The FB Appeal: 16th August!!

In Acts 17:16-34 the Apostle Paul, whilst walking through Athens is grieved by the state of the nation.

The Athenians had erected an altar to "the unknown god" in efforts to appease those they may have failed to acknowledge or whom's nature had not been revealed unto them.

Amongst a wealth of idols, false gods and superstition it is clear that there was a desire in the Athenians to make a connection with that which was greater than themselves through their polytheistic belief. 

An allegory still seen in present society, evidenced in the bi-polar attitude of our world at large, many are seen to profess a religious conviction, yet manifest a contradictory lifestyle or prioritize contemporary idols in the place rightly deserving to God.

Paul's words in Acts 17, present truths both subtle and prominent. In correcting those who attempted to acknowledge the "unknown god" without coming into relationship with him, and simultaneously presented God for who he truly is, that his glory may be revealed unto them.

The relevance and importance of Paul's actions if anything, increase in a world where many whom acknowledge the existence of God have still not begun to comprehend his personage or his nature.

The FB appeal endeavors to emulate that which Paul demonstrates in Acts 17. By making use of present and available mediums to contextualise the gospel, relevantly and personally. In faith that public acknowledgement and glorification of the one true God would be met with inquisition, curiosity, ridicule and response "so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around  for him and find him, though he is   not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:27).

 On the 16th of August 2011 we will be encouraging  Christians to upload short video's and songs recorded by themselves, to write articles, notes and blog posts and change profile pictures on their facebooks in an attempt to appeal to those on their friends lists's to come to Christ.

We will be encouraging Christians to make use of their twitter accounts to evangelize to their followers, post links, change avatars and retweet the Gospel in an aim to encourage those within our reach toward the open arms of the living God. after a successful first wave of ministry and a real unity of purpose on the 16th February it is with great anticipation that we look forward to the 16th August.

The intention is not to be abrasive, but it is to be unashamed, 

search "the fb appeal" on facebook and follow @fbappeal on twitter

for more information on how to get involved please contact

Andrew at andrewshaunthomas@gmail.com

The Facebook Appeal

Riding the train to Uni today, i was challenged on the level of effectiveness i have allowed myself to have in my community, environment and in my friendship groups.
With over 1000, friends and associates on my Friends list, i can't help but be convicted over how many of them don't know Jesus as their personal saviour and how every login has been a passed opportunity to witness the power of God in their lives.

James 2:20 teaches us that faith without works are dead,

Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life,

Let's allow our works to spread into every aspect of our lives on and offline,
and take a more direct approach in ministering to the unsaved,
I want this appeal to be an opportunity to encourage those who feel scared or intimidated by the idea of taking a stand for our faith,
For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love power and self-control.
Let us take charge of our environments and be encouraged to take a step of faith, and believe God to work through us, not just in the event ahead, but from day to day in our lifestyles.

The appeal is simple.
on the 16th of february, upload a video of yourself, (it doesn't have to be long) addressing your facebook friends, presenting the gospel in a way that is personal to you, (maybe using a scripture, song, testimony that is of importance to you) and tag this page (the fb appeal) using the @ feature in the post along with anyone else you specifically want to hear your message,
And pray that God uses your step of faith in order to promote conversation, questions and curiosity within all that hear it, ultimately directing them to Jesus Christ.


Please Join The Movement, and lets take Facebook for Christ

The FB Appeal

Promote your Page too

Let me know your thoughts

"I'm Going To Kill Jesus PART 2 (Bonus Content)

If you've checked my post "I'm Going To Kill Jesus"

You might want to check this Vid I did about a year ago, I dont necessarily agree with EVERYTHING I said at this point, but check it out anyway let us know what you think!
dont watch the tongue action :)



Here Is Part I

“I’m Going To Kill Jesus”

The penultimate episode of misfits series 2 last night, drew to a close with what looks to be a truly deliberate yet interesting finale showing this Sunday evening.
After a typically comical fusion of slapstick, satire and outright crudeness, the suspense and drama was not left out of the storyline of the lacto-kinetic “cereal-killer’ (haha... i make joke, you likey?) with an inferiority complex.
Previews of what will be the final installment and christmas special of this series shows things have taken a much more serious turn on the road our “ASBO 5” have ventured.



Although this clip doesn’t show everything, if you watched this weeks episode you would have also seen the infamous line from Simon: “I’m Going To Kill Jesus”.
Now, I’m not going to bore you with a religious rant on how as a christian I’m offended yadda yadda etc, that goes without saying.

What i will say is that (don’t shoot), this is part of what I believe to be the grooming of our world to oppose authority,
don’t get me wrong, the financial decisions of our Government in the last few months have been outrageous to say the least, but the manner in which the actions of relatively few have out-staged the many peaceful demonstrators only adds to an

Anarchic, pseudo-intellectual subculture that seems to have developed within our midst. That will conclude in what I believe, and the Bible prophesies to be the rebellion against God in Revelation.

The thought of us turning against our creator, may seem, far fetched and perhaps a tad excited.
but just through observation within media. The beginnings of such are evident in every stem of society.
From the teaching of evolution as the sole truth in secondary schools to the acceptance of the ongoing mockery of Jesus Christ in many shows we deem as “comedy”.

Atheists in showbiz such as Seth Macfarlane and Ricky Gervais have made clear their agenda to evangelise their beliefs to the world through the mediums of their day-jobs.



The chronic blasphemy seen in Family Guy, a lot of Jimmy Carr’s catalogue of material and The Lucas Saga in Eastenders, just to name a few

There seems to be a subtle yet consistent, desensitization to insults aimed at God.

Whether or not this character in Misfits on Sunday is going to actually be Jesus, the symbolism itself is, Anti-Christ to say the least. To even suggest the idea of killing any Jesus, be it Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Spanish Poolboy, is enough to plant the seed in ones mind, especially when the shock factor of such a statement is solely dependent on which Jesus we think of whenever we hear that name.

P.S. bear in mind this "christmas special" is all about killing jesus, in a period that is meant to be celebrating his birth, if you can't see the agenda there, you need to do some serious truth seeking


Part 2: Bonus Content : Click Here

A moment of your time

Not a long one,
I'd just ask for a moment of your time to watch this short video from Tony Porter at the TED talks conference in Washington DC, This month




let me know your thoughts

SP

The Smoke Filled Room

[Now Playing: Jessie J - Who you are]




You may or may not have heard, of an experiment known as "The Smoke Filled Room Study"
In the late 1960s and early 70s John Darley and Bibb Latane conducted an experiment in which volunteers would be told to wait in a room.

 after a while smoke would come in through a vent or under a door and their reactions would be documented.
What's interesting is that when alone, the subjects would immediately go out into the hallway to report it.
However the experiment was modified to have 2 or 3 actors in the room, these accomplices of Darley and Latane would act as if nothing was happening, they were only allowed to look at the smoke and shrug their shoulders as if to disregard it. This resulted in the subjects reacting in the same way!

They'd fan the smoke out of their face, cough and splutter, but 9 out of 10 times, subjects did NOT report the smoke to anyone for the full 6 minutes of the experiment.

This wonder of the human psyche is known as the theory of pluralistic ignorance: "because everyone else is behaving normally, everything must be ok."

Now before we load our "nah mate not me" shotguns, lets take a minute to consider our own human nature and how this could actually apply to our own lives.

Imagine there are 2 people near and dear to you, but you can only save one.... construct the parameters however you want to in your mind, but focus on the point that only one can be saved,

Lets call these people "Acceptance" and "Integrity"

In the same way, in many situations you can choose to be true to yourself, and kill the likelihood of your acceptance, or die to part of yourself for the sake of being one of the crowd,

in the minds of every subject in that experiment, they could have potentially endangered their own lives by sitting in a room slowly filling with smoke, but for the sake of being one of the crowd, not standing out and "feeling normal" they sat in it.

Whats more interesting is that it suggests humans gage their normality by the lives of others.
but when you think about it, isn't this just a vicious cycle, as everyone looks to everyone to be lead?

Think about every instance in your life where you've been in a clique or a social group, yet your find yourselves asking each other the questions:
"what should we do?",
"should we go?",
"I'll only do it if you will.."
"come with me"

Don't get me wrong by no means am i voiding the opinions of those other than ourselves, I'm merely highlighting that there seems to be an unhealthy reliance on others to define who we are.

Its interesting, this life is like a smoke filled room in itself for the fact that we can only see so far in front of us, so we walk with two hands out in front for the hope we dont trip over something, so we look to each other in the hope they'll trip first so we know where not to walk, but as a result, no one wants to lead and everyone is afraid to fall down,
not just because you might hurt yourself, but because we know that everyone else is watching.

SP.

The NWO

So I'm in the middle of my business coursework, and i flick on twitter to find that in the last 30 minutes:
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested in London not far from here,
not only this but Visa and Mastercard have just suspended all payments and donations from anybody to Wikileaks,

If this isn't an indication of the collaboration and inclusivity of the higher powers that be,
I don't know what is. If you dont know what wikileaks is you haven't been watching the news any time in the past month, and i strongly urge you to look it up.

Political Activist or Online Terrorist?

A lot of secret government documentation has been released without permission over the last few months that have had the potential to spark global conflict, including Hilary Clinton signing a document to say she believes Saudi Arabia is a key funder of terrorism, one problem, Saudi Arabia is the main US ally in the middle east (DOH!)
So yeah Julian Assange as we speak is probably on a one way ticket to guantanamo bay or some makeshift kanagaroo court to get locked away til kingdom come.

BUT he has promised that should anything happen to him he's going to release a "poison pill" of information he has been holding onto should a situation like this arrise,
I suggest you lock onto the wikileaks official twitter for fireworks within the next 24 hours

do the research, get the grade
save the cheerleader, save the world
Swing Away,
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail,
If you build it, they will come,
Show me the money,
I had you at hello,
yours faithfully,

SP

-_-

Accidentally pressed the Play button on my BB, tried to stop it and it crashed -_- .. this entire computer room has been forced to listen to Hillsong United on the LOUDEST volume whilst this little black clock on my screen sorts itself out #veryembarassing #blackberryssuck

Shameless Plug

So I'm back from my 2 week hiatus, it was my birthday and what?
Just a short one today as im currently trying to get that degree.
Allow me to introduce you to a very talented friend of mine:

http://www.pdesignsmedia.com/

This guy is the future!!
Let not get confused, im no expert when it comes to photography but i know more than a few students who spent their loan on an SLR and a neck strap,
Hailing from the emerging wave that is DRIVE UK Video production, I must say Pdesigns is one of the best I've seen,
Videography, Photography or even Graphic Design, he is your man! get at him on his website for booking information and a quotation, his prices are more than decent

Selah, PEACE, SNM

Mark-avellians: "A toast for the douchebags"

[Now Playing: Kanye West - Runaway]


kanye west runaway feat. pusha t

Nicollo Machiavelli once wrote
"A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests."

but we'll come back to that...
As a man whose notoriety springs from his ideas on self-preservation and "looking after number one." Modern day translations would ring something similar to: selfish, self-centred, narcissist, ignorant and a plethora of other adjectives that often...no! ALWAYS carry a negative connotation.

So I caught The Social Network the other day, and other than successfully managing to make the life of a few computer nerds and the invention of the biggest website since Google seem like the coolest journey since Yves Rossy's jetpack powered loop-de-loop flight last week.
I thought the portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg as a fast-talking, rebel, genius was the most Machiavellian image since the man himself.

I mean. This guy doesn't just steal an idea, he steals a whole 34 percent share of the business, right from under his best friend's nose and redistributes it amongst new shareholders in order to benefit himself and guarantee his millions.
lets not even get into  the morality and ethics behind that. Or we'll be here until part 24. lets just talk about the conduct.
This guy was his right hand man since Harvard, Eduardo puts up ALL of the startup cash, pays for everything and faithfully trusts Mark to produce a profitable investment, yet at the first sight of real promise, he drops him like a bad habit.

I suppose in a few hearts this makes him a "bad guy" but now he's sitting on 30 billion. do the ends justify the means?
not to mention the fact that Eduardo Saverin received an undisclosed amount as part of an out of court settlement.You'd probably say at this point that Mark is a: 


[machiavellian adjective]+[Noun with Machiavellian connotation]


but essentially it all goes back to my last entry about dunamis and potentiality, if this motion wasn't put into action would facebook's success still have been the potentiality that came into reality?
I mean, I know history is written by the victors but there must have been at least SOME truth in the films illustration of Eduardo's erratic if not obsessive determination to have everything his way and on his time.


But this isn't an analysis of Mark's morality, or whether justice was served. I don't care, 


This is a TOAST, an appraisal, maybe even an applause. In this world it seems society wants to feed us fairy tales to stop us being realists, but the truth is 9 times out of 10, cheater's prosper when you keep playing fair.


I think the powerful fear the Zuckerbergs in this world. The Machiavelli's of the 21st century. Not the rule breakers, but the ones that just didn't bother to read the rulebook,  The ones who fly, simply because they told gravity no.




So this is a toast for the douchebags, an ode to the scumbags and an applause for everyone who build's their castles on deceit and trickery, because as much as we'd like to think you'll come to what we understand to be justice. If your profitable your probably getting away with it.
Ask the Winklevoss twins!

I don't want you to get the impression that I approve of these ideas though, that's by no means what Im saying.
I just hate to see the moral expect to be rewarded for being upstanding in a world that is so clearly fallen.
because even when you become a martyr for your beliefs. the douchebags will probably just buy the cemetary you were buried in and charge your disciples to come see you. Then they'll probably make a film about you in 30-50 years, and what will you get? "Based on a true story" and your name, birth and death date at the closing credits, just after the last frame of the movie freezes and fades to black.

..... to be continued

The Squandered Opportunity: "If i could start my life from scratch"

[Now Playing - The Game - Start From Scratch]


Today, I could have been sitting in a corner office, looking out on a view of the city. which city? who knows, maybe London. Maybe Monaco. Let's not limit ourselves here.
The point is that's where I could have been, not where I am. Now juxtapose this image with the fact I currently take residency in a studio flat in (hmmm)... lets say zone 2. and the mind begins to construct an idea of the theory of Dunamis.(or potentiality for those who don't speak Ancient Greek)

Its a tragedy that a great many of us will only realise our full potential in retrospect rather than in experience. We only find ourselves the motivation to attain the dreams we sought out after the opportunity has long passed us and we dwell on our mistakes.
Aristotle's theory of Dunamis is that potentiality becomes possibility when a motion is placed behind it. the fulfilment of this bringing possibility into its realest form.

So when I think of all the opportunities that have passed me by.

The time I met a Millionaire

The Chances for Placements

The contact details thrust into my hands by people in positions of power and influence

and the conduct I took up until this point, I cant help but theorise the heights i could have already been at long before this point.

I'll be damned if I allow another day to pass me by where i don't place a motion behind my next potentiality.

The First Step. . .

Its ironic.. . No its something, probably not irony, but definetley something. And as long as we all agree that its something then at least we know that I'm not making something out of nothing. Irony? Paradox? or just a stupid and seemingly deep statement in a feeble attempt to sound deep?

Lets not delve or dwell too deeply on the fallibilities of my first entry, lets just focus on making the rest of them readable, engaging and hopefully relevant.

SP