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Prophe-Zine Issue 089
From: prophezine-newsletter-errors@lists.best.com on behalf of
PropheZine Owner [bob@prophezine.com]
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2000 10:54 AM
To: prophezine-newsletter@lists.best.com
Subject: PropheZine Newsletter #89
PropheZine #89
Feb. 15, 2000
Bob Lally Publisher
Mimi Nila Senior Editor
Abraham George Asst. Editor
Lori Eldridge Asst. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
http://www.prophezine.com
(Subscribe and Unsubscribe)
ARTICLES
Bob Ippolito....On the Other Side of Y2K - The Event that was a Non-event
A Voice in the Wilderness...Ministering to Believers - Romans 15
Ken Onweller....Overcoming Sin: A Study Of Psalm 39
Chuck Missler... Dangerous Ground: The 'Piece Process'
TESTIMONIES
Gas Station... Dave Adams
Lunch...Bob Lally
Mailbox... Ken Onweller
COMMENTARIES
Bob Ippolito...Storm Clouds of Coming Persecution?
POEMS
Jeannette Haley.....Christian Soldiers
********************************************************
Welcome to PZ #89
I was asked to help out with this issue of PZ and hope you will enjoy our
current selection for this issue. We didn't try to stick with a theme this
month other than just tying to keep our attention on the weather vane to
see which way the wind is blowing.
We have added something new this month in the form of personal
testimonies--short vignettes of people sharing their attempts at witnessing
to others, people who have been willing to step out and be obedient to the
Lord's promptings. Please let us know if you would like to see more of
these.
As some of you know I have a ministry of critiquing the writing of those
who claim to be prophets of God on a web page I started last October called
Endtime Prophets. I get requests almost every day to examine these
teachers, but there is no way I can keep up with all the requests due to
the fact that there are so many of them and they multiply daily. Right now
I have requests to analyze about eight of them. However, my time is very
limited as I am also a webmaster for seven web sites and have to work for a
living!
If you would like to participate in this ministry by helping me search for
data on false teachers, transcribing audio tapes, making graphics for my
web page, writing up your own analyses of these teachers, or whatever you
can think of, etc., please write me at my address below.
Most of all I would cherish your prayer support as this ministry entails a
lot of animosity from those I deem worthy of my analysis and attacks from
the enemy. My Mac got fried last October from an electrical spike, in
November I found out I had cancer on my nose, and now I haven't worked
since December. However, the Lord has been intervening on my behalf every
time, and I'm sure it's because a lot of my friends are keeping me in
prayer. So I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me already.
I hope you are blessed by this issue of PZ.
Lori Eldridge
Assistant Editor of PZ
lorel@ior.com
http://www.ior.com/~lorel/endtime_prophets/
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/lori/
|==========================================
| ON THE OTHER SIDE OF Y2K - The Event That Was a Non-event (Thank God)
| by Bob Ippolito
| The Watchman's Trumpet
| http://pages.prodigy.net/hippolytus/
|
|
God have mercy on the 'naysayers' who are now kicking up their heels in
disdain while shaking their finger and proclaiming, "see I told you, it was
a big hoax perpetrated by profiteers and false prophets and doomsdayers".
Among those making such charges are some otherwise supposedly intelligent
and 'Christian' people.
A STORY:
I would offer the following analogy (although you can probably come up with
a better one). A man was going away on a business trip and heard reports
that there was a good chance that there would be a blizzard while he was
gone. But instead of rescheduling his trip, or stocking up on sidewalk ice
melting salt, windshield de-icer, windshield washer fluid, and checking out
the condition of his snowblower, he took the attitude that "those weather
guys are always wrong, so why bother"!
And so he left on his several day trip with not a care. While he was gone,
there indeed was a blizzard of ice and snow which caused power outages,
traffic accidents, and major disruptions. A friend of his wife knew that
she would be alone, and called to check on her. Finding out that the
snowblower didn't work, the cars were trapped, and the power (but not the
phone line) was out. This elderly friend and her husband came over with
their hand shovels and dug for hours (already exhausted from having done
their own) to free the cars of snowdrifts, shoveled the driveway, the
sidewalks, and de-iced the windows and walks. For the next three days the
sky was clear, the temperature warmed up, and the snow and ice melted away.
On Friday the man came home to conditions that looked just like before he
left. Upon opening the front door, he greeted his wife with, "see, I TOLD
you that weather report was a hoax!" Woe to that man for what happened
after that.
A HOAX?
Y2K was no hoax! Prior to beginning repairs, companies and agencies (like
the SSA, the IRS, Hawaiian Electric and Beckman) began reporting major
failures of their systems from accounting glitches to inventory mistakes
(trashing of good inventory) to complete shutdowns. Based upon these early
warnings, other companies and agencies began testing their systems under
controlled, recoverable circumstances, by artificially advancing their
systems into a mock 1999 to 2000 rollover event. The results were very
disturbing and became a wakeup call to society in general that if the world
did not get going on fixing this problem, there were serious risks to the
infrastructure from power to transportation to banking to defense.
UP WITH A PLAN!
Companies and Government began meeting to discuss how to work together to
tackle what had clearly become the largest technological project in the
history of the planet. It had to be done ON TIME! Companies actually
cooperated with their competitors in order that everybody could be a winner
in this, because the prospects of wide-spread failure were too horrible to
conceive of. The Federal government tried to encourage sharing of
information and discouraging of Y2K failure litigation by granting freedom
from litigation to all who shared info to help solve the problems. John
Koskinen, the "Y2K Czar" appointed to head up the efforts not only
nationally, but became a point-man internationally said in hindsight, "see,
I told you that with only three or four people I could control the world".
This statement is far more profound than it seems at first thought. When
people cooperate, work together, and share, instead of just competing or
feeding off of one another's tragedies, the near impossible becomes
possible.
The cost? Millions of people, talent, time and money focused on one problem
and one deadline. Citibank spent an estimated $980 million for their own
repairs, at last estimate. The total global cost - estimated at somewhere
between $500 billion and $one trillion! I personally know over thirty
highly skilled professionals who worked long, long hours without extra pay
or comp time to get this problem licked for their employers. They ranged
from a Communications executive, to a NYC banking V.P., to Systems
Analysts, to the Director of corporate IT for one of the largest
international pharmaceutical companies in the world. Their one common goal
was, get this problem fixed, tested and make some contingency plans for any
surprises.
Was the fix complete? No. The approach was called 'triage' which means to
identify what is critical and fix that. Forget about non-critical systems.
I have seen personally where business systems deemed to be non-critical
were not fixed, and became non-useable after the 1999/2000 rollover.
Were the fixes perfect? No. There have been some serious (a U.S. military
satellite, a Japanese nuclear reactor and three Scud-type missiles) as well
as unnumbered trivial failures, some reported, most not, and not likely to
be blamed on Y2K issues even if they really are. Most importantly, the
power stayed on, and there were no reported Y2K failure related fatalities.
Was it a success? YES! It was a HUGE success. Those who were the most
computer dependent, took it most seriously, and tossed the greatest
resources at stamping out the bug. These people did a GREAT job!
Who else deserves credit? The emergency response agencies who practiced and
stockpiled and made a variety of contingency plans to handle disruptions -
like the National Guard, the American Red Cross, FEMA, local law
enforcement and emergency relief agencies and many more. Even the
'watchdogs' in the community (like this newsletter), and the press who
tried to raise awareness of the issue so that the resources needed would
get allocated in time, and so contingency supplies would be available if
needed. (locally, we had a late 1999 post-hurricane floodwater
contamination of our water supply for two and a half weeks and resorted to
our Y2K supply of bottled water).
DID WE FORGET SOMEONE ?
But someone else who should come first hasn't been mentioned yet. .GOD!
Yes, God. With all the suspicions about international terrorism (and some
of it was uncovered and thwarted in the planning stages) and massive crowds
gathering at major monuments throughout the world, it turned out to be one
of the safest, most peaceful New Year's Eves in history! Perhaps the fixes
got done and the terror attacks didn't happen because so many people prayed
that Y2K wouldn't be a disaster, that we had more of God's attention than
usual. NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF MAN HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS COME IN ON TIME
AND WITH SUCCESS! Let us not be so foolish as to fall into the "if we all
work together we can do it" trap. ONE nuclear plant could have made an
undetected fatal reprogramming error; ONE loose ICBM, ONE unstopped
terrorist bomb could have released untold grief. God has been merciful and
very kind. A caveat in the Scripture comes to mind in Genesis 11: 5 "And
the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men
builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all
one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's
speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of
all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Let us avoid making the
mistake of thinking that we, of our own efforts, can make a world worth
living in, without God's help and blessing and mercy.
WOE TO THE NAYSAYERS
Now that the event is past, there are many of these unproductive naysayers
within the Christian community who have recently done a great disservice to
their fellow servants of a different personality whose only goal was to
raise awareness and help inform toward reasonable contingencies, by calling
them "false prophets". In Matthew 24, Jesus warns his servant about beating
on the other servants. This reminds me of Paul's exhortation in Romans 12:3
which says' "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure
of faith"; and Romans 14:4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's
servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden
up: for God is able to make him stand"; and also 10 "But why dost thou
judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ".
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NAYSAYERS?
Is there anyone who doesn't deserve any credit? Yes! The naysayer, who does
nothing, claims victory, and then selfishly says (after others have done
all the work to make his naysaying come true) "see, I TOLD you it was a
hoax". Had we listened to him, nothing would have been fixed, and actual
rollover events would have matched the pre-repair tests, but a thousand
times over (and the fireworks we witnessed might have been significantly
more lethal than mere pyrotechnic displays). People who care enough to
point out legitimate concerns, will always be called 'doomsdayers' by the
'naysayers' of our society who live in denial of anything that doesn't fit
their personal sphere of understanding or temperament.
We don't need naysayers anymore than we need doomsdayers. Let's just look
at the facts, stare reality in the face, and get on with doing what needs
to be done with prayer and trust in God.
****************************
****************************
Dave's Gas Station Testimony
****************************
****************************
I had a cool adventure last night--it was a God thing. Ted and I were on
our way home last night from work and we were kind of amazed at how swiftly
everything went, when we drove by some young folks, that had pulled their
truck off to the side of the road, we stopped to see if we could help them
and they said yes, they had ran out of gas and had a can but needed to get
to a gas station. Well there were 4 of them and they decided that one of
the guys would go with us to get the gas.
We drove up and over about 8 blocks to the Chevron station, but it was
closed, so we drove on to another station that we had just driven past
several minutes earlier, they too had just closed. Then down the road about
another mile we found one that was still opened, and while the young man
was in the store paying for the gas I asked Ted if he had any of the cards
from church so that we could invite him. Ted was out of cards and I said
then we will just have to ask him and hope he remembers where it is that he
was invited to attend.
Ted tried to get a conversation going about church to slip in the invite,
but that was not getting anywhere, then as we were saying goodbye at his
truck and I shook his hand I asked him to come to our little church. He
asked where it was and I told him that he was about 4 blocks from it and
that he would like the upbeat music. He got this funny look on his face and
said isn't that the church where the pastor used to have his own band? and
I said yes that Bob did back in the 70's. He said that he had spoke to Bob
and had his card and just might stop by.
It was just a good topping on our night, and as we were finishing our drive
home we just were amazed how God had used us, if even to plant a seed or
answer a prayer or refresh this guys memory. It was still a good thing to
be even used a little bit in a God thing. Sorry if this got to long, but I
am kind of a bucket mouth anyway.
Your brother in Christ Jesus
Dave Adams
|==========================================
| Ministering to Believers - Romans 15
| from A Voice in the Wilderness
|
|
"But we, the strong ones, ought to bear the weaknesses of those not strong,
and not to please ourselves. For let each one of us please his neighbor for
good, to building up. For also Christ did not please Himself, but even as
it has been written, "The curses of those cursing You fell on Me." (vs1-3)
In another letter Paul writes, "Brothers, if a man is taken in some fault,
you, the spiritual ones, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness,
considering yourself, that you not also be tempted. Bear one another's
burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal6:1-2)
Due to the nature of the current apostasy, we often address many issues
related to false prophets, pretend "Christians", "leaven in the lump", etc.
Frequently, as a result, e-mails come in from those who ARE false prophets
and pretend "Christians," chiding me for whacking away at
"fellow-Christians" or "judging brothers." Accusations that we should be
"building up" our "brothers" rather than tearing them down with venomous
hateful rhetoric.
Let us again, briefly, have clear understanding. There is a distinction.
There are two categories of people; "saved" and "unsaved." There are MANY
MORE unsaved (Mt7:13), and VERY FEW (Mt7:14) true Believers. When John
exhorts, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,
whether they are from God.." (1Jn4:1) he is not talking about the Mormons,
Catholics, Masons, or any of the spiritist "heathen" beliefs from the
"jungle". If a person knows even a little bit about these things, they are
-OBVIOUSLY- not of God, when compared with Scripture. They are not even
close!
But where things are "believable" if one is not careful is WITHIN that
which is called "Christian." Not everything that is called "Christian" is
"Christian". (Rom9:6b) "Not all those of Israel are Israel." Paul warns
that "out of you yourselves will rise up men speaking perverted things"
(Acts20:30). This is COMING FROM OUT OF the entity originating as the True
Church of Jesus Christ. These, he calls "grievous wolves." (vs29) They are
NOT Christian Christians. But they LOOK LIKE Christians, because, as
ministers of Satan, they "appear as ministers of righteousness"
(2Cor11:13-15). Thus, when we speak of -these-, we DO NOT "bid them God
speed" (2Jn11 -kjv), but rather "expose/reprove" their "works of darkness"
(Eph5:11) and them, for being the ministers of Satan that they are. They
are -NOT- "brothers."
But for those who ARE Believers, but are weak, we "make a distinction" as
we "pity" them. (Jude22) The weak Brother, we "bear" their weaknesses. We
bear one another's burdens.
What are some of the reasons a Brother is weak? In ch14 we considered the
"memories" of one's past life in sin or idolatry, where some aspect of the
past, while not necessarily being evil in itself, because of the context of
the past, the person stumbles.
There are those who are yet "babies" in the Lord, and are still on "milk"
(Heb5:13,1Pt2:2). They are still "growing up" in their knowledge of the
Lord. (Eph4:15) And so the "whole body" joins in to help nurture those weak
and immature parts. (vs16) The feet walk over to the table, the hands pick
up the food, the mouth chews. If the feet get the body to the table, but
the hands refuse to pick up the food, the mouth goes empty, and the -whole-
Body suffers.
There are some who stumble and fall. Cuts, bruises, broken bones. And
various disobedience's that 'children' are often guilty of. Sometimes the
parent comes into the act and gives a whuppin'. Cuts are treated with
tenderness. Broken bones are confined within a cast until healed. If it's a
sore 'bottom,' the legs settle the person into the chair... 'gently.'
In Christ, Believers are all of One Body. We "mind the same thing among one
another according to Christ Jesus." (vs5) We are of "one faith" and "one
judgment (doctrine)." (Eph4:5,1Cor1:10) We are all growing from the same
Vine, Jesus Christ. (Jn15) And "with one accord" we "glorify" God. (vs6)
Therefore we also "receive one another." (vs7) Fellowship. If we are
walking "in the light" as Christ is, "we have fellowship with one
another.." (1Jn1:7) Recall how when we are dealing with false prophets and
pretend Christians, we are NOT TO "receive him into the house". (2Jn10)
Yes, it is proper to not allow JW "missionaries" in the house when they
come to your door. But True Believers, we receive.
This includes the "love" Jesus spoke of. God is glorified when Believers
love one another. This is because this love is a testimony to the world.
The world knows we are Believers because of this love for the brethren.
(Jn13:34-35) The world does not know this love. It hates and fights. So,
when it sees Christians in love with each other, they see something
wonderful and beautiful. "Behold! How good and how pleasant is the living
of brothers, even in unity." (Ps133:1)
In the early Church, this oneness, unity and joy resulted in everyone
pooling all their resources. (Acts4:32) Nobody was in -physical- need as
they all cared for each other, fellowshipping from house to house
(Acts2:46,5:42,20:20) both in physical eating, and in exhortation in the
Word of God. And notice sandwiched in the middle there: All their
possession were "common" (4:32) and "neither was anyone needy" (4:34) we
see, "And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." (4:33) When the
-Body- was functioning as a whole, made up of self-less individuals
contributing to the whole, the Word of God spread. People were saved, and
it says, "And the Lord added to the church those being saved from day to
day." (2:47)
If we suggest that -we- are NOT "soul-winners," some people get rather
irate. They will quote the odd passage where someBODY is "saving" a sinner,
e.g. 1Cor7:16, somewhat out-of-context. They will say that the Lord "great
commissioned" us to "MAKE disciples" (Mt28:19 -nkjv), and that since Acts
records "thousands" coming to the Lord, we also should be concerned about
"how many" -WE- WIN for the Lord.
But notice again just -WHO- is doing the work. The -LORD- added to the
Church. What was the Church doing? Functioning as they were supposed to:
proclaiming, exhorting, nurturing, fellowshipping, loving. And as the
unsaved saw this "living spiritual organism" growing and bearing spiritual
fruit, the Lord is the One Who caused the "increase." (1Cor3:6)
Let us never forget this, and boast our position. We are merely the
"branches." (Jn15:5) Branches -merely- "abide" in the Vine, Jesus Christ.
And notice that the "Vinedresser" is the "Father." (Jn15:1)
As the branches are interlaced, as the Body lovingly cares for its various
parts, the early Church brought together all their wealth. But obviously
that only lasted for a brief time until they were scattered when
persecution arose. (Acts8:1)
It seems as though they did things a bit differently in those days. Paul
speaks of coming to them (at Rome) on his way to Spain, with the idea that
they would provide for Him to go on further into Spain. (vs24) It doesn't
seem to be the case that they would have "deputation" meetings with the
"home churches" to raise their support first, and -then- go. They would go,
being helped along the way as they went from church to church. To the
Corinthians he speaks of how he didn't receive financial support from them,
but from various churches in Asia Minor. (2Cor11:7-9) Now, Corinth, of all
places, was most able to support him, being in the wealthiest region in the
world at that time. But Corinth was "carnal," and hoarding their wealth to
themselves.
Jesus spoke of the worker being "worthy of his hire." (Lk10:7) Go into a
city, the Lord will provide support for sustenance. Paul teaches, "So also
the Lord ordained those announcing the gospel to live from the gospel."
(1Cor9:14) As he reviews the fact that he was sent to the gentiles, he is
expressing how the churches in Macedonia and Achaia were sending "gifts to
the poor of the saints in Jerusalem." (vs26) These churches felt indebted
to those in Jerusalem, sacrificing to stay in Jerusalem where politics and
economy were making it really tough to survive. "If 'they' are sacrificing,
being the sending agency, so that 'we' can hear the Gospel and be saved, we
owe it to them to help them out in their 'financial' need."
As Paul sends a "note of thanks" to Philippi for their giving he speaks of
his own situation, how he knew how to survive on much, or on little. The
other day (written in November) I happened past the TBN channel and Benny
Hinn was speaking of financial prosperity, teaching from
scripture-out-of-context how God "intends" for us to be wealthy. Well,
notice that Paul says, "Not that I speak as to need, for I have learned to
be content in whatever state I am. But I know to be humbled, and I know to
abound;" (Phil4:11-12) Many people are not happy unless they have lots of
money and many possessions. But Paul had learned "contentment" as he says,
"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1Tm6:6) It is not a sin to
be wealthy. But if you suddenly became poor, would you be just as happy in
the Lord?
A friend who used to be well-enough-to-do, became a Christian. He is now in
the Lord's work as a pastor, and often barely scrapes by making ends meet.
But he would be in no other place than in the Lord's work. While I run my
own business, business is slow. Things are "tight", and statistically the
government would consider me to be at the "poverty level". But, if business
wasn't so slow, I wouldn't always have the necessary time to write these
lessons, and communicate with people's needs via e-mail. If you were to ask
me, "If you could do ANYTHING, or be ANYWHERE -else-...what/where would
that be?" 'know what my answer is? RIGHT WHERE I AM!
Yes, sometimes I worry. So does my friend. We are also 'human'. And we
remind each other of Paul's other words to those he was thanking for their
gifts, "But I have all things and more than enough...And my God will fill
your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
(Phil4:18a,19)
But notice what Paul actually -asks- for. We don't see Paul asking anybody
for money. Corinth he chides for their carnality, and lays a little "shame"
on them by telling them how others give. But he never asks. Among other
things, years ago when I sought the Lord's will as to what He would have me
do in service, one reason I never pursued working under a mission board was
because of the stipulation they all have for "fund raising". Going around
to churches, presenting one's -self-, with the goal to get people to pledge
to support financially. (I even hate having to ask customers for money!)
But how many of these "ministries" do you see spending valuable time
begging for money. Some even being so brazen as to "promise" the givers
that their "seed money" will guarantee God's blessings upon them to where
they can't contain it all.
The thing Paul -asks- for is "prayer." "Strive together with me in your
prayers to God on my behalf.." (vs30) To what end? So that I will have
enough money to pay the bills...? "..that I be delivered from the
disobedient ones in Judea, and that my ministry...may be acceptable to the
saints.." (vs31) The same warnings he always gave out to others about the
"wolves" and, as we call them, "pretend-Christians"; he was concerned about
regarding himself. Even though he was so used by God, as was authenticated
by the "power of miraculous signs and wonders" (vs19) (since he was an
"apostle"), he did not view his "successes" in ministry to be a guarantee
against slipping. Even though he penned most of the N.T. epistles, he was
always checking up on himself to make sure he was doing right before God.
He never considered his ministry to be a "slam dunk". He was always
striving, "[controlling] himself in all things... lest proclaiming to
others I myself might be rejected." (1Cor9:25-27)
Paul was the ultimate "apostle" and "minister"..."to the saints".
(Col1:1-2, 2Cor9:1) For all his earnestness, when he met with the churches
his desire was "that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and
that I may be refreshed with you." (vs32)
Here ends the main part of the book of Romans. Ch16 is a kind of "epilogue"
or "P.S." So, his closing salutation, "And the God of peace be with all of
you. Amen" (vs33)
A publication from "A Voice in the Wilderness"
http://www.cet.com/~voice/main/voice069.htm
**********************
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Bob's Lunch Testimony
**********************
**********************
I met my daughter at school for lunch today (4th grade 1.4 miles from the
house - walked there once!) and while there, her best friend's mom showed
up. They are Jewish - the mom being raised Catholic and converting to
Judaism.
After the kids went back to class we sat and talked for about 40 minutes.
As you know I was raised in Reform Judaism and this family attends the same
reform temple that I was raised and bar Mitzvah'ed in.
I did a great job of witnessing if I say so myself because I have a
background in Judaism and Christianity.
I spoke about how reform Jews have zero reverence for God, whereas the
orthodox, although full of legalism, do revere God. I mentioned a brief
synopsis of how, when in college, I reviewed the OT and NT and showed her
how the Jews were/are looking for a suffering messiah (Ben Joseph) and a
messiah king (Ben David). I said that my determination 23 years ago was
that the Jews at that time were suffering and were looking for their
messiah king, that they erred. That earned me a strange look!
I spoke mostly from the OT because I thought that this would be better. It
really is amazing how when you need examples or something to position
yourself how God will help you pull something immediately from the OT or
NT. I have never had to work from the OT exclusively and it was fun
actually.
Then I said something and referred to God as He. She immediately said with
a smile, "or she." I then went on to say how God tells us in scripture how
the Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit and were given to man to
write. She started to get into how it was man's interpretation of what God
said. I then mentioned how the Qumran scrolls (dead sea scrolls) show that
the versions of the Hebrew we have today are virtually the same as 2,000
years ago and that if we study the gender of the Hebrew we find that God
refers to himself as a He.
Well, it was a good conversation (of course I left many good parts out) and
I have never witnessed in this fashion ever. I am quite certain that God
will use this conversation to bring her to the truth.
Just thought I would share this with you. Bob Lally Owner of PropheZine
==========================================================
| Overcoming Sin: A Study Of Psalm 39
| by Ken Onweller
|
|
We all have at one time or another been troubled by some sin which we just
couldn't shake. Try as we might, it just wouldn't go away. So often we hear
the phrase, "Just give it to Jesus." But what exactly does this mean? I
don't know that I have the complete answer, but perhaps by studying David's
example we can understand the process.
Psalm 39:1, "I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I
will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.'"
This sounds good enough. David had a problem with his mouth. He resolved to
simply keep his mouth shut when those situations arose that would cause him
to sin.
Now notice the next verse:
"But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish
increased." (vs. 2)
The sin was STILL THERE even though David was trying to not let it come
out. Because of this, David suffered incredible anguish as all of us do
when we try to conquer our sins alone.
Let's continue:
"My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned..." (vs.
3a)
David knew there was a problem and the more he thought about it, the more
desperate he became. He had but one place left to go.
"...then I spoke with my tongue: 'Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the
number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my
days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and
fro: he bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing
who will get it." (vss. 3b-6)
In approaching God, David humbled himself and came to realize just how
nothing he really was. How could a mere nothing ever accomplish anything
meaningful, especially in overcoming sin?
What did he realize?
"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (vs. 7)
David had to recognize that he could never solve his own problems. It is
only Jesus Christ who could! You, too, must make that same realization to
overcome your own personal sins.
Continuing...
"Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools."
(vs. 8)
As David realized the real solution for his sin, he turned to God not just
for that, but also for ALL OF HIS SINS.
What was the result of this process?
"I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done
this." (vs. 9)
Isn't it amazing that the very thing David failed to do (keeping his mouth
shut) was accomplished by Jesus Christ alone? Now you may not necessarily
have a problem with your tongue, but as long as you are human there will be
those persistent sins. Rather than coming up with an attack plan for
overcoming them, why not do what David did and "give it to Jesus."
Ken Onweller
(mailto:kender@ix.netcom.com)
=========================================================
| Dangerous Ground: The 'Piece Process'
| by Chuck Missler
| Personal Update NewsJournal February 1, 2000
Two thousand is the year that the "Piece Process" is scheduled to be
resolved. It will be a most difficult year; all the tough issues remain -
Jerusalem, the water rights, the "final" borders, etc.
For those of us who take the Bible seriously, it is a critical time to be
up to date on our homework. There are many dangers in not taking the Word
of God seriously.
The Land does not belong to the Palestinians. It doesn't belong to the U.N.
It specifically is the Lord's.
Yes, "the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof."1 And yet, it is
strange to note that there is a very specific parcel of real estate which
has been set aside as His, and His alone.2
Last month we reviewed the Abrahamic Covenant.3 All the other covenants
build on this one. And all of our benefits as Gentiles also derive from
this one.
God delights in making and keeping promises. He takes them very seriously.
This month we'll review another covenant that will be impacting our near
horizon.
THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT
In the same passage that declares the Abrahamic Covenant, the Scripture
includes:
"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this
land: " (Genesis 12:7)
Also:
"...and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and
eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I
give it, and to thy seed forever." [Note that "forever."]
"And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can
number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise,
walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I
will give it unto thee." (Genesis 13:14-17)
Later, when all of this was solemnized unilaterally,4 the scope of this
land grant was reconfirmed:
"In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed
have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates:" (Genesis 15:18)
When people want to talk about the "West Bank," ask them, "Which river?"
The Jordan is not the final boundary.
This grant was confirmed regarding Isaac:
"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt
call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. "
"..But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto
thee at this set time in the next year." (Genesis 17:19, 21)
At Bethel, when God changed Jacob's name to "Israel," this was all
reconfirmed to him:
"And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any
more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. "
"And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a
nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out
of thy loins; "
"And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and
to thy seed after thee will I give the land." (Genesis 35:10-12)
These covenants were declared to be everlasting;5 and the New Testament
declares them immutable.6
DISAPORA PREDICTED
In contrast to these unconditional covenants, the Mosaic Covenant was
conditioned upon obedience.7 Due to Israel's failure under the Mosaic
Covenant, a worldwide dispersion was predicted.8
Many have asked for the evidence of a miracle that the Bible is true. One
classic answer: The Jew. The Wandering Jew is an idiom in history, and the
entire history of Israel-its origin, its ups, its downs, and its final
destiny-are detailed in advance. Their failures in the "Diaspora" were
also predicted:
"And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through
the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I
judged them."
"And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned
my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and
are gone forth out of his land." (Ezekiel 36:19, 20)
(It is significant that the very predicament of their not being in His land
is, in itself, a means of "profaning His holy name," since it causes the
enemies of God to balspheme.9)
REGATHERING PREDICTED
Their regathering back to the Land was predicted, but for some surprising
reasons:
"But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned
among the heathen, whither they went."
"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not
this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake,
which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. "
"And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen,
which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know
that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you
before their eyes. "
"For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all
countries, and will bring you into your own land."
Then [note that "then"!] "will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye
shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I
cleanse you." (Ezekiel 36:21-25)
This is a startling passage! They are to be regathered, not because they
"deserve" to be, but because God's own reputation is at stake-His Name is
on the deal! (Again, it's always by grace-just as our own blessings are!)
On May 14, 1948, the debate should have been silenced: the State of Israel
was reborn in the very Land which God had declared for that purpose. Also,
note the "then" in v. 25: they are to be regathered before becoming
cleansed by faith and repentance. (It appears that the acknowledgment and
repentance of the believing remnant is a precondition of the Second
Coming.10 )
There is a specific event that brings about the results summarized in
Ezekiel 36 and 37. It is an invasion detailed in Ezekiel 38 and 39. And
there are many who believe that this, too, is on our near horizon. (We will
provide an update on these possibilities in future articles. It is, indeed,
getting exciting...)
And just how will they know He is the Lord? Because He keeps His promises
despite their failures! (Fortunately, we, too, are not on a merit system!
It's always by His Grace...)
QUO VADIS, AMERICA?
And speaking of grace, one of the most frequent questions I get asked as I
travel is, "Is God going to judge America?"
In view of the moral free fall of this most-blessed land of ours, this is a
serious question. One is reminded of that memorable response of Billy
Graham many years ago: "If God doesn't judge America, He shall have to
apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." Well said. But why hasn't He? There are
many who believe it is long overdue. There is one Biblically defendable
conjecture: because of His promise to Israel in Genesis 12:3:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."(Genesis 12:3)
It could be that our continued blessings (and mercy) may derive from our
traditional support of Israel in His Land. But if so, then we need to pay
particular attention to our foreign policy decisions.11
There may be grave jeopardy brewing for us as we join the tide of pressures
to render Israel vulnerable to her enemies who are committed to her
destruction. Indeed, in the final climax, the entire world will be aligned
against Israel and Jerusalem:
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round
about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against
Jerusalem. "
"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for 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 12:2, 3)
But let us also remember the judgment that will occur at the Great White
Throne, when the nations are judged by their treatment of Israel.12 We are
instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.13 Let us also remember that:
"He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."( Psalm 121:4)
An elderly American Indian was overheard in a discussion about federal
policy; he was quoted as saying, "Let me tell you more about 'land for
peace...'"
* * *
Notes:
1.Psalm 24:1; 89:11; quoted 1 Corinthians 10:26, 28. 2.1 Kings 11:36;
14:21; 2 Kings 21:4, 7; 23:27; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 33:4, 7; Jeremiah 3:17, et
al. 3.Genesis 12:2-3; 15:6-21. 4.Genesis 15:9-17. 5.Ezekiel 16:60-63.
6.Hebrews 6:13-18. Cf. Genesis 15:8-21.
7.Deuteronomy 30:1-8; Ezekiel 16:59-63.
8.Deuteronomy 28:63-68; 30:1-3 ("when" not "if"); Leviticus 26:40-45 (v. 42
contrasts the conditional Mosaic covenant with the unconditional
covenants.) 9.Cf. 2 Samuel 12:14; Psalm 74:10. 10.Hosea 5:15. See also, The
Next Holocaust and the Refuge in Edom for an exploration of the surprising
implications. 11.For the shocking history of modern Israel, review our
Briefing Package, The Betrayal of the Chosen. 12.Matthew 25:31-46. 13.Psalm
122:6.
Taken from Personal Update NewsJournal February 1, 2000, from Koinonia
House. Call 1-800-KHOUSE-1 to order your free one year subscription! Visit
http://www.khouse.org/ for more great articles like this one!
************************
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Ken's Mailbox Testimony
************************
************************
I was about to put a letter in a mailbox in front of a grocery store this
morning when a very well dressed young man walked up to me carrying some
magazines. He asked if I would be interested in seeing them. I looked at
the title noticing it was produced by a large religious organization.
I offered up a quick prayer and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the
one, true God of the whole earth. He is also the God of the Old Testament,
the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.
He stammered a bit saying that he believed that too and was glad to see
someone else interested in spiritual things. I put my envelope in the box
and looked up: he was long-gone.
It was just a kind of a weird experience for me.
Ken Onweller
**************************
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COMMENTARY
**************************
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STORM CLOUDS OF COMING PERSECUTION?
by Bob Ippolito
The Watchman's Trumpet
http://pages.prodigy.net/hippolytus/
(I express my indebtedness in particular to WorldNetDaily.com who has been
diligent in reporting on issues of special interest to Christians. Their
articles, properly credited here, have been a source of electronic files
for the purpose of excerpting for further commentary.)
Jesus' warnings:
John 14: 18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before
it hated you." 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own;
but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you." John 16: 2 "They will make you outcasts
from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to
think that he is offering service to God. Luke 21: 12 "But before all these
things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering
you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors
for My name's sake. 13 "IT WILL LEAD TO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR TESTIMONY."
(caps mine - ed.)
THE FBI FORAY
NEWS ITEM: FBI: Militias a Threat at Millennium front page, USA Today, Oct
20, 1999 "The (FBI) campaign includes the national distribution of a report
titled 'Project Megiddo' in which federal authorities assess threats posed
by hate groups and explain the significance of biblical references the
groups use to discuss Y2K."
NEWS ITEM: The U.S. Department of Justice website Oct. 20, 1999
www.fbi.gov/pressrm/pressrel/militias.htm Commenting on the USA article on
Project Meggido, said "Many extremists place significance on the next
millennium, and may present challenges to law enforcement authorities. The
significance is based primarily upon apocalyptic religious beliefs or
political beliefs concerning the New World Order conspiracy theory.
...extremist ideologies, specifically those which advocate or call for
violent action beginning in the year 2000.
Such ideologies motivate violent white supremacists who seek to initiate a
race war; apocalyptic cults which anticipate a violent Armageddon; radical
elements of private citizen militias who fear that the United Nations will
initiate an armed takeover of the United States and subsequently establish
a One World Government; and other groups or individuals which promote
violent millennial agendas. The report also discusses how extremists
interpret biblical and/or other religious scriptures to justify their
agendas, and how certain extremist elements point to the so-called Y2K
computer crisis as an indicator of imminent social chaos and unrest.
NEWS ITEM: The Palm Beach Post - Oct 31, 1999 from front page "Police
warned of Y2K violence" - The Washington Post "The FBI says those most
likely to perpetrate violence are either motivated by religious beliefs
relating to the Apocalypse or are New World Order conspiratists convinced
the United Nations has a secret plan to conquer the world."
NEWS ITEM: excerpted from PETITION TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
from Robert McFarland of Free Congress Foundation's Coalition for
Constitutional Liberties - Nov.17, 1999 Robert McFarland petitioned the
U.S. House of Representatives to investigate and hold the FBI accountable
to the people. From the FCF report, authored by Lisa Dean, V.P. for
Technology Policy, "Since many of the cults that the FBI is targeting for
potential acts of violence believe, according to Scripture, that this world
will someday end and Jesus Christ will come again, the FBI takes that
opportunity to confuse the Religious Right, who also share those beliefs,
with those religious cults whom they consider dangerous." "Considering that
the FBI's report considers half the population in the US 'extremist', one
has to wonder just what faction in America that agency is representing,"
said Dean. "The FBI, a once well-respected law enforcement agency, has now
been so heavily politicized that it's high time Congress take a careful and
close look into the matter, and hold hearings, to determine the extent to
which this agency can no longer objectively carry out its duties to the
American public." "With Y2K as an excuse, or perhaps a reason, federal law
enforcement is seeing to it that Americans enter the next century with
fewer Constitutional rights than at any time in the nation's history, all
in the name of saving us from terrorists and criminals, " warned Dean.
THE FCC DEBACLE
EDITOR'S INTRO: Sixteen years ago, I was summoned by a Federal Court to
give testimony on behalf of a Christian radio station. It seems that a
person (not very nice person) was building a very successful radio
broadcasting empire by roaming around and challenging the relevance of
Christian radio stations to hold FCC broadcasting licenses on the charge
that they "were not serving the general welfare of the local community". It
was my apparent ability to testify in defense of the Christian radio
station with "crystal clear recollection of programs and persons and dates"
(according to their opinion) that resulted in their request for my
testimony.
After being apparently successful in aiding the thwarting this attempt at
license theft, the station manager thanked me for the part I played in
winning the victory. I remember saying that, "unless this society shifts
its direction away from increased secularism according to the myth of
'separation of Church and State', it's only a matter of time until the
federal agencies themselves, specifically the FCC, tries the same tactic
against Christians as protectors of the public (secular) airwaves." Enter
the incident below:
NEWS ITEM: excerpted from FCC DEFENDS RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING DECISION.
Congressional challenge to ruling, even atheists up in arms By Jon E.
Dougherty © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com The chairman of the Federal
Communications Commission <http://www.fcc.gov/> has defended his agency's
decision in a controversial ruling critics said would hurt religious
television broadcasters.
<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_dougherty/20000107_xnjdo_fcc_target.sh
tm
l> William E. Kennard, in a letter to Rep. Michael G. Oxley, R.-Ohio,
<http://congress.org/cgi-bin/member.pl?dir=congressorg2&_member=oh04&state=X
s
aid the FCC's decision to approve Cornerstone TeleVision's
<http://www.ctv.org/> request to move from Channel 40 in the Pittsburgh
market to Channel 16, and to sell Channel 40 to Paxson Communications
<http://www.paxson.com/> was proper and within established FCC guidelines.
The controversy arose out of Cornerstone's application to acquire the
license of Channel 16 -- "one of two stations in Pittsburgh expressly
reserved for NCE (noncommercial education) stations," Kennard said.
"Opponents of the transaction claimed that Cornerstone intended to use the
channel for religious programming that did not qualify as educational."
However, he said, "the FCC rejected these arguments and granted
Cornerstone's application. The FCC stated that certain programming dealing
with religious matters can also be deemed educational and thus [satisfies]
the eligibility requirements for NCE channels." Kennard maintained that
"applicants seeking to use NCE-reserved television channels have always
been required to demonstrate that their programming will be 'primarily
educational' in nature and thus serve the educational purpose for which the
channel was reserved. "The Commission's decision in this case therefore
does not establish new rules, but simply clarifies long-standing FCC policy
applicable to any broadcaster seeking to use an NCE-reserved channel," he
added.
Critics of the FCC's ruling cited the "primarily educational" language as
an effort by the agency to ban certain religious programming -- such as
televised church services -- as an establishment of "new rules." In the
Cornerstone/Paxson decision, the FCC said, "... Programming primarily
devoted to religious exhortation, proselytizing, or statements of
personally-held religious views and beliefs generally would not qualify as
'general educational' programming. "Thus, church services generally will
not qualify as 'general education' programming under our rules," the agency
concluded. "The order indicates that church services generally would not
qualify as 'general educational' programming. We ask however, why such
programming might not qualify as 'cultural' programming just as a
presentation of an opera might?"
ATHEISTS AGREE? Perhaps ironically, the organization American Atheists
<http://www.atheists.org/> in a Jan. 12 press release also "joined the
chorus of groups asking the Federal Communications Commission to reverse
its controversial December 29 ruling which attempted to distinguish between
'educational' and 'proselytizing' speech." According to the atheist
organization, "The FCC decision requires religious groups holding a
nonprofit, educational station license to devote half of their air time to
certain forms of expression, while not allowing church services or
preaching toward that quota." "This decision is bad law, and does put the
government in the position of determining what is and what is not
acceptable religious speech," declared Ellen Johnson, president of American
Atheists. However, she said, it was a "sham" for religious groups to
"suddenly unfurl the banner of 'free speech' when so many of these same
organizations wish to violate the free speech rights of others by
legislating restrictions on television content, the Internet, even what
magazines may be displayed in supermarket racks." She added, "The bottom
line is that the government cannot be declaring what type of speech --
whether it's religious or secular -- happens to fall under the protection
of the First Amendment." Chairman Kennard said the FCC's noncommercial
education standards apply only when NCE certification is requested and "do
not apply to most religious broadcasters." He added, "Opponents of the
[Paxson] transaction claimed that Cornerstone intended to use the channel
for religious programming that did not qualify as educational. Jon E.
Dougherty <mailto:jdougherty@worldnetdaily.com> is a staff reporter for
WorldNetDaily. (Ed Note: The full text of the FCC decision may be found at:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Orders/1999/fcc99393.doc>.)
NEWS ITEM: Excerpts from MEMO FROM BRANDT GUSTAVSON TO THE NATIONAL
RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS dated Jan 4, 2000: "The Commission's Order in the
case is a highly disturbing one- for although the agency granted the
parties 'license assignment applications, the FCC also used the case to
establish new, stringent standards for the "educational" programming that
NCETV stations must air to remain qualified to hold their licenses. Of
deepest concern is that the Order singles out religious programming for
special scrutiny under this new NCETV policy. It apparently seeks to draw a
line between programs that teach 'about' religion - which the agency deems
acceptable as the kind of educational fare that NCETV stations must air -
and programs devoted to religious "exhortation" or statements of personal
religious belief - which do not satisfy the new programming standard.
EDITOR'S UPDATE and COMMENTS (2/3/2000): PRAISE GOD! On January 28, 2000
the FCC voted 4 to 1 to rescind (to reverse or take back) its decision and
retain the current rules. According to a Wall Street Journal article on Jan
31, an FCC official said it wasn't worth the amount of flak the FCC was
catching to pursue the new qualifications. "It was clearly a reaction to
the political and public backlash", the official, Rep Michael Oxley (R.,
Ohio) said he was thrilled by the commission's reversal. "Religious
Broadcasters and their listeners were a target for an FCC that sought to
limit their freedom to express religious faith," he said. The backlash was
caused by THOUSANDS of calls and letters from Christians to the FCC and to
their Congressional representatives.
Who influenced this protective backlash? Christian radio and TV stations
who, acting as public watchdogs (or Watchmen) sounded the alarm to their
listeners, the SAME broadcasters and the SAME audience the decision
intended to silence. IF THE FCC HAD SUCCEEDED, WE CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE
LOST OUR EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND ALERT SYSTEM THAT ENABLES US TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE SHAPE OF OUR GOVERNMENT. Consider the environment - The
Clinton Administration is the most liberal, secularist administration that
our country has seen.
A Harvard professor of Philosophy recently said, "we are a society that has
adopted a secularist ideology; secularism is by its very nature, intolerant
of any and all opposing religious viewpoints and will work to exclude
them." Consider the strategy - a commission of 5; 2 are Republican
Reagan-Bush appointees; 3 are recent Democrat liberal secularist
Clinton-Gore appointees. The decision is slipped in with: * the critical
verbiage hidden in the 43rd paragraph, * the decision is submitted during
the December holidays, * just at the peak of concern over the Y2K rollover
issue.
WOW! This was as close as the terrorists on their way to Seattle with
bomb-making materials, stopped by the suspicions of some Customs agents.
Praise be to GOD for His goodness to us.
And the vote of the commission to pass it was 3 against 2, and I won't
insult your intelligence with an explanation of who voted how. It's a
matter of ideology! Those who were appointed by Bill, know their master's
ideology and do what they know he wants them to do. In his State of the
Union Address on January 27th, Bill made mention of the pluralistic nature
of the United States and the undesirability of anyone who would threaten
that diversity. That statement and his remarks should raise our awareness
of how much we need to be ALERT; for we are under attack from many
directions.
In order to continue the Divine Commission to spread the Gospel, we need to
maintain our freedom of religious expression, and this requires vigilance
as well as the willingness to speak out. If we do not, it can all be lost
virtually overnight by such insidious plots. The Church has had a major
victory, but DO NOT LET DOWN YOUR GUARD because the enemy does not! Pray
and work!
NEWS ITEM: excerpted from ALL THE PRESIDENT'S SCANDALS FALWELL SUES WHITE
HOUSE Secret, illegal database allegedly targets religious, anti-abortion
leaders By Jon E. Dougherty © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com Rev. Jerry Falwell and
Judicial Watch <http://www.judicialwatch.org/> have filed a Privacy Act
lawsuit against the White House and the Department of Justice in an attempt
to uncover the contents of a secret database allegedly being kept by
administration officials on anti-abortion and pro-life religious activists.
According to Falwell, a national religious figure and exclusive
WorldNetDaily columnist,
<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/cgi-bin/htsearch?words=xcjfa&config=falwell>
the database contains personal private information on a number of figures
hostile to Clinton administration policies dealing with abortion. Judicial
Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based legal watchdog organization that has
several pending lawsuits against the Clinton administration, is handling
Falwell's suit. The organization's founder, Larry Klayman,
<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/cgi-bin/htsearch?words=xckla&config=klayman>
will be working closely with Jerry Falwell, Jr. -- Rev. Falwell's son, who
is also an attorney.
The database, called "VAAPCON," was discovered when Judicial Watch received
an anonymous tip, which was confirmed when the group filed a Freedom of
Information Act request asking the White House and Justice Department to
reveal any details about Rev. Falwell that may have been included in the
database. The lawsuit alleges that administration and Justice officials
violated Jerry Falwell's privacy, along with scores of others, by
surreptitiously collecting and maintaining personal information on them.
"Over the years, my ministries and I have been subjected to a number of
attempts to not only inhibit our free speech, but to subvert our pro-life
advocacy," Falwell said. "When I learned of this illegal VAAPCON database,
I felt obliged to take action to stand up for the rights of all Americans
to be free to express their religious beliefs, as people of faith should
not be intimidated by a corrupt and immoral Clinton administration."
Privacy rules not only may prohibit this kind of government collection and
retention of personal and private information, the federal Privacy Act
itself states that there must be a lawful reason for maintaining such
files. If government agencies assemble such files, persons contained
therein must be notified of the existence of the file to attest to the
accuracy of information contained there, and must be provided the contents
of the file on demand.
If the government intends to release any information contained in such
files, it must obtain permission from the person the file represents.
Though he said he isn't sure what might be contained in such a file, Rev.
Falwell told WorldNetDaily, "When I consider that my Christian friend and
colleague Chuck Colson [of the Nixon era] went to prison for violating one
file, it is appalling to me that this president has violated at least 900
files with no repercussions whatever." Falwell added that he believes such
an alleged theft of files and the resultant databases those files may have
fed were the result of "a spineless Congress and a national media that is
in virtual agreement with every good and bad thing this president stands
for." Jon E. Dougherty <mailto:jdougherty@worldnetdaily.com> is a staff
reporter for WorldNetDaily.
NEWS ITEM: THE NEW WORLD DISORDER Michael New gets court date. Soldier who
refused to wear U.N. uniform awaits final appeal. By Julie Foster © 2000
WorldNetDaily.com. Former Army Spc. Michael New, court-martialed in 1996
for refusing to obey an order to wear a United Nations uniform, will appear
before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the highest military
tribunal in the land, on Feb. 4. Considered a hero by many, the media-shy
New refused to don the U.N. uniform while stationed in Germany in 1995
during a peacekeeping mission. This hearing is yet another in a long line
of court battles fought to reverse the bad conduct discharge the Army gave
New in 1996. Given his past court battles, New's prospects for victory look
grim. This is his second appeal in the military court system -- which New's
father, Daniel, characterizes as "an intense adversarial relationship."
"It's not like a regular trial," said Daniel New in an exclusive
WorldNetDaily interview. Michael New's lawyer will be given 15 minutes to
outline his arguments that New was not given a fair court martial.
Judge Gary Jewell, who decided the initial case, did not allow any evidence
brought before the panel of jurors on the basis that it was irrelevant to
the question of whether or not New had disobeyed orders to wear the U.N.
uniform. Following New's statement, lawyers representing the U.S. Army will
be given 15 minutes to refute New's arguments. At any time during the
one-hour proceeding, the panel of five presiding judges may interrupt with
questions that count against each side's time, according to New's lawyer,
retired Lt. Col. Henry Hamilton, a former Army lawyer. "It doesn't matter,
in this case, whether [New] was right or wrong" in his refusal to don U.N.
accoutrements, said Capt. Paul Fiorino, appointed by the Army to defend New
in an earlier round of appeals. "The fact is, he was denied a fair trial
under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was railroaded and that's
wrong. A defendant should be all
owed to present his evidence to those who
determine his guilt." "We brought a mountain of evidence that the U.N.
uniform is not regulation," Daniel New said. But the Army maintains the
issue before the court is simply whether or not a soldier can disobey an
order.
Since the scope of the allowed debate is so limited, New can no longer
argue the real issue -- should an American soldier be subject to wearing
foreign military uniforms and serving under foreign military officers as
occurred with New's unit in Germany. New's officers told him that the
president now has the authority to place Americans under the United
Nations, according to Presidential Decision Directive 25, signed in 1994.
While an executive summary of that directive exists, the document itself is
classified. Supporters of New's position claim that President Clinton has,
under PDD 25, "affected to render the military independent of and superior
to the civil power" -- civil power being Congress, not the Commander in
Chief.
Attempts to convince military courts that foreign command of U.S. troops is
unconstitutional have been declared "non-justifiable," that is, having
political ramifications and involving constitutional questions that
military courts are unable to address. However, New has been denied a
hearing in civilian courts until the military appeals are completed. The
Army successfully argued that the case is exclusively a military matter and
has no place before civilian courts. Political ramifications may be exactly
what some are avoiding in their lack of comment on New's case.
WorldNetDaily repeatedly attempted to contact Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee,
D-Texas, representing New's home state to no avail. A staunch Clinton
defender during the president's impeachment proceedings, she did not
provide any comment on the matter. Texas Sen. Kay Bailey-Hutchison, a
Republican, also refused to take an official stand regarding New's case,
demonstrating that the issue crosses party lines. "This is not a Republican
or Democrat issue," said Daniel New. "This is a bi-partisan American issue"
-- and one that many other congressional representatives have not shied
away from. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, not only vocally supports New, but went
so far as to sponsor a bill in Congress that would have made it illegal to
serve under any foreign power, including the U.N., against a soldier's will
-- a move that would clear up any ambiguity on the part of the courts.
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert also backs New's position. Ironically,
though the list of New's supporters in Congress is a long one with no vocal
opposition, the press has largely avoided the story. Should New's appeal be
denied, he will either take his case before the U.S. Supreme Court or
return to federal court where he will again attempt to raise the issue of
whether the president has the authority to place U.S. troops under foreign
command. Michael New currently lives in Texas where he is continuing his
education. He maintains his distance from the media, saying, "I was
prepared to go to prison. I wasn't prepared to be famous." Julie Foster is
a staff reporter for WorldNetDaily.
NEWS ITEM: MUSLIMS RANSACK INDONESIAN ISLAND MATARAM, Indonesia (AP) - With
almost all tourists evacuated, hotels on Lombok island proclaimed
themselves "Muslim-owned" Wednesday in hopes of warding off possible attack
by Islamic gangs. MOBS HAVE TRASHED AND BURNED DOZENS OF CHRISTIAN
CHURCHES, HOMES AND BUSINESSES ON THE ISLAND FOR THREE STRAIGHT DAYS.
Foreign vacationers were taken by ferry or plane Tuesday and Wednesday to
the nearby Hindu-dominated island of Bali, Indonesia's main tourist
destination. Hundreds of riot police and troops have been ordered to quell
the destruction. The trouble started after Islamic activists protested
against the government's failure to curb violence between Muslims and
Christians in the Maluku archipelago in eastern Indonesia. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563464767-9b1
NEWS ITEM: CONGRESS YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. From World Magazine,
Asheville, NC, Dec. 18, 1999 A cease-and-desist warning against Christian
evangelism arrives on congressional stationery By R. Albert Mohler Jr. U.S.
Congressman Jim McDermott is a man on a religious mission. The Washington
Democrat has thrown himself into a controversy over the Southern Baptist
prayer guides for the conversion of Hindus, and he has even put the
weight of his congressional office behind the mission. In an Oct 28 "Dear
Colleague" letter distributed to all 434 of his fellow House members,
charged Southern Baptists with an "aggressive, intolerant view that has
inflamed Hindu communities worldwide." Mr. McDermott's letter called on
fellow house members to "end your conversion campaign directed to members
of the Hindu faith."
It is Mr. McDermott's letter that should disturb American taxpayers, who
should be outraged at the intrusion of governmental officials into the
evangelism efforts of American Christians, who are, after all, supposedly
protected by the Bill of Rights. Mr. Chapman, President of the Southern
Baptist Convention's Executive Committee responded to Mr. McDermott in a
Nov 18 letter that defended conversionist missions, taking the gospel "to
every ethnic background, in every place on the earth." Further, "your
letter presents us with a real dilemma. Do we attempt to obey God, or do we
take our signals from some Hindu spokesman or from persons such as you who
counsel 'a more tolerant and enlightened' approach?" "We believe the
attempt to use any governmental office to pressure Christians to change
their doctrines or practices is improper and reprehensible," Mr. Chapman
emphasized.
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Poems....etc.
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The following poet is a new contributor to PZ and is currently being
featured on the front page of PZ's Endtime Poetry.
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/
Christian Soldiers
by Jeannette Haley
"Onward Christian Soldiers"
So sings the church of Christ,
Boisterous, loud and joyful,
Confident to pay the price.
On the bloody battlefield,
The conflict rages on,
Yet the church of Jesus sings
The timeless battle song.
Through the ages pressing,
Fighting side by side,
The church of Christ triumphant,
Resisting Satan's pride.
But time is growing shorter,
With each passing day,
Christ's weary soldiers are struggling,
To find the time to pray.
Satan's plan is fast advancing,
Around this fallen earth,
While ungodly men are seeking
Riches, power, fame and mirth.
Satan's fury knows no limit,
As he stalks the sons of God,
Devouring and deceiving,
Many fall into the sod.
Wounded sore and bleeding
These brave soldiers know the pain,
Of losing all for Jesus,
Heaven's glories to be gained.
But Satan knows mana's weaknesses,
The pride, the flesh, the lust,
He knows which snare to set for him,
To lay him in the dust.
And then he watches gleefully,
As God's fallen lays condemned,
Not by God or Jesus,
But by the soldier's friends.
How glorious the church would be,
And mighty to overcome,
If Christians learned the lesson
The battle is won by love.
Copyright Jeannette Haley
(Gentle Shepherd Ministries)
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