Sunday, March 02, 2008

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS GREAT & TERRIBLE

Joel 2


1Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

3A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

7They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

8Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

9They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

10The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

11And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

12Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

17Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

18Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

19Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

20But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.

32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

P.S. Highlights and bolds added for emphasis.

Blogman

Saturday, March 01, 2008

THE DAY OF THE LORD AT HAND

Chap. 9 - The Day of the Lord at Hand

"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even
the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That
day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the
trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,
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and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall
walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord." {5T 98.3}

"And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem
with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their
heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil." {5T 99.1}

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce
anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon
you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment;
seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's
anger." {5T 99.2}

We are near the close of time. I have been shown that the retributive judgments
of God are already in the land. The Lord has given us warning of the events about
to take place. Light is shining from His word; yet darkness covers the earth, and
gross darkness the people. "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them; . . . and they shall not escape." {5T 99.3}

It is our duty to inquire the cause of this terrible darkness, that we may
shun the course by which men have brought upon themselves so great delusion. God
has given the world an opportunity to learn and to obey His will. He has given them,
in His word, the light of truth; He has sent them warning, counsel, and admonition;
but few will obey His voice. Like the Jewish nation, the majority, even of professed
Christians, pride themselves on their superior advantages, but make no returns to
God for these great blessings. In infinite mercy a last warning message has been
sent to the world, announcing that Christ is at the door and calling attention to
God's broken law. But as the antediluvians rejected with scorn the warning of
Noah, so will the pleasure lovers of today reject
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the message of God's faithful servants. The world pursues its unvarying round,
absorbed as ever in its business and its pleasures, while the wrath of God is about
to be visited on the transgressors of His law. {5T 99.4}

Our compassionate Redeemer, foreseeing the perils that would surround His followers
at this time, has given them special warning: "Take heed to yourselves, lest
at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares
of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come
on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come
to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." If the church pursue a course
similar to that of the world, they will share the same fate. Nay, rather, as they
have received greater light, their punishment will be greater than that of the impenitent.
{5T 100.1}

We as a people profess to have truth in advance of every other people upon
the earth. Then our life and character should be in harmony with such a faith. The
day is just upon us when the righteous shall be bound like precious grain in bundles
for the heavenly garner, while the wicked are, like the tares, gathered for the
fires of the last great day. But the wheat and tares "grow together until the
harvest." In the discharge of life's duties the righteous will to the last
be brought in contact with the ungodly. The children of light are scattered among
the children of darkness, that the contrast may be seen by all. Thus are the children
of God to "show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light." The divine love glowing in the heart, the Christ
like harmony manifested in the life, will be as a glimpse of heaven granted to men
of the world that they may see and appreciate its excellence. {5T 100.2}

Like will attract like. Those who are drinking from the
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same fountain of blessing will draw nearer together. Truth dwelling in the hearts
of believers will lead to blessed and happy assimilation. Thus will be answered
the prayer of Christ that His disciples might be one even as He is one with the
Father. For this oneness every truly converted heart will be striving. {5T
100.3}

With the ungodly there will be a deceptive harmony that but partially conceals
a perpetual discord. In their opposition to the will and the truth of God they are
united, while on every other point they are rent with hatred, emulation, jealousy,
and deadly strife. {5T 101.1}

The pure and the base metal are now so mingled that only the discerning eye
of the infinite God can with certainty distinguish between them. But the moral magnet
of holiness and truth will attract together the pure metal, while it will repel
the base and counterfeit. {5T 101.2}

"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly;"
but where do we behold the true advent spirit? Who are preparing to stand in that
time of temptation which is just before us? The people to whom God has entrusted
the sacred, solemn, testing truths for this time are sleeping at their post. They
say by their actions: We have the truth; we are "rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing;" while the True Witness declares: Thou "knowest
not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
{5T 101.3}

With what fidelity do these words portray the present condition of the church:
"Knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked." Messages of warning, dictated by the Holy Spirit, are borne by the
servants of God, defects of character are presented before the erring; but they
say: "That does not represent my case. I do not accept the message you bring.
I am doing the best I can. I believe the truth." {5T 101.4}

That evil servant who said in his heart, "My Lord delayeth
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His coming," professed to be waiting for Christ. He was a "servant,"
outwardly devoted to the service of God while at heart he had yielded to Satan.
He does not, like the scoffer, openly deny the truth, but reveals in his life the
sentiment of the heart--that the Lord's coming is delayed. Presumption renders
him careless of eternal interests. He accepts the world's maxims and conforms
to its customs and practices. Selfishness, worldly pride, and ambitions predominate.
Fearing that his brethren may stand higher than himself, he begins to disparage
their efforts and impugn their motives. Thus he smites his fellow servants. As he
alienates himself from the people of God he unites more and more with the ungodly.
He is found eating and drinking "with the drunken"--joining with worldlings
and partaking of their spirit. Thus he is lulled into a carnal security and overcome
by forgetfulness, indifference, and sloth. {5T 101.5}

The very beginning of the evil was a neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer,
then came a neglect of other religious duties, and thus the way was opened for all
the sins that followed. Every Christian will be assailed by the allurements of the
world, the clamors of the carnal nature, and the direct temptations of Satan. No
one is safe. No matter what our experience has been, no matter how high our station,
we need to watch and pray continually. We must be daily controlled by the Spirit
of God or we are controlled by Satan. {5T 102.1}

The Saviour's instructions to His disciples were given for the benefit
of His followers in every age. He had those in view who were living near the close
of time, when He said: "Take heed to yourselves." It is our work, each
for himself, to cherish in the heart the precious graces of the Holy Spirit. {5T
102.2}

Satan is working with unfailing perseverance and intense energy to draw into
his ranks the professed followers of Christ. He is working "with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish." But Satan is not the only worker by
whom
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the kingdom of darkness is supported. Whoever solicits to sin is a tempter. Whoever
imitates the great deceiver becomes his aid. Those who give their influence to sustain
an evil work are doing Satan's drudgery. {5T 102.3}

Actions reveal principles and motives. The fruit borne by many who claim to
be plants in the Lord's vineyard shows them to be but thorns and briers. A whole
church may sanction the wrong course of some of its members, but that sanction does
not prove the wrong to be right. It cannot make grapes of thorn berries. {5T
103.1}

If some who profess to believe present truth could understand their true position,
they would despair of the mercy of God. They have been exerting all their influence
against the truth, against the voice of warning, against the people of God. They
have been doing the work of Satan. Many have become so infatuated by his deceptions
that they will never recover. Such a state of backsliding cannot exist without causing
the loss of many souls. {5T 103.2}

The church has received warning after warning. The duties and dangers of God's
people have been plainly revealed. But the worldly element has proved too strong
for them. Customs, practices, and fashions which lead the soul away from God have
been for years gaining ground in defiance of the warnings and entreaties of the
Holy Spirit, until at last their ways have become right in their own eyes, and the
Spirit's voice is scarcely heard. No man can tell how far he may go in sin when
once he yields himself to the power of the great deceiver. Satan entered into Judas
Iscariot and induced him to betray his Lord. Satan led Ananias and Sapphira to lie
to the Holy Ghost. Those who are not wholly consecrated to God may be led to do
the work of Satan, while yet they flatter themselves that they are in the service
of Christ. {5T 103.3}

Brethren and sisters, I entreat you to "examine yourselves, whether ye
be in the faith; prove your own selves." To maintain
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the warmth and purity of Christian love requires a constant supply of the grace
of Christ. Have you employed every means that your "love may abound yet more
and more," "that ye may approve things that are excellent," and be
filled with the fruits of righteousness "which are by Jesus Christ, unto the
glory and praise of God"? {5T 103.4}

Many who should stand firm for righteousness and truth have manifested weakness
and indecision that have encouraged the assaults of Satan. Those who fail to grow
in grace, not seeking to reach the highest standard in divine attainments, will
be overcome. {5T 104.1}

This world is to the Christian a land of strangers and enemies. Unless he shall
take for his defense the divine panoply and wield the sword of the Spirit he will
become the prey of the powers of darkness. The faith of all will be tested. All
will be tried as gold is tried in the fire. {5T 104.2}

The church is composed of imperfect, erring men and women, who call for the
continual exercise of charity and forbearance. But there has been a long period
of general lukewarmness; a worldly spirit coming into the church has been followed
by alienation, faultfinding, malice, strife, and iniquity. {5T 104.3}

Should there be less sermonizing by men who are unconsecrated in heart and
life, and were more time devoted to humbling the soul before God, then might we
hope that the Lord would appear to your help and heal your backslidings. Much of
the preaching of late begets a false security. Important interests in the cause
of God cannot be wisely managed by those who have had so little real connection
with God as some of our ministers have had. To entrust the work to such men is like
setting children to manage great vessels at sea. Those who are destitute of heavenly
wisdom, destitute of living power with God, are not competent to steer the gospel
ship amid icebergs and tempests. The church is passing through severe conflicts,
but in her peril many would trust her to hands that will surely
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wreck her. We need a pilot on board now, for we are nearing the harbor. As a people
we should be the light of the world. But how many are foolish virgins, having no
oil in their vessels with their lamps. May the Lord of all grace, abundant in mercy,
full of forgiveness, pity and save us, that we perish not with the wicked! {5T
104.4}

In this season of conflict and trial we need all the support and consolation
we can derive from righteous principles, from fixed religious convictions, from
the abiding assurance of the love of Christ, and from a rich experience in divine
things. We shall attain to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus only
as the result of a steady growth in grace. {5T 105.1}

Oh, what can I say to open blind eyes, to enlighten the spiritual understanding!
Sin must be crucified. A complete moral renovation must be wrought by the Holy Spirit.
We must have the love of God, with living, abiding faith. This is the gold tried
in the fire. We can obtain it only of Christ. Every sincere and earnest seeker will
become a partaker of the divine nature. His soul will be filled with intense longing
to know the fullness of that love which passes knowledge; as he advances in the
divine life he will be better able to grasp the elevated, ennobling truths of the
word of God, until by beholding he becomes changed and is enabled to reflect the
likeness of his Redeemer.

-
{5T 105.2}

Testimoies To The Church, Volume 5; Ellen G. White, pp. 98-105.

WORLDVIEW?

WORLDVIEW, WORLDVIEW, WORDVIEW.
Worldview is the popular description of what a person bases his beliefs on.
Where does this expression have its origin?
Well, the first time I heard it; It sounded familiar. Of course, you know it has a trace of familiarity all over it.
Then it occurred to me that I had heard the concept before, long ago. It wasn't in the English language, but in Deutsch (German). The word is Weltanschuung. It is a concept I learnt in a Sociology Class.
Weltangschuung, like the 'Debunking motif' (an analytical respect for the unrespectful) are both concepts that are used in the field of Sociology.
It's a secular, a sociological term used to describe a person's World-view! A World perspective.
Hummm! Sociological? Worldview?
~
More than twenty years ago in a college Introduction to Philosophy class I learned the quirky German word Weltanschung which means, roughly, "world view." A world view is the way you understand existence based partly on your experiences of life. There are other factors that become mixed in to create our individual views of the world (our socioeconomic status, the broader cultural issues, and the like), but essentially Weltanschung informs the way we live our lives.1
~

After I thought about the term for a long time, I decided to write about this enigmatic expression that has recently crept into the 'christian vocabulary'. I realize that it isn't Christian, and that those who would have us form a Worldview, are either fooling us, or are themselves fooled. Because, "Know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God?"

.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4.

.

In my opinion we aren't called to have a Worldview; But, a God-ly view, a Christ-like view. Christ stated that His Kingdom was not of this World. Any other view is not convenient to men/women attempting or professing to serve God. If we have a Worldview, we're seeing things from a worldly perspective; A worldly point of view; A worldly vantage point, etc. So, the next time you hear Worldview; Think of what it really means. Worldview??? It's a term coined by the Social Engineers to confuse those seeking the Light of the Gospel of the Kingdom, The Everlasting Gospel, which is not of this World.

.

Just a minor observation on 'popular' rhetoric; Which reveals where you're 'really' seeing things from.

Here's another one of those newfangled expressions: What's your take on this???

Arsenio

.

.

Reference:
1http://bartswholenewworld.blogspot.com/2006/06/weltanschung.html

THE COUNTER REFORMATION

The Counter Reformation

In spite of the separation of the reformed churches from Roman Catholicism, Scripture predicts that at the end of time the whole world would follow the beast. This includes the churches of today. The Reformation would grind to a halt, and the principles, which lead to separation from Rome, would not be considered obstacles at the end of time. Vatican Flag As discussed in the chapter The Wine of Babylon, Rome considers herself the mother of all the churches, and her strivings have been to bring about the return of her separated children to her.

Preterism and Futurism

To meet the challenge and exposure of the Papacy as the Antichrist and the Pope as the “son of perdition”, the Jesuits were summoned to counter the reformers’ teachings, and here two Jesuit scholars stand out in particular. They are Alcasar and Ribera, and they developed the preterist and futurist systems of prophetic interpretation. The preterist interpretation puts all prophecy pertaining to the Antichrist into the past (persecutors outside the Jewish or Christian religion), and the futurist interpretation puts them into the future after the Christian dispensation and the Secret Rapture. Ribera published his futurist views in 1585.

According to the futurist view, the antichrist was to come from the tribe of Dan, and would make his appearance after the secret rapture. He was to rebuild the temple, abolish the Christian faith, pretend to be God and then conquer the world in the space of threeandahalf years. Furthermore, futurism teaches that, instead of coming with the clouds with great power and great glory, our Saviour will come secretly and silently to take away his Church a teaching foreign to that of the apostles.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16,17.

The apostles referred to the spirit of antichrist already working in their time, to be fully revealed at the end of time. There is no question of referring to the antichrist power in the past. Jesus in Matthew 24 speaks of this great apostasy as a future event, not a past occurrence.

In the nineteenth century, the Protestant world, starting with the Anglican priest Samuel R. Maitland, accepted the futurist teachings and saw in it an opportunity to cease hostilities with Rome.

The prophetic interpretation of futurism was further refined, when, according to S.P. Tregelles, dispensationalism originated in an “utterance” by means of tongues in Edward Irving’s church in England. The futurist dispensationalistic mode of prophetic interpretation has been accepted by most Protestant churches today, and is the form of interpretation employed in the Scofield Reference Bible.[v] Dispensationalism is a product of futurism and it teaches that history is divided into seven dispensations:

Human History

Innocence Kingdom

Conscience

Government

Promise

Law

Grace

Millenium

Before Eternity sin (Eden)

Antediluvial Civilization

Postdiluvial Period

Abraham to Exodus

Levitical Era

Church Period

Era of Peace

"David's" SymbolDuring the dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom, the Jews will preach the gospel after the rapture of the Christians. The Jews will be suppressed by antichrist and the visible appearing of Christ will save them at the end of seven years. According to futurists, the Church is concerned with grace, and the Jews are concerned with the Kingdom. The Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come” can therefore have no meaning to the Christian. Furthermore, Scofield allows for no continuity between the Old Testament believer and the New Testament church. Not even Christ spoke to us (because he taught under the old dispensation); only the epistles speak to us.

Most men who subscribe to dispensationalism are of Calvinistic creed, with a deeprooted belief in predestination. According to this doctrine, man has so far fallen in sin that he is unable to choose for himself. Salvation is therefore not conditional but unconditional, and one is either predestined to eternal salvation or to eternal damnation. All promises of scripture are also unconditional, and the Jews were God’s chosen people whether they wanted to be or not.

SpiritThis is not a Biblical teaching: it destroys man’s freedom of choice, relegates him to the position of a pawn, and renders the teaching of the Gospel obsolete. This teaching is in clear violation of the Biblical teaching of conditionalism (Exod. 19:5,6; Deut. 28:1,15; Jeremiah 18:710 and many other texts in both the Old and the New Testament). It is the doctrine of predestination, which opened the way to the acceptance of dispensationalism by the Calvinistic churches. Without the uttering in tongues in Irving’s church, this system of interpretation would never have arisen, because no one taking the Bible alone (sola scriptura) would have accepted it. Scripture warns against deceptive teachings of spirits. Paul writes:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1

Paul admonishes all to make the word of God our standard and to come into harmony with the teachings of Christ so that we would be protected from false doctrines.

And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 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. Ephesians 4:1114


-
Prof. Walter J. Veith

REFERENCES:

[v] D.F. Neufield, Ministry, July 1978.

Source: http://amazingdiscoveries.org/the-counter-reformation.html

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

Words: Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, 1787, by John Rippon

Music: Foundation, Lyons, St. Denio

How firm a foundation

Source: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/h/h376.html

JOB 9

Job 9

1Then Job answered and said,

2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

9Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Friday, February 29, 2008

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

32Remember Lot's wife.

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

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

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

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

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


Luke 17:20-37

SATAN'S LAST CAMPAIGN


Satan's Last Campaign

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


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

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

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

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

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

Maranatha, Ellen G. White, page 64.

REJECTION OF THE TESTIMONIES = APOSTASY


Rejection of the Testimonies Results in Apostasy


One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan's banner will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God's Spirit.--3SM 84 (1903).
The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant people in the true testimony.--1SM 48 (1890).


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


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


Last Day Events, Ellen G. White, pp. 177-178.
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P.S. .Bolds added for emphasis Blogman

Thursday, February 28, 2008

TERRORIZED BY 'WAR ON TERROR'

Terrorized by 'War on Terror'

How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America

By Zbigniew Brzezinski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BRAIN-READING HEADSET TO SELL FOR $299


Brain-Reading Headset to Sell for $299



Wednesday February 20, 5:25 PM EST


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE UPPER ROOM CHRISTIAN CAFE

S T O R Y

BY NATHAN BROWN

ABOUT SIX HEARS AGO COLETTE Muth spent a year working as a volunteer with the South Queensland Conference Youth Department in Australia. She became involved with cafés at camp meetings in the South Queensland and North New South Wales conferences. "It was such an amazing experience to see how it reached young adults," Colette says. "I came back here, and we had nothing like this in America."

So, together with her brother Aaron, Colette used café ministry at a number of temporary locations, including in conjunction with the General Conference 2000 in Toronto. "It was incredible," reports Colette, "and went so well we felt God was leading both of us to do this in a permanent location."

"That's when we saw the potential in the one-on-one situation," Aaron adds. "Not just giving sermons, but the one-on-one interaction in the café, talking to people, getting to know them, hearing their stories, hearing the trials or hurts, and sitting down praying with them. And I think that means so much to them, to build up that rapport, that friendship before we start preaching to them.

"That's the essence of the Upper Room-it's been one great story after another," continues Aaron. "We were looking for a building in Loma Linda, and if you saw the building we found there, you would laugh at the comparison with what God's given us here. Finally we met this really godly real estate man. He brought us here to the basement and we sat there, knowing this was not going to work. But the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask the landlord, 'Hey, I'd like your restaurant'-this was a fully functional restaurant when we got it. He said, 'I just decided to sell it three days ago. We'll make you a deal on it.'"

Aaron and Colette were able to arrange a loan to purchase the restaurant and all the equipment needed to operate. They then wondered what the Upper Room Café should look like. "We prayed about it," Aaron recalls, "and God led Colette to Second Chronicles, where she read about Solomon's Temple-gold walls, the carpet, the dark wood, the royal colors of the dark blues, purples, and deep reds. So I said, 'That's what we're doing-we're going to make it look like God's house.'"

On August 3, 2002, 500 young people packed the Upper Room Christian Café, Redlands, California, for a Michelle Tumes concert celebrating the grand opening of this new business/ministry. In the first month of operation the café has attracted more than 2,000 customers per week, served by a staff of 14 part-time employees.

But the business takes second place to the ministry. Aaron sees their café as meeting a need for simply a place to be and a place to be Christian. "A few months ago I was taken to a local bar by friends and found a number of Adventist kids there," he relates. "Now that we've opened, they're over here studying. These kids aren't bad; they're just looking for a place to hang out, a place where Christianity is cool. We have even had members of the community come in here and comment that Christians often do things so shoddy that they don't want to be a part of it. But one of the local magazine owners came to see us and said,' I would actually want to come in here.' And I think that's why God had us make it the way it is."

On Friday nights the business shuts down, and the usual food and drinks are provided free. Aaron remembers the first Friday night worship service as the highlight of the journey so far. "It was so worshipful," he recalls. "The way I had always imagined. We just told the young people, 'We care so much about God and glorifying Him that we don't want any distractions'-and they respect that and love it."

As well as Friday night services, the café hosts nightly worships, Bible study groups, prayer groups, regular live Christian music, and there are plans to provide service opportunities. However, the Upper Room Café has also found unexpected ministries.

"We've developed a homeless ministry we didn't know anything about," says Aaron with a smile. "They come in on Friday nights and get a free meal. Such sad stories-there was one family with eight kids, and they were all living in a van. You can't turn away people like that."

"God's called us to feed those people spiritually and physically," Colette adds. "And just to see how this is affecting people already-there have been a couple of people feeling suicidal, and God sent them over here. One person was actually on his way to the railroad tracks. He came over here and found God again and now wants to have Bible studies. It's so encouraging and so powerful to actually see the ministry in these one-on-one relationships. There's a kind of evangelism of just being there and talking to people and just praying with them."

The response from local churches and the wider community has been overwhelmingly supportive. Local media have taken notice and KTLA-a Los Angeles television station-is interested in a story. Colette and Aaron have received inquiries from other places across the United States about the possibility of franchising their café. "But we've got to stay grounded," Aaron is quick to add. "Instead of looking ahead to more, let's get the ministry right."

"It's huge to think we just opened the place and we have a congregation of 2,000 people," Aaron reflects. "I think a lot of people see it as a cute little coffee shop and don't see the ministry potential. Most of these kids would never walk into an Adventist church, but they're here. God put a burden on our heart to preach it-it's just a different kind of house of worship here."

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Nathan Brown is a graduate student and freelance writer in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

© 2002, Adventist Review.

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

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Note: Highlights and Bolds used for emphasis. Blogman

CHRISTIANS ON COFFEE & WINNING


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

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

Arsenio

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE "W"



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huff and I puff, etc.

Arsenio.

bUSh IS NOT HEADED INTO RECESSION


Bush: US Is Not Headed Into Recession


Thursday, February 28, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senate Democrats appeared unwilling to budge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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