Saturday, August 20, 2011

Immigration by Executive Order


In an order named “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion Consistent with the Civil Immigration Enforcement Priorities of the Agency for the Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Aliens,”
The president sign a provision instructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to exercise prosecutorial discretion when deciding to deport certain undocumented immigrants.
The memorandum’s purpose is to give guidance to immigration officials to:
ensure that the agency’s immigration enforcement resources are focused on the agency’s enforcement priorities. The memorandum also serves to make clear which agency employees may exercise prosecutor discretion and what factors should be considered.”
The president’s decision has been criticized of enacting the "Dream Act" by executive fiat to garner votes in spite of Congress’s failure to pass the legislation. Apparently, critics of the president’s decision are not aware that the "Dream Act" would've completely devoid any measure of compassion for immigrants, instead this memorandum provides guidance for ICE officials to show compassion for immigrants who would qualify for the "Dream Act’s provisions" of which are 19, as if it were the law. Immigrants who attend school for three years, fight in our wars, and contribute by paying taxes to the government without receiving benefits should be shown compassion and be treated with dignity, because many of these were by no fault of their own raised illegally as "citizens of the United States" by their parents crossing them illegally when they were still children, attending schools, colleges, marrying and having children of their own, and not being able to go home because for all they know and understand THEY ARE HOME in the United States.
No green card, or social security number, but it allows for people to apply under more liniment immigration laws with out fear of being deported, as long as they have not committed any felonies under the law, other than remaining in the United States illegally. Well I for one can honestly say good luck!! and God bless, we want good citizens to work for honest wages.
The actual document:
http://www.ice.gov/doclib/secure-communities/pdf/prosecutorial-discretion-memo.pdf

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

10 Steps To A Good Sermon

10 Steps to a good sermon

1. Introduces

2. Communicates

3. Biblically accurate

4. Suspenseful

5. Humoristic

6. Addresses the needs

7. Constricts the soul

8. Invites

9. Liberates

10. Transforms in power

  1. A short instruction is best. Work hard to clarify and unify the presentation so that there will be no confusion about what they are trying to say. In most cases, good sermons offer one idea – an idea big enough yet simple enough for listeners to appreciate and apply to their lives.
  2. A good sermon helps people hear from God. Preachers work to connect people with the voice of God. If a listener does not sense that she or he has been in the presence of God and heard something meaningful from him, then the sermon could not have been that good.
  3. A good sermon is rooted in the Bible truth. A sermon ought to find its footing in the Word of God. Many fine things could be said by a preacher, but if the listener doesn’t feel that the sermon has been helpful in engaging the Bible, it falls short as a sermon. The Bible will govern the sermon and be the source of its big idea if the sermon is any good. Good preachers understand that God still speaks through his Word. The Bible is the one instrument that God has promised to bless. When it comes to good preaching, the Bible is where the power is.
  4. Suspense and Humor are an important part of a good sermon. Some listeners learn best through reflection; others prefer a more active, a personal approach, others still can understand best by adding small humoristic bits. Culture will affect one’s evaluation of a sermon, some people don’t like to much humor, while other like to relax in a presentation. Many more like suspenseful metaphors using questions such as where we come from, what generation we belong to, our denomination, our economic situation, answering the question is not necessary, the intention of the sermon should address all the ideas presented.
  5. A sermon that deals with the needs of the listener is successful. Skillfully and compassionately assisting the listener in dealing with the anguish of sin, and perhaps hidden painful memories pertaining to grief, life and death. Touching the soul and gaining the trust of the listener to open up to the words the idea.

f. The invitation must be extremely gentle. One must be highly intuitive and have the ability to detect the needs to help address those who are in need of contrition. Whether they are struggling with personal issues such as health, relationships, love, intimacy, physical pain, traumatic experiences, eating disorders, career issues, life purpose, self esteem or simply personal feelings of failure and inadequacy.

g. A sermon has the ability to bring a higher energy and consciousness of soul. Uniting mind, soul and spirit which will liberate personal issues. The listener must see themselves in the sermon. Experiencing life, and future completely in front of her eyes, this moment is powerful; the listener may cry or leave. This is called the “death syndrome”, it is like your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn’t a second at all. It stretches on forever, like an ocean of time realizing they need God.

By Pastor Abner Rodriguez e-Ministry www.ncacts.com