The following articles are compiled by:

Leo Wong

Leo@WatchmenWatching.com

 

 

Ehud Barak calls for Israeli PM Olmert to resign

Source: Jerusalem Post

 

May 9, 2007 -- Barak said that if Olmert will internalize the report's findings, the road to a new government "that [he] could participate in" could be paved. If Olmert did not draw conclusions by May 29 (the date of the Labor primaries), warned Barak, he would act to bring forward the elections for the eighteenth Knesset.

 

Barak volunteered to "contribute" his experience to a transitional government that would serve before elections. Such a move, he added, would fulfill a "promise" he made to "serve as defense minister."

 

Comments:  The corpse isn’t even cold and the vulture is already gnawing at the meat.  Olmert has vowed that he won’t resign without a fight yet Ehud Barak has begun to move his own furniture into a government office.  Yes, Barak will make a good defense minister, much better than the incumbent who bungled the Second Lebanon War.  The defense portfolio is just one step to the prime ministerial office.  Barak has been PM before and he didn’t exactly shine like a new flashlight.  He made “mistakes”, but apparently, he believes he has learned from them.  His second kick at the can will be different so he thinks.  Retreads in politics rarely ever pan out the second time around and Barak won’t likely reverse that trend.  His forte is fighting the Arabs on the battlefield and not throw verbal jabs back and forth in the Israeli Knesset.  Ex-army generals don’t necessarily make for good politicians.

 

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Former cult leader dead

Source: Winnipeg Free Press Online

  

May 9, 2007 -- Former cult leader Yahweh Ben Yahweh, who was linked to nearly two dozen gruesome killings in the 1980s and was said to have ordered victims' ears cut off as proof they were killed, has died, his lawyer said Tuesday.

 

Yahweh, who had been fighting prostate cancer, died in his sleep Monday night, lawyer Jayne Weintraub said.

 

The self-proclaimed "Black Messiah" founded the Nation of Yahweh and preached religious separatism for blacks. At the group's height, it claimed thousands of followers in Miami and elsewhere.

 

Comments:  Yahweh Ben Yahweh is translated “God of Gods”.  This self-proclaimed “Black Messiah” was an antichrist type that Jesus warned His disciples to look out in the last days.  Many will appear and claim to be Jesus/God, but we’re not to believe any of them.  Jesus’ return to Earth will be seen by the world (perhaps via satellites) as He plants His feet on the Mount of Olives.  He won’t come among the few scattered here and there.  These pretenders are charlatans deceiving and misleading their easily duped followers.

 

Now that Black Messiah is dead and is in Hell awaiting his judgment day, what will his thousands of followers do?  Hopefully, their eyes will be opened to see that he was a fake.  But sadly, many revere him still and will continue his mass deception by carrying his message far and wide.  Such is the seeds of destruction sown by the Devil’s servants.

 

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Pope Benedict visits Brazil, Roman Catholic Church loses ground

Source: Associated Press

 

May 9, 2007 -- Pope Benedict XVI departed Wednesday on his first pilgrimage to Latin America - a test of the 80-year-old pontiff's stamina and how he intends to deal with pressing challenges to his church in the region.

 

The Vatican is promising he will deliver a tough message to politicians on poverty and crime during the five-day visit to Brazil - the world's most populous Roman Catholic country - as well as try to strengthen a church battling to retain its leading role in the region.

 

The German-born pope plans to lay out his strategy when he opens a once-a-decade meeting of bishops from throughout Latin America in the shrine city of Aparecida, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America's largest city.

 

The Vatican's No. 2 official said Benedict will issue a "strong message" on poverty, social inequality, drug trafficking and violence and on the exodus of Catholics joining Protestant evangelical churches.

 

Comments:  The pope is making the rounds visiting his faithfuls in Latin and South Americas.  He’s in Brazil performing damage control.  The pillaging of Catholic souls by Protestants (particularly the charismatic Pentecostals) is an open declaration of spiritual warfare.  He hopes to warn the Brazilian Catholics to resist the Protestant recruiters and stay true to the “Mother” Church.  In the U.S., the Vatican had forged an agreement with the Rev. Billy Graham not to raid converts but to send them back to their respective Catholic churches.  Mr. Graham honoured that pact with the Vatican and that brought scorn for Mr. Graham from some U.S. evangelicals. South of the U.S. border is a different matter as the Protestant evangelicals aren’t into making deals with the pontiff.  Good for them!

 

Like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels and other Protestants, the pope is promoting the social gospel and getting his nose into politics.  Never one to preach the true Gospel of God, the pope’s energies will be channelled to making this world a better place to live, a society replete with social justice.  In God’s mind, he not only doesn’t know the way of salvation, but he’s preventing others from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.  How insidious are the Devil’s devices.

 

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France wants to save major part of EU constitution, Sarkozy aide says

Source: EUObserver.com

 

May 9, 2007 -- France's Nicolas Sarkozy will seek to maintain as much of the rejected EU constitution as possible in the upcoming talks on a new treaty for the bloc, a top aide to the president-elect has told EUObserver.

 

Alain Lamassoure, a prominent centre-right MEP and tipped to be the new Europe minister in the Sarkozy government, said Paris will agree to stick "as much as possible to the original text."

 

His comments indicate that Mr Sarkozy is in favour of a re-packaged text containing essentially the same elements.

 

Referring to removing the EU symbols proposed in the original text as part of a general approach to take away the constitutional feel to the new treaty, Mr Lamassoure said "we will play the European hymn or fly the flag whether it is mentioned in the new treaty or not."

 

He added that the same applies to the exact title of the future EU's foreign affairs minister. "As long as his status and powers are preserved we're fine with [a title change]."

 

He expects the new "ordinary treaty" - adopted by national parliaments where possible - will have a maximum of 130 instead of the 448 articles originally proposed.

 

The institutional changes should remain untouched while the Charter of Fundamental Rights, currently appearing as a whole within the text and raising several legal question for member states - being referred to by a single article.

 

"That way, the charter can be interpreted as legally binding in some countries, such as France and Germany, and non-binding in others, such as the UK."

 

Referring to the third part of the constitution which lists EU policies, Mr Lamassoure, who is part of Mr Sarkozy's inner political circle, says "we must distinguish between provisions that are already present in previous treaties and can be dropped as we do not need to replicate them and the new provisions which need to remain."

 

He indicated France is not prepared to compromise on the list of new areas to be decided by qualified majority rather than unanimity, while admitting that this could become one of the most contentious issues, particularly for the UK.

 

"This is non-negotiable as it is one of the provisions with the most important added value of the new treaty which seeks to help the enlarged EU to work more efficiently."

 

The MEP's statements are the first clear public indication of what Paris will be calling for at the EU table when leaders meet to discuss a new institutional settlement next month – a clear French position on the issue has been lacking since French voters rejected the constitution in a referendum almost two years ago.

 

Touching on another highly controversial issue, Mr Lamassoure said Paris is going to push for a definition of the bloc's borders in the coming months and a "reorientation" of talks with Turkey.

 

"EU leaders have been lying to Turks for the past few years and the new French leadership believes we must stop doing so," he said, referring to the bloc's membership negotiations with Ankara kicked off last October.

 

He argues that citizens in most EU member states are against Turkey joining the union and that it was a main factor in the French rejection of the EU constitution.

 

"The sooner we will have the courage to say this openly to Turkey the better," said Mr Lamassoure, pointing out that Paris will seek a "re-orientation" of the whole accession talks in which "at the very least, we clearly open other options for the final outcome -other than membership."

 

"If everything goes well and we agree on the revised EU treaty by the end of this year we envisage that we could also at the same time present to citizens a common political declaration on the ultimate borders of Europe," Mr Lamassoure said.

 

Comments:  When French leaders speak, the majority of EU member nations listen intently.  France is one of the Big-3 (the others being Germany and the UK).  France is relatively prosperous and an innovative country.  It doesn’t sit back and let others set the agenda.  It likes to lead. If France wants to pare down the volumous EU constitution, perhaps that’s a good idea.  More clauses do not necessarily mean a better constitution.  It means more legalese and bureaucracy.

 

The Turkish issue seems to be swinging toward non-membership.  Don’t let the Muslims get their feet further inside the EU door.  Islam will take over the EU once that happens.  France’s stance on this will invoke widespread violence around the nation as the infuriated Muslim population takes its fight to the streets.  Nevertheless, Turkey won’t be the first Muslim country in the EU.  Blood letting is the cost that France appears to assume.

 

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Evangelist from Toledo on barefoot path for 16 years

Source: www.toledoblade.com

 

May 9, 2007 -- When Carl James Joseph left Toledo in 1991, he left on foot — barefoot, in fact — wearing a robe and carrying only a Bible, a rosary, and a toothbrush.

 

The long-haired, soft-spoken evangelist — who calls himself “What’s Your Name?” but is usually referred to as “The Jesus Guy” — has since walked his way through 47 states and 13 foreign countries.

 

“I’m just a traveling preacher,” Mr. Joseph told The Blade in a recent interview.

 

In 2000, the Bowsher High School graduate was quietly making his way across western Pennsylvania when the world’s media suddenly discovered this countercultural evangelist who seemed to have stepped out of the pages of the Bible.

 

Mr. Joseph, now 46, still wears a robe, never wears shoes or sandals, wears his long brown hair parted in the middle, has a beard because it’s easier than shaving every day, and carries only a Bible, rosary, and toothbrush.

 

“What happens with the rosary and even with the Bible, I’ll give it away any chance I can if it’ll be used,” he said.

 

Mr. Joseph was born in Detroit and grew up in Toledo, attending Gesu Elementary School. He was 12 years old when he and his older brother, Vincent, were invited to join the Catholic Church. The brothers accepted, were baptized, and made their first communion a week later.

 

James attended St. John’s Jesuit High School for 3½ years before transferring to Bowsher as a senior, graduating in 1978.

 

A year later, he was confirmed at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance.

 

He never attended seminary but has devoted much of his life to reading the Bible and the writings of major religious figures. He said it would be inaccurate to describe him as “self-taught.”

 

“I like to emphasize that it’s the Holy Spirit,” he said. “Jesus said the Holy Spirit will teach you all things. The Apostles were, for example, taught directly by Jesus, but it really wasn’t until the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost that they were able to share and to write.

 

“Yes, I’ve done an awful lot of reading on my own — the Bible, church fathers, some of the Scripture scholars of the last 2,000 years. But I would say it’s especially through the gift of God, through prayer, that I’ve been able to share,” Mr. Joseph said. “And also, like Jesus, it’s through experience. It’s one thing to learn by reading; it’s another to learn by experience.”

 

Mr. Joseph said he preaches a Christian message, not specifically Catholicism.

 

“I’ve always been open to whatever God may want. I never really set out with the intention of living this particular lifestyle,” he said. “But once I recognized it was what God was calling me to do, I went along with it.”

 

His father, Louis Joseph, 71, lives in a condemned rental house in West Toledo and is hoping to move near his son soon. He wants to join forces with a man who owns property near EWTN’s shrine, on which he plans to build cabins for pilgrims to rent at low cost.

 

Louis Joseph, who is separated from his wife, Bette, said he regrets that he was not an “active Catholic” when James was young.

 

“I did try to instill basic Catholic values — honesty, integrity, and morality. But I didn’t have much emphasis on it like I do now,” he said. “He made me more that way. He does that to everybody he comes in contact with. He’s quite an unusual person.”

 

“He’s very normal, very easy to get along with,” Mrs. Arsenault said. “Very intelligent. Very soft-spoken. The Spirit just leads him. He’s definitely a very holy man. To me, it was like Jesus coming to visit you.”

 

A monsignor in Pennsylvania called Mr. Joseph “a modern-day St. Francis of Assisi,” and some people have reported miraculous healings after coming into contact with the itinerant preacher.

 

Mr. Joseph said he tries to avoid such labels as “healer” or “prophet.”

 

In Texas, he said, a group of youths once threatened to crucify him. He was arrested in Greenfield in southwest Ohio on a disorderly conduct charge when he refused to stop preaching to a crowd. The charge was later dismissed.

 

“It can be very difficult for me, emotionally. But rejection is something I shouldn’t be surprised about,” Mr. Joseph said. “In Jesus’ life, it wasn’t his success in preaching or his miracles that brought about salvation; it was his suffering and death on the cross.”

 

Comments:  On the surface, this is an awesome story.  How many believers could wing it through life totally depending on God for his/her sustenance?  It’s faith and total reliance on God to provide for all things.  Mr. Joseph, although he was raised a Catholic, somehow managed to read the Bible.  (The pontiff does not encourage Catholics to read the Holy Bible.)  Yes, it’s the Holy Spirit who will lead you to the Truth.  Yes, I did notice that there are still some vestiges of Catholicism in Mr. Joseph, i.e. the rosary and his lack of denunciation of the Catholic faith, but God still uses him to convey the message of the Gospel to souls that he meets daily.

 

The fact that he resembles Jesus in appearance and in his simple walk may be a distraction to the message being preached, but there are folks who are affected by the portrayal and believe it’s from the Holy Spirit.  God can use whatever means he chooses even if the person isn’t completely free from the practices of this pagan based religious system.  As long as Christ’s message of salvation gets out to the lost and perishing, we’ll praise God.  Yes, it wasn’t the good life of Jesus that saves, but His judgment at the hands of a Holy God on the cross, His death and His shed blood that cleanses us from all sin.  Catholics are led to believe that it was the cruel sufferings that was meted out by mankind that’s the basis for God’s redemptive work.  If Mr. Joseph continues to reach his audience through reading from the Bible, that alone is sufficient for the Holy Spirit to do His part in convicting sinners of their need for Christ.

 

 

 

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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!

 

Until next time,

Shalom!

 

 

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