In Him

Nothin' but cute!

2010-09-22T00:31:00.001-05:00

Are You There God? It's Us. from Tablet Magazine on Vimeo.

Jewish Roots Institute Class Schedule

2010-09-18T12:20:00.001-05:00

Fall Semester 2010
Monday Evenings starting Sept 13

6:30pm - 7:30pm
(Required for New Students)
Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
Explore the earliest interconnection between Christianity and Judaism, the departure of Christianity from its Jewish foundation, and the resultant misunderstanding, intolerance, and hostility between the two groups. 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Twelve Historical Facts to Understand the N.T.
7:30pm - 8:30pm
The Jewishness of Jesus
Provides conclusive support that the first-century Church was indeed a ?denomination? of Judaism, and that Jesus, Paul, and other Church leaders were Jewish in their approach to kingdom living. 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Messianic Concepts of the 1st Century
An in-depth look at what the Jews were expecting in their Messiah, the biblical foundation for those expectations and the various messianic figures in Jewish history who presumed to fulfill those expectations.

Tuesday Evenings starting Sept 14

6:30pm - 7:30pm
Geography of the Bible
A study of the geology, geography, history and biblical significance of the terrain of the Holy Land. 7:30pm - 8:30pm
The Untold Story of Church History I
Traces the origins and development of the Christian Church, from the time of Jesus through the Reformation. 8:30pm - 9:30pm
The Rabbis, The Talmud & The New Testament

Download our Flyer with the class information on it. Please post it on bulletin boards, give to your friends, hand out in Christian bookstores and at church. Click here for the flyer in pdf format.

Archived Class Schedule

The Jewish Roots Institute offers diplomas, Bachelor of Arts and Master's Degrees in Middle Eastern Studies. Non-degree students are welcome to audit courses for personal growth and learning. Return to Jewish Roots Institute Home page from Jewish Roots Institute class schedule

Hope

2010-08-07T01:35:00.002-05:00

Messianic Jewish Institute of Kansas City

2010-01-03T23:57:00.000-06:00

(an accredited degree program)

Winter/Spring Semester

Begins January 11 & 12

(13 week classes)

Here is the schedule of classes for this upcoming semester in less than 2 weeks. Please invite others to attend classes (friends, family, co-workers, pastors, rabbis, etc.). We depend on you spreading the word about the classes.

Schedule of Classes

Mondays:

6:30 – 7:30 Introduction to the Jewish Roots of the Christianity

This is our premier and pre-requisite course. We will answer the question, “How did a small Jewish sect in the First Century become a predominantly non-Jewish religion and what got lost in “the mix”? This is a serious course that investigates how current Christian self understandings are far from their original sources in historical Jewish terms as contemporary Christian values and spiritualities will be reviewed for personal spiritual growth and responsibility.

6:30 – 7:30 To be announced

7:30 – 8:30 The Jewishness of Paul

Paul is said to have presented a Gospel of “Faith” that supersedes the seeming failure of the covenants made with Israel, the Jewish people. In doing so, Christianity has defined itself in contradistinction to everything Jewish as if Paul rejects the “Law” for grace. This class taps into the New Perspective on Paul and restores the fidelity and faithfulness of this extraordinary Rabbi and Yeshua follower. We will explore a Paul that is hardly identified in Christian tradition. Paul the Jewish theologian is the missing link to understanding that the God of Israel was acting in history through the Jewish Messiah. His task was to formulate halacha for the Gentiles who “were apart from the covenants of Israel (Eph. 2:11)”.

8:30 – 9:30 Jewish Festivals and Holy Days

Too often these topics are treated in “catchy” ways in Messianic teaching circles. They are not just “fulfillment” motifs pointing to the Messiah. We will examine the order of the cosmos as God acts in history and discover the wonder of the “heavens declaring the glory of God” in recreation acts. In doing so the calendar of Biblical (and additional) Jewish Holy Days frames the witness of God in the earth through the calling of the Jewish people to carry the oracles of God through their observances. We will mine scriptures with remarkable detail as to the opportunities afforded all followers of Him in establishing and building great expectations and benefits in the Holy Days.

Tuesdays:

6:30 – 7:30 The Pharisees (you never knew)!

This is one of our most distinct classes, visiting a group that is mostly either misunderstood in traditional portrayal or simply are relegated to an adversarial “opponent” of Yeshua. Yet, Yeshua taught what they taught and lived mostly the way they lived. You will come to understand that this was an “in house” intra-Jewish relationship. Also, we will see how the Pharisees actually represented “the best” of what came to later be formed as Rabbinical Judaism (though a distinct formation in history beyond the Pharisees). Without studying the Pharisees, much of the teaching of Yeshua has little context in the religious debates among Judaism of the First Century.

7:30 – 8:30 Jewish Culture

First Century Jewish culture was contextualized in a particular sociological, religious, political and historical world. Hebrew words had meaning in context. As well archaeological surveys of sites in Israel are helpful to place the Gospel in its setting. What role did the Judaisms of the day, as well as Roman influences create Jewish variations. This will be a journey class through various topics that establish the setting for what is customarily called the New Testament. The rich Jewish heritage is the heritage of the earthly life of Yeshua.

8:30 – 9:30 Hermeneutics Though we have the ease of opening our Bibles and encounter its words, little teaching is provided for Christians (and even Messianics) as to the principles of interpreting the text in a consistent and accurate way. We will learn how to approach the Bible through the many disciplines that are necessary so as to grasp the authority of what it is saying. Too often today, people determine what it means by how they experience it to be true. This leaves God's people in disunity and self authenticating religious persuasions. It results in spiritual independent contractors that ”go with God” and yet do so as separate individuals in their Biblical identities. God speaks through His word, but is He double minded? Every text has a single meaning meant to call all of God's people to a mutual accountability. It might be applied individually but it is not for “private” interpretation. We will also look at the principles of interpretation used by the Gospel writers and Paul, drawing form Jewish principles current to the First Century.

Registration:

We do not require pre-registration and invite all visitors to attend the first week as an open house.

Check out our web site www.jewishrootsinstitute.org for fees.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE CONSDIERING DISCOUNTS BASED ON HOW MANY CLASSES YOU REGISTER FOR. Also, our courses described are a preliminary schedule subject to change.

Rabbi Jerry Feldman

http://www.adatyeshuakc.com

Be of Good Cheer

2009-08-04T00:11:00.003-05:00

DNA not enough?

2009-07-11T17:11:00.001-05:00

The Alphabet of Life

By: David Klinghoffer
The Jerusalem Post July 7, 2009

DNA are three letters full of paradox. What they represent remains little understood by the public, yet they are on everyone's tongue. Amid the chatter of popular culture, the truth gets lost that DNA is one of the most powerful clues we have of the existence of a spiritual reality, maybe to the existence of God.

An acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA refers to the form taken by the biological information that directs the production of proteins and other cell components. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick famously described its double-helix shape. The information thus encoded, the genome, influences how a living organism's body gets constructed, though how far this goes, and how it works, are questions that remain obscure.

We talk about DNA as familiarly as we do the USA. The idea that your genes determine your susceptibility to diseases and addictions is a stock theme of popular health discussions. On TV cop shows, law-enforcement officials are constantly using DNA to solve cases, whether new or "cold" - as real police do.
...
But all this is trivial compared to the largely unheralded insight gained from the Human Genome Project, completed in 2003. The insight is disturbing. It is that while DNA codes for the cell's building blocks, the information needed to build the rest of the creature is seemingly, in large measure, absent.

Consider the Hox "master" genes that supposedly determine the spatial configuration of the front and back ends of creatures as diverse as frogs, mice and humans. As British physician James Le Fanu writes in a fascinating new book, Why Us? How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves (Pantheon), Swiss biologist Walter Gehring showed that "the same 'master' genes mastermind the three-dimensional structures of all living things... The same master genes that cause a fly to have the form of a fly cause a mouse to have the form of a mouse." The physically encoded information to form that mouse, as opposed to that fly, isn't there. Instead, "It is as if the 'idea' of the fly (or any other organism) must somehow permeate the genome that gives rise to it."

Such an understanding, of nature driven by a force outside nature, was dominant in biology before Darwin. Baron Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), director of Paris's Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, held that there was an unknown biological "formative impulse," an organizational principle of some kind that directed the formation of diverse kinds of life.

The concept goes still further back. Much further. What Cuvier called the "formative impulse," was called God's "wisdom" by the rabbis. The Bible teaches, "The Lord founded the earth with wisdom" (Proverbs 3:19).

WITH DNA, there is, in one sense, less there than meets the eye. But in another sense, there is much more. For if DNA can't entirely account for the way bodies are put together, there remains something deeply suggestive about the fact that curled at the heart of every cell there lies a code. How did it get there?

A staple of media coverage of DNA is the story, repeated endlessly, about some scientist or other who's the latest to synthesize molecular precursors of DNA (or its genetic partner, RNA), thus purportedly showing how biological information could have arisen on Earth unaided. The problem with these demonstrations is that they always depend on intelligent guidance, that of the scientist in his lab, thus suggesting the very opposite lesson of the one intended.
[MORE]

The Difference

2009-02-27T19:53:00.001-06:00

"Islam is a religion in which Allah demands you send your son to die for him; Christianity is the faith in which God sent His Son to die for you."
John Ashcroft, former US Attorney General

The Dollar and Prophecy ...

2009-02-02T22:44:00.001-06:00

... from Pravda?

All-seeing eye curses US dollar

21.01.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru

From the very beginning the U.S. dollar has been having some kind of destructive influence on the world's financial system. The people, who created first U.S. dollar notes, placed some mystical signs and symbols on them. The financial crisis
may force the USA to issue a new currency because of those signs.
...
Symbols

Any changes in the U.S. currency system will lead to changes in other countries. The signs, the symbols and even the size of U.S. dollar notes indicate the terrifying role that the dollar may play soon.

Everyone is aware of the sign depicted on the back of the 1-dollar-note - the all-seeing eye. Many sacred books including the Koran say that one of the distinctive features of Antichrist include the following: "It has one eye which looks like a grape berry."

The fact that the width of the note makes exactly 66.6 millimeters (Satan's number) may seem to be the most striking one. It is worthy of note that the all-seeing eye appears on Ukraine's 500-hryvna note too.

SOMALIA: Christian Aid Worker Beheaded for Converting From Islam

2009-01-21T23:22:00.001-06:00

Monday October 27, 2009

Anti-Christian violence spills into Kenya as Somali Muslims attack in Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 27 (Compass Direct News) – Among at least 24 aid workers killed in Somalia this year was one who was beheaded last month specifically for converting from Islam to Christianity, among other charges, according to an eyewitness.

Muslim extremists from the al Shabab group fighting the transitional government on Sept. 23 sliced the head off of Mansuur Mohammed, 25, a humanitarian aid worker, before horrified onlookers of Manyafulka village, 10 kilometers (six miles) from Baidoa.

The militants had intercepted Mohammed and a driver, who managed to escape, earlier in the morning. Sources close to Mohammed’s family said he converted from Islam to Christianity in 2005.

The eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the militants that afternoon gathered the villagers of Manyafulka, telling them that they would prepare a feast for them. The people gathered anticipating the slaughter of a sheep, goat or camel according to local custom.

Five masked men emerged carrying guns, wielding Somali swords and dragging the handcuffed Mohammed. One pulled back Mohammed’s head, exposing his face as he scraped his sword against his short hair as if to sharpen it. Another recited the Quran as he proclaimed that Mohammed was a “murtid,” an Arabic term for one who converts from Islam to Christianity.

The Muslim militant announced that Mohammed was an infidel and a spy for occupying Ethiopian soldiers.

Mohammed remained calm with an expressionless face, never uttering a word, said the eyewitness. As the chanting of “Allah Akubar [God is greater]” rose to a crescendo, one of the militiamen twisted his head, allowing the other to slit his neck. When the head was finally severed from the torso, the killers cheered as they displayed it to the petrified crowd.

The militants allowed one of their accomplices to take a video of the slaughter using a mobile phone. The video was later circulated secretly and sold in Somalia and in neighboring countries in what many see as a strategy to instill fear among those contemplating conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that a similar incident took place in Lower Juba province of Somalia in July, when Christians found with Bibles were publicly executed. Their families fled to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, and such killings are forcing other Christians to flee to neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Somalis Attacking Somalis

Somali refugees to Kenya include Nur Mohammed Hassan, in Nairobi under U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees asylum. In spite of the protection, two weeks ago five Somali Muslims broke into Mohammed Hassan’s house and beat him and his family, he told Compass.

“On Oct. 14 five Muslims entered my house around 10 o’clock in the night and forced us out after beating us indiscriminately,” Mohammed Hassan said, adding that the youngest of his eight children suffers from a liver disease. “Thank God the police arrived immediately and saved our lives. For two days now we have been sleeping outside in the cold. We have been receiving police security, but for how long will this continue?”

Mohammed Hassan now lives in Eastliegh, Nairobi with his wife and children. He had fled Mogadishu after Muslims murdered his sister, Mariam Mohammed Hassan, in April 2005, allegedly for distributing Bibles in the capital.

“We are nowadays no better than our fellow Somali Christians inside Somalia who are killed like dogs when discovered to be Christians,” Mohammed Hassan said. “We are not safe living here in Eastleigh. The Muslims killed my sister in Mogadishu, and now they are planning to kill me and my family.”

[Read the Rest]

Latest news from Compass Direct News

SOMALIA: Christian Aid Worker Beheaded for Converting From Islam

2009-01-18T23:56:00.001-06:00

Monday October 27, 2009

Anti-Christian violence spills into Kenya as Somali Muslims attack in Nairobi.

The militants had intercepted Mohammed and a driver, who managed to escape, earlier in the morning. Sources close to Mohammed’s family said he converted from Islam to Christianity in 2005.

The Muslim militant announced that Mohammed was an infidel and a spy for occupying Ethiopian soldiers.

Somalis Attacking Somalis

[Read the Rest]

Latest news from Compass Direct News

Here He Comes, the One.

2009-01-13T22:47:00.001-06:00

from Telegraph.uk

Never fear, a bright star will herald a new saviour

This week has come encouraging news for anyone with an interest in signs and wonders, or desperate for a chink of light in the prevailing gloom, which probably means most of us: a saviour is at hand.

By Mick Brown : 8:18PM GMT 19 Dec 2008

According to the Share International News Service, in a press release captioned Christmas Miracle, a "large bright star" will be appearing in the sky sometime over the next few days, or weeks, heralding the appearance on "a major US television programme" of the new World Teacher, Maitreya, who will be ushering in a new age of peace, wisdom and understanding. And not before time, I hear you say.

Share International is the organisation founded by Benjamin Creme, the Scottish painter and clairvoyant, and Britain's most redoubtable millenarian, who has been prophesying the coming of Maitreya for the past 26 years. He is an erstwhile Theosophist and student of Alice Bailey, whose writings in the 1920s talked of the coming of "the Cosmic Christ". In 1982, Mr. Creme took out full page advertisements in newspapers around the world to announce that Maitreya had arrived in London on a flight from Pakistan, having descended from the Himalayan redoubt where he had been living with a community of ascended Masters, who are watching over Mankind with a concerned eye, and was living among the Asian community.

Mr Creme was told this by one of the Masters, with whom he has been in telepathic communication since 1959 when the Master contacted Mr Creme while he was sitting in the bath.
[MORE]

Think the above is just stupid? Vast numbers of people are looking to the emergence of this Maitraya. Government elites have kowtowed to this messiah figure and consulted with him for years. The "world teacher" actually claims to be every messiah figure from every religion, including the last Imam or Mahdi of Shia Islam. And recall this story:

Obama and Ahmadinejad

Amir Taheri 10.26.08 - Forbes

Is Barack Obama the “promised warrior” coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?

The question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a
pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite
text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar
(meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132
volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.”
Commanding “the strongest army on earth,” the new ruler in the West
will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, whose name was Hussein
Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: “Shiites should have no doubt that he
is with us.”

In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack
Hussein–mean “the blessing of Hussein” in Arabic and Persian. His
family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma,
which means “he is with us,” the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.

[If this last doesn't give you the willies, you are already dead.]

JRI Flyer - Print and Distribute

2009-01-12T22:39:00.001-06:00

Right click and save this image. It will print an 8.5x11" flyer.

Jewish Roots Institute New Semester

2009-01-12T22:36:00.001-06:00

The next semester of the Jewish Roots Institute starts in three weeks on February 2 & 3, 2009 (Monday & Tuesday).

Class Schedule for the 2009 Spring Semester

Monday Evenings - February 2
Visitors Welcomed
6:30pm - Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
Explore the earliest interconnection between Christianity and Judaism, the departure of Christianity from its Jewish foundation, and the resultant misunderstanding, intolerance, and hostility between the two groups.

6:30pm - The 613 Law of Moses (TORAH)
An in-depth analysis of each of the 613 Laws of God as enumerated in the Torah. Deals with such questions as: Is God's Law relevant to Christians? Which laws are applicable to Jews today? Which laws are applicable to non-Jews? What is the purpose behind dietary laws? Which laws were culturally, rather than spiritually, relevant? What about God's grace?

6:30pm - Dead Sea Scrolls
A brief overview of the history of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran community from which they may have originated.

7:30pm - The Rest of the Bible
Waiting on Description. 8:30pm - Israel Today
An overview of the history of the modern state of Israel, as well as various identifying characteristics which make it a unique presence on the global scene.

8:30pm - Paul the Jewish Theologian

Tuesday Evenings - February 3
Visitors Welcomed
6:30pm - Church History and the Jews
Traces the origins and development of the Christian Church, from the time of Jesus through the Reformation.

6:30pm - Archaeological Tour of 12 Biblical Cities
An illustrated guide to the historical, cultural, archaeological and scriptural significance of such cities as Tiberius, Pella, Hebron and Gamla.

7:30pm - Idioms of the Bible
A thorough investigation of idioms throughout scripture, focusing on those which are difficult to understand due to Semitic and cultural concepts not commonly taught today.

7:30pm - Understanding Hebrew Thought
This course compares the basic Hebraic thought to Greek or Western thinking. Topics include: The Jewishness of the biblical times; Gentiles, Jews and the special emphasis of Jewish heritage; Judaism and the earliest church; Heretics and the Jewish revolts; Anti-Semitism and the church; The Old Testament Hebraic foundation of the church; The ideas involved in Hebraic thought; The church and error; Marriage and family through Jewish eyes; Passover and the Last Supper; Jews, Christians and the land of Israel; and Jewish methods of teaching and Hebraic education.

8:30pm - Dead Sea Scrolls
A brief overview of the history of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran community from which they may have originated.

8:30pm - The Presence of the Lord
Instructions on how to walk and live "face to face" with God.

For more information, visit www.jewishrootsinstitute.org

Florida QB makes 'John 3:16' hottest Google search

2009-01-12T22:27:00.001-06:00

Tebow inscribed Bible reference on eye black for championship game:

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow blazes New Testament verse of John 3:16 on his face last night after he led the Gators to the BCS National Championship.

Posted: January 09, 2009 11:35 am Eastern
from WorldNetDaily

"John 3:16" has appeared in various forms at nationally televised sporting events over the years, but after University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow inscribed it on his eye black for last night's BCS National Championship game, the biblical reference became the most popular search item on Google.com.

Google Trends this morning had "John 3:16" ahead of searches for actress Mary Lynn Rajskub and the Windows 7 beta download. Searches for the Bible verse reached a peak during last night's game.

[MORE]

Tebow, the son of missionaries to the Philippines, has lived in a leper colony, an orphanage and been on numerous other mission trips. Apparently the BCS championship can now be added to the list. -- Ed.

Probably

2009-01-10T13:45:00.001-06:00

Probably the best advert for God in the world...

by George Pitcher

"Carlsberg doesn't know whether there's a God ...but if there is, He's probably the best God in the world."

Or the universe? Or anywhere else? Not since the lager-brewer Carlsberg deployed that word "probably" so effectively for so many years has it demanded so much attention from the advertising industry. As my colleague Martin Beckford reports, the Advertising Standards Authority has been called in to rule whether God "probably" exists or not.

To recap: Those rascals at the British Humanist Association have teamed up with my old chum Richard Dawkins's money to run an ad campaign on public transport with the catchline: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
...

Meanwhile, the declared intent of the campaign – to get people thinking about belief – is succeeding, though the organisers may not have realised what they were taking on. Atheist philosopher AC Grayling has chimed in (rather weakly, I think, by his standards) to defend that "probably". And Telegraph alumnus and Tablet columnist Clifford Longley has made his own submission to the ASA, which is so comprehensive and well-argued I reproduce it here in full:

Clifford Longley writes: The statement "There's probably no God", as currently seen on the side of London buses, is untrue and dishonest, in so far as the word "probably" completely fails to reflect the true state of the scientific argument. In fact it would be honest and true to say the opposite - "There probably is a God." A fair reading of the material below could lead to no other conclusion. I therefore call on the ASA to order the withdrawal of this advertising, as incompatible with its code of practice.

According to growing numbers of scientists, the laws and constants of nature are so "finely-tuned," and so many "coincidences" have occurred to allow for the possibility of life, the universe must have come into existence through intentional planning and intelligence. In fact, this "fine-tuning" is so pronounced, and the "coincidences" are so numerous, many scientists have come to espouse "The Anthropic Principle," which contends that the universe was brought into existence intentionally for the sake of producing mankind. Even those who do not accept The Anthropic Principle admit to the "fine-tuning" and conclude that the universe is "too contrived" to be a chance event.

Dr. Dennis Scania, head of Cambridge University Observatories, said in a BBC science documentary, "The Anthropic Principle: "If you change a little bit the laws of nature, or you change a little bit the constants of nature - like the charge on the electron - then the way the universe develops is so changed, it is very likely that intelligent life would not have been able to develop."

Dr. David D. Deutsch, Institute of Mathematics, Oxford University: observed: "If we nudge one of these constants just a few percent in one direction, stars burn out within a million years of their formation, and there is no time for evolution. If we nudge it a few percent in the other direction, then no elements heavier than helium form. No carbon, no life. Not even any chemistry. No complexity at all."

Dr. Paul Davies, noted author and professor of theoretical physics at Adelaide University, said: "The really amazing thing is not that life on Earth is balanced on a knife-edge, but that the entire universe is balanced on a knife-edge, and would be total chaos if any of the natural 'constants' were off even slightly."

When the late Sir Fred Hoyle was researching how carbon came to be created in the "blast-furnaces" of the stars, his calculations indicated that it is very difficult to explain how the stars generated the necessary quantity of carbon upon which life on earth depends. Hoyle found that there were numerous "fortunate" one-time occurrences which seemed to indicate that purposeful "adjustments" had been made in the laws of physics and chemistry in order to produce the necessary carbon.

Hoyle summed up his findings as follows: "A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintendent has monkeyed with the physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. I do not believe that any physicist who examined the evidence could fail to draw the inference that the laws of nuclear physics have been deliberately designed with regard to the consequences they produce within stars."

Dr. David D. Deutch remarked: "If anyone claims not to be surprised by the special features that the universe has, he is hiding his head in the sand. These special features are surprising and unlikely."

The August '97 issue of "Science" featured an article entitled "Science and God: A Warming Trend?" in which it stated: "The fact that the universe exhibits many features that foster organic life - such as precisely those physical constants that result in planets and long-lived stars - also has led some scientists to speculate that some divine influence may be present."

In his best-selling book, A Brief History of Time, Sir Stephen Hawking (perhaps the world's most famous cosmologist) stated: "The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers (i.e. the constants of physics) seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life" (p. 125).

"For example," Hawking wrote, "if the electric charge of the electron had been only slightly different, stars would have been unable to burn hydrogen and helium, or else they would not have exploded... It seems clear that there are relatively few ranges of values for the numbers (for the constants) that would allow for development of any form of intelligent life. Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at that beauty." Hawking said this was evidence of "a divine purpose in Creation and the choice of the laws of science (by God)" (ibid. p. 125).

If you would like further information regarding the science I would refer you to the F raday Institute at St Edmund's College Cambridge (with which I have no connection.)

The Nativity and "Breath of Heaven"

2008-12-22T20:06:00.001-06:00

Have a Joyous Christmas

2008-12-21T16:45:00.001-06:00

A Christmas Carol

2008-12-17T23:02:00.001-06:00

More Hidden History

2008-12-17T22:55:00.001-06:00

Was the Aksa Mosque built over the remains of a Byzantine church?

JPost.com
Nov 16, 2008 23:34 | Updated Nov 17, 2008 10:40
The photo archives of a British archeologist who carried out the only archeological excavation ever undertaken at the Temple Mount's Aksa Mosque show a Byzantine mosaic floor underneath the mosque that was likely the remains of a church or a monastery, an Israeli archeologist said on Sunday.

The Byzantine mosaic floor, which was uncovered under the Umayyad
level of the mosque, is "without a doubt" the remains of a public
building - likely a church - which predated the mosque, [Zachi Zweig]
said in an address at a Bar-Ilan University archeological conference.

"The
existence of a public building from the Byzantine period on the Temple
Mount is very surprising in light of the fact that we do not have
records of such constructions in historical texts," Zweig said.

"We
were very surprised by the discovery of such a mosaic on the Temple
Mount," Talgam said, noting that it contradicted the testimony of
pilgrims who described the site as deserted in the Byzantine period and
was also unlikely to have been part of the earliest mosque at the site,
in the Early Islamic period, since that structure was made of wood.

The excavation was carried out in the 1930s by R.W. Hamilton, director of the British Mandate Antiquities Department, in coordination with the Wakf Islamic Trust that administers the compound, following earthquakes that badly damaged the mosque in 1927 and 1937.
[Article no longer available free.]

Beast System Update 5

2008-11-17T19:35:00.001-06:00

The Blood Beast of Babylon Takes Another Step Forward
from WashingtonPost.com

Global Deals in Works On Eve of G-20 Summit
Body to monitor world banking among proposals
Nations are close to adopting a series of measures aimed at combating a global recession and laying the groundwork for a broad reconstruction of the international financial system, as world leaders arrive in Washington for a major economic summit this weekend.
Among the most notable measures would be a new body to supervise the regulation of global financial institutions . . . .
The United States, European countries, Japan and major developing nations are also close to a deal to create an "early warning system" to detect weaknesses in the global financial system before they reach epic proportions . . . .
Some officials have advocated beefing up the Financial Stability Forum, a little-known body in Switzerland. Created in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, the organization has no dedicated budget and only a handful of staff members. But it remains the only global body that periodically brings together regulators, as well as finance ministers and central bankers from leading countries, making it a juicy target for expanding its mission.

One major obstacle to such a plan: The forum is largely viewed as a club of rich nations, with almost no representation from the emerging giants such as China and Brazil, countries that most diplomats now agree must have a larger say in any remake of the financial system. Several of those countries, however, are now in talks to join the organization, according to diplomatic sources in Europe and Latin America.

The new college of supervisors, an idea that faced initial resistance from Washington when it was proposed by British officials months ago, would have its seat at the Financial Stability Forum. International regulators could compare notes on bank liquidity and risk, coordinating regulation of major global financial institutions.

"You have a big multinational financial institution operating in seven or eight economies around the world, then you gather together the supervisors from each of those, and you have them take a look at the company's activities around the globe so that you don't get this fragmented picture of a business's operations," said a senior British government official. For more than a year, the forum has functioned as a repository for reports that have warned of the dangers to the financial system posed by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, as well as by the securities and derivatives tied to them. Officials believe the forum, along with the IMF, could now play a key part of in the creation of a financial early warning system. [emphasis added]
MORE

Beast System Update 4

2008-11-15T13:23:00.001-06:00

NewScientist Tech

Voice recognition software reads your brain waves

18:00 13 November 2008 byFlora Graham

Mind-reading software developed in the Netherlands can decipher the sounds being spoken to a person, and even who is saying them, from scans of the listener's brain.

To train the software, neuroscientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to track the brain activity of 7 people while they listened to three different speakers saying simple vowel sounds.

The team found that each speaker and each sound created a distinctive "neural fingerprint" in a listener's auditory cortex, the brain region that deals with hearing.
[MORE]

A Question of Religion

2008-11-10T23:49:00.001-06:00

from TCSDaily.com

Some years ago I was asked a question that has haunted me. It came during a telephone conversation I had with a young man whose Internet book club has selected one of my books to read. The young man wanted to find out more about me, and he began asking what I thought about various subjects. Finally, hesitantly, he said, "Would you mind if I asked you a very personal question?" How personal, I wondered briefly, but gave my consent anyway. His question was, "Are you for or against religion?"

I have lost a clear recollection of my reply, but I recall being shocked at the radical and remorseless either/or with which I had been confronted: Either a person is for religion, or a person is against it.

Suppose I had answered by saying that I was for religion. Would this imply that I approved and admired the blood-thirsty rites involved in the worship of the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochti? On the other hand, what if I had said that I was against religion. Would I thereby commit myself to condemning the ethical teachings expressed by the prophets of ancient Israel, with their stern injunction to protect the weak and defend the downtrodden? To me it was obvious that certain religions have been ghastly, like those religions that required the sacrifice of young children, while it was equally obvious that other religions have lifted human beings out of the squalor and brutality of mere animal existence.

Take the case of those fundamentalist Protestants in the small French village of Le Chambon who, at great risk to their own lives, opened their hearts and homes to French Jews who were being hunted down by the Nazis—an astonishing story movingly told by Philip P. Hallie in his book Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed. The villagers' Huguenot religion gave them the strength of will to resist the temptation to do nothing when doing nothing would have been far easier and far less dangerous to their own survival. It made them perform heroic actions and yet it also made them see these actions as their simple duty. They saved Jews, as they put it, because "it was the right thing to do."

In reflecting on the miracle of La Chambon, it would be possible to argue that a village of highly ethical atheists might have acted in the same way the Huguenots did. Certainly they would have recognized that saving the Jews was the right thing to do; but the intellectual apprehension that we have an ethical duty to risk our own lives for the sake of others is not always accompanied by the visceral courage required to take this risk. There must have been millions of decent Frenchmen who were horrified that the Nazis were rounding up Jews, and thousands who would have been willing to offer them sanctuary if the risk of getting caught had not been so great and so terrible. In the abstract, these other Frenchmen shared the same ethics as the villagers of La Chambon, but their ethical principles could not convince them to endanger themselves and their own families. In the face of despotism, mere decency is not enough. There must also be courage.
...
The villagers of La Chambon were collectively committed to carrying out the highest Biblical ideal, even if it meant their personal extinction. They were prepared to defy a despotism far more hideous than that of the European middle ages. They remind us that the simplistic "for or against" approach to religion inevitably obscures the startling differences between the various religions of mankind, between those religions that demand human sacrifice to appease a blood-thirsty god, and those that have inspired self-sacrifice in the name of a better world.
[Full Articl]

God is not slack in His judgement.

2008-11-05T21:54:00.001-06:00

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007

"For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness."
Isaiah 59:3

Beast System Update 3

2008-11-02T22:35:00.002-06:00

WORLD GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMING ... IT'S HERE (Joan Veon)
. . . Over the past fourteen years, I have written extensively about a global currency, global tax, global stock exchange, global central bank, and world government. I have stated on many occasions that world government is not coming, it is here. In order to bring in world government, it will have to be through crisis - continuing, constant crises. The solution will be world government, total integration of all the countries of the world.

The remaining piece that needs to be put in place is for the United States to adopt a global regulatory system to merge our banking, insurance, and stock market and commodity industries to that of the other countries of the world
. . . .
As part of a two step process to change the financial and economic landscape of America and Americans, the Treasury Blueprint saw the first step confirmed: the bailout of Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion with an additional $300 billion in sweeteners, giving lawmakers the ability to face their constituents as victors. However, the reality is that America has neither the $300 billion nor the $700 billion. At every turn, the amount of money that we owe the Federal Reserve rises. [Emphasis added; I hope everyone realizes since President Kennedy was assassinated for issuing Constitutional money, all US$ have come from the Fed at interest to the US Government, all 14 Trillion dollars in circulation. The current current trillion dollar bail out and proposed trillion dollar spending increase all comes with double interest from the Federal Reserve, our privtely held national bank.] Add the interest to the debt and America is reduced to pauper status.
. . . .
To give us an understanding of what is behind the Blueprint plan, I would like to refer to the very brave and honest senator from Alabama, Senator Richard Shelby [see lengthy quote on source website] . . . .

The rocking and rolling has only begun. We are in the final stages of a move into world government . . . .

In order to finalize the Blueprint, which I have heard will come before a new Congress in January, what will it take to traumatize the new legislators? Will the powers that be decide on a Banking Holiday in the spirit of 1933? Will they cause a total bank collapse by demanding sound banks to down grade their solid loans, as has recently occurred when the Comptroller of the Currency did a bank audit? Or will they simply change our currency to adjust our debt load?
. . . .
The days ahead will try our very souls . . . The day the banks close, whether for a day or week, is the day Americans will really wake up to the cold hard facts that the world has changed and individual nation-states are no longer. [emphasis added]
Source: newswithviews.com (10-6-08)
MORE

Beast System Update 2

2008-11-02T22:26:00.001-06:00

Bigger databases
increase risks, says watchdog (UK)

The proliferation of ever larger centralised databases is
increasing the risk of people's personal data being lost or
abused, the government's official privacy watchdog claims today.
The warning from the information commissioner, Richard Thomas,
comes as he discloses that reported data losses have soared in
the past year . . . The new figures show that the
information commissioner has recently launched investigations
into 30 of the most serious cases. The 277 breaches include 80
reported by the private sector, 75 within the [National Health
Service] and other health bodies, 28 reported by central
government, 26 by local authorities and 47 by the rest of the
public sector . . . The information commissioner says
that data losses have already led to fake credit card
transactions, witnesses at risk of physical harm or
intimidation, offenders at risk from vigilantes, falsified land
registry records and mortgage fraud: "Addresses of service
personnel, police and prison officers and battered women have
also been exposed. Sometimes lives may be at risk."
MORE

Beast System Update

2008-11-02T22:24:00.001-06:00

Parents to be fingerprinted by nursery schools (UK)
Parents are to be fingerprinted when they pick their children up from nursery school
Up to 50 nurseries and playgroups have already signed up for the new security measures, thought to be the first time parents have been targetted in this way. Civil libertarians have branded the decision a "huge over-reaction". The new entry system requires people who collect their children to place their finger on a scanner, to make sure that only nominated individuals can get through secure entrances. MORE

Persecuion Intensifies in India

2008-10-18T22:53:00.001-05:00

Horrific Muslim persecutions picked up by Hindus.
Prayer Team in India Beaten Mercilessly ... then Arrested
Two Christians in Chhattisgarh forced to beat fellow believer unconscious under threat of death

NEW DELHI (Compass Direct News) - The Christian community of Chattisgarh state is rattled after a gruesome mob attack and torture in Surguja district. At midnight on October 3 in Dumarbhavna village, 110 kilometers from Premnagar, three jeeps full of Hindu nationalists broke open the door of a house where a three-day prayer meeting was taking place and attacked participants as they slept - ultimately forcing two Christians to beat one of their own prayer partners unconscious under threat of death. MORE

Perversion Conversion Update

2008-10-18T18:21:00.001-05:00

Youngsters treated to
lesbian 'wedding'

Pro-family groups in California are pointing to a recent
first-grade field trip as an example of the importance of
passing Proposition 8. For the school-sponsored trip, 18
first-graders - ages 5 and 6 - were taken to San Francisco City
Hall to witness the wedding of their teacher and her lesbian
partner. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the school's
principal said the field trip was "a teachable moment." In
contrast, Frank Schubert, one of the managers for the
ProtectMarriage.com campaign in the Golden State, describes the
school-sponsored trip as indoctrination of young children. "I
doubt the school has ever taken kids on a field trip to a
traditional wedding," he quips. Sonja Eddings Brown, a
spokesperson with ProtectMarriage.com, says the field trip was
inappropriate. "I think it's an experience that those children
will probably never forget. That's what is a concern, because
children are in their most trusting and developmental stages
when they start kindergarten, first grade, and second grade,"
she explains. "All of us have had a very influential teacher at
one time or another, especially in grade school, who we just
thought walked on water - and what if that teacher introduced us
to the idea of gay marriage?"
MORE

Required Watching

2008-10-02T20:56:00.003-05:00

Another reason to be thankful:

2008-08-31T14:58:00.005-05:00

Poor Indians consider adding rat meat to their menus

With food prices rising, one of India's poorest states is considering adding rat meat to the menus of state-run canteens, a move officials in Bihar say could help provide cheap protein for the state's 80 million people, most of whom live off the land as poor sharecroppers or subsistence farmers.
MORE

Worldwide persecution intensifying:

2008-08-31T14:58:00.004-05:00

LAOS: CHRISTIANS ORDERED TO RENOUNCE FAITH
New reports show officials continue to fine believers, outlaw private worship

The chief of Boukham village in Savannakhet province, Laos today ordered the families of three detained Christians to sign documents renouncing their faith. Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom reported that the family members refused.
MORE

Jesus Seminar Totally Trashed

2008-08-10T21:45:00.002-05:00

Read this brief, concise article; then ask yourself this question: Why does the establishment media faun all over these boring know-nothings at the Jesus Seminar?

from

NewsLeader.com

Know real facts about the 'Jesus Seminar'

Group's "Historical Jesus" concept has problems.

August 9, 2008

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to Dr. Roger Ray's Op Ed piece printed on June 28. In contrast to previous responders, I am not writing to offer him spiritual advice, rebuke or support. Rather, as a biblical scholar who has been involved in "Historical Jesus" research for over 30 years, my concern is to provide your readers a more accurate perspective on issues he raised in his article. A number of assertions made in that article with respect to the current state of "Historical Jesus" research as well as the nature of the available evidence require correction if meaningful dialogue is to continue in our community.

First, the "Jesus Seminar" is not a "large group of academics." For readers interested in checking the veracity of statements, a few minutes on the Internet reveals that the Jesus Seminar comprises 74 scholars (as a point of comparison, at annual meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, around 10,000 attend). About half of these are recent Ph.D.s who have produced no meaningful work of their own. Rather, they are graduate students or "groupies" of the handful of members who have actually published Historical Jesus research.

Second, the published work of the Jesus Seminar has not been accepted in mainstream biblical scholarship, including the more liberal wing thereof. Among the problems scholars have had with the conclusions of the Jesus Seminar are its selective and arbitrary methodology, its cynical attitude toward the biblical gospels and its unduly positivistic attitude toward the non-biblical gospels, and its conclusions that stretch reasonable readings of the evidence available.

Third, the presuppositions, methodology and conclusions of the Jesus Seminar are not new. These largely go back to the work of Rudolf Bultmann, whose view is reflected in Dr. Ray's statement, "The Jesus of history cannot be directly known." What he failed to state is that Bultmann's own disciples eventually rejected his extreme historical pessimism and began what is known in scholarly literature as the "Second (or New) Quest" for the historical Jesus. That initiative was inspired in part by the growing body of information about the biblical world available via the Dead Sea Scrolls, archeological evidence, the Bar Cochva Letters, and more careful study of pre-Christian Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Josephus (a first century Jewish historian who lived in Israel) and Rabbinic literature.

Another concept borrowed from Bultmann by Dr. Ray and the Jesus Seminar is the idea that the "Jesus of History" can (and should) be separated from the "Christ of Faith." What at first glance appears to be appropriate and necessary for modern man, and especially for scholars employing the scientific method, is actually fraught with methodological difficulty. To accomplish this task, the gospel sources must be trusted to give us accurate information about the historical Jesus while at the same time they must be distrusted when they speak of the "Christ of Faith." Such treatment of modern witnesses would result in a lost trial. Further, the sources themselves saw no disparity and therefore make no attempt to separate these "two Jesuses." Therefore, any attempt to do so is reading our thoughts into ancient texts rather than deriving from them what the authors intended to communicate.

In reality, that is exactly what Bultmann did. Living in a world where "modernism" had determined that "the supernatural" was really merely "superstition," Bultmann set out to remove the supernatural element from the ministry of Jesus so that his ethical and moral teachings would be more readily accepted. (Interestingly, the extra-biblical Gospels and Acts preferred as sources by the Jesus Seminar contain exaggerated accounts of the miraculous that make the biblical accounts of the miraculous appear tame in comparison. Similarly, statements of Jesus' divinity are far more pronounced in these writings than in their biblical counterparts.) Not only was this approach largely abandoned by his disciples; its purpose is now largely passé because most postmoderns embrace belief in the supernatural.

Fourth, that the gospel writers had an agenda should come as a surprise to no one. Everyone has an agenda, politicians, preachers, advertisers and authors alike. The issue, however, is whether or not it is a legitimate, healthy agenda that reflects reality. The terms "propaganda" and "spin" suggest an intent to mislead. If this is the case, we must believe that the early church created beliefs and practices that guaranteed its marginalization and mistreatment. Further, we are forced to believe that these people were the greatest masochists the world has ever known, for not only did they invent these "myths" and "dogmas": they were imprisoned, tortured and martyred for refusing to deny them! And we call ourselves rational?

W.E. Nunnally, Ph.D., is professor of early Judaism and Christian origins at Evangel University.

Primate Bites Back

2008-08-04T01:00:00.005-05:00

... or what do you expect when you appoint a Druid to be Archbishop of Canterbury. (Dr Rowan Williams, a Druid, was appointed by Tony Blair, who is now a Catholic. Go figure.)

Archbishop of Canterbury 'betrayed churches over gay bishops'

The Archbishop of Canterbury has been accused of betrayal by one of the Anglican Communion's leading conservatives.

By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:11AM BST 01 Aug 2008

The Most Rev Henry Orombi, Primate of Uganda, said it is wrong that the leader of the 80 million-strong worldwide Anglican church should be a "remnant of colonialism" who is appointed by the Queen of England.

Archbishop Orombi is boycotting the Lambeth Conference along with 200 other bishops in protest at the presence of liberal Americans and Canadians who elected an openly gay bishop and who have blessed same-sex unions in defiance of tradition.

He said: "The spiritual leadership of a global communion of independent and autonomous Provinces should not be reduced to one man appointed by a secular government."

Writing in The Times, he went on: "Even the Pope is elected by his peers. But what the Anglicans have is a man appointed by a secular government. Over the past five years we have come to see this as a remnant of British colonialism, and it is not serving us well."

More here.

2008-08-04T00:46:00.001-05:00

More than 56,000 in U.S. infected with AIDS each year

Sat Aug 2, 2008 5:30pm EDT

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New estimates show that least 56,000 people become infected with the AIDS virus every year in the United States -- 40 percent more than previous calculations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday.

The CDC stressed that actual infection rates have not risen but said better methods of measuring newly diagnosed infections and extrapolating these to the general population led to the higher estimates.

"CDC's first estimates from this system reveal that the HIV epidemic is -- and has been -- worse than previously known. Results indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006," the CDC said in a statement.
...

AIDS activist groups said the numbers showed the United States is doing too little to control the epidemic.

Or maybe those spreading the disease are doing a little too much?

Read the rest.

Man Bites Dog Story from Israel

2008-08-04T00:15:00.002-05:00

Soldiers charged with assault yelled 'Arabs must die'

Indictments filed against four soldiers serving as security guards at naval facility accused of shocking racially-motivated assault against group of Druze youths at Atlit beach, one victim a Border Police officer

Hanan Greenberg

Published:

08.01.08, 02:24 / Israel News

Two soldiers serving as security guards at a facility used by the Navy's elite commando unit were indicted on Thursday on charges of racially-motivated aggravated assault. The two are accused of attacking a group of Israeli Druze youths at an Atlit beachfront two weeks ago.

According to the indictment, one of the soldiers called out: "They are Arabs, they must die" during the attack. Two other soldiers from their unit, who also took part in the attack, were indicted on charges of aggravated assault.

Comment: At least the Israelis are still prosecuting their own people for assault. Take note these young men were doing what they have seen moslem Arabs doing to the Jews their whole lives. How ironic they attacked an Israeli boarder guard.

Terror by Rat

2008-07-21T23:07:00.001-05:00

Believe it if you like ...

from the Jerusalem Post

Jul 20, 2008 4:24 | Updated Jul 20, 2008 10:39

Palestinians: Israel uses rats against J'lem Arabs

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

The Palestinian Authority's official news agency Wafa says Israel is using rats to drive Arab families out of their homes in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Has the Palestinian Authority smelled a rat in east Jerusalem?
Photo: Courtesy/Joanna Servaes

In the past the news agency, which is controlled and funded by PA President Mahmoud Abbas's office, has accused Israel of using wild pigs to drive Palestinians out of their homes and fields in the West Bank. In the reports, Palestinians were quoted by the agency as saying that they had seen Israelis release herds of wild pigs, which later attacked them.

But this is the first time that Palestinians have spoken of rats being used against them.

More here.

Lakeland IV

2008-07-19T17:45:00.002-05:00

Sadly, this is not unique in the chrch today, expecially among the so-called word-of-faith TV preachers.

The arrogance of Todd Bentley

“When God does not show up and when God is not moving, I thank God I have a gift, and I thank God I move by faith, and I thank God when God’s not moving I move God.”

(Todd Bentley speaking at Louisville, KY, recently as per the videohere)

July 18, 2008 - Posted by endtimespropheticwords | Deception, False Prophets and Teachers, Fresh Fire Ministries (Todd Bentley), Heresy/Apostasy, Prophecy, Todd Bentley (Fresh Fire), signs and wonders | christianity, Deception, false prophets, Florida Revival, Fresh Fire ministries, heresy, Lakeland Healing Revival, Lakeland outpouring, Lakeland revival, religion, signs and wonders, Todd Bentley

Lakeland III

2008-07-16T20:01:00.001-05:00

Why learn about Lakeland? The Lakeland, Florida revival is the latest in a series of deceptions passing as "revival."

Another interview by Rick Wiles of Trunews this time speaking with Andrew Storm:

Rick Wiles and Andrew Storm on Lakeland

Lakeland II

2008-07-16T18:20:00.001-05:00

Prepare to be amazed -- interview concerning the genesis of the Lakeland revival:

Rick Wiles interviews Pat Holiday on Trunews

More from Pat Holiday

Age of Apostacy: Demon Led "Revival"

2008-07-15T01:25:00.001-05:00

Posted: 07/08/2008 on christianworldviewnetwork.com

Is Todd Bentley a False Prophet? -
Is Lakeland a False Revival?

How gullible can people possibly be to support and/or defend this clown?!

Someone might say: “How can you imply that Todd Bentley is a false prophet?!” My reply: Because I can read. Can you read? Have you and are you daily searching the Holy Scriptures? (Jn. 5:39; Acts 17:11) If not, you have no discernment and are ultimately going to be “ashamed.” (2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:11-14). Read God’s Word and repent of trusting men and not Him alone - “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart...” (Prov. 3:5-6) - “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exod. 20:3)

Any thrill-seeker who does not put this Lakeland “revival” to the biblical acid-test is in disobedience to the Almighty who instructed us to “believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because MANY false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 Jn. 4:1)
Bentley seldom uses Scripture which alone makes him completely false - “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa. 8:20; Ezek. 3:4; 2 Tim. 2:16-17; 1 Pet. 4:11)

See rest of article:
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/3727/By_Todd_Tomasella

Great Video

2008-03-23T17:43:00.000-05:00

The Blue or the Red Pill?

2008-01-27T22:36:00.000-06:00

Married 51 years: an impressive achievement!

2008-01-27T21:58:00.000-06:00

What a great couple and a truly great family. This goes to show what real faith and devotion to the Lord can do.

Send a Message December 16th.

2007-11-28T23:45:00.000-06:00

We remember, remember the 5th of November: $4.3 million dollars and 36,000 donors.
Will the Tea Party top the Money Bomb?

There is only one honest man in the race for President of the United States

2007-11-28T23:36:00.000-06:00

National ID Fraud

2005-05-11T13:15:00.000-05:00

By now it should be obvious that National ID Cards would not have stopped 9-11, but then neither would the Patriot act or any other measures foisted on us by our erstwhile government employees since 09/11/2001 -- all of which have aimed at controlling peaceful Amercians, not foreign terrorists. Libertarian Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) hits the high spots here:

National ID Cards Won't Stop Terrorism or Illegal Immigration

Here is a very interesting article in Wired News.

Downsize DC has an action page here.

Lightsaber Safety Tips

2005-05-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

Riveting advice from howstuffworks.com

"A lightsaber is not a toy! Keep it out of reach of children at all times. Lightsaber locks are required in most states.

"There are two ends to any lightsaber -- one end has the belt ring, while the other end houses the blade arc tip and blade emitter. NEVER point the blade emitter of a lightsaber toward your own body. NEVER look down the 'barrel' of a lightsaber, even if you are 'sure' it is in safe mode. If you accidentally activate the lightsaber, serious injury could result."

Terrorism in the Hands of Justice

2005-05-06T16:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Christopher Coleman of "For Zion Sake" for this excellent article.

April 06, 2005 Steve Emerson was interviewd by Linda Vester on Fox News about the latest Iraqi realtiy show: "Terrorism in the Hands of Justice." This hit show is videos of captured terrorists confessing to kidnapping and rape and murder, and revealing who is financing them (Saudi Arabia)and who is training them (Syria). They are confronted by the survivors of their victims, including mothers of children who have been butally murdered and even raped.

Steve Emerson is Executive Director of The Investigative Project. His book is called "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us." The subject of the interview, the Al-Iraqiya TV show "Terrorism in the Hands of Justice," is not the sort of thing seen on Al Jazeera, and I don't think it's going to be popular with the American media establishment either. (Despite their obsession with so-called "reality TV.")

Click here for the full article.

For a library of video clips (!?!) from the Al-Iraqiya TV's “Terrorism in the Hands of Justice” click here.

Also covering the story:

washingtonpost.com

contumacy.org

WKMG local6.com

Lenin's Tomb
(some good quotes from terrorists)

Contra Pope

2005-05-03T15:44:00.000-05:00

This article is from the Berean Call e-Newsletter. Subscribe or visit.

Death of a Pope
Dave Hunt

The recent worldwide outpouring of grief upon the death of Pope John Paul II was unprecedented. Mourners ranged from his humblest adherents to the most powerful political and religious leaders of our day, including France's President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. California Governor Schwarzenegger called the Pope "a beacon of virtue, strength and goodness." Former President Clinton called him "a man of God," while former President Bush said that his "adherence to liberty and freedom . . . gave people a real anchor."

Russia's President Putin honored John Paul's "spiritual and political legacy." President Bush called him "one of history's great moral leaders." Billy Graham called him "perhaps the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years." Yet the Pope called Arafat, one of the worst terrorists and mass murderers of modern times, "Your Excellency," and never rebuked him for his slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent people around the world. Nor was the Pope's "moral leadership" reflected in the lives of most of his admirers. The Houston Chronicle noted that, "Italians who stood in line for hours to say farewell to their Holy Father have contracepted their way to the lowest birthrate in the world." During his visit to California in September 1987, the famed hillside Hollywood sign was altered to read "Holywood" -- yet Hollywood never missed a beat and remains anything but holy.

In June 2004, George W. Bush went to the Vatican to remind John Paul II that their moral values were the same and to gain support from America's 65 million Catholics in the upcoming election. South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun called the Pope "an apostle of peace." New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark ordered flags flown at half-mast for "one of the truly influential figures of the 20th century."

Such universal praise raised serious questions about the Pope's claim to be the "Vicar of Christ." After all, Christ was and still is "despised and rejected" (Is 53:3). He told His disciples that if they were true to Him, they would receive the same treatment from the world: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me . . . the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you . . . " (Jn 15:18-20).

John Paul II outdid most politicians in playing all sides. During his 1987 visit to Los Angeles, he told Rabbi Emeritus Harvey Fields of Wilshire Boulevard Temple and the late Rabbi Alfred Wolf that everyone serves the "same God . . . no matter what their religion." Yet in Latin America in February 1996, he warned Catholics against Protestants and urged those who had left the Church to come back. In the name of "ecumenism," he declared that full unity could not be realized until all religions were subject to Rome!

In 2000 the Pope met with the President of Israel, visited the Wailing Wall, where he inserted a prayer, and assured Israelis that "the Catholic Church . . . is deeply saddened by the hatred, acts of persecution and displays of anti-Semitism . . . by Christians . . . ." Yet he only apologized for what "Christians" have done, and never admitted the truth: that it was the Church itself and its popes that had compelled Catholics to persecute Jews.

Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel told CNN that John Paul II "will have a very important place in Jewish history . . . ." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (and Jewish leaders worldwide) called the Pope "a man of peace and friend of Israel . . . ." Even U.S. News & World Report's Editor-in-Chief, Mortimer B. Zuckerman, usually so perceptive, praised the Pope for having "recognized the State of Israel," overlooking the fact that he had been pope for 16 years before he did so in 1994, 46 years after Israel's rebirth as a nation -- and just after giving the PLO a permanent office at the Vatican.

Muslim leaders also lauded the Pope. Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University, said that Islam (which calls for Israel's annihilation) had lost a great friend. Consistently (as in his papal bull on the Year 2000 Jubilee, etc.), John Paul II rejected Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. More than ten times (at the Vatican and papal palace in Castel Gandolfo) he warmly received Arafat, Israel's most vicious enemy, visited him at his palace in Ramallah, and sided with Arafat and the PLO against Israel.

Of course, praising the deceased and overlooking blemishes is usual at funerals -- but even evangelical leaders joined the "all praise to the Pope" chorus. The few who told the truth were condemned by the rest. For responding to a listener's question as to whether the Pope was in heaven, Christian talk show host Marty Minto was fired by Pittsburgh's WORD radio station, an affiliate of Salem Broadcasting (see News Alert). Yet the truth is that the Pope himself did not know whether he would go to heaven, and could give no assurance to others -- a rather shocking fact about the head of the world's largest church who claimed to be Christ's vicar on earth!

John Cardinal O'Connor declared: "Church teaching is that I don't know...what my eternal future will be. I can hope, pray, do my very best -- but I still don't know. Pope John Paul II doesn't know absolutely that he will go to heaven, nor does Mother Teresa of Calcutta . . . ." Cardinal John Krol, as spiritual leader of Philadelphia's more than one million Catholics, admitted that his personal major worry was about "getting to heaven." Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), who headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, watchdog of Catholic orthodoxy (Holy Office of the Inquisition), and successor to John Paul II, expresses the same uncertainty
of salvation -- as he must.

Like the Pope, the Church that he led firmly rejects Christ's promise of "eternal life" (Jn 3:16) to all who believe on Him, that they have "passed from death unto life" (Jn 5:24) and "shall never perish" (Jn 10:28). Its priesthood offers endless Masses and prayers to Mary and favorite saints (thousands will be said for the dead pope), encourages pilgrimages to various shrines, and extends other means of gaining the same indulgences to shorten suffering in purgatory, a fact that upset Martin Luther and sparked the Reformation.

In a book highly rated by 250 evangelical leaders, the Pope wrote, "Baptism and the Eucharist . . . create in man the seed of eternal life." Rejecting the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and His triumphant cry, "It is finished!" (Jn 19:30), the documents of Vatican II begin thus: "It is the liturgy through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, 'the work of our redemption is [still being] accomplished.'" Rome anathematizes anyone who dares to confess the very assurance of a finished salvation that the Bible repeatedly promises (1 Jn 5:13).

Catholicism's premier "televangelist" before his death, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (whom John Paul II called "a loyal son of the Church" and whom Billy Graham praised as "the greatest communicator" of the last century), hoped that "the Virgin" would welcome him to heaven because of his more than 40 pilgrimages to her shrines at Lourdes and Fatima. Pope John Paul II was likewise totally devoted to Mary, especially to "our lady of Fatima," whose apparition declared that "All religions are the same . . . many souls perish because they have no one to make sacrifice for them," a clear denial of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. His Apostolic Letter of Oct. 16, 2002, ends with these words:

I entrust this Apostolic Letter to the loving hands of the Virgin Mary, prostrating myself in spirit before her image in the splendid Shrine built for her by Blessed Bartolo Longo, the apostle of the Rosary. I willingly make my own the touching words with which he concluded his well-known Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary: "O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain which unites us to God... tower of salvation against the assaults of Hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandon you. You will be our comfort in the hour of death: yours our final kiss as life ebbs away. And the last word from our lips will be your sweet name, O Queen of the Rosary of Pompei, O dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted . . . .

Rushed to the hospital, having taken two bullets during an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981, the Pope groaned in Polish, "Madonna, Madonna . . . !" He often repeated the words, "Victory . . . will be . . . through Maria." He credited "Our Lady of Fatima" with saving his life on that occasion in Rome and from a bayonet-wielding Spanish priest in 1982, while visiting Fatima, Portugal, to thank her for rescuing him from death. But his favorite "Maria" was the "Black Virgin" of Jasna Gora in Poland -- where Billy Graham himself welcomed pilgrims after preaching in Wojtyla's cathedral while Wojtyla was made Pope in Rome. In a February 1980 addendum to his Last Will and Testimony of March 6, 1979, John Paul II entrusted "that decisive moment [of death] to the Mother of Christ and of the Church [and] of my hope . . . .In life and in death, Totus Tuus through the Immaculate." Embroidered
inside all of his robes was the phrase, Totus tuus sum Maria, "Mary, I am all yours."

The Rosary, which he urged Catholics to pray continually as the means to world peace, offers a false gospel of salvation through Mary. An "apparition" at Fatima claiming to be "Our Lady of the Rosary" declared, "Say the Rosary every day...pray a lot and offer sacrifices for sinners [Christ's sacrifice was not enough]....Only I will be able to help you....In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph." The Rosary concludes:

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

It is clear, however, that Mary did not remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus, "her firstborn Son" (Mt 1:25), but had sons and daughters through her husband, Joseph (Mt 12:46,47; 13:55,56; Mk 3:31; Lk 8:19,20; Jn 2:12; Acts 1:14) -- and that she was not a special conduit of blessing from Him to others (Mt 12:40-50; Mk 3:33-35; Lk 8:19-21; 11:27,28).

There is no biblical record of anyone ever praying to Mary or of her interceding with Christ for anyone's salvation.

Among Roman Catholicism's popular "15 Promises of Mary," are the following: "The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish . . . .I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall . . . at the moment of death . . . participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise." Tragically, hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics have been turned from faith in Christ alone for salvation to trusting Mary and the Rosary, as did Pope John Paul II! They will not receive salvation from Christ so long as they trust Mary or any other "saint" for it.

In "The Holy Father's Prayer for the Marian Year," John Paul II asked Mary to do what only God can do: to comfort, guide, strengthen and protect "the whole of humanity . . . ." His prayer ended, "Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our journey of faith and obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation." Faith in the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is both conspicuously missing and denied by such a prayer!

John Paul II often referred to "the salvation of souls through Mary Immaculate." Urging all Christians to accept Mary as their mother, the Pope declared that Christ's words to John from the Cross, "Behold thy mother!" (Jn 19:27), revealed the "authentic meaning of Marian worship . . . ." Claiming that "Mary is the path that leads to Christ," the Pope urged all Christians "to make room [for Mary] in their daily lives, acknowledging her providential role in the path of salvation." He always wore the scapular (a practice that originated from an apparition of "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel" to St. Simon Stock in A.D. 1251, and was confirmed by subsequent popes such as Pope John XXII in 1322), trusting in the promise written upon it that "whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire." It is irrefutable logic that anyone, who in simple faith has trusted Christ for the salvation He provides, would consider it not only unnecessary but an abomination to wear such a piece of cloth!

In view of these well-known facts, the praise heaped on the Pope upon his death by evangelical leaders is incomprehensible! Incredibly, Billy Graham praised John Paul II for "his strong Catholic faith." Increasing numbers of evangelicals are joining Colson, Packer, Billy Graham and others in accepting as fellow Christians Roman Catholics who embrace this false gospel. Mark Oestreicher, president of Youth Specialties, called the Pope's death "a key point in history where we have the opportunity to embrace [Catholics as] fellow children of God." That is like failing to set up flares and warning signs for motorists traveling along a highway where a bridge is out and waving them on to their death instead!

Richard N. Ostling, long-time Senior Religious Correspondent for Time, called John Paul II "probably the most popular pope ever among America's evangelical Protestants . . . ." Dan Betzer, pastor of Fort Meyers' First Assembly of God, enthused: "I have long been an admirer of the Pope. His prayer life is an example to us all. He has lived a godly life . . . .His death will leave a great void in the kingdom of God." Pat Robertson said that "the most beloved religious leader of our age [has passed] from this world to his much deserved eternal reward."

Like Billy Graham, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, emphasized that any disagreements Protestants may have had "with John Paul II are [irrelevant] to the foundations of the faith." Land praised the Pope's "staunch defense of traditional Christian faith . . . ." Yet John Paul II on more than one occasion gathered together for prayer witch doctors, spiritists, animists, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and other leaders of world religions, declared that they were all "praying to the same God," and credited their prayers with generating "profound spiritual energies" that would create a "new
climate for peace."

We dare not trifle with the eternal destiny of souls. Peter, whom Rome falsely claims was the first pope, declared that "there is none other name [than Jesus Christ]...whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Not Mary, not Buddha, not anyone but Christ! But John Paul II relied upon Mary for salvation and protection and taught his flock to do the same. We pity him and them for this error.

It is too late to pray for the dead pope's soul -- but we owe it to our Lord and all mankind still living to give them the good news: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (Jn 3:16,17). TBC

Leno Sums It Up

2005-05-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

"Did you hear that we're writing Iraq's new Constitution? Why not just give them ours? We're not using it anymore." -- Jay Leno

No Religion

2005-04-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

This essay was first publisehed August 1996 in the shortlived Christian Libertarian Fellowship e-newsletter, "View from the Hill."

No Religion? No Way!
by Mike Hurley

Many people claim to have no religion (sound the opening chords from Lennon's "Imagine" here). Others indicate certain institutions are, or ought to be, free of religion or religious values. Popular notions aside, there is no such thing as no religion.

Everyone defines their religion by their very actions and words (or lack of the same). Everyone answers in some fashion the basic questions about faith and existence, right and wrong, addressed by religion. Some struggle with these questions and make positive choices. Some fail to examine these questions and choose by not choosing -- by happenstance. Still, our choices define our religion.

The matter of religion is just as Ayn Rand discussed in regards to philosophy. She pointed out everyone has a philosophy defined by their choices -- or lack of choices. Either you decide your philosophy on purpose or by default -- by failing to think. We either act a certain way in a particular situation, or choose not to act. Choosing not to choose is itself a choice. The sum of your choices defines your philosophy.

When someone says they or their organization have no philosophy, they are simply lying -- either in ignorance or obfuscation. Similarly, when they claim to have no religion or to represent no religion -- say in a government school or in consideration of public policy issues -- such a claim is patently false. Take K-12 government schools, for instance.

What is excluded from the curriculum or included there, and what is discussed or not discussed in the class room, defines the religion and philosophy (educational and otherwise) of the school. Perhaps as important in portraying religion to the children is what is treated as normal and accepted, versus what is discouraged or hushed-up. The sum of the above speaks volumes to young minds.

When a politician or activist claims religion must not enter public life, they are really saying they don't want YOUR religion influencing public policy. What they are hiding is what their religion is, and their determination to implement it, in government, at your expense.

You see, a collectivist philosophy of government cannot admit to any rivals. As advocated by most Repro-cratic politicians from Bill-Hillary on down, it is not compatible with Christian principles. Individual liberty sprang from Christian culture because Jesus relates to each of us as individuals. He places each of our consciences on equal footing with all others.

The political doctrine of universal sovereignty is the inevitable consequence of the religious doctrine of the priesthood of all believers and of free will. If Christ is sovereign, no man may be sovereign over any other. The depth of these roots is shown by the origin of free-market economics with the Christian clerics of the Late Scholastic Period (1350-1500 AD).

Our nations founders derived their understanding of self-government from their Christian heritage. It may be that some who claim the Cross of Christ would today, as in the past, use the state (and anti-Christian collectivist philosophy) to encroach on the personal moral decisions of others. Even so, such politics runs counter to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. It is a fact, the Tories (a right proper name for the Repro-cratic politicians) are not afraid of libertarian atheists and agnostics.

It is the Christian religion, which gave birth to libertarianism, which the political establishment fears. So they must marginal-ize, coopt and/or dilute faith in Christ with the big brother approved secular-collectivist religion. For the Tories to succeed in overthrowing individual liberty, they must substitute the state for God and state-ism for Christian faith.

This is why Christianity is so heavily attacked culturally and governmentally. It is not possible to exclude religion from political discourse. It is, however, essential to the triumph of the Tories to disarm the American people not only of their firearms, but also their faith.

Hence the aim of political correctness is to exclude ideas and viewpoints from political discourse which run counter to the growth of the secular-collectivist state religion and the triumph of the Tories over constitutional government. It is largely up to thinking Christians, along with our libertarian allies of all other faiths, to thwart the Tories. Together we must advance the cause of self-government and the Constitution which protects it.

Some Good Music

2005-04-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

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Davy Crockett and the Constitution

2005-04-29T13:41:00.000-05:00

If Davy Crockett showed up on capitol hill he would take a bull whip to the scurrilous curs who have replaced him in our time (with an exceptions or two).

Read this story, David Crockett, Charity, and Congress, and weep for our late departed republic.

Blast from the Past: LP News October 1994

2005-04-23T16:35:00.000-05:00

Mike Hurley, LP candidate for state representative in Kansas City, is in a heated two-way battle. His opponent is an unknown, but was handpicked by the Democratic incumbent.

Hurley is focusing on three issues-health care, education, and public safety. He is using the national party's Project Healthy Choice and Operation Safe Streets in his campaigning.

"I think we can win," said Hurley. "Send money."

For more information, write Citizens for Mike Hurley, 3810 Bell St., Kansas City, MO 64111-3916, or e-mail MikeHurley@ aol.com, or call 816-561-1514.

Beyond the Matrix

2005-04-23T15:24:00.000-05:00

Take The Quiz

2005-04-23T01:15:00.000-05:00

Problem In Iran?

2005-04-22T23:24:00.000-05:00

TEHRAN -- More than 400 young men and women have volunteered to carry out suicide-bombing attacks against Americans in Iraq and targets in Israel, a militant group said Wednesday.

The recruiting effort was detailed during a ceremony organized by the Headquarters for Commemorating Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement -- a shadowy group that has been seeking attackers for nearly a year.

"Iran's government has distanced itself from the organization. The event, however, was attended by Mahdi Rahimian, the head of the Martyr's Foundation and the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee -- both quasi-government organizations run by hard-liners loyal to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Full Story

Jesus Is a Libertarian - Part 4

2005-04-10T21:56:00.000-05:00

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JESUS IS A LIBERTARIAN

by Mike Hurley

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Part IV, A Call to Arms

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." (John Quincy Adams)

In these essays, we first explored the natural fit of Christianity, a spiritual faith which informs, guides and directs the life of an individual, and libertarianism, a political philosophy based on the principle of non-coercion or self-government. Then we looked briefly at why authoritarians, especially utopian socialists who dominate the political establishment today, hate Christianity and seek to obscure Christian principles which affirm individual liberty.

The rule of individual conscience is the foundation of a free society. Society begins with individuals. Therefore, it makes sense that government officials, themselves only individuals, would be strictly subservient to the individual citizen. To many folks, this sounds like anarchy.

Not so: the rule of law only works where there is individual liberty. As our government officials become more given to tyranny, conflict in society rises, there is a break down in rule by law, and rule by men reasserts itself.

As a Baptist, I can appreciate this very much. Baptists hold to the "priesthood of all believers." No other's conscience or relationship with God can take precedence over yours. Traditionally, each congregation is free to set their own doctrine, even if it contradicts the Baptist denomination as a whole. Hence the historic defining phrase for Baptists, "a free Christian in a free church in a free country!"

This is a perfect model for our democratic republic, united under a federal government, with ultimate sovereignty residing in the individual. The Baptist church is a descendent of the same frame work of religious principle which gave rise to the War for Independence. In sharp contrast to this tradition, the current political establishment is intent on expanding its oppressive power over individual citizens. This they do in the name of helping or caring for people.

Hence, the continuous creation of new victims and new emergencies. Most importantly, Christian virtue (love and compassion) are replaced by political force (taxation and bureaucratic empire building). Subsequently our resources are consumed by the state, without helping people very much, and we are denied responsibility for ourselves, our families and our communities.

Today's PC ethic, together with the "Bi-partisan Party," stands in direct opposition to the Christian concept of charity as evoked by Abraham Lincoln:

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing what they could and should do for themselves."

As I pointed out in Part I, Jesus calls us to minister to the oppressed, not farm out the job to government employees. Therefore we must recognize, with C. K. Chesterton, "If there be any value in scaling the mountains, it is only from them that one can behold the plains." In other words, the thinking about the truth is meaningless if we do not act on what we discover.

We live in a real world full of real people who hurt, bleed and suffer under the oppression of anti-Christian utopian socialism. It is up to those who hold the truth to share these tools with their neighbors. Only by relating directly with people in our community can the potency of our ideas be unleashed. The key ingredient is always self-responsibility. As government has gradually assumed our self-responsibility, it has also stolen our freedom and increased tyranny, oppression and injustice in our country.

We may reassert self-responsibility, and so redeem our country, by properly caring for ourselves and our immediate families first. Only then may we share our gifts through direct political action (finding candidates and supporting them for elected office, educating jurors, circulating petitions, lobbying), in business (providing goods and services people want and/or need, creating jobs, etc.), by helping other voluntary organizations (City Union Mission, Habitat for Humanity, The Lighthouse, etc.), or simply lending a helping hand to a neighbor, friend or relative.

Isn't it time Christians, together with other freedom loving people, put a stop to the growing injustice caused by the uncontrolled growth of government institutions and government power? It is time to renew the original freedom coalition which built this country and can still preserve it for our posterity. It is time for Christians to assume their rightful place (again) as leaders in this coalition. It is time for Christians to join the libertarian movement, support (or be) Libertarian candidates, and vote Libertarian!

Let us return full circle to the observation of Mr. Franklin: "Whoever will introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world."
____________________________________

Mike has been active in the Missouri Libertarian Party since 1984. He has served as representative to the state committee, state chair, national convention delegate, county comittee chariman, and candidate to Congress and the state legislature. Mike is an evangelical Christian and member of Lee's Summit Baptist Temple, a Bible-based, soul-winning, discipling body of Christ.

Permission is hereby granted to freely publish or otherwise reproduce, as is and with attribution, this four part essay "Jesus is a Libertarian" in any manner deemed espedient by the user.

____________________________________

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 1

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 2

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 3

Jesus Is a Libertarian - Part 3

2005-04-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

____________________________________

JESUS IS A LIBERTARIAN

by Mike Hurley

____________________________________

Part III, The Anti-Christian Mentality

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25, KJV)

Jesus is a libertarian. In the first two parts to this series we examined what it means to be a Christian. We explored the natural fit of Christianity (a spiritual faith which informs, guides and directs the life of an individual) and libertarianism (a political philosophy based on the principle of non-coercion or self-government). Now I would like to focus on the enmity between today's politically correct establishment and Christian principles.

Morality is the set of rules by which we govern ourselves. As John Adams wrote, "There is no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Hence, the enemies of the Constitution struggle to deprive us of the tools of self-government. Then they bring in "armed power" to fill in the vacuum they have created.

Witness the current politically correct fashion which condemns any form of philosophy or religion (mainly Christianity) which dares to posit absolute truth. Of course, the function of gravity is not a matter of opinion. Neither are the laws of atmospheric dynamics. Never the less, the Denver city council once passed an ordinance forbidding the wind to blow through the city's streets without a permit (they were kidding, that time). In any case, you can see how the PC crowd must discredit the entire sweep of western culture, including the ascendancy of reason and attendant scientific accomplishment, and especially the teaching of and about Jesus which laid the foundation for it.

Throughout history religionists of various stripes have sought to use the individual's own conscience to oppress and control him. From early Hindus to the New Age movement, religionists have dominated people on behalf of their rulers. Once upon a time a Roman emperor found donning a cross expedient to recruiting soldiers. Subsequently, the sword became a preferred method for "converting" people, a procedure which reached its nadir under Charlemagne.

Of course, that same emperor (Constantine) also embraced every heresy condemned by the Apostles, substituting a gospel expurgated by secular Roman philosophers (neo-Platonists, basically). He established a "church" which spent a millennia torturing to death those who kept alive the recorded teachings of those same apostles -- until they finally broke out during the reformation.

This legacy of using the church to dominate and control represents an alien influence superimposed on His church. It continues to this day in the form of religious abuse. I define religious abuse loosely as oppressing folks through guilt trips and intimidation, using their own conscience against them. This is also a favored tactic of today's "secular" religionists: utopian socialists and other authoritarians. (I have found many of my Libertarian Party friends to be the product of Christian religious abuse. Paradoxically, this often seems to make them less sensitive to other kinds of religious abuse.)

Today, we're seeing the results of a similar move to suppress religious truth, and especially its application to government, under the guise of the "separation of church and state." Tom Jefferson must be spinning in his grave. Question: if the religious and moral principle of honesty is excluded from government, what is left? The real reason religious people must be silenced, is because virtue must be denied. First, virtue must be denied so governmental, political and other secular leaders may do as they will without ethical limits.

Second, they must deny virtue to the people in order to justify their oppression. Lets put this in terms of the socialist-authoritarian thrust of government today. Today's political leaders have bought into the socialist utopian doctrine that the government, in substituting for God, has as its real purpose the perfection of mankind. I guess if you aspire to the mantle of pragmatism you say "the betterment of mankind."

This reminds me of the old fellow who went to testify in court. He was asked to "Swear to tell truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God." He replied, "If I could do that I would be God!" Clearly, when we take from the people, responsibility for their actions, we are bucking the natural (created) order. God has chosen to distribute the talents and knowledge needed for the proper function of society to the whole people, not those few who run the government.

When we substitute government for God, and "professional" judgement for individual conscience, we focus decision making into fewer hands. The hands of people no more knowledgeable, intelligent or ethical than you or I. In fact, regarding matters close to us, politicians and bureaucrats are less capable and knowledgeable -- and often less ethical.

It is precisely because of human limitations (no one man can possess all the truth, all men possess some of the truth), that freedom works and freedom is right. In part IV, I will expand on the uniquely Christian origins of the of individual liberty, and how this moral framework is the basis for removing utopian socialism from our government.

____________________________________

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 1

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 2

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 4

Pope John Paul II in a Nutshell

2005-04-06T00:35:00.000-05:00

I'm certainly not a fan of the Roman Catholicism, however, the late beloved leader of the Roman Catholic Church leaves behind an impressive record of leadership. This article by International Herald Tribune columnist Roger Cohen sums it up wonderfully: Globalist: A personal glimpse of the pope's belief in life Cohen examins the late Pope's legacy while recalling a story of a 24-year old seminarian, Karol Wojtyla, who saved the life of a 13-year old jewish girl in January 1945. The girl was Cohen's mother-in-law.

As Cohen observes, Stalin once asked, "How many divisions has the pope?" Wojtyla, as John Paul II, fielded divisions of moral certitude against the cold brutality of collectivism, and in the company of his allies, won the war. It is a great irony, though inevitable, that the first Pope to lead the church without sovereignty over a single acre of ground, much less an army, has wielded such influence.

Jesus Is a Libertarian - Part 2

2005-04-03T14:34:00.000-05:00

____________________________________

JESUS IS A LIBERTARIAN

by Mike Hurley

____________________________________

Part II, What is Genuinely Christian

"Sir my concern is not whether God is on our side. My
great concern is to be on God's side." (Abraham Lincoln)

Jesus is ... a libertarian. Libertarianism (also variously referred to as individual liberty or self-government) is the only political philosophy consistent with the tenants of the historic Christian faith. Until Christians recognize freedom fighting is part of being Christian, their positive influence in society at large will be blunted. Similarly, until libertarians learn to understand and utilize the essential unity between Christian and libertarian principles, the freedom coalition which built this country can never be reassembled to preserve it.

In Part I, we drew a distinction between the principles lived by Christians (Christianity), and the superficial works of what Patrick Henry called religionists. In first century Judea, religionists were exemplified by Pharisees and Sadducees. Today some good examples might be Hillary Clinton and Pat Buchanon. I hope my comments about the godless left vs. the religious right shed some light on the old Quail vs. The Media controversy.

Now it behooves us to move into a positive understanding of Christianity, the better to understand why Christians can only belong in the libertarian political camp. As brevity yields incompleteness, I recommend to the studious "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis, to which I turned for inspiration in the following discussion.

Christians believe God is the creator of the universe and is not of the universe. Good is that in the world which is in right relation to God. Evil is that which is in wrong relation to God. Evil is possible because of free will. God's moral law presses in on us (conscience), condemning us when we abuse our freedom (sin).

Christians believe Jesus was God incarnate. He is fully human and fully God. This is the key to Jesus' role in history -- and in our lives. His death on the cross was the lynch-pin of creation, the ultimate defeat of evil. Through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection (the atonement), we are restored to a right relation to God (salvation). This is the central "mystery" of Christianity.

Through Christ we are freed from sin, and become new people. We are born again. This freedom we do not attain for ourselves, but through the power of God (Holy Spirit) working in us because of our repentance. Christ is still in the world because Christians are the body of Christ. Until that day when the arch of creation is broken, Christians are the organism through which God acts in the world, spreading this new Christ-life through belief, baptism and communion.

Spiritually, a Christian sees God as reaching down to us. We achieve salvation by allowing God into our lives. The religionist is seen to reach up to Heaven, seeking to get there on mere manpower. The religionist is primarily interested in appearances, and in the use of appearances to manipulate people. The Christian is motivated by a passion for righteousness (being right with God), of which objective truth is a necessary component. The religionist is motivated by the need to control others -- or to see others controlled.

The Christian sees others as individuals, like himself: needy, broken, and under the oppression of sin. The word "Christian" means, literally, little Christ. Reflecting the unconditional love which Jesus has for all individuals, the Christian wishes to provide healing for other individuals by introducing them to the Savior, Jesus. Only through Him can people be restored to a right relation to God and receive inner healing and the "peace which passes understanding."

The Christian approaches people with love and care, ministering to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals. Only then is the heart open to sharing the Gospel and the movement of the Holy Spirit. Please note that people do not win soles, only God does this. Christians are merely asked to share their own story, their witness. This entire process is purely voluntary.

Coercion, on the other hand, is contrary to this process. It increases spiritual, emotional, and physical oppression, making the salvation business more difficult. After all, Christianity, in a temporal sense, is all about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Meanwhile, the enemy is doing everything he can to side track Christians by separating church and state.

If he can't get rid of this powerful liberating faith, he'll isolate it. He'll get society to wall it off and quarantine its potency. More over, he'll get the followers of Christ to leave its precepts within the four walls of the church, and not even apply them to their own personal lives! In particular, he'll get society to teach them to never, under any circumstance, apply anything in the Bible to government.

Libertarians, especially Christian libertarians, must seek to phrase our political struggle in terms which harness Christian precepts, laying bare the moral perversion of the collectivists. This will not only tug at the latent Christian consciousness of the American people, it will show rank & file Christians that we are in line politically with their faith.

We must find ways to combat the powers and principalities of the world and liberate the hearts and minds of the people from the enslavement of the religionists. In particular, to abandon the world to the good graces of the current political establishment would be, well, un-Christ-like!

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Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 1

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 3

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 4

Remembering Okinawa: Dealing with suicide bombers 60 years ago

2005-03-31T22:33:00.000-06:00

This is an incredible article by Victor Davis Hanson published in the Jewish World Review: definitely a must read, it is an inspiring retrospective on the battle of Okinawa in light of our current situation in the war on terror.

Hanson's concluding remarks:
"Perhaps we wonder now whether a presently divided American people can still overcome fascism, suicide bombers and beheaders to foster freedom in an autocratic landscape. In answer, we should look back 60 years ago to what we went through in Okinawa and the subsequent humane society and decent democracy that followed in Japan and sigh, 'Yes, we can and will again.'"

Blue State Mentality

2005-03-31T22:13:00.000-06:00

Here is an icon of the so-called "blue state" mentality, appearing under the headline "Weekly Picture Worth a Thousand Words:"

Jesus Is a Libertarian

2005-03-30T17:17:00.000-06:00

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JESUS IS A LIBERTARIAN

by Mike Hurley

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Part I, Introduction: Christians are Libertarian

"Whoever will introduce into public affairs the
principles of Christianity will change the face of
the world." (Benjamin Franklin)

Jesus is a libertarian. (Is that the sound of eyebrows arching?) Certainly when Jesus walked the earth as a man, he utterly rejected the initiation of force to achieve his mission. His ministry was to individuals, and he taught his disciples to achieve and share spiritual salvation apart from the religious and political systems of his day. Our founding fathers understood this. In their writings they attributed their concept of self-government to the Bible and to Christianity. However, many people today, far from seeing Christian principles as the well-spring of individual liberty, fear Christianity as a source of oppression and social fascism. How do we square this with the following statement from George Washington?

"Do not let any one claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics."

Let Patrick Henry, a powerful opponent of the establishment of religion illuminate that sentiment. He said, "It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

To me there are two contrary views of Christianity: one as the fount of human freedom, and the other as just another vehicle for oppression and control -- another brick in the wall, so to speak. Henry seems to be saying the key to sorting out these two views is the distinction between a religionist and a follower of Christ.

Let's use an example from my experience to contrast religiosity with Christianity. In Kansas City a municipal "health" levy was placed on the ballot. Fashionable suburban churches offered flyers for the tax increase saying, "We have the opportunity to express our faith by voting ... " Express faith in what, I asked, transfer payments to the government health care establishment?

Jesus calls us to minister to the sick, not tax some to benefit others. The title of the flyer was "Love Thy Neighbor." Voting to tax the poor and elderly to feed the City's health care bureaucracy does not satisfy that Biblical charge (or any other). The sentiment expressed by the flyer seems to be: Express your faith by sending tax money downtown so you won't have to deal with the un-lovely and unfashionable. Levying taxes is not the ministry to which Jesus calls us. When Matthew the tax collector became a disciple of Jesus, he left that profession forever.

Contrast the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 11:46. "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (NIV)

I must here point out that pseudo-Christian religiosity (the worldly church) is not the dominant religiosity of our day. Anti-Christian secular "philosophy" dominates the institutions of our society today. A good example of a modern religionist is Madelyn O'Hare, the atheist. Her son the Christian (the one who exports Bibles and salvation to the former Soviet republics) decidedly is not a religionist.

How can I say this? Matthew 7:16 "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (NIV)

The rule is: Christians are self-governors who relate to individuals as such. Religionists are others-governors who relate to individuals as parts of a collective. Therefore, the best way to understand the Christian-right vs. Godless-left conflict, is as a battle between religionist factions. Or, to borrow from Ayn Rand, a battle between two factions of witch doctors.

Ms. Rand correctly identified religion as an institution for controlling peoples hearts so their bodies could be dominated by government. The institutions and "worldly" systems built by religionists, comprise what the Bible refers to as "powers and principalities." Ours is not a battle of flesh and blood, but a spiritual one. It is a battle for hearts and minds.

Today, libertarians know we are locked in a struggle with collectivism. Clearly, moral principles are our chief weapons in the struggle against the slavery and oppression of collectivism. Historically, the most powerfully liberating moral principle is Christianity.

Christian libertarians feel the affinity between Christian (spiritual) principles and libertarian (political) principals. Yet until we learn to verbalize this affinity, we are neglecting our most powerful weapons.

Also, until non-Christian libertarians understand this affinity, many in the libertarian movement will continue to overlook its largest and most important block of natural constituents.

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Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 2

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 3

Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 4

In Him We Live and Move and have our being

2005-03-30T15:59:00.000-06:00

Here is the full citation for the title scripture:

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Act 17:22-31

Greetings Beloved

2005-03-30T15:21:00.000-06:00

Jewish roots of Christianity, the culture wars, the Judeo-Christian origin of western civilization: specifically the western concept of the individual and political liberty (libertarianism). These are the kinds of topics I want to explore here.

Your comments are welcome, along with new pointers and discussion of current events in light of a Biblical worldview.