Spiritual Proof

NZ does have heaps of problems, 2 generations and going on 3 to contend with of ticking time-bombs, but I just hope God will do the work cos all the helping agencies in the world can't do it! Grog is the biggie. They lowered the drinking age to 18 and also allowed the home distilling of spirits. Now kids are dying, swigging from recycled plastic bottles filled with 100 %- proof alcohol, (they don't even know the meaning of the word 'proof',) and buying it from the entrepreneurs in their neighbourhoods for tuppence! The A & E depts in hospitals are seeing the tragic results of it and the Salvation Army, especially is struggling to keep up with the demand for help. 9 year old alcoholics now, sooo sad! We had a certain amount of protection when we were young that these kids today don't have. Prostitution was legalised and the gangs and pimps are laughing all the way to the bank with the proceeds taken from their sex slaves, some just kids, in their legal brothels in the neighbourhood home, CBD and on/off the streets. It's laughable, the Green Party, who pushed hardest to get prostitution legalised, maintains New Zealand has a clean green image. It's not at all, it is a dirty little sinful country like every other in the world in need of a Saviour .

http://talklaw.co.nz/purchaseage

Go to that website.... http://talklaw.co.nz/purchaseage and make your concerns known to these lawmakers who continue to ignore the problems they have brought on us and our young people.

Wasted Life New Zealand's Alcohol Culture

12/10/09 5:48 PM
Caught between two cultures | Stuff.co.nz
Page 1 of 4
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/teenage-drinking/2814219/Caught-between-two-cultures
Kim Thomas - The Press
Caught between two cultures
Last updated 09:04 31/08/2009
Why does New Zealand have such a bad youth binge-drinking culture? What can be done to fix it? KIM THOMAS
wraps up a week-long series on our teen-drinking problem.
Jason, 15, has a civilised glass of wine at dinner with his parents while they talk about the day. Later, he's dropped off
at his friend's birthday party where he and a few mates celebrate with music, snacks and alcohol-free drinks.
A typical Saturday night for a teen? Yeah right!
The odds of this really happening in everyday Kiwi Canterbury are about as low as . . . well the drinking age, some
might say.
It's what many parents, police and health experts would want for our young people, but instead they get severely
intoxicated 15-year-olds routinely raced to hospital for stomach pumping; vomiting young girls pulled by police from the
gutter; GPs prescribing morning-after pills to teens with hazy memories of unprotected sex while drunk.
Most people who deal with the fallout from teen drinking say the problem has worsened since 1999 when the
purchase age was lowered from 20 to 18 years, supermarkets started selling alcohol and Sunday trading was
extended.
In acknowledgement, the Law Commission recently released a lengthy report on possible changes to our liquor laws.
Suggestions include returning the legal alcohol purchase age to 20 and making it illegal for anyone other than parents
to supply teenagers with booze.
However, the report doesn't explain why we have developed such a bad binge- drinking culture.
Experts have tried - they point the finger at teens' natural tendencies to experiment, bad parenting, an already
entrenched Kiwi culture of binge drinking, and at those alcohol companies who aggressively target teenagers with
sugary alcoholic drinks.
It's a big, bad issue - is it too big to realistically fix?
Halswell mother Lorraine (not her real name) still has nightmares starring her 16-year-old son Alex's battered and
bruised face.
He was beaten up during a recent night out drinking.
She has never bought Alex alcohol and doesn't let him go to parties where there's booze.
But Alex still manages to get hold of it - lots of it - and ends up very drunk.
The beating happened a couple of weeks ago. Alex had climbed out his bedroom window late on a Thursday night to
meet friends for a drinking session in a local park.
He drank a bottle of wine then nine stubbies of beer, which he had stolen from home.
"One of his mates hit him numerous times in the face after accusing him of hitting on his girlfriend. I took him to our
local GP late Friday night, after three hours of throwing up the copious amounts of alcohol. Luckily, no broken bones or
teeth, and he will hopefully have no physical scars," Lorraine says.
12/10/09 5:48 PM
Caught between two cultures | Stuff.co.nz
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/teenage-drinking/2814219/Caught-between-two-cultures
"I am left not sleeping at night because every time I close my eyes I can see his face covered in blood and swollen to
the state where he was almost unrecognisable."
Lorraine says that from about the age of 14, Alex and his friends were drinking alcohol supplied by older friends or
bought by strangers they approached on the street.
"My older son has always been responsible and will take the few beers we give him to a party and not drink anything
more. But my middle son wants to experiment and cause trouble and drink. It seems no matter what I do, or what the
law is, his tendency won't be stopped."
Lorraine says no matter the purchase age, teenagers determined to get their hands on alcohol will do so.
But Canterbury police youth services senior sergeant John Robinson believes parents can stop their children binge
drinking.
He blames parents for being too soft to say no when children demand alcohol and for giving them freedom to drink it
unsupervised.
"I have arguments with people even in this police station who believe it is OK to give their 15-year-old a six-pack of
beer to take out to party," Robinson says.
"These parents think they are being responsible by supplying their child a small amount to drink, but what they are
doing is saying that drinking at a young age is OK. It's not like we say, it's OK to have a few drugs when you are
young so you can handle it later, or that a little bit of sex underage is OK, but we seem to think it's OK to train our kids
to drink from an early age."
Robinson says parents need to be "more courageous" in facing up to the reality of teenage drinking.
"Fifteen and 16-year-olds are on the turps, condoned by their parents. We seem to be living in a society where
parents want to be their child's friends, want to be hip and are afraid to say no. Parents need to talk to other parents
about parties and take back some of the control."
Christchurch mum Angelina Ria has taken a tough stance on her teenage daughter's drinking and says she has
copped a fair amount of flak for it.
Ria has a 17-year-old daughter, Jessica, who she bans from drinking at their house or at parties with friends.
"My daughter has been shunned in some ways because we refuse to provide her with alcohol to take to parties," Ria
says.
"A lot of parents have told me that I am being irresponsible in not teaching my daughter how to drink. They say they
are preparing their children for the adult social world by teaching them to handle their liquor rather than being fall-
down drunk sluts. Most parents will give their kids alcohol to take to parties, which I think is condoning underage
drinking and should not be done."
Ria says she's not sure whether raising the purchase age would make a difference.
"We've got a pretty bad culture of binge drinking and raising the age isn't really going to change that. Education and
parents taking more responsibility is really the only thing that is going to achieve anything."
Canterbury youth health specialist Sue Bagshaw agrees that adults are really to blame for teen binge drinking.
The doctor, mother and grandmother says teenagers simply reflect society.
"We are drinking more as adults," Bagshaw says. "Excessive drinking doesn't seem to be limited to youth or one
culture or socioeconomic group. It's a widespread Kiwi problem."
Bagshaw says one cultural flaw is the lack of rites of passage into adulthood that don't revolve around drinking.
The traditional coming-of-age party is a 21st where the new adult drinks from a yard glass until he vomits, she says.
That's mirrored by general boozy parties where young people now see this as the entry into adulthood. Dropping the
alcohol purchase age has made it worse.
"We don't want to stop using alcohol as a celebration, but we desperately need to change the culture of using alcohol
12/10/09 5:48 PM
Caught between two cultures | Stuff.co.nz
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/teenage-drinking/2814219/Caught-between-two-cultures
to get drunk rather than to have a good time," Bagshaw says.
"This needs to be done by education and social marketing campaigns such as the ones run by ALAC. Adults need to
debate our culture of drinking and turn the mirror on themselves to ask how much is their behaviour contributing to our
young people's excessive drinking problems."
Bagshaw says splitting the purchase age could be a positive step. That's where a young person would have to be 18
to visit a pub, but 20 to buy alcohol from an off- licence.
She says this recognises that young people need supervision with alcohol.
Canterbury addiction expert Dr Doug Sellman has seen too many young lives shattered by alcohol. He blames much
of it on the alcohol industry.
"They are grossly irresponsible. Over the past 10 years they have aggressively targeted young people and women
with the sole purpose of making money. It is not an accident or random event and they disassociate themselves with
the harm they cause."
Sellman is soon to embark on a lecture tour of the country pointing out the "insidious lengths" booze manufacturers
and retailers go to hook people into their products.
He represents Alcohol Action New Zealand. That's a group of doctors, police and other interested citizens trying to get
alcohol laws toughened.
Alcohol Action New Zealand wants greater controls on the booze industry's ability to market to the young.
Sellman points to France which is in the process of banning all alcohol advertising on television, in newspapers,
cinemas, on the internet as well as sports sponsorship.
Similar action is wanted here, but he doubts the New Zealand Government will be as brave.
The Law Commission report suggests the alcohol industry regulate itself, hinting that strong moves to curb it may not
be on the cards, Sellman says.
Lion Nathan corporate affairs director Liz Read hotly disputes that the alcohol industry targets teenagers.
"Alcohol producers and retailers are not legally allowed to promote to young people because they cannot legally buy it
. . . the RTD market evolved out of adult consumer demand for convenient, ready- to-drink products. Although the
flavour profile does admittedly appeal to new drinkers, more than beer and wine used to," Read says.
"The youth binge-drinking culture is an incredibly complex issue and it is oversimplistic for Professor Sellman to say it
is something the alcohol sector should largely take the blame for . . . it has developed over time and generations and
is due to a number of things including a huge liberalism of parental control."
Read says exerting greater control over the industry would not "miraculously" solve the problem, although the sector is
always trying to work with Government to minimise harm.
"I heard a 45-year-old the other day telling war stories about a night he went out with his mates and got really pissed.
Minutes later he was talking about how concerned he was about his teenage son's binge drinking. That just sends a
hypocritical message," says ALAC chief executive Gerard Vaughan.
Vaughan says New Zealand needs to change its binge-drinking culture and that it's possible.
It's already changed a great deal over the past century - from abstinence and the six o'clock swill to now - and that just
shows change is possible if society wants it.
And he's seeing a strong desire for change from communities tired of waking to broken glass and vomit in their
neighbourhoods.
Any adult can make a difference by modelling responsible drinking behaviour, he says.
Otago University research, reflecting contemporary international studies, shows the earlier a person starts drinking, the
more likely they are to suffer a number of negative outcomes, such as having run-ins with police, being unemployed
and having mental health problems, Vaughan says.
12/10/09 5:48 PM
Caught between two cultures | Stuff.co.nz
Page 4 of 4
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/teenage-drinking/2814219/Caught-between-two-cultures
For this reason, he says parents should delay their children's drinking as long as possible.
Returning the drinking age to 20 and introducing a minimum price per alcoholic unit would help too, Vaughan says.
A minimum unit price would put harder liquor, such as spirits, out of the reach of younger drinkers and make it too
expensive for binge drinking. This approach has not been tried anywhere in the world, although Scotland is seriously
considering the idea, Vaughan says.
Another law change ALAC supports is decreasing the hours alcohol can be sold from off-licences and supermarkets,
although it is still considering what ideal closing hours would be.
Whatever Government decides to do with alcohol laws, it will most certainly improve the situation, Vaughan says.
"It is time for a change. We need to change. The societal will is there. We won't ever get an ideal situation but I'm
sure we can make some difference so our young people end up less harmed by alcohol than they are today."
And that seems to be the key to answering how to save more teens from binge drinking. It is for adult society to
genuinely want change and to be prepared to lead the change.

Thanks to Stuff newspapers, this is too important to limit to just a newspaper I think..

A Word from Derek Prince Ministry..

Derek Prince Ministries
Walking…and Resting…in Faith
Let us fear lest we fail to rest in Christ.
The one basic reason that the Israelites did not enter their God-given inheritance was unbelief. The same thing will keep us from our inheritance, too. The writer of Hebrews applied their situation to us, saying, “The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). God’s Word can come to us, but it does us no good, nor does it accomplish God’s purposes of blessing, if it is not combined with faith. It takes faith to make the Word of God work in our lives.
The next verse says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest” (verse 3). True faith brings us into rest. Do you have that rest of faith? Have you met those conditions, or are you in danger of being like the Israelites, who hardened their hearts? Because of their unbelief, they missed all that God had for them. What a tragedy if that should happen to us today! Yet the writer of Hebrews makes it very clear that it can happen—indeed, that it will happen—if we are not diligent about entering that rest.
A little further on in Hebrews, we have the practical application of this lesson: “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11).
You may have heard me say, “When you find a therefore in the Bible, you need to find out what it is ‘there for.’” The above verse begins with a “therefore.” The point is, let us not go astray in the same way that the Israelites did in the Old Testament. Let’s guard ourselves against unbelief. Let’s be diligent and apply ourselves to walking in faith, conserving and cultivating our faith, strengthening and encouraging one another’s faith. Let’s not make the same terrible and tragic error that Israel made through unbelief. Bear in mind that there is a direct, causal connection between unbelief and disobedience.
 
Thank You, Lord, for the promise of entering Your rest. I proclaim that true faith brings me into rest. I shall fear lest I fail to rest in Christ. Amen.

Faith, Part 1 (audio)
www.dpm.co.nz

Some Call it Karma...

..but GOD says:

WHAT YOU SOW, YOU REAP

Let us not become weary in doing good... we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9 NIV


The name Corrie ten Boom is widely recognised in Christian circles, but few people know about her nephew Peter who was also instrumental in saving Jews from Nazi persecution. When Dutch patriots heard SS troops were sending Jewish orphans to concentration camps, they smuggled kids out of orphanages and brought them to the ten Boom house until they could be placed for adoption. At sixteen, Peter, a committed Christian, defied the Germans by pulling out all the stops on the church organ and playing the Dutch national anthem while the congregation stood up and sang. He was imprisoned for his defiance. After World War II he travelled the world with the same message as his aunt - that forgiveness is the only answer to hatred. On tour in Israel Peter had a heart attack and needed surgery. Talking with him the night before his operation the cardiologist asked, 'Are you by any chance related to the ten Booms of Holland?' Peter replied, 'Yes, that's my family.' The doctor responded, 'I'm one of the babies your family saved!' Next day the man whose life had been saved forty years earlier, repaid the debt by saving Peter ten Boom's life.

The Bible says when you, 'Cast your bread upon the waters... after many days you will find it again' (Ecclesiastes 11:1 NIV). What you sow - good or bad - comes back to you. So, 'Let us not become weary in doing good... at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.' Remember, God is no man's debtor, and no matter how long it takes He will honour His Word.

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A Word Every Day

The Word For Today

Above And Beyond

If someone forces you to go one mile, go... two... - Matthew 5:41 NIV


In Roman times soldiers could make Jewish citizens carry their gear for a mile. But Jesus says: '"If someone forces you to go one mile, go... two."' Max Lucado writes: 'We've a second-mile servant in our church. By profession he's an architect; by passion, a servant. Prior to each worship service he does his rounds through the men's restrooms... wipes sinks, cleans mirrors, checks toilets and picks up paper. He tells no one and requests nothing in return... Let me tell you how to spot [second-milers]. They don't wear badges or uniforms; they wear smiles. They've discovered... joy in the extra effort... satisfaction in helping others... that the real reward rests at the base of the second mile-post... Why? Liberation! They've passed from slave to volunteer. When Mary anointed Jesus' feet, one-milers like Judas criticised the deed as wasteful. Not Jesus. He received the gesture as a demonstration of love, a friend surrendering her most treasured gift. There's an elderly man in your community who just lost his wife. An hour of your time would mean the world to him. Some kids in your city have no dad to take them to the cinema or football games. Maybe you can. They can't pay you back but they'll smile like a cheshire cat at your kindness. How about this one? Down the landing is a person who shares your last name. Shock them with kindness... your homework done with no complaints... coffee served when they awake... a love letter written for no special reason. Alabaster poured out 'just because.' Jesus chose the servants' quarters. Can't we?' John Gardner said, 'When people are serving, life is no longer meaningless.' You're not called to 'get by,' you're called to go 'above and beyond.'

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5th of the 5th Last Century

5th of May 1999 was a special year. It was the year I was chain- smoking one weekend and by the next I'd quit and it was all the Lord's work. He did it all for me what I had tried to do in my own strength for years. So, this blog is to honour my God for waking me up in the middle of the night, telling me to ask Him to quit my smoking habit and if I really wanted to, He would do it. I put it off until the next night cos I wasn't certain that I seriously wanted to quit and I sure didn't want to mock God! But I did ask Him and that very day I didn't miss those disgusting stinking things, nor the day after that and now the days have turned to years and Today I am still free of that particularly nasty habit, praise You Lord!

This Is Good As

What Will Your Legacy Be?

He did what was right. - 2 Kings 22:2 NIV


Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, was a violent king who filled "Jerusalem from one end to the other with [the people's] blood" (2 Ki 21:16 NLT). His father, King Amon, died at the hands of his own officers. "He did what God said was wrong," reads his epitaph. Josiah was only eight when he ascended the throne. Immediately he chose righteousness, and didn't stop doing what was right all his life (See 2 Ki 22:2). What's the point? We can't pick our parents, but we can pick our role-models.

When Josiah was rebuilding the temple he discovered a scroll containing God's law. As he read it he wept, realising his people had drifted far from God. So he sent word to a prophetess and asked, "What will become of our people?" She told Josiah that since he had repented when he heard God's Word, his nation would be spared (See 2 Chron 34:14-27). Wow! An entire generation received grace because of the integrity of one man.

So, you can rise above your past and make a difference. Your parents may have given you your DNA, but God can give you a new birth and a new beginning. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Eph 5:1 NIV). Just like Josiah, you cannot control the way your forefathers responded to God, but you can control the way you respond to Him. Your past does not have to be your prison; you have a say in your life, you have a voice in your destiny, you have a choice in the path you take. Choose well and some day - generations from now - others will thank God for the legacy you left.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Job 24-28, Matt 26:1-13, Ps 69:1-18, Pr 8:27-29

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Loveless

Home > eNews Article > Pro-Abortion Sebelius New HHS Nominee
Pro-Abortion Sebelius New HHS Nominee
from the March 03, 2009 eNews issue
http://www.khouse.org (visit our website for a FREE subscription)

It hasn't taken long for President Obama to show his pro-abortion agenda on several fronts. His newest health secretary nominee, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, is an ardent pro-abortion advocate. Sebelius has caught attention for her support of George Tiller, the abortionist famous for performing late-term abortions.

Kathleen Sebelius, the newest nominee for secretary of health and human services, has drawn criticism for her extreme pro-abortion agenda. She has repeatedly vetoed legislation passed by the Kansas legislature that would have strengthened limits on abortion. For instance, in April 2008 she vetoed a bill intended to mandate more information for women seeking an abortion, protect women from being coerced into having abortions, and allow families to sue abortion providers for illegal abortions.

In 2007 Sebelius vetoed portions of a bill that would have required doctors to explain reasons for performing abortions on fetuses old enough to survive outside the womb. According to Kansas law, late-term abortions can only be performed in order to protect the mother from irreversible physical damage. Yet, doctors like George Tiller have allegedly performed a significant number of third-trimester abortions for less serious reasons than those required by law. Sebelius argued that the 2007 bill would have compromised women's privacy, when in fact doctors assign numbers to patients for reporting purposes. Sebelius has also vetoed other sensible legislation aimed at protecting women from an over-eager abortion industry.

Operation Rescue in Kansas has accused Sebelius of corruption:

"Sebelius is joined at the hip with the abortion industry," Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, told LifeNews.com. "She owes them her political career and has been more than willing to pay them back with personal favors that have shielded them from legislation and criminal prosecution. Her corrupt abortion politics make her unfit to serve."

One of the most serious connections she has is to the infamous late-term abortionist George Tiller, whom she has supported. Tiller is known for his willingness to perform abortions on women whose unborn infants are capable of living outside the womb. Last week a judge ruled that his trial can go forward; he's charged with 19 counts of having a financial relationship with a second doctor who signed off on the abortions he performed. Two independent doctors are supposed to approve late-term abortions in Kansas. Sebelius' veto of the 2007 abortion reporting bill protected Tiller from having to justify his high number of late-term abortions. He also won a dinner at the governor's mansion in a silent auction at a pro-abortion group's fundraiser.

Her extreme views may not hold Sebelius back from confirmation. Pro-life senators might be impressed that abortion rates declined in Kansas during Sebelius' time as governor, and envision the pro-life Senator Sam Brownback as a possible governor of Kansas if Sebelius takes the cabinet position. Pro-Life groups intend to fight Sebelius' appointment as health secretary, however. While Obama would likely choose somebody equally as pro-abortion as Sebelius if she's not confirmed, there is also a chance he could get the message and appoint somebody who is more moderate and less connected with corruption.

Related Links:
• President Barack Obama Names Pro-Abortion Kathleen Sebelius Health Secretary - Life News
• Tiller To Go To Trial On Late-Term Abortion Charges - Kansas City Star
• Sebelius Vetoes Abortion Report Measure - AP
• Sebelius Vetoes Bill Banning Coerced Abortions - KansasLiberty.com
• 'The Factor' Comes Face-To-Face With George Tiller - The O'Reilly Factor
• Anti-Abortion Activists Plan to Fight Sebelius' Nomination for HHS - Fox News
• The Population Control Agenda II - Koinonia House

A Big Mess Follows Every Big Bang

200 years ago Darwin reckoned everything began with a 'big bang' and it has become a religion for many who call it "The Big Bang Theory".The believer's in that theory are called "Atheists". So, the atheists say they came about from a 'big bang', and I say I have been created by The Creator, and know that I have been wonderfully and fearfully made for His good purpose. (Psalm 139)
"The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good." (From Psalm 14 in the Holy Bible.) Atheists have no comfort or joy in Creator God and will try to make others believe their nothing- made- everything- theory too. But, if they say they have been made 'by nothing', then surely it follows they are still 'nothing', so who would trust them or their 'nothing' belief/culture?