MAG 6.4 2010/05/27 20:48:00 VANUATU
MAG 5.2 2010/05/27 17:45:30 VANUATU
MAG 5.7 2010/05/27 17:24:24 VANUATU
MAG 7.2 2010/05/27 17:14:48 VANUATU
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Australia Region Struck by Strong Quakes
MAG 6.4 2010/05/27 20:48:00 VANUATU
MAG 5.2 2010/05/27 17:45:30 VANUATU
MAG 5.7 2010/05/27 17:24:24 VANUATU
MAG 7.2 2010/05/27 17:14:48 VANUATU
US Calls For Global Carbon Transparency, EU Suffers Carbon Fraud
Despite the fact that the UN professor behind the global warming "hockey-stick" graph now suggests global warming may not be a man-made phenomenon, the US is driving on with a call for worldwide transparency on measures for combating climate change.
The US climate change representative said Wednesday that all countries must adopt transparency and accept external reviews of their greenhouse emissions, leaving note that global cooperation is very important to ensure that the worldwide campaign for carbon intensity reduction is heading to the right direction.
Speaking before an audience in Beijing's Tsinghua University, US envoy Todd Stern said that the United States treats the issue of transparency with so much importance, stressing that "countries need to be able to see what track the world is on generally, where we are going."
Editor's note:
The Fourth Annual International Conference On Climate Change on May 16 resulted in a less than convincing verdict on man made climate change:
Among the nearly three dozen scientists speaking at the event were Dr. Craig Idso, Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, on the real impacts of ocean acidification; Dr. Gary Sharp, marine biologist, on ecological responses to climate change; Dr. Nils-Axel Morner, Stockholm University, on his theory that there is no imminent threat of alarming rising of sea levels; and Dr. Howard Maccabee, Doctors for Disaster Preparedness, on health data refuting the urgency for Environmental Protection Agency regulation of carbon dioxide.
The US climate change representative said Wednesday that all countries must adopt transparency and accept external reviews of their greenhouse emissions, leaving note that global cooperation is very important to ensure that the worldwide campaign for carbon intensity reduction is heading to the right direction.
Speaking before an audience in Beijing's Tsinghua University, US envoy Todd Stern said that the United States treats the issue of transparency with so much importance, stressing that "countries need to be able to see what track the world is on generally, where we are going."
Editor's note:
The Fourth Annual International Conference On Climate Change on May 16 resulted in a less than convincing verdict on man made climate change:
Among the nearly three dozen scientists speaking at the event were Dr. Craig Idso, Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, on the real impacts of ocean acidification; Dr. Gary Sharp, marine biologist, on ecological responses to climate change; Dr. Nils-Axel Morner, Stockholm University, on his theory that there is no imminent threat of alarming rising of sea levels; and Dr. Howard Maccabee, Doctors for Disaster Preparedness, on health data refuting the urgency for Environmental Protection Agency regulation of carbon dioxide.
...Dr. Ian Plimer, University of Adelaide, Australia, reminded his audience that most of the carbon on Earth is solid - in other words, rocks. He also spoke on the importance of deep sea volcanoes and other earth mantle sources of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds, and proposed that we should be careful before we claim to know the cycling of carbon on a complex system like planet earth.
Editor's note: Don't look now, but carbon fraud is now worth millions in the EU:
The EU's climate chief is facing pressure to explain her failure to crack down on a loophole that allowed alleged fraudsters – a large number of them based in Britain – to make millions of euros through Europe's emissions trading scheme.
Confidential documents seen by the Guardian show that Connie Hedegaard, the European commissioner for climate action, had been informed about fraudsters targeting the Danish carbon registry to enable them to trade in credits last summer, as the UK and the Netherlands were clamping down on the fraud by scrapping VAT on carbon trading.
An MEP last week lodged an official question asking what happened to the Danish registry while Hedegaard was climate minister, and what is being done across Europe to combat carbon fraud.
Ed. note 2: Oh, and by the way, Wall Street and the financial industry is preparing to help save the planet:
...Banks intend to become the intermediaries in this fledgling market. Although U.S. carbon legislation may not pass for a year or more, Wall Street has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars hiring lobbyists and making deals with companies that can supply them with “carbon offsets” to sell to clients.
...The banks are preparing to do with carbon what they’ve done before: design and market derivatives contracts that will help client companies hedge their price risk over the long term. They’re also ready to sell carbon-related financial products to outside investors.
Masters says banks must be allowed to lead the way if a mandatory carbon-trading system is going to help save the planet at the lowest possible cost. And derivatives related to carbon must be part of the mix, she says. Derivatives are securities whose value is derived from the value of an underlying commodity -- in this case, CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
“This requires a massive redirection of capital,” Masters says. “You can’t have a successful climate policy without the heavy, heavy involvement of financial institutions.”
See also: Climategate showed that global warming concerns were not the product of science but of activism , The Cap and Trade Ripoff
See what's really behind Climate Change.Obama Calls For US To Lead New World Order
Obama redefines national security strategy, looks beyond military might
By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2010; 6:07 AM
In a broad redefinition of U.S. strategic priorities, President Obama has said that the United States must revitalize its own economic, moral and innovative strength if it is to continue to lead the world.
Just as it did following World War II, the United States today must also shape a new international order and system of global institutions that reflect a 21st century reality in which "America's greatness is not assured," Obama says in a 52-page "National Security Strategy" released Thursday morning.
"As we fight the wars in front of us, we must see the horizon beyond them," he writes in an introduction to the document. "To get there, we must pursue a strategy of national renewal and global leadership -- a strategy that rebuilds the foundation of American strength and influence."
See more on the rise of The Fourth Kingdom.
By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2010; 6:07 AM
In a broad redefinition of U.S. strategic priorities, President Obama has said that the United States must revitalize its own economic, moral and innovative strength if it is to continue to lead the world.
Just as it did following World War II, the United States today must also shape a new international order and system of global institutions that reflect a 21st century reality in which "America's greatness is not assured," Obama says in a 52-page "National Security Strategy" released Thursday morning.
"As we fight the wars in front of us, we must see the horizon beyond them," he writes in an introduction to the document. "To get there, we must pursue a strategy of national renewal and global leadership -- a strategy that rebuilds the foundation of American strength and influence."
See more on the rise of The Fourth Kingdom.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Will Pope Declare The Lady of Nations Coredemptrix on May 31?
While the Roman Catholic Church is still reeling from the global sex abuse scandal, will the Pope throw the proverbial "Hail Mary" by declaring Mary Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of all Graces and Advocate, otherwise known as the 5th Marian Dogma?
Such an announcement, if made on May 31, would coincide with the prophecies issued by the apparition of Mary concerning the 5th Marian Dogma on the date of May 31. The apparition also identified itself as The Lady of Nations:
"This day [May 31] will in due time, be the 'Coronation Day' of His Mother, 'the Lady of All Nations,' who once was Mary" (May 31, 1954). "Hold yourself in readiness for May 31st" (May 23, 1963). "The Holy Father will proclaim Her Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate" (May 31, 1979). "He has but to command and it will happen" (December 3, 1949). "First, however, let the Church and the nations invoke Mary under the new title and say Her prayer" (October 11, 1953). "...You will have to help him to achieve this [by signing the petition and saying the prayer]. Make no mistake about it" (May 31, 1954).
"I have chosen this day: on this day (May 31) the Lady will be crowned!" ("The Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate" on May 31, 1954.)
"I have chosen this day: on this day (May 31) the Lady will be crowned!" ("The Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate" on May 31, 1954.)
"The Lady of All Nations' most fervent desire is to save souls, bring the peace of the Holy Spirit to the nations, and make Our Lord's Cross the center of this world. Thus, "Her mission is to gather all nations into One Community" (cf May 31, 1955).
"On May 31, 1952, She said: "The Church is the Community of Nations...The Church is and remains!" This is underscored in a vision of September 21, 1951 in which a crown is placed on the head of the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, who is the spiritual leader of the Church. The Pope, the visible head of the One and Only Church, the Catholic Church, represents Christ the King, Lord of All Nations, Who has dominion over all nations. "
Editor's note: During his visit to Fatima this month Benedict XVI referred to Mary as “mediatrix of grace”.
See more about the Mary of Rome here.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
ISRAEL HAS 122 TRILLION CUBIC FEET OF NATURAL GAS OFFSHORE
A recently-released report by the U.S. Department of Interior indicates that Israel has massive reserves of natural gas and oil supplies just offshore, lying under the Mediterranean.
“The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Levant Basin
“The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Levant Basin
Province using a geology based assessment methodology,” stated the report’s executive summary.
Israelis for years have lamented that if God wanted to bless them with a “promised land” He could have given them the oil-rich Arabian peninsula. Thus the report has become big news in the Israeli media and the energy industry. Several oil and gas companies are already at work there and have made more modest discoveries in recent years. But this is by far the biggest development to date and some reports indicate Israel could begin using the natural gas — and possibly exporting it — within two years.
“A U.S. energy company announced [in March] that a project it is developing off the Israeli coast could soon end the country’s longtime dependence on natural gas imports,” reported Ynet News, a major Israeli daily. “Noble Energy Chief Executive Charles D. Davidson said the Tamar gas field – set to become operational in 2012 – will allow Israel to meet its own energy needs, and potentially even become an exporter of fuel….Tamar’s five wells are each expected to pump 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day – a pace on par with the Houston company’s other wells operating in places like the Gulf of Mexico, he said. The company hopes to open operations in a second Israeli field, called Dalit, at a later time. The possibility of exporting fuel would mark a dramatic turnaround for Israel, a country in an oil-rich region that is notoriously empty of natural resources and has always relied heavily on fuel imports. The late Prime Minister Golda Meir famously lamented that Moses could have picked somewhere other than ‘the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil’ as a Jewish homeland. A national supply of natural gas could mean major energy savings for Israeli citizens, as well as revenue for the government from corporate taxes and profit royalties, Davidson said.”
Israelis for years have lamented that if God wanted to bless them with a “promised land” He could have given them the oil-rich Arabian peninsula. Thus the report has become big news in the Israeli media and the energy industry. Several oil and gas companies are already at work there and have made more modest discoveries in recent years. But this is by far the biggest development to date and some reports indicate Israel could begin using the natural gas — and possibly exporting it — within two years.
“A U.S. energy company announced [in March] that a project it is developing off the Israeli coast could soon end the country’s longtime dependence on natural gas imports,” reported Ynet News, a major Israeli daily. “Noble Energy Chief Executive Charles D. Davidson said the Tamar gas field – set to become operational in 2012 – will allow Israel to meet its own energy needs, and potentially even become an exporter of fuel….Tamar’s five wells are each expected to pump 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day – a pace on par with the Houston company’s other wells operating in places like the Gulf of Mexico, he said. The company hopes to open operations in a second Israeli field, called Dalit, at a later time. The possibility of exporting fuel would mark a dramatic turnaround for Israel, a country in an oil-rich region that is notoriously empty of natural resources and has always relied heavily on fuel imports. The late Prime Minister Golda Meir famously lamented that Moses could have picked somewhere other than ‘the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil’ as a Jewish homeland. A national supply of natural gas could mean major energy savings for Israeli citizens, as well as revenue for the government from corporate taxes and profit royalties, Davidson said.”
Plumes of Disaster
The volcanic ash cloud from Iceland dissipated today and a British Airways labor strike was canceled, allowing Europe's airports to return to near-normal operations. But the British Met Office is taking fire for its volcanic ash cloud forecasts. - Reuters
This frame grab image provided by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, received from BP, shows details of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, where the Deepwater Horizon rig sank last month. (AP Photo/Senate Environment and Public Works Committee)
- The Times-Picayune
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST
50 days counted out from Firstfruits is Shavuot or Pentecost. God comes down to His covenant people in an earthshaking day of visitation. It is a betrothal leading into magnificent future glories.
By Gavin Finley at End Time Pilgrim:
50 days from the day the firstfruits of the barley harvest was waved before the Lord, (50 days from the morrow after the sabbath after Passover), is Shavuot or the Day of Pentecost. Rabbinic scholars believe that it was on this day that God visited His people after their exodus from Egypt and through Moses, brought the Law down from Mount Sinai. This earthshaking day of visitation, trembling, and betrothal is the birthday of the nation of Israel...
...50 days from the day the Firstfruits of the barley harvest was waved before the Lord, (that is 50 days from the morrow after the weekly (Saturday) sabbath after Passover), in the summer of the year of Yeshua's passion, YHVH-God visits His people by His Holy Spirit. This is another earthshaking day of visitation and betrothal. But on this occasion God's Presence is not as unapproachable as on the former visitation back at Sinai. Moses had ordered 12 boundary markers placed around the foot of the mountain to hold back the people lest the fire of God flash out upon them. Amidst the thunderings and lightnings God came down as a consuming fire and blackened the entire summit. Only Moses could stand in God's Presence.
See the rest here.
By Gavin Finley at End Time Pilgrim:
50 days from the day the firstfruits of the barley harvest was waved before the Lord, (50 days from the morrow after the sabbath after Passover), is Shavuot or the Day of Pentecost. Rabbinic scholars believe that it was on this day that God visited His people after their exodus from Egypt and through Moses, brought the Law down from Mount Sinai. This earthshaking day of visitation, trembling, and betrothal is the birthday of the nation of Israel...
...50 days from the day the Firstfruits of the barley harvest was waved before the Lord, (that is 50 days from the morrow after the weekly (Saturday) sabbath after Passover), in the summer of the year of Yeshua's passion, YHVH-God visits His people by His Holy Spirit. This is another earthshaking day of visitation and betrothal. But on this occasion God's Presence is not as unapproachable as on the former visitation back at Sinai. Moses had ordered 12 boundary markers placed around the foot of the mountain to hold back the people lest the fire of God flash out upon them. Amidst the thunderings and lightnings God came down as a consuming fire and blackened the entire summit. Only Moses could stand in God's Presence.
See the rest here.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Marian Apparitions or Pagan Feminine Dieties ?
Ancient civilizations were marked with shrines and temples. Worshippers of pagan dieties performed acts of self-flaggelation, crawling on the knees, and made pilgrimages to temples.
Roman rituals was marked by similar traits.When the empire collapsed, it morphed into the Roman Catholic Church.And so did the Roman dieties and rituals.
Fast forward to the 21st century...
The Marian Shrine at Fatima, Portugal is more of a reflection of ancient rituals than Biblically prescribed worship. Greg Burke describes the modern day ritual practiced at Fatima:
Fatima: Prayer, Penance, Burning Body Parts by Greg Burke
"You can buy a lot of gaudy religious trinkets at shrines around the world, but the sanctuary of Fatima, in Portugal, offers some of the weirdest: body parts.
They may be made of wax, but they’re still body parts.
This is strange, because Fatima isn’t even known as a place for miraculous cures, such as Lourdes, in France.
But there they are, hanging outside the tourist shops: legs, arms, ears, heads, hips, intestines and even breasts (1.50 Euros for one; 2.50 for a full set). The stores also sell wax models of small children.
People looking for relief from their ailments try to chuck the figures into a bonfire, even though sanctuary officials say the fire is for candles only.
Officially, the sanctuary doesn’t want people bringing the body parts, but there’s not much it can do as long as the souvenir shops keep selling them."
It may be shocking to learn that a similar rituals were practiced 1000 years before the Christendom era. Miranda Aldhouse Green reports at British Archaelogy:
Pilgrimage, for most of us, is so firmly associated with medieval and modern Christian Europe, that it comes as something of a shock to learn of its origins in pre-Christian Roman times. We may discover, eventually, that its roots go even deeper.
...Roman pilgrimage involved a journey. It required self-dedication and hardship. It was focused on physical as much as spiritual healing, and this was achieved through the donation of votive and thank-offerings and the wearing of particular types of clothing and emblems. Pilgrims purchased souvenirs at the shrine and carried them home - just as devotees do today at Fatima in Portugal, Greek Tinos, or Lourdes in southern France.
...My recent study of the finds from Fontes Sequanae, a remote sanctuary in Burgundy at the source of the River Seine, has produced overwhelming evidence that it was a healing centre and pilgrimage destination between the 1st-3rd centuries AD.
This Roman healing shrine was dedicated to the Celtic goddess Sequena. Metal body parts, and whole body shapes were placed in a pot that was inscribed with the name of the goddess in hopes of healing.
From Answers.com: From other surviving inscriptions it would seem that Sequana's sanctuary was usurped by Christianity and re-dedicated to a supposed male saint, St Sequanus so that the healing cult of the goddess continued, only in a different guise.
Mary of Rome is called The Queen of Heaven. That title, found in the Bible, referred to a pagan goddess.
From Got Questions.com: The Cult of Isis, an Egyptian mother-goddess religion, was absorbed into Christianity by replacing Isis with Mary. Many of the titles that were used for Isis, such as “Queen of Heaven,” “Mother of God,” and “theotokos” (God-bearer) were attached to Mary. Mary was given an exalted role in the Christian faith, far beyond what the Bible ascribes to her, in order to attract Isis worshippers to a faith they would not otherwise embrace. Many temples to Isis were, in fact, converted into temples dedicated to Mary. The first clear hints of Catholic Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be the focal point of Isis worship.
Travel back in time and to the west and find another example of a pagan feminine diety co-opted by Roman Catholicism.
Mexico City- The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe venerates the appartion of Mary to a humble Indian peasant.
In December 9, 1531, Juan Diego,was crossing the hill of Tepeyac just north of present day Mexico City that — it is said— a beautiful shining woman miraculously appeared to him.
Declaring herself to be the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, she called Juan her son. He reported his vision to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, who demanded additional evidence of the divine apparition.
On December 12 then, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac, where the Virgin told him to gather roses where none had grown previously. Then, when the Indian delivered the roses to the Bishop, the image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared on his cloak. This has been taken as proof positive of the apparition.
Ever since the 16th century the tilma or cloak of Juan Diego displaying the image of the Virgin has been the focus of veneration by generations of devout Mexican Catholics as an actual physical artifact of a divine occurrence. Numerous claims are made in favor of its authenticity.
The hill where the event occured was the same location where the ancient temple to the Aztec goddess Tonantzin (Our Revered Mother) stood. It was later destroyed by the Spanairds.
Spanish missionaries believed Mesoamerican gods and goddesses were manifestations of the Devil.
Even today, exorcists are part of the Vatican' apparation investigation teams.
See related article, Exorcists Disagree on Source of Marion Apparition .
Learn more about the Mary of Rome.
See also The Marian Apparitions: Are they biblical and should you submit to them?
If you are Roman Catholic, please hear what a former 22 year priest wants you to know at The Berean Beacon.
Interfaith Call To Make Mary Mother of All
Mark Miravalle, professor of theology at Franciscan University, echoes the call for declaring Mary of Rome as "the spiritual Mother of all Peoples, in her three motherly roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all Graces and Advocate" known as The 5th Marian dogma.
"...Amidst an unprecedented attack on the papacy in recent months, and in light of the July 13, 1917, Fatima prophecy that "the Holy Father will have much to suffer," many wonder if this prophecy referred not only to the assassination attempt of John Paul II on the same anniversary in 1981, but also to the grossly unjust attacks being presently leveled against our own saintly Vicar of Christ."
"In the minds of a significant number of cardinals, bishops, theologians and laity, the best defense for the papacy of Benedict XVI is a Marian offense."
Miravalle references an interfaith Vatican Forum that was held in March 2010. The forum was comprised of like-minded Catholic and Protestant theologians, and Vatican ambassadors. The event's objective was to express support for defining and declaring Mary of Rome as spiritual mother of humanity.
Such a papal declaration would act as a Marian remedy for the current crises facing the pope and the Church.
"We believe the fifth Marian Dogma will help protect us from disasters," said Ambassador Mercedes Tuason, the ambassador from the Philippines to the Holy See."
The forum noted multi-religious acceptance of Mary of Rome around the world "because of the comfort they receive from the concept and the actual intercession of a mother."
Archbishop M. Chinnappa of Madras, India discussed the enthusiastic reception he received from Muslims, Hindus and Christians alike to the call for a fifth Marian dogma.
See related articles, Mary of Rome, The Queen of All , and Is Mary the 'Coredemptrix' of Humanity?
Learn why Mary of Rome is not the Mary of The Bible.
"...Amidst an unprecedented attack on the papacy in recent months, and in light of the July 13, 1917, Fatima prophecy that "the Holy Father will have much to suffer," many wonder if this prophecy referred not only to the assassination attempt of John Paul II on the same anniversary in 1981, but also to the grossly unjust attacks being presently leveled against our own saintly Vicar of Christ."
"In the minds of a significant number of cardinals, bishops, theologians and laity, the best defense for the papacy of Benedict XVI is a Marian offense."
Miravalle references an interfaith Vatican Forum that was held in March 2010. The forum was comprised of like-minded Catholic and Protestant theologians, and Vatican ambassadors. The event's objective was to express support for defining and declaring Mary of Rome as spiritual mother of humanity.
Such a papal declaration would act as a Marian remedy for the current crises facing the pope and the Church.
"We believe the fifth Marian Dogma will help protect us from disasters," said Ambassador Mercedes Tuason, the ambassador from the Philippines to the Holy See."
The forum noted multi-religious acceptance of Mary of Rome around the world "because of the comfort they receive from the concept and the actual intercession of a mother."
Archbishop M. Chinnappa of Madras, India discussed the enthusiastic reception he received from Muslims, Hindus and Christians alike to the call for a fifth Marian dogma.
See related articles, Mary of Rome, The Queen of All , and Is Mary the 'Coredemptrix' of Humanity?
Learn why Mary of Rome is not the Mary of The Bible.
The Marian Apparitions & UFO Deception
Alien Identities: The Fatima Case
Excerpt from:
Alien Identities: Ancient Insights into Modern UFO Phenomena
1993 by Richard L. Thompson
ISBN 0-9635309-4-1
Govardhan Hill, Inc. Alachua, FL
Christianity is a source of a great deal of evidence for encounters between humans and human like beings endowed with mystic powers. The Roman Catholic Church, in particular, has developed a vast literature on this subject, and I have already alluded to some Catholic views regarding succubi and incubi. Here I will briefly discuss one example of an encounter with beings of a more positive spiritual nature. This is the story of meetings that took place in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, between three children named Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta and a brilliantly effulgent lady whom they understood to be the Virgin Mary. As we shall see, this story is relevant to the UFO question, and it is backed up by an unprecedented amount of eyewitness testimony.
The meetings occurred on the 13th of the month for six successive months
in a natural amphitheater called the Cova da Iria near the town of Fatima. Revelations were made to the three children in the presence of a large throng of onlookers, which increased greatly from month to month as news spread. The actual visions of the beautiful lady could be seen only by the three children, and so our knowledge of these visions is limited to their testimony. However, during the revelations there occurred related phenomena that were witnessed by large numbers of people.
These phenomena included the appearance of a glowing, globe- shaped vehicle and the occurrence of a shower of rose petals that vanished upon touching the ground. Showers of flower petals are often mentioned in Vedic accounts of celestial visitations.[In other words, the rebel angels who pretended to be Vedic gods did the same things as the rebel angels who are now pretending to be Mary...
See also The Fatima UFO Hypothesis.
See more on the Mary of Rome and Alien Life.
See also Exorcists on Marian Apparition Response Teams , Apparitions Of Mary - Messages From Heaven
PHOTO: NJ Police Flooded with Day Light UFO Reports
Police flooded with UFO sighting reports after residents see large, tube-like object over Somerset County Stephen Stirling/For The Star-Ledger
SOMERVILLE -- Somerville police were flooded with phone calls this morning after residents reported seeing a large tube-like object fluttering through the sky.
Police said they were swamped with phone calls after a flurry of callers reported to radio station NJ 101.5 that a UFO was flying above the area. Residents then began calling the Somerville Police Department to report the object.
“I first noticed when all our mechanics started looking up at the sky,” said Terry Weil, a sales associate at Honda Autosport in Bridgewater. “It looked like a big black strip fluttering in the air. Maybe a cylinder.”
Somerville Police Lt. Donna Young said authorities were not sure what the object was, but said it caused no problems other than tying up police phone lines shortly before noon.
“We have no idea what it was but it did not cause any problems here in Somerville,” she said. “We are under the impression that it might be a weather balloon or something like that, but regardless, it did not cause any problems whatsoever.”
Editor's note: Author / Researcher L..A Marzulli connects the dots on what really is behind alien phenonema:
Marzulli is also the author of the non fiction work, Politics, Prophecy & the Supernatural. The book packs a hard hitting expose of how the current political landscape may bring about ancient Biblical prophecies, which then may trigger supernatural events that are foretold in the book of Daniel and Revelation.
See more on Alien Life here.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Israel-Lebanon Border Is Heating Up
As Hezbollah grows in strength, concern over a possible confrontation in the north is becoming an international issue.
From Haaretz.com
After several welcome weeks of calm, chatter about the northern border and the eastern front has resumed.
A synopsis of the declarations of the past 48 hours: The prime minister accused Iran of trying to provoke war between Syria and Israel; the minister for strategic affairs reiterated that a military option exists against Iran's nuclear program; Iran's parliamentary speaker threatened a "final and decisive war" against Israel; Lebanon's prime minister expressed support for Hezbollah's right to have Scud missiles in its arsenal; Syria's president warned of "the demise of the peace process"; and Russia's president, visiting Damascus, said he fears a catastrophe in the region.
A conflagration in the north sometime in the near future could result from one of three developments: escalation between Israel and Iran over the latter's nuclear program; Hezbollah's efforts to exact revenge for the 2008 killing of senior operative Imad Mughniyeh; or an Israeli attack on an arms convoy from Syria to Hezbollah.
From Haaretz.com
After several welcome weeks of calm, chatter about the northern border and the eastern front has resumed.
A synopsis of the declarations of the past 48 hours: The prime minister accused Iran of trying to provoke war between Syria and Israel; the minister for strategic affairs reiterated that a military option exists against Iran's nuclear program; Iran's parliamentary speaker threatened a "final and decisive war" against Israel; Lebanon's prime minister expressed support for Hezbollah's right to have Scud missiles in its arsenal; Syria's president warned of "the demise of the peace process"; and Russia's president, visiting Damascus, said he fears a catastrophe in the region.
A conflagration in the north sometime in the near future could result from one of three developments: escalation between Israel and Iran over the latter's nuclear program; Hezbollah's efforts to exact revenge for the 2008 killing of senior operative Imad Mughniyeh; or an Israeli attack on an arms convoy from Syria to Hezbollah.
Apparitions Of Mary - Messages From Heaven
Visit Eternal Productions for more articles, interviews and no-cost E-books on the Marian apparitions.
Please see former 22-year Roman Catholic priest Richard Bennett's video, The ABC's of Catholicism.
Visit Richard Bennett's What Every Catholic Should Know.Click here and see why the Mary of Rome is not the Mary of the Bible.
Should Progressive Christians Repent of Their Evangelism?
New Monastic Mark Van Steenwyk, general editor of the Jesus Manifesto, "a radical Christian webzine exploring the way of Jesus in our imperial context" has been running a series on whether or not imperial Christianity is oppressive.
Van Steenwyk echoes the "everything must change "mantra of Brian McLaren, et al:
Van Steenwyk echoes the "everything must change "mantra of Brian McLaren, et al:
"...Christianity has come to be defined in largely imperialistic ways. If the majority of human engagement with Christianity has seen it as an imperial narrative, do we simply (sic) dimiss the conclusion that it is an imperial religion? Or do we repent of such Christianity?"
Van Steenwyk makes strong points about the "Empire". Van Steenwyk also makes valid points regarding the geo-political manipulation of missionaries. The Protestant Reformation was the repentance from the Mother of all manipulation systems...Roman Catholicism. Yet, evangelical dominion theology strives to build its own version of the Vatican. Van Steenwyk shares a video that drives that point home.
The Protestant Reformation was such a repentance. But why do the Progressive Evangelicals (New Monastics, Emergents, Red Letter, etc. ) ignore church history? For the sake of the conversation and deconstruction?
Regrettably Van Steenwyk feels that Christ has not been building His church since Pentecost:
"It is no easy thing to try to follow Jesus with the weight of 2000 years of imperialism in the name of Jesus bearing upon one’s soul."
Van Steenwyk calls for a repentance from imperial evangelism. Perhaps Progressive Evangelicals should call for repentance from accepting grants from radical non-governmental organizations like the Ford Foundation and The Tide Center. Both entities fund abortion and anti-family issues around the globe.
Progressive Evangelicals who cry out for social justice while forming alliances with such immoral organizations is nothing short of fatal hypocrisy.
Perhaps Van Steenwyk could make such a call for repentance among his fellow Progressives.
Dare To Prepare
From The Millenium Ark
So many 'hammers' could fall on us that it's hard to know where to begin. Many of these events have the capacity to adversely impact food and medical supplies, disrupt electricity, and present an entire platter of unwanted challenges. We have only to look to devastating Hurricane Katrina or the floods and snowstorms of 2007, 2008 and 2009 to see people without electricity for weeks. And people were left for days to fend for themselves. Don't be left vulnerable. There are answers and preparing is easier than you think!
Click here for no-cost emergency preparedness planning information.
Israel Primed For War On Iran - US Can Expect Terror Attack
(Reuters) - Israel is primed for a war on Iran, a deputy to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, in a rare break with his government's reticence as world powers try to talk Tehran into curbing its nuclear plans.
By spearheading assaults on guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon and Palestinian territories, the Israeli air force had gained the techniques necessary for any future strikes on Iranian sites, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon said.
"There is no doubt that the technological capabilities, which improved in recent years, have improved range and aerial refueling capabilities, and have brought about a massive improvement in the accuracy of ordnance and intelligence," he told a conference of military officers and experts.
"This capability can be used for a war on terror in Gaza, for a war in the face of rockets from Lebanon, for war on the conventional Syrian army, and also for war on a peripheral state like Iran," said Yaalon, a former armed forces chief.
Editor's note: Debka file reported last month that if Iran is attacked, nuclear devices will go off in American cities.
By spearheading assaults on guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon and Palestinian territories, the Israeli air force had gained the techniques necessary for any future strikes on Iranian sites, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon said.
"There is no doubt that the technological capabilities, which improved in recent years, have improved range and aerial refueling capabilities, and have brought about a massive improvement in the accuracy of ordnance and intelligence," he told a conference of military officers and experts.
"This capability can be used for a war on terror in Gaza, for a war in the face of rockets from Lebanon, for war on the conventional Syrian army, and also for war on a peripheral state like Iran," said Yaalon, a former armed forces chief.
Editor's note: Debka file reported last month that if Iran is attacked, nuclear devices will go off in American cities.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Pope's visit to Portgual may shed light on Third Secret of Fatima
The Telegraph
The Pope will travel to Portugal this week amid hopes that he might shed light on one of the Catholic Church's most intriguing mysteries – the so-called Third Secret of Fatima.
During his four day visit, Benedict XVI will pray at the shrine of Fatima, one of the best known centres of Catholic pilgrimage in the world and the focus of endless conspiracy theories and Doomsday predictions.
Its cult is founded on the belief that three shepherd children witnessed a series of apparitions and prophecies of the Virgin Mary in 1917.
Three secrets were supposedly disclosed to them, with the first and second relating to a vision of Hell and predicting the end of World War I, the outbreak of World War II, the collapse of the Soviet Union and Russia's return to Christianity.
The third secret was only disclosed by the Vatican in 2000 and was said to have foretold the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II by a Turkish gunman in 1981.
There has been intense speculation ever since that the Vatican withheld part of the secret, which is said to have concerned the Satanic infiltration of the Catholic Church, the rise of an anti-Pope or even nuclear Armageddon. The Holy See claims that it has released the full text of the secret and that it is holding nothing back, but many Catholics are not convinced.
Benedict is one of the world's leading authorities on the mystery because as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before he was elected Pope in 2005, he was responsible for developing the Vatican's official position on the miracle of Fatima and wrote a scholarly interpretation of the Third Secret.
The Pope will travel to Portugal this week amid hopes that he might shed light on one of the Catholic Church's most intriguing mysteries – the so-called Third Secret of Fatima.
During his four day visit, Benedict XVI will pray at the shrine of Fatima, one of the best known centres of Catholic pilgrimage in the world and the focus of endless conspiracy theories and Doomsday predictions.
Its cult is founded on the belief that three shepherd children witnessed a series of apparitions and prophecies of the Virgin Mary in 1917.
Three secrets were supposedly disclosed to them, with the first and second relating to a vision of Hell and predicting the end of World War I, the outbreak of World War II, the collapse of the Soviet Union and Russia's return to Christianity.
The third secret was only disclosed by the Vatican in 2000 and was said to have foretold the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II by a Turkish gunman in 1981.
There has been intense speculation ever since that the Vatican withheld part of the secret, which is said to have concerned the Satanic infiltration of the Catholic Church, the rise of an anti-Pope or even nuclear Armageddon. The Holy See claims that it has released the full text of the secret and that it is holding nothing back, but many Catholics are not convinced.
Benedict is one of the world's leading authorities on the mystery because as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before he was elected Pope in 2005, he was responsible for developing the Vatican's official position on the miracle of Fatima and wrote a scholarly interpretation of the Third Secret.
Editor's note: Cardinal Ratzinger ( Pope Benedict ) was accused of participating in a cover up of the real third secret which is believed by many to have foretold of deep rifts in the Roman Catholic church...
Father Charles Fiore, in a taped interview, made the following remarks with regard to Cardinal Ratzinger's various statements about the Third Secret: "We have two different Cardinal Ratzingers; we have two different messages. But Malachi [Martin] was consistent all the way through; he believed that the Third Secret of Fatima had to do [...] with the internal problems of the Catholic Church."[29] On a syndicated radio broadcast, Father Malachi Martin was asked the following question by a caller: "I had a Jesuit priest tell me more of the Third Secret of Fatima years ago, in Perth. He said, among other things, the last pope would be under control of Satan... Any comment on that?" Fr. Martin responded, "Yes, it sounds as if they were reading, or being told, the text of the Third Secret. But it's sufficiently vague to make one hesitate— it sounds like it."[28]
In a taped interview with Bernard Janzen, Fr. Martin was asked the following question: "Who are the people who are working so hard to suppress Fatima?" Fr. Martin responded, "A bunch, a whole bunch, of Catholic prelates in Rome, who belong to Satan. They're servants of Satan. And the servants of Satan outside the Church, in various organizations; they want to destroy the Catholicism of the Church, and keep it as a stabilizing factor in human affairs. It's an alliance. A dirty alliance, a filthy alliance, but a very good alliance."[44] In the same interview, Fr. Martin also said with respect to Lucia that, "They've (The Vatican) published forged letters in her name; they've made her say things she didn't want to say. They put statements on her lips she never made."
Listen to 30 year exorcist Malachi Martin discuss the third secret here.
See the mysterious circumstances surrounding Martin's death.
See related articles: Satanism, Murder and The Vatican , Chief exorcist says Devil is in the Vatican
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Pope To Visit Fatima
PORTUGAL 11-14 May 2010 Pope Benedict XVI visits Fatima shrine
Pope Benedict XVI holds open air masses for capacity crowds in Lisbon and Porto, and visits the Marian shrine of Fatima to celebrate the anniversary of the day in 1917 when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children there. While in Portugal he could announce plans to canonize Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three children, who died in 2005 at the age of 97. He could scold the Socialist government for legalizing abortion and gay marriage.
On the 13th of each month from May to Oct 1917, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Lúcia,10, and to her cousins Jacinta, 7, and Francisco Marto, 9, in the fields outside the village of Aljustrel near Fatima. Jacinta and Francisco died in 1919, victims of the Spanish flu. All three have been beatified, the first step to sainthood.
Pope Benedict XVI holds open air masses for capacity crowds in Lisbon and Porto, and visits the Marian shrine of Fatima to celebrate the anniversary of the day in 1917 when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children there. While in Portugal he could announce plans to canonize Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three children, who died in 2005 at the age of 97. He could scold the Socialist government for legalizing abortion and gay marriage.
On the 13th of each month from May to Oct 1917, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Lúcia,10, and to her cousins Jacinta, 7, and Francisco Marto, 9, in the fields outside the village of Aljustrel near Fatima. Jacinta and Francisco died in 1919, victims of the Spanish flu. All three have been beatified, the first step to sainthood.
7.4 Mag Quake Rocks Indonesia
Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia—An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 rattled Indonesia's North Sumatra province Sunday, prompting a brief local tsunami watch, knocking out power and damaging some homes, officials said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the afternoon quake hit 135 miles southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth of 38 miles. Indonesia and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami watch for the area, but both canceled their warnings less than 90 minutes later.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center watch said there was no threat of a widespread tsunami, but "there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter."
Fauzi, chief of Indonesia's meteorology agency, said the closest town to the epicenter was Meulaboh, where a small "tsunami wave" just 7.9 inches high was detected by a buoy off the coast. Fauzi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said the official tsunami watch had been canceled.
JAKARTA, Indonesia—An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 rattled Indonesia's North Sumatra province Sunday, prompting a brief local tsunami watch, knocking out power and damaging some homes, officials said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the afternoon quake hit 135 miles southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth of 38 miles. Indonesia and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami watch for the area, but both canceled their warnings less than 90 minutes later.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center watch said there was no threat of a widespread tsunami, but "there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter."
Fauzi, chief of Indonesia's meteorology agency, said the closest town to the epicenter was Meulaboh, where a small "tsunami wave" just 7.9 inches high was detected by a buoy off the coast. Fauzi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said the official tsunami watch had been canceled.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Five Quakes Off The Coast Oregon In Less Than 2 Hours
MAG 4.3 2010/05/07 19:03:32 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 3.9 2010/05/07 18:48:36 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 3.9 2010/05/07 18:43:11 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 3.8 2010/05/07 18:41:58 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 5.1 2010/05/07 17:46:17 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 4.5 2010/05/06 23:12:33 VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
MAG 3.9 2010/05/07 18:48:36 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 3.9 2010/05/07 18:43:11 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 3.8 2010/05/07 18:41:58 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 5.1 2010/05/07 17:46:17 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAG 4.5 2010/05/06 23:12:33 VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
Progressive Christians Funded by Pro Abortion, Pro GLBT, Pro Radical Tides Center
In this piece, Big Tent Christianity Funded By Pro Abortion, Pro LBGT Ford Foundation, we see Brian McLaren's latest campaign funded by the radically left Ford Foundation.
Now, another "progressive" Christian group is underwritten by a radically left organization. In his post, RICHARD ROHR AND THE EMERGING CHURCH AS THE THIRD WAY Pastor Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries writes:
"Slowly but surely we’re noticing that more and more progressive Christians, as well as their organizations, are also taking notice as well of the new big tent progressive Christian theology that McLaren’s such a seer of. Take for example something called The Beatitudes Society: Strengthening the Progression Christian Network for justice, compassion, and peace (TBS) of a “Rev.” Anne Sutherland Howard, which gives us the typical progressive/liberal party line..."
The Beatitude Society is a project of the Tides Center. From the Tides center website:
Project Description:
Today in America, the widespread perception of Christianity -- one centered in nationalism, materialism and intolerance -- bears little resemblance to the life and teachings of Jesus, particularly as they concern justice, compassion, and peacemaking. To counter that, The Beatitudes Society develops and sustains a national network of emerging Christian leaders who: Advocate for justice, compassion and peace; Reclaim a Christianity that welcomes all people, especially those at the margins; Articulate a Christianity that dares to speak and act for our fragile planet and our most vulnerable citizens.
The Tides Center and The Tides Foundation have given millions to pro-abortion groups, pro-homosexual ( GLBT ) groups and radical environmental groups.
(How about social justice for the most vulnerable citizens...the 50,000,000+ aborted / murdered babies in America?)
Wade Rathke, the Chair of the Center’s board of directors is also a member of the Tides
Foundation board. Rathke is veteran leftwing activist, is the founder and chief organizer of ACORN—the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—one of the nation’s largest and most active left-wing pressure groups.
The Tides Foundation has also received grants from the radical left Ford Foundation. The Tides Foundation has made grants to grants to the Ruckus Society, which trained the rioters who tore up Seattle during the 1999 World Trade Organization conference.
Ruckus director John Sellers makes no apologies for violence:
“I make a distinction between violence and destruction of property. Violence to me is against living things. But inanimate objects? I think you can be destructive, you can use vandalism strategically. It may be violence under the law, but I just don’t think it’s violence.”
(Mother Jones, September/October 2000)
Do Progressive Christians have a conscience? Taking money from the same hands that fund the murder of unborn babies and yet claim to articulate a Christianity that dares to speak and act for our most vulnerable citizens?
Really?
Is it even moral to accept money from organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Tides Center?
Watch Glen Beck connect the Tides Center dots.
Now, another "progressive" Christian group is underwritten by a radically left organization. In his post, RICHARD ROHR AND THE EMERGING CHURCH AS THE THIRD WAY Pastor Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries writes:
"Slowly but surely we’re noticing that more and more progressive Christians, as well as their organizations, are also taking notice as well of the new big tent progressive Christian theology that McLaren’s such a seer of. Take for example something called The Beatitudes Society: Strengthening the Progression Christian Network for justice, compassion, and peace (TBS) of a “Rev.” Anne Sutherland Howard, which gives us the typical progressive/liberal party line..."
The Beatitude Society is a project of the Tides Center. From the Tides center website:
Project Description:
Today in America, the widespread perception of Christianity -- one centered in nationalism, materialism and intolerance -- bears little resemblance to the life and teachings of Jesus, particularly as they concern justice, compassion, and peacemaking. To counter that, The Beatitudes Society develops and sustains a national network of emerging Christian leaders who: Advocate for justice, compassion and peace; Reclaim a Christianity that welcomes all people, especially those at the margins; Articulate a Christianity that dares to speak and act for our fragile planet and our most vulnerable citizens.
The Tides Center and The Tides Foundation have given millions to pro-abortion groups, pro-homosexual ( GLBT ) groups and radical environmental groups.
(How about social justice for the most vulnerable citizens...the 50,000,000+ aborted / murdered babies in America?)
Wade Rathke, the Chair of the Center’s board of directors is also a member of the Tides
Foundation board. Rathke is veteran leftwing activist, is the founder and chief organizer of ACORN—the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—one of the nation’s largest and most active left-wing pressure groups.
The Tides Foundation has also received grants from the radical left Ford Foundation. The Tides Foundation has made grants to grants to the Ruckus Society, which trained the rioters who tore up Seattle during the 1999 World Trade Organization conference.
Ruckus director John Sellers makes no apologies for violence:
“I make a distinction between violence and destruction of property. Violence to me is against living things. But inanimate objects? I think you can be destructive, you can use vandalism strategically. It may be violence under the law, but I just don’t think it’s violence.”
(Mother Jones, September/October 2000)
Do Progressive Christians have a conscience? Taking money from the same hands that fund the murder of unborn babies and yet claim to articulate a Christianity that dares to speak and act for our most vulnerable citizens?
Really?
Is it even moral to accept money from organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Tides Center?
Watch Glen Beck connect the Tides Center dots.
Pastors Driving The Gospel Out On Purpose
"At first I imagined that no pastor would be so hard-hearted as to tell Christians who hunger for the pure milk of the Word that he would not give it. But I was wrong. When these people ask for gospel preaching and Bible teaching they are usually told that they should find another church. These pastors are so deluded by their man-made “vision” that they rebel against the vision God gave to all churches in the Bible."
Pastor Bob DeWaay examines the Purpose Driven church growth methodology in HOW THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT DRIVES THE GOSPEL OUT OF CHURCHES.
Dan Southerland wrote Transitioning, a book based on the idea that a pastor must obtain a special vision he must apply to his local church.1 With the goal of taking a Bible church and turning it into a Purpose Driven one, he lays out seven steps to implement vision in the local church:preparing for vision, defining the vision, planting the vision, sharing the vision, implementing the vision, dealing with opposition, and making course corrections.2 The vision, for Southerland, is “doing church for the unchurched.”3
Here’s the problem: If you start with a faulty premise, you will end in error. Southerland believes that the church does not exist for the saints, but rather for the “unchurched” (his euphemism for sinners) in a target community. His vision is to make the church a place where those in the grips of the surrounding pagan culture would be comfortable comfortable going—an idea he got from Rick Warren, who wrote the foreword to his book. If that is not God’s intention for the church—if indeed it is a faulty premise—then Southerland’s process is in error no matter how successful he is in filling the building.
...The problem is that those who imagine what God is doing base their subsequent actions on their own premises. For example, Southerland’s premise is that any large, growing church is what God is doing, without reference to their doctrines. I heard him speak glowingly of Paul Yonggi Cho’s church as a prime example to follow. Yet Cho is heretical.8 How does one find out what God is doing by observing heretics?
...Here’s the problem: the Purpose Driven program, devised by Rick Warren, was founded on Peter Drucker’s business model and is not revealed in the Bible. Also, the need to find a specific vision that may not apply to other churches pushes people into mysticism in order to find some “will of God” beyond Scripture. That violates the principle of sola scriptura. Equivocation with regard to vision is a slippery slope.
...For years this reality was understood by evangelical pastors. They preached the gospel faithfully, and whoever responded became part of the church. Southerland admits that his critics accused him of not preaching the gospel.12 To have a Purpose Driven church, the gospel has to be veiled or watered down in order to avoid offending the target audience.
...I do not exaggerate when I say that since I first wrote an article about this in 2004, I have heard from hundreds of people who were pushed out of their churches by the Purpose Driven program. Some of the stories reveal hardhearted pastors who care more about advancing their careers than the well being of the Lord’s flock.
...In 2010 I am still getting calls and emails from people whose churches have become Purpose Driven, and they are being marginalized or pushed out of them. Southerland’s book and his seminars label such persons as “resisters” who have placed themselves in opposition to God’s vision for the church.
...He likens them to Sanballat (an opponent of Nehemiah) who like them, was a “leader from hell.”14 Having met more of these people than I can recall, I have yet to meet one with hellish ideas. Southerland’s terminology abuses faithful saints who want the Bible to be faithfully preached from the pulpit. In his seminar he calls them “mean and ornery.” In his book he calls pastors like me (traditional pastors) who criticize Purpose Driven, the “meaner ones.”15 Could it be that we value gospel preaching and Bible teaching? Does that make us “mean”?
In the six years since I first wrote about this, I have always given the same advice to those who write, e-mail, or call. I tell them to go to their pastor and plead with him to clearly preach the gospel, and purely teach the Bible. Tell him that you long for such preaching and teaching. What is astounding is that nearly universally they are rebuffed.
See related article, Signs of A Purpose Driven Transition In Your Church
Pastor Bob DeWaay examines the Purpose Driven church growth methodology in HOW THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT DRIVES THE GOSPEL OUT OF CHURCHES.
Dan Southerland wrote Transitioning, a book based on the idea that a pastor must obtain a special vision he must apply to his local church.1 With the goal of taking a Bible church and turning it into a Purpose Driven one, he lays out seven steps to implement vision in the local church:preparing for vision, defining the vision, planting the vision, sharing the vision, implementing the vision, dealing with opposition, and making course corrections.2 The vision, for Southerland, is “doing church for the unchurched.”3
Here’s the problem: If you start with a faulty premise, you will end in error. Southerland believes that the church does not exist for the saints, but rather for the “unchurched” (his euphemism for sinners) in a target community. His vision is to make the church a place where those in the grips of the surrounding pagan culture would be comfortable comfortable going—an idea he got from Rick Warren, who wrote the foreword to his book. If that is not God’s intention for the church—if indeed it is a faulty premise—then Southerland’s process is in error no matter how successful he is in filling the building.
...The problem is that those who imagine what God is doing base their subsequent actions on their own premises. For example, Southerland’s premise is that any large, growing church is what God is doing, without reference to their doctrines. I heard him speak glowingly of Paul Yonggi Cho’s church as a prime example to follow. Yet Cho is heretical.8 How does one find out what God is doing by observing heretics?
...Here’s the problem: the Purpose Driven program, devised by Rick Warren, was founded on Peter Drucker’s business model and is not revealed in the Bible. Also, the need to find a specific vision that may not apply to other churches pushes people into mysticism in order to find some “will of God” beyond Scripture. That violates the principle of sola scriptura. Equivocation with regard to vision is a slippery slope.
...For years this reality was understood by evangelical pastors. They preached the gospel faithfully, and whoever responded became part of the church. Southerland admits that his critics accused him of not preaching the gospel.12 To have a Purpose Driven church, the gospel has to be veiled or watered down in order to avoid offending the target audience.
...I do not exaggerate when I say that since I first wrote an article about this in 2004, I have heard from hundreds of people who were pushed out of their churches by the Purpose Driven program. Some of the stories reveal hardhearted pastors who care more about advancing their careers than the well being of the Lord’s flock.
...In 2010 I am still getting calls and emails from people whose churches have become Purpose Driven, and they are being marginalized or pushed out of them. Southerland’s book and his seminars label such persons as “resisters” who have placed themselves in opposition to God’s vision for the church.
...He likens them to Sanballat (an opponent of Nehemiah) who like them, was a “leader from hell.”14 Having met more of these people than I can recall, I have yet to meet one with hellish ideas. Southerland’s terminology abuses faithful saints who want the Bible to be faithfully preached from the pulpit. In his seminar he calls them “mean and ornery.” In his book he calls pastors like me (traditional pastors) who criticize Purpose Driven, the “meaner ones.”15 Could it be that we value gospel preaching and Bible teaching? Does that make us “mean”?
In the six years since I first wrote about this, I have always given the same advice to those who write, e-mail, or call. I tell them to go to their pastor and plead with him to clearly preach the gospel, and purely teach the Bible. Tell him that you long for such preaching and teaching. What is astounding is that nearly universally they are rebuffed.
See related article, Signs of A Purpose Driven Transition In Your Church
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Stand Against The Flood of Apostasy
YOUR ASSISTANCE IS APPRECIATED
For the benefit of our many new readers, as it says in our About section Apprising Ministries is an online apologetics and discernment ministry extending as a fully integrated auxiliary from Connecticut River Baptist Church (SBC), where I serve as pastor-teacher. And even though this local church is affiliated with the SBC, AM itself is designed as a non-denominational outreach.
God has seen fit to steadily increase the exposure and readership greatly in the 5+ years now that AM has been online. We remain so very thankful for the handful of faithful financial supporters, some of whom have been with us from the beginning, who’ve made it possible for me to be here. However, they cannot carry the load alone and we do pray that some of our newer readers will also be willing to help as well.
The fact is I have no staff to assist me with research, writing, answering email questions, etc. and as it stands right now AM receives no financial assistance at all from any other agencies or churches. And, in addition, at this time AM doesn’t have any radio program from which to make appeals; nor do we have any product to sell, so a work like depends entirely upon the generosity of God’s people.
If you’ve been blessed through the work here that perhaps you might consider helping to support this labor. The truth is, I regularly receive letters from many pastors around the country looking for help discerning issues or asking me to do additional research, and we remain hopeful that a church or two might consider taking on AM as even a small part of their mission giving.
In any event, a gift of any amount—whether one time or on a regular basis—goes a long way toward helping to keep AM available along the Internet Front. If you’d like to donate via PayPal click here or you can make your checks/money orders payable to Apprising Ministries and send them to:
APPRISING MINISTRIES
P.O. BOX 340
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Franklin Graham: Obama 'Giving Islam a Pass,' Warns of Persecution
By: David A. Patten
Evangelical leader Rev. Franklin Graham issued his toughest remarks yet Monday on the administration's role in revoking his invitation to speak at the Pentagon's National Day of Prayer event, charging that President Obama is "giving Islam a pass" rather than speaking openly about the "horrific" treatment women and minorities receive in many Muslim countries.
In an exclusive telephone interview with Newsmax.TV, Graham called revoking his invitation to the prayer service "a slap at all evangelical Christians."
And he clearly placed the blame on the Obama administration, telling Newsmax that the Pentagon would never revoke such an invitation without first consulting with the White House.
"I'm being restricted from my religious rights, and from what I believe," Graham warned, as he complained of a growing “secularization” in the government.
He also warned Christian of “coming” persecution for believing in Jesus Christ.
Evangelical leader Rev. Franklin Graham issued his toughest remarks yet Monday on the administration's role in revoking his invitation to speak at the Pentagon's National Day of Prayer event, charging that President Obama is "giving Islam a pass" rather than speaking openly about the "horrific" treatment women and minorities receive in many Muslim countries.
In an exclusive telephone interview with Newsmax.TV, Graham called revoking his invitation to the prayer service "a slap at all evangelical Christians."
And he clearly placed the blame on the Obama administration, telling Newsmax that the Pentagon would never revoke such an invitation without first consulting with the White House.
"I'm being restricted from my religious rights, and from what I believe," Graham warned, as he complained of a growing “secularization” in the government.
He also warned Christian of “coming” persecution for believing in Jesus Christ.
Defrocked Catholic Priest Leads Earth Worship Seminar
Virtue Online
Former Dominican Turned Episcopalian Praises Gaia, 'Goddess'
An Episcopal priest and theologian who popularized the rave-like "Techno Cosmic Mass" and advocated goddess worship recently led a seminar on mysticism and Earth spirituality to coincide with Earth Day.
Warning that environmental degradation caused by raging against "Gaia" had to cease, the Rev. Matthew Fox made frequent references to "the Goddess" and the divine feminine during his environmentally-themed lecture and workshop, "Earth Spirituality and the Mystical Tradition." The event was held in April at the Unitarian Universalist Church in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland, and sponsored by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Episcopal Priest and Theologian Matthew Fox has authored 28 books, many addressing the mysticism and spirituality of Earth worship. (Image Courtesy of Friends of Creation Spirituality) Fox's seminar was a melding of Celtic spirituality, goddess worship, panentheism (which posits that God interpenetrates every part of nature, but also transcends nature), environmental activism, and a political rejection of American "empire," peppered sporadically with digs against the Vatican.
Making references to Christian mystics like Hildegard of Bingen alongside pagan deities and the animal world, Fox comfortably oscillated between threats to polar bears and the oppression patriarchy when expressing his views on the natural world.
The solution offered by the former Roman Catholic priest was an embrace of ancient spiritual practices, recast in modern language and setting.
"This is how you change consciousness the fastest - through rituals, not [academic] degrees," Fox said, explaining the various practices he has either rediscovered or pioneered in mapping out "creation spirituality."
Former Dominican Turned Episcopalian Praises Gaia, 'Goddess'
An Episcopal priest and theologian who popularized the rave-like "Techno Cosmic Mass" and advocated goddess worship recently led a seminar on mysticism and Earth spirituality to coincide with Earth Day.
Warning that environmental degradation caused by raging against "Gaia" had to cease, the Rev. Matthew Fox made frequent references to "the Goddess" and the divine feminine during his environmentally-themed lecture and workshop, "Earth Spirituality and the Mystical Tradition." The event was held in April at the Unitarian Universalist Church in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland, and sponsored by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Episcopal Priest and Theologian Matthew Fox has authored 28 books, many addressing the mysticism and spirituality of Earth worship. (Image Courtesy of Friends of Creation Spirituality) Fox's seminar was a melding of Celtic spirituality, goddess worship, panentheism (which posits that God interpenetrates every part of nature, but also transcends nature), environmental activism, and a political rejection of American "empire," peppered sporadically with digs against the Vatican.
Making references to Christian mystics like Hildegard of Bingen alongside pagan deities and the animal world, Fox comfortably oscillated between threats to polar bears and the oppression patriarchy when expressing his views on the natural world.
The solution offered by the former Roman Catholic priest was an embrace of ancient spiritual practices, recast in modern language and setting.
"This is how you change consciousness the fastest - through rituals, not [academic] degrees," Fox said, explaining the various practices he has either rediscovered or pioneered in mapping out "creation spirituality."
Christian preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin
Telegraph.co.uk
A Christian street preacher was arrested and locked in a cell for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.
Dale McAlpine was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.
The 42-year-old Baptist, who has preached Christianity in Workington, Cumbria for years, said he did not mention homosexuality while delivering a sermon from the top of a stepladder, but admitted telling a passing shopper that he believed it went against the word of God.
A Christian street preacher was arrested and locked in a cell for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.
Dale McAlpine was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.
The 42-year-old Baptist, who has preached Christianity in Workington, Cumbria for years, said he did not mention homosexuality while delivering a sermon from the top of a stepladder, but admitted telling a passing shopper that he believed it went against the word of God.
Pope All but Endorses Authenticity of Turin Shroud
NEWSMAX.com
Pope Benedict XVI all but gave an outright endorsement of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin on Sunday, calling the cloth that some believe is Christ's burial shroud an icon "written with the blood" of a crucified man.
During a visit to the Shroud in the northern Italian city of Turin, Benedict didn't raise the scientific questions that surround the linen and whether it might be a medieval forgery. Instead, he delivered a powerful meditation on the faith that holds that the Shroud is indeed Christ's burial cloth.
"This is a burial cloth that wrapped the remains of a crucified man in full correspondence with what the Gospels tell us of Jesus," Benedict said. He said the relic — one of the most important in Christianity — should be seen as a photographic document of the "darkest mystery of faith" — that of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
Pope Benedict XVI all but gave an outright endorsement of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin on Sunday, calling the cloth that some believe is Christ's burial shroud an icon "written with the blood" of a crucified man.
During a visit to the Shroud in the northern Italian city of Turin, Benedict didn't raise the scientific questions that surround the linen and whether it might be a medieval forgery. Instead, he delivered a powerful meditation on the faith that holds that the Shroud is indeed Christ's burial cloth.
"This is a burial cloth that wrapped the remains of a crucified man in full correspondence with what the Gospels tell us of Jesus," Benedict said. He said the relic — one of the most important in Christianity — should be seen as a photographic document of the "darkest mystery of faith" — that of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
Washington Post warns Obama against pressuring Israel
Editorial says US 'should recognize that blunt pressure on Israel won't produce Mideast deal'
YNET News Yitzhak Benhorin
WASHINGTON – The Washington Post warned US President Barack Obama Wednesday against applying too much pressure on Israel as proximity talks with the Palestinians begin.
After three-hour meeting between prime minister, US envoy to Mideast, Jerusalem sources refrain from stating meeting marks start of proximity talks, but say it was 'constructive'. Two to meet again Thursday
A Post editorial doubted the Obama administration's ability to promote peace with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightist government, which it said was "unlikely to accept some of the terms that would be necessary for peace, such as Palestinian sovereignty over part of Jerusalem".
"The Obama administration should recognize that blunt pressure on Israel won't produce a Middle East deal. Instead, the administration needs to methodically press both sides to negotiate seriously," the editorial said.
See related aticle: Obama to call world summit if Mideast peace talks fail
YNET News Yitzhak Benhorin
WASHINGTON – The Washington Post warned US President Barack Obama Wednesday against applying too much pressure on Israel as proximity talks with the Palestinians begin.
After three-hour meeting between prime minister, US envoy to Mideast, Jerusalem sources refrain from stating meeting marks start of proximity talks, but say it was 'constructive'. Two to meet again Thursday
A Post editorial doubted the Obama administration's ability to promote peace with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightist government, which it said was "unlikely to accept some of the terms that would be necessary for peace, such as Palestinian sovereignty over part of Jerusalem".
"The Obama administration should recognize that blunt pressure on Israel won't produce a Middle East deal. Instead, the administration needs to methodically press both sides to negotiate seriously," the editorial said.
See related aticle: Obama to call world summit if Mideast peace talks fail
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Intense Solar Storm Spins Satellite Out of Control
From Fox News: An adrift Intelsat satellite that stopped communicating with its ground controllers last month remains out of control and has begun moving eastward along the geostationary arc, raising the threat of interference with other satellites in its path, Intelsat and other industry officials said.
In what industry officials called an unprecedented event, Intelsat's Galaxy 15 communications satellite has remained fully "on," with its C-band telecommunications payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude 36,000 kilometers over the equator.
Galaxy 15 stopped responding to ground controllers on April 5. The satellite's manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia, has said an intense solar storm in early April may be to blame. It was launched into space in 2005.
See more on the growing solar storm threat.
In what industry officials called an unprecedented event, Intelsat's Galaxy 15 communications satellite has remained fully "on," with its C-band telecommunications payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude 36,000 kilometers over the equator.
Galaxy 15 stopped responding to ground controllers on April 5. The satellite's manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia, has said an intense solar storm in early April may be to blame. It was launched into space in 2005.
See more on the growing solar storm threat.
Virgin Mary Appears in Denver
Bishop Conley to lead Marian procession by Denver Catholic Register
Everyone is invited to join Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley as he leads a procession to honor Mary, the mother of Christ, through the streets of Denver on May 2. Carried in the procession will be the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
The celebration will begin with 3 p.m. Mass at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church on the Auraria campus, during which the statue will be crowned, followed by the procession east down Colfax Avenue to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Those in the procession will pray the rosary and sing hymns.
“This will be an opportunity to express our Catholic faith in public and to draw many closer to God,” said Friar Servants of Mary Father Gabriel Weber, an organizer of the event. “And to pray for peace in the world as our Blessed Mother requested at Fatima.”
Jewish Mysticism Influenced by Muslim Sufism
Jewish mystics on the Sufi path by Nimet Seker at the Pakistan Christian Post
Jews do not traditionally destroy texts that include the name of God – even when they are no longer needed. Such texts are kept in the synagogue in a special room called the geniza (hiding place in Hebrew). Over 100 years ago, the geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo was opened, and extraordinary things came to light.
The brick room contained works in Arabic and Hebrew by medieval Muslim mystics and pious texts by Jewish writers that were clearly inspired by Sufism.
Many of the texts date from the lifetime of Rabbi Abraham Maimonides (1186–1237), the son of the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides. Rabbi Abraham he-Chassid was the religious and political leader of the Jewish community at the time, and was a significant proponent of a Sufi form of Jewish piety which the Jewish texts call chassidut. The title “he-Chassid” indicates someone pious who follows a spiritual path, similar to that of the Muslim Sufis.
Jews do not traditionally destroy texts that include the name of God – even when they are no longer needed. Such texts are kept in the synagogue in a special room called the geniza (hiding place in Hebrew). Over 100 years ago, the geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo was opened, and extraordinary things came to light.
The brick room contained works in Arabic and Hebrew by medieval Muslim mystics and pious texts by Jewish writers that were clearly inspired by Sufism.
Many of the texts date from the lifetime of Rabbi Abraham Maimonides (1186–1237), the son of the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides. Rabbi Abraham he-Chassid was the religious and political leader of the Jewish community at the time, and was a significant proponent of a Sufi form of Jewish piety which the Jewish texts call chassidut. The title “he-Chassid” indicates someone pious who follows a spiritual path, similar to that of the Muslim Sufis.
Days of Deadly Disaster
Record Flooding In Tennessee Pushes Nashville and Memphis to Brink of Disaster
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 4, 2010 -- As firefighters and EMS crews rushed to rescue people from their homes and rooftops, local TV news departments went wall-to-wall with hours of Extended Special Report coverage. A critical part of the coverage included content submitted from viewers. Using the Cell Journalist platform, stations in Nashville and Memphis received over 40-thousand pictures and videos in less than 48-hours.
“Cell Journalist....allowed us to make our viewers part of the process..... to cover every county and city impacted in our coverage area. Now instead of just calling us and telling us what it’s doing at their house – they can show us" says Tracey Rogers Action News 5 News Director.
Southeast Death Toll Rising As Rain Leaves
Despite improving weather over northern Mississippi to western and central Tennessee and Kentucky this week, many rivers were still rising and evacuations were continuing on Tuesday. The flooding is blamed on a series of storms which have left 28 dead across the Southeast.
Storm systems with showers and thunderstorms will avoid the region for much of the week.
Since the rain has stopped, the risk of "flash" flooding is ending. However, it is feared that ongoing river flooding will continue over the next several days, leading to additional loss of life.
Oil Spill Now Size of Delaware, Threatens Four States
Two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, a massive oil spill continues to threaten the ecology and economy of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The ever-growing oil slick now measures approximately 130 miles by 70 miles – about the size of the state of Delaware. Four states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida – are under threat from the spill.
According to Reuters, BP, which was leasing Deepwater Horizon from TransOcean LTD, has reported some progress slowing the flow of oil from the leaking well. Crews in Louisiana have finished building the first of three massive steel and concrete containment domes the company plans to lower in place over one of the three leaks on the ocean floor. BP expects to load the dome aboard a ship tomorrow for transport to the site.
BP also has started drilling a relief well that could cap the oil spill, but that effort will take up to three months to complete, Reuters said.
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 4, 2010 -- As firefighters and EMS crews rushed to rescue people from their homes and rooftops, local TV news departments went wall-to-wall with hours of Extended Special Report coverage. A critical part of the coverage included content submitted from viewers. Using the Cell Journalist platform, stations in Nashville and Memphis received over 40-thousand pictures and videos in less than 48-hours.
“Cell Journalist....allowed us to make our viewers part of the process..... to cover every county and city impacted in our coverage area. Now instead of just calling us and telling us what it’s doing at their house – they can show us" says Tracey Rogers Action News 5 News Director.
Southeast Death Toll Rising As Rain Leaves
Despite improving weather over northern Mississippi to western and central Tennessee and Kentucky this week, many rivers were still rising and evacuations were continuing on Tuesday. The flooding is blamed on a series of storms which have left 28 dead across the Southeast.
Storm systems with showers and thunderstorms will avoid the region for much of the week.
Since the rain has stopped, the risk of "flash" flooding is ending. However, it is feared that ongoing river flooding will continue over the next several days, leading to additional loss of life.
Oil Spill Now Size of Delaware, Threatens Four States
Two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, a massive oil spill continues to threaten the ecology and economy of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The ever-growing oil slick now measures approximately 130 miles by 70 miles – about the size of the state of Delaware. Four states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida – are under threat from the spill.
According to Reuters, BP, which was leasing Deepwater Horizon from TransOcean LTD, has reported some progress slowing the flow of oil from the leaking well. Crews in Louisiana have finished building the first of three massive steel and concrete containment domes the company plans to lower in place over one of the three leaks on the ocean floor. BP expects to load the dome aboard a ship tomorrow for transport to the site.
BP also has started drilling a relief well that could cap the oil spill, but that effort will take up to three months to complete, Reuters said.