Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Spain: Student plotted attack on anti-Pope crowd

Spain: Student plotted attack on anti-Pope crowd
By DANIEL WOOLLS - Associated Press | AP – 3 hrs ago..

MADRID (AP) — A chemistry student working as a volunteer for the pope's visit to Madrid was arrested on suspicion of planning a gas attack targeting protesters opposed to the pontiff's stay, officials said Wednesday.

Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive Thursday for a nearly four-day visit to celebrate World Youth Day, and thousands of protesters railing against his visit staged their march Wednesday night to Madrid's central Sol plaza where they have held months of demonstrations against Spanish politicians and the government's anti-austerity policies.

A police official said the suspect arrested in Madrid Tuesday is a 24-year-old Mexican student specializing in organic chemistry. She would not say whether investigators believe the man was actually capable of carrying out a gas attack, and did not know if he actually had chemicals that could have been used to assault the protesters.

The detainee was identified by the Mexican Embassy in Madrid as Jose Perez Bautista, which said he was from Puebla state, near Mexico City.

He was arrested at a Madrid convention center where the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims coming to town for the papal visit are supposed to pick up their accreditation, the police official said on condition of anonymity in line with the department's rules.

An official with the pope visit's organizing committee said the Mexican was a volunteer helping to deal with the massive flow of people flooding Madrid. She would not give her name, citing the church-run committee's policy.

A total of 30,000 people from around the world are taking part in that organizing effort, 10,000 police are providing security in Madrid and organizers say they expect more than 1 million young pilgrims for World Youth Day, which started Tuesday and runs through Sunday.

The march he allegedly wanted to disrupt happened relatively peacefully, with some shouting between protesters and pope supporters. But it ended with police ousting protesters from the plaza, with at least one arrest of a demonstrator. Riot police monitored the plaza after the demonstrators were cleared out.

Police have 72 hours from the time of the arrest to bring the detainee before a judge at the National Court for questioning or to release him. A court official said he would appear before the judge Thursday at the earliest.

The official — speaking on condition of anonymity in line with court policy — said the detainee had been making threats over the Internet against people in Spain opposed to the pope's visit, and police who'd been monitoring his online activity ultimately decided to arrest him as the visit approached.

Police said in a statement released Tuesday night that officers who searched the detainee's apartment in a wealthy district of Madrid seized an external hard-drive and two notebooks with chemical equations that had nothing to do with his studies.

It said he tried to recruit people via the Internet to help him, and that a computer allegedly used for this purpose was among objects seized by police.

The man had planned to attack anti-Pope protesters with "suffocating gases" and other chemicals, the statement said. But it did not mention police having confiscated chemicals that could be used in an attack.

Mexican Embassy spokesman Bernardo Graue said consular officials had visited Perez Bautista in prison and described him as "relaxed" and in good physical condition as he waits to go before a judge. The Mexican officials did not ask him if he had in fact planned a gas attack, because interrogating him is up to Spanish authorities, Graue said.

Without knowing what chemicals and delivery system the man may have had, it is impossible to know what harm he could have caused on protesters marching in open air through the streets of Madrid, as will happen Wednesday evening, said Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish National Defence College in Stockholm.

The suspect was in Madrid studying with Spain's top government research body, the Spanish National Research Council, and his office there was searched, the police statement said. The council confirmed the arrest but gave no immediate details on the Mexican.

Mexico's Autonomous University of Puebla confirmed that a man with the same name had completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry in 2009 and had expressed interest in doing graduate work in Spain.

"Both the name and the academic background match," said Rafael Hernandez Oropeza, the university's director of international relations. He said Perez Bautista had an 8.6 grade average out of 10, "which is pretty high."

Gloria Leon Tello, the academic director of the university's school of chemistry, said Perez Bautista was a quiet, well-mannered, hardworking student. She had contact with him as an administrator, but did not have him in class.

"He was a very dedicated student, calm, very well-mannered," said Leon Tello, who said his age roughly matched that of the Madrid suspect. "He had very deep values ... like discipline, responsibility." Leon Tello said she did not hear him express political or religious views.

Mexico has some history of conservative religious extremism.

In 1926, tensions over Mexico's harsh anti-clerical laws broke into armed conflict between the government and Catholic rebels in the bloody, three-year Cristero War in which tens of thousands died.

In 1928, a young conservative Catholic activist, Jose de Leon Toral, assassinated President-elect Alvaro Obregon.

In the 1960s and 1970s a number of conservative Catholic youth groups grew up at universities in Mexico, including Puebla, and sometimes scuffled with left-wing student activists of the time.

Church organizers say the papal visit will cost about euro50 million ($72 million). Protesters claim the government is essentially spending taxpayers' money on the visit by granting tax breaks to corporate sponsors and perks such as discount subway and bus tickets for pilgrims.

___

Alex Oller in Madrid and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this story.

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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

ATF's 'Fast and Furious' firearms tracked to at least 11 violent crimes

Bill Newell, special agent in charge of ATF Phoenix, speaks behind a cache of seized weapons in Phoenix. The ATF is under fire over a Phoenix-based gun-trafficking investigation called "Fast and Furious," in which agents allowed hundreds of guns into the hands of straw purchasers in hopes of making a bigger case. (Matt York / Associated Press / January 25, 2011)


Also
Full coverage: ATF's Fast and Furious scandal
ATF promotes supervisors in controversial gun operation
FBI report at odds with ATF claim on weapons
Fast and Furious: Embassy kept in dark as guns flooded Mexico


By Richard A. Serrano

August 16, 2011, 3:11 p.m.

Firearms illegally trafficked under the ATF’s Fast and Furious program turned up at the scenes of at least 11 “violent crimes” in this country in addition to being involved in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in southern Arizona last year, the Justice Department has acknowledged to Congress.

Although Justice did not provide any details about those crime scenes, it has been learned that the additional violent crimes occurred in cities such as Phoenix, where Operation Fast and Furious was managed, and as far away as El Paso, Texas, where a total of 42 Fast and Furious weapons were seized in two separate crimes.

The new numbers, which vastly broaden the scope of the danger the program posed to U.S. citizens over a 14-month period, are contained in a letter Justice Department officials turned over last month to Senate Judiciary Committee members.

Documents: Fast and Furious paper trail

In the letter, obtained Tuesday by The Times, Justice officials also reported that ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson “likely became aware” of Fast and Furious as early as December 2009, a month after the program began, and not after January of this year, as he had said. The July 22 letter was signed by Assistant Atty. Gen. Ronald Weich and sent to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was in response to questions posed to the Justice Department about Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder and Fast and Furious.

Justice officials were asked how many “violent crime” scenes turned up more Fast and Furious weapons besides the two semiautomatics found after Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s slaying last December.

They responded that while the “ATF does not have complete information” on the whereabouts of all the lost guns, “it is our understanding that ATF is aware of 11 instances” where a Fast and Furious firearm “was recovered in connection with a crime of violence in the United States.”

Justice officials did not respond. But a source close to the unfolding controversy said that as early as January 2010, just after the operation was underway, Fast and Furious weapons turned up at crime scenes in Phoenix, Nogales, Douglas and Glendale in Arizona, and in El Paso. The largest haul was 40 Fast and Furious weapons at one crime scene in El Paso.


Documents: Fast and Furious paper trail
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Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Europe Trumps U.S. (Final)


By Scott Rutt 08/16/11 - 07:25 PM EDT

Search Jim Cramer's Mad Money trading recommendations using our exclusive Mad Money Stock Screener and watch Jim Cramer's Mad Money Post Game video exclusively on TheStreet.com.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- "It's time to accept the new reality," Jim Cramer said on his "Mad Money" TV show Tuesday.

Cramer said that great news from U.S. is no longer powerful enough to trump news from Europe, but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities in the market.

Cramer said simply that the U.S. just doesn't matter as much as it used to. In today's case, it was the German industrial production numbers, which came in weaker than expected, that were able to outdo the fairly robust production numbers here at home. That news was also strong enough to outshine the great results posted from Wal-Mart (WMT_) and Home Depot (HD_).

The U.S. may be 310 million people strong, said Cramer, but that's nothing compared to the woes of more than 500 million people in Europe. America may be a great nation, but it no longer has the strong balance sheet that it once had, and its clout in the financial world is waning.

So does that mean that U.S. stocks are totally held captive to Europe's influence on the S&P 500 futures? Cramer said absolutely not. He said that when the news of the day pull down the entire market, investors need to look for opportunities like Perrigo (PRGO_), which traded down eight points in early trading only to rally back nine points by the end of the day.

In addition to Wal-Mart and Home Depot, Cramer said investors can also consider the safety stocks, those that do well in a slowdown, stocks like McDonald's (MCD_) and Abbott Labs (ABT_).

"European production numbers may be more important than our own," admitted Cramer, but that doesn't mean that opportunities in U.S. stocks aren't still out there to be found. "Find the stocks that get brought down but shouldn't be," he said.

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FBI warns of "Lone Wolf" Norway-style attacks

August 16, 2011 6:37 PM

ByJoshua Norman


In The horrors of the Norway massacre committed by self-professed lone gunman Anders Behring Breivik could happen here, the FBI warns. (CBS News)


(CBS News) Although there is some skepticism to the contrary, it appears the Norway massacre self-confessed perpetrator, Anders Breivik, acted alone.

He was an angry, delusional young man with a murderous bent, and the FBI wants American law enforcement to be aware that there is a possibility of something similar happening here.

In a joint FBI/Department of Homeland Security memo (PDF), it states:

"Small-arms operations could be employed through a range of tactics from a lone offender--as illustrated by the recent 22 July 2011 lone shooter attack that took place in Norway--to a coordinated small-unit attack involving several operatives. Recent lone offender attacks and plots in the United States and abroad illustrate the effectiveness of the small-arms tactic and the need for continued vigilance and awareness of this tactic. Attacks by lone offenders--which by definition lack co-conspirators, and therefore provide fewer opportunities for detection--may be more difficult for law enforcement and homeland security authorities to disrupt."

Examples cited by the memo include the soldier from Fort Hood arrested on July 27 of this year with materials to produce a bomb; The lone gunmen who killed two U.S. Airmen at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport on March 2 of this year; and the Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nadal Hassan, who killed 12 with two pistols in a late 2009 rampage.

The domestic "Lone Wolf" threat is far from limited to Islamic-linked individuals, too. As reported by "60 Minutes," the "Sovereign Citizens" movement - a loosely knit group that doesn't pay taxes, carry driver's licenses or hold Social Security cards - has shown a violent and sometimes murderous dislike of law enforcement. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh had only two known co-conspirators.

The use of small, tactical teams - or even well-armed individuals - is also increasingly employed by foreign terrorist groups, and has been used to deadly affect throughout the Middle East and other danger zones.

The overall rise in such cases led the FBI and DHS to conclude "that transnational terrorist groups and homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) could employ small-unit assault tactics in the United States."

Some of the steps they recommend law enforcement use to prevent such incidents include randomizing security patrols in potential target areas, increased reporting of suspicious activity, and conducting increased sweeps for explosive materials.

"We face an increased challenge in detecting terrorist plots underway by individuals or small groups acting independently or with only tenuous ties to foreign handlers," the FBI/DHS memo states. "Recent events have illustrated that state, local, tribal, and private sector partners play a critical role in identifying suspicious activities--such as unusual purchases of or inquiries about firearms, gunpowder, or ammunition--and raising the awareness of federal counterterrorism officials."

Source

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Re-Examining the Arab Spring



Re-Examining the Arab Spring

By George Friedman August 16, 2011

On Dec. 17, 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire in a show of public protest. The self-immolation triggered unrest in Tunisia and ultimately the resignation of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This was followed by unrest in a number of Arab countries that the global press dubbed the “Arab Spring.” The standard analysis of the situation was that oppressive regimes had been sitting on a volcano of liberal democratic discontent. The belief was that the Arab Spring was a political uprising by masses demanding liberal democratic reform and that this uprising, supported by Western democracies, would generate sweeping political change across the Arab world.

It is now more than six months since the beginning of the Arab Spring and it is important to take stock of what has happened and what has not happened. The reasons for the widespread unrest go beyond the Arab world, although, obviously, the dynamics within that world are important in and of themselves. However, the belief in an Arab Spring helped shape European and American policies in the region and the world. If the assumptions of this past January and February prove insufficient or even wrong, then there will be regional and global consequences. Read more »
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Monarch Mind Control



Uploaded by ofreshartist2 on Dec 15, 2009

Sermon by Gary C. Price

http://www.omegaministry.org/bible_study.asp

THE NEW AGE, OCCULT SYMBOLISM and LUCIS TRUST



THE NEW AGE, OCCULT SYMBOLISM and LUCIS TRUST

From: truthforall01 Aug 24, 2009
thanks Eazail....Lucis Trust, the New Age and Occult symbolism
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Monday, August 15, 2011

Today is the 40th Anniversary of Nixon Ending Gold Standard and Creating Modern Fiat Monetary System

Published in Market Updates Precious Metals Update on 15 August 2011



Gold has fallen today in all major currencies except the Swiss franc which has fallen sharply again on continued talk of SNB intervention. Gold is trading at USD 1,742.70, EUR 1,220.10, GBP 1,068.70, CHF 1,375.60 per ounce and 133,820 JPY/oz. Gold’s London AM fix this morning was USD 1,738.00/oz, EUR 1,214.11/oz, GBP 1,065.88/oz.

Gold in Swiss Francs reached 1,393.24 an ounce this morning – the highest price so far in 2011. Gold in Swiss francs has climbed 7.7% so far in August, 3.7% in 2011 and 8.2% in the past 12 months as gold reasserts itself as the true safe haven.

On this day, August 15th, 40 years ago, President Nixon announced the end of the Gold Standard and the end of the Bretton Woods international monetary system(see video of Nixon’s dramatic announcement here).

This was one of the most important decisions in modern financial, economic and monetary history and is a seminal moment in the creation of the global debt crisis confronting the U.S., Europe and the world today.


Cross Currency Rates

Nixon ushered in an era of floating fiat currencies not backed by gold but rather deriving value through government “fiat” or diktat.

While Nixon justified the move was that the U.S. , then as today, was living way beyond its means with the Vietnam war and growing military industrial complex leading to large budget deficits and inflation.

Governments internationally including the French and their President Charles de Gaulle were concerned about the debasement of the dollar and began to exchange their dollar reserves for gold bullion bars.

Subsequent to Nixon’s decision 40 years ago, the U.S. dollar has fallen from 1/35th of an ounce of gold to 1/1750th of an ounce of gold today.


Gold in Nominal USD – 1971 to Today (Weekly)

This is not the fault of “speculators”, rather it is the fault of profligate governments and central bankers debasing the U.S. dollar since 1971 (except for Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker).

Today, U.S. dollars and all paper and digital money is declared by governments to be legal tender, despite the fact that it has no intrinsic value and is not backed by gold reserves.

Historically, currencies were based on precious metals such as gold or silver, but fiat money is based on faith and on the performance of politicians, bankers and central bankers.

Because today’s fiat money is not linked to physical reserves of gold and silver, it is becoming worth less with each passing month and risks becoming worthless should hyperinflation take hold.

If people lose faith in a nation's paper currency, the money will no longer hold value.

Throughout history most fiat currencies have not survived more than a few decades and have succumbed to hyperinflation.

The fiat currency or paper and digital based international monetary system has survived 40 years but is in terminal decline with many astute commentators now questioning whether it will survive the global debt crisis.

Gold’s role as a store of value and important monetary asset is being increasingly appreciated. Indeed, there are increasing calls for gold to again play a role in the global monetary system.

The President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, wrote in the Financial Times (‘The G20 must look beyond Bretton Woods II’ - November, 2010) that a new monetary system involving a basket of currencies “should also consider employing gold as an international reference point of market expectations about inflation, deflation and future currency values”.

He also said that “although textbooks may view gold as the old money, markets are using gold as an alternative monetary asset today.”

This was an important statement regarding gold especially as it came from the President of the World Bank, the head of one of the most powerful financial and monetary organizations in the world.

Jack Farchy wrote in the Financial Times today, “the return of gold as a prominent financial asset is without doubt the most important development in the bullion market today.”

It is also a very important development for currency markets and for the global financial and monetary system.

Ex Economics Editor of The Telegraph, Edmund Conway wrote over the weekend how “we've had the financial crisis that usually marks the beginning of the end of established monetary systems. And now we are seeing the debasement.”

He wrote that the rising gold price “reflects many factors . . . but chief among them is a diminishing faith in the ability of fiat currencies to maintain their value.”

“These bouts of debasement typically end in disaster, as faith is lost in the currency, inflation shoots through the roof and the economy collapses, after which politicians introduce a new, more credible system.”

Conway warned that the “next stage of the crisis represents a crisis of confidence in the very system which, founded as it is on trust rather than measurable yardsticks, has no reliable, inbuilt way of righting itself.”

We have for many months now been warning of the real risk of an international monetary crisis and this risk looks more likely by the day.

While hyperinflation remains a worst case scenario, stagflation and a virulent bout of inflation looks almost certain in the coming months.

For the latest news and commentary on gold and financial markets follow us onTwitter.

SILVER
Silver is trading at $39.14/oz, €27.35/oz and £23.99/oz.

PLATINUM GROUP METALS
Platinum is trading at $1,789.00/oz, palladium at $754/oz and rhodium at $1,775/oz.

NEWS
(Financial Times)
Central banks polish gold’s shine - System of fiat money is 40 years old today

(MarketWatch)
Gold edges higher amid weaker dollar

(Reuters)
Spot gold falls 1 percent in third session of losses

(Bloomberg)
Gold Declines for Third Straight Day as Equity Rebound Trims Haven Demand

COMMENTARY
(The Telegraph)
Abandoning the gold standard was a seminal moment, and one we're now all paying for

(MarketWatch)
Commentary: What are all those gold-bashers saying now?

(London Bullion Market Association)
Brian Lucey: What do Academics Think They Know About Gold?

(ZeroHedge)
At 50x Leverage And 2% Tier 1 Capital, Is SocGen Truly A Paragon Of Balance Sheet Invincibility?

(Got Gold Report)
Gene Arensberg: Comex swap dealers cover gold shorts like a big dog


Source
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GG missing from national duties

Published: Monday | August 8, 2011



THE EDITOR, Sir:

SATURDAY, August 6, marked the 49th anniversary of Jamaica's Independence. It is to be noted that His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, was absent from the National Independence Parade held on the lawns of King's House, a national duty he is required under the Jamaican Constitution to carry out, having sworn and received his instrument of office at Buckingham Palace.

My question is whether Sir Patrick is on duties overseas, or his absence was on the grounds of religious belief? The instrument of office requires any holder of the said office to execute his functions without his own prejudice to race, creed or religion and, as such, it cannot be that because Independence day falls on a Saturday, a day on which he worships, the functions of the governor general will have to be deputised.

The affairs of Jamaica belongs to the people via the process of democracy and, as such, is larger than any singular rights to religion. Therefore, its duties must be carried out by all on any given day. If the issue of religion conflicts with national duties, then in the interest of the nation, all those holding such an office, including the GG, should humbly resign.

Winston R. MOLLISON

Old Harbour

St Catherine

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Related

Of absent GG and fabulous NDTC

Published: Friday | August 12, 2011


Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

Then my daahlings, people are still talking about the governor general's fortuitous absence from the Independence Day celebrations and official functions. And for those who do not get it - the fact that Sir Patrick Allen went to church on the 7th, in Washington, in no way absolves him of the clear dereliction of his duties by being absent on the 6th, here in Jamaica, the Day of Independence.

Sadly, there were those who were casting monetary bets that the GG would be absent, due to the fact that the 6th was a Saturday, and unfortunately those casting the bets in favour of his absence, won - whatever the reason(s) or justification!

This is a pity, as the absence of the GG, our head of State, from our Independence celebrations, cannot be explained or excused away on religious grounds or worse yet, that he was on official leave, as no leave should have been approved for him at this critical juncture.

The GG being a man of the cloth knows fully the requirements of his religion and should learn the requirements of his office. And where there is obvious inherent conflict, he needs to resolve same, with his conscience as his guide, but the country, should not have to face this unpleasant scenario again. ... more

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Jesuit Vatican Catholicism Pagan Occult Worship Underpinnings



Uploaded by Ephesians61024 on Dec 4, 2009

The Historical Information is accurate but its up to you to do your own research and check all things against the Word of God the 1611 King James Version. Details the origins of many Pagan Practices that are practiced today by Catholics and Christians you are unaware of their real meanings. The Roman Catholic Church is pagan in origin and has nothing in common with Biblical Christianity. Salvation is by Grace alone, By Faith Alone, By Jesus Christ Alone !!!

Obama Ate With Harvey in the West Village... But His Fate Was Sealed on the Bowery


Posted: 8/12/11 05:43 PM ET

Just as Barack Obama was being feted Thursday night by Vogue editor Anna Wintour and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein at Weinstein's West Village pad -- a celeb-filled fundraiser of $35,800 a ticket -- a little further east, at the Bowery Poetry Club, a recognized psychic healer was telling a hipster-hip hop-media crowd exactly this: "It's not up to President Obama to change the world. He can't do anything. I feel sorry for him. He won't be elected to another term."

The BPC, a New York institution based on the beatnik tradition, usually features folks like poet and Warhol acolyte Taylor Mead or tranny bingo each week. So, it may have surprised a few of the regulars to see "Metaphysical Night" on the roster. Kate Sekules, a seasoned editor and author, had originally come up with the idea to start the discussion about tapping into energies and consciousness, as she stated. "So I would not have to cover my Eckhart Tolle on the subway with my New York Times." Sekules brought in professional intuitive Peri Lyons, who is also a singer and a co-founder of the Moth storytelling series, to oversee the discussion. And, Dr. Carmen Harra, who predicted Obama's demise, took the stage as the headliner.

Dr. Harra recently released her latest book, Wholiness, through Hay House, a metaphysical publishing house under the guise of Louise L. Hay, a woman who publicly debuted many of the soothsayers, mediums, and medical energy intuitives who later became regulars on the Oprah Winfrey show. Dr. Harra, a licensed psychologist with abilities to channel the dead became a press darling a decade ago when she was seeing clients like actresses Candice Bergen, Courtney Cox, and Jennifer Lopez. She had done a reading for Hillary Clinton at a fundraiser and ended up counseling half of the fashion staff at the New York Times Magazine, which is how I discovered her when writing for the paper. She had emigrated here decades ago from her native Romania and after a near death experience as a child, she began to connect with other dimensions beyond present time.

Now, in a form-fitting black dress, black and white cardigan, and glittery black pumps, Dr. Harra -- who is based in Queens and South Florida -- discussed the topics in her book. She addressed the crowd about the coming of the year 2012, which marks the end of the Mayan calender. She said there would be chaos before enlightenment, but that enlightenment was coming. "We are at a turning point as a species." She said. "Where we either have to change or die out." She talked about the satellites failing in the next year or so, which will crash the banking system, making our money worthless. She alluded to the German philosopher Schopenhauer who stated that for evolution to come there needs to be chaos first. Dr. Harra told the audience. "The manmade system, killing, and suffering will be wiped out. We will have a new way to pay for goods, get back to nature, to the beginning."

The fun really started when Ms. Lyons -- who also talked about meditation and seeing ghosts as a teenager -- grabbed the microphone and started fielding questions from the crowd for Dr. Harra. One gentleman -- a striking young black man who sauntered in by chance before the BPC's later program of upcoming hip hop artists -- wanted to know why spirits come back in certain forms. Dr. Harra gazed at him intently and told him. "I see a man around you, Steve, he has a saxophone." He gasped and said, "Yeah, that's my uncle." Another woman inquired about how long her nonagenarian grandmother would live. " A couple more years." Said Dr. Harra, who also said that after the passing, the woman would have a baby, basically the reincarnation of her grandmother.

The audience, glued to their seats, included some media talent like casting agent Jen Vendetti and E. Jean Carroll the monthly advice columnist for Elle Magazine. To break up the predictions, Dr. Harra sang "Summertime" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Ms. Lyons performed a little ditty that she wrote to end the program. And Bob Holman, the owner of BPC said, "I've never seen so many women here at one time!" Call it magic or what you will, but he was grinning widely.

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The Seventh Day is The Sabbath?


It occurred to me today that the past two Sabbaths have been rather strange. You might ask why I would say this. Well, during the last two Saturdays, Governor Rick Perry of Texas has made the headlines in a peculiar way.

  1. Saturday - August 6, 2011: Governor Rick Perry hosted a Day of Prayer and Fasting in Houston at Reliant Stadium.
  2. Saturday - August 13, 2011: Governor Rick Perry officially announced his decision to run for President of the United States in Charleston, South Carolina. (@33rd Parallel)

Why do I find these events weird?
I just happened to notice the coincidence that they occurred on a Sabbath. There must be a specific reason why? The timing is what baffles me. Two Saturdays picked for making national news, and 7 days apart?

I am well aware that Gov. Rick Perry is a Methodist, and Methodists normally have their weekly worship services on Sundays. So, perhaps Gov. Perry picked Saturdays for his plans because he regularly goes to church on Sundays. Still, I find the timing (of organizing a major event one week exactly before he announces that he will run for President), rather odd. Maybe, in the future we will learn why these two days were chosen. For now I will just wait and watch...

ON another note, the General Conference of Seventh day Adventists also conducted a notable event during this past Sabbath.

Saturday - August 13, 2011 - a live streaming (12 hour) program was broadcast over the internet and on satellite to 42 countries:

Sabbath Celebration
Sabbathcelebration.com
At Bear Ridge Mall Andrews, North Carolina
The event's speakers were - Pastors Ted Wilson, Ed Reid, Kenneth Cox, David Gates, and Dr. Michael Hasel.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?GospelMinistriesInte/88cf9fcc77/98fcc06e38/9abe8fbced


Sabbaths, or Saturdays are really becoming popular. Don't you think?

Well, it seems that it's a day when some people want to pray, fast, and announce their political plans.

While others are 'celebrating' the Sabbath in a impromptu grand manner...

Arsenio.
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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Bus overturns on Pa. turnpike

By Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times News Service
Published: August 14. 2011 4:00AM PST



Law enforcement officials were investigating a bus accident Saturday on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that injured at least 21 people.

According to law enforcement and state officials, the driver, Kareem Edward Farmer of Philadelphia, 24, lost control of the Greyhound bus just after 6 a.m., near the Lebanon-Lancaster exit, about 20 miles east of Harrisburg. The bus struck a barrier, then swerved, drove up an embankment and flipped on its side.

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Bill Capone, said Saturday that no other vehicles were involved in the accident and that the cause was under investigation.

Turnpike authorities said 25 people were on the bus including the driver, while Greyhound executives put that number at 29. Both said that four people were not injured and continued their trips after another bus arrived.

The other passengers were taken to three area hospitals, officials said.

The bus — which originated in New York City with a final destination of St. Louis — was headed from Philadelphia to Columbus, Ohio, when it toppled over. Its scheduled departure time from New York was around 9 p.m. on Friday.

Source
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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Four Killed, Dozens Injured as Stage Collapses at Indiana State Fair

Published August 13, 2011

NewsCore


INDIANAPOLIS -- At least four people were killed and a dozen others injured in Indianapolis Saturday night when a stage collapsed during a storm at the Indiana State Fair, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, where a command center was being set up to manage injured and trapped music fans.

Thousands of people, who were attending the Sugarland concert, were reportedly being evacuated when the rigging for the stage fell onto an area where some people were seated.

A reporter at the scene said the stage collapsed, between the opening and main acts, when a wind gust hit at about 9:00pm local time.

Another witness said there were still people trapped under the collapsed rigging at 9:30pm, WTHR-TV reported.

Preparations were underway at 10:00pm to inflate large air bags to lift the stage rigging, The Star reported.

Indiana Homeland Security declared the incident a Level 1 emergency.

Those injured were being taken to Methodist Hospital, police said. No details have been released on the seriousness of the injuries, nor the number of people still trapped.


Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/13/four-killed-dozens-injured-as-stage-collapses-at-indiana-state-fair/#ixzz1Uy79vL4T

Diop is Adventist Church's new UN liaison

Former mission study centers director will also contribute to IRLA

12 Aug 2011, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Bettina Krause/IRLA/ANN


The Seventh-day Adventist Church has selected Ganoune Diop, a theologian and multi-linguist, as its new voice at the United Nations.


Ganoune Diop will serve as the new UN liaison for the Adventist Church.


Diop, originally from Senegal, takes up his responsibilities this month as the associate director of the denomination's Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, where he will represent the church at the United Nations in Geneva and in New York. He will also contribute to PARL's work with the International Religious Liberty Association.

He is an academic, administrator, and a musician who has lived and worked on three continents.

Diop replaces Barry Bussey, who served in the position since 2008 and left earlier this year to take a position in Canada.

"Dr. Diop's cross-cultural experience, education, and desire to serve his church, make him extraordinarily well-suited to his new responsibilities," said John Graz, PARL department director.

Diop has served as a church pastor, a conference Sabbath School director, a professor of Biblical Languages, Exegesis, and Theology at Saleve Adventist University in France, and later at Southern Adventist University and Oakwood University in the United States. In his most recent assignment, he served as director of the five Global Mission Study Centers of the Office of Adventist Mission.

Diop holds a master's degree in philology and a doctorate in Old Testament studies. In 2008, he told ANN that he's comfortable conversing in 10 languages.

Diop said an important focus of his new role will be to "make the case before representatives of nations that they benefit from having Adventists live in their countries, freely practicing their religion and lifestyle."

"Our various services to humanity -- healthcare systems, education institutions, organizations for the support of human rights, development and relief agencies -- all these things are focused on improving the quality of life within communities," he said.

Diop says he will draw principles to guide his work from the life and example of Jesus Christ. "Jesus showed through His life and teachings that he was certainly a diplomat," he says. "He did not, for example, force Himself on humanity, but through appeals, dialogues, conversations, negotiations, based on respect for human dignity, he shared His values. He appealed to the deepest values he inscribed in people he created in His own image."

Delbert Baker, a general vice president of the world church, who also serves as an adviser to the the PARL department, says Diop will bring will a unique line-up of abilities to his role as an international church diplomat.

"He brings a deep commitment to his faith and a wealth of experience to this pivotal role of spokesperson for the church within the international arena," Baker said.

Source: Adventist News Network©

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Diop replaces Barry Bussey, who served in the position since 2008?

At UN, James Standish Returns to Church Representation
http://www.spectrummagazine.org/blog/2009/08/27/un_james_standish_returns_church_representation


The great "Ground Zero mosque" hoax
[Representative, Seventh-day Adventist Church
James Standish
Represents the Seventh-day Adventist Church to the United Nations. Deputy secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association]
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/james_standish/2010/08/the_great_ground_zero_mosque_hoax.html


The Church the Light of the World


The Lord called out His people Israel and separated them from the world that He might commit to them a sacred trust. He made them the depositaries of His law, and He designed, through them, to preserve among men the knowledge of Himself. Through them the light of heaven was to shine out to the dark places of the earth, and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from their idolatry to serve the living and true God. Had the Hebrews been true to their trust, they would have been a power in the world. God would have been their defense, and He would have exalted them above all other nations. His light and truth would have been revealed through them, and they would have stood forth under His wise and holy rule as an example of the superiority of His government over every form of idolatry.

But they did not keep their covenant with God. They followed after the idolatrous practices of other nations, and instead of making their Creator’s name a praise in the earth their course held it up to the contempt of the heathen. Yet the purpose of God must be accomplished. The knowledge of His will must be spread abroad in the earth. God brought the hand of the oppressor upon His people and scattered them as captives among the nations. In affliction many of them repented of their transgressions and sought the Lord. Scattered throughout the countries of the heathen, they spread abroad the knowledge of the true God. The principles of the divine law came in conflict with the customs and practices of the nations. Idolaters endeavored to crush out the true faith. The Lord in His providence brought His servants, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, face to face with kings and rulers, that these idolaters might have an opportunity to receive the light. Thus the work which God had given His people to do in prosperity, in their own borders, but which had been neglected through their unfaithfulness, was done by them in captivity, under great trial and embarrassment.

God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the first, second, and third angels, He has separated them from the churches and from the world to bring them into a sacred nearness to Himself. He has made them the depositaries of His law and has committed to them the great truths of prophecy for this time. Like the holy oracles committed to ancient Israel, these are a sacred trust to be communicated to the world. The three angels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the light of God’s messages and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth. Christ declares to His followers: “Ye are the light of the world.” To every soul that accepts Jesus the cross of Calvary speaks: “Behold the worth of the soul: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’” Nothing is to be permitted to hinder this work. It is the all-important work for time; it is to be far-reaching as eternity. The love that Jesus manifested for the souls of men in the sacrifice which He made for their redemption, will actuate all His followers.

But very few of those who have received the light are doing the work entrusted to their hands. There are a few men of unswerving fidelity who do not study ease, convenience, or life itself, who push their way wherever they can find an opening to press the light of truth and vindicate the holy law of God. But the sins that control the world have come into the churches, and into the hearts of those who claim to be God’s peculiar people. Many who have received the light exert an influence to quiet the fears of worldlings and formal professors. There are lovers of the world even among those who profess to be waiting for the Lord. There is ambition for riches and honor. Christ describes this class when He declares that the day of God is to come as a snare upon all that dwell upon the earth. This world is their home. They make it their business to secure earthly treasures. They erect costly dwellings and furnish them with every good thing; they find pleasure in dress and the indulgence of appetite. The things of the world are their idols. These interpose between the soul and Christ, and the solemn and awful realities that are crowding upon us are but dimly seen and faintly realized. The same disobedience and failure which were seen in the Jewish church have characterized in a greater degree the people who have had this great light from heaven in the last messages of warning. Shall we, like them, squander our opportunities and privileges until God shall permit oppression and persecution to come upon us? Will the work which might be performed in peace and comparative prosperity be left undone until it must be performed in days of darkness, under the pressure of trial and persecution?

There is a terrible amount of guilt for which the church is responsible. Why are not those who have the light putting forth earnest efforts to give that light to others? They see that the end is near. They see multitudes daily transgressing God’s law; and they know that these souls cannot be saved in transgression. Yet they have more interest in their trades, their farms, their houses, their merchandise, their dress, their tables, than in the souls of men and women whom they must meet face to face in the judgment. The people who claim to obey the truth are asleep. They could not be at ease as they are if they were awake. The love of the truth is dying out of their hearts. Their example is not such as to convince the world that they have truth in advance of every other people upon the earth. At the very time when they should be strong in God, having a daily, living experience, they are feeble, hesitating, relying upon the preachers for support, when they should be ministering to others with mind and soul and voice and pen and time and money.

Brethren and sisters, many of you excuse yourselves from labor on the plea of inability to work for others. But did God make you so incapable? Was not this inability produced by your own inactivity and perpetuated by your own deliberate choice? Did not God give you at least one talent to improve, not for your own convenience and gratification, but for Him? Have you realized your obligation, as His hired servant, to bring a revenue to Him by the wise and skillful use of this entrusted capital? Have you not neglected opportunities to improve your powers to this end? It is too true that few have felt any real sense of their responsibility to God. Love, judgment, memory, foresight, tact, energy, and every other faculty have been devoted to self. You have displayed greater wisdom in the service of evil than in the cause of God. You have perverted, disabled, nay, even besotted your powers, by your intense activity in worldly pursuits to the neglect of God’s work.

Still you soothe your conscience by saying that you cannot undo the past, and gain the vigor, the strength, and the skill which you might have had if you had employed your powers as God required. But remember that He holds you responsible for the work negligently done or left undone through your unfaithfulness. The more you exercise your powers for the Master, the more apt and skillful you will become. The more closely you connect yourself with the Source of light and power, the greater light will be shed upon you, and the greater power will be yours to use for God. And for all that you might have had, but failed to obtain through your devotion to the world, you are responsible. When you became a follower of Christ you pledged yourself to serve Him and Him alone, and He promised to be with you and bless you, to refresh you with His light, to grant you His peace, and to make you joyful in His work. Have you failed to experience these blessings? be sure it is the result of your own course.

In order to escape the draft during the war, there were men who induced disease, others maimed themselves that they might be rendered unfit for service. Here is an illustration of the course which many have been pursuing in relation to the cause of God. They have crippled their powers, both physical and mental, so that they are unable to do the work which is so greatly needed.

Suppose that a sum of money were placed in your hands to invest for a certain purpose; would you throw it away and declare that you were not now responsible for its use? would you feel that you had saved yourself a great care? Yet this is what you have been doing with the gifts of God. To excuse yourself from working for others on the plea of inability, while you are all absorbed in worldly pursuits, is mockery of God. Multitudes are going down to ruin; the people who have received light and truth are but as a handful to withstand all the host of evil; and yet this little company are devoting their energies to anything and everything but to learning how they may rescue souls from death. Is it any marvel that the church is weak and inefficient, that God can do but little for His professed people? They place themselves where it is impossible for Him to work with them and for them. Dare you continue thus to disregard His claims? Will you still trifle with heaven’s most sacred trusts? Will you say with Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Remember that your responsibility is measured, not by your present resources and capacities, but by the powers originally bestowed and the possibilities for improvement. The question which each one should ask himself is not whether he is now inexperienced and unfit to labor in God’s cause, but how and why he is in this condition, and how it can be remedied. God will not supernaturally endow us with the qualifications which we lack; but while we exert the ability we have, He will work with us to increase and strengthen every faculty; our dormant energies will be aroused, and powers which have long been palsied will receive new life.

So long as we are in the world, we must have to do with the things of the world. There will ever be a necessity for the transaction of temporal, secular business; but this should never become all-absorbing. The apostle Paul has given a safe rule: “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” The humble, common duties of life are all to be performed with fidelity; “heartily,” says the apostle, “as to the Lord.” Whatever our department of labor, be it housework or field work or intellectual pursuits, we may perform it to the glory of God so long as we make Christ first and last and best in everything. But aside from these worldly employments there is given to every follower of Christ a special work for the upbuilding of His kingdom—a work which requires personal effort for the salvation of men. It is not a work to be performed once a week merely, at the place of worship, but at all times and all places.

Everyone who connects himself with the church makes in that act a solemn vow to work for the interest of the church and to hold that interest above every worldly consideration. It is his work to preserve a living connection with God, to engage with heart and soul in the great scheme of redemption, and to show, in his life and character, the excellency of God’s commandments in contrast with the customs and precepts of the world. Every soul that has made a profession of Christ has pledged himself to be all that it is possible for him to be as a spiritual worker, to be active, zealous, and efficient in his Master’s service. Christ expects every man to do his duty; let this be the watchword throughout the ranks of His followers.

We are not to wait to be solicited to give light, to be importuned for counsel or instruction. Everyone who receives the rays of the Sun of Righteousness is to reflect its brightness to all about him. His religion should have a positive and decided influence. His prayers and entreaties should be so imbued with the Holy Spirit that they will melt and subdue the soul. Said Jesus: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” It would be better for a worldling never to have seen a professor of religion than to come under the influence of one who is ignorant of the power of godliness. If Christ were our pattern, His life our rule, what zeal would be manifested, what efforts put forth, what liberality exercised, what self-denial practiced! How untiringly should we labor, what fervent petitions for power and wisdom would ascend to God! If all the professed children of God would feel that it is the chief business of life to do the work which He has bidden them to do, if they would labor unselfishly in His cause, what a change would be seen in hearts and homes, in churches, yea, in the world itself!

Vigilance and fidelity have been required of Christ’s followers in every age; but now that we are standing upon the very verge of the eternal world, holding the truths we do, having so great light, so important a work, we must double our diligence. Everyone is to do to the very utmost of his ability. My brother, you endanger your own salvation if you hold back now. God will call you to account if you fail in the work He has assigned you. Have you a knowledge of the truth? give it to others.

What can I say to arouse our churches? What can I say to those who have acted a prominent part in the proclamation of the last message? “The Lord is coming,” should be the testimony borne, not only by the lips, but by the life and character; but many to whom God has given light and knowledge, talents of influence and means, are men who do not love the truth and do not practice it. They have drunk so deeply from the intoxicating cup of selfishness and worldliness that they have become drunken with the cares of this life. Brethren, if you continue to be as idle, as worldly, as selfish as you have been, God will surely pass you by, and take those who are less self-caring, less ambitious for worldly honor, and who will not hesitate to go, as did their Master, without the camp, bearing the reproach. The work will be given to those who will take it, those who prize it, who weave its principles into their everyday experience. God will choose humble men who are seeking to glorify His name and advance His cause rather than to honor and advance themselves. He will raise up men who have not so much worldly wisdom, but who are connected with Him, and who will seek strength and counsel from above.

Some of our leading men are inclined to indulge the spirit manifested by the apostle John when he said: “Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.” Organization and discipline are essential, but there is now very great danger of a departure from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. What we need is less dependence upon mere form and ceremony, and far more of the power of true godliness. If their life and character are exemplary, let all work who will, in any capacity. Although they may not conform exactly to your methods, not a word should be spoken to condemn or discourage them. When the Pharisees desired Jesus to silence the children who sang His praise, the Saviour said: “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Prophecy must be fulfilled. So in these days, the work must be done. There are many departments of labor; let everyone act a part as best he can. The man with one talent is not to bury that in the earth. God has given to every man his work according to his ability. Those to whom larger trusts and capabilities have been committed should not endeavor to silence others who are less able or experienced. Men with one talent may reach a class that those with two or five talents cannot approach. Great and small alike are chosen vessels to bear the water of life to thirsting souls. Let not those who preach the word lay their hands upon the humblest worker and say: “You must labor in this channel or not work at all.” Hands off, brethren. Let everyone work in his own sphere, with his own armor on, doing whatever he can do in his humble way. Strengthen his hands in the work. This is no time for pharisaism to control. Let God work through whom He will. The message must go.

All are to show their fidelity to God by the wise use of His entrusted capital, not in means alone, but in any endowment that will tend to the upbuilding of His kingdom. Satan will employ every possible device to prevent the truth from reaching those who are buried in error; but the voice of warning and entreaty must come to them. And while only a few are engaged in this work, thousands ought to be as much interested as they. God never designed that the lay members of the church should be excused from labor in His cause. “Go, labor in My vineyard,” is the Master’s command to each of His followers. As long as there are unconverted souls in the world, there should be the most active, earnest, zealous, determined effort for their salvation. Those who have received the light should seek to enlighten those who have it not. If the church members do not individually take hold of this work, then they show that they have no living connection with God. Their names are registered as slothful servants. Can you not discern the reason why there is no more spirituality in our churches? It is because you are not colaborers with Christ.

God has given to every man his work. Let us each wait on God, and He will teach us how to work and what work we are best adapted to perform. Yet none are to start out in an independent spirit to promulgate new theories. The workers should be in harmony with the truth and with their brethren. There should be counsel and co-operation. But they are not to feel that at every step they must wait to ask some higher officer if they may do this or that. Look not to man for guidance, but to the God of Israel.

The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against them. This day is just before us. The members of the church will individually be tested and proved. They will be placed in circumstances where they will be forced to bear witness for the truth. Many will be called to speak before councils and in courts of justice, perhaps separately and alone. The experience which would have helped them in this emergency they have neglected to obtain, and their souls are burdened with remorse for wasted opportunities and neglected privileges.

My brother, my sister, ponder these things, I beseech you. You have each a work to do. Your unfaithfulness and neglect are registered against you in the Ledger of Heaven. You have diminished your powers and lessened your capabilities. You lack the experience and efficiency which you might have had. But before it is forever too late, I urge you to arouse. Delay no longer. The day is almost spent. The westering sun is about sinking forever from your sight. Yet while the blood of Christ is pleading, you may find pardon. Summon every energy of the soul, employ the few remaining hours in earnest labor for God and for your fellow men.

My heart is stirred to the very depths. Words are inadequate to express my feelings as I plead for perishing souls. Must I plead in vain? As Christ’s ambassador I would arouse you to labor as you never labored before. Your duty cannot be shifted upon another. No one but yourself can do your work. If you withhold your light, someone must be left in darkness through your neglect.

Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. We who occupy this solemn, responsible position, what are we doing, what are we thinking about, that we cling to our selfish love of ease, while souls are perishing around us? Have our hearts become utterly callous? Cannot we feel or understand that we have a work to do for the salvation of others? Brethren, are you of the class who having eyes see not, and having ears hear not? Is it in vain that God has given you a knowledge of His will? Is it in vain that He has sent you warning after warning? Do you believe the declarations of eternal truth concerning what is about to come upon the earth, do you believe that God’s judgments are hanging over the people, and can you still sit at ease, indolent, careless, pleasure loving?

It is no time now for God’s people to be fixing their affections or laying up their treasure in the world. The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains. And now, instead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be preparing to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Instead of spending our means in self-gratification, we should be studying to economize. Every talent lent of God should be used to His glory in giving the warning to the world. God has a work for His colaborers to do in the cities. Our missions must be sustained; new missions must be opened. To carry forward this work successfully will require no small outlay. Houses of worship are needed, where the people may be invited to hear the truths for this time. For this very purpose, God has entrusted a capital to His stewards. Let not your property be tied up in worldly enterprises, so that this work shall be hindered. Get your means where you can handle it for the benefit of the cause of God. Send your treasures before you into heaven.

The members of the church should individually hold themselves and all their possessions upon the altar of God. Now, as never before, the Saviour’s admonition is applicable: “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Those who are fastening their means in large houses, in lands, in worldly enterprises, are saying by their actions: “God cannot have it; I want it for myself.” They have bound up their one talent in a napkin and hid it in the earth. There is cause for such to be alarmed. Brethren, God has not entrusted means to you to lie idle nor to be covetously retained or hid away, but to be used to advance His cause, to save the souls of the perishing. It is not the time now to bind up the Lord’s money in your expensive buildings and your large enterprises, while His cause is crippled and left to beg its way, the treasury half-supplied. The Lord is not in this way of working. Remember, the day is fast approaching when it will be said: “Give an account of thy stewardship.” Can you not discern the signs of the times?

Testimonies for the Church Volume 5, pp. 454-466.

Jennifer Deans ordained/commissioned at Vienna SDA church

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 18:36


On a very warm Sabbath afternoon July 23, 2011, Jennifer Deans' family, friends and church members joined together to celebrate a milestone in the life of this young pastor. A number of Jennifer's friends and family took part in ordination/commisioning program, sharing their thoughts, reading from Bible and singing several songs.ordination1_sm

Gary Genser, senior pastor of the Vienna church, opened the program. "It was clearly one of the most spiritually-moving ordination/commissioning services I've ever attended," Genser said. "The depth of the sermon, the holiness and conviction of the prayers, the sincerity and beauty of the music and the testimony of the other presenters, really touched the congregation – the joy and affirmation of Pastor Dean's ministry was clearly visible."

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As the Youth/Associate pastor of the Vienna Church, Jennifer was honored to be the latest woman within the Potomac Conference to be ordained/commissioned to serve as a pastor within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "It was such an honor to see the support from my family, friends and the conference – it was a wonderful reminder of who we serve."

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Bill Miller, president of the Potomac Conference, had the privilege of giving the ordination/commissioning homily. Drawing on the lessons of Luke 4, Miller encouraged Jennifer to always remember that God chooses those He needs to preach the Word, and as such, it's critical that she spend quality time with God as one of His chosen. "As I reflect on the program, I was touched by the outpouring of support the Vienna Church showered on Jennifer. Being called to serve is very humbling, and also very rewarding. We know that Jennifer will touch many lives throughout her ministry, and we're proud to have her serving here in the Potomac Conference."

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At the conclusion of the ceremony, all the ordained ministers who were in the congregation were invited to come up and lay hands on Jennifer and her husband, Kevin. When asked what she would want people to remember from this event, Jennifer responded, "Just because pastors are called and publicly recognized, people shouldn't minimize their individual roles within evangelism. Jesus is calling every one of us to be his witnesses, and we need to live in that calling every day."

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Story by Dan Jensen; Photos by David Hittle


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