THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God

20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

23And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

24For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

25But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

32Remember Lot's wife.

33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

34I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Luke 17:20-37

SATAN'S LAST CAMPAIGN

Satan's Last Campaign

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18.


The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. . . .

Man is Satan's captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith . . . that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts. . . .

Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in the general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the coming of Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined and decisive in his efforts to overthrow them. Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God's word, yet souls will be deceived. False reports will be circulated, and some will be taken in this snare. . . . We cannot be too watchful against every form of error, for Satan is constantly seeking to draw men from the truth. . . .

Some men have no firmness of character. They are like a ball of putty and can be pressed into any conceivable shape. . . . This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome. There is an indomitableness about true Christian character which cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances.Men must have moral backbone, an integrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified. . . .

God has set bounds that Satan cannot pass. Our most holy faith is this barrier; and if we build ourselves up in the faith, we shall be safe in the keeping of the Mighty One.

Maranatha, Ellen G. White, page 64.

REJECTION OF THE TESTIMONIES = APOSTASY

Rejection of the Testimonies Results in Apostasy


One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan's banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God's Spirit.--3SM 84 (1903).

The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony.--1SM 48 (1890).

The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies. . . . This is just as Satan designed it should be, and those who have been preparing the way for the people to pay no heed to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring into life.--3SM 83 (1890).

It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.--4T 211.

Last Day Events, Ellen G. White, pp. 177-178.

.

.

P.S. .Bolds added for emphasis Blogman

TERRORIZED BY 'WAR ON TERROR'

Terrorized by 'War on Terror'

How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America

By Zbigniew Brzezinski

28/02/08 "Washington Post" -- -- The "war on terror" has created a culture of fear in America. The Bush administration's elevation of these three words into a national mantra since the horrific events of 9/11 has had a pernicious impact on American democracy, on America's psyche and on U.S. standing in the world. Using this phrase has actually undermined our ability to effectively confront the real challenges we face from fanatics who may use terrorism against us.

The damage these three words have done -- a classic self-inflicted wound -- is infinitely greater than any wild dreams entertained by the fanatical perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks when they were plotting against us in distant Afghan caves. The phrase itself is meaningless. It defines neither a geographic context nor our presumed enemies. Terrorism is not an enemy but a technique of warfare -- political intimidation through the killing of unarmed non-combatants.

But the little secret here may be that the vagueness of the phrase was deliberately (or instinctively) calculated by its sponsors. Constant reference to a "war on terror" did accomplish one major objective: It stimulated the emergence of a culture of fear. Fear obscures reason, intensifies emotions and makes it easier for demagogic politicians to mobilize the public on behalf of the policies they want to pursue. The war of choice in Iraq could never have gained the congressional support it got without the psychological linkage between the shock of 9/11 and the postulated existence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Support for President Bush in the 2004 elections was also mobilized in part by the notion that "a nation at war" does not change its commander in chief in midstream. The sense of a pervasive but otherwise imprecise danger was thus channeled in a politically expedient direction by the mobilizing appeal of being "at war."

To justify the "war on terror," the administration has lately crafted a false historical narrative that could even become a self-fulfilling prophecy. By claiming that its war is similar to earlier U.S. struggles against Nazism and then Stalinism (while ignoring the fact that both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia were first-rate military powers, a status al-Qaeda neither has nor can achieve), the administration could be preparing the case for war with Iran. Such war would then plunge America into a protracted conflict spanning Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and perhaps also Pakistan.

The culture of fear is like a genie that has been let out of its bottle. It acquires a life of its own -- and can become demoralizing. America today is not the self-confident and determined nation that responded to Pearl Harbor; nor is it the America that heard from its leader, at another moment of crisis, the powerful words "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself"; nor is it the calm America that waged the Cold War with quiet persistence despite the knowledge that a real war could be initiated abruptly within minutes and prompt the death of 100 million Americans within just a few hours. We are now divided, uncertain and potentially very susceptible to panic in the event of another terrorist act in the United States itself.

That is the result of five years of almost continuous national brainwashing on the subject of terror, quite unlike the more muted reactions of several other nations (Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, to mention just a few) that also have suffered painful terrorist acts. In his latest justification for his war in Iraq, President Bush even claims absurdly that he has to continue waging it lest al-Qaeda cross the Atlantic to launch a war of terror here in the United States.

Such fear-mongering, reinforced by security entrepreneurs, the mass media and the entertainment industry, generates its own momentum. The terror entrepreneurs, usually described as experts on terrorism, are necessarily engaged in competition to justify their existence. Hence their task is to convince the public that it faces new threats. That puts a premium on the presentation of credible scenarios of ever-more-horrifying acts of violence, sometimes even with blueprints for their implementation.

That America has become insecure and more paranoid is hardly debatable. A recent study reported that in 2003, Congress identified 160 sites as potentially important national targets for would-be terrorists. With lobbyists weighing in, by the end of that year the list had grown to 1,849; by the end of 2004, to 28,360; by 2005, to 77,769. The national database of possible targets now has some 300,000 items in it, including the Sears Tower in Chicago and an Illinois Apple and Pork Festival.

Just last week, here in Washington, on my way to visit a journalistic office, I had to pass through one of the absurd "security checks" that have proliferated in almost all the privately owned office buildings in this capital -- and in New York City. A uniformed guard required me to fill out a form, show an I.D. and in this case explain in writing the purpose of my visit. Would a visiting terrorist indicate in writing that the purpose is "to blow up the building"? Would the guard be able to arrest such a self-confessing, would-be suicide bomber? To make matters more absurd, large department stores, with their crowds of shoppers, do not have any comparable procedures. Nor do concert halls or movie theaters. Yet such "security" procedures have become routine, wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and further contributing to a siege mentality.

Government at every level has stimulated the paranoia. Consider, for example, the electronic billboards over interstate highways urging motorists to "Report Suspicious Activity" (drivers in turbans?). Some mass media have made their own contribution. The cable channels and some print media have found that horror scenarios attract audiences, while terror "experts" as "consultants" provide authenticity for the apocalyptic visions fed to the American public. Hence the proliferation of programs with bearded "terrorists" as the central villains. Their general effect is to reinforce the sense of the unknown but lurking danger that is said to increasingly threaten the lives of all Americans.

The entertainment industry has also jumped into the act. Hence the TV serials and films in which the evil characters have recognizable Arab features, sometimes highlighted by religious gestures, that exploit public anxiety and stimulate Islamophobia. Arab facial stereotypes, particularly in newspaper cartoons, have at times been rendered in a manner sadly reminiscent of the Nazi anti-Semitic campaigns. Lately, even some college student organizations have become involved in such propagation, apparently oblivious to the menacing connection between the stimulation of racial and religious hatreds and the unleashing of the unprecedented crimes of the Holocaust.

The atmosphere generated by the "war on terror" has encouraged legal and political harassment of Arab Americans (generally loyal Americans) for conduct that has not been unique to them. A case in point is the reported harassment of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for its attempts to emulate, not very successfully, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Some House Republicans recently described CAIR members as "terrorist apologists" who should not be allowed to use a Capitol meeting room for a panel discussion.

Social discrimination, for example toward Muslim air travelers, has also been its unintended byproduct. Not surprisingly, animus toward the United States even among Muslims otherwise not particularly concerned with the Middle East has intensified, while America's reputation as a leader in fostering constructive interracial and interreligious relations has suffered egregiously.

The record is even more troubling in the general area of civil rights. The culture of fear has bred intolerance, suspicion of foreigners and the adoption of legal procedures that undermine fundamental notions of justice. Innocent until proven guilty has been diluted if not undone, with some -- even U.S. citizens -- incarcerated for lengthy periods of time without effective and prompt access to due process. There is no known, hard evidence that such excess has prevented significant acts of terrorism, and convictions for would-be terrorists of any kind have been few and far between. Someday Americans will be as ashamed of this record as they now have become of the earlier instances in U.S. history of panic by the many prompting intolerance against the few.

In the meantime, the "war on terror" has gravely damaged the United States internationally. For Muslims, the similarity between the rough treatment of Iraqi civilians by the U.S. military and of the Palestinians by the Israelis has prompted a widespread sense of hostility toward the United States in general. It's not the "war on terror" that angers Muslims watching the news on television, it's the victimization of Arab civilians. And the resentment is not limited to Muslims. A recent BBC poll of 28,000 people in 27 countries that sought respondents' assessments of the role of states in international affairs resulted in Israel, Iran and the United States being rated (in that order) as the states with "the most negative influence on the world." Alas, for some that is the new axis of evil!

The events of 9/11 could have resulted in a truly global solidarity against extremism and terrorism. A global alliance of moderates, including Muslim ones, engaged in a deliberate campaign both to extirpate the specific terrorist networks and to terminate the political conflicts that spawn terrorism would have been more productive than a demagogically proclaimed and largely solitary U.S. "war on terror" against "Islamo-fascism." Only a confidently determined and reasonable America can promote genuine international security which then leaves no political space for terrorism.

Where is the U.S. leader ready to say, "Enough of this hysteria, stop this paranoia"? Even in the face of future terrorist attacks, the likelihood of which cannot be denied, let us show some sense. Let us be true to our traditions.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, is the author most recently of "Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower" (Basic Books).

Source: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19437.htm

BRAIN-READING HEADSET TO SELL FOR $299

Brain-Reading Headset to Sell for $299



Wednesday February 20, 5:25 PM EST


NEW YORK (AP) — Hands cramping up from too many video games?

How about controlling games with your thoughts instead? Later this year, Emotiv Systems Inc. plans to start selling the $299 EPOC neuroheadset to let you do just that.

The headset's sensors are designed to detect conscious thoughts and expressions as well as "non-conscious emotions" by reading electrical signals around the brain, says the company, which demonstrated the wireless gadget at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The company, which unveiled a prototype last year, says the headset can detect emotions such as anger, excitement and tension, as well as facial expressions and cognitive actions like pushing and pulling objects.

The headset will be sold with a game developed by Emotiv, but it can also be made to work with existing PC games, the company said. Users will also be able to access an online portal to play more games, chat or upload their own content such as music or photos.

Emotiv plans to work with IBM Corp. to explore applications beyond video gaming. The "brain computer interface" technology could transform not only gaming, but how humans and computers interact, said Paul Ledak, vice president of IBM's Digital Convergence business.

Source: http://finance.myway.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&feed=ap&src=601&news_id=ap-d8uuaio01&date=20080220

THE UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN CAFE

S T O R Y

BY NATHAN BROWN BOUT SIX HEARS AGO COLETTE Muth spent a year working as a volunteer with the South Queensland Conference Youth Department in Australia. She became involved with cafés at camp meetings in the South Queensland and North New South Wales conferences. "It was such an amazing experience to see how it reached young adults," Colette says. "I came back here, and we had nothing like this in America." So, together with her brother Aaron, Colette used café ministry at a number of temporary locations, including in conjunction with the General Conference 2000 in Toronto. "It was incredible," reports Colette, "and went so well we felt God was leading both of us to do this in a permanent location." "That's when we saw the potential in the one-on-one situation," Aaron adds. "Not just giving sermons, but the one-on-one interaction in the café, talking to people, getting to know them, hearing their stories, hearing the trials or hurts, and sitting down praying with them. And I think that means so much to them, to build up that rapport, that friendship before we start preaching to them. "That's the essence of the Upper Room-it's been one great story after another," continues Aaron. "We were looking for a building in Loma Linda, and if you saw the building we found there, you would laugh at the comparison with what God's given us here. Finally we met this really godly real estate man. He brought us here to the basement and we sat there, knowing this was not going to work. But the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask the landlord, 'Hey, I'd like your restaurant'-this was a fully functional restaurant when we got it. He said, 'I just decided to sell it three days ago. We'll make you a deal on it.'" Aaron and Colette were able to arrange a loan to purchase the restaurant and all the equipment needed to operate. They then wondered what the Upper Room Café should look like. "We prayed about it," Aaron recalls, "and God led Colette to Second Chronicles, where she read about Solomon's Temple-gold walls, the carpet, the dark wood, the royal colors of the dark blues, purples, and deep reds. So I said, 'That's what we're doing-we're going to make it look like God's house.'" On August 3, 2002, 500 young people packed the Upper Room Christian Café, Redlands, California, for a Michelle Tumes concert celebrating the grand opening of this new business/ministry. In the first month of operation the café has attracted more than 2,000 customers per week, served by a staff of 14 part-time employees. But the business takes second place to the ministry. Aaron sees their café as meeting a need for simply a place to be and a place to be Christian. "A few months ago I was taken to a local bar by friends and found a number of Adventist kids there," he relates. "Now that we've opened, they're over here studying. These kids aren't bad; they're just looking for a place to hang out, a place where Christianity is cool. We have even had members of the community come in here and comment that Christians often do things so shoddy that they don't want to be a part of it. But one of the local magazine owners came to see us and said,' I would actually want to come in here.' And I think that's why God had us make it the way it is." On Friday nights the business shuts down, and the usual food and drinks are provided free. Aaron remembers the first Friday night worship service as the highlight of the journey so far. "It was so worshipful," he recalls. "The way I had always imagined. We just told the young people, 'We care so much about God and glorifying Him that we don't want any distractions'-and they respect that and love it." As well as Friday night services, the café hosts nightly worships, Bible study groups, prayer groups, regular live Christian music, and there are plans to provide service opportunities. However, the Upper Room Café has also found unexpected ministries. "We've developed a homeless ministry we didn't know anything about," says Aaron with a smile. "They come in on Friday nights and get a free meal. Such sad stories-there was one family with eight kids, and they were all living in a van. You can't turn away people like that." "God's called us to feed those people spiritually and physically," Colette adds. "And just to see how this is affecting people already-there have been a couple of people feeling suicidal, and God sent them over here. One person was actually on his way to the railroad tracks. He came over here and found God again and now wants to have Bible studies. It's so encouraging and so powerful to actually see the ministry in these one-on-one relationships. There's a kind of evangelism of just being there and talking to people and just praying with them." The response from local churches and the wider community has been overwhelmingly supportive. Local media have taken notice and KTLA-a Los Angeles television station-is interested in a story. Colette and Aaron have received inquiries from other places across the United States about the possibility of franchising their café. "But we've got to stay grounded," Aaron is quick to add. "Instead of looking ahead to more, let's get the ministry right." "It's huge to think we just opened the place and we have a congregation of 2,000 people," Aaron reflects. "I think a lot of people see it as a cute little coffee shop and don't see the ministry potential. Most of these kids would never walk into an Adventist church, but they're here. God put a burden on our heart to preach it-it's just a different kind of house of worship here." _________________________ Nathan Brown is a graduate student and freelance writer in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. © 2002, Adventist Review.

Source: http://www.adventistreview.org/2002-1549/story3.html

.

Note: Highlights and Bolds used for emphasis. Blogman

CHRISTIANS ON COFFEE & WINNING

Today, I was listening to an Evangelical Pastor speak about prayer on the radio. He enumerated several things he consired vital to pray for.
Then, he mentioned: Thank you, Lord, for the cup of coffee I had this morning.
This is something that continues to baffle me. It amazes me that someone can claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and yet indulge in a drug called coffee. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. With these words in mind; Who can espouse a Christ like character while under the influence of Caffeine. As the saying goes: A drug, is a drug, is a drug. It may be over the counter, available at Walgreen's, or Starbucks, or illegal and found in the underground world of the hooked. Yet, it remains a mind altering, and habit forming drug.

When I hear these Christian Charlatans proclaim that they are doing it for the Kingdom. Or, that they ar trying to win back the nation for Christ. It makes me wonder what Bible traslation/version they are reading. I have found nowhere in my Bible, where it refers to winning the world for Christ. The Kingdom of God is not in this temporal world. It's in the world to come. We will only take one thing from this earthly abode. That will be our character, nothing else. No one else. We will not ever, in a million years, if the Lord were to tarry that long, win the world for Christ. Get that through your head. Jesus said that if the world hated Him, we should expect the same. Not, that the world would recognize us as His chosen, and join us in preparing for His return. Au contraire, mon frere. They would fight and persecute His elect. So the next time you want to conquer 'the world' for Christ, after having that morning cup of coffee; Don't think you're doing it for Him? You're not getting that from the word of God. It might be your coffee talking to you, brother!

Arsenio

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE "W"

In his latest disinformation-press conference, Mr. Bush, continues to reject what seems so obvious to everyone else. It's as if he is right, and everyone else is confused. Mr. Bush is the interpreter of truth, and the arbiter of what's important. Which brings to mind the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf; In this familiar story the child is sent to see her grandma with a basket of goodies. When she arrives at her grandma's house she finds the wolf dressed up as her granny. Well, we know that the girl starts to notice the strangeness of "her grandma". She sees the big eyes, the big snout, and so on. Here I see the parallel with this children story,and the daily occurrences at the white house (grandma's house). We regularly witness the wolf as an impostor, and a beast that will go to any length to 'fool' his prey; While denying the obvious fact that he (wolf) isn't the grandmother.
Today's speech once again corroborates the assumption that President Bush lives in a fairy tale land. Oblivious to reality, denying the facts that are brought before him, and fabricating whimsical ideas. No, the economy's fine, I'm doing everything that I've always done to keep the country afloat! We need more surveillance for our own well (security) being. Remember, the 'stay the course' cliche? He used that line until it became a reality to some. Yeah, he's right, some quipped; We have to 'stay the course' (corpse) as President Bush says! President Bush must think everyone's drunk on Budweiser, playing PS2 or XBOX, and full of Big Macs; Therefore, is a moron, and can not distinguish Koolaid from Cool Whip.

On Cuba, Turkey, and Russia: Cuba has been our ugly aunt for fifty years; We have opened relationships with the USSR, now calling itself Russia, and Leningrad is now St. Petersburg. Great,I want to go there and visit then I'll also visit Tampa. We also normalized relations with China (The People's Democratic Republic) who is now holding more US debt than any other country on the Planet. The Sucking sound Ross Perot mentioned was coming from the resources and jobs going to "friends" like China. Remember, the Tianamen Square Massacre? We did nothing except export more jobs for their benefit. And lately Kim Young Ill's North Korea. Their threats of nuclear proliferation and development have traditionally been appeasement. This week we constantly witness ABC, NBC, CBS, bragging about some American Philharmonic Orchestra, playing American music to somber North Koreans in Pyiongyang. Big deal! Anyway, my point is we've travelled around the world to babysit our known enemies, yet, Cuba has had to suffer 50 years of Totalitarian (90 miles away) Torture. Now, we've begun to use the island as a torture venue. Who has the moral authority to call The Castro's Tyrants? What are Putin and his Communists comrades? Good-olde boys?

About Turkey: Our new Ottoman/European Ally. They've invaded the area of Iraq that Odierno, and Betraeus bragged about being peaceful, The Kurdish region. Well, they should hurry up, do their work there and get out? Just like that? Why don't we finish our "job" in Iraq, and get out? Oh, we need to establish a presence there. We have a new 30 years war there, that takes time. See the hypocrisy, the inconsistency?

Now on to Russia; Our old "Cold War Enemy/Soul-Mate" Russia. America has traditionally had a love-hate relationship with the land of Rasputin for ages. Remember, Seward's folly aka Alaska? Well, Russia is no longer a threat to our peace and security. We just sit back and allow former prime minsters such as Gorbachev to lecture at our Universities, and buy into this new found sense of security. Or is it detente? Putin boldly handpicks a successor or 'paper tiger', and we hear President Bush say: That "we must deal with his replacement"?
In the last few years Putin has threatened our nation on several occasion with a nuclear blitzkrieg. Yet, what does our administration do in response? Invite Putin to Kennybunkport. Need I say any more? It's clear as day that the 'W'olf, The Beast from the West, will not the abandon the crooked course that has been set for our (by the Secret Societies and the Vatican) Nation to lead, or accept and acknowledge the truth. We are wrong! The President is infallible. Wait, that sure sounds familiar. Who else claims these privileges?
Nah, his number isn't 666! $4 per gallon for gas? Yeah, I've heard of that! But, everything is going to be just fine. The big boss will visit us very soon.

And the war against the republic of alkaida, continues. AS LETTERMAN SAYS; WHAT?

When I hear about press conferences, I wonder why keep pressing the issue(s)?

Wall Street is wrong, Bernanke is wrong, you are wrong, and I am wrong!

Huff and I puff, etc.

Arsenio.

bUSh IS NOT HEADED INTO RECESSION

Bush: US Is Not Headed Into Recession


Thursday, February 28, 2008

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday the country is not recession-bound and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth, rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. "We acted robustly," he said.

"We'll see the effects of this pro-growth package," Bush told reporters at a White House news conference, acknowledging that some lawmakers already are talking about a second stimulus package. "Why don't we let stimulus package 1, which seemed like a good idea at the time, have a chance to kick in?"

Bush's view of the economy was decidedly rosier than that of many economists, who say the country is nearing recession territory or may already be there. "I'm concerned about the economy," he said. "I don't think we're headed to recession. But no question, we're in a slowdown."

The centerpiece of government efforts to brace the wobbly economy is a package Congress passed and Bush signed last month. It will rush rebates ranging from $300 to $1,200 to millions of people and give tax incentives to businesses.

On one issue particularly worrisome to American consumers, there are indications that paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline is not out of the question once the summer driving season arrives. Asked about that, Bush said "That's interesting. I hadn't heard that. ... I know it's high now."

Bush also telegraphed optimism about the U.S. dollar, which has been declining in value.

"I believe that our economy has got the fundamentals in place for us to ... grow and continue growing, more robustly hopefully than we're growing now," he said. "So we're still for a strong dollar."

Bush also used his news conference to press Congress to give telecommunications companies legal immunity for helping the government eavesdrop after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He continued a near-daily effort to prod lawmakers into passing his version of a law to make it easier for the government to conduct domestic eavesdropping on suspected terrorists' phone calls and e-mails. He says the country is in more danger now that a temporary surveillance law has expired.

The president and Congress are in a showdown over Bush's demand on the immunity issue.

Bush said the companies helped the government after being told "that their assistance was legal and vital to national security." "Allowing these lawsuits to proceed would be unfair," he said.

More important, Bush added, "the litigation process could lead to the disclosure of information about how we conduct surveillance and it would give al-Qaida and others a roadmap as to how to avoid the surveillance."

The Senate passed its version of the surveillance bill earlier this month, and it provides retroactive legal protection for telecommunications companies that wiretapped U.S. phone and computer lines at the government's request and without court permission. The House version, approved in October, does not include telecom immunity.

Telecom companies face around 40 lawsuits for their alleged role in wiretapping their American customers.

Senate Democrats appeared unwilling to budge.

As Bush began speaking, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., cast the president's position as a "tiresome campaign...to avoid accountability for the unlawful surveillance of Americans."

"The president once again is misusing his bully pulpit," Leahy said. "Once again they are showing they are not above fear-mongering if that's what it takes to get their way."

Bush criticized the Democratic presidential candidates over their attempts to disassociate themselves from the North American Free Trade Agreement, a free-trade pact between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Bush said the deal is contributing to more and better-paying jobs for Americans.

"The idea of just unilaterally withdrawing from a trade treaty because of, you know, trying to score political points is not good policy," he said. "It's not good policy on the merits and it's not good policy as a message to send to people who have in good faith signed a treaty and worked with us on a treaty."

Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are feuding over NAFTA as they compete for their party's presidential nomination, as the pact is deeply unpopular with blue-collar workers. Though neither has said they were ready to pull the United States out of the agreement, both say they would use the threat of doing so to pressure Mexico to renegotiate tougher labor, environmental and enforcement provisions.

Bush fended off a question about why he has yet to replace Fran Townsend, his White House-based terrorism adviser, who announced her resignation more than three months ago. He said the job is being ably filled by her former deputy, Joel Bagnal.

On another issue, Bush said that Turkey's offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq should be limited - and should end as soon as possible. The ongoing fighting has put the United States in a touchy position, as it is close allies with both Iraq and Turkey. A long offensive along their border could jeopardize security in Iraq just as the U.S. is trying to stabilize the war-wracked country.

"The Turks need to move, move quickly, achieve their objective and get out," he said.

On Russia, Bush said he does not know much about Dmitry Medvedev, the handpicked successor to President Vladimir Putin who is coasting to the job. Bush said it will be interesting to see who represents Russia - presumably either Medvedev or Putin - at the Group of Eight meeting later this year in Japan.

The president advised his own successor to develop a personal relationship with whomever is in charge in Moscow.

"As you know, Putin's a straightforward, pretty tough character when it comes to his interests - well so am I," Bush said. He said that he and Putin have "had some diplomatic head butts."

Bush also said, however, that the pair have "a cordial enough relationship to be able to deal with common threats and opportunities, and that's going to be important for the next president to maintain."

Bush also defended his stance of not talking directly with leaders of adversaries such as Iran and Cuba without setting preconditions. In doing so, he offered some of his strongest criticism yet of Raul Castro, who assumed Cuba's presidency on Sunday after his ailing brother Fidel, who ruled for decades, stepped aside.

"Sitting down at the table, having your picture taken with a tyrant such as Raul Castro, for example, lends the status of the office and the status of our country to him," Bush said.

He said that Raul Castro is "nothing more than an extension of what his brother did, which is ruin an island."

Following his news conference, Bush traveled to the Labor Department to meet with his economic advisers.

Afterward, he expressed confidence in the nation's ability to weather the economic downturn.

"We'll make it through this period just like we made it through other periods of uncertainty during my presidency," Bush said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: http://home.peoplepc.com/psp/newsstory.asp?cat=TopStories&referrer=welcome&id=20080228/47c63fd0_3ca6_1552620080228-1179656475

BE THOU MY VISION

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul's Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

*

Be Thou My Vision

• Listen [ Real Audio Mp3 ]
  
• Read [ Hymn Details Sheet Music ]

Source: http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/lyrics/be-thou-my-vision

THE VISION IS SURE

The Vision is Sure

The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Hab. 2:3.


The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God's people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. . . . In the service of God there need be no despondency, no wavering, no fear. The Lord will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. He will give them the wisdom their varied necessities demand. {Mar 66.1}

Of the abundant provision made for every tempted soul, the apostle Paul bears eloquent testimony. To him was given the divine assurance, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." In gratitude and confidence the tried servant of God responded: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Cor. 12:9, 10. {Mar 66.2}

We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified--the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords. The time of waiting may seem long, the soul may be oppressed by discouraging circumstances, many in whom confidence has been placed may fall by the way; but with the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." {Mar 66.3}

Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. . . . The just shall live by his faith." {Mar 66.4}

Maranatha, Ellen G. White, page 66.

QUESTIONS ON RELIGION?

Bill Clinton taking Communion at a Mass.


Bill and Hillary entertaining Bhuddists?


Hillary being blessed by a Shaman.



"Just two, "wild and crazy guys"!


Blogman.

WE SHALL OVERCOME

"WE SHALL OVERCOME"

We shall overcome, we shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome some day

The Lord will see us through, the Lord will see us through
The lord will see us through some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The Lord will see us some day

We’re on to victory, we’re on to victory
We’re on to victory some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’re on to victory some day

We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We’ll walk hand in hand some day

We are not afraid, we are not afraid
We are not afraid today
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
We are not afraid today

The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free
The truth shall make us free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
The truth shall make us free some day

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
WE shall live in peace some day

Source: http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/we_shall_overcome.htm

We Shall Overcome
Historical Period: Postwar United States, 1945-1968

"We Shall Overcome"
song sheet, date unknown.
Courtesy of Ludlow Music, Inc.,
11 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011

Learn more.

It was the most powerful song of the 20th century. It started out in church pews and picket lines, inspired one of the greatest freedom movements in U.S. history, and went on to topple governments and bring about reform all over the world. Word for word, the short, simple lyrics of "We Shall Overcome" might be some of the most influential words in the English language

"We Shall Overcome" has it roots in African American hymns from the early 20th century, and was first used as a protest song in 1945, when striking tobacco workers in Charleston, S.C., sang it on their picket line. By the 1950s, the song had been discovered by the young activists of the African American civil rights movement, and it quickly became the movement’s unofficial anthem. Its verses were sung on protest marches and in sit-ins, through clouds of tear gas and under rows of police batons, and it brought courage and comfort to bruised, frightened activists as they waited in jail cells, wondering if they would survive the night. When the long years of struggle ended and President Lyndon Johnson vowed to fight for voting rights for all Americans, he included a final promise: "We shall overcome."

In the decades since, the song has circled the globe and has been embraced by civil rights and pro-democracy movements in dozens of nations worldwide. From Northern Ireland to Eastern Europe, from Berlin to Beijing, and from South Africa to South America, its message of solidarity and hope has been sung in dozens of languages, in presidential palaces and in dark prisons, and it continues to lend its strength to all people struggling to be free.

As you listen to "We Shall Overcome," think about the reasons it has brought strength and support to so many people for so many years. And remember that someone, somewhere, is singing it right now.

Learn more

For more background information on this period, visit these presentations.

• American Memory Timeline (Postwar United States)
• America’s Library — Jump Back in Time (Modern Era)
• Voices of Civil Rights
• African American Odyssey: The Civil Rights Era

Source: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/songs/overcome.html

A REMEDY FOR HILLARY'S MALADY

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz;

Oh, What a Relief It Is!

Blogman.

THE GREAT NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Great Need of the Holy Spirit.-By Mrs. E. G. White.-(Concluded.)

God has not appointed any man guide, nor made any man conscience for another; therefore let human hands be withheld from restraining his servants who feel the burden to enter his vineyard to labor. Let God work with his own chosen agents by his Holy Spirit. No human being is to sit in judgment upon his brother. Neither are any to feel that they can handle roughly the precious pearls for which Christ gave his life. The pearl, the precious human pearl, was found by Christ. Let man be warned; be careful how you treat the Lord's "peculiar treasure." All discourtesy, all pain, all neglect, which these souls suffer at your hands, is charged against you as inflicted upon Jesus Christ. They are not to be treated in a lordly, commanding manner. Laws and rules are being made at the centers of the work that will soon be broken into atoms. Men are not to dictate. It is not for those in places of authority to employ all their powers to sustain some, while others are cast down, ignored, forsaken, and left to perish. But it is the duty of the leaders to lend a helping hand to all who are in need. Let each work in the line which God may indicate to him by his Holy Spirit. The soul is accountable to God alone. Who can say how many avenues of light have been closed by arrangements which the Lord has not advised nor instituted? The Lord does not ask permission of those in responsible positions when he wishes to use certain ones as his agents for the promulgation of truth. But he will use whom he will use. He will pass by men who have not followed his counsel, men who feel capable and sufficient to work in their own wisdom; and he will use others who are thought by these supposedly wise ones to be wholly incompetent. Many who have some talent think that they are necessary to the cause of God. Let them beware lest they stretch themselves beyond their measure, and the Lord shall leave them to their own ways, to be filled with their own doings. None are to exercise their human authority to bind minds and souls of their fellow-men. They are not to devise and put in practice methods and plans to bring every individual under their jurisdiction.

Those who know the truth are to be worked by the Holy Spirit, and not themselves to try to work the Spirit. If the cords are drawn much tighter, if the rules are made much finer, if men continue to bind their fellow-laborers closer and closer to the commandments of men, many will be stirred by the Spirit of God to break every shackle, and assert their liberty in Christ Jesus. If men would act toward their fellow-men as to those whom Christ loves, if they would obey the commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself," there would be sweet harmony among the brethren. How much better it would be if those who claim to be Christians would behave like Christians. How much better it would be if all would cease speaking of their own good works and ways, indulging their self-esteem; refrain from the putting forth of the finger, imagining evil, and using their influence to weaken, oppress, and destroy. If men will not come to the terms made by the leading workers, they will not entertain them, they do not care what results may follow their injustice. With them it is rule or ruin. God has not appointed any man to do such work. And no human being shall be permitted to prescribe my liberty or intrench upon the perfect freedom of my brethren, without hearing my voice lifted in protest against it.

God will move upon men of humble position in society, men who have not become insensible to the bright rays of light through so long contemplating the light of truth, and refusing to make any improvement or advancement therein. Many such will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others. The truth, the word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message from Heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and, casting off all man's machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit's power. Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies of the Lord.

Many of those who are professedly followers of the Lord at the present time do not submit themselves to the guidance of his Spirit, but try to harness up the Holy Spirit, and drive it in their way. All such must abandon their self-sufficiency, and yield themselves unreservedly to the Lord, that he may work out his good pleasure in and through them.

The seven last plagues are about to descend upon the disobedient. Many have let the gospel invitation go unheeded; they have been tested and tried; but mountainous obstacles have seemed to loom up before their faces, blocking their onward march. Through faith, perseverance, and courage, many will surmount these obstructions and walk out into the glorious light. Almost unconsciously barriers have been erected in the strait and narrow way; stones of stumbling have been placed in the path; these will all be rolled away. The safeguards which false shepherds have thrown around their flocks will become as naught; thousands will step out into the light, and work to spread the light. Heavenly intelligences will combine with the human agencies. Thus encouraged, the church will indeed arise and shine, throwing all her sanctified energies into the contest; thus the design of God is accomplished; the lost pearls are recovered. Prophets have discerned this grand work afar off, and have caught the inspiration of the hour, and traced the wonderful descriptions of things yet to be.

Our people have had great light, and yet much of our ministerial force is exhausted on the churches, in teaching those who should be teachers; enlightening those who should be "the light of the world;" watering those from whom should flow springs of living water; enriching those who might be veritable mines of precious truth; repeating the gospel invitation to such as should be scattered to the uttermost parts of the earth communicating the message of Heaven to many who have not had the privileges which they have enjoyed; feeding those who should be in the byways and highways heralding the invitation, "Come; for all things are now ready." Come to the gospel feast; come to the supper of the Lamb; "for all things are now ready."

Now is the time for earnest wrestling with God. Our voices should join with the Saviour's in that wonderful prayer: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Many may ask, "Who is sufficient for these things?" The responsibility rests upon every individual. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." The scheme of salvation is not to be worked out under the laws and rules specified by men. There must be no fixed rules; our work is a progressive work, and there must be room left for methods to be improved upon. But under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, unity must and will be preserved.

All the revelations of the past bring added responsibilities upon the workers in these last days. The past, present, and future are linked together. We must learn lessons from the experiences of other ages. If there are any of our brethren who think that they have devised plans by which they can secure a monopoly of any line of God's work, they are released from all such burdens. Individually we form a part of the great whole, fulfilling our part in the scenes foreseen long ages ago. In the counsels of God a place was assigned to every person, and each one is to devote his entire ability, his influence, the energy of his whole being, in an earnest endeavor to discharge the responsibility laid upon him. It is the duty of every human intelligence to put into daily practice the instructions of Christ in the seventeenth chapter of John by living a practical, Christian life. We are to be united to one another in the bonds of Christlike love. This is the path marked out for all. By following in it, without boasting, without self exaltation, we may satisfy the high claims of God upon us. If any are inclined to boast of their superior talents, let them bear in mind that these talents are another's, only lent to them for a season, and that if they are not employed in the Lord's work, they will be taken from them. Make no boasts of your extensive knowledge and influence. The great plan of redemption connects every man with his fellow-laborer. The influence of the past helps to mold the work of the present, and that in its turn enables us to lay hold of the work line after line, upon which we may carry on the future work. All these agencies have a close relation, not only to time, but to the endless ages of the future, reaching into eternity.

Let man now cease to trust in man. While they should respect God's plan for unity of action, let all remember that the Holy Spirit is molding and fashioning the human agent in the divine similitude. The life that is hid with Christ in God is revealed through men. We are now living in the closing scenes of this world's history. Let men tremble with the sense of the responsibility of knowing the truth. The ends of the world are come. Proper consideration of these things will lead all to make an entire consecration of all that they have and are to their God. There should be no boasting, no seeking for the highest places; but all should be ambitious to do with fidelity, with an eye single to the glory of God, the sacred work which it is our exalted privilege to engage in. The eye should not be so constantly looking to man, studying the plans which men devise; but rather seeking for a knowledge of the plans which are determined by the Source of all wisdom. Then there will be no danger of having plans for work contaminated by flowing through impure human channels. Look to God; pray to God; wait and watch and pray to God; work for God. The weighty obligation of warning a world of its coming doom is upon us. From every direction, far and near, calls are coming to us for help. The church, devotedly consecrated to the work, is to carry the message to the world: Come to the gospel feast; the supper is prepared, come. The weak must not now trust in finite men if they would be as David, and David as the angel of the Lord. If we have ever importuned God, wrestling for his blessing as did Jacob, let it be now. God calls to the church to arise and clothe herself with the garments of Christ's righteousness. Crowns, immortal crowns, are to be won. The kingdom of heaven is to be gained. A world, perishing in sin, is to be enlightened. The lost pearl is to be found. The lost sheep is to be brought back in safety to the fold. Who will join in the search? Who will bear the light to those who are wandering in the darkness of error?

by Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, July 23, 1895.

My gratitude to Brother Stuart Peckham. Arsenio

PSALM 40

Psalm 40 (King James Version)

1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

14Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

In Farsi:

Psalm 40 - The LORD is my Shepherd

Farsi (Source): http://www.farsinet.com/bible/psalms/psalm40.html

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

American Tree Sparrow, Quebec, Canada by Robert Servranckx
(Courtesy: http://deputydomain.blogspot.com/2007/07/his-eye-is-on-sparrow.html)

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Words:
Ci­vil­la D. Mar­tin, 1905.

Music:
Charles H. Gab­ri­el (MI­DI, score).

BY FAITH

Hebrews 11 (King James Version)

1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

RE: CHILDREN ASKED TO JUMP FOR SCIENCE

Thursday, 9 August, 2001, 14:32 GMT 15:32 UK

Children asked to jump for science

Hundreds of thousands of pounding feet will launch Science Year

Schools across Britain are being asked to let children jump together in their playgrounds to help kick start Science Year.

At 11am on 7 September, children will jump for a minute in a nation-wide experiment.

Scientists want to measure the impact on machines used to monitor earthquakes.

And the event will go into the record books as the "greatest simultaneous jump in history".

The jump is being held to launch Science Year, a government-funded campaign which aims to promote science among pupils aged between 10 and 19.

Record books

It will be recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.

David Hawksett of the Guinness Book of Records said he thought the jump would get Science Year off to a good start.

"This is what we call a precedent-setter," he said.

"We hope this is a challenge that will be taken up around the world but we suspect that possibly the UK will hold this one for some time."

If the sound of hundreds of thousands of pounding feet makes some people think an earthquake is taking place, it will not be the first time.

In 1995, Londoners contacted Scotland Yard saying they had felt an earthquake tremor.

But Alice Walker, a seismologist at the British Geological Survey said the band Oasis had been to blame.

Science Year Launch Events

London - Science Museum Birmingham - Think Tank, Millennium Point Cornwall - Eden Project Newcastle - Life Interactive World Glasgow - Glasgow University and Glasgow Science Centre Belfast - W5 at Odyssey Centre Cardiff - Techniquest Bristol - Explore @ Bristol

"Investigations revealed that 20,000 rock fans had been jumping up and down to Oasis in Earl's Court and tremors were being reported from up to one mile away.

"It will be interesting to see if hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions of school students can beat Oasis."

The experiment - which is being billed as The Giant Jump - will be the first official event of Science Year.

As well as the jump in schools, other jumps and launch events will be held across Britain.

Science Year is being run by a group called Nesta (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) which was set up by an Act of Parliament to promote innovation in science, technology and the arts.

So far 3,500 schools are said to have signed up to take part in the Giant Jump.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1482116.stm

EARTHQUAKE FELT ACCROSS MUCH OF GB

Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 09:43 GMT Earthquake felt across much of UK

A man was hurt when a chimney collapsed and fell into his bedroom The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years has shaken homes across large parts of the country. People in Newcastle, Yorkshire, London, Cumbria, the Midlands, Norfolk and also parts of Wales, felt the tremor just before 0100 GMT. A man suffered leg injuries when a chimney collapsed in South Yorkshire. The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the epicentre of the 5.3 magnitude quake was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. The tremor was felt in north, mid and south Wales although staff at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they felt the earthquake but were not called to any related incidents. Bev Finnegan, who lives in Market Rasen, said: "I was terrified to be honest. The noise was really, really terrifying... it was so deep and rumbling. "It felt like the roof was going to fall in. There were people coming out in their dressing gowns wondering what it was. It was quite an experience." A Lincolnshire police spokeswoman said the force had received dozens of calls from residents but there were no reports of anyone in the county being injured. "There is slight structural damage, cracks and a couple of chimneys damaged. There's nothing serious at present," she said. "Mostly people were distressed by it so there were a large quantity of calls coming in." Moment quake hit Speaking from Gainsborough, Mike Thomas, chief fire officer for Lincolnshire, said crews had been called out to 50 incidents and one fire as a result of the quake. And Justin Cowell, in Gainsborough, told BBC News that it "started as a massive shake". "People had come out into the street. It seemed the whole town had woken up." Tom Edwards, from Heckington, Lincolnshire, said he heard a noise like "an underground train and an enormous roar". "I thought I was probably going to get killed." Dr Brian Baptie, of the BGS, said: "An earthquake of this size, of magnitude five or thereabouts, will occur roughly every 10 to 20 years in the UK. I have never felt one as strong as that one before David Somerset Driffield 'Room just started shaking' "So we can get these kind of moderate to significant earthquakes of this size but they're relatively rare." The BGS recorded an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.8 at about 0400 GMT. The main 10-second quake, which struck at 0056 GMT at a depth of 15.4km (9.6 miles), was the biggest recorded example since one with a magnitude of 5.4 struck north Wales in 1984. Thousands of people from across England contacted the BBC to described how their homes shook during the tremor. How earthquakes happen Jemma Harrison, 22, in Bury, Greater Manchester, said: "It was really bad. I was fast asleep and woke up and the room was shaking and there was a loud bang and alarms were going off." Natasha Cavey, in Tipton in the West Midlands, said: "All my cupboard doors flew open and the whole house shook, it was unreal. I can't believe it." David in Alrewas in Staffordshire said: "The birds were flying around like it was daylight. "It was quite severe. I experienced the Dudley one and this was more severe. "I went outside to see if the roof had collapsed. I could see the furniture in the room moving, it was like it was on a jelly mould." 'Roof coming in' Dr Baptie said: "The largest earthquake that we know about that has struck the UK was about 100km off the east coast of England on the Dogger Bank and it had a magnitude of 6.1. David Somerset, 41, from Driffield near Beverley in East Yorkshire, said: "I have never felt one as strong as that one before. I was in my sitting room and the grandfather clock was rattling rather violently. PREVIOUS QUAKES IN THE UK April 2007 - Folkestone, Kent (magnitude 4.3) December 2006 - Dumfries and Galloway (3.5) September 2002 - Dudley, West Midlands (5.0) October 2001 - Melton Mowbray (4.1) September 2000 - Warwick (4.2) April 1990 - Bishop's Castle, Shropshire (5.1) July 1984 - Nefyn, north Wales (5.4) June 1931 - in North Sea near Great Yarmouth (6.1) "It was very strong, I felt the whole room moving." Philip Norton, a BBC reporter for Look North in Hull, said: "Everything started wobbling. "The windows were rattling and the blinds were visibly moving. It sounded like the roof was coming in." BBC reporter Lynn Crombie in Norwich said she was "absolutely terrified" and thought somebody "had driven into the side of the house". "Then I thought somebody must have kicked the door in and everything continued to rattle inside the house," she said. Jamil Ali in Sheffield said: "I woke up and the first thing I thought was that there were a load of burglars in the house. "The kids were screaming and so was my wife. It was that violent you actually moved yourself." The West Midlands was hit by an earthquake in 2002 in the Dudley area that reached a magnitude of 5.0 and one measuring 4.3 hit Folkestone in Kent last year.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7266136.stm