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Prophe-Zine Issue 073
PropheZine #73
Feb. 15, 1999
Bob Lally Publisher
Mimi Nila Senior Editor
Rick Woodcock Asst. Editor
Abraham George Asst. Editor
Lori Eldridge Asst. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
Faye Carrier Asst. Editor
ARTICLES
Bob Ippolito................Y2K - A Trilogy Part 2 and 3
............................The Facts and The Status
............................Physical and Spiritual Preparation
David Hocking..................God's New Year Greeting For 1999
Berit Kjos.......................The UN Plan for Your Mental Health
PROPHEZINE COMMENTARIES
Chuck Missler......................1999 Strategic Trends
Jack Van Impe Ministries........ AIDS STILL A GROWING GLOBAL EPIDEMIC
Tom White, Director of Voice of the Martyrs........ Safe Place
Lee Underwood ...................F.Y.I. - Israel in the News
Submitted by Kevin Haselton........ When I say "I am a Christian,"
Author Unknown.....................................BUSY
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Hi Everyone!
I thank the Lord for His faithfulness. He has provided the funds to allow me to travel to the International Prophecy Conference in Tampa this March 10-15. I will be going with Walt Katz (PropheZine Videographer) and Ron Leonard (Director of the Prophecy Alliance). Walt and I will be building a booth to house 2 borrowed TV's and computer equipment. Last year we had audio but this year we plan on audio AND video broadcasts from the conference. I'll be making a special announcement when this is finalized.
Many times the Lord waits for us to take that leap of faith before the blessing is poured out.
PropheZine has reduced the cost for advertising by 50% and we are now accepting sponsors for each Newsletter. Jack Van Impe Ministries, specifically, Executive Director John Lang, (http://www.jvim.com/) has been a true friend to PropheZine. We thank the Lord for their support. I was concerned about promoting another Bible Prophecy website because it would draw visitors away from PZ - but that's the world view. God had other plans and is growing PropheZine by leaps and bounds. We have added Midnight Call (Arno Froese) and Prophetic News and Analysis (Mike Noe, Jr.) to the PropheZine Prophecy Alliance. We are in contact with the Van Impe's, JR Church, Perry Stone, Sherlock Bally and Hal Lindsey to join the Alliance.
The Lord has impressed upon me that PropheZine is to begin publishing in Spanish. So, He brought in 9 Spanish Translators who are working to convert the last issue to Spanish. It is not easy work but with God all things are possible. We now have a staff of over 50!
Well, I could write volume's on what the Lord is doing but I'll stop here. May you desire to serve Him in all your ways!
Bob Lally
bob@propheZine.com
|==========================================
|
| Y2K - A Trilogy -
| The Facts and The Status
| - Part 2 of 3
| by Bob Ippolito
|
(Y2K= Shorthand For Year 2000, Also Called The Millenium Bug)
It is a problem contained in the hardware and/or software of most computers and in some embedded systems (chips) caused by the representation of years in a 2-digit format (like '99 instead of 1999).
When the clock/calendar rolls over from 12/31/99 to 1/1/2000 ('99 will roll over as '00), this 'bug' will be tested in real-time in all computers.
The ones that are not Y2K compliant (as of Dec 1998 almost all computers were still non-compliant) may have problems.
The problem exists because in the 60's, when most large-system computer code was first written, computer memory was outrageously expensive. The savings from leaving out the two century digits was significant, and management never imagined that we would still be using the same code today.
Why Is It A Problem?
1-Computers can't think.
When a computer that does billing, for example, subtracts the last payment date from the new payment date, if the new payment date year (00) is smaller than the last payment date year (99), the computer may:
a) interpret the '00 as 1900 and generate incorrect data, such as a bill for 100 years.
b) be unable to interpret the '00 (e.g.-'00 minus '99 = negative number) and lock up
It has no other choices.
Which one it will do is generally unknowable until it happens or until it is tested.
Even if the computer interprets this as 1900, Jan. 1, 1900 was a Monday, but Jan 1 2000 is a Saturday. Additionally the year 2000 has an extra leap day of Feb 29, which only occurs once every 400 years (1900 was not a leap year).
Even if the software is corrected, if the 'Real-Time-Clock' embedded in the firmware of the computer is not upgraded, it will conflict with the software.
2-This kind of a problem not only exists in billing, age calculations, etc., but in computer chips that are embedded in satellites, underwater drilling rigs, heart monitors, airliners, and are ubiquitous throughout the devices of modern society.
If the chip contains a 'clock', which is used for time/date stamping or for timing the duration of an event, it 'could' have an embedded Y2K problem. For most chips, we won't know until the actual 1/1/2000 rollover.
Won't It All Get Fixed?
In general, in the U.S., most large companies and Federal and State Agencies are working on the problem.
Fixing the problem requires 5 phases
1- Assessment of mission critical systems
2- Planning for resources
3- Conversion of existing hardware and software
4- Testing of new code and hardware
5- Integration of the new system into the current working environment
Many large corporations have budgeted a typical $270 million each to effect repairs, and the Federal Government has allocated over $4 billion for its agencies.
The Social Security Administration is furthest along, and most likely to succeed, because they were the first to begin, back in 1989. Most companies and agencies didn't begin until 1998, and many of these can't make it.
Many small companies are ignoring it and about 40% of small businesses in the U.S. haven't even heard of the Y2K problem.
Many other countries are not being responsive to the problem at all.
For example, in a June 1998 informal World Bank survey of foreign readiness, only 18 of 127 countries (14 percent)had a national Year 2000 program; 28 countries (22 percent) reported working on the problem; and 16 countries (13 percent) reported only awareness of the problem. No conclusive data were received from the remaining 65 countries surveyed (51 percent)..."
So What's So Difficult?
Actually, it isn't difficult at all.
There just isn't enough time or resources for many to get the job done on time; and the project can't get done late (as most projects do), it MUST be done on time. The date 1/1/2000 is arriving on time, ready or not (Time waits for no man)
Much of the code was originally written in computer languages that are obsolete today. The documentation for the old code is poor or non-existent. The programmers are retired or deceased.
Steps 3,4 and 5 above take about 80% of the time for repair.
Steps 3 and 4 are not a straight-through path, but are a back and forth iterative process where you take two steps forward, one back, three forward, two back, etc. The process of fixing mistakes automatically causes additional problems.
In addition, you ideally need one full calendar year plus 100% spare computer capacity on which to test the corrected code in order to avoid conflicting with current business activities.
How Are We Doing?
The news agencies and internet abound with progress scorecards on how companies and agencies are doing.
Unfortunately, most of this is self-reporting.
There are major credibility issues that must be faced on these reports and announcement. Many government agencies earned a D or an F on the Congressional Report Card
1-What does 'Y2K compliant' mean? According to what standards or whose standards? (There are none.)
2-Some use the term 'Y2K Ready'; what does that mean? Is it a remediation solution or a contingency plan? How much of each? How good is each?
3-Universally, spokespersons must lean towards giving optimistic and ambiguous reports, for legal reasons. No one is going to say, "you shouldn't do business with us because we're not going to be ready." They'd probably be out on the street within five minutes, and sued by their own employer.
4-False reports by and among government agencies have been rampant, and this is a matter of public record. (USA Today, 11/27/98; front page)
5-Full compliance on anyone's part guarantees NOTHING! ...Why?
Because -
We're All Interconnected And The Chain Is Only As Strong As The Weakest Link.
Y2K Is All About Interconnectedness!
Case A typical auto manufacturer has 20,000 parts coming together 'just in time' to put together a car. If one part is not there, the line comes to a halt and cars start backlogging to a gridlock condition. This has been tested and proven during vendor strikes. The best case scenario is probably that 85% of one's business partners will be fully compliant. What will the auto manufacturer do when 3,000 parts (15% of 20,000 parts) don't show up on time.
Case B An electrical power generating station may get all of its computers compliant, but that power utility consumes hundreds of tons of fossil fuel which must arrive daily by ship or by train or by truck. If the transport dispatcher's computer is not compliant, the transport of supplies comes to a halt. So also then, within a few days, does the generation of electricity as well as the use of it by customers with compliant computers that cannot run without computers.
This same case would apply for the 2 to 3 day supply of food in our supermarkets, or supply of any product or commodity. If the trucks and/or ships or trains slow down, abundance will suddenly become reduced to scarcity.
'JUST IN TIME' or 'JUST IN CASE'
Modern manufacturing productivity is a miracle of JUST IN TIME inventory control. The computer has made this possible. But as we approach the rollover of Q4 1999 to Q1 2000, with Y2K ready to challenge the interconnectedness of the system, Just In Time may temporarily need to give back some ground to JUST IN CASE thinking for inventory control
The Case For Contingency Planning:
(use of caps in quotes below is for emphasis)
Chevron
"The company is developing contingency plans, which it expects to complete by the end of the third quarter 1999..." "Because of the scope of Chevron's operations, the company believes it is impractical to seek to eliminate all potential Year 2000 problems before they arise."
You can read Chevron's SEC filing at: http://sec.yahoo.com/e/l/c/chv.html
Coke Pours Y2k Plan Into Place
By Reuters
Special to CNET News.com
December 31, 1998, 6:45 a.m. PT
URL:http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,30432,00.html
Beverage group Coca-Cola said yesterday it has a plan to ensure its worldwide distribution runs smoothly in the face of anticipated Year 2000 computer problems, but it has no control over some elements. Hensel added, however, that Coca-Cola was well on its way to resolving Y2K issues and has backup plans in place. Hensel said Coca-Cola has spent $60 million on the Year 2000 computer glitch known as Y2K and anticipates spending between $130 million and $160 million over all. The company, which began working on Y2K in 1995 and has 40 employees dedicated full-time to the project, also said it has, "designated critical suppliers of products and services consumed on an ongoing basis that, if interrupted, would disrupt the company's ability to deliver products or conduct operations." "We have contingency plans specifying what the company will do if it or third parties experience disruptions," he said.
The company, in a statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, said its contingency plans include, "stockpiling raw and packaging materials, increasing inventory levels, securing alternate sources of supplies, and other appropriate measures."
-Reuters
What If Y2K is only Imaginary?
Y2K events have ALREADY BEEN OCCURRING! But they don't always get reported as such. Here are some that have:
The Navy's Yorktown missile cruiser was incapacitated when somebody entered a zero in a data field. The ship's computer couldn't figure out what to do and crashed the database, all the ship's LAN consoles and the remote terminal units. http://www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?IWK19980803S0014.
A large hospital in the South recently leased a test system to run a large-scale test of their remediated code. As the system rolled over to 1/1/2000 it went down. To be expected. But it also denied access to the technicians because it required that all employees change their access codes at least once per year. The system thought they had not changed their access in 100 years and locked them out. (unconfirmed and anonymous report from Y2Kalert.com)
At Beckman Coulter, a biotech reagent supplier, "the warehouse bar code reader selected materials for shipment with a "00" expiration date first, 'thinking' it was the oldest material". . . "another firm reported warehousing systems that rejected all products with a "00" expiration date" because it 'assumed' they were 98 years old. (Genetic Engineering News Nov 1, 1998, pg 30).
"Another company had a glitch that removed 2,000 clients from its database over a two year period. It was supposed to remove accounts that had no activity in five years by adding 5 to the date of the last activity year, and if the sum was equal to or greater than the current year, it maintained the account. When the accounts that were active after 1995 were reached, the computer determined that "00" (95+5) was less than the current year and deleted the accounts. (Genetic Engineering News Nov 1, 1998, pg 30).
The British American Security Information Council has published a report entitled "The Bug in the Bomb", which concludes that nuclear missiles could be launched as a result of Y2K glitches in the control software. The report cites a 1993 test by NORAD technicians here in the U.S. Curious about the Y2K problem, they rolled the clocks forward to 2000. The result? Total system blackout. That's the big worry: that screens might go blank and either the technicians or the computers might think there has *already* been some kind of attack.
Sergey Fradkov, a former Soviet satellite control technician states "Russia is extremely vulnerable to the Year 2000 problem. If the date shifts to zeros, even for a brief moment, there is a division by zero - an infinitely high value - that fools the system into thinking there is a high probability of an attack in progress." (alertsend@y2knewswire.com) and http:online.guardian.co.uk/computing/910789467-bomb.html
When the Hawaiian Electric utility in Honolulu ran tests on its system to see if it would be affected by the Y2K Bug, "basically, it just stopped working", says systems analyst Wendell Ito. (Newsweek June 2, 1997, pg 54)
In Britain, computers at the Marks & Spencer Co. have already mistakenly ordered the destruction of tons of corned beef, believing they were more than 100 years old. (Newsweek June 2, 1997, pg 56)
From http://www.telegraph.co.uk we have, among others:
In Holland, motorists with newly issued bank cards with expiry dates of 00 had them rejected at petrol stations.
A Swedish woman received a letter informing her of the various schools on offer when she reached 10. She was, in fact, born in 1890.
A computer clock set to 2000 at Chrysler Motors in America shut down the security system and refused to let staff out.
A date roll-over check on a power station led to its shutdown within 20 seconds. The fault was traced to a flue stack temperature sensor that was programmed to minimize fluctuations over time, using the date to make calculations.
And many more . . .
These are REAL EVENTS not alarmism. It shows what kinds of bizarre things WILL happen in computers that continue to have undetected, unrepaired bugs as we approach and rollover into 1/1/2000 and in the months beyond. The Y2K Bug is ubiquitous; it is found everywhere. The question is not "will anyone get their computers fixed?", but "will EVERYONE get their computers fixed?". The answer is a resounding NO!
Because of the interconnectedness, and interdependency of our computerized infrastructure, like weak links in a chain, the next question becomes "HOW MUCH FAILURE CAN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS TOLERATE BEFORE THEY BECOME SEVERELY PROBLEMATIC OR NON-FUNCTIONAL?". The banking system could not tolerate much more then 1% failure before severe problems erupt. Many other industries may tolerate as much as 5% and some, perhaps 10% failure before gridlock.
In the U.S. about 50% of small businesses are only in the assessment stage.
In China, 50% of the businesses have never even HEARD of Y2K.
Italy just last month formed a committee to begin discussion of the problem!
Holland has recently stated that they will isolate themselves from Europe's power grid, to conserve their own electricity.
The Federal Reserve has warned banks that if they are non-compliant they will be cut off from the banking system.
Conclusion:
In Canada and Britain, authorities are officially warning their citizens to make plans for the possibility of disruptions of heat, power, food, water and communications. In the U.S., mild warnings to prepare are beginning to show up on the American Red Cross website. (http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/y2k.html) and on the FEMA website (http://fema.gov/nwz99/99001) and others.
The official posturing of most U.S. spokespersons, especially John Koskinen, Clinton's Y2K Czar, is to put a 'spin' on the issue to minimize public concern because those in command seem to be overly concerned about the disruptions that would be caused by 250 million people making preparations. They seem to fear that this would be worse than the likely effect of Y2K itself. I disagree. I think that they don't understand Y2K, or don't want to understand it.
I believe that false confidence is being upheld to PROMOTE AND PROTECT AND CONCEAL OUR FRAGILE, DECEPTIVE BANKING SYSTEM from collapse. The banking system wouldn't even tolerate a 2% cash withdrawal without bring down the whole system, because it is a dishonest system that creates wealth and debt out of thin air out of a very small level of deposits. Our monetary system is based upon public CONFIDENCE. (Like in a CON game) The people are not being told the truth because the bankers who control our politics know that the monetary system must be protected at all costs. Their only option is to keep promoting public confidence that all will be well, so that cash withdrawals are minimized.
The problem is, the authorities are leaving people unprepared and in harm's way; yet they're supposed to PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC WELFARE. The longer they delay in being honest, the more disruptions will occur, causing 250 million people all to try to prepare at the same moment, and too late. THAT will cause panic and upheaval. Preparing now, would give the system plenty of time to supply some extra food, water, fuel, blankets and cash. But their main problem is the cash.
For certain, there IS a technological storm coming. We don't know where it will hit or how bad it will be. But it WILL hit and we know WHEN it will hit. Those who are prepared will fare much better than those who are not, and in Christ's name, be a blessing to others, rather than victims, dependent upon others. It CAN be the Church's greatest hour.
If the problems turn out to be not so bad, then you have some extra water for your garden, some food to give to the poor, and you can redeposit your emergency cash. But for those who won't prepare, the winds of warning are in the air, and the Bible says' "he who spits into the wind, reaps the whirlwind".
To be continued in Part 3 - Y2K- Physical and Spiritual Preparation - A Biblical Perpective
Bob Ippolito
Assistant Editor - Prophezine
Founder - The Watchman's Trumpet - WatchmanT@aol.com
|==========================================
|
| Y2K- Physical and Spiritual Preparation
| - Part 3 of 3
| by Bob Ippolito
|
Trusting God in Difficult Times
When discussing the threat of Y2K with Christians with an encouragement toward preparedness, the range of reaction usually divides into two main categories. One is of keen interest; a wanting to know what kinds of preparations seem to be warranted and advisable. The other is a kind of scoffing at the very idea of a Christian needing to "worry" or "be concerned" about anything, because God will take care of us. It is this latter attitude that is being examined and addressed here.
Is "Making Preparations" the Same As "Worrying"?
No, it is not.
We make out a will, so that we do NOT have to worry about what will become of our estate for our children. (2 Cor. 12:14)
We have car insurance for liability and collision to protect against the unexpected.
If a hurricane is coming, we buy emergency water and food and candles so that our very survival is not threatened due to a sudden lack of the things we usually take for granted.
We have life and house insurance so that we do NOT have to WORRY about what will happen for the support of our loved ones if our death is sudden and unexpected and WITHOUT PREPARATION.
You can WORRY about an exam; OR you can PREPARE FOR IT.
Therefore, WORRY and PREPARATION are not the same; in fact, they are OPPOSITES.
1-Many will take the "His eye is on the sparrow" position (Luke 12:7), or even more to the point, the "do not worry" passages in Mat.6:25-34 or Luke 12:22-31. In these passages, Jesus points out that our Heavenly Father takes care of the grass and lilies of the field, and the birds of the air, yet they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns.
Let us examine what is really being taught here:
a)-You are more than your earthly body (M.v25; L.v23), so put your focus on heavenly things (M.v33;L.v31).
b)-Worrying about your earthly needs is an exercise in futility; acknowledge that God is really providing for you, as He does even for the birds and plants.
2- Many will also quote Luke 12:14-34 as proof that we are not supposed to prepare. What this passage is teaching:
a)- Our eternal security is not determined by our greedy desire for earthly abundance (v.15).
b)- put your eternal relationship with God FIRST (v.20,21).
What these passages are NOT teaching:
They are NOT teaching that we should not work, nor sow, nor reap nor store into barns. For man is NOT a raven that he should also sit in trees, nor is he a lily of the field that he should dig a hole and bury himself by planting his feet in one spot! As preposterous as these ideas may sound, this is the same kind of tilted logic which can arise from those who choose to misinterpret Biblical passages or to take them out of their context. Such errors can also be employed by those who would deliberately abuse the Bible as a license for laziness. After all, preparation takes time and money and work. It's easier to rely on God to work through others who are more obedient.
Are Squirrels Demon Possessed?
Before you accuse me of having a bias against squirrels, consider the following: those who misinterpret the above passages as teaching that "we should not take action to take care of ourselves and others because the birds and the lilies receive from God without sowing, reaping and storing", should also come to the conclusion that God has abandoned the poor squirrels and left them to the control of the devil. Either that, or they are demon-possessed and refuse to trust God. For squirrels, after all, certainly do gather and store their nuts when they know that Winter is near.
If Jesus were really teaching in these passages about what should be the 'limits of the efforts of God's creatures', He would have also included a discussion about Winter and taught that:
a)- lilies must stay put, so God brings the sunshine and nutrients to them; but they die in the winter, and come back to new life in Spring.
b)- birds fly, so they forage for food all day long and fly to where the food and warmth may still be found in the Winter.
c- squirrels must prepare for the Winter by burying (storing) their Spring food, and by hibernating for the Winter because they cannot fly South (not even 'flying squirrels') nor do they have electric heaters.
d- God gave men arms, hands, legs and brains so they can and should sow, reap and store food and firewood for the Winter and for the storms that come.
God did NOT say, "I have provided for you QuikCheks and Seven Elevens for men on every corner, and you will always have what you need and they will always be open, and you will always have money." Yet, this is precisely the kind of PRESUMPTION that lurks behind the reasoning of those who show disdain for those who prepare.
Such a bizarre situation is a U.S. 20th Century aberration caused by computers and Just-In-Time inventory management; it is so fine-tuned that there is little more than a two day's supply at any time for essential resources. Any perturbation of the system easily stretches the system beyond its ability to tolerate failure, and Y2K promises to be a very serious set of perturbations.
FAITH vs PRESUMPTION
Making preparations is the normal, balanced, logical thing to do, and that does not make it ungodly to do so. Without a SPECIFIC word from the Lord to YOU in YOUR situation, to do otherwise would be PRESUMPTION; and presumption is not a matter of faith, but of FAITH TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.
Many knowledgeable Christians will point to Israel walking across the desert for 40 years with no change of clothes (Deut 29:4) and no stockpiles of food. But I'm not an Israelite and God did not lead me to cross the desert. God also found it necessary to keep them wandering aimlessly for 40 years because of their grumbling and disobedience. If they had been full of trust and thanksgiving, He wouldn't have needed to provide in the way that He did, and there could have been a much more glorious outcome. His provision for them was in SPITE of their grumbling, not because of their faith. And it led to their deaths outside of the Promised Land, having never entered in.
The Man Whose Name Was NOT Noah
There is a joke that has circulated for many years that goes like this:
A man lived in the path of a rising flood. As the floodwaters began to threaten, a neighbor drove by and offered transportation to safety, but the man said, "No thank you, the Lord is my Deliverer and He will provide." The floodwaters began to overflow the river banks and the street, and another neighbor came near in a speedboat offering transport to safety. But the man said, "No thank you, the Lord is my Deliverer and He will provide." The floodwaters continued to rise to the point that the man had to ascend to the roof of his house. This time a rescue worker in a helicopter descended and pleaded with the man to let him move him to safety. But again the man said, "No thank you, the Lord is my Deliverer and He will provide." Finally the man drowned and was swept to a watery grave by the floodwaters. Having been spiritually prepared, he was taken into heaven and stood before the Lord. He then asked the Lord, "Lord, why did you let me down? I stood firm in my faith and told everyone that you would deliver me, but you didn't provide. And the Lord answered, "I sent deliverance through a flood warning, a car, a boat, and a plane. But you refused my provision for deliverance.
So many are approaching the idea of preparation with this same attitude that they will dictate to the Lord that he must intervene divinely for their provision, or that they will dictate how it must be done, instead of using the ordinary abilities that God has given them to do what they can do for themselves and for others, and let God in His faithfulness, bless the results.
Testing God
Jesus Himself, when the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to resist the devil's temptation (Mat. 4:1-11) had not eaten for 40 days and nights. The devil, in presumptuous statements, misquoted Scripture out of context to the very Author of Scripture by saying,
"If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (v.3) and
"If you are the Son of God throw yourself down" (v.6).
Jesus responded with the correct use of the Word of God in proper context, because Jesus was in the business of doing the Father's will. To presume that He should change stones into bread because He COULD, or to have the angels pick Him up because He COULD is nothing more than putting our own presumption on a throne, instead of the Will of God. Jesus, even the Son of God, was in total submission to what the Father would have Him do, not what He would want the Father to do. In the absence of some SPECIFIC word to YOU about YOUR situation, it would be presumption to expect that God is obligated to do for you what He has given you the natural ability to do for yourself and for others.
What Does God Teach About Laziness?
In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus teaches about His attitude toward the "wicked, lazy servant" (v.26) and "worthless" servant who, unlike the others who were productive, took the presumptuous attitude that his master could gather where no seed had been scattered and reap where he did not sow. So he did nothing. Some may say, "but that passage speaks about spiritual work (evangelism and teaching) for the growth of the kingdom of God, and it does not apply at all to human efforts for earthly provision". Certainly Paul puts it very clearly when, in speaking to believers about earthly provision he says (1 Tim. 5:8), "if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever (infidel- KJV). He did not say, if anyone does not sit back and let God provide; he said if anyone does not PROVIDE. It is an action word. It is a VERB!
Do You CHOOSE To Be A Victim or A Blessing? (you DO have that choice)
Will you risk causing an additional demand to be placed upon others to help you, or will you be prepared to reach out to help others instead? Every unprepared Christian risks becoming an unnecessary drain on the resources, efforts and intentions of Christians who DID prepare for themselves and for outreach.
In the book of James(2:15-20) the apostle teaches that we must give a brother in need what is necessary for his body, otherwise our faith is without works, and FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD! On this simple principle and the example of Our Lord is built the entire 2,000 year history of Christian charity and missionary efforts.
Those who love God and love their neighbor will not take the attitude, "God will take care of ME." Great for you, but maybe God prefers that you take care of your own, and also help those around you who are in need. He does not want us to put ourselves into positions where we need to be on the receiving end (1 Thes.4:11-12), but wants us to bless us even to have an EXCESS to reach out to others in Christ-like love and to be a blessing to them in Christ's name (Ephes 4:28). Difficult times are not about the world reaching out to the Christians, but about CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD. They are opportunities for MINISTRY AND OUTREACH.
Y2K may bring to the Church of Jesus Christ, our greatest moment for ministry. Thousands of churches are preparing to do just that through private efforts and by networking with other churches through cooperative projects like the Joseph 2000 Project, the Cassandra Project, and others.
God's Heroes of Preparation
Joseph- In his interpretation of Pharaoh's dream came the direction to store up for a period of great famine to come. Joseph's obedience not only was the preservation of Pharaoh's land and a source of great wealth, but it sustained his father and brothers and the peoples all around Egypt.
The Widow of Zarephath - 1 Kings 17:8-16 - the miracle, the divine intervention part of the incident was that God caused the jar of oil NOT to become empty. The human part of obedience and lack of presumption as to how God would act, is that the widow prepared as God directed her to; She didn't know that God intended the preparations to be also for the for the sustenance of Elijah. If we think that WE are the Elijahs, then we are exalting ourselves. Better to be like the widow, and let God exhalt us if He so chooses.
Noah- Noah and his family not only preached about the need for repentance and of the judgment to come, but busied themselves in obedience to God's command to build an ark and to the stockpiling of food (Gen 6:21). To have done otherwise would be testing God - to resist letting them starve.
So where is the common sense directive from the Bible that, unless a specific word be given to us, that we should make preparations for difficult times?
Prov 22:3 - "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." And if it wasn't understood the first time, it is repeated again in Prov 27:12.
Where is the warning that there would be many scoffers?
2 Peter 3:3-7.
Many Millions of Christians sense that that day is fast approaching and that the aftermath of Y2K may be a disruption of society that will bring us back a hundred years in our technology, because of the crippling of the technology of the present (see Part 1 of the article in Prophezine #71 for the Biblical case).
This preparation activity has begun as a grass-roots movement with Christians on the forefront, and the rest of the world is just beginning to catch on. Now, even the American Red Cross and the FEMA websites have a Y2K page with encouragement for people to make emergency preparations. The U.S., Canada and Britain have plans for National Guard and military mobilizations to assist people and local authorities as needed with any unpredictable disruptions in services that may occur.
A Touch of REALITY
What did people do a hundred years ago in the midst of Winter with no electricity or fresh groceries or running water or any municipal source of fuel for heat? Think about it. The question has been a normal question, with a simple answer, for all people everywhere since the Creation of Man. Only the QuikChek/Seven Eleven generation, Christians included, seems to feel invincible. But it has nothing to do with faith.
Imagine it.
Pray about it.
Take action, because "providing" is a VERB.
Prepare for the worst, while praying for the best.
Trust in God, NOT in your Provisions.
Then see who else needs help - and help them.
Bob Ippolito
Assistant Editor - Prophezine
Founder - The Watchman's Trumpet - WatchmanT@aol.com
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| God's New Year Greeting For 1999
| By David Hocking
| Hope For Today Ministries
"But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more."
Psalm 71:14
None of us has a clue what 1999 holds for us, our families, or our world. We sincerely wish each other a happy NEW year. We wish for each other that the new year will be a pleasant one. It's a nice thing to say but it does not impact on the reality of another person's experience. Gratefully, the Bible clearly teaches that God controls the destinies and the pathway of each person. As Christians we know that He loves us (John 3:16), that He is aware of everything which becomes part of our experience and is in control of the outcome (Job 23:10), that He enables US by His GRACE to endure and grow through any situation (II Cor. 12:9 & 10), and, blessedly, that He identifies in our suffering with His very presence, "He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Heb. 4:14-16). In fact Job, who experienced trials and difficulties beyond human strength, suggested that God gives"songs in the night"(Job 35:10). And God promises through Isaiah that He can make our wildernesses become lush and our vicissitudes "rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19).
When we come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Bible says our lives are filled with new things, new experiences, new provision (Leviticus 26:10 - 13). We are participants in a new covenant of blood (I Corinthians 11:27). We have a daily fresh supply of His mercy which is "new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22, 23). We have "put on the new self" (Ephesians 4:24), and "a new heart and spirit" (Ezekiel 36:26). As believers, we have new spiritual life (II Corinthians 5:17) and empowerment through the Holy Spirit which invades every sphere of our person and our relationships to those around us (Galatians 5:16).
David who knew how to walk with God and "wrote the book" on Praise, experienced this and in the Psalms he covets for each believer the experience of his personal walk with God. He testifies, "He inclined unto me, and heard my cry He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God" (Psalm 40:1-4).
As a singer, instrumentalist, composer, and lyricist, music was very precious to David and a vital part of his communion with God. In the Psalms he wrote the "hymnology" of Judaic worship which is still in use today and which also has been the foundation of the Church's music. Wisely he calls upon us to "Sing unto the Lord a new song" (Psalm 33:3; 96:1). David's love of music caused him to create the musical portion of Temple worship which was spectacular, sometimes loud, and involved large numbers of singers and musicians (See I Chronicles 25:1 - 7). The temple was dedicated in conjunction with the feast of Tabernacles - one of the most joyous celebrations of the Jewish calendar. It was a solemn but joyful experience. No wonder scripture says that at the conclusion the people "blessed the king and went into their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David and his servant, an~ for Israel His People" (I Kings 8:66). I'm always impressed how God ministers to his children by the words or tune of a special hymn or worship song to strengthen faith and remind us of His never failing faithfulness. A hospital nurse who attended one of our coworkers before and after life threatening surgery said that during recovery that he was softly singing as he was receiving the anesthetic and again when he was in recovery, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, its mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS."
Finally, we are promised that we will also be the inhabitants of a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1) What a glorious prospect the overarching promise of 1 Corinthians 2:9 brings as we enter 1999. It brings true perspective into each of our lives regard-less of circumstances. It describes not only what God wishes us to experience in this life, but also in the future. Quoting from Isaiah, Paul writes "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4). For a fresh perspective looking into 1999 one song writer suggests..."Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
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What you haven 't seen or heard on U.S. mainstream news programs.
Palestinian Authority Attempts to Take Over Christian Churches & Communities in Jerusalem
Another building block in the biblical end time scenario is underway. It's not surprising that it is not reported in the U.S. media because of policies which seek to make all Moslems look moderate. It is interesting that at this holiday season special attempts by the Palestinian National Authority (which is overwhelmingly Islamic) to acquire control over the Christian Churches in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, is in full swing, using threat, Th{Thration, and political clout. The Christian holy places in Jerusalem are run by the Patriarchs and heads of the large churches, such as the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Latin Patriarchates and the Franciscan Order.
In the struggle for Jerusalem, the Palestinian Authority has opened a new front with efforts to take over the Patriarchates and, in particular, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. Through these it can control the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of Mary Magdalene and additional Christian sites. It is a further step in their dejudizing of Jerusalem.
After taking over Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, the PA realizes that control over the Christian holy places in Jerusalem can be used as a powerful lever
to gain international political influence in the Christian world. Similarly, the Palestinians are seeking to transform the "Bethlehem 2000" celebrations into a political show of support for the PA (as they have already done to the annual Christmas ceremonies at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem). The PA has used its indirect control over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem as a means of influencing the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Patriarchates, through which it impacts the political positions of the Greek government and the European Union.
As of this writing several Jerusalem churches and Patriarchates have already "turned Palestinian." They include the Latin Patriarchate, headed by Patriarch Michael Sabbath and his deputy, Bishop Kemal Batchish; The Anglican Bishopric, headed by Bishop Riah Abu al-Assal (who spearheaded a recent decision at the world gathering of Anglican bishops concerning the division of Jerusalem); the Lutheran Bishopric headed by Bishop MunirYunan; the Greek Catholic Bishopric of Jerusalem, headed by Archbishop Lutfi Lahaam (a PFLP man).
The PA is now attempting to exert control over four key Christian communities: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, The Armenian Patriarchate, The Franciscan Order (which controls Catholic holy sites on behalf of the Vatican), The Greek Catholic Bishopric of the Galilee.
This information is from an Intelligence report released in Israel.
Visit our Web Site on the Internet at www.hopefortoday.org, studies on various biblical themes & Theology. You may also listen to actual broadcasts, music, view HFT's complete catalog and much more.
Hope For Today , P.O. Box 3927, Tustin, Ca. 92781, 1800 752 4253, 714 544 5272
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| The UN Plan for Your Mental Health
| By Berit Kjos
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"We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health maybe even more so."
Donna Shalala, Dep. of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
"Mental health refers to how a person thinks, feels, and acts when faced with life's situations."
National Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network
"The challenge to humanity is to adopt new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, new ways of organizing itself in society in short, new ways of LIVING." Our Creative Diversity, UNESCO
Don't be deceived by nice sounding labels such as Healthy Start, Healthy People, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Cities. These and other "local" campaigns for public and mental health follow a global blueprint. They all fit into a worldwide system of health management and surveillance led by the World Health Organization, a UN special agency that equates faith with hate and truth with intolerance. 1 The goal is conditioning the masses to willingly conform to new "universal" values, environmental guidelines, and a global management system.
Dr. David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon-General and Assistant Secretary for Health, gave a progress report at a National Healthy People Consortium in November 1998 "We have a clear blueprint in place," he announced. "Currently, 47 states are actively involved in Healthy People 2000 and 'Healthy City and Healthy Community' initiatives are being pursued throughout the country. Hundreds of national organizations have reviewed the Year 2000 objectives and have adopted them as their own."
Dr. Satcher then drew the connection between Healthy Start,2 Healthy People, mental health and the World Health Organization:
"Every child should be given the opportunity for a healthy start... No priority yet has generated as much interest and enthusiasm as this one on mental health..."
"...our efforts will be focused on maintaining a system of global health surveillance...
"Healthy People 2010 is the United States' contribution to the World Health Organization's call to the nations of the world to renew their commitment to health for all.... 3
A Colorado law gives us a glimpse of what we might expect once this system is fully in place. It suggests that Christian child-raising could be considered "emotional abuse ...or a substantial risk..." and gives the Social Services the authority to prosecute Christian parents for child abuse. 4 To protect Christian families, conservatives pressed the legislature to add an exemption to the proposed bill. It declared that "Emotional abuse shall not be construed to include religious instruction." But this exemption was deleted before SB 97-218, titled "Children's Services", became effective on July 1, 1997. Now, every Colorado family that trains its children to follow God risks breaking the law and facing the fury of an anti-Christian Child Protection Service.
How could this be happening in America?
A NEW WAY OF THINKING.
In a 1996 speech at The National Children's Mental Health Initiative, Donna Shalala, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said,
"From fully immunizing children by age two... to stopping domestic violence, we're working to improve the lives of young people from the cradle to young adulthood. And a strong part of our vision is the mental health of children. We believe that mental health is just as important as physical health ...maybe even more so..." 5
As head of the DHHS, Shalala helped organize The National Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN). Ponder its definition for mental health:
"Mental health refers to how a person thinks, feels, and acts when faced with life's situations. It is how people look at themselves, their lives, and the other people in their lives ...and explore choices." 6
Do you wonder what Dr. Shalala and her network of health planners would consider good thinking? Or bad thinking? This definition doesn't tell us.
How do they want people "to look at themselves" or "explore choices"? The answer is clear when you study UNESCO's psycho-social strategies for conforming the minds of our children to its anti-Christian world view. But without background information, these ambiguous, open-ended phrases hide the true intentions.
However, Dr. Shalala and other self-proclaimed "change agents" do tell us that the old ways "a person thinks, feels, and acts" must change. They don't fit the new global ideology or the consensus process. According to Professor Benjamin Bloom, called the Father of OBE, the new "purpose of education and the schools is to change the thoughts, feelings and actions of students."7 So it's not surprising that UNESCO's Commission on Culture and Development in its report, Our Creative Diversity, wrote that -
"The challenge to humanity is to adopt new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, new ways of organizing itself in society, in short, new ways of living." 8
Referring to the management and monitoring of its education program, the Kansas State Board of Education made a similar statement, "QPA [Quality Performance Accreditation] is a process which demands new thinking, new strategies, new behavior, and new beliefs."
"New beliefs" and "new thinking" are key to the global management system. Adults as well as children must trade truth, facts, and logical thinking for myths, UN values, and the consensus process. The masses must learn to see themselves, not as individuals, but as part of a greater whole: a group, a community, the planet. Finally, the United Nations is nearing its goal: to create a unified, socialist world made up of compliant world citizens ready to adapt to what Al Gore called "a wrenching transformation of society." 9
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(WHO). In 1946, the first head of WHO laid the foundation for today's mental health program. Having implied that Christian parents indoctrinated "their defenseless children" with "poisonous certainties" that cause war and conflict, Canadian psychiatrist Brock Chisholm, added, "The problem is no longer the germ of diphtheria, but rather the attitudes of parents who are incapable of accepting and using proven knowledge...
"Surely the training of children in home and schools should be of at least as great public concern as their vaccination.... Individuals who have emotional disabilities of their own--guilts, fears, inferiorities--are certain to project their hates on to others... [S]uch reaction now becomes a dangerous threat to the whole world....
"We must be prepared to sacrifice much.... If it cannot be done gently, it may have to be done roughly or even violently..."
Half a century has passed since Dr. Chisholm called for UN controls that would abolish divisive Christian "certainties". Today, WHO commands an international networking agency that helps nations around the world change and monitor the ways their people think, choose, and act. Called Nations for Mental Health, it links each member state to the UN agenda and promises to steer each nation toward the UN goal:
"Governments will be assisted to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate mental health policies.
"Mental health policies should enable all individuals whose mental health is disturbed or whose psychological balance may be compromised to obtain services adapted to their needs, and to promote the optimal development of the mental health of the population." 10 To develop "the mental health of the population" and to prevent dissent and conflict from blocking progress, everyone must participate in the consensus process. Assessments for all young and old -- will show who might be "at risk" of not meeting the new mental standards for healthy communities.
For a glimpse at the vast network already in place, look at some of the mental health partners in the WHO agenda:
World Health Organization (WHO)
Nations for Mental Health
Dept. of Health and Human Services
National Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN)
Healthy Cities
Healthy Communities
Healthy Families
Healthy People
Healthy Start
Children, in private as well as government schools, practice compliance by signing the Healthy Practices Pledge. It sounds innocuous at first just promise to "brush with a fluoride toothpaste," choose "snacks such as fruits and vegetables," and "make our home a smoke-free zone," then sign the pledge. But the contract is open-ended. It suggests that other "healthy" behaviors will be added later. 11 What if the next contract adds "cooperation with" and "tolerance for" something that conflicts with a child's faith? What if a refusal to sign the contract brings ridicule and persecution? Is your child ready to follow God, even when pressured to conform?
HEALTHY CITIES AND COMMUNITIES.
The Healthy Cities project was launched by WHO in the early eighties. Its web site explains its purpose: "The Healthy Cities Project helps change the ways in which individuals, communities, private and voluntary organizations and local governments think about, understand and make decisions about health." 12
Today, its guidelines are followed by leaders across America whether they use the label "Healthy City" or not. Remember Dr. Satcher's report at the 1998 Healthy People Consortium:
"'Healthy City and Healthy Community' initiatives are being pursued throughout the country. Hundreds of national organizations... have [adopted] the Year 2000 objectives... Healthy People 2010 is the United States' contribution to the World Health Organization's call to the nations of the world to renew their commitment to health for all. 13 It's no accident that the last three words, "health for all," sound like UNESCO's 1990 World Conference on Education for All (EFA). The latter introduced the same six education goals President Bush announced in 1991. EFA's counterpart in the health arena is WHO's Health for All (HFA). And, like Goals 2000, the US branch of UNESCO's outcome-based education system, "a Healthy City is defined in terms of process and outcome."
WHO's Healthy Cities program works with America's Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities, whose members may or may not use the WHO labels. But they must all follow the Total Quality Management process which calls for continual monitoring of change and progress. They must also agree to:
"measure our progress. "
"address the root causes of problems."
"promote a broader definition of health that includes physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions."
"focus on prevention, wellness and change incentives."
PREVENTING CONFLICT AND MENTAL PROBLEMS.
The key to prevention is continual and controlled training, monitoring, and remediation. 14 As Clinton suggested at the 1997 White House Conference on Hate Crimes, "
There would almost have to be some sort of club or organization at the school, because if you think about it, your parents are still pretty well separated ... We have to find a disciplined, organized way out of this so that we reach every child in an affirmative way before something bad happens...
In the UN plan for Healthy Cities, prevention becomes a personal duty. Since the group counts more than the person, friends and neighbors would be asked to report on one another just as in Nazi Germany.
"I challenge our young people to realize their important role in this seamless system," said Donna Shalala. "Many times, you as friends are the strongest link in the chain of contact. You know best when your brother, your sister or your friend is facing problems..."
President Clinton suggested the same tactic during the above hate-crimes conference: "The Justice Department will make its own hate crimes training curriculum available. A lot of hate crimes still go unreported... If a crime is unreported, that gives people an excuse to ignore it." Then he announced a Justice Department website which invites children to tell "trusted adults" about "hateful" or exclusive attitudes they see in their relatives at home or in friends in school.
Hard to believe? It all makes sense when you consider the United Nations' hostility toward traditional values. Ponder the words of Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO:
"The mission of UNESCO is that of advancing international peace and the common welfare We have witnessed the resurgence of NATIONALISM, the growth of FUNDAMENTALISM and of RELIGIOUS and ethnic INTOLERANCE. THE ROOTS OF EXCLUSIONAND HATRED have shown themselves even deeper and more tenacious than we had feared Peace requires, in the words of the Constitution, 'the intellectual and moral SOLIDARITY of mankind'." 15
MOLDING THE MINDS OF THE MASSES.
Children who refuse to conform may be considered handicapped. According to a Teacher Training Manual from the National Training Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, "Although they appear to behave appropriately and seem normal by most cultural standards, they may actually be in need of mental health care in order to help them change, adapt, and conform to the planned society in which there will be no conflict of attitudes or beliefs." 16
Conflict must be replaced with solidarity, and as in the USSR everyone must be monitored for compliance with the new global beliefs and values.
Such a surveillance system is at the heart of President Clinton's Executive Order 13107 (See "The implementation of Human Rights Treaties" at our website: <http://www.crossroad.to>) It establishes "an Interagency Working Group on Human Rights Treaties", and its functions include
the monitoring of the actions by the various States for their conformity with relevant treaties, the provision of relevant information for reports and other monitoring purposes, and the promotion of effective remedial mechanisms;" 17
Monitoring the progress of mental Health for All (HFA) is essential to the process of managed change. Non-compliance or dissent must be spotted, reported, and corrected before it spreads. As you saw in the Colorado law, even "a substantial risk" of failure to conform could bring preventative correction. Remediation, conflict resolution, and other mind changing strategies include these steps:
challenge traditional values
evoke strong feelings
produce cognitive dissonance, a form of mental and moral confusion
dialogue to consensus
elicit a response that
1. demonstrates a change in attitude
2. can be measured
3. becomes part of a child's individual electronic data file
The goal of brainwashing in the Soviet Union was to create the new "Soviet Man." 18 The UN goal is to mold global citizens so committed to the new ideology that they cannot be turned back even by the most logical arguments. UNESCO's 1995 report, Our Creative Diversity, said it well:
"Education must inform... but it must also form, it must provide them with a sense of meaning to guide their actions...
"Education should promote 'rational understanding of conflict, tensions, and the processes involved, provoke a critical awareness... and provide a basis for the analysis of concepts that will prevent ...chauvinist and irrational explanations from being accepted.'...
"Its primary task is to provide information, explain and analyze problems and subject them to criticism...
"It should cover adults as well. The principle of lifelong education should be the aim of all societies." 19 Edward Hunter wrote the book Brainwashing, an insightful report on the experience of prisoners who survived Soviet brainwashing strategies in Communist Countries during the fifties. His warnings should shine a red light into our foolish presumptions that this process couldn't be used in our nation. 20 Compare his words with the above UNESCO report written over four decades later:
"Even when he stands by himself, the truly indoctrinated communist must be part of the collective. He must be incapable of hearing opposing ideas and facts, no matter how convincing or how forcibly they bombard his senses. A trustworthy communist must reach in an automatic manner without any force being applied." 21
Having learned to process away facts and fear truth, these conditioned masses would resist logic and hate God's Word. It's natural. After all, "the whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) Therefore, Jesus warned His disciples long ago, "If they persecute me, they will persecute you. for they do not know the One who sent me." Are you and your children ready to face hostility and rejection for your faith? If so, you will delight in this promise:
"Blessed are you when men hate you exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven." Luke 6:22-23
For practical information about the consensus process and other psycho-social strategies, read chapter 3 in Brave New Schools. To understand the worldwide feminist movement's goals and influence on mental health regulations, read chapter 9 of A Twist of Faith. Available through Christian bookstores, Amazon.com, and our website, and by calling 800-829-5646.
Endnotes:
1. See "Clinton's War on Hate Bans Christian Values" at: http://www.crossroad.to
2. Healthy Start was summarized by Robert Holland in his article, "Statists Seek to Monitor All Newborns and Train Their Parents", Richmond Times Dispatch (February, 1999): "Armed with backing from private foundations and the federal government, advocates of Hillary Clinton's It-Takes-a-Village ideology are beginning to implement a plan for cradle-to-grave tracking of the newborns of first-time parents.
Part of the scheme entails sending agents into private homes to "train" parents for up to 50 visits annually per family. Expectant parents are enlisted by being asked to sign permission forms at the hospital, where amid all the excitement of a first birth they may not be aware of the implications for their privacy and parental rights.
Information that the agents collect from families will be put in a nationwide computerized system called the Program Information Management System (PIMS), which will contain medical and psychological entries and observations on family relationships. PIMS' tracking of newborn's development could easily be linked with other preschool and public-school databanks currently being expanded. Eventually the information in a comprehensive, permanent record could be shared with employers when an individual applies for a job."
3. David Satcher,National Healthy People Consortium Meeting, 11-12-98 http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/HP2000/satchconsor.htm
4. See http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/sl1997/sl.254.htm For more details about this law contact Jeanne Bignall at (303) 750-7575.
5. Donna Shalala: http://www.mentalhealth.org/child/SHALALA.HTM
6. The National Mental HealthServices Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) at http://www.mentalhealth.org/child/Wefsk4.htm
7. Benjamin Bloom, All Our Children Learning (New York: McCraw Hill, 1981); 180.
8. Our Creative Diversity, UNESCO, 1995, p.11.
9. Al Gore, Earth in the Balance (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1992), 274.
10. Nations for Mental Health: http://www.who.int/msa/nam/nam6.htm
11.Weekly Reader, American Health Foundation, Fall 1998.
12. Healthy Cities Project: http://www.rulimburg.nl/~who-city/hcp-info.htm
13. David Satcher,National Healthy People Consortium Meeting, 11-12-98 http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/HP2000/satchconsor.htm
14. See "Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules" at http://www.crossroad.to
15. UNESCO's Education and Human Development website: http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/brochure/002.html
16.B-Step, Teacher Training Manual, National Training Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, 1240 North Pitt, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22314 (800-777-5227). (Was in Bethel, ME) Cited by Cherrilyn Gulbrandson, 183.
17. Executive Order 13107, Section 4 (v).
18. See quotes and exerpts from Edward Hunter's book Brainwashing at http://www.crossroad.to
19.Our Creative Diversity, UNESCO, p.169, 171.
20. See a comparison between Communist brainwashing strategies and tactics used to change values in U.S. classrooms at http://www.crossroad.to
21. Edward Hunter, Brainwashing: The story of the men who defied it (Pyramid Books, 1956), 201.
For more information about "lifelong" training in the new global values, read Brave New Schools (Harvest House Publishers) and A Twist of Faith (New Leaf Press - 800-643-9535) by Berit Kjo
s. Available through Christian bookstores
web site: www.crossroad.com
1 800-643-9535.
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PROPHEZINE NEWSLETTER - Commentaries
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Strategic Trends
1999 Update
By Chuck Missler
Weapons Proliferation
Modern technology has made it possible for countries all over the world to possess the means for controlling their own populations and to threaten other nations with mass destruction. It no longer matters whether a nation is rich or poor, large or small, first world or third world. Almost anyone can make or purchase weapons that 50 years ago could not even be imagined.
These new weapons include not only military-style weaponry like nuclear missiles, tanks, aircraft, naval vessels, and the like; but also inexpensive and readily available biological and chemical weapons. In addition, high-tech weapons like night vision goggles, tracking devices, surveillance cameras, communication innovations, and computerized data bases are relatively easy to obtain for so-called peaceful applications and then transferred for use in military or police operations.
The days of the Cold War seem tame by comparison, as one no longer knows who is on what side. The bipolar world of post World War II basically pitted two power centers against each other and only a few nations failed to align with one side or the other. Today we see many intertwining alliances where even allies threatening war with each other on occasion. Nations which were only bit players in the Cold War struggle are now posing a major threat to once invincible giants like the United States and Russia.
As technology becomes more and more sophisticated, it is not hard to picture how the prophesied "man of lawlessness" could become a global dictator, capable of controlling individuals anywhere in the world. The chilling thought of what might have happened during World War II had Hitler possessed today's technology should bring to mind the power that this coming world leader will possess.
The Rise of Islam
In recent years the name Islam has become closely linked with terrorism. While most of Muslim faithful have nothing to do with terrorism, a few radical elements within the movement have captured the attention of the world.
We have only to remember the U.S. embassy bombings this summer supposedly committed by Islamic terrorists under the leadership of Osama Bin Ladin, a Saudi born millionaire who has been in some way associated with every major terrorist attack against the U.S. over the last five years. With his money he has sponsored and trained terrorists throughout the Middle East, Islamic North Africa, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Recently he held a meeting of more than 150 Islamic clerics, calling themselves the International
Islamic Front for the Jihad against Jews and Crusaders. Following the meeting, the group issued threats against American targets, the goal being the eviction of all American military and civilian personnel from Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's most holy sites and the overthrow of the Saudi royal family, whom they criticize for allowing Americans into their holy lands.
Another group called The Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places has been in the news in recent years. Their leader is Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence in the U.S. for plotting the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York.
These two terrorist groups are not the only groups that capture sensational headlines in the press. Groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been carrying out their agendas in the Middle East for decades.
With Clinton's missile attack on Osama Bin Ladin's base in Afghanistan, the United States has unofficially declared war on these Islamic terrorists, and it is almost certain that retaliation can be expected at some time in the future.
The Struggle for Jerusalem
"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone [or all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."
Zechariah 12:3
Jerusalem is a holy city to three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As such, the debate over who should control the city is more than just a political one; it is a battle over which god is God, and which religion is the truth. Centuries have passed since the founding of Jerusalem and, as Scripture has predicted, it has become a stumbling block for anyone who tries to pick it up.
The sons of Israel could not hold it when they abandoned their covenant with God and were conquered by Babylon and Solomon's Temple destroyed. Centuries later the Romans again left the city in ruins, including Herod's temple as predicted by Jesus. The battles over Jerusalem continued when Christian Crusaders tried in vain to drive out the Muslims who occupied the city. The Ottoman Turks finally succeeded in gaining control over the city for hundreds of years and yet their empire also crumbled. More recently, the British, who governed Jerusalem during the turbulent years leading up to the rebirth of Israel, discovered just how true the prophecies were the regarding difficulty of managing this city.
The modern state of Israel won control over Jerusalem during the 1967 war. They later relocated their capital to Jerusalem amid much controversy. The much debated, highly emotional status of Jerusalem is scheduled to be discussed in future peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. However, as history has shown, there are no easy answers to this question.
The Magog Invasion
"Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, 0 Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel. And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountians of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that [is] with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and [to] the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken [it], saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD."
Ezekiel 39:1-6
The ancient people called Magog are commonly believed to have been the ancestors of the Russian nation. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of an invasion of Israel by Russia, which has not yet been fulfilled. What could cause Russia to come against the tiny nation of Israel-which has no oil and no real strategic value? This question has puzzled Bible scholars for centuries. However, recent developments in the Middle East have for the first time in history lent credence to this longawaited prophecy.
Israel has signed a defense pact with Turkey, making Turkey its only ally in the Middle East. Turkey straddles the Bosphorus Strait, the passage way between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea is Russia's only warm water port, which is guaranteed to be open year around. It is also the heart of Russia's oil and gas exports, which in a desperate economic situation is one of the few exportable commodities other than military weapons.
Turkey and Russia have argued for years over the proper way to administer the fair usage of the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey wants to maintain total control over shipping through the strait, while Russia demanding an international commission to govern the waterway.
Turkey and Russia have also threatened war over the delivery of S-300 missiles to the island of Cyprus, and over the Russian support of Syrian-backed terrorists. The rhetoric between the two nations has been fierce at times and now tiny, non-strategic Israel has agreed to the mutual defense of Turkey. Russia is also aligning herself with Iran.
Other events in Russia, such as the changes in government leaning back toward a communist-style government, should give Israel and her western allies cause for concern. The Magog prophecy appears to be more likely when the current events in Russia are examined in detail.
The Rise of the Far East
China has climbed from an isolated backward country into one with a growing influence capable of becoming a superpower rivaling the United States.
In recent years, China has bought, borrowed, or stolen technology, which has catapulted its military capabilities into the modern high-tech arena. No one can match China for sheer numbers of people, and now it can challenge most of the world in technological achievements. The Clinton administration has blindly sold sensitive technology to China and has reportedly received campaign financing in return.
Until recently, China's economy was strong and growing. However, the Asian economic crisis has hamstrung its economic growth and threatens to pull it down with the rest of Asia. The balance of trade between the United States and China still flows toward the U.S., with American companies unable to compete with what amounts to slave labor in Chinese prison camps.
The human rights abuses have received less attention lately as various foreign leaders flock to pay state visits to the country and give little or no condemnation of China's human rights record. It seems that it is more important to placate than to demand reform. In the meanwhile, forced abortions and sterilization continue to be state policy, and political and religious persecution continues unchecked.
The "red dragon" no longer sleeps. It is already anticipating a war with the United States in the next decade or so and may one day prove to be a mighty adversary for anyone who gets in the way.
Global Pestilence
The threat of germ warfare has brought to the forefront long-forgotten diseases like plague, anthrax, and smallpox. Recent television news programs have highlighted secret projects in the former Soviet Union to develop antibiotic-resistant strains of genetically engineered viruses and bacteria. The U.S. launched a military attack against a drug manufacturing plant in the Sudan, accusing it of acting as a cover for the production of biological weapons. The potential for a biological attack against the United States was actually increased with this action, rather than decreased because those involved in terrorism see it as a matter of honor to avenge their losses.
AIDS continues to decimate huge segments of the population in Africa, spreading from central into southern Africa. Some doctors in the region claim that AIDS will kill from 20 to 30 percent of the populations, leaving nearly 8.2 million orphaned children in the wake. Thailand also reports that the AIDS epidemic is far worse there than initially reported, nearly three times the original estimate.
A new resilient form of tuberculosis has struck in Russia, spreading especially rapidly through the unsanitary prison systems. It has proven a serious health threat to many Russians, because of the closed environments during winter months which cause the
disease to spread. In addition, many doctors in Russia favor the old method of rest in a sanitarium rather than using western drug treatments. It remains to be seen which method will prove more successful.
South Africa has also suffered an epidemic outbreak of TB. Millions of poor, mainly black South Africans are infected with TB. The epidemic is worse in the rural areas where sanitation is lacking. It is feared that although the strain of TB in South Africa does respond to drug treatment, many patients stop taking their medication when they begin to feel better and risk incubating a new resistant disease.
The Rise of the European Superstate
The European Union has steadily moved forward in its attempt to unite Europe politically and economically. It has succeeded in creating a European parliament, a court and, in the near future, a common currency.
January 1, 1999, will mark the beginning of the European Monetary Union (EMU) with 11 member countries locking the value of their currencies in relation to one another. The new currency, called the Euro, won't actually appear until the year 2002. The Euro has the potential to become a strong force in the international monetary scene, possibly supplanting the dollar as the world's currency of choice.
Great Britain will not be joining the EMU at the present time. There has been a great distrust of what Britain sees as a German-dominated monetary union. The debate is still raging between conservatives who wish to remain independent of the continent and those in the liberal camps who do not wish to be left behind when Europe becomes a super-power.
One of the more controversial ideas put forward at a recent European summit was a plan for an European income tax to finance the European Union. The proposal was forwarded by the President of the European Parliament, Jose Maria Gil-Robles. In his view, the direct taxation of the people would more closely involve individual citizens with the European government.
Other issues of concern to the European Union include the admission of new members into the union, which has created a heated debate. Some of the countries seeking membership are at odds with each other, like Greek Cyprus and Turkey. Settling these membership questions will take time.
The Decline of the U.S.
Since World War II the United States has traveled a path toward surrendering more and more Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms for the sake of developing a global system of governance. There are many ways this has been carried out without the full knowledge or approval of the American people.
First, the passage of various international treaties has established a law which supersedes the U.S. Constitution. The required Senate ratification of international treaties has sometimes been carried out late at night, when most senators have gone for the day, using a voice vote with no record of which senators voted or how they voted. Such was the case when the UN Treaty [or Civil and Political Rights was approved.
When senate approval of treaties appears to be impossible, the implementation of these treaties is carried out by administrative bureaucrats, who create regulations conforming to the treaties independent of congressional action. In fact, the new creation of "partnerships" or "stakeholder councils" between governmental and non-governmental organizations (in what is rapidly being called the "third way") in the creation of public policy is rapidly bypassing the legislative process in this country.
One example is the effort to use "stakeholder" councils to advance the requirements of the UN's Agenda 21 agreement from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The purpose of these councils is to transform towns into what are called "sustainable communities."
Stakeholder councils are called by many names and are created for a variety of specific purposes but they all have several common characteristics with one common objective: the implementation of some component of the United Nations Agenda 21.
Each stakeholder council has two primary values:
Environmental protection
Sustainable economic development
The councils promote a comprehensive "community" plan which "integrates" both values. These values sound good to the public ear until it is explained what they mean and what it will cost the public, the details of which the public almost always never receives in the media.
Another tactic used to bypass constitutional processes are presidential and gubernatorial executive orders. The president or various governors can issue executive orders which require administrative officials to obey the dictates as if they were law.
In short, the traditional checks and balances set forth in the Constitution have been reduced to nice ideas taught in civics classes, but are no longer operating the way the founders of this country had intended.
Global Government
The move toward a global government received a big boost this summer by the introduction of a proposal for an International Criminal Court. Over U.S. objections, the United Nations Diplomatic Conference voted 120 to 7 in favor of establishing an international criminal court to try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
The definitions of these crimes are far broader than you would initially think. For example, the definition of crimes against humanity includes murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation or forcible transfer of populations, torture, rape, enforced prostitution, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, persecution against any identifiable group, apartheid, and "other inhumane acts of a similar character." There is now a move to include the vague category of "environmental crimes" in those, which can be tried by the international court.
The United States voted against the proposed court because the Pentagon feared that our troops stationed in U.N. actions around the world could become targets of politically motivated charges. U.S. representatives to the conference attempted to pass an amendment which would force any proposed case to be approved by the Security Council, in essence allowing the U.S. to veto the prosecution of Americans, but it was overwhelmingly defeated by the assembly.
Our failure to approve the creation of the world court will have little effect upon whether or not U.S. citizens can be tried by the court. Quite the contrary, nations refusing to sign the treaty will have even less to say about the court's proceedings than those who do sign.
Another area of concern is the funding for the court and its 18 judges. As it stands now, the participating nations would be assessed in a manner similar to the way U.N. dues are assessed. In addition, the court will be given the right to confiscate the property and assets of the accused, and to convert those assets for its own use upon conviction. The opportunities for corruption and extortion are limitless.
The International Criminal Court will be formally established 60 days after 60 nations sign the convention. It is uncertain how long it will take to gain the required number. Some diplomats estimate it could be as long as five years for individual nations to debate the merits of the proposal.
Global Religion
Tolerance is the buzzword ricocheting around politically correct circles over the past few years. What that really means is that all political, philosophical and theologically correct viewpoints must be tolerated, and any other viewpoints must be mercilessly squelched. The bottom line of this whole rhetoric is that the Christian viewpoint is hateful and must be silenced.
Throughout the country and throughout the world a new world religion is being drummed into our thoughts by countless organizations yelling that hate and intolerance originate with Christianity and that there has to be a better way to promote love, peace, and environmentalism. That way boils down to global pantheism, where god is in everything, especially nature, and everything is god.
The only people who can't join the converging streams toward universal oneness are devout monotheists, such as Jews, Christians and Muslims, who base their faith on the Bible or the Koran. Their religions preach one God, one sacred Book, and one door to eternal life. They can accept no other and must refuse to mold their beliefs to fit an all inclusive global spirituality. As such, groups refusing to go along with the new global ethic of universal "tolerance" will not be tolerated in the name of tolerance. This means that Biblical Christians are on a collision course with the new paradigms of thought that are emerging and taking root in all our public institutions.
Taking the tolerance ethic further, we now have a move toward the codification of thought in "hate crimes." Traditional values that clash with the new global standards for tolerance have become tantamount to hate, and Christians who cling to Biblical boundaries are labeled both intolerant and hateful-no matter how kind their actions. Today's social leaders have redefined hate, identified a new group of haters, and are gathering public support for monitoring and punishing the guilty.
UFOs and Related Phenomena
Strange as it may seem to many, the continuing increase in UFO sightings and the increasing reports of abductions by their occupants appears to be an alarming trend worldwide. Polls indicate that over 15% of the population has observed them and as much as 3% of the population may have been involved in what they believe is an encounter. The reports are too bizarre to accept, and yet too frequent and consistent to ignore.
These appear to be demonic manifestations with a Satanic agenda. It is possible that this could be leading up to what Jesus referred to when He warned, "...as the days of Noah were, so shall the days of the coming of the Son of Man be." To understand this strange warning requires a careful study of Genesis 6 and its implications, both historically and prophetically.
The Millennium Changeover: Y2K
The Y2K "bug" is due to computer software and hardware storing the year in two digits instead of four. When 1999 rolls over to 2000, computers and micro-processors see the date as "00,' and might interpret it to mean "1900" and either shut down or spew out incorrect data. No one knows the extent of the damage the Y2K bug will cause to the world's infrastructure, but for Christians this could be the greatest opportunity for the Kingdom of God in the last thousand years. Stay up to date on this issue by checking out these Internet web sites: www.year2OOO.com/ y2klinks.html; www.gao.gov/y2kr.htm; and www.s1a.comIyear~2000/htmlIy2k~keyjinks.html.
Briefing Packs for Further Study
The Sword of Allah (The Rise of Islam)
Betrayal of the Chosen (The Struggle for Jerusalem) The Coming Temple: UPDATE (Jerusalem)
The Magog Invasion (Magog)
The Sleeping Dragon Awakes (The Rise of the Far East)
Behold a Pale Horse (Global Pestilence Weapons)
Iron Mixed with Clay (The Rise of the European Superstate)
The Vortex Strategy (Decline of the U.S.)
The Coming World Leader (Global Government)
The New World Order (Global Government)
The Kingdom of Blood (Global Religion)
The Return of the Nephilim (UFOs)
What to do When the CHIPS are Down (Y2K)
Will America Survive the Y2K Crisis? Q&A (Y2K)
All of these trends are monitored through our monthly news journal, Personal UPDATE (call 1-800-KHOUSE-1 for a complimentary first-year's subscription). The trends are also monitored on our website: www.khouse.org
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AIDS STILL A GROWING GLOBAL EPIDEMIC
From Jack Van Impe Ministries
Despite worldwide education and awareness programs, the medical authorities of the world said in December that there are almost 33 million people on Earth infected with HIV, two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa. A World Health Organization report estimated there would be 2 million AIDS deaths in the region by the end of this year. It said that almost 6 million more people would be infected this year with the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
Associated Press reported that according to the U.N.'s top AIDS official, Dr. Peter Piot, an increasing AIDS crisis has "crept up on South Africa." He was quoted as saying, "We are faced with an unprecedented crisis" which he said is worse than Apartheid, South Africa's former system of white minority.
NEW URINE TEST SHOWS MANY MORE PEOPLE MAY HAVE AIDS THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
Reuters reported that new research shows that "one out of every 1,000 Americans could be walking around infected with HIV without even knowing it..." A new study in "low-risk" people revealed the shocking news. A new urine test has detected the AIDS virus in people who showed no signs of infection in their blood. The scientists who did the research said that it now could explain why people mysteriously die of AIDS without having signs of HIV infection. They also said it could possibly help determine why some people resist infection. (Rev. 6:7,8)
RUSSIAN PENAL SYSTEM LETS LOOSE TB EPIDEMIC ON THE WORLD
The BBC reported because of "Russia's overcrowded prison system a deadly disease is on the march. Many...prisoners have a new untreatable form of Tuberculosis (TB) and it is spreading with terrifying speed. Ten per cent of Russia's one million prisoners suffer from TB and 20% of them are thought to have the drug-resistant strain-which means 20,000...are condemned to die. The disease is multiplying in the festering conditions of Russia's overcrowded cells. In many prisons inmates have to sleep in shift. Poor diet, stress and depressed immune systems make the prisoners vulnerable targets...Prison clinics cannot afford to treat patients with the full course of drugs, so the disease becomes resistant and even more difficult and expensive to cure. Russia's penal system is becoming a time bomb for the rest of the world. Once TB-infected prisoners step outside the prison gates, there is nothing to stop them[from] spreading the disease onto the streets of Russian cities and beyond. Most of the people standing outside a European charity run clinic in Moscow are ex-prisoners. Many of them have TB and all are homeless. Because they are not registered with the city authorities, the Russian health system refuses to treat them..."
Reuters reported that the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan faces a tuberculosis epidemic similar to that in Russia if urgent measures to stem its spread are not taken immediately. A health official was quoted as saying, "Practically every person in our country has failed to receive any defense against this disease. No one is immune and new cases of tuberculosis are occurring all the time. We have to take urgent measures." The report went on to say that cases of the highly contagious disease rose by 17,000 in the first 11 months of 1998 to reach 73,000 out of a total population of about 16 million. (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:1)
ANOTHER BAD HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST FOR 1999
CNN reported that a Colorado State University hurricane forecast team led by William Gray says 1999 will be another big hurricane year. They predict the June 1-Nov. 30, 1999 hurricane season will have 14 named storms, nine hurricanes and four intense hurricanes formed in the Atlantic Basin, comparable to the massively destructive 1998 season. (Luke 21:25)
Ministries of Jack Van Impe Ministries
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Production of Bible-based printed materials, audiocassettes, and videocassettes.
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(Editors Note: I realize this is from December and may be late, but the content is timely to this issue and what we may be facing as Christians in 1999+.)
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Safe Place
from Tom White,
Director of Voice of the Martyrs
This Christmas, as we gather with family and friends in homes, we give thanks for the blessings God has given us. For many, our homes are generally regarded as "safe places." One writer referred to home as a place to go because "they have to take you in." Acceptance.safety. A study of Scripture reveals that "safety" in the Kingdom of God is something dramatically different. Safety is neither a physical location nor a financial position. This subtle secularization of spiritual terminology in our country has stealthily replaced the heart of our Christian faith with false substitutes.
What is "safety" for Christians? We would probably view the stoning of Stephen as a very unsafe event. Yet Stephen asked for forgiveness for his murderers and saw Christ standing by the throne of God to receive him.
Some Christians believe in a "Santa Claus" God who will never let them suffer, giving them everything they want. They would wish to supernaturally remove Stephen from his unsafe position not realizing that he was never unsafe. They would not be exercising "more faith" by praying for the miracle to protect Stephen, but would probably be showing less faith, however well intentioned they might be. We cannot protect others from going through the cross, no matter how painful it may be. Peter tried it, but the Lord, knowing the eternal outcome, strongly rebuked him.
Stephen's execution in the Book of Acts was a safe place for him, because he was living in and doing the will of God. If the worldly view of safety had been applied, the English people would have been delayed in receiving a Bible in their own language from William Tyndale. He would have stopped his dangerous work of translating Scripture from Latin to English seeking the faithless brand of "safety." Instead, Tyndale chose to continue his work, then was betrayed by his friend to be strangled and then burned. By doing God's will, Tyndale was never in an unsafe position.
Before he was burned at the stake, he prayed for the king.
Much has been preached on the heroic testimony of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. We often overlook their statement which required the greatest faith-those three little words in Daniel 3:18, "But if not." If they were not saved from the fire, they still would have believed in an eternal God who still eternally saved them. They still would have been residing in their safe place-the hand of God.
Both Stephen and the three brothers walked in the same realm of faith, which did not rise or fall based on a positive physical outcome. They walked in a safe place and never left it. We are indebted to these believers and to the persecuted Christians around the world today who teach us much about safe places. Christians around the world today (who have the same faith as the three brothers) are burned to death and are no less valiant overcomers.
Perhaps the Bible verse in Hebrews 13:3 (remembering those Christians who are in bonds) is for our balance and edification as much as it is for the strengthening of those who are persecuted. They pull us back from the tiny-minded, tiny-spirited use of the words "safe," "blessed," and "successful" and expand them in a different way.
Failing to understand this, some human rights groups publish as their goal the abolition of persecution around the world. We also are grieved at what our persecuted brothers and sisters pass through and in godly obedience reach out to help them, but we help them knowing that persecution in some form will always be present when evangelization occurs. We know that regardless of what the enemy tries to do, Christian believers who reach out for Christ can never be taken from their "safe place"-Christ Himself. As Justin Martyr said before the Roman authorities, "You may kill us, but you cannot harm us." And as the Psalmist wrote, "The Lord is on my side.What can man do to me?" (118:6)
If we truly realized that our only safety is in "living in and doing the will of God," how would that effect what we choose to do to advance God's Kingdom in the world? Our "safe place" is not where we live, it is in whom we live, regardless of the consequences, of lawsuits, of losing our jobs, of losing our houses, of ridicule, of imprisonment, or of death. If we base our safety on anything other than Christ, we will someday realize that we have been bitterly cheated. The safety is in holding His hand and following, regardless of where that leads or what happens.
In Peru, I stood beside the body of a pastor who was murdered by Marxist terrorists. Seventeen houses and the church had been burned, yet the homeless congregation stood in the rain singing praises to God. They were praising in their safe place. I have sifted through the ashes of dozens of burned churches in Nigeria and Indonesia.
The believers return to worship on the bare foundation, knowing that they are existing in eternal safety now. It is the same in China, Sudan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.in nations around the world where believers understand that their safety lies in doing God's will.
The wish we leave with you and with all of our Christian brothers and sisters across America is not for a Happy New Year, but a safe one.
E-mail: thevoice@vom-usa.org
www.persecution.com
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Tzemach News Service
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Week Ending: 13 February 1999 / 27 Shevat 5759
Vol. 4 No. 51
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"But the L-rd is the true G-d; He is the living G-d and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation." Jeremiah 10.10
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UN CALLS FOR GENEVA SUMMIT: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for a special summit of signatories to the Geneva Convention on 15 July to discuss "illegal Israeli actions in occupied 'East Jerusalem' (aka Biblical Jerusalem) and the rest of the 'occupied Palestinian Territory' [Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha)]". The summit's aim will be to demand that Israel abide by the provisions of the Geneva Convention. The gathering is the first of its kind in the 49-year history of the Geneva Convention. In private discussions at the UN, Swiss diplomats acknowledged that the situation in Yesha is hardly "one of the most serious cases in the world"
in which the Geneva Convention is being violated. A source at the UN quoted a high-ranking Swiss official as having said, "At a time when other flashpoints around the globe are witnessing acts of cruelty like the murder of innocents and the amputation of limbs, the situation in the territories is not the worst." The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Israel completely rejects the UN resolution. The Ministry announced that Israel will not participate in the conference.
In other actions, the UNGA repeated its recommendation that Member States cease all forms of support for Israeli activities in Yesha, in particular settlement activities. It restated its affirmation that "all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, which have altered or purport to alter the character, legal status and demographic composition of 'Occupied East Jerusalem' and the rest of the 'Occupied Palestinian Territory', are null and void and have no validity whatsoever".
The vote on the Geneva resolution, which was taken in an emergency session, was 115 to two (Israel and US) with five abstentions. The UN resolution may be seen on our website at:
<www.tzemach.org/UN080299.htm>.
The UNGA also adopted a resolution entitled "Bethlehem 2000", in support of efforts to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will hold the Bethlehem 2000 International Conference in Rome on 18 and 19 February. Speakers at the conference include Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic; Head of the Holy See delegation (Vatican); Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference; a member of the Islamic Research Council; President of the Islamic Center, Rome; a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate; General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States; a director of the World Council of Churches; and PLO leader Yassir Arafat. (ICEJ, ISRAEL LINE, UN DAILY HIGHLIGHTS, GA PRESS RELEASE, PM REPORT)
ISRAELI MISSION TO UN ENTERS CYBERSPACE: The Israeli Mission to the United Nations has officially launched its own web site, located at: <http://www.israel-un.org>. The site provides detailed information on the Israeli Mission's activities at the UN focusing on issues such as regional development projects, arms control and scientific cooperation. It also includes information on the current peace process and previous Israeli UN ambassadors. (PRIME MINISTER'S REPORT)
WEIZMAN SHAKES HAND OF DFLP LEADER: Israeli President Ezer Weizman shook hands with Nayif Hawatmeh, the general secretary of the Damascus-based Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) after being approached by the terrorist at the funeral of Jordan's king Hussein. Weizman tried to alleviate criticism by stating that Hawatmeh approached him first. The move aroused considerable criticism in Israel. Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon complained that Hawatmeh's hands are "covered with blood". The DFLP, which appears on the US list of terrorist groups, is a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that believes that Palestinian goals can only be achieved by a popular revolution of the working class. The terrorist organization is responsible for the May 1974 massacre of Israeli school-children in Ma'alot, resulting in 27 dead and 134 wounded. Hawatmeh has been responsible for many terrorist actions and does not even accept the Oslo accords. (ISRAEL LINE, ARUTZ-7)
ARAFAT WANTS UNITY WITH JORDAN: Revitalizing a 1985 decision by the PLO, Arafat said Friday that he is interested in forging a confederation between Jordan and a future Palestinian state. Jordan's late King Hussein initially considered, then rejected, the idea, apparently fearing for the stability of his kingdom. About two-thirds of Jordan's population are Palestinians. In a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation, that percentage would rise considerably. In addition, many residents of Yesha and Jerusalem still hold Jordanian passports.
Meanwhile, the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Abdel Ilah al-Khatib -- in an interview with the French news agency, AFP -- said that Jordan's position on the issue had not changed since it was first raised in the early 1980's. He said the proposal would be considered after a Palestinian state had been set up. The newly-crowned King Abdullah feels that Jordan should take precedence over the Palestinians regarding territories captured by Israel from Jordan in '67. Perhaps the central expression of this philosophy will be Abdullah's determination to consolidate Jerusalem's Islamic holy sites -- especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque -- under Jordanian control. At the very most, Abdullah may be willing to allow the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) to be included in an umbrella religious organization under Jordanian jurisdiction. (AP, BBC, ARUTZ-7)
YESHA CONTINUES TO GROW: HA'ARETZ reports that there has been an upsurge in construction in Yesha over the past few weeks. Several new outposts have been built, all within the framework of "legal" construction, as they are within the planned areas of existing communities. Former Defense Ministry senior Eli Cohen said, "The Ministry is most definitely planning to strengthen the Yesha communities before the national elections." Defense Minister Moshe Arens, whose office distanced itself from Cohen's remarks, has said, "In principle, the continuation of Jewish settlement [in Yesha] and its ability to exist [have been] an important goal of all the governments of Israel". (ARUTZ-7)
NIMROD NOT SECRETIVE: According to settlement leaders, a story in HA'ARETZ this past week is not altogether true. The story states that Nimrod, a former Israel Defense Force (IDF) Golan outpost, has been "secretly transformed into a new settlement". However, Avi Ze'ira, Chairman of the Golan Settlement Committee, rebuffed the charge that Nimrod's establishment involved secret dealings. "Nimrod began as army outpost almost 15 years ago," he told ARUTZ-7. "When the army left a short time ago, it handed over jurisdiction to the Defense Ministry, which then turned over the reins to the settlement arm of the Jewish Agency.
Though we didn't go out of our way to publicize the move, everything was done above board, in coordination with the relevant government departments. Let's not forget that the Golan is an inseparable part of the State of Israel, too," Zeira observed. One family lives there at present, and 3-7 more are expected within the next two months. Government officials confirmed that the land was transferred to civilian use. The World Zionist Agency, a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency, said there were no plans to turn Nimrod into a settlement. Since 1967, some 17,000 Israelis have settled in 32 communities on the plateau. The Golan is also home to about 14,000 Druze Arabs. (ARUTZ-7, AP)
ON THE NORTHERN FRONT: Israel Air Force (IAF) warplanes attacked terrorist targets Thursday afternoon in the central sector beyond the Security Zone in southern Lebanon. All aircraft returned safely to base.
An IDF soldier was seriously wounded Wednesday afternoon by mortar bombs fired at an IDF outpost in the eastern sector of the Security Zone. Mortar bombs were also fired at an IDF outpost in the western sector of the Security Zone. There were no casualties or damage caused in this incident. IDF artillery returned fire. Another IDF soldier was lightly wounded Tuesday afternoon when mortar bombs were fired at an IDF outpost in the western sector of the Security Zone. Hizb'Allah claimed responsibilities for the events. A rocket fired by Hizb'Allah struck the town center in Kiryat Shmona on Monday, but did not cause any casualties since residents remained indoors due to heavy rain, MA'ARIV reported. Military sources said that the missile was a stray rocket launched as part of an attack on IDF posts in the Security Zone. (IDF SPOKESPERSON, ISRAEL LINE)
HAMAS ATTEMPTED TWO IDF KIDNAPINGS: Hamas has made two attempts to kidnap IDF soldiers in the past month, according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Shaul Mofaz. Mofaz revealed that the shooting at Otniel Junction in which Yassam Sgt. Yehoshua Gavriel was killed and an IDF officer lightly wounded, was an attempted kidnaping. That incident took place on January 13th. "My understanding is that Hamas will make additional attempts to ... abduct soldiers in order to bargain for the release of prisoners jailed in Israel," Mofaz told ISRAEL RADIO. Hamas was behind the 1996 abduction and killing of Israeli Sergeant Sharon Edri and the kidnaping in 1994 of soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was killed during a shootout between his abductors and Israeli commandos trying to free him. The IDF has tighten the rules regarding soldiers hitching. IDF commanding officers and the Military Police have been instructed to increase awareness about the dangers of hitch-hiking and to strictly enforce all regulations. (ISRAELWIRE, REUTERS, IDF SPOKESPERSON)
PLO TO DELAY STATEHOOD? The PLO leadership said for the first time Tuesday that it was "studying" a delay of a few weeks in proclaiming an independent state on 4 May. "We are studying an idea presented by friendly countries to delay by two or three weeks the proclamation of our independent state," the Palestinian minister for international cooperation Nabil Shaath told a news conference [This would be a few days after the Israeli elections-ed].
Meanwhile, resolutions were introduced in the US Senate and House last week opposing the declaration of a Palestinian state. Eight days after it was introduced, the concurrent resolution appears to be moving quickly. As of Wednesday, the list of co-sponsors totaled 84. Following President Clinton's meeting with Arafat last week, State Department Spokesman James Rubin said that a unilateral declaration of statehood "would be a mistake that would undermine the ability to negotiate a permanent status [arrangement]". The House and Senate resolutions are aimed at ensuring that the White House abides by this policy. (ARUTZ-7, AFP)
ISRAEL A PART OF EU? The European Parliament on Thursday recommended Israel's inclusion in a multibillion dollar research and development science program of the European Union, known as the "Fifth Framework", YEDIOT AHARONOT reported. If the Parliament's recommendation is implemented, Israel will be counted as an official participant at a convention of the EU in Brussels next week. Israel's inclusion in the project would also bring in millions of dollars to be allocated to research and development, creating hundreds of jobs in the public sector.
Meanwhile, Industry and Trade Minister Natan Sharansky Tuesday, in a meeting with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, stated that the connection the EU is seeking to make between politics and economic relations damages Israeli-European economic relations on the one hand and limits the possibilities for cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians on the other. "If the Government of Israel had known in advance that the countries of the European Union would link our invitation to participate in the EU Research and Development Plan, in which Israel wishes to join, and regional politics, it is doubtful that I would have succeeded in raising the $160 million that the government budgeted for Israel's participation," Minister Sharansky said.
In a related story, on their corporate website, McDonald's, in a list of all the countries where they have franchises, failed to list the country of Israel. It is interesting to note that the McDonald's Israeli concession is owned by Omri Padan, the founder of Peace Now (Shalom Achshav) which opposes the settlements in the Land. Padan has refused to open franchises in Yesha, preferring to mix business with politics. Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director of IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis), stated that after a week, he had still not heard from a spokesman from McDonald' worldwide headquarters regarding the omission of Israel from their website. (ISRAEL LINE, FOREIGN MINISTRY)
TALKS WITH SYRIA NEAR? Syria's Ambassador to the US, Walid Mu'alem, said on Monday that Damascus expects to resume negotiations with Israel within the next several months, regardless of which government comes to power, KOL YISRAEL reported. Both Israeli and Syrian officials have indicated in recent days that there could be movement on the Israeli-Syrian track, frozen since former PM Peres'
disastrous 1996 "Grapes of Wrath" military operation in Lebanon. But THE JERUSALEM POST cites a US official as saying Washington saw no signs of potential movement. (ISRAEL LINE, ICEJ)
IRAN SAYS MISSILE IS FOR SATELLITES: Iran's defense minister said Sunday that the long-range Shahab-4 rocket now in development would be used to carry satellites into space -- not for military purposes. Ali Shamkhani's remarks contrasted with comments made in November when he said Iran was developing a missile with a greater range than the Shahab-3, a new missile with a range of 800 miles capable of hitting Israel and Saudi Arabia. In July, Assistant US Secretary of State Martin Indyk called the Shahab-4 a greater threat than its predecessor. He said it could be deployed in two to five years and pledged that the US would increase its efforts to curb the transfer of technology Iran needs for its development. Iran is believed to have received missile technology from Russia, China and North Korea, a claim Iran has denied. (AP)
NEW TERRORIST METHODS: Arab terrorists have come up with a new technique. In an incident Tuesday night, they lightly injured the administrative head of the Gush Katif community of Netzarim, Gershon Yonah, by detonating an explosive on top of his car as it drove by. The terrorists stood atop the Tzanchanim Bridge on the Cross-Gaza Highway, and dangled the explosive by a rope, releasing it when the car approached below. Yonah was treated in the hospital for leg wounds and was later released.
Meanwhile, the PA/PLO claims to have arrested, once again, terrorist Jamil Jadallah. He is suspected of murdering Itamar Doron of Moshav Ora and Danny Vargas of Kiryat Arba, and was also involved in the attack on a van carrying pre-school teachers in Hebron recently. He disappeared from his prison cell in Shechem almost two months ago. (ARUTZ-7)
THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY: February 7 1413: In Aragon, Ferrer returned, assisted by an apostate Joshua Lorki (Geronimo de Santa Fe), known to the Jews as Hamegadef (the blasphemer). He convinced anti-
Pope Benedict XIII to stage a disputation at Tortosa. It was presided over by the Pope himself and lasted for a period of twenty-one months in sixty-nine sessions. The Jews, led by Vidal Benvenisti and Joseph Albo, were faced with an opening salvo by Benedict when he made the expected outcome clear. Hamegadef attacked the Talmud as anti-Christian and urged its banning. None of the Jews' counter-arguments were officially recorded.
1947: This date marks the official founding of the Jewish Agency, a world-wide organization centered in Israel. It is dedicated to the establishment of Israel as the Jewish Homeland, and to the encouragement and fulfillment of Jewish aliyah from around the world.
February 8 1831: Louis Philippe of France, successor to Charles X, ratified a motion putting Judaism on a par with Christianity, granting State support to Synagogues and their Minister of Religion.
1940: The first ghetto was set up by the Nazis in Lodz. The idea was to bring in all Jews from the surrounding areas in order to make it easier to proceed with the "Final Solution."
February 9, 1807 This date marked the first meeting in Paris of the Napoleonic Sanhedrin under the leadership of The Assembly of Jewish Notables. The Sanhedrin was modeled on the ancient Tribunal in Jerusalem and consisted of 71 members - 46 Rabbis and 25 laymen. Rabbi David Sinzheim of Strassburg was its President. They were presented with 12 questions regarding the positions of Jewry regarding polygamy, divorce, usury, other faiths, and most important whether they considered France to be their Fatherland. Needless to say, they received "guidance" from the emperor as to the general formulation of the answers.
February 11 1201: In Worms, the Jews took up arms to fight alongside the city's non-Jewish residents against an attack by Otto. At that time, Jews were still permitted to bear arms in various cities in Germany, although this privilege was soon to be abolished.
February 12 1481: On this day was the first Auto de Fe (Seville): Six Marrano men and six women were burned for allegedly practicing Judaism. These practices could include not eating pig - for whatever reason, washing hands before prayer, changing clothes on the Sabbath, etc. Over two thousand Inquisitions are said to have taken place in the Iberian peninsula and its colonies. The number of victims in Spain alone is estimated at 39,912.
1486: Auto de Fe at Toledo - it was the first in that city and one of the most lenient anywhere. The Jews were forced to recant, fined 1/5 of their property, and permanently forbidden to wear decent clothing or hold office.
February 13, 1195 On this day was the Speyer ritual-murder libel: Although there was no proof of any wrongdoing, the Rabbi's daughter was dismembered and her body was hung in the market place for a few days. The rabbi, along with many others, were killed and their houses burned. (WZO)
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Tzemach News Service
"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest" Isaiah 62:1
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BUSY
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ.
If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels.
Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds, "he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 - 7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work."
"Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs, and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead."
And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion." "Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy,busy, busy and rush here and there. Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the JUDGE.
How about this definition of busy:
B - Being
U - Under
S - Satan's
Y - Yoke
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When I say "I am a Christian,"
Submitted by Kevin Haselton
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I'm not shouting "I am saved,"
I'm whispering "I was lost,
that is why I chose this way."
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I am weak
and pray for the strength to carry on.
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible.
But God believes I'm worth it.
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
which is why I seek His name.
When I say..."I am Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I am loved.
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