The Endtime Observer

TD Jakes Finally Comes Clean Regarding His Trinitarian Views

2012-01-26T18:34:00.003-05:00

I don't get into a lot of doctrinal discussion on this blog, although one who peruses the blog for a while can see that I am Oneness/ Apostolic Pentecostal in my beliefs. There's definitely no shame in my game regarding that. However, this blog primarily deals with current events in the light of endtime prophecy.

TD Jakes, one of America's well-known preachers, came out of a Oneness background himself , although for years he has seemed to be very cagey (some might even say disingenous) about his true beliefs on the Godhead, since his views had clearly shifted -- or were in the process of shifting -- from his original views on the issue.

Well, after years of playing doctrinal hide-and-seek on this issue, Jakes has now made it clear that he is no longer Oneness (no surprise to anyone who's been paying close attention), and has adopted a position that is closer to the typical Trinitarian view of God, although he doesnt seem to fully embrace the standard verbiage commonly associated with the Trinity doctrine. The Christian Post has the full article, which I found to be an interesting read. I'll just insert an excerpt here in this blog post, and allow those who're interested to read the full article if they wish via this link:

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"My father was a Methodist and my mother was a Baptist," he explained. "I was raised in the Baptist church ... but I didn't really have a real committed experience with Christ until my father died. When my father died, I had a real experience with Christ, a real conversion with Christ and I had it in a Oneness church."

The minister emphasized to Driscoll that the Pentecostal congregation he was referencing, which he pointed out was not a UPCI church, was home to "Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, believe he died, rose from the dead, is coming back again — all the same things you do."

"How they describe and explain the Godhead in a traditional Oneness sense is very different than how traditional Trinitarians describe the Gospel. I was in that church for a number of years and raised in that church for a number of years," Jakes said.

"As I began to progress, I began to understand that some of the dogma that I was taught in the Oneness movement was very dogmatic, very narrow and not the very best description of how I now understand the Godhead," he continued.

"My struggle as I was ordained in the Oneness church was in several passages – sometimes the doctrine fit, sometimes it doesn't. When the doctrine becomes the primary thing, you force it into fitting in places where it doesn't fit. I really at this point in my life don't want to force my theology to fit in my denomination."

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Of course, the very same thing can be accurately said about the Trinity doctrine:

in several passages, sometimes the doctrines fits, and sometimes it doesn't. When adherence to the doctrine and tradition of the Trinity becomes the primary thing, you force it into fitting in places where it doesn't fit.

But that's a story for another day. I'm in the process of setting up a separate Chrsitian website which will be evangelistically and doctrinally focused, and this Godhead issue will be dealt with in full, from multiple angles. I have multiple articles already compiled on this issue, and others that are still works in progress. The plan is for this blog to essentially be an appendage to the main website when it is set up, which I hope will be within a year or so.

Meanwhile, I still find Jakes' revelation of his true position somewhat interesting, especially since he has played cat-and-mouse on this issue for many years. While many Trinitarians criticized (or condemned) him for being Oneness, and many Oneness believers proudly claimed him as "one of our own", it was fairly obvious to me that he was being coy and evasive on this issue, and doing so for a reason. I was never one of those to consider Jakes to be a Oneness believer all these years. I suppose Mr Jakes just finally got tired of being under a cloud of doubt and/or specuation over this issue. I guess in the end the old saying applies here: "to thine own self be true". Frankly, Jakes could have/should have done this years ago. But I guess... better late than never.

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As for me, my position on the core doctrines of the Word of God is as rock solid now as it has ever been:

Belief in the Oneness of God, a view that essentially mirrors the monotheistic doctrine of God of the first century Jewish Christians , rather than the gradually-evolving and later-established third century doctrine of the Trinity ( I frankly despise the term "modalism" that's some used to describle the Oneness view)

Salvation consisting of repentance, baptism in/into the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and infilling/bapstism with the Holy Spirit with initial evidence of speaking in tongues.

The pre-tribulation rapture of the church, the literal millenial reign of Jesus Christ on earth, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, eternal reward of the righteous, and eternal judgment in a literal hell for the unrighteous.

Indeed, that's a lot of "stuff" there that one might wish to dissect and have broken down. Time and space do not permit me to go into detail on these issues right now, but I look forward to laying this all out in the future (with an abundance of biblical references and thorough exposition), God willing, on the afrorementioned website still being constructed. I believe and know under God that it will be a blessing to many, to the glory of God and to the edification of the church.

May the Lord bring it to pass. Amen.

Meanwhile to all my first-time visitors and repeat visitors, thank you for stopping by. God bless you all.

Recommended Reading::
The New Birth, by David K Bernard (in pdf format, downloadable)
The New Birth (paperback edition)

State of the Union: Barack Obama vs. The Truth

2012-01-25T23:12:00.001-05:00

Politicians are known for telling people what they want to hear, not what they really need to hear. Our dear ~~Comrade~~ President Obama is, of course, no different. Frankly, he's one of he worst offenders in recent memory.

As this AP article shows us, in last night's State of the Union address, the Campaigner-In-Chief didn't let pesky little things like truth, facts, or reality get in the way of a good election year speech. Still, I've heard so many people raving about what a wonderful, powerful speech it was.

Just goes to show that indeed you can fool some of the people all of the time.

Excerpt below, with a few choice snippets:

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FACT CHECK: Obama pushes plans that flopped before

Jan 24, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) - It was a wish list, not a to-do list.

President Barack Obama laid out an array of plans in his State of the Union speech as if his hands weren't so tied by political realities. There can be little more than wishful thinking behind his call to end oil industry subsidies - something he could not get through a Democratic Congress, much less today's divided Congress, much less in this election year.

And there was more recycling, in an even more forbidding climate than when the ideas were new: He pushed for an immigration overhaul that he couldn't get past Democrats, permanent college tuition tax credits that he asked for a year ago, and familiar discouragements for companies that move overseas.

A look at Obama's rhetoric Tuesday night and how it fits with the facts and political circumstances:

OBAMA: "Our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program."

THE FACTS: That's only half true. About half of the more than 30 million uninsured Americans expected to gain coverage through the health care law will be enrolled in a government program...

OBAMA, asking Congress to pay for construction projects: "Take the money we're no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home."

THE FACTS: The idea of taking war "savings" to pay for other programs is budgetary sleight of hand...

OBAMA: "On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world's number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories."

THE FACTS: He left out some key details. The bailout of General Motors and Chrysler began under Republican President George W. Bush...

Full article HERE.

Article: Recovery at risk as Americans raid savings

2012-01-22T08:58:00.004-05:00

In the past, I’ve posted multiple artilcles related to America’s debtcrisis. I’m one of those who’s convinced that America national debt is a tickingtime bomb that could go off at any time.

But equally significant is that America is facing a looming crisis.It’s not talked about at much, but is equally significant. Most Americans arenot financially prepared for retirement; they simply don’t have enough saved upto retire comfortably, and most don’t even have a realistic idea of how muchthey’ll need to retire with dignity.

Furthermore, pensions themselves cant necessarily be countedon. Sure, federal pensions seem pretty secure, since even if the worst ofcrises the government can always print money it needs to meet its pensionobligations to its federal retirees. But what about municipal pensions? That’sanother issue. State and local governments cant print money, so if they gobankrupt they’ll have no way to pay their retirees if they go broke. Thosepension checks that city workers expect to live on in their golden years mightsimply not be there, period. Now if the idea of states, cities, and municipalitiesgoing bankrupt seems far-fetched, I would encourage the reader to check out articlessuch as this and this.

This of course, is something not given nearly the kind ofcoverage in the mainstream media that it deserves. And that, frankly, isanother of those issues that irks me about our mainstream media. They wouldrather spend time reporting on Kim Kardashian, Dancing With The Stars, AmericanIdol, etc, that deal with some of the really important issues that should be aserious concern to the American people.

Anyway, as I go on my own personal quest this year to becometotally debt free (I normally don’t make New Years resolutions, but this year Idid… and this is one I intend to keep), I’ve found myself reading more andmore about just how unprepared most of us are when it comes to having the kindof money we’ll need to live a lifestyle comparable to what we’re live now whenwe work full-time. The numbers can be almost a little scary sometimes, and Ihope to put up some more articles in the not-too-distant future, justhighlighting how serious and daunting the situation actually is.

Anyway, without further ado, and before I ramble on too muchmore, I’ll just get to the article that caught my eye and inspired this particularpost "Recovery at risk as Americans raid savings".

Excerpt here:

NEW YORK | Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:46pm EST

(Reuters) - More than four years after the United States fell into recession, many Americans have resorted to raiding their savings to get them through the stop-start economic recovery.

In an ominous sign for America's economic growth prospects, workers are paring back contributions to college funds and growing numbers are borrowing from their retirement accounts.

Some policymakers worry that a recent spike in credit card usage could mean that people, many of whom are struggling on incomes that have lagged inflation, are taking out new debt just to meet the costs of day-to-day living.

American households "have been spending recently in a way that did not seem in line with income growth. So somehow they've been doing that through perhaps additional credit card usage," Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans said on Friday.

"If they saw future income and employment increasing strongly then that would be reasonable. But I don't see that. So I've been puzzled by this," he said.

After a few years of relative frugality, the amount of money that Americans are saving has fallen back to its lowest level since December 2007 when the recession began. The personal saving rate dipped in November to 3.5 percent, down from 5.1 percent a year earlier, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

Jeff Fielkow, an executive vice president at a recycling company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contributed less to retirement savings and significantly cut back on dining in restaurants and taking vacations in order to keep college savings on track for his two children. "We would love to save more," he said, "but we're doing the best we can."

Full article here

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The simple fact is, America has changed. This is the new reality, the New America. It seems like it's just starting to dawn on most Americans that we're probably not going back to the days of old. Social Security is not secure, pensions are not secure. Waiting for the government to take care of us when we retire is just plain crazy. Most of us are behind where we should be in terms of retirement funding. But even worse, very few Americans who are behind actually realize how far behind they are (See sample retirement calculator here).
That really needs to change, and I believe it will... eventually. But meanwhile, dont wait on the mainstream media to spend much time sounding the alarm on this issue.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-06T00:38:00.002-04:00

So here I am, past midnight, sitting here with the TV on -- not exactly watching it; really, it's watching me -- and I'm seeing that CNN has non-stop coverage of the death of Apple founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, and this has been for a few hours now. It's almost the kind of coverage you might expect when a head of state dies, not a former corporate CEO. I notice that even sports website ESPN.com currently has a link to the story, which by itself it interesting since non sports-related stories are rarely on their site. The last time I remember ESPN having a non-sports story on it's front page was back when Osama bin Laden was killed, so clearly they this is considered a major national, even global, news story.

Apart from Bible personages (Jesus, Daniel, John the Baptist, Paul) and certain preachers I admire greatly, there are few secular personalities I look at as being particularly inspirational to me (Churchill, Kennedy,and ML King being a few). Steve Jobs is up there in my mind as one I admired from a distance --- not quite in that Churchill/King category, but perhaps on that next level below. An innovator, and an inspiration to many, this is a man that definitely made an impact on his world. As I sit here with my iPhone beside me, and my wife's MacBook and iPad across the room, it strikes me just how much one person's vision can affect so many lives around them, and even around the globe. So I just thought I'd post a few words in tribute and appreciation for the life, vision and contributions of Steve Jobs -- one of many thousands, of course, that will probably pop up on the 'net in the next 24 hours or so.

And at the same time, that somewhat uncomfortable question crosses my mind, the same one that enters my mind almost every time a celebrity dies: where is his soul right now? From what I've read, Steve Jobs was a Buddhist, and since I know that salvation is not found in Buddhism, but in Jesus Christ only, it makes Job's death even more sad to me. As the scripture says "what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Still, I find a lot of inspiration in many aspects of the Steve Job's story, particularly the way the came back to Apple (after being fired by the very company he founded) and brought the company from the brink of death to turn it into a technological behemoth. Resilience. Vision . Drive. All that good stuff.

It's great, I suppose, that we'll hear a lot in the next few days about the impact Jobs had in terms of innovation, technology, productivity, etc, Too bad we almost certainly won't hear anyone speak about his impact in terms of his contributions to the Kingdom of God, since those contributions seem to be non-existent. What have we done for the cause of the Kingdom of God, ans what's our relationship with God like? In the end, that's really all that will matter on the day we breathe our last breath.Nothing is more important; not even close. It's good to remind ourselves of that every now and then.

10 Years Later. Still not forgotten. And never will be.

2011-09-11T22:25:00.000-04:00

To some, this is a day of sadness. But to me, 9-11-11 is a great American day, because it reminds us all of the resilience and collective strength of the American people.

Eddie Long Not Commenting After Latest Revelations By His Accusers

2011-08-28T09:58:00.002-04:00

Well, this Eddie Long situation is like a song with no ending.

This thing just won’t die. Every time you kind of think it’s over, its not. I have a feeling this story will have other chapters to it, so I’m guessing I’ll probably be posting something on Eddie Wrong at least one more time in the future. Anyway, my 2 cents:

After receiving an out of court settlement earlier this year, two of Eddie Long’s accusers are now going public, recently speaking to an Atlanta TV station about their ordeal, and giving never-before revealed background information of their encounters/history with the “Bishop”. That’s deep. Seriously, who does that? In all my life I’ve never seen someone who collects on an out-of- court settlement, then purposely break the confidentiality agreement in order to “tell their story” because they feel they need to get stuff off their chest. Two things strike me about this:

1/ Those who have been disparaging and dismissing these men as just money-hungry liars need to really check themselves. If these men were all about the money, why would they put their $ettlement on the line just so they can “get their story out”? (... especially if this “story” was a lie they made up anyway, so they could get a payoff in the first place?) That would make no sense at all.

2/ It’s painfully obvious that these young men are very damaged emotionally and spiritually. And as they themselves have said, getting a pocketful of money hasn’t healed the wounds, as seen from this quote via ajc.com:

“The truth should’ve set [us] free,” said Parris. “I thought I could cover the pain up. I thought I could move, start over and everything would go away. I was terribly wrong. I’m living a lifestyle meant to crash.”

The money is irrelevant, LeGrande said.

“I’m going to tell the world – money does not buy happiness,” said LeGrande. “When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number.”

“I feel like burning [the money],” he said.
(Article here)

...and from wsbtv.com:

"We still fight it every day because it's our life. People don't understand we're real people out here, we're not just victims. We're just trying to make it. We're trying to become men, without a father," LeGrande said.

The other thing money can't buy? An apology, which they said they never got from Long, even during the confidential settlement.

“Why is the person that I loved the most with all my heart, still, after all this is done, you can't look me in my eyes and say ‘I'm sorry.’ You can't pick up a damn phone to say ‘Yo, I know I messed up,’" Parris said.

They hope their book will help encourage other victims to come forward. And help each other to reclaim their lives.

"I just told the truth, that's all I did. Last time I checked it didn't come with a price tag," Parris said. (Article here)

Long now has the right to go after these men in court, to recoup the settlement. Early indications are that he seems uninclined to do so at this time.

In a letter to his congregation, Bishop Eddie Long said he will continue to "honor and abide by my commitment of confidentiality" after two former church members came forward with new details about their relationship with the charismatic pastor.
(Article here)

Smart move on his part, I suppose. But these two accusers also have said they plan want to write a book. So it will be interesting to see if Long allow it to be published, or if he’ll will he seek an injunction to prevent that, since it would be a further violation of the confidentiality agreement (not to mention a source of further embarrassment to him). This could all get even more interesting. The very things Long didn’t want to be said in open court (hence, the settlement) would be said in a book that could easily sell tens of thousands of copies, if not more.

Either way, Long’s chickens are still coming home to roost. As the scriptures say, that which is done in darkness shall come to light. I’m not sure if I should feel sympathy for this man or not, but frankly, a part of me does. Essentially his misdeeds have backed him into a corner, and the longer it takes for someone to come clean, he harder it is to come clean. Of course, I feel more sympathy for his victims/accusers, and also the many thousands of members of New Birth, past and present, who’ve been impacted by this ongoing saga.

There are no winners here. None. There is nothing for anyone to gloat or rejoice in. I firmly believe predators in the pulpit should be exposed, which is a key reason why I’ve had such a keen interest in this case. Men like Long do immeasurable damage to the name of Christ, the Kingdom of God, and to thousands of souls influenced by their actions. In the end, Long’s church will never be down to zero members; many have left, but some will always stick by him, whether or not they believe he’s innocent of these accusations. However, I feel that there’s enough truth out there now so that most people with a decent level of discernment have already put 2 &amp;amp; 2 together, and have a good sense of what we’re really dealing with when we look at Eddie Long. The charade is over, and the mask has been removed, even if Eddie Long is still in denial about how bad it’s gotten.

Long still needs to come clean. He does not meet the biblical qualifications of a bishop (1 Tim 3:1-7); that much is clear. Unless he comes clean, anyone who continues to support this man is essentially enabling him. For him to continue business as usual does his parishioners no good. And it does him no good either. Long deserves our prayers. I’d hate to think he’s become reprobate, past feeling, and beyond reach. I’d still like to see this thing have a happy ending somehow, some way, although it’s hard for me to realistically imagine how it could. But God is able. May His will be done.

NYPD: Drugs a Possible Cause of Pastor Zachery Tims' Death

2011-08-15T19:57:00.000-04:00

This is starting to take a bad turn, to say the least. The news broke last night of the sudden death of Florida pastor Zachery Tims in New York City. I had hoped it was just natural causes, and not something scandalous, especially since Tims was known to have had some moral failings in the past. All I can say right now is, things are not looking so good.

NY Police sources are apparently telling the NY Daily News and the NY Post that drugs may be a factor in his death. For the sake of Tims' soul, and for the sake of his church, I hope it's not true. But honestly, I'm starting to get a real bad feeling about all this.

NYPost.com:

Florida pastor found dead in Times Sq. hotel had drugs, police say

A white powdery substance believed to be narcotics was discovered on the body of a 42-year-old Florida pastor who was discovered dead in a hotel room in Times Square, a law enforcement official said Monday.
The cause of death for Rev. Zachery Tims, Jr., who led an 8,000-member ministry in Orlando, was still pending.
Tims' body was found Friday afternoon when housekeepers at the W Hotel attempted to clean his room but found it latched from the inside. Hotel security opened the door and found Tims lying on his back between the bedroom and living room area.

According to a law enforcement official, police found a glassine envelope with a white powdery substance inside the right pocket of his shorts. The substance was being tested, according to a law enforcement official.
Another law enforcement official familiar with the case said, "what that white powdery substance is and whether it played a role in Mr. Tims' death is still to be determined."

NYDailynews.com:

The Florida pastor found dead in a Times Square hotel room may have died of a drug overdose, according to a police source.
A small glassine envelope containing a white powder was found in Zachery Tims's pocket, the source said.
The powder will be tested to determine if it cocaine, heroin or any other drug. An autopsy on Tims was inconclusive, and further tests are being conducted.
Tims, 42, the senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, was found dead Friday evening in his 37th-floor room at the W Hotel on Broadway.
He was lying face up in a walkway between the bedroom and the living room area, the source said. His body had no obvious signs of trauma.
Based on what family members told police, none of Tims' jewelry was missing, and it does not appear he was robbed of any other belongings.
Police believe he was alone when he died because hotel staff had to break through the door's security bar, which can only be put in place from inside the room.
The hotel had no comment.

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I'd hate to see a man's name besmirched in death if it is undeserved. If Tims died of purely natural causes, then I believe the autopsy and toxicology reports will show this to be true, and clear his name. If he did fall [back] into the clutches of drug use, maybe God has a reason for exposing it to all.

From the words of Jesus himself we know that that what's done in the dark will eventually come to the light. Luke 12:2-3 says:

"But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."

I guess in the end, time will tell, since time reveals all things.

Hopefully, Zachery Tims is at peace. And may God bless and uphold his family in this difficult time.

Megachurch Pastor Zachary Tims Dies at 42

2011-08-14T21:57:00.015-04:00

I've just been made aware that Florida Megachurch Pastor Dr. Zachery Tims, Pastor of New Destiny Christian Church, has died. He was 42, and was found dead in his hotel room in New York City. Details are still sketchy at this time, and at this writing, only a few websites are even reporting his passing. From what I'm seeing right now, there seems to be a lot of speculation as to cause of death, but I'm assuming that in time, the facts will come out as needed.

Very sad. Unfortunately, there are many who will remember Dr.Tims' primarily because of a huge scandal back in 2007-2008 that rocked his Orlando area Charismatic church, one that would eventually lead to the dissolution of his marriage. I do hope Rev. Tims was able to make peace with God before he left this earth. Tims was frequently seen on the Praise The Lord broadcast on TBN, and also had his own daily program on the Word Network. His church, and their 8,000 members will be in my thoughts and prayers in the days ahead, as well as his former wife Riva and his kids.

Even as I type this, I'm still pretty stunned, having just received this news within this past hour. Indeed, this just serves as another reminder that God can call our number at any time. Forty-two just seems too young for any one of us to go. May Dr. Tims rest in peace.

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News Article: Confirmed: Pastor Zachery Tims Dead

New York City, NY -- WFTV has confirmed the death of well-known Pastor Zachery Tims of the New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka.

The New York City Police Department confirmed Tims died on Friday, August 12, 2011.

Tims' body was found in room number 3711 at the W Hotel in New York's Times Square at approximately 6 p.m.

The New York City Police Department reports Tims was found unresponsive on the floor in the room. Emergency responders pronounced him deceased.

The New York City Medical Examiners office is awaiting results of an autopsy.

Stay Tuned to Eyewitness News for more information on this Breaking News.

http://www.wftv.com/news/28864192/detail.html

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The blog Obnoxioustv has some interesting info which may give a little background to the circumstances behind this still-developing story:

We are deeply sadden to report that Dr. Zachery Tims, Pastor of New Destiny Christian Church has been found dead in a hotel room in New York. Although, it is still very early it seems the cause of death was a massive heart attack!

The mega-church pastor was a lover of sports and took a trip to New York to attend a preseason football game. It is said that he was a season ticket holder for several football and basketball teams Church members became alarmed when did not make it back to church for Sunday Morning Service.

Several church employees flew to New York to confirm if the man found was in fact their pastor. It was confirmed with our sources at 8:05pm that Dr. Tims was dead.

Article here: http://obnoxioustv.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/breaking-news-dr-zachery-tims-found-dead/#entry

Eddie Logn's Mystery 5th Accuser Revealed by the Media

2011-07-29T23:58:00.005-04:00

Well, it finally happened... and I'm a little surprised it took this long. In some of my previous posts on theEddie Long story I have not only called out Eddie Long for his lying andhypocritical ways, but I’ve also at times made guarded, perhaps cryptic,references to the fact that there were more than those four publicly known accusersout there. I knew of at least one more (#5), and had reason to believe thereare still others. Even after the $ettlement, it seemed only a matter of timebefore another chapter would be written to the story.

Well thanks to Fox5 News Atlanta, I no longer have to speakcryptically about this hidden accuser #5. Of course, by now its well know that they ran a story two days ago revealingmore information on accuser number 5, Centino Kemp,and are reporting info that can only paint Eddie Long in a more damaging light(deservedly so). Let’s hear the Eddie Long defenders come out now and defendthis wolf in sheep’s clothing. God can and definitely does use even the ungodly to accomplishHis aims, and I’m starting to wonder is God is not simply using these peopleand circumstances to remove the façade off that sham that was, and is, EddieLong and his so-called “ministry”.

From the Fox Atlanta story : "One lawyer familiar with the case confirmed Kemp was involved and was "different from the other young men," "one piece of the puzzle that never fit," and he made the case "more difficult."

Kemp was indeed "different" from the other accusers because, unlike the others who are straight men who admitted to having being involved in some gay activitywith Long, Kemp is openly gay with a rather effeminate appearance. Even StevieWonder could see that this guy is gay.And my understanding off the record is that Kemp was notclaiming (at least initially) to have been coerced into sexual activity with Long, but rather thathe was a willing participant in a gay relationship with Long. Very differentsituation, to be sure. I happen to knowthat Mr. Kemp possessed rock solid evidence of this “relationship”, althoughof course, but of course I’m sure thisis all now buried under the non-disclosure provisions of the $ettlementagreement.

Unless someone surreptitiously leaks this evidence, the public willnever know the details. But trust me, Bishop Long was NEVER going to let this casego to trial. The evidence against Long was a proverbial 'slam dunk'. He can stillclaim some kind of deniability now, since the facts are covered up, but ifthese young men had testified against him in court, he and his so-called“ministry” would have been dead meat, and he knows it.

Of course, one telling "clue" that Kemp has carried around with him is a tattoo on his arm that reads "Eddie Long, Never a Mistake, Only a Lesson"

I mean seriously, why would a gay man tattoo another man’s name on his body unless…well, you figure that one out.

I’ve been beating the Eddie Long drum on and off since lastfall when this story broke, and frankly I don’t feel like spending a whole lot more time on this. Inormally don’t spend a lot of time and energy talking about some court/legalissue that’s out in public unless a) I either know someone involved in the caseand/or b) I happen to have received privileged information that has given meinside knowledge of some of the particulars of this case.

Many bloggers and others have sounded the trumpet regarding Eddie Long and his secret-that's-not-really-a-secret for some time now, but one can only sound the trumpet for so long. Some people just don't want to hear it, period (see link here and here). At this point if people at his church still want to hold onto this notion that Eddie Long is an innocent, falsely accused “man of God”,then that’s on them. As the saying goes: there are none so blind as those whorefuse to see. I don't know why this man still even has members in his church. Here we have an unrepentant "pastor" that's lying to his congregation, and these people sit there like happy sheep, and to them everything is just 'all good'? Really? The lack of discernment among professing "Christians" today is just astonishing sometimes.

I do wonder though, does Creflo Dollar think this is justanother “wreck”? Does Creflo still want ex-members of new Birth to go back tothis train-wreck of a “pastor”? And if Creflo had a teenage son right now, wouldhe want his son spending private time, and taking overseas trips with EddieLong, as these accusers did? I think the answer would be a resounding NO, andthe reason is obvious.

Links: Fox5 Atlanta story

Also: New Birth Church Members Stand Firm in Support of Their Pastor Eddie Long Despite Rumors of Fifth Accuser

and: Parishioners Support Bishop Eddie Long Despite Fifth Acccuser

Upstate NY Store Only Sells Items Made in the USA

2011-07-04T19:22:00.001-04:00

This is one of those ideas that could really take off... or could just remain a novelty. But either way, I like it.

The NY Post has an intriguing story of an Mark Andol, an upstate NY entrepreneur whose store only sells items 100% made in the USA. Not surprisingly, business has been good, to the point that he's thinking of establishing branches of his store in other states. I applaud this guy for his creativity -- I'm surprised I've never heard of anyone doing this before -- but also for his patriotism. Too many of our jobs are going overseas. I'm tired of calling US companies (America Online... Citibank...Sallie Mae to name a few) and find myself speaking to a customer service rep in India. "And as much as I love a bargain, it does bother me sometimes to consider that very most of the time nothing I'm wearing is made in the USA. There are times I do think I'd be willing to pay a bit more for something that's made by American workers.

That's why I think Mark Andol's idea is brilliant. His once-little store is now a fast growing success. He started last year with 50 different products in his store and now carries 3,000 products. I'd love to see him open a branch here in Atlanta, GA. I'd he happy to support him and support American jobs and American families with my consumer dollars. Now if only this could become a movement, that would be a good thing. I'd love to see other merchants do the same thing. I'm sure this idea would gain traction, and many Americans nationwide would love to by from "Made-In-America-Only" type stores. Will this idea take off? Hard to say, but one can always dream.

PS... Happy Fourth of July to all!!
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Article from the New York Post:
Got it made - in America
'USA only' store does a booming biz

By CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

Last Updated: 7:13 AM, July 4, 2011

A hardworking upstate welder got so fed up with losing work to overseas competition and being forced to lay off his own relatives that he decided to forge a new business -- a sprawling, Walmart-style store that peddles products entirely made in America.

Store owner Mark Andol says his proudly named Made in America business is defying hard economic times and thriving in Elma, near Buffalo. It's become a must-see for the tour-bus hordes heading to and from Niagara Falls.

"I always supported America. So I wanted to try something a little crazy," said Andol, 47, a married father of four. "People told me it would never work. No one wanted to buy American anymore."

But at the grand opening of his store last year, 800 people stormed through the doors.

"Everyone was shaking my hand and crying," Andol said. "People lost trust in the system. This gives them hope."

Full article here:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/got_it_made_in_america_zUP3YTllFreaBYJCg11GgN

Article: The 5 Worst Places To Be When The Dollar Collapses

2011-06-30T23:59:00.003-04:00

It will happen. As sure as night follows day, you can count on it. The collapse of the US dollar now is virtually inevitable. BusinessInsider.com has an interesting article dealing with the 5 worst places to be when it happens.

Israel, Southern California, England, New York City and Washington DC are listed here as the five places that will feel the impact the most, although, of course, the impact will be felt world wide. The Democrats will blame the Republicans, and the Republicans will blame the Democrats. Etc, etc. But in the end, maybe WE are to blame, for not demanding financial responsibility and balanced budgets from our leaders.

Between our ridiculous budget deficits, trade deficits, a dollar that's at growing risk of losing status as the de facto world reserve currency, and other factors, the likelihood of an economic collapse of biblical proportions seems to be growing almost daily. I hate to say "I told you so", but I'm convinced that, unfortunately, the day will come when many of us who have been sounding the alarm on this issue for years will end up saying just that. At this point, I see no reason to believe that our leaders in Washington will start doing the right thing all of a sudden. And our compliant mainstream media wont even ask the tough questions on this issue during this upcoming presidential campaign, just as they didn't in the previous election campaign... or the one before that.

In my view, the fate of the dollar is all but sealed. Sad, to say the least.

=====================

By Silver Shield,on June 23rd, 2011

The dollar collapse will be the single largest event in human history. This will be the first event that will touch every single living person in the world. All human activity is controlled by money.

Our wealth, our work, our food, our government, even our relationships are affected by money. No money in human history has had as much reach in both breadth and depth as the dollar. It is the de facto world currency. All other currency collapses will pale in comparison to this big one.

All other currency crises have been regional and there were other currencies for people to grasp on to. This collapse will be global and it will bring down not only the dollar but all other fiat currencies, as they are fundamentally no different. The collapse of currencies will lead to the collapse of ALL paper assets. The repercussions to this will have incredible results worldwide. (Read the Silver Bullet and the Silver Shield to protect yourself from this collapse.)

Thanks to the globalization and the giant vampire squids of the Anglo-American Empire,the dollar is the world’s reserve currency. It supports the global economy in settling foreign trade, most importantly the Petro Dollar trade. This money is recycled through the City of London (not to be confused with London) and New York. This fuels our corporate vampires that acquires and harvests the wealth of the world.

The corporate powers suppress REAL assets like natural resources and labor to provide themselves massive profits. This Fascist, Statist, Collectivist model provides the money into the economy to fund an ever increasing federal government. That government then grows larger and larger enriching its minions with jobs to control their fellow citizens. Finally, to come full circle, the government then controls other nations through the Military Industrial Complex.

This cycle will be cut when the mathematically and inevitable collapse of the dollar occurs.

Full article here: http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-5-worst-places-to-be-when-the-dollar-collapses-2011-6

Eddie Long Saga Continues... Creflo Dollar Jumps Into the Mix. (He shouldnt have)

2011-06-08T23:30:00.003-04:00

I thought I was done with the Eddie Long story. I really did. I wanted to be done with it. I really did. But here we go again. This story isn’t quite done. I figured there’d be an epilogue to this story at some point, but I didn’t expect to see it so soon. It now turns out Rev Creflo Dollar, Pastor of World Changers Church here in Atlanta, has jumped in with his two cents. Frankly, I think he should have kept his two cents in his pocket.

I’ve never been a fan of Creflo Dollar, although I’ve never gone out of my way to speak him. As a matter of fact, Im pretty sure this is the first time I’ve had an on this blog that focused on him or even mentioned him. I’ve personally had some issues with Creflo Dollar for some fairly outrageous statements he’s made in times past. But my respect for him has diminished even further now that he’s decided to speak out in support of Bishop Eddie Wrong/ Long, telling people at his church who came from New Birth Ministries that they need to go back to Eddie Long’s church. Insane. Simply insane.

Dollar repeatedly refers to Eddie Long's deeds as a wreck. But being an adulterer, homo/bisexual predator, and liar who covers up his misdeeds and pays off his accusers is not having “a wreck”! To simply refer to all that as a wreck is to trivialize the serious nature of the transgressions in question here. God only knows the spiritual damage this whole ordeal has inflicted upon thousands of New Birth members and former members.

However, Mr. Dollar is almost making it seem like those who’ve left the poisonous spiritual atmosphere at Eddie Long’s church are the ones who’re wrong… rather than Eddie Long himself.

“If you from that church that you know what I’m talkin’ bout and you tryin’ to join here I don’t want you here! That is my friend! That is my brother in the Lord! And if you came from there, you get on back over there where you s’posed to be and do what you s’posed to be doin’!”"

Really? Defending your “friend” is more important than looking out for those who’ve been damaged by this shady behavior??

Sure. Blame those who feel like they need to leave an unhealthy spiritual environment, Creflo. Focus on them rather than on Eddie Long’s shady behavior. Real smart.

Two words for you, Creflo: NOT. HELPING!

Eddie Long... Thoughts On The Aftermath

2011-06-06T04:53:00.005-04:00

Well, I’ve been away for a while, bogged down by some business-related commitments that have kept me away from the blog. It’s good to be back, and I’m ready to jump back on the horse again, so to speak.

The Eddie Long settlement story has been out for about ten days now, and in today’s fast moving news cycle that’s kind of a long time. However, since I’ve had a lot to say about this case from the beginning (see here, here, here, and here) I figured I’d at least have some concluding thoughts on this matter before I blog about some other stuff in the days and weeks to come.

As I’ve mentioned previously on this blog, I’ve been fully convinced of Eddie Long’s homo-dealings for a while, being made aware of his extra-curricular shenanigans long before these accusations became public last year. If I was 100 percent sure he was guilty then, I’ve become 150 percent sure now, based on:

1) his actions since the accusations became public, which to me are not the actions of an innocent man, but of a guilty man trying hard to make sure the truth doesn’t come out, and…

2) other information I’ve been made aware of concerning Long and his down-low dirt, -- and I’m talking about stuff that doesn’t even involve these four men who accused him. Part of me wishes I could say more on that, because there’s a part of me that really, really wants to see this man exposed. All I’ll say on that is, Eddie’s dirt has been known here in Atlanta for a while, and he’d better hope no more of his dirt goes public.

Long would have been vindicated by the truth if he had nothing to hide. But paying off an accuser only conceals the truth. Why would an innocent man pay money to someone who has supposedly spread lies about him? Essentially he’d be rewarding liars and scoundrels. That by itself would be ungodly and unprincipled, since a true prophet of God would wait for the Lord to vindicate him.

David waited, while he was subject to persecution by Saul and other enemies, and he was vindicated by God. Of course, we know about Daniel and the lion’s den. God vindicated Daniel too, and caused his enemies to be destroyed. Joseph was thrown into an Egyptian prison over a false accusation, but God delivered him and elevated him to become the governor of Egypt.

Indeed ,God says touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm (Psalm 105:15). If Eddie Long was this mighty and holy prophet of God. as his supporters have claimed for so long, he would have let this go to open court, let the accusers testify, given his supposedly truthful side of the story, and been vindicated in court. Then he could stand on the courthouse steps after the not guilty verdict and exult, rejoicing in this great victory delivered unto him by his God.

Of course that never happened, because Long, who famously claimed he had five stones and was getting ready to use them, decided to drop the stones and reach for the checkbook instead.

In reality, Eddie Long didn’t have any stones to throw. He knew it, and those of us who know about Eddie’s dirt knew it too. Long knew full well that there were people who could provide damaging testimony in court if they were every called to the witness stand. Therefore this case was never going to get to a court of law. Never. I’ve been saying that from the very beginning.

These men accuse him of being an adulterer, liar, and homosexual/bisexual predator… and he ends up agreeing to pay them money??!!! Really?

No true prophet of God pays hush money to those who are making false accusations against him. None. It just doesn’t happen. What we’ve seen here is just damage control plain and simple.

Furthermore, do church members want their money to be paying off [supposedly] false accusers? No. Even if, as it’s believed, the bulk of the reported multi-million dollar settlement is paid by insurance money, that would still normally cause the insurance company to increase the church’s future insurance premiums – causing the church members to be paying more over time to offset the significant payout being given to these supposed liars. Would church members want that? Of course not. And no shepherd would want that for his flock either. Either way, it’s an increased financial burden on the church. Why would an innocent “man of God” even want his church to take a financial hit over some scurrilous false accusations that damaged his reputation and dragged the church’s name through the mud? (Maybe because the accusations aren’t false?)

So now, money is being distributed; and confidentiality clauses are in place so both sides will just keep quiet and move on; and essentially the truth is concealed. And now it’s over. At least Eddie Long hopes it’s over. Frankly he’d better hope it really is over. Unfortunately, I personally would not be surprised if we later see another chapter in this story later on. I have rock solid reason to believe there are more than just these 4 young men that have had “dealings” with Eddie Long, so to speak. If even one more person comes out and sues, or even just tells his story to the media, then what? Will Long just say this person is lying too? Is everybody lying except Eddie? Or is Eddie the one lying?

Essentially, this man’s words have said one thing, but his actions have said another. Not only has he brought shame on himself, but his actions have put Christianity as a whole in a negative light. He's simply given the enemies of God more reason to mock Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the end, what’s done in the darkness will come to light. Time reveals all things. I just feel bad for the sheeple at New Birth who still support this man. May God pour out a spirit of discernment on all among them who really have a heart to seek God.

Of course, at the end of the day, one can’t help but be concerned with Eddie Long’s soul. If Eddie Long is lying, as many of us are convinced he is, then he’s still got to get it right before he leaves this world. Any man who takes a lie with him to the grave and into eternity is going to have to give account for himself, and will find himself staring into the face of an angry God on that great day. At this time, Eddie Long doesn’t seem inclined to confess or repent of anything. And that could be the biggest tragedy of all in this whole story.

Book Preview: Francis Chan Tackles 'Love Wins'

2011-05-24T19:27:00.020-04:00

From Charisma News Online:
In response to Rob Bell's controversial Love Wins, David C. Cook is rushing out former pastor and best-selling author Francis Chan's third book.

Scheduled for release July 5, Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and the Things We Make Up "promises to be both controversial and confessional, directly addressing a variety of views on hell, the Bible and God," Cook said.

Co-written by Bible college professor Preston Sprinkle, the book will offer a comprehensive and thorough study on God's character, Chan said. Erasing Hell "is not a book that tells you 'here's what you ought to believe,'" Chan said in a video trailer for the book. "It's a book that helps you think through all the evidence out there—all of what Scripture teaches—and come to your own conclusions. ... We can't afford to be wrong about this issue."
Full article here.

==========

I've watched the YouTube video preview of Francis Chan's upcoming book, Erasing Hell, and it looks promising. I certainly have what I believe to be a biblically sound view on this, so I dont expect or hope for this book to in any way shape my theology on this issue, but I actually look forward to this book being released. It seems like it will provide a good counterbalance to the Rob Bell's horribly heretical take on the issue and doctrine of hell. I dont think I'll be running out to buy Erasing Hell the day it's released, but I expect to get a hold of a copy soon enough. I hope it's as good as the preview video makes it seem it will be.

I especially like Chan's rationale and arguments about us humans needing to be careful not to try to subject the actions of the almighty God to our own human moral perspective. We should never forget we are mental, intellectual, and moral gnats compared to the mind and holiness of the God of Heaven. Anyway, the video speaks for itself. I certainly wont endorse the man's book before it's even released, but he seems to be already making some good points worth considering at this time.

Reflections On The "Rapture" That Didn't Happen.

2011-05-22T15:38:00.003-04:00

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matt: 7:15)

It’s the day after. May 21,2011 has come and gone, and the supposed apocalypse has become the no-pocalypse. I find myself disturbed, saddened, and quite ticked off just surveying the after effects of the travesty of Harold Camping’s latest false prophecy --- after-effects which I think will linger for quite some time.

At this moment Mr. Camping is missing in action (see story here)... perhaps hidden in an undisclosed location since being exposed as a fraud once again. This is not his first rapture prophecy that didn't come true; why anyone would ascribe ANY credibility at all to this man is beyond me.

By the way, I don’t feel like sugar coating my words here, so please don’t leave me any comments chiding me for being “too harsh” toward “Brother Camping”. First off, he’s not “a brother” in Christ by any means, and secondly, as far as I’m concerned, this false prophet deserves all the harshness he gets.

Anyway, reflecting on all this….

I feel bad for his duped followers who who sold their homes, others who quit their jobs, and those who practically emptied their bank accounts in anticipation of Mr. Camping's doomsday --- people such as Robert Fitzpatrick of New York, who spent $140,000 of his own money on this foolishness. (Story here) .
Then again, if people would just believe the word of God instead of the word of man, they'd save themselves a whole lot of grief. NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY NOR THE HOUR (Matt: 24:36). It was true when Jesus said it, and it's still true today. Anyone who chooses to believe what man says -- in contradiction to the words of Jesus -- is simply setting himself up for heartbreak... or worse.

I definitely feel bad for the children of these deluded followers who got caught up in this ---- children whose faith may well be irreparably damaged because of this debacle. How many of these kids will simply lose faith and totally harden themselves to the word of God after going through this experience? God only knows. The NY Times has a good story on the effect Camping and his doomsday scenario was having on families (like the Haddad-Carson family of Middletown, MD), who were being divided by his message. (Story here)

One preacher says Camping should repent for his false prophecy and the people he’s misled (story here.) But if he didn’t repent after his 1994 false prophecy, I don’t expect him to repent for his 2011 false prophecy. The man is simply shameless.

Clearly, the image of Christianity as a whole suffers, because this kind of nonsense reflects poorly on Christianity as a whole, whether we like it or not. This just gives mockers and skeptics another opportunity to blaspheme, and just makes it that much harder to reach people with the true gospel when people are continually exposed to the kind of flakiness promoted by people like Harold Camping and others of his ilk.

To an extent, the advancement of the gospel is hindered, at least in the short term, since this just makes Christians seem like a bunch of crackpots. God only knows how many will point to this May 21 debacle as a reason they’ve become totally skeptical regarding Christianity. For some, this will just be a convenient excuse of course, but regardless, it just plays into the Devil’s hands as he tries to people’s minds and harden their hearts toward the gospel of Jesus. To be perfectly blunt, with this crazy deluded stunt, Harold Camping has done more to help the work of Satan than the work of God. The man should be ashamed of himself. But I doubt that he is. Truly the Devil is the author of confusion, and Harold Camping and Family Radio have become an instrument of the Enemy, who have done nothing here but serve to undermine and discredit the true saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

I consider this man to be nothing more than another of those wolves in sheeps clothing that Jesus warned us about in Matthew 7:15. Unfortunately, there will be more; and as bad as I consider Camping to be, many of those to come will be actually much worse than he is, as hard as that might be to imagine right now. May the Lord give wisdom to His people in these last days.

The Demonic Associations of Lady Gaga (And Others) Exposed

2011-04-29T18:49:00.008-04:00

I ran across this video today and felt I just had to share it. Pastor Fred Price Jr. breaks down the video of the hit song by Lady Gaga called "Born This Way". Now there was always something in the back of my mind that had me wondering if Lady Gaga was more than just eccentric... more than just a bit weird or just some attention seeker trying to "push the envelope", as they say. In my spirit I started to feel more and more like the rise of LG was the rise of another "mainstream" entertainer working under demonic influence to impact our youth and inject spiritual poison into their souls.

If there was any doubt in anyone's mind that Lady Gaga is a musical ambassador working for "the other side", there should be no doubt after seeing this video posted on G Craige Lewis's EX Ministries website.

One interesting quote from the video shows an interview LG gave with Vogue magazine in which she talks about the inspiration and development of the song:

"I wrote ['Born This Way'] in 10 f-----g minutes," she explains in the article. "And it is a completely magical message song. And after I wrote it, the gates just opened, and the songs kept coming. It was like an immaculate conception." -Vogue Magazine, March 2011

This brought to mind a quote from Michael Jackson in which he spoke about the inspiration for his music:

"I wake up from dreams and go, 'Wow, put this down on paper.' The whole thing is strange. You hear the words, everything is right there in front of your face. And you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry, I just didn't write this. It's there already.' That's why I hate to take credit for the songs I've written. I feel that somewhere, someplace, it's been done and I'm just a courier bringing it into the world. I really believe that. I love what I do."- Rolling Stone magazine, Feb 13th, 1983, from an article entitled: Michael Jackson - Life in the magical kingdom"

It also brings to mind this excerpt from a Rolling Stone interview with Carlos Santana, in which Santana spoke openly of his dealings with a spirit entity called Metatron:

From the article:

He tells me more about Metatron. "Metatron is the architect of physical life. Because of him, we can French-kiss, we can hug, we can get a hot dog, wiggle our toe." He sees Metatron in his dreams and meditations. He looks a bit like Santa Claus -- "white beard, and kind of this jolly fellow." Metatron, who has been mentioned in mystical disciplines through the ages, also appears as the eye inside the triangle.

Santana credits Metatron with alerting him to the recent changes in his life. In the mid-Nineties, he met some people in a spiritual bookstore near his home, and they invited him to their afternoon meditations in Santa Cruz. The last time he was there, Metatron delivered some important messages. "You will be inside the radio frequency," Metatron told him, "for the purpose of connecting the molecules with the light." Carlos Santana understood. He would make a new album and be on the radio again. And he would connect the molecules with the light: He would connect an audience with some of the spiritual information he now had. Metatron offered a further instruction: "Be patient, gracious and grateful," Santana was told, and he resolved to do just that.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-epic-life-of-carlos-santana-20000316

Some quick points on this:

“Metatron” is a known spirit entity [demon] in New Age circles.
The “eye inside the triangle” is a commonly known occultic/demonic symbol. Several examples of this symbol (sometimes called the All-Seeing-Eye, or Eye of Horus) are shown above, including one popularized by notorious master Satanist Aleister Crowley.
After being promised in the mid-nineties by Metatron that he would be back on the airwaves to connect his audience with “spiritual information” he now had, Santana stunned the music industry with what seemed like an amazing comeback with the success of his album released in 1999 which went on to sell 27 million copies worldwide (15 million in the U.S. alone), and garnered him 9 Grammy awards. The discerning Christian can easily recognize that it wasn’t Santana’s musical acumen that caused this sudden out-of-the-blue late career success. It was the demon(s) working with him that made it all possible. Of course, it should surprise no-one this album was simply named “Supernatural”.

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Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana….just a few of the many music “stars” who have allowed themselves to become musical agents for the devil, to influence the minds of your kids and mine. Any Christian parent today who doesn’t monitor what kind of music their kids listen to is simply falling asleep on the job. Frankly, in times like these, that’s simply inexcusable.

Rev. David Wilkerson Dies in Car Crash

2011-04-28T23:10:00.003-04:00

Longtime minster Rev. David Wilkerson has died today in a car accident today. He was 79. Wilkerson rose to prominence as the author and central character in the bestselling Christian book "The Cross and the Switchblade", also made into a movie of the same name. He later founded the 5,000 member Times Square Church in New York City in 1987, of which he was the Senior Pastor until he retired last year.

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From the New York Times:

The Rev. David Wilkerson, an evangelical minister and author who founded the Times Square Church to minister to the downtrodden in one of Manhattan’s seedier precincts, but whose later writings included apocalyptic predictions for New York City and beyond, died on Wednesday in an automobile accident in Texas. He was 79 and lived near Tyler, Tex.

Mr. Wilkerson’s car veered into oncoming traffic on a highway near Cuney, about 110 miles southeast of Dallas, and was hit by a tractor-trailer, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety told The Associated Press.
His wife, Gwendolyn, was seriously injured but is expected to recover, Mr. Wilkerson’s brother, the Rev. Donald Wilkerson, said on Thursday.

David Wilkerson was known to a broad readership through his many books. His most famous, "The Cross and the Switchblade" (1963), chronicled his ministry among gang members in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he had arrived as a young preacher in the late 1950s.

Written with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, the book has sold tens of millions of copies and has been translated into more than 30 languages, according to its current publisher, Chosen Books.
“The Cross and the Switchblade” was made into a feature film of that name, released in 1970. It starred Pat Boone as Mr. Wilkerson and Erik Estrada, in his first film appearance, as a member of his flock.

Full article HERE.

Another Gospel Singer Comes Out Of The Closet

2011-04-04T13:35:00.004-04:00

Well, here we go again. Another gospel singer has come out as being gay. In this case, DeJuaii Pace, member of the award winning gospel group The Anointed Pace Sisters, has come out as a lesbian.

Article from TheRoot.com:

Coming out isn't the easiest process. So imagine how challenging it would be if you grew up in a Pentecostal Holiness church, were a preacher's kid and belonged to an award-winning gospel group with your siblings.

This was DeJuaii Pace's reality and factored into why she ignored her same-sex attraction for so long. In fact, the 45-year-old, who's also a virgin, never discussed her lesbianism with her family, including her eight sisters -- seven of whom, along with her, make up gospel's the Anointed Pace Sisters. That changed during a taping of the new OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network show Addicted to Food, which premieres Tuesday night.

Pace, a compulsive overeater, is one of eight eating disorder patients (both over- and under-eaters) at treatment facility Shades of Hope in Buffalo Gap, Texas. With the help of therapists, the patients try to find the root of their food addiction, heal it and become mentally and physically healthier.

Pace, who started gaining extra weight when she was 21, says that her big secret contributed to her overeating and that food was a substitute for intimacy. The gospel singer talks to The Root about her weight-loss journey, her virginity and homosexuality in the black church.

Full article HERE.

This is starting to occur with regularity now. First it was award winning gospel singer Ray Boltz, then Jennifer Knapp, then Tonex, and now DeJuaii Pace being the notable gospel personalities who have come out of the closet. We know there will be more who come forward. After all, it's not a big secret that the gospel music scene is littered with undercover gay men and lesbians. And as more high-profile singers feel bold enough to reveal themselves, it'll certainly embolden others to decide to "be honest" with the public about who they are. Only God knows the effect this is having, and will have, on the audiences that listen to these people... especially impressionable youth who may well be influenced to one day follow a similar path.

Gay civil unions... Gay (or "gay-accepting") churches... Gay gospel singers... Gay marriages. In the past decade or so we've seen that which is abominable to God become more and more commonplace in our society, receiving wider and wider acceptance. No, homosexuality isn't necessarily the worst sin in the world-- as many gays and their supporters like to tell us -- but acceptance of homosexuality is very much a barometer of the moral state (or moral decay) of a society. And when we see so many professing "Christians" shrug like its not a big deal that a particular gospel singer has come out, and more and more churches open their doors for gay gospel artists to perform (or "minister") to their congregations, it tells you how many "Christians" and churches have totally lost their moral compass, going through the motions of something that has a resemblance to Christianity, but is not Biblical Christianity at all.

There's no doubt that the day will come when those of us who insist on maintaining the biblical standard for moral and sexual purity (which, of course, excludes homosexual behavior) will find ourselves ostracized, marginalized, and worse... not just by the secular society, but by many in the church world. Slowly, gradually, that which was considered abominable is becoming acceptable in the eyes of many who claim to know Christ. But frankly, it will never be acceptable in the eyes of God, or his true followers.

No matter how much these gay apologists try to twist God's word to suit their own views and desires, the Word of God makes it clear that the sexually immoral will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. It doesn't matter how big their churches are, how well they preach, how sweetly they sing, how much they speak in tongues (or claim to speak in tongues); if they continue to live in defiance to the Word of God, these people are going to find themselves shut out of the Kingdom on that great day.

God bless all those brave pastors, preachers, and saints of God who will continue to maintain the biblical standard, and stand against the tide of moral decay that is in the process of infiltrating so many in the church world today.

Rob Bell, his Spiritual Poison... and the danger of "Christian Universalism"

2011-03-31T23:58:00.004-04:00

I originally meant to get into a full-on diatribe regarding Rob Bell, his controversial book "Love Wins", and the discussion of Christian Universalism and the denial of hell/eternal judgment that the book has stirred up. However, it's such a multi-faceted issue that in the interest of time and brevity I think its best for me to approach this issue over several posts. Frankly, this issue is bigger than Rob Bell; the real issue is the emergence of an apostasy within the Christian world that threatens to engulf many, if not most, denominations in Christendom.By the Lord's help, in future posts I'll deal with the larger issue of why Christian Universalism (which has several nuances and variations) is a major threat to the Body of Christ, and how it is paving the way for the coming Antichrist and the future One World Religion.

So I'll take this piece by piece. But I'll start off with this.

Aaron Armstrong of Blogging Theologically has done a very good job of giving us a review/overview of Rob Bell's book, Love Wins. I encourage my readers to check out the full review. Meanwhile, this snippet from his review puts it into quick perspective:

If Love Wins accurately represents Bell’s views on heaven and hell (at least if our understanding of the book accurately represents his views on heaven and hell), it reveals him as a proponent of a kind of Christian Universalism. He would deny the label as he tends to deny any label. But if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, you know how it goes.
What Jesus does is declare that he,
and he alone,
is saving everybody.
…
And then he leaves the door way, way open. Creating all sorts of possibilities. He is as narrow as himself and as wide as the universe.
…
People come to Jesus in all sorts of ways.
…
Sometimes people use his name;
other times they don’t.
…
Some people have so much baggage with regard to the name “Jesus” that when they encounter the mystery present in all of creation—grace, peace, love, acceptance, healing, forgiveness—the last thing they are inclined to name it is “Jesus.”
…
What we see Jesus doing again and again—in the midst of constant reminders about the seriousness of following him living like him, and trusting him—is widening the scope and expanse of his saving work.
That is what we know as universalism. And it is cause for mourning.
Christians do not need more confusion. They need clarity. They need teachers who are willing to deal honestly with what the Bible says, no matter how hard that truth is. And let’s be honest—many truths are very, very hard to swallow.

Love does win, but not the kind of love that Bell talks about in this book. The love he describes is one that is founded solely on the idea that the primary object of God’s love is man; indeed, the whole story, he writes, can be summed up in these words: “For God so loved the world.” But this doesn’t hold a candle to altogether amazing love of God as actually shown in the Bible. The God who “shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8), who acts on our behalf not so much because His love for us is great, but because He is great (Isaiah 48:9, Ezekiel 20:9,14,22,44, 36:22; John 17:1-5).

That’s the kind of love that wins. That’s the kind of love that motivates us to love our neighbors enough to compel them to flee from the wrath to come. And our love for people means nothing if we do not first and foremost love God enough to be honest about Him.

Indeed this is one of my biggest problems with Rob Bell. It is that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing, the very kind that Jesus warned us of in Matthew 7:15. Bell doesn't want to label himself a universalist, but his book advances universalist ideals more than any "Christian" book in recent memory --- which is exactly his intention. Like a coward who throws a rock from behind the bushes and runs away, Bell promotes an anti-biblical view of God and His plan to deal with unrepented-of sin. Yet he does it by stealth, all the while maintaining this"Who, me?" facade of pseudo-innocence that allows him to spread his theological poison while he purports to just be "asking questions" or "stirring discussion of the issue". Fact is, Rob Bell is being used of the devil. It doesnt take a tremendous amount of discernment to recognize that.

If you dont know who Rob Bell is, or think he's a relatively insignificant figure, just give it time. Meanwhile, one has to simply Google-search the words Rob Bell heretic, to get a flavor of who this man is, and why his teachings are considered dangerous and subversive to the Body of Christ. Young, hip, and influential pastor of the fast-growing Mars Hill Church, this is a man whom USA today even spoke of as possibly becoming the next "Billy Graham" of his generation. It wouldn't surprise me at all if within a decade or less his name becomes a household word nationwide, right up there with Graham, Jakes, Osteen, Swaggart (?) and a handful of church personalities who's names are instantly recognizable both in and outside the church world.

But what's different about Bell is that he could well become the standard-bearer for this form of emerging "New Christianity" being advocated by people like Brian McClaren, Carlton Pearson, and others of their ilk --- men the Bible warns us about in the New Testament book of Jude; men whom Paul warned us of when he said:

But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
(2 Tim 3:13)

Hell is an unpleasant reality. None of us takes pleasure in its existence. Indeed, God himself takes no pleasure in it's existence. But for us to twist the word of God to erase something that we don't like is misguided at best. Bell, Pearson, and a growing list of preachers today don't like the idea of hell, so they adopt a theology that eliminates it. To them, this makes Christianity more palatable to the world at large, but in fact they're doing a disservice to all those who follow them. Rather that being warned to avoid the coming wrath, people are being lulled into a false sense of [eternal] security. Their message may be soothing to the ears, but woe unto those who follow the smooth words of these false prophets.

The apostotle Paul warned of men like these who would come:

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Tim 4:3)

This growth and spread of Christian Universalism in the church world is a phenomenon othat is not going away; in fact, this really is the tip of the iceberg, and this issue will just continue to evolve and unfold before our eyes.
I think I'm going to have a lot more to say on this issue in the weeks and months ahead.
Meanwhile...blessings to all.
And thanks for stopping by.

Full article: Book Review: Love Wins, by Rob Bell.

See Related Article:

Pastor Fired for Not Believeing In Hell.

2011-03-24T18:24:00.003-04:00

Pastor Chad Holtz ministered to a congregation in Oxford, North Carolina until he stated that he no longer believed in hell in a blog post to the church website. Holtz told his story to the AP. video below.

Sorry, but I'm not feeling a lot of sympathy for this guy. I'm just gonna be blunt here: good riddance.

When you as a "pastor" choose to abandon clear Bible doctrines, you are not longer fit to be shepherding peoples' souls. All preachers, especially pastors, are called to be "watchmen on the wall". The day that the watchman decides that the threat of God's judgment isn't really a threat, he does a grave, and possibly eternally grave disservice to those he is supposed to be ministering to.

Note the words of God in Ezekiel chapter 3:

¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: ¹⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

It was interesting that I ran across this article while preparing to do one on Rob Bell and his denial-by-stealth of the doctrine of hell. That article will be coming up very shortly. Clearly it seems the Devil is busy trying to undermine the doctrine of hell. In the voices of these false prophets you can almost hear the serpent-like hiss of Genesis chapter 3 as he denied God's warning of death as a consequence of disobedience:

"hath God [really] said....?

Then further...

"You shall not die"... "but shall be as God!"

(Paraphrasing from Gen 3:1, 4.5)

Now, we have Lucifers's 21st century version, as he denies God's warning of hell/the lake of fire, which the Bible calls "the second death" (Rev 20:14):

"hath God and the Bible really said there is a hell?"

I see this increase in the denial of the doctrine of hell as just another stepping stone of this creeping but steadily rising apostasy that is attempting to overwhelm the Body of Christ. Remember Bishop Carlton Pearson began with denial of hell, which led to his becoming a crusader for the Gospel of Inclusion, his acceptance and virtual embracing of gay theology, his becoming the pastor of a New Thought church, and more recently his embrace of "New Christianity" (which is essentially a pseudo-"Christian" front for Satan's one world religion). Doctrine does matter. Doctrine has consequences. As we can see from Carlton Pearson's example, once you decide to abandon a key doctrine as the doctrine of eternal punishment, there's just no telling how far into apostasy you'll end up drifting!

My dear readers, watch for this denial-of-hell phenomenon to be a bigger issue facing the church world in the months and years to come. Watch very closely.

I'll be back with a follow-up article on this very soon. Peace and blessings be upon all of you .

Carlton Pearson Becomes a Shill For a "New Christianity" & The Coming One World Religion

2011-02-25T21:33:00.001-05:00

If there was ever any doubt that former Charismatic "Bishop" Carlton Pearson had drifted/ plunged into full-blown apostasy, there should be no more doubt after this.

It was bad enough when Pearson turned from his Pentecostal/Charismatic roots into the "Gospel of Inclusion" a sort of repackaged Christian Universalism which essentially says you'll go to heaven even if you don't accept Jesus Christ and the New Testament gospel. I watched him drift further into apostasy by embracing (and being embraced by) the "gay Christian" movement, and then drift into New Thought movement (a sort of "churchified" vehicle of New Age thinking)... even becoming a Pastor of a New Thought "church" in Chicago, Christ Universal Temple.

However, when you think it cant get any worse, it does. After effectively being forced out as shepherd/goatherd at Christ Universal Temple a few months ago, Pearson has now popped up again, hawking his newest version of the candy-coated spiritual poison he's given himself over to. This time it's "The Gathering", an interfaith spiritual venture almost certain to lead multitudes into damnation.

In a recent press release, Pearson makes it abundantly clear that he has fully fallen into the clutches of Satan as he now pushes for "a New Christianity". To the discerning mind, it's clear that this "New Christianity" he speaks of is nothing more than a watered down, non-biblical, universalistic Christianity" that is essentially a stepping-stone for churches to eventually merge into the upcoming unified one-world religion which will be the spiritual foundation for the Antichrist who is to come.

The press release is shown in full at the bottom of this article, but I've highlighted a few key snippets from his recent announcement, which show the mindset and direction of this apostate "Bishop":

"Christianity as we know it is unraveling, with fewer and fewer churchgoers. There is a movement in this country—and around the world-- of people who want to come together, sharing a common spirituality and acceptance of each other..."

“Our monthly Gatherings, inclusive of everyone, are an opportunity for all to bridge the culture gap for the first time with this common spirituality..."

"The interfaith, multicultural worship service will focus on world unity tied to Bishop Pearson’s ‘Gospel of Inclusion’. Recognized as a voice of reason and moderation in a world of extremes, his ministry is about a spiritual coming together for all humanity; Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, gays, the spiritually unresolved and any other groups which may have been considered “unfit” and unacceptable or have been marginalized."

What we are seeing with the "Emerging Church" movement and the Christian Universalism/Gospel of Inclusion heresy that is attempting to infiltrate the church world is a definitive attempt by the devil to transform Christianity as we know it. We can expect to see more churches and prominent "ministers" adopting this new position, and carrying their churches along with them. The Bible itself warns of a great apostasy (great "falling away") before the coming of the Lord. Churches that hold firmly to true biblical Christianity can expect not only to become a relatively small remnant compared to the apostate churches and denominations, but should expect a time of full-fledged persecution to come against the true churches of Christ (which is an uncomfortable topic few saints seem to want to talk about today).

This trend is something to keep an eye on. What we're seeing here is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg; we can expect it to get a whole lot worse in the years to come.

Full text of his press release is here:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/02/prweb5071894.htm

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) February 16, 2011

After engaging a standing room only audience and with over 2,500 others around the world tuned in on-line to his first service in January, internationally recognized Bishop Carlton Pearson today announces his February 27th multi-cultural, interfaith GATHERING in Chicago that is expected to draw an even wider audience.
The live stream of the inaugural service in January drew a global audience from Asia, Europe, India, Africa, the Middle East, South America and across North America.
Bishop Pearson, who is known worldwide for his ‘Gospel of Inclusion’, launched his new ministry on Sunday, January 30th, appearing before the community for the first time since his departure from the 6,000 member Christ Universal Temple in late December. There he was preacher to about 2,000 parishioners each Sunday, with live streaming of his services reaching as far as Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.

“Christianity as we know it is unraveling, with fewer and fewer churchgoers. There is a movement in this country—and around the world-- of people who want to come together, sharing a common spirituality and acceptance of each other, without fractious politics and structured religions getting in the way,” says Bishop Pearson. “Our monthly Gatherings, inclusive of everyone, are an opportunity for all to bridge the culture gap for the first time with this common spirituality. We will worship together knowing that we don’t have to go along to get along.”

The interfaith, multicultural worship service will focus on world unity tied to Bishop Pearson’s ‘Gospel of Inclusion’. Recognized as a voice of reason and moderation in a world of extremes, his ministry is about a spiritual coming together for all humanity; Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, gays, the spiritually unresolved and any other groups which may have been considered “unfit” and unacceptable or have been marginalized.
Bishop Pearson and his wife Gina, a Certified Transformational Coach, will lead the GATHERING, along with other presenters and live music.

The GATHERING will take place on Sunday, February 27th in downtown Chicago from 2:30-4:00 at the Palmer House Hotel. (17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603)

Those interested in participating can watch the service live by visiting http://www.bishoppearson.com and clicking on the live stream link.

About Bishop Carlton Pearson

Pearson is the author of The Gospel of Inclusion and God is Not a Christian (both published by Simon & Schuster). Once a Fundamentalist Christian and an evangelical megastar with 6,000 people at his weekly Pentecostal Church services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was branded a heretic by the Fundamentalist community when, after 35 years of church ministry, he had come to question and reject the Fundamentalist doctrines of an eternal and literal hell. Instead, Pearson turned to preaching the fundamental goodness in all humanity and that God has a place in eternity for people of all faiths and lifestyles.

Pearson recently left Christ Universal Temple in Chicago where he was the interim Sr. Minister for the past two years. He has appeared on CNN, ABC's 2020, Nightline, Dateline NBC and was featured on NPR's This American Life, among other media. Pearson speaks across the country and through his work, has become spiritual advisor to a number of celebrities and business leaders across the country.
For more information on Bishop Pearson, please visit http://www.bishoppearson.com/

Ted Haggard Comes Out In favor of Gay Marriage

2011-02-16T08:45:00.007-05:00

Well, here we go again. Another one bites the dust.

Another well-known “leader” within Christendom has given his stamp of approval to homosexual marriage. This time, it’s Ted Haggard. Haggard was former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, and former pastor of the 10,000+ member New Life church in Colorado Springs, CO before being forced out in a sex scandal. After going through a period of “reparative therapy”, he started another church, known as St James Church not too far from New Life. This new church has apparently been seeing steady growth, and has gone from a few dozen to a few hundred members. Now the Ted Haggard story has taken another twist; he’s now come out in favor of homosexual unions.

In cover story article with gay magazine The Advocate, we read:

Many people remember Haggard’s cameo in the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp, where he said, “We don’t have to debate about what we should think about homosexual activity. It’s written in the Bible.” Today, he says his words were taken out of context, that he was speaking to a group of believers about Scripture, not making a statement on what should or should not be inculcated into law. In 2006 he supported Colorado’s Amendment 43, which banned gay marriage under the state constitution, though he also supported a failed proposition that would have granted domestic-partnership rights to gays and lesbians.

Now Haggard wants to be clear: He supports civil marriage rights for gay couples. “The word marriage is a big deal to people of faith,” he says. “We’ve made it sacred. That’s why I believe that churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples should have total freedom to have whatever types of unions they believe as godly. But I think that we as a democratic society, as a constitutional republic — if we don’t respect individual civil liberties, then we’re making a horrific mistake. The church is in the early stages of another ‘the earth is flat’ crisis. I say to all religious people that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry on the subject. Or we’re going to be embarrassed in another 10 or 20 years.”
(Full article online here.)

Is this man serious? Why would the true church be “embarrassed” about standing up for biblical truth? This man is a joke – and that’s putting it nicely. Rather than standing up for biblical truth on this important issue, he has chosen the path of doctrinal and spiritual compromise. Simply shameful.

I was a bit surprised when I first saw this report, but then again, I guess nothing should really surprise me anymore when it comes to this topic. By now it’s abundantly clear that this gay marriage thing is going to be a defining issue (and a dividing issue) in the church world in the years and decades to come. One only wonders who will be the next domino to fall prey to this doctrine which originates from the pits of hell.

Rick Warren: Daniel's Plan, or Devil's Plan?

2011-01-31T23:59:00.005-05:00

Rich Warren of Saddleback Church, considerd by some to be "America's Pastor", has gotten a lot of positive attention for his "Daniel Plan" health and fitness program he introduced to his church this month. But, as Marsha West writes in this excellent article, Warren has shown an astounding lack of discernment by having this spearheaded by three men of very questionable (New Age & Hindu) spiritual backgrounds.

This is not the first time Warren's spiritual associations have been called into question. Either this man Rick Warren is terribly naive, or he is simply one of those "wolves in sheep's clothing" that Jesus warned us about. I have my own opinion regarding that (and it's probably not too hard for you to figure out where I'm leaning in regards to that question.)

Meanwhile, here's what Ms. West has for us:

By Marsha West

January 28, 2011NewsWithViews.com

Pastor Rick Warren continues to work at “fulfilling people’s needs.” His latest endeavor is “The Daniel Plan,” a 52-week health and fitness program. Pastor Rick has decided it’s high time to lose 90 pounds. But there’s more to his health plan than meets the eye.

“The church says all of its more than 5,000 small groups will go through "The Daniel Plan," which is part of Saddleback's "Decade of Destiny," a 10-year plan launching this month "to help individuals succeed and be who God designed them to be in every aspect in life." (see Online Source)

On January 15, over 6,000 people flocked to Saddleback’s main campus while thousands more watched online at the other Saddleback campuses.

It would appear that Pastor Warren has good intentions and that he genuinely wants his congregants to be the picture of health. He says that Christians should honor God with our bodies and he draws from Scripture to prove his point, 1 Cor. 6:19 and Rom. 12:1, for example. Who can possibly dispute that Warren’s plan to get the sheep shipshape is anything but admirable?

RECIPE FOR AWITCH’S BREW

Into a cauldron of green tea add in 1 eye of a knut, 4 lizard’s tails, 3 dragon incisors, 4 forked tongues, 7 pages from the Message Bible, 1 page from the KJV Bible, then stir the pot while chanting “I am God…I am God…I am God.” While the brew simmers get in a crossed-legged yoga position…meditate …go deep…deeper still…until you’re in a trance, then allow the kundalini energy coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine to run through your body…until an ecstatic experience erupts whereby you will shift between ecstasy and horror……viola, enlightenment!

In his new endeavor to help Saddleback congregants get healthy, Pastor Rick has enticed unsuspecting people, many of them professing Christians, into drinking his witch’s brew.

Many of you are thinking, “Rick Warren wouldn’t do that!” Oh really? Stay with me and you’ll discover what “America’s Pastor” is up to. Many of you will find what I’m about to reveal unbelievable. Don’t take my word for it. At the end of this article I have included a number of links that reveal the truth about this man. Do the research.

Full article here:

The War Against the Christians

2011-01-27T00:41:00.005-05:00

If one were to judge based on what we get from our hypocritical mainstream news media, one would think persecution of Muslims is rampant worldwide, and persecution of Christians is practically a non-issue. Indeed, quite the opposite is true. Clifford D. May of National Review echoes my sentiments so well in this article that I don't really feel the need to say a lot in the way of introductory comments on this one. The article pretty much speaks for itself. Read on...

===
The War Against the Christians
The most important story not being told

January 14, 2011 12:00 A.M.

Imagine if Muslims in Europe were being arrested for nothing more than peacefully practicing their religion. Imagine if Muslims in South America were being sentenced to death for “insulting” Jesus. Imagine if mosques were being bombed and burned by terrorists in a growing list of Christian-majority countries.

Now here’s what you don’t need to imagine because it is all too real: In recent days, Christian churches have been bombed in Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, and the Philippines. In Indonesia a mob of 1,000 Muslims burned down two Christian churches because, according to one commentator, local Islamic authorities determined there were “too many faithful and too many prayers.” In Iran, scores of Christians have been arrested. In Pakistan, a Christian woman received the death penalty for the “crime” of insulting Islam; the governor of Punjab promised to pardon her — and was then assassinated for the “crime” of blasphemy.

I could provide dozens more examples of the persecution and, in many cases, “cleansing” of Christians in what we have come to call the Muslim world. If the situation were reversed, if such a war were being waged against Muslims, it would be the top story in every newspaper, the most urgent item at the U.N., the highest priority of all the big-league human-rights groups.

What we have instead is denial...

Full article here.

Related Links:
www.persecution.com
www.christianpersecution.info

Christianity in China

2011-01-21T20:16:00.003-05:00

In a time when there's so much negative news, not just in the world at large, but in the church world as well, its good to come across a really positive story concerning the church world.

In this article from FoxNews.com "Christianity in China", we get some interesting insight in to the explosive, but relatively under-the-radar, growth of Christianity that's taken place in China over the last several decades. Good stuff. And it calls to mind the Lord's words in Matthew 24 v. 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." Even so, come Lord Jesus.

==========

Christianity in China

By Lauren Green

Published January 20, 2011

FoxNews.com

While religion in China may not be a big topic for discussion during President Hu Jintao's meeting with President Obamathis week, many experts say that an explosive growth in Christianity may be transforming the officially atheist regime.

According to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group, the number of Christians in China has increased 100-fold since 1949. Current estimates range from 80 million to 130 million active members. And one startling estimate from a Chinese Christian businessman has that number doubling or even tripling in the next generation.
Christianity could become one of the macro forces shaping Chinese culture, say experts like Dr. David Aikman, author of "Jesus in Beijing."‬‪

"If the Chinese become Christianized ... which doesn't mean you have a majority of people who are Christians, but it means about 25 to 30 percent of people in positions of influence, in politics, in culture, in the media. If you have that component of a major power that accepts Christianity enthusiastically as a guide to life, that is going to change the world view of the leaders of China."‬‪

Full article here: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/20/christianity-china/

Aslo... from this interesting website I came across, ChristiansInChina.com, I found these interesting facts I thought it would be good to post:

Basic Facts:

In China, there are two official churches: three-Self Patriotic Movement (Protestant) and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (Roman Catholics)

There are around 20-50 million Chinese who are members of the official Chinese churches, with the majority Protestants

However, most of the Christians in China belong to so-called house churches (private gatherings might be more appropriate). Estimates put the population around 70-120 million

The Christian population has grown exponentially since 1949, especially during the past 30 years. By one account, the Christian population in China in 1997 is 20 times more than it was in 1949. Since 1997, the population has almost doubled

Overall, about 5% to 10% Chinese call themselves Christians

In 2007, about 50 million copies of the Bible were printed in China, making it the top nation where the word of God is spread and read

From: http://www.christiansinchina.com/basic-facts-about-christianty-in-china/

See also: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2659766n (2007 video article from CBS News.)

17 National Debt Statistics Which Prove That We Have Sold Our Children Into Debt Slavery

2010-12-31T20:03:00.002-05:00

Sad to say, perhaps one of the biggest, and most under-reported stories of this year has been how we as the United States has dug itself deeper into debt, and marched that much closer toward the precipice of certain financial collapse.

TheEconomicCollapseBlog , perhaps one of the best blogs on this topic, has a sobering article regarding this very issue, entitled: 17 National Debt Statistics Which Prove That We Have Sold Our Children And Grandchildren Into Perpetual Debt Slavery.

The top 5 of these 17:

#1 As of December 28th, the U.S. national debt was $13,877,230,355,933.00.
#2 If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to pay off the national debt.
#3 If the federal government began repaying the national debt at a rate of $10 million dollars a day it would take approximately 3,800 years to pay off the national debt.
#4 Today, the U.S. national debt is increasing by roughly 4 billion dollars every single day.
#5 The U.S. government is borrowing approximately 2.63 million more dollars every single minutes.

Frankly, I wish every senator, congressman, mayor, governor and other polician in this country could read this article. Then again, even if they read it, the skeptic in me wonders how many of them would really care anyway. If our national leaders really cared, they simply wouldn't have allowed our national debt to continue to mushroom to the near-disatrous proportions it is at now.

But for any of my readers who care, I provide this article for you to consider:

From The Economic Collapse Blog:

17 National Debt Statistics Which Prove That We Have Sold Our Children And Grandchildren Into Perpetual Debt Slavery

What we have done to future generations over the past 30 years is absolutely criminal. 30 years ago the U.S. national debt was a bit under one trillion dollars, and at that time it was considered a huge national crisis. Today, the national debt is 14 times larger and the years ahead look absolutely apocalyptic at this point. We have literally sold our children and our grandchildren into perpetual debt slavery. We have accumulated the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world, and our children and our grandchildren will be burdened with it for the rest of their lives. All of our politicians keep talking about how it is vitally important that we do something about all of this debt "soon", but they just can't seem to stop wildly spending our money. They keep telling us that now is not the time for deficit reduction because it would harm "the economic recovery", but the "right time" for deficit reduction never seems to come along. The national debt statistics in this article are meant to shock you. Hopefully they will shock you enough to actually take action. Up to this point, the vast majority of Americans have been extremely apathetic about the horrific crime that we are committing against future generations.

How would you feel if you found out one day that your parents had run up a million dollars in debt that now you were obligated to pay off?

Would you be absolutely furious?

Full article here:

Billboard campaign claims Jesus will return in May

2010-12-10T21:01:00.003-05:00

Well, here we go again. The date-setters and/or false-prophets are at it again.

Let me just say this...I don't know when Jesus is coming back, but I can say for sure I know when he's NOT coming back: May 21, 2011. Why do I say that? Because the bible tells us plainly "no man knows the day nor the hour" (Matt 25:13, Mk 13:32.).Yet we have a group today that is claiming exactly that -- that they know the day of the Lord's return, which they say will be May 21, 2011.

Not surprisingly, this group is affiliated with Family Radio, which is headed by Harold Camping. To call Harold Camping a false teacher would be to be an understatement. And yes, he's predicted dates of the Lord's coming before, and those dates have proven false. Why this man has even a shred of credibility, and still has people following him in his "ministry", is beyond me.

I wont even bother to get into the many false teachings of Harold Camping here. Being Pentecostal myself, I find his doctrine repugnant for not only being anti-Pentecostal and anti- speaking-in-tongues, but for spreading a variety of other bizarre and unbiblical doctrines, too many for me to even get into here.
Any of you who are curious can do a simple Google search, where they can find links such as these below:
http://home.comcast.net/~watkinsclan/camping.html
http://www.breadonthewaters.com/0193_Harold_Camping_Is_Anti-Pentecostal.html
http://christianblogs.christianet.com/1156981926.htm

Truly this man is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I feel bad for all those deceived people following him. After all, the Lord makes it clear that if the blind lead the blind, they will all fall into the same ditch (Matt 15:13-14).

Who knows? Maybe I'll give Family Radio a call on May 22, 2011, and see what they have to say for themselves after this, their latest false prophecy/prediction, fails again.
=====
From ajc.com:

By Shelia M. Poole

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Save the date: Jesus is coming on May 21, 2011.

At least, that's according to organizers of a billboard campaign slated to hit metro Atlanta next week. Allison Warden of Raleigh, N.C.-based WeCanKnow.com said the Christian Web site plans to place 50 billboards in the metro area proclaiming the rapture and Jesus' imminent return, based on analysis of Scripture and biblical genealogy.

"The Bible teaches that Christ is returning on May 21 and we want to encourage people to go to Scripture and investigate for themselves," said Warden, who insists the Christimas-timed campaign is not a gimmick. "All information in the Bible points to this date. God is going to be saving people right up until the last moment."

The billboards, which are up already in places like Nashville, Detroit and Omaha, Neb., show three wise men on camels and the star of Bethlehem with the message, "He is coming again."

Full article here: http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/billboard-campaign-claims-jesus-771570.html
See also, article: Biblical Scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011.

R& B singer to retire, and enter the ministry.

2010-11-30T22:18:00.005-05:00

I found this piece of news interesting. Singer Montell Jordan is set to retire from R & B entertainment, and become a full time worship pastor in Norcross, Georgia.
Of course, we've seen so many secular entertainers over the years (Mase, Pebbles, MC Hammer, Rev Run, etc.) declare that they've entered the ministry, and the results/fruit have been decidedly mixed, to say the least. But I certainly don't want to prejudge anyone, so I wish Mr. Jordan the best as he takes this pivotal step in his life. May the Lord be with him.

11/29/2010 12:41:45 AM
ATLANTA -- While people were stuffing themselves with turkey and dressing over Thanksgiving, Montell Jordan was coming to peace with a major career change.

For more than a decade he's been known as the backwards-hat wearing hip hop artist behind the Grammy-nominated, mega-hit "This is How We Do It".

All that will change after his final concert New Year's Eve. After that, Jordan says he will only step foot on one stage, the dais of World Victory Church in Norcross...

Full article here.
Similar article here.

Eddie Long Case: Hush Money on the Way?

2010-11-21T09:15:00.006-05:00

Well, now. I had a feeling this was going to happen.

~~Bishop~~ Eddie Long had his first hearing Friday regarding his sexual coercion case brought by 4 young men. And, not surprisingly, it looks like an out of court settlement is an increasingly strong possibility in this case.

As reported by Fox 5 News Atlanta:

ATLANTA, Ga. - The first court hearing in the Bishop Eddie Long sexual misconduct case was held Friday, and the case is headed for settlement talks. Lawyers for the bishop and the four young men who have filed suits against him said they want to avoid a trial and resolve the dispute in mediation early next year.

During a status conference held Friday, lawyers for both sides gave a road map of what's going to happen throughout the case, when it's going to happen and why it's going to happen.

On the way into the courthouse, Bishop Eddie Long's attorney Craig Gillen, and the young accusers' attorney, B.J. Bernstein, had little to say. But after a short status conference, one thing was clear: Both sides were ready to resolve the case.

Link to full story below.

My thoughts on this? Bottom line:

If an out of court settlement does take place, it would be a travesty. Eddie Long would just go on conducting “business as usual”, breathing a sigh of relief that this thing is finally put behind him. Still, he’d be damaged goods – and he should be. His “ministry” and his reputation would never be the same; and frankly, it would be fully deserved.

(Pardon me if this all sounds a bit blunt, but I’m saying this with good reason. There’s a lot that I’m not at liberty to say on this blog regarding some specifics I’m aware of. But suffice it to say that I don’t have a shred of doubt that this man is guilty… and I’ve felt this way since over a year ago, long before this case became public)

Of course, Eddie Long should hope that no other accusers come against him. Now that this talk of out-of-court settlements (read: “big checks”) is in the air, other accusers just might come out of the woodwork. Although four men have sued him so far, let’s just say “Bishop” Long is somewhat fortunate that only 4 have sued him. It actually could have been worse, and – (who knows?) – by the time this thing is all over it actually might.

Eddie Long and his gay/down-low dirt has been known here in Atlanta (and elsewhere) for some time. It hasn’t really been a huge secret. Perhaps the only person who thought his dirt was actually a secret was Eddie Long himself; if so, the man is just deluded, blinded by his sin and his own ego.

That’s why it would irk me to no end to see him dodge the proverbial bullet by settling out of court. Still, it’s in God’s hands. In the end, one thing is for sure: Eddie Long will be exposed, either in this life, or in the next. One can only hope he decides to get it right before he departs this world. But frankly, from what I’m seeing and the stance he’s taken on this so far, I’m not very optimistic.

However, at the end of the day, Eddie Long deserves our prayers, as do the 20,000+ sheep at his church who are following a tainted shepherd.

See full article: First Hearing Held in Bishop Eddie Long Case.

Rally Calling for Bishop Eddie Long Resignation Causing Death Threats

2010-10-27T13:38:00.003-04:00

Interesting developments.
A rally coming up this Sunday against Eddie Long is generating death threats.

The rally will take place on October 31st and is being lead by Bishop Walker from the True Light Pentecostal Church. Bishop Walker will be joined by Reuben Armstrong, the controversial talk show host and best selling author...

Reuben Armstrong has also been getting death threats for his part in promoting this rally. People have been very adamant about trying to get this rally from not taking place. No one has taken credit for these threats, they have all been anonymous to both Walker and Armstrong.

Reuben Armstrong wrote a best selling book in 2006 called, "Snakes in the Pulpit." This book came out four years before the young men brought these allegations towards Bishop Long. Armstrong's book was written after two youth pastors had reached out to Armstrong for help. They described the sexual abuse of the young men in Long's church, New Birth Ministries.

The stories about the sexual abuse of teenage boys was very similar to the charges being levied against Bishop Long today. Armstrong was met with accusations that he was just starting rumors, and no one took these allegations seriously at the time the book was published. Maybe they should have.

Full story here

See also.
News Story: Pastor Gets Threats Over Calls For Long To Resign
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A Spartanburg pastor said he is getting death threats because he's called for another church leader's resignation...

Full story here.

Robert Schuller "Ministries" ... Spiritually Bankrupt, and Now Financially Bankrupt.

2010-10-27T13:07:00.004-04:00

I normally don't smile at another person's or group's misfortune; but when I read that Robert Schuller's church, The Crystal Cathedral, had filed for bankruptcy, I actually found myself smiling at the news. As one who's been aware of Schullers false gospel/non-gospel for quite some time, to him I simply say "good riddance". Only God knows the legions of people this man has led astray with his positive-thinking/self-esteem pseudo-gospel.

In his excellent article Bankruptcy in the Cathedral, R. Albert Mohler, Jr states:

“Possibility Thinking” was Schuller’s central message. He told his fellow preachers not to worry about repeating themselves in sermons, insisting that every message (he did not like to call his messages “sermons”) must be about the development of a positive mental outlook.

Though ordained in the Reformed Church in America, Schuller minimized historic Christian orthodoxy and stressed instead the message of positive thinking. In his 1982 book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, Schuller explicitly replaced the message of salvation from sin with a message of rescue from low self-esteem. In his 2001 autobiography, My Journey, Schuller told of the massive influence of Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale on his thinking and theology. He told of his decision early in his ministry to replace theology with therapy. “I realized that every sermon I preached (whether formally from the pulpit or casually at a coffee shop) should be designed, not to ‘teach’ or ‘convert’ people, but rather to encourage them, to give them a lift. I decided to adopt the spirit, style, strategy, and substance of a ‘therapist’ in the pulpit.”

The church filing for bankruptcy is the ultimate irony of course, since they've been theologically bankrupt for decades! Of course, Schuller is one of many such "therapists"/"motivational speakers" in America's pulpits who have chosen to preach self help and pop psychology, rather than the cross of Jesus Christ. Would to God that they would go bankrupt also, but unfortunatly many of them are flourishing.May God open the eyes of his people to discern truth from error.
Amen .

For anyone who wonders if Schuller's teachings are really that much in opposition to Biblical Christianity, I refer you to these two articles, just for starters: The Gospel According to Schuller, and Robert Schuller's Distorted Doctrine.

Tens of Thousands of Muslims Coming to Christ, Says Iranian Ministry Leader

2010-10-21T15:34:00.002-04:00

Great story posted on ChristianPost.com.
Sam Yeghnazar, founder of Iran-focused Elam Ministries is reporting that the middle east, and Iran in particular, is experiencing an unprecedented level of Muslims becoming followers of Jesus Christ.

“Iran today is a closed land with countless open hearts,” said Yeghnazar. “It is the most open nation to the Gospel in the entire world. Tens of thousands of Iranians are turning to Christ.”

“Betrayed by the government, disillusioned with the religion, depressed by the prospects of the future, Iranians when they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ are completely transformed,” he said. “They proclaim Christ in the marketplace. Entire families, men and women, are coming to Christ.”

Full article HERE.

Fantastic news, of course. But perhaps this shouldnt be a surprise. This kind of thing is supposed to happen. Jesus himself stated:

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14

May it be that this time of revival, and even greater, reaches every nation in every corner of our globe.
Of course, many of these believers convert to Christ at the very risk of their lives. May they continually be in our prayers. Amen.

Christian Groups Intensify Efforts Against U.N. Defamation Resolution

2010-10-16T16:29:00.004-04:00

The hypocrisy that we see coming out of the Muslim world seems to know no end. Once again, various Muslim nations are pushing for the UN to vote on a so-called “Defamation of Religions” resolution. Upon close examination, however, it’s pretty transparent, however, that it’s mostly a “Defamation of Islam” resolution.

Of course, there is very little freedoms of religion in most Muslim nations, and in many such nations, those who convert from Islam to other religions – especially to Christianity – do so at the very risk of their lives. Chants of “Death to America, Death to Israel” and “Kill the Jews, Kill the Christians” are not uncommon in mosques in Muslim nations. So for them to introduce this Trojan horse of a resolution to supposedly prohibit defamation of religion – read “defamation of Islam – is the height of chutzpah and hypocrisy.

Thankfully, this time there seems to be more opposition to this bill from Christian organizations this year than in years past. Still, the temerity of these Muslim nations pushing this legislative atrocity in the UN is just breathtaking.

So what it boils down to is this: These people turn a blind eye to the atrocities taking place against Christians and other non-Muslims in their own countries…but they seem pretty thin-skinned when it comes to any speech that they feel “defames” their precious religion.

Amazing.
Simply. Amazing.

==============

Article from the Christianpost.com

A U.N. resolution that seeks to criminalize words and actions perceived as attacks against religion – particularly Islam – will be up for vote again this year.

This time, however, the U.N. Defamation of Religions resolution is picking up more opposition than in previous years and might not pass as it has in the past.

“The resolution lost support in the U.N. General Assembly vote during the last couple of years and we think this year may be the tipping point,” reported Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors, which has launched a campaign to rally concerned individuals against the resolution.

“We need to encourage key countries to change their vote on this resolution, supporting the efforts of our State Department,” it added.

Annually sponsored by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) since 1999, the anti-defamation resolution – which has been presented in various forms and under various titles – seeks to make the "defamation of religions" a human rights violation.

According to the resolution, the "defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general could lead to social disharmony and violations of human rights."

It also claims there is a “need to effectively combat defamation of all religions and incitement to religious hatred in general and against Islam and Muslims in particular."

Full article here: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101014/christian-groups-intensify-efforts-against-un-anti-defamation-resolution/

Related links that deal with the issue of Muslim/anti-Christian persecution:

www.persecution.com
www.jihadwatch.com
www.dhimmi.com/

VIDEO: Eddie Long Accuser Speaks Out: You Be The Judge (UPDATED)

2010-09-29T09:22:00.054-04:00

I've made some updates this post to include not just the first video of Jamal Parrish, one of the [alleged] victims of Eddie Long, but also the videos of comments by his second accuser Spencer LeGrande, and also comments from Long himself, as well as from the plaintiffs' attorney:

The first of the accusers in the emerging Eddie Long scandal has spoken to the media for the first time. In a brief interview outside his home in Colorado, the young man, Jamal Parrish has broken his silence.

Considering the impromptu nature of this interview, and the pressure he must be under with these recent circumstances, I found this man's words to be articulate, courageous, and credible. Yet the video was also somewhat gut-wrenching to watch. To my mind, either this kid is a tremendous actor, or this is someone who's still dealing with a lot of pain. May he and the other 3 alleged victims be in our prayers.

This is my third post regarding the Eddie Long story, and there almost certainly will be more as it unfolds, because this is a story that resonates with me for two main reasons.

I've been personally captivated by this story from the beginning partly because I'd been aware of such accusations against Long for some time, and had solid reason to believe convinced they were true. So to watch this unfold now in the media is intriguing, so say the least. But beyond that, there's the simple fact that is a story that may impact all of American Christianity for some time to come. Anyone who remembers the Jim Bakker/Jimmy Swaggart stories from 20+ years ago will tell you that those stories did serious damage to the image of the church and to the cause of Christ. The Eddie Long case today has the potential to do the same. For years, skeptics, mockers, and those who hated the church would invoke the names Bakker and Swaggart as they would paint the church and the gospel in the most negative light they could. My fear is that the name Eddie Long will be used similarly; quite simply, he could end up becoming the Bakker & Swaggart of this decade... but with a gay twist -- a prospect that is already causing many church-bashers in the gay community to salivate with anticipation and glee. If you're a Christian in the USA, this story might end up affecting you more than you even realize right now.

There are some who insist that these accusations against Long are just a trick of the Devil. My take on it is this: it's only a trick of the Devil if it's not true. Those who have read my previous posts on this matter can already tell where I stand regarding the truthfulness of these accusations. At this point I'll just post the video here, let the [alleged] victim's words speak for themselves, and let the reader come to his/her own conclusions on this.

The [alleged] victim, Jamal Parrish speaks:

The second accuser tells his side:

Eddie Long speaks to his church Sept 30, 2010.
The attorney for the young men,BJ Bernstein, makes her comments to CNN after the Jamal Parrish video interview.

Further Thoughts on the Eddie Long Situation...

2010-09-26T22:55:00.003-04:00

So I decided to see what Eddie Long had to say for himself Sunday morning. After days of waiting, in what had turned out to be a story of national interest, millions were interested to hear what Bishop Long would say regarding the scandal that broke lat week. What we ended up with, however, was sort of a non-denial denial.

Well, maybe it's just me.... But if someone had accused me of multiple counts of gay sex with young men who were under my mentorship, (essentially making me not just an adulterer but a gay/bisexual sexual predator) I would be looking for first camera and microphone I could find to get this message out loud and clear:

"I didn't do it. I am completely innocent of these charges. These charges are lies. I have not engaged in sexual activity with these young men or any other men..." (etc, etc.)

I was waiting to see if Eddie Long would say that, but of course he didn't. Mr. Long, I don't want to hear you tell me that on the advice of counsel you will not be addressing these charges in public, but only in court. I'm sorry, but that's weak.

If you didn't do it, your church members, your flock, are waiting for their shepherd to say "I'm innocent and did not do these things." Forget what your lawyer advised you; speak to your flock and declare your innocence... if indeed you really are innocent.

Then again, some folks following this story might think this is all just a scheme from the Devil. I don't.

...Or that the man of God is being set up. I don't think so.

Or they think these young men are all lying. I don't believe that at all.

No, I'm not an enemy of Eddie Long. I don't know the man.
I simply believe a pastor should be clean. He doesn't have to be perfect... just clean. And there are some of us who have very good reason to believe Eddie Long is far from clean in this matter.

I actually wish I could say more, but I'm trying to be restrained here. All I'll say for now is this: there have been whisperings about this situation for years now. Now would be the ideal time for any first-hand eyewitnesses to speak up...whether they be family members, present or past New Birth staff members or whomever. There are long term, even eternal consequences at stake here --- for the 25,000 New Birth church members, for the four young men involved (and perhaps more to be revealed), and yes, even for Eddie Long himself.

May the will of the Lord be done.

Thoughts on the Eddie Long Scandal

2010-09-23T09:54:00.006-04:00

Much of Atlanta, where I live, and the internet church world has been abuzz since the revelation less than 48 hrs ago that Bishop Eddie Long is being sued for sexual coercion by 3 young men he had been mentoring. Long is pastor of one of America's largest churches, the 25,000 member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, and is probably one of the top 10 most influential preachers in our nation. Initially, I was going to put up a quick post here with my thoughts on the issue, but when I learned Eddie Long was going to make a public statement today on the matter, I decided to wait till he did so before posting. I figured it would be good to at least hear what Bishop Long had to say regarding these serious allegations.

I guess I shouldn’t have bothered even waiting. The latest news this morning is that Eddie Long canceled the radio interview and press conference that were scheduled for today. This is after a third lawsuit was filed yesterday in addition to the two originally filed on Tuesday. He is adamantly denying the claims, however, and of course most of his church members are supporting him through this ordeal, which is understandable I suppose.

But frankly, my concern is for Eddie Long’s soul. And trust me when I tell you I believe there’s good reason to be concerned. Indeed there have been rumors and whisperings about Long for a while now, which I used to immediately dismiss whenever I heard them. I know that ministers, and especially prominent ones, are susceptible to lies from the devil in order to bring them down or bring reproach on the Lord’s name. Thus, without something substantial to hang my hat on, I figured I should give Eddie Long the benefit of the doubt. That changed some time ago.

I received some information last year from an unimpeachable source here in Atlanta that convinced me that the whispers were not just empty rumors. It made me sad to hear it, but it was persuasive enough for me to become convinced that Eddie Long indeed had a problem in terms of same sex attraction. This source, who works in the media and spent some time around Long for a news article, witnessed some --- shall we say--- questionable interactions, first hand. And when he/she (I’m being ambiguous regarding the gender to shield this person’s identity and privacy) mentioned to one of Long’s staff members what he/she saw, the staff member sheepishly conceded that they, his inner circle, were aware of his “struggles” in that area, but still had faith in him. I’ll just leave it at that without going into further detail.

It immediately made me wonder how many people knew this, and how long something like that could stay under wraps without exploding into the public arena.

Suffice it to say that from that moment on, not only was I convinced that the rumors were true, but I’ve been concerned that this issue was a ticking time bomb that could one day explode all over Bishop Long, having a negative effect not only on his church, but the body of Christ as a whole, since the fall of high profile ministers (Bakker, Swaggart, Tilton,etc) always hurts the image of the church as a whole. Well, with the news from 2 days ago, I’m thinking the bomb may have finally gone off. Only time will tell how bad this could all get, but I have a very uneasy feeling about where this could all lead.

There’s a lot at stake here. Even if the allegations are true, from what I’ve seen so far, the accusers might have a tough time proving their case. Yet even if Long is exonerated in this, he could still be end up being viewed as guilty in the court of public opinion.

Of course, there is still the possibility that these 3 accusers are lying here, the case could get thrown out of court, and Eddie Long and his church put it all behind them and move on. That still would not negate the fact that Bishop Long has a problem in this area, if, as it appears to me, he actually does. I’m sure it’s hard for any preacher to admit to gay attractions and/or activity, and the natural impulse is to deny, deny, deny all accusations, and hope it all goes away. Still, for any preacher to lie about their sexual misdeeds, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. It just doesn’t deal with the underlying problem. Besides, since all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8), it would be a horrible thing for a person to depart this life with unrepented sin in their souls as they go to meet their Maker.

There’s still a part of me that hopes this is all not true. But, based on the information I was given, there seems to be little reason for me to believe it’s not. However this all plays out, I do hope the body of Christ does not get too badly damaged by the fallout. Furthermore, if Bishop Eddie Long is innocent in all this, I do hope the truth comes out and his good name is cleared. But if indeed he has had this secret life on the down low, I hope he uses this as an opportunity to come clean, get it right with God, and start afresh, even if he loses everything he’s built up over the years at New Birth. Indeed, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul (Mk. 8:36)?

This is serious stuff. The lives, souls, and eventual destinies of tens of thousands of people could well hinge on what develops as a result of this case. May God’s hand be at work in this situation.

Malinda Sapp, Wife of Gospel Singer Marvin Sapp, Dies at 43

2010-09-09T15:54:00.015-04:00

Dr. Malinda Sapp, wife of Dr. Marvin Sapp, gospel singer and pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, has died of colon cancer at age 43. Pastor and First Lady Sapp were married for 15 years and had three children.
Personally, I've been very blessed by the music ministry of Dr. Sapp over the years. Our condolences and prayers go out to Bro. Sapp and his family at this difficult time. May the peace of God be with them.

========

From examiner.com:

Gospel music artist Marvin Sapp has lost his wife and best friend, MaLinda Sapp to colon cancer. Marvin and MaLinda had been married for 15 years and have three children. Marvin and his church, Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, had previously launched a 24 hour prayer campaign for the complete healing of MaLinda. Marvin recently curtailed his travel and recording plans in order to be with his wife during her time of sickness.

MaLinda Sapp was Administrative Pastor alongside Marvin Sapp at their church, Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, MI. According to MaLinda's bio she was a limited licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor and served as a college professor. She also served as manager for Marvin Sapp and had Executive Producer credits on many of his audio and video recordings.

Full article here.

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules

2010-09-07T20:26:00.002-04:00

As a former Anglican/Episcopal it has saddened and dismayed me for years to watch as Anglican churches as a whole, with some exceptions, have descended further and further into apostasy, particularly on the issue of dealing with homosexuality.

However, now we're beginning to see more descent into doctrinal depravity as the Scottish Episcopal Church has decided to neutralize God's male-ness, and remove all male references to God in their worship.

This is just political correctness run amok, being perpetrated by people who clearly do not know God or His word. Only God knows what will be the next step the Episcopals -- and the other mainline denominations-- will take next as they continue to lurch headlong into more and more error.

====
From: Telegraph.co.uk

A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

The new form of worship, which removes words such as "Lord, he, his, him" and "mankind" from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is "beyond human gender".

Episcopalian bishops have approved the introduction of more "inclusive" language, which deliberately removes references suggesting that God is of male gender.

Traditionalists have criticised the changes on the grounds that they smack of political correctness and because they believe they are not consistent with the teachings of the Bible. The alterations have been made to provide an alternative to the established 1982 Liturgy, which, like the Bible, refers to God as a man.

The new order of service, which can be used by priests if they have difficulties with a male God, has been produced by the church's Liturgy Committee in consultation with the Faith & Order Board of General Synod and the College of Bishops.

The controversial changes were discussed at the church's General Synod recently. The minutes of the synod reveal that female priests had asked why God was still referred to as a man.
The altered version of the 1982 Liturgy sees masculine pronouns removed when they refer to God and the new approach has even been extended to humans. For example, the word "mankind" has been taken out and replaced with "world".

Full article here:

Detroit Bishop Named Head of Pentecostal Assemblies of the World

2010-08-21T19:16:00.002-04:00

The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) have installed a new presiding bishop, Charles D. Ellis III. Without getting into a lot of detail right now, let's just say I've been aware for several years now of certain struggles and issues the denomination has been dealing with --- some of which I found fairly troubling. So it will be interesting to see the direction the PAW takes under their new leadership. Our best wishes and prayers go out to the PAW and their new leader. May the Lord be with him.

=====

From Charisma News Online:

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 07:51 AM EDT Adrienne S. Gaines

The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World elected Bishop Charles H. Ellis III as its presiding bishop last week during the organization's annual convention in Minneapolis.

Ellis, pastor of 6,000-member Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, succeeds Bishop Horace Smith, M.D., pastor of Apostolic Faith Church in Chicago.

"I'm truly humbled and honored to follow in the footsteps of some legendary clergymen who brought this organization from humble beginnings to where it is today," Ellis said in a statement. "With God's help, I'll work to continue in that tradition of excellence as we reach for higher heights in Kingdom work."

Ellis previously served two terms as assistant presiding bishop of the Oneness Pentecostal denomination and oversaw churches in Ghana. He became pastor of Greater Grace Temple in 1996 after the death of his father, Bishop David Ellis.

Full article here: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/29115-detroit-bishop-named-head-of-pentecostal-assemblies-of-the-world

Anne Rice Breaks Up With Christianity via Facebook

2010-07-29T20:24:00.009-04:00

In a turn of events that's both absurd and sad at the same time, writer Anne Rice a former queen of occult and vampire writings who ostensibly turned to God in 2005 has chosen to reject Christianity, and has chosen to make quite a show of it by using Facebook to announce it. In her own words:

"I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of ...Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."

[I do wonder: is she refusing to be "anti-gay" (whatever that might mean) because her son Christopher Rice is openly homosexual... and thus she doesn't want to deal with the issue from a biblical perspective?]

Sadly, it is failry apparent that Anne Rice, a Roman Catholic, never really knew biblical Christianity, and didn't have a true born again experience through Jesus Christ. Lets face it -- few people, if any, are led into a true relationship with Jesus through that Mary-worshiping, idol-glorifying, pedophile-priest-protecting, Pope-exalting, Bible-violating abomination of a "church" known as Roman Catholicism. And for her to even describe "Christianity" in such harsh and stereotypical terms shows how little she really knows of true biblical Christianity, and brings to mind the words of the apostle John in 1 John 2:19 :

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Truly an unfortunate turn of events. May the Lord have mercy on this woman's soul before she departs this life.

Full article from Beliefnet here.

Obama Administration Shifting from Freedom of Religion to "Freedom of Worship"

2010-07-18T11:19:00.003-04:00

Words do matter. We should never forget that.

The terms "freedom of religion" and "freedom of worship" might sound very similar, but the underlying meanings are actually quite different. It seems like the Obama administration is making a shift from the concept of "freedom of religion" to the softer "freedom of worship" position.And frankly, this is a very big deal. If this idea catches on, the implications for Christians, especially in terms of religious freedom as it relates to our ability to proselytize, could be HUGE.

* By Randy Sly
* 7/16/2010
* Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Words matter - listen carefully to our current administration

Since the initially strong language on religious freedom used in President Obama's Cairo speech, presidential references to religious freedom have become rare, often replaced, at most, with references to freedom of worship. A purposeful change in language could mean a much narrower view of the right to religious freedom.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The change in language was barely noticeable to the average citizen but political observers are raising red flags at the use of a new term "freedom of worship" by President Obama and Secretary Clinton as a replacement for the term freedom of religion. This shift happened between the President's speech in Cairo where he showcased America's freedom of religion and his appearance in November at a memorial for the victims of Fort Hood, where he specifically used the term "freedom of worship." From that point on, it has become the term of choice for the president and Clinton.

In her article for "First Things" magazine, Ashley Samelson, International Programs Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, stated, "To anyone who closely follows prominent discussion of religious freedom in the diplomatic and political arena, this linguistic shift is troubling: "The reason is simple. Any person of faith knows that religious exercise is about a lot more than freedom of worship. It's about the right to dress according to one's religious dictates, to preach openly, to evangelize, to engage in the public square. Everyone knows that religious Jews keep kosher, religious Quakers don't go to war, and religious Muslim women wear headscarves-yet "freedom of worship" would protect none of these acts of faith."

In the administration's defense, Carl Esbeck, professor of law at the University of Missouri, is quoted by Christianity Today as saying, "The softened message is probably meant for the Muslim world, said. Obama, seeking to repair relations fractured by 9/11, is telling Islamic countries that America is not interfering with their internal matters."

Let's be clear, however; language matters when it comes to defining freedoms and limits. A shift from freedom of religion to freedom of worship moves the dialog from the world stage into the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque. Such limitations can unleash an unbridled initiative that we have only experienced in a mild way through actions determined to remove of roadside crosses, wearing of religious t-shirts and pro-life pins as well as any initiatives of evangelization. It also could exclude our right to raise our children in our faith, the right to religious education, literature or media, the right to raise funds or organize charitable activities and the right to express religious beliefs in the normal discourse of life.

Full article here:

QUAKERS BACK GAY MARRIAGE

2010-07-12T16:42:00.003-04:00

Here we go again. Another one bites the dust.
This time the Quakers "Christian" denomination has come out in support of gay marriage.

No surprise here. I fully expect that within a generation the majority of church denominations will support homosexual marriage, with a relative few opposing it. Clearly, the devil is busy. The only good thing in this is that this helps clearly show us who the apostate denominations are. Obviously, the gay issue isnt the single measure of apostasy in a denomination, but to me, approval of homosexual marriage is a distinct sign of spiritual deadness.

So lets see which denomination will be the next domino to fall. The way things are going, we'll probably see a few more fall before this year is over.

==========================

Sunday July 11,2010

By Pete Maclaine

QUAKERS are calling for gay people to be allowed the same marital status as their heterosexual counterparts.

The Religious Society of Friends last year sanctioned the proposal of same-sex marriages after backing gay “unions” for two decades.

They are calling for a meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May to bring pressure in Parliament.

The Government, meanwhile, has refused to extend the term “marriage” to same-sex couples, although it has recognised “civil partnerships” which give homosexual couples almost exactly the same rights of inheritance, pensions and property as heterosexuals.

At their gathering in York in 2009, more than 1,500 Quakers agreed to “treat same-sex, committed relationships in the same way as opposite-sex marriages, reaffirming our central insight that marriage is the Lord’s work and we are but witnesses”.

The latest edition of the manual Quaker Faith and Practice is to be changed so that “same-sex marriages can be prepared, celebrated, witnessed, recorded and reported to the State as opposite-sex marriages are”.

Quakers have agreed not to break the law by taking part in same-sex marriages until they are legally recognised.

The gathering approved the statement: “We will not at this time require our registering officers to act contrary to the law but understand that the law does not preclude them from playing a central role in the celebration and recording of same-sex marriages.”

Although other Christian churches and other religions have approved blessings for same-sex civil partnerships, the Quakers are the UK’s first mainstream religious group to approve marriages for lesbians and gays.

Full article: here.

Walter Hawkins dead: Award-winning gospel singer was 61

2010-07-12T16:17:00.001-04:00

Gospel music industry worker Walter Hawkins died yesterday.

=====

By John S. Marshall
The Associated Press
Monday, July 12, 2010; 1:28 AM

RIPON, Calif. -- Walter Hawkins, a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, composer and pastor from Oakland, died Sunday. He was 61.

Walter Hawkins, who was battling pancreatic cancer, passed away at his home in Ripon, Calif., his older brother Edwin Hawkins said.

"Today, I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend," said Edwin Hawkins. "Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely but now he will suffer no more and he will be greatly missed."

Born in Oakland, Hawkins studied for his divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

While at the university, he recorded his first album titled "Do Your Best" in 1972.

The next year, Hawkins became a pastor and founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, where he also formed a choir.

Full Article(from the Washington Post) is here.

Federal Debt Just Keeps Getting Worse

2010-07-01T17:37:00.011-04:00

The national debt picture continues to get worse and worse, as we can see from this USAToday article below. However, just in case you thought it was bad that the US national debt [supposedly] hit the $13 trillion mark recently, there's more bad news. The REAL national debt is more like $74 trillion (!), as we'll see below:

Article from USA Today:

The men and women charged with figuring out how to reduce federal deficits and debt got some more bad news this morning: the numbers keep getting worse.

That was the news from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which for the firsttime took into consideration the new health care law, heralded by President Obama and Democrats for reducing deficits in the long run.

The report doesn't contradict that. It simply points out that any long-term savings from the health care law, such as from Medicare savings, aren't enough to turn deficits around.

Moreover, the report casts doubt on whether Congress will stick to the tougher aspects of the law. If it doesn't -- for instance, if it doesn't cut Medicare payments to doctors -- the fiscal picture will be far worse.

First, the numbers: Debt held by the public will rise from 62% of the economy to 79% over the next 25 years. If assumptions are made about what Congress is likely to do -- for instance, maintain some tax cuts and avoid Medicare cuts to doctors -- that percentage will increase to 185% of the economy in 2035.

CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf told President Obama's fiscal commission that health care costs remain the primary problem. The health care law passed this year, he said,"made a dent in the problem but did not substantially diminish that challenge."

The 18-member bipartisan fiscal commission is charged with proposing changes that

would reduce the federal budget deficit -- $1.5 trillion -- and the cumulative national debt

-- $13.1 trillion.

(full article here)

=========

Now in case you think a $13 trillion debt is an outrage (and it IS), then hold on to your seat. This next article shows why the real debt is more like $74 trillion.

Of course we could go on a long rant about why our leaders have dug us into a deep hole that will only lead to economic calamity. But the real outrage is that most of the American sheeple as a whole have been asleep at the wheel, and allowed this to happen right under our collective noses!

From the Idaho Freedom Foundation:

Budget expert says national debt is $74 trillion, not $13 trillion

May 25, 2010 | posted by Jay Howell

Lately, we've been hearing a lot about how the national debt is approaching the $13 trillion dollar mark. But one accountant who’s been studying the federal deficit and national debt for nearly 20 years says $13 trillion is just a fraction of our real national debt, which is closer to $74 trillion.

According to InvestorWords.com, “National Debt” is defined as “the sum of all previously incurred annual federal deficits. Since the deficits are financed by government borrowing, national debt is equal to all government debt outstanding.” But according to Sheila Weinberg, CEO and founder of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, in order to accurately calculate the nation’s debt load, unfunded liabilities such as Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, etc., must be figured in.

Weinberg said when the government cites the national debt as “only” $13 trillion, it's a bogus number. “The big programs, Social Security and Medicare, they’re eating a huge part of the debt. Ask your readers if they believe the government owes them Social Security and Medicare benefits. If they do, then the real number is actually $74 trillion.”

Weinberg said the government doesn’t consider that they “owe” Social Security and Medicare benefits beyond the checks they’ve already written. In fact, in the U.S. Treasury’s 2008-2009 “Notes to the Financial Statements” report, it specifies in Section R (Social Insurance):

“A liability for social insurance programs (Social Security, Medicare, Railroad Retirement, Black Lung, and Unemployment) is recognized for any unpaid amounts currently due as of the reporting date. No liability is recognized for future benefit payments not yet due.” (emphasis ours)

Link to full article here.

Evolution is Religion, Not Science!!

2010-06-15T21:53:00.001-04:00

This article from the Institute for Creation Research speaks for itself, and doesnt really need whole a lot of commentary added to it. I just wanted to share with my visitors here one of the best articles I've come across recently that shows, USING THEIR OWN WORDS, that atheistic evolutionists know full well that evolution is not just a scientific endeavor; it's an attempt to stamp out belief in God. In essence, it is a replacement, secular relgion, an attempt to provide atheists (and agnotics perhaps) with a way to rationalize away the existence of God. No God, of course, means no one that we're accountable to -- which is really at the core of man's desire to try to eradicate the existence of God.

A few of the quotes:

Scientists should refuse formal debates because they do more harm than good, but scientists still need to counter the creationist message.³

Even if all the data point to an intelligent designer, such a hypothesis is excluded from science because it is not naturalistic.⁷

Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality. . . . Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today. ⁸

We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, . . . in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated commitment to materialism. . . . we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.¹⁰

Full article here.

Are there dangers in being 'spiritual but not religious'?

2010-06-07T17:04:00.001-04:00

My answer to the above question is a resounding "YES!". There are indeed dangers to having a buffet-style, pick-and-choose, do-it-yourself mindset regarding religion. However, that seems to be the way our world is headed.

Those who have such a mindset are similar to those Paul wrote about in Romans10:2-3

²... they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
³For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

... and also in 2 Timothy 4:3:

³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

It may be "religiously incorrect" to say it nowadays, but there is still just one way to God, and His name is Jesus Christ.

" ...if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
(John 8:24)

³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
³⁸Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

(Acts 2:37-39)

¹⁵He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(Mark 16:15-16)

The gospel that the church received from Jesus in the first century has . It was the way to God then... and it's still the way to God in 2010.
----

Excerpt from the CNN.com article:
Are there dangers in being 'spiritual but not religious'?

(CNN) -- "I'm spiritual but not religious."

It's a trendy phrase people often use to describe their belief that they don't need organized religion to live a life of faith.

But for Jesuit priest James Martin, the phrase also hints at something else: egotism.

"Being spiritual but not religious can lead to complacency and self-centeredness," says Martin, an editor at America, a national Catholic magazine based in New York City. "If it's just you and God in your room, and a religious community makes no demands on you, why help the poor?"

Religious debates erupt over everything from doctrine to fashion. Martin has jumped into a running debate over the "I'm spiritual but not religious" phrase.

The "I'm spiritual but not religious" community is growing so much that one pastor compared it to a movement. In a 2009 survey by the research firm LifeWay Christian Resources, 72 percent of millennials (18- to 29-year-olds) said they're "more spiritual than religious." The phrase is now so commonplace that it's spawned its own acronym ("I'm SBNR") and Facebook page: SBNR.org.

But what exactly does being "spiritual but not religious" mean, and could there be hidden dangers in living such a life?

Did you choose "Burger King Spirituality"?

Heather Cariou, a New York City-based author who calls herself spiritual instead of religious, doesn't think so. She's adopted a spirituality that blends Buddhism, Judaism and other beliefs.

"I don't need to define myself to any community by putting myself in a box labeled Baptist, or Catholic, or Muslim," she says. "When I die, I believe all my accounting will be done to God, and that when I enter the eternal realm, I will not walk though a door with a label on it."

Full article: here.

Interfaith marriages are rising fast, but they're failing fast too

2010-06-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

I've never thought it was a good idea for people of different faiths to marry. If, for example, a person who's Catholic, who supposedly believes Jesus is the messiah, marries someone who's Jewish (who believes Jesus is NOT the messiah), then what do they teach their children?

But even apart from the children issue, what happens when one partner who had been lackadaisical about his/her faith decides to get more serious about their faith? One can only imagine the friction it can cause in the marriage. I certainly didn't need a Washington Post article to convince me interfaith marriages are a bad idea. But this article just reinforces in my mind my long held belief that an interfaith marriage is essentially a disaster waiting to happen.

As the Bibble itself says: How can two walk together unless they be in agreement? (Amos 3:3)

=====================

By Naomi Schaefer Riley

Sunday, June 6, 2010

When Joseph Reyes and Rebecca Shapiro got married in 2004, they had a Jewish wedding ceremony. He was Catholic but converted to Judaism after they married, and they agreed to raise any children in the Jewish faith. However, after their daughter Ela was born, Reyes began to worry about the fact that she had not been baptized. "If, God forbid, something happened to her, she wouldn't be in heaven," he told me.

Today, two years after the Illinois couple's bitter divorce battle began, the fight over Ela's religious upbringing involves criminal charges.

The fight escalated in November, when Reyes had Ela baptized in a Catholic church and e-mailed his estranged wife a photo. She filed a complaint, and a judge barred Reyes from exposing his daughter to "any other religion other than the Jewish religion." In January, Reyes violated the judge's order and brought Ela to church again, with a camera crew in tow.

The divorce was settled in April. Reyes is once again allowed to take his daughter to church. But he faces up to six months in jail.

The Reyes-Shapiro divorce is about as ugly as the end of a marriage can get. Some of the sparring is an example of the bad ways people act when a union unravels. But the fight over Ela's religion illustrates the particular hardships and poor track record of interfaith marriages: They fail at higher rates than same-faith marriages. But couples don't want to hear that, and no one really wants to tell them.

Full article here.

Runaway Christian Convert Being Treated for Cancer

2010-05-28T19:25:00.004-04:00

Seventeen year old Fathima Rifqa Bary, who bravely resisted her own parents as she chose Christ over Islam, is now fighting cancer. May the prayers of the saints be with her.

---
From FoxNews.com:

By Joshua Rhett Miller

Published May 25, 2010

The Muslim teenager from Ohio who converted to Christianity and fled to Florida in fear of retaliation is being treated for an "aggressive" form of uterine cancer, a close friend told FoxNews.com.

Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, has undergone two operations and has a third scheduled for Thursday, said Jamal Jivanjee, an ordained pastor who heads an Orlando-based ministry.

"The biopsy did come back malignant," Jivanjee told FoxNews.com. "It's a pretty aggressive form of uterine cancer."
Doctors had initially considered a complete hysterectomy, Jivanjee said, but they are hopeful that the complete removal of Bary's uterus won't be necessary.

"She really wants people to pray for her," he said. "That was why the decision was made to get the news out there."

Full story here:

Related story: Christian girl begs state: Don't let them kill me!

Mission Leader: Why So Few Christians in Japan?

2010-05-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

Interesting article about the lack of penetration of Christianity into Japanese society:

By Michelle A. Vu|Christian Post Reporter

The quality of missionaries or the methodologies used is not the problem when it comes evangelizing. But it is the Japanese mentality itself that is hindering more people from coming to Christ, said a mission leader last week at a global conference in Tokyo.

Japanese people value human relationships more than truth and principle, said Dr. Minoru Okuyama, director of the Missionary Training Center in Japan, during his presentation at the Tokyo 2010 Global Missions Consultations.

“Because they are afraid of disturbing human relationships of their families or neighborhood even though they know that Christianity is the best,” said Okuyama, who previously was Buddhist and a Shintoist. “Thus, Japanese make much of human relationships more than the truth. Consequently we can say that as for Japanese, one of the most important things is harmony; in Japanese ‘Wa.’”

He added, “[T]hose who harm the harmony are bad, whether they are right or not has been beside the question.”

Less than one percent of Japan’s population is Christian even though the religion was brought to the country over 150 years ago.

Okuyama noted that Christianity is thriving in neighboring China and Korea because the mentality of the people is to “make more of truth or principle than human relationships.”

Full article here.

Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem

2010-05-12T19:14:00.003-04:00

My respect for the Israeli Prime Minister just went up a few notches after reading this news story. Benjamin Netanyahu is a smart man. You can never go wrong when you turn to the scriptures when looking at the Israeli-Palestinaian conflict, because at it's core, this conflict is neither a a social nor a political issue; but rather, it's a spiritual issue.

This Israel is the land that God gave to Abraham as a possession for him and his offspring forever:

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
(Genesis 13:15)

And this Jerusalem is that city that Jesus said would be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles (after its coming destruction in AD 70) until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled :

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
(Luke 21:24)

This is that same land that God said he would restore to Israel to in the latter days (see Ezekiel chapters 36-39).

²³ The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. ²⁴ According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.”’
²⁵ “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— ²⁶ after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. ²⁷ When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, ²⁸ then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. ²⁹ And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”
(Ezekiel 39:23-29)

So the Gentiles, and Israel's Arab nations in particular, can fight against Israel if they want to, but in the end they wont win. Maybe Benjamin Netanyahu is one of those few world leaders who recognizes that.

===
Article excerpt from Reuters:

Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem

By Dan Williams
JERUSALEM - Beset by questions about Jerusalem's future in talks with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached for the Bible on Wednesday to stake out the Jewish state's contested claim on the city.

Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating Israel's capture of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war that "Jerusalem" and its alternative Hebrew name "Zion" appear 850 times in the Old Testament, Judaism's core canon.

"As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check," he said.

Citing such ancestry, Israel calls all of Jerusalem its "eternal and indivisible" capital -- a designation not recognised abroad, where many powers support Arab claims to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The dispute is further inflamed by the fact East Jerusalem houses al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, on a plaza that Jews revere as the vestige of two biblical Jewish temples.

Heckled by a lawmaker from Israel's Arab minority, Netanyahu offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.

"Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem," he said.

===

Noah's Ark" has been found in Turkey

2010-04-27T19:05:00.002-04:00

Has Noah's Ark been found? Some are skeptical, of course, but it seems that Noah's ark may have been found on Mt. Ararat in Turkey. I guess I'd ask: if it's not Noah's Ark, then what is it, and how could such a vessel or structure end up 13,000 feet up in the mountains? I guess time will tell.

Quote from the Bible: "And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat."(Genesis 8:4)

Article from TheSun (UK):

THE remains of Noah's Ark have been discovered 13,000ft up a Turkish mountain, it has been claimed.

A group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers say they have found wooden remains on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey.

They claim carbon dating proves the relics are 4,800 years old — around the same time the ark was said to be afloat.

Yeung Wing-Cheung, from the Noah's Ark Ministries International research team, said: "It's not 100 per cent that it is Noah's Ark, but we think it is 99.9 per cent that this is it."

Dig

He said the structure contained several compartments, some with wooden beams, that they believe were used to house animals.

The group of evangelical archaeologists ruled out an established human settlement on the grounds none have ever been found above 11,000ft in the vicinity, Yeung said.

Local Turkish officials will ask the central government in Ankara to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status so the site can be protected while a major archaeological dig is conducted.

Full article here.

See also: Evangelists claim Noah's Ark found (from worldnetdaily.com).

Jennifer Knapp, Christian music star announces she is gay

2010-04-14T17:38:00.008-04:00

Wow. Another one bites the dust. Surely the devil is busy.

Almost two ago, Christian music artist Ray Boltz came out of the closet, revealing that he is a homosexual. Gospel singer Tonex did the same thing last year. Now Jennifer Knapp has joined the parade. How sad. The unfortunate thing is, there are many more in Christian/Gospel music who are gay but are hiding it. It makes one wonder: "How much of the Christian music I listen to is actually made by truly devoted Christians? ... and how much is made by a) backslidden and unrepentant believers who want to cling to their sin while still "praising the Lord" or b) pretenders who are passing as Christians while they make a career in the gospel music industry?"

in an interview with Christianity Today magazine, Ms. Knapp says

The Bible has literally saved my life. I find myself between a rock and a hard place -- between the conservative evangelical who uses what most people refer to as the 'clobber verses' to refer to this loving relationship as an abomination, while they're eating shellfish and wearing clothes of five different fabrics, and various other Scriptures we could argue about.

I'm not capable of getting into the theological argument as to whether or not we should or shouldn't allow homosexuals within our church. There's a spirit that overrides that for me, and (that is) what I've been gravitating to in Christ and why I became a Christian in the first place.

This is where Jennifer Knapp is wrong. There is NOTHING to "argue about" when it comes to this. Scripturally, they don't have a leg to stand on... and the "shellfish" and "different fabrics" pro-Gay arguments dont stand up under close examination.

Time and space dont allow me to get into it here in-depth, but Joe Dallas has written an excellent article that deals with the major pro-Gay Theology arguments: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology.

See also "Pro-Homosexual Arguments Examined" for more on this.

God's word is crystal clear. God made man and woman. Any sexual activity outside of the bonds of male-female marriage is sexual immorality.

I guess we can fully expect to see more "Christian music" artists come out and try to make it seem as if their homosexual perversion is compatible with Biblical Christianity. Unfortunately, actions have consequences. One must wonder: how many women and girls have been corrupted in the past by Jennifer Knapp? And how many more will be corrupted now and in the future, since she's decided to try to put the stamp of acceptability on her sexually immoral lifestyle?. The simple fact is, whether or not it's politically correct to say it, homosexuality is not at all compatible with Christianity -- and frankly, any Christian who isn't scripturally convinced of that fact may well be in spiritual danger himself, whether he knows it or not.

Pentecostals find fertile ground in Latin America

2010-04-14T12:38:00.001-04:00

Great article from BBC News. In Guatemala and other parts of Latin America, people are ridding themselves of the Mary-worshipping false religion known as Roman Catholicism, and embracing Pentecostal Christianity. Definitely a good sign, to say the least.

Article excerpt:
Pentecostals find fertile ground in Latin America

By Steve O'Hagan
BBC Radio 4 Crossing Continents

In a suburb of Guatemala City, a 90-day non-stop televised fundraiser for a Pentecostal church is in full swing. At one end of a courtyard is a make-shift TV studio, where a steady stream of believers are queuing to present gifts to a pastor live on air.

A man and his son have brought two floppy-eared puppies. A boy of seven has brought a cute white kitten. A woman and her daughter are clutching a plump brown hen. Noise fills the air, but the animals are quiet.

Perhaps they know they are about to be donated?

The man and the boy with the puppies are next up. They are ushered in front of the cameras, where the pastor waits to bless and thank them. With tears in their eyes the pair hand over the dogs to church workers, who whisk them away.

But these tears are not for the puppies, they are tears of joy at having helped the church.
"We are not sad to give these dogs," explains the man to me afterwards. "We are doing something that will help spread the word throughout Guatemala."

The dogs do not have far to go. Next door to the studio is an ad-hoc market. Here, everything that is donated to the church is put on sale to other worshippers. The money raised this way joins the donations pouring in from callers to the phone lines. The goal is to raise enough to build a new television studio, a high-tech purpose-built media hub to carry the Pentecostal message across all of Guatemala.

"They bring wonderful gifts - animals, televisions, even cars," the church's smiling PR woman tells me. "And it's all for one reason, and that is to spread the word of God."

The Pentecostal word has spread explosively here in the past 40 years. Estimates suggest that over four in 10 now follow the faith in Guatemala. And the same thing is happening across Central America - traditionally a bastion of Catholicism.

Here at the tele-marathon, it is clear from their dark skin and flashes of traditional textiles that many of the followers are of indigenous Mayan descent.

These people are generally poor, and discrimination against them by the elites of European descent is a part of life here.

Full article here:
Related article (from bbc.co.uk): Pentecostal Church 'sees growth'

The Religion Blog That Hates Religion

2010-04-05T17:58:00.004-04:00

NewsBusters.org has an excellent article shining the light on the Huffington Post Religion Blog, which ends up pretty much being a left-wing view of religion, displaying a scornful attitude traditional Christian religion and it's values. Then again, knowing the Huffington Post (founded by former right-winger turned left winger Arianna Huffington), and knowing the American left wing, this shouldnt be a surprise.

If you ever wanted a clear view of how the God-hating religious left thinks, then HuffPost Religion definitely provides that for all to see. This, of course, is a view that we can expect to see more of as our culture begins to shift more and more to the left, and becomes increasingly godless.
-----

Excerpt:

The Religion Blog That Hates Religion
By Carolyn Plocher (Bio | Archive)Wed, 03/31/2010 - 08:57 ET

No, hell hasn't frozen over but, yes, the Huffington Post now has a religion blog. The Huffington Post, a Web site devoted to rankling conservatives and pushing a liberal agenda, announced on Feb. 24 that it was launching HuffPost Religion.

Huffington Post's co-founder, Arianna Huffington, claimed it would simply be "a section featuring a wide-ranging discussion about religion [and] spirituality," but the numbers prove that it is more of an attack on traditional Christianity than a discussion.

The site didn't waste any time throwing punches. In its first two weeks, it churned out articles by a liberal nun calling Catholicism sexist; a Rabbi claiming that Judaism will "stagnate and cease to be meaningful" unless it participates in the "green movement;" an avowed atheist comparing those who believe in God to a 7-year-old still believing in the tooth fairy; a science writer warning being religious could lead to "dangerous side-effects" such as "the crusader jihadist mentality;" and a neuroscientist calling those who believe in "obsolete religious ideas" a "lunatic fringe."

HuffPost Religion is the religion blog that hates religion, but the faith it abuses the most is Christianity.

Full article: here.

Related article, from CultureAndMediaInstitute.org: HuffPo + Religion Still Equals a Liberal Blogspot

No Such Thing As " Good Friday"

2010-03-30T17:34:00.002-04:00

As churches worldwide observe Good Friday in a few days, it makes me just marvel that so many churches and believers just accept this man-made tradition... not realizing or noticing that Jesus died not on Friday, but on Wednesday!

Yes, Wednesday. Never heard that before? Mr Teno Groppi of kjv1611.org makes the biblical case clearly that Jesus died on Wednesday, and rose Saturday night.

Excerpts:

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31)

The Catholic church sees a Sabbath day there and knowing that the body must be buried before then, they have Christ going into the tomb on Friday night to beat the deadline. They mistakenly assume it's talking about the Old Testament Saturday (At least they got that much right for once, but even when they're right, they're wrong!) and try to cram 72 hours into 36 or less.

What they didn't notice was that this was an high day, not a normal weekly Sabbath. The high day was the Passover! It fell on Thursday, and the days of unleavened bread followed (Lev 23:5-7, Num 28:16-17).

Searching the Scripture, we find that the phrase "day of preparation" is never used in the context of a regular Sabbath day. The day of "preparation" is always speaking of a special Sabbath such as the Passover.

----

How could the Sabbath be past (Mark) if they had to prepare the ointments before the Sabbath (Luke)? Easy, there were two Sabbaths, the Passover high day (Thursday), and the Saturday Sabbath. The ladies bought the spices on Friday, between the two Sabbaths. The Spice stores would've been closed on Thursday and Saturday. Friday was the only possible day they could've bought them. The Catholic cramming of three days into one, and making two Sabbaths into one, makes this into a contradiction.

Full article here.

See also: The Good Friday Myth -- Jesus died on a Wednesday.

America's Retirement Crisis: A Concise Guide

2010-03-21T15:24:00.004-04:00

In one of the most striking articles I've read in a long time, thisweek.com demonstrates just how much of a looming catastrophe America is facing with it's retirement situation. The days of pensions are fading fast, and most Americans are now responsible to save for their own retirement. The problem is, most of us are doing a poor job of it. Consider this simple statistic: 1 in 4 Americans has less than $1,000 saved for retirement. And most Americans dont have a realistic sense of how much they'll need. Frankly, this is a disaster in the making, a ticking time bomb that's getting little attention from our mainstream media.

It's a complex problem with no simple answers. But my own advice to any and all would be this: Eliminate debt, and start putting away something - anything- as soon as possible. Debt is evil. Debt is bondage. Indeed, the Bible itself speaks strongly against debt, and tells us that "the borrower is the servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7). America's debt problem has us as a nation headed toward almost certain calamity at some point in the future, but we can do what we can, individually, to cushion the blow to ourselves and our loved ones. To those who aren't familiar with him, I highly recommend personal finance expert Dave Ramsey, and his website, daveramsey.com.

From the article:

One in four Americans has less than $1,000 in his retirement savings account, according to the 20th Retirement Confidence Survey, a new study conducted by The Employee Benefit Research Institute that's sending shock waves through the media. Here's a rundown of how we got into this hole, and what you can do to avoid a bleak retirement:

What's the most important conclusion?
Americans aren't saving enough for retirement, and they don't have a realistic sense of how much they'll need. "People just don't want to think about this," says report co-author Jack VanDerhei. "Everybody thinks they're too young to think about it, until suddenly they're too old to do anything about it."

How bad is the situation?
A frightening 27 percent of workers have saved less than $1,000 for their retirement, and 43 percent have less than $10,000. Only 46 percent of American workers have even figured out how much they need for their Golden Years.

But everyone has something put away, right?
No. According to the study, a significant percentage of workers have saved nothing at all, and only 16 percent are "very confident" they'll have enough money to fund their retirement.

Full article: here.

The end of the road for Barack Obama?

2010-03-08T17:57:00.005-05:00

A year ago, the thought of Barack Obama being just a one term president, like Jimmy Carter, was almost unthinkable. Now, the idea isnt so crazy after all.

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Telegraph (UK) writer has an interesting article:

It is a universal political truth that administrations do not begin to fragment when things are going well: it only happens when they go badly, and those who think they know better begin to attack those who manifestly do not. The descent of Barack Obama's regime, characterised now by factionalism in the Democratic Party and talk of his being set to emulate Jimmy Carter as a one-term president, has been swift and precipitate. It was just 16 months ago that weeping men and women celebrated his victory over John McCain in the American presidential election. If they weep now, a year and six weeks into his rule, it is for different reasons.

Despite the efforts of some sections of opinion to talk the place up, America is mired in unhappiness, all the worse for the height from which Obamania has fallen. The economy remains troublesome. There is growth – a good last quarter suggested an annual rate of as high as six per cent, but that figure is probably not reliable – and the latest unemployment figures, last Friday, showed a levelling off. Yet 15 million Americans, or 9.7 per cent of the workforce, have no job. Many millions more are reduced to working part-time. Whole areas of the country, notably in the north and on the eastern seaboard, are industrial wastelands. The once mighty motor city of Detroit appears slowly to be being abandoned, becoming a Jurassic Park of the mid-20th century; unemployment among black people in Mr Obama's own city of Chicago is estimated at between 20 and 25 per cent. One senior black politician – a Democrat and a supporter of the President – told me of the wrath in his community that a black president appeared to be unable to solve the economic problem among his own people. Cities in the east such as Newark and Baltimore now have drug-dealing as their principal commercial activity: The Wire is only just fictional.

Last Thursday the House of Representatives passed a jobs Bill, costing $15 billion, which would give tax breaks to firms hiring new staff and, through state sponsorship of construction projects, create thousands of jobs too. The Senate is trying to approve a Bill that would provide a further $150 billion of tax incentives to employers. Yet there is a sense of desperation in the Administration, a sense that nothing can be as efficacious at the moment as a sticking plaster. Edward B Montgomery, deputy labour secretary in the Clinton administration, now spends his time on day trips to decaying towns that used to have a car industry, not so much advising them on how to do something else as facilitating those communities' access to federal funds. For a land without a welfare state, America starts to do an effective impersonation of a country with one. This massive state spending gives rise to accusations by Republicans, and people too angry even to be Republicans, that America is now controlled by "Leftists" and being turned into a socialist state.

Full article here: The end of the road for Barack Obama?

Huffington Post Article on "One Global Government"... (plus a flashback to Dec. 2008)

2010-03-08T17:24:00.007-05:00

Huffington Post writer Patrick Takahashi gives his thoughts regarding the merits of the world one day uniting under a One World Government. (excerpt below). Little by little, this concept, once seemingly mostly discussed by Conservative Christians, conspiracy theorists, and "right wing extremists" is gradually getting more attention in the mainstream media. Look for more mainstream websites and publications to discuss the issue as the biblically prophesied Kingdom of Antichrist begins to take shape in our world.

An excerpt from the Huffington Post article:

The trend, though, is clear. First a G3, then a universal government. This already is happening with one global economy. We are inextricably linked on one Planet Earth and our common environment. World peace will only come when there is one global government.

Let's for the sake of discussion say that someday the world has one government. Won't this be like the United Nations, but worse? Well, linear thinking would come to that conclusion. Let us surprise ourselves and be smarter this next time. Let us design a system that works.

Yet, it remains unclear what will trigger this ultimate consolidation. Certainly, the United Nation (UN) will not morph into this leading role. As the EU has 27 members, should the U.S. then have 50, not one vote? If you've ever had to work with this organization, you can only agree with me that the UN has perfected paralysis by analysis. Thus, the UN cannot be that unifying force.

So what is the simple solution on how, exactly, to attain one world government and Peace on Earth? I really don't know. Perhaps someone out there has a clue.

Full article here: "One Global Government"

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However, probably one of the most noteworthy articles in recent memory that speaks favorably of One World Government was when Financial Times writer Gideon Rachman's wrote his article "And Now For a World Government". That was back in December 2008, and the article gathered a whole lot of attention and was one of the most downloaded and most commented-on pieces in the website's history. For those who've never seen it, take a look below.

Excerpt here:

I have never believed that there is a secret United Nations plot to take over the US. I have never seen black helicopters hovering in the sky above Montana. But, for the first time in my life, I think the formation of some sort of world government is plausible.

A “world government” would involve much more than co-operation between nations. It would be an entity with state-like characteristics, backed by a body of laws. The European Union has already set up a continental government for 27 countries, which could be a model. The EU has a supreme court, a currency, thousands of pages of law, a large civil service and the ability to deploy military force.

So could the European model go global? There are three reasons for thinking that it might.

First, it is increasingly clear that the most difficult issues facing national governments are international in nature: there is global warming, a global financial crisis and a “global war on terror”.

Full article: "And Now For A World Government."

False Messiah Announces Plan to "Transform Himself" in 2012

2010-02-22T15:22:00.003-05:00

It seems like the devil is getting ready to shift his activity into a higher gear this upcoming decade. One thing to watch for: an increase in activity and visibility of his false "Christs". One such false Christ we've covered at this blog, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, has announced plans to "transform himself" next year. What this means exactly, we don't know yet, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on.

(See more info on Jose Miranda here and here.)

Miranda, who calls himself "the man Christ Jesus" , and proudly embraces the number 666 as his own, has issued a press release about this upcoming transformation.

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The Man Christ Jesus to Transform Himself in 2010.

Published on Thursday, February 18, 2010

Miami, Florida (CEG) – Jose Luis De Jesus, The Man Christ Jesus, once again makes history and shocks the nations by announcing today the exact date of the most awaited and most spectacular event in history – The Glorious Day of The Transformation, where His physical body will be transformed, dressed in immortality and incorruptibility (1 Cor. 15:53-54), in the same manner as Jesus of Nazareth experienced.

The evidences are irrefutable and the countdown has begun.

The prophecies foretold that Jose Luis De Jesus (666), the fulfillment of the Second Coming, would be given exactly 42 months of authority to act, as stated in Rev. 13:5 where Apostle John confusedly referred to Him as ‘The Beast’. Of these 42 months, Dec. 2008 to Dec. 2009 marked the fulfillment of 12 months since His ‘image’ was given power, thereby leaving an approximate 2 1/2 years left of Judgment on Earth.

Haiti’s alarming earthquake is merely an example of what is yet to come during this judgment period. As today’s generation have made a mockery of Jose Luis De Jesus and have taken His Return all too lightly, the Earth groans. The planet will continue to witness the famine, earthquakes, and wars of Matthew 24:6-8 and Revelations 6:5-8 -- foretold tribulations that would occur as part of God's direct wrath and judgment right before His transformation.

The signs of the times are clear. Thousands worldwide are marked with the number of His name, 666. The Earth’s rotation has accelerated to a speed of 66,666 mph. All prophecies are fulfilling, even scientific, astronomical and numerological formulae are aligning - all pointing to the year 2012, where the Puerto Rican-born Jose Luis De Jesus (Latitude 66.6°) curiously turns 66.

Throughout history, this date has been proposed inaccurately 59 times, however The Man Christ Jesus has spoken. The one and only ordained to communicate the date in which this would take place (Acts 17:31).

“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4). The King of kings, Lord of lords is here and His transformation – The Great Day of the Lord - will take place in our lifetime.

For more information, please visit: www.cegenglish.com

Note to Editor:
1. To view the historic video of the Man Christ Jesus announcing the exact date and details of His Transformation, watch: World Tracing (02/03/10:” The Lord’s Great Day”
2. For high-resolution editorial pictures please visit: www.cegenglish.com/images_jh
3. As of today’s release date, Feb 15, there are 866 days left to the day of His transformation.

Press & Media Inquiries

North America:
Axel Poessy
Tel: (718) 713-8075
pr@creciendoengracia.com

http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2203

Two Christians Murdered for Witnessing in Florida

2010-02-08T14:46:00.004-05:00

Two men have been killed for sharing their Christian faith. This is something you might expect in Pakistan or Iran, but it happened here in the good ol' USA -- in Boynton Beach, Florida to be exact. If it was 2 Muslims or 2 Jews you would have heard a lot about it. But they are 2 Christians, so the media just yawns.

Sadly, as anti-Christian sentiment continues to increase in this country, I expect to see this happen more and more. Christians had better be cautious out there, since the spiritual climate in our nation, and our world, is definitely changing.

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Why the National Media Blackout?
Contact: Dr. Gary Cass, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, 866-508-2232, 954-551-9770

VISTA, Calif., Feb. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Anti-Christian hostility is getting increasingly deadly as this week's tragic events demonstrate," said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "The increasing demonization of Christians in our culture makes some feel its open season on Christians."

According to the Boynton Beach police, simply sharing the word of God on the street is what brought two ministers to the man who killed them. Tite Sufra, 24, and Stephen Ocean, 23, were shot and killed Saturday night after meeting Jeriah Woody, 18. They witnessed to Woody for fifteen minutes when he got a phone call and told the preachers he 'had to go.' As they walked away, Woody suddenly started walking back toward them. Sufra walked up to greet him and was killed with a shot gun blast at point blank range. When Ocean ran, he was shot in the back. After he fell, Woody shot him in the head execution style. Woody was arrested Wednesday and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

"As of today, there are no national news organizations reporting this vicious murder of two innocent Christian men. Why?" Cass said, "I'll ask this: If two Muslims, or two feminists or two homosexuals were murdered, wouldn't the media be all over it? These were two fine young black Christian men shot by another black man for their Christian faith, yet the media does not seem to care."

Cass continued: "It is an ominous sign of our times that Christians are being shot on the streets and in our churches. Last year Jim Pullion was killed while holding pro-life signs in front of his granddaughter's Owasso Michigan high school. Rev. Fred Winters was murdered while preaching in his pulpit in Maryville, Illinois. Increasingly we see Christian ministers threatened and churches terrorized and vandalized for their stand on marriage. Now when Christians gather for worship they must have armed security. Anti-Christian defamation and bigotry has helped to create this violent climate and it must stop."

About the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission - The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC) is a national, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) Education Corporation whose purpose it is to champion Christian religious liberty, domestically and internationally, by standing against anti-Christian defamation, bigotry, and discrimination.

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See related article for more info, including photos:
Two men preaching religion shot to death in Boynton Beach

The Reluctant [False] Messiah

2010-02-08T10:17:00.008-05:00

Well, the craziness never ends. And among a group of and unstable New Age types, they've found themselves in a bit of a conundrum. In short, they've found their [false] messiah. and they're quite happy about it... but the problem is that he steadfastly denies he's the messiah they say he is.

Readers of this blog may remember that recently, Share International, a group led by New Age prophet Benjamin Creme, announced that the messiah (they like to call him "Maitreya, The World Teacher") had finally stepped forward into the public eye, even though they declined to give his name.

See my Jan 20th post for more details on that.

So this set off a wave of speculation among followers, some of whom have been waiting literally decades for this long promised [false] Christ. Finally, much of the focus and speculation settled on 27 year old Indian born author Raj Patel, causing believers to send him congratulatory messages, and even travel great distances to see him. But...long story short, the guy seems quite bewildered by this all, leading to a bit of confusion among those who so badly wanted him to be the long awaited One.

The New York times has three stories dealing with this. (See links below).

In the end, to me this is both absurd and sad. "The One" has already come -- that being Jesus Christ -- but these people are looking for another instead.

Jesus warned that in the last days false prophets and false Christs would come, and would deceive many.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matt 24:24).

This Maitreya, whoever he turns out to be, will be just one of many who will lead many astray. Also on the scene we already have Sun Myung Moon, Jose Luis De Jesus, and many other lesser known fake messiahs who are already at work.

Somehow I get the feeling this upcoming decade will be a busy one for those who are in the Fake Messiah business.

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NY Times Article: In Internet Era, An Unwilling Lord For New Age Followers

Excerpt:

Ben Shoucair, 24, a college student from Detroit, does not need more convincing. He said he saw Mr. Patel in a dream, and then was stunned to find a YouTube video and discover his vision was real. Last week, Mr. Shoucair and his father spent $990 on last-minute tickets to fly to San Francisco to be in Mr. Patel’s presence at a book promotion.

Reached by phone this week, Mr. Shoucair said meeting Mr. Patel had made him “happy.” He said the Maitreya evidence was irrefutable. “It puts it all on Raj Patel at this time in history.”

Mr. Shoucair seemed amazed when told that Mr. Patel did not believe he was the messiah and had never heard of Mr. Creme. “See how deep the spiritual world is,” Mr. Shoucair said.

Mr. Patel said of their pilgrimage: “It broke my heart. They’d flown all the way from Detroit.”

Share International’s beliefs are rooted in the Theosophical movement popular in Britain in the late-19th century; it later evolved into New Age beliefs, said Ted F. Peters of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Messiahs have been declared before, only to disappoint.

“It’s incredibly flattering, just for an instant,” Mr. Patel said of his unwanted status. “And then you realize what it means. People are looking for better times. Almost anything now will qualify as a portent of different times.”

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See also:
NY Times Article: Are You There, God? It's Me, Scott
NY Times Article: Is He Or Isn't He The Messiah?

Christian Apologists: Be Careful of Oprah's Spiritual Teachings

2010-02-01T21:30:00.010-05:00

For over two decades now, one of the most insidiously harmful spiritual infulences in America has been the Oprah Winfrey Show. With her soothing voice and disarming smile, she has been quietly injecting her spritual poison into the minds of millions of American -- many of them professing Christians.

Thankfully, apologists Josh McDowell and Dave Starrett are sounding the alarm regarding what might be called "the gospel according to Oprah Winfrey".

From ChristianPost.com:

Vienna, VA. – She is persuasive, influential and does a lot of good, but Christians should be careful when Oprah speaks about spirituality, warned two apologists who recently co-authored a book on the subject.

To a crowd of more than 1,500 people at McLean Bible Church outside of Washington, D.C,. on Friday evening, renowned apologist Josh McDowell and up-and-coming apologist Dave Sterrett explained the danger of adopting Oprah’s spiritual teachings from a Christian perspective.

They pointed out that the talk show queen and the spiritual teachers she promotes teach pantheism – God is all and all is God – and that there are multiple paths to reach God. She also emphasizes that people should carry out their inner longings instead of restraining themselves if the act is said to be a sin by the Bible.

“Here is where you got to be careful,” emphasized McDowell. “Not only Oprah but others use Christian or religious terminologies that Christians would accept as Christian."

The Christian God is a personal creator God which all truth resides, who is totally outside of ourselves and outside of our universe,” explained the best-selling author of More Than a Carpenter. “When Oprah and others refer to God, it is an impersonal force. And I think one way that comes out is that they will say, ‘Look within you and find yourself from within. Find that God-consciousness. That is God.’”

In their book, “O” God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality, the apologists warn that Oprah “uses the language of the Bible and Christian traditions” but mixes that with other traditions to “create a hodgepodge of personalized faith.”

They point out in their book that Oprah, during her first A New Earth Web seminar on March 3, 2008, told participants that Christ came to show people that they can discover their own “Christ-consciousness.”

Full article here:

A Mathematician Looks at Darwin’s Theory and Discovers It Doesn’t Add Up

2010-01-29T19:14:00.002-05:00

The blog Evolution News and Views takes a look at a new book which exposes the fallacy of the theory of evolution:

SEATTLE – "Darwin’s attempt to explain the origins of all the magnificent species in the living world in terms of the struggle for survival is easily the dumbest idea ever taken seriously by science," writes Dr. Granville Sewell in his new book In the Beginning and Other Essays on Intelligent Design published by Discovery Institute Press.

What do you get when you add together the big bang, the fine-tuning of the laws of physics and the evolution of life? Definitely not a materialistic theory of origins, answers Sewell, a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas El Paso.

In this wide-ranging collection of essays, Sewell concludes that while there is much in the history of life that seems to suggest natural causes, there is little evidence to support Charles Darwin’s idea that natural selection of random variations can explain major evolutionary advances.

In the book, he explains why evolution is a fundamentally different and much more difficult problem than others solved by science and why increasing numbers of scientists are now recognizing what has long been obvious to the layman: there is no explanation possible without design. This book summarizes many of the traditional arguments for intelligent design and presents some powerful and unique arguments as well.

False Messiah Watch: Maitreya Steps Forward

2010-01-20T09:00:00.006-05:00

In February 2009 called Preparations Continue for Maitreya, The False Christ I posted an article about how the New Age group Share International (led by Benjamin Creme -- on the left in the photo above) was preparing to unveil their false Christ known as Maitreya, The World Teacher.

Well, after years hiding behind promises and press releases, it seems that this false prophet might be finally stepping forward. Posted below is a press release Share International issued yesterday stating that Maitreya has made his first public appearance.

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Maitreya Steps Forward

LONDON, January 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Share International Foundation announces that Maitreya, the World Teacher, has given His first interview on American television. Millions have heard Him speak both on TV and the internet. His open mission has begun.

He was introduced not as Maitreya, the World Teacher and Head of our Spiritual Hierarchy, but simply as a man, one of us. In this way He "ensures that men follow and support Him for the truth and sanity of His ideas rather than for His status."

He spoke earnestly of the need for peace, achievable only through the creation of justice and the sharing of the world's resources.

This is the first of many such interviews which will be given in the USA, Japan, Europe and elsewhere, bringing His message of hope to the world.

Background information

For over 30 years artist, author, and lecturer Benjamin Creme has been preparing the way for the biggest event in history - the emergence of Maitreya the World Teacher and His group, the Masters of Wisdom. Millions of people around the world have heard his information and wait expectantly for this momentous event.

See YouTube video 'Maitreya, the World Teacher, steps forward':    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHqncRa4fcA    For more information: http://www.share-international.org    Benjamin Creme, tel: +44(0)207-482-1113, mail@shareinternationaluk.org

SOURCE Share International Foundation

[end]

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In light of such developments, let's all keep Jesus' words in mind here:

"...Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matt 24:4-5)

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matt 24:11)

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matt 24:24)

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"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28)

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Is America's financial collapse inevitable?

2010-01-15T19:02:00.005-05:00

Greetings, and a belated Happy New Year to all.

Okay. It's 15 days into the month and I'm now doing my first post of the new year. There are a few reasons for that, but in a nutshell, I'll put it like this: I'm working on a few projects in 2010 that will cause me to probably post significantly less articles on this blog this year than I did last year or in previous years.

One of those projects is a separate website that I'm looking to set up, which I'm currently writing content for. I'd like that site to be completed, or at least almost completed, by the end of 2010. Please bear with me during this time, and feel free to check back for updates to this site, as I expect to still post several times a month here, especially with commentary on the major stories of the day.

Thanks to all of you for visiting, and thank you for your continued support.

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That being said, my first post of the year is not a particularly cheery one.

Pat Buchanan examines the sobering question that every American should consider: "Is America's financial collapse inevitable?"

Personally I'm 150% sure that such a collapse is not a matter of if, but when. However, let the reader check out Robertson's article and form his/her own opinion:

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January 14, 2010
8:10 pm Eastern

© 2010

We were blindsided. We never saw it coming.

So said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein of the fiancial crisis of 2008. He likened its probability to four hurricanes hitting the East Coast in a single season.

Blankfein was reminded by the chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Committee, Phil Angelides, that hurricanes are "acts of God." Financial crises are manmade. Yet Blankfein was backed up by Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan, who said, "Somehow, we just missed ... that home prices don't go up forever."

The Wall Street titans thus conceded they did not foresee the housing bubble ever bursting and they did not consider the possibility of a collapse in value of the sub-prime mortgage securities piled up on their books.

Backing up Blankfein's plea of ignorance and incomprehension is this: The crisis killed Lehman Brothers and would have killed every one of them had not the Treasury and Fed, neither of which saw it coming, either, intervened with hundreds of billions in bailout cash.

Yet there were those who warned a housing bubble was being created like the dot-com bubble; others who predicted the Empire of Debt was coming down – as, today, there are those warning that the United States, with consecutive deficits running 10 percent of gross domestic product, is risking an eventual default on its national debt.

The warnings come from the Committee on the Fiscal Future of the United States, chaired by Rudolph Penner, former head of the Congressional Budget Office, and David Walker, former head of the Government Accountability Office and author of "Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility."

With that share of the U.S. national debt held by individuals, corporations, pension funds and foreign governments having risen in 2009 from 41 percent to 53 percent of GDP, Penner and Walker believe it imperative to get the deficit under control. Unfortunately, it is not possible to see how, politically, this can be done.

Full article here from WorldNetDaily.

Islamic plan to criminalize Gospel message crumbling

2009-12-21T18:04:00.001-05:00

We do have some good news to report. A sneaky plan to criminalize the Gospel message looks like it's losing support in the United Nation.

WorldNetDaiily reports on this important, but woefully underreported, story:

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Islamic plan to criminalize Gospel message crumbling

U.N. vote shows 'continuing pattern of growing opposition' to proposal

By Bob Unruh

The latest vote on the nonbinding proposal came as the U.N. headed into the weekend, with 80 votes in favor of the proposal, 61 against and 42 abstentions. The results show support declining from the 86 yes votes a year ago and the 108 yes votes from two years ago.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, has been working to raise the world's awareness of the implications of the plan for several years. He's especially concerned that the ultimate goal appears to be a binding action by the U.N.
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Support for a United Nations proposal that critics contend would be used to ban criticism of Islam, censor the message of Jesus Christ and attack and kill Christians and members of other faiths is plunging, according to the newest vote totals.

A resolution has been pending in one form or another since 1999 and originally was called "Defamation of Islam." The name later was changed to "Defamation of Religions," but Islam remains the only faith protected by name in the proposal.

It is being sought by the 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to "protect" Islam from what OIC members perceive as "criticism," which could include anything referencing Christianity since that could be considered a challenge to the beliefs of Muslims.
"For several years now, we have been working to oppose this resolution and this afront to religious freedom," he said in a blog posting shortly after the vote. 'During that time, we have seen a dramatic decline in support for this resolution.

He saw today's vote as "a very encouraging sign."

"What this tells us is that our message is getting through," he said. "A growing number of nations around the world understand that this resolution is unacceptable – that it is harmful, not helpful, to preserving religious liberty and freedom. We will continue to work on this issue and to educate more nations about the dangers of this resolution and encourage them to vote against it."

Lindsay Vessey, advocacy director for Open Doors USA, an international Christian ministry operating in many Islamic states, previously told WND that U.N. human rights provisions always have focused on individuals, but the concept of protecting a religion would give authoritarian governments virtually unrestrained power to attack individuals whose message they don't like.

"It would legitimize national blasphemy laws in countries that are actually going to persecute religious minorities, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan," she said.

Full article here.

Oral Roberts Dies at 91

2009-12-15T15:45:00.009-05:00

From Charisma News Service.

Veteran evangelist Oral Robert died Tuesday in Newport Beach, Calif., due to complications from pneumonia. His son, Richard, and daughter, Roberta, were at his side. The founder of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University was 91.
There will be a private family internment. Arrangements for a public memorial service in Tulsa are pending and will be announced soon.

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Some of his teachings were controversial, to say the least. But Roberts was undeniably a giant figure in the world of Christendom.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Roberts family at this difficult time.

The Endtime Observer

TD Jakes Finally Comes Clean Regarding His Trinitarian Views

State of the Union: Barack Obama vs. The Truth

Article: Recovery at risk as Americans raid savings

Top 10 Christian Persecution Stories of 2011

Top Religion Stories of 2011

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

10 Years Later. Still not forgotten. And never will be.

Eddie Long Not Commenting After Latest Revelations By His Accusers

NYPD: Drugs a Possible Cause of Pastor Zachery Tims' Death

Megachurch Pastor Zachary Tims Dies at 42

Eddie Logn's Mystery 5th Accuser Revealed by the Media

Also: New Birth Church Members Stand Firm in Support of Their Pastor Eddie Long Despite Rumors of Fifth Accuser

and: Parishioners Support Bishop Eddie Long Despite Fifth Acccuser

Upstate NY Store Only Sells Items Made in the USA

Article: The 5 Worst Places To Be When The Dollar Collapses

Eddie Long Saga Continues... Creflo Dollar Jumps Into the Mix. (He shouldnt have)

Eddie Long... Thoughts On The Aftermath

Book Preview: Francis Chan Tackles 'Love Wins'

Reflections On The "Rapture" That Didn't Happen.

The Demonic Associations of Lady Gaga (And Others) Exposed

Rev. David Wilkerson Dies in Car Crash

Another Gospel Singer Comes Out Of The Closet

Rob Bell, his Spiritual Poison... and the danger of "Christian Universalism"

Pastor Fired for Not Believeing In Hell.

Carlton Pearson Becomes a Shill For a "New Christianity" & The Coming One World Religion

Ted Haggard Comes Out In favor of Gay Marriage

Rick Warren: Daniel's Plan, or Devil's Plan?

The War Against the Christians

Christianity in China

Basic Facts:

17 National Debt Statistics Which Prove That We Have Sold Our Children Into Debt Slavery

Billboard campaign claims Jesus will return in May

R& B singer to retire, and enter the ministry.

Eddie Long Case: Hush Money on the Way?

Rally Calling for Bishop Eddie Long Resignation Causing Death Threats

Robert Schuller "Ministries" ... Spiritually Bankrupt, and Now Financially Bankrupt.

Tens of Thousands of Muslims Coming to Christ, Says Iranian Ministry Leader

Christian Groups Intensify Efforts Against U.N. Defamation Resolution

VIDEO: Eddie Long Accuser Speaks Out: You Be The Judge (UPDATED)

Further Thoughts on the Eddie Long Situation...

Thoughts on the Eddie Long Scandal

Malinda Sapp, Wife of Gospel Singer Marvin Sapp, Dies at 43

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules

A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

Detroit Bishop Named Head of Pentecostal Assemblies of the World

Anne Rice Breaks Up With Christianity via Facebook

Obama Administration Shifting from Freedom of Religion to "Freedom of Worship"

QUAKERS BACK GAY MARRIAGE

By Pete Maclaine

Walter Hawkins dead: Award-winning gospel singer was 61

Federal Debt Just Keeps Getting Worse

Evolution is Religion, Not Science!!

Are there dangers in being 'spiritual but not religious'?

Interfaith marriages are rising fast, but they're failing fast too

Runaway Christian Convert Being Treated for Cancer

Mission Leader: Why So Few Christians in Japan?

Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem

Noah's Ark" has been found in Turkey

THE remains of Noah's Ark have been discovered 13,000ft up a Turkish mountain, it has been claimed.

Dig

Jennifer Knapp, Christian music star announces she is gay

Pentecostals find fertile ground in Latin America

The Religion Blog That Hates Religion

No Such Thing As " Good Friday"

America's Retirement Crisis: A Concise Guide

The end of the road for Barack Obama?

Huffington Post Article on "One Global Government"... (plus a flashback to Dec. 2008)

False Messiah Announces Plan to "Transform Himself" in 2012

Two Christians Murdered for Witnessing in Florida

The Reluctant [False] Messiah

Christian Apologists: Be Careful of Oprah's Spiritual Teachings

A Mathematician Looks at Darwin’s Theory and Discovers It Doesn’t Add Up

False Messiah Watch: Maitreya Steps Forward

Is America's financial collapse inevitable?

Islamic plan to criminalize Gospel message crumbling

Oral Roberts Dies at 91