On Vacation and Study Leave

Go to www.sweetenlife.com for information while I am praying about the future.I may also post some things on my Spiritual Healing and Growth blog.

Genderside: Men at Risk

What happened to the men who were most productive in Stalin's reign of terror in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic? They were ranked as the top of their professions and Stalin sent them to the gulags or prison camps.

What happened to them in the camps? Most of them died. Here is the story.

By 1928, Stalin was entrenched as supreme Soviet leader, and he wasted little time in launching a series of national campaigns (the so-called Five-Year Plans) aimed at "collectivizing" the peasantry and turning the USSR into a powerful industrial state. Both campaigns featured murder on a massive scale. Collectivization especially targeted Ukraine, "the breadbasket of the Soviet Union," which clung stubbornly to its own national identity and preference for village-level communal landholdings. In 1932-33, Stalin engineered a famine (by massively raising the grain quota that the peasantry had to turn over to the state); this killed between six and seven million people and broke the back of Ukrainian resistance. The Ukrainian famine has only recently been recognized as one of the most destructive genocides of the twentieth century (see Robert Conquest, The Harvest of Sorrow, and the Web resources compiled by The Ukrainian Weekly). The Five-Year Plans for industry, too, were implemented in an extraordinarily brutal fashion, leading to the deaths of millions of convict labourers, overwhelmingly men. These atrocities are described in the corvée (forced) labour case study. The millions of deaths in Stalin's "Gulag Archipelago" (the network of labour camps [gulags] scattered across the length and breath of Russia) are dealt with in the incarceration/death penalty case study.

Socialists cannot stand the notion that some people are superior in intelligence, talents, gifts and work habits. In socialist nations, the statistical truths contained in "The Bell Shaped Curve" are denied and fought at every turn. This meant that those who had by intelligence, hard work or family inheritance owned a far or store or had raised more hogs and cattle had to be eliminated. To the Communists it was "NOT FAIR".

What do you think about this notion?

Change is Everywhere

Back in the Sixties and Seventies a couple named Toffler wrote some very provocative books about the rapidity of change and the overwhelming nature of the increasing speed of information. Father Lou Guntzleman, a local Catholic Priest, wrote an interesting article about what they predicted about today's marriages some forty years ago. It is in the Enquirer. I think you will find it insightful and worrying.

My desire to establish a Center of Influence that will bring together men and women who are cutting edge thinkers comes to my mind when I read these articles. We desperately need some thinking that is deeper than the usual fare of Christian leaders if we are to touch contemporary people in ways that make a real difference.

Who would you like to meet and discuss critical issues about religion, values, politics and spirituality? Write down the people and topics you think that will be of interest to thinking Believers.

I need to hear from you.

Learning to Make Decisions

We in the USA live in a Representative Democracy that is considered to be a Republic. It is not a "Pure Democracy" as decribed by Aristotle. That, in Aristotle's view, is anarchy. The Republican form of government is based on a shared set of values we call "The Constitution" and allows the citizens to vote on men and women to represent them in accordance with that set of values. A Republic requires a citizenry with great interpersonal skills.

First is the skill or value of respecting other people. Dictators have not learned to be respectful so they attempt to make decisions that are selfish and self serving. Good decisions in the family, church and community must serve all the people not just the people in control.

Secondly, we must learn how to listen patiently to each other and learn from people with whom we disagree. The underlying characteristic for that skill is humility. My own temperament is skewed toward intellectual competence so I tend to be prideful rather than humble. Unfortunately I have to learn humility and patience along with listening over and over again.

More thoughts on this later.

Gary Sweeten

Sowing Seeds of Life

There are many benefits of growing older. Our families grow as do our friendships. We get to see children grow up and change from children to friends. Life in the love of God grows sweeter and sweeter each day.

All those things are true but the one grace gift I want to emphasize today has to do with ministry. After teaching about developing great relationships with God, self and others for decades I can see so much good fruit coming up all over the world.

Hardly a day passes that I do not hear from someone whose life has been touched by Teleios training and Lifeway ministry. I recently received a note on Face book telling me how God had used our training to help them be a better husband and parent. Why does it take so long to see fruit from our teaching?

Think of planting a tree. All of us are enjoying shade from trees that are older than we. It takes decades to grow a tree and years to see people's growth and healing. Then growth becomes so evident that the glow is noticeable to all who know them.

When a person learns to open his or her life to the truth of God's word for mind renewal it make take a year or two of weekly application to see the results. But after a while the peace and security of knowing how to apply God's truth to my life will burst forth into bigger smiles and more pleasant personalities. When one person grows and heals it touches all around them and the cycle of health breaks the cycle of sickness. The healthy body of Christ we call a Christian community grows as an entire group when any member grows.

Christ in YOU!
The hope of GLORY!

Gary Sweeten

Defeating Poverty

There is a new book on defeating poverty in Africa and it is a shocker in its conclusions about the one trillion dollars spent in Africa in past attempts to bring that tragic continent out of disaster.

According to a Zambian woman who formerly worked with the World Bank, many of the good intentions and money have not helped Africa or Africans. In fact, the money has been the problem.

Go to the Wall Street Journal for a fascinating review of the book Dambisa Moyo.

ALL SENIOR and OTHER FULLTIME PASTORS

It is never t0o late to have a happy family

CALL 1.800.FL.TODAY
TO REGISTER FREE FOR THE MARCH 6-8, 2008
(even if you can only attend Friday and Saturday)
FAMILYLIFE
WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
MARRIAGE CONFERENCE

Dear Friends and Tri-State Pastors,

Please do your best to attend this special weekend to to get away from the distractions of daily pastoral life! Cell phones are shut-off and to-do lists are temporarily forgotten. It's a time to slow down and reconnect with just your spouse and it's FREE! Rest assured, you will not be asked to attend any meetings that weekend! Your presence at this weekend and your leadership in calling your church to pray for this weekend are very important if this event is to have the impact and ripple effect on our marriage, churches and city that the Lord intends for it to have!

Thank you for your support in this effort to make a difference in the marriages of your church, community, city and region by:
Calling 1.800.FL.TODAY to register you and your spouse FREE for this event!
Forwarding us the name and contact information of your Prayer Ministry that will cover this event in prayer
Forwarding us the name of a couple you know has a heart to see marriages healed and would coordinate a group form your church to this event
God richly bless you and your marriage and your ministry partnership!

Working Together for Him,
Rodger and Gloria Henn
FamilyLife@ImportSpecialist.com
513.779.2288

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

Here we are in Karlslunde, Denmark, the center of spiritual renewal in that nation for forty years. Denmark has an official state Lutheran Church so making changes in the spiritual and religious life is difficult. However, Helge Pahaus, the local Lutheran Pastor, came to America in the Seventies and sent back tapes of leaders of the Jesus Revival to his flock.


Many thought he was having a break down not a break through. But they received his teaching and opened themselves to God for love and power. Now thousands of men and women around Denmark and Europe have been touched by this dynamic church that has been the center for Teleios Denmark, Alpha and OASE.

The lady in front is Regina Jorgensen, who might be considered the "Mother" of Danish Holy Spirit Renewal/Revival". Her daughter Kirsten Callesen is next to her in the photo. She is a Psychologist and an expert in treating Autism. Son Peter Dyhr, not shown, is a Lutheran Pastor and expert in church planting.

The bearded man is Peder Poulsen, a Danish Pastor and now heads a Family Counseling Center. Peder is very instrumental in the renewal movement in Scandinavia. We met while falling down a hill attempting to ski. Both Peder and Kirsten have developed unique ministries as a result of the Teleios Training they received from Sweeten Life in the Eighties.

(Teleios is the name I gave to the ministry at College Hill Church and later at EMI of presenting all Christians whole in Christ. These folks are actively using and teaching these same skills in a variety of ways.)

On the far right is Jens-Petter Jorgensen, my friend since 1983 and the founder/head of OASE, the Norwegian Renewal Group for twenty years. Jens-Petter is a member of the Sweeten Life Board. He teaches at Ansgar, an influential seminary in Norway, while mentoring, coaching and training pastors. He has also developed a new approach to implementing the Teleios Courses for leaders.

The work God ordained so many years ago at College Hill is growing and gaining strength all over the world. (See the posts about Russia.) His plans are always "Yes, and Amen!"

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

Who Are The Church Workers?

Who are the workers in your local church?

Who are called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be the workers?

What other roles are laid out by the Bible for various people in your church?

Why are so few churches working?

What do you think YOU are supposaed to be doing?

Check out Another Blog

My daughter Julia has a blog called, Hooked on Houses that you can click on the left side I have named it Fun With Houses. She is a great writer and works so very heard to write about her favorite topics, houses and decorations.

Julia has gotten 375,000 hits since January 2008 and I have less than 15,000 in three years. That tells us something I suppose. She is good; very good.

So, check her out and see why the critics are raving and giving her so many awards.

Another Anniversary Story

I recently posted a story about God showing up in my car fifty years ago this month. I was twenty years old and fighting to stay away from church and out of the way of ministers, evangelists and those who were led to tell me about Jesus. I usually found protection from those kinds of people in dance halls and gambling joints.

But, that was not enough. When God decides to come after you it is impossible to run fast enough to escape. My hyper Armenian friends may disagree but that is fine for when we hear their stories they are remarkably similar to mine.

One of the first things God said to me after He opened my eyes was perhaps the most shocking thing of all. He whispered, "Go to college." What a shock. Nobody in my family had sullied himself with a college education and I was not very interested in being the first. But, the Lord said it and I was wise enough to recognize that He meant it.

"But why," My parents asked me? "Why would you quit a good job and go to college? What do your want to do? Did God tell you that?"

I was stumped. I had no idea why the Lord told me to go to college. And, the whole idea of going to college scared me because I had not done well in high school. I felt like I was dumb because I did not really fit. But, God said "Go!" and I couldn't say no. So, in 1958 I started attending Mt. Vernon Community College, now named Rend Lake College. Back then we met in a couple of buildings next to my high school and the teachers were also from that school.

So, fifty years ago I started my college education and it was great. I discovered that I was made for college. The fact that I did not have to sit quietly for several hours and be still was joy. Anyone as ADHD as I needed shorter classes and a lot more class room discussion and interaction. I was in Heaven at college!

Anyone else ever have such an experience?

Take a look at www.sweetenlife.com for more about us.

More Seasoned Friends

A few days ago a dear friend from the past, a Seasoned Believer, called to re-connect after several years of silence. She and I got together today for prayer, sharing and networking.

Angela Anno was involved in our ministry almost 30 years ago when she and several others in the Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement came to the Teleios Center at College Hill Church for training. I invited them to allow us to be trained how to set up their own Center for Growth and Healing.

The group grabbed the challenge The Reach Center for growth and ministry was born on the West side of Cincinnati. The Reach Center blossomed and bloomed and set up training programs all over the city and the nation.

Thousands of Believers were touched by the Holy Spirit and hundreds were healed, delivered and sent to minister to others. Several of the Reach Volunteers became Professional Counselors after finishing Graduate School.

I have always emphasized "Equipping Believers to teach fishermen and women how to fish. This was the approach of Jesus and it has been my approach at Teleios, EMI, Life Way Inc and Sweeten Life Systems.

Angela Anno is a perfect example of that strategy. She became a very skilled Peer Helper and Teacher at Reach. As a Peer Helper she provided care and counsel as good or better than that provided by a professional. As a result, many were significantly healed. Angela went to grad school and received her Master's in Counseling.

Angela has personally minister deep healing to hundreds of individuals, especially damaged children. She is a very therapist. But individual therapy is extremely limited in its scope and impact. It is far, far more effective, efficient and helpful to train lay volunteers to provide support and assistance to families so they can prevent a crisis than it is to wait until that family is in crisis.

Angela is providing leadership, energy, insight and hope to numerous organizations and groups in Greater Cincinnati. She is multiplying herself a hundred fold by training, consulting and coaching others. Keep up the good work Angela.

The Seasoned Believer Movement Grows

It has only been a few months since our ministry, Sweeten Life Systems, launched a new thrust we are calling, Seasoned Believers Unleashed, and yet, we are getting enthusiastic responses from people all over the US and Europe.

+++++++++++++++++++++Networking!

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Anyone who has known and served God for two or three decades knows that Conventional Wisdom does not have much positive to say about them. So, when we suggested that God has a very special plan for those with Seasoned Souls, they wake up and pay attention.

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There are few places where people with enlarged souls can find their Center of Significance. Of the 35 to 50 million Seasoned Christians in the USA and Europe, most have served God and church faithfully. They have developed a lot of practical "street" wisdom at work, at home and in their neighborhoods.

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Beacues there are so many Seasoned Citizens(TM) in the world, Seasoned Believers(TM) have a wonderful opportunity to influence tons of people. Several years ago I read that there has been a strong upsurge in conversions among people over 50 in the USA and Europe. Let's face it, we have enough collected Spiritual Insight and Wisdom for the World that all it needs is to be unleashed.

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The ups and downs of life have knocked off the sharper edges of youth and they have an enormous reservoir of insight and biblical wisdom to pass on to the younger generations. Our ministry is focusing on all sorts of people, but mostly on the average man and woman who worked hard, saved their money, reared their children and have many common sense insights that other would find valuable.

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Join us on October 13 or write to us about how we can help you and other Seasoned Saints who find ways to to pass your wisdom on to future generations. Leave a Legacy for the future.

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

All We Have To Fear is...

What the world needs now is not only love but creativity. A few posts ago I placed a link on this blog entitled, "Did You Know?" It is a very powerful video of a slide show with some simple statistics and questions on it. But they cause many of us to have a powerful emotional response.

The statistics are about what is happening in the world scene and the Shifts in population, economics, creativity and how they are changing the world. The slide show was presented for a teachers' meeting in Colorado and designed to challenge them to think about whether or not we as a nation are preparing kids for the future.

But where is Christianity in this regard? We are already well within the 21st Century but I do not see many Christian leaders able or willing to "Take us into the Promised Land". It seems to me that we are far too often ruled by FEAR not FAITH. As FDR said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

FEAR causes many religious leaders to prepare their people for the Sixteenth Century. The current model of Christian education has not changed much since Luther and Calvin, and that is tragic. Only one or two persons in a church can"Minister/Serve" and everyone else is passive.

Only one person is allowed to speak and everyone else is passive. What does this teach us? To listen passively. That Christianity is passive for almost everyone. A few people get to talk and work but everyone else is supposed to shut up and sit down.

After a while the speakers get worn out and the people get angry and they fight. The talker complain that the listeners won't do anything and the listeners complain that the talkers don't do enough for them.

The Middle Ages Church Model is a lot like a cruise ship. People pay to ride, see the sights and eat well. Their money goes to pay the captain and crew to dress up in special clothes carrying drinks and blankets. The staff also gets everyone to play deck games or they will complain of boredom.

Some ships advertise that they are going to teach the people how to sail. They deliver a few lectures in air conditioned halls on the frightful and difficult history of sailing and how the heroic sailors risked life and limb so we can sail in the comfort of a modern vessel. After the cruise is over the passengers unload with no idea about how to row a boat let alone sail a schooner.

We need a new model.