MaritimeMercy.com

The other day I was watching a documentary about the effect of progress to the environment. It seems that the big target was the big dams built in Asia, Africa and the Americas that in one side brings energy to power hungry consumers, but in the other hand causes unforeseen and unintended consequences to the environment.   Writing to the Romans , the Apostle Paul says that creation is subjected to frustration under a management who does not understand the stewardship mandate. There is this cosmic expectation that the children of God, who understands and embraces God’s intentions, will care for nature. Paul goes on to say that the predicament nature is under is not by its own choice, but was imposed by men’s choice in the Garden of Eden. Adams’ choice not to trust God’s warning eating the fruit from the tree of good and evil, has consequences of cosmic proportion. First there was the separation from God, second the separation from man and third the impact on nature. For this reas...

Over 8,000 learning professionals including 2,000 delegates from 162 countries are participating on the 2013 American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Conference and Exposition in Dallas. The conference offers the latest information and trends on design and delivery, management, and strategy of learning and development. My primary goals for this conference are to check the latest trends and practices for learning delivery; to be acquainted with learning technology; and to network with learning professionals. Technology is having a tremendous impact in the way people learn today. It is breaking the boundaries of the classroom walls, forcing learning professionals and institutions to adapt to a new way of thinking in terms of when and where teaching and training is delivered. The paradigm shift in training and education is mind boggling: Mobile learning, virtual learning, and independent learning, learning management system and the list go on. In the exposition area there is a...

Today millions of Christians around the world are united on the “Global Day of Prayer” . As you read the prayer below make it your prayer. “A Prayer for the World” Almighty God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, We gather with believers all over the world, to glorify You as Creator of heaven and earth. You alone are holy and righteous. We submit to Your authority. We praise and adore You alone. Father, we honor You. Lord Jesus Christ, we honor You. Holy Spirit, we honor You. Our Father in heaven, Thank You for loving the world so much that You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be reconciled to You. Fill us with your love as we faithfully intercede for the lost, the hopeless, the helpless and the world. Thank You Father, for adopting us into Your family. Lord Jesus Christ, You died on the cross and redeemed us to the Father by Your blood. You are Head of the Church and Lord of all heaven and earth. Let Your king...

As the world celebrates Mother’s Day, a day worth to celebrate, I want to emphasize a trait proper to mothers, most of the time overlooked. I saw it in my mother and my wife as she raised our three daughters, but it was first brought to my attention in a time of disaster. I remember a great storm that brought flood, land sliding, and destruction to Rio de Janeiro in the middle 1960’s. Many families lost homes and everything they had, escaping only with the clothes they happen to wore at the time. Relief in form of medical help, clothing and food came from everywhere. My mom and my sisters volunteered with the relief effort at the Maracanã stadium and I tagged along helping anywhere a ten year old was allowed to help. From a big pile of shoes tied together in pair being sorted out to go to another location I saw a child tennis shoe without its pair. I wanted to put it aside, but the person in charge of the told to let it go saying: “A mother will take care of it.” I threw the tennis ...

Beginning in the book of Genesis, the Bible sets God as the Creator. Moses reminds the children of Israel in Deuteronomy that God is the Creator, who made and formed them. The Prophet Isaiah says that God is “ the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it.” Isaiah 42:5). Jesus told the Pharisees “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,” (Matthew 19:4). There is a clear distinction between the Creator and creation. The Creator is the one who through his spoken word expressed his imagination and creativity. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6). The creation is the expression of God’s collective inspiration, imagination, creativity, inventiveness, and realization. The beauty of creation points out the awesomeness of the Creator. In the narrative o...

Thursday, May 2 is the National Day of Prayer. Instituted in 1952, the National Day of Prayer is an opportunity for Christians to come together to pray for the nation. God reminds us in the Psalm to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) and through the Prophet Jeremiah “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) The National Day of Prayer Task Force theme for 2013 is “Pray for America”. Below is the prayer from Pastor Greg Laurie, 2013 Honorary Chairman. "Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America. How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence. Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we ...