Psalm 42:11 | Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
|
> more
Nokia Revises Market Share Numbers | Nokia’s cell phone market share in 2009 wasn’t as big as the company previously announced. Nokiasaidits products accounted for 34% of the global market for cell phones, compared with 38% previously announced. The company blamed a flood of Chinese and fake phones -- devices often marketed under a brand close to Nokia's but manufactured by others. The revision underscores the rising occurrence of so-called gray-market products, which are typically made by small Chinese start-ups and sold throughout Asia and Latin America. Knock-offs and small unlicensed suppliers' phones accounted for 13% of the global phone supply, or 145 million units, last year, consultant iSupplisaidlast November. In 2009, their sales rose 44% over 2008, according to iSuppli. On March 12, Nokia estimated that such suppliers sold 120,000 units last year. 
|
> more
Vote for Tech's Best Young Entreprenuers | Once again, the tech team atBusinessWeekis preparing our annual list of the best under-30 entrepreneurs. Who would you put on our list of the brightest young stars in the tech industry? Check outour online polland nominate who you think are the most deserving start-up founders. We've written about well-known entrepreneurs like Aaron Patzer, Bret Taylor, Christophe Bisciglia, and Max Ventilla inpast reports, so we're looking for fresh faces. Tell us your nominees by March 19. We'll publish a report based on the results in late April. 
|
> more
Analyst: Google Still Censoring, Less Likely to Leave China | Google made plenty of noise with its Januaryannouncementthat the company was “no longer willing to continue censoring” its Web search results in China at the behest of that country’s policies. But nearly two months later, the company has not followed through on the threat and is less likely to shut its Chinese site, according to a recent study by analysts at Piper Jaffray. Searches done on ten “sensitive” keywords in the Mandarin language on Google.cn, the company’s Chinese search site, yielded 52% fewer results than searches for the same keywords on the uncensored, English-language site, the analysts said in a research report on March 5. That confirms the censors are still in effect. And there may actually be a higher level of filtering on Google.cn now than there was in January, when Piper Jaffray found 40% fewer search results on the censored search engine for the same ten keywords. The likelihood that Google will shutter Google.cn has diminished to 50% from 70%, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster writes in a research note. The results of this study are line with reports that the company’s executives are in talks with Chinese officials, and are waiting to lift censorship in the country until the parties reach some resolution. Google employs hundreds of people in its Beijing offices, and some analysts take recent actions – such as looking to hire new workers there and introducing new mobile products – as signals that it intends to keep operating in the country to some capacity. Still, it’s unclear how Google and China could reach a compromise, as the search giant remains resolute in its ultimatum. Google deputy general counsel Nicole Wong t Google vice president and deputy general counsel Nicole Wong told the US Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3 that the company is "firm in our decision that we will not censor our search results in China and we are working towards that end." 
|
> more
Google's Smart Captioning Move | Google’s captioning initiative has now expanded to all uploaded English-speaking videos, with more languages to be added later this year. By Guest Blogger Suzanne Robitaille Ah, video and search. Frank Sinatra said it best: Try, try, try to separate them – it’s an illusion. Here’s proof of that: Speech Technology. This week, Google sealed the deal on video search capabilities for its YouTube portal, saying it would provideauto-captionsfor all of its uploaded videos using proprietary Google's Speech Technology. Google’s initiative, piloted in November, began with a handful of partner channels including PBS, Stanford University and National Geographic. It has now expanded to all uploaded English-speaking videos, with more languages to be added later this year. With this news, Google establishes itself as a frontrunner in the Internet programming space. As a company built on search, search, and more search, Google is now able to capitalize on its investment in speech-to-text technology to index videos, target advertising and create an actual profit margin for YouTube. In fact, video search is likely why Google acquired YouTube in the first place.
The bigger news is that auto-captions will have clear benefits for the deaf and hearing-impaired population, who now will be able to better understand dialogue on uploaded videos. Up to now, this group had to rely on the goodwill of YouTube users to manually add captions to their videos. A time-consuming process, most users didn’t bother to do so. At a press conference on Thursday, YouTube says accessibility is a key goal for the years to come. Even as Google touts a serious business purpose for auto-captions – search -- it’s not hard to also believe in their commitment to making their products and services more usable for more of their customers.
Furthermore, Google is now removed from any ill will associated with Internet programming issues – such as the ones plaguing network and cable broadcasters. On March 17, the Federal Communications Commission will unveil a proposed broadband plan that is designed to ensure, or at least improve, equal access to Web TV and movie programming for people with disabilities, which could including requiring captions. Meanwhile, a House congressional committee is mulling the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 that would make captions for the deaf and audio descriptions for the blind into law for Internet broadcasters. The bill is backed by nearly 240 disability organizations known asthe Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology. TV broadcasters – unlike Google – already have transcripts available to them – either on paper or in the form of regular TV closed captions, which have been required for almost all programming since 1990. And ABC has publicly committed to captioning all long-form content – so the heat is on everyone else. While YouTube videos are technically outside of the FCC’s realm, consumers don’t see it that way – and they shouldn’t. That makes Google’s auto-captioning move financially savvy, and buys them consumer altruism at a time when broadcasters are facing down a potentially ugly battle over access issues. This post was written by guest bloggerSuzanne Robitaille. Robitaille is the founder and publisher of abledbody.com, a website covering assistive technology issues. She is the author ofThe Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology. 
|
> more
Q&A with Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman | Ever since the Oakland-based East Bay Express published an explosive story calledYelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0a year ago, Yelp Inc. CEO Jeremy Stoppelman has been dealing with charges that the company has a bad habit of shaking down small businesses. The scheme, say critics, is that Yelp salespeople call small businesses that have been reviewed on the hugely popular business review site, and offer to let them manipulate the reviews if they pay to advertise with Yelp. Some business owners say that when they refused to advertise, they soon began to notice good reviews disappearing or negative ones becoming easier to find.
Now, the grumbling has led to a class action lawsuit. Who knows if the suit has merit, but one thing is for sure: it has refocused attention on the controversy. If the suit goes to trial, Yelp will likely have to disclose more details of its inner workings. While the company has always insisted that advertisers have no control over the reviews that appear on the site (other than the ability to highlight one "sponsored" review they like at the very top of the queue), it has refused to say much about the secret algorithms that determine which reviews appear and in what order. If Stoppelman is worried, he sure doesn’t show it. In the days after the lawsuit was filed on Feb. 23, he wrote two self-assured blog posts (hereandhere) in which he confidently explained why he says Yelp is innocent. I wanted to take a deeper dive, to find out what it’s like for the CEO of a company that’s accused of wrongly besmirching corporate reputations to find himself on the hot seat. Stoppelman got on the phone with me on March 2.Here are edited highlights of our conversation. BW: The class action suit has again focused attention on allegations that Yelp shakes down businesses to get them to advertise. How much is riding on Yelp’s ability to deal with the controversy? Stoppelman: This [class action] is a reminder of the challenge we have ahead of us, and which we’ve had for the last year. What we’ve built is a system that works really well for consumers. When you read reviews on Yelp, you get a good sense of what’s going to happen when you walk in the door of that business. The challenge is that there are fifteen million businesses in the U.S., and its very hard to communicate with all of them about how Yelp works, and why it works the way it does. That’s an incredible challenge. BW: There was a time when many people had their doubts about the integrity of search results--about whether search rankings were bought and paid for. A major reason for Google’s success was that it managed to establish consumers’ trust that its search rankings were legit. Do you see any parallels to what's happening with Yelp? Stoppelman: I see many parallels. When AdSense was introduced, there was a lot of fear and even belief that Google’s rankings would be affected by whether a site was using [this ad-serving system]. There were many articles written about that, too. Now we all love and trust Google. But when they first began wielding significant power, people got spooked. BW: Did you? Stoppelman: When Yelp first took off, our rankings on Google would fluctuate wildly. I remember thinking “we’ve got this [potentially competing] product that is taking off; are they on to us?” There’s just a human tendency to want to explain things as if everyone is paying attention to you, when in reality it was just an algorithm. BW: But the suspicions about Yelp have been around for more than a year now, and don’t seem to be easing. In fact, they seem to be intensifying. Why was Google able to win that trust more quickly? Stoppelman: Google mines links (to determine rankings) and we mine reviews. The difference is that Google doesn’t have to show which links it is counting. It can be kept hidden from view. But reviews are written by people (who may notice if their review disappears, reappears or is moved up or down in the rankings).
BW: So how do you get out of the penalty box? Stoppelman: The biggest thing is to create a product that consumers find useful. As more and more people like something, it becomes harder and harder to have a conspiracy theory about it. There’s been resistance to every new technology that’s ever been introduced. When books came out hundreds of years ago, there were complaints that it would destroy the oral tradition. Some of those fears were justified, but it didn’t stop the rise of the written word. And books have proven to be incredibly useful. BW: But there’s no question that consumers find Yelp very useful. The question is whether you are serving the needs of the businesses you need to advertise. Stoppelman: Our business is about connecting consumers with great local businesses. The world of the past, where businesses could completely control their image, was nice. But overall, are there tremendous advantages for businesses by having power in the hands of consumers? Absolutely. The other day there was a story in the New York Times about a place calledIke’s Sandwich Shop. Yelp made his business; now he has to take reservations because the lines are so long. BW: So is all the controversy hurting your business? It must make it a lot harder for salespeople to do their jobs. Stoppelman: No, we’ve been through this before. This is the same press cycle we had a year ago—but now we’re better prepared. BW: The plaintiff in the class action suit (Long Beach, CA-based veterinarian Cats&Dogs Hospital Inc) says that a Yelp salesman named Kevin repeatedly promised to make negative reviews go away if he would advertise on Yelp. Have you disciplined Kevin for breaking the company’s sales policies, and how many times have you had to discipline or fire salespeople for such transgressions? Stoppelman: We’ve never had to discipline a salesperson about the issue that was laid out in the lawsuit. BW: Yelp is well-known for throwing fun, alcohol-drenched parties for top reviewers. Should you be doing more outreach to businesses, too? Stoppelman: They don’t involve alcohol, but we have hosted ten forums in five cities in recent months. I’ve attended three of them so far. We invite ten to twenty small businesses in the area—some advertisers, some not--to talk about how Yelp works and give feedback. They’ve been surprisingly positive. Business owners realize we’re an important and a low-cost driver of business—especially if they’re paying us nothing (because they don’t advertise).
BW: So far, we've discussed what Yelp needs to do to clear up misunderstandings and conspiracy theories. But some people say they understand the business, but don’t like a business model by which you take money from the companies that are reviewed.
Stoppelman: We survey every advertiser that signs up, and one of the things we ask is whether they realize that advertising is not connected to content and reviews. If they say no, they get a call from a salesperson to make sure.
BW: Danny Sullivan, a respected search industry analyst, thinks the only solution is for Yelp to let companies opt-out entirely. That way, only basic information on the company would appear, but no reviews. What not do this? It would go a long way towards proving to businesses that you’re not interested in extorting them. Stoppelman: Why doesn’t BusinessWeek let me opt-out of having a story written about me? It’s a new generation of people out there (that want to communicate and share opinioins). Some of the content that appears on Yelp might have been created by a newspaper in the past---say, a review by a restaurant critic. It’s a clear question of free speech. If someone said a reviewer couldn’t write about a particular restaurant, there would be an outcry—how dare he be silenced!
|
> more
Motorola to Grow Carrier Services Business | Motorola General Manager Bruce Brda has big plans for the company’s networks mobility business, which specializes in next-generation wireless equipment and was recently spit off from a larger division. The networks unit, which on Feb. 11was combinedwith a unit that makes radios and computers for corporate and government customers, wants to boost revenue generated from services, such as helping carriers design and make more efficient use of their new wireless networks. Services already account for more than one-third of the division’s $4 billion in annual sales. “There’s room to grow it by a few percentage points,” Brda says. The division, which employs thousands of people, is “highly profitable,” he says. The unit’s financial performance and exact employee numbers have not yet been reported separately. Brda’s business specializes in gear for next-generation mobile networks, based on technologies such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax. The idea is to offer a broader array of services for carriers that may use Motorola’s – or other vendors’ – equipment in more markets, particularly in the Americas. While he wouldn’t provide any hiring projections, Brda expects to grow his services staff in the coming months. Striking additional partnerships is also on the agenda. The unit already buys certain gear from partners such as Cisco. “We will partner as a way to expand the reach of our products and to gain [research and development] efficiency,” Brda says. “I believe we have all of the components carriers need in the next couple of years.” The division already sells LTE and WiMax gear to carriers like Verizon Wireless and Clearwire. In the coming months, Brda expects to win a large LTE contract with giant China Mobile. “We are confident we’ll get that,” he says. “We are winning as many [LTE] deals as everyone else.” The February split from the home unit, which manufactures set-top boxes, shouldn’t affect the networks division’s ability to find customers and win business too much. “The decision Motorola had to weigh is what business has the most synergy [with the home business],” Brda says. Motorola envisions creating cell phones that act as remote controls for televisions and set-top boxes, among other functions. “My goals, my financial objectives haven’t changed whatsoever,” Brda told me this afternoon. “It’s just that I am now reporting to a different leader,” co-CEO Greg Brown. Co-CEO Sanjay Jha heads the second part of the business, which makes mobile phones and set-top boxes. 
|
> more
Andreessen Horowitz, Ted Wang Launch Series Seed | Seeking startup funding may soon get easier. A group of venture capital firms led by Andreessen Horowitz on March 1 unveiled a Web site www.seriesseed.com designed to streamline the way startups apply for seed funds, cutting the number of documents young companies need to fill out. The Web site, formed with the help of startup lawyer Ted Wang, contains 30 pages of free documents entrepreneurs can fill out to apply for $300,000 to $1.5 million of initial funding. Typically, such documents run about 100 pages and have to be customized by lawyers. The 30-page term sheet would have to be customized as well, but it would dispense with some sections typically unnecessary for early-stage investments, such as those dealing with prior investors. The idea behind the effort is to “save start-ups time and money,” Wang tells Bloomberg BusinessWeek. “The negotiations process will also be shorter.” Ten well-known venture firms have committed to accepting these so-called Series Seed Documents. They include Charles River Ventures, SV Angel, Polaris Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, which is an investor into Web-calling companySkypeand social games maker Zynga. “We are committed to making deals on these terms,” says general partner Ben Horowitz. The venture firms hope others will end up supporting this effort as well. “I think this will become a new standard, and people will be able to raise money more quickly,” Wang says. Bloomberg LP or one of its subsidiaries is an investor in Andreessen Horowitz. Bloomberg LP also owns BusinessWeek.com. 
|
> more
Will Motorola Move to California? | Based in Chicago ever since it was founded in 1928, Motorola is contemplating a move to California, according to co-CEO Sanjay Jha. When Motorola splits in two next year,Jha saidhe may transplant the handset and set-top box units to Silicon Valley. "We'll go where that talent is, and right now, that looks like California," Jha said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. This makes a lot of sense: Software acts as the biggest differentiator for cell phones and other gadgets nowadays. And much of that developer talent resides in California. Nokia has established a research presence in Silicon Valley in recent years. So has smartphone software maker Symbian. Apple, Google and Palm are based in California. Last, but not least, Qualcomm, where Jhaused to workbefore joining Motorola, is headquartered in San Diego. But uprooting Motorola's existing engineering and marketing talent won't be easy. Motorola lost a lot of great employees over the past several years, as itstruggledto turn the business around. And it could lose more staffers if Jha decides to go ahead with the move. 
|
> more
J.D. Power: Wireless Call Quality Has Declined | Wireless call quality is getting worse, according to a new study. "....reported call quality problems have increased considerably in 2010," according to theFeb. 18 reportfrom J.D. Power&Associates. Out of 100 calls placed, 13 experienced some problems, up from 11 six months ago. In particular, the number of reported dropped calls has increased to six per 100 calls, up from four six months ago. The cause: Smartphone use is surging, putting strains on networks and resulting in static on lines and dropped calls. Smartphone users, who pay carriers much more than regular phone subscribers, are actually getting poorer service. An average American pays $50 a month for wireless service, while most smartphone users' bills are 50% to 100% higher. Yet, smartphone users "are nearly three times more likely to experience dropped calls than are traditional mobile phone customers," according to the study. These problems will plague an increasing number of Americans in the coming months, as wireless carriers have been implementing incentives for more customers to switch to smartphones. But their networks are already groaning under the extra traffic. AT&T hasadmittedto network overload problems in New York and San Francisco. Smartphones can surf the Web and stream videos, and typically use up much more wireless network capacity than voice-centric phones.
|
> more
Leap and MetroPCS: Can This Marriage Work? | MetroPCShas hiredseveral advisors to explore a potential purchase of rival Leap. But can this combination work? The two companies appear to fit well together. They operate in different markets, so a merger would vastly increase the combined company's coverage area (the two already have an agreement that lets one's customers place calls when they are in the rival's territory). They could shave costs by combining certain operations such as billing and customer care. "We believe PCS's board and large shareholders have likely pressured [management] to look at a deal," Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst at Credit Suisse, wrote in a Feb. 12 note. "We also believe the company will investigate both a potential sale and an acquisition." Let's not forget that Metro and Leap have tried to merge before -- and failed. In 2007, Leaprejectedan unsolicited takeover offer from MetroPCS, saying it undervalued the business. That followed a legal tussle over patents. In 2006, Leap had filed a lawsuit saying Metro violated its patents related to offering all-you-can-eat pricing plans. Metro counter-sued, alleging disclosure of trade secrets. Yet, considering the accelerating competition in the already cutthroat U.S. wireless market, and any pressure the companies' boards and shareholders may be placing on the management for a merger, CEOs Doug Hutcheson and Roger Linquist may need to get past any lingering unresolved tension quickly to make a deal happen.
|
> more
Is Rhapsody As Good As It Used To Be? | Real Networks is cutting its Rhapsody music business free topursuean IPO(just as Ariksuggestedin this prescient story many months ago. How does he do it?). The news of the IPO doesn't fill me with optimism--which is only interesting because I, unlike the vast majority of analysts and industry watchers, have long thought the business hadgreat potential. The change of heart isn't based on any rethinking of the subscription model. One way or another, this will ultimately be the future of music. It's only a matter of time before people realize that there's no reason to buy songs a la carte or put up with annoying ads when you can have listen to whatever you want for a flat monthly fee. Once the price is right on these subscriptions--say, $3 or less per month, buried in your cellphone or broadband bill--hundreds of millions of people will jump on board. But ultimately could be a long way off, and an independant Rhapsody will have less financial firepower at its disposal to stay in the fight long enough to secure victory. Especially if the quality of the service declines--which in my case, it has. For the last eight months or so, I've been running into a maddening Infinite Loop, so to speak, whereby a problem with the Helix DRM technology in Rhapsody causes it to crash every time I try to use the $140 Sandisk Sansa View portable MP3 player I bought to use with the service last May. I connect the device, and get an error message telling me I need a new version of Rhapsody--but once installed I'm told I need to update my license to play the music transferred to the device. Which leads to the error message requiring the new version of Rhapsody...and so on. Am I alone in this? If you are a Rhapsody user, let us know whether the quality of your experience has held up. And whether you think news of the IPO was good news or bad news for fans of the service. 
|
> more
Android Doubles U.S. Market Share | Android operating system for smartphones has more than doubled its market share in the U.S. between September and December, according to comScore'ssurveyof more than 30,000 consumers aged 13 and up. Android's market share rose from 2.5% in September to 5.2% in December, while BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, Microsoft and Palm lost ground in the U.S. smartphones market, according to comScore. Developed by a consortium of companies lead by Google, Android has gained traction thanks to the introduction of a slew of new handsets that run it, including Google Nexus One and the popular Motorola Droid. But while Motorola's new smartphones enjoyed good traction this fall, that didn't prevent the company fromlosing more market sharein the fourth quarter, as sales of its cheaper phones slowed down further. The world’s largest handset maker, Nokia, lost share as well. The company said recently that it has gained share worldwide, but it’s still having trouble cracking the U.S. market. Research In Motion, on the other hand, actually gained cell phone market share, as more Americans switched to smartphones and picked up popular handsets like BlackBerry Pearl and Curve, according to comScore. LG gained share as well. The biggest gainer in handsets, though? Samsung, whose market share expanded from 20.4% of the U.S. market in September to 21.2% in December, according to comScore’s Feb. 8 report. Samsung has continued to come out with highly capable yet inexpensive phones that have been a hit at AT&T, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless. At Verizon, Samsung Omnia, a Windows Mobile-based smartphone, sells for only $10 after an online discount and with a two-year contract. The phone features a 5 Megapixel camera, a touch screen and full Web browser. 
|
> more
Google Improves Nexus One Customer Care | Google is taking steps to address customer support problems that cropped up soon after the release of its Nexus One, a phone that Google currently only sells online. On Feb. 8, Googlebegan providing phone supportin addition to existing efforts to solve problems through online forums. Until recently, customers whohad problems or questions-- and wanted to talk to a customer service representative -- had to call the phone’s maker, HTC, if their questions concerned the hardware. Or they had to call T-Mobile USA to inquire about service. Now, Google has begun also offeringphone supportfor customers with questions on existing or pending orders, at 888-48-NEXUS (63987). It’s a small but important step toward making consumers comfortable with buying phones online vs. through carriers, as they normally do today. 
|
> more
Howard Stern May Leave Sirius for 'American Idol' | Shock jock Howard Stern likely gave Sirius XM executives a shock on Feb. 8, when hetoldhis radio listeners that he is considering leaving Sirius to become a judge on 'American Idol' when his lucrative Sirius contract expires at the end of the year. A few weeks ago, Stern also said he'd been approached by terrestrial radio executives who want him to work for them. Radio giant Clear Channel recentlytoldBloomberg BusinessWeek it might be interested in hiring Stern. By disclosing these negotiations, Stern may be trying to up the pressure on Sirius to offer him another lucrative deal. Sirius currently pays Stern, his agent and his staff $100 million a year to air Stern's radio show on Sirius exclusively. But in the years since that contract came into effect, Sirius's growth has slowed. And its renewed focus on financial performance may forbid writing another large check. So, if he wants to make as much money in the future, Stern may, indeed, have to look elsewhere. 'American Idol' would certainly offer a lot of money -- and tons of exposure. 
|
> more
Symbian Goes Open Source | On Feb. 4, the Symbian Foundation will release the first completely open-sourced version of its mobile phone operating system, a move it hopes will make it easier for developers to improve the software and create applications for use on Symbian-based phones. Starting tomorrow, programmers will be able to download, modify and use the software at no charge. The organization madepiecesof its code available earlier. The release marks the conclusion of the huge effort to turn Symbian, the most commonly used smartphone software, from a proprietary operating system only available to developers at companies like Nokia into an open-sourced one, accessible to programmers around the world. Symbian engineered the move as rival Google made a splash with Android, a rival open-source mobile operating system that's gaining steam. By 2012, Android will surpass Windows Phone and the iPhone to become the world's No. 2 most popular mobile operating system behind Symbian, according to Gartner. Asrival software gained market share, support for Symbian began to flag. Symbian hopes the new, open-sourced software will help reverse the slide. "We'll see proliferation of converged devices based on Symbian happen this year," says Larry Berkin, general manager for Symbian in the U.S. 
|
> more
God Communicates | Monday, February 1, 2010. Thank you God for communicating with me. Help me learn how to know what you are saying and help me to be alert to your communication.
|
> more
Matthew 22:11-14 > more
You Reap What You Sow | Sunday, January 31, 2010. I will reap what I sow.
|
> more
Dealing with the Truth > more
What Is the devil's Authority? | Saturday, January 30, 2010. My Lord Jesus defeated the devil, stripped him of his authority, and gave authority to me over all the power of the enemy as a member of the Body of Christ on earth.
|
> more
Be A Giver | Friday, January 29, 2010. I will be a giver, like my Father in Heaven.
|
> more
Be Who You Are | Thursday, January 28, 2010. I am what I am by the grace of God. I will be what God made me and fulfil His plan for me.
|
> more
Freedom! > more
Lack Of Knowledge | Wednesday, January 27, 2010. God gave me the knowledge in the Bible so I could know the truth, act on it, and be blessed.
|
> more
Matthew 22:1-10 > more
Honor Your Parents | Tuesday, January 26, 2010. I will honor my parents and God will bless me.
|
> more
Working as a Unit > more
Bahais in Tanzania | Tanzanian culture stresses education for boys, but not for girls. There are, however, those who rise above the culture. Sohaila Loftus, a representative of the religious community that founded the Ruha secondary school for girls stated their purpose: ''It is essential for the child to interact face to face with an educated, intelligent, loving, caring mother who will give this child the moral and spiritual grounding he/she needs in order to grow into an effective adult." These caring leaders founded the school in 1986, and now educate some 400 girls. They have also provided funding for a health outreach project and a printing operation in Zaire that produces low-cost educational materials. Who then are these caring ones who are concerned about the "moral and religious grounding" that children need? They are the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahais of Tanzania. What is their view of "spiritual grounding?" They claim to honor Jesus. However, they also honor their founder, Baha'u'lla', Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, and Mohammed. Do these eight shepherds all guide the flock to one heavenly pasture? No! Jesus said, "I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved" (John 10:7-9 NIV). Pray that the Bahais in Tanzania will find the One true shepherd, Jesus Christ.-CH
|
> more
Jesus Prayed | Monday, January 25, 2010. Jesus knows more than I do, so I will follow His example and spend time in prayer with my Father God.
|
> more
Matthew 21:37-43 > more
Comorians in Tanzania | The Comorian woman lay quietly in her Tanzanian home. A deep excruciating pain pulsed through every fiber of her body. AIDS was taking it's toll. She looked toward the corner of the room and saw tears falling down the cheeks of her five-year-old son. He was rocking back and forth holding his stomach. The unhealthy water they were drinking was weakening him. The Comorian mother cried; she was too weak in her sickness to hold him. Even if she had the strength to hold him, there was nothing she could do. The village they lived in had no health facilities and no clean water. As the mother drifted in and out of sleep, she remembered a story. Not long ago her friend Fauna had visited. Fauna told her about people called missionaries. These people came to Fauna's country to help them with food and medical treatment. They taught them how to get clean water. They prayed for them when they were sick, and they got better. These missionaries shared the story of Jesus, the son of God who wanted all people to commit their lives to Him. As the Comorian woman fell into a deep sleep, she hoped that missionaries would one day come to her village. Pray for missionaries to minister God's grace to Comorians who live in Tanzania, and also those living in their homeland, the Comoro Islands.-NW
|
> more
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus > more
Somalis in Tanzania | It was a quiet evening. The Somali families' herds were now settled near a new grazing land in northern Tanzania. The youngest daughter noticed a tall man approaching their home. She watched her father cautiously walk toward the man. The little girl's father returned and told his three wives along with their children to go and sit under the nearby tree. He had agreed to watch the story of a man named Jesus. The little girl sat down and watched the story with wide eyes. Jesus was speaking in the Somali language! Near the end of the story Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross. He was lifted up, bleeding, left to die. The little girl began to sob. At this point her father abruptly got up, brushed off his clothes and commanded his family to return to their home. As they walked away, the little girl turned back and saw her father waving his finger at the tall man. She heard him yelling, "Do not bring this story of Jesus to my family again! We believe only in Islam. This is trickery!" Pray for the Holy Spirit to begin to touch the heart of the Somali people in northern Tanzania as they watch the JESUS Film. Pray that their elders will understand that following Him will mean taking the opportunity to trade in their tragic lives for ones that are lived to "the full."-NW
|
> more
Serving In Mission (SIM) Work | Serving in Mission (SIM) has a simple motto: "By prayer." It is by prayer that the organization began in l893. That was the year Walter Gowans, Rowland Bingham and Thomas Kent arrived in Logos, Nigeria. Their intention was to "evangelize the 'Soudan' region of Africa." Despite much prayer, Gowans and Kent quickly died of malaria. Bingham went home, regrouped, and returned, only to contract malaria. He did, however, manage to send a third team that planted a base in l902. What took nine long years, untold hours of prayer, and the lives of several missionaries to establish has since mushroomed under the power of God's Spirit. Today, SIM has l800 missionaries from 37 nations serving in 43 nations on five continents. In Tanzania, SIM is targeting nine of the unreached groups living in the south. After centuries of Christian work in Africa, there remain people who have not heard or responded to the gospel. Many people groups continue to be steeped in spiritism, animism or Islam. Some practice a combination of all three. But by prayer, this will soon change! Pray for SIM's work in southern Tanzania. Ask God to give them new methods for rescuing those who are still imprisoned in the dominion of darkness. Pray for Holy Spirit filled indigenous leaders to be raised up to help plant churches. Pray for the Christians of Tanzania to be given a heart and passion for reaching their unreached countrymen with the good news of Jesus Christ.-CL
|
> more
Africa Inland Mission (AIM) Work | In l895, Peter Cameron Scott arrived on the coast of East Africa with a team of four men. His goal was to set up a string of mission stations that would stretch across the continent and eventually reach every unreached people group in inland Africa with the gospel. It was a seemingly impossible goal given the primitive conditions and the fact that Scott and his team were on foot. But he believed God could accomplish the impossible. One year later, he died of black water fever and the number of missionaries on the team dwindled to one. It was at that point that God accomplished what only God can do. From that tiny, nearly aborted beginning, God gave birth to Africa Inland Mission (AIM). Today, AIM has nearly 800 missionaries in l4 African nations. More than four million people worship in churches planted by AIM. In Tanzania, there are still 33 people groups waiting to hear the good news, according to the Joshua Project. AIM is dedicated to reaching those groups and planting Christ-centered churches among all African peoples. Pray for God to continue doing the impossible through the AIM missionaries serving in Tanzania. Ask Him to equip them to faithfully seek out every unreached village and people group still waiting to hear that Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. Pray for the realization of the AIM goal to establish His church among all African peoples.-CL
|
> more
I just can't keep quiet. > more
Outreach in Tanzania | By praying today, you can help mission minded churches and pastors in Tanzania to network with one another, equip them to do research on the local unreached people groups, send, evangelize, plant churches, and make disciples. As you read this, there are committed believers in that country that are saying, "I'm ready for outreach!" Last May, some of these people went on a medical outreach to the animistic Sonjo people. Many of the Sonjo people said that they wanted to receive Jesus, and they knew His message was truth. One Sonjo woman was eager to accept His lordship, but her husband was reluctant at first. As often happens in the developing world, people take great risks if they make such life changing decisions without the approval of family leaders. Her husband surrendered to Jesus a couple of days later. Now the door is open to Christ in their family. One of the traditional enemies of the Sonjo people is the Maasai tribe, a group that has had a strong church for many years. Within the last two years, two Maasai pastors committed to taking the gospel to the Sonjos. Pray for pastors Elijah and Robert to have God's anointing in this effort. Pray for God to empower and protect Tanzanian missionaries, and give them the tenacity to fulfill their tasks. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of Sonjo elders so that they will accept Christ's ways for their people.-KC
|
> more
Matthew 21:33-36 > more
Sonjo People | For centuries, thousands of Sonjo people have farmed the same area of land in northeast Tanzania. How do they manage to produce crops year after year from the same land with unreliable rainfall? They rotate the crops, they allow fields to rest on alternate years, and they carefully manage their small amount of annual rainfall with a primitive but effective irrigation system. The Sonjo people view rainfall as the overflow from a heavenly irrigation system; they consider natural springs sacred. Proof lies in the predictability of their flow. Springs have never been known to fail and are thus conceived of in a different category from unpredictable blessings such as rain or health. Farmers voluntarily join together to repair and maintain the irrigation system after the annual flood season. Maintenance of the system requires no sophisticated tools, spare parts or great sums of money. Their dependence on irrigation creates unity of purpose and helps to preserve their traditional way of life. They practice forms of folk religion, primarily animism. Christian missions have worked among the Sonjo people for 60 years. Despite their efforts, few have put their trust in Jesus. Intent upon preserving their traditional way of life, the Sonjos have simply merged elements of Christianity into their folk religion. Pray that spiritual seeds planted by earlier missionaries will be watered by a new generation of culturally-sensitive workers, and that the Sonjo people will grow to know, love and obey Jesus Christ.-JWS
|
> more
For the Common Good > more
Matthew 21:3 > more
How Did He Do That? > more
The LORD looks at the heart. > more
Matthew 21:28-32 > more
The Meaning of Mercy > more
Matthew 21:23-27 > more
15 Minutes of Fame > more
Romans 8:29 | For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
|
> more
An Everlasting Covenant > more
The Perfect Gift > more
TIMING > more
As Bad as It Gets | David faced a crisis. Pursued by Saul and Israel’s armies, he didn’t see any hope. He felt strangled as if by “the cords of death” and ungodliness that came at him in torrents. The assault was so intense that it “terrified” him. This was a life-and-death struggle…as bad as it gets. But when David cried out to God, everything changed. God dramatically answered his prayer: “Then the earth shook and quaked; and the foundations of the mountains were trembling and were shaken, because He was angry” (vs. 7-15). God responded only after David cried out to Him. David recognized that God delivered him “from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.” He continued to face trouble but knew that God was with him and would deliver him (vs. 16-19). We can feel David’s fear and sense how desperate he felt. Later, we can understand more clearly why he said, “I love You, O LORD, my strength,” and why he looked at God as his rock, fortress, and deliverer (vs. 1-3). It was wonderful to know that God would save him from his enemies! How do you respond when you face crises or feel trapped in seemingly hopeless situations? Learn from David: These are opportunities to cry out to God, confident that He will hear your prayers. Make Him your strength. Your rock, fortress, and deliverer. Your shield. Your stronghold. The horn of your salvation. He is worthy to be praised!
|
> more
God Loves Sinners | JOHN 3:16 KJV
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.
|
> More
Speak To Your Mountain | MARK 11:23 NKJ
23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
`Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in
his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to
pass, he will have whatever he says.
|
> More
Rejoice In Trouble
|
Maybe you have been forsaken by your spouse. Or are struggling
with the death of a loved one. Or facing the constant pain of
disease. Or the loss of a job or business. Or, maybe just the
daily grind of life.
|
> More
Hang On To Your Faith | The devil's whole strategy is to get you to turn loose of your
faith in God and His Word.
MARK 4:15 NIV
15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is
sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the
word that was sown in them.
|
> More
Focus On Jesus | True Christianity is not a religion based on rules and rituals
but a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Many people reduce Christianity down to attending church
meetings and trying not to commit a list of certain sins.
|
> More
You Can Cast Out Demons | 17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
|
> More
You Have Authority Over The devil | LUKE 10:19 NKJ
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
|
> More
What Are Alms? | "Alms" are not some kind of tree, but something you should know
about -- and do.
|
> More
The Cure For Weak Faith
| MARK 6:6 NIV
6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
|
> More
Why Read The Bible? | "I'm a busy person. I have a lot to do. Why should I spend my
time reading the Bible? I don't have time to do all I need to
do as it is."
"I already believe in Jesus Christ, that He's the Son of God
and my Savior. I've already heard the Gospel."
|
> More
Who Can Be Against Us? | ROMANS 8:31 NKJ
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?
We all face opposition. No one likes it. But opposition is a
fact of life on earth.
|
> More
Should Poor People Give? | ACTS 20:35 NIV
35 . . . the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to
give than to receive.'"
Giving benefits the giver. The poorer you are the more you have
a need to give.
|
> More
How Does God Bless Us? | Does God bless us by giving us everything we think we should have, even if it's bad for us?
Does God bless us by always letting us have our way -- whether it's the best way for us, or not?
Does God bless us by letting us get away with self-destructive behavior?
Does God bless us by letting us mistreat other people with impunity?
Does God bless us by giving us more responsibility, more money, or more fame, than we can handle?
|
> More
Another Helper | JOHN 14:16-18 NKJ
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,
17 "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
|
> More
Open Eyes | 2 KINGS 6:17 NKJ
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
|
> More
Be Who You Are | ROMANS 12:2 Wuest, An Expanded Translation
2 And stop assuming an outward expression that does not come from within you and is not representative of what you are in your inner being but is patterned after this age; but change your outward expression to one that comes from within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of your mind, resulting in your putting to the test what is the will of God, the good and well-pleasing and complete will, and having found that it meets specifications, place your approval upon it.
|
> More
Faith Is The Victory | 1 JOHN 5:4 NKJ
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
We all love to win.
Victory is sweet. One reason it's so sweet is that it's usually not easy. Victory takes effort -- often great effort.
Effort is also required in the spiritual battle of good against evil we are all engaged in. But the effort required of us is to maintain our attitude of faith in God and His Word.
|
> More
Is Looking A Sin? | MATTHEW 5:28 NKJ
28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
This Scripture seems to indicate that even seeing a woman, and having the slightest thought of her attractiveness, could be a serious sin.
We must remember that the New Testament was written in the Greek language, and all English versions are translations done by people who are fallible. Whenever a difficult verse confronts us, it can often be helpful to consult those who are expert in the Greek language. One way is to examine how other English translators have rendered the verse. Another way is to consult Bible commentaries.
|
> More
Lack Of Knowledge | HOSEA 4:6a NKJ
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
People wonder why Christians experience so much trouble in life. The reason, according to the Bible, is a lack of knowledge.
The Bible tells us the devil is out to destroy us, but it also makes clear that we can overcome his attacks. The real problem lies with our ignorance.
|
> More
Honor Your Parents | EPHESIANS 6:2-3 NKJ
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
Think about this: God himself promises that if you will honor your parents you will have a long and blessed life.
(Note that no exceptions are listed. Even if your parents were terrible, this is still God's Word to you.)
What a promise!
|
> More
|  | | | |
