An Invitation to the Occult? Halloween

An Invitation to the Occult? Halloween

Chuck Missler October 31 2006

This is always a difficult time for Christians, especially those with children. It has been suggested that for a Christian to be asked to celebrate Halloween is like asking a Holocaust survivor to celebrate Hitler's birthday!

It is also a dangerous time for some, since many of the seemingly "harmless" involvements associated with Halloween can also be "entries" for the occult, and can prove very tragic for the unwary.


Pagan Background

In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, the end of summer. November 1 was the new year for both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon calendars and was one of the most important and yet sinister calendar festivals of the Celtic Year.

Settling in northern France and the British Isles, the Celtic people engaged in occultic arts and worshiped nature, giving it supernatural, animistic qualities. (Much like our Federal government is attempting to enforce today.)

The ancient Druids were the learned priestly class of the Celtic religion. Many of their beliefs and practices were similar to those of Hinduism, such as reincarnation and the transmigration of the soul, which teaches that people may be reborn as animals. The Druids believed that on October 31, the night before their New Year and the last day of the old year, Samhain, the Lord of Death, gathered the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals.

The Druids also believed that the punishment of the evil dead would be lightened by sacrifices, prayers and gifts to the Lord of Death. (This begins to reveal the strange link between this holiday and the non-Biblical concept of purgatory.)

The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired a sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature.

And, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther drove a stake into the heart of many of the prevailing non-Biblical concepts by nailing his famous 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, which started the movement known today as the Reformation-the single most important event in modern history.1 Appropriately, he did this on Halloween.


Modern Halloween Traditions

In early American history, Halloween was not widely practiced until the 20th century, when it was introduced by the Irish Catholic settlements. Gradually, Halloween became a secular observance, and many customs and practices developed. The carved pumpkin may have originated with the witches' use of a skull with a candle inside to light the way to coven meetings.

Since 1965 UNICEF, an agency of the United Nations, has attempted to incorporate into the Halloween observance the collection of money for the United Nations Children's Fund. This exploitation by the ungodly United Nations of this pagan holiday seems strangely appropriate.


The Occult is Increasingly Popular

Halloween is, for many, a "crossover" involvement in which innocent games can lead to serious entanglement with real witches, neo-pagans, New Agers, and other occultists.2 A common pastime is the use of a Ouija board to attempt to contact ghosts or spirits that are believed to be roaming about. This can lead to serious consequences including demon possession.3 Demons have a vested interest in Halloween because it supports the occult, and it also offers novel and unexpected opportunities to control and influence people.

Forms of the occult can include mediums, channelers, clairvoyants, psychics, spiritists, diviners, mystics, gurus, shamans, psychical researchers, Yogis, psychic and holistic healers, astral travel, astrology, mysticism, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, contact with the dead, UFOs, and thousands of other practices which almost defy cataloging.

Occultism includes Satanism, astrology, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, theosophy, witchcraft and many forms of serious magic. It includes activities seeking the acquisition of "hidden" things-which are expressly forbidden by God in the Bible.


The Biblical View

Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people's lives that they are not equipped to combat.4 There is genuine power in the occult, but it is demonic power.5

Any serious study of Biblical demonology will reveal Satan as the power behind false religion, witchcraft, idolatry and the occult.6 The Word of God makes it clear that these are all to be shunned as dangerous. There were many superstitions and false concepts in ancient Israel about which the Bible is silent. However, occultism, in any form, was punishable by death! Why?

The spiritual power and reality behind idols involves demons.7 The Bible commands us to shun occult practices. Mediums and spiritists are expressly prohibited.8 Nowhere are such practices acceptable.


A Halloween Project?

Every year, many people are perplexed as to how to deal with the children's celebrations surrounding Halloween. On the one hand, participating in the perpetuation of the usual pagan (and occultic) rituals are hardly the enterprise of a Biblical Christian. On the other hand, creating constructive alternatives can be challenging.

Many churches and families organize a "Harvest" festival with games, prizes, etc., as an alternative party opportunity. These are gaining widespread interest and are to be encouraged.

Organizing a drama event to involve the older children is an alternative candidate; such an effort could include Saul and the Witch of Endor, from 1 Samuel 28, as a play.

[The winning scripts resulting from a play-writing contest held a few years ago are available through K-House.]


Your Protection

Intellect alone is insufficient. "If it were possible, it would deceive the very elect." This is another example of the necessity to truly understand the Armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6. This brief review was excerpted from our featured briefing package, Halloween: Invitation to the Occult?

* * *
Sources:

Missler, Chuck, Signs in the Heavens, The Mysteries of the Planet Mars Halloween: Invitation to the Occult? (briefing packages), Koinonia House, 1991-6.

Ankerberg, John, and Weldon, John, The Facts on Halloween, Harvest House, Eugene OR, 1996. A key reference for this article.

Sykes, Egerton, Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology, J.M. Dent, London, 1993.

Patten, Donald Wesley, Catastrophism and the Old Testament, Pacific Meridian Publishing Co., Seattle WA, 1995.

Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, Harvest House, Eugene OR, 1996.

Also the video, Halloween: Trick or Treat, Jeremiah Films, Hemet CA

END
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source
.

The Dark Side of Halloween: The Lure of the Occult

The Dark Side of Halloween:
The Lure of the Occult
by Chuck Missler

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later this month, hordes of costumed children will be hitting the streets in search of candy and other treats. Yet, Halloween is not just “trick or treat” and “fun and games.” Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people’s lives that they are not equipped to combat.

The lure of the occult has affected mankind throughout the ages. According to the Greek legend, Pandora, despite warnings by Zeus not to, yielded to her curiosity and opened the forbidden box and thus inadvertently released all manner of evils which flew out to cover the Earth.

The occult takes many forms; oftentimes it is very desirable. In Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses had himself lashed to the mast to preclude his succumbing to the alluring call of the Sirens. It’s crucial to lash ourselves to the mast of known truth and prepare to pass through turbulent waters that have “bested the best” of the mariners of the past.

Mysticism

The boundaries are not clearly defined which separate mysticism from metaphysics (basic nature or structure of being), cosmology (study of the origin of the universe), theosophies (systems of conjectures into the divine nature), and occultism (the study and control of supernatural powers), theurgy (the art of compelling or persuading supernatural powers) and magic (often of the lowest kind).

Each of these, unless securely lashed to the tether of the revealed Word of God, ultimately ends up in direct conflict with the Biblical record. Non-Biblical mysticism is always essentially incompatible with the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, which promote a faith in a sole God who created the universe and who chose to reveal Himself and communicate the rules of life through an exclusive relationship with Him.

Clearly, John and Paul were mys­tics in the sense that our union with Christ was their highest desire; but their aspirations and pursuits were always within the safeguards of Scripture.

Extra-Biblical speculations on the origin and order of the uni­verse, influenced by correspondences in ancient and medieval science, led to mysticism in various forms, including the Kabbalah of Judaism and the Gnostic heresies of Christianity, each increasingly divergent from its foundational source. Mysticism invariably ends up contra­dicting or contravening the Biblical record.

The Rise of Jewish Mysticism

Judaism, while traditionally having relied on the substi­tutionary sacrifices of the Torah, but then stripped of both a Messiah and the Temple, gradually evolved to become a program of ethical and moral efforts of the Jews to acquit themselves before God. Constant ideological readjustment involved the infiltration of concepts from external sources, including Babylonian and Greek mysticism, and the reactions against them.

The Talmud and the Midrash (rabbinical legal and interpretative literature) tended to obliterate the earlier traditions as the veneration of various sages and commentators tended to eclipse the primary texts of the Tanakh (the Old Testament) itself. Interpretive exegesis and the veneration of contemporary sages opened up increasing opportunities for matters of inner experience and personal speculations.

The Kabbalah

The Kabbalah (hlbq, from lbq,, “to receive;” literally, “the received lore,” or “tradition”) is a term used several ways. Originally it com­prised the entire traditional lore, in contradistinction to the written law (the Torah), and therefore included the prophetic and hagio­graphic books of the Bible, as “received” by the power of the Holy Spirit. From the 13th century onward, the Kabbalah branched out to include extensive esoteric Jewish specula­tions alongside of, and ultimately in opposition to, the Talmud. It grew to include esoteric or mystic doctrine, asserting to have come down as a revelation to elect saints, preserved for a privileged few.

An eclectic amalgam of pantheism and other Eastern pagan con­cepts, the Kabbalah endorses a non-Biblical view of God. The God of the Old Testament is inferior to the supreme unknowable Ein Hof, the ultimate focus of Kabbalahism. With practices parallel with Indian (Tantric kundalini) yoga and Muslim sufism, one of the goals is the manipulation of the divine nature.

With the rise of interest in the occult today, the resurgence of interest in the Kabbalah is no exception.1 (For further study, see our briefing package, Kabbalah, .)

Christian Mysticism

The role played by the Kabbalah was not limited to the Jewish community. The Kabbalah transcended the frontiers of Judaism and influenced Christian mysticism from the Renaissance to the present. Under the influence of Jewish converts from Spain and Italy, Kabbalistic documents, touched up as necessary (or even forged), provided arguments supporting Christian doctrinal issues or devia­tions. The occult philosophy of the 16th century, the “natural philos­ophy” of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the occult and theosophic theories today-including the practices of Freemasonry-borrow from the amalgam of the Kabbalah.

Biblical Warnings against the Occult

The occult is on the rise in all segments of our society. There is great power in the occult.2 However, the Bible warns against it.3

There were many superstitions and false concepts in ancient Israel about which the Bible is silent. However, occultism, in any form, was punishable by death! Why? Occult practice constitutes trafficking with demons, from which flow other concerns: idolatry, spiritual deception, the likelihood of posses­sion, psychological, spiritual and physical harm, immoral teachings and consequences.

The Bible commands us to shun occult practices. Mediums and spiritists are expressly prohibited.4 Nowhere are such practices acceptable.

Spiritual warfare is a reality.5 We have serious enemies that are extremely resourceful and malevolent. The Bible warns of a personal devil and myriads of demons who should be regarded as cunning enemies.6 Satan and his hordes are active in the affairs of the Planet Earth.7 In fact, the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One,8 and his forces are behind all occult involvement, idolatry, and false religion.9

All supernatural manifestations are to be tested by the Word of God.10 The devil’s tactics include masquerading as an “angel of light” and a servant of righteousness.11 False teachers and false prophets are linked to evil spirits, and there are “doctrines of demons.”12 Demons work through people by giving them psychic abilities.13

The Dark Side of Halloween

Halloween is, for many, a “crossover” involvement in which innocent games can lead to serious entanglement with real witches, neo-pagans, New Agers, and other occultists.14 A common pastime is the use of a Ouija board to attempt to contact ghosts or spirits that are believed to be roaming about. This can lead to serious consequences, including demon possession.15 Demons have a vested interest in Halloween because it supports the occult, and it also offers novel and unexpected opportunities to control and influence people.

Forms of the occult can include mediums, channelers, clairvoyants, psychics, spiritists, diviners, mystics, gurus, shamans, psychical researchers, Yogis, psychic and holistic healers, astral travel, astrology, mysticism, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, contact with the dead, UFOs, and thousands of other practices which almost defy cataloging-even Harry Potter books and movies can lead innocent children into the occult.

Occultism also includes Satanism, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, theosophy, witchcraft and many forms of serious magic. It includes activities seeking the acquisition of “hidden” things-which are expressly forbidden by God in the Bible.

Your Protection

Intellect alone is insufficient. “If it were possible, it would deceive the very elect.” This is another example of the necessity to truly understand the Armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6.

To learn more about the dark side of Halloween, see our classic briefing package, Halloween: Invitation to the Occult? Now also available on audio CD/MP3.

This article was originally published in the
October 2007 Personal Update NewsJournal.
For a FREE 1-Year Subscription, click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

1.“What Profits the Kabbalah,” Time, November 24, 1997
2.Isaiah 47:9.
3.Deuteronomy 18:9-14.
4.Leviticus 19:31; 2 Chronicles 33:6.
5.Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8.
6.John 8:44; 13:27; Matthew 6:13; 9:34; 12:24; Luke 8:12; 13:16; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Acts 16:16-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11: 11:3; 2 Timothy 2:26.
7.Ephesians 2:2; Daniel 10:12,13, 20.
8.2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19.
9.Deuteronomy 32:16, 17; 1 Corinthians 10:19-21; Psalm 106:35-40; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Acts 16:16-19, et al.
10.1 John 4:1; Revelation 2:2; Acts 17:10-12; Deuteronomy 18:20-22; Matthew 24:24, etc.
11.2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
12.1 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 4:1.
13.Acts 16:16-19; Exodus 7:11, 22; 8:7.
14.See Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, Harvest House, Eugene OR, 1996.
15.The case studies underlying William Blatty’s The Exorcist indicate that the trouble all began with a child playing with a Ouija board.

Source

.

Be not afraid, only believe

21And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Mark 5:21-43.

.

Our Redemption Draweth Nigh

When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28.


The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying: "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44. . . .

We are living in the closing scenes of this earth's history. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time--not a moment--to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. Let no one say in his heart or by his works: "My lord delayeth his coming." Let the message of Christ's soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. . . .

The Lord is soon to come, and we must be prepared to meet Him in peace. Let us be determined to do all in our power to impart light to those around us. We are not to be sad, but cheerful, and we are to keep the Lord Jesus ever before us. He is soon coming, and we must be ready and waiting for His appearing. Oh, how glorious it will be to see Him and be welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we waited, but our hope is not to grow dim. If we can but see the King in His beauty we shall be forever blessed. I feel as if I must cry aloud: "Homeward bound!" We are nearing the time when Christ will come in power and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their eternal home. . . .

Long have we waited for our Savior’s return. But nonetheless sure is the promise. Soon we shall be in our promised home. There Jesus will lead us beside the living stream flowing from the throne of God and will explain to us the dark providences through which on this earth He brought us in order to perfect our characters. There we shall behold with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored. Casting at the feet of the Redeemer the crowns that He has placed on our heads, and touching our golden harps, we shall fill all heaven with praise to Him that sitteth on the throne.

Maranatha, p. 312

.

Church reaches out to other faiths

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010
Church reaches out to other faiths
By ALLISON KENNEDY / akennedy@ledger-enquirer.com


First there was a Seventh-day Adventist chaplain. Then a Muslim imam. Then a Jewish rabbi. In an effort to get to know their neighbors, All Saints Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Midland is hosting a series of inter-religious presentations. They’re planning next for a Hindu priest.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Leanne Simmons, Ph.D., said her congregation wants to get away from “sound-bite theology” by hearing from actual people who practice faiths other than theirs.

In Columbus, this level of inter-faith dialogue is rare. Soon after 9/11, some members of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities came together to build a Habitat house for a Muslim family. In recent months, Columbus State University has hosted panel discussions of local religious leaders, representing the major faiths.

At All Saints, the first presenter was Pablo Perez Maisonet, a U.S. Army chaplain at Fort Benning who’s a Seventh-day Adventist. Then Imam Dawud Salahuddin Bin Pearson spoke after a catered dinner on Sept. 25; and Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin of Temple Israel (Reform) talked about Judaism the afternoon of Oct. 10.

“We are looking for more in-depth knowledge,” Simmons said. “One of our elders found Imam Dawud and I asked him if he would come. … We want to keep exploring. How can you love your neighbor if you don’t know your neighbor?”

The greatest attendance of the three so far — nearly 60 people — came the night of the imam’s presentation.

Pearson and about 10 others from his mosque attended. On South Lumpkin Road, it’s called Masjid Bin Mas’ud. Columbus has two other mosques, in addition to a branch of the Nation of Islam.

At All Saints, a spaghetti dinner preceded Pearson’s Power Point presentation. Pearson spoke for about 90 minutes. Five men and a child sat near him. A few Muslim women sat at a back table. Pearson’s wife, who was among them, wears a “niqab.” It’s a veil that covers everything but her eyes. They’ve been married about a year. The imam has a son from a previous marriage who’s a contractor in Iraq.

In order to talk at the church, Pearson received permission from a Saudi Arabian scholar, Shaykh Khalid Ar-Raddaadee.

At first, the imam gave prayers in Arabic then translated. He was American Baptist before converting to Islam as a 35-year old. For 10 years prior, he didn’t declare any particular faith.

In his talk, Pearson outlined basic differences between Christianity and Islam. Among his points:

Ÿ Muslims believe Jesus was one of the prophets, a messenger, and that he was not the one crucified on the cross;

Ÿ Allah is the only God worthy of worship;

Ÿ In Islam, there are no intermediaries or helpers;

Ÿ In Islam, “gins” are unseen spirits;

Ÿ “Akhirah” is the term for the next life.

“The true Muslim knows this life is just obedience,” he said. “This life is work and the next life is reward and no work, just enjoyment.”

Allah did not have a son, the imam said. “There is no union between God and Jesus. … The concept of the Trinity is blasphemous.”

In the question period that followed, one man asked about Sharia law, which is getting press in this country. Many fear that this form of Islamic law is coming to America.

Pearson said “there’s no reality to it,” adding that the U.S. seems to be busy enough with sustaining democracy.

Pearson also condemned acts of violence and terrorism among people in his faith.

He believes tensions arise “because of ignorance. … We (Muslims) laugh. We love, we eat, we breathe.”

In an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer a few days after his presentation, Pearson said he felt comfortable talking at All Saints and found the people warm and open.

Simmons said she and her members are “hoping for greater understanding and see past stereotypes — to dispel myths and enhance dialogue.

“At the end of the day, we’re still Presbyterian and you’re still the People of the Book,” she said to Pearson. “But we didn’t hurt each other by hearing each other.”

Separate from this event: A forum and film, “Come Meet a Muslim,” is 6 p.m. Wednesday in the main auditorium of the Columbus Public Library. It will feature a documentary, “The Muslims I Know,” as well as a panel of local followers of Islam: Farhad AliFarhani, an engineer with the City of Columbus; Azra Khan, a pharmacist; Yahya Islam, a local imam and businessman; Sherry AliFarhani, an Information Technology Specialist at Troy University; and Nizam Khan, a teacher. For more information about this event, call 706-315-0162.

Allison Kennedy, reporter, can be reached at 706-576-6237.

Source: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/10/23/1316426/church-reaches-out-to-other-faiths.html#ixzz13nzWJhNb
.

History of Sabbath Observance

by J. Coltheart

(http://www.giveshare.org/churchhistory/sabbaththrucenturies.pdf)



1st Century Sabbath Observance


INSTITUTION OF THE SABBATH

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:1-3


JESUS

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. Luke 4:16. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Matthew 19:16, 17. But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day. Matthew 24, 20. Jesus asked his disciples to pray that in the flight from the doomed city of Jerusalem they would not have to flee on the Sabbath day. This flight took place in 70 A.D. (40 years after the Cross).

HIS FOLLOWERS

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:56.

(This is an excerpt -- read more @ link above)

How To Keep The Sabbath

Photo (Courtesy) http://www.ernevad.us/photo_album.html

After realizing the truth about the Sabbath, many people ask; How do I keep the Sabbath holy? This is a very good question. The Bible gives us a few specific pieces of guidance, which we will look at here. But it doesn't go into great detail about specific activities to do or not to do. The reason for this is simple. God gives us principles in His word, and then asks us to seek His guidance individually on how to apply those principles in our own lives. When we look at the specific guidance in the Bible of how to keep the Sabbath, we need to keep the fundamental principles in mind and not get bogged down in the details like the Pharisees did.

What is the primary purpose of the Sabbath?

Gen 2:2-3
2 And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done .
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

The primary purpose of the Sabbath is for us to rest from our worldly labors and to seek God. God obviously was not tired from all His creation work and just needed a rest. Rather, God wanted to set that time aside as special time for His people and for the world He created. He blessed the Sabbath day. There is a blessing in the Sabbath day for us if we seek God on that day. He also sanctified the Sabbath day, or set it aside for a holy purpose. We are to set that time aside for a holy purpose.

The Sabbath was ordained by God at creation and set aside as a special time for us to cease our worldly activities and to spend time with God. Everything we do on the Sabbath day should draw our attentions toward God. If we keep that principle in mind, we will never have to struggle over knowing what activities are appropriate or not on the Sabbath.

What is the fundamental principle we use when determining what activities are appropriate for the Sabbath?

Mark 2:23-28
23 And it came about that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to Him, "See here, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25 And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and became hungry, he and his companions:
26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he gave it also to those who were with him?"
27 And He was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
28 "Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath ."

Isa 58:13-14
13 "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

The Sabbath was intended to be a delight, not a burden. The focus of the Sabbath should never be what I cannot do, but rather what I can do. However, to get the blessing out of the Sabbath that God intended, we have to put our own worldly pleasures aside and spend that time seeking God instead.

Was the Sabbath ever just for the Jews? How could Gentiles also get a blessing out of the Sabbath day?

Isa 56:1-7
1 Thus says the LORD, "Preserve justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed.
2 "How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
4 For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, and choose what pleases me, and hold fast My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6 "Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath, and holds fast My covenant;
7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. "

Anyone, Jew or Gentile, could always have received the blessing of the Sabbath, simply by seeking God on His holy day.

When does the Sabbath day begin and end?

Lev 23:32
32 "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath."

We know that the Sabbath is the seventh day, or Saturday. In the Jewish reckoning of time, the days ran from sundown to sundown, not midnight to midnight like we count days. So the Sabbath day goes from sundown Friday until sundown on Saturday. We also note that the Sabbath involves setting the whole day aside for God, not just one hour during church.

What guidance does God give us about how to keep the Sabbath in the Fourth Commandment instruction?

Exod 20:8-11
8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.
11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

God tells us here that we should refrain from secular work on the Sabbath day. Not only that, but we are not to ask others to work on our behalf. Notice that God also reiterates the role of the Sabbath as a memorial of creation and a day for us to seek Him.

Other than work, what other activities should we refrain from on the Sabbath?

Neh 13:15-22
15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food.
16 Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath , even in Jerusalem.
17 Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, " What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day ?
18 "Did not your fathers do the same so that our God brought on us, and on this city, all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."
19 And it came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates that no load should enter on the sabbath day.
20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem.
21 Then I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness.

We should not engage in commerce, buying or selling, on the Sabbath day. This would include shopping or eating in restaurants.

Isa 58:13-14
13 "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

We should refrain from secular forms of entertainment and recreation on the Sabbath. This would include things like playing or watching sports, watching secular TV programs or movies, or engaging in secular oriented hobbies.

What is one thing that we should do on the Sabbath day?

Lev 23:3
3 'For six days work may be done; but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.

Luke 4:16
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

Heb 10:23-25
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

A holy convocation is a gathering together of God =s people for the sake of worship and prayer. We are instructed to attend church services and to fellowship with other believers on the Sabbath. Note that we are cautioned about trying to be Lone Ranger Christians B trying to go it alone. Christians must unite together for worship, fellowship, and prayer.

When should we begin keeping the Sabbath day holy?

Heb 4:1-11
1 Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.
2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";
5 and again in this passage "They shall not enter My rest."
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,
7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God .
10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.

Please do not rob yourself of the blessing that God has placed in His holy Sabbath day. > Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. = Whatever you have to leave behind in order to follow God is worth leaving behind. Once you do, you will never look back.

Luke 18:29-30
29 And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30 who shall not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."

Source

.

Lord of the Sabbath

Jondadon2006 October 06, 2010
Happy Sabbath

Aide: Clinton tried to tell Meek to quit

By Anne E. Kornblut
Friday, October 29, 2010

Former president Bill Clinton tried to persuade Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of the Florida Senate race, telling Meek that he could make a greater impact if he quit the three-way race and endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist (I), a Clinton official confirmed Thursday.

Clinton, a longtime friend of Meek's, first worked through his senior adviser Doug Band to make the deal before getting personally involved, spokesman Matt McKenna confirmed. The discussions were first reported Thursday evening by Politico.

Meek seemed amenable, and on two occasions nearly went through with it, McKenna said, but he ultimately changed his mind.

Meek denied that Thursday night, saying in a statement that he "was never dropping out of this race, is never dropping out of this race, and will never drop out of this race."

Florida polls have consistently showed Meek running a distant third in the Senate race, behind front-runner Marco Rubio, a Republican, and Crist.

The winner of next week's election will succeed Sen. George LeMieux, Crist's former chief of staff. The governor appointed LeMieux in 2009 after Mel Martinez resigned, with the understanding that he would clear the seat for Crist this November.

But he didn't account for the surge of Rubio, his challenger in the Republican primary, amid the rise of tea party groups in the state.His standing among conservatives also suffered from a much-publicized hug of President Obama in 2008 after the president promised federal aid for Florida.

By April, Crist knew he was doomed to lose the primary, and he quit the GOP to run as an independent - calculating that he could beat Rubio in the general election by winning over the state's moderate Democrats.

Yet Rubio has led every public poll since mid-August.

A Suffolk University poll two weeks found that, should Meek drop out of the race, 56 percent of his supporters said they would throw their support to Crist. Rubio would add only 8 percent of Meek supporters.

Last week, Clinton spent two days in Florida to campaign on Meek's behalf. He also used that time to try to persuade Meek to quit the race, Politico reported.

Meek, who won a four-man Democratic primary in August and is aiming to become the first African American elected statewide in Florida, cites Clinton frequently on the campaign trail and considers him a political mentor.

Republican Party chairman Michael S. Steele decried Clinton's dealings, saying they send "a chilling signal to all voters, but especially African Americans. One can only imagine the response if Republican leadership tried to force out of the race - in the 11th hour - a qualified black candidate."

Blacks make up roughly 10 percent of the state's electorate.

Staff writers Philip Rucker and Chris Cillizza contributed to this report.

Source

P.S. Bill Clinton, the same guy that swore repeatedly "I did not have sex with that woman".

.

Don't Waste Time With The Unrepentant Sinner

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Matthew 7:6

.

GOD TOLD ME SOMETHING I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO HEAR!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
GOD TOLD ME SOMETHING I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO HEAR!

One night during a prayer meeting, God told me something about our church I was not expecting to hear.

The Lord whispered to me, “This church needs shock treatment! Too many have grown satisfied and complacent. You feel safe and secure from all the winds and waves of false doctrines sweeping over the land—but you are not prepared for what is coming!”

Beloved, the message of having the Spirit’s witness functioning in you is not a request—it is a matter of life and death! If you don’t have the witness of the Holy Ghost in these last days, you’re not going to make it! You’ll give in to the coming spirit of the Antichrist!

You need the Holy Spirit witness every day—on your job, at work, at school. You need to rightly judge politicians and leaders so you’ll not suddenly be sucked into the antichrist system.

This is what Jesus was trying to tell us about the foolish virgins who ran out of oil for their lamps. They had a supply of the Holy Ghost—but they didn’t have his witness at the final moment.

Don’t end up a foolish virgin! If you are running out of oil—trusting your church or your pastor to keep your soul—then repent! Humble yourself and search your heart! Cry out to God to rid your soul of all anger and bitterness. Confess your sins and forsake them. And depend on God once again for everything!

Get the peace of God in your heart, so you can have a Holy Ghost witness. And ask the Father for a greater enduement of the Spirit. Invite him to be your witness and guide in everything!

We face a cost of going all the way with Jesus, but we also will receive a reward: It is simply the blessing of having Christ stand with us. There are many other rewards as well (see Matthew 19:29), but I mention this one because it is all we will ever need.

When Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem, the whole religious system wanted to kill him. They accused him of polluting the holy place and preaching false doctrines. His life was in danger; even the soldiers were “fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces” (Acts 23:10). So they took him by force and locked him away in a castle. The next night the Lord himself spoke to Paul, and what a word he brought: “Cheer up! There’s even more trouble to come!”

The cost of following Christ was clear in the lives of these men of God—and if we are going to be like our Master, then we must embrace this cost as well. Enduring it becomes a joy because Jesus promises to stand with us in every situation. And we can face anything or anyone when we know the Lord stands with us.

So count the cost and know that your reward, in all things, is the precious presence of Jesus Christ.

Posted by David Wilkerson
.

http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/god-told-me-something-i-was-not.html
.

Video: Van Rompuy: Opening Summit EUX.TV

.

Whosoever doth not bear his cross?

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27
.
I am definitely sure that Jesus was not referring to wearing a crucifix when he spoke of bearing a cross.
.

Arsenio.

.



Note: A few of these pics are from http://starcrosses.blogspot.com/
.

Indonesian volcano's spiritual caretaker dies

(AP) – 3 hours ago

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia (AP) — For 33 years, Maridjan spoke to Mount Merapi, believing he could appease its unpredictable spirits by throwing offerings of rice, clothes and chickens into the volcano's gaping crater.

Many villagers took his word — not that of government officials or seismologists — as the last on when it would erupt. And the 83-year-old did appear to predict the volcano's latest eruption — which killed 33 people this week — but did not heed the warning himself.

As Merapi began spewing 1,800 degree Fahrenheit (1,000 Celsius) gases and thousands of villagers streamed down the mountain's slopes, Maridjan refused to budge, and more than a dozen people stayed, and perished, with him.

His rigid body was found Wednesday, prostrate on the ground in the typical Islamic prayer position and caked in heavy white soot.

On Thursday, high-profile politicians, soap opera stars, singers and hundreds of family and followers flocked to his funeral on the slopes of the mountain that had been entrusted to his care by a late king. Televisions crews and reporters jostled for position with family and friends, who reached their hands through the crowds for a chance to touch the coffin as it was carried to the grave.

Mourners kneeled by the open grave to pray as his body was lowered into the ground. They then covered the body with soil and piled cut orchids on the mound.

"I never thought he was going to leave us in such a way," said Prabukusumo, the brother of the sultan in the nearby court city of Yogyakarta who is now tasked with choosing his successor. "He's lived through so many, much bigger eruptions. I'm still in shock."

But a friend said Maridjan seemed to be expecting his death.

When asked by his close friend, Wansafyudin, days before the eruption if it might not be better to leave, he refused, according to the English-language Jakarta Globe newspaper.

"My time to die in this place has almost come," he reportedly said.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is located on the so-called "Ring of Fire," a series of fault lines that are prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

Merapi is one of the world's most active mountains.

When he was 50, Maridjan inherited the position of "key holder" of the mountain from his father, receiving the official appointment from the sultan of Yogyakarta.

The mystical practice persists in Indonesia, even though most of the country's 237 million people are Muslims. Islam is a relatively new arrival to the country and, in many areas, coexists with older traditions that have their roots in animist, Hindu or Buddhist belief.

Maridjan was believed by many to have the ability to speak directly to the mountain and led ceremonies every year to hold back its lava flows by throwing rice, clothes and chickens into its dome.

Many villagers saw him as a hero, believing him over government officials and seismologists when it came to determining Merapi's danger levels. But he was a constant source of frustration for those tasked with overseeing evacuations.

Every time he refused to head down the mountain, he set a bad example for others, putting their lives at risk, they said.

Among the 14 other people found dead in and around his home, halfway up the mountain, was an Indonesian Red Cross volunteer who was trying to persuade him to leave.

"People should follow calls from district heads, village chiefs and other officials," said former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who now heads the aid agency. "Merapi disasters threaten the safety of villagers as well as volunteers who come to save them."

But far from serving as a cautionary tale, Maridjan's death and Merapi's continuing eruption has made many villagers only yearn for his quick replacement.

"I'm more afraid than ever," said Prapto Wiyono, a 60-year-old farmer from the village of Pangukrejo, who was among thousands of people crammed in an emergency shelters. "Who's going to tell us now what's going on with Merapi?"

Associated Press reporters Andi Jatmiko and Elisabeth Oktofani contributed to this report from Mount Merapi.

Source
.

President Obama skewered by Jon Stewart in 'Daily Show' interview

By CHARLES HURT, DC Bureau Chief

Last Updated: 10:19 AM, October 28, 2010

Posted: 12:48 AM, October 28, 2010

WASHINGTON -- Appearing on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" last night, President Obama revised the signature slogan of his euphoric 2008 presidential campaign from "Yes, we can!" to "Yes, we can -- but it's not going to happen overnight."

The acknowledgment of deep frustration among Obama's supporters came after Stewart ribbed the president over the list of unfinished business two years into his first term.

Stewart asked if Obama's slogan should have been, "Yes, we can -- but . . ."

Obama said, "My attitude is [that] if we're making progress step by step, inch by inch, day by day, that we are being true to the spirit of that campaign. What I would say is, 'Yes, we can,' but it is not going to happen overnight."

Obama then ticked off the administration's accomplishments -- giving a shout-out to Lawrence Summers, the outgoing director of the White House National Economic Council.

Summers did "a heckuva job," Obama observed, echoing President George W. Bush's infamous words to his FEMA director amid the chaos of Hurricane Katrina.

"You don't want to use that phrase, dude," Stewart warned.

Stewart asked how the political environment got to the point that Democrats "seem to be running on 'Please, baby, one more chance' " just two years after Obama's wildly popular presidential campaign.

"Are you disappointed in how it's gone?" asked the Comedy Central satirist.

Obama seemed to suggest that he wasn't disappointed. He said his advisers had told him during the euphoria of his 2008 election to "enjoy this now because two years from now, folks are going to be frustrated. That is, in fact, what's happening."

Stewart taped the program in Washington, where he has been all week preparing for this weekend's "Rally to Restore Sanity" to be held on the Mall Saturday.

Obama said, "Jon, I love your show," but he added that he has "mild disagreement" with Stewart's frequent criticism of him for failing to fulfill all of the "hope" and "change" he promised in his campaign.

"We have done an awful lot," Obama said.

"We have done things that people don't even know about," the president said mysteriously.

"What have you done that people don't know about?" Stewart inquired. "Are you planning a surprise party for us, filled with jobs and health care?"

churt@nypost.com

Source

P.S.

What's next for da Prez "Dancing with the Stars"?

Or, maybe they can just continue to record his day to day activities, package it, sell it as a reality TV show, and name it "Desperate Presidents". We can see that he's lining up for a second career after the White House stint.

It could have been worse - if The Gong Show, What's my line, or Believe it or not, were still around and the guest appearance would have been on any of these shows.

.

Mervyn King Warns of 1930's Depression

Israel Council on Foreign Relations ~

About the ICFR

The Israel Council on Foreign Relations is a strictly apolitical forum for the study and debate of foreign policy, with special emphasis on Israeli and Jewish concerns. Established in 1989 by a group of prominent practitioners and scholars of international affairs, as well as other influential members of Israeli society, the Council is a favored platform for distinguished foreign visitors who wish to present their views in a nongovernmental setting. The Council functions under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress Research Institute, and has, since its inception, hosted numerous heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other outstanding guests from abroad, as well as prominent local experts. The Council publishes The Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, which appears three times per annum.

The Council is an independent, non-partisan and multidisciplinary institution, established on the model of the New York Council on Foreign Relations and the British Chatham House. The Council aspires to stimulate public awareness of world events and insightful discussion of foreign policy issues, particularly regarding Israel and the Middle East. Based in Jerusalem, it is administered by the World Jewish Congress Research Institute. The Council's membership is drawn from a wide cross section of the most influential spheres of Israeli society, including government officials, diplomats, university professors, leading business people, journalists and promising students.

Source

.

Jesuit Superior General Adolfo Nicolas to visit Spain

...

Visit to Spain. From October 27th to 30th Father General will be in Spain on the occasion of the closing of the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Borgia. The visit will begin in Valencia, where there is planned a meeting with the Archbishop, the Jesuits, and with the Arrupe Center, collaborators, relatives and friends on the topic: Collaboration at the Heart of Mission (GC 35, Decree 6). On October 28th he will be in Gandía, where Francis Borgia was born on October 28, 1510. The day will be dedicated to various official ceremonies and will culminate in a Eucharistic celebration for the closing of the 5th centenary. In the afternoon, he will visit Fontilles, the hospital complex started by the Jesuits as a leprosarium in 1909, which played an essential role in the elimination of leprosy in Spain in the previous century. Today, entrusted to the laity, Fontilles has projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America, but operates always with the same mission with which it was started: "To take care of people affected by leprosy, providing cure, physical and social rehabilitation, and assistance to other diseases that provoke social exclusion". From October 29th to the 30th he will be in Zaragoza where there are planned numerous visits, with the Bishop, Father Provincial, the Jesuits of Zaragosa and Huesca. At the Pignatelli Center Father General will met the collaborators, family, and friends of the Jesuits, speaking on the topic: Reconciliation and Sending to the Frontiers (GC 35, Decree 3), also referring to St. Joseph Pignatelli, the "restorer" of the Society of Jesus. Next year is the bicentenary of his death.


After his latest visits in Europe, we asked Father General some questions about the condition of the Society of Jesus in Europe. Here are the questions and answers.

Q. You have lived outside of Europe for an extended period. In these past two years you have met with the European provincials, have participated in meetings of the Conference of European Provincials and visited numerous European countries? What has impressed you the most?

A. I have the impression that I have visited very few European countries. The antiquity of everything impresses me: the people (without irony), the buildings, the cultures, the history, the quarrels and mistrust among nations, the fears, and the tensions. Everything is old and everything continues, as if the human past might be as real as the streets of its old cities. Also what impresses me, and not necessarily in a positive way, the great "confidence" that Europeans have in themselves and in their opinions. In Asia these are considered attitudes of arrogance and self-sufficiency. They are understandable attitudes in the European context, however totally unjustifiable in the world context. It is true that Europe knows a great deal, however, it does not know everything, and certainly knows very little about the many worlds as real as old Europe.

Q. After having visited and heard so many things about Europe of today, which seem to you the most important challenges for society and the Society of Jesus?

A. The first challenge that seems to emerge constantly is the secularization of Europe with its reduction of viewpoints and its attachment to the past. It seems to me there is a perception of a slight arrogance in the denial of everything that is not known or understood. It is an actual challenge to live as a Christian and as a human being in such a milieu. Another challenge is how to live in relationship to a European Islam that is developing before our own eyes. How to relate with its followers beginning with fraternity, human acceptance, the necessary helps for all those who may walk creatively in a new harmony. A third challenge seems to me to be the necessity of creating a new language, more artistic, dramatic, flexible, capable of expressing in all its richness, the Christian or simply religious experience for the people of today.

Q. In these almost three years as General of the Society of Jesus, you have visited Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Are there some similarities among the continents with regard to the challenges that the Society must face or do we find ourselves with very different problems?

A. I believe that with equal conviction both things can be said. First, overall differences are impressive. There are enormous differences in context, country, rites, ceremonies, etc. Attention must be given to the differences in the way of thinking, speaking of reality, mentalities, traditions, and cultures... But secondly one must take into account the profound similarities. Each of us in our own places, we all suffer equally, all love and want to be loved in the same way and all develop as persons. In this interchange of similarities and differences, I can state that, as religious and as Jesuits, all of us face the same challenges in order to increase the stature of the Church. All feel called, all desire to respond, all are more or less distracted, and all have similar temptations. All this wants to say that we can live together, develop together, mutually help one another and aspire to the necessary maturity in order to enjoy the variety and the richness that our internationality offers us. To be a Jesuit is not a matter of being a Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Asian, or African. Experience tells us with great eloquence that the call of Christ is equally difficult and equally attractive for all people.

Q. In these days is in progress the Synod for the Church of the Middle East. In a few weeks you will visit Egypt. What for you constitutes the diversity of the ecclesial traditions within the Catholic Church?

A. The diversity of ecclesial tradition means to me many things. Permit me to mention some.

- In the first place, the great richness of Christian experience, its history and traditions; the profundity of the spiritualities that have developed in the Christian East. The people of the Mideast are, in my opinion, people who have suffered a great deal throughout history, and the suffering is one of the most definite sources of spirituality and of depth of feeling and thinking.

- This plurality also has a wealth of opportunities. The entire Church and all the churches have here great depths for religious life and spirituality to which they go to as sources of wisdom and spiritual intuition. In dialogue with these churches we can learn a new ecumenism. We can learn to feel ourselves united as brothers and sisters without the necessity that we be in agreement about every single detail. We can deepen our union of hearts and of faith in the midst of the diversity of rites, forms, and devotions. And I believe that also we have here an opportunity to redo continually our theological language inspired by the ever Christian variety of our new forms of living and celebrating.

- Naturally this diversity has its challenges. How to change our perspectives in a way that we all together pay more attention to learning a common future than to the differences that mark our past? How can we help one another so our more normal concern would be in service of the other, especially the poor, and not so much social or political influence. Of course another great challenge presents the necessity of encountering ways of reconciliation with all our neighbors, that could be an eloquent testimony of the love of God in Christ that is at the center of our faith. Finally as we develop our communities of faith we must keep ourselves always aware of human suffering, above every other consideration.

- To sum up, the diversity that we experience in these days and that represents many disperse communities of the world is an invitation to learn a Christian history that knows a great deal about suffering, fidelity, difficulties and also imperfection. Also it is an invitation to reflect on the great depth of faith and of hope that unite us. Lastly it is an invitation to discern the Christian ways of communion, service and hope.

...

Source

.

Wikileak this:

Photo (Courtesy) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/kill-and-be-killed-osama-bin-laden-tells-france/story-e6frg6so-1225944520879


Hey, Wikileak fellows why won't you reveal the studio where Osama bin Laden produces these Communiqués from?

Our drones can not find this pirate (previously knows as terrorist) studio...

Any suggestions wikis? GPS, OnStar, maybe, or how about LoJack?

Ou est vous, mon cher habibi? Tout le monde t'aime!
.

Arsenio

.

Military Victory for the Pope

Anonymous comment:

4-16-08 was celebrated as a military victory for the Pope over the USA. Notice the Knights of Malta side by side with the US Army. They are one and the same. Actually, the Knights are the commanders of the regular Army and ALL US Military Services.

This video doesn't show it, but, notice the crawl at the bottom. It says 21 gun solute (salute) and both National Anthems. 21 gun solutes honor military victors. The Pope is the military victor of this country.

I'll continue to look for footage of the 21 gun solute (salute).

The entire non-Catholic population TOTALLY missed the real significance behind all that occurred on the White House lawn that day. But the Catholic hierarchy understood it, and so does most of the Catholic population but they are purposely quiet about it so as not to awaken the slumbering Ecumaniacal Evanjellybellies. Otherwise, another Protestant Reformation would result and this nation might just have a fighting chance. Now you know why I am jammed on amateur radio. I'm shouting it from the rooftops and they'll have to kill me to shut me up.

The whole day literally dripped with Military Victory significance for the Pope and nobody talks about it.

Also, 4 days later, on Adolph Hitler's birthday, the Pope paid honor to him on US soil by having the first outdoor Mass at Yankee (very "significant") Stadium. In Protestant England and In Colonial times, Catholics were forbidden to conduct Mass in public. Those days are over! Hitler's birthday is significant because of the Bush's financial link to the rise of Hitler and the Pope's Nazi Party in Germany and the deaths of millions of "heretics", "liberals", and "Jews". Yes, WWII was a RELIGIOUS WAR and the Pope WON. Now they intend to repeat it right here in "HERETIC" USA. And the same people are fomenting it, and the same people will be annihilated. It's Déjà vu all over again. Same stuff, different continent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irZmknvOB4I
.

Obama Corrects Himself on the Declaration of Independence

8:21 AM, Oct 27, 2010 • By JEFFREY H. ANDERSON

CNS News writes that, after having misquoted the Declaration on "at least five occasions in the past," President Obama has now started reciting its most famous sentence correctly, including its statement that our rights are endowed by our Creator. CNS News provides a great clip of the president's progression. First, he omits reference to the Creator -- an egregious oversight that the White House has yet to explain -- saying instead, "that we are endowed with certain unalienable rights." Then he apparently tries to get the language correct, but seems a bit unsure of himself and somewhat conflates his earlier words with the document's actual ones -- saying, "that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights." Then, appearing more confident, he gets it correct, saying, "that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" -- just like Thomas Jefferson did.



One of the curious things in all of this is why the Declaration has become part of President Obama's stump speech. Is he trying to establish himself as someone who's connected to America's ideals, its mores, and the limited-government philosophy of its Founding? Is he trying (in his own way) to say, "I'm you"? If so, repeatedly mangling the Declaration's most famous sentence, and doing so in a hyper-secular, post-modern kind of way certainly hasn't advanced his efforts

Moreover, unless, or until, the White House convincingly explains the reason behind President Obama's repeated omission of the Declaration's reference to our "Creator," many Americans will justifiably wonder whether he really couldn't get this famous language right, or whether his omission was deliberate. And, if so, whether the president actually thought it acceptable to alter the words of the Declaration of Independence to suit the tastes of his liberal and/or somewhat irreligious audiences, or, even worse, whether the wording that he substituted actually reflects his own misgivings about one of the Declaration's core claims: that our rights come from our Creator, not from government.
.
Source
.

Political Correctness or No You Can't

HELEN THOMAS of the White House Press Corps retired immediately.
GENERAL STANLEY McCHRYSTAL the Commander, of U.S. Forces Afghanistan was resigned.
RICK SANCHEZ of CNN terminated abruptly in October 1, 2010.
JUAN WILLIAMS of NPR - FOX fired and "needs a psychiatrist".

Internet Independent Journalists:
THOMAS RICHARDS of Spiritually Smart stopped blogging publicly.
GREG SZYMANSKI of Arctic Beacon - Investigative Journal "decided to quit".
.
Now as I wrote this article I heard Hillary Clinton on NPR saying that women who are half of the world's population need to be "empowered", and be represented more fully in global political bodies. These weren't her words verbatim; Yet, they are a brief description of what she said. More Hegelian Dialectics pitting one group against another for sport. However, the majority of the politicians running for office during this pivotal midterm elections are Roman Catholics, and yet that doesn't make anyone raise an eyebrow. Or, The fact that 6 out the 9 current Supreme Court Justices are also Roman Catholics, again that's fine with all the sheeple. These overrepresentations don't bother a soul. But, on a lighter note gay marriage is allowed in several states, and soon Marijuana will be legal in California. Now, how's that for smoke and mirrors?

Political Correctness? Or, stifled dissent? Or, just good old fashioned intolerance to criticism?

How ironic that all this is happening in the land of the free, while in France they are rioting in the streets because their social security retirement age is being raised from 60 to 62 years old?

Who's on first, what's on second and I don't know is next to strike out?
.
Arsenio.
.

Illegal immigrants canvass for Murray, Democrats

By MANUEL VALDES; Associated Press Writer
Published: 10/22/1010:24 am Updated: 10/22/1010:01 am

Manuel Valdes AP Photo
In this photograph taken Sunday, Oct. 16, 2010, Maria Gianni, right, embraces community organizer Elsa Batris-Boni at a phone bank in Seattle being used by One America Votes, an organization that has launched a vote drive to get naturalized citizen voters to vote Democrat. Gianni is one of several illegal immigrants who are volunteering in the vote drive.


SEATTLE – When Maria Gianni is knocking on voters' doors, she's not bashful about telling people she is in the country illegally. She knows it's a risk to advertise to strangers that she's here illegally - but one worth taking in what she sees as a crucial election.

The 42-year-old is one of dozens of volunteers - many of them illegal immigrants - canvassing neighborhoods in the Seattle area trying to get naturalized citizens to cast a ballot for candidates like Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who is in a neck-to-neck race with Republican Dino Rossi.

Pramila Jayapal, head of OneAmerica Votes, says the campaign is about empowering immigrants who may not feel like they can contribute to a campaign because they can't vote.

"Immigrants really do matter," Jayapal said. "If we can't vote ourselves, we're gonna knock on doors, or get family members to vote."

So far the illegal immigrants going door-to-door aren't meeting opposition. Craig Keller, an organizer for Respect WA, a group pushing for stricter immigration law in the Washington, said he doesn't mind illegal immigrants volunteering for vote drives, he just wants to make sure mistakes on the voter rolls don't allow them to vote.

"Anybody can go out and wave a sign, but when it comes to who's making the choices, there's no question they need to be citizens," Keller said.

In close elections across the country, the immigrant and minority vote is considered key for candidates, especially Democrats.

Earlier this week in Nevada, a television ad urging Latinos not to vote sparked outcry from Democrats, who called it a dirty trick meant to keep Hispanics home and boost Republican candidates. Univision and Telemundo - the nation's two largest Spanish-language networks - canceled the ad, which the Republican group Latinos for Reform had planned to eventually run in Nevada, Florida, California, Texas and Colorado through the Nov. 2 election.

Seattle is home to a wide array of immigrant communities, from Latinos to east Africans and Asians.

Congress declined this year to consider overhauling the country's immigration law, much to the chagrin of immigrant advocates who had expected Democrats to do so by now.

Still, OneAmerica Votes launched one of the largest get-out-the-vote campaigns in the state on behalf of Democratic candidates. The organization is an offshoot of OneAmerica, one of the state's largest and the most influential immigrant-rights advocacy group.

Through home visits, phone banks and mailings the organization is aiming to reach about 40,000 registered voters in the Seattle area in an attempt to help Democrats gain ground in key races. Volunteers include other types of people who can't vote, such as legal permanent residents.

About 150 volunteers rolled out in nine cities across Washington this past week, knocking on 3,000 doors.

In Bellevue, a city of nearly 123,000 east of Seattle, Gianni knocked on 25 doors and spoke to 15 people, she said.

One man, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines, said he knew what she was going through after she shared she was in the country illegally.

"There's always a risk," Gianni said in Spanish about her legal status. "But if there's a change, I would feel like I contributed, even in a small part, to a change we all need."

Gianni arrived in the United States on a visa 13 years ago looking for work and stayed. For a while her only son lived here, but has since moved back to Mexico.

"In order for there to be a change to our broken immigration system," she said, "I believe one has to fight."

Source

Computer trouble disrupts AP coverage for 5 hours

- 10/26/2010 2:13:28 AM

The Associated Press suffered a five-hour computer outage Monday that prevented much of its news coverage from being delivered to newspapers and some other media outlets.

The problems started at about 3 p.m. EDT as the news cooperative tried to apply a security patch recommended by Microsoft Corp. The AP wanted the added protection before next week's national and state elections.

To perform the security upgrade, AP switched from its main system to back-up computers and they failed, said Lorraine Cichowski, the AP's chief information officer. Engineers tried to revert to the main system only to run into trouble there, too. The breakdown wasn't completely fixed until about 8 p.m. EDT.

The outage shut down a news database that sends stories, photos and video through the Web instead of satellites, which the AP had relied on for years.

Most of the roughly 1,500 U.S. newspapers that receive AP's coverage have converted to the Web feed. Some of those newspapers could have fallen back on the old satellite technology on their premises.

The outage also affected online video customers.

Most broadcasters were still getting AP coverage during the outage as were the websites owned by the AP's biggest Internet customers, including Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc.

Source
.

'Gay' suicide pandemic a myth, says educator

A conservative attorney agrees with a Cornell University psychology professor who believes the idea that there is a homosexual youth suicide epidemic is a dangerous misconception.


Following the recent suicides of four homosexual youths, Professor Ritch Savin-Williams stated he believes "it is important to point out...that there is absolutely no scientific evidence of an 'epidemic of gay youth suicide,' or even that gay youth kill themselves more frequently than do straight youth." Though he agrees the deaths are tragic, he decides they are rendered "even more tragic because they come at a time when growing up gay has never been better or easier."

Cornell University's director of the Sex and Gender Lab further contends that "gender expression, not sexual orientation...is linked with decreased psychological wellbeing and is likely the result of bullying." So he deems it "irresponsible" to assert there is an epidemic of homosexual youth suicide because of the "be prepared to kill yourself" message it delivers.

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel agrees with the professor's assessment. "As we've known all along, this line that is being pushed by radical homosexual extremist pressure groups that somehow societal homophobia is responsible...this is purely propaganda," he argues. "And as this professor points out, this is the case."

Studies show suicidal tendencies among homosexuals are about ten percent higher than the rest of society, but that occurs even in European nations where homosexual activity is celebrated and in areas of the United States where the lifestyle is more accepted. So since so-called "homophobia" is not the cause, Barber suggests another possibility.

"I think the cause is clearly we need to look to these kids who are sexually confused and are really disturbed and tormented internally -- it's not an external source," he notes. "So often times, unfortunately, with no other perceived means at hand, some of these kids are at risk to hurt themselves."

He believes God's natural order is written on the hearts of every man and woman, which means people know when they are violating natural order. The Liberty Counsel attorney decides that young people struggling with homosexuality are in need of counseling for their gender identity disorder.

.

Source

.