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Prophe-Zine Issue 053
PropheZine # 54
Sunday, January 11, 1998
Ray Gano Publsiher
Kim Koster Asst. Editor
Mimi Nila Asst. Editor
Ray Gano.................Welcome to PropheZine
ARTICLES
Joseph R. Chambers, D.D ..........Kenneth Hagin And Ihe "Spirit Of The Serpent
John L. Terry, III CEC........ The Bubble is About to Pop
Jeffrey Eastwood.....(very long)..Eastwood's Journey to Benjamin Creme's Lecture
PROPHEZINE NEWSBYTES
Lee Underwood .............F.Y.I. - Israel in the News
Our God (special insert)
Terry Denbow............Why Praise Our God ?
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Hello Everyone, Welcome to PropheZine #54
This has been one of the busiest seasons for my family and friends this year. We just finished sending back home a Japanese student who was here during the holidays. It was a whirlwind experience and a blessing at the same time. That is one of the reasons for this late newsletter. I apologize and I hope it was worth waiting for. It was such a blessing to share the love of Jesus with someone who speaks very little english and is only 16 years old.! We purchased the Jesus film project in Japanese and had a special day of showing it at a friends house, and sharing the commitiment to Christ with them in our broken english as best we could. We did experience one of the 4 who saw the beautifully portrayed life of Jesus come to believe in our Lord as their saviour.! Hallelujah.!
We have some great articles for you this time. A very special and somewhat long first hand experience in a Maitreya conference, where he was actually present. I apologize for the shortage of newsbytes but the Maitreya article is very hot off the press and I wanted to put all of it one newsletter. Thank you for being so paitient with me.
In His Service,
Mimi Nila
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"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the
new has come
II Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
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Kenneth Hagin And Ihe "Spirit Of The Serpent"
By: Joseph R. Chambers, D.D.
5110 Tuckaseegee Road
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 391-0588
The doctrines of Kenneth Hagin have been questionable from the very beginning of his ministry. In 1938, during late December, he tells of a young girl about 16 years of age that went into a trance and remained over eight hours in a frozen position. The pastor where he was preaching the revival weighed over 200 pounds and the two of them tried to pick this young lady up and move her near the single stove that warmed the building. He said that she was glued to the floor sothat the two strong men could not budge her. He called this the power of God, but truth absolutely confnms the paranormal activities of demons. (Video tape, October 15, 1997.)
Paranormal Versus Supernatural
To understand what appears to be the foundation of this man's deparature from truth we must start with these two ideas of paranormal or supernatural. The entire "Word of Faith" movement, as it is called, fails to discern the difference, and, from this failure, I believe their doctrines have systemically moved in a downward spiral. The spint of the serpent has gradually manipulated this crowd of otherwise sincere individuals until now the serpent can manifest hiniseff in their midst and they appear oblivious to his presence. I will explain this statement at the end of this article.
Paranormal activity operates in an in-between world of the natural and the supernatural. It is above the natural world but below the supernatural world. The Bible has many examples of Satan and his fallen helpers appearing and performing their activities. The word paranormal means, "abnormal, esp. psychological: not susceptible to normal explanations." (Chambers English Dicdonaiy, W & R Chambers Ltd 1990, p.1047)
Satan can appear before God to push his cause and defend his legal standing that Adam and Even gave to hirn in their act of disobedience (Job 2:3-7). Satan's temptation of Jesus was loaded with paranormal activity. No natural powers could have accomplished such feats before the Son of God. He and his ministers transform themselves as angels of light and ministers of righteousness. "For such tarel false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore [it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
When you understand the difference between paranormal and supernatural it becomes extremely easy to discern between a false prophet and a man of God. Jesus healed a woman who had been bound with paranormal powers for eighteen years. She was bowed over into a state of a crippled existence by a demonic activity. "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself]. And when Jesus saw her, he called [her to himi, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (Luke 13:11,12,16).
The early church understood the principles of Satan's power opposite the powers of God. If Satan was supernatural then the contest between the two would be on an equal footing. This has never been the case and the Holy Scripture is filled with Biblical certainty. Paul said, "To open their eyes, [and] to turn [themi from darkness
to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:18). Satan defmitely has power, but it is only paranormal power and it is totally helpless cornpared to the supernatural powers of God.
The supernatural power of God is never manifested to titillate the flesh or to win favor for God's ministers. One has only to study the life of Jesus and the history of the New Testament church to confin the absolute absence ofparanormal activity by the Holy Ghost. Not one time was there a display of strange happenings that would satisiy the appetite of curious seekers. In fact Jesus said, "And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation." (Luke 11:29-30).
Supernatural powers are exactly what the word suggests. While the word supernatural does not appear in the Bible, the closest equivalent that I can grasp is the word "eternal". God does "eternal" things. All His acts are eternal acts. To even imagine God doing things of a paranormal nature is to completely miss His holy nature and eternal characteristics.
There are events in the Bible where God did eternal things that men interpret like they were paranormal matters. The Bible states that God made Ezekiel drunk (Ezekiel 3:26); that an angel made Zechariah dumb when he believed not the angel's message (Luke 1:20); and that he made Saul of Tarsus blind. (Acts 9:8,18), etc. When we try to interpret these acts of God's judgment or His method of dealing with an individual into a pattern for New Testament church life, we create an absolute theological mess. This kind of Biblical interpretation is at the heart of the Kenneth Hagin doctrines. The very idea of using one' faith to acquire riches is a paranormal manipulation.
Kenneth Hagin And His Doctrines
It appears that Mr. Hagin's doctrines were developed over his early years. There is very little question but that they were acquired from a man, named E. W. Kenyon. Much of Mr. Hagin's writing and radio broadcasts are labeled by some excellent scholars as plagiarized materials from Kenyon's writing. I personally have page after page of the actual writings and statements by Hagin that are exact, word for word, repeats of E. W. Kenyon. Mr Hagin says that God gave them to him and they happen to be exactly like he gave them to Kenyon. This would place Mr. Hagin on a level above the men who wrote the Holy Scripture as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost never failed to use the style, personality, and background of these men of God as He supernaturally gave us His Holy Bible.
Kenneth Hagin, "Physical Death Wouldn't Remove Your Sins."
This statement by Kenneth Hagin is all you need to know the error of this man. On the surface you might ask why would he even dare to say such a thing? The answer is in his paranormal approach to Christianity. If men are going to have this kind of power in their tongue or words, they must elevate themselves to be on a level with Jesus Christ. That is impossible unless you bring Jesus down to a different theological position. Kenneth Copeland, one of Hagin's stars, actually states that if the physical death of Jesus could have saved, then any prophet, including himself, could have saved the human race.
Here are Kenneth Hagin's actual words: "He [jesus] tasted spfritual death for every man. And His spirit and inner man went to hell in my place. Can't you see that? PHYSICAL DEATH WOULDN'T REMOVE YOUR SINS. He's tasted death for every man. He's talking about tasting spiritual death." - KENNETH HAGIN. (Christianity In Crisis. Hank Hanegraaff p.60)
The entire idea of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and His eternal Sonship is effectively denounced or rendered valueless by this statement. Jesus Christ was the "Passover Lamb," the very sacrifice that God the Father required and offered to pay the price of sin. His sinless, physical body and blood was the price He and His Father paid to redeem us back to their heart. To deny this is to remove man's only hope of escape from the horrible penalty of sin. The Bible leaves no possibility of denying His blood sacrifice as a "finished work."
Read these verses carefully.
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (John 6:53-56).
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock' over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28).
"Whom God hath set forth Ito bel a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25).
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14).
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]." (Hebrews 10:10).
The last verse noted makes it clear that it was His body and the natural blood (sanctified) by the virgin conception that was offered for us. There is no cleansing or salvation in any of the acts of Jesus separated from His blood sacrifice. I believe Kenneth Hagin is a lost man plunging his way toward hell.
Kenneth Hagin: "They Had Jesus Within Their Powers."
This strange heresy does more than deny the power of Jesus Christ as our substitute sacrifice. Remember it was in His substitute death that He was able to take our judgment upon Himself. They say that His spirit went into hell under the powers of Satan and the demon world and by His victory of being "born again,' we are redeemed. Such an idea is of no value to mankind unless you are dealing with man as a paranormal creature, which, in fact, is what they are doing. It is a totally unbiblical approach to both man and the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind ol metaphysical approach to mankind is New Age, New Thought, or whatever name the deceptive world of Satan may be using at a given time.
Here are Mr. Hagin's own words (or Mr. E. W. Kenyon's): "Here is a picture of Christ in awful combat with the hosts of darkness. It gives us a glimpse of the tremendous victory He won before He rose from the dead. The margin of the King James reads, 'He put off from himself the principalities and the powers.' It is quite obvious and evident that whole demon hosts, when they had Jesus within their power, simply intended to swamp Him, to overwhelm Him, and hold Him in fearful bondage."
(Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement Compiled by Leon D. Stump, pp98-99 taken from The Word of Faith "The Name of Jesus, "April 1976, pp.4-6). These words are actually plagiarized from a book by E. W. Kenyon, "The Wonderful Name Of Jesus" pages 8-9. Even the reference to the King James margin came from Kenyon. (Notice that Mr. Hagin said that this victory was won before Jesus arose from the dead, not when He died on the cross.)
This theological thinking has Jesus spending three days in bondage to the devil. There are several problems with such an impossible idea. First, Jesus stated the following, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30). Jesus said this before His death on the cross, clearly expressing the fact that Satan had "nothing in me" or no power over Christ and His death.
Jesus stated on the cross, "It is finished." He also told the repenting thief; "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Abraham's Bosom)." The veil of the temple was rent when He died, not when they say He was born again at the end of three days, or at His resurrection.
Kenneth Hagin: "The Believer Is As Much An Incarnation As Was Jesus Of Nazareth."
It is impossible to know whether Mr. Hagin is denying the deity of Jesus Christ or proclaiming the deity of all born-again believers. This idea of "manifest sons of God" was part of the Latter Rain Movement in the 40's and 50's and has certainly become big again in the present charismatic confusions. Again, this shows the paranormal powers and ideas that undergird Kenneth Hagin's entire theology and methods. Man is raised to some kind of spiritual creature that can actually evolve into glorified saints/spirits and establish the kingdom of God on earth.
Here is a further statement of the above words by Mr Hagin, "Every man who has been born again is an incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth." (Christianity In Crisis Hank Hanegraaff p.175, taken from The Incarnation Kenneth Hagin, p. 5-12)
Mr. Hagin's use of familiar terms and the very phraseology of these words is planned to cloud the entire picture. If you look carefully you will see that we are not just sons of God, but we are placed on the same level as our Lord Himself. This kind of arrogance about man's position breeds the very spirit you will see when you try to reason with persons caught in this trap. This is a form of white magic that has invaded the church world.
Kenneth Hagin: "If You Will Learn To Follow That Inward Witness I Will Make You Rich."
This statement that Hagin says came from God only serves to strengthen the context of this entire article. He is talking about a kind of human that the Bible knows nothing about, a paranormal human. Look at the broader picture in his statements.
"Then the Lord said this to me [in a vision in 1959], which is not just for my benefit, but for yours. 'If you will learn to follow that inward witness I will make you rich. I will guide you in all the affairs of life, financial as well as spiritual'... I have followed that inward witness and He has done just what He said He would. He has made me rich (p.33) ... The inward man, who is a spirit man, has a voice -- just as the outward man has a voice. We call this voice conscience. We call this voice the still small voice. Your spirit has a voice. Your spirit will speak to you (p. 47) ....... [Y]our conscience is the voice of your spirit (p. 49)."
(Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement, Compiled by Leon D. Stump, p.55, taken from "How tTo Be Led By The Holy Spirit" , Kenneth Hagin) Kenneth Hagin)
Hagin also stated, "The Lord said, 'I'll have to correct your theology a little' (I"d been indoctrinated with all that 'religious' thinking, and unconsciously I still thought that maybe it was wrong to have the things of this world.)... 'In the first place--and this will help you--don't pray abont money anymore; that is, the way you've been praying. CIaim whatever you need"'
(Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement, Compiled by Leon D. Stump. p.55, taken from "The Word of Faith" magazine, "How God Taught Me About Prosperity, "Kenneth Hagin).
I have heard and read a lot of efforts to show how umbiblical this idea is, but none that I am aware have shown the ultimate lieof it all. Kenneth Hagin is a guru of a metaphysical, paranormal cult and his ideas are sirnilar to other New Age proponents. It is basically a religion of White Magic that is directed by demons. It is not even similar to Christianity except in a vague way. They use a host of Scriptures taken from their context to weave a tapestry of deceit.
The true child of God will enjoy many wonderful blessings as they faithfully follow the truth of Scripture. Every promise of God is yea and amen. The Psalmist wrote by the Holy Ghost, "But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:2-3).
Kenneth Hagin And The Spirit Of The Serpent
The final chapter of Mr. Hagin is being written even as I write this article. Our video by this title tells the whole truth. The serpent spirit has grown in his teaching and methods until I believe the real source is being made manifest. He just conducted a Kenneth Hagin Holy Ghost meeting in Chesterfield, MO. The meeting was held from October 12th to October 24th. On the third night he began to manifest this spirit with his tongue sticking out and wiggling like a serpent's tongue. He also began to hiss. On Thursday night, as he began to hiss, many of the people began to slither down out of their seats feet first. Some of the people would hiss back at him. The emotional response of the audience is indescribable. Kenneth Hagin and many of the people became insanely "drunk"
On the last night the demonstration became extremely bizarre as he began to bless the people for the closing. Three men could not hold him up because of his drunken state. He declared that this was the first full demonstration of this new anointing he said God had promised. Kenneth Copeland was present and got right in the middle of this finnal insanity. I believe this entire meeting reflected the judgment of God on this ministry and its supporters. Hissing is a scorn and rebuke Isaiah said, "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand ... And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly." "Their roaring I shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions.... "And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if jonel look unto the land, behold darkness [audi sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof." (Isaiah 5:25-26, 29,
30).
It is apparent that God the Father is ready to judge this entire deception and the whole crowd that has given their glory to such foolishness, He calls those caught in its web "mad." "Babylon [and Mystery Babylon] hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that m~de all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad." (Jeremiah 51:7).
John the Revelator saw this religious system and called it "Mystery Babylon." This system will certainly be larger than the Kenneth Hagin ministries, but he is clearly a part of it. John stated, "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." (Revelation 17:6-8).
This beast is the false anointing or false spirit masquerading as the Holy Spirit. The Hagin Ministries have destroyed thousands of churches that once were bastions of truth. Tens of thousands of church members have been spiritually martyred and those who have resisted have been lambasted as inferior or worse. Herjudgment is coming.
The Spirit of the Serpent has lifted his head. Pray for those caught in this web that as many as have not blasphemed the Holy Ghost may be reproved and delivered.
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To find out more info about this topic, please go to: Pawcreek Ministries http://www.pawcreek.org. You can order the video that is mentioned in this artice. PropheZine will also be placing clips on the PZ www site in the near future.
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The Bubble is About to Pop
By: John L. Terry, III CEC
December 29, 1997
Several major news sources today reported on the closed door meetings between the Federal Reserve and key banking officials around the world, including the Far East. Reports leaked to the media reports that the Fed is "pleased" with the proposed plan by the World Bank to rollover South Korea's existing debt and provide additional funding to support the nation's economy. The markets reacted favorably to this news, and now economists
are talking about "stability" being restored, at least in the short term, to South Korea.
But is this really news to be "pleased" with?
Consider what has actually happened...South Korea was unable to pay its obligations and was on the verge of default (bankruptcy, if you will). In steps the World Bank to "rollover" South Korea's existing debt and provides additional money (in the form of new loans) to prop up the economy. What did the World Bank actually do? In layman's terms, the World Bank simply extended the payment terms of the existing debt...and provided the money (through new loans) to make the current debt payments. Thus, the World Bank has actually compounded the problem, adding even more debt to South Korea's current obligations.
Think about this for a minute, the country is on the verge of default and cannot pay its obligations to the global financial community. Rather than allowing the markets to absorb the loss, the Global Government steps in and puts a band-aid on an limb with gangrene. The infection is still there, and still spreading, only you can't see it because it is hidden beneath the sterile dressing.
Let me give you a real life illustration to show the utter lunacyof this practice by the World Bank. A small business owner borrows $1,000,000 on 20 year repayment terms to finance an expansion. His business falters and he is unable to make the regular loan
payments. As a short term measure, the bank extends the repayment terms from 20 to 30 years, increasing the total cost of borrowing and accumulated interest the bank will receive over time. In addition, the bank loans the business owner an additional $350,000 to make the interest payments on the original loan. The borrower continues to struggle, and once again the bank steps in and loans another $250,000 to the business owner, extending the repayment terms for the original loan 10 additional years in the process.
Do you see the insanity to this yet?
The business continues to flounder, and rather than taking the loss, the bank continues to pour money into a losing proposition. The business owner, now more in debt than ever, keeps returning to the Bank for assitance, and will do ANYTHING to keep the flow of money
coming so the fantasy world can continue to be portrayed to the unsuspecting public. Lastly, the government comes in, loaning money through a Federal lending program. The lender, now hopelessly in debt and unable to pay, finally surrenders and defaults on the
loan. The bank, having been paid off by the government, receives its money, thus not having to take the loss themselves, leaving their coffers full to repeat this insane process in the future. The taxpayer is left "holding the bag" for the defaulted federal
loan. Fact or Fiction? This is fact...and was one of the major causes of the Savings and Loan debacle of the 1980's and early 1990's.
Now imagine this on an international scale. This very practice, as it has been conducted in the United States, is standard operating procedure for the World Bank, with its member nations left "holding the bag" when a country ultimately defaults from debt overload.
Now this is not new, the World Bank has been doing this for years, endebting developing countries beyond their ability to pay and causing them to become reliant on more and more money from the World Bank to survive. Thus, the World Bank is allowed to "call the shots" and control much of the world's economy through manipulation of the economies around the world. As with South Korea, World Bank loans always come with specific stipulations...usually allowing the World Bank to "take over" the economy of a specific country.
Solomon was very wise when he said that the borrower is subject (servant, slave) to the lender. Developing countries, including the new addition of South Korea, are slaves to the dictates of the World Bank and United Nations because of their dependence on World Bank financing. This reliance on UN money funneled through the World Bank has formed the basis for the consolidation of power by the coming New World Order.
Should we be concerned? YES. Rick Cogburn, a Registered Principal with Rushmore Securities Corporation, commented in an interview today that South Korea is a minor player in the global financial markets, yet there is a volumous amount of aid being sent to prop up this country's economy. "What will happen," Rick theorized, "when a major player like Japan (Ed. note: whose financial situation is probably in reality worse than South Korea's) goes under and needs financial aid. The U.S. and other developing countries have spent billions on South Korea, a minor player. What will the cost be
to prop up Japan, and where will the World Bank obtain the funding?"
Consider this, the economies of the world value their own currencies against the U.S. dollar...and the value of our own dollar is based on debt. No hard assets (gold, silver, platnium, etc...) support our currency. The U.S. dollar is assessed a relative value in comparison to the value of the debts owed the U.S. and the debts we owe other countries.
If a single player in the financial markets devalues its currency, or worse, defaults (in effect, devaluing its currency to zero), the domino effect on other currency valuations, including the U.S. dollar, would be devestating. It is not a matter of if...it is now a matter of when!
The financial markets are resting on a big bubble...and when the bubble is stretched far enough, it will pop. Russia is discussing devaluing their currency by 1000%. Peru, Brazil and Mexico all have experienced similar devaluation in recent history. This pop will be heard, and felt, around the world. The bubble is already stretched pretty thin...and it won't take much more before...POP...and it's all over!
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John is the president of Terry and Associates, a financial management firm and a member of the Rushmore Financial Group. His firm offers insurance, investment, retirement, estate, debt management, financial and consulting services to individuals and businesses. John is also the author of "Dollars and Sense, A Kingdom Look at Finances" and a contributing editor to various Christian newsletters, including PZ. John also teaches Biblical economics and stewardship principles in churches across the country.
Rick Cogburn is a registered principal with Rushmore Securities Corporation and an affiliate of Rushmore Investment Advisors, Inc. and a Securities Analyst for Terry and Associates. A former partner in the investment banking firm of Christian, Klein, and Cogburn, Rick has been active in the financial markets since the 1970's, provides a variety of investment services to individuals and businesses.
John and Rick may be reached at:
Terry and Associates Phone: (501) 968-1708
Post Office Box 640 Fax: (501) 967-9898
Russellville, AR 72811
John's e-mail: jterry@cswnet.com
Rick's e-mail: y2k@cswnet.com
Securities offered through:
Rushmore Securities Corporation,
Member NASD and SIPC
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Eastwood's Journey to Benjamin Creme's Lecture *
By Jeffrey Eastwood
Atlanta, Georgia November 18, 1997
"Excuse me, but... is that man glowing?"
Part 1 - The Preparations
Eastwood sez: For those of you that have been anxiously awaiting my report from Atlanta, I apologize!
I have been sitting back, considering exactly what to say about it, because I didn't want to write out of pure emotion. I wasn't sure just exactly how much I should "Share" with the world, for fear of giving Benjamin Creme and Share International
any more validity than they deserve.
At this point, however, I have decided to just start writing and let the Lord lead me in the proper reporting of this event...(That's the Lord God, Jehovah, not Lord Maitreya, by the way.)
Preparation
When I first read that Benjamin Creme was going to make another tour of the USA to speak on the Emergence of Lord Maitreya, I was very excited. Mr. Creme doesn't do a whole lot of touring, and I was quite bummed that I had missed out on his recent summer lecture series.
One reason that I was excited was that Atlanta is only a day's drive from here, and I didn't want to spend bucks on a plane ticket. This was important because until the day I left, I wasn't so sure that I really wanted to (or should) go!
(Now, if you are new to this website, I should explain. I believe that this Maitreya character, if he even exists, could very well be the one Christians expect soon, known variously as The Antichrist, The Beast, Mr. 666, and the coming World Ruler. Benjamin Creme, on the other hand, is promoting Maitreya as the World Teacher who is coming to help us advance closer to our own godhood. If you are unfamiliar with Creme or Maitreya, please read the intro first.( http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/eastwood01/maitreya.htm It is vital to your understanding of the following report. It comes straight from Share International magazine, the United Nations sponsored magazine which Benjamin Creme edits.) Back to our story: Some of my regular readers received advance notice of my intended travels by way of an e-mail invitation to join me. Needless to say, I got quite a few letters back! The thing that blew my mind was this:
My Catholic friends were VERY concerned about me, my health, my sanity, and my spiritual well-being. Their love for me was much appreciated, but it also gave me a very strange and uncomfortable feeling about two things. One, of course, was that they really made me question my own sanity for wanting to go see the alleged "False Prophet" in person. The other thought that bothered me was the fact that they seemed to have so little trust in the power of Jesus over the power of Satan. I don't mean to be throwing stones here, because there certainly is much to be said for avoiding hand-to-hand combat with Lucifer! Also, perhaps I was reading too much into their letters... perhaps they trusted Jesus to beat Satan in fisticuffs, but just didn't feel that should be anywhere near the ring when the fightbell sounded!
Now, my Protestant friends took a rather different stance on my intended trip...
"Go get 'em, East! I'll be praying for ya!" "Wish I could join you!" "Make sure you put on the whole armor of God!"
and that sort of thing. The question was: Who was right? Were the Protestants just so excited to find out more that they didn't mind a potential sacrifice (i.e. Mr. Eastwood) or did they have such faith in Jesus that they had little to no concern for my safety? Personally, based on what I read from them, I think they felt very at-ease with my journey, knowing that I would be protected from any harm. Prayers
Regardless of denomination, one thing I was assured of from everyone was plenty of PRAYER! I found out when I came back that whole church groups had been praying for me, along with dozens of other individuals! I was truly humbled when I realized how many folks had gone straight to the Lord in my behalf... I doubt He has ever heard my name mentioned so many times at once!
I left early on the morning of the lecture for the nearly 500 mile drive to Atlanta. As I passed through Kentucky, I decided to give Mom a call and let her know where I was headed. Now, please understand, we are talking about my mother, Saint Margaret (I canonized her years ago!). You see, I was still a bit nervous about what I was doing, and I figured I could use an extra prayer from one of God's biggest fans. Here is that phone call -
Eastwood: Hi Mom.
Saint Margaret: Oh, Hi honey... what's up? (she always says that)
Eastwood: I'm calling from south of Lexington.
Saint Margaret: Kentucky? Oh my... what are you up to?
Eastwood: I'm on my way to see the False Prophet.
Saint Margaret: Oh, (giggle) you decided to go see that Maitreya guy, huh?
Eastwood: Yeah. He's in Atlanta tonight.
Saint Margaret: Watch your speed! (she always says that)
Eastwood: I'm only doing 70, or so...
Saint Margaret: OK. You don't need any more tickets, ya know.
Eastwood: Yeah, I know. (I am a chronic leadfoot)
Saint Margaret: So, what's on your mind?
Eastwood: Well, I thought I might have you send up a prayer or two.
Saint Margaret: Oh, (giggle) I'll be happy to... I'll tell your dad, too.
Eastwood: Thanks, because I might meet the Antichrist tonight, ya know.
Saint Margaret: OK, well, just don't get caught speeding, honey.
Eastwood: I won't.
Saint Margaret: Love ya, sweetheart!
Eastwood: Love you too, Mom.
Arrival in Atlanta
Needless to say, Saint Margaret's cavalier attitude made me feel much more comfortable about my quest. After all, if my own mother wasn't worried about my safety, why should I be? I continued to pray as I drove, and soon I was in Atlanta during rush hour (oops), which is a sight to behold, indeed! Eight lanes of traffic going well over 80mph... What a city! I found the lecture hall, which was on the second floor of a strange little shopping mall. Most of the shops on this floor had something to do with Wellness, the New Age, Holistic Hoopla or Aromatherapy.
"Lovely.", I thought.
I snooped around and looked into the room where we were to meet. I had made up my mind that if it was an overly intimate setting, I would turn around and go home. After all, I gotta believe that by now someone from Share International has seen this website or has some idea of what I am doing here. Plus my picture is on this site, and I really didn't want to be recognized! Nor did I want to be in a position where anyone would take any notice of me and invite me to contemplate my navel or something. I was quite sure that a Christian at such a psycho-spiritual gathering might smell funny... like a leather-bound Bible or a church pew. In short, I didn't want my cover to be blown. I was here as a journalist, not as a Transmission Meditation vehicle. My job was to determine if:
1) Benjamin was a kook.
2) Benjamin was a con-man.
3) or Benjamin was onto something big.
Feeling more relaxed when I saw seating for 400 people, I left to change my clothes and prepare with prayer...
Opening Words
Having done my best to get as right with God as I possibly could, I once again asked Him for either an obvious message to stay away, or His full protection. I thought I might be the proverbial fool, barreling in where angels fear to tread, but then again, I also felt a peace and a lot of respect for the power of The Creator! I remembered Jesus' words: " ...fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul..." (Matt. 10:28) and decided to simply trust His command completely. Nonetheless, I arrived at precisely 7:29pm so as not to give anyone a chance to speak to me. I quickly seated myself in the back, near the door, with no one on either side of me. I had a strange feeling, butterflies I suppose, which only got worse when I read the half-page handout they had given me as I entered the room. which said:
"READ THIS FIRST"
"IF MR CRÈME IS ALREADY SEATED AS YOU ENTER THE LECTURE ROOM, PLEASE BE SEATED QUIETLY.
MR. CRÈME IS BEING OVERSHADOWED BY MAITREYA, THE WORLD TEACHER, AND A BLESSING IS BEING GIVEN TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE. THIS IS DONE THROUGH A PROCESS KNOWN AS MENTAL OVERSHADOWING OR TELEPATHY.
PLEASE ACCEPT THIS BLESSING! SIT QUIETLY AND MEDITATE IF YOU WISH.
THE LECTURE PART WILL LAST ABOUT 90 MINUTES. THEN THERE WILL BE A 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION FOLLOWED BY A TIME FOR QUESTION AND ANSWERS OF ABOUT 45 MINUTES. WE WILL CONCLUDE THE EVENING WITH ANOTHER OVERSHADOWING OF MR. CRÈME AND CHRIST'S BLESSING FOR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE."
"Delightful.", I muttered, but ever so quietly... I didn't want to disturb the Grand Poobah or anything! I looked around the room and counted about 250 people sitting quietly, pensively, and expectantly. Some were meditating, some reading, and some looking at Benjamin, who was sitting quietly on a riser centered in the front of the rather wide meetingroom. On either side of him were displays showing his paintings, some photos of Maitreya, and even a "cross of light" windowpane that was mounted for inspection. Piano music that sounded somewhat New Age in style was playing quietly, presumably to ease our worldly tension and anxiety.
I took out my notepad and started scribbling furiously, fearing that perhaps the lights would be dimmed. I didn't want to forget anything (knowing my own bad memory), but I also didn't want anyone else to be able to read over my shoulder... so my poor handwriting became an asset (as you can see to the left!)
I hoped that they would figure I was either a journalist, or better yet, a common follower that wanted to record the excitement. My look that night was very different than the one you see in my picture here on this site; I was incognito! I'm not totally stupid, ya know. Regardless of what they thought of me, the last thing I wanted them to know was my true identity: "Eastwood, Defender of the Christian Faith, Exposer of Evil, and the Guy Who Invited Jesus Christ to Benjamin Creme's Lecture!"
The Messages
A woman by the name of Ruth Donovan from the Atlanta Transmission Meditation group (our hosts for the evening) stepped up and told us that we were being blessed by Maitreya, and that we would now hear 2 messages from Maitreya on audio cassette. We were invited to quietly meditate as we heard "...the voice of Benjamin Creme, but the words and ideas of Maitreya...".
The lights dimmed, and Message #10, from November 8, 1977 began to play. (If you have RealAudio 3.0 installed on your computer, you can click on that link and hear it yourself!) Benjamin continued to sit nearly motionless as the sound of his recorded voice filled the room...
For those of you who still don't know what this is all about, read the following statement below, extracted from the preface to The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom by Benjamin Creme (Tara Press, 1980).
In it, Share International, Benjamin Creme and Maitreya are shown in their own words to be the blasphemous evil that I am trying to expose throughout this site:
FOREWORD
Knowingly or not, the world stands ready to recognise the Christ. His long-awaited and hoped-for reappearance is now an
accomplished fact.
On July 19, 1977, the Christ, Maitreya, the World Teacher, Head of our Spiritual Hierarchy, emerged from His ancient retreat and is now in the modern world. With His Disciples, the Masters of Wisdom, He will inaugurate the New Age of Synthesis and Brotherhood.
Benjamin Creme, British artist and esotericist, explains: "Early in September, 1977, I was taken before Maitreya Who asked if I would take, publicly, communications from Him which, since 1974, I had received in the privacy of the group with which I work. I said I would try, do my best. On September 6, 1977, the first public Message was given at Friends House, Euston Road, London, experimentally, to find out how I stood up to this kind of mental overshadowing and spiritual telepathy in public, a very different thing from the privacy of one's own group.
"The messages are relayed by me to the audience. No trance or mediumship is involved, and the voice is mine, strengthened in power and altered in pitch by the overshadowing energy of Maitreya. They are transmitted simultaneously on all the astral and mental planes, while I supply the basic etheric-physical vibration for this to take place.
From these subtle levels, the messages impress the minds and hearts of countless people who are gradually made aware of the thoughts and the Presence of the Christ. A great thoughtform is being built on the inner planes, embodying the fact of the Christ's Presence.
This thoughtform is then tuned into by the sensitives, clairvoyants and mediums of the world who, from now on, will increasingly bring in (in more or less distorted form) the information of the Christ's return. He releases in this way fragments of His Teaching, to prepare the climate of hope and expectancy which will ensure His being accepted and followed, quickly and gladly.
"It is an enormous and embarrassing claim to have to make that the Christ is giving messages through oneself. But if people can rid their minds of the idea of the Christ as some sort of spirit, sitting in heaven at God's right hand; if they can begin to see Him as indeed He is, a real and living man (albeit a Divine Man) who has never left the world; who descended, in 1977, not from heaven but from His ancient retreat in the Himalayas, to complete the task He began in Palestine; as a great Master, an Adept and Yogi; as the chief actor in a Gospel Story which is essentially true, but much simpler than hitherto presented -- if people can accept that possibility, then the claim to receive telepathic communications from such a closer and more knowable being is also, perhaps, more acceptable. In any case, I leave it to a study of the quality of the Messages themselves to convince or otherwise. For many people, the energies which flow during the overshadowing convince. Many who come to the meetings at which these messages are given are clairvoyant in various degrees, and their visions of the overshadowing as it takes place is for them the most convincing evidence of all."
So, Friends of Eastwood, that is how Benjamin Creme supposedly gets these messages from Maitreya. If you weren't able to download Message #10 and hear it yourself, fear not! I was able to find a few sentences from past quotes in Share International magazine:
"I am the one who will not go away." "Many will follow Me and see Me as their guide. Many will know Me not" "Those who search for signs will find them"
Message Number 10 lasted nearly ten minutes. Apparently these messages are received in "real time" by Mr. Creme, whose voice sounded deeper and more dramatic than it does during his lecture. His tempo was ploddingly paced... in my notes I described it as "Agonizingly slow". The words seemed to come to him just two or three at a time.
During the playback I felt no strange or unusual power in the room so I tried to relax a bit. Finally the tape ended, and was changed for Message Number 11. (Click for a RealAudio Sound File) Fortunately for you, I have found a transcript of this one:
Message #11- January 5, 1978
"My dear friends, I am happy to be with you once more My Plan is that My Teaching should precede My Presence and
prepare My Way. My people will release it through their groups and group endeavour. When mankind is somewhat prepared My voice shall be heard. Meanwhile, My efforts are bearing fruit, producing change, drawing together men and nations, and bringing new hope to the world. I am emerging soon, but first I would point the way into the new direction which man, if he would survive, must take. Firstly, men must see themselves as brothers, sons of the One Father. This is essential if they would progress one step nearer the Godhead. Throughout the world there are men, women and little children who have not even the essentials to stay alive; they crowd the cities of many of the poorest countries in the world. This crime fills Me with shame. My brothers, how can you watch these people die before your eyes and call yourselves men? My Plan is to save these, My little ones, from certain starvation and
needless death. My Plan is to show you that the way out of your problems is to listen again to the true voice of God within your hearts, to share the produce of this most bountiful of worlds among your brothers and sisters everywhere. I need your help, I call on you to aid Me in My task. How can I stand aside and watch this slaughter, watch My little ones die? No, My friends, this cannot be.
Therefore I am come quickly among you once more to show you the Way, point the Path. But the success of My Mission depends on you: you must make the choice - whether you share and learn to live peacefully as true men, or perish utterly. My heart tells Me your answer, your choice, and is glad. May the Divine Light and Love and Power of the One Most Holy God fall now upon your hearts and minds. May this Light, Love and Power lead you to seek That which dwells in silence within you. Find That and know that you are Gods."
Wild, huh? Just that final sentence should set any Christian very ill at ease! By the way, that seemingly short "message" took nearly 12 minutes to say.
Ouch.
************
Part Two - The Lecture What I Saw in Atlanta
"Excuse me, but... is that man glowing?"
With the recorded messages finally over, the lights go up, and Ruth Donovan gives a few announcements. Benjamin Creme has yet to utter his first words. He has been sitting, staring at the crowd with a somewhat friendly expression on his face for a full 30 minutes now. Ms.Donovan speaks of Mr. Creme almost as if he isn't in the room... she reminds me of a school teacher preparing the class to meet the Principal. Benjamin is positioned highly by her comments, which paint him somewhere between a professor, a head of state, and a deity. We are told to avoid approaching him during the break, and after the lecture is complete.
The crowd of 250 or so is composed of all ages from about 25 to 70 years old, and approximately 70% are women. They are dressed casually, some nicer than others, and very few of them would stand out in a crowd. They seem well-educated for the most part, and have behaved in a rather reverent manner throughout the evening. Actually, most churches that I have attended are not this quiet and pensive, save for maybe during funerals. I looked around a bit during the second message, and was surprised to see that some of them actually lookedashamed by what they were hearing about the neglect of the poor and starving of the world.
Putty in Mr. Creme's hands. Oh boy.
Finally, Benjamin is introduced to polite applause. At this point in my notes I wrote "I feel more comfortable now, yet this is rather unusual. The tone is museum-like." I felt quite safe from danger, but I was aware that I needed to continue praying constantly, as I had been doing all along.
He Speaks!
The distinguished looking gentleman seated in front of us was not a wax figure after all! He graciously accepted the applause with true British poise, and began to tell us about his mission. His voice was almost grandfatherly, very smooth and quite different from the one we had heard receiving the Messages earlier. A light continental accent and comfortable delivery hid the extreme "importance" of his topic. If I hadn't already known way too much about him, and the blasphemous things he has said about Jesus Christ and the Lord God Jehovah, I would have wished we were friends. Benjamin Creme makes a wonderful "father figure". Doubtlessly, most of the other people in the audience were at least equally enamoured with his style.
He proceeded to say that he was here to deliver information. Quickly adding that he representented no particular religious sect, Benjamin was able to cast aside prejudice and fear from much of the crowd. He casually explained that his message is difficult to accept for certain "orthodox" religions.
Then the clincher. We were asked to put aside everything we believe.
He began to speak of Jesus in Palestine (not Israel, interestingly enough) and his polite, warm storytelling style continued to ease the gathered lemmings. After about 10 minutes of this intro, we were asked to accept or reject his teaching on the basis of whether "it rings of Truth".
If you really want to know everything he said, you can go to Share International's sound site and pull down streaming audio of his lecture in San Francisco, which I assume was nearly verbatim to what we heard in Atlanta four days earlier. All you will need is RealPlayer 5.0 (which is a free download) and almost 2 hours worth of patience to listen to the whole speech.
The purpose of this report is not so much to explore what he said (much of which has been frequently discussed on the Share International site), but rather to document my personal experience. The majority of the information he provided has been easily accessible on the net and in books for many years. However, I have yet to see one of his lectures reported on from a Christian, or prophetic viewpoint... until now.
Nonetheless, here are some snippets from Atlanta. I must warn you that I am not a stenographer, and hence I could not possibly have recorded perfect quotes at all times.
However, based on my extensive readings of past info written by Benjamin Creme, I feel that all of my paraphrases will accurately portray his message. I in no way intend to misquote or use his words out of context. They serve my purpose perfectly just as they are, without embellishment. My purpose is simply to show the depth and magnitude of his heresy as seen from Christian eyes, and the very strong possibility that Mr. Creme is describing the coming of the Antichrist within the next few years (or weeks?).
Some High (or Low) Points
Once again, these are paraphrased... I cannot remember exactly which quotes I was able to record perfectly, and which I only had time to "get the essence"."Doom and catastrophe will not happen... it was never predicted...". From here he went on to tell how the fundamentalist readers of Scripture have misunderstood their writings. Apparently Revelation does not mean what it says, and the judgments of God should not concern us... considering that God is not how we think He is anyway. The woman sitting in front of me nodded often in agreement, and leaned to her female partner as if to say, "See, I told you this guy was on the ball!". They, as well as the rest of the crowd, particularly liked hearing that Bible believers were totally wrong, and would be phased out as the new information took hold. Creme threw out easy jokes and they all chuckled comfortably. I was reminded of the verses in the 4th chapter of 2nd Timothy: "(3)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Anyone agree?
He then spoke about the Age of Aquarius. As Benjamin informed us, Jesus was the Master for the Age of Pisces and that age has come to an end. Each zodiacal age lasts for around 2000 years or so, and the Piscean Age is currently giving way to the Age of Aquarius, the waterbearer. Maitreya is likened unto a waterbearer, especially in the sense that he is providing those 777 wells of healing waters!
Of course, Christians don't put much stock in astrology (although the Jews have been known to) but isn't it interesting to find that Jesus and His Church have existed during the "Sign of the Fish" which is also a very Christian symbol. Just check the bumpers in any church parking lot, right? Now, it turns out that Pisces is also the 12th and final sign of the Zodiac, and Aquarius starts the cycle all over again. Hmmm... Could this be why there is so much fuss in the New Age groups? Are we really seen to be at a point of massive change? Look at it from the Christian point of view - if God, who made the stars, wanted to tell us when the end would be......might he not place the EndTimes at the very end of the Zodiac? Perhaps the New Agers and astrologers have something here? Perhaps the year 2000AD is more than just a number, since it corresponds so closely to the completion of the zodiacal cycle?
Nah... couldn't be...
Apparently one woman had heard all she could take, and she left the room at that point.
Mr. Creme went on to tell of "the ageless task of the Masters of Wisdom", who he says dwell in the mountains and deserts of the world (including the Rockies, the Gobi Desert, and if I remember correctly even the Mojave!) They have been helping us quietly, but are about to come out and work side-by-side with Maitreya in a more proactive way. Several more people started to wander out at this juncture. Though Benjamin had now uttered several things that made him sound like a fruitcake, 99% were still listening intently.
Why was Jesus unrecognized and killed? The "Fundamentalists" of His time got rid of Him "because He was not the expected idea of the Messiah"! Yes, the crowd took that to mean the same thing that you're thinking.
Maitreya is "the Teacher alike of angels and men...". After this I had made the notation: "St. Paul and Buddha both!" which I believe meant that Maitreya had overshadowed (or led) each during their ministries.
At that point, Mr. Creme launched into an extensive oratory about the problems of the Third World. This was met by wandering attention spans, but he managed to keep the vast amount of the crowd in their seats. During this portion, he makes groundbreaking statements including these:
We are not individual souls, but a fragment of a huge "oversoul"..., which apparently means something like "deny yourself so that your brother might share in your wealth".
"Market force economy and commercialism are more dangerous than an atomic bomb!" Now this really hit home, since I make commercials for a living. Of course, it also hit home because I believe in democracy and capitalism... not socialism, communism or totalitarianism. Oh well, guess I'll be out of a job soon.
"Complacency is the root of all evil...".
Even my dog, who died years ago, could find where that one goes against Christian teaching. But did you know that the answer is NOT money? It's true... check your Bible! It's actually stated that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. But of course that no longer matters, for Benjamin Creme is here to show us the way of his leader Satan, um... ooops... Maitreya. In the new realm we are to feel guilty and flagellate ourselves for the fact that someone is doing worse than us and needs help.It all sounds good, but doesn't this ring of a new order where "sharing" is really "redistribution" regardless of whether the help is deserved or warranted? And isn't that what is going on already in the USA anyway? Wait! Is the Priory of Sion in on this? Just kidding, I got out of control.
Creme had been laying into the USA for being such a bad bad greedy nasty nation a little too heavily, apparently. That kind of talk doesn't play as well in the South as it does on the coasts, and it cost him another dozen or so lemmings by the time he got finished.
But right then, he shifted gears into Miracles, Madonnas, and Signs of the Times and managed to keep the rest on the edges of their seats. He followed up with the incredibly exciting news that The Master Jesus had been living in Rome for the last 7 years, and would be one of the first Masters of Wisdom to show up after Maitreya's own Day of Declaration! Master Jesus would then get the unenviable task of assuring the Christians that Lord Maitreya is a nice boy
and we should like him.
On or about this time, by the way, all 777 healing waters will be revealed around the world perhaps making doctors obsolete?
Whew... what an on-slaught of info right at the end! Thus endeth the Lecture portion of our show, and we were dismissed for an intermission. This was to give Benjamin some time to breathe and read the questions that we had submitted on our 3x5 cards. It was also time for us to wander out into the hall to enjoy the makeshift library/store of materials.
Intermission
"Ah ha!", you say, thinking that this is where Benjamin Creme and Share International become like Jim and Tammy Bakker and the high rolling PTL Club! Not so fast. That wouldn't be in the vein of everything he had just been teaching us. Nope. In fact, three quarters of the material was laid out in stacks, free for the taking. The rest was printed oh-so-economically and priced accordingly...extremely affordable. And, oh yes... the price of admission for this event? A five-dollar suggested donation at the door, barely enough to cover plane fare from England and a hotel night. It didn't appear that Benjamin was getting rich in this deal at all, nor did he seem pretentiously wealthy in any way. Sales were brisk, but not overwhelming. I would guess that less than $1000 changed hands.
After grabbing quite a bit of free info, and purchasing two Share International magazines for a total of 6 bucks, I wandered back into the meeting room to peruse the displays. Creme had two of his paintings on easels, but I don't remember seeing a price tag. They were quite unusual, a bit like Marc Chagall if you know your art. Many of the iconesque pictures that you see littering the Share website turn out to be Creme's art... colorful blobs and shapes that purportedly have deep inner meanings on etheric levels.
But it was the Cross of Light that interested me. I had read several articles about these apparent manifestations, as well as having seen some pictures of them, but here was one I could inspect! Now, please realize that I am a photographer and a Broadcast Professional. I did very well in physics. I know much about optics, light and especially special effects like magic and sleight-of-hand. I have made over 10,000 commercials... I am a born skeptic, and I usually know poop when I see it. This was simply a pane of glass, held up by a simple 2x4 frame on three sides with the fourth side exposed. Light was provided by a small electric candle (like those in your windows at Christmas time) sitting behind the glass. The image was similar to the one at the right, except that it was colored white from the lightbulb.
Though the glass was frosted, it didn't seem to refract light in the expected way. The effect was more like a hologram, yet a hologram doesn't normally follow the viewer around the viewing axis like this "cross of light" did. I have seen many different kinds of holograms, and this was like none of them.
Suffice it to say... I was pleasantly stumped, as was everyone else that inspected it. Some said they felt a Spiritual Energy which calmed them, but I sure didn't get anything like that. My calm was coming from the fact that I had been praying to God via Jesus Christ for the last several hours!
The Questions
We filed back to our seats to prepare for the question and answer session. The tone of the crowd was now decidedly upbeat and anticipatory, despite the fact that only about 150 stalwart people remained. It was now well over two hours since we had started, and many had left at intermission, for whatever reason.
Mr.Creme began by welcoming our special guest from Knoxville, Tennessee, Reverend Joe Bullard. The good reverend runs the small Copper Ridge Baptist Church where Crosses of Light have virtually taken over the church. Read about it here if you are interested. It seems Rev. Joe had heard about Maitreya being the cause of such things and thus had dropped down I-75 to see what more there was to learn. I will hold further comment.
Benjamin answered about 8 or 10 questions, mostly ones that I could have answered based on Share's extensive material. Among the interesting bits were these:
The Self alone matters! Now, to a Christian, as well as to some other religions, this is a ridiculous statement. In Christianity we reach a proper balance when we get these 3 priorities in the correct order: 1) God, 2) Others, 3) Self.
What Mr. Creme was sharing was the fact that in his world, we are all working toward our ultimate godhood, both as individuals and as a group. Of course, with us and God being the same in his estimation, there is no such thing as putting Self above God! For a Christian, however, this is the ultimate rejection of The Lord.
Furthermore, according to Benjamin Creme: The words of Jesus Christ, "...no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) means that no man can realize his own deity except by the realization of the Christ Principle within his own heart. Complete, total and utter blasphemy.
Now Lucifer on the other hand, according to Creme, is very misunderstood. It seems Lucifer actually refers to the Human Kingdom, not to some dangerous deceiver. And where did this silly idea of a Satan or Devil come from? Why, those arrogant Christians of course! They have such gall to believe that they are the only ones that get to go to Heaven. In Creme's eyes, every religion is equal and all people are working toward the next level, which all will eventually reach! Now, when I say that he has all religions being equal, both he and I are ignoring his obvious contempt for the arrogant, misguided and foolish fundamental Christians. During all of his talk, this was the only religious group that got hit with such venom. All the rest were declared "perfectly fine". You can bet the crowd smiled heartily in their agreement on this issue.
Ya know, just as an aside here... the very fact that Christians are hated so much by all the rest makes it obvious that there is something special (whether good or bad) about this particular group. Do
you know the essential difference between all these other groups and fundamental Christianity? All the others have man figuring into the equation; by his works, efforts, traditions, penance or whatever, man earns his right to move up to Heaven, godhood, or whatever. Only the Protestant trusts FULLY in salvation by faith ALONE in Jesus Christ, through the awesome grace of God the Father. It is the only faith where man acknowledges his complete and total depravity and helplessness. It's the humble faith that says: "God, without you, I am dead and I fully deserve it." All the rest nurse the egotistical thought that man has some sort of power over his destiny.
If there is a God, which do you think He would prefer?
If you were God, who would get your blessing?
PART THREE
Weird Water
I assume you have already read Part One and Part Two of this article, so I'll just tell you now about the really weird stuff
...
I'm sure that you immediately noticed the change in my color scheme here. It was on purpose, to get you into the rather eerie mood of the final act in Benjamin Creme's play. I neglected to inform you about one of the questions that was asked of Mr. Creme, because I felt there was a chance that it was a set-up. Nevertheless, I will set it out on the table for your consideration. I personally found it odd, especially when I thought about it later that night...
Question: I noticed that during your lecture you had a glass of water sitting on the podium. I counted you drinking from it eight times. Why didn't the water level go down?
Answer: (chuckle) You were watching me!
His answer seemed as if he had been caught off guard, which is easy enough to do if you are a good actor. Of course, this 70+-year-old man had been sitting up front for around 2 full hours, talking for the majority of that time. One would expect him to wet his whistle. I do remember him taking a few pulls off of that glass myself, but I was much too far in the back to monitor the water level, even if I had thought to watch for it! Assuming that he even just wet his lips eight times, one would still expect to see some drop in level... and he certainly did nothing to make us aware of that glass. It didn't seem as if a trick was being set up. Was the question a fake? Could easily be. Who knows?
I got to mulling it over later that night, as I was driving back home. Maitreya is The Waterbearer... Healing Waters... The Milk Miracles with the Buddhist statues making milk disappear before TV cameras... Was his water replenished by an outside force? Was it a trick glass? He made such a small deal of the episode, allowing no time to dwell on it, that one has to wonder. It was as if he had been caught red-handed the way he blushed off the question! An interesting joke? A deliberate set-up? Tiny sips? Minor Miracle? I'm sure I will never know, but I had never heard of any such instance in all of my readings of Share's literature! If it was a trick, I think it got the desired effect.
The only reason I gave it any credence whatsoever is because of what happened next...
Two Minute Warning
So, forget about the water glass... I probably should not have mentioned it. But then again, what kind of reporter would I be if I only reported things the way I wanted them to be seen?
(Ha! I know! A normal one!)
I have tried my best to report on this event from an unbiased standpoint, but as you realize, I am also trying to point out the discrepancies of the Maitreya message. By this point in the evening, I had already decided that Creme was not a kook, nor was he in it for the cash. I truly believed that he truly believed in what he was divulging. I had already been amazed at the beautiful complexity of Maitreya's lies long before I had decided to go to Atlanta, and I had already attributed them to a mind more sordid and evil than a man's. For me, I was hearing the twisted Gospel of Satan himself, and the lecture had done nothing to dissuade me.
After the questions, we were invited to stay for an "Overshadowing" by Maitreya, and these hearty fans that had remained for the second half were not about to leave before this game was over. Few left, and I too stayed on to see what it was like. Did I mention that I had been praying? Non-stop. Did I mention that many folks back home and around the world were praying for me? Also very true. In short, I felt incredibly comfortable at this point... no fear whatsoever. If I had even a doubt, I would have hopped up and gotten out of there, but I was ready with the knowledge that Christ's blood was covering me and shielding me from any evil.I belong to Jesus Christ, and apparently He was not about to let Satan get his dirty claws into me. The three of us had fought that battle for many years already, and Christ had won!
The Overshadowing
Benjamin had the folks lower the lights by about 50%, ostensibly to make the room more adaptable to meditation. It was a very simple room: twice as wide as it was long, barren walls with fluorescent lighting... the type of room you see everywhere in the USA. There were no trap doors, no special lighting sources, nothing out of the ordinary that I could find. Believe me,I looked. I know theatrical and film lighting techniques, and I know what I saw.
So there we sat in a remarkably stoic room, waiting for Benjamin to call down his Master. It wasn't that dramatic at all. Mr. Creme simply sat up straight, lifted his right arm with his palm up and facing the audience. It almost looked like a wave from the Popemobile, or from a beauty queen, except that he was entirely motionless. He then turned slowly to the left side of the room, where I was sitting, and began staring at the first person. Ever so slowly he made his way to the next, and then the next... so slowly that one could scarcely see any movement at all.
He did this for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, crossing back and forth over the group six or eight times.
I was in full scale prayer at this point! I was not about to accept any "blessing" from Maitreya, Benjamin or whoever. I watched his every movement like a scientist, trying to decide if anything out of the ordinary was going to happen. I studied him, and the crowd, and I noticed that most all of the people were locked into Mr. Creme like zombies.
That's when I noticed. It wasn't long at all before I was the object of Benjamin Creme deep, unearthly gaze. His eyes seemed to be looking through the back of my head. I blinked to clear my vision, but it was still there. Perhaps I had been staring too long, and my vision was turning blurry? I glanced away, a few feet from his head, to the potted plant next to him. It was gone. I looked back at Benjamin, and WHAM! There it was again... The man was bathed in a strange glow. It was golden in color, and it extended to my peripheral vision. It was as if there were two layers of images. One was the normal image of a man sitting with his palm facing me, and the second was the same image, yet golden toned and softly defocused. The two images appeared to move against each other slightly in a random pulsing behaviour. The overall look was a bit similar to the old Hollywood pin-up glamour queens of the 1940's... in perfect, yet soft focus. I have tried my best to recreate the look below, using my graphics programs. It's
pretty darn close.
Imagine this is Benjamin in Atlanta. It's not... it's me in Alberta,
but try to bridge that gap for me, okay? The first picture shows similar overhead lighting to the room we were in (except that it's outdoor lighting, I know.) and the second shows how he appeared with that disjointed layering effect, soft and golden in color. The only difference is that the layers appeared to move on each other, washing over each other and creating strange bordering lines around Mr. Creme, like an aura perhaps.
Now, despite the long hair, rest assured that I haven't done drugs in years! I was very sober, and quite aware of everything that was going on around me... which was nothing. Benjamin had continued past me by now, and I glanced around the room again. Everyone was virtually motionless. I could hear deep breaths followed by shudders, all around the room. Men and women both were tearing up from emotions unchecked. Mr. Creme made quite a few passes of the crowd, back and forth, and that gave me lots of time to experiment and come up with an
explanation for this phenomena.
When he was looking directly at me, the glow was quite strong, absolutely unmistakable. If I was to take my eyes off his body, even by a few feet, the glow stopped abruptly. It was not a sleepy vision type thing, for the moment that I would look back at him the glow would trigger again immediately! I could turn it on and off like a switch, just by shifting my eyes. Even if I only saw him from the corner of my eye, the glow was not there... but look back, and boom. Full-on glow. The next thing that I noticed was that as he gazed around the room, the amount of glow I saw would decrease as he got further off-axis from me. Think of it as a lighthouse. He was emanating the light, it was not being shined on him. I checked, but it was not that kind of illumination anyway. I knew I would see no source lamp of any type, and I was right. That took it down to:
1)hallucination - which was very unlikely considering the circumstances and the fact that I had all of my faculties intact!
2)hypnotism - which I discount because of both my constant prayer, and my ability to do whatever I pleased.
3)spiritual phenomenon - it was all I had left, and it fit perfectly.
Lucifer means "lightbearer", Satan is the Angel of Light and his visual tricks nearly always contain some spectacular phenomena... Ghosts, UFO's, wandering lights, visions, et al. If this man was receiving the demonic power right in front of me, that was to be the best explanation available. More testing confirmed it... the glow was real, and it came out of Benjamin Creme.
Fine, so he glowed. He was also looking so deeply through my skull that I found myself engaged in fierce spiritual battle. Fortunately, I had the greater power... the One who had created his power... and I was safe. However, if Mr. Creme truly is telepathic, then he heard quite a mouthful from me, via The Lord God Almighty! I let him know in no uncertain terms that he had no power over me and no business messing with a child of God. I also caught myself telling him, "Yes, I am Eastwood..." as if he had asked. Amazing confidence flowed through me, which only grew as I became more and more aware of the battle going on! I wish I could have seen the tussle happening in the spiritual realm within that room... it was just plain weird.
Heading Home
And then it was over.
Benjamin leaned forward and mumbled something into his microphone, and we all filed out. I was close to the door, so I was one of the first ones into the waiting room area, where I turned to watch the others exit. They were slowly emerging, stunned, awed... that deer-in-the-headlights look. They didn't stumble, but they looked wasted and disoriented. Some were smiling in an etheric dippiness, while others seemed all but totally lost. Tears were being wiped from cheeks, and small gasps of disbelief were heard all around. Everyone else had
experienced something just as intense as I had.
I turned to go, saddened by seeing these folks reduced to the quivering group that they had become. Stunned silence filled the whole area, with an otherworldly eerieness pervading. As I walked down the hallway to the door, I sidled up alongside a woman of about 40.
I quietly asked her about the end of the evening.
Me: What were those last words that he said?
Her: Uhhmmmm, I think... thank you?
Me: Oh, okay...(pause)...did he... glow?
Her: YES!!! (her eyes go very wide, and she catches her breath)
Me: Did it stop if you looked away?
Her: Yes! and it was golden....and... and...
She spoke quickly, and described it all just the way I had been writing it in my head. We had not been dreaming. She told me that she felt stunned. I said "I don't doubt it.", knowing that she had not been protected in the way that I had... I felt so sorry for her, but I knew there was no chance to reach her. She had seen something that would take weeks to deal with, and that was all too evident. We walked separately to our cars, shaking our heads and breathing deep gulps of the fresh night air.
Conclusion
This is real. I still don't know what it is for sure, but it is very, very real.
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Jeff Eastwood describes himself as :
regular guy living in Ohio,
self-employed as a freelance Writer / Producer / Director
Contact him at eastwood@mindless.com.
Home Page :http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/eastwood01/homepg01.htm
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THE VOICE OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT
SPRING 5757 Be'ezrat hashem
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes." Ezekiel 38:14-16
A WORD FROM GERSHON SALOMON
Dear friend, I send you my prayers and blessings from Jerusalem the City of G-d and the capital of Israel. I pray for you, your family and congregation that the God of Israel and the universe will keep you in good health and provide for your every need. While I am writing this letter close to the Temple Mount, the eternal place of the House of G-d, my thoughts are with you and I am looking forward to meeting you soon. I pray that G-d will give you and all of us the privilege of seeing with our own eyes the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of Mashiach ben David. We shall stand together before G-d and we shall thank Him for all the good and the miracles that He has done for His chosen people, Israel, and for all mankind. From Jerusalem I send to you my love, friendship and deep appreciation for the love that you show to G-d, to the people and land of Israel at the most exciting time in our history when your love, dedication and devotion is so needed. We shall never forget it. Israel loves you.
A Critical Time in the History of Israel
This newsletter comes to you at a very critical time in the history of Israel, perhaps the most critical time. At the focus of our feelings, thoughts and emotions are the challenges and our expectations for the present events on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and the land of Israel. Also everyone in Israel is eager to see and understand what the near future is going to bring to our agenda at this special time.
It is so clear to everyone of us that, since 1948, Israel is living in end-times and that the prophetic process of redemption is led by the God of Israel according to His biblical plans. We don't need to imagine it; we live it day by day here in the Promised Land.
The Temple Mount and Jerusalem in the Spotlight
The Temple Mount and Jerusalem are coming closer and closer to becoming the focus of world events. The Temple Mount, the apex of everything in the land of Israel, cannot be silent. This holiest site of G-d has become like a volcano since the Six Day War in 1967 when the leadership of Israel made a terribly sinful mistake and gave this most holy site to the Arab Islamic enemy to continue their foreign pagan worship. They also forbid access to this site to the Israelis. There is no doubt that until the Israeli government does what G-d expects of them - to reliberate the Temple Mount, to remove the two buildings of pagan worship and to rebuild the Temple on the same location as the First and Second Temples - there will never be peace in Israel and in the world.
The Battle for the Temple Mount Has Commenced
I would say that the main battle for the Temple Mount and Jerusalem has started. The PLO terror organization and the Palestinian Authority have declared that there will never be peace until Jerusalem becomes a "Palestinian" capital. They are doing everything they can to make this a reality. All the Arab and Islamic countries have stated that Jerusalem is an Islamic city. In the Vatican the Pope has stated on more than one occasion that he does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that it has to be an international city. The UN has repeatedly decided against Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has taken decisions which forbid Israel to build in this city. There can be only one conclusion to all these events: G-d is enticing the nations to come against Jerusalem. Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. And it will come about in that day that I will made Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
(Zechariah 12:2-3)
All the Arab Islamic enemies of Israel and their allies all over the world know very well the symbolic and practical meaning of the Temple Mount and Jerusalem for Israel. They know that the State of Israel cannot exist for one day without the Temple Mount and Jerusalem which were promised and given by the G-d of Israel to His people, Israel, to be their eternal capital, their spiritual and national identity, their protection and a vessel to bring the light of G-d to all the nations. The Arab Islamic struggle for the Temple Mount and Jerusalem is in order to cancel the existence of the State of Israel and to destroy the people of Israel as a nation. The coming war which the enemies of Israel plan will start and be in Jerusalem. It has already started and its main parts belong to the near future. Israel must be strong and not give in and compromise on
anything regarding the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. This city, which was founded by King David 3000 years ago is our heart, our soul and the focus of everything in our life. G-d will never accept any compromise in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount exactly as He did not accept the false Oslo "Peace Agreement" and the existence of His enemies, the Palestinians, as a Palestinian Authority in the land which He gave to His people eternally. G-d gave Jerusalem to the people of Israel as an eternal capital and a permanent blessing. At the same time, He made Jerusalem as a snare and a curse to all the enemies of Israel who will try to take this holy city for themselves. Throughout thousands of years of history, The Temple Mount and Jerusalem have been a capital only when Israel has existed as a state. None of the powers who occupied Jerusalem and the land of Israel, including hundreds of years of Arab Islamic control of Jerusalem, have made Jerusalem as their capital. What has happened now that has made them struggle against Israel for making this city their own capital? Only hatred, jealousy and their attempt to destroy the Israeli existence and identity. They are trying to stop the godly prophetic plans to redeem Israel, to rebuild the House of G-d in this holy city, and to fulfill the holy vision of the end times. They are even ready to fight against the G-d of Israel exactly as they did in biblical times.
They have learned nothing about what G-d did to the nations who tried to fight against Him and His people in the biblical times and after that. My advice to them is to very carefully read the Bible, especially Zechariah 12 and 14 and Ezekiel 38-40. Jerusalem is going to be for all of them a terrible snare. Perhaps the price will not be easy and I pray to G-d that Israel will no longer have to pay a price of blood. The G-d of Israel is going to show all the nations that He is One, His Name is One, and He is the only friend and protector of His Chosen People.
Birth Pains of Redemption
In these days so many people are asking what is the meaning of the pains that Israel is daily experiencing. Almost every day and every week, Israelis are murdered by the messengers of Yasser Arafat, the PLO, the Hamas, and the other bands of murderers. Only a few weeks ago, in the middle of Tel Aviv, three young Israeli women were murdered. One of them was pregnant. Many others, including babies of a few months of age, were wounded. We shall never forget the picture of the small baby whose mother was killed in this attack. Not many days ago, during the Pesach festival, two young women,23 years of age, were murdered in a very cruel way by Arab terrorists when they went hiking in the Judean wilderness close to the home of one of them in Kfar Adumim. They have no mercy when they kill women, children and old people. They are full of hatred against Jews. Their goal is to destroy Israel in any way that they can. These are only a few of so many cruel attacks against Israel. Everyone here knows that we have to be strong and that we shall overcome because the G-d of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is determined to protect Israel and to accomplish His promises to redeem Israel. The prophets called these pains which will be a part of the end-times, birth pains of redemption. So many times these birth pains are a result of the hatred of so many nations against the people of G-d. Sometimes they are the result of weakness on the part of our leadership. It was not an accident that G-d chose this land for Israel. This land was dedicated by G-d to be a focus of His plans to redeem Israel and all the world. As we are strong with G-d and obey His Word and trust His promise to save Israel, we shall overcome these pains. Let us be optimistic and trust in the promises of G-d. Time is short. The time of judgment is soon to come. We are soon to see the light of the G-d of Israel at the end of the tunnel. We shall be the generation who will see with their own eyes the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem on Mt.Moriah and the coming of Mashiach ben David.
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement is the movement which, immediately after the Six Days War when G-d liberated the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, decided to serve G-d and history by fulfilling His prophetic plans at this big time. We knew that G-d was ready for this stage in the history of Israel and mankind. We decided to completely dedicate ourselves to this major goal and to educate and prepare the people of Israel and everyone in the world for this fulfillment. We knew that no weakness of leadership or hatred of enemies can stop G-d from leading the history according to His prophetic plans. After almost 30 years of our campaign we can see the fruits of this struggle. We feel the presence of the G-d of Israel in all of our activities and we know so clearly that He is with us to encourage us and give us the strength to continue and act for His holy goals. Even in times when this campaign is conducted in difficult circumstances, we feel that G-d is with us and leading our campaign to fulfillment and success. We are determined to continue and we know that together with all of you who are faithful and trust in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we shall see the big moment when our hopes, dreams and visions will become a reality. G-d is with us.
THE HASMONEAN TUNNEL
The Hasmonean tunnel which was discovered and excavated by Israel along the Western Wall of the Temple Mount is one of the most exciting remains from biblical times. The tunnel was dug by the builders of the First Temple and later used in the Second Temple to bring water to the Temple area. Even today you can still see the water running through the tunnel. Later this tunnel was used by the Hasmoneans, the guerrilla heroes who liberated the Temple Mount from Greek control and purified it from the pagan idol that had been placed there. When Rabbi Getz, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, cleared this mysterious tunnel he discovered exciting biblical remains. The main discovery was the priest s gate and tunnel which was found in the middle of the Hasmonean tunnel and which led under the walls and grounds of the Temple Mount to the Holy of Holies. I had the privilege of being there when this gate and tunnel were opened and to feel the presence of G-d in this holy place which was used by the priests to enter directly into the Temple. It was so exciting to meet, physically and spiritual, one of the most important elements of the Temple, to see the beautiful stones and arches which were built by King Herod, to close the eyes, to pray to G-d so close to the Holy of Holies and to see in my imagination the priests again walking in this holy tunnel. I remember how quickly the workers cleaned the priest's tunnel because we all knew that at the end of it we would not only come to the lower floors of the Temple but also to the secret room where the Ark of the Covenant was hidden by the King Yeshayahu (Josiah) and the priests, before the destruction of the First Temple. We were so close to this location and to this wonderful experience. Unfortunately the government of Israel decided to stop the work and to again close the priest's tunnel after the Arabs on the Temple Mount started to attack the workers, to hold demonstrations and to bring the case to the UN Security Council. Israel again missed a major moment in her life because of the weakness of her government. They preferred to give in to Islamic pressure and to fear the UN rather than to trust the promises and protection of the G-d of Israel.
Later a new government in Israel had the courage to open the Hasmonean tunnel and not to fear the Arabs, nor the UN, nor the President of the United States. I pray that this will be a lesson for Israel in the future, to open all the tunnels and the gates to the Temple Mount and Jerusalem and to renew our days once again like they were in biblical times.
SOLOMON'S STABLES
One of the most important and exciting remains from the Second Temple are what are called "Solomon's Stables". These are not stables at all but an important part of the Second Temple complex. The name "Solomon's Stables" was mistakenly given by the Crusaders who thought that these were, indeed, Solomon's stables. This beautiful complex of chambers, arches and pillars was built by King Herod, firstly to provide a comfortable entrance to the Temple Mount through a tunnel which started at the Gulda gate on the southern side of the Temple Mount and ended under the Temple Mount. Secondly, by building a few floors of chambers, King Herod wanted to prevent the possibility of any uncleanness associated with dead bodies under the Temple Mount reaching the Temple area itself. The upper floors of this complex were also used for other purposes associated with the worship on the Temple Mount. It is hard to express in words the special beauty of this place and the feeling of holiness when one walks there. What is important is that this very holy complex remained with almost no damage from the time of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE
This holy place was in the news in the last year when the Moslems secretly built a big mosque in these chambers. The municipality of Jerusalem tried to stop them but they did not obey and the Israeli government preferred not to press the issue because they were afraid of Arabic and Islamic reaction all over the world. Again the weakness of the government concerning matters relating to the Temple Mount allowed the Moslem abomination to continue on the Temple Mount and the continuous destruction of the House of G-d which the Romans started in 70 CE. The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement made three petitions to the Supreme Court to force the Israeli government to be strong and to do what the law and G-d is expecting them to do. Unfortunately even the Supreme Court did not have the ability to force them to obey the law and not to destroy one of the most holy and exciting places on the earth. We submitted another petition asking that they not be allowed to open the mosque in these chambers. It is still to be discussed in the Supreme Court.
This is not the first time that the Arabs have destroyed something that remained from the First or Second Temples which have existed on the Temple Mount for almost 2000 years. Besides this they also destroyed extremely beautiful ornaments depicting the seven holy biblical fruits and a pillar which still existed from the Second Temple. A major petition that we also made in this case succeeded only in part when the Supreme Court decided that they could not stop this damage (another weakness) but they ordered the Israeli government to maintain strong control and not to allow such damage to take place in the future. The Supreme Court also declared in its decision that the Temple Mount is, and will be in the future, the most holy place of the Jewish nation and the location of our most important worship forever.
Where was the outrage in the UN, the nations and even the President of the US when this evil happened? Why did all of them pass anti-Israeli resolutions when the Hasmonean tunnel was opened but remained silent as the Arabs destroyed this ancient site? No doubt the G-d of Israel will judge them and ask them to answer these questions.
A RED HEIFER IS BORN IN ISRAEL
The ashes of the red heifer is one of the most important and mysterious of G-d's biblical commandments. Many rabbis and biblical scholars have tried to understand what is behind this commandment. No-one has the answer. Only G-d can answer us. Since the early times of the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temples this commandment was strongly observed. The ashes of the red heifer were used to purify the priests who served in the Temple and also Israelites who came into contact with dead bodies. Everyone who went up to the Temple to worship had to be completely clean and pure because they walked on the most holy place on earth in the House of G-d.
After the destruction of the Second Temple the ashes of the red heifer which still remained were hidden. We know that at least a part of it was hidden in a secret room under the Temple. Perhaps more was hidden elsewhere in Israel.
Since the liberation of the Temple Mount in 1967 and especially in the last 15 years there have been many efforts to raise red heifers in Israel and to prepare new ashes. The biblical condition is that this red heifer must be raised only in the land of Israel. Also in state of Mississippi in the United States, Mr. Claud Lot is raising red heifers to bring them to Israel and from their descendants to make the ashes. In the interim we received the exciting news that a red heifer was born in Kfar Hasiedim in Israel. The significance of this is that it will allow priests and many other Israelis who currently refuse to go up on the Temple Mount because of their uncleanness to do so. It will change the status quo on the Temple Mount when millions of Jews go up to the Temple Mount. On the other hand it is a condition for the renewing of the worship in the Temple when it is rebuilt. In any case this is one of many signs from G-d that we have seen in the last years that we are living in end- times and that the Temple is soon to be rebuilt.
This news created excited emotions and reactions in the Israeli public. A few of the new-letters inside and outside Israel stated that this was some of the most important news since 1967.
PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW COLLEGE FOR PRIESTS
Another important sign of these exciting times are the preparations to open a college which will educate and prepare priests for the worship in the Third Temple which we know will soon be built. Such a college was opened some years ago in the Old City of Jerusalem near the western walls of the Temple Mount. However the new college is going to dedicate all of the time of the students solely for this purpose. Children will be dedicated at a very young age and will be raised by the college and kept from loosing their purification in the same way as was done in biblical times. These children will be children that were born only in priestly families.
It is so exciting to see how step by step the Bible again becomes a reality in the State of Israel. The campaign and educational efforts of the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement among the people of Israel which started immediately after the liberation of the Temple Mount in 1967 is beginning to produce fruit especially in the last years.
The climax of this will be the soon rebuilding of the Temple. We shall continue our campaign until the moment that we shall see this happen with our own eyes.
A RETURN TO FAITH IN ISRAEL
An exciting part of the godly end-times in which we are now living in Israel is the return to faith of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who were completely secular. This is one of the biggest signs that we are living in the time of redemption and of the Mashiach. All the prophets of Israel prophesied about this when they spoke about the end-times. It has been very well known in the Jewish heritage during the time of the exile. According to this, a short time before the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of Mashiach ben David, the Jewish nation in Israel will return to the G-d of Israel, to faith in Him, and to the vision and the Law that He gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses.
This is now a big wave in Israel which is becoming bigger and bigger. Why it is happening in our time is because we are blessed to be the generation of the redemption. The State of Israel is again a reality in the land which G-d promised us and everything is moving quickly to the accomplishment of this godly process.
The return to G-d in Israel means that the Temple Mount is going to be completely opened to Israel and all mankind soon in our lifetime. We can hear the voice of G-d saying this in the streets and mountains of the holy land of Israel.
Thanks to G-d that He gave us the privilege to be born and to live in such a generation.
DEMONSTRATION FOR HEBRON
Hebron is the most holy and important city in Israel after Jerusalem. Hebron, in the Judean mountains, was the city where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the matriarchs used to live and prophesy and where they were buried in the Cave of Machpelah. King David made this city his first capital. He ruled from here for 7 years before he moved to Jerusalem and made it the permanent capital of Israel ruling there for a further 33 years.
In the evil Oslo "peace" agreement the former government agreed to give control of Hebron to the murderous Arafat and the PLO. They did not have the courage to do this before they were defeated in the elections of 1996. It was hoped that demonstrations against this by most Israeli people would prevent this very holy city from being given away. Besides the terrible sin against the covenant which G-d made with Abraham and his seed, it was felt that this act would leave the Jewish population of Hebron vulnerable to bloody attacks by the PLO and other Arab terror organizations. Unfortunately even the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu was not strong enough to avoid withdrawing from most of Hebron and leaving it to the "Palestinian" enemy. The Cave of Machpelah and the Jewish quarter in Hebron continues to be under Israeli control but most of this holy city was given to foreign control.
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement acted all the time to encourage Netanyahu not to leave Hebron as he promised before the elections. On the day when Netanyahu decided to withdraw from Hebron we held a mourning demonstration in downtown Jerusalem. We could not agree with this terrible decision which cannot be accepted by G-d and history. We sat in the middle of the road, we wore sacks, poured earth on our heads, held black flags in our hands and burnt candles. We knew that we were reflecting what the Israeli nation and G-d felt on that day. We also knew that such evil cannot continue and that in the near future, G- d willing, Hebron will return to Israel. No one can
change the eternal Word of G-d and change His plans to redeem the land and people of Israel.
TU B'SHVAT
This day is a very old holiday in Israel and is deeply connected to the land of Israel. Since G-d told us in the Bible that the tree of the field is like a human being, the people of Israel used to plant a lot of trees in biblical times which covered almost all of the land of Israel. They knew that the roots of the trees in G-d's land are there own roots in the Promised Land. After the Israeli people were taken into exile, the foreigners who occupied the land destroyed the trees and used the wood for many purposes. As the Israeli people started to be regathered to the land, the first thing that they did, even before the building of houses, was to plant trees all over the land. Now in 1997 the land is again covered with trees and orchards, flowers and vegetables. Still we continue to plant millions of trees wherever we can. The sons of the land returned and the country, the mother, is full of joy and happiness.
On this unique holiday we planted many trees in the City of David using the traditional blessing associated with this. The message was that Jerusalem is no longer a widow and that we renew our historical roots in the city which King David made the eternal capital of Israel. It was also a message to the Israeli government not to pull up our roots in any place in the land of Israel that G-d promised to us. Our roots are strong and deep enough to overcome all the pains of the rebirth of Israel in the land. It was an exciting moment to see the youth of the movement, boys and girls who were born in the land of their forefathers, planting young trees and to see their own young roots planted in the holy ground of this city of King David in front of the Temple Mount. Thanks to the G-d of Israel.
A SYMBOLIC PESACH SACRIFICE IN JERUSALEM
The Pesach sacrifice which was instituted at the time of the Exodus from Egypt has a special national importance and holy significance. God commanded the people of Israel to make a Pesach sacrifice as a memorial so they would not forget the miracle which G-d performed in Egypt.
In biblical times this sacrifice was performed on the Temple Mount as an individual sacrifice by families. It was done on the altar of the Temple, and after the destruction of the Temple, it was done on an altar located on the Temple Mount. According to G-d's commandment, after the lamb was sacrificed by the priests, the sacrifice had to be roasted over a fire and eaten by the family only until midnight of the first evening of Pesach in Jerusalem. This sacrifice had to be performed only between midday and midnight of this day.
Since the destruction of the Second Temple this sacrifice has been discontinued since the Temple no longer existed. However the Jews never gave up this important sacrifice. Even after the destruction, Jews continued to come to the Temple Mount when the foreign conquerors allowed them to do so. They continued to sacrifice the Pesach sacrifice on an altar that they built by hand together with the priests. However for many hundreds of years Jews could not perform this sacrifice.
This sacrifice is important in Jewish tradition. Rabbi Tukochinsky wrote early in this century that the Mashiach will come immediately following the first sacrifice on the Temple Mount. The renewal of this sacrifice was one of the biggest desires of the Jews in exile because of its special importance.
Since the Six Day War, the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, which understood the godly significance of the liberation of the Temple Mount and the significance of the Pesach sacrifice, has made many attempts to perform the sacrifice on the Temple Mount at Pesach. The Arabs, have opposed this. They warned the Israeli government that they would demonstrate violently against it. Unfortunately the Israeli governments were not strong enough to stand up to this Arab opposition. They preferred to forbid us from performing the sacrifice. We tried to do this in many ways. We even proposed bringing the altar to the Temple Mount with the help of a helicopter. The Israel governments did not even agree to this, weakness again.
One of the most important scholars and leaders of the underground organization, Lechi, which fought against the British Mandatory forces for the liberation of Israel, was Professor Israel Edad. Professor Edad, who was also an important leader of the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, stated in his book on the biblical holy days that "the sacrifices must be renewed. If not all of them then most of them. If not most of them then one sacrifice will definitely be renewed and this is the Pesach sacrifice." He wrote that "the renewed Pesach holiday and sacrifice will connect the Jewish soul with the generations, fathers and sons of sons from the first redemption from Egypt until the last generation in our time."
A modern interpreter of the Bible, Zvi Hoffman, explained that the sacrifices in the Temple and specifically the Pesach sacrifice are "the most real love of G-d by the righteous man that sacrifices everything, obeys with no conditions, knows no boundaries and naturally clings to G-d."
On April 21st, the eve of Pesach, we performed a symbolic Pesach sacrifice. A few weeks earlier we sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Israel and to the Minister of Religious Affairs asking them to open the gates of the Temple Mount to allow us to perform the sacrifice. We would perform the sacrifice on an altar that we would bring with us. We wrote that it was the dream of the Jewish nation over the last 1900 years since the destruction of the Second Temple. We also wrote about the deep significance of it in the past, the present and, mainly, in the future of Israel and of its relationship to the rebuilding of the Temple. However, we did not receive permission to perform the sacrifice on the Temple Mount. The government was concerned with the Arab Islamic reaction to this act. The did not have sufficient courage to challenge it.
We felt that this year would be the right time to fulfill this long historical dream even if we had to do it outside the Temple Mount as merely a symbolic act. We stated very clearly that this sacrifice was not coming in the place of the real sacrifice which we will do our best to do next year on the Temple Mount.
The symbolic sacrifice was performed on a hill named Givat Hananya, the name of a high priest of the Second Temple who used to live on this hill. From this hill we had a marvelous view of the Temple Mount and its glory. The Temple Mount could also see us. It was an exciting moment and we had the feeling that we were making history. Even though the sacrifice was only symbolic, we performed it according to all the biblical laws. The feeling was that we opened a new era, that we fulfilled a very long national desire, and that the Temple would soon be rebuilt.
The second event of Pesach that we held was the pilgrimage to the Temple Mount when we brought the omer hatnofah (sheaf of the wave offering) (Leviticus 23:15) to the Temple Mount. In the First and Second Temples the first wheat was brought to the Temple from the fields of Israel as an offering to G-d during the Pesach pilgrimage. It was accompanied by a beautiful ceremony and the music of the Levites. Since the destruction of the Second Temple this beautiful biblical tradition could not be observed. After the resettlement of the land was started in the 20th Century this tradition was renewed on the kibbutzim but not to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. We renewed this biblical tradition after the Six Day War and brought the omer hatnofah to the Temple Mount even though the Third Temple does not yet exist.
PLANNED FUTURE EVENTS
TISHA B'AV
This year Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples, falls on 12th August. We shall concentrate all our efforts so that on this day every Israeli will be with us on the Temple Mount. We shall pray together with them for the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem.
We shall also march in the streets of the Old City and around all the gates of the Temple Mount especially the Golden Gate in the eastern wall of the Temple Mount. This gate expresses very old beliefs and traditions that the Messiah will enter the Temple through it. After the Six Day War one of the followers of the movement wrote in big blue letters on this gate - "Mashiach will come soon." This will be a very special and exciting event and we invite all of our friends to come to Israel and to take part in it.
SUKKOTH PILGRIMAGE
This year Sukkoth (the Feast of Tabernacles) will be celebrated from the 15th to the 23rd of October. The movement is planning to hold our special event on Monday 20th October.
Firstly we shall make a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount and the Old City. From the Temple Mount area we shall march in a special ceremony to the Brichat haShiloach (Pool of Siloam) which was dug by King Hezekiah to bring water into the city of David.
Together with us will be the Cohanim (priests) and Levites with musical instruments which were reconstructed according to the models of those used in the Temple. At least one of the priests will wear priestly garments which have been prepared recently in Jerusalem. We will carry with us a seven candle Menorah and vessels which were reconstructed according to the designs from the First and Second Temples. We shall also bring with us the first corner stone for the Third Temple to the City of David and we shall again try to lay it on the Temple Mount.
OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE MOVEMENT
THE SPIRITUAL CENTER NEAR THE TEMPLE MOUNT
The Temple Mount Faithful, together with our wonderful friends in Israel and America, are continuing our efforts to purchase a house in the Old City close to the Temple Mount. This will be a spiritual and practical center for the activities of the movement. We are coming closer to achieving this important goal thanks to the generous donations of all of our friends. However we still need more financial help from our friends to achieve it.
This house is needed even more now than at any time in the past. G-d willing, our important godly goals are soon to be fulfilled. This house will immediately become a focus and center, not only for the Israelis, but for all of you and for people from all over the world. It will be a stopping place for all of you before walking up on the Temple Mount to carry with you inspiration, faith, knowledge and faithfulness. Every donation will be very much appreciated and will be used solely for this goal.
PLANS FOR THE THIRD TEMPLE
With the help of an Israeli architect, we continue to prepare the plans for the Third Temple. This is not a simple project but we know that time is short and the plans must be ready for the moment when we can build the Temple. In this way we shall also show to everyone that this is not just a dream but a reality which is soon to come about. As progress is made we will share more information with you.
Please pray that G-d will give us the ability to accomplish this godly work.
THE GOLDEN SEVEN-BRANCHED MENORAH
We continue to raise help for the reconstruction of the seven-branched menorah for the Third Temple. It will require at least 80 kilograms of pure gold and must be made in one piece and according to the biblical design and measurements. This holy project is also not simple but we are determined to complete it as soon as we have the means to do so. This menorah will one day be in the Third Temple together with the original menorah from the Tabernacle and First Temple which was hidden in a secret room under the Temple Mount before the destruction of the First Temple.
FUTURE DONATIONS FOR THE HOLY PROJECTS OF THE MOVEMENT
We again and again wish to express our appreciation and thanks for all your generous donations. Friends and supporters in Israel and outside have opened their hearts in a spiritual, moral, and practical way to help the movement to achieve our common holy goal. Your holy donations have given the movement the ability to act and to make great progress towards our goals. The future will involve even more activities and dedication as we relate to changing circumstances. This will involve increased expenditure.
As you know all of us are acting voluntarily. All donations are entirely dedicated to the holy godly goal. It is a great privilege for all of us to do this with clean hands as an offering to G-d. Everyone of you has the privilege of playing a part in this important godly cause. The coming year will be critical. We are planning to undertake many projects. Your assistance will make these goals a reality. How blessed are those whose heart is open to understand that the rebuilding of the Temple and the redemption of the land and people of Israel is the most important cause of our time. We thank you very much for this.
Donations for this holy goal and our various projects and general donations for the operating expenses of the movement may be sent to the following address:
The Temple Mount & Land of Israel Faithful Movement
P.O. Box 18325
Jerusalem, 94386
Israel
http://www.templemountfaithful.org/
LECTURES AND MEETINGS WITH TOUR GROUPS
Gershon will be very honored to speak to any groups that are touring in Israel. Please contact us to arrange these meetings.
A CALL FOR NEW FRIENDS
We ask all our current friends to do their best to introduce new friends to the movement and to share with them our goals and ideals and to pass on this news-letter to them. Anyone who would like to receive future editions of this news-letter are invited to send us their name, address, telephone, fax and email details.
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F.Y.I. - Israel in the News
Week Ending: January 3, 1998/5 Tevet 5758
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"And now many nations have been assembled against you who say, 'Let
her be polluted, and let our eyes gloat over Zion.' But they do not
know the thoughts of the L-rd, and they do not understand His
purpose; for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing
floor." Micah 4:11-12
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HANUKKAH DEMONSTRATION: The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement held a Hanukkah march on Tuesday. A torch and Hanukkah menorah were lit at the tombs of the Maccabeans in Modiin. Gershon Salomon, leader of the Temple Mount Faithful, stated, "When we lit the torch and the Hanukkah menorah ... our faces were directed mainly to one place - the Temple Mount, the Hill of G-d in the midst of Jerusalem. We felt that we were the spiritual descendants of the Maccabees and that G-d had dedicated the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement to do at this unique time what the Maccabees had done in their time: to purify the Temple Mount from foreign, pagan Arab Islamic presence and to rebuild the House of G-d for the people of Israel and for all the nations; to open a new godly era for the people of Israel and for all the nations of the world; to establish the Kingdom of the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all over the universe; to open the gate of the Temple, Jerusalem and all the world for the Kingdom of Mashiach ben David." From there the Faithful marched to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem stopping on the way at the Orient House where they burned a flag of the PLO. They then marched to the Temple Mount where entrance was denied by the Moslem Waqf. The Temple Mount is permanently closed to Jewish and even Christian prayer. From there the march continued to the American Consulate in protest of the pressure being exerted by the US government against Israel in the latest round of 'peace talks'. The march ended at the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, encouraging him not to cave into the US pressures. (A full report of the march can be seen at the Temple Mount Faithful's website located at: http://www.templemountfaithful.org)
In another story, according to Gershon Solomon, right-wing activist Avigdor Iskin (who was arrested last week with Demian Packovitch for planning to place a pig's head on the Temple Mount during Ramadan) is none other than a General Security Service (GSS/Shin-Bet) agent, as was Avishai Raviv, aka "Champagne." Solomon stated that he resented efforts by security services to once again discredit the right-wing, as was proven in the case of Raviv, following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Solomon stated the use of an agent provocateur is not acceptable and the tactics being used by the GSS are to be condemned in the strongest possible language. Solomon stated that the planned placing of a pig's head on the Temple Mount is not an acceptable action and it is in violation of Jewish Law, since it would defile Judaism's holiest site. (TMF, IINS)
GOREN CALLED FOR DESTRUCTION OF AL AKSA IN 1967: According to a report in Ha'aretz Wednesday, hours after the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem in the June 1967 Six Day War, IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren urged that the Al Aksa Mosque be destroyed. Rabbi Goren's remarks were quoted in an interview that Maj.-Gen. (retired) Uzi Narkis gave to Ha'aretz in May. Narkis stipulated that nothing be published until everyone involved in the discussion had died, Ha'aretz said. Maj.-Gen. Narkis, who died on December 17th, was the Commander of forces in the Central Command during the Six Day War. Rabbi Goren died in 1994. "The paratroopers wandered around the plaza as if in a dream," Narkis was quoted as saying. "Rabbi Shlomo Goren was among them. I was alone for a moment, lost in thought, when Rabbi Goren approached me. 'Uzi', Rabbi Goren said to me. 'Now is the time to put 100 kilograms [220 pounds] of explosives into the Mosque of Omar, so that we may rid ourselves of it once and for all.' I said to him, 'Rabbi, enough.' He said, 'Uzi, you will go down in history if you do this.' I answered, 'My name will already be written in the history books of Jerusalem.' But Goren persisted. 'You don't grasp what tremendous significance this would have. This is an opportunity that can be taken advantage of now, at this moment. Tomorrow it will be too late.' I said 'Rabbi, if you don't stop, I'll take you to jail.' Thus the discussion, which only lasted a few minutes, came to an end. Rabbi Goren turned and walked away in silence." Goren's former aide, Rabbi Menachem Hacohen, told Israel's Army Radio on Wednesday that he was present for the discussion but it did not take place as recounted. "The Rabbi told Uzi that if, during the course of the war a bomb had fallen on the mosque and it would have - you know - disappeared, that would have been a good thing. Uzi said, 'I am glad that did not happen'", Hacohen said. Hacohen said that Goren " ... did not suggest using explosives, and Uzi never told him not to do it. That was the whole conversation."
Meanwhile, tensions regarding the Temple Mount continue to escalate. A Moslem Imam (cleric) warned a packed Al Aksa Mosque on Friday that Israel is plotting to demolish the mosque, and that Jerusalem is in danger from Jewish 'extremists'. "Arabs and Moslems, wake up!" Imam Hamed Bitawi, the chief preacher at Jerusalem's Al Aksa Mosque, told the crowd of 150,000 on the first Friday of Ramadan. "Al Aksa is in danger because the Israeli government and people are determined to demolish the mosque and build their so-called temple. Al Aksa, Jerusalem, and Palestine are in danger from Jewish right-wing gangs! Any attempt to divide Al Aksa, to destroy it so that you can build
your so-called temple, will only mean the destruction of Israel," he said. On Friday, the Islamic sabbath, Israeli police stopped young Palestinian men to check their identity cards, confiscating some until after prayers. At the two main army checkpoints leading into Jerusalem from the towns of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) and Ram'Allah, hundreds of Palestinians waited in buses, vans and on foot to get into Jerusalem. (IINS, Jerusalem Post, AP)
BOMBS HIT PLAYGROUND IN HEBRON: Two bombs fell on a playground in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood Friday afternoon. The bombs were thrown from the same area where a few days ago a large rock was hurled at the playground. A short distance from here soldiers were shot at twice over the past week and a half. In spite of these attacks the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has not changed any of its security policies in and around the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. [See video and pictures of the Avraham Avinu neighborhood following attack with explanation by Noam Arnon: http://www.hebron.org.il] Saturday residents and guests protested the continuing violence. Over 600 Israelis marched the streets of the Casba. They demanded that the Casba be opened to Israelis, that the army provide full security for Hebron's residents and guests and that terrorists in the area be expelled. Friday night thousands held Shabbat prayer services outside the entrance to the Casba. The Casba, similar to an outdoor market, is located within the H-2 - Israeli-controlled area of Hebron, but is off-limits to Jews. IDF patrols in the Casba are infrequent, making it fertile ground for terrorists to operate from. Rock, fire-bomb and pipe-bomb attacks originate from within the
Casba.
On Saturday night, the Egged 180 Bus to Hebron was bombarded with stones. Cars traveling towards Hebron were hit by Arab stone-throwers. Earlier in the week, on Sunday night, shots were heard at the southern gate of Kiryat Arba. According to a VIF News Agency report, one resident stated he saw an Arab, armed with a handgun, open fire. No injuries were reported. (Hebron Press Office, IINS)
GOLAN TROOPS RECEIVE 'MISSIONARY PACKAGES': Commanders in the IDF Northern Command are investigating how packages from a Christian missionary organization, made their way to a large number of IDF troops serving in the north. The packages were brought to the gate of a Golan Heights base. The sentry called upon his commander, who gave the okay to accept them for distribution. In addition to the candies, a card with a verse from Isaiah was inside each package. Soldiers were angered that a Christian organization had given them Hanukkah gifts.
Meanwhile, representatives of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party have reportedly held secret meetings with the 11 Arab Knesset members in an effort to convince them to support, or at least refrain from opposing, the Conversion Law. No agreement has yet been reached in the talks, sources in both Shas and the Arab parties confirmed. In return for their cooperation on the Conversion Law, Shas allegedly offered the Arab parties support for social and economic legislation favorable to Arab interests. (IINS, Ha'aretz)
FATAH CELEBRATES 33 YEARS: Over 3,000 persons participated in the main 33rd birthday celebration of the Fatah Party, Thursday in Gaza City. Participants shouted nationalistic slogans and burned Israeli flags. [The Fatah is a terrorist organization which operates under the auspices of the PLO (aka Palestinian Authority) which is supposed to be a 'peace partner' with Israel-ed] Yassir Arafat planted a palm and olive tree in front of his Gaza home. "We will continue to dream for Palestine, our state, and its capital, Jerusalem," stated Arafat.
In a related story, while the CIA proposed Israel-PLO security agreement mentions the collection of illegal weapons and illegal militias, the focus is on Hamas and other opposition militias. According to Marwan Barghouti - the head of Fatah West Bank, Fatah has trained a force of thousands of Fatah members outside the legally sanctioned Palestinian security services. Fatah now threatens what could best be termed "Arafat's Second Army", against Israel. (IINS, IMRA)
CLINTON TO MEET WITH NETANYAHU: The Prime Minister's Office announced Saturday night that the White House has invited PM Netanyahu to visit on January 20th. US President Clinton will meet separately with Arafat on January 22nd. The Prime Minister's Office also announced that it had been agreed that special Middle East peace coordinator Dennis Ross would meet with Israeli officials on Tuesday. Ross's main goal is to advance the four points delineated in the New York declaration, including a memo of understanding on security cooperation, issues in the interim arrangements such as ports and an airport, a halt on settlement construction and accelerated talks on the final status of the 'Palestinian entity'.
Meanwhile, US Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) has called upon American Jewry to make its voice heard to ensure that Israel's security be preserved in the course of the American-brokered Oslo peace process. He is the first Democratic Senator to do so. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, Arutz Sheva)
TERRORISTS STRIKE NEAR ARIEL: Gunmen in a parked car opened fire on an Israeli vehicle near Ariel early Thursday, critically injuring a woman riding in the car. The car was hit ten times, and the woman was wounded in the neck, Kol Yisrael reported. The woman's name is Yael Biver and the driver of the car, her boyfriend, is Yoram Doktori, security chief for the College of Judea and Samaria, located in nearby Ariel. The condition of Biver is critical. The
attackers reportedly escaped via side roads towards the PLO-controlled town of Ram'Allah. The road on which the attack occurred is situated in "area B" of the disputed territories -- under PLO civil control but with Israeli overall security responsibility. Israeli security elements now believe that the shooting attack was perpetrated by policemen or other security figures of the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, five firebombs were hurled at Israeli vehicles in Yesha Thursday night, in addition to the terrorist shooting. VIF reports that there were at least 40 attacks recorded on Friday, which included the use of stones and firebombs. No injuries were reported in those attacks. (AP, Arutz Sheva, ICEJ)
MORDECHAI: ISRAEL ACCEPTS UN RESOLUTION 425: In a surprise move, Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai stated over the weekend that Israel would accept UN Security Council Resolution 425 calling for Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon. It was the first time a senior Israeli official has specifically said Jerusalem would accept the resolution since it was passed nearly 20 years ago. The statement was made by Mordechai to the Lebanese weekly Al Watan Al Arabi. But Mordechai stressed that Israel conditions its withdrawal on the fine print, which calls for Lebanon to assert its sovereignty and ensure peace and security. Mordechai told the weekly. "Security Council Resolution 425 does not demand an unconditional IDF withdrawal and whoever reads it will see that it is a balanced resolution." Mordechai went on to say that the first part of the resolution calls for the IDF to withdraw from the areas in Lebanon in which it remained after the 1978 Litani operation, but the resolution also discuss using international or UN forces to restore peace and security between Israel and Lebanon. "It would not be logical, and would be impossible, to carry out a unilateral IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, as Lebanon makes its demands based on its l
imited interpretation of Resolution 425." The text of the United Nations resolution is available at:
gopher://israel-info.gov.il:70/00/un/unhist/780319.unh (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post)
CORNERSTONE LAID IN MAOR TZUR: The cornerstone for the new Beit El neighborhood of Maoz Tzur was laid Wednesday, in a ceremony held at the adjacent army camp. Maoz Tzur, in memory of Ita and Ephraim Tzur, who were killed by Arab terrorists last Hanukkah, will be located in an area that is presently part of the army base, but which will later become part of Beit El. Defense Minister Mordechai,
speaking at the ceremony, noted that the new neighborhood was being built in accordance with all of the legal permits, and praised the residents of Beit El for their patience in this issue. Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed of Beit El said, "This is not merely a private ceremony, but a national declaration that all of Eretz Yisrael is the inheritance of God and the Jewish people, and that we are here to stay, in the entire land." Construction is to begin about 10 months
from now and will consist of 130 homes. (Arutz Sheva)
F-15I FIGHTER JETS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE: According to officials in the Defense Ministry, the first shipment of customized US-manufactured F-15i fighter jets is scheduled to arrive in Israel within 2-weeks. Defense Minister Mordechai stated the new generation jets will increase Israel's operational abilities in the skies. The planes are able to reach Iran without refueling, an important feature for Israeli officials who worry that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Israel's defense establishment has not been impressed by the moderate views attributed to Iranian president Mohammed Khatami, and is planning its strategic policies to meet the Iranian threat.
In a related story, according to the Washington Post, Washington diplomatic sources confirmed reports that Iran conducted tests in December, on rocket engines designed for the new generation of long-range missiles. The tests involve missiles that will now have the capability of traveling 1,000 kilometers (600 miles), carrying a one-ton warhead. Iran is working to develop surface-to-surface long-range missiles, which are designed, according to the report, to carry non-conventional warheads. However, in contrast to Israel, the United States has been encouraged by Khatami's statements, and will soon seek a strategic dialogue with Tehran. This was the assessment of former CIA chief John Deutsch. (IINS)
RUSSIA-SYRIA NUCLEAR TALKS TO START: The Russian government has cleared the way for unprecedented negotiations aimed at selling a nuclear research reactor to Syria. "We believe Russia is exploring the prospect of some form of nuclear cooperation with Syria," said a senior U.S. official, who refused to elaborate. Israeli officials "refused to confirm or deny" Russian interest in selling a nuclear reactor to Syria. The Russian Interfax news agency published an official government statement a few days ago which declared: "the Russian government supports the Atomic Energy Ministry's proposal that cooperation with the Syrian Arab Republic in peaceful uses of atomic energy should be stepped up." The statement said that the policy had been approved by the "Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade as well as the State Atomic Energy Inspectorate, the Federal Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service." According to the Interfax report, "The Syrians want, in particular, to hold talks to determine possible areas of cooperation leading to the signing of memorandum of understanding between the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry and the
Syrian Atomic Energy Commission." Syria has claimed in the past that it was interested in research for medical rather than military purposes, but Israel has opposed such a reactor for Damascus in the past on the grounds that such a reactor would enhance Syria's nuclear development, and at a minimum would serve as a milestone on its way to building a nuclear bomb. Israeli security officials see a pattern to the recent increase in Russian involvement in the Middle East, spearheaded by its Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. One security official said, "Russia is trying by force to play a bigger role in the Middle East, whether it is ballistic missile sales to Iran, or weakening UN sanctions on Iraq, or maintaining military ties to Syria. It wants to utilize its existing assets in the region not just to gain economic benefit, but also for what it deems to be strategic purposes since it regards the Middle East as its
backyard." (Ha'aretz/MED)
EGYPT-PLO TUNNELS BLOWN UP BY IDF: The IDF Spokesman reported that "Following initiated and persistent activities carried out by the IDF to locate and expose tunnels on the Israeli border, in the south of the Gaza Strip, two tunnels have been located. The tunnels pass under the border fence and connect the Palestinian side and the Egyptian side. The tunnels were exploded this morning by IDF Forces to prevent their being used. Since the beginning of the year, the IDF exposed seven tunnels using special technological means. IDF forces continue using these means in order to foil the digging of additional tunnels." The IDF Spokesman said on July 6th that tunnels "are used to smuggle weapons to the Palestinian Authority." (IMRA)
NORWEGIANS RETURN TO PEACE PROCESS: The State Department said Monday it welcomes Norwegian interest in reviving Middle East peace talks. Spokesman James Foley said he does not believe the Norwegian initiative will disrupt the American effort. Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek plans to travel to the Middle East next month for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The Norwegian said the talks the two sides have had with the US can be useful for a while "but it's obvious that it's limited." Foley rejected that characterization, pointing out that US diplomats helped restart the process after setbacks this past summer brought on by terrorist bombings. (AP)
ARAFAT: 'COVENANT HAS ALREADY BEEN CHANGED': In an interview on January 1st, in Al-Ayyam, Arafat stated "They know very well that the covenant has already been changed and that the National Council has decided to cancel all the clauses which contradict the commitments [stemming from] the agreements signed by the Israeli side and by us. A Judicial Committee was entrusted with the task of drafting a new covenant in which these clauses would not exist and of presenting it to the Central Council. When the Central Council convenes, and I hope that this will be soon, it will discuss the conclusions of the [judicial] committee. It is carried out through constitutional procedures and all of the clauses contradicting the letters of mutual recognition do not exist anymore, according to the decision of the PLO's highest constitutional authority." (In 1996, when the PLO tried to assert that it had changed it's covenant with regards to Israel, it was widely acknowledged by many nations, as well as members of the PLO itself, that the covenant was not changed. The vote by the PLO National Council was merely to agree to the drafting of a new covenant. And as he states above, that new covenant has not yet been voted on.-ed) (Palestinian Media Review)
GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES BEGIN JUBILEE PREPARATIONS: In the framework of the State of Israel's Jubilee celebrations, an exhibition of the country's achievements will be one of the central events. Government ministries, government authorities and public bodies have already begun preparations to participate in the exhibition, which will start on August 3, 1998 and continue for one month at the Tel-Aviv Exhibition Grounds. The country's achievements since the founding of the State, as well as plans for the future will be shown. Ministries participating in the event are: Transportation, Religious Affairs, National Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Health, Foreign Affairs, Education, Culture and Sports, Justice, Interior, Communications, Public Security, Finance, Housing and Construction, and Agriculture. Public bodies participating include: the Jewish National Fund, Mifal Ha-Payis (Israel Lotteries), Medals and Medallions Authority, Postal Authority, National Insurance Institute, IDF, Jewish Agency and others. Besides the aspects shown at the exhibition, cultural and historical evenings will be held throughout the month, as an integral part of the jubilee exhibition. The exhibition staff and various ministries will organize these evenings.
Meanwhile, President Ezer Weizman stated earlier this week on Channel 2 TV, that although he is a part of the planned Jubilee celebrations marking Israel's 50th anniversary, he now feels the monies being allocated are a waste. "When I look at Ofakim and other areas of unemployment, I cannot justify the expense [of the celebrations]," stated the president. (IINS)
NO BREAKTHROUGH ON BUDGET DEMANDS: PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yaakov Neeman Saturday night continued discussing how they can find some NIS 300 million ($105 million) to fund Gesher's budgetary demands. The Knesset is scheduled to reconvene at 2 pm today to vote on the health section of the economic arrangements bill and the second and third readings of the 1998 state budget. Foreign Minister and Gesher leader David Levy said he will resign after voting against the government (Levy has repeatedly threatened to resign since taking office. He is the weak link in PM Netanyahu's coalition government.-ed). (Jerusalem Post)
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FYI - Israel In The News
"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest" Isaiah 62:1
'F.Y.I.' may be reproduced & distributed in any form. Please give proper
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"And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and
I will give the land to your descendants after you." Genesis 35.12
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WHY IS GOD ALMIGHTY TO BE PRAISED?
3 Gifts of the Magi - What is it going to cost you.?
By Terry Denbow
Biblebabe@eee.org
(This was really meant for the Christmas issue but somehow got left out. However, it certainly is appropriate at all times to praise our God Almighty, Jesus Christ,.....Mimi :-)
The Bible tells us -
all that we would aspire to worship is in Jesus. He is worthy of our praise, adoration, and worship. For there is no darkness or untruth in Him.
"And this in the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5
Psalm 96
Sing to Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
V2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Verse 1 says all the earth and with a new song. (I guess the lord even gets tired of the same old songs!)
Verse 2 says we are to sing and bless His name.
There are so many times we are asking a blessing from Him. But we are also to bless Him. Here are some ways to do just that.
1. Give Him praise because of who He is, inspite of circumstances and your feelings.
2. Be obedient and self-abased (or humble) in your worship to Him.
3. Give Him your whole heart, all of your devotion and attention and all of your strength and mind.
4. Be honest in your worship. Not phony or showy to appear spiritual, but worship in true spirit and truth.
5. Be filled with the Spirit and rejoice with a thankful heart, longing for communion with Him.
Many times during worship and praise I feel the presence of God so very strongly. Somehow, my spirit is connecting with His on a plane that is spiritual and not physical. Feeling His touch, His love in a way words cannot describe.
"O God, Thou art my God: I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I beheld Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and glory."
Psalm 63:1&2
"At night my soul longs for Thee, indeed my spirit seeks Thee diligently;...
Isaiah 26:9
Long for Me with all of your heart. Hold nothing back and keep nothing in. I will be careful with your heart and strengthen you when you are weakest. Put your trust in Me that I can use you to accomplish My plan. There is no one who loves you greater or more sincerely.
Stop getting in the way of My work in those you love. Pray. For nothing is too difficult for Me. Let My name be glorified Then proclaim the mighty wonders I have done.
I am coming quickly for you . Be ready, be waiting, be watching, be praying. Obey Me and resist the call of your flesh. Be still and know that I am God. Know the sound of My heartbeat. Know the sound of My voice over your own. Listen intently, I am here, and I love you.
V3 Tell of His glory among the nations,
Wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
V4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
V5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
V6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Verse 4 tells us because He is great. Then in verse 5 it tells us because He is the Creator. Verse 6 tells us splendor and majesty are His and strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
V7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
V8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
V9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
V10 Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity."
V11 Let the heavens be glad , and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
V12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
V13 Before the Lord, for He is coming;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
And the peoples in His faithfulness.
Verse 10 He is a Judge of all people and verse 13 says that He is coming and He is faithful.
I know I fail to understand the magnitude of His greatness and majesty. For in this country we worship "things" with far less splendor than God. We worship things like TV, our bodies, money, cars, food, comfort, power, false wisdom, etc. We have no respect for authority or any reverence for our president. For the man of integrity is near void. Truth has been brought to the place of what is relevant and is misguided.
"I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time-He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable LIGHT; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen
Who is to praise Him?
In verse 8 of Psalm 96 it says "Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts." We are to refer to the glory of the Lord's name and bring an offering. What can we offer him that He doesn't already have? Or what can we give Him that He hasn't given us first? Offering here in verse 8 means a present or a gift.
The wise men or magi brought Jesus gifts after His birth. Let's examine more closely what they gave.
Gold-"In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6&7
Our faith is something we can offer Him as a gift. Believing in spite of everything and in everything and for everything. Trusting Him because He is God.
Frankincense-"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. And with it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.'" Exodus 30:34&35
We can offer Him holiness by being set apart just for Him. How?
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Ephesians 5:1&2
"But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them;
For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light
(for the fruit of the light consists in all righteousness and truth),
trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:3-10
Myrrh-"...after the end of her 12 months under the regulations for the women-for the days of their beautification were completed as follows; 6 months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women"
Esther 2:12
Myrrh was used for beautification and luxury. What would be a gift of beauty to the Lord? For He is most lovely and beautiful.
"And let not your adornment be merely external- braiding the hair, and the wearing of gold jewelry, or putting on dresses, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."
I Peter 3:3&4
God finds gentleness and quietness a valuable gift; a thing of beauty. Myrrh was also used in Jewish burials. They would put it all over the body before wrapping it in linen and lying it in a tomb. Probably so it wouldn't smell so bad.
We in the same way need to adorn ourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit as with myrrh. Then let Jesus wrap us in His righteousness and let the old man die! The old man smells and is not beautiful.
So the 3 gifts we can offer our Lord are:
1. Our faith, which is more precious than gold
2. To be set apart and holy which is the fragrance of frankincense
3. To have a gentle, quiet and submissive spirit to our God which like Myrrh is a rare and costly perfume used to make one beautiful.
The gifts the magi gave were considered valuable not cheap. Whatever we give to the Lord must cost us something or it is worth nothing.
"However, the king (David) said to Araunah, 'No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.'"
2 Samuel 24:24
What it going to cost you?
