Friday, August 26, 2011

Bernanke Offers No Plan for New Stimulus

By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM
Published: August 26, 2011

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said Friday that the economy was recovering and the nation’s long-term prospects remained strong, an upbeat assessment that offered little indication of any plans for additional measures to bolster short-term growth.

Reed Saxon/Associated Press

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, right, and Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the European Central Bank, at Jackson Hole, Wyo., on Friday.


Mr. Bernanke’s much-anticipated remarks follow the Fed’s announcement earlier this month that it intended to hold short-term interest rates near zero until at least the middle of 2013, a reflection of its view that growth will not be fast enough during that period to drive up wages and prices.

“With respect to longer-run prospects, however, my own view is more optimistic,” Mr. Bernanke said in his prepared remarks. “The growth fundamentals of the United States do not appear to have been permanently altered by the shocks of the past four years.”

Mr. Bernanke was careful to note that the nation faces significant challenges, including high unemployment and an unsustainable federal debt. But the speech, delivered at a policy conference held each August in Grand Teton National Park, marked a return to the Fed’s position earlier this year that the Fed has done most of what it can, and that the rest of the government must do more.

Indeed, Mr. Bernanke devoted much of his speech to fiscal policy, rather than the monetary policy that is the Fed’s primary responsibility. And he offered an unusual critique of the government’s handling of those issues.

“The country would be well-served by a better process for making fiscal decisions,” he said, noting that the political battle over raising the debt-ceiling had disrupted the financial markets “and probably the economy as well.”

Mr. Bernanke suggested a different process, involving “clear and transparent budget goals, together with budget mechanisms to establish the credibility of these goals.”

The conference, held each August at a resort in Jackson Hole, has become a key event on the Fed’s annual calendar, in part because Mr. Bernanke and his predecessors have made a habit of coming here to clarify their views and intentions.

Last year Mr. Bernanke used his remarks to provide the first clear indication that the Fed intended to launch a second round of asset purchases. The Fed went on to buy $600 billion in Treasury securities between November and June, increasing its total portfolio of Treasuries and mortgage securities to more than $2.5 trillion.

This year’s speech offered little if any indication that something similar is in store. Mr. Bernanke made his standard announcement that the Fed would take any steps necessary to help the economy, and he said the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the Fed’s policy-making board, in late September. But noticeable by its absence was a list of the measures the Fed might take, something Mr. Bernanke has provided on several occasions earlier this year.

“Most of the economic policies that support robust economic growth in the long run are outside the province of the central bank,” he said.

The Fed is operating in an unusually charged political environment. Several Republican candidates for president have sharply criticized the Fed’s existing efforts and expressed disapproval of any new steps. Mr. Bernanke opened the conference Wednesday night with a brief speech, during which he mentioned that he had attended a rodeo with his wife earlier this week. The announcer, he said, asked the crowd to sing the national anthem even though many of them were angry about decisions made by people in Washington.

Mr. Bernanke has previously described other steps that the Fed could take. Perhaps the most modest would be a similar commitment to maintain the size of the Fed’s investment portfolio for a fixed period. The central bank has accumulated more than $2 trillion in low-risk mortgage securities and Treasuries in an effort to reduce longer-term interest rates and to push investors to buy riskier assets, such as stocks and corporate debt.

A related but more aggressive step would involve changing the kinds of assets that the Fed owns while maintaining the size of the portfolio. By selling bonds that mature in the near future, and buying bonds with more distant maturities, the Fed might be able to increase the downward pressure it is exerting on longer-term rates.

The most dramatic option available to the central bank would be an announcement that it intends to increase the total size of the portfolio. This is what markets refer to as “QE3,” meaning that it would represent a third round of the strategy known as quantitative easing.

There are other actions the Fed could take that are not directly related to its portfolio. The central bank pays interest on the reserves that banks keep on deposit with the Fed. Reducing those rates, an option Mr. Bernanke and others have mentioned, could give banks a greater incentive to lend. But banks already are awash in cash and most economists — including Fed officials — doubt the utility of such a step.
.

As hurricane Irene heads for New York City, are you prepared?


Friday, August 26, 2011
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...)

(NaturalNews) This is a NaturalNews preparedness alert. Hurricane Irene is now headed directly toward New York City, where it could arrive on Sunday in an event now being described as "the worst effects from a hurricane in the region in 50 years." (http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/ne...)

Irene is currently in course to strike North Carolina Saturday evening, then continue northward to the New York City area. Accuweather is currently reporting, "Such a path would lead to severe impacts that could prompt officials to force evacuations. All residents and visitors in the path of Irene should heed these orders if issued and prepare homes and businesses for Irene's onslaught in the meantime."

NaturalNews has long urged its readers to prepare for the unexpected, so here's a list of some last-minute preparations you need to making right now if you live on the East Coast of the USA:

Things you can do to prepare right now

• Fill up your car with gas. Do it early.

• Get some extra cash now, before the storm hits. Bank ATMs may be down and non-functional, and you may need cash to purchase fuel, supplies or even food.

• Start storing extra water, using whatever clean containers you have handy. Remember, you need roughly 4 gallons of water per person, per day, to cover for possible water outages. If you can't store the water, go out and BUY the water now, before the crowds hit the stores.

• Get out your water filter and make sure you know how to use it. What? You don't have a water filter? It's kinda too late, since ordering one right now means it probably won't get to you in time. But you could conceivably order one on Amazon.com and opt for Saturday delivery, if you're willing to pay the extra charge. NaturalNews recommends Katadyn water filters with ceramic elements. We sell them at the NaturalNews store, but if you order there, they won't be shipped to you in time for this storm:
http://store.naturalnews.com/index....

• Double check your stored food supplies: Do you have stored food? Do you have a non-electric can opener? Do you have a way to boil water and make soup without using the city's electricity or natural gas? Double check all your supplies right now.

• Do you have an emergency LED flashlight? Are the batteries fresh? Do you have a good pocket knife or utility knife? Do you have a hand-cranked emergency radio so you can tune in to the weather reports and find out what's going on?

• If there is a breakdown of police protection in your area, do you have the means to protect yourself from looters? Can you prevent your front door from being kicked in? Do you have pepper spray, a legal firearm, or some other self defense item in case of an emergency? Is your family trained on staying safe and not opening the door for strangers until you can confirm they are not looters?

• Where is your emergency first aid kit? Do you have emergency medicine for wound care and to help stop the bleeding of acute wounds? Do you have sutures and topical antiseptics? Do you even KNOW how to suture a wound?

• Do you have A PLAN for how to deal with electrical outages? What's your plan if 911 emergency services is not responding for several days?

This is the time to consider all these things and make sure you are prepared to the best of your ability.

NaturalNews Preparedness Solutions

NaturalNews, as you may know, offers several extremely informative preparedness solutions that you can download now (and listen to the MP3 files).

We offer a fantastic course on Food Security that also covers water storage, water filtration, protecting your food, cooking and heating food and many other important topics of emergency preparedness.

Click here to get details on this course, featuring the Health Ranger and Robert Scott Bell.

We also have a preparedness course coming soon from Daniel Vitalis (www.Surthrival.com) which will be posted in a combination video / audio format, but it is not available before this hurricane hits, unfortunately. I'll be working on getting this course uploaded as soon as possible, however, because it seems we may all need it sooner than we think.

The NaturalNews Store offers storable superfoods in air-tight steel cans, suitable for long-term storage. Again, these won't reach you before the hurricane hits, but it's something to consider for long-term food security:
http://store.naturalnews.com/index....

You can also stock up on some locally-available short-term storable foods such as canned foods (but they contain BPA), dried pasta (you'll need water and heat to boil it), bread and butter and even peanut butter, which is one of the best emergency foods around. Also, if you can get it, grab some coconut oil from your local health food store. It's one of the best sources of emergency calories you'll ever find (that's a tip from Daniel Vitalis).

Stay safe, folks. This storm will soon pass, and we want everyone to ride it out with confidence, not fear.

Thank yourself for being prepared!

Source

Latest---Hurricane IRENE Public Advisory




Hurricane IRENE Public Advisory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

000
WTNT34 KNHC 260858
TCPAT4

BULLETIN
HURRICANE IRENE ADVISORY NUMBER 24
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092011
500 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2011

...IRENE SLIGHTLY WEAKER...WARNINGS AND WATCHES EXTENDED NORTHWARD
ALONG THE U. S. EAST COAST...


SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...29.3N 77.2W
ABOUT 420 MI...675 KM SSW OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH...175 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 14 MPH...22 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...942 MB...27.82 INCHES


WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES IN WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THIS ADVISORY...

THE HURRICANE WATCH FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO SANDY
HOOK NEW JERSEY...INCLUDING DELAWARE BAY AND CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH
OF SMITH POINT IS CHANGED TO A HURRICANE WARNING.

THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT
NORTHWARD AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC IS CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING.

A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM NORTH OF SANDY HOOK NEW
JERSEY TO THE MOUTH OF THE MERRIMACK RIVER...INCLUDING LONG
ISLAND...LONG ISLAND SOUND...BLOCK ISLAND...MARTHAS VINEYARD AND
NANTUCKET.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE GRAND BAHAMA AND THE ABACO ISLANDS
* LITTLE RIVER INLET NORTH CAROLINA NORTHWARD TO SANDY HOOK NEW
JERSEY...INCLUDING THE PAMLICO...ALBEMARLE...AND CURRITUCK
SOUNDS...DELAWARE BAY...AND CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF SMITH POINT.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* NORTH OF SANDY HOOK TO THE MOUTH OF THE MERRIMACK RIVER...
INCLUDING LONG ISLAND...LONG ISLAND SOUND...BLOCK ISLAND...MARTHAS
VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA TO LITTLE RIVER INLET
* CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT NORTHWARD AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED
36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE
PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS
BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE
WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR
DANGEROUS.

INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN NEW ENGLAND SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
IRENE.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.


DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 29.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.2 WEST. IRENE IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/H...AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD
THE NORTH-NORTHEAST SHOULD BEGIN THEREAFTER. ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL PASS WELL OFF THE COAST OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA TODAY...APPROACH THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA
TONIGHT...AND PASS NEAR OR OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST SATURDAY.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NOW NEAR 110 MPH...175 KM/H...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. IRENE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME RE-INTENSIFICATION IS
POSSIBLE TODAY...AND IRENE IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR THE THRESHOLD
BETWEEN CATEGORY TWO AND THREE AS IT REACHES THE NORTH CAROLINA
COAST.

IRENE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM. NOAA
BUOY 41010 LOCATED ABOUT 140 MILES...220 KM EAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL
FLORIDA RECENTLY REPORTED A SUSTAINED WIND OF 56 MPH...90 KM/H...
AND A WIND GUST OF 74 MPH...119 KM/H.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT DATA IS 942 MB...27.82 INCHES.


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE SUBSIDING OVER THE NORTHWESTERN
BAHAMAS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE
SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE WARNING AREA ALONG THE UNITED STATES EAST
COAST BY LATE TODAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO FIRST
REACH THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA TONIGHT OR SATURDAY MORNING.

STORM SURGE...AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER
LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 11 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL IN THE
HURRICANE WARNING AREA IN NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE
AND PAMLICO SOUNDS. STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH
AS 4 TO 8 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL OVER SOUTHERN POTIONS OF THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY...INCLUDING TRIBUTARIES...AND THE EASTERN SHORE OF
THE DELMARVA PENINSULA. STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS
MUCH AS 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE.
NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE...
DESTRUCTIVE...AND LIFE-THREATENING WAVES.

RAINFALL...IRENE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF
6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES...FROM
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINA...EASTERN
MARYLAND... DELAWARE...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NEW JERSEY...
SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...LONG ISLAND...WESTERN CONNECTICUT...AND
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THESE RAINS COULD
CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.

SURF...SWELLS GENERATED BY IRENE ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE COAST
OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS WILL CAUSE
LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS.


NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM EDT.
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/260858.shtml

The Counterfeit Revival


This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ... having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 5.

Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.

In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God’s word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed. And by the rule which Christ Himself has given, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16), it is evident that these movements are not the work of the Spirit of God.
.
Maranatha, p.33.
.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Conference youth visit King's Dominion for summer event

Tuesday, 16 August 2011 20:06

On Sunday, July 10, the Potomac Conference youth department hosted the Adventist Youth Fun Day at King’s Dominion. Since first launching this event in 2003, the participation has steadily grown, with this current event bringing together a record 414 participants, representing 22 churches and groups from around the Potomac Conference.

Adventist Youth Fun Day serves as a great time for our young (and some young-at-heart) people to come together and just enjoy a great time with other youth who share their same faith and values.

"We had a great time," said Marvyn Lee of the Filipino Capital church. Thanks to the Potomac Youth Department for this annual activity!"

“Next year I’d like to really make our presence felt on that campus by doubling our attendance, bringing together over 800 of our youth and families,” says Denny Grady, Potomac Conference Youth Director. "If we grow our numbers, then we can schedule the amphitheater and feature our own musicians and artist. That would really make our presence felt."

Teens from three different churches meet up to enjoy the day. From left to right are Nicole Grady, Kristen and Lauren Long, Jonathan Rodman, Justin Mudrich.




It's to late to change your mind now... Three members of the Filipino Capital Church youth group.

Members of the Filipino Capital SDA Church. The look of conquest, "I survived the Anaconda."
Source

.

The ReFined Youth/Young Adult Leadership Conference








leader.m2t



Uploaded by bartleyv on Jul 31, 2011

The ReFined Youth/Young Adult Leadership Conference

Hosted by: The ReFined Leaders Organization

September 23-25, 2011
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Columbia, SC 29201

To learn more about this major event taking place visit us at http://www.therefinedleaders.org/.
REGISTER NOW!!! This is a Conference You Don't Want to Miss!

More:

ReFined Youth Leadership Conference.
Sep 23, 2011 - Sep 25, 2011
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
The ReFined Leadership Conference seeks to reach, cultivate, and refine youth and young adults (ages 17-35) among all Christian denominations, across ethnicities and across the states of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. We envision this conference as a Revolutionized Evangelistic Effort that will foster an expansion of community outreach and cultivate effective youth leaders in today's society. Phone: 888-459-6884 from 4-8pm M-Th For more information, email: info@therefinedleaders.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it http://www.therefinedleaders.org/

http://www.adventistyouthministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=59


.

iServe Fred Hammond interview.mov




Uploaded by iServetv on Apr 22, 2011

Check out our exclusive interview with Recording Artist, Fred Hammond. From iServe Movement United Youth Congress, in Orlando FL. Taping was filmed, April 9, 2011. Host: Pastor Phil, Communication Director, BAYDA. Associate Youth Director, Northeastern Conference. Camera person, Travis Williams

Fred Hammond- BAYDA 2011 Celebrate He Lives



Uploaded by asimeus on Apr 10, 2011

Fred Hammond Celebrate He Lives



*BAYDA = Black Adventist Youth Directors Association

United in good faith



TOGETHER AGAIN: Back row, Seventh Day Adventist Church Pastor John McLean, Rivers Life Centre’s Keith Shurmer, Surfside Church pastor Rae and Jack Hough. Front, Baptist Church pastor Michael Lochore, Anglican Church Reverend Cassandra Nixon, Rivers Life Centre’s Jennifer Shurmer, and Uniting Church Reverend Cathie Lambert.

24 Aug, 2011 03:14 PM

FOR the fourth year running, Church Together will be held at 7pm on Friday, September 2 at the Margaret River Cultural Centre. The theme for the evening is The Blessing, with guest speaker Pastor John Bond of Lifestreams Christian Church, Perth talking on ‘keys to seeing blessing in the wider church’.

A celebration of faith, life and fellowship, it has been organised by representatives of local churches, who met at Surfside Church last Tuesday to discuss the event.

The representatives prepared survival kits for the year 12s of 2011, which will be handed out by school chaplains.

The kits are to help the students with “life and exams”, and include lollies, tissues, bandaids, and contact details for services such as beyondblue, Kids Helpline, and the Red Frogs volunteers who assist during Leavers Week.

All members of the community are welcome to attend the Church Together event.

Bring a plate to share for supper.




'Pandamania' Teaches Kids about God's Wild Love

8/18/11

JOHNSON CITY, TN — Vacation Bible School 2011 at the Johnson City (Tenn.) Seventy-day Adventist Church was a smashing success. There were about 40 children in attendance, including 10 who were non-members.

The theme was "Pandamania—Where God is WILD about You!" Beth deFluiter, Nikki Firestine, and Katrina Holt planned and executed the decorating and activities for the event, and about 25 adult and college-aged volunteers assisted.

Children crossed a huge, red bridge to enter a sanctuary decorated with bamboo, hanging lanterns, Chinese dragons, and paw prints. There was also a group of playful pandas splashing around a pond and leaping off a diving board.

Crafts each night included making binoculars, prayer journals, and floating rafts with pandas. And games included relay races, sack races, panda tosses, and group games.

The children also enjoyed listening to a Bible lesson each night. Pandamania Pete taught that God is listening to them, God loves them no matter what, God gives good gifts, God watches over them, and God made them.

Interactive songs were one of the highlights of the program for the children. Of course, delicious snacks were something to look forward to each night also.

Patty Carner {story + photos}


Radio Broadcasts in Three Chin Dialects Worldwide

Radio Broadcasts in Three Chin Dialects Worldwide

24 August 2011: At least five radio stations have made broadcast sessions in three Chin dialects across the globe, including Falam, Hakha and Tedim.

The stations involved Chin Radio Programme aired in Falam dialect from Naypyidaw, Burma, Radio Free Asia in Falam, Chin Radio Programme of Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) in Falam, 3CR Chin Radio Program in Hakha from Australia and AWR Chin in Tedim from USA.

AWR Chin of the Adventist World Radio, a mission radio arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, makes a daily broadcast session on the Christian gospel while the others mainly air a variety of programmes including political news, cultural entertainments and educational as well as literary issues.

David Thang, one of the Chin community leaders in Australia working tirelessly for the establishment of Chin Radio programme, said the aim is to promote and preserve their Chin language and help Chin youths to remember who they are and to be able to speak their own language even if they were born and grew up in a foreign country.

The Chin Radio in Burma re-united through its song request programme a long-lost daughter, Ms Siang Em and her parents early this year after a separation of more than 10 years.

The moves have been welcomed by Chin communities all over the world as an opportunity and way of protecting and promoting their own Chin dialects as Burma's military dictatorship has severely restricted and banned the publication and learning of ethnic languages in the country.

In an interview conducted by the Chin World Media, Mai Pansy Ta Mawi, of the Chin Radio programme in Naypyidaw, said of its history dating back to 1958 and that it has been made available for listening to in the morning and evening since May 2009.



Van Biak Thang
vanbiakthang@chinlandguardian.com

Source
.

China state news agency blasts US defense report

Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, August 25, 2011 1:54 am

China's state news agency on Thursday blasted a Pentagon report on the Chinese military as a smear that exaggerates the threat Beijing poses to the region.

In an English-language commentary, the Xinhua News Agency said Washington was engaged in scaremongering, and reasserted China's claim that its military posture is entirely defensive.

The Pentagon "once again trumped up the notion of 'China threat,'" the commentary said.

"China, which has adhered to a defensive military policy, with its rising economic clout and sprawling commercial and strategic interests around the world, has every right to build a competent military," it said.

Chinese diplomats and the Defense Ministry have not yet issued an official response to the report.

The Pentagon's annual assessment of China's military capabilities and doctrine says Beijing is on track to achieve its goal of building a modern, regionally focused military by 2020, citing the development of a new stealth fighter, an aircraft carrier and a record number of space launches over the past year.

Beijing, it says, has closed critical technological gaps and is rapidly modernizing its military equipment, all with an eye toward preventing possible U.S. and allied intervention in a conflict with Taiwan. It also warns that the military expansion could increasingly stretch to the western Pacific in a move to deny U.S. and its allies access or movement there.

The Pentagon estimates that China spent more than $160 billion for its military in 2010. U.S. defense spending for that year was about $550 billion, not including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. defense officials have repeatedly called for China to be more transparent about its intentions in the military buildup, but the report also notes that Beijing continues to profess that the growth is peaceful.

The long-delayed Pentagon report comes as the sides struggle to restore relations between their militaries amid tensions over American support for Taiwan, cyberattacks blamed on China and Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In 2010, the report said, a number of computer systems, including U.S. networks, were the target of intrusions that appeared to originate in China. The breaches were aimed at stealing data, but they exhibit the same skills needed for more destructive network attacks, it said.


Source: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/world/asia/article_6538b572-f0f5-5cdb-a5de-b633b0fe4c3f.html#ixzz1W2QKuYrh
.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Evangelicals Engaged In Spiritual Warfare

August 24, 2011

VListen to the Story
Fresh Air from WHYY
[39 min 11 sec]








David J. Phillip/AP
Texas Gov. Rick Perry prays at The Response, his call to prayer for a nation in crisis, on Aug. 6 in Houston. The event was organized, in part, by members of the New Apostolic Reformation.

August 24, 2011

An emerging Christian movement that seeks to take dominion over politics, business and culture in preparation for the end times and the return of Jesus, is becoming more of a presence in American politics. The leaders are considered apostles and prophets, gifted by God for this role.

The international "apostolic and prophetic" movement has been dubbed by its leading American architect, C. Peter Wagner, as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Although the movement is larger than the network organized by Wagner — and not all members describe themselves as part of Wagner's NAR — the so-called apostles and prophets of the movement have identifiable ideology that separates them from other evangelicals.

Two ministries in the movement planned and orchestrated Texas Gov. Rick Perry's recent prayer rally, where apostles and prophets from around the nation spoke or appeared onstage. The event was patterned after The Call, held at locations around the globe and led by Lou Engle, who has served in the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders of the NAR. Other NAR apostles endorsed Perry's event, including two who lead a 50-state "prayer warrior" network. Thomas Muthee, the Kenyan pastor who anointed Sarah Palin at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church in 2005, while praying for Jesus to protect her from the spirit of witchcraft, is also part of this movement.

On Wednesday's Fresh Air, Rachel Tabachnick, who researches the political impact of the religious right, joins Terry Gross for a discussion about the growing movement and its influence and connections in the political world.

Tabachnick says the movement currently works with a variety of politicians and has a presence in all 50 states. It also has very strong opinions about the direction it wants the country to take. For the past several years, she says, the NAR has run a campaign to reclaim what it calls the "seven mountains of culture" from demonic influence. The "mountains" are arts and entertainment; business; family; government; media; religion; and education.

"They teach quite literally that these 'mountains' have fallen under the control of demonic influences in society," says Tabachnick. "And therefore, they must reclaim them for God in order to bring about the kingdom of God on Earth. ... The apostles teach what's called 'strategic level spiritual warfare' [because they believe that the] reason why there is sin and corruption and poverty on the Earth is because the Earth is controlled by a hierarchy of demons under the authority of Satan. So they teach not just evangelizing souls one by one, as we're accustomed to hearing about. They teach that they will go into a geographic region or a people group and conduct spiritual-warfare activities in order to remove the demons from the entire population. This is what they're doing that's quite fundamentally different than other evangelical groups."

The organizers of Perry's rally were from ministries founded by two apostles/prophets of the movement — The Call, and the International House of Prayer founded by Mike Bickle. Bickle, who led part of Perry's event, has claimed that Oprah Winfrey is a precursor of the Antichrist, and Engle has claimed that gay people are controlled by "demonic spirits." Both have served on the Council of Prophetic Elders initiated by Wagner.

"Lou Engle [has spoken] at length about how one of his sons has started an International House of Prayer in the Castro district of San Francisco and that his son is now expelling demons from homosexuals, and supposedly then this cures them of their homosexuality," says Tabachnick. "He has also held [prayer rallies] around the world."

One of Engle's previous rallies took place in Uganda in May 2010, shortly after an anti-homosexuality bill had been proposed.

"Various people got on the stage [at his rally] and promoted the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda, which is a very draconian bill that would allow for executions for certain offenses, and would also allow for people who don't report homosexual history to be jailed," she says. "The apostles have had a long history in Uganda, and some of them have had close relationships with both political and religious leaders there. In fact, an apostle in Uganda takes credit for promoting the anti-homosexuality bill and was recognized by the parliament in Uganda when the bill was introduced."

Engle has another rally planned in November in Detroit. The purpose of the prayer rally, says Tabachnick, is to "fight the demonic spirit of Islam."

"In other words, [they want] to conduct spiritual warfare against the spiritual demons which they claim hold Muslims in bondage and keep them from converting," she says. "Of course, this is expressed in terms of love. They say 'We don't hate Muslims. We love Muslims. But we hate that they are in spiritual bondage and don't convert to Christianity.' "

A 'Different' Evangelicalism


Tabachnick, who has been researching and writing about the apostles for a decade, says her own religious background has helped her with her research. She grew up as a Southern Baptist and converted to Judaism as an adult.

"Having the Southern Baptist background and growing up in the Deep South has helped me to be able to do this research and has also helped me realize something that might not be apparent to some other people looking at the movement," she says. "This is quite radically different than the evangelicalism of my youth. The things that we've been talking about are not representative of evangelicalism. They're not representative of conservative evangelicalism. So I think that's important to keep in mind. This is a movement that's growing in popularity, and one of the ways they've been able to do that [is because] they're not very identifiable to most people. They're just presented as nondenominational or just Christian — but it is an identifiable movement now with an identifiable ideology."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






courtesy of the guest
Rachel Tabachnick is an independent researcher and a contributor to Talk To Action. She is also the co-founder of the blog NARWatch.



Interview Highlights

On the issues of the international "apostolic and prophetic" movement

"[Their issues are] anti-abortion, anti-gay rights — but they also have ... the belief that government should not be involved in social safety nets, that the country is becoming socialist, if not communist ... — all of what we've come to call 'Tea Party issues' of very small government. In the case of the apostles, they believe this because they believe that a large government that handles the safety net is taking away what is the domain of the church and of Christianity."

On dominionism

"Dominionism is simply that Christians of this belief system must take control over the various institutions of society and government. Some things that make this group unique is that they have some unusual concepts of what they call spiritual warfare that have not been seen before in other groups. Spiritual warfare is a common term in evangelicalism and in Christianity, but they have some unique approaches and some unique spins on this that distinguish them from other groups."

On Thomas Muthee's video series

"The process [in these videos] is that the people come together, repent, pray together, expel the demons from their community — which they describe in terms of witches and witchcraft — and then the community undergoes a transformation in which there can be miraculous healing, the growth of very large vegetables [and] the end of corruption and crime. What was totally missed by the press was that Muthee was an international leader in the [NAR] movement at the time and recognized because of his role in this series of videos."

On the topics at Rick Perry's rally

"The major topics at these events [are] anti-abortion, anti-gay rights and the conversion of Jews in order to advance the end times. And this was very visible at Perry's events as these apostles led all of these different prayers and repentance ceremonies at [his rally]."

Source
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Engineers checking Washington Monument after rare earthquake



By the CNN Wire Staff

August 24, 2011 6:07 p.m. EDT


By: CNN Wire Staff


Washington (CNN) - The Washington Monument remained closed Wednesday as engineers studied ways to repair cracks at the top of the capital's iconic structure - one day after a rare 5.8-magnitude East Coast earthquake.

Among other things, several pieces of mortar fell inside the monument's observation area during the earthquake, a National Parks Service spokesman said.

An outside structural engineering firm will conduct a more thorough damage assessment, and the monument may not be re-opened to the public until after any necessary repairs are completed, the spokesman added.

Washington's National Cathedral also remained closed after sustaining what its staff described as "substantial damage," including numerous cracks in the building's limestone blocks and broken pinnacles on its towers.

Most federal buildings and monuments in Washington, however, had reopened by late Tuesday -- including the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.

The quake struck at 1:51 p.m. Tuesday near the town of Mineral, Virginia, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. Just 3.7 miles deep, it was felt from Georgia to northern New England.

No major injuries or extensive damage were immediately reported, but the quake prompted evacuations of numerous office buildings -- including the U.S. Capitol -- and affected operations at a nuclear power plant in Virginia.

Local officials across much of the Eastern Seaboard scrambled to determine what, if any, damage had been inflicted in various cities and states. North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday morning announced a "cursory inspection" of state buildings.

Some damage was reported at both the middle school and high school near the epicenter of the quake in Mineral, where a couple of houses also collapsed.

"It's still kind of a state of shell shock here," CNN's Brian Todd said Wednesday, reporting from the town. "People still just can't believe this happened. This is a natural event that just does not happen on the East Coast."

With so many along the coast unaccustomed to earthquakes, many people were left wondering whether all that rumbling could have been caused by a truck, helicopter, an explosion or some other force.

Desi Fleming, a resident of Mineral, said the quake arrived with a rumbling "that sounded like a train coming to a stop." It knocked down two chimneys on the converted 1900-vintage home that now houses her parcel-shipping business.

"I have never felt a quake before. It was scary having no idea what the cause was," she said. "I felt the vibrations, and the elevator stopped for a period of about five minutes."

At Washington's National Zoo, some animals started reacting moments before the earthquake was felt by their human caretakers.

About five or 10 seconds before the earth shook, several apes abandoned their food and climbed to the top of a treelike structure, according to a statement from the zoo. A gorilla named Mandara grabbed her baby -- named Kibibi -- and also moved to the top of the structure.

At the same time, a flock of 64 flamingos grouped themselves together and remained huddled until the shaking stopped.

Further south, the earthquake triggered an automatic shutdown of Virginia's North Anna nuclear power plant after it lost electricity. Primary power was quickly restored to the cooling systems of two nuclear reactors that had been affected, according to Dominion Virginia Power.

The plant, located less than 20 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, briefly resorted to the use of back-up diesel generators, the company said. Dan Stoddard, Dominion's senior vice president of nuclear operations, said there was no damage to the spent fuel pool at the plant.

The plant vented steam, but there was no release of radioactive material, according to Louisa County spokeswoman Amanda Reidelbach.

An emergency declaration at the plant was cancelled shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Officials at the NRC, however, said they would continue to monitor the situation.

The quake also triggered low-level alerts at 12 other nuclear facilities across the East Coast and Michigan, U.S. authorities reported. All of those alerts were quickly cancelled, however.

Tuesday's incident occurred in a known seismic zone in central Virginia, said Dave Russ of the U.S. Geological Survey. But the strength of the earthquake was a bit surprising. A 5.9 event occurred in 1897 near Blacksburg, Virginia, he said.

CNN's Vito Maggiolo, Chris Lawrence, Susan Candiotti, Dan Lothian, Joe Sutton, Jim Acosta, Larry Shaughnessy, Matt Smith, Sarah Aarthun, Carol Cratty, Phil Gast, Dugald McConnell, Dana Ford, Lindy Royce-Bartlett, Catherine Shoichet and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.

Source
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Change of plans after quake damages cathedral




Change of plans after quake damages cathedral

The Washington Post's Anqoinette Crosby discusses the impact of damage to the National Cathedral caused by an earthquake with reporter Michelle Boorstein. (/Kristen Boghosian and Anqoinette Crosby/The Washington Post/Photos: TWP and Reuters)

Earthquake: What to Do in a Major Crisis

Police cordon off an area outside a in Washington, where part of the roof crumbled during a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the East Coast, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)


By NED POTTER (@NedPotterABC)

Aug. 24, 2011

You're sitting at your desk, or in your kitchen, and all of a sudden the building begins to wobble. To some people, the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in central Virginia Tuesday felt like a gentle rolling. To others, closer to the epicenter, it was more violent.

And then it was over. People from New England to the Carolinas were left asking, "What was that?"

If you live in California or southern Alaska, you probably know what to do in an earthquake. But Easterners don't often feel tremors, and may not know how to react in a major emergency. The Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 had a magnitude of 6.7 -- not quite ten times as violent as Tuesday's in Virginia -- and at least 33 people died.

Here are some pointers from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency if you are caught in a major earthquake:



If You're Indoors:

Drop to the ground and take cover. Get under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture, and hold on until the shaking stops.

If you can't get under something, cover your face and head with your hands and crouch in an inside corner.

If you're in bed, stay there. Cover your head with a pillow.

Doorways are not great places for shelter, even though emergency managers used to recommend them. They're a goood option if debris is falling and you can't get anywhere else.

Stay put until the shaking stops. FEMA says most injuries occur when people try to move to another place.

Don't use elevators if you've been in a major quake. And don't be surprised if power goes out or sprinklers are activated.

If You're Outdoors

Stay there. Stay away from buildings, power lines, streetlights and other things that could fall on you.

People are rarely injured by the actual shaking of an earthquake. Instead, falling debris is the greater danger.

If you're in a car, try to ease to a stop, preferably in an open area away from buildings, trees or overpasses.

Major Eastern Earthquakes Rare

Most people who felt Tuesday's earthquake did not need such advice; the quake was not violent enough. But brick and masonry buildings did sustain damage -- more than one would see in California with its stricter building codes. And the quake was a reminder than even in the East, even between fault lines, there can be risks.

The Cape Ann, Mass., earthquake of Nov. 18, 1755, felt from Halifax, Nova Scotia, south to the Chesapeake Bay, violently shook Cape Ann and Boston, where much of the damage occurred in landfill around the city wharfs,. The quake, estimated to have had a magnitude of 6.0 to 6.3, knocked down chimneys and stone fences. People aboard a ship 200 miles off the coast of Cape Ann felt the quake and feared they had run aground.

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck western Ohio on March 9, 1937, cracking a schoolhouse in Anna, Ohio, breaking chimneys and walls, reducing the output of oil and gas wells and creating new springs where old springs had run dry. The quake could be felt as far away as tall buildings in Chicago and Milwaukee and in Toronto. It also was felt in Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Many people on the Eastern Seaboard on Tuesday admitted they were freaked out by the surprise earthquake. But many took it in good humor.

"My wife and I were married 36 years ago at the same hour, even to the minute, of the earthquake," said Dr. John Messmer, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine. "I told her our love made the earth move once again in honor of our anniversary."

ABC News' Jane E. Allen and Roger Sergel contributed information for this story.

Source
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The Seal of God


He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.”

And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”

Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Instead of being softened by the patience and long forbearance that the Lord has exercised toward them, those who fear not God and love not the truth strengthen their hearts in their evil course. But there are limits even to the forbearance of God, and many are exceeding these boundaries. They have overrun the limits of grace, and therefore God must interfere and vindicate His own honor.

Of the Amorites the Lord said: “In the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Although this nation was conspicuous because of its idolatry and corruption, it had not yet filled up the cup of its iniquity, and God would not give command for its utter destruction. The people were to see the divine power manifested in a marked manner, that they might be left without excuse. The compassionate Creator was willing to bear with their iniquity until the fourth generation. Then, if no change was seen for the better, His judgments were to fall upon them.

With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.

The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision. The nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies. The choicest of heaven’s blessings have been given them, but increased pride, covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them. They are fast closing up their account with God.

But that which causes me to tremble is the fact that those who have had the greatest light and privileges have become contaminated by the prevailing iniquity. Influenced by the unrighteous around them, many, even of those who profess the truth, have grown cold and are borne down by the strong current of evil. The universal scorn thrown upon true piety and holiness leads those who do not connect closely with God to lose their reverence for His law. If they were following the light and obeying the truth from the heart, this holy law would seem even more precious to them when thus despised and set aside. As the disrespect for God’s law becomes more manifest, the line of demarcation between its observers and the world becomes more distinct. Love for the divine precepts increases with one class according as contempt for them increases with another class.

The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come. Although loath to punish, nevertheless He will punish, and that speedily. Those who walk in the light will see signs of the approaching peril; but they are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far from it. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others, looking with strong faith to God for help. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world.

The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in vain. When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world. It is at this time that God has promised to avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them.

The command is: “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.

In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous. They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect.

The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. The Lord commissions His messengers, the men with slaughtering weapons in their hands: “Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”

Here we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus “Peace and safety” is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together.

The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions and, because of His long-suffering, say that the Lord seeth not, and then act as though He had forsaken the earth. But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide.

No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God’s mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in His wrath He deals with them without mercy.

It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure.

The day of God’s vengeance is just upon us. The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons. Already a few drops of God’s wrath have fallen upon the earth; but when the seven last plagues shall be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, then it will be forever too late to repent and find shelter. No atoning blood will then wash away the stains of sin.

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.” When this time of trouble comes, every case is decided; there is no longer probation, no longer mercy for the impenitent. The seal of the living God is upon His people. This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the dragon host, make God their defense. The decree has been passed by the highest earthly authority that they shall worship the beast and receive his mark under pain of persecution and death. May God help His people now, for what can they then do in such a fearful conflict without His assistance!

Courage, fortitude, faith, and implicit trust in God’s power to save do not come in a moment. These heavenly graces are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God were sealing their destiny. Beset with temptations without number, they knew they must resist firmly or be conquered. They felt that they had a great work to do, and at any hour they might be called to lay off their armor; and should they come to the close of life with their work undone, it would be an eternal loss. They eagerly accepted the light from heaven, as did the first disciples from the lips of Jesus. When those early Christians were exiled to mountains and deserts, when left in dungeons to die with hunger, cold, and torture, when martyrdom seemed the only way out of their distress, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ, who was crucified for them. Their worthy example will be a comfort and encouragement to the people of God who will be brought into the time of trouble such as never was.

Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed.

There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart.

By their lack of devotion and piety, and their failure to reach a high religious standard, they make other souls contented with their position. Men of finite judgment cannot see that in patterning after these men who have so often opened to them the treasures of God’s word, they will surely endanger their souls. Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.

Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.

We are too easily satisfied with our attainments. We feel rich and increased with goods and know not that we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True Witness: “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little suffering for Christ’s sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial, our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming, for they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when anguish will be upon every soul, when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could save neither son nor daughter, for everyone must deliver his soul by his own righteousness.

No one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a Christian. Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul. Jesus is our ever-present help in time of need. Only call upon Him in faith, and He has promised to hear and answer your petitions.

Oh, for a living, active faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings. We should know this by our past experience. In that day when God has a controversy with His people this experience will be a source of comfort and hope.

It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord’s appearing. The world is in darkness. “But ye, brethren,” says Paul, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It is ever God’s purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness for the waiting, longing soul.

What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour.

Testimonies for the Church Volume 5, pp.207-216.

Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?


1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

2He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.
And he left them, and departed.

Matthew 16:1-4.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Earthquake Damage Sustained at National Cathedral



IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
AUGUST 23, 2011



Earthquake Damage Sustained at
National Cathedral
Washington, D.C.The highest elevated point of Washington, D.C., the "Gloria in Excelsis" central tower of Washington National Cathedral, sustained significant damage in the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Tuesday afternoon. Mason Foreman Joe Alonso is currently assessing the damage to the Cathedral building with the help of other Cathedral stonemasons and structural engineers.
Three of four pinnacles (corner spires) on the central tower have been damaged. Specifically, three "finials" (capstones shaped like fleurs-de-lys) have fallen from them, with more significant damage to two of the pinnacles. Similar decorative elements on the Cathedral's exterior also appear to be damaged. Cracks have appeared in the flying buttresses around the apse at the Cathedral's east end, the first portion of the building to be constructed, but the buttresses supporting the central tower seem to be sound.
No individuals were injured either within the Cathedral or on its grounds. Despite some cracks on upper floors in the interior, no damage to the stained-glass windows has been reported. The building has been closed to visitors until further notice.
"The Cathedral structure was damaged in today's earthquake," said Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III, "but we are thankful that no injuries have occurred. Our prayers go out now for all those up and down the East Coast who have been similarly affected by this rare event. The National Cathedral cannot be more grateful now for the National Cathedral Association (NCA), the nationwide network of supporters that raised funds to build this edifice beginning in the 1890s. We urge all friends of this spiritual home for the nation to visit our website, www.nationalcathedral.org, to learn more about the damage and upcoming efforts to make repairs."
The central tower was completed in the 1960s and benefited from a restoration in the 1990s after repeatedly sustaining lightning damage. Constructed in fourteenth-century English "perpendicular" Gothic style, Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest Cathedral in the world and the second-largest such church in the United States. It was constructed between 1907 and 1990. Erected on Mount St. Alban, the most commanding hill in the District of Columbia, Washington National Cathedral rises to a greater height than the Washington Monument.
About Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral is called to be the spiritual home for the nation. It seeks to be a catalyst for spiritual harmony in our nation, renewal in the churches, reconciliation among faiths, and compassion in our world.

US quake damages Washington's National Cathedral


UPDATE 1-US quake damages Washington's National Cathedral


Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:12pm EDT

WASHINGTON Aug 23 (Reuters) - The Washington National Cathedral, the highest point in the U.S. capital city, suffered damage in Tuesday's earthquake, with three spires in the central tower breaking off of the gothic-style building, a spokesman said.

Richard Weinberg, director of communications at the Episcopal cathedral, said the three pinnacles on the 30-story-high central tower had broken off and were lying in the grass.

"A fourth is leaning," said Weinberg. "There was other minor structural damage to buttresses and smaller pinnacles."

No one was injured from the damage, but the cathedral -- host to state funerals, and memorial services for many U.S. presidents and the site of several presidential inaugural prayer services -- was closed to the public so the building could be inspected.

The cathedral, which weighs 150,000 tons and took 83 years to complete, is a solid masonry structure made of limestone blocks placed one atop another.

The flying buttresses are also solid stone, and they help hold up the walls by bracing them. The roof is held up by a steel beam structure, but does not help hold up the rest of the cathedral.

Other damage reported from the earthquake in Washington occurred at the Ecuador Embassy, a recorded message by the D.C. Fire and EMS agency said. (Reporting by Deborah Charles and Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Peter Cooney)



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Rattle in the Capital

August 23, 2011, 4:36 pm
The Caucus Click: Rattle in the Capital
By ED WYATT



Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Workers and visitors who had been ordered to leave federal buildings after an earthquake in Washington on Tuesday watched as helicopters circled the Washington Monument.

An unknown number of people were at the top of the Washington Monument when an earthquake shook the nation’s capital on Tuesday. Sergeant David Schlosser of the United States Park Police, interviewed at the site, said the agency received reports of bricks and mortar falling from the tower.

They took the elevator down without incident. “We have no reports of injuries at any of our monuments and memorials,” Sergeant Schlosser said. “We may have some minor damage, but it doesn’t look like anything substantial.”

The reports of bricks falling led the Park Police to bring a helicopter from its aviation unit to circle the Washington Monument, taking video and still pictures to survey for possible damage.

“There is nothing real obvious now” in terms of damage, Mr. Schlosser said. “But there may be something we need to address.” He said all monuments and memorials were evacuated and closed and will remain so until they can be surveyed for damage.

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Quake rocks Washington area, felt on East Coast

By BOB LEWIS - Associated Press AP – 2 hrs 3 mins ago........


MINERAL, Va. (AP) — One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England on Tuesday and forced the evacuations of parts of the Capitol, White House and Pentagon.

There were no immediate reports of deaths, but fire officials in Washington said there were at least some injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake registered at magnitude 5.8 and was centered about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Va.




(AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station, in the same county as the epicenter, were automatically taken off line by safety systems, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The earthquake came less than three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and in both Washington and New York it immediately triggered fears of something more sinister than a natural disaster.

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Related:


Largest Colorado quake since 1973 shakes homes

TRINIDAD, Colo. (AP) – The largest earthquake to strike Colorado in almost 40 years has shaken hundreds of people near the New Mexico border.

The magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded at about 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, Colo., and about 180 miles south of Denver, according to the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. The quake followed two smaller ones that hit the area earlier in the day.

The quake is the largest in Colorado since a magnitude 5.7 was recorded in 1973, U.S. Geological Service geophysicist Amy Vaughn said. That one was centered in the northwestern part of the state — about 50 miles north of Grand Junction, she said.

A few homes have been damaged and deputies were investigating reports of rockslides along a highway, a Las Animas County Sheriff's Office dispatcher said.

"I thought maybe a car had hit my house," 70-year-old Trinidad resident Nadine Baca said. "Then I called to my son and he said it was the third (quake) today."

Another USGS geophysicist, Shengzao Chen, said the information center had received calls from more than 70 people in Trinidad and several dozen people in New Mexico who felt the shaking. More than 30 people in Colorado Springs, about 130 miles north of Trinidad, also reported feeling the quake, he said.

A magnitude 4.6 quake was felt in the same area at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, and a magnitude 2.9 quake was recorded just before 8 a.m. Two aftershocks — one recorded at 3.5 and another at 3.8 — followed early Tuesday, more than an hour after the 5.3 quake.

The last time the area received such a series of earthquakes was in August and September 2001, when about a dozen smaller-sized temblors were recorded, Chen said.

"The area seems to be active again," he said.

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Sunni and Shia Islam


Listen now (45 minutes)

Available to listen.

Last broadcast on Thu, 25 Jun 2009, 21:30 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts).

Melvyn Bragg and guests Amira Bennison, Robert Gleave and Hugh Kennedy discuss the split between the Sunni and the Shia. This schism came to dominate early Islam, and yet it did not spring at first from a deep theological disagreement, but rather from a dispute about who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad, and on what grounds. The supporters of the Prophet's cousin Ali argued for the hereditary principle; their opponents championed systems of selection. Ali's followers were to become the Shia; the supporters of selection were to become Sunnis.

It is a story that takes us from Medina to Syria and on into Iraq, that takes in complex family loyalties, civil war and the killing at Karbala of the Prophet's grandson. Husayn has been commemorated as a martyr by the Shia ever since, and his death helped to formalise the divide as first a political and then a profoundly theological separation.

Amira Bennison is Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge; Robert Gleave is Professor of Arabic Studies at the University of Exeter; Hugh Kennedy is Professor of Arabic in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

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