Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Who is Dr. Gianfranco Rossi?


L to R: Prof. Abdelfattah Amor, Mrs C. Rossi, Dr. Gianfranco Rossi


After reading and re-posting this article - IRLA Announces New United Nations Representative on this blog; I was confused by the many names that were mentioned in the article (Dr. Gianfranco Rossi and other leading IRLA figures have been engaged at the UN ever since.); I then became curious about who was Dr. Gianfranco Rossi. So, I decided to research on the web for any information on Dr. G. Rossi, and this is what I was been able to gather:






Church Reaffirms Commitment to Peace and Justice at Commission on Human Rights


April 8, 2003

Dr. Gianfranco Rossi, Geneva UN representative for the Church.
Geneva, Switzerland... Representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church reaffirmed commitment to the principles of peace and justice during the 59th Session of the Commission on Human Rights meeting at the United Nations in Geneva.


In a prepared statement read to the Commission on April 3, Dr. Gianfranco Rossi, Geneva UN representative for the Church, affirmed that it was "madness to use religion as an instrument of terror and death," and that "the true spirit of religion supports justice, brotherhood, peace and life." Quoting twice from the Bible, the statement reminded the Commission of the concept of peacemaking: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," and "the work of justice shall be peace." (Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 32:17).



Source: http://parl.gc.adventist.org/news/archive/2003/apr03.html


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Adventist Religious Freedom Campaigner Honored at Hungarian Conference



30 Jul 2002,

Longtime religious freedom campaigner Dr. Gianfranco Rossi has received an award for "outstanding achievements" in the field of international human rights. United Nation's special rapporteur Professor Abdelfattah Amor presented the Albert Schweitzer award to Rossi last week at a ceremony held during the world congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) in Budapest. The honor marked another highlight in what Amor called "Dr. Rossi's long and distinguished service dedicated to the cause of religious liberty."

Rossi, a Seventh-day Adventist leader for many years, stressed in his acceptance speech three "leading principles which have guided me in my activities for religious freedom."

He spoke bluntly about the principle of equality, saying that "no individuals or groups can claim the right to establish or to maintain a political regime which does not respect the rights and freedoms of all human beings."

Rossi also argued for the principle of "difference," saying that today's pluralistic society has to respect not only the similarities, but also the differences between human beings. "Differences between human beings must not simply be tolerated," he said. "They must be admitted, encouraged, cultivated with a full awareness of the inestimable riches which they bring."

Rossi concluded with an appeal to all religions "to purify themselves of every form of intolerance and extremism," noting that "it is impossible to build a pluralistic society without respect and cooperation."

The Albert Schweitzer award is a special tribute given by the IARF, a non-governmental organization working with groups from different beliefs and communities suffering from religious persecution or discrimination. The IARF (http://www.iarf.net/) promotes freedom from oppressive interference or discrimination by the state, government or society's institutions.
Budapest Hungary,
Jonathan Gallagher/ANN
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Source: Adventist News Network



http://news.adventist.org/2002/07/avetist-religious-freeom-campaiger-hoore-at-hugaria-coferece.html



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So,the Professor Abdelfattah Amor (IARF) presented Dr. G. Rossi, the Albert Schweitzer award? Who is the IARF?




I found this at: http://www.iarf.net/index.php




Forum welcome message to membership
Dutch Chapter newsletter Autumn 2009 (in Dutch)
US Chapter newsletter Autumn 2009
Council meeting 2009 Report
Annual Report 2008
Visit of the JLC to next Congress venue
Slideshow of young adult training in Jordan
(Powerpoint, 974Kb)
Slideshow of visit to Philippines 'Interfaith Village' project
(Powerpoint, 1,2Mb)
Report from United Nations representative
May 2009 Newsletter





Council members Dr. Homi Dhalla & Rev. Yoshinobu Miyake at the Vatican recently


The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) @ http://www.iarf.net/




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Let him not appeal to unbelievers in a court of justice


"If thy brother shall trespass against thee," Christ said, "go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."....... Matt. 18:15-17.

Our Lord teaches that matters of difficulty between Christians are to be settled within the church. They should not be opened before those who do not fear God. If a Christian is wronged by his brother, let him not appeal to unbelievers in a court of justice. Let him follow out the instruction Christ has given. Instead of trying to avenge himself, let him seek to save his brother. God will guard the interests of those who love and fear Him, and with confidence we may commit our case to Him who judges righteously.


Christ's Object Lessons, E. G. White, pp.248-249.

IRLA Announces New United Nations Representative

1 October 2009, Silver Spring, MD—A veteran religious freedom advocate has returned to the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) to represent the organization at the United Nations.

James D. Standish, Esq., formerly longtime IRLA representative to the United States government, spent the past year as executive director of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent non-partisan federal agency advising the White House and Congress.

“We’re delighted to have James back with our team,” said Dr. John Graz, secretary-general of the IRLA. “He is very much at home, but at the same time at the start of an entirely new professional challenge.”

The IRLA has long maintained an office in New York, and holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.




James Standish, in the hall of the UN General Assembly on 23 Sep 09, listened to speeches by world leaders, including US president Barack Obama and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.


The IRLA’s involvement with the United Nations stretches back to its inception. As a young man, Dr. Bert B. Beach, previous IRLA secretary-general, met with Eleanor Roosevelt and other key players who were instrumental in the creation of the United Nations. Dr. Gianfranco Rossi and other leading IRLA figures have been engaged at the UN ever since.

Since coming to his new role on 28 August, Standish, 45, has wasted no time jumping into the fray. In his first four weeks on the job, he participated in the IRLA Meeting of Experts in Washington, DC, presented at the second IRLA symposium in Seoul, Korea, represented the IRLA at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, the Organization for Security & Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Warsaw and the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“There are many issues at play at the UN that the IRLA must influence,” notes Standish. “From the effort to curtail freedom of religious speech, to the UN Human Rights Council comprehensive periodic review of nations’ human rights records, the door is wide open and the stakes are high.”

In addition to his work with the IRLA, Standish is a member of the White House Task Force on Interfaith Dialogue & Cooperation, sits on the board of the First Freedom Center in Richmond, Virginia, and directs the UN liaison office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s world headquarters. Standish earned his juris doctor, cum laude, from Georgetown University, his MBA from the University of Virginia, and his BBA from Newbold College, England. He has lived in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Great Britain and the U.S., and has traveled widely.


Source: http://irla.org/index.php?id=374


Note: Bolds and Highlights added.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What Christians Need to Know About Islam

Sunday, October 25, 2009. 10:10 AM




Erroneous stereotypes about Islam abound in the West, from the treatment of women to promotion of religious extremism. What is the truth about Islam, and what can Christians learn from their Muslim brothers and sisters? Is there a way that Muslims and Christians can walk together down the path of religious tolerance and understanding? Join Dean Sam Lloyd and Muslim leader Imam Yahya Hendi as they explore Islam’s fundamental beliefs and talk about what Christians and Muslims can learn from each other.

About Imam Yahya Hendi

Imam Yahya Hendi is the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, the first American University to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. Imam Hendi is also the Imam of the Islamic Society of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland, and is the Muslim chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

He also serves as a member of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Science and Osher’s Lifelong Learning Institute of John Hopkins University, Fordham University, and Hartford Seminary. Imam Hendi also teaches a very popular course at Georgetown University called Inter-religious Encounter.

Mr. Hendi’s undergraduate education was in Islamic studies and his master’s and Ph.D. education were in comparative religions with interest in Christianity, Judaism, comparative religions, and inter-religious dialogue and relations.

He has written numerous publications on many topics, including women in Islam, women and gender relations in Islam, the second coming of the Messiah, Islam and biomedical ethics, and religion and Islam in the United States.

A sought-after speaker, Imam Hendi has presented a multitude of interfaith and general lectures in the USA, Asia, Africa, Europe, central Asia, Eastern Europe, Australia, and the Middle East over the past 10 years, and he has been to more than 63 countries and 45 US states for conferences.

Mr. Hendi was one of the Muslim leaders who met with President Clinton during his presidency. He also met with the President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy and continued to meet him many times during his presidency.

Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues hoping to create a new positive relationship between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions. In his lectures, Imam Hendi focuses on issues related to gender relations, domestic violence, world peace, social, economic and political justice, and inter-religious and interfaith issues.

Imam Hendi appeared on many national and international television and Radio shows as an expert on interfaith dialogue and on Islam and Muslims (i.e. CNN, ABC, Fox, Kuwait TV, Nile TV, Pakistan Channel-II, RAI, MSNBC, and Al-jazeerah).

Imam Hendi recently engaged nationally and internationally on raising awareness on issues of the twenty-first century which included: 1) environmental responsibility, 2) a peaceful resolution to the Arab/Israeli conflict, 3) eliminating poverty, 4) fighting against the growing sense of militarism, and 5) empowering Muslims to reform the way they practice and understand Islam.

Mr. Hendi serves on national and international interfaith councils such as the Appeal of Conscience, the National Inter-religious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East.
Imam Hendi is the founder and the secretary general of Clergy Beyond Borders, and the founder and the president of the newly founded organization Imams for Universe, Dignity, Human Rights and Dialogue.

In May 2002, Imam Hendi was chosen by Hartford Seminary to receive its annual “James Gettemy Significant Ministry Award” for his dedication to his ministry and for his work to promote peace building between people of different religions. In February 2009, Imam Hendi was honored by the Baltimore field office of the FBI for fighting terrorism, drugs, and violence in America.

Imam Hendi offers inter-religious and Muslim retreats and leads Qiyyam-layl prayer and Jum’ah (Friday Services). He also councils students on academic, professional and social issues. Imam Yahya Hendi believes that with love and education the world will be a better place to live in.


The Sunday ForumUpcoming Guests
October 25, 2009 10:10 AM
What Christians Need to Know About Islam
Imam Yahya Hendi

November 8, 2009 10:10 AM
Faith and Politics: The Domestic Agenda
Melody Barnes

November 15, 2009 10:10 AM
Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Perpetual Threat
Anthony Fauci

November 22, 2009 10:10 AM
A Time to Dance: Building Community
Liz Lerman


Parking at the Cathedral
Parking in the Cathedral’s underground garage is free Sundays from 6 am to 11 pm. Learn more about parking options for individuals and groups.
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Note: Bolds and Highlights added.
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Fundraiser-in-Chief

By Max Fisher on October 20, 2009 2:39pm



On Tuesday, President Obama holds his 23rd fundraiser while in office--dramatically more than President Bush held during his first nine months in the White House. He faces a difficult political challenge as today's fundraiser will be attended by many of the Wall Street bankers whom the administration has publicly lambasted over bonuses. Unsurprisingly, those bankers are somewhat reluctant to match past donations.

Bailed-Out Bankers Should Donate Even More Huffington Post's David Sirota blasts bankers. "This just about says everything that needs to be said about America's 'greed is good' culture, and the sense of entitlement among the Wall Streeters who destroyed the economy and nonetheless continue making big money off taxpayer bailouts," he writes. "Just to reiterate: Bank executives have been given trillions of taxpayer dollars to double their bonuses and jack up their perks during a recession that they themselves caused - and nonetheless, they not only feel 'put upon,' but feel 'there is no reason why they shouldn't earn $200 million a year.'"
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Heavy Fundraising Looks Bad MNSBC's First Read laments the poor visuals. "The Obama White House is in one of the periods many presidencies go through, when no matter what you do, it doesn't seem to play well. Fundraising is one of those issues right now. As we noted yesterday, the president is spending an inordinate amount of time this week campaigning and raising money," they write. "None of it looks good. And last week, he went from touring New Orleans' Katrina areas to a glitzy San Francisco fundraiser. What's more, the president today is raising money in the media's backyard -- New York City -- and he's drawing even more attention to the issue, especially since some Wall Street types are attending today's dual fundraisers for Bill Owens (the Democrat running in NY-23) and for the DNC."

More Fundraising Than Bush, Less Money CBS News' Mark Knoller compares the two president. "The events bring to 22 the # of fund-raisers Pres. Obama has done so far this year. Pres Bush did only 6 fund-raisers his 1st yr in office." Knoller notes that Bush did no 2001 fundraising after 9/11, but later reports that Obama added the 23rd fundraiser today. Surveying the fundraisers for which data is available, Knoller crunches the numbers. "Worth noting: In 2001, Bush raised >$48-million doing six fund-raisers. So far, Obama has raised >$21-million doing 20 fund-raisers."

Meanwhile, GOP Rakes In Cash Greg Sargent blames the health care debate for surging Republican fundraising. "I noted below that the dithering that Obama and Dems are doing on the public option has caused Obama's approval to drop sharply among Dems, raising the possibility that punting on the public option could depress the Dem base’s enthusiasm heading into 2010. In this context, it’s worth pointing out that the GOP base, by contrast, is fired up, judging by this new info just out from the Republican National Committee, which shows that GOP fundraising is up, particularly among small donors," he writes. "Folks aren’t focused enough on the real political dangers punting on the public option poses for Dems."

'Neverending Campaign' Conservative blog Stop The ACLU slams Obama's "neverending campaign" strategy. "Obama and Biden will be making many fundraising stops in the coming week, and certainly in the future. They have decided on a strategy of using Air Force One to take them to supposed official government stops, then popping off to the rallies, so as not to be nailed for the usage of AF1," they write. "Here’s a novel idea: why not listen to what the people are saying, and pass legislation that will serve their needs and make them happy?"


The Debate
Obama's Greenwich Fundraisers David Sirota, The Huffington Post
The Neverending Campaign Stop the ACLU, Stop the ACLU
The Optics Problem First Read, NBC News
Obama and Bush Fundraising Mark Knoller, Twitter
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Pelosi Pushes Ahead With Calls for Government-Run Health Plan

The House Speaker is standing her ground on demands for a government-run plan, even as President Obama's advisers signaled over the weekend that the "public option" is just that -- desirable, but not mandatory in the massive health care overhaul being debated in Congress.

By Cristina Corbin
FOXNews.com
Monday, October 19, 2009


If a government-run health insurance plan winds up in the trash bin when all the debate in Congress is over, it won't be due to any lack of effort on Nancy Pelosi's part.

The House Speaker is standing her ground on demands for a government-run plan, even as President Obama's advisers signaled over the weekend that the "public option" is just that -- desirable, but not mandatory in the massive health care overhaul being debated in Congress.

The inclusion or disappearance of a government plan to compete with private insurers will leave one of the Democratic power-brokers basking in the credit -- or blame -- for the $1 trillion, 10-year government program that has divided Americans for months.

If the "public option" is in the final bill, "Obamacare" could be re-labeled "Nancycare."

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said inclusion of the option will put Pelosi's stamp on Obama's biggest domestic policy proposal since taking office.

"If the public plan passes, Pelosi has won because it's obvious it's not being pushed in the Senate and the White House," Sabato told Foxnews.com.

Not so, said Democratic strategist Bob Beckel, a Fox News contributor who managed Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign.

"If it ends up being in there in some form, certainly the House was the one that pushed it, but ultimately it ends up in Obama's lap," Beckel said. "Obama is going to [have] ownership of the health care bill, whatever it is."

Pelosi has publicly remained a strong proponent of a government-run plan to compete with private insurance companies -- even as Obama's closest advisers say it is not the most important element of health care reform.

White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that Obama believes the public plan is still the "best possible choice," but she said he's not insisting it be included in the final legislation.

Similarly, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said the government-run option is "not the defining piece of health care."

Pelosi's views on the necessity of a government-run plan "have not changed," spokesman Nadeam Elshami told Foxnews.com Monday. "The House is committed to passing a public option and we will go to the negotiating table with a public option."

Stephanie Lundberg, press secretary to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Pelosi's lieutenant, also said the House version will include the government-run option.

"We are currently in the process of working out how that will be structured. They're having discussions on the Senate side and it's in one of their bills so it is a possibility that it will be included."

In a conference call with constituents last Thursday, Pelosi trumpeted the need for a "public option," saying, "I think it's very clear from our conversations with the members that the votes are there for a public option." She added that she sent a "a number of versions" of a government-run plan to the Congressional Budget Office for cost estimates.

Aides have said Pelosi is looking favorably upon one variation of a public plan -- a Medicare plus 5 percent reimbursement rate for providers -- but no agreement has been reached yet on the specific type of government program to be included in the House version of the bill.

Pelosi's view may be gaining traction. A majority of Americans now support the so-called public option, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Tuesday.

The survey, conducted from from Oct. 15 to 19, found that 57 percent of respondents prefer some form of a government-run health insurance plan for people who cannot afford coverage, while 40 percent said they oppose it.

The poll, which surveyed a random sample of 1,004 adults and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, also showed that a government-run insurance plan has gained momentum among two key demographics -- independents and seniors.

While House Democrats appear confident, Senate Democrats are still debating. The Senate Finance Committee voted on a bill last week that does not contain a government-run health insurance plan or require employers to offer insurance to their employees. But a bill approved in July in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions includes the two fundamental provisions that the Finance Committee legislation does not.

Congressional aides say that that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will work closely with Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., as well as health committee chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in blending the two bills into one that can win in the Senate -- and withstand defeat when the two chambers vote later this year.

In an interview with FOXNews.com Monday, Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., said he is confident Pelosi will aggressively fight for some form of a public option, but is concerned the Senate may triumph over the House.

"We tend to have to default to the Senate too often and I'm fearful that's going to happen in the conference," Sestak said, adding that he wished Reid had been more vocal in his support for a government-run option.

"Too many times the Senate has prevailed on issues over the House. I can't say that in conference we'd prevail," he said.

The uncertainty of a government-run option surviving in Senate legislation is the key factor affecting the Obama's administration's strategy to diminish its necessity, Sabato said.

"They've basically made an internal evaluation that it's very unlikely this will pass because it won't pass in the Senate," he said.

But Jacki Schechner, national communications director for Health Care for America Now, disagreed that the president is backing away at all, leaving Pelosi to steer the government ship.

The White House has "not changed the way they've thought. It's not the only essential element of reform," she said, adding that the officials' remarks this weekend are consistent with earlier support for a public option.

Schechner added that her group doesn't see a distinction between Pelosi's and Obama's stances.

"We support what the president has put forth. We're not lining up behind anyone in particular," she said.

FOXNews.com's Judson Berger contributed to this report.


Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/19/white-house-downplays-need-public-option-pelosi-pushes-ahead-government-run/

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Todd Bentley's New Wife Breaks Silence

Todd Bentley's New Wife Breaks Silence
Thursday, 15 October 2009 04:36 PM EDT Adrienne S. Gaines News - Featured News


The new wife of former Lakeland Revival leader Todd Bentley said she believes it was wrong to begin a relationship with the evangelist before his divorce was final.

In an interview with MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner, who is overseeing Bentley's restoration process, Jessa Bentley said her relationship with Todd Bentley began after he filed for divorce from his first wife, Shonnah. But she now believes they should have waited six months to a year after the divorce was final before beginning a relationship.

"Even though Todd was getting a divorce and Todd was already separated, it was still wrong for us to have anything romantic, regardless if anything physical happened or not," Jessa Bentley said. "Even that emotional line that we crossed, I think is wrong. I think it was a sin. I think it was a mistake. I think we missed it."

She said she doesn't regret marrying Bentley, but repented for "being deceived" and "allowing things to happen that shouldn't have happened."

"We hurt a lot of people," she said. "For that, there's nothing we could say to take that away or to make it right or justify it. It was wrong, and it was sin. ... We made a huge mess. I want to apologize, I want to repent for that." (Watch video.)

Joyner's interview is the latest in a series of videos he has created to update the public on Todd Bentley's restoration process, which he has been overseeing since March. After leading popular revival meetings in Lakeland, Fla., for nearly four months, Bentley suddenly stepped down in August 2008 after announcing that he and his wife, Shonnah, were separating.

At the time, leaders of what is now known as Transform International, which is no longer affiliated with Bentley, expressed concern about the evangelist's relationship with Jessa as well as his alcohol consumption, which a senior board member said had "crossed the line."

Jessa Bentley, 26, said she met Todd Bentley, 33, two years ago when he visited California to lead a conference. She and other church members struck up a friendship with the evangelist, and a year later she moved to Canada, where Bentley's Fresh Fire Ministries was based, to participate in their internship program.

After the Lakeland Revival began, she moved to Florida and helped Bentley's first wife, Shonnah, with the couple's three children. She later became part of the ministry's staff.

Jessa said Fresh Fire staff knew Todd and Shonnah Bentley were having marital difficulties. But the problems grew worse after the revival began, and the couple eventually separated.

"When [the marriage] broke, he broke," Jessa Bentley said. "He crumbled and fell apart."

She said church and Fresh Fire leaders largely weren't available when Todd needed someone to talk with, so he began confiding in a small group of ministry staff. Because she was often the only woman in the group, she would comfort him when he cried.

"He was crying a lot and weeping and crying out to God and praying," she said. "And when there was a group of us, there were a lot of guys, so not a lot of them would be there to comfort him in the way that he needed."

"I did hold him when he cried [when] there were other people there," she continued. "No one else knew what to do. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't just going to walk away from that. There was no one there for him, really, except for the few of us."

She said their relationship was sparked through those times but formally began after the Bentleys separated. Bentley married Jessa earlier this year.

Jessa Bentley said she believes she was deceived part of the time. "I did make up excuses," she said. "I did try to justify it. I did try to say that this was right. But in hindsight, looking back, I realize, it was wrong-period."

She said the couple wants to make things right, but they believe they will have to pay a price for their mistakes. "There are consequences we're walking out, and there are going to be consequences that we're going to have to live with, a price that we have to pay for the rest of our lives because now we're married, and because we made mistakes, we created sins," Jessa Bentley said.

Todd Bentley said Jessa did not break up his first marriage, but that their relationship "shouldn't have happened the way it happened."

He said he and Jessa are not trying to justify their actions. "I'm going to have to bear something the rest of my life, Jessa and I together are bearing something," he said. "And that's difficult. It's cost me my family, ministry, reputation. And nobody did that to me. No anybody in Canada, not a leader. Me. My sin cost me. ... But God's grace, goodness and mercy far outweighs."

Joyner said the Bentleys' situation has been challenging to him personally, but believes Christians "need to find God's grace and His purpose now."

"If we want to receive God's mercy ourselves we have to learn to sow mercy," he said. "If we want to receive His grace, we have to learn to sow grace."

Likening the Bentleys to the biblical King David, Joyner said Israel may have followed Absalom after David committed adultery with Bathsheba because they thought God could no longer be with him after what he did.

"But God was still with David," Joyner said. "And I think there's something in the lesson, in the challenges, of this situation. Nobody's being challenged more than Jessa and Todd in this situation and will be from now on. But they're overcoming it. And I believe the body of Christ is overcoming too."

Bentley continues to minister through Fresh Fire USA Ministries based in Pineville, N.C.
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Catholic Prophecy (Their version of End Times)


Here's a list of end-times events according to a Roman Catholic blog:

  1. The Muslim-Marxist Alliance in Europe will grow and be highly successful. It will also enjoy success in other parts of the world as well. Russia will return to full communism (in a slightly different form) and make an alliance with the world's Muslims.

  2. The European Muslim-Marxist Alliance will eventually culminate in a violent revolution that will span the entire European continent.

  3. The Vatican will be violently overrun, and the pope will be forced to flee Rome. He will eventually die in exile - assassinated!

  4. God will intervene in the situation, with a supernatural disaster (resulting in 3 days of darkness) that will kill a significant portion of the world's population and significantly weaken Muslims and Marxists around the world.

  5. A new pope will be elected in exile, and he will revive the old French monarchy by crowning a Christian king against the will of the people of France. (Yes, the French royal family still exists, but it is unclear at this time who has right to the throne. Currently there are two valid pretenders.)

  6. The Muslim-Marxist revolution will be short lived, as this new Christian monarch fights back, and conquers Europe by military conquest, establishing a Christian Empire spanning from Madrid to Jerusalem - perhaps even larger - some say he will conquer the whole world.

  7. Russia will be converted back to Christianity en mass, and the Orthodox churches will be reunited with the Roman Catholic Church, and all non-Catholic (protestant, reformed, evangelical and fundamentalist) churches will cease to exist.

  8. A period of peace will follow (a minimum of 25 years, but some say multiple centuries), in which Christianity will have it's last great era of orthodoxy and evangelism before the rise of Antichrist and the Last Days. The world will be ruled by Christian monarchy, and great waves of evangelism will cover the earth, converting most of the world, as Pope John Paul II alluded to with his prophetic utterance "springtime of evangelism."

  9. Some time after the great French monarch dies, and perhaps after his successors die as well, the world will reach a point where things will be thrown into chaos. The world will be divided among multiple kings. Antichrist will come, and he will assume world power. He will be Jewish, and rise to power in the Middle East. He will be hailed as the Jewish messiah, rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and establish his throne there. He will subdue the world, and teach that all religions are false, except Judaism and perhaps Noahidism, in which he will mysteriously be allied with what remains of the Muslims.

  10. Then after ruling mildly for some time, and rebuilding Jerusalem into a thriving metropolis, and capitol of the world, he shall persecute Christians severely, and then demand to be worshiped as God.

  11. At that point God will send Enoch and Elijah back to reason with the Jewish people, and they will reject him and convert to Christianity en mass. Eventually the Antichrist will be killed, and a very short time (unknown exactly how long) after that Jesus Christ will supernaturally return in the flesh. He will come in the clouds, to raise the dead, judge the nations, and bring our world to it's end. Thus begins ETERNITY!


Source: http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2009/10/catholic-prophecy-last-days-end-times.html

P.S. This blog author's picture is an avatar, an alias is used as a name (and someone should believe these prophecies?); And lastly, disinformation is substituted for sound doctrine.


Arsenio.

Andrew Sorkin's 'Inside Story' On Financial Collapse


Georgetown Global Forum
In 2007, the World Economic Forum named Andrew Ross Sorkin a Young Global Leader.


Andrew Sorkin's 'Inside Story' On Financial Collapse


Financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin discusses his investigation into what really happened one year ago during the financial collapse and bailout. ...
(October 20, 2009)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113938903

Currently on NPR's "Fresh Air" ...


........................................................ The Story:

Andrew Sorkin's 'Inside Story' On Financial Collapse
October 20, 2009

Audio for this story from Fresh Air from WHYY will be available at approx. 3:00 p.m. ET
Transcript

October 20, 2009
Financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin talks with Fresh Air host Terry Gross about his investigation into what really happened one year ago, during the financial collapse and bailout. It's an epic tale that's he's documented in a new book: Too Big To Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System — and Themselves.

Sorkin is the award-winning chief mergers and acquisitions reporter for The New York Times, where he also writes a column and serves as assistant editor of business and finance news. He founded and edits DealBook, the Times' multimedia financial journal.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113938903

Pope Benedict XVI has approved a structure for admitting Anglicans





Pope Benedict XVI has approved a structure for admitting large groups of Anglicans wishing to come into communion with the Catholic Church

Vatican City, Oct 20, 2009 / 05:11 am (CNA).- In a Vatican press conference today, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that an Apostolic Constitution has been prepared in response to “many requests” from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful wanting to enter into full communion with the Church.
The Apostolic Constitution, which Cardinal Levada said “provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon”, will be a “single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application.”

The new canonical structure will allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Church while “preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony,” said Cardinal Levada. He added that it will allow married former Anglican clergy to be ordained however, in common with Catholic and Orthodox Churches, married clergy will not be allowed to be ordained bishops.

These ‘Personal Ordinariates’ will be formed, “as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world”, the cardinal prefect said.
He added: “The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of Christian Unity.”

One large group of breakaway Anglicans which has been requesting a formal structure to be corporately received into the Catholic Church has been the Traditional Anglican Communion, made up of an estimated 400,000 members worldwide.

Cardinal Levada explained that this initiative “has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans.” He went on to say: “They have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion.”

Cardinal Levada added: “It is the hope of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that the Anglican clergy and faithful who desire union with the Catholic Church will find in this canonical structure the opportunity to preserve those Anglican traditions precious to them and consistent with the Catholic faith. Insofar as these traditions express in a distinctive way the faith that is held in common, they are a gift to be shared in the wider Church. The unit of the Church does not require a uniformity that ignores cultural diversity, as the history of Christianity shows. Moreover, the many diverse traditions present in the Catholic Church today are all rooted in the principle articulated by St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, former under-secretary at the CDF until recently who helped draft the new structure, said: “We’ve been praying for unity for 40 years. Prayers are being answered in ways we did not anticipate and the Holy See cannot not respond to this movement of the Holy Spirit for those who wish communion and whose tradition is to be valued.”
He said there has been a “tremendous shift” in the ecumenical movement and “these possibilities weren’t seen as they are now”. He rejected accusations that the new Anglicans be described as dissenters. “Rather they are assenting to the movement of the Holy Spirit to be in union with Peter, with the Catholic Church,” he said.

Technical details still need to be worked out, and these Personal Ordinariates may vary in their final form, Archbishop DiNoia said. Full details of the Apostolic Constitution will be released in a few weeks but today’s press conference went ahead today because it had been planned sometime ago.

Cardinal Levada said 20-30 bishops have made requests, but more details will be given at a later date. Members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity were consulted and although they were invited to attend today’s press conference, no representatives were able to attend.


Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17437

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Related:

Roman Catholic church to receive Anglicansguardian.co.uk - UKBenedict's chief theological adviser, the US cardinal William Levada, said the decree had been drawn up "to respond to the numerous requests that have been ...

Vatican creates new structure for AnglicansThe Associated Press... Anglican identity and many of their liturgical traditions, Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican's chief doctrinal official, told a news conference. ...

Senate Expected to Expand Hate Crimes Law


Scholars and activists debate whether there's cause for concern over proposed legislation that would extend the hate crimes law to include sexual orientation.

Sarah Pulliam Bailey posted 10/16/2009 09:55AM

The Senate is expected to pass legislation that would broaden the hate crimes law to include sexual orientation, a proposal that has set-off alarm bells for conservative Christian groups in the last several months.

The House passed a different version of the bill in April that would allow federal aid to investigate crimes committed because of an individual's sexual orientation. Last week, the House voted 281-146 to approve the legislation, which includes new language that could alleviate some religious freedom concerns, says Carl H. Esbeck, law professor at the University of Missouri.

The bill protects an accused person's free exercise of religion, speech, and association unless it is intended to "plan or prepare for an act of physical violence" or "incite an imminent act of physical violence."

Groups opposed to the bill were concerned that if a religious leader were to preach against homosexuality and a parishioner were to later commit a hate crime against someone for being gay, the minster could be charged with aiding and abetting the crime.

The act states, "Nothing in this division shall be construed to allow prosecution based solely upon an individual's expression of racial, religious, political, or other beliefs or solely upon an individual's membership in a group advocating or espousing such beliefs."

That language suggests that in most circumstances, a religious leader could not successfully be prosecuted under this act, Esbeck said.

"I'm grateful for the work that was done by others to make this act far, far more accommodating to religious freedom concerns, which were legitimate," he said.

However, Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, believes that the provisions do not offer anything new that isn't already protected under the Constitution.

"While the wordings are nice, the amendments are really meaningless," Stanley said. "Treating them as a panacea that would treat the problems of the hate crimes law would be wrong."

Stanley fears that once a hate crimes bill becomes law, a law preventing hate speech could follow, citing examples from Sweden, Canada, and Australia, where pastors have been prosecuted for sermons they have preached.

Religious leaders could be called as witnesses against a person charged with committing a violent act against an individual based on that individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, which concerns groups like Family Research Council (FRC).

"Our fear is that it would create silence in churches, said Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs for FRC. "They're less likely to preach against homosexuality if they think the FBI will be knocking on their door."

Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, believes that the bill would not have hindered religious freedom when it was first introduced.

"If we look to Europe, there certainly are examples of hate speech legislation being used to question religious speech. In the United States, we have such a strong legal protection for religious speech that it would be very unlikely for that scenario to play out here," Haynes said. "Even though it might be apparent under the law that religious speech is protected, it's better to have it in the legislation and make sure it's clear they understood this law is not intended to target religious speech."

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is named in part for Matthew Shepard, a gay, 21-year-old Wyoming college student who was murdered 11 years ago Monday. President Obama has promised to sign the bill, praising the measure in his speech Saturday to the Human Rights Campaign.

The FBI reports that in 2007 (the most recent data available), law enforcement agencies reported 7,624 hate crime incidents, 16.2 percent of which were motivated by sexual-orientation bias.



I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me...


Malachi 3


1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

13Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.


King James Version (KJV)


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The Elijah Message


THE ELIJAH MESSAGE

The closing words of Malachi are a prophecy regarding the work that should be done preparatory to the first and the second advent of Christ. This prophecy is introduced with the admonition, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist; for the Saviour himself declared to his disciples, “Elias is come already.” Upon hearing this, the disciples “understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

In every stage of this earth’s history God has had his agencies to carry forward his work, which must be done in his appointed way. John the Baptist had a special work, for which he was born and to which he was appointed,—the work of preparing the way of the Lord.

The mission and the work of John the Baptist were specified by the angel of the Lord, as recorded by Luke: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” The Holy Ghost was to be upon him.

The wilderness-ministry of John the Baptist was a most striking, literal fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah had foretold his work as “the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

John, as a prophet, stood forth as God’s representative, to show the connection between the law and the prophets and the Christian dispensation. Like Malachi, he pleaded with the Jews: “Remember ye the law of Moses, . . . with all the statutes and judgments.” His work and ministry pointed back to the law and the prophets, while he, at the same time, pointed the people forward to Christ as the Saviour of the world. He called upon them to “behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

The forerunner of Christ lifted up his voice in the wilderness of Judea, crying, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he which was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” “Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. . . . O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! behold, the Lord will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.”

In the spirit, and with the power, of Elijah, John the Baptist denounced the corruptions of the Jews, and reproved their prevailing sins. His discourses were plain, pointed, and convincing. Many were brought to repentance, and, as evidence of their repentance, were baptized by him in Jordan. This was the work necessary in order to prepare the way for the earthly ministry of Christ.

The work of John the Baptist, and the work of those who in the last days go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to arouse the people from their apathy, are in many respects the same. His work is a type of the work that must be done in this age. Christ is to come the second time to judge the world in righteousness. The messengers of God who bear the last message of warning to be given to the world, are to prepare the way for Christ’s second advent, as John prepared the way for his first advent. In this preparatory work, “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain;” for history is to be repeated, and once again “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

In this age, just prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, God calls for men who will prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. Just such a work as that which John did, is to be carried on in these last days. The Lord is giving messages to his people, through the instruments he has chosen, and he would have all heed the admonitions and warnings he sends. The message preceding the public ministry of Christ was, Repent, publicans and sinners; repent, Pharisees and Sadducees; “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Our message is not to be one of peace and safety. As a people who believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a definite message to bear,—“Prepare to meet thy God.”

Our message must be as direct as was that of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity. Notwithstanding the peril his life was in, he never allowed truth to languish on his lips. Our work in this age must be as faithfully done.

Look at the picture that the world presents to-day. Dishonesty and fraud, violence and bloodshed, are seen on every hand. The widows and the fatherless are often robbed of their all. The theater, the race-track, and questionable amusements of every kind engage the attention of multitudes. In many churches sins have become fashionable. They are glossed over and excused. The right hand of fellowship is given to the very men who bring in false theories and sentiments. Right principles are no longer cherished. The conscience has become insensible to the counsel and reproofs that have been given. Messages calling for repentance are unheeded.

In this time of well-nigh universal apostasy, God calls upon his messengers to proclaim his law in the spirit and power of Elias. As John the Baptist, in preparing a people for Christ’s first advent, called their attention to the ten commandments, so we are to give, with no uncertain sound, the message: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” With the earnestness that characterized Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist, we are to strive to prepare the way for Christ’s second advent. Resolution, self-denial, and consecrated effort are required of every laborer. Alertness and consecrated zeal must take the place of listless indifference. The prayerful, earnest appeals that come from a heart imbued with the spirit that actuated Elijah, will bring conviction to the honest in heart.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Source: Ellen G. White, SW, March 21, 1905.


IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH

To prepare a people to stand in the day of God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished [by the Advent Movement]. God saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity, and in His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their stupor and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord.” Mar 173.


A Great Work Of Reform Began With Miller

“Thousands were led to embrace the truth preached by William Miller, and servants of God were raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the message.” EW 233.

“Angels of God accompanied William Miller in his mission. He was firm and undaunted, fearlessly proclaiming the message committed to his trust. A world lying in wickedness and a cold, worldly church were enough to call into action all his energies and lead him willingly to endure toil, privation, and suffering. Although opposed by professed Christians and the world, and buffeted by Satan and his angels, he ceased not to preach the everlasting gospel to crowds wherever he was invited, sounding far and near the cry, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’ ” EW 232.

“Like John, the forerunner of Jesus, those who preached this solemn message felt compelled to lay the ax at the root of the tree, and call upon men to bring forth fruits meet for repentance.” EW 233.


God Will Finish The Work In Righteousness

“When God would have a special work done for the advancement of the truth, He will impress men to work in the mines of truth with prayerful earnestness to discover the precious ore. These men will have Christlike perseverance. They will not fail or be discouraged. They will sink self out of sight in Jesus. Men will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is their work to make crooked things straight. Some things must be torn down, some things must be built up. The old treasures must be reset in a framework of truth. They are to preach God’s Word; their testimony must not be molded by the opinions and ideas that have been regarded as sound, but by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. They are to lift up Christ and call sinners to repentance. They are to practice the graces of Christ, to pursue a straightforward course, breaking down skepticism and urging upon all their personal responsibility to be kind and courteous, to do good and to win souls to Jesus.” 1888, p. 169.

“The Lord is sending His angels, preparing the hearts of the people to receive the truth. And if we are only consecrated to His service, we shall be sent forth in the spirit and power of Elijah.” 5MR 72.

“John the Baptist went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord and to turn the people to the wisdom of the just. He was a representative of those living in these last days to whom God has entrusted sacred truths to present before the people to prepare the way for the second appearing of Christ. . . .” Mar 118.


This Prophecy Will Be Fulfilled

“There is to be in the churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of their heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. ‘Why,’ they say, ‘should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?’ — Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties, of the messages of God, but persistently said, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ ” 1888, p. 765.

“The Jews tried to stop the proclamation of the message that had been predicted in the Word of God; but prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says, ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord’ (Mal 4:5). Somebody is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he appears, men may say, ‘You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message.’ ” 1SM 412.

“Those who eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God will bring from the books of Daniel and Revelation truth that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. They will start into action forces that cannot be repressed. The lips of children will be opened to proclaim the mysteries that have been hidden from the minds of men.” TM 116.

“Increased light will shine upon all the grand truths of prophecy, and they will be seen in freshness and brilliancy, because the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will illuminate the whole.” Ev 198.

“The question has been asked of me, ‘Do you think that the Lord has any more light for us as a people?’ I answer that He has light that is new to us, and yet it is precious old light that is to shine forth from the Word of truth.” 1SM 401.

“The Lord will put new, vital force into His work as human agencies obey the command to go forth and proclaim the truth. He who declared that His truth would shine forever will proclaim this truth through faithful messengers, who will give the trumpet a certain sound. The truth will be criticized, scorned, and derided; but the closer it is examined and tested, the brighter it will shine.” 1SM 201.

“As a people, we are to stand firm on the platform of eternal truth that has withstood test and trial. We are to hold to the sure pillars of our faith. The principles of truth that God has revealed to us are our only true foundation. They have made us what we are. The lapse of time has not lessened their value. It is the constant effort of the enemy to remove these truths from their setting, and to put in their place spurious theories. He will bring in everything that he possibly can to carry out his deceptive designs. But the Lord will raise up men of keen perception, who will give these truths their proper place in the plan of God.” 1SM 201.



Source: http://www.everythingimportant.org/seventhdayAdventists/ElijahMessage.htm

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Pope recalls ‘persecution’ of missionaries


By DPA October 18th, 2009


VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI recalled Sunday the dangers faced by Catholic missionaries around the world, citing the recent murder of an Italian priest in Brazil and the abduction of an Irish priest in the Philippines.


Benedict spoke before delivering the Angelus blessing to thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square as the Catholic Church was marking World Mission Day.

It was a day “which represents for every church community and for each Christian, a strong call to strive to bring the testimony of the Gospel to all, in particular to those who are not yet acquainted with it,” Benedict said.

“I wish to remember the missionaries - priests, religious men and women, and lay volunteers - who have consecrated their existence to bring the Gospel to the world and in so doing face hardships and difficulties, and even persecution,” he added.

“I think of, among others, Father Ruggero Ruvoletto… recently killed in Brazil and Father Michael Sinnott, kidnapped a few days ago in the Philippines,” Benedict said.

The 52-year-old Ruvoletto was shot dead Sep 20 in Manaus, capital of Brazil’s Amazonas State, in an apparent robbery at a parish residence.

The 79-year-old Sinnott was abducted Oct 11 by six gunmen in Pagadian City, 890 km south of Manila. Philippine authorities said the gunmen have since turned over Sinnott to Muslim separatist MILF fighters.


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MADE IN CHINA: IMPORTING AMERICA TO ITS OWN DEATH



By Frosty Wooldridge
October 19, 2009
NewsWithViews.com

During the Bolshevik Revolution that led to communist Russia, Comrade Vladimir Lenin said, “Sell the capitalists enough rope and they will hang themselves!”

Nearly 100 years later, Lenin’s predictions reveal his veracity with chilling fruition. The United States bleeds $11 trillion in debt. It suffers a $700 billion annual trade deficit, mostly with China, which by the way thrives as a communist nation selling us lots of ‘rope’, i.e., consumer goods. We import another $700 billion in oil annually from other countries. We borrow $2 billion daily to float our sinking economy. The average American’s credit card debt equals $9,425.00 according to NBC’s Brian Williams. We suffer 15 million unemployed American workers and 35 million subsisting on food stamps.

How did Lenin’s foreshadowing come to pass? How could he know that we would bring our downfall upon ourselves?

First of all, every empire in history fell to its own manifest destiny (ego), avarice and greed. Today, the U.S. empire features 572,000 military personnel on 700 bases in 120 countries around the world. Their purpose? Few Americans could tell you! The costs accelerate to unimaginable levels.

Secondly, major capitalists, the ‘gatekeepers’ or money changers, however you want to call them, ‘own’ the power to make their choices realized. Some call them the Rothchilds, Bilderbergers, etc. The fact remains, they pull all the money strings. We remain their puppets.

For instance, in the past 15 years, the second richest man in the world, Bill Gates, ‘persuaded’ our U.S. Congress to implement H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visas that brought foreign workers into this country to displace 1.0 million U.S. IT workers. How? Those visa beneficiaries arrived from third world countries and worked at a third the wage. Additionally, big manufacturing firms insourced jobs, outsourced jobs and offshored jobs. Maytag moved to Mexico. Levi Straus moved to India. Schwinn bikes moved to Taiwan, etc.

If you visit a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Sears, Penny’s, Kohl’s and hundreds of other retail outlets, you will notice 80 to 90 percent of the hard and soft goods “Made in China”; “Made in Mexico”: “Made in Pakistan”: “Made in Bangladesh,” etc. The most popular cars sold in America originate from Japan, Korea and Germany.

Each year, China sells the United States $700 billion in goods. Unlike Clinton, we ‘inhale’ that much junk from China! The United States sells China $67 billion in goods annually as reported by Charles Gibson on ABC last week! How’s that for ‘free trade’ and you can see the communists figured out how to sell us enough ‘rope’ to kill ourselves—and we are! China holds nearly $1 trillion of our treasury bills. We feel the squeeze of our debt every year as we pay out over $540 billion in interest on our debt. Our leaders ‘keep’ us fighting at a cost to taxpayers of $12 billion a month wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for eight friggin’ years! Are you feeling incensed?

If you look inside the USA, you see Hormel, Tyson Chicken, McDonald’s, Berger Chef, Pizza Hut, Chipotle’s, Taco Bell, and many more as well as construction firms, landscaping firms, roofing firms and car washes hiring unlawful immigrants by the millions. At least 10 million unlawful immigrants work jobs at 21st century slave wages while our citizens stand in unemployment lines or live on welfare. At the same time, we lose our jobs to illegal aliens, or see our wages downgraded, or watch our schools, culture and language vanish in front of our eyes—those few corporate chiefs make horrific profits—while we pay for illegal aliens’ educations, medical care and incarceration. How did we arrive at this obscene juncture?

Because our corrupt capitalists can make many more billions of dollars! And, they can get away with it because their lobbyists “pay off” our U.S. Senators and House Reps to NOT enforce our laws against such activities. Of recent note, former U.S. House Rep. John “Duke” Cunningham serving an eight year jail sentence for taking $2.4 million in construction bribes. How about House Rep. William Jefferson hiding $100,000 in cash in his freezer?

How many scoundrel U.S. Congressional reps haven’t been caught? My estimate: dozens if not a hundred in the U.S. House and Senate.

Notice also, that AIG just awarded more annual bonuses of $6 to $10 million to their corporate bosses—after failing—and after we taxpayers bailed them out!

You cannot help but lament, “What a country!”

Not only that, we citizens fail to demand accountability. We citizens shop at Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other stores by the millions, which means we kill our own American jobs and manufacturing.

How can I say that? Just look at our economy. We’re in debt up to our nostrils! We’re dangling at the end of an economic rope bull-hooked into our wallets by 535 members of U.S. Congress and the last four presidents. And our newest president, Barack Obama, rides and talks the same bull!
As Mark Twain once said, “Suppose you were an idiot; and suppose you were a member of congress—ah, but I repeat myself.”

The greatest flaw of our founding fathers: not placing a 12 year term limit on every position in Congress. The cronyism, personal greed and outright materialism of most of them defy a sane man’s imagination.

Amazingly, the American voters stupidly re-elect such men as the late Teddy Kennedy for 44 years of incompetence, John McCain for 30 years of failing to protect our borders, Robert Byrd who can barely totter across the Senate floor, Arlen Spector with full blown cancer for 35 years and the list grows. Those men and some women bring death to this republic, but we elect them again and again to kill us and our futures.

You might think that importing 160,000 foreigners every month, in the form of legal immigrants, would stop with 14 million Americans unemployed and 35 million living on food stamps. But you would be wrong! Not only will Congress continue, but those 535 men and women will vote for an amnesty that will lead to adding 100 million people to this country in 26 years, over 70 million immigrants.

Lenin’s prophesy continues and Mark Twain remains right on the money—while the American people watch their language, culture and way of life swirl the toilet. America: made “in” and owned “by” China!


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Weather: Overnight low breaks record in Melbourne


BY J.D. GALLOP • FLORIDA TODAY • October 19, 2009

The last time it was this cold, Jimmy Carter was president and disco was all the rage.

But weather officials say the moderate cold snap will end this week as temperatures climb back into the 80s by mid-week.

Today, temperatures in Melbourne dipped to 49-degrees this morning, breaking a record of 52-degrees set in 1977, according to the weather officials.

“It was comfortable,” said Bob Wimmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

At 5:20 a.m. the temperature got down to 50 degrees at the Melbourne International Airport but then settled to 49 at 7 a.m., officials noted.

The cooler, drier air is prompting some concerns from Brevard County fire officials. Last week, several small brush fires were reported.

Weather officials also say that in addition to higher temperatures, there will be fewer chances of rain. For the next three days there will only be a 20 percent chance of rain, officials said.

“Any showers will be spotty, isolated,” Wimmer said, adding that rain chances will increase by the weekend.

“That means fire sensitivity goes up.”

Meanwhile, the NWS has issued a frost advisory for parts of the Panhandle.

Forecasters say the frost advisory is in effect from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m.

According to the weather service, a cold area of high pressure is settling across the southeastern U.S. The cold, dry air is allowing temperatures to drop quickly into the mid-30s.

A frost advisory means that areas of frost are expected.

Forecast from the National Weather Service


Today: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 73. Windy, with a north northwest wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. East northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Windy, with a east northeast wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. East northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 10 mph.

Friday: A slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest.

Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. West southwest wind around 10 mph.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. North northwest wind around 10 mph.

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Contact Gallop at 409-1422 or jdgallop@floridatoday.com



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P.S. So much for Global Warming, correction Climate Change.........Arsenio.

Autopsies Planned in Marathon Deaths

AP
posted: 4 HOURS AGO


DETROIT (Oct. 19) - Autopsies are expected after three half-marathoners died during the Detroit marathon.

Officials say 36-year-old Daniel Langdon collapsed at about 9:02 a.m. Sunday between the 11- and 12-mile markers and 65-year-old Rick Brown collapsed at 9:17 a.m., near where Langdon went down.

Officials say 26-year-old Jon Fenlon collapsed at about 9:18 a.m., just after finishing the 13.1-mile half-marathon in 1:53:37.

Autopsies are planned for Monday.

Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing for the Detroit Media Partnership, told the Detroit Free Press emergency personnel were on the scene within seconds.

More than 19,000 people were registered to participate in the 32nd Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-10-18 17:39:07
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Source: http://news.aol.com/article/detroit-marathon-deaths/722031?icid=mainhtmlws-main-ndl1link4http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fdetroit-marathon-deaths%2F722031
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The Secret Treaty of Verona


Senator Owen: I wish to put in the Record the secret treaty of Verona of November 22, 1822, showing what this ancient conflict is between the rule of the few and the rule of the many. I wish to call the attention of the Senate to this treaty because it is the threat of this treaty which was the basis of the Monroe doctrine. It throws a powerful white light upon the conflict between monarchical government and government by the people. The Holy Alliance under the influence of Metternich, the Premier of Austria, in 1822, issued this remarkable secret document:




SECRET TREATY OF VERONA


AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC CODE, 1778-1884, vol. 2; Elliott, p. 179.


The undersigned, specially authorized to make some additions to the treaty of the Holy Alliance, after having exchanged their respective credentials, have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1. The high contracting powers, being convinced that the system of representative government is equally as incompatible with the monarchical principles as the maxim of the sovereignty of the people with the divine right, engage mutually, in the most solemn manner, to use all that their efforts to put an end to the system of representative governments, in whatever county it may exist in Europe, and to prevent it being introduced in those countries where it is not yet known.

ARTICLE 2. As it can not be doubted that the liberty of the press is the most powerful means used by the pretended supporters of the rights of nations to the detriment of those of princes, the high contracting parties promise reciprocally to adopt all proper measures to suppress it, not only in their own States but also in the rest of Europe.

ARTICLE 3. Convinced that the principles of religion contribute most powerfully to keep nations in the state of passive obedience which they owe to their princes, the high contracting parties declare it to be their intention to sustain in their respective States those measures which clergy may adopt, with the aim of ameliorating their own interests, intimately connected with the preservation of the authority of the princes and the contracting powers join in offering their thanks to the Pope for what he has already done for them, and solicit his constant cooperation in their views of submitting the nations.

ARTICLE 4. The situation of Spain and Portugal unite unhappily all the circumstances to which this treaty has particular reference. The contracting parties, in confiding to France the care of putting an end to them, engaged to assist her in the matter which may the least compromit (sic) them with their own people and the people of France by means of a subsidy on the part of the two empires of 20,000,000 of francs every year from the date of the signature of this treaty to the end of the war.

ARTICLE 5. In order to establish in the Peninsula in the order of things which existed before the revolution of Cadiz, and to insure the entire execution of the articles of the present treaty, the high contracting parties give to each other the reciprocal assurance that as long as their views are not fulfilled, rejecting all other ideas of utility or other measure to be taken, they will address themselves with the shortest possible delay to all the authorities existing in their States and to all their agents in foreign countries, with the view to establish connections tending toward the accomplishment of the objects proposed by this treaty.

ARTICLE 6. This treaty shall be renewed with such changes as new circumstances may give occasion for, either at a new congress or at the court of one of the contracting parties, as soon as the war with Spain shall be terminated.

ARTICLE 7. The present treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications exchanged at Paris within the space of six months.

Made at Verona the 22nd November, 1822.
for Austria: METTERNICH
for France: CHATEAUBRIAND
for Prussia: BERNSTET
for Russia: NESSELRODE



I ask to have printed in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD this secret treaty, because I think it ought to be called now to the attention of the people of the United States and of the world. This evidence of the conflict between the rule of the few verses popular government should be emphasized on the minds of the people of the United States, that the conflict now waging throughout the world may be more clearly understood, for after all said the great pending war springs from the weakness and frailty of government by the few, where human error is far more probable than the error of the many where aggressive war is only permitted upon the authorizing vote of those whose lives are jeopardized in the trenches of modern war.

Mr. SHAFROTH, Mr. President, I should like to have the senator state whether in that treaty there was not a coalition formed between the powerful countries of Europe to re-establish the sovereignty of Spain in the Republics of South and Central America?

Senator Owen: "I was just going to comment upon that, and I am going to take but a few moments to do so because I realize the pressure of other matters. This Holy Alliance, having put a Bourdon prince upon the throne of France by force, then used France to suppress the condition of Spain, immediately afterwards, and by this very treaty gave her a subsidy of 20,000,000 francs annually to enable her to wage war upon the people of Spain and prevent their exercise of any measure of the right of self-government.

The Holy Alliance immediately did not same thing in Italy, by sending Austrian troops to Italy, where the people there attempted to exercise a like measure of liberal constitutional self-government; and it was not until the printing press, which the Holy Alliance so stoutly opposed, taught the people of Europe the value of liberty that finally one country after another seized a greater and greater right of self-government, until now it may be fairly said that nearly all the nations of Europe have a very large measure of self-government. However, I wish to call the attention of the Senate to this important history in the growth of constitutional popular self-government.

The Holy Alliance made its powers felt by the wholesale drastic suppression of the press in Europe, by universal censorship, by killing free speech and all ideas of popular rights, and by the complete suppression of popular government."

"The Holy Alliance having destroyed popular government in Spain, and Italy, had well-laid plains also to destroy popular government in the American Colonies which had revolted from Spain and Portugal in Central and South America under the influence of the successful example of the United States."

"It was because of this conspiracy against the American Republics by the European monarchies that the great English statesman, Canning, called the attention of our government to it, and our statesmen then, including Thomas Jefferson, who was still living at that time, took an active part to bring about the declaration by President Monroe in his next annual message to the Congress of the United States that the United States would regard it as an act of hostility to the government of the United States and an unfriendly act, if this coalition, or if any power of Europe ever undertook to establish upon the American continent any control of any American republic, or to acquire any territorial rights."

"This is the so-called Monroe Doctrine. The threat under the secret treaty of Verona to suppress popular government in the American republics is the basis of the Monroe Doctrine. This secret treaty sets fourth clearly the conflict between monarchial government and popular government, and the government of the few as against the government on the many. It is a part, in reality, of developing popular sovereignty when we demand for women equal rights to life, to liberty, to the possession of property, to an equal voice in the making of the laws and the administration of the laws. This demand on the part of the women is made by men, and it ought to be made by men as well as by thinking, progressive women, as it will promote human liberty and human happiness. I sympathize with it, and I hope that all parties will in the national conventions give their approval to this larger measure of liberty to the better half of the human race".

(Senator Owen, Congressional Record 1916)


Source:http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/verona.htm

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