Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Manchurian Candidate


The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

126 min  -  Mystery | Thriller  -  24 October 1962 (USA)

A former Korean War POW is brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin. But another former prisoner may know how to save him. 

Director:

Writers:

(based on a novel by), (screenplay), 1 more credit »



Read more
 .

Nevada school shooting victim Michael Landsberry was 'trained to help'


10:51 AM, Oct 22, 2013



(Photo: NY Daily News)


The Associated Press

FILED UNDER


Related Links
'Hero' teacher, student gunman dead in Nevada
Update: 2 dead, 2 wounded in Nev. middle school shooting



SPARKS, Nev. (AP) -- It came as no surprise to Michael Landsberry's family that the Sparks Middle School math teacher was being called a hero for trying to convince a student to put his gun down moments before Lansberry was killed.

The shooting rampage Monday also left two students wounded. The shooter then fatally shot himself.

"To hear he was trying to protect those kids, that he stepped up and tried to stop the situation, doesn't surprise me at all," said Chanda Landsberry, who is married to Michael's younger brother, Reggie. "He could have ducked and hid, but he didn't. That's not who he is."

"He was trained to help."

Lansberry, a member of the Nevada Air National Guard, leaves behind his wife and two stepdaughters.

Tom Robinson, deputy chief with the Reno Police Department, said that "in my estimation, he is a hero. We do know he was trying to intervene."

Student Jose Cazares said he was hanging out with friends when they heard what they thought were firecrackers. He said he saw a boy shoot two students. He said the boy then aimed the gun at his chest, but Landsberry stepped between him and the shooter.

"He was telling him to stop and put the gun down. Then the kid, he yelled out 'No!' Like, he was yelling at him, and he shot him," Jose told NBC's Today show Tuesday. "He (Landsberry) was calm, he was holding out his hand like, 'put the gun in my hand.'"

Cazares said the shooter later threatened to shoot them if they identified him to authorities, then moved on.

Landsberry "sacrificed his life to take our kids into safety," Marisela Cazares told Today. ''I thank him for that. He's a true hero."

Chanda Landsberry said her brother-in-law, who received bachelor's degree in education from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2001, loved teaching.

"He loved his school kids. He loved the Guard," she said. "It defined him."

His students shared the pain of his loss in an outpouring of heartfelt messages on social media, and shared photos of their teacher, showing his playfulness in the classroom.

Landsberry kept a math website to help his students get through each year called "Welcome to Mr. L's Math Class for 2013-2014."

"I have one classroom rule and it is very simple: 'Thou Shall Not Annoy Mr. L,'" the site said. "I am looking forward to getting to know and teach all of you this year. I know that at times the year will be tough and boring but I will do my best to make the lessons exciting."

Some of his studentssaid Landsberry loved Batman so much that many used the title as his nickname.

One student wrote on Twitter "you'll always be known as everyone's Batman, you're a hero. RIP Mr. Landsberry." Another wrote: "Batman flew up with the angels."

Others created a community Facebook page called "Rest Easy Mr. Landsberry." The statement on the site says: "Best Teacher There Was. Our 'Batman' A Father, Husband, Best Friend, Veteran, Coach. He's In A Better Place Now. Gone But Never Forgotten.'Thou Shall Not Annoy Mr. L'."

The 2012 Winter addition of Battle Born, published by the Nevada National Guard lists Technical Sgt Michael Landsberry as being part of the 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron.

The publication and two others state that he served overseas.

On Monday, he died outside his classroom trying to stop a boy with a gun.

(Contributing: Associated Press)


Source
.

There was a church that kept the Sabbath...


Last week, I heard a program (as I laid in bed in a half-awake state) on 3ABN Radio that had a provocative theme or title, which the narrator repeated quite a few times during the hour long program.  It was something like this:

There was a church that kept the Sabbath, gave its tithe, and was expecting the Messiah - its Savior; It crucified its Savior.

I was profoundly impressed by this phrase, every time it was repeated.    

The Sermon was  about ancient Israel and its Theocracy;  It mentioned how the established Jewish (Sanhedrin and its Temple at Jerusalem) church rejected Jesus, despite His personal testimony (ministry and resurrection), and all the prophecies contained in the Old Testament about His identity.

I find it extremely incredible how such an error could have occurred?

They saw His miracles, saw all the people He healed, even a few He resurrected?

Yet, they didn't want to believe their own eyes.

The greater dilemma lies in the possibility that such a travesty could happen again...

Just like the Jewish Sanhedrin, Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and Elders of Jesus' day.

Could there be such a group of people today?  That will reject the Lord Jesus Christ in spite of all their profession of faith?


A Church that keeps the 7th day Sabbath, and meticulously returns a tithe, and is (purportedly) expecting its Savior? 

A church that would reject, and if given a chance would crucify Jesus Christ again?

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luke 18:8b
.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Emerging Church



Revival Or Return To Darkness?

Commentary by Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org
 
History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and go. It seems that it is common for many pastors and church leaders to constantly look for some new methodology, “new wave” or “new thing” God is doing, “right now.”
We live at a period in church history that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are commonly equated with successful pastors and successful church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has become the measuring stick for successful Christianity.
Purpose-Driven Christianity
It is true that some of the largest and fastest growing churches and church movements in the world today promote a concept called “purpose-driven.” No matter where you go these days anywhere around the world, purpose-driven is being proclaimed as the latest church growth method.



But stop for a moment and think. What is it that defines success from a biblical perspective? While we are accustomed to accepting numbers or quantity as the yardstick for measuring success, when it comes to Christianity, quantity without quality can be misleading.
According to the Bible, Christian faith must be directly related to God’s Word. Faith comes by hearing what God has said and then acting accordingly. With regard to church growth, if the growth is the product of some technique authored by some man, and this technique is not based on God’s Word, the results may actually be deceptive.
With this in mind, we will consider this current common trend known as the “purpose-driven” church growth movement. Before we do, let’s review the biblical premise that we are to test the teachings of men as the Bereans did (Acts chapter 17) and search the Scriptures diligently.
The Purpose of Purpose-Driven 
One of the major goals of the purpose-driven church growth movement is church growth. This growth is dependent on adding numbers based on human methods and techniques. While promoters say these human methods are found in the Bible, there are reasons to question this claim.
It would appear that many of the purpose-driven techniques are oriented towards what’s in it for me, rather than what I can do for you. Successful purpose-driven church leaders find out what appeals to seekers who might come to their church and then provide the service or the environment that meets their approval. Thus purpose-driven churches can become market-oriented for the “seeker-friendly” without being so biblical that “seekers” would be offended.
Most Christians would agree that to be faithful to Jesus and His Word, healthy church growth should be based on the teaching of God’s Word. However, a market-driven church based on man-made methods designed to increase numbers may produce converts who are biblically illiterate.
Man’s word or God’s Word 
The Scriptures have been carefully translated from Hebrew and Greek so the Word of God can be understood in the languages of our day. Some say we need to make the Bible more understandable by taking the Word of God and changing it to the words of men. But is this idea biblical?
Remember that the Bible has been given to us by God. As Paul stated in his letter to Timothy:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. [1]
 
While the Bible has been written by human hands, the words were inspired by God. Not only are the words inspired, but the Bible states humans are prohibited from altering the Scriptures by adding to or taking away from what God has said. Notice what we read in the Book of Revelation:
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. [2]
 
Therefore according to Scripture, humans tread on dangerous ground when we take the liberty of adding to or deleting from what God has said. However, it is a fact that many seeker-friendly churches try to make the scriptures more “seeker-friendly”, by altering the actual inspired Word of God and reinterpret it into the ideas or views of man.
Whose Message? 
For example, consider a new version of the Bible authored by Eugene Peterson known as “The Message.” Described as a “contemporary rendering of the Bible from the original languages, crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language,” this “paraphrased” version of the Bible, in reality, is nothing more than Eugene Peterson’s thoughts and views. Peterson has taken the carefully translated words of the Bible and put them into his own words and chosen idioms. [3]
 


For example, consider the following portion of Scripture taken from John 3:17 - "that the world through him might be saved.” Peterson’s rendering reads: "He came to help, to put the world right again." It does not take a biblical scholar to understand that "saved" means that we can be redeemed from the judgment we deserve for our sins so that we can go to heaven. It should be obvious that using "help" instead of “saved” completely distorts the meaning of what Jesus said. And "to put the world right again" has nothing to do with the salvation of souls. In fact this sounds like the social gospel to reform the world through political action.
Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose Driven Church, is a strong supporter of Eugene Peterson’s message. While Warren claims he quotes the Bible when he quotes The Message he is not quoting the Bible. He is quoting the thoughts of some man who thinks he is stating what the Bible states.
You may ask, so what is wrong with this? Isn’t it better for a seeker to be reading some version of the Bible, rather than not reading the Bible at all? Many Christians, although they have been believers for years, claim they still have difficulty in understanding the Bible that has been translated word by word from the original text. If someone can come up with a way to make the Bible more understandable, wouldn’t this be a great tool for planting seeds for the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Such a line of reasoning may sound acceptable. However we also know that what seems right to man, may be wrong from God’s perspective. Further when we rely upon man’s thoughts rather than God’s thoughts it’s almost certain that we will be deceived. With regard to Eugene Peterson’s The Message, there is one message that should be clear. If you want the truth and all the truth, read the Bible - not some man’s conjecture about what he thinks God has said. Otherwise you have the potential of committing spiritual suicide.
 

Relevancy without Compromise

While it is true, Christianity must be relevant in order to be effective, how far can we stray from biblical standards and still be sound Christian witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 
 
Perhaps you have not heard about another new trend sweeping the Christian church. Many are saying a great change lies ahead. The seeker-friendly era is over. Now we are headed into another new period of church history. It’s called “the emerging church.” If you have not heard of this, try doing a search on the Internet by tying “emerging church” into a search engine. I guarantee you will be amazed at what you find.
Rick Warren is very supportive of “the emerging church.” This is what he wrote in a foreword for Dan Kimball’s book, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations --
This book is a wonderful, detailed example of what a purpose-driven church can look like in a postmodern world.  My friend Dan Kimball writes passionately, with a deep desire to reach the emerging generation and culture. While my book The Purpose-Driven Church explained what the church is called to do, Dan’s book explains how to do it with the cultural creatives who think and feel in postmodern terms. You need to pay attention to him because times are changing.[4]
 
It is true over the past decades many trends have come and gone. As Warren stated in the foreword of Kimball’s book:
As a pastor, I’ve watched churches adopt many contemporary styles in worship, programming, architecture, music, and other elements. That’s okay as long as the biblical message is unchanged. But whatever is in style now will inevitably be out of style soon, and the cycles of change are getting shorter and shorter, aided by technology and the media. New styles, like fashions, are always emerging. [5]
Not all these trends have been based on sound biblical doctrine. In fact the reason many of these trends occurred was because Christians were vulnerable to “winds of doctrine” that had no biblical basis.
According to the Bible, in last days these winds of doctrine will be “doctrines of demons” that will influence Christians to fall away from the truth and accept ideas that “tickle their ears.” [6]
 
Rick Warren is not only supportive of the “emerging church,” he believes that it is exactly what is required at this time. He believes this is what “the purpose-driven” church that he founded will become in the “postmodern world.” He notes:
In the past twenty years, spiritual seekers have changed a lot. In the first place, there are a whole lot more of them. There are seekers everywhere. I’ve never seen more people so hungry to discover and develop the spiritual dimension of their lives. That is why there is such a big interest in Eastern thought, New Age practices, mysticism and the transcendent. [7]
 
Further, he explains what the “emerging church” must do in order to emerge:
Today seekers are hungry for symbols and metaphors and experiences and stories that reveal the greatness of God. Because seekers are constantly changing, we must be sensitive to them like Jesus was; we must be willing to meet them on their own turf and speak to them in ways they understand. [8]
 
Now, let’s follow Rick Warren’s line of reasoning through to its logical conclusion based on the idea the world is hungry for an Eastern worldview, the New Age, mysticism and spiritual enlightenment. If it is necessary to meet these “spiritual seekers” on their turf, wouldn’t that require Christianity to become more New Age and mystical?


Emerging into What? 
Rick Warren and others say we need to pay attention to the emerging church. Things are changing, they say and the “emerging church” has the answers for our generation. But what will the emerging church emerge into? Could it be a form of Christianity that embraces experience rather than God’s Word?
Dan Kimball is the author of The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations. He is also launching a church called Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California. Kimball makes the following statement in the introduction of his book:
I believe with all my heart that this discussion about the fast-changing culture and the emerging church must take place. While many of us have been preparing sermons and keeping busy with the internal affairs of our churches, something alarming has been happening on the outside. What once was a Christian nation with a Judeo-Christian worldview is quickly becoming a post Christian, unchurched, unreached nation. New generations are arising all around us without any Christian influence. So we must rethink virtually everything we are doing in our ministries. [9]
 
Certainly the spiritual climate in North America has changed radically over the past number of years just as Dan Kimball has stated. Many, including Rick Warren and Dan Kimball use the term “post-Christian era” to describe the days in which we are living. They say, while the seeker-friendly era was successful in bringing a generation of “baby-boomers” to Jesus, that time is past. Now we need to find new innovative methods that will reach this new generation for Jesus.
Kimball’s book, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations, is written for this purpose. He not only identifies the problems he believes the church is now facing, he provides the answers and the solutions. The church for the future, he believes, must be more sensual and experienced-based. He calls this church “Vintage Christianity”.
Perhaps the term “Vintage Christianity” is new to you. While it is not my intention to describe all that it means in this commentary, a few chapter titles from Kimball’s book under a heading called “Reconstructing Vintage Christianity in the Emerging Church” will be helpful for us to understand where the emerging church is headed. These are: “Overcoming the Fear of Mulitsensory Worship and Teaching”, [10] “Creating a Sacred Space for Vintage Worship”, [11] “Expecting the Spiritual”, [12] “Creating Experiential Multisensory Worship Gatherings”, [13] “Becoming Story Tellers Again” [14] and “Preaching Without Words”. [15]
Now, I ask you, this question. What does the Bible say about Vintage Christianity and the so-called emerging church? Is the goal of Christianity experience-based or Bible-based? Jesus said: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [16] Further He stated: “Why do ye not understand My speech? because ye cannot hear My word.” [17]
 
Less Word, More Worship 
It should be apparent by now that the emerging church is more experience-based than Bible-based. Further, in the emerging church the Word of God takes a secondary position to the worship of God. 
While Dan Kimball and other promoters of the emerging church may be sincere in their efforts to evangelize the postmodern generation and believe they are genuinely representing the scriptures, there are some real concerns that need to be addressed. Deviating from the Word of God for extrabiblical experience can open the door to deception. While worshipping God is a very important part of the Christian faith there are problems that can occur if worship supersedes the word.
However, Dan Kimball sees a new worship generation in the making based on experience that is essential to the emerging church. In a section of his book subtitled "Truly worshipping in a worship gathering,” he writes:
We should be returning to a no-holds-barred approach to worship and teaching so that when we gather, there is no doubt we are in the presence of God. I believe that both believers and unbelievers in our emerging culture are hungry for this. It isn’t about clever apologetics or careful exegetical and expository preaching or great worship bands. … Emerging generations are hungry to experience God in worship. [18]
 
Obviously, in order for this to happen, changes would have to be incorporated. Kimball has thought this through and offers a number of suggestions which he lists in a chart [19] that shows how the “modern church” must adjust and move towards a “no-holds-barred approach” to worship. Some of these are:
  • Services designed to be user-friendly and contemporary must change to services that are designed to be experiential and spiritual-mystical.
  • Stained-glass that was taken out of churches and replaced with video screens should now be brought back into the church on video screens.
  • Lit up and cheery sanctuaries need to be darkened because darkness is valued and displays a sense of spirituality.
  • The focal point of the service that was the sermon must be changed so that the focal point of the service is a holistic experience.
  • Use of modern technology that was used to communicate with a contemporary flare must change so that church attendees can experience the ancient and mystical (and use technology to do so).
While I realize we are living at a period of time where technology is the key to entertainment and visual stimulation is a necessary tool required for capturing the attention of this generation, I ask you to consider what the Bible teaches. What about less Word and more experience? Could someone quote the chapter and verse to justify that? What about the idea that visual stimulation is the formula for inducing a spiritual atmosphere that will draw seekers to Jesus? Where is that found in the Bible?
I don’t know about you, but my when I hear about the emerging-church-methodology to forsake “apologetics” and “careful exegetical and expository preaching” for the sake of a generation that is “hungry to experience God”, I have some concerns. Could this be another avenue to “dumb-down” Christianity so that we no longer know what God has said? How effective can experiential Christianity be when it comes to knowing who we are, where we are in time, and where we are headed?
Jesus said He is coming again? How many professing Christians will be ready when He returns?
Ancient-Future Faith 
Dr. Robert “Bob” Webber is recognized by pastors, denominational leaders, scholars and lay people as one of the foremost authorities on worship renewal. He regularly conducts workshops for almost every major denomination in North America through the Institute of Worship Studies which he founded in 1995.
Prior to his appointment to his present position at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Webber taught at Wheaton College for 32 years as Professor of Theology. He has authored over 40 books and is also a regular contributor to numerous magazines and newspapers. [20] He is on the editorial board of Chuck Fromm’s “Worship Leader” magazine.
I was first introduced to Dr. Webber and his views when I read an article that he had written in the May/June issue of “Worship Leader” tiled Wanted: Ancient Future Talent. Under a subheading labeled “The Call for Ancient-Future Worship Talent” Webber wrote:
I am personally most gratified to see the shift toward a recovery of the ancient. While many good choruses have been produced over the past forty years, the rejection of the sources of hymnody and worship by the contemporary church has resulted in a faith that is an inch deep. [21]
 
In this article, Dr. Webber stated that “the Spirit is working a new thing in the church” and an “ancient-future worship is being born.” He listed a number of things that he believes are necessary for “talented workers” to discover if they are going to be a successful part of this new movement. Some of these are:
  • Rediscover how God acts through the sacred signs of water, bread and wine, oil and laying on of hands.
  • Rediscover the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s Supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist.
  • Rediscover how congregational spirituality is formed through the Christian celebration of time in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost.
While I agree with Dr. Webber it would be beneficial to reintroduce the great hymns written in the past by anointed men and women of God that expound sound biblical doctrine, it appears that is not what he means by returning to “the ancient.” In fact his list of things to do in his call for “ancient-future worship talent” mentions a number of terms and ideas that cannot be found in the Bible.
For example, when I hear the expression “sacred signs of bread and wine” or the mention of “Lent” as a means of “rediscovering congregational spirituality” - while these ideas may be ancient, I wonder where the ideas originate. Further, when I hear about “rediscovering the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist” I am reminded about the “new evangelization” program that is presently underway. Did you know Pope John Paul II has called for a “missionary vision” centered on “a rekindling of amazement focused on the Eucharist” to bring the world to the Eucharistic Jesus?
Could the Merging Church be Reemerging? 
Dr. Webber is one of the chief promoters of the emerging church. He has written a number of books on the topic including Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community and Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World.



In order to clarify Dr. Webber’s views, I did some further research. I found an interview Dr. Webber had done posted on a web site called TheOoze.com. Responding to the question: “What do you think the North American evangelical church is going to look like 25 years from now?”  Dr Webber responded:
Christianity will be less national, less culturally formed. It will be smaller pockets of communities in neighborhoods. The church will focus on people, not buildings, on community, not programs, on scripture study, not showy worship. [22]
 
Certainly this view of the future sounds reasonable and acceptable from a biblical perspective. In fact, I could say a hearty “Amen” to what Dr. Webber said. But the next statement adds a whole different dimension to the direction he believes Christianity is emerging towards. He stated:
Biblical symbols such as baptismal identity and Eucharistic thanksgiving will take on new meaning. The church will be less concerned about having eschatology and more committed to being an eschatological community. [23]
 
Over the past several years, I have observed that Dr. Webber’s prediction regarding the future of the church seems to be accurate. Many who were once anticipating the soon and imminent return of Jesus are now asleep. Some are saying it appears “the Lord has delayed His coming.” Others are saying “we have been misled by pastors and teachers who have taught us that the second coming is a literal return of Jesus to set up His Kingdom.” These same people are claiming the “Kingdom of God” will be established here on earth through Christians during the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus.”
After reading Dr. Webber’s prediction that “Biblical symbols such as baptismal identity and Eucharistic thanksgiving will take on new meaning,” I ordered his book “Ancient-Future Evangelism.” This is what I read on page 114:
A brief glance at the teaching of the Eucharist from the pre-Nicene period provides insight into the early church’s understanding. The Fathers taught that continual spiritual nourishment was provided to believers at this great feast. First it is clear from the writings of Justin Martyr in the middle of the second century that this is no empty symbol. Christ is really present in the bread and wine. He feeds us in the remembrance of His salvation. He feeds us through His presence which is accomplished through prayer. [24]

The idea that Jesus is present in the Eucharist is a Roman Catholic teaching. It is based on transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is required to manifest the Eucharistic Jesus. The Eucharistic Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Eucharistic Jesus is “another Jesus”.
Is the “Emerging Church” emerging or remerging?
Who Is Evangelizing Who? 
Supporters of the “Emerging-Church” write and speak passionately about evangelism. They are committed to reaching the Postmodern generation. They say that their goal is to communicate the truths of Christianity in a way that can be understood by this generation. They are willing to adapt or change whatever needs to be changed in order to be relevant evangelists.
While purpose-driven evangelists removed crosses and other Christian symbols from church services to be seeker-friendly, the Postmodern generation, also called the Gen Xers, apparently are attracted to crosses, candles, stained-glass, liturgy, and sacraments. According to Julie Sevig, in an article called “Ancient New” that she wrote for The Lutheran:
Postmoderns prefer to encounter Christ by using all their senses. That's part of the appeal of classical liturgical or contemplative worship: the incense and candles, making the sign of the cross, the taste and smell of the bread and wine, touching icons and being anointed with oil. In Soul Tsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture (Zondervan, 1999), Leonard Sweet says: "Postmoderns want a God they can feel, taste, touch, hear and smell--a full sensory immersion in the divine." [25]
 
Sevig interviewed Karen Ward, an associate director for worship for an “Emerging Church.” Sevig wrote:
This return to the traditional--the sacred--crosses denominational lines, Ward says. In fact, an interesting marriage is occurring between evangelicals and the liturgy. "Evangelicals are using traditions from all liturgical churches from Orthodox to Lutheran to Catholic," she says. "Though they have limited experience using their new-found symbols, rituals and traditions, they're infusing them with vitality and spirit and life, which is reaching people." [26]
It can be documented that Dr. Robert Webber’s books are winning converts. But who is being converted and what are they being converted to? The answer to this question can be found at a Roman Catholic web site called “Ancient and Future Christian Reading List.” Several of Dr. Webber’s books are listed there such as Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism. Under the books heading, there is the following description:
Webber writes about how many Christians today, especially younger ones, are seeking a faith connected to the ancient Church. Thus, postmodern Christians are seeking an ancient and future faith, one that embraces the past for the future, rather than ignoring the past completely. Also, thanks to the reality of relativity (how's that for an oxymoron!), gone are rational apologetics, and coming back are embodied apologetics (i.e. defending the faith by living as Jesus did). Creeds and Councils are in, as is mysticism and community. Editor David Bennett admits that Webber's writings helped lead him to the Catholic Church, although much of what Webber says is far too "cafeteria" in approach. Also, Church Tradition is treated more as an evangelical trend as opposed to what it is: the Truth. Nonetheless, Webber is a good transitional author. [27]
 
The Ancient and the Mystical 
It seems that the “Emerging Church” is reemerging. However, rather than going back to the inspired Word of God found in the Old and New Testaments, the goal is to reintroduce an “Ancient-Future” faith based on the ideas, dogmas, traditions and views of the Roman Catholic Church Fathers.
Over the past number of years I have had the opportunity to travel the world speaking in various countries visiting many old churches that are dark and mystical. These churches were founded by the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Church many centuries ago.
In these churches I have observed, icons, statues of Mary holding baby Jesus, Jesus hanging on the cross, candles, incense, relics, and statues of  the “saints.” While there is a lot of emphasis on the visual sensual and mystical, there is very little evidence that the Bible was ever taught to the people. If it had, there would not be an emphasis on extrabiblical paraphernalia, extra-sensory images, sounds and smells.








It appears to me the “Emerging Church” of the present era and the church that emerged after the New Testament was written are one and the same. Remember the words of Paul as recorded in the book of Acts:
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. [28]
 
While Rick Warren, Dan Kimball and Dr. Robert Webber and others may be excited about the “Emerging Church” and the direction it is presently headed, I am concerned the “Emerging Church” may actually be a re-emergence of what has already occurred in church history. If the pattern continues expect to see evangelical Protestants become more and more Roman Catholic.











Will the Emerging Church Lead the Church to the Roman Catholic Church?

It is important to keep scripture in mind when we are looking for a method or a means to promote church growth. A Christianity that is not based on the Scriptures is a false Christianity. It may be ecumenical and it may be successful in attracting numbers, but it is not biblical. It could even lead people to believe they believe, but instead they follow false teachers and false doctrine and are deceived.

You know where they could spend eternity, separated from God!




[1] 2 Timothy 3: 16

[2] Revelation 22: 18-19
[3] Warren Smith, "Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church," Mountain Stream Press, Magalia, CA, p. 23, 24.

[4] Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for the New Generation, Zondervan, 2003, page 7.

[5] Ibid.

[6] 1 Timothy 4: 1 and 2 Timothy 4:3

[7] Dan Kimball, page 6.

[8] Ibid., pages 7-8.

[9] Ibid., pages 13-14.

[10] Ibid., page 127.

[11] Ibid., page 133.

[12] Ibid., page 143.

[13] Ibid., page 155.

[14] Ibid., page 171.

[15] Ibid., page 185.

[16] John 8: 31-32

[17] John 8: 43

[18] Dan Kimball, p. 185

[19] Ibid. p. 185

[20] www.seminary.edu/aboutnorthern/index.html

[21] Robert Webber, “Wanted Ancient-Future Talent,” Worship Leader, May/June 2005, p. 10

[22] Jordon Cooper interview with Dr. Webber, http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=385, posted December 11, 2003

[23] Ibid.

[24] Robert Webber, "Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community," Baker Books, page 114

[25] Julie B. Sevig, The Lutheran, “Ancient New, September 2001, http://www.thelutheran.org/0109/page36.html

[26] Ibid.

[27] http://www.ancient-future.net/apcbooks.html

[28] Acts 20: 29-30



Understand The Times is an independent non-profit organization in Canada and the United States.

Understand The Times is not affiliated or dependent upon any other organization or denomination.

Understand The Times is accountable to a board of directors in the United States and Canada and accountable,

first of all, to Jesus Christ and His word.

Source
.
.

The theological schools of Babylon have two primary objectives



Are we to suppose that when our church leaders attend non-Adventist seminaries that they will acquire a greater love and appreciation for the third angel’s message—the message that helps “distinguish between righteousness and sin, between obedience and disobedience?” On the contrary, the theological schools of Babylon have two primary objectives: (1) to “undo all that Protestantism has done” (Great Controversy pp. 565, 566) and to (2) “regain its lost supremacy...through the time-serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world.” (2 SM, p. 368).

Amazing Facts Spiritual Formation
December 18, 2012
.
.

The Mark of the Beast - Lawrence Nelson



Lawrence Nelson- The Mark of the Beast



Jesus is going to win

Published on Jul 30, 2013

The Mark of the Beast is not a microchip or a bar code. It is Sunday worship. A day of worship which is soon to be enforced upon the whole world in place of God's true Sabbath, which is Saturday. Please listen to Lawrence Nelson as he gives plenty of evidence to prove this. The 6000 year controversy which has been taking place on this earth is about worship, not microchips. "...How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him..." 1 Kings 18:21
.
.

World War III !!! Planning Ahead !!! - Bill Hughes



Bill Hughes- WWIII



Jesus is going to win

Published on Jul 7, 2013

Pastor Bill Hughes author of 'The Secret Terrorists' and 'Enemy Unmasked', presents a message on how Albert Pike and the Jesuit order planned for 3 world wars in which the resulting chaos would lead to the pure doctrine of Lucifer- enforced Sunday worship.
.
.

Earth's Final Warning - Walter Veith



7730 - Earths Final Warning - Walter Veith



OfficialADTVChannel

Published on Oct 8, 2013


For more lectures Visit: http://amazingdiscoveries.tv/c/96/The...
http://amazingdiscoveries.tv/media/15...
/.
.

Sabbath in seventh-day churches


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



A Seventh-day Adventist church.

The seventh-day Sabbath, observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is an important part of the beliefs and practices of seventh-day churches. These churches emphasize biblical references such as the ancient Hebrew practice of beginning a day at sundown, and the scriptural account of creation in Genesis wherein an "evening and morning" established a day, predating the giving of the Ten Commandments (thus the command to "remember" the sabbath). Seventh-day Sabbatarianism was the practice of all or most of the early Christian church through the 4th century.[1][2] The seventh day of the week is recognized in many languages and calendars as Sabbath, and is still observed as such in modern Judaism.

Christian seventh-day Sabbatarians seek to reestablish the practice of the early apostolic Christians who kept the sabbath. They usually believe that all humanity is obliged to keep the Ten Commandments, including the sabbath, and that keeping all the commandments is a moral responsibility that honors, and shows love towards God as creator, sustainer, and redeemer. The majority of Christians do not observe the sabbath on the seventh day, believing it to be superseded, and instead they honor Sunday, the first day of the week, as the Lord's Day and the day of Christ's resurrection, and (in some traditions) as the Christian Sabbath.[3]

The sabbath is one of the defining characteristics of seventh-day denominations, including Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, the Seventh-Day Evangelist Church, the Church of God (7th Day) headquartered in Salem, West Virginia and the Church of God (Seventh Day) conferences, and the United Church of God, among many others.


Contents
1 Biblical Sabbath
2 History
2.1 Early church
2.2 Middle ages
2.3 Reformation
3 Modern churches
3.1 Seventh Day Baptists
3.2 Seventh-day Adventism
3.2.1 History
3.2.2 Eschatology
3.3 Armstrongism
3.4 Other groups
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links

Biblical Sabbath
Main articles: Biblical Sabbath and Shabbat
See also: Paul the Apostle and Judaism

The sabbath was first described in the biblical account of the seventh day of creation. Observation and remembrance of the sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments (the fourth in the Eastern Orthodox and most Protestant traditions, the third in Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions). Most people who observe first-day or seventh-day sabbath regard it as having been instituted as a perpetual covenant: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant." (Exodus 31:13-17) (see also Exodus 23:12, Deuteronomy 5:13-14)) This rule also applies to strangers within their gates, a sign in respect for the day during which God rested after having completed creation in six days (Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11).

History
Early church
See also: Sabbath in Christianity

According to R. J. Bauckham, the post-apostolic church contained diverse practices regarding the sabbath.[4]

Early Christian observance of both spiritual seventh-day sabbath and Lord's Day assembly is evidenced in Ignatius's letter to the Magnesians ca. 110.[4][5] The Pseudo-Ignatian additions amplified this point by combining weekly observance of spiritual seventh-day sabbath with the Lord's assembly.[6] If Pseudo-Ignatius dates as early as 140, its admonition must be considered important evidence on 2nd-century sabbath and Lord's Day observance.[7] According to classical sources, widespread seventh-day sabbath rest by gentile Christians was also the prevailing mode in the 3rd and 4th centuries.[1][2]

On March 7, 321, the Roman emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a day of rest from labor, stating:[8]

All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun. Country people, however, may freely attend to the cultivation of the fields, because it frequently happens that no other days are better adapted for planting the grain in the furrows or the vines in trenches. So that the advantage given by heavenly providence may not for the occasion of a short time perish.
Ellen G. White states that ecumenical councils generally each pressed the sabbath down slightly lower and exalted Sunday correspondingly, and that the bishops eventually urged Constantine to syncretize the worship day to promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans. But "while many God-fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held [seventh-day] Sabbath."[9] Bauckham also states some church authorities continued to oppose this as a judaizing tendency.[4]

In the 4th century, Socrates Scholasticus (Church History, Book V) stated:[1]

For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the neighborhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebaïs, hold their religious assemblies on the sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general: for after having eaten and satisfied themselves with food of all kinds, in the evening making their offerings they partake of the mysteries.
In the 5th century, Sozomen (Ecclesiastical History, Book VII), referencing Socrates Scholasticus, added to his description:[2]

Assemblies are not held in all churches on the same time or manner. The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria. There are several cities and villages in Egypt where, contrary to the usage established elsewhere, the people meet together on Sabbath evenings, and, although they have dined previously, partake of the mysteries.
Thus both early church historians, Socrates and Sozomen, cite the seventh day as the Christian day of rest and corporate worship, with the exception of the Christians in Rome and Alexandria.[10]

Middle ages

See also: Sabbath in Christianity#Africa

The "Sabbath in Africa Study Group" (SIA), founded by Charles E. Bradford in 1991,[11] holds that the sabbath has existed in Africa since the beginning of recorded history.[12][13] Taddesse Tamrat has argued that this practice predates Saint Ewostatewos's advocacy of observing both Saturday and Sunday as days of sabbath, which led to his eventual exile from Ethiopia around 1337.[14] Emperor Zara Yaqob convened a synod at Tegulet in 1450 to discuss the sabbath question.[15][16][17]

In Bohemia, as much as one quarter of the population kept seventh-day the sabbath in 1310. This practice continued until at least the 16th century, when Erasmus wrote about the practice.[18]

The Unitarian Church condemned Sabbatarianism as innovation (forbidden by the Transylvanian law on religious toleration) in 1618. The last Sabbatarian congregation in Transylvania disappeared in the 19th century and the remaining Sabbatarians, who were known as "Somrei Sabat" (the Hungarian transliteration of the Hebrew words for "Sabbath observers") joined the existing Jewish communities, into which they were eventually absorbed. Sabbatarianism also expanded into Russia, where its adherents were called Subbotniks, and, from there, the movement expanded into other countries. Some of the Russian Subbotniks maintained a Christian identity doctrinally, while others formally converted to Judaism and assimilated within the Jewish communities of Russia. Some of the latter, however, who had become Jewish, although they and their descendants practiced Judaism and had not practiced Christianity for nearly two centuries, still retained a distinct identity as ethnic Russian converts to Judaism until later.[citation needed]

A small number of the anti-Trinitarian Socinian churches of Eastern Europe and the Netherlands adopted the seventh day as the day of worship and rest.

Reformation

Sects such as the Waldenses, Albigenses, and Leonists appear to have retained sabbath observance in Europe during the Middle Ages. A report of an inquisition, before which were brought some Waldenses of Moravia in the middle of the 15th century, declares that among the Waldenses "not a few indeed celebrate the Sabbath with the Jews."[19] The Taiping Rebellion kept the sabbath in China. The Goa Inquisition attacked Sabbatarian Saint Thomas Christians.

At the time of the Protestant Reformation some Anabaptists, such as Oswald Glait, argued that the seventh day should be observed as the sabbath and that Sunday sabbath was an invention of the Pope.[20]

Seventh-day Sabbatarianism was revived in 17th-century England. Early advocates included the Elizabethan Seventh-Day Men, the Traskites (after John Traske, 1586–1636), and Thomas Brabourne. The majority of seventh-day Sabbatarians were part of the Seventh Day Baptist church and experienced harsh opposition from Anglican authorities and Puritans. The first Seventh Day Baptist church in the United States was established in Rhode Island in 1671.[20]


Read more
.
.

"For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good"...


41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.


Matthew 5:41-48. 
.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Happy Sabbath


Going The New Pope’s Way Still Undermines Our Precious Secular Freedoms



By Donald A Collins | 7 October 2013

Church and State



Hey, Barry Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby, charmed all of us of that era in that 1944 classic film, “Going My Way”. People now don’t remember how beloved these two were and how much respect they could muster among the whole US population. Then, later, in 1963, dancer and actor, Gene Kelly, starred in an ABC TV series of the same name with the same plot and formula.

Recall the film’s warm and fuzzy story which allows the crusty, traditional older priest to finally bond with young Bing, (Father Chuck O’Malley) whose renditions of the Irish lullaby, “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral”, made everything including Fitzgerald’s passing at the end sentimentally satisfying.

In one revealing episode, Bing gets to put a happy spin on the Catholic celibacy taboo when, as Wikipedia reports, he “meets with his old girl friend, Jenny Linden (Rice Stevens), an old girlfriend of O’Malley’s whom he left in order to join the priesthood, but who has since risen to a highly successful acting and singing career. O’Malley and Jenny discuss their past, and he then watches from the side of the stage as she performs a number for her starring role as Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera.” Ah, we learn apparently that her singing served the Father as a full substitute for his normal young male sexual appetite!

Then, Wikipedia says, “The elements of the story now begin to come together. Jenny visits O’Malley at the church, sees the boys’ choir, and reads the sheet music of “Going My Way”. She, O’Malley, and Father O’Dowd devise a plan to rent out the Metropolitan, perform “Going My Way” with the choir and a full orchestra, and sell the rights to the song, thereby saving the church from its financial woes. The plan fails, as the music executive brought on to listen to the song does not believe that it will sell. As the executive (William Frawley) is leaving, the choir decides to make the most of its opportunity on the grand stage, and sings another song, “Swinging on a Star”. The executive overhears the song and decides to buy it, providing enough money to pay off the church mortgage.” Hey, what a boy’s choir with Bing and Rise can accomplish! We know some of those RCC boys’ choirs had different experiences.

Those were the days, my friends, before the pedophile scandals, the absurd prohibitions against reproductive rights for its women (before Vatican opposition got fully organized) and the blatant open border efforts of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to back open border amnesty legislation that will bring in endless more numbers of high fertility aliens to fill its churches’ pews and mint more priests. The RCC’s priestly population now has been reduced to perilously low numbers.

The administrations of the Catholic Popes since the 1960s have underlined the above sad history, but the appointment of Pope Francis has brought a new voice that has gotten huge media coverage from his promising messages of implying some changes. I was traveling in Argentina in March of this year when he was named. Reactions there about this native son were very positive.

A 9/20/13 Washington Post article gives us the flavor of this new voice.


On Thursday, Pope Francis said in a historic interview that the Catholic Church talks too much about abortion. Then on Friday he gave his most forceful antiabortion comments to date.

What’s the strategy here? Is there one?

Since becoming pope in the spring, Francis has electrified people across the globe with gestures and words that focus on healing. He directly calls hurting parishioners and writes letters-to-the-editor reaching out to atheists. In an unusually long and frank interview published Thursday in the Jesuit magazine America, he said the church should be a “field hospital” and should focus on mercy, not doctrine — even as he said he agrees with the doctrine. Then Friday he told a huge group of Catholic physicians that their responsibility is to “see the creative work of God, from the very first moment of conception.”

His comments immediately set off discussion across Catholic America, in particular about the pope’s overarching intention. Is he trying to make the church more open and liberal, or instead using inclusive language in order to plant orthodoxy more firmly?

Experts on Catholicism and religious leadership see a savvy pope trying to reposition a church that, at least in the West, has been tangled up for years in a culture war.

Some think the end game is a revival of “big tent” Catholicism, of the Catholic middle — thus his very public embrace of priorities dear to different Catholic camps. Others think he is being deliberately general in his language — reaching out several times over just a few months even to non­believers — to affirm the legitimacy not just of Catholicism but of Christianity.

“I think he’s in­cred­ibly strategic,” said D. Michael Lindsay, president of the evangelical Gordon College and an expert in religious leadership. “I think this pope perhaps understands better than any religious leader of our day how important symbolic action is. I think he’s trying to recapture the charismatic authority” of the Catholic Church, the world’s largest religious institution.

Lindsay believes that Francis is using the church to re-convince the world “that the Christian faith has something important to offer.”

John Allen, a prominent writer on Catholicism, said the pope is trying to make a modern church that reflects the big middle, people who “are looking for moderate, inspirational leadership,” he said.

“This is not a naive guy, he doesn’t blunder into situations without considering consequences,” Allen said of the interviews. “He is trying to position the Catholic Church as a force for tolerance, as a force for acceptance.”

John Gehring, a former communications staff member with the U.S. bishops conference who is now with the progressive advocacy group Faith in Public Life, believes the pope is deliberately “laying the spiritual groundwork for potentially bigger changes” — not necessarily female priests or church-approved contraception but a more democratic Catholic Church.

So no female priests and no church approved modern conception methods means, as one former Jesuit priest who is now married and teaching noted when I asked him what among those needed vital changes Francis might bring, he sent me a one word email: “None”.

A NY Times article also of 9/20/13 puts more drama into Francis’ remarks.




Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics.

His surprising comments came in a lengthy interview in which he criticized the church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized. He articulated his vision of an inclusive church, a “home for all” — which is a striking contrast with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, the doctrinal defender who envisioned a smaller, purer church.

Francis told the interviewer, a fellow Jesuit: “It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently.

“We have to find a new balance,” the pope continued, “otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.”

The pope’s interview did not change church doctrine or policies, but it instantly changed its tone. His words evoked gratitude and hope from many liberal Catholics who had felt left out in the cold during the papacies of Benedict and his predecessor, John Paul II, which together lasted 35 years. Some lapsed Catholics suggested on social media a return to the church, and leaders of gay rights and gay Catholic groups called on bishops to abandon their fight against gay marriage.

But it left conservative and traditionalist Catholics, and those who have devoted themselves to the struggles against abortion, gay marriage and artificial contraception, on the defensive, though some cast it as nothing new.

“Nobody should try to use the words of the pope to minimize the urgent need to preach and teach about abortion,” said the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, who said he spoke Thursday about the “priority of the abortion issue” at a Vatican conference.

So the same voices that have driven women to coat hangers and quacks (the pro life crowd) and choir boys into sexual bondage (those who insist on no married priests) are still heavily able to influence any Pope’s actions, regardless of how much, in his heart, he would favor real changes.

My view about the above is simple. The question becomes is it achievable? Some people believe in snake charming as a valid form of religious exercise. Others find flattening themselves on prayer rugs 5 times a day brings nirvana. Religious observances throughout human history have always been utterly subjective options followed in infinite variations.

The predominant religions of the world are male dominated and monotheistic; let’s call them the MDMRs. America’s founders were mainly deists or atheists and their plan for our governance set a new standard for freedom, innovation and sustainability.

In the advanced nations of the world, women are more and more valued and provided with options withheld by those MDMRs. Since FDA approval of the Pill, those options have flowered. While the equality of women in America is far from completed, its fate lies in the hands of a government unhindered by religions which preach historical anomalies.

Consequently, keeping the influence of religious entities from influencing secular governance of our nation must be constantly guarded against by our citizens. This Pope’s tribe has been highly effective in interfering with and influencing US government policies.

Guarding the precious concept of keeping church and state matters separate, the mission of this web site, remains a difficult task, one which requires constant vigilance. Only such vigilance will make the goals of equal human rights for all citizens of our nation achievable.


Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC., has spent over 40 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA.


Jon O’Brien discusses Pope Francis’ comments about women and gay men
 


In a BBC interview, Catholics for Choice president Jon O’Brien discusses Pope Francis’ recent remarks about women and gay men in the Catholic church.


Source
.
.