Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Mountain Media Ministry Seminar Schedule

Location Scheduled For This Summer:

June 12 & 13 - Gladstone, OR (Portland)

July 11 - Lewiston, ID

Sep. 18 & 19 - Libby, MT


Upcoming Fall 2010 Seminar Trip

Scheduling our Fall 2010 Seminar Trip.If you are interested in having us present in your area, please contact us ASAP.

In our seminars, you will learn the basis for preparation and country living--from a spiritual perspective. And then with that foundation, we delve into valuable practical information on the "nuts and bolts" topics. What will you do when, for whatever reason, you do not have electricity? Will you be able to get water from you well? Will you be able to keep your home warm? Will you be able have food? These are the most basic physical necessities of life, and they are topics that are just as applicable to those currently living in the country as to city dwellers. Almost everyone has become completely dependent for even these most basic necessities, in this modern society of ours. In the Country Living Seminars, we will be exploring how you can become as independent as possible for these basic necessities. How you can not only survive, but also thrive! So that you can be a help and blessing to others in the days ahead. And so you can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.


Source: http://mountainmediaministries.org/welcome/welcome/upcoming-spring-2010-seminar-trip.html.

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Odds 1-in-3 for Northwest Mega-Quake Within 50 Years


By Jeremy Hsu, LiveScience Senior Writer
posted: 24 May 2010 02:21 pm ET


A major earthquake, similar to what devastated Chile and Haiti, has more than a one-in-three chance of striking the U.S. Pacific Northwest within the next 50 years, scientists say.

Earlier estimates put the chance of such quakes at just once every 500 years. But new analyses by Oregon State University marine geologist Chris Goldfinger and his colleagues have revealed a more complex picture of the Cascadia Subduction zone, where the ocean floor steadily slips below the North American Plate – and where the region's earthquakes originate.

They found that Cascadia represents at least four separate segments, rather than one big subduction zone. Mega-quakes of magnitude-9 or greater occur less frequently in the northern segment and can rupture the entire fault, even as magnitude-8 earthquakes strike more often in the southern segment.

"It is not a question of if a major earthquake will strike, it is a matter of when," Goldfinger said, "And the 'when' is looking like it may not be that far in the future."

A magnitude-9 earthquake that struck the Cascadia region could rip apart highways, collapse bridges and even crumble buildings. A quake epicenter just offshore might give coastal residents as little as 15 minutes warning time before a tsunami swept ashore.

"The biggest offshore quake with a tsunami is certainly the worst case scenario for the coast, and it may be the worst case for inland cities also," Goldfinger told LiveScience. "But a shallower, more local earthquake near Portland or Seattle could be worse for those cities than a subduction earthquake."

That sense of urgency has compelled engineers and scientists to explore different ways of evacuating low-lying areas, including the construction of high-rise, tsunami-resistant facilities.

Rolling the dice

The southern end of the fault running from Newport, Ore., to northern California has a 37-percent chance of triggering a major earthquake in the next half century, with an average rate of roughly one quake every 240 years.

An even more devastating mega-quake has a 10 to 15 percent chance of hitting the northern segment, which stretches from Seaside, Ore., to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. A catastrophic event of that magnitude would come along about every 500 years.

Those revised estimates are based on the historical record, which shows that magnitude-8.2 or higher earthquakes took place 41 times in the Northwest during the past 10,000 years.

"At the southern end of the fault, the earthquakes tend to be a bit smaller, but more frequent," Goldfinger noted. "These are still magnitude-8 or greater events, which is similar to what took place in Chile, so the potential for damage is quite real."

As if following the motto that misery enjoys company, the northern segment may also experience earthquakes in clusters. A thousand years could pass without major incident, before a cluster of earthquakes strikes every 250 years or so, researchers found.

Still, scientists remain undecided about whether the clusters represent random statistical flukes, or if quakes do actually like to come in groups. They also want to discover the chances that the Northwest is currently in an earthquake cluster, if such clusters are significant.

Geological signs

The historical record for earthquakes comes from coarse sediments, called turbidites, which stream down from the continental margins into undersea canyons during ground-shaking from temblors. Those stand out from the finer particles that normally build up between major earthquakes.

Goldfinger and his colleagues used carbon-14 analysis and other methods to date the particles and pin down estimates of when major earthquakes took place. That allowed them to recreate a 10,000-year geological record of earthquakes in the Northwest.

Lower sea levels that existed beyond 10,000 years ago meant West Coast rivers regularly dumped storm debris into the offshore canyons, which made it difficult to distinguish the earthquake turbidites.

The last major earthquake to shake the Cascadia Subduction Zone took place in January of 1700. That event unleashed a 30-foot tsunami that struck Japan, and so scientists knew of the impact from historical records of the damage.

More indirect evidence came from huge physical changes in the coastlines of Oregon and Washington – a sobering reminder of what U.S. residents could face again sooner than later, just as in Chile and Haiti, the researchers say.



101 Amazing Earth Facts
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Tuesday, June 01, 2010

The Coming Spiritual Twilight


Volume XXIX Issue VI June 2010
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/



The Coming Spiritual Twilight

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…"

I Thessalonians 5:1-9

"For the ministry of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

II Thessalonians 2:7-12

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will look at a situation that has now come upon us and will be defined for us by the Scriptures. We have never faced a time in all of our nation's history such as this one, and as I write this, I fully realize that there are two kinds of people who are reading this. There are many who never look at things from a spiritual standpoint, and there are those that have the God-given ability as true Christians to look into the depth of what is happening in the corresponding unseen world. It is essential that we understand that since the beginning of the world there has been a conspiratorial adversary called Satan. Satan knows that his time is limited. History is filled with the activities of this rebellious dark prince, and Bible prophecy guides the children of God every step of the way and helps them to understand what is truly happening.

We are now at the end of the age at the very end of time when Satan makes his final grand attempt to seize upon the entire world and set himself up as the one world dictator in the form of a man. As he does this, it become ever clearer to Christians what is happening. However, to the undiscerning and unbelieving, there is confusion, anxiety, and misunderstanding.

Never has there been a time in our nation's history when the people of America have been so alienated from their own government, and everything now seems to be happening at once. The huge budget deficits, the astronomical national debt, the senseless wars, and even the many disasters have left people wondering. We know that every sign of these times was foretold by the Lord Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago. It is a fact that very soon the skies will be filled with the angels of God and our Lord will return. The important question is: will you be ready for that great day? I urge you to open your heart and seek the Lord and you will find Him. He will hear your prayer. Eternity never ends, and we must look to the Saviour now to prepare us for that great day just ahead. Surrender your heart to the Lord Jesus now while there is time.

Antichrist Politics in America

Our nation of the United States of America is populated by approximately 300 million people. All of these people are governed by a relatively small group of elitist rulers including the President, Vice President, Cabinet members, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court. America has always taken great pride in stating that the government is "by the people, for the people, and of the people." We have noticed, especially since Barack Obama became President, that the ruling class believes that the vast majority does not know what is good for them. The people of the United States are continually being ignored by those governing them. This concept is not new but is found within the writings of Dr. Albert Pike, the infamous Freemason, who wrote the book Morals and Dogma. In his book, he made it clear that the great populations must be micromanaged and that they do not know enough nor do they possess the ability to make decisions physically, spiritually, economically, and so on. We are watching in horror as Obama and his administration completely and absolutely function independently, being completely out of touch with the American people. No matter how great the protests, Obama pushes forward to what is now clearly identifiable as Marxist socialism.

Many people have wondered why Obama has such a driving force toward government run health care. The answer is that there are so many things built into that massive bill that have nothing to do with health care. Obama has used this to push forward his agenda in many and varied ways. We remember hearing his campaign pledge when Barack Obama clearly stated that he wanted a national security force, not the National Guard or anything like that, but a civilian one. If people were listening, they would know that on July 2, 2008, in a speech made in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Obama called for a police state. Buried within the revisions of the health care bill in subtitle C, entitled "Increasing Supply of the Health Care Work Force," under section 5210 is a provision establishing a ready reserved core. This is Obama's private army. In this ready reserved core, all commissioned officers shall be appointed by the President of the United States. Commissioned officers of the ready reserved core must at all times be subject to the call of active duty by the surgeon general. (1)

On April 9, 2010, HB1388 passed, and very few people seem to have heard about it. With the passing of this bill, we have just spent twenty million dollars to move members and supporters of Hamas, a terrorist organization, to the United States, offering them housing, food, and many other benefits. The news media was relatively silent on this, but the passing of the bill can be verified by going to the Federal Register's website. (2) Barack Obama ordered the spending of 20.3 million dollars for migration assistance. This bill allows many hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to the militant Hamas to resettle in the United States. If we look at the actions of Barack Obama, we do see a pattern forming. When he first became President, his first call to any head of state as President was to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Fatah party in the Palestinian territory. His first one-on-one television interview with any news organization was with Al Arabia television. His first executive order was to fund and facilitate abortions, not just here within the United States, but throughout the world, using U.S. tax payer funds. (3)

Our world is a very volatile place, and two major wars are currently being fought. The amount of money being spent on the logistics for these wars is enough to stagger the imagination. The provision of housing, meals, laundry, showers, water purification, bathroom cleaning, and so on is outsourced to private companies. And even though many companies would like to have this business, only one company seems to be getting the contracts. According to Bloomberg Business Week, on May 6th, 2010, Kellogg, Brown, and Root, known as KBR, was selected for a no-bid contract worth as much as 568 million dollars to provide these services. The Pentagon didn't even allow anyone else to compete for the business. Of course, KBR and Halliburton both have strong financial ties to former Vice President Dick Cheney. (4)

We know that our Bibles tell us in Matthew, chapter 24; Luke, chapter 21; Mark, chapter 13; and various other places that wars and rumors of wars will be the course of the entire last days. All of this is leading up a final conflict which we can read about in Revelation, chapter 19, called the Battle of Armageddon. All nations will be involved in this battle and very few people understand that the enemy of all these armies of the world is our coming Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation, chapter 19, verse 19, we read as follows: "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army." This scripture clearly states this to be forthcoming, and it will most assuredly come to pass. Can you imagine the weapons of this world being turned on the coming Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, in an attempt to stop Him? The result of such foolish actions are found in Psalm 2, verses 1-4, as follows: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision."

Barack Obama is clearly trying to unify the militaries of the world. He is using the phony peace bait of scaling back on atomic weapons. Obama has clearly stated that the United States has 5,113 nuclear warheads. His Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton, also issued the following statement in an Associated Press article on May 4th, 2010, "We think it is in our national security interest to be as transparent as we can be about the nuclear program of the United States." (5)

The Russians seem to have quite a different attitude toward weapons information. In early April a very unusual event happened in Russia as an airplane carrying the Polish President, his wife, high government and military officials, and others crashed near Smoliensk, Russia. There were at least 88 people aboard the Tupolev Tu-154 when it went down killing everyone on it. This was an amazing historic event in that one plane crash nearly wiped out the government of Poland. (6) The crash was quickly ruled accidental due to pilot error and other extenuating circumstances. But now we have learned, according to an article published in the Washington Times on May 13th, 2010, that Russia stood to gain much by this crash. On board the airplane and still intact was a windfall of military secrets, including pocket memory sticks that contained sensitive NATO data. In addition to that, Poland's in-term government has not pressed the Russians for answers to questions about the crash, such as why, without any investigation at all, the crash was ruled pilot error. (7) Strange things are going on here and there is much more to come.

Is Economic Recovery Possible?

As we know, the mass communication media has constantly downplayed the severity of the depression that we are in; they still call it a recession. However, we know that something far worse than that is wrong. Ever since my last trip to New York City in September 2008, I could feel the dark shadows of deep problems beginning to waft over the earth. When I looked at the Bank of New York, Goldman Sachs, and the other big banks and saw the large detachment of military personnel guarding the whole area, including the New York Stock Exchange, it became very obvious that something was about to explode that would change our nation forever.

I did my work in New York and returned home, and that very next week one bank after another of the world's largest banks went bankrupt and fell like a house of cards. The ripple effect was staggering; banks of all sizes were going bankrupt, and mortgages were not being paid.

Our U.S. banking system was doomed for failure right from the start because it is based on fractional reserve lending, which simply means that when deposits are put into the bank, the bank can loan out ten times the amount of that deposit and draw interest on that entire amount, 90% of which does not exist at all except as paper debt. This practice is not exclusive to the United States of America; it was the brainstorm of the Rothschild banking dynasty, and on March 21, 2010, Washington Blog reported that a German central bank admitted that credit is created out of thin air. Germany's central bank, the Duetsche Bundesbank, is one of the most influential banks in all of Europe. (8)

Just a glance at the system of fractional reserve lending shows us how crooked the operations of the bank are even though among themselves it's considered to be normal. This method of operation by the big banks of the world has a very direct effect on the condition of their corresponding stock markets in the world. If the money supply is increased, the stock markets will go up, but the value if fictitious. It is as if you opened a packet of Kool Aid and kept adding water to the original amount. Soon no one would want it!

We must also remember that prosperity is not truly indicated by the stock market because it has become so internationally locked together with the other markets. You could have a major corporation with a hundred thousand employees and lay off ninety thousand of them, then go to India and hire a hundred thousand workers there for far less money. Your appearance on the stock exchange would be that you are doing very well. But how about the people walking the streets?

One example of how fragile the situation can be is illustrated by what is going on in Greece. Greece is part of the European Union that uses the Euro currency. The entire financial systems of Greece have absolutely failed and are in a state of bankruptcy. This is a severe loss, and so all the other banks on Europe are rushing together to find a solution. It is called the great Greek Debt Crisis. (9) We must note that the very conditions that put the nation of Greece into their bankruptcy are identical with several other economies, including those in Portugal, Spain, and the United States. We must ask ourselves did all of this just happen by itself or are there those that caused it to happen in order to bring forth a new world order, which would be forced upon the people?

Another example of the volatility of the US stock market is revealed on May 7th, 2010. On that day, investors stood speechless as their market went down and plunged 1,000 points. This sort of thing was unheard of, and no one seems to know how or why it happened. It recovered nearly everything it lost by the end of the day, but someone was pulling a fast one. (10) It is reminiscent of the 1929 crash when the Krupp's, the Kennedy's, the Warburg's, and other U.S. investors quickly pulled their money out and brought in all the call money and deposited it in banks in Canada. This brought our nation down to a level so low that there were still after effects in our country into the 1970's. All of the experts have been seeking an answer as to why and how the market could plunge, and no one has come up with an answer. It is thus far a complete and unknown mystery. (11) On the state level, at least twenty-two banks in Wisconsin have special orders from the U.S. regulators to fix their problems or be closed. (12) On April 9, 2010, thirty-three states were reported to be out of money to fund the unemployment benefits. (13) States all over the Union are also delaying tax refunds because they just don't have the money. This was reported on MSNBC in Jefferson City, Missouri on April 9, 2010. (14) As we look at this whole picture, it should be fairly obvious that there are two possibilities why all of this is happening. One is that the legislatures don't know what they're doing and just keep pumping out money and increasing debt. The other is that they do know what they're doing, and they're intentionally sabotaging the economies of the entire world to bring forth their god Lucifer. It is time for all of us to watch and pray and help others to wake up.

Humanity in Open Rebellion Against God

To us who know the God of our salvation, it is difficult to understand how man could ever openly rebel against God when things are not going well. My first thought is to take the problem to the Saviour. All true believers do this. But there is a very great apostasy forming, and Satan has invested much time, money, and effort into his cause, and now we are seeing the results of it. For the past decade, Janet Rowling's Harry Potter books have taught countless millions of people to think like witches. Since then, numerous other programs, books, and movies have done the same thing, and the most recent trend seems to be vampires. Vampires are not fictitious. They are people possessed with blood spirits, and they don't actually turn into bats or get destroyed by sunlight; and they're not immortal. The Twilight book series and subsequent movie series have become so popular that young women are now naming their newborns after the vampires, one of them being the name Malia. (15) Vampires, however, do wander among us, and their evil work is the very essence of hell.

The number of occultists in our military is also quite alarming. They are found on all the major bases and forts, including places such as Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Fort Hood, Texas. Our US government has been continually making policies that assist them in their occult activities. It is almost impossible to get rid of them, unless their time of service is up and they choose to go. Many of them don't because they have plans. They are there to recruit people to their cause. Now, In March 2010, the Pentagon lifted the ban on gays serving openly, so they can now openly practice their lifestyle among the other soldiers. Any repercussion from other soldiers could be considered a hate crime. (16)

Another example of mass open rebellion against God is the forthcoming world cup soccer tournament to be held in South Africa in June 2010. This event will no doubt draw countless thousands of people to Cape Town, South Africa. In order to provide entertainment and pleasure to the many dignitaries' guest visitors, an order is put in for one billion condoms and the importation of forty thousand sex workers. (17) Those who know what the Bible says about all such things should be completely shocked by this. Yet to most, it is just an item of news.

When sin reaches its full potential, those who hate God quickly look for some other way to insult Him. In Revelation, chapter 13, verse 1, we read of that spirit by name as follows, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." It is the spirit of blasphemy that rises up, and we are certainly seeing this today. We have now learned from the Hollywood Reporter that on May 5th, 2010, Comedy Central began developing a Jesus Christ cartoon. The program is about Christ wanting to escape the shadow of his powerful but apathetic father and live a regular life in New York City. In the show, God is preoccupied with playing video games while Christ, the ultimate fish out of water, tries to adjust to life in the big city. He is never called Jesus Christ, but always J.C. (18)

Humanity Ensnared in Chemical Reactions

In past issues of the newsletter, I had reported about the grave dangers our world now faces because of pollution by chemicals. And since these chemicals have gotten into the water supplies, our atmosphere, and all of our eco systems, it seems there's no escaping them. One of the most dangerous chemicals on the market today is BPA. This is the substance used almost universally to coat our aluminum cans to keep the food from deteriorating them. BPA is actually a synthetic female hormone answering to estrogen. Numerous scientists in the United States have fought the large chemical companies on this issue, and the Food and Drug Administration agreed to set a deadline on what they're going to do about it. The problem is the FDA continues to miss their deadline, and it's happened three times now. (19)

Another dangerous chemical is fluoride. Scientists have known for years that it's a neurotoxin and potentially tumorigenic if swallowed. There are other known health problems linked to excessive fluoride use. Yet it is found commonly in toothpastes and tap water. (20)

According to the Journal Doctors for Responsible Medicine, April 2010, the children have been especially targeted. The United States has become the psychiatric drugging capital of the world for children being medicated at a young age. In some states, medical records show infants less than a year old on drugs for mental disorders. Powerful antipsychotic use in children, ages 2-5, in the United States has doubled between 1999 and 2007. The hazardous effects of these drugs include adverse cardiovascular effects that shorten lives, and adverse metabolic effects that induce diabetes. Even though so much is known already, they continue to be used. (21) Again it is the old reprehensible money trail.

According to Reuters News Service, a common weed killer has been turning male frogs into female. The fact is atrazine exposed male frogs were both demasculized (in other words, chemically castrated) and completely feminized as adults. A recent study using forty frogs showed that all forty of the male frogs went through a process which completely feminized them, even causing eggs to grow in ten percent of them. It is believed that the atrazine will work on mammals and people as well. These chemicals are explaining why our world statistics clearly show that even among humans, men are becoming more feminine, which leaves the door open for many women to become more masculine. (22)

Response of God's Power

With all of the things going on in the earth, we must always remember to look up to the heavens for our redemption draweth nigh. For the past several months, we have seen huge earthquakes, fires, volcanoes, space threats, and just about every other kind of threat possible. These are all signs of the Lord's soon coming. CNN reported from London, England, that a massive volcanic eruption happened in Iceland and the plumes of ashes were so large, going well into the upper stratosphere, that all jet engines had to be grounded. (23) But the volcanic cloud didn't stop with England. It smothered most of Europe, drifting over major cities and countryside. (24) The economic impact throughout Europe was great as the cloud continued in the volcano. (25) The picture was an amazing one, as one million Britons were stranded by the ash, and food shortages were expected. The earth was truly going through a massive convulsion, but what is even more shocking were pictures of the mouth of the volcano from the top view. It is one of the most demonic frightening and evil looking faces I've ever seen. I have only a black and white copy, but copies are available on request by writing to Last Trumpet Ministries. This report with photographs came from the London Daily Mail. (26) Volcanoes are terrible events that literally cause mountains to flow down and make the sea to boil. We will see a lot more of them, as our Lord prepares to return to the earth, but on April 14, 2010, there was also a terrible earthquake of magnitude 6.9 in a mountainous region of China near Tibet. Many hundreds were killed and more than ten thousand people were injured. There are buildings everywhere that were flattened around the people. (27) Throughout the United States, violent storms and killer tornadoes raced through areas ten miles wide, killing people and destroying everything in their path. People have never seen anything like it. (28)

Elsewhere in the world strange things are going on. In Guatemala and other areas of Central America, earthquakes continue to rumble. The famous Jordan River of the Bible, where Jesus and many others were baptized was once a rushing and raging river, but it has now been reduced to just a trickle in some places. About the only thing feeding into the once mighty Jordan River are streams of pollution and waste. (29)

Some disasters are called natural disasters, or acts of God, and some are manmade. One such manmade one is a recent mammoth oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. We have been told that this oil spill was an accident and due to a faulty part according to the head of British Petroleum. So much oil leaked out so quickly that the Gulf was soon filled with pollutants. (30) Try as they may they could not contain it. From an aerial view, you would be able to see rivers of oil for ten miles long. (31) Amazingly, this oil rig which totally failed, causing many deaths and untold devastation, was presented with a safety award just last year. It has recently been discovered that this oil rig, which was named Deep Water Horizon, had not been adequately inspected for the last several years. (32)

One more thing I would like to mention before closing is that scientists are now baffled because one of the stripes on our largest planet Jupiter has completely vanished. It was a massively wide stripe surrounding the circumference of the planet and was one of the things I looked for when using my telescope. There is no explanation as to what happened to the stripe, but the planet Jupiter has been going through changes for some time. (33)

In closing, I would like to thank all of you for your cards and gifts, prayers, and best wishes during my recent illness and hospitalization. I desire your prayers greatly. If you have any special prayer requests, please send them to us, and we will give them individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

David J. Meyer

Acknowledgments
01. American Daughter, March 29, 2010, By Nancy Matthis.
02. The Federal Register, February 4, 2009, FR Document E9-2488.
03. HB1388 Passed-Document.
04. Bloomberg Business Week, May 8, 2010, By Tony Capaccio, New York, NY.
05. Associated Press, May 4, 2010, By Anne Gearan, Washington, D.C.
06. London Daily Mail, April 10, 2010, London, England, UK.
07. Washington Times, May 13, 2010, By Bill Gertz, Washington, D.C.
08. Washington's Blog, March 21, 2010, German Central Bank, Washington, D.C.
09. Associated Press, May 8, 2010, By Raf Casert and Elena Becatoros, Brussels, Belgium.
10. Bloomberg Business Week, May 8, 2010, By Joe Taschler, New York, NY.
11. Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2010, By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles, CA.
12. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 28, 2010, By Paul Gores.
13. CNN Money.com, April 9, 2010, By Hibah Yousuf, New York, NY.
14. MSNBC News, April 9, 2010, Jefferson City, MO.
15. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 8, 2010, By Stephen Ohlemacher, AP, Washington, D.C.
16. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 26, 2010, AP and Mcclatchy News Service.
17. Reuters News Service, May 7, 2010, Juda Ngwenya, Cape Town, South Africa.
18. The Hollywood Reporter, May 5, 2010, Hollywood, CA.
19. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 30, 2009, By Meg Kissinger, Milwaukee, WI.
20. Doctors for Responsible Medicine, Practitioner Edition, April, 2010.
21. Journal Doctors for Responsible Medicine, April, 2010.
22. Reuter's News Service, March 2, 2010.
23. CNN News.com, May 16, 2010, London, England, UK.
24. London News and Wires, April 11, 2010, By Rachael Brown, London, England, UK.
25. MSNBC News, April 20, 2010, By Arthur Max, Amsterdam, Holland.
26. London Daily Mail, April 17, 2010, By Michael Seamark and Ray Massey, London England, UK.
27. MSNBC News.com, April 14, 2010, Xining, China.
28. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 3, 2010, AP by Erik Schelzig, Memphis, TN.
29. Earth Week, Diary of the Planet, May 10, 2010, www.earthweek.com.
30. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 5, 2010, AP by Vicki Smith and Allen G. Breed, Grand Isle, LA.
31. London Daily Mail, May 16, 2010, Foreign Service, London, England, UK.
32. Associated Press, May 16, 2010, By Justin Pritchard, Los Angeles, CA.
33. London Daily Mail, May 17, 2010, By Claire Bates, London England, UK.

http://lasttrumpetministries.org
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Riddles in Stone: Washington D.C. pt.1/20

http://

AnonymousTruther — February 06, 2010 — Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings Volume 2, Riddles In Stone: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C., will continue to explore the fascinating history behind the origins and focus of the world's most powerful nation: America.Why was this nation founded? How was the precise location of Washington, D.C., determined? What is the meaning of the seemingly countless occult images in our nation's capitol?Volume II zeroes in on the Masonic & Rosicrucian influence so prevalent amongst our Founding Fathers as they planned, and began to implement, the layout of America's Capitol. For years, extreme controversy has abounded as to the exact meaning of the occult symbols found within the street layout, the buildings, and the monuments of Washington, D.C.Is there really an inverted Pentagram formed by the street layout just north of the White House? We have discovered the esoteric reason why this Pentagram is missing one segment.Was this city laid out to reflect the vision of a Masonic Christ foreseen by Sir Francis Bacon? Is it true that America's capitol was laid out "according to the stars", i.e., in the astrological shapes of certain planets and stars so revered by occultists?Why did our Masonic Founding Fathers perform "Corn, Wine, and Oil" ceremonies at cornerstone layings and at the dedication of the finished structure?Does this occult "wisdom" represent the interests of America, or a hidden agenda?As with Volume I, this "Secret Mysteries" series will continue to explore current -- and possibly future -- events by examining America's past. What can these realities mean for the unfolding destiny of America and the world? Now you will know that, when President Bush said he was fulfilling the "Ancient Hope" of the "New Order of the Ages" (as we show in Volume I), he was merely acting out the plan reflected in the street layout and in the architecture of Washington, D.C.

Written and Directed by Chris Pintohttp://www.adullamfilms.com/http://www.antiquitiesresearch.com/
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IDF video of aid activists taken down from Mavi Marmara ship after Israeli raid

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Israeli raid on aid flotilla condemned by UN, 'Free Gaza' protests flare up globally
From: RussiaToday June 01, 2010

UN Security Council has condemned the deadly raid of an international flotilla taking aid to Gaza. At least 9 pro-Palestinian activists were killed and dozens injured when Israeli troops stormed the vessels. Paula Slier is in the Israeli port city of Ashdod, where the ships have arrived. She's been assessing the growing chorus of condemnation

(less info) View comments, related videos, and more

http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday
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Monday, May 31, 2010

Ready to Answer


Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15.

I have been shown that many who profess to have a knowledge of present truth know not what they believe. They do not understand the evidences of their faith. They have no just appreciation of the work for the present time. When the time of trial shall come, there are men now preaching to others who will find, upon examining the positions they hold, that there are many things for which they can give no satisfactory reason. Until thus tested they know not their great ignorance. And there are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe; but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth....

God will arouse His people; if other means fail, heresies will come in among them, which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat. The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come, appropriate for this time.... Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be firmly founded upon the word of God so that when the testing time shall come and they are brought before councils to answer for their faith they may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear.

The servants of Christ are to prepare no set speech to present when brought to trial for their faith. Their preparation is to be made day by day, in treasuring up in their hearts the precious truths of God’s word, in feeding upon the teaching of Christ, and through prayer strengthening their faith; then, when brought into trial, the Holy Spirit will bring to their remembrance the very truths that will reach the hearts of those who shall come to hear.

God will flash the knowledge obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures, into their memory at the very time when it is needed.

.ource:

Maranatha, E. G.W. pp.45.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Seventh-day Adventists: Where have your donations gone? (SDA church issue)

http://

Zed dialogues with Seventh-day Adventist Church



Rajan Zed who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism who had a dialogue with some of the leaders of Seventh-day Adventist Church on May 25, says that they are planning to have further dialogue and might cooperate on common causes.
CJ: Correspondent

Fri, May 28, 2010 12:59:03 IST
HINDU STATESMAN Rajan Zed and Seventh-day Adventists are planning to work together on issues of common interest.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism and who had a dialogue with some of the leaders of Seventh-day Adventist Church at their world headquarters in Silver Spring (Maryland, United States of America) on May 25, says that they are planning to have further dialogue and might cooperate on common causes.
Rajan Zed met with Michael Lee Ryan, General Vice President of Seventh-day Adventist Church; Dr John Graz, secretary general of International Religious Liberty; and Dr William G Johnsson, assistant to the president for Interfaith Relations.

Numbering around 16 million with about 66,000 churches in 203 countries, Seventh-day Adventists, a Christian denomination, accept the Bible as their only creed. Norwegian-born Jan Paulsen is president. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
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Note: Highlights added ///
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Sabbath: Did history play a trick on us?

Sabbath: Did history play a trick on us?
Posted By Lot Masiane on 26 May, 2010 at 2:53 pm


Lot Masiane is a member of the SDA Church. An accountant by profession, he is also a self-confessed bookworm and his interests include football. He supports Chelsea Football Club.




THE Romans had occupied Israel and that was a constant bitter pill to swallow for the Jews. When Jesus came, preaching a “turn the other cheek” message, that seemed out of touch with their immediate needs then. They wanted a military leader to free them from Roman administrators and stop Romans soldiers from patrolling their streets.

On His last trial, Pilate brought in Barabbas, which means, “son of the father”, and Jesus, who was the “Son of the Father” side-by-side and the people chose Barabbas to be released because he was a militant “Robin Hood” type zealot.

Initially, Rome had thought the Jewish religion too ridiculous to be a threat to theirs and declared it a “religio lecita” — a licit or legal religion — and allowed to flourish in the empire. That changed because of the intense nationalistic patriotism of the Jews. Historians say between 65 and l35 AD when Jerusalem was twice sacked, more than two million Jews died in the rebellion and revolt.

Then came a young Jewish guerrilla fighter named Barkokeba, a militant messianic figure many Jews had been looking for to lead them in massive revolt against Rome. And this time the Roman Empire countered with a furious, take-no-prisoners vengeance. After the rebellion things had to change, the Emperor Hadrian (ll7-l38 AD) decreed new policies against the Jews:

1. First, he prohibited any Jew under the threat of death to set foot in the new Roman city rebuilt over.

2. Secondly, he outlawed the practice of the Jewish religion…it was now a “religio illecita.”

3. Thirdly, he outlawed the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

Meanwhile, the new Jewish Christians continued working on their friends and families and neighbours declaring the Good News of the Gospel of Christ and the whole place was on fire with thousands turning to Christ. But as far as the Roman Empire was concerned, they were all one and the same — Jews and Christians — just a bunch of fanatical religious zealots.

1. After all, the Christians worshiped on the same day as the Jews…the 7th day Sabbath.

2. They worshiped in the same places as the Jews, the neighbourhood synagogues, unless of course they were expelled by angry Jews.

While Rome saw no distinction between the two religions, no Jew or Christian ever confused their separate identities. The Jews were convinced that the Christian church was out to destroy Judaism. And the new Christians were convinced that Judaism without Jesus was a bankrupt system in the end. Add another dimension, along comes Emperor Nero, whose wife, Empress Poppea Sabrina, converted to Judaism in 62 AD. Nero himself is a friend of the Jews and soon he turns on this growing movement of Christians with a vengeance.

When Rome caught fire in the night, he blamed it on the Christians and a merciless persecution ensued. Christians were covered with pitch and lighted up as human lampposts, they lined the streets of the Imperial City, and their smouldering bodies a testimony to Roman rage. Pressure was definitely mounting on the Christian Church. Were they not worshiping on the same Sabbath as the Jews who were now an illegal religion? They did. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it must be a duck!

So now the challenge was for the Christian church to distance itself from anything Jewish, now “religio illecita.” More and more Christian writers began to distance themselves from the Sabbath. Until one author, Justin Martyr (l00-l64 AD), went so far as to suggest that the seventh-day Sabbath was “a brand of infamy imposed by God on the Jews to single them out for punishment they so well deserved for their wickedness” (Bacch. l84).

A lot of subtle changes started taking place. Under pressure — in a desperate effort to differentiate themselves from the forbidden Jewish religion — historical research conclusively reveals that the Christians of the 2nd and 3rd centuries abandoned the Sabbath of Jesus and the apostles and the New Testament Church. They couldn’t stand the pressure and persecution any longer.

But the fact remains that those later Christians could have chosen Thursday or Friday or even Wednesday instead of celebrating Sabbath on Saturday as they had been doing. Anti-Judaism created the desire to substitute a new day of worship, but it did not determine the specific choice of Sunday.

Why Sunday? Enter Emperor Constantine. His empire divided by two major constituencies: pagan Romans and Christian Romans. He sought to unite them. So in March, 32l AD, Constantine makes a calculated political decision and issues an empire-wide edict that the day of the Sun would be a day of rest, not a religious day of rest but a day for all citizens to refrain from work. A day to build harmony and peace throughout the empire. And soon, it was that Constantine himself was baptised a Christian. Then some say he marched his army across a river and declared them baptised.

For by the 4th century, the Christians in the west had officially declared their day of worship to be the day of the Sun (Sunday), the day the Sun of Righteousness arose from the dead, was how they defended it. And of course their pagan neighbours were already worshiping the sun on Sunday, so what a convenient blending of pagan and Christian truth! Peace at last for all. And when in the middle of the 4th century the church in Rome convened a council at Laodecia, at last was the official stance ratified in the words:

“Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day they shall especially honour and … If possible, do no work on that day.” (Finley 64) {Note how he separates Saturday/Sabbath from the Lord’s day!}

We have a clear line of truth.

God has a day “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” [Rev 1:10]. That day is called the Sabbath “The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” [Mark 2:28]. The Sabbath is the seventh day. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made” [Genesis 2:1,2].

Some more quotes from Catholic scholars:

Bishop Eusebius, the high-ranking Catholic leader during Constantine’s reign:

“All things whatsoever that were prescribed for the [Bible] Sabbath, we have transferred them to the Lord’s day, as being more authoritative and more highly regarded and first in rank, and more honourable than the Jewish Sabbath” (Quoted in J. P. Migne’s “Patrologie” p 23, 1169-1172).

The Convert’s Catechism, the instructional book for those who join the Roman Catholic Church:

“Question: Which is the Sabbath day?” “Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.” “Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?” “Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Cardinal James Gibbon:

“You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you will not find a single line authorising the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday.”

Then why does Rome venerate Sunday? The Catholic Encyclopaedia answers:

“The church, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath of the seventh day of the week to the first made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s Day.” (V 4, p 153)

[It says ‘the Third Commandment’ instead of Fourth because the Catholic Catechism dropped the Second Commandment, forbidding graven images, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,” (because it condemned their usage of the statues of “Peter”, “Mary” etc.) and consequently divided the Tenth Commandment into two parts in order to still get ten commandments] see Exodus 20: 1-17 for Biblical 10 Commandments.

But if the Catholic Church claims to have changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, why do most Protestant churches also worship on Sunday?

In his book, the Faith of Millions, the late Rev. John A. O’Brian, former professor at Notre Dame University, writes:

“But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”

Whose authority will you follow, clever human devices and Divine command? It is my prayer that every Christian studies the Bible for themselves and stop following human traditions or clever philosophies. They will not save from the fires of hell.

Christ said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” [Matthew 15:9].

Aristotle in 300 BC made the following scientific observation and wrote it down in his journal: “The spider is a small animal which has six legs.” That declaration was accepted as truth for 1700 years, until somebody else counted the legs of the spider in 1400 AD and discovered that it has eight legs! They had to rewrite their books but for 1700 years nobody challenged the great Aristotle, and so his false count was followed mindlessly by all those behind him!

A reward of £1million was offered to anyone who finds a text of scripture from the Bible instructing us to keep Sunday holy. To date, there haven’t been any takers! We could up the ante to £2 million (just to show our confidence in the Scriptures).
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True and Honest Men




By their wisdom and justice, by the purity and benevolence of their daily life, by their devotion to the interests of the people,--and they, idolaters,--Joseph and Daniel proved themselves true to the principles of their early training, true to Him whose representatives they were. These men, both in Egypt and in Babylon, the whole nation honoured; and in them a heathen people, and all the nations with which they were connected, beheld an illustration of the goodness and beneficence of God, an illustration of the love of Christ.

What a lifework was that of these noble Hebrews! As they bade farewell to their childhood home, how little did they dream of their high destiny! Faithful and steadfast, they yielded themselves to the divine guiding, so that through them God could fulfil His purpose.

The same mighty truths that were revealed through these men, God desires to reveal through the youth and the children of today. The history of Joseph and Daniel is an illustration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men-- men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
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But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favours or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature--the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man.

The youth need to be impressed with the truth that their endowments are not their own.
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Strength, time, intellect, are but lent treasures. They belong to God, and it should be the resolve of every youth to put them to the highest use. He is a branch, from which God expects fruit; a steward, whose capital must yield increase; a light, to illuminate the world's darkness.
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Every youth, every child, has a work to do for the honour of God and the uplifting of humanity.






Education, E. G. White, pp.56-58.
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Friday, May 28, 2010

The secret costs of papal visits

Both sides try to keep these hidden from the taxpayers. Neither the Vatican nor the politicians, (who are wooing the “Catholic vote”), want the bill to be made public. In Australia it was even declared a state secret. But when the hidden figures were revealed, it was found that the papal visit had scared off tourists and cost far more than estimated.

Security hysteria on the Pope's trip to Bavaria
Gay Catholic youth not wanted
Vatican's “World Youth Day 2005” funded by European Union



“Make the Pope's visit a pastoral rather than a state one. After all, its main focus ― the beatification of John Henry Newman ― is primarily a Catholic event; and one could argue that, by offering his pastoral guidance to an embattled Church, the Holy Father will achieve far more than by taking part in a state-funded public relations exercise.” ― Catholic Herald, 28 April 2010
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When it comes to papal trips the pope gets the best of both worlds. He claims the diplomatic perks of a head of state to have his visit paid for by the country that has officially invited him [1], yet as a religious leader he doesn’t hesitate to make politically-charged statements about the policies of his hosts [2], which no real visiting head of state could get away with.

The host country is responsible for [the pope’s] travel expenses, room and board, and, most important, [his] large security needs. In order for this arrangement to work in any country that has separation of church and state, the papacy must be recognised as both a religious and political organisation. The host country is often responsible not just for the basic travel expenses, but also for all the street closures, traffic rerouting and police overtime. [3]

Security, the costliest item, was carefully left out of the British Government’s estimates for the cost of the papal visit. [4] However, this includes measures such as closed circuit TV cameras (for public events such as a Pontifical masses), additional police presence on the streets, the assignment of temporary security personnel to the Pope’s entourage, increased intelligence surveillance and the temporary adoption of certain anti-terror measures, such as heightened airport security. [5]

The Pope’s trip to Portugal in May 2010 featured the customary open-air mass with half a million worshippers. [6] Yet, the British state visit in September is shaping up as a tightly-controlled tickets-only event, where even Catholics with tickets will be turned away unless they arrive on buses chartered by their diocese. “Tens of thousands of Catholics will be unable to attend papal events” and thus be denied the chance to see the Pope. [7] If it were a pastoral visit, as recommended by the Catholic Herald, there would be no possibility of protests and one would hope that the faithful could be given better access. Is the Pope’s insistence on being treated as a sovereign interfering with his role as shepherd to his flock?

The popemobile, shipped abroad by air cargo before each papal trip, is a modified Mercedes-Benz M-Class off-road vehicle. It is rugged, powerful and weighs four tons. The Pope sits in a high seat in the back within a cube made of advanced, bulletproof plastic. ...Shortly before the Pope's 2010 tour of Malta in his armoured vehicle, a Maltese enquired if anyone could lend the His Holiness a donkey so that he could use the same transport as Jesus did.

Malta, April 2010: The Government claimed that the papal visit would cost €200,000, but this has been called by one of the country’s leading newspapers “not even enough to pay for the overtime of police officers”, let alone the other security costs. [8]

Furthermore, it is understood that the pope’s personal security costs will be “considerably higher” than when the trip was planned because of an incident during the Christmas Eve Mass at in Rome. As the Pope walked in procession down the aisle of St. Peter’s an unarmed woman scrambled over the barricade and ran towards him. When the black-suited security guards tackled her, she clung to the pope’s robes, pulling him down with her. His mitre and staff clattered to the marble floor, but he was unhurt. [9]

Any government inviting the Pope is responsible for protecting him, even within a church and even from unarmed admirers. In the Vatican the Swiss Guards cope with what they call “religious fanatics” by using pepper spray, however, host governments must take everything very seriously. This is an expensive task and politicians are reluctant to reveal its costs, the British Government going so far as to claim that it could omit security from the estimates because it was covered by “existing budgets”. [10]


Also not acknowledged as associated with the papal visit is the “extensive work being carried out on the country’s roads, the quality of which has already been questioned.” [11] In addition, thousands of flowers have been planted along the papal route. And at the end of his visit, the Maltese taxpayers will pay to fly him out, just as they paid to bring him there. Air Malta flight KM1950 has been chosen to mark the 1,950th anniversary of St. Paul’s visit to the island. [12]
However, the arrival of St. Paul, which this event commemorates, was somewhat different. His ship struck a reef, the hull broke up and the Saint swam ashore. [13] That apostolic visit was accomplished at no cost to the Maltese taxpayers.

Australia, July 2008: The price tag that the Church got an Australian premier to hide has finally been revealed by the Auditor General. On the heels of embarrassing figures showing that the papal youth jamboree scared off tourists, the government of New South Wales has belatedly released figures on the budget shortfall of World Youth Day, July 2008. As a visiting head of state, Benedict XVI had his accommodation and (massive) security paid for by his hosts and now the taxpayers will have to come up with 100 million Australian dollars more.

In preparation for the Pope’s visit to Sydney, Australia, the premier of New South Wales had a financial statement drawn up which he said showed the papal jamboree would bring in $150 million Australian. Then the Catholic Church got the Government of Premier Morris Iemma, who happens to be Catholic, to exempt this report from the Freedom of Information Act, claiming it would be against the public interest to allow anyone to check the figures. [14] All that could be gleaned was that $41 million in public funds was paid to the race track where the event was held and it's been estimated that at least another $20 million was spent on security. Not included here is the cost of providing emergency services and of billeting pilgrims in state schools. [15]

Until late November Premier Iemma's government was still resolutely refusing to reveal the price tag for "the joy it brought to our city". Later, however, Tourism Australia released figures suggesting that far fewer attended the World Youth Day than the Church had estimated. And most of the “pilgrims” who did turn up, quite naturally took the free accommodation provided by the state and didn't use hotels. [16] Furthermore, the tourism department's figures indicate that the event actually ended up costing Sydney some 63,000 visitors who preferred not to spend their holiday in a city full of fervent teenagers. Yet even long after the event the information on the government's expenses is still being treated like a state secret. [17]

In the wake of news of the tourist shortfall, the financial shortfall was made public when the Auditor General was finally allowed to release his “top secret” report. According to this, the Australian taxpayers will have to pay an additional $100 million AUD (about £42.3 million British pounds). [18]

France, September 2008: The costs to the taxpayer of the papal visit to Paris and Lourdes from 12-15 September, are still being held secret. However, from the security measures alone it's clear that also this papal visit didn't come cheap. [19] A few highlights:

Two “popemobiles”, each weighing 4 tons, were flown in by military Hercules C-130 transport planes to Paris 10 days in advance so that the police could become proficient in driving them.

In Paris 2000 police formed a network through the capital, the river brigade was mobilised to watch the banks of the Seine, and sharpshooters were posted on high points.

Glass bottles, large flags, banners, posters or signs were forbidden.


About 72 hours before the pope's arrival in Lourdes, the holy site was “decontaminated” by mine detectors.

Company Number One of motorcyclists from France's élite riot police controlled the entrance to the football stadium where the pope would hold the rally. The local airport of Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées was guarded by police, while the hills which overlook the town were patrolled by the mounted brigade.

And finally, Lourdes was blanketed with an aerial security cordon extending for 20 kilometres in all directions, where radar, planes and missiles would be prevented from attacking the pope.
What all this security cost the French taxpayers has never been revealed.

However, for the 2006 papal trip the government took stronger measures: it banned outright the sale of spirits in the cities visited by the Pope — but not, of course, in the duty-free shops for tourists. Thus in Kraków the only place where you could buy vodka during the Pope's visit was at the John Paul II Airport.Brazil, May 2007: Nor do we know the true cost to the Brazilian taxpayers of the papal visit estimated at 50 million Brazilian reais [20] (about 28 million US dollars or 18 million British pounds) — a trip which the Pope used to urge the signing of a concordat.

A massive security operation — the greatest ever adopted in Brazil — was launched to protect the Pope, with some 10,000 police agents as well as helicopters, cameras and two bulletproof popemobiles. [21] However, at least they didn't have to pay as much as the Vatican was expecting. “Reportedly, the Vatican was quite ‘upset’ that Brazil was unable to organise (and pay for) the Pope’s return air trip to Rome.” [22]

Germany, September 2006: Also not revealed are the expenses footed by the German taxpayers from Benedict XVI's first papal trip, (9-14 September 2006). However, in the course of the preparations for it, the president of the Bavarian Police Union, Harald Schneider got a look at the cost of the Pope’s security. This led Schneider to remark that it would have been cheaper if the German taxpayers had given every Catholic pilgrim who wanted it, a round-trip ticket to go and see the Pope in Rome. [23]

Of course, in the end both the Australian and the German taxpayers can afford to subsidise the pope. But unfortunately, papal trips are not confined to lands like these. The much-travelled John Paul II visited 129 different countries, few of them as wealthy as Australia and Germany.

Angola, March 2009: In addition to the cost of the 10,000 police officers, there was security in the form of anti-terrorism measures such as sharpshooters to protect the route taken by the Popemobile. [24] One wonders who protected the poor Angolans from police who are noted for practicing with complete impunity “arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, torture and ill-treatment, deaths in police custody and extrajudicial executions”. [25]

Tanzania, September 1990: At that time the former nun, Maria Lauda/Majella Lenzen, was working in a Tanzanian hospital. (She was later expelled from the Sisters of the Precious Blood for distributing condoms to fight the epidemic there of AIDS. [26]) As she relates, “Suddenly the order came for every villager to pay 1000 Tanzanian shillings for the necessary security measures. That’s a month’s wages for a family. But, in order to save face, almost everyone paid up. Even when they had to incur large debts”. [27]
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See also: Papal trips: both “pilgrimages” and “state visits”

Further reading about the Pope’s Australian trip: Max Wallace, “World Youth Day wash up”, Online Opinion, 5 February 2009.


Notes
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http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=8475
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Source: http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showtopic.php?org_id=872&kb_header_id=28331
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CULTS AND FALSE RELIGIONS Seventh Day Adventists

Pastor Mark Tossell

Sunday School Lesson Volume 7
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Lesson 9 – 27/6/04 Phillip Bay, NSW


CULTS AND FALSE RELIGIONS
Seventh Day Adventists

REVIEW:
· According to the JW’s, divine guidance comes only through the ________________ Society. (Watchtower)
· What is the goal of Mormons? (To attain godhood on the basis of good works)
· What did we learn about Allah, the god of the Koran? (he is really Allah, the pagan moon god)
· What is the key belief of Buddhism? (Reincarnation, or the circle of life)
· What is the major problem of the Roman Catholic religion? (Human tradition is elevated above the Bible)
· Hinduism takes the bold step of proclaiming that we are _________. (God)
· Scientology is a voyage of ___________________________. (self-discovery)
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Read more @ http://www.lighthousebaptistsydney.com/articles/cults/Seventh_Day_Adventists.pdf
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About the Lighthouse Baptist Church

Lighthouse Baptist Church is an independent, fundamental Baptist church located just south of Washington DC in the Alexandria, Virginia area. Our church is easily accessible from anywhere in the Northern Virginia area by major highways (i.e., I-95, I-395, & I-495).

There are more than 15,000 independent Baptist churches in America and at least 10,000 independent Baptist missionaries serving on mission fields worldwide. Just as all independent Baptist churches are an autonomous congregation, we are self- governing and self-supporting. However, we hold true to the Biblical fact that the head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. We earnestly strive to make the Bible our sole authority for faith and practice. It is our desire to be a truly New Testament church.

At Lighthouse Baptist Church, though we have one message – the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, and one ministry – the ministry He has given us to go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. This is evident by the many soul-winning ministries of our church.



Peek aboo!
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Ken Salazar

Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar (pronounced /ˈsæləzɑr/; born March 2, 1955) is the 50th and current United States Secretary of the Interior, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez (R-Florida) were the first Hispanic U.S. Senators since 1977; they were joined by Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) in January 2006. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, he served as Attorney General of Colorado from 1999 to 2005.

On December 17, 2008, President-elect Obama announced he would nominate Salazar as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The environmentalist movement's reaction to this nomination was mixed.[1][2] Previously, Salazar supported the nomination of Gale Norton to Secretary of the Interior,[3] President George W. Bush's controversial first appointee who preceded Salazar as Colorado Attorney General. On January 20, 2009, Salazar was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate.
50th United States Secretary of the Interior
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2009
President
Barack Obama
Preceded by
Dirk Kempthorne
United States Senatorfrom Colorado
In officeJanuary 3, 2005 – January 20, 2009
Preceded by
Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Succeeded by
Michael Bennet
36th Attorney General of Colorado
In officeJanuary 12, 1999 – January 3, 2005
Governor
Bill Owens
Preceded by
Gale Norton
Succeeded by
John Suthers
Born
March 2, 1955 (1955-03-02) (age 55)Alamosa, United States
Political party
Democratic
Spouse(s)
Hope Salazar
Residence
Denver, United States
Alma mater
Colorado CollegeUniversity of Michigan Law School
Profession
Lawyer
Religion
Roman Catholic

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U.S. Government Keeps 'Boot on Neck' of BP Over Spill


Monday, May 24, 2010
U.S. Government Keeps 'Boot on Neck' of BP Over Spill

Reuters


GALLIANO, La.--The U.S. government piled pressure on BP Plc Monday to clean up a "massive environmental mess" in the Gulf of Mexico amid growing anger at the oil giant's failure to contain a five-week-old oil spill.

The company insisted it was doing all it could to try to shut off a blown-out oil well spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons (liters) of oil into the Gulf every day. It threatens to become the worst U.S. oil spill in history.

London-based BP, which has now lost about 25 percent of its market value -- almost $50 billion -- since the spill began, said it would make another attempt to plug the leak on Wednesday, but gave it only a 60-70 percent chance of success.

With heavy oil already washing into fragile marshlands and wildlife refuges in Louisiana, the U.S. government is pushing BP to try to contain or seal the leak as soon as possible.

"We will keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done," U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters after touring affected areas of the Gulf coast with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and a group of U.S. senators.

President Barack Obama has called it an unprecedented environmental disaster for the United States.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said some 70 miles of his state's coastline had been affected by the oil spill. He renewed a plea for federal authorities to send more equipment, especially booms, to help stop the oil from making landfall.

More than 1,100 vessels, 24,000 personnel and 2 million feet of boom have been deployed to deal with the spill, the largest such effort in history, U.S. officials said.

"This is a BP mess, it is a horrible mess and it is a massive environmental mess," Salazar said. He added BP was legally responsible for halting the spreading spill, cleaning up its effects and paying for resulting economic damages.

Salazar said an ongoing investigation by U.S. authorities would hold the company accountable "both civilly and in whatever way is necessary," appearing to leave open the possibility of a criminal inquiry.

The oil spill is a political hot potato for the Obama administration ahead of a November election that is widely expected to erode Democrats' control of the U.S. Congress. Analysts warn that voters may punish Democrats regardless of who is ultimately deemed responsible for the mess.
The White House has repeatedly said it is the energy giant's responsibility to clean up the spill, but with public anger over BP's handling of the crisis intensifying, there have been calls for the Obama administration to take charge.

"TOP KILL" PLANNED FOR WEDNESDAY

The administration warned BP Sunday it would be removed from efforts to seal the well if it was not seen as doing enough. But it acknowledged only the company and the oil industry have the know-how to stop the spill.

BP plans to inject heavy fluids and then cement into the seabed well to block oil flow in a so-called "top kill" operation Wednesday.

"We need it to work," BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told CNN.

BP shares fell nearly 3 percent in London on Monday as investors reacted to the Obama administration's renewed pressure and waited to see whether BP's latest attempt to stop the leak would work.

BP executives have warned there is "no certainty" that the containment efforts will be successful because they have not been attempted ever before at the depths -- a mile (1.6 km) down -- where the Macondo well is located.

They involve remote-controlled undersea robots working in the dark with lights and under intense depth pressure.

A previous control measure attempted by BP -- a long tube deployed down to the larger of two leaks from the well -- appeared to have had relatively little impact on the flow.

BP said the oil collected by the siphon tube was at times as low as 1,360 barrels of oil (57,120 gallons/) per day in the six days before May 23. On average, BP said, the oil captured during that period was 2,010 barrels per day. Last week the company said it had been siphoning as much as 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons / per day.

The company had estimated that about 5,000 barrels have been leaking every day, although some scientists have given much higher numbers for the size of the leak -- up to 70,000 and even 100,000 barrels per day.

BP said the spill, triggered by an April 20 explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon rig and killed 11 workers, had cost it $760 million so far. It also pledged up to $500 million Monday toward studying the impact of the spill.

Suttles said if the "top kill" operation did not work, the company would attempt to put a "top hat" containment device over the larger leak to try to capture most of the oil and pipe it up to a tanker on the surface.

Another option was a "junk shot" -- the injection of golf balls, pieces of rubber tire and other debris into the well's failed blowout preventer to try to shut it.

MARRED MARSHLANDS

Oil has been sloshing into Louisiana's fragile marshlands, and over 65 miles of shoreline have been tarred.

The marshes are nurseries for shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish that make Louisiana the top commercial seafood producer in the continental United States. Fishing is now banned in a large swath of the Gulf because of the spill.

The spill has raised questions about Obama's earlier proposal to expand offshore drilling as part of a strategy to win Republican support for climate change legislation.

Many scientists have warned the spreading oil could increasingly be caught in a powerful ocean current that could take it to the Florida Keys, Cuba and the U.S. East Coast.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce critic of Washington, said on Sunday he had sent a team of oil experts to socialist ally Cuba to help it prepare for the possibility of oil from the spill coming ashore there.
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