Saturday, November 17, 2007

GIVE ME OIL IN MY LAMP

Sing Hosanna (Give Me Oil In My Lamp)
Author: Unknown

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep my burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
.
Refrain
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna
Sing hosanna to the King of kings
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna
Sing hosanna to the King
.
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep my burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
.
Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep my burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
...
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep my burning
Keep me burning till the break of day
...
.
Words public domain
.

Source: http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/love/love852482.htm

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

BUSH ASKED VATICAN'S HELP ON ISSUES: 2004

Bush Asked for Vatican's Help on Political Issues, Report Says

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Published: June 13, 2004

Correction Appended
President Bush asked a top Vatican official to push American bishops to speak out more about political issues, including same-sex marriage, according to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, an independent newspaper.

In a column posted Friday evening on the paper's Web site, John L. Allen Jr., its correspondent in Rome and the dean of Vatican journalists, wrote that Mr. Bush had made the request in a June 4 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state. Citing an unnamed Vatican official, Mr. Allen wrote: "Bush said, 'Not all the American bishops are with me' on the cultural issues. The implication was that he hoped the Vatican would nudge them toward more explicit activism."

Mr. Allen wrote that others in the meeting confirmed that the president had pledged aggressive efforts "on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican's help in encouraging the U.S. bishops to be more outspoken." Cardinal Sodano did not respond, Mr. Allen reported, citing the same unnamed people.

A spokesman for the Vatican declined yesterday to disclose the contents of the meeting, which followed the president's brief meeting with the pope. Jeanie Mamo, a spokeswoman for the White House, said: "They had a good, private discussion. They discussed a number of priorities of shared concern, and the president's and the Vatican's positions on these issues are well known."

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the report "mind-boggling."

"It is just unprecedented for a president to ask for help from the Vatican to get re-elected, and that is exactly what this is," Mr. Lynn said. Linda Pieczynski, a spokeswoman for Call to Action, a liberal Catholic group, said, "For a president to try to get the leader of any religious organization to manipulate his fellow clergymen to support a political candidate crosses the line in this country."

But some with experience in Roman Catholic politics said they were hardly shocked. "Any head of state who goes to the Vatican will attempt to present a case," said Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, a professor of theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York. Monsignor Albacete, who has served as a translator for Catholic officials in meetings with heads of state, said: "If it is done in a very rude way, then the Vatican will remember and you won't get invited again. But if it is done in a diplomatic way, that is why they go to the Vatican anyway. It is not an act of devotion. It is a political thing."

Mr. Bush's campaign is betting heavily on churchgoers in his re-election effort, and how Catholic voters apply their faith to politics is emerging as a focal point of the race. There are an estimated 63 million Catholics in the United States. Bush campaign pollsters have said that in the last election, people who attended church regularly voted disproportionately for Mr. Bush, though Catholics were much more evenly split than Protestants were.

Once a reliably Democratic constituency, Catholics have become divided, with traditionalist Catholics making common cause with conservative evangelical Protestants on social issues like opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. But Mr. Bush is also a born-again Methodist who is likely to face a Roman Catholic opponent, Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts. And the pope and other Catholic officials have repeatedly criticized the Bush administration over the war in Iraq.

In the last six months, a handful of Catholic bishops in the United States have already weighed in on the presidential race by threatening to withhold communion from Catholic politicians who disagree with the church's stance on abortion, a group that includes Senator Kerry.

Other bishops, however, have said that threatening to withhold communion goes too far, and the pope has warned of "the formation of factions within the church" in the United States. The bishops are expected to take up the matter at a closed-door conference this week in Colorado.

Pope John Paul II praised Mr. Bush last week for "the promotion of moral values" but reminded the president of the pope's "unequivocal position" on Iraq.

Jason Horowitz contributed reporting from Rome for this article.

Correction: June 20, 2004, Sunday

n article last Sunday about a report that President Bush had asked a Vatican official to press American bishops to speak out more about political issues gave an outdated affiliation for Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, who said he did not find such a request surprising, and misstated the location of his seminary. He is a former professor of theology, not a current one, at St. Joseph's Seminary, in Yonkers, not New York City.


Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/13/politics/13george.html?ex=1402459200&en=0f985b5469faef04&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

HARVARD PROFESSOR AS VATICAN ENVOY

Bush to tap Harvard professor as Vatican envoy

Harvard scholar needs Senate OK

By Andrew Miga
Associated Press / November 6, 2007

WASHINGTON - President Bush plans to nominate Harvard University law professor Mary Ann Glendon to be his new US ambassador to the Vatican.

more stories like this

Glendon, 69, is an antiabortion scholar and an opponent of gay marriage who has written about the effects of divorce and increased litigation on society. Her 1987 book, "Abortion and Divorce in Western Law," was critical of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion.

The White House announced yesterday that Bush will nominate Glendon to the post, which requires Senate confirmation.

Glendon was appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1994 to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, a panel that advises the Roman Catholic Church on social policy.

She has served as an adviser to the Vatican in several capacities. In 1995, she was the first woman to lead a delegation of the Holy See at the United Nations Women's Conference in Beijing. She also has served on the Pontifical Council for the Laity and as a consultant to the Pontifical Council on the Family.

Glendon also served on the President's Council on Bioethics, which considers ethics in areas including cloning and gene research. Glendon is a past winner of the National Humanities Medal.

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who last summer named Glendon to co-chair his campaign advisory committee on the constitution and courts, praised the choice.

"She will serve our country with the honor and dignity we expect from those who represent our country's values abroad. While I may have lost her trusted counsel to our campaign, our country has gained an extremely gifted ambassador," Romney said in a statement.

A native of Dalton, Glendon was the daughter of a reporter at The Berkshire Eagle newspaper. She received undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Chicago.

Her first job in academia was at Boston College in 1968. She became a visiting professor of law at Harvard in 1974 and a full professor in 1986.

Glendon teaches in the areas of human rights, comparative law, constitutional law, and legal theory.

Former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn held the Vatican ambassadorship during part of the Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1997.

more stories like this



Source: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/06/bush_to_tap_harvard_professor_as_vatican_envoy/

THE UNLIKELY AMBASSADOR TO ISLAM

The Unlikely Ambassador to Islam

E-mail Father Jonathan

It sounds like the beginning of a good mystery novel — “a German Pope and a Saudi King were meeting privately behind the Vatican walls” — but, in fact, that is precisely what happened this week.

For the first time ever, a reigning monarch of Saudi Arabia came to the Vatican to meet with the Pope.

Not just any Pope; it’s the Pope of the Regensburg address — that infamous speech against religiously-motivated violence that provoked parts of the Muslim world into proving his point. And this is no ordinary monarch; he’s the leader of a Muslim country that boasts, year after year, one of the worst records of religious liberty in the world.

Strange bedfellows? Not so.

The well-kept secret of this papacy is that it is on track to leave a legacy of effective diplomacy and inter-religious dialogue with the very group it so upset just one year ago — Muslims.

Ever since the violent protests have subsided in the aftermath of Regensburg, Muslim leaders have been flocking to the side of Pope Benedict, and he to theirs. In September of 2006, Pope Benedict opened the doors of his summer residence (off grounds even to most Catholic prelates) for a personal meeting with the twenty ambassadors of Muslim countries stationed in Rome. In November of the same year, just two months after Regensburg, Pope Benedict managed a successful trip to Turkey. Then, in September of 2007, on the anniversary of the Regensburg address, 138 Muslim clerics, scholars, and politicians from Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish groups signed a letter to the Pope inviting the Christian and Muslim worlds to unite around love. Now we witness the first visit of the King of Saudi Arabia.

Related

All in a year’s time! What’s going on? Is the Pope caving in on his core convictions, as expressed in the Regensburg address, for the sake of public relations? A look behind the scenes tells us that it is just the opposite.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting with King Abdulla, the Vatican briefed the press about the secret content of their discussion. The press office used typical diplomatic verbiage: “The presence and hard work of Christians in Saudi Arabia was discussed.” A straight-talk translation of that would go something like this: “Pope Benedict XVI expressed indignation to King Abdullah that the nearly one million Christians in Saudi Arabia are prohibited from any form of public worship. He wondered why there is a grand Mosque in Rome and no cathedral in Riyadh; no crosses, no Bibles, and no churches anywhere in the Kingdom.”

This reminds me of the fact that Pope Benedict never apologized for his Regensburg speech; he expressed regret that some people were offended by it.

So while Pope Benedict isn’t mincing words, his interlocutors keep coming back for more of the same. Either they are gluttons for punishment or the Pope is making headway in promoting human reason and the dignity of the human person as the meeting point between cultures and religions.

The combination of a clear presentation of differences and lots of cordial human contact, seems to be a uniquely "Benediction" approach to diplomacy and inter-religious dialogue.

From this vantage point where I write — a stone’s throw from the Vatican — it seems his approach is working, at least better than anywhere else.

God bless, Father Jonathan

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,309616,00.html

TONY BLAIR CONVERSION IMMINENT?

Tony Blair conversion imminent?
Tony Blair

London, Nov. 8, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Former British prime minister Tony Blair may enter the Catholic Church within the next month, the London Daily Mail reports.

Citing an earlier story in the Catholic weekly The Tablet, the Daily Mail says that Blair planned to convert soon after leaving 10 Downing Street. A spokesman for the former prime minister said that report was "not without substance."

Blair's wife Cherie is Catholic, the couple's children have been raised in the Church, and for Tony Blair has regularly attended Mass with his family. Speculation about his possible conversion was intensified when he met with Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) shortly before stepping down as prime minister.

Source: http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54664

TALK OF WORST RECESSION SINCE THE 1930'S



Talk of Worst Recession Since the 1930s

By DAN DORFMAN
November 12, 2007

After what Los Angeles money manager Arnold Silver called "a brutal three days," the question is: What now for the market?

A Wall Street superstar this year who runs Balestra Capital Partners, Jim Melcher, says he's "worried about a recession. Not a normal one, but a very bad one. The worst since the 1930s. I expect we'll see clear signs of it in six months with a dramatic slowdown in the gross domestic product."

Balestra Capital, a $350 million New York hedge fund, was up 3% for the past three market sessions, when the Dow Jones Industrials, spearheaded by widespread declines in financial stocks and fears of more billion-dollar-plus asset write-downs, tumbled more than 677 points, or about 4.5%. The Nasdaq fared worse, skidding about 7%, triggered by across-the-board declines in those fast-stepping technology stocks.

Balestra has increased in value by 175% so far this year, Mr. Melcher tells me. A 9-year-old fund, it has posted compounded annual growth of about 30% since its inception.

Mr. Melcher, a market bear, had some pretty discouraging words. "What I think is not good for the country, but good for me." he says. His basic advice to the country's roughly 80 million stock players: Run for the hills — the worst is far from over. An investor's stock portfolio now, he believes, should be only about half of what it might normally be.

With the housing market in a state of collapse — and he says he believes it is far from over — Mr. Melcher argues that average homeowners will not be able to withstand the kind of recession he sees, given the added burdens of rising energy and food costs, and continued deterioration in the credit markets.

Noting that consumption is already slowing, Mr. Melcher figures sharply rising unemployment is inevitable. Another of his worries is that central banks around the globe, America's included, are debasing their currencies, which is setting the stage for a new round of higher inflation. Our bear figures the next six to 12 months will be awful for investors as the market goes down "pretty substantially." His frightening outlook calls for an additional 20% to 30% decline from current levels. A drop of that magnitude would put the Dow down in a range of roughly 9,100 to 10,400.

Continued
1 2 Next »


Source: http://www.nysun.com/article/66268

YOUTH MINISTRY (EVANGELICAL)

Youth ministry (Evangelical)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Youth minister)

This article is about the phenomenon of Protestant (Evangelical) Christians ministering to their youth. For an overview of Youth ministry as it goes on in other faiths, please see Youth ministry.

A Protestant/Evangelical youth ministry is a Christian religious ministry intended to instruct and disciple youths in what it means to be a Christian, how to mature as a Christian, and how to encourage others to claim Jesus as their Savior. This is accomplished through teaching, relationship building and/or mentoring. Youth ministries may vary widely depending on their denomination, size, liberal or conservative outlook and geographic location. The ministries themselves are almost always built on relationships between the youth minister and the student and their shared perception of their relationship to God. Because of the evolving nature of Youth Ministries it is difficult to pinpoint a specific starting point, however a modest estimate would date the profession to approximately 150 years old. Youth have become an integral part of nearly every church’s ministry programming, and youth ministries continue to have a profound impact on the societies in which they exist.

Contents


History of youth ministry

While youth organizations exist worldwide, the history section of this article will put a special focus on the development of youth ministry in America.

The beginnings of youth ministry took place in the mid-1800s, in the wake of the industrial revolution. Churches took note of all the young men who moved into central urban areas to work in factories. Laypersons who noticed that these young adults working six days a week and gallivanting about town on Sundays aspired to educate them. And so, early youth ministry began when churches brought older children and teenagers into classrooms to teach them how to read the Bible. Early ministry was designed for unchurched children with no formal education; while the primary goal of early youth ministry was education, a desirable secondary effect was that students would realize through biblical passages that they are sinners in need of forgiveness.

The origins of youth ministry lie in Sunday schools like this 1900 Oklahoma class
The origins of youth ministry lie in Sunday schools like this 1900 Oklahoma class

Eventually, churches opened up Sunday school to church members and unchurched children and teens alike. Teachers encouraged the students to bring their friends along, and the movement gained momentum. Laypersons would often work independently, neither subjecting themselves to congregational scrutiny nor receiving church funding. This fostered the development of interdenominational teaching programs and, eventually, faith-based organizations devoted to youth such as the YMCA and YWCA, whose American branches were founded in the 1850s.

The most recognizable first effort to offer periodic Bible studies, social networking and outreach opportunities for youth was spearheaded by Dr. Francis Edward Clark. He began the Christian Endeavor Society in 1881. Dr. Clark wanted to change the view of young people in churches from “pitchers waiting to be filled” to young adults “responsible for larger service in the church of Christ.” The Christian Endeavor Society revolutionized youth ministry and became extremely popular in its first few years of operation. Dr. Clark set the limit for each society at 80 members. As more young adults came to members, more societies were formed. By 1887, there were 700 societies with over 50,000 members spread out across 33 states.

One common speculation is that churches in the 1880s became fearful that they would lose all of their young members to these societies. In response, many mainstream denominations began their own youth organizations modeled after the Christian Endeavor Society. Some examples are the Methodist church’s Epworth League, or the Lutheran’s Luther League. These new church-based organizations as well as interdenominational ones already in existence flourished, increasing in attendance and international outreach involvement as a part of faith-based foreign aid.

After WWI, the focus of many youth ministries began to shift from efforts to outreach and convert to efforts to educate students and increase their understanding of their faith. It was during this time that the teenagers began to think theologically as well as gain a social awareness of the world around them. From the 1930s to the 1960s, the churches emphasized fellowship and theological understanding.

Before 1940 it was the pastor’s job to do everything in the church, including youth fellowships. During the late 1940s there was some introduction of church youth committees - youth were returning from the war with great life-experience and they could not be kept out of leadership in the church just because they were in their twenties.

The 1940s was also the beginning of parachurch ministries. Young Life was founded by Jim Rayburn in 1941. The Young Life parachurch model proved to be effective at reaching young people for Christ, and by the early 1950s, parachurch youth ministries with full-time staff flourished. Billy Graham was the first full-time parachurch worker for Youth for Christ (YfC) in the USA. This movement spread quickly around the world. During the 1950s, parachurch ministries grew rapidly in most Christianized countries, and the focus of activity was on large events, known as Rallies, and stadium events, known as "Crusades". The emphasis was on promoting inter-church activities (between local denominational churches) – mainly in the format of youth rallies – the type of “stadium” events made popular by YfC.

The 1960s were characterized by campus ministries. Many college-aged students did not have their theological needs met by these fellowship groups; soon thereafter, even younger adolescents began to see their organizations as institutionalized and irrelevant. Denominations stopped publishing youth group (Sunday School) resources and large group gatherings dwindled down into small meetings and then into nothing. Then specific church-based activities for youth emerged, as Friday night youth groups began.

During the 1970s, many denominations implemented strategies for modernizing existing youth ministry in the hopes of reviving it. This is the point where differences in youth ministry stated to emerge on a denominational basis instead of organization to organization. Youth ministries operate in different ways today, but most of them have the same set of goals, which will be discussed in the Goals of Youth Ministry subsection of this article.

During the early 1980s the counselling revolution hit the church with its emphasis on honesty and openness. Professional counselors began to be employed in churches. This influenced youth groups and the Bible study meetings became "fellowship groups" or "home groups" with an emphasis on caring and meeting people. It was also during the 1980s that a large number of local church youth pastors began expressing the desire to stay in youth ministry as a lifelong career.

The 1990s saw the start an emerging church movement, and many of the youth leaders from the 1970s and 1980s were pioneers in this approach.

During the 1990s there was also a move to create international interaction between different youth structures. Pioneers in this approach are the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry (IASYM).

Composition of youth ministry in America

Youth ministry today is a large part of American Christian culture. In New York City alone there are over 3,500 youth organizations operating today. Despite denominational difference, there are basic practices and goals that most youth groups have in common.

Basics of youth ministry

Most youth groups tend to follow a similar organizational model. The church that supports them will provide an allocation of funds to use for the activities of the group. It also will employ a paid staff member or volunteer to lead the group, known as the youth pastor, youth minister, youth leader, or other similar terms. This person can be either a lay person, hold a religious degree, or be a member of the ordained clergy, depending on the needs and resources of the church. His or her duties may include orchestrating the activities of the group (in particular, the content of the regular meetings below), providing pastoral care for the members of the youth group, managing a budget for the youth group, and serving as a liaison between the youth and adult bodies of the congregation.

Today's youth ministries hold regular meetings, often at the same time as adult functions at the church. Youth group meetings generally feature the same types of activities as a Sunday morning church service, modified to reflect the culture of the age groups involved. Services may include a time for worship, drama, games or other activities, fellowship through conversation and/or food, and prayer. Many youth ministers also present a sermon or devotional.

Most denominations arrange their youth ministry programs according to related educational levels. American churches tend to separate youth by grade level, creating smaller sub-groups within a youth ministry program. These distinctions usually fall between middle school and high school. Traditionally, elementary age children and below have separate programs altogether, though this, too, may be managed by the same youth pastor. Some youth groups even extend up through college students, creating an additional sub-group often referred to as "college and career".

Goals of youth ministry

The primary goal of most modern-day youth ministries is to teach youth the biblical doctrines of Christ and salvation. This is different from the original education/literacy-centered programs of Sunday schools of the nineteenth century. Churches provide money for youth groups in order for their purposes to be furthered, and the stated purpose of many churches is to share the content of the Bible with the world. This is why the structure of many youth ministry services are centered around a sermon, the biblical teaching presented at these meetings.

Before the turn of the century, many denominations placed less emphasis on the role of youth in the church. It is more important now than ever before that young people should “serve in churchwide responsibilities.” Churches now encourage teenagers to evangelize at their age, rather than waiting until adulthood to “make a difference.”

In addition, many sermons are delivered with the intent for youth to “come to know Christ” if they have not done so already. Once they do, emphasis is often placed on getting youth to invite their friends or siblings along to the services. Many youth groups, like the churches they may be associated with, vie to embark on mission trips. These acts of faith-based foreign aid often involve service projects alongside conversion efforts.

See also

External links

These external links help contribute the understanding of youth ministry as it exists in the world today; the links come from actual youth groups, parachurch organizations and resources used by youth ministers all over the world

References

  • International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry [1]
  • Goreham, A. 2004. "Denominational Comparison of Rural Youth Ministry Programs" Review of Religious Research. 45, (4). 336-348.
  • Richter, D. 2004. "Youth ministry in modern America: 1930 to the present" Journal of Family Ministry. 18, (2). 106-107.
  • Smith, C. 2002. "Mapping American Adolescent Religious Participation" Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 41, (4). 597-612.
  • Youth.co.za [2]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_minister

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL'S COVERBOY: JOEL OSTEEN

Joel Osteen: The Prosperity Gospel’s Coverboy

By Jackie Alnor

ã 2003 Christian Sentinel

Move over Robert Schuller, the Church of Laodicea has a new star on the rise in the world of positive motivational Christianity. It’s Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, whose motto is "Discover the Champion in You." He is the son of Pentecostal preacher the late John Osteen. But where his dad lacked in charm and charisma the 39-year-old son makes up for it in the style of a Tony Robbins with the looks of a Richard Gere.

Osteen made the list of the Top 20 Influencers of the Pentecostal/charismatic community in the Jan/Feb 2003 Issue of Ministries Today magazine. He was listed with other notables such as Kenneth Hagin Sr., Tommy Tenney, C. Peter Wagner, and Joyce Meyer. "There is no arguing that the following 20 leaders have inspired us, challenged us and in many ways caused us to rethink what it means to "do church" in today's culture," the article boasted.

The younger Osteen lives the life of prosperity that he preaches. A 2001 Real Estate Guide (http://north-valley.com/realestate_board/messages/157.html ) valued his home at $1,265,500. His sermon titles give clues as to the focus of Osteen’s ministry:
bulletENLARGE YOUR VISION
bulletHOLDING ONTO YOUR DREAMS
bulletFINANCIAL PROSPERITY
bulletHOW VALUABLE YOU ARE IN GOD'S EYES
bulletOVERCOMING THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO HEALING
bulletDEVELOPING MIRACLE-WORKING FAITH
bulletFAITH TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD
bulletBELIEVE GOD FOR THE GREATER WORKS
bulletDO ALL YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
bulletLIVING A LIFE OF EXCELLENCE
bulletDEVELOPING YOUR POTENTIAL

His boyish charm and good looks no doubt have added to his success. He took over his father’s church in 1999 when John Osteen died of high blood pressure complications. The senior Osteen had made his mark by hosting a weekly television program and authored 45 books. He founded Lakewood Church and built a 7,500 seat auditorium. However the size of the congregation has more than doubled since Joel Osteen became senior pastor and he has now outgrown his father’s facility.

Now with his super-star celebrity status Osteen is moving Lakewood Church into the Compaq Center, the 18,000-seat arena where Houston’s basketball team has played. They have entered into a lease and are busy remodeling the entire center which they will rename "the Lakewood International Center." A fund-raising campaign to raise the $70 million dollars for the improvements is asking supporters to sponsor a seat for $2500 each.

Their promos boast that the Lakewood International Center "will become a focal point for the entire city of Houston. The ice rink and basketball facilities will remain open for families and city leagues. Concerts, sporting events, family conferences, conventions, business workshops, receptions and personal growth seminars will bring in people from all races, backgrounds, and walks of life."

"The International Broadcast and Production Studio will tape programs, and seminars throughout the world via television, radio, books, tapes and the internet," the promo continues. "Our Health and Wellness Center will provide back- to-school programs while assisting the community with personal fitness and health related issues. A Dining and Retail Plaza will be a gathering place for surrounding businesses and provide a variety of resources to our congregation. Lakewood's Conference and Convention Center will attract organizations from around the world and present programs and seminars that will meet the diverse needs of an international city. "

On Lakewood Church’s website, a video presentation is given to announce the building project. Osteen gives the new vision of his ministry: "We’re all about building people up. We’re all about helping people reach their full potential. We don’t push some kind of religion.…all we push is joy and peace and victory through Jesus Christ. …Our message every single week -is through faith in God you can live an overcoming life of victory … I believe that’s the message this generation needs to hear. We’ve heard a lot about the judgment of God and what we can’t do and what’s going to keep us out of heaven. But it’s time people start hearing about the goodness of God, about a God that loves them. A God that believes in them. A God that wants to help them. That’s our message here at Lakewood."

Osteen preaches the new modernized gospel that is increasing the number of tares and goats in the visible church. "It's the goodness of God that leads people to repentance," Osteen asserts carefully avoiding the dreaded word 'sin.' "That's why over 18,000 people walked down our aisles last year to receive Jesus. That's why we receive hundreds of thousands of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from our television viewers."

Lakewood Church’s suitable theme song for their "Discover the Champion in You" slogan:

"We Are the Champions"

I've paid my dues

Time after time

I've done my sentence

But committed no crime

And bad mistakes

I've made a few

I've had my share of sand

Kicked in my face

But I ain’t gonna lose

We are the champions-my friends

And we'll keep on fighting

Till the end

We are the champions

We are the champions

No time for losers

'Cause we are the champions of the World’

(A lot of good it did for Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991)

INCREASING IN FAVOR

"See the Bible says that we can grow in favor," said Osteen in his sermon "Increasing in Favor" (available in RealAudio at http://www.lakewood.cc/a_v_library.htm). "I believe one of the main ways that we grow in favor is by declaring it. It’s not enough to just read it it’s not enough to just believe it. You’ve got to speak it out. Your words have creative power. And one of the primary ways we release our faith is through our words. And there is a divine connection between you declaring God’s favor and you seeing God’s favor manifest in your life…You’ve got to give life to your faith by speaking it out."

In keeping with the erroneous idea of using some positive thinking to get what you want in life, Osteen preaches the Kenneth Hagin/Charles Capps idea that we can get what we want from God by our faith-filled words. This entire sermon was on how as a child of God we should be receiving "preferential treatment" by everyone. He testified about how he had been pulled over a couple of times for speeding but when the officer saw his last name was Osteen, no ticket was issued. He said the same can happen for every Christian who wakes up declaring they have God’s favor. By following this method Osteen says he has been able to get the best parking spot in a crowded parking lot, a first class seat on a crowded airplane with no boarding pass, and priority seating at restaurants.

This is a far cry from what the treatment the Bible says true believers will receive from the world. Jesus warned in John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

The Bible also seems to quote these new prosperity "Christians" word for word in Revelation 3:17 -- "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing." But Jesus responds, "you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

And yet that is the cry of the prosperity gospel -- one whose god is the goods of this world -- what the Bible calls "lovers of mammon." The apostle John in his first epistle reiterates his warning against chasing after this world’s favor:

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" 1 John 2:15.

Source: http://www.cultlink.com/ar/osteen.htm

WISHY-WASHY CHRISTIANITY!

Wishy Washy Christianity
"What is said in 2 Kings 17:33 of the heathen colonists brought in from Assyria is remarkably descriptive of many professing Christians: 'They worshipped the Lord, but they also served their own gods.' " - Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations

What causes a people who profess to be Christians to be controlled by passion, be influenced by popular opinions rather than the Truth of God's Word, to endeavor to worship and serve the creature as well as the Creator, and to desire to secure both worlds - the earthly and the heavenly?

What causes them to be so wishy-washy in their beliefs and standards of holiness? How is it that out of one side of their mouths they are praising Jesus, and, out of the other, they are constantly discussing and revelling in the things of this world?

On Mount Carmel, the Prophet Elijah inquired of the people:

1 Kings 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered not a word."

This same problem, and question, needs to be addressed once again in the Churches that are in the world today.

We find that many people in Christianity today want to fear the Lord and yet serve the idols of their own imaginations and hearts or even graven images. Many want to give God lip service - make a show of their Christianity before all for whatever reasons - yet their hearts are removed far from Him.

Isaiah 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouths, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me..."

There are those who do not separate themselves from the "unclean thing" after their salvation experience. They do as Ephraim did - "Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people..." Resultantly, they become good-for-nothing just like Ephraim - "...Ephraim is a cake not turned."

Hosea 7:8 "Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not."

Their hearts are divided. They want to be Christians, yet still be respected and loved by the world. They find themselves attempting to serve two masters - the Lord Jesus Christ and Self or the Lord Jesus Christ and the world. In most cases, Jesus gets to play "second fiddle."

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

They still have not totally left the devil's table where they once used to eat. At one moment, you find them drinking from the devil's cup of pleasure and entertainment, and then on Sunday and Wednesday they are drinking from the Lord's cup. On Saturday night or throughout the week, they are eating at the devil's table, and then on Sunday, they go to church and eat from the Lord's table.

Instead of their eyes being single (having affections only for Christ), they are "full of adultery," coveting everything and anything that others have or being enamored by the razzle-dazzle of this world.

2 Peter 2:14 "Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children."

The Apostle James called this state of the soul - double mindedness:

James 1:8 "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

For those who were in this place spiritually, he implied that they were defiled and impure and needed cleansing and purification all over again - "...Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

To be "double minded" - constantly wavering between Christ and something or someone else - causes a people to become "unstable" in all of their ways.

Could this be why there is so much Sin in the Church today? Is this why there is so much divorce, abortion, fornication, adultery, and even homosexuality in our midst?

People are simply lacking in stability and firmness in their faith. They are irresolute and undetermined in their standards. They are continually distracted by the things of this world.

The Lord Jesus Christ admonished every Christian with these powerful words:

Luke 9:62 "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

When we accept salvation through Jesus Christ, we are likened to the farmer who is plowing his field. He has a task to perform. He is to keep his eyes focused on the work ahead of him, not looking to the right hand or to the left. The direction in which he sets his gaze will be the direction in which he plows.

We cannot accomplish God's Will for our lives if we are constantly looking back with regret at all that we gave up for the Lord - whether it be pleasures, wealth, or worldly honor and fame.

Lot's wife tried looking back to Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt (Luke 17:32). Demas loved this present world insomuch that he left the Apostle Paul and the ministry to go back to it (II Timothy 4:10 ).

Many, having "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," go back to their old sinful habits and become entangled again and "overcome." Their last state becomes worse than their first. They are like the dog which returns to its own vomit, and "the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

II Peter 2:20,22 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

  • The Apostle James called it double mindedness.

  • The Lord Jesus likened it to a man undertaking a task but always looking back.

  • The Apostle Paul described this state as being like little children who are weak, ignorant, changeable, unsteady, and easily yielding to every temptation that comes along.

Ephesians 4:14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

"tossed to and fro" - This imagery is taken from the motion of waves or billows constantly moving back and forth. It depicts a people who are very unstable in character and purpose.

"carried about with every wind of doctrine" - These are a people who are not settled or firmly grounded in the doctrines of the Bible. They do not know the Scriptures neither do they adhere to them. They place all their faith and trust in what or who the majority accepts.

"by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness" - Any false teacher or prophet could come along and use subtlety, skill, and trickery to draw them away from the truth, and they would never know it for they are like little children - easily swayed and influenced by others. (see our article titled "What About TV Evangelists" for more on this subject.)

What is the solution for this problem of wavering and inconstancy found among some of the people of God?

The Scriptures give us three possible answers:

  1. Get Rid Of Any Idols

    I Corinthians 10:14 "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."

    Friedrich H. Jacobi once said - "Where idolatry ends, there Christianity begins; and where idolatry begins, there Christianity ends."

    William Ullathorne added - "Whatever a man seeks, honours, or exalts more than God, this is the god of idolatry."

    And Arthur Wallis sums it all up by saying - "An idol may be defined as any person or thing that has usurped in the heart the place of preeminence that belongs to the Lord."

    When there is a constant war going on in the soul between two loves - the Lord Jesus and a rival - there will also be found:

    • weakness in holy living;
    • wavering in standards;
    • instability of conviction;
    • hesitancy to surrender all to the Lord;
    • no settled course or direction for the life;
    • deceit;
    • and inordinate affections or lusts - all in order to accommodate the rival in one's heart.

  2. Live A Life Of Dependency On God

    John 15:4 "Abide in Me..."

    Someone once said - "The life rooted in God cannot be uprooted."

    E.M. Bounds said - "Our ability to stay with God in our closet, measures our ability to stay with God out of the closet."

    Matthew Henry said - "We must live a life of communion with God, even while our conversation is with the world."

    A.W. Tozer said - "The Christian is strong or weak depending upon how closely he has cultivated the knowledge of God."

    And finally, William Wilberforce added - "How much better I might serve God if I had a closer communion with Him!"

    Communion with the Lord Jesus through prayer and the study of His Word is an "absolute must" for every Christian. Satan will use every distraction, diversion, sidetrack, and hindrance to keep God's people from the place of fellowship with the Living Son of God.

    Each will find it to be totally and absolutely certain as John Blanchard stated:

    "Nothing promotes the activity of the devil more than the Christian's proximity to God."

    The devil wants nothing more than for every believer to be weak and wavering as well as distracted in mind and affections. "Constant communion with God adds stability and strength to one's walk".

    The Prophet Isaiah said it this way:

    Isaiah 40:29-31 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

    While we "wait upon the LORD," He exchanges His strength for our weakness. He endues us with supernatural power to stand boldly and uprightly in this sinful and adulterous generation.

    Proverbs 28:1 "...the righteous are bold as a lion."

    The Christian who meditates in the Word of God day and night becomes "wise" and full of "strength". He is firm and settled in his beliefs. He adheres to fixed Biblical views and principles.

    Proverbs 24:5 "A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength."

  3. Do The Work Of The Lord

    I Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

    Many are not standing their ground in this unsettling world or are not firm in their hopes and Faith because they are not doing the Will of God for their lives. They are not fulfilling the Call of God that has been placed on them from their mother's womb. They are not promoting God's glory.

    They are not "seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." They are not walking in obedience to His Holy Word.

    Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

    Simply said, they are "standing idle in the marketplace." God may have given them an assignment at one time which they set out to do; but trials, temptations, adversity, and persecution hit and caused them to lose the vision, become discouraged, and stop the work of the Lord. Now they find themselves "depressed", "idle," and constantly distracted and unstable in all their ways.

    Matthew 20:3 "And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace."

    There may be others who have never taken the time to seriously seek God for His will for their lives. Hence, they are "tossed to and fro" like waves of the sea - constantly jumping at every opportunity that comes their way - finding out in the end that it was never God's Will to venture out in that particular direction.


Perhaps today you are like the double minded man - unstable in all your ways. You are trying to serve two masters, and you are totally frustrated as a result. Your heart is divided between Jesus and the world. You are giving God only lip service and even though you have everyone fooled, you and God know it is true.

You started out in your Christian walk but then offences came and now you find yourself constantly looking back at those times when you were hurt and offended. You cannot seem to grow spiritually or advance in the ways of the Lord because you are bound to your past.

Like a little child, you are easily swayed and influenced by others, feeling so insecure and unsure of yourself.

Get alone with God today. Ask Him to reveal any idols in your life. Repent, and get rid of them. Then determine to serve the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly from this day forward.

Live your day in continuous dependency upon the Lord. Pray and meditate on the Word day and night. Stay in constant communion with God, allowing Him to be your strength and power.

Do the will of God for your life. Don't look to the right hand or to the left to see what others are doing. Seek God for the plan and purpose for your life and then do it diligently and vigorously.

Take heed to the wisdom of the Prophet Daniel:

Daniel 11:32 "...the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."

Determine like never before to know your God, be strong, and do mighty exploits in His Name. You will find that you will never waver or be shaken in your affections and love for Jesus Christ ever again.

May God Bless You
Source: http://www.russpickett.com/basic/wishwash.htm

ROMANS 6

Romans 6

1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


SOFTLY AND TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING

SOFTLY AND TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Refrain

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Refrain


Will L. Thompson (1847-1909)
Words & Music:
Will L. Thomp­son, in Spark­ling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, by
J. Cal­vin Bush­ey (Chi­ca­go, Ill­i­nois: Will L. Thomp­son & Com­pa­ny, 1880)
(MI­DI, score).

SUITCASE NUKES ?

We have long noted the many instances where the American people have been dogged by bogus terror alerts ("Rumors of Wars") from the FBI and/or Homeland Security (NEWS1888). Now, you add Suitcase Nukes to this list!

People have been really worried about the idea of pre-positioned Soviet suitcase nukes and by the idea of terrorists being able to sneak such devices in on their backs, virtually unnoticed by any authorities. You can feel really helpless by stories like this, for you never know when you will be instantly vaporized by such a device.

NEWS BRIEF: "Suitcase nukes? A myth created by Hollywood", The Times of India, 12 November 2007

"WASHINGTON: Members of the US Congress have warned about the dangers of suitcase nuclear weapons. Hollywood has made TV shows and movies about them. Even the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has alerted Americans to a threat — information the White House includes on its website. But government experts and intelligence officials say such a threat gets vastly more attention than it deserves. These officials said a true suitcase nuke would be highly complex to produce, require significant upkeep and cost a small fortune ... Counterproliferation authorities do not completely rule out the possibility that these portable devices once existed. But they do not think the threat remains. 'The suitcase nuke is an exciting topic that really lends itself to movies', said Vahid Majidi, the assistant director of the FBI's weapons of mass destruction directorate. 'No one has been able to truly identify the existence of these devices'."

When Jesus warned that one of the signs of the End of the Age was a period of "Rumors of Wars", He certainly was not kidding! One by one these false stories fall by the wayside, and we realize that we have been fooled! In our opinion, the only sign worth watching for is the outbreak of all-out war between Israel and her Arab neighbors, probably starting with the Palestinians. The Bible says that Israel is the key to the timing of final world events (Matthew 24:31-34) and the Illuminati Plan says that Israel is the key to the final world time events (NEWS1056 and NEWS1057). Let us watch this event and ignore the rest of the planned bad events until we see this war unfold. Otherwise, you can die a thousand deaths of fright from the proverbial thousand tiny lashes.

Source: www.cuttingedge.org

Monday, November 12, 2007

YASSER ARAFAT


Yasser Arafat

Yasser ArafatAKA Mohammed Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Ra'ouf Qudwa Al-Husseini

Born: 24-Aug-1929
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: 10-Nov-2004*

Location of death: Paris, France
Cause of death: Cerebral Hemorrhage
Remains: Buried, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine

Gender: Male
Religion: Muslim
Race or Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Occupation: Politician, Terrorist

Nationality: Palestine
Executive summary: Palestinian leader, former terrorist

Military service: Egyptian Army

Yasser was his nickname since Arafat was a boy, meaning "easy-going". His mother died when Arafat was an infant, and he was raised by an uncle in Jerusalem, which was then occupied by the British. One of his earliest memories, Arafat said, is of British soldiers on a rampage, tearing up his uncle's house and belongings. Is it true? Hard to say. Arafat also said he was born in Palestine's Gaza Strip, or Jerusalem, but his birth certificate says Cairo, Egypt. Some say Arafat's estranged father was killed in battle against the Israelis in 1948. Arafat has said Haj Amin al-Husseini, a 1920s proponent of Palestinian nationalism who's widely remembered by Arabs as heroic, was related to his mother's family, but there's little or no evidence of this.

As a teenager in the 1940s, Arafat got involved with Palestinian politics, and fought against the idea of Israel before Israel was re-established by U.N. edict. Arafat started a terrorist group called Al Fatah ("the struggle") in 1956, while pro-Palestinian forces in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan started the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Arafat was elected Chairman of the PLO's Executive Committee in 1969. He ran it as a terrorist group through the late 1980s.

Then he secretly met with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Norway in 1993, and signed the so-called Oslo Peace Accords. Palestine got a limited form of semi-self-rule, and a promise that Israel would withdraw some settlements from disputed areas. Arafat, Rabin, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres got to share a Nobel Peace Prize.

Arafat was elected President of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, and since then Israel's government has taken a hard turn to the right. The region has suffered an endless spiral of authoritarian Israeli crackdowns inspiring Palestinian suicide bombings and vice versa.

Father: Abdul Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (textile merchant, d. 1948)
Mother: Zahwa Abdul Saod (d. 1933)
Brother: Fathi (d. 2-Dec-2004 stomach cancer)
Wife: Suha At-Taweel Arafat (Christian, m. Nov-1991)
Daughter: Zahwa (b. 24-Jul-1995)

University: BS Architectural Engineering, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt (1951)

Nobel Peace Prize 10-Dec-1994 (with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin)
Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman of the Executive Committee (1969-2004)
Plane Crash Libya (8-Apr-1992)
House Arrest Ramallah, West Bank 3-Dec-2001 to 24-Feb-2002
Coma 4-Feb-2004, approximately two days
Hunger Strike

Copyright ©2007 Soylent Communications

Source: http://www.nndb.com/people/403/000022337/

*Bolds and Highlight added for emphasis. Blogmaster.

FREE TRADE: CHEAP LABOR & EXPENSIVE RECALLS

FREE TRADE: CHEAP LABOR & EXPENSIVE RECALLS

By: Devvy
November 12, 2007

© 2007 - NewsWithViews.com

"The measure of the wealth of a nation is indicated by the measure of its protection of its industry; the measure of the poverty of a nation is marked by the degree in which it neglects and abandons the care of its own industry, leaving it exposed to the action of foreign powers." Congressman Henry Clay, 1824

In my October 10, 2007, column I covered the list of young girls who have already died from taking the HPV vaccine and the thousands of cases already being reported from severe adverse affects. Should one wonder where the ingredients for these vaccines are coming from? I also listed more dangerous drugs the Federal Drug Administration, aka, the Federal Death Administration, has pulled because people are dying or suffering massive stokes and heart attacks. All drugs the Federal Death Administration, pimps for the mega billionaire pharmaceutical houses, said were safe. One of these days I would love to see doctors by the thousands file a class action law suit against the FDA over the treaty issue and jurisdiction. Not to mention their, oppressive, tyrannical tactics and persecution of doctors who practice alternative medicine and for the FDAs banning certain natural supplements that we know are safe, but cut into the profits of these big pharma houses.

As constitutional attorney, Larry Becraft, pointed out in his June 12, 2004, column, the FDA derives their jurisdiction from international treaties:

"The power of the DEA to control "bad" drugs such as opium and cocaine is constitutionally indistinguishable from the similar power of the FDA to control other "drugs" such as Vitamin B and shark cartilage. If the DEA is a treaty-based federal agency, is it not possible that so is the FDA? As you might expect, the authority of the FDA arises from a 1906 international Agreement for Unification of Pharmacopeial Formulas for Potent Drugs.

"There are other examples of treaties being used to provide jurisdiction for federal crimes. Of course, Congress completely lacks delegated authority to control prostitution within the states. In summary, it is quite clear that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, DEA and FDA are treaty-based federal agencies. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to make criminal four types of conduct: treason, counterfeiting, piracies and felonies on the high seas, and offenses against the laws of nations. Very few people discuss which precise federal crimes fall within the category of offenses against the laws of nations and it would be very beneficial if we knew which crimes were of this type. Obviously, the criminal provisions of the federal gambling laws and the federal drug laws can be but one thing: offenses against the law of nations."

Now, you tell me how it is an offense against Spain, Peru or Finland if I want to take Vitamin B-17? You tell me how it is an offense against Ireland, Saudi Arabia or South Africa if Dr. Smith wants to prescribe natural supplements or a certain procedure with a patient's permission? Instead, hundreds of good, decent, AMA trained doctors have been sent to prison for being healers instead of pill pushers. On top of that, we have the insidious Codex guidelines, global of course. Updates here. This is another area where Congress has sold out the American people for BIG campaign donations from the pharmaceutical companies who do good on one hand, but on the other, they have allowed greed to kill Americans.

Next we're seeing these massive recalls of products from Communist China. I'm one of those who fought against NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement (No American Factories Taking Jobs) because so many of us knew what was going to happen: the total gutting of our most important job sectors which provided good jobs, good pay and job security. Here we are 12 years down the road with massive trade imbalances, MILLIONS of jobs lost - all for cheap labor for corporations who dumped on American workers. What a bargain. Cheap, you say? Go to Macy's or other department stores like Sears or Neiman Marcus and compare some rag on the hanger from commie China, commie Hong Kong or Bangladesh and it is equal to or MORE than the same or similar garment made here in America. Go ahead and compare, I have. Maybe you can get some sweats or tees at China (Wal) Mart cheaper, but either we support America first or we will not survive.

Gifts from the East. Poisoned pet food that has killed dozens of beloved dogs. Seafood full of dangerous antibiotics. Toothpaste tainted with, love this one - an ingredient in antifreeze. Automobile tires missing a key safety component. Toys from Communist China slicked with a date rape drug; see details here. A new addition to my Made in America section on my web site, America's Business To Consumers Incorporated (USAB2C), has a section on these recalls you should check out and don't forget to communicate these important recalls with friends, family and especially elderly parents who might not be on-line. This is an excellent site. How about dangerous prescription drugs being consumed by you and/or your family? It is a huge counterfeiting operation from guess where? Communist China and this is NOT an isolated case.

Of course, there's no malice or intent by the companies in China, a Godless, communist country, putting a date rape drug in toys to be sold in America. It's all just a mistake, not enough 'quality control.' Right. This factory is making toys for children in America and somehow large quantities of a date rape drug just happens to be in the work area where toys are being mass produced? Let's not forget the million or so dogs and cats skinned ALIVE by "businessmen" in Communist China every year who take the fur and put it in sweaters, parks and doll clothes which gets shipped and sold illegally here in the U.S. Details and video here. Don't eat before you watch it. The next time you buy a $75 dollar sweater or $250.00 ski parka for a Christmas gift from Communist China, there's a good chance it has dog or cat fur from a poor little creature skinned alive. Don't believe those labels because they're lying.

Mattel and other manufacturers sold out the American people who built their mega corporations by closing plants and factories here in the U.S. They went to commie countries like China for cheap labor. Big dividend checks and mega million dollar annual salaries for the CEOs. Well, now it's coming home to roost because someone will have to pay the massive bucks involved with these recalls and lawsuits. If the corporations selling these recalled products lower their price in an effort to boost sales, those dividend checks to Americans who care only about money and not what's right for America, won't be happy. They can raise the cost of these crappie toys or the tooth paste to try and recover some of the enormous costs of recalls and that will have to be passed along to the consumer. All the way around, it's a losing proposition. Cheap labor has suddenly become quite expensive. How about a pair of cheap flip flops from Wal Mart? Might want to look at these pictures first.

Since NAFTA went into effect, we have lost MILLIONS of critical manufacturing, industrial and agricultural jobs. While enriching foreign governments and keeping people in other countries employed, we have been reduced to a service oriented country that is no longer self-sustaining. We MUST turn this around, but it won't be easy or without pain. Retailers are already worried, as well they should be, that this will be a dismal 'holiday season'. The sub prime melt down is just the tip of the iceberg. Two million Americans will lose their homes by next summer, car repos are running record numbers as well as credit card defaults and as one recent head line read: 'The last dead bull on Wall Street'; the news is going to get worse. Then you have Americans like me who refuse to buy made in Communist China which also hurts the economy.

Washington Times, December 6, 1993, accurately reflect Sir Goldsmith's statements during the hearings, which I watched on C-SPAN: "The late billionaire, French financier, Sir James Goldsmith, warned America during the Ernest Hollings committee hearings on "free" trade: "Global free trade will force the poor of the rich countries to subsidize the rich in poor countries. What GATT means is that our national wealth, accumulated over centuries, will be transferred from a developed country like Britain to developing countries like Communist China, now building it's first ocean going navy in 500 years."

"China, with its 1.2 billion people, three Indochinese states with 900 million, the former Soviet republics with some 300 million, and many more can supply skilled labor for a fraction of Western costs. Five dollars in Communist China is the equivalent of a $100 wage in Europe." It is quite amazing that GATT is sowing the seeds for global social upheaval and that it is not even the subject of debate in America....If the masses understood the truth about GATT, there would be blood in the streets of many capitals. A healthy national economy has to produce a large part of its own needs. It cannot simply import what it needs and use it's labor force to provide services for other countries."

"We have to rethink from top to bottom why we have elevated global free trade to the status of sacred cow, or moral dogma. It is a fatally flawed concept that will impoverish and destabilize the industrialized world while cruelly ravaging the Third World."

Sir Goldsmith could see into the future, only it's been far worse than he predicted. Let's not forget what those dollars you're sending to Communist China are buying: "And red star rising. We're exporting our wealth to China. Beijing is using that money to build up its military. Former U.S. ambassador to China, James Lilley, is our guest.' Lou Dobbs show, December 15, 2004. Communist China our friends? How about their espionage against us? See here.

The Christmas buying season starts the day after Thanksgiving. Many people like me don't participate. Oh, Christmas is a beautiful time of the year. I've spent it in the snow on ski trips and in fine weather in California. Wonderful music and most important, a time to be with family. However, I convinced my family 7-8 years ago that even you believe our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was born on December 25th, which I don't, why are we buying everyone birthday presents when it isn't my birthday or theirs? We settled on a compromise: kids up to pre-teen in the family would still get gifts. No, Bah humbug, just what our family worked out. No more of my 80 year old mom dealing with the stress of the shopping and then long lines at the post office.

I would like to offer up some alternative ideas if you want to support our fellow Americans and American jobs this Christmas season. Two years ago, we gave my niece's son (7) and daughter (5) a one year family subscription to the Natural History Museum in Las Vegas where they live. Jody and Alexia were thrilled and mom and dad took them once a month, which meant our gift, cost $45.00, went on all year and put money into the local economy. Last year, we gave them (along with my niece and her husband) two tickets to the big I-MAX theater in Vegas where they saw wonderful, educational, clean shows for their age groups, 6 & 8. They also received tickets to see the white tigers at one of the big casinos. Now, don't get riled up. There is an entrance to this tiger exhibit that bypasses the casino area so the kids weren't exposed. Christa said they had a wonderful time. This keeps money in the local economy and the three events made our gift one that kept on giving. I'm still thinking about this year, but it will be something local and will give them wonderful memories of time spent with mom and dad doing something fun. The cost of these gifts was less than some of these plastic pieces of garbage they calls toys or violent computer games that keep children in the house glued to a screen.

Money is tight for an awful lot of Americans, so make it a family gift instead of individuals. I bought a new coffee maker when we moved into our home in West Texas in June 2006. I purchased my Krup over the Internet; it's made here in Texas. Now, you can buy this great coffee maker at stores like HEB. Cost: $75.00. Yes, I could have bought some cheap model at Wal Mart for $35 bux or something, but I will not sell out my fellow Americans; my Krup will last for years and the coffee is de-lic-ious. If your mom and dad want a new coffee maker and you have a couple of siblings, make it a family gift. My husband recently needed new house slippers. Ten years ago I purchased Made in America sheep skinned ones in Colorado; cost was about $69.00. Ten years worth of wear. I found a retail store in Colorado Springs on the Internet who sold these slippers and ordered them a few weeks ago getting ready for winter. Cost was $70.00, but I know they will last a long time vs some cheap pair from commie China and the cost works out to about $7./year not including the tax and shipping. You can do the same if dad or grandpa needs a new pair this Christmas, just make it a family gift from all the kids or grand kids and that way you spread out the cost of the gift. [See Ron Paul and Edwin Vieira in the new DVD "Fiat Empire"]

You would be surprised how many nice gifts you can get at a health food store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's; fabulous soaps made from natural sources from around the country. Books that Americans need to read. How about new cookware? If you've never cooked with cast iron, you're missing out and you can get the best from Promised Land Products as well as other organic items; I know because I purchased my set from them. How about ladies hats, sweaters, jeans, toys (yes, toys!), candles, tee shirts, hunter's needs, sleeping bags, school supplies, garden supplies, you name it - more than 20,000 items - all made in America.

The more we buy American, the more meaningful, good paying jobs we create for our country. Isn't that worth a little extra effort?

Of course, Jesus is the reason for the season and I wish everyone a safe and blessed Christmas.

Important links:

1 - Made In America page
2 - 'Made in USA' stages comeback
3 - Why You Should Not Eat McDonalds Beef
4 - They died for "cheap" labor
5 - Prescription Medicines from China
6 - Most consumers plan to shun China-made toys
7 - Thai Fat Loss Pills Are Extremely Dangerous Weight Loss Program
8 - Toys 'R' Us recalls Elite Operations toys for lead
9 - The Cancer Research Money Machines
10 - Operation Clean Sweep

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