, a facility that has drawn criticism in recent years for its human rights violations. Sources say the sisters were put in solitary confinement and subjected to intense interrogations.

Esmaeilabad also suffered from spinal pain, an infected tooth and intense headaches but was reportedly denied medical attention for a time. In October Rostampour had severe food poisoning.

"Maryam and Marzieh have greatly inspired us all," said Elam director Sam Yeghnazar. "Their love for the Lord Jesus and their faithfulness to God has been an amazing testimony."

Open Doors, a group that advocates for persecuted Christians, launched a campaign to free the women. The group called on supporters to contact Mohammad Khazaee, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations, and to the Iranian government requesting the sisters' immediate release.

David Yeghnazar, Elam's U.S. director, said it is not clear why the women were released, but he credits prayer. He notes that roughly 17,000 people have spent a least a month interceding for Iran as part of Elam's Iran 30 prayer campaign.

"We're not sure of the exact reasons for their release, but certainly people have been praying for their situation," he told Charisma.

Although the U.S. State Department designated Iran as a country of "particular concern" for its religious repression, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have reportedly come to Christ in recent years. Many converts report having dreams and visions of Jesus that led them to salvation.

Yet amid the growth of underground churches, government intimidation of Christians has been increasing. Elam leaders say last year there were more than 50 known cases of arrests and imprisonment, and some cases of torture.

Despite their release, the sisters may face further legal battles. "They've been told there will be a future court hearing, so prayers continue to be needed," David Yeghnazar said. "What we don't want to happen is that people think, 'They're out. We don't need to keep praying for them.' ... I really believe that people's prayers are making a difference."

African Missions Support Group

The Vision:

The African Missions Support Group seeks to raise support for Missionary activities in Africa from Africans in Diaspora and Interested Supporters for the propagation of Christianity in Africa in the next decade of the 21^st Century.

Rationale:

Missionary work in Africa is in dire need of help. This is as a result of a combination of factors. The changing landscape of Africa, the increasing terror threats and Islamic attacks on Christian Institutions and Missionaries -the most recent being the Boko Haram violence in Nigeria, where 3 Pastors were decapitated, as well as the resource gap that is occasioned by the challenges of poor infrastructural and human capital development, corruption and bad leadership in many African countries. Added to this is the Islamic agenda for Africa, which is a new frontier of spiritual warfare that must be engaged strategically. For example, South Sudan ( a predominantly Christian and animist part of Sudan, which is due for independence, has suddenly been thrown into warfare through the sponsorship of break away groups to neutralize the plan for independence, among many other issues.

The AMSG is therefore designed to create a pool of resources to support new Missionary activities across Africa. The new Missionaries would be professionals who engage the development process, as well as propagate the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Our Mandate: ‘Occupy Till I Come’ Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Christ’s clarion call to believers to continue to press forward the Mandate till every nation hears the Gospel, even as we awaits the Second Coming of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. If you cannot go, then your resources can send others!

Our Needs: We require:

• v Educational and Health Volunteers/Missionaries
• v Infrastructure Support: Buildings, Homes, Schools and Education Support Centres.
• v ICT Equipment and Software Support- including web development.
• v Materials Support – Borehole facilities, Books, Clothes, Shoes, Toys etc.
• v Strategic Development Advisors to engage local government and thereby direct development appropriately.
• v Effective Communication Strategists-The Church in Africa is doing much, but little awareness.

v Financial Support to carry out this Mandate.

Our Strategy:

• ü We will build a College in Southern Sudan to help raise new leadership for the emerging Christian Nation.
• ü We will execute Medical Missionaries across communities in poor and very needy areas of Africa.
• ü We will build Libraries to Support Missionaries and Bible Schools.
• ü We will provide Leadership Training for Young Christian Workers especially in underserved areas.
• ü We conduct Community Prayer Outreaches to break the Power of Satan in many traditional Communities in partnership with other Ministries.
• ü We will donate, books, clothes, shoes and food to the very needy in the areas of missionary assignments.

Our Accountability Statement: We will provide an annual audited report to our supporters and bear true allegiance to Christ in the management of resources. An International Advisory Board will oversee this initiative.

To support this vision, write or email the contact address below:

Lakeside Intl Christian Ministries, Plot 300, Lugbe FHA, Box 18063, Garki, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. lakesidemin@gmail.com; +234-802-660-8087

Are You Coming to the Celebration?

Are You Coming to the Celebration? by Lara Odetoyinbo

So he answered and said to his father, "Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends." (Luke 15:29)

God is concerned with bringing people from death to life. His heart rejoices over each person who returns to Him from a time of rebellion. If your heart is like God's, you, too, will rejoice when a sinner returns to the Father.

Jesus' parable about the prodigal son is as much about the older son who remained as it is about the wayward son or the father. Year after year the older son labored for his father, waiting for a future reward. He had seen the brokenness his brother's rebellion had caused his father. Yet when his brother returned, the older son did not rejoice with his father. He felt no pleasure in seeing his father happy. His concern was for himself and the injustice he perceived he'd been dealt. He felt like a martyr and totally missed the blessing of celebrating with his father.

It is possible to serve God year after year and yet have a heart that is far from Him. You might be one of the hardest workers in your church and yet be filled with bitterness because others do not share your load. You can become so preoccupied with your spiritual labors that when God works miracles in the lives of those around you, you cannot rejoice.

If you serve the Lord out of duty or habit, but not out of joy and gratitude, you will feel like a martyr. You will envy those who are experiencing joy in the Lord while you feel weighed down by the work you are doing. This is not the abundant life your Father has planned for you. Come to the celebration, spend time with the Father, and share in His joy!

An Anointing to Finish by Barbara Wentroble

Overcomers have a 'finishing' anointing. They don't merely start things. They keep on moving forward until they complete the task. Many people love to start new things. They like to be creative. They enjoy thinking of new projects and dreaming about new adventures. Often, these people actually start some of the new things they are planning for the future. The problem is that they seldom finish what they start.

Helen Keller was an overcomer who finished her assignments against major obstacles. She was born with severe illness that deprived her of sight, hearing and the ability to speak. Her courage, faith and optimism in the face of overwhelming disabilities propelled her forward. She never retreated. She never stopped. She persevered until she completed what was needed to succeed. As a result, Helen Keller graduated cum laude from Radcliff College, became the author of several articles, books and biographies, served on several boards and lectured in more than 25 countries.

You have the same potential in you that was in Helen Keller. Do what she did. Keep moving forward against all obstacles. Allow your courage and faith to rise to a new level. It is only a matter of time until you finish your goal. Wow! You are an overcomer with a finishing anointing!

Contend for God's Promises

by Barbara J. Yoder

Culled from Charimahttp://www.charismamag.com/index.php/prophetic-insight/23080-contend-for-gods-promises

Editor's Note: The following message is the most recent posted on Barbara Yoder's new blog, which you can find at barbarayoderblog.com. The original title of the word is "We Are Contending."

We are in a season of contending. We must contend past the deception that has tried to mislead us. Deception blinds us from seeing what the real issue is, and hope deferred feeds deception. It feeds the faithless, half-empty-glass syndrome. I believe we are coming out of a season in which hope deferred seemed to abound.

Deception is part of the resistance that we have to overcome. It causes us to think, There are all kinds of reasons I can't break through this: "God doesn't care." "It's too hard." "I can't do it." "What did I do wrong?"

Deception tells us, "God hasn't come through before, so why would He now? And if He cares so much, why have things been so difficult during this season—and why has it hung around for two years? Why did God let this or that happen? He must not care." On and on the voice speaks.

But it is not the voice.

There is perhaps more resistance to break through in this season than we've experienced in our lifetimes. We are facing new powers, new principalities. We are facing at a beginning level demonic structures similar to those that resist believers in Africa and India daily.

God is building our faith. He has allowed this level of opposition to break us into a new level of faith. What is it that has overcome the world? Even our faith (see 1 John 5:4). So our faith is being developed to an all-new level in this hour. It is becoming a faith that will stand and break through because it believes God's promises (see v. 5).

The Israelites overcame through faith and patience. Patience isn't lying back on the couch and taking it easy. The word "patience" in the Greek is hupomone. Patience allows us to see something through to the end, to hang on to what God has promised and see it through to fulfillment. It is a stance such as a bulldog would take—one that causes us to sink our teeth into the promise and hold on until it is ours (see Heb 6:9-12).

Press past the resistance. Resistance is the sense that you are not getting anywhere in your praying. It tells you it is too hard to break through. Resistance feels as if you are going up against a thick, solid granite wall that won't give.

But God!

Keep praying until you get through that resistance. Then pray to receive the fullness of what God is saying and what He longs to do.

Pressing into revelation is essential in this hour if we are to break into all the things God has been promising—the miraculous, wealth transfer, the harvest, a new level of the deliverance mantle and so on. There is an awakening waiting on the other side of breakthrough.

It is a time to pray in tongues as never before, "building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20, NKJV). Praying in tongues not only opens a window of revelation; it also builds bold faith. Let God lead you in your praying in tongues. Pray radically; pray through. The other side of the resistance is amazing, powerful, glorious! It is the breaking out of heaven all around us!

Come on, you can do it! Pray all the way through. And if you can't get there by yourself, grab one of your friends who knows how to pray and together take courage, be bold and go for it. The resistance can be so daunting we can't get through it by ourselves. Go today, grab someone and pray, pray, pray—get to the other side.

We are in a war for the new to break out, and a war is comprised of many battles. You will have to pray not just once or twice but many times until the war is won. Each prayer time represents a battle. We will battle until we win the war.

"And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4).

About the author: Barbara J. Yoder is the founder and senior pastor of Shekinah Christian Church (shekinahchurch.org) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is known for her cutting-edge apostolic and prophetic breakthrough ministry.

Fight for Hope by Joyce Meyer

When you think about the future, are you hopeful? Or do you struggle with a sense of dread?

People who have seen God’s faithfulness in the past tend to be very hopeful about the future. They know a bad situation can turn into a wonderful testimony in a matter of minutes. They know how to hold on to hope and they refuse to give up.

On the other hand, people who have lost all hope view life from the perspective of dread. A close cousin to fear, dread steals the ability to enjoy ordinary life and makes people anxious about the future.

It keeps them from looking forward to the next day, month or decade. Their thoughts about the present are negative and their outlook on the future is filled with fear, pessimism, doubt and worry.

Hope is the opposite of dread—and a close relative of faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is “the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for” (The Amplified Bible). When we have hope, our outlook on life and the future is positive. We can have hope because we trust in God’s love, His power to provide for us, and His ability to lead us in every situation.

Hope allows us to leave our unanswered questions in God’s hands; it empowers us to remain at peace; and it enables us to believe the best about the days to come. Generally, people who have hope are happy, optimistic, and full of inner strength and courage.

Because hope is such a powerful force, the devil goes after it with a vengeance. If he can steal your hope, he can set you on the path to total despair and depression—and that’s his intention. He will work hard to plant thoughts like these in your mind:

“You have always been this way. You will never change.” “No one will ever want to marry you.” “You might as well buy some larger clothes—you’ll never lose weight.”

“Your children will never amount to anything.” “You will not have enough money for retirement.” “No one in your family has lived more than 70 years, so you cannot expect a long life.” “You will never get out of debt.”

If you read these statements carefully, you will notice they have a common thread running through them: self-pity. The devil puts thoughts in our minds to make us feel sorry for ourselves and resent the people who have what we are convinced we can never have.

Self-pity is a destructive and negative emotion. It blinds us to our blessings and the possibilities before us—which means it steals our hope for both today and tomorrow. People who pity themselves think: Why should I try to do anything? I’ll just fail.

I used to love to sit and drink my coffee, feeling sorry for myself and thinking about how mistreated I was. But I finally realized that my self-pity is actually idolatry because it is self-focus carried to the extreme. When I allow myself to fall into self-pity, I am essentially rejecting God’s love and His ability to change things for me.

I encourage you to be determined not to waste one more day of your life in self-pity. When you lose hope and begin to feel sorry for yourself, stop right that minute and say:

“I refuse to feel sorry for myself. I may be in a difficult season of life right now, but I will not stop hoping for better things!”

The enemy wants you to be consumed with hopelessness and will tell you all sorts of lies about yourself, your life, other people, and even about God. But you must remember that the devil is a liar. You must not believe anything he says.

God has thoughts and plans for your good, to give you hope for your future (see Jer. 29:11). If you will hold on to your hope and fight for it when the enemy tries to take it away, you will see amazing things take place in your life.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. She has written more than 70 books, including the popular Beauty for Ashes and Battlefield of the Mind, and her most recent, Never Give Up! (all FaithWords). She is also the founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. and the host of Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. To read past columns in Charisma by Joyce Meyer, log on at charismamag.com/meyer.

Position Yourself for the Future Prophecy by Chuck D. Pierce

'Position Yourself for the Future';

On Sunday, August 16, I heard the Spirit of God say, "Some of you have had the fight knocked out of you. The Spirit of God is bringing a new wind of strength to cause a new fight to rise up in you. The fight has been knocked out of you because you stayed in an atmosphere too long."

Anne Tate began to prophesy: "At this time I am breaking old associations and configurations. ..."
I then heard the Lord say: "Rise up! Let My atmosphere rise up around you and cut the ties necessary so that I can cause you to fight again and be set into a changing wind. I am breaking down the old structure you've been protecting. It is you [who] has been protecting an old structure saying, ‘Remake what I'm comfortable in.' I'm breaking that down.

"Catch the changing wind of My Spirit, for you will land in a new place, in a new dimension of My Spirit. You will say, ‘I see a new land, and I'm leaving the winds from the wilderness.'

"You had expectations in some relationships that you're still trying to work out. I've been contending to cut you loose from those relationships. I am contending over you so that you rise up above the inordinate structure of the enemy that has been placed around you.

"Get ready to rise up, for I am contending, and My sword is the strongest. Raise your sails and catch the wind. You have been in a dry and desolate land. But even though water has not been there for you to move forward, I will send the water if you will raise the sail.

"This is a week to know My presence. This is a time to know My ark and to know what ark you are to enter to journey into your future. I am causing My presence to flood in the land. Raise your sail and watch the glory begin to take you to a new place.

"Don't hesitate. Hesitation is set as a snare to My movement for your life. Let your faith push you and catapult you. When you hear the wind of truth being spoken into a situation, move immediately. You don't want to miss the boat. You don't want to miss your proper alignment.

"Don't hesitate. Delay is set as a trap. The word is critical in this hour. The intensity that is behind the word is pushing you forward at speeds and levels that we know not of, so don't hesitate and don't fall for the trap.
"Within the sands of your desert, there is a highway. But in the sands of your desert you have grown accustomed to the atmosphere and the sherakah wind that has been around you. In the sands of your desert, create a new atmosphere and I will cause that highway that is down deep to rise up.

"For there are ways of escape for My people in this next season. There are ways of escape that are forming, but you must create the wind that causes the highway to rise in front of you.

"I am laying the road. I am laying a road. Watch it form now. Go with Me on this new road, for you are headed into a place that you have not been. You must bring forth the wind and create the road so that you can end up where I have called you to be—new businesses, new alignments, new assignments.

"I'm having you return to some business associates [whom] you separated from and chose to walk a different direction from in this past season. Even now you will go back and reform a new way to venture forward. New ventures are on the horizon for My people.

"You must now grab hold and get on a highway that sets you ahead of the curve. You will go back and re-form a plan with them, [just as] Paul went back and got John Mark. These relationships will no longer be the same but will be brought under a new covenant plan. They were once in an old structure but now will be brought into a new structure. If those relationships are unwilling to come into a new structure, move on down the road for there are new relationships that will create this new venture.

"I will give some opportunities that did not manifest in the past season, [but] now they will have an opportunity for a manifestation in this season. The ventures of My people now will take a shift in their formation. Realign and then align again so that those ventures might manifest properly!"

About the author: Chuck D. Pierce is the president of Glory of Zion Ministries International in Denton, Texas (gloryofzion.org). He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting and has been used by God to mobilize prayer throughout the world. Pierce is also the author of many books, including his two most recent, Interpreting the Times and Redeeming the Time (both Charisma House).

THE LIBERATION MANDATE VALIDATED

THE LIBERATION MANDATE VALIDATED

The nation of Liberia witnessed a spiritual tornado, as Bishop David Oyedepo, the apostle of faith invaded the city of Monrovia, Liberia from the 20th-22nd, July, 2009, with over 14,000 people giving their lives to Christ in a 2-day outreach and over 31,000 people jammed into a 20,000 capacity stadium. Among others a blind woman regained her sight while the praise and worship was going on. To God be all the glory.

However, the following outstanding testimony was captured in the National Chronicle of Friday July 24, 2009, a national Newspaper in Monrovia, Liberia.

“QUEEN OF SHEBA” FLEES LIBERIA - GOD ONCE MORE TRIUMPHS OVER SATAN The National Chronicle of Friday July 24, 2009 reports of the unceremonious departure of the “Queen of Sheba” from Liberia following the Empowerment Summit and crusade held by a known Nigerian Preacher, President and Founder of Winners’ Chapel International at the ATS and HQ of the church in Liberia.

“Queen of Sheba” is known as the infamous follower of Lucifer and has for the past 46years practiced deep and superior Satanism. The paper reported that the queen has been coroneted with blood on three different occasions in 1995, 2003 and 2007 when she was enthroned as matriarch of the sovereign imperial empress of a special cult called the African Nubian nation.

Her arrival at the invitation of certain groups and traditional leaders in Liberia had raised concern in some Christian quarters but it took the arrival of Bishop David Oyedepo and the thrilling crusade to send the queen of witches hurriedly scuttling out of Liberia. The Queen of Sheba’s visit was planned to last for an extended period of time but her sudden departure has raised eyebrows and left people wondering as to what must have hit her.

The Bishop made a declaration in one of the evening crusade “cast the devil out of Liberia for prosperity”, and the next day the so-called “Queen of Sheba” left the country without the fanfare that attended her arrival. She was lodging in the hotel where the Bishop was lodging in and immediately the Bishop step on the hotel ground, the “Queen of Sheba” immediately packed out of the hotel without the hotel authorities knowing, on her way to the airport.

Most leaders of the Pentecostal Movement in Liberia are full of praises to God for this triumph over Satan. Bishop Dortus Doe of the Deliverance Life Ministry Arena was one of the leaders of the Church in Liberia who could not hide his delight about the news of the departure of this blood-thirsty sorceress.

It is interesting that a late surge of crowd arrived at the ATS on the evening of Wednesday 22nd July 2009 to attend the empowerment summit not knowing that the programme ended Wednesday morning and there was no Evening Session that day. Thank God for victory over Satan once again. To God be all the glory!

The Cost Question By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Want to Live the Dream? Pay the Price.

Have you ever been strolling through a shopping mall or car lot when - POW! - THE perfect product captures your attention? Perhaps it's the sporty convertible with a V-8 engine and unbelievable acceleration. Maybe it's the adorable dress that's exactly your style, has a flattering fit, and accentuates all of your finest features.

Whatever the case, there's an initial moment when you're enamored with THE product. For a split second reality is suspended as you imagine the joys of owning it. Unfortunately, two words generally bring this pleasant daydream crashing to a halt: price tag.

The Dream Is Free, but the Journey Isn't

When you first think about a dream, you only see possibilities and potential. As my friend Collin Sewell observed, all dreams begin obstacle-free. However, at some point we have to confront the Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price of my dream?

If you want to achieve a dream, you have to be willing to do more than just imagine the outcome. You have to be willing to pay a price to start the journey. Dreams don't fall into our laps by accident or good fortunate. They must be attained at the cost of personal sacrifice.

The Price Must Be Paid Sooner Than You Think

Dreams can't be bought on impulse. Buy now, pay later financing isn't an option. If you want to own a dream, then be prepared to make a hefty down payment.

I think most people realize that there will be some cost for achieving their dream. They have a vague notion that someday they will have to pay a price. But they don't realize how quickly the costs come. Stepping toward a dream is like launching a rocket; massive amounts of energy must be expended at the beginning. Otherwise, gravity takes hold and the journey never gets off the ground.

The Price Will Be Higher Than You Expect

All dreams have price tags attached, and the cost is always higher than we expect to pay. Not once in my conversations with successful people have I heard someone say, "Getting to the top was much easier than I anticipated." The reverse is true. Those at the pinnacle of their professions point to the hardships and sacrifices they had to endure to reach the top.

Having done a good deal of travel, I've learned the taxi principle: ALWAYS find out the cost before you get in the cab. Unfortunately, dreams are far too complex for us to accurately access the costs upfront. A noble dream is worth the expense, but the full costs won't be apparent until we're already on the journey.

The Price Must Be Paid More Than Once

As a young leader, I mistakenly thought acquiring a dream was like buying a ticket to Six Flags: pay once and enjoy the rides. Experience has taught me otherwise. Following a dream forces you to make continual sacrifices.

Just as a rocket must shed weight to escape gravity, so to a leader has to let go of some goals to accomplish others. You have to give up to go up.

Let's face it: dreams don't work unless you do. Easing off the accelerator and coasting won't get you to your desired destination. For dreams to be apprehended, leaders must have an appetite for hard labor.

It Is Possible To Pay Too Much for Your Dream

Although sacrifices go hand in hand with success, it is possible to overpay for a dream. Don't mortgage relationships or discard your moral compass in pursuit of career goals. I've seen it happen all too often. I've watched people sacrifice marriages, neglect their kids, ignore their health, and abandon their conscience - all in the name of a "dream."

As Jesus of Nazareth once said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?" Some prices aren't worth paying. Do not allow your dream to dictate your values. Rather, make sure your values inform and govern your dream.

ABOUT

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. EQUIP, the organization he founded has trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leaderhave each sold over a million copies

America's Best Colleges

College rankings are based on five criteria:

a. graduation rate (how good a college is at helping its students finish on time);

b. the number of national and global awards won by students and faculty;

c. students' satisfaction with their instructors;

d. average debt upon graduation; and

e. postgraduate vocational success as measured by a recent graduate's average salary and alumni achievement.

Rank	Name	State	Cost	Freshman Class Size
1	United States Military Academy	NY	0	1,263
2	Princeton University	NJ	49,830	1,243
3	California Institute of Technology	CA	48,990	236
4	Williams College	MA	49,530	540
5	Harvard University	MA	50,250	1,666
6	Wellesley College	MA	50,026	596
7	United States Air Force Academy	CO	0	1,286
8	Amherst College	MA	50,230	439
9	Yale University	CT	51,400	1,318
10	Stanford University	CA	51,760	1,703
11	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	50,100	1,048
12	Swarthmore College	PA	50,381	372
13	Columbia University	NY	51,406	1,356
14	Centre College	KY	39,200	336
15	Haverford College	PA	51,637	327
16	Boston College	MA	52,060	2,167
17	Northwestern University	IL	52,120	2,078
18	Bowdoin College	ME	50,570	488
19	Vassar College	NY	51,370	638
20	Whitman College	WA	46,212	401
21	University of Chicago	IL	53,310	1,306
22	Kenyon College	OH	49,260	456
23	Carleton College	MN	50,000	489
24	Colby College	ME	50,120	482
25	Middlebury College	VT	52,460	576

Rank	Name	State	Cost	Freshman Class Size
26	Union College	NY	50,060	580
27	Claremont McKenna College	CA	50,990	320
28	Pomona College	CA	49,745	382
29	Colgate University	NY	51,090	738
30	United States Naval Academy	MD	1,000	1,232
31	Smith College	MA	50,588	643
32	Wabash College	IN	37,750	253
33	Harvey Mudd College	CA	50,073	202
34	Washington and Lee University	VA	49,268	454
35	Bryn Mawr College	PA	50,060	366
36	Franklin and Marshall College	PA	50,100	588
37	Wesleyan University	CT	51,935	715
38	Brandeis University	MA	50,148	754
39	Tufts University	MA	51,400	1,297
40	Barnard College	NY	51,976	567
41	Lawrence University	WI	42,301	382
42	DePauw University	IN	42,175	600
43	Rice University	TX	43,586	789
44	Reed College	OR	49,960	330
45	Washington University, St. Louis	MO	52,464	1,426
46	Bucknell University	PA	50,250	957
47	Mount Holyoke College	MA	51,516	518
48	College of William and Mary	VA	20,806	1,387
49	Hamilton College	NY	50,210	462
50	University of Notre Dame	IN	49,030	2,000