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Pentagon to Increase Domestic
Surveillance for Counterterrorism
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Monday, August 01, 2005
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos |
The move is sparking concern among civil liberties advocates and those who fear an encroaching military role in domestic law enforcement.
In an argument that eerily foreshadowed the July London terror attacks, the Pentagon in late June announced its "Strategy for Homeland Defense and Support," which would expand its reach domestically to prevent "enemy attacks aimed at Americans here at home."
The strategy, approved by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England (search ) on June 24, argues that the government needs a multi-layered, preventive approach to national defense in order to combat an unconventional enemy that will attack from anywhere, anytime and by any conceivable means.
"Transnational terrorist groups view the world as an integrated, global battlespace in which to exploit perceived U.S vulnerabilities, wherever they may be," reads the 40-page document that outlines the new plans.
"Terrorists seek to attack the United States and its centers of gravity at home and abroad and will use asymmetric means to achieve their ends, such as simultaneous mass casualty attacks," it said.
Critics say the fears raised by the Pentagon are being used as a justification for the military to conduct wider, more intrusive surveillance on American citizens.
"Do we want, as a free people, with the notion of privacy enshrined in the Constitution and based on the very clear limits and defined role of government, to be in a society where not just the police, but the military are on the street corners gathering intelligence on citizens, sharing that data, manipulating that data?" asked former Rep. Bob Barr (search ), R-Ga., a constitutional law expert and civil libertarian.
"This document provides a blueprint for doing just that."
Barr said the new strategy is a back-door means of following through with a 2002 plan to create a massive, centralized information database using public and private records of individuals, called "Total Information Awareness." Congress killed TIA in 2003 because of civil liberties and privacy concerns.
Critics say they believe much of TIA lives on in some form through smaller, undisclosed military contracts. This latest plan, they say, is one way of jump-starting TIA's initial goals.
"This is TIA back with a vengance," said Barr. "What they have come up with here is a much vaguer and much broader concept that sounds more innocuous. [The Pentagon] is getting much smarter in how to sell these things."
The Defense Department report says its increased surveillance capabilities at home will adhere to constitutional and privacy protections, even though it emphasizes enhancing current "data mining" capabilities.
"Specifically, the department will… develop automated tools to improve data fusion, analysis, and management, to track systematically large amounts of data and to detect, fuse and analyze aberrant patterns of activity, consistent with U.S. privacy protections," the report reads.
It will also develop "a cadre of specialized terrorism intelligence analysts within the defense intelligence community and deploy a number of these analysts to interagency centers for homeland defense and counter-terrorism analysis and operations," states the report.
Some national security experts agree that emboldened surveillance on domestic soil is necessary in the global War on Terror, and that such intelligence could prevent the kind of attacks perpetuated by homegrown terrorists in England on July 7 and 21.
"The Defense Department has always done intelligence operations in the United States. They have the legal right to do that. There is nothing new here," James Carafano, a homeland security analyst with The Heritage Foundation, told FOXNews.com. "There are no new threats to privacy or constitutionality. I just think it's about doing [intelligence] more efficiently and effectively."
But John Pike, founder of GlobalSecurity.org , a clearinghouse of available intelligence and national security information, says it's not so clear how much data the Pentagon will be collecting on citizens and whether it will be retaining, sharing and building individual dossiers. So far, the lack of detail leaves as many question as answers, he said.
"The bad news is there is certainly the possibility of a return to the sort of domestic surveillance that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s," Pike said.
Pentagon officials declined to comment on the variety of data it would gather and share, or how long it would retain files on individuals under the new homeland defense plan.
The Washington Post reported recently that among the databases being built by the Pentagon is a military recruitment list of individual high school and college students culled from commercial data brokers and other sources. The military is planning to share the database with federal and state law enforcement agencies if necessary, the Post reports.
A Defense Department spokesman said the military's domestic role in homeland security will remain a supportive one, and the Pentagon will only provide resources when local, state and federal resources and capabilities "have been exceeded or do not exist."
"We have expanded activities in order to better execute support missions, but we are extremely sensitive to the historically restricted, limited role of the Defense Department," the spokesman told FOXNews.com in an e-mailed response to questions.
The Pentagon's new strategy appears to dovetail with a recent report by The New York Times, that said the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review, which outlines the future vision of the military and is due to Congress in February, will reflect a new approach in which the Defense Department will prepare to fight in one war theater at a time while putting the bulk of its resources into homeland defense.
The strategy approved by military officials in June also increases joint training exercises with first responders and other agencies as well as the creation of National Guard-staffed teams in case of a catastrophic attack.
The president would have to authorize the actual use of troops on military soil in order to adhere to the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits military involvement in domestic law enforcement. Pentagon officials say the new strategy won't require that authorization.
But the strategy does includes more collaboration with law enforcement in "support" roles on all levels of counter-terrorism efforts as well as the monitoring of terrorist threats along the borders, in the air and on water.
"If they find information in the course of their business that might help other agencies, then they can share it. If other agencies in their own intelligence gathering find information that can help the Defense Department, they can share that," said Carafano. "I really don’t see any legal or constitutional issues here."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,164328,00.html
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Subject: Simple Weather Modification Operations bill called a Bill to legalize "CHEMTRAILS"
("They"'ll stop at NOthing until "they" destroy EVERYthing ! This "bill"
simply legitimizes
CHEMtrails once and for all ! Just WATCH ! ...
Now that this bill has passed, "they"'ll start acknowledging Chemtrails
existence, whereas before now, "Mum" was the word !
Not only will "they" acknowledge them, "they" will EXTOL them as
marvelous "tools" of weather modification technology ! Just WATCH !)
~ Let the GOD Chimes Toll ... Let the GOD Times Roll ~
http://www.theorator.com/bills109/s517.html
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 517
To establish the Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and
for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 3, 2005
Mrs. HUTCHISON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
----------------------------------------------
A BILL
To establish the Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Weather Modification Research and
Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2005'.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of this Act to develop and implement a comprehensive
and coordinated national weather modification policy and a national
cooperative Federal and State program of weather modification research
and development.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) BOARD- The term `Board´ means the Weather Modification Advisory
and Research Board.
(2) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR- The term `Executive Director´ means the
Executive Director of the Weather Modification Advisory and Research
Board.
(3) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT- The term `research and development´
means theoretical analysis, exploration, experimentation, and the
extension of investigative findings and theories of scientific or
technical nature into practical application for experimental and
demonstration purposes, including the experimental production and
testing of models, devices, equipment, materials, and processes.
(4) WEATHER MODIFICATION- The term `weather modification´ means
changing or controlling, or attempting to change or control, by
artificial methods the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms or
precipitation forms which occur in the troposphere.
SEC. 4. WEATHER MODIFICATION ADVISORY AND RESEARCH BOARD ESTABLISHED.
(a) IN GENERAL- There is established in the Department of Commerce the
Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board.
(b) MEMBERSHIP-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Board shall consist of 11 members appointed by the
Secretary of Commerce, of whom--
(A) at least 1 shall be a representative of the American Meteorological
Society;
(B) at least 1 shall be a representative of the American Society of
Civil Engineers;
(C) at least 1 shall be a representative of the National Academy of
Sciences;
(D) at least 1 shall be a representative of the National Center for
Atmospheric Research of the National Science Foundation;
(E) at least 2 shall be representatives of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce;
(F) at least 1 shall be a representative of institutions of higher
education or research institutes; and
(G) at least 1 shall be a representative of a State that is currently
supporting operational weather modification projects.
(2) TENURE- A member of the Board serves at the pleasure of the
Secretary of Commerce.
(3) VACANCIES- Any vacancy on the Board shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointment.
(b) ADVISORY COMMITTEES- The Board may establish advisory committees to
advise the Board and to make recommendations to the Board concerning
legislation, policies, administration, research, and other matters.
(c) INITIAL MEETING- Not later than 30 days after the date on which all
members of the Board have been appointed, the Board shall hold its first
meeting.
(d) MEETINGS- The Board shall meet at the call of the Chair.
(e) QUORUM- A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a
quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(f) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR- The Board shall select a Chair and Vice Chair
from among its members.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE BOARD.
(a) PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT- In order to assist in
expanding the theoretical and practical knowledge of weather
modification, the Board shall promote and fund research and development,
studies, and investigations with respect to--
(1) improved forecast and decision-making technologies for weather
modification operations, including tailored computer workstations and
software and new observation systems with remote sensors; and
(2) assessments and evaluations of the efficacy of weather modification,
both purposeful (including cloud-seeding operations) and inadvertent
(including downwind effects and anthropogenic effects).
(b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE- Unless the use of the money is restricted or
subject to any limitations provided by law, the Board shall use amounts
in the Weather Modification Research and Development Fund--
(1) to pay its expenses in the administration of this Act, and
(2) to provide for research and development with respect to weather
modifications by grants to, or contracts or cooperative arrangements,
with public or private agencies.
(c) REPORT- The Board shall submit to the Secretary biennially a report
on its findings and research results.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE BOARD.
(a) STUDIES, INVESTIGATIONS, AND HEARINGS- The Board may make any
studies or investigations, obtain any information, and hold any hearings
necessary or proper to administer or enforce this Act or any rules or
orders issued under this Act.
(b) PERSONNEL- The Board may employ, as provided for in appropriations
Acts, an Executive Director and other support staff necessary to perform
duties and functions under this Act.
(c) COOPERATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES- The Board may cooperate with public
or private agencies to promote the purposes of this Act.
(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- The Board may enter into cooperative
agreements with the head of any department or agency of the United
States, an appropriate official of any State or political subdivision of
a State, or an appropriate official of any private or public agency or
organization for conducting weather modification activities or
cloud-seeding operations.
(e) CONDUCT AND CONTRACTS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT- The Executive
Director, with the approval of the Board, may conduct and may contract
for research and development activities relating to the purposes of this
section.
SEC. 7. COOPERATION WITH THE WEATHER MODIFICATION OPERATIONS AND
RESEARCH BOARD.
The heads of the departments and agencies of the United States and the
heads of any other public or private agencies and institutions that
receive research funds from the United States shall, to the extent
possible, give full support and cooperation to the Board and to initiate
independent research and development programs that address weather
modifications.
SEC. 8. FUNDING.
(a) IN GENERAL- There is established within the Treasury of the United
States the Weather Modification Research and Development Fund, which
shall consist of amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) or
received by the Board under subsection (c).
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Board for the purposes of carrying out the
provisions of this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through
2014. Any sums appropriated under this subsection shall remain
available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.
(c) GIFTS- The Board may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations
of services or property.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on October 1, 2005. END
Volume XXIV Issue VIII August 2005
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
The End of Time and the Edge of Eternity!
“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
Revelation 10:5-7
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Revelation 22:10-17
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”
II Thessalonians 1:7-10
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again look at the many signs of the times that are unfolding before our very eyes continually. As we do this, may we all come to a full realization that time itself is not only limited but almost gone. Every day brings definite indications that we are on the very brink and edge of eternity! The writings of Scripture were completed by the Almighty nearly 2,000 years ago, and yet its pages are more accurate than tomorrows newspaper! There are many signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth is great distress of nations. The earthquakes, volcanoes, and freak weather events are troubling our world even as I write this newsletter. One of the greatest signs, however, is the almost universal social distemper of the people of this chaotic planet. The lustful appetites, demanding ever more of Satan’s hellish delights, tell us that these are the days like unto the days of Noah and of Lot. The twisted thinking, which is nearly universal, has warped society, government, and religion into grotesque spiritual shapes of demonic abstraction. Religions and institutions of learning, which were once respected, have become demonic burlesques. People everywhere now worship the deceptive and false gods of entertainment and pleasure and wallow in the mental anesthetic of amusement. We must remember that the word muse means to think, and the word amuse means to not think!
It is truly a wild and crazy, and lust-driven world, and it truly indicates that time is almost gone. We will now look at some of the evidence that will cement that fact. As we consider this evidence, may we also come to a full realization that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will hear the prayers of those who truly call upon Him for salvation! Do it now before it is too late. May we all learn to cry out unto our Saviour every day, and He will take us through this troubled time and the environment of this world that is so spiritually hostile toward the true Christians. One calendar page will be the last one and soon the clocks will stop, for there will be no more time!
Terror in London!
On July 6th, 2005, the city of London, England, was celebrating with great jubilation, because it had been chosen to host the 2012 Olympics. (1) That day there was shouting in the streets, but the following day brought weeping and wailing in those same streets. High-powered explosives were detonated almost simultaneously in various locations in the subway system and on a transit bus at Tavistock Square. (2) Initial reports indicated there were at least 49 dead and hundreds wounded. Debris was scattered everywhere, and voices of people crying out saying, “I’m dying, I’m dying, please help me”, were heard in the midst of the tangled wreckages. (3) The bomb that destroyed the bus at Tavistock Place killed 33 people according to one report. Here let it be noted that London is the home of the conspiratorial and illuministic Tavistock Institute, founded in 1933 and located at 30 Tabernacle Street in London, England.
The signature of the Illuminati is all over this event. The date of the attacks was 07-07-2005. In occult numerology the zero means nothing, so we have three 7’s or 777 when the digits 2 and 5 are added together. In high levels of Druid witchcraft, which is also headquartered in London, England, the 777 sign is known as the Order of the Septenary. Aleister Crowley also used this triple seven sign when he blended witchcraft with Satanism. There was also an occult “bridge of thirteen” or thirteen days between the events of the attacks on the 7th and the full moon of the 21st in July, 2005.
We must also note some other strange things about these attacks in London. For one thing, the Mayor of London recently imposed a congestion charge, which in American money is about thirteen dollars per day, for bringing a car into London. (4) This would force and induce many to use mass transit to make sure the subways or tubes and the buses were full. We also know that there are more street surveillance cameras in London than in any other city, but none of them worked that day. The program Good Morning America reported that six bombs exploded. How did they know about six, because only four exploded, and later two were found that did not go off? Are news reports prepared before the event?
Another amazing report regarding the London bombings of July 7th, 2005, was revealed in a BBC interview with Peter Power, the managing director of Visor Consultants, which is a crisis management advice company. Peter Power is a former Scotland Yard official who worked in the anti-terror branch. Mr. Power told the program host that he was running an one thousand-person anti-terror drill at the same time and in the exact locations where the bombs actually went off. Mr. Power’s exact words were as follows: “At half past nine this morning we were actually running an exercise for a company of over a thousand people in London, based on simultaneous bombs going off precisely at the railway stations where it happened this morning, so I still have the hairs on the back of my neck standing up right now.” The BBC host then asked, “To get this quite straight, you were running an exercise to see how you would cope with this, and it happened while you were running the exercise?” Mr. Power answered, “Precisely, and it was about half past nine this morning.” (5)
Now that London, England, has been hit by a horrifying terrorist attack, the illuministic British Government will probably have no trouble imposing the national ID card on the British people who have thus far bitterly opposed it. The British Government is also planning to store all cell phone calls and e-mails for up to twelve months. The European Union is planning to do the same for all citizens of the European Union. (6)
The British Government is also planning to ration energy in what they call a personal carbon allowance. Under the proposed plan, everyone would be given an electronic card which would contain the amount of energy rationed. High users of energy would have to purchase points from low users or from a carbon bank if they wanted to use more energy. (7) Watch for more rapid and radical changes in our world as time runs out!
The Human Sacrifice of War!
As the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere continue to cause the world to bleed and suffer, we must understand that there is a spiritual reason behind all of this. War is a form of human sacrifice when the Illuminati conspirators foment and implement it. Recently, President Bush used that very word sacrifice in a speech given at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, On June 29th, 2005. While holding the dog tags of two dead soldiers and with bereaved mothers looking on, he forcefully stated that it is worth the sacrifice! (8)
On June 25th, 2005, President Bush vowed that he will not set a timetable and has no plans for an end to the Iraqi War. (9) We must remember that the entire Middle East is embroiled in various conflicts, and all of this will ultimately fulfill Bible prophecy. President Bush also knows that it is impossible to underwrite the astronomical eight trillion dollar national debt without controlling the world’s oil supply. In the President’s mind, the sacrifice of life is worth the control of the world’s oil, and Iraq is the number two oil producing country in the world.
How large can a war become, and will nuclear weapons ever be used? We know that one of the laws of economics is called production for use, and that the United States currently has 2,000 nuclear weapons of mass destruction which the Pentagon says are on hair trigger alert. (10) Recently it was reported by Reuters News Service that the United States is now resuming the production of highly radioactive plutonium 238 for the first time since the Cold War. On this same subject, the New York Times quoted nuclear project managers as saying, “The new plutonium is intended for secret missions.” (11) Officials at the Energy Department could not be reached for comment. (12) Evil spirits are without a doubt fascinated by atomic explosions because of their extreme power. Perhaps that is why the site of the first atomic bomb test of July 16th, 1945, known as Trinity Site in New Mexico, is marked with an obelisk, (13) which is the symbol of the Egyptian sun-god Ra, also known as Baal.
Spiritual Death in America!
The so-called “Christian” religion in America is void of discernment and basically dead. Only a very small remnant of praying and believing Christians remain. Most believers in Jesus Christ have never experienced conversion, and there are many more make-believers than believers. I am reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus to the church at Sardis as recorded in Revelation 3:1-6 as follows: “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
One prime example of spiritual blindness and death in our nation was the recent Billy Graham Crusade in New York City. Approximately eighty thousand people gathered to hear Dr. Graham, and before he began his fifteen-minute sermon, Dr. Graham was greeted by Bill and Hillary Clinton. Dr. Graham took the hands of Bill and Hillary and endorsed Hillary as the next President of the United States. Graham’s exact words were: “The Clintons are wonderful friends and a great couple. Mr. Clinton should become an evangelist and allow his wife to run the country.” (14) The New York Daily News reported that the vast audience screamed as Bill Clinton took Graham’s hand. (15) Why is Graham ignoring the fact that the philandering Bill Clinton is one of the most flaming red-hot liberals to ever hold a high office? Graham endorsed Hillary to lead the country and Bill to preach the gospel when they are both avowed baby-killing abortion advocates, not to mention the host of other antichrist attributes such as their roles as cheer leaders for the entire homosexual and lesbian movement in America and the world. Graham knows all of this, but he is a politician, and like Clinton, Graham is one of the most beloved hypocrites of all time.
Appearing with Dr. Graham was his side-kick known as Bible Man. This is a man named Robert Schlipp. who dresses in spandex with Star Wars type armor, including a saber of light and wearing a grotesque looking horned mask. (16) He looks more frightening than Darth Vader, the dark side of the Force. He presents himself as a Kung Fu master, and as one major newspaper reported, he comes out to “quote the Bible and kick butt.” I have never seen such overt and flagrant blasphemy against our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Graham’s “Bible Man” looks like a demon, but people think its wonderful because he is endorsed by Graham!
With what is esteemed to be Christianity being so dead, is it any wonder why pagan religions are taking over the country? Huge and impressive Hindu temples, such as the one being built in Madrid, Iowa, are appearing throughout the United States. (17) Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and numerous other religions have seized upon a nation that was once at least said to be Christian. The fastest growing religion in America is now witchcraft collectively.
To add insult to injured faith, Duke University has announced the results of research regarding prayer for the sick. Dr. Mitchell Krucoff , a Duke University cardiologist, led a study involving 750 patients undergoing heart related procedures. Representatives of many Christian denominations, Muslim and Buddhist religions, clerics and Jewish rabbis were invited to say their best prayers for some of the patients while other patients received no prayers. Thus, Duke University announced the following: “Praying for someone who is ill and preparing to undergo a risky medical procedure appears to have no effect on the patient’s future health.” (18) In other words, Duke University has determined that prayer does not work! I can say one thing for certain: they came too late to tell me that, because I have both seen and experienced miracles of healing through prayer!
Spirits of Lust and Perversion!
All over the world the spirits of sexual lust and perversion have risen up to seize upon humanity. People who had lust problems used to be ashamed of themselves to a certain extent, and homosexuals and lesbians did everything they could to hide their great sin. Now there are gay pride organizations, parades, and public displays of perverted celebrations with political dignitaries joining in. The streets of our nation have become the streets of Sodom and Gomorrah!
On July 4th, 2005, the 1.3 million member United Church of Christ endorsed same-sex marriages and gave their blessing to those marriages. The church also said they are proud of the fact that they are the first mainline Protestant church to do this. The president of the United Church of Christ said, “My denomination acted courageously to declare freedom when it passed a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage on Independence Day.” (19)
The country of Spain has now legalized same-sex marriage, and on July 2nd in Madrid, hundreds of thousands of sodomites rallied and paraded waving rainbow flags and carrying banners. (20) I have no doubt that the wrath of the Almighty is waxing hot against such evil. In Genesis 18:20-21 God told Abraham that “….. the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.”
If two cities in those ancient times solicited a reaction from the Almighty which soon led to a violent raining of fire and brimstone on those wicked people, what kind of reaction will the radical activities of this last generation bring forth? Here let it be noted that Spain has such a severe drought that even large lakes are completely dried up with lakebeds parched and cracked. Reservoirs are at 20 percent of capacity, and rivers have lost one-third of their volume of water. Weather experts say there is no end in sight! (21)
The entire Iberian Peninsula is bringing a curse upon itself. Lisbon, Portugal, recently held its first-ever international erotic fair, which drew over forty thousand visitors, including men, women, and couples of all ages; who came to watch strippers, “classic pornography”, and to audition to be a star in a porn movie. Spokeswoman for the event, Bibian Norai, said that she was “greatly moved” when she saw so many people come to the event. (22)
We now live in a world that is mad with lust, and there are now numerous agencies that specialize in helping married people to find dates with other married people. These agencies of adultery are springing up everywhere. One such agency known as the Ashley Madison Agency has reported that 160,000 married men and women have signed on! (23) I must also mention at this time that since the discovery that Viagra, the male impotence drug, has been known to cause blindness, (24) the drug is more popular than ever. Recent surveys have shown that men believe the benefits outweigh the risk! This is much like the lust-driven men who were blinded by the angels of God in front of Lot’s house in Sodom. Although they were stricken with blindness they still burned with sexual lust and wearied themselves to find the door! Truly we are at the end of the world and are on the brink and edge of eternity.
A Nation and World Bewitched!
On July 15th, 2005, just after the half moon crossed the equinox waxing toward full, the new and latest Harry Potter book went on sale at the witching hour of midnight. The new book is entitled Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. At midnight that night, the half moon was in the southwestern sky, and it turned blood-red. This is quite a sign when you consider the title of the book. Late that night, the spooky form of the book’s author, Janet K. Rowling, was seen walking to the entrance of Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a midnight reading of the book for seventy hand-picked children. (25) This was a true-to-form occult ritual!
This new Harry Potter book is the sixth in a series of seven. The latest Rowling book is said to be deeper, darker, and much more violent in ritual and blood as the characters Voldemort, and the death eaters unleash their powers. (26) I warned people long ago when the first book came out, that this is not harmless fun. As a former occultist saved by God’s grace, I warned in previous issues of this newsletter that these books are instructions in witchcraft theory and practice. Church leaders still persisted in using these dark materials as Sunday school material in the churches. The sad fact is that by the time children have read the Harry Potter books, they know enough about witchcraft to enter a Wiccan coven and skip the entire neophyte stage.
As predicted, the new Harry Potter book is a run-a-way best seller. In England it was said to be flying off the shelves, and on the first day there were two million copies sold. (27) Of course, England is considered to be the “holy land” by the witches, and one of the reasons is the ancient Druid temple of Stonehenge at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. On June 21st, 2005, twenty thousand witches gathered there in the ancient circle for a ceremony of all night drumming and chanting as the blood-red full moon reached its closest point to the earth. (28) This is real witchcraft of the first magnitude, and if you have ever wondered why so many public places such as schools and hospitals have set up meditation gardens with circles of stones, you have your answer. Witchcraft is the deep religion of the antichrist, and he has an almost universal program to indoctrinate the world’s population, and it is going on right now! Here let it be noted that General Motors has a new car called the Pontiac Solstice, and the advertisements have the car situated in front of the Stonehenge Memorial, which is a life-size replica of Stonehenge and is located in Goldendale, Washington. (29) Incidentally, two of the eight sabats of witchcraft are called solstices.
The new Harry Potter book is also casting its spell in the United States, a country which seems to have an insatiable appetite for witchcraft. One large bookstore announced that on the first day the book was selling at a rate of 13 per second. The mega-bookseller Barnes and Noble held midnight magic parties at its stores on July 15th, including such activities as Live Wizard Chess, the Daily Prophet, a Potions Lab, Divination with Madame Trelawney, magicians, face painting and so on. (30)
The sad and most distressing thing about the Harry Potter mania is that so many professing Christians say it is a good thing. In the magazine Christianity Today, for the week of July 11th, 2005, an article was published as an excerpt from a book entitled Looking for God in Harry Potter, by John Granger. In this book, Granger likens the mythological creatures to Jesus Christ. One example is his comparison of the blood of the dying unicorn to the blood of Jesus. Another example is Granger’s comparison of the phoenix rising from its own ashes as a new chick to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet another comparison is that of the centaur (as is also found in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis) to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. The centaur has the body of a horse, and the chest and head are of a man. (31) All of this is rank blasphemy of the first magnitude, yet Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family’s youth website called Plugged In was promoting and selling this book for thirteen dollars. I have a printout of their advertisement from December, 2003.
I must also mention that during the June solstice celebration in Westfield, Massachusetts, witchcraft ceremonies were held after the old Celtic Wiccan tradition and featured the Rev. Louis Pinton of Central Baptist Church, who lead participants in a solstice chant and spiral dance! (32)
More Signs of Impending Catastrophe!
Never in the history of the world have conditions been as they are in this last generation! Never before has God given so many signs and warnings to a sinful people who are so indifferent regarding His commandments! Amazing signs are happening in space. On July 4th, the Deep Impact space probe sent up by NASA or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration slammed into a comet, setting off high explosives as planned. The purpose was to photograph and study the comet below its surface. Strangely enough, the name of the comet is Temple I. (33) At this point, we must remember that our solar system is delicately balanced even though we are dealing with vast distances. We must also remember that comets are affected by the sun and can have an effect on the sun. An example of this is the fact that the tail of a comet always points away from the sun because of ionization and a solar wind. With all of this in mind, we can see why NASA is quite distressed now, because as soon as the Deep Impact probe exploded on the comet Temple I, a powerful and massive solar flare left the surface of the sun. Other M-class flares have followed leaving an amazing 143 sunspots. I remember from my astronomy training that sun spots are cool spots on the sun, and if there are enough sunspots, it causes the core of the sun to expand and send more energy to the chromosphere, which could cause the sun to expand fiercely and then burn out. This happens to stars all the time. It is all beginning to sound like the book of Revelation!
I think that by now NASA realizes what a stupid thing it was to cause the explosion on Temple I. NASA scientists are now saying there is no evidence that the comet explosion is what is causing the strange activity of our sun, but they also said they cannot rule it out. (34) Perhaps NASA also stands for Never A Straight Answer! It should also be noted that the real reason for the delay of the space shuttle is not just a problem with a fuel sensor, but it is because of the continual solar flares from the sun that interrupt communications. It is a huge problem for the scientists, which is why they have now delayed the shuttle indefinitely. (35)
Earthquakes and volcanoes continue to happen in divers or various places. It was recorded that over one hundred tremors shook Java on July 12th, 2005. (36) On June 15th, 2005, a strong 7.9 quake hit Chile and destroyed or damaged 9,235 homes. (37) In the United States, the University of Memphis has reported that pressure is rapidly building in the Reelfoot Fault area in the midsection of our country at a rate comparable to that of the San Andreas Fault. (38) It was only a few weeks ago when California experienced six offshore earthquakes, and one of them triggered the tsunami warning sirens to go off. (39) Strangely enough, thousands of people ran to the ocean’s shore to watch the tsunami come in. By the grace of God, there wasn’t one.
Strange and freak weather is occurring in many places. In Florida, a recent weather report by meteorologist George Winterling revealed that there were two thousand lightning strikes in one hour in that area from Hurricane Dennis. (40)
On July 4th, 2005, Japan continued to investigate a mysterious column of water that shot 3,300 feet high into the sky from the Pacific Ocean near Iwo Jima. It was likely an underwater volcano that caused it. (41)
As I mentioned in the July, 2005, issue of this newsletter, this last generation is certainly the earthquake generation. There are far too many of them happening to report them all in this newsletter. To illustrate that, I was recently reading a 1994 World Book Encyclopedia, and it said that on average, there are about forty moderate earthquakes per year. That was only eleven years ago. I compared this with the Iris Seismographic Report by the U.S. Geological Survey for the present time and was shocked to find that between June 14th and July 13th, 2005, there were over 300 moderate earthquakes. That is during only one month, not a year! (42) Truly the earth is travailing like a woman with child, and it will not be long until our Saviour appears. We are at this very moment at the thin margin between time and eternity!
In closing, I urge everyone to truly yield to the Almighty and walk in His commandments. May the glorious light of the Gospel shine through you and continue until the coming of the perfect and endless day. I also invite you to send in your prayer requests as we have teams of intercessors waiting to give your requests serious and individual attention. I also want to sincerely thank all of you who support this end-time ministry. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus.
David J. Meyer
01. Reuters News Service, Jul. 6, 2005, by Paul Radford, Singapore.
02. BBC News, Jul. 11, 2005, London, England, U.K.
03. Associated Press, Jul. 9, 2005, by Matt Moore, London, England, U.K.
04. Personal Correspondent, Jul. 12, 2005, London, England, U.K.
05. BBC Radio 5, Jul. 7, 2005, London, England, U.K.
06. British Journal, Sunday Express, Jul. 10, 2005, London, England, U.K.
07. Daily Telegraph, Jul. 11, 2005, by Charles Clover, London, England, U.K.
08. Washington Post, Jun. 29, 2005, by Peter Baker and Dana Milbank, Fort Bragg, NC.
09. New York Post, Jun. 25, 2005, by Deborah Orin, New York, NY.
10. AFP News, Jul. 15, 2005.
11. Reuters News Service, Jun. 27, 2005, New York, NY.
12. Ibid.
13. AFP News, Jul. 11, 2005, White Sands, NM.
14. Associated Press, Jun. 26, 2005, by Rachel Zoll, New York, NY.
15. New York Daily News, Jun. 26, 2005, by Monique El-Faizy & Tracy Connor, New York, NY.
16. New York Post, Jun. 13, 2005, by Jeremy Olshan, New York, NY.
17. Ames Tribune, Jun. 4, 2005, by Matt Neznanski, Ames, IA.
18. Baltimore Sun, Jul. 15, 2005, by Michael Stroh, Baltimore, MD.
19. Associated Press, Jul. 5, 2005, by Sonia M. Wignall, Atlanta, GA.
20. Reuters News Service, Jul. 2, 2005, Madrid, Spain.
21. Staten Island Advance, Jun. 26, 2005, by Ciaran Giles, AP, New York, NY.
22. AFP News, Jul. 4, 2005, Lisbon, Portugal.
23. Montreal Gazette, May 1, 2005, by Charlie Fidelman, Montreal, Canada.
24. Ames Tribune, May 27, 2005, AP, Ames, IA.
25. Associated Press, Jul. 15, 2005, by Matt Dunham, Edinburgh, Scotland.
26. Associated Press, Jul. 16, 2005, by Deepti Hajela, AP.
27. Associated Press, Jul. 18, 2005, London, England, U.K.
28. AFP News, Jun. 24, 2005, London, England, U.K.
29. Associated Press, Jun. 20, 2005, by Tim LaBarge, General Motors photo.
30. Harry Potter Official Flier, Jul. 15, 2005, Barnes and Noble.
31. Christianity Today, Jul. 11, 2005, Harry Beasts, an excerpt.
32. The Republican, Jun. 24, 2005, by George Graham, Westfield, MA.
33. CBS News, Jul. 3, 2005, Pasadena, CA.
34. Earth Changes TV, Jul. 9, 2005, by Mitch Battros, http://www.earthchangestv.com/
35. Associated Press, Jul. 17, 2005, by Marcia Dunn, Aerospace writer.
36. AFP News, Jul. 15, 2005, Jakarta, Indonesia.
37. Associated Press, Jun. 17, 2005, by Roberto Candia, Iquique, Chile.
38. St. Louis Dispatch, Jun 25, 2005, St. Louis, MO.
39. Associated Press, Jun. 15, 2005, by Josh Dubow, San Francisco, CA.
40. George Winterling Weather Report, Jul. 14, 2005, Jacksonville, FL.
41. CNN News, Jul. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japan.
42. U.S. Geological Survey, Jul. 13, 2005, http://www.iris.edu/seismon/last 30 days.phtml.
http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
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A Prophetic Holiday:
Tish’ah b’Av
| by Chuck Missler |
On August 14th, our Jewish friends will observe Tish’ah b’Av ("The Ninth Day of Av"). This is a special day of mourning, since on this day four tragedies occurred:
- On this day the First Temple, built by Solomon, was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Babylonian captivity began;
- On this day the Second Temple, the one expanded by Herod and the one which was standing during Christ’s ministry, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., precisely as Jesus predicted (Luke 19:43, 44);
- On this day Betar, the last fortress to hold out against the Romans in the Bar Kochba revolt, fell in 135 A.D.; and, 4) Jewish tradition also regards this date as the date the Children of Israel were prohibited from entering the Promised Land (Num 14:34).
It is a strange coincidence of history that both Nebuchadnezzar in his day and the Romans in theirs destroyed the respective temples on the same date on the Jewish calendar. And, as the rabbis remind us, "Coincidence is not a kosher word." There are no "coincidences" in God’s kingdom.
Joy in Mourning?
Tish’ah b’Av is, thus, a day of intensive mourning for the destruction of the Temple and for Jerusalem. But coexisting with this sense of grief is a subtle sense of joy. The day is to include joy for the future restoration of the Temple and the coming of the Messiah.
The Sabbath before Tish’ah b’Av is called Shabbat Hazon, the Sabbath of Vision, because of the Scripture portion for that day:
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3
The ultimate focus of this special observance is, of course, the anticipation of the rebuilding of the Temple. Recitals include:
Tonight marks 1,935 years since the destruction of the Second Temple and as yet redemption has not come. Know ye that whoever has not been privileged to witness the building of the Temple, is regarded as having witnessed the destruction within his own lifetime.1
Following this, a solitary candle is lit and the recitation of the Book of Lamentations is begun.
Yet, despite the solemnity of the fast, a subtle sense of joy is in the proceedings due to the anticipation of the ultimate rebuilding of the Temple.
Prophetic Scenario
One of the most exciting events on our prophetic horizon these days is, of course, the fact that the preparations have begun.
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has fabricated most of the implements to serve in the temple. One can visit and view the headdress and breastplate (with the 12 precious stones) of the high priest. Special looms are weaving the linen for the priestly vestments. Scientists are scanning the world for the correct marine snails to yield the Levitical blue and royal purple dyes for the garments. Several hundred young men are training in the Yeshivas (special schools) to serve as priests. (All of them, of course, have Levi genes!)
Precise Location?
Despite the traditional view that the Muslim Dome of the Rock sits on the site, recent scholarship has cast doubts on this view.
Dr. Asher Kaufman’s research has suggested that the Temples actually stood 100 meters to the north. His publications caused quite a stir among the Christian community since that would place the Muslim structure in the "outer court" as suggested from Rev 11:1-2.
Tuvia Sagiv’s more recent research has indicated that the Temple more likely stood 100 meters to the south - between the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosque. Recent infrared studies seem to imply that Tuvia is correct.2 This would also place the Muslim structures in "the outer court."
These developments are of intense interest to prophecy students. Jesus, John, and Paul all make reference to a rebuilt Temple as standing prior to the Second Coming of Christ.3 It is going to be a major subject of interest in the coming few years as all this comes to a head.
It is, indeed, time to learn what the Bible has to say about these things. We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible has more to say than any other period of history - including the time that Jesus walked the shores of Galilee or climbed the mountains of Judea.
Stay tuned. It’s all coming, just like God said it would. He means what He says and says what He means. Let’s all do our homework. Are you really ready for all this? Pray about it.
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Sources:
Missler, Chuck, The Mystery of the Lost Ark, The Coming Temple: Update, Strategic Trends, Koinonia House.
Chill, Abraham, The Minhagim, Sepher-Hermon Press, New York, 1979. The customs and ceremonies of Judaism, their origins and rationale.
- Otzar Yisrael, Vol X page 319.
- See our briefing package, The Coming Temple: Update
- Matthew 24:15; Revelation 11:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 2:4, et al.
An Insider's Briefing on Israel
| by Chuck Missler |
We have just returned from the most impressive trip we have ever taken: an inside look at Israel's security and their battle against terrorism! Our trip included briefings by top-level leaders from the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the Israel Defense Force. This was all arranged by Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center. It included inspection tours to the Golan Heights, the Lebanese Border, the famed "Green Line," as well as the controversial withdrawal from Gaza. We were treated to insider briefings of Israel's Supreme Court as well as Israel's Military Courts. 
Conclusion: There is a pragmatic way to stop terrorism!
We were received by Col. Raanan Gissin.1 Since 2001, Gissin has been the Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. We were continually amazed throughout the trip by these high-ranking leaders who gave freely of their time to meet with us and speak candidly about their roles in meeting the security needs of Israel.
We were hosted at the famed Tank Center at Latrun and saw several hundred different kinds of tanks on display! We were given a private briefing by Col. Ronni Shaked,2 former commander of Shin Bet (Israel's General Security Service, equivalent to our Secret Service). The topic of discussion was "the use of informants and analysis in counter terrorism." We also had discussions with undercover Palestinian agents who work with the Israeli security services to infiltrate the Palestinian Authority and even had a briefing by the senior interrogator of Shin Bet!
At a special insider's tour of the Israel Defense Ministry Headquarters at HaKiria, Tel Aviv, we were briefed by the IDF on the Army's anticipated role in carrying out the controversial withdrawal plan in Gaza and its implications for Israel's security.
We were given a guided tour of Israel's Supreme Court, which included a briefing by Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak3 himself, titled, "The legal and moralistic tensions between Israeli civil rights and security," which included informal discussions and dialogue.
An Objective Viewpoint
We spent one evening with one of the most distinguished Jerusalem Post investigative journalists, Khaled Abu Toameh. His talk was titled, "The inner workings of the Palestinian Authority—an objective view behind the terror."
(By the way, this session was held at Darna, regarded as the finest Moroccan restaurant in Jerusalem!)
Khaled Abu Toameh has been one of Israel's leading investigative journalists for 20 years. He is an Israeli Arab, uniquely positioned to cover the Palestinian Authority for the Jerusalem Post and NBC News. He is also the producer of numerous TV documentaries and is a recognized expert on Palestinian and Israeli Arab issues.
The Military Courts
We were given a personal tour of the military courts at Machane Ofer, near Jerusalem, with the Chief Judge of the Military Court in Judea, Col. Shaul Gordon (see photo). We even had an opportunity to observe an actual security trial of a Hamas terrorist. Col. Gordon is the Chief Justice of the Military Court of Appeals for Judea, Samaria and Gaza Strip (the highest level of review in the Military Court system). They adjudicate both security and criminal appeals. (In just one year, 2002, they handled 3,500 "administrative detention" cases involving suspected terrorists.)
Our air inspection of the "Green Line" included a preflight briefing by Air Force Gen. Nechamia Dagan. We then boarded private small aircraft for a low-altitude flight from Tel Aviv to Rosh Pina in the Galilee. (The flight was followed by a dinner at Decks, the finest restaurant on the Sea of Galilee, and a moonlight cruise to Kinnar, a kibbutz at the foot of the Golan.)
On the Golan Heights we had a tour of the high observation point at Emek Habacha ("the Valley of Tears"), the main Israeli-Syrian battlefield of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This included a personal briefing by Gen. Avigdor Kahalani himself, who held off and defeated the Syrians on this battlefield.4
Our visit included a tour of the Har Ben Tal military position and observation point on the Syrian border, which overlooks the town of Quintera and the UN Buffer Zone.
On the Lebanese border we had a tour of a military forward position and got a first-hand look at IDF surveillance units. Our group was personally escorted by the Senior Commander of the Northern Division and we were briefed on "the threat from the Hezbulla terrorist organization in South Lebanon."
Jenin
We toured the IDF checkpoint on the outskirts of Jenin in the West Bank, which guards one of the main terrorist infiltration routes to Israel. We also visited the controversial Security Fence and were briefed by the head of the IDF Humanitarian Unit on "the infiltration and detection of terrorists, explosives and smuggling, `humanitarian' problems with emergency medical vehicles and civil population."
We visited the IDF Air Force Base at Hatzor, which conducts flight testing and secret evaluations of aircraft and weapons systems, and received a briefing by an Israeli Air Force Officer on "the role of the Air Force in defending the state and the continuing challenges to Israel's security." We were also treated to a F-15 Flight Simulator demonstration and a tour of the control tower during flight operations.
Gaza
We then toured Gush Katif, a Jewish community that is slated for dismantling and evacuation under the controversial withdrawal plan. We had lunch at Sderot, an Israeli city on the edge of Gaza under constant mortar and missile attack by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
Our visit with the Southern Border Command also included a stop at the Border Police's special counter-terrorism unit dealing with infiltrations near Jerusalem. We also watched an exhibition by elite Israeli forces demonstrate their methods of surveillance, arrests and preventive self-defense against terrorists in Arab villages.
Media Relations
We were also briefed by Jay Bushinski, known as the "Dean of the Correspondents." Bushinski formerly worked for the Chicago Daily News and was the former head of CNN (for five years).
Jerusalem has the largest international press corps in the world - every news media in the entire world is represented. Jay reviewed with great candor the strengths and weaknesses of both the Israeli news media and the Palestinian Authority's. I was surprised to learn of an unintended impact of advanced communications technology on field reporting: the improvement of communications has now effectively hamstrung the correspondents in the field by "script control" direct from headquarters.
Stopping Terrorism
We were then treated to a special briefing by a senior official of the Mossad. His session was called, "Tracking material support and resources of the Palestinian terrorist organizations." The best way to stop terrorism is to interdict and cut off their money supply.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Esq., Director of Shurat HaDin, Israel Law Center, gave us the primary insight of the entire mission: "Taking the battle against Palestinian terrorist organizations, their leaders and financial patrons to court."
This pragmatic approach to stopping terrorism involves filing lawsuits on behalf of the victims and their families against the various organizations that fund and sponsor terrorism. The record of Shurat HaDin—in Europe and the U.S., as well as in Israel—is astounding and most promising.
This moving briefing was simply a review of actual case studies and their prognoses for recovery.
(It was quite clear that the impressive availability and hospitality afforded to us by the leadership in Israel was simply a testimony to the high regard they have toward the commitment of the Leitners and Shurat HaDin.)
The opportunity is available, for all of us, to support this noble and pragmatically effective action against this despicable terrorism. Their efforts are supported by donations and we are encouraging all of our subscribers to pray about supporting them. Donations are tax deductible and can be addressed through our office.
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Avi and Nitsana Leitner, Directors of Shurat HaDin and friend. |
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- During 1998-1999 Col. Raanan Gissin was the senior public affairs and media advisor to Sharon (who was then foreign minister); he was a participant in the Wye Summit Conference and is a leading spokesman to the international community on security and strategic issues.
- Col. Ronni Shaked is an expert on extremist Islamic and Palestinian terror organizations and the appointed Arab affairs reporter for the Hebrew daily newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. He gives lectures on Hamas and other terror movements in the Middle East and is called upon to be an expert witness in cases against Iran and the Palestinian Authority.
- Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak has been president of Israel's Supreme Court since 1978; formerly he was Israel's Attorney General. He has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University is the recipient of the Israel Prize in legal sciences.
- In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Gen. Avigdor Kahalani served as commander of an armored battalion in the Golan Heights, whose decisive battles against incredible odds led to strategic victory. He received the Medal of Valor in the Yom Kippur War and the Distinguished Service Medal in the Six Day War. He also led The Third Way Party in the 1996 Knesset elections and was Minister of Public Security from 1996-1999.
The Coming Crunch
| by Chuck Missler |
And now China trails only America as the greatest consumer of oil. Fifty years ago, America was producing half the world's oil supply and today we can't produce even half of our own needs. The United States - 5% of the global population - consumes 25% of the world's total oil supply.
Today, one new barrel of oil is found (worldwide) for every six barrels we (the world) consume. According to Bill O'Grady, respected analyst for AG Edwards, the world needs to find another 40 million barrels of oil a day on top of what's currently being produced to meet demand in 2010 - which is only five years away. And that seems highly unlikely to the industry analysts.
We are now entering the era of $50+/barrel of oil and $7+ natural gas. The average price for a barrel of crude in the 1990s was $15.65. Today, that same barrel of oil costs over $50! In the UK today, petrol costs well over US$5/gallon.
Global Oil Production Peak
The term "global oil production peak" means that a turning point will soon arrive when the world will produce its absolute highest one-year maximum crude - after that, yearly production will inexorably decline. Today, with global consumption nearing the 84 million barrel/day mark, most analysts agree that the peak will hit sometime this decade. Some believe it is already here. As it was in Daniel 5, "the handwriting is on the wall."
The U.S. reached peak oil production 35 years ago. Today our lower 48 states are producing less than half of what they used to. If the U.S. were forced to rely on its own resources, it would run out of oil in four years and three months. (And this takes into account the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, created in 1975 and located at a number of sites in Texas and Louisiana.)
Norway’s North Sea, a prolific oil region twenty years ago, is now in steep decline. Libya’s oil production peaked in 1970. Iran topped out in 1974; Indonesia, in 1997. Europe, as a whole, peaked in 2000.
The "oil peak" is the halfway point in the world’s total supply: the point at which only half the world’s oil is left. But the easily extracted oil is now behind us; the second half will prove more costly to get out of the ground.
The Energy Information Administration projects that, in just 15 years, the United States will require about 50% more natural gas and 33% more oil to meet escalating demand.
Goldman Sachs Report, March 2005, stated the following: "We believe the oil markets may have entered the early stages of a ‘super spike’ period, which we now think can drive oil toward $105 per barrel."1 (See chart.)
But the current crisis has less to do with U.S. consumption and more to do with global trends. Fueled primarily by the developing economics of east and south Asia and the Pacific region, worldwide oil demand will continue to rise, and prices will continue to escalate.
Sources of Supply
Most of the vast majority of remaining conventional reserves are located in highly unstable regions of the world, such as the Middle East, Russia, Africa and South America.
Saudi Arabia holds just over 1/4 of the world's oil reserves at 264 billion barrels. (All of Saudi Arabia's big fields were discovered in the 1950s.) As the world's largest oil producer, the Saudis pump roughly 10 million barrels of oil per day.
(However, they are also dealing with nearly three million barrels of water per day. Matthew Simmons, chairman of Simmons & Co., says that old wells that hold a 40% water content are "almost dead." Officially, the Saudis admit they are up to nearly 30% water content. Are they telling the truth? Or is the world's most important oil reserve on the verge of collapse?)
China will eclipse U.S. consumption in twenty years or less, and there's not enough oil to feed two superpowers. China has now leapfrogged Japan to become the world's second-largest oil user. China is making long-term oil deals in top exporting countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Canada. They are desperate.
China has the world's fastest growing economy coupled with the world's largest population. They are preparing for the influx of some 300 million people into its urban areas - more than the entire population of the United States. China's recent prosperity has raised the living standards of 160 million Chinese who once existed in poverty. Behind them is another billion who are waiting their turn to live a life once thought to be unattainable.
The same can be said of India. With a nearly 24% increase in car sales in 2004, India is now the fastest-growing car market in the world, outstripping China's 13% growth last year. Goldman Sachs projects that India will have the largest number of cars by 2050, and India is already a net importer of crude at nearly 2 million barrels per day.
It may surprise you to learn that Canada has the second-highest energy reserves in the world, right behind Saudi Arabia. Canada has more oil and gas than Iraq, Iran, or Kuwait. The U.S. Department of Energy believes that Alberta has 174 billion barrels of economically extractable oil equivalent. Canada produces 2.6 million barrels of oil per day and exports most of it to the United States. The province of Alberta contains 80% of that energy. Alberta is also the world's largest exporter of natural gas to the United States.
Natural Gas
Crude oil dominates our transportation sector; natural gas dominates our electricity generation and U.S. industry sectors. Ninety percent of all new power plants slated to come online in the next 15 years will run on natural gas.
The price of natural gas, at current levels of around $7/mcf (thousand cubic feet), is already 250% higher than it was in 2000. It could be $15/ mcf within two years! Current U.S. demand stands at around 23 tcf (trillion cubic feet) per year. The Energy Information Administration expects that figure to catapult to 34 tcf by 2020. That's a serious demand spike of nearly 50% in less than 15 years.
The U.S. possesses only 35 of the world's known natural gas reserves. Domestic production has run into a brick wall at around 19 tcf per year. That leaves an annual 17% shortfall of around four trillion cubic feet that must be made up through imports.
Chinese Trading Partnership
In 2002, America purchased 10% of China's entire GDP while China purchased one-fifth of 1% of ours. We bought 40% of China's exports. China bought about 3% of ours.
Our primary export is our jobs. We are transferring our production capacity to China and other Asian countries.
China ran up their trade surpluses on sophisticated industrial goods. Among the 23 items in which America had a trade surplus were agricultural goods and commodities. It is disturbing to discover that the U.S. has the export profile of a 19th century third world economy!2
Trade Imbalance
Since 1990, foreigners have acquired $3.6 trillion of U.S. assets as a result of the U.S. trade deficit. The U.S. trade imbalance is now approaching an annualized $900 billion. But why, then, isn’t the U.S. dollar collapsing? Because China is aggressively buying U.S. dollars in order to keep the dollar overvalued against its own currency, the renimbi. In this way, the Chinese can continue to sell the U.S. their goods in enormous quantities and keep their expanding population employed - and continue to build their country’s infrastructure.
China currently needs to accumulate $2 billion per day. By printing more of their own currencies, their accumulation of dollars has been directed toward buying U.S. Treasuries, which props up the bond market and keeps the interest rates down. This is one of the factors supporting our real estate market and converting us to the bubble of an "asset-based" economy - by simply refinancing ostensible asset appreciation rather than real organic productivity improvement.
The equity extraction from ever-rising property appreciation is being viewed as a substitute for real sources of labor income generation and pressures consumers to go deeply into debt to monetize their windfall. Household sector indebtedness has now surged to 90% of the U.S. GDP: an all-time record, up 20% from the levels of the mid-1990s. Not surprisingly, our personal saving rate is virtually zero.
There are those who fear the ultimate effects of an even modest decline in the foreign accumulation of our debt would cause this "asset-based" bubble to burst.
(The ultimate adjustments from our asset-based economy will be the subject of another article.)
The Moving Finger Moves On
The centroid of power, which started in the cradle of civilization - the Middle East - migrated westward through the ancient empires - Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman - through northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, then westward to America. The 20th century was, indeed, as Henry Luce dubbed it, the "American Century." It seems apparent to most analysts that the 21st century will be the "Asian Century."
But the centroid is destined to keep moving westward:
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.3
And again:
And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.4
The final world empire will ultimately be established right where it all began. Indeed, the King is coming! Maranatha!
- Goldman Sachs, New Industry Perspective, March 30, 2005.
- Pat Buchanan, Where the Right Went Wrong.
- Revelation 9:14-15.
- Revelation 16:12.
New Age Healing Rooted in the Occult
Medicine and the way people treat disease and illness are changing. Alternative medicine is gaining in popularity while, in some cases, science and mystical spirituality are joining hands to form a new frontier for the advancement of healthcare. “New Age medicine” involves the application of generally Eastern/occult methods of healing while stressing treatment of the whole person – body, mind and spirit. The term is frequently used interchangeably with “holistic medicine” and “alternative medicine.” Occult and metaphysical terminology is removed from New Age medicine and healing techniques to make them more acceptable to the wider public. The result is that many people are using these practices and remedies without knowing what they are participating in.
Alternative therapies are offered to people to replace drugs and eliminate their many side effects. In stead of taking pain-killers patients are recommended to undergo acupuncture, while the need to balance energies is advanced as an alternative to operations and the taking of conventional biomedicine.
The concept behind New Age healing is that there is an intelligence, a cosmic force, or a vital force which pervades the universe, and that people become sick when they are not properly aligned or attuned to this force. Health is presented as a holistic concept, including the emotional, spiritual and physical aspects of a person. The techniques to ensure a person’s well-being in all these areas are not known to general practitioners since they only concentrate on the biological nature of medical disorders. New Age practitioners, on the other hand, are focused on the healing of the entire person through the working of the vital force and the restoration of the cosmic energy flow in patients.
It is a common occult teaching that everything in the universe is vibrating, has sound, colour, a number and a form attached to it. These features can be used to bring about changes in an organism through the correct energy flow, and to promote healing in malfunctioning organisms. The hands are powerful tools used in occult healing. A well-known New Age author, Alice Bailey, said: “It is an occult fact that the hands of a disciple… become transmitters of spiritual energy.” Massage, acupressure, and the laying on of hands by such people can expose a patient to dangerous occult influences.
In psychic and occult healing, the true source of the healing energy is seldom revealed. Therefore, it can be practised under the name of any religion and even pretends to be Christian. Some practitioners will invoke the God of forces who is in control of the life force manipulated by them. This is a title of the devil. The coming Antichrist will not honour the God of his fathers, but in His place he will “honour the God of forces” (Dan. 11:37-38; cf. Rev. 13:2). Millions of people are being deceived by exposing themselves to mystical techniques which are empowered by Satan.
The following are some of the mystical therapies used by New Age practitioners as an alternative to biomedicine:
Healing with sound. In New Age thought, each organ is believed to have a specific vibration attached to it. The flow of energy through these organs may be interrupted and thrown out of balance by unnatural sounds such as noises caused by motor cars, screams of fear, anger or pain, etc. Meditative New Age music is used to promote alternative states of consciousness and to soothe the soul. In addition to the music, mantras, or sacred words, are also used to penetrate the soul and align the energies that are out of balance. The danger with meditative trances such as these is that the person opens himself for visitation by alien spirits, often referred to as spirit guides. They are demons who disguise themselves as “angels of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) and endeavour to help the person achieve a false form of inner peace and healing, and also to act as advisors in decision-making.
Healing with colour. Colours are used in healing in a similar manner to the way numbers are used in numerology. An esoteric meaning is associated with every colour, and by visualising its mystical significance, healing and positive energy flow are promoted. Objects with the colours that correspond to a particular problem are placed close to the afflicted body parts to effect healing. Fruit with healing colours are also eaten while clothing with matching colours is worn. Astrology plays a role in this type of healing as the signs of the zodiac have, according to occult thought, their own colours that correspond to the human anatomy.
Healing with crystals. Crystals supposedly contain vibrational frequencies that mystically interconnect with the earth’s and the individual’s energy field. They are used to amplify or realign psychic or cosmic energy for psychic healing and entering altered states of consciousness. Time magazine has observed that crystal power and crystal healing are among the most favoured New Age techniques for expanding consciousness and curing ailments. According to the nature of the illness, the crystal will become hot or cold as it is passed over the person’s aura. In terms of this occult belief, the crystal is absorbing the bad energy out of the body. People also place crystals under their pillows to have nice dreams and to be “taught” in their subconscious mind by the cosmic wisdom with which the crystals supposedly establish contact.
Biofeedback. A monitoring device is used to extend the five senses with a view to creating a deeper sense of awareness. In this way, your consciousness is expanded by integrating the mind and body in a way which cannot be effected in a state of normal consciousness. The deeper, integrated state of consciousness promotes relaxation, creativity and intuition. In response to the information received from the monitoring device you take voluntary control of your bodily processes. You are enabled to control your muscles, eye movements and brain waves, and can even learn to practise a form of self-hypnosis by achieving an altered state of consciousness. In this way you enter the cosmic sphere and tap an occult source of energy.
Flower remedies. Edward Bach was a physician in London who gave up his practice to perfect his method of flower healing. Flowers are collected from various domesticated and wild plants. For example, the rock rose is applied to cases of extreme terror, while more than 30 other remedies are applied to other emotional disorders, thus enabling the body to heal itself. The philosophy behind this healing is that by taking the flower remedies the sufferer will be enabled to overcome negative emotions such as fear, worry and depression, thereby causing the disappearance of the physical illnesses which are the consequences of disturbed emotions. A person’s state of mind is believed to be directly related to his bodily health. When peace and harmony return to the mind, health returns to the body. In this case, cosmic energy is also resorted to since the correcting of disturbed emotions is believed to occur in a mystical way. This is yet another way to ensure the flow of cosmic energy to the patient.
Aromatherapy. This is the art of healing by inhaling the essential oil fragrances of flowers, herbs and aromatic wood, thereby bringing the body, mind and spirit into balance. Plant extracts and essential oils are also used in massage. The holistic nature of this therapy is clearly evident in the claim that it positively influences the mind and spirit.
Astral travel. This practice is also known as soul travel. A person learns to be conscious of his dream state, being fully aware of travelling in the spiritual realm to other dimensions. During these experiences, when the body is asleep, people usually see a light and hear celestial music. They also have experiences of meeting spirit guides who help them solve their personal problems. From a Christian point of view, astral travel opens the human spirit to a mystical sphere where demons can gain control over them.
Reading auras. In New Age Healing it is believed that every person is surrounded by an aura, or energy field, which conforms to the shape of his/her body. Different colours in the aura give an indication of the person’s health, attitude and consciousness. Grey is associated with fear and depression, orange with pride, while deep flashes of red reveal anger. By reading one’s aura, sickness will be shown even before the symptoms manifest. Practitioners are accredited with the ability to cleanse and realign a person’s aura. Afterwards, the practitioner will shake his hands to rid him of any negative energies. To see into the spiritual realm, one needs to be a psychic with an awakened 6th sense, or third eye.
Reflexology, also called zone therapy or compression massage, is a technique which involves the massaging of one’s feet at specific points to bring relaxation or relief of pain in another part of the body. For example, by massaging the big toe in the appropriate places, you can ease head pains, thyroid, and neck problems. Reflexology is not limited to the feet. The hands, as well as other parts of the body, are said to contain these same points, or “zones.” Dr. William Fitzgerald revived this ancient practice and presented it to the medical profession in 1913. He called this technique Zone Therapy, because he had divided the body into ten “zones’ – five on each side. Reflexology, although unknown to many people, is an ancient occult technique! It is based on the theories of yin and yang and the five elements, which were taken right out of ancient occult teachings from China.
Palmistry, the occult practice of foretelling the future by reading the hand, is also based on the theories of yin and yang and the five elements. According to Oriental magicians, the palm of the hand contains the secrets of life. There was also an ancient Chinese school of thought which maintained that the palm of the hand was a replica of yin and yang and could provide information about illness, good health and one’s entire fate. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 tells us that those who use divination (such as astrologers, palmists), enchanters, witches, etc. are an abomination to the Lord and were not to be found among God’s people.
Reiki. The word reiki is derived from the Japanese words “rei” meaning universal spirit and “ki” which means energy. The word reiki basically means a balanced cosmic and energy force. The fundamental principle of how reiki works is that it dissolves the toxic energy from your aura or life force. This can be physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Reiki helps to create equilibrium of energy, which in turn creates a harmonious environment within the human body so true healing can take place. People that become reiki healers must first learn to become attuned to the reiki energy to allow their natural healing energies to become enhanced. The energy of reiki is transferred to students through a reiki master. The reiki master attunes the students gradually to the reiki energy and reveals symbols of meditation, often yoga meditation, that can be used within the student’s energy field to accomplish higher vibrations of energy. This mediation is guided through a celestial universal force that guides each student through his/her individual journey of healing. In essence, reiki is an occult technique designed to influence and/or manipulate patients through the use of unadvertised or undiscerned spiritistic energy. In reiki we discover the same problem illustrated in therapeutic touch and related forms of spiritistic/psychic healing. The practice appears innocent and many people assume it can’t hurt. However, it may easily produce serious emotional and spiritual problems. For this reason, reiki should be avoided.
The Pilates Method. A German, Joseph Pliates, developed this form of exercise to enhance mind-body fitness. In the exercise programme, use is made of basic stretching and body movements. However, in many cases the gymnasiums and centres that offer this method also make use of controlled breathing and New Age techniques such as visualisation, kundalini yoga and tai chi. Once that is done, the door is opened to exploring the occult energy field which is used to quicken the mind and spirit of those who do the exercises.
Conclusion: According to Ankerberg & Weldon (Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs) “the problem in the approach of New Age medicine is twofold: (1) The New Age health providers are usually not experts in biological medicine; and (2) their treatment of body, mind and spirit is based on occult presuppositions and practices. In both cases, this can damage a person’s health.” The basic occult presuppositions are that of a magical worldview in which supernatural forces permeate everything, altered states of consciousness to draw people into spheres of mystical influencing, and mysterious body energies which are derived and controlled from the cosmic realm of yin and yang. Occult practices include aura reading, acupuncture, therapeutic touch, crystal work, yoga, transcendental meditation, astral travel, etc.
Every person should make very sure that he or she does not become involved in the New Age Movement’s holistic therapies, since contamination by occult forces will inevitably follow. However, that does not mean that everything outside of western biomedicine is part of the New Age Movement’s alternative medicine. There are herbal and other therapies that have a proven beneficial working without any mystical ideas or practices associated with them. Ask questions and investigate everything before giving it a stamp of approval. The devil cleverly conceals his subversive activities from the eyes of the ignorant in an effort to catch them in his web and subject them to his sphere of influence.
Part of an extensive network
Healthcare is only one of various aspects of life which has been penetrated by the New Age Movement in an effort to subject the entire world to domination by demonic forces. The ultimate goal of this movement is that all religions should worship the same, universal god who is presented as an impersonal source of energy in the Orient. They are intent on influencing people in the West to only perceive God as a positive power that is present in the entire creation – also in human beings. Because, to them, He is not a person, all verbal prayers should be discontinued and replaced by quiet meditation (or contemplation) until the person experiences peace in his heart. Since the New Age god is also hidden deep within every person, they must be taught to descend to the centre of their beings and enter a mystical sphere through meditation and the entering of an alternative state of consciousness, thereby ensuring their healing and general wellbeing (for more information on this form of prayer, read our article: “The danger of centering prayer”).
When this practice has, according to the New Age Movement, been firmly established, evangelical Christianity with its denunciatory attitude towards other religions will gradually loose its support and be replaced by multireligious thought and practices such as transcendental meditation. The whole world with all its different faiths will then await the same messiah to introduce a new world order of international peace and unity. Political leaders will also give their full support to him, explaining why “all the world” will follow the Antichrist in amazement for what he will be able to do (Rev. 13:3).
When this deceiver of Satan has taken over the world and rules it, signs and wonders will abound and be derived from the demonic energy field that surrounds the world (Eph. 6:12). All these manifestations will be based upon deception, thereby confirming the biblical warning that the coming of the Antichrist will be “according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:8-9). An antichristian network is rapidly spreading around the world to “heal and unite” the world under false pretences.
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What’s Wrong with Being Seeker-Centered?
============ The Powers Behind === |
The Powers Behind
The Alpha Course
Part 2: The Powerful Men
Bayith Ministries
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Subject: The Powers Behind The Alpha Course Part 3: The Powerful Spirit
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~emcd/index33.htm
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The Bible is God's Word!
Author: Dave Hunt
Publication Date: 8/1/2005
God never adjusts Himself or His Word to the tastes of women or men. He never changes anything to appeal to the corrupt appetites of the ungodly in any age—all must come to Him on His terms. He commands all women everywhere to repent because of coming judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). “Let the wicked forsake her way, and the unrighteous woman her thoughts: and let her return unto the LORD…” (Is 55:7). There is no softening of the gospel to make it “seeker friendly.”
Many claim to seek God but never find Him. Yet He has promised: “Ye shall seek ME, and find ME, when ye shall search for ME with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). The true God must be sought on His terms. It is not a question of music, videos, or other gimmicks to attract the youth, or of icons, candles, rituals, or other embellishments to create an aura of “sacredness.” The truth asks no props, only our fervent desire. The earnest seeker must come to God in repentance and cry out to Him for mercy.
God has spoken in His infallible Word. We must honor what He has said. Truth is not negotiable. Yet many Christian leaders, promote wicked Bible versions such as Eugene Peterson’s The Message (NavPress, 1993: see TBC Oct ’95) that pervert God’s Word. Men like Peterson have no conscience about changing what God says, replacing His words with their own.
Peterson is praised for this perversion by many Christian leaders such as J.I. Packer, Warren Wiersbe, Jack W. Hayford, and Richard Foster, founder of the Renovaré Movement and General Editor of the Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible (Harper San Francisco, 2005). Foster loves The Message because it supports that movement. Peterson is “Consulting Editor, New Testament” of the Renovaré Bible. He reduces much of Paul's vital treatment of the gospel in Romans to metaphor, which he says is the “opposite [of] precise use of language” (p. 2045).
The Renovaré movement’s major purpose is to subtly lead the church back into the occultism of the mystics of the early Roman Catholic Church through “spiritual disciplines” and “spiritual formation.” The Renovaré Bible is a major effort in that direction. A host of “scholars” contributed commentaries, among them Bruce Demarest, Professor of Theology at Denver Seminary; Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; Tremper Longman III, Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College; Earl F. Palmer, pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA and on the Board of Trustees of the long-apostate Princeton Theological Seminary (as was Sir John Marks Templeton).
The Renovaré Bible includes the Apocrypha and declares that “Most of the Church throughout much of history has accepted the Deuterocanonicals as Scripture….”1 Not as Scripture. Nor were these 13 books, written during the time between Malachi and the birth of Christ, ever accepted by Israel as inspired. Indeed, 1 Maccabees states that God was not speaking through prophets and apologizes for its errors (9:27 and 14:41). Obviously, anything written during that silence from God could not be Scripture.
From the Apocrypha, the Roman Catholic Church justifies purgatory, prayers for the dead and their eventual redemption through a propitiatory sacrifice (thereby justifying the Mass), purchase of forgiveness of sins, worship of angels, prayers to the “saints” and their ability to intervene. Yet Renovaré asserts, “The Deuterocanonicals do not affect any central doctrine of the Christian faith.”2
The Apocrypha were never quoted by Christ or His apostles, though the Old Testament is quoted in the New more than 250 times. Even Renovaré does not put the Apocrypha on the same level as the Bible but as helpful for “spiritual formation.” Then why include it in the same volume as Scripture—and without any warning concerning its heretical teachings?!
The Renovaré Bible introduces what it calls “Spiritual Disciplines” to help one’s “spiritual formation.” Neither term is found in the Bible. Renovaré declares that the purpose of this study Bible is the “discovery, instruction, and practice of the Spiritual Disciplines.” In fact, many of these are occult “disciplines” not found in Scripture but advocated by the mystics as a means of getting in touch with God. Foster has been a major influence in seducing today’s church with the same practices—and now has edited a Bible for the express purpose of justifying this seduction.
A number of commendable “Spiritual Disciplines” are mentioned, but some that are not commendable: “solitude, confession…meditation and silence…secrecy, sacrifice, celebration.” These innocent words have a special meaning for Foster. Explaining his view of “celebration,” he writes: “We of the New Age can risk going against the tide. Let us with abandon...see visions and dream dreams....The imagination can release a flood of creative ideas [and] be lots of fun.” (Celebration of Discipline, Harper & Row, 1978, p. 170)
In the West, meditation means to think deeply about something, but in the East it means to empty the mind in order to open it to the spirit world, leading to mystical experiences of “God.” Purporting to reject Eastern mysticism, Foster says,“Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it.” He seductively suggests: “John was ‘in the Spirit on the Lord’s day’ when he received his apocalyptic vision (Rv 1:10). Could it be that John was trained in a way of listening and seeing that we have forgotten?...Let us have courage to...once again learn the ancient…art of meditation” (Celebration, pp. 14,15). The idea that John had a special technique for hearing from God is heresy of the worst sort, but foundational to Renovare’s promotion of “spiritual disciplines” and “spiritual formation”!
The arousal of the imagination through fantasy and visualization is a major theme in Foster’s Celebration. He acknowledges that “prayer through the imagination” was taught to him by Agnes Sanford, who popularized “inner healing,” a major source of much of the occultism in the Charismatic movement. (For documentation of her full-blown occultism, see TBC July ’89.) We have dealt with these errors in detail in The Seduction of Christianity, Beyond Seduction, and Occult Invasion.
Foster writes in Celebration, “In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body.…Reassure your body that you will return….Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator. Rest in his presence. Listen quietly [to] any instruction given” (p. 27). This is astral projection and occult contact through the imagination and is the major technique used by shamans to contact their spirit guides.
Yet Foster claims that it leads to Christ and God: “Take a single event [from Scripture]. Seek to live the experience, remembering the encouragement of Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuit founder) to apply all our senses to our task…represent to your imagination the whole of the mystery…as an active participant….You can actually encounter the living Christ in the event, be addressed by His voice…touched by His healing power.…Jesus Christ will actually come to you.” Not so! You cannot call Jesus Christ from the right hand of the Father to appear to you—but any demon will be happy to pretend to be “Jesus” (p. 26).
In like manner, the Renovaré Bible honors Catholic heretics and occultists as “saints” and their writings as a framework within which to understand Scripture. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola are endorsed even though they involve occult techniques that have caused many to be demonized (see TBC Mar ’00).
Sadly, the Renovaré explanatory notes deny the Divine authorship of much of Scripture—even that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Yet it hypocritically declares, “We read the Bible literally, from cover to cover…[and] in context.”3 Renovaré claims that Genesis 1-11 is neither historic nor scientific,4 and that the entire book of Genesis is merely a collection of myths:
Genesis began as an oral tradition of narrative stories passed down from generation to generation….These stories [gradually] took on theological meaning….Over time [they] were written down and collected together (Gen 12-50), and a prologue (Gen 1-11) was added….Borrowing from other creation accounts…stories with parallels to ancient Near Eastern religious narrative and mythology were reshaped with monotheistic intent….These strands of varied materials were gathered and edited into the written text….5
What wickedness for Christian “scholars” to unite with skeptics to declare that Genesis, which is foundational to the Bible, is just an edited compilation of mythology and folk tales! If Genesis is not literally inspired of God, then how can we have confidence in any other part of the Bible? What about Paul’s statement that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”
(2 Tm 3:16) or Peter’s “Holy women of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pt 1:21) or Christ’s many quotations from Genesis and references to “the things that Moses commanded” (Mt 8:4; 19:7; Mk 1:44; 7:10; 10:3, 4; 12:19, 26; Lk 16:29-31, etc.)?
Contrary to Renovaré, the Bible itself declares in numerous places that under the inspiration of God Moses wrote the Pentateuch: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book…and Moses wrote all the words of the LORD…and Moses wrote this law, and delivered it…unto all the elders of Israel….And…Moses...commanded the Levites…put it in…the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God.…” (Ex 17:14; 24:4; Dt 31:9, 25, 26, etc.).
“The law of Moses” is referred to repeatedly (Jos 8:31-32; 23:6; 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; 23:25; 2 Chr 30:16; Ezr 3:2; Ne 8:1; etc.). Jesus called the Pentateuch “the law of Moses” (Lk 24:44). The Gospel of John is filled with affirmations that Moses was a prophet who wrote much Scripture (Jn 1:17, 45; 5:45, 46; 7:19-23, etc.).
Of Daniel, the Renovaré Bible declares, “We do not know who wrote it or exactly when it was written…it was most likely partially written during Antiochus Epiphanes’ persecution of the Jews in Babylon, which began with the desecration of the Temple in 167 B.C.” 6 So it is the work of an imposter pretending to be Daniel 400 years after the fact! To escape admitting that Daniel prophesied centuries in advance the breakup of Alexander’s empire under four generals, the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the pollution of the temple, skeptics had to invent a later date for these prophecies. Renovaré echoes this lie, robbing Christians of an essential proof of the validity of the Bible and depriving the unsaved of life-giving truth!
Daniel is written in the first person telling events that happened to the writer four centuries before 167 b.c.: “When I…Daniel, had seen the vision (8:15)…I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days (8:27)….In the first year of Darius...I Daniel understood (9:1,2)...I Daniel was mourning three full weeks (10:2),” etc. (For evidence that Daniel authored his book in the sixth century B.C., see Q&A Sept and Oct ’01.)
The Renovaré “scholars” continually downplay the powerful Old Testament prophecies of Christ (pp. 22, 32, 1375, 1377-8, 1384, etc.). The key prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 of the coming Messiah, who is “the mighty God, the everlasting Father,” is said to speak of “human agents” ( p. .997).
The notes reduce Isaiah’s prophecies to “tradition” (pp. 982, 983), would have us believe that much of that book was not written by Isaiah (there are “three authors”– pp. 982, 1068), and even deny that chapter 53 prophesies Christ’s sacrifice for our sins (p. 984)! Renovaré describes the book of Isaiah as “poetic imagination…Isaiah imagines,” etc. The Renovaré “scholars” declare, “The prophets of Israel are not to be thought of primarily as…predictors of the future…they were poets” (p. 1079). Through poetry, Jeremiah attempts “to make sense of the events of his day…” (p. 1080). Blasphemy!
Renovaré rejects the powerful prophecies of Daniel, including the proof of
9:24-26 that Jesus is the Christ. There is not a word about the image foretelling the four world kingdoms and revival of the fourth (Roman Empire) under ten heads (2:36-45) to be destroyed by the Messiah when He sets up His everlasting kingdom. Nor is there a word about the future apocalyptic significance of the four beasts of Daniel 7 coinciding with Revelation 13. The wrath of God poured out upon earth during the Great Tribulation (Renovaré avoids that term) are described as “natural disasters straight out of Exodus” (p. 2268). Yet even the magicians in Egypt told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Ex 8:19).
All of the major prophecies so crucial in proving the Bible to be the Word of God and Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah are either not commented upon, or are spiritualized away as pertaining to the “faith community” and its “spiritual formation.” There is no recognition of the great prophecies in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., of Israel being brought back into her own land in the last days, and that she must endure forever (Ezk 35-37, etc.). For example, the powerful prophetic promise from God to bring back the Jews scattered around the world (Jer 31:8-14) is interpreted as a promise to all homeless people (nothing about Israel), and God’s promise that Israel can never be destroyed (31:35-37) is ignored!
Israel is treated as having been replaced by the church. Incredibly, the valley of dry bones brought back to life in Ezekiel 37, which is clearly declared to be “the whole house of Israel” (37:11), is interpreted as the birth of the church at Pentecost! Ezekiel 38-39 is not about Armageddon, with real armies attacking the nation of Israel back in her land in the last days to be rescued by the Messiah, but is about “dark forces” always at work in the world.
There is no commentary at Revelation 1:7 about the Second Coming of Christ (p. 2269), no evidence of belief in the Rapture; only that Christ will one day “return and overcome the wicked powers” (p. 2266). Revelation is reduced to a “pastoral letter meant to sustain the suffering and hearten the weary faithful” (p. 2267). The Antichrist and False Prophet (Rv 13) are depersonalized as “dark forces of evil” (p. 2281). The woman on the beast (Rv 17) has no prophetic significance but “embodies those institutions that across the ages have sold themselves to the dark forces...” (p. 2284). There is nothing about the city that it is clearly said she represents. So the fall of Babylon (Rv 18) “pictures the ultimate collapse of all human institutions given over to the lust for power…” (p. 2285).
The marriage of the Lamb to His bride (Rv 19) is not a real event in heaven but “symbolic of the many different celebrations that bring joy and jubilation” into our lives (p. 2287) The thousand-year reign of Christ (Rv 20) is not a real event, and the armies of the world coming against Christ and the saints at Jerusalem after Satan’s release merely symbolize “the armies of darkness [which] surround us” (p. 2288).
This “Study Bible” is one more step on the slippery downward path into deepening apostasy. The Bible is being mocked in the church. Let us stand firmly, vocally, and actively in defense of God’s holy, infallible, inerrant, and sufficient Word!
TBC
- Richard J. Foster, ed., The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005), xxx.
- Ibid., Foreword, xvii.
- Ibid., General Introduction, xxxi.
- Ibid., 14-15.
- Ibid., 13-15.
- Ibid., From the introduction to Daniel, p 1245, by James M. Rand.
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God never adjusts Himself or His Word to the tastes of women or men. He never changes anything to appeal to the corrupt appetites of the ungodly in any age—all must come to Him on His terms. He commands all women everywhere to repent because of coming judgment (Acts 17:30, 31). “Let the wicked forsake her way, and the unrighteous woman her thoughts: and let her return unto the LORD…” (Is 55:7). There is no softening of the gospel to make it “seeker friendly.” Many claim to seek God but never find Him. Yet He has promised: “Ye shall seek ME, and find ME, when ye shall search for ME with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). The true God must be sought on His terms. It is not a question of music, videos, or other gimmicks to attract the youth, or of icons, candles, rituals, or other embellishments to create an aura of “sacredness.” The truth asks no props, only our fervent desire. The earnest seeker must come to God in repentance and cry out to Him for mercy.
The Renovaré Bible includes the Apocrypha and declares that “Most of the Church throughout much of history has accepted the Deuterocanonicals as Scripture….”1 Not as Scripture. Nor were these 13 books, written during the time between Malachi and the birth of Christ, ever accepted by Israel as inspired. Indeed, 1 Maccabees states that God was not speaking through prophets and apologizes for its errors (9:27 and 14:41). Obviously, anything written during that silence from God could not be Scripture. From the Apocrypha, the Roman Catholic Church justifies purgatory, prayers for the dead and their eventual redemption through a propitiatory sacrifice (thereby justifying the Mass), purchase of forgiveness of sins, worship of angels, prayers to the “saints” and their ability to intervene. Yet Renovaré asserts, “The Deuterocanonicals do not affect any central doctrine of the Christian faith.”2 The Apocrypha were never quoted by Christ or His apostles, though the Old Testament is quoted in the New more than 250 times. Even Renovaré does not put the Apocrypha on the same level as the Bible but as helpful for “spiritual formation.” Then why include it in the same volume as Scripture—and without any warning concerning its heretical teachings?! The Renovaré Bible introduces what it calls “Spiritual Disciplines” to help one’s “spiritual formation.” Neither term is found in the Bible. Renovaré declares that the purpose of this study Bible is the “discovery, instruction, and practice of the Spiritual Disciplines.” In fact, many of these are occult “disciplines” not found in Scripture but advocated by the mystics as a means of getting in touch with God. Foster has been a major influence in seducing today’s church with the same practices—and now has edited a Bible for the express purpose of justifying this seduction. A number of commendable “Spiritual Disciplines” are mentioned, but some that are not commendable: “solitude, confession…meditation and silence…secrecy, sacrifice, celebration.” These innocent words have a special meaning for Foster. Explaining his view of “celebration,” he writes: “We of the New Age can risk going against the tide. Let us with abandon...see visions and dream dreams....The imagination can release a flood of creative ideas [and] be lots of fun.” (Celebration of Discipline, Harper & Row, 1978, p. 170) In the West, meditation means to think deeply about something, but in the East it means to empty the mind in order to open it to the spirit world, leading to mystical experiences of “God.” Purporting to reject Eastern mysticism, Foster says,“Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind in order to fill it.” He seductively suggests: “John was ‘in the Spirit on the Lord’s day’ when he received his apocalyptic vision (Rv 1:10). Could it be that John was trained in a way of listening and seeing that we have forgotten?...Let us have courage to...once again learn the ancient…art of meditation” (Celebration, pp. 14,15). The idea that John had a special technique for hearing from God is heresy of the worst sort, but foundational to Renovare’s promotion of “spiritual disciplines” and “spiritual formation”! The arousal of the imagination through fantasy and visualization is a major theme in Foster’s Celebration. He acknowledges that “prayer through the imagination” was taught to him by Agnes Sanford, who popularized “inner healing,” a major source of much of the occultism in the Charismatic movement. (For documentation of her full-blown occultism, see TBC July ’89.) We have dealt with these errors in detail in The Seduction of Christianity, Beyond Seduction, and Occult Invasion. Foster writes in Celebration, “In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body.…Reassure your body that you will return….Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator. Rest in his presence. Listen quietly [to] any instruction given” (p. 27). This is astral projection and occult contact through the imagination and is the major technique used by shamans to contact their spirit guides. Yet Foster claims that it leads to Christ and God: “Take a single event [from Scripture]. Seek to live the experience, remembering the encouragement of Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuit founder) to apply all our senses to our task…represent to your imagination the whole of the mystery…as an active participant….You can actually encounter the living Christ in the event, be addressed by His voice…touched by His healing power.…Jesus Christ will actually come to you.” Not so! You cannot call Jesus Christ from the right hand of the Father to appear to you—but any demon will be happy to pretend to be “Jesus” (p. 26). In like manner, the Renovaré Bible honors Catholic heretics and occultists as “saints” and their writings as a framework within which to understand Scripture. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola are endorsed even though they involve occult techniques that have caused many to be demonized (see TBC Mar ’00). Sadly, the Renovaré explanatory notes deny the Divine authorship of much of Scripture—even that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Yet it hypocritically declares, “We read the Bible literally, from cover to cover…[and] in context.”3 Renovaré claims that Genesis 1-11 is neither historic nor scientific,4 and that the entire book of Genesis is merely a collection of myths: What wickedness for Christian “scholars” to unite with skeptics to declare that Genesis, which is foundational to the Bible, is just an edited compilation of mythology and folk tales! If Genesis is not literally inspired of God, then how can we have confidence in any other part of the Bible? What about Paul’s statement that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”
Contrary to Renovaré, the Bible itself declares in numerous places that under the inspiration of God Moses wrote the Pentateuch: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book…and Moses wrote all the words of the LORD…and Moses wrote this law, and delivered it…unto all the elders of Israel….And…Moses...commanded the Levites…put it in…the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God.…” (Ex 17:14; 24:4; Dt 31:9, 25, 26, etc.). “The law of Moses” is referred to repeatedly (Jos 8:31-32; 23:6; 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; 23:25; 2 Chr 30:16; Ezr 3:2; Ne 8:1; etc.). Jesus called the Pentateuch “the law of Moses” (Lk 24:44). The Gospel of John is filled with affirmations that Moses was a prophet who wrote much Scripture (Jn 1:17, 45; 5:45, 46; 7:19-23, etc.). Of Daniel, the Renovaré Bible declares, “We do not know who wrote it or exactly when it was written…it was most likely partially written during Antiochus Epiphanes’ persecution of the Jews in Babylon, which began with the desecration of the Temple in 167 B.C.” 6 So it is the work of an imposter pretending to be Daniel 400 years after the fact! To escape admitting that Daniel prophesied centuries in advance the breakup of Alexander’s empire under four generals, the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the pollution of the temple, skeptics had to invent a later date for these prophecies. Renovaré echoes this lie, robbing Christians of an essential proof of the validity of the Bible and depriving the unsaved of life-giving truth! Daniel is written in the first person telling events that happened to the writer four centuries before 167 b.c.: “When I…Daniel, had seen the vision (8:15)…I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days (8:27)….In the first year of Darius...I Daniel understood (9:1,2)...I Daniel was mourning three full weeks (10:2),” etc. (For evidence that Daniel authored his book in the sixth century B.C., see Q&A Sept and Oct ’01.) The Renovaré “scholars” continually downplay the powerful Old Testament prophecies of Christ (pp. 22, 32, 1375, 1377-8, 1384, etc.). The key prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 of the coming Messiah, who is “the mighty God, the everlasting Father,” is said to speak of “human agents” ( p. .997). The notes reduce Isaiah’s prophecies to “tradition” (pp. 982, 983), would have us believe that much of that book was not written by Isaiah (there are “three authors”– pp. 982, 1068), and even deny that chapter 53 prophesies Christ’s sacrifice for our sins (p. 984)! Renovaré describes the book of Isaiah as “poetic imagination…Isaiah imagines,” etc. The Renovaré “scholars” declare, “The prophets of Israel are not to be thought of primarily as…predictors of the future…they were poets” (p. 1079). Through poetry, Jeremiah attempts “to make sense of the events of his day…” (p. 1080). Blasphemy! Renovaré rejects the powerful prophecies of Daniel, including the proof of All of the major prophecies so crucial in proving the Bible to be the Word of God and Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah are either not commented upon, or are spiritualized away as pertaining to the “faith community” and its “spiritual formation.” There is no recognition of the great prophecies in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., of Israel being brought back into her own land in the last days, and that she must endure forever (Ezk 35-37, etc.). For example, the powerful prophetic promise from God to bring back the Jews scattered around the world (Jer 31:8-14) is interpreted as a promise to all homeless people (nothing about Israel), and God’s promise that Israel can never be destroyed (31:35-37) is ignored! Israel is treated as having been replaced by the church. Incredibly, the valley of dry bones brought back to life in Ezekiel 37, which is clearly declared to be “the whole house of Israel” (37:11), is interpreted as the birth of the church at Pentecost! Ezekiel 38-39 is not about Armageddon, with real armies attacking the nation of Israel back in her land in the last days to be rescued by the Messiah, but is about “dark forces” always at work in the world. There is no commentary at Revelation 1:7 about the Second Coming of Christ (p. 2269), no evidence of belief in the Rapture; only that Christ will one day “return and overcome the wicked powers” (p. 2266). Revelation is reduced to a “pastoral letter meant to sustain the suffering and hearten the weary faithful” (p. 2267). The Antichrist and False Prophet (Rv 13) are depersonalized as “dark forces of evil” (p. 2281). The woman on the beast (Rv 17) has no prophetic significance but “embodies those institutions that across the ages have sold themselves to the dark forces...” (p. 2284). There is nothing about the city that it is clearly said she represents. So the fall of Babylon (Rv 18) “pictures the ultimate collapse of all human institutions given over to the lust for power…” (p. 2285). The marriage of the Lamb to His bride (Rv 19) is not a real event in heaven but “symbolic of the many different celebrations that bring joy and jubilation” into our lives (p. 2287) The thousand-year reign of Christ (Rv 20) is not a real event, and the armies of the world coming against Christ and the saints at Jerusalem after Satan’s release merely symbolize “the armies of darkness [which] surround us” (p. 2288). This “Study Bible” is one more step on the slippery downward path into deepening apostasy. The Bible is being mocked in the church. Let us stand firmly, vocally, and actively in defense of God’s holy, infallible, inerrant, and sufficient Word! TBC
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