Featured Article - Direction for Decision
As I write this newsletter I am already thinking of 2007 and beyond as it relates to Decision Ministries. The Lord has had me seek Him in some new ways for where this ministry is going and how it is to advance. This is a very difficult endeavor, because there are four major parts to the overall vision. Let me graph it out, so the picture is clearer to see.
1) MISSIONS
We have only tried to open and emphasize our Missions area in the Website and Newsletters. But we are much more than a short-term missions organization. Our primary focus now is the Philippines and Nicaragua. We hope to be adding other locations later. Our goal at each location is to assist the local church and ministries as we are able. Our first response is to deliver the gospel, as we are foremost evangelists. Building relationships within the country, city, and ministry that we are working with is the second priority. Relationship with a key ministry insures that we can have consistency and accountability. Third, we will begin to look at the present infrastructure of the church and its needs spiritually. Next, we will look at the physical infrastructure that needs improvement, i.e. clean water, health-care needs, agri-elements, and the need for physical church buildings, orphanages, soup kitchens, vocational training centers or schools. We are committed to long-term involvement through short-term mission visits. As we bring teams in, we will be providing vital links from the local churches in America to the mission field. These relationships will establish a steady flow of help for the mission and an on-going opportunity for the supporting American churches to send people on short-term missions. These life-changing missions will affect not only the people going, but the whole life of the sending church. This will super-charge the dynamics of a world-wide ministry emulating from the local church.
2) OUTREACH
Outreach and evangelism are key elements of what Decision Ministries is all about. It is through working with local churches and Christian organizations that opportunity comes for people to discover the joy of outreach and mission events. The gifts of those who normally just come to church are given a chance to flow. Many re-discover that they are yet useful in the kingdom of God. One of our goals is to help people find purpose rather than seek position in the church. More of the church will become mobilized to do good works, and the Kingdom of Heaven will be advanced, therefore the church is advanced. Many who find purpose and joy in serving in outreach or evangelism events will at some point decide to try a short-term mission trip.
3) APOSTOLIC/PROPHETIC
One of our ministry objectives is to build churches. We see a great need in many parts of the world for the physical building of churches. This can only happen if there is a suitable spiritual foundation built in place first. Decision Ministries is currently working on the development of foundational teaching and training courses to facilitate the need for training and equipping church leadership and assisting them with governmental understanding for healthy church development. Preparing and translating these materials is both costly and time-consuming, so we are working with several other ministries that have already developed some of these materials. The biggest request at our website is that of oversight, both from pastors and leaders here in the USA and abroad. We desire to provide both oversight and covering at some point , but we are only offering that oversight to a few at this time. We are believing that God will walk us into this important ministry area, as we continue, and as God supplies funding and personnel. We are linked to several other ministries that are helping us provide what is needed for now.
4) TEACHING & EQUIPPING
This area is presently directed through the website and newsletters. We are hoping to develop the ministry in a large part through media. There are several areas that we are currently developing and will continue to develop: a) Website, blog, newsletters, e-cast, e-commerce, direct mail and some telecommunications systems. b) Guest contributors, link-up events, streaming video, and other cutting-edge technology. c) Printed media, books, CD's & DVD's, gospel tracts, and brochures for training and teaching materials. d) Annual seminars and retreats hosted by this ministry to bring new insight and awareness of what God is doing in the world through people like you and me.
I hope that this vision-casting session will help each of you understand Decision Ministries better and encourage your support and participation in this ministry. Our two most pressing needs at this time are funds to print 500,000 tracks in Spanish for use in the USA, Central and South America. This project will require around $30,000 US dollars. Secondly, we are in need of developing a permanent office with one employee in the Philippines. We plan to have an outreach station in Nicaragua, as well. Your gifts and your prayers make things happen, and we covet both! God bless you!
Fred Hughes
..
Send your donation gifts to:
Decision Ministries International
407 Phillips Drive Dumas, TX 79029
(806)-935-2370
Give online with a credit card at:
http://www.decision1.org
Prophetic Countdown - 
Grace for Gays --- What exactly is grace in this case? Is grace buying into the homosexual agenda? Or is it to accept the gay community as a special nationality or ethnic group, or should we see them as sinners who have God's Grace available to them? What is your definition? In this overly politically correct time we live in, where most matters such as this are very gray, can you use a word like SIN? Is it possible to acknowledge wrong-doing and bad choices as sin and take responsibility for them, or is justification and blame-casting the only answer in today's world?
I am not into book reviews, and I am not kicking this book out the door, nor am I endorsing it!
I just want people to understand the subtle lies of the devil that creep even into the church. (For example)
Head of Episcopal Diocese OKs Same-Sex Blessings
By The Associated Press - Mon, Oct. 23 2006 07:21 AM ET
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Episcopal priests may give a pastoral blessing to same-sex unions in church ceremonies, the head of the diocese in Connecticut announced this weekend, reversing a long-standing policy.
News Briefs — October 25, 2006 Agape Press
New Jersey's high court rules "yes" on same-sex unions ...
Pro-Family Advocate Blasts Schools Allowing Cross-Gender Enrollment Agape Press
Some schools in Florida and California are permitting young children who are perceived to have gender identity disorder to enroll as the opposite sex and to cross-dress, but a spokeswoman with America's largest public policy women's organization is condemning the phenomenon.
The homosexual agenda was big in the days of Noah and Lot, and it will be in that day when Christ returns.
Rom 1:21 - 2:2; For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
, Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Rom 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
Several notable authors and speakers such as Coral Ridge Ministries Founder Dr. D. James Kennedy and Christian recording artist Sheila Walsh endorsed the new book.
However I found this disturbing statement that leaves me less than excited about the the balance of the book, if the viewpoint is from this perspective. The author says in a subtopic in the book:
"Myth 1: Homosexuality is the worst of all sins,"
"Myth 2: Homosexuality is a choice."
The book later continues:
"I haven't ever met anyone who woke up one morning and simply decided, out of life's great big buffet, to be gay," Chambers wrote. "Homosexuality is a multi-causal in that there are numerous factors and issues that over the course of years cause someone to develop same-sex attractions."
My dear friends, Mr. Chambers has bought "the agenda." It cannot be the homosexuals fault! It is multi-causal. (whatever that is!) Numerous factors over the years have caused the development of same-sex attractions. (give me a break!) No, Mister Chambers, that which convinces one to make a CHOICE does not negate the fact that a choice was made. There are cases of rape and abuse, but rape and abuse do not make a person a homosexual. The shame of the event or events may drive the person to make the choice, but the fact remains at some point a willing, consenting choice was made to enter homosexuality as a lifestyle. Myth 2: Homosexuality is a choice. It is not a myth, it is a fact!
Mr. Chambers, rationale could be applied to the adulterer, rapist, fornicator, pedophile, etc. Simply apply the definition: "Homosexuality (or whatever you want to justify) is a multicausal in that there are numerous factors and issues that over the course of years cause someone to develop same-sex (or whatever) attractions."
Blame-casting and self-justification is not the same as repentance and forgiveness!
Addressing churches, Chambers wrote, "...we shouldn't let [fighting homosexuality] become more important than praying for the souls of the lost and hurting.... Our number one goal as Christians should always be to love souls."
With these statements I could not agree more with Mr. Chambers.
I might just clarify by saying: "Love the sinner, but hate the sin." A statement from Dr. Kennedy's training course called "Evangelism Explosion."
1 Cor 6:9 NIV Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
vs.11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
God hates sin, but He truly loves the sinner. God made a way for all of us to have eternal life.
That way does not include "tolerance." It comes only when we recognize and confess our sins, then turn away from them and turn to God.
We indeed must reach out to the homosexuals, as we need to reach out to all who are living a life of sin.
Most Christians need to realize that sinners sin! That is revelation to many Christians. Sinners are just doing what their father, the devil, is doing. We must introduce them to a new father, God! He alone can bring change to their lives. A saint is a sinner transformed! Look at the potential saint, not the dirty sinner. Love covers a multitude of sin. (Prov.10:12)
James 5:20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
by Fred Hughes
* We always welcome your input! Please make use of our VISITORS COMMENTS or feel free to start a discussion in our FORUM area. We are interested in what you have to say! We appreciate constructive commentary on our Newsletter and Website. Thank you, Fred Hughes
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Decision One - Church or Not?
Why do people leave the church? A new study by LifeWay Research found some reasons why people stopped attending church.
Labeled as the "formerly churched," 59 percent of those who left the church did so because of "changes in life situation." This was the dominant reason found in the survey.
More specifically, LifeWay Research Director Brad Waggoner pointed out two life-situation reasons why adults stop attending church. According to the study, 19 percent of the formerly churched "simply got too busy to attend church," and 17 percent said "family/home responsibilities prevented church attendance."
Other reasons explained were moving too far from the church, work situation and divorce or separation.
Another common reason adults leave the church is "disenchantment with pastor/church." The study reported 37 percent of adults cited this as a reason for no longer attending. Some of the factors contributing to disenchantment included the behavior of church members. LifeWay reported that 17 percent said church members "seemed hypocritical" and "were judgmental of others," and 12 percent said "the church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement."
"While some may use disenchantment issues as a smokescreen to hide behind, the large percent of the formerly churched who struggle with disenchantment deserve some honest attention," Waggoner commented, according to LifeWay.
Still, 80 percent of the formerly churched do not have a strong belief in God, which the study indicated may account for their higher priorities of work and family over church. Also, among the top 10 reasons adults leave the church, only two were related to spiritual causes, the report highlighted, with 14 percent saying the church was not helping them develop spiritually and another 14 percent saying they stopped believing in organized religion.
"The responsibility and influence of the church varies across the different reasons for withdrawal," said Waggoner. "One clear influence is the expectations that churches have of attendees as they come into the life of the church."
He went further to explain that many churches are afraid of asking too much of the churchgoers, fearing they would leave.
Yet the study suggested for more discipleship and commitment from church attendants along with a greater show of care. The study found that 16 percent of those who left the church said nobody contacted them after they left and another 16 percent said nobody seemed to care that they left.
"In the end, it’s important for church leaders as well as regular churchgoers to not only assume responsibility for those who seek to join their churches, but also for those who attempt to leave," said Waggoner. "Be vigilant at both the front door and the back door of the church."
Other study findings showed that 24 percent consider themselves "spiritual, but not religious;" 42 percent said they are "Christian, but not particularly devout;" 19 percent said they are "a devout Christian with a strong belief in God;" 10 percent confessed to wavering on Christianity; and 6 percent said they were wavering on belief in God. (Full artical - http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061015/25250.htm)
Trips & Tips - A Star By Your Name!
As most of us have experienced as children, it can be really exciting to get a star by your name!
A star by your name usually means something good! Well, this is no exception. If you get a star by your name, it means that you could win not one, but both of my books. I will be sending out a set of my books to someone who has a star by his name. So how do you get a star?
Very simply, hit the reply button and send this newsletter back to me. Just put "STAR" in the message box and type in your name and US mailing address.
Example: STAR!
Fred & Irene Hughes
407 Phillips Dr.
Dumas, Texas 79029 U.S.A.
If you do not live in the USA, please print your address just as it is necessary to appear on a mailing label.
Example: STAR!
Michael Mukhtar
Street#4, Christian Colony Toba Tek Singh
Toba
Pakistan, 36050
Thank you for participating in my star program. This helps us know who reads the newsletters. We hid it way down here. Tricky, aren't we?
We will literally be putting a star by your name, so we know that you responded. You are more than welcome to provide a comment or suggestion about our newsletters or website. We want to make them both beneficial to you.
Fred Hughes
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