As we pray for the peace of
Jerusalem
Prophetic News and
Commentary
Reporting on Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Jeremiah 6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet….
Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O
Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make
mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
V:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise
in the earth.
Psalms
122:6 Pray for the peace of
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interpretation of end-times events and how it relates to biblical
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viewpoints; until such time as God reveals how perfectly His Word will be
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encourage the reader to be as the Bereans and search
the scriptures to see if these things are so (see Acts 17:10-11)
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The following articles are compiled by:
Rick Allinson
Powerful Indonesian earthquake kills at least 70, flattens hundreds of buildings
Source: The Star
06 March 2007 – A powerful earthquake
flattened hundreds of buildings in western Indonesia on Tuesday, killing at
least 70 people and leaving hospitals grappling with scores of injured,
officials said.
The number of dead was expected to rise as a result of the magnitude 6.3 quake on Sumatra island, which was followed by powerful aftershocks and was felt hundreds of kilometers (miles) away in Singapore, where some office buildings were evacuated, and in neighboring Malaysia.
"Women were crying out in terror. We all just fled as quickly as we could,'' said Alpion, a welder in the seaside town of Padang. Along with thousands of others, he was fleeing to higher ground, fearing a possible tsunami. Authorities said the quake did not cause any tidal activity.
Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi told reporters at least 70 people had been killed by the quake, the latest in a series of natural disasters to strike Indonesia in recent months.
The worst-hit area appeared to be in and around Solok, a bustling town close to the epicenter of the quake on Sumatra's western coast, which was spared destruction in the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster.
…
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire,'' an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
In December
2004, a massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island and triggered a
tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, including 131,000 people in
Indonesia's Aceh province alone. A tsunami off Java island last year killed
nearly 5,000.
Comments: It just makes you wonder how many times Indonesia can keep on going after getting hit by so many quakes. This latest earthquake seems to have hit in an area that was spared from the other powerful quakes and it must make these people wonder where the next one is coming. Another natural disaster that is in the news today is…Northern China suffered their Strongest snowstorm in half century. China is prone to flooding in certain areas and with all this snow piled up the spring weather could bring heavy flooding in the North East. Earthquakes, flooding and wild weather are all signs of the times we are living in. There is no doubt that these disasters are becoming more frequent year after year and we should take note of these events. These are the birth pangs
Lu 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Isa 26:17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
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Israel fares poorly in eyes of world, poll shows
Source: Herald Tribune
06 March 2007 – A new BBC poll of people in 27 countries has found strikingly negative attitudes toward Israel, placing it in company with three other countries viewed unfavorably: Iran, North Korea and the United States.
The survey of 28,000 people also found that Canada, Japan, the European Union and France fared best when respondents were asked whether the list of 11 countries and the EU had a "mostly positive or mostly negative influence in
the world."
The survey was conducted from November to mid-January by the polling firm GlobeScan and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.
In results released earlier, pollsters said attitudes toward the United States had dropped sharply, with 51 percent of respondents now saying it had a mainly negative influence. The declining attitudes have largely paralleled rising American frustrations in Iraq.
Israel had not been included in previous surveys, but it appeared that its image had been tarnished by the war in southern Lebanon last summer. It had the largest number of countries (23 of 27) viewing it negatively, compared to the 21 viewing Iran unfavorably and the 20 seeing the United States and North Korea that way.
Not surprisingly, the most
negative views of Israel were found in mainly Muslim countries, headed by
Lebanon (85 percent), but there were also large negative majorities in Germany
(77 percent), Greece (68 percent) and France (66 percent).
Comments: This is not such a surprise considering that many countries are openly hostile towards Israel and like this poll points out, the Muslim countries are the most negative towards Israel. During the Tribulation period the bible tells us that all the people of the earth will be gathered together against Israel and that attitude of negativity is already alive and well in the world today. Those people who choose to hate Israel don’t understand Gods plan for this nation. Only when Jesus returns will the world realize the mistake that they have made and by then it will be too late. Gods promise and plan for Israel will be done according to the promise to Abraham and it will not fail.
Ge 12:1 ¶ Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 ¶ So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 ¶ And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
The following articles are compiled
by:
Leo Wong
What it means today to be the 'L' word -- Lutheran
Source: John Longhurst of the Winnipeg Free Press
March 6, 2007 -- Before there was a TV show of the same name, some people in Manitoba were talking about reclaiming the "L" word -- as in "Lutheran."
At one time, to be a Lutheran meant to be from places like Germany, Iceland and Scandinavia -- the places of origin for most members of the denomination in Canada. But today the church is moving beyond its ethnic and immigrant past to reach out to others. Now, says Michael Kurtz, pastor of Winnipeg's First Lutheran Church, they are talking about "what it means to be Lutheran, what it is we stand for."
The Lutheran Church was founded by Martin Luther in Germany in 1517. The first Lutheran services in Canada were conducted in Churchill in 1619 by a Lutheran chaplain who accompanied an ill-fated Danish expedition that was searching for the Northwest Passage. Lutherans began to immigrate to Manitoba in the late 19th century, and First Lutheran Church is the second-oldest Lutheran congregation in western Canada -- the oldest is in Gimli. The two main Lutheran groups in the province today are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), with 21,000 members, and Lutheran Church Canada, with 5,000. Both groups have their national headquarters in the city.
Changing the way Canadians perceive the church is just one of the challenges facing Lutherans today. Other challenges include dealing with declining membership in general, but particularly in rural parts of the province. "The decline of the rural population impacts church membership," says Ian Adnams, editor of the Canadian Lutheran. Another challenge is for urban churches to find ways to "connect with new Canadians." Keeping youth active in the church is also an ongoing concern.
In terms of worship style, Lutherans are similar to the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, with an emphasis on liturgy and the Eucharist. Music is usually more traditional, some congregations use contemporary praise and worship styles. "One of the great joys of our church is our worship life," says Kurtz, a member of the ELCIC. "It's grounded in an ancient form, yet evolving in an attempt to address people where they are today."
Ecumenical relationships are also important to Lutherans -- the ELCIC, for example, has enjoyed full communion with Anglican Church of Canada since 2001. This means that both groups recognize the legitimacy and authority of each other's bishops, pastors and priests.
Comments: I can recall many years ago after I was saved that a brother in the Lord told me a story about Martin Luther (whom he admired). One night, Martin Luther was studying his Bible when the Devil came to him and said, “Martin Luther, you’re a sinner and you’re going to Hell” to which Luther responded with “Yes, I am indeed a vile sinner, but the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleansed me from all sin”. Luther’s claim to fame was his “Sola Scriptura” (Scriptures only) stance and his taking on the Roman Catholic Church’s dogma of salvation through the RCC only and faith plus works. Luther’s understanding of the Bible told him that salvation was only through God’s grace and not by works lest any man should boast. This was the beginning of Protestantism for which many were burnt on the stake by the Vatican’s henchmen.
Many aren’t aware that Martin Luther, for all the good things he stood for, was an anti-Semite (he caused many Jews to be killed) and he still retained his Catholic roots by participating in the Mass, among other Romish practices. Although he was spot on when it came to salvation, he was sorely lacking in other areas.
Lutherans, like Roman Catholics and Anglicans, do not believe Israel is special in God’s eyes. They’re proponents of Replacement Theology and post-millennialism. Being that they are the eldest daughter of the Mother Church Rome, is it any wonder that they’re receptive to return home in response to the ecumenism call? God doesn’t care what denomination you’re associated with and whether your name is on some church roll. What really matters is: Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27)?
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Biblical illiteracy is one of the biggest problems facing the churches in America
Source: OneNewsNow.com
March 2, 2007 -- Woodrow Kroll of Back to the Bible says a new survey shows biblical illiteracy is one of the biggest problems facing the churches in America. According to the Christian ministry president, research shows that the average American owns three copies of the Bible, but doesn't read any of them.
Back to the Bible surveyed 12,000 people in an effort to learn about the Bible-reading habits of Christians. Kroll, commenting on the issue of Bible illiteracy during an interview on Mission Network News, noted that an increase of modern translations of the Bible appears not to have resulted in more people reading God's Word, as Bible translators had hoped would happen.
Comments: Hosea 4:[6] My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children. American churches are filled with people who know very little about God’s Word. It’s no wonder worldliness and sins pervade the lives of many professing believers. They can’t discern wrong from right and go with the flow of this world. It was argued decades ago that the King James Bible was archaic and hard to read so new translations were introduced, but the lack of reading the Bible still exists. In quite a few post-modern churches, people no longer bring their Bibles to church. And from the pulpit, there is a growing trend to avoid teaching from the Bible and instead, speeches about self-esteem, having your best life now, and experiencing Christianity are the vogue these days. If there are Bible discussions, Eugene Peterson’s perverted paraphrase called “The Message” is used to stimulate viewpoints.
Why are God’s people giving up on knowing His Word? Is it due to a lack of time? Since God’s Word is eternal and we’re going to spend our eternity studying it, why not familiarize yourself with it right now? Could it be that God’s Word invokes the conscience of believers who are indulging in overt sins? Carnality and spiritual fornication are prevalent in these last days. We have given in to the Devil’s lures and distractions. God wants us to repent and return to happy fellowship with His Son, but we’re turning a deaf ear to Him. Not only is there a dearth of Bible reading, but prayers to God have all but disappeared for many believers. There’s saying, “Seven days without prayer and reading of the Word makes one weak.” Amos 8:[11] Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
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Rise of funerals that leave out God
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
March 6, 2007 -- More than 30,000 funerals in Britain last year were nonreligious, as families turn increasingly to "celebration-of-life" ceremonies rather than church services, according to new figures.
The rise is being attributed to people's growing willingness to admit that they are non-believers, and to their desire to avoid "hypocrisy".
Ten years ago, a funeral without a minister of religion and reference to God was virtually unheard of but increasingly, services are presided over by a "celebrant" and involve poems instead of psalms, while mourners are often asked to wear something bright rather than black.
Comments: It used to be that a minister was present for three stages of a person’s life: (1) Infant baptism (2) marriage (3) funeral. Babies are still being sprinkled with so called “holy” water (supposedly to save their soul), but a couple can go to City Hall and get married without a minister and now, many are forgoing the bother and the expense of having a man/woman of the cloth at the funeral/memorial and grave site services. Yes, if the deceased hadn’t accepted Jesus as his/her Savior prior to physical death, a minister/priest can’t impart eternal life no matter how hard he/she prays for the departed one. It’s not scriptural to pray for the dead, but many do out of ignorance and a faint hope. The fate of the dead is sealed when their last breath expired.
For many unsaved relatives and friends, celebrating the life of their departed loved one is an exercise in futility. No matter how clean living, law abiding, charitable, kindness to others, a benevolent boss (an oxymoron), good husband and provider, etc., that person’s accomplishments and his/her very being won’t count a red cent toward earning a place in Heaven. In fact, millions of “good” people are in Hell at this very moment wondering why they’re there. Hell is not a cheerful place, but a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50). The celebration of life is just another veiled version of the doctrine of Cain. Unlike his brother Abel, Cain didn’t believe God who demanded a sacrifice for sins. Instead, Cain presented the Lord with the fruits of his hard labor. Since then, unbelievers hold to the traditional belief that their good works will garner favor with the God “of love” when He reviews their life. Deadly wrong!
In the traditional funeral, the casket is opened, there are three days of mourning and visitation, a funeral service is conducted with a eulogy, the coffin is closed shut, a hearse procession follows, a short funeral speech at the grave site (in which 1 Corinthians 15:[51 to 57] is recited, and finally, the lowering of the casket into the freshly dug grave. From the start to the end, the many relatives and friends got plenty of opportunities to reflect on the meaning of life and death and whether there’s an afterlife. Thoughts of Heaven and Hell sometimes percolated in the minds of sorrowing people. But, now the Devil is taking this all away.
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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!
Shalom!