Monday, August 16, 2010

They which lead thee cause thee to err..


9The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

13The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

16Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isaiah 3: 9-17.
.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Bomb threat hits Lourdes pilgrims

15 August 2010

Last updated at 09:05 ET

Bomb threat hits Lourdes pilgrims



Roman Catholic believers flock to Lourdes from all over the world








Thousands of Roman Catholic pilgrims have been evacuated from Lourdes in south-west France after a bomb threat, officials are reported as saying.

The threat came as 30,000 worshippers were in the town to celebrate the annual Feast of the Assumption, the French news agency AFP said.

Lourdes is famous for what many Roman Catholics believe was a vision of the Virgin Mary by a local girl in 1858.

The Sanctuary at Lourdes is visited each year by six million believers.

It houses the shrine or grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes and on 15 August believers celebrate the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven.

"A bomb warning was received at the police station, announcing that four bombs were going to go off at around 1500 (1400GMT)," a church press officer told AFP.

He said the evacuation was taking place calmly.

Bomb disposal experts were at the scene, police said.

Cure claims

The Sanctuary is the name given to the central area of the Lourdes pilgrimage site.

The site is home to 22 places of worship, including the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, which marks the spot where pilgrims believe the Virgin Mary appeared.

It was founded after a 14-year-old French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have witnessed a series of visions in a cave.

Since then, many people suffering illness or infirmity claim to have been miraculously cured by spring water coming from the Sanctuary.


Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10980157
.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Obama hosts Iftar dinner at White House marking start of Ramadan.


Obama hosts Iftar dinner at White House marking start of Ramadan. U.S., foreign press pool reports


By Lynn Sweeton August 14, 2010 9:23 AM

DOMESTIC POOL REPORT

Everyone should have the news already. Potus inserted himself firmly into the controversy over the so-called Ground Zero Burlington Coat Factory mosque with, "This is America, and our commitment to the religious freedom must be unshakeable."

The scene: The sun officially down, a crowd of men in suits and women in dresses, a few head scarves, saris, one Saudi head piece -- nothing terribly exotic -- milled in the White House foyer drinking ayran, Turkish yogurt drink, and pitless dates. Your non-Muslim pooler is told by his better-informed colleagues that dates are the traditional nosh for the fasting ahead of the formal Iftar feast. About 90 guests were invited, including ambassadors, Muslim community leaders, dignitaries and Rep. Andre Carson on Indiana, one of two Muslims in Congress.

Pool was ushered into the State Dining Room at 8:30. Guests were seated around round tables with gray, silken tablecloths and four tall, white candles arrayed around a simple centerpiece. The lectern was set up in front of the brooding portrait of Lincoln.

Potus entered seven minutes later wearing a navy suit, navy tie, and white shirt, with some audible "how are you's".

The speech, read from paper, not a teleprompter, hewed closely to the text with one flourish. He spoke of an American "way of life" from the text, then added, "that quintessential American creed," picking up "...that stands in stark contrast to the nihilism..." The crowd was attentive and respectful. Only twice did they interrupt with applause, after he declared "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country" and after his story of Jefferson hosting the first Iftar for the ambassador from Tunisia.

When he finished, several guests surged forward to shake his hand while your pool was hastily ushered to the door.


Jonathan Weisman
Wall Street Journal

-----

FOREIGN POOL REPORT

Foreign Pool report on POTUS Iftar dinner

Pool entered at 8:16 pm to the grand Foyer leading into the state dining room. Guests were standing talking and breaking their fast on dried dates and drinking fruit Juices,and a yogurt like drink called Ayran, common in Turkey.

Pool was held up in the red room for about 10 minutes before ushered in to the State dinning room at 8:30.Drinks and dates were offered to fasting reporters .Guests sat on decorated tables with candles, and flowers chatting for about 8 minutes before POTUS entered the room and greeted the guests. Remarks by the president has already been sent out but here are some of the highlights:

The President made news by supporting the rights of muslims to practice their religion freely including building a mosque and a community centre in NY while recognising the emotional sensitivities, he said, " let me be clear: as a citizen, and as a President, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as anyone else in the country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan", he talked about freedom of religion and how the founding fathers understood it well and gave equal rights to all. He also talked about 9 -11 and how the perpetrators do not represent Islam, he said, "Al Qaeda's cause is not Islam-it is a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders-these are terrorists who murder innocent men, women and children".

POTUS also talked about the history of Iftar in america, he said that the first iftar was held 200 years ago during the time of president Jefferson to the first muslim ambassador,a Tunisian ,he also talked about the oldest mosques built in seder rapid, Iowa. Pooler noticed few guests impressed with the info and heard one said, " oh,I didn't know that"

Among the attendees are muslim congressman, Andre Carson, almost all Arab and muslim ambassadors, POTUS envoy to OIS, Rashad Hussain , Muslim world envoy Farah Pandith, also Huma Abddine, assistant to Secretary Clinton who just got married to congressman Anthony Weiner, ( full list already sent) This is the second event that POTUS holds to celebrate with Muslims. Its a tradition started during the Clinton years and was followed during the Bush administration . President Bush hosted 8 iftars for each year he was in office. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory to all adult muslims with exception of the sick, the travelling and pregnant and nursing women and few others . Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims abstain from eating , drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset( sucks if they live in a nordic country)!

Ramadan is the holiest month in the islamic calendar. Its the month that prophet Mohamed received the first sura of the Quran by the angel Gabriel while meditating in Hira cave in the year 610 CE. The name of the Sura was Alalaq, and the first word was the order form in Arabic grammar of the verb "read". God commanded the prophet to read in his name.

The wisdom of fasting is numerous according to Islamic teaching, primary of all is to share the feeling of the poor and the hungry and to sympathies with them , therefore encourage the rich to give to charity, known in Arabic as Zakat; another pillar of islam . Also to practice jihad against oneself which means the ability to resist temptation and daily pleasures and finally to give the stomach a break a month a year from indulging and over eating.
The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid Al Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, not to be confused by Eid al Adha, the feast of sacrifice which takes place during the pilgrimage to Mecca, around two months after the end of Ramadan. Happy weekend everyone.

Ramadan Karim.

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters
Chief US Correspondent,
MBC TV, ( Middle East Broadcasting Centre)

..



Related:
Obama: 'Muslims have the right to practice their religion as anyone else'
Bloomberg

.

Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light


But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.



II Corinthians 11:12-15
.

Satan himself will personate Christ



Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world's Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.

As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is "the great power of God." Acts 8:10.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God's unmingled wrath shall be poured out.

And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ's advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known--witnessed by the whole world.

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that
their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.

As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom against commandment keepers shall withdraw the protection of government and abandon them to those who desire their destruction, the people of God will flee from the cities and villages and associate together in companies, dwelling in the most desolate and solitary places. Many will find refuge in the strongholds of the mountains. Like the Christians of the Piedmont valleys, they will make the high places of the earth their sanctuaries and will thank God for "the munitions of rocks." Isaiah 33:16. But many of all nations and of all classes, high and low, rich and poor, black and white, will be cast into the most unjust and cruel bondage. The beloved of God pass weary days, bound in chains, shut in by prison bars, sentenced to be slain, some apparently left to die of starvation in dark and loathsome dungeons. No human ear is open to hear their moans; no human hand is ready to lend them help.

Will the Lord forget His people in this trying hour? Did He forget faithful Noah when judgments were visited upon the antediluvian world? Did He forget Lot when the fire came down from heaven to consume the cities of the plain? Did He forget Joseph surrounded by idolaters in Egypt? Did He forget Elijah when the oath of Jezebel threatened him with the fate of the prophets of Baal? Did He forget Jeremiah in the dark and dismal pit of his prison house? Did He forget the three worthies in the fiery furnace? or Daniel in the den of lions?

"Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands." Isaiah 49:14-16. The Lord hosts has said: "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye." Zechariah 2:8.
.
.
The Great Controversy, pp. 624-626.
.

Friday, August 13, 2010

'Forget the pizza parties,' Teens tell churches


Updated
8/11/2010 1:04 PM
2d 1h ago


By Cathy Lynn Grossman and Stephanie Steinberg, USA TODAY



"Bye-bye church. We're busy." That's the message teens are giving churches today.
Only about one in four teens now participate in church youth groups, considered the hallmark of involvement; numbers have been flat since 1999. Other measures of religiosity — prayer, Bible reading and going to church — lag as well, according to Barna Group, a Ventura, Calif., evangelical research company. This all has churches canceling their summer teen camps and youth pastors looking worriedly toward the fall, when school-year youth groups kick in.

"Talking to God may be losing out to Facebook," says Barna president David Kinnaman.

"Sweet 16 is not a sweet spot for churches. It's the age teens typically drop out," says Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, which found the turning point in a study of church dropouts. "A decade ago teens were coming to church youth group to play, coming for the entertainment, coming for the pizza. They're not even coming for the pizza anymore. They say, 'We don't see the church as relevant, as meeting our needs or where we need to be today.' "

"I blame the parents,"who didn't grow up in a church culture, says Jeremy Johnston, executive pastor at First Family Church in Overland Park, Kan.

His megachurch would routinely take 600 teens to summer church camp, he says, "and many would be forever changed by that experience. But this summer we don't even have a camp.

"Remember, 80% of kids don't have cars. Their parents could be lazy or the opposite — overstressed and overcommitted. If parents don't go to church, kids don't, either."

Don't forget the overcommitted teens themselves, the recession and growing competition from summer mission trips, says Rick Gage of Go-Tell Youth Camps, based in Duluth, Ga.

Registration fell 22% in 2009 but stabilized this summer with 2,000 middle- and high-school teens at five camps in four states. Attendance peaked in the late 1990s at 5,000 teens, Gage says.

Chris Palmer, youth pastor at Ironbridge Baptist Church in Chester, Va., says its youth group enrollment slid from 125 teens in 2008 to 35 last winter.

He pulled participation back up to 70 this year by letting teens know "real church, centered on Jesus Christ, is hard work," Palmer says. "This involves the Marine Corps of Christianity. Once we communicate that, we see kids say, 'Hey, I want to be involved in something that's a little radical and exciting.' "

Rainer agrees. He says teens today want Scripture, they "don't want superficiality. We need to tell them that if you are part of church life, you are part of something bigger. The church needs you, too."

But first, they have to find the kids.

Sam Atkeson of Falls Church, Va., left his Episcopal church youth group not long after leaving middle school.

"I started to question if it was something I always wanted to do or if I just went because my friends did," says Atkeson, now 18. "It just wasn't really something I wanted to continue to do. My beliefs changed. I wouldn't consider myself a Christian anymore."




.

If a man die, shall he live again?




Job 14




1Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

5Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

7For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

15Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

18And surely the mountains falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

20Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

22But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.


King James Version (KJV)


.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

'House churches' keep worship small, simple, friendly

Updated 7/22/2010 1:20 PM


By Karl Gehring, Denver Post, AP
Darren Boyer, center kneeling beside the couch, prays with, from right clockwise, Susan Dennison, Tasha Gustafson and Jolene Larson, asking for God's wisdom regarding an upcoming decision that Brent Tribble, left, will make about his life, during a non-denominational "house church" service at Boyer's Brighton, Colo. home. The number of these new, small, organic churches is growing, according to the Barna Group


DALLAS (AP) — To get to church on a recent Sunday morning, the Yeldell family walked no farther than their own living room to greet fellow worshippers.

The members of this "house church" are part of what experts say is a fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities.

In general, house churches consist of 12 to 15 people who share what's going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings.

"I think part of the appeal for some in the house church movement is the desire to return to a simpler expression of church," said Ed Stetzer, a seminary professor and president of Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. "For many, church has become too much (like a) business while they just want to live like the Bible."

House church proponents claim their small groups are sort of a throwback to the early Christian church in that they have no clergy and everyone is expected to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying.

They are more commonly seen in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion. Organizers say they're just starting to take off in the U.S.

A study by the Barna Group, a firm specializing in data on religion and society, estimates that 6 million to 12 million Americans attend house churches. A survey last year by the Pew Forum found that 9% of American Protestants only attended home services.

"The only consistent thing about house church is that each one is different," said Robin Yeldell, who, in 2006, left a traditional church where he was a missions committee chairman.

The gathering at the Yeldell's home is a lively, sometimes chaotic event, with noisy and mostly happy young children flitting about.

After a time of fellowship, everyone gravitates to the kitchen table to observe the Eucharist with prayer, pinched-off pieces of sourdough bread and red wine in plastic cups. There's grape juice for the kids.

The celebration continues with a potluck meal. When they return to the living room, one member picks up a guitar to strum praise-and-worship songs that others softly sing.

Sparked by a previous discussion about whether they should start collecting an offering for the needy, Yeldell shares a Power Point presentation he created about "corporate giving" on his big screen TV.

The majority seems averse to a regular offering, preferring to take up a collection only when a need or charitable cause arises.

As if on cue, Sean Allen, a laid-off welder who is now homeless with health issues, joined their gathering late. The soft-spoken 39-year-old said he had been sick and struggling to pay some bills.

"I'm just here," Allen told fellow worshippers. "Do what you want. Let the Lord lead your heart."

Allen, who recently converted to Christianity from Islam, said a friend at a traditional church introduced him to the house church, which he prefers and occasionally attends because "they're more down to earth."

A few people agreed to write checks directly to the companies Allen owes while some debated whether money is the best way to help the man. A couple with five young children told him they couldn't afford to assist financially but he was always welcome to join them in their home for meals.

"I'd say the vast majority of house churches we know are Christians honestly trying to live 24-7 for Jesus," said Tony Dale of Austin. He and his wife, Felicity, are pioneers in the American house church movement which is also referred to as home church, organic church or simple church.

There aren't any signs out front so house churches are difficult to find. Prospective worshippers usually locate them by searching the Internet or through word of mouth.

Members rotate the services from house to house and take turns facilitating the gatherings. Anything more than about 15 people and the small group loses its ability to interact with each person, churchgoers say.

When they get too large, they divide and multiply.

"We view it as natural to grow, flourish and disband into three or four new ones," Dale said. "Not everything multiplies. Sometimes it shrinks and dies."

Sometimes congregations with diverse religious backgrounds break up over doctrinal issues or personality conflicts, moving on until they find or create a better fit.

In Texas, home to several megachurches, the house church movement is beginning to catch on, judging from the chatter on social networking sites and interest in a national house church conference organized by House2House Ministries held in the Dallas area in recent years.

"Often when you see a trend (like the growing number of megachurches) you see a counter-trend, like the proliferation of micro-churches," Stetzer said.

The Dales are among those actively working to bring mega- and micro-churches together.

Tony Dale cites the Apex Community Church in Dayton, Ohio, and The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin as examples of the complementary approach. They operate a network of dozens of small house churches, which can band together to become big.

Some who embrace the concept "have become kind of disillusioned, maybe bored with what's going on in traditional church and looking for a way to be more passionate in church," said Dale, who co-founded House2House magazine.

Bill Benninghoff of Arlington, a former pastor of charismatic churches in Texas and North Carolina, has been attending house churches exclusively since 2005.

"You get to know people in their good and bad times," said Benninghoff, a software engineer. "You get to pray with one another and have an incredible sense of camaraderie and community."

Benninghoff said he and his wife "felt lost in the big church on Sunday."

Reggie McNeal, a church leadership consultant based in South Carolina, said many people experimenting with house church have been doing so "under the radar," especially in Bible Belt states.

"It's kind of seen as an alternative or radical kind or approach," he said. "An increasing number of people are saying that they don't want to go to (any) church so there better be a way for church to just be where people already are."

Although house churches emphasize shared leadership and lack hierarchy, there doesn't seem to be a backlash from accredited seminaries devoted to training clergy to take leadership roles in traditional churches.

Dr. Nancy Ramsay, executive vice president and dean of Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth said interpreting Scripture for people of faith is an important responsibility but they respect those who see it differently.

"I wouldn't want to say that we feel threatened by that," Ramsay said. "We are concerned."

She stressed that a greater challenge for various denominations is being able to financially support a full-time religious leader during these tough economic times.

House church advocates say that's not an issue for them because they don't have paid professional leaders.

"You don't have to be dependent upon someone you hear at church to translate for you," said author Neil Cole, who directs Church Multiplication Associates in Southern California, which has helped start hundreds of organic churches in the U.S. and abroad.

"God is capable of speaking your language and talking to you where you live and I think that's attractive to people," Cole said.
. .
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-07-22-housechurch21_ST_N.htm
.

Mystery: Thousands of dead fish line Jersey shore

Thousands of dead fish line Jersey shore
Thursday, August 12, 2010

MIDDLE TWP., N.J. - August 12, 2010 (WPVI) -- Dead, rotting fish for miles covered the beaches of Middle Township, Cape May County.

Officials so far remain mystified over the major wash-up of fish along the Delaware Bay in Cape May County. The investigation is ongoing, but already there is at least one theory by scientists on what may have happened to those fish.

Experts at Rutgers University theorize that the fish were killed by the excessive heat that depleted the oxygen levels in the water.

Investigators will be back out on Thursday to continue the search for an official cause.

The fish, juvenile menhaden, also known as peanut bunker, were washed up on miles of shoreline from the Villas section of Lower Township to Pierce's Point in Middle Twp.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Kristin Bongard of The Villas.

"I have to say hundreds when I first saw them and then it became thousands, and they were floating," added Jeanette Nefaro.

"Just rows and rows of dead fish all the way as far as you can see," said Judy Thompson. "Yesterday they were in the water, they were jumping up, you could see them and there were porpoises out here, I guess they were feeding on them."

Residents say the fish began washing up on shore early Wednesday morning creating a foul smell as they baked in the hot sun.

By early evening, the high tide had washed away most of the dead fish leaving behind a thin line of them along the shoreline.

The state of New Jersey has sent extra conservationists to Cape May County to assess the impact on the beaches. Officials hope to know more Thursday.

Watch video: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7605437


Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7605606 .
.

Final Warning Message to SDA before The Sunday Law in the USA

">

FVT144000 | May 15, 2010

Prophecy School with Jeff Pippenger - Latter Rain Sealing Message - September 11 2001

Obama vs. the 'professional Left'


AFP – US President Barack Obama speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. Obama on Tuesday …




The Week – Wed Aug 11, 7:21 am ET


In a rare unguarded moment, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has lashed out at the "professional Left" for criticizing President Obama. "They will be satisfied when we have Canadian health care and we've eliminated the Pentagon. That's not reality," Gates told The Hill. Obama has been the target of criticisms from the Left for his opposition to gay marriage, his failure to close Guantanamo Bay, and the lack of a public option in the health-care bill. The press secretary almost immediately walked back his statement, saying his comments had been "inartful," but many argue he has damaged the president's rapport with his liberal base ahead of the midterm elections. Are hard-line liberals demanding too much of President Obama, or should the White House be more heedful of its frustrated base? (Watch a Fox News discussion about Gibbs' comments) Full Story »
.

.

Excellence in Broadcasting?

Excellence in Broadcasting?
Or, Talking out of both sides of your mouth at the same time?
Duality par excellance.


Rush Limbaugh, the popular "conservative" radio personality posted his recent wedding pictures yesterday on Facebook. Well, not only does he sport a new wife, he also has a new celebrity in his life. In the wedding pictures we can see the presence of Elton John, the 1970's pop piano player/composer, who is an avowed homosexual, and now a royal subject (Sir Elton). Elton John was invited to perform at the Wedding Ceremonies.

Speaking of hypocrisies?

Rush often call his opponents all kinds of irreverent names. Whore-house Harry (Congressman Harry Reid), Huffing and Puffing Post (Arianna's Huffington Post), to name a couple. Now what would be a fitting nickname for Rush? Rush the Hypo? Limbaugh the Liar?

My question is: What part of conservative is pandering to a gay magnate and his agenda?

Excellence in Broadcasting?

This is picture proof that the much ballyhooed dichotomy between the Reps and Dems, the Cons and the Libs, is nothing but a charade. In other words, they dance with whomever is playing the tune at the time. This time it's the Crocodile Rock dude... Remember Humpty Dumpty of the children's fable? This would be an illustration to keep in mind when you think about the boastful Talk-Radio Conservatives; They sit on a wall (hooting and hollering gibberish), and when the situation changes (winds of change) they fall on the opposite side of the wall. They might claim to be patriots, and love mom, apple pie, etc; But, in the world of politics there are no absolutes. For the career poli-trickisians there are only momentary issues (ego); When push comes to shove they all fall. And, quite often it's on the opposite side of the wall.

Humpty Dumpty is a great name for Rush. Just like the character in the story he's rotund, and he's bound to fall, again.


I have nothing personal against Sir Elton John, or his views; But, frankly Humpty Dumpty is full of soup! There's soup all over his tie from the dribble of his mouth.

Get a bib! (Lib-Bib)

Arsenio.
,

Americans grim over economy before elections: poll


AFP/Getty Images – Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World markets were thrown into turmoil as investors …



WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pessimism over the economy is rising and the grim mood could hurt both parties in the November 2 congressional elections, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Wednesday.

Almost two-thirds of Americans believe the economy will worsen before it gets better, up from 53 percent who felt that way in January, the poll found.

Nearly six in 10 of those surveyed said the country is headed in the wrong direction, a percentage that has held steady in NBC/WSJ polling throughout the year.

More than half of respondents said they disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling the economy. The poll also found Americans were split on Obama's overall job performance, with 48 percent saying they disapprove and 47 saying they approve.

Congress fared far worse in the poll of more than 1,000 adults conducted in the week leading up to primary elections in four states on Tuesday.

The percentage of Americans who believe the current Congress is either below average or among the worst is at an all-time high, according to the poll.

Seventy-two percent of respondents disapprove of the job Congress is doing -- a finding that could bode ill for incumbents of both major parties seeking re-election.

Democrats have been battling a strong anti-Washington and anti-incumbent mood among voters in their efforts to avert losing control of the House of Representatives and dropping Senate seats in the elections.

Republicans must gain 39 seats in the House and 10 in the Senate if they are to win majorities in both chambers.

If they do take control of one or both chambers in Congress, that would slam the brakes on Obama's legislative agenda.

Forty-two percent of the poll respondents said they want the elections to result in a Republican-controlled Congress. Forty-three percent said they want Democrats to retain control.

Only 24 percent of those polled expressed positive feelings about the Republican Party, a new low in the 21-year history of the survey, the Wall Street Journal said.

Democrats were only slightly more popular, but also near an all-time low, the newspaper said. Thirty-four percent of the respondents had a negative view of the conservative so-called Tea Party movement.

The poll was conducted August 5-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.10 percentage points.

(Editing by Chris Wilson)
.
.
.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Did I do that! - 08/11/2010

EAT PRAY LOVE?


Can you spot the subliminal (branding) message?
Let me give you a clue;
Monastic orders...
Well, why worry about anything!
Everyone's going to Heaven according to the Universalist Unitarians, or the American (Consumer-Oriented) Evangelicals;
Or, if you belong to certain churches, if only occasionally, you confess, pray the rosary, and pay penance...
Arsenio.
.

The Missing Commandment!!

">

MYSOULREFUGE | February 13, 2008

The seocnd commandment [EXODUS 20:4-6] that deals with graven images is missing from the Roman Catholic Catechism. Why?

False Teachers use Hypnosis via Music Against Christians

">

IndependentConserv | June 10, 2007

A "Fair Use" sized clip from a great DVD set called "The Signs and Wonders Movement Exposed". It is just a short portion of a section about how false teachers use a form of mass hypnosis to keep followers in a "suggestible" state. The chanting, music, raising and lowering of hands are all part of techniques used by stage hypnotists.

So people come up saying "I'm Healed" when they actually are not. They just feel good for the moment.

Christians should keep 2 Thessalonians 2:9 in mind. What will you do when one comes who actually does show you various signs? Let their doctrine versus a proper read of scripture be your guide. Like those of Berea mentioned in Acts 17. Not emotion.

Jesus and the apostles never needed a "praise team" to get everyone wired up before they would minister.

"Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down"


15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.


Matthew 7:15-20.
KJV
.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Adventists Respond To Prop 8 Ruling

Adventists Respond To Prop 8 Ruling

image:
Prop8.jpg

On August 4, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that California's Proposition 8, a ballot measure passed by voters defining marriage as between one man and one woman, violates the right to equal protection, deeming the 2008 law unconstitutional. Adventists of all persuasions responded to the court's ruling. A sampling of responses is provided below.

Michael D. Peabody - Los Angeles Attorney, Editor of ReligiousLiberty.TV

Judge Walker ruled based on the evidence presented, as any trial judge should, and regardless of his own personal sexual orientation or biases, Prop 8 supporters simply did not make a viable case for themselves. Sloganeering may have won the election but did not win a trial where real evidence was required. Prop 8 supporters may later look at the ruling and claim it was wrongly decided but as this essay points out, the reality is that they did a poor job presenting their evidence and only put two witnesses on the stand, both of whom had previously written statements that contradicted their testimony in favor of Prop 8. When both of these witnesses were neutralized, Prop 8 advocates had nothing left with which to prove their case and any effort by any judge to add in facts to uphold Prop 8 would have been the very definition of judicial activism.
[more here]

Nicholas Miller - Director, International Religious Liberty Institute, Andrews University

I believe that the Proposition 8 ruling is a disaster for gay rights, as well as for civil rights generally. The court’s reasoning is, in my view, ill-informed, ahistorical, and violative of basic constitutional norms. (To be fair, the anemic effort by the team defending Prop 8 appears to have contributed significantly to this judicial train wreck.) Such a blatant act of judicial activist legislation has, in my opinion, no meaningful chance of being upheld by the current, conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

In the interim, though, the ruling will provoke a tidal wave of right-wing political activism that could well set the gay-rights movement back a generation. While welcomed by some, the backlash will often, I fear, not distinguish between modern, liberal, judicially-created rights with no basis in either constitutional text or tradition, like gay marriage and abortion, and long established civil rights that are a vital part of ordered liberty, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the separation of church and state. The fervor to reign in libertinism could well threaten liberty itself.

This ruling will be perceived as a direct judicial assault on the deeply felt moral order of society. Consider that gay marriage has never survived a direct vote of the American people, despite attempts in thirty-one states, including very liberal states like California and Maine. Beginning with the upcoming elections in November—and probably for years to come—the gay-rights community will learn deeply the truth of the old proverb, "Be careful what you wish for."

Dave Ferguson, Church Relations Director, Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International

The ruling by Judge Walker was a landmark decision. As such it will get a lot of scrutiny from all sides. It is important to note both what he accepted and what he rejected from those who presented arguments on both sides of this case. He continued to uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court that same-sex marriage must be allowed not only based on the California Constitution, but also because of the U. S. Constitution. He refused to accept the arguments that gay parents are inferior, that homosexuality is a choice and that fear and prejudice are legitimate reasons for denying fundamental rights. Judge Walker carefully pointed out that the definition of marriage is not static, but dynamic. Throughout the last century the equality rights of women have changed marriage from one in which women were seen as property to a marriage of equals. In the last fifty years the right to marry a person of a different race has dramatically changed. Both of these important changes came not by popular vote, they were in fact opposed by the majority. This did not mean the majority were legally right. Today most Americans agree with these judicial decisions.

Judge Walker also addressed the fact that the destabilization of the institution of marriage is not because same-sex marriage is allowed, but because of the failure of those in heterosexual marriages. In fact, in states and countries where same-sex marriage is allowed, it has resulted in the stabilization of all marriages. For many years, I did not see why same-sex marriage was all that important, but having been married for nearly two years now, I can tell you it makes a lot of difference both psychologically and socially. California has also recently passed a law that prohibits any religious group/church from being forced to perform a marriage that is contrary to that groups beliefs, so no church would be forced to perform a same-sex marriage.

Consider the words of Bayard Rustin, the gay man who assisted Martin Luther King, Jr. and organized the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington: “Every indifference to prejudice is suicide because, if we don't fight all bigotry, bigotry itself will be strengthened and, sooner or later, it will return on me.” I believe that is the historic position of the Adventist church as it has fought for the religious liberty of those who have been marginalized by society.

Official Statement from SDA Kinship International Issued by Jacquie Hegarty, Communications Director

As a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit corporation, Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International cannot officially support (or condemn) any political issues or candidates. However, as a volunteer support organization that champions human rights for all people and believes that no one should be mistreated or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, SDA Kinship fully supports its LGBTI members who desire legal same-sex marriage and equal human rights within our society. SDA Kinship rejoices today [August 4, 2010] with those Kinship members for whom the overturn of California’s ban on same-sex marriage is a victory.

Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International continues to provide a safe spiritual and social community to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex current and former Seventh-day Adventists.
[more here]

Barry Bussey - Director of Legislative Affairs, Seventh-day Adventist World Headquarters

Reaction to this ruling has been swift and hard hitting. Not surprising given the nature of the matter. Both sides in the debate have contacted their supporters for more funding to keep up the fight as the case will now go through the appeals process until finally reaching the US Supreme Court where the matter will be settled – once and for all? Maybe. Who is to say what kind of machinations will come in future congresses?

It is peculiar that Judge Walker felt that Prop 8 did nothing more than state that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples and there was no rational basis to deny them a marriage license. Indeed the defendants in this case did put forward a rational argument – the idea that the state has an interest in promoting procreative relations in “enduring, stable unions,” so that children are raised by both their mom and their dad. Obviously the Judge did not accept that view but to say it is not “rational”? It seems such a view itself is not rational. Rationality it seems is not the issue.
[more here]

Carrol Grady - Wife of retired minister, mother of a gay son, and surrogate mother to hundreds of gay/lesbian sons and daughters

In the face of our church's previous failure to uphold our traditional belief in religious liberty and our understanding that God does not want forced obedience, I am thankful that California has upheld our individual right to freedom of conscience.

Alan Reinach - President, North American Religious Liberty Association – West

The Church State Council, a religious liberty ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church located in California, advocated in favor of Proposition 8. It is our conviction that marriage reflects something fundamental about human nature and society, and that society ought to do all in its power to strengthen marriage so that all children enjoy the benefits of a father and a mother. The Council took pains to express that it does not take public positions with respect to gay rights, generally, and does not oppose the rights and interests of the gay and lesbian community. However, the conflict between gay rights and religious liberty has become so acute that it is necessary to defend the institution of marriage, not only for its own sake, but for the sake of preserving the freedoms of religious institutions to uphold biblical teachings regarding human sexuality.
[more here]

Adventists Against Prop 8

Adventists Against Prop 8 affirm the court’s ruling. We note that in this decision, Judge Walker has ruled that the only basis for objecting to same-sex marriage is religious, and while religious officials are free to either marry or not marry same-sex couples, the state—because we believe in the separation of church and state—has no right to discriminate based solely on religious grounds.

We reiterate our statement made in advance of the November, 2008 vote on Proposition 8:


Adventists in the United States have historically defended the concerns of minority groups (even when they have disagreed with them on specific positions and practices) and have strongly objected to the use of religious arguments and means for establishing even what they consider to be public good (such the establishment of “blue laws” to fight widespread alcohol consumption on Sundays or the institution of prayer time in public schools). Adventists, as a people of faith and prophecy who have given special attention to apocalyptic events outlined in Revelation 13 and 14, have always advocated the safeguarding of rights of individuals and groups — even when we have disagreed with them — and the non-intrusion of overtly religious language and rationale in the formation or alteration of public policy.


[more here]

Source: http://www.spectrummagazine.org/blog/2010/08/05/adventists_respond_prop_8_ruling

..

Progressive Adventism


.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Evangelical Adventist" redirects here. For the early Millerite group, see Evangelical Adventist Church.


Progressive Adventists are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who disagree with certain beliefs traditionally or commonly held by mainstream today in the church. They think of themselves as theologically progressive relative to the denomination's mainstream, and place an emphasis on the gospel. They are often described as liberal Adventism by other Adventists, however the term "progressive" is generally preferred as a self-description. This is partly because most are not liberal Christians (although a small portion actually are). This article describes terms such as evangelical Adventism, cultural Adventism, charismatic Adventism, and progressive Adventism and others, which are generally related but have distinctions.

Progressives typically question one or more of the church's more peculiar, or "distinctive" beliefs such as the investigative judgment, the remnant, a future global Sunday-law, or an overuse of Ellen G. White's writings. A major factor in its rise was as a result of Adventists mixing more widely with other Christians, which was sparked by the need for government accreditation for its educational institutions. However it is an emerging movement with an emerging definition, and its proponents resist drawing up any formal belief statement. (It also has many similarities with the emerging church movement).[1] Perceptions and definitions of it may differ somewhat depending on the author, although much in common is also clearly discernible.

The movement emerged from interactions with evangelical Christians in the 1950s, which included the publication of Questions on Doctrine. This period marked a shift in the broader Christian world's perception of Adventists, from a sect to more commonly viewed as a legitimate Christian denomination. However earlier streams are also evident in Adventist history. The label "progressive Adventist" was created in the mid-1960s by Spectrum magazine, according to one author.

One scholar wrote in 2001,
"It is only within the last few decades that the Adventist Review has recognized editorially that there exists within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, at least in North America, 'liberals,' 'liberal churches,' 'liberal colleges/universities' and 'liberal conferences.' Depending on the author and his/her agenda, Adventist liberals are compared and/or contrasted with 'conservative Adventists,' 'historic Adventists,' 'Bible-believing (or EGW-believing) Adventists,' 'traditional Adventists,' 'evangelical Adventists,' 'cultural Adventists,' and/or 'ecumenical Adventists.'"[2]
.
Many scholars of the church are progressive, and progressive Adventism has strong connections with Adventist higher education. In an 1980s survey of Adventist theologians, 45% described their beliefs as "liberal" compared to other church members; 40% as "mainstream", 11% as "conservative", and 4% did not respond to the question.[3] Numerous magazines and conferences also support the movement. A higher proportion of those in younger generations are more progressive.[4] As the church varies by the demographics of location, culture, ethnicity, age group and other factors, progressive Adventism has a stronger presence in some places (such as the West Coast of the United States) than others.[5] Additionally, there are trends corresponding with the number of generations one's family has been an Adventist. As a generalization, converts and their children are often strong supporters of their new faith, however the third generation often question many beliefs and practices.[6] One book labels this trend, which is also evident in financial upward mobility, the "revolving door".[7]

...

West Coast Religion Teachers' Conference
In the United States, Adventist colleges and universities on the West Coast are considered more progressive – such as Loma Linda University, La Sierra University, Pacific Union College and Walla Walla University. Academics meet at the West Coast Religion Teachers' Conference.


.

Evangelical Adventism—Questions on Doctrine’s Legacy

Evangelical Adventism—Questions on Doctrine’s Legacy
Larry Christoffel


David VanDenburgh, senior pastor of the Seventh-day Adventists Campus Hill Church in
Loma Linda, California, and I, an associate pastor of the same church, visited Walter Martin in
1987. At the same time we met him, we were introduced to Kenneth R. Samples, on the staff of
Martin’s organization, The Christian Research Institute. We learned that they were planning to do an article on Seventh-day Adventism, and we were happy to talk with them.

Samples’ article, “From Controversy to Crisis, An Updated Assessment of Seventh-day
Adventism,” appeared in the Summer, 1988 Christian Research Journal.1 According to Samples,
the “controversy” which the Evangelical/SDA Dialogues (1955,1956) and the publication of
Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine2 (hereafter, QOD) stirred up continued
through the 1960s and 70s. Samples questioned whether the church would continue in the same
direction as QOD or return to a “more traditional understanding of the faith”3

He identified two groups within Adventism aligning themselves with the polarization
mentioned above. The one, continuing in basic agreement with QOD, he labeled, “Evangelical
Adventism,” and the other, opposing QOD, he called, “Traditional Adventism”. Differences of
opinion on Righteousness by Faith (Was Righteousness Justification only or both Justification and Sanctification?), the human nature of Jesus Christ (Did Jesus inherit Adam’s sinless pre-fall or his sinful post-fall nature), the sanctuary (Was the Atonement complete at Calvary, or not?), assurance of salvation (Could a Christian have it our not?) and the authority of Ellen White (Was Scripture its own interpreter or were Mrs. White’s writings an infallible interpreter of Scripture?) characterized the two groups. 4

Samples reasoned that the conflict moved to “crisis” level when an Australian theologian
Desmond Ford, challenged the traditional understanding of the Adventist sanctuary doctrine. “He [Ford] argued that the literalistic and perfectionistic understanding of these doctrines promoted by traditional Adventism had no biblical warrant, and were accepted primarily because of Mrs. White’s vision, which confirmed them.” 5 Ford had been given the opportunity to prepare a defense he did in a 990-page book, Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement and the Investigative Judgment6. After the August, 1980 Glacier View Sanctuary Review Committee, called to review Ford’s views, met, Ford was fired and his ministerial credentials were removed. Hundreds who agreed with him have been affected, many losing their positions with the church.7 .

.

.
1 Kenneth R. Samples, “From Controversy to Crisis, an Updated Assessment of Seventh-day Adventism,”
Christian Research Journal, Summer 1988, 9-14.
2 Prepared by a Representative Group of Seventh-day Adventist Leaders, Bible Teachers, and Editors, Seventhday
Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C., 1957.
3 Kenneth R. Samples, op cit, 12.
4 Kenneth R. Samples, op cit, 12,13..
5 Ibid.
6 Desmond Ford, Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement and the Investigative Judgment, Evangelion Press, Casselberry, Florida, 1980.
7 Kenneth R. Samples, op cit, 14. (For further documentation see Peter H. Ballis, “A Study of the Process of Leaving the Adventist Ministry,” Praeger Publishers, Westport, Connecticut, London, 1999. This thesis deals with those leaving the Adventist ministry in Australia and New Zealand in the years after the Ford crisis.)
.
.

Read More @ http://qod.andrews.edu/docs/09_larry_christoffel.pdf
.

Adventist professor takes on resident directorship of C.S. Lewis' home


An Adventist professor, who has devoted much of her career to studying and teaching about C.S. Lewis, will spend the next two years overseeing the author's home in Oxford, England. [Photo: Debbie Higgens]



An Adventist English professor will spend the next two years overseeing the home of Christian apologist writer C.S. Lewis in Oxford, England.

Debbie Higgens, who has devoted much of her career to studying and teaching about Lewis, is the new resident director of the home the author inhabited for 20 years. The Kilns is the birthplace of some of Lewis' most beloved works, including The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Higgens, a professor from Southern Adventist University, has a long history with the C.S. Lewis Foundation. She has visited The Kilns off and on since the mid 1990s and stayed there for six months in 2007.

"I wrote the last two chapters of my dissertation in the office where they think Lewis wrote the chronicles of Narnia," Higgens said. "The [doctoral] committee said the last two chapters were my best."

Part of Higgens' duties will involve overseeing the scholars-in-residence program, which allows doctoral candidates from Oxford to stay at The Kilns while working on their dissertations. She is the fourth person to hold the position.

"The people who [directed The Kilns] since the 2006 start of the scholars in residence are wonderful people, but not academics," Higgens said. "I hope to bring the academic side."

Higgens also teaches a class on C.S. Lewis at Southern, the Seventh-day Adventist university located in Collegedale, Tenn. She is taking a two-year break to fill the unpaid position at The Kilns.

"I do feel called to do this," Higgens said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to take this step."

Higgens hopes to share what she calls the "magic atmosphere" with short-term visitors who come to tour the author's home.

"Lewis loved the house, he loved the location," she said. "It was all rural then."

Lewis frequently drew from his surroundings in his writings, Higgens said, and visitors are often surprised at what they find.

"When it snows, you can imagine Mr. Tumnus coming out of the woods ... because he wrote about his own backyard."


For more information, visit Higgens' blog at thekilnsoxford.blogspot.com, and the C.S. Lewis Foundation site at cslewis.org.

.

Zimbabwe food crisis eases, but over million face hunger says UN

Photo (Courtesy) http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/6714.htm

Aug 10, 2010, 11:39 GMT


Rome - Food security in Zimbabwe has improved 'significantly,' but some 1.68 million people will still need assistance next year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Tuesday.

The repor is based on a June mission to Zimbabwe by FAO and another Rome-based UN agency, the World Food Programme, to assess the national crop and food security situation in the southern African nation.

Government efforts and a 70 million dollar international aid programme providing farmers with subsidised input, had boosted agricultural production, the report found.

The area planted under maize, Zimbabwe's main staple, increased by 20 per cent in 2010 to the highest level in 30 years and production rose seven per cent over 2009, the mission found.

Compared with the poor 2008 season when less than 500,000 tons of maize was harvested, production more than doubled in 2009 and 2010 to 1.27 and 1.35 million tons respectively.

'The generous international support ... significantly contributed to this year's relatively good harvest results, even if in some areas of the country rainfall distribution was uneven,' said FAO's emergency and rehabilitation operations in Africa chief, Cristina Amaral.

The mission estimated that some 133,000 tons of food assistance would be needed to feed some 1.68 million Zimbabweans in 2010-11.

The report said that general poverty and chronic food insecurity had led to reduced diversity of consumption and had also contributed to an increased prevalence of chronic malnutrition among young children.

Prices remain comparatively high for families with low incomes and little or no access to US dollars or South African rand according to the WFP's Jan Delbaere, co-author of the report.
.

.

Southern Publishing Association Building in Nashville Tennessee burns


This is sad: SPA burns down


southern publishing association building in nashville tennessee burns


July 22nd, 2010

Posted by daniel

Published in daily rambliniscings


Channel 5 TV News gave this report about the fire which occurred on July 20, 2010:

by Chris Cannon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Investigators believe a 3-alarm structure fire Tuesday afternoon on 24th Avenue North near Clarksville Pike is suspicious. For nearly five hours, firefighters battled with intense flames and the extreme heat.

Crews responded to the blaze at the former Seventh Day Adventist publishing house around 1:20 p.m. Heavy black smoke could be seen from miles away.

PHOTOS: 3-Alarm Structure Fire

The fire went to three-alarms. Two alarms of the alarms because to the size of the fire.

“And the third alarm is so that our guys can rest and other guys can go in and fight the fire,” according to Nashville Fire captain Maggie Lawrence.

Officials said 120 firefighters responded to the scene.

Temperatures in Nashville were into the low 90s as crews fought the blaze. Heat coming off the burning structure added to the already hot conditions.

In the 1890s, son James Edson White piloted the riverboat Morning Star on the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Through an onboard printing press he published a journal called Gospel Herald, which encouraged and evangelized blacks in the South.

Moving to Nashville, he set his press up in a former barn chicken house. In 1901 the Gospel Herald Publishing Company became the Southern Publishing Association.


So this looks to be the very end of the line for the Gospel Herald Magazine founded by Edson White, which became the Southern Publishing Association. My father worked there from 1962-1970 or thereabouts, and my brother worked there too. Many truth-filled books were printed there, and i thank God for raising up this light in this part of the world.

Fortunately, last year when in America, i was able to take 6 pictures of the old Southern Publishing Association building. These pics can be seen on my blog here.

Credits to WKRN, WTVF, and WSMV for the news reports and pictures of the blaze.
.

.

Europeans Initiate Campaign for Work-Free Sunday


ZE10031701 - 2010-03-17
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-28664?l=english

Europeans Initiate Campaign for Work-Free Sunday


1 Million Citizens Needed to Request Day for Children



STRASBOURG, France, MARCH 17, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Martin Kastler, German member of the European Parliament, launched the first citizen referendum of the European Union to request that Sunday be declared a day for family and rest.

"This is the right time to show that as European citizens we want to involve ourselves not only through European elections but also in other ways," explained Kastler, European deputy from the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, a member of the coalition in power in Germany.

Over 11,375 Europeans of various countries have already signed the online petition to keep Sunday as a day of rest in the whole of Europe.

Kastler presented the online campaign "Mum and Dad Belong to Us on Sunday" in the European Parliament at Strasbourg last month.

Kastler affirmed that this initiative "will strengthen direct democracy in the European Union."

He continued: "Thanks to the Lisbon treaty and the introduction of the European Citizens' Initiative, we as European citizens for the first time get the opportunity to stand up for our concerns. We want to use this opportunity to ensure a free Sunday."

The Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force last December, included provisions for the European Citizens' Initiative, an innovation aimed at increasing democracy in the European Union.

The initiative allows citizens to appeal to the European Commission on a topic of interest. It requires 1 million citizens from a significant number of member states to come together on the topic, at which point the group is able to suggest laws and have a direct voice in the affairs of the European Union.

Get involved

The deputy invited all who are "convinced that a free Sunday and direct democracy matter" to show their support by signing the petition.

He encouraged citizens to get involved in the democratic process, expressing the hope that the campaign will "build up huge public pressure so that no one can ignore that every Sunday is a family day."

Kastler affirmed: "The work-free Sunday is part of our European culture.

"We need time for our families and relationships, for civil society and religion. A life full of working days is unlikely to be fulfilling."

The 35-year-old Parliament member, himself a father of two children, said, "On Sundays, parents are there for their children and children are there for their parents."

"Europe should be the most child-friendly region in the world," he said.

Rallying together

The press release noted that Kastler joined with four other deputies last year to introduce to the European Parliament a written declaration regarding the work-free Sunday. The required quota of parliamentary members was not present, but 261 deputies did sign the declaration.

Kastler expressed the hope that "people from different political and social backgrounds can rally behind Sunday protection."

"Therefore," he added, "every single person and organization all over Europe is welcome to support the first European Citizens' Initiative."

The petition points out that the work-free Sunday is needed in Europe for the children, who "need a family day."

"Schools and public institutions never used to work on Sundays and do not intend to do so in the future -- despite various religious, cultural and ethnical backgrounds," it affirms.

"Every person needs spare time -- to relax, to be active in civil society, for hobbies and for religion," the petition states.

It adds that "the work-free Sunday is an essential pillar of the European Social Model and a part of the European cultural heritage."

--- --- ---

On the Net:

Campaign Web site: http://www.free-sunday.eu/