2011: The Year of Tumults

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

2011: The Year of Tumults





Massive natural, environmental and economic disasters have defined the first half of 2011. Bible prophecy identifies events like these as one of the identifying signs of the end times. Where will all these things lead?





Source: Photos.comJesus Christ predicted "earthquakes in various places" before His return to earth to set up the Kingdom of God. The Greek word translated "earthquakes" in the original language means "tumults," which can refer to any kind of environmental or human disaster.



So far 2011 has been a year of gargantuan natural tumults that have devastated broad areas of the world's greatest, most advanced nations and caused enormous global economic impact. In a virtually continuous explosion, today's headlines push out the headlines of last month's disasters before the full story is in on any one of them.



Massive flooding in Oceania

January's torrential rains and floods throughout the southern hemisphere inundated so much of Australia that government officials quickly acknowledged it as the greatest natural disaster in the nation's history. Queensland alone had floods the size of South Africa, with preliminary estimates of $10 billion in losses. That was without counting the impact on the enormous coal and coking operations, 90 percent of which were disrupted, and accounted for most of the immediate 20 percent rise in world coke prices. Coke is essential for manufacturing iron and steel products. Australia is the world's leading coal exporter.



As the floods spread south to New South Wales and Victoria provinces, the total area flooded was the combined size of Germany and France. The flood destroyed major parts of Brisbane, a metropolis much larger than New Orleans with scenes of devastation similar to Hurricane Katrina.



Simultaneously, 5,000 miles to the west, rains rampaged much of Sri Lanka's countryside, wiping out 21 percent of the rice crop. The same week, flash floods killed 626 in Brazil.



2011 defined by earthquakes

New Zealand's February earthquake flattened much of Christchurch, center of the region's population of 500,000. New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key observed, "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day."



Japan's March 11th earthquake was the greatest in Japan's history and one of the greatest recorded in world history. The 24,000 death toll would have been much greater were it not for that nation's amazing social cohesion, high building standards, preparedness and ability to contain the ongoing nuclear disaster. But the 30-foot tsunami rolling over the coastal landscape is being followed by a tsunami of economic consequences for Japan and potential worldwide economic disruption.



Like a tsunami watch, analysts and central bankers are surveying the tides of capital flows, watching to see if the shock suddenly surfaces like a tsunami in capital markets in New York, London and the interconnected web of the global system of capital markets. Japan's earthquake disaster is far from over.



North America not excluded from disaster

April's outburst of tornadoes in the American South and Midwest is the most devastating in American history. In fact, the recent volume of tornado activity defies explanation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the official weather service of the United States and the most sophisticated on the planet. This April's total of more than 600 tornadoes far exceeds the monthly average of 125. On April 25th, there were 305 tornadoes in 24 hours, resulting in yet uncounted billions of dollars in damage and an estimated 100 deaths



The NOAA website states: "It should be noted, due to the extreme nature of the tornado activity this month, that it will take several months for the count of tornadoes and tornado-related fatalities/injuries to be finalized. Numbers reported here will likely change in the coming months. A special report on all of the extreme weather and climate conditions of April 2011 will be released by early summer 2011.''



The insurance industry is likely to sustain billions in losses from the disaster. But even this is only the beginning of economic impacts on the United States. As part of the weird North American weather pattern, excessive rainfall combined with continent wide snow melt has led to flooding in the vast Mississippi River system similar to Australia's in January, flooding millions of acres of prime cropland just as planting of essential grains was to be completed.



And most recently a massive tornado swept through the city of Joplin, Missouri, killing over 100 people and causing massive damage. While Joplin is no stranger to tornados, the size and ferocity of this one was both unusual and horrifying.



Where does this all end? This may only be the storm before an even bigger storm of geopolitics in the Middle East and Europe. The unprecedented scale of these natural disasters certainly constitutes "tumults" as Jesus predicted.



Throughout these events, millions have prayed daily for relief, bringing meaning to the words of Christ to His followers: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Before

The Next U.S. Leader - Who Would God Choose?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Next U.S. Leader - Who Would God Choose?


A commentary by Rex Sexton



What kind of leader would God choose for the United States?





Source: Photos.comSad to say, but the U.S. presidential election of 2012 is already under way. Never mind the fact that the election won't take place for another year and a half, this week several candidates announced they are off and running, while others announced that they will not run this year. Others are keeping the political pundits in suspense. In 1960 the candidates did not announce their intentions or begin running until spring, barely six months prior to the election.



What has caused the change? In part, it is money. President Obama has already stated that he needs to raise one billion dollars for a campaign. That's right, one billion dollars will be spent by one candidate to get elected to an office that pays .025 percent of that each year as a salary. It takes a lot of time to raise that kind of money and spend it on advertisements and events.



Voters will be swamped and smothered by advertisements. As most of us know, political advertisements rarely stick to the facts and often contain malicious half-truths, false accusations or slander of some kind. What is obvious is that we are dealing with the same problems year after year. Few problems ever seem to get solved. Men know how to talk about problems, but lack the courage and integrity to solve them. The solution often is to spend more money with good intentions and dubious results, but western nations are running out of money. Nearly sixty percent of the U.S. population is living off of a government check of some kind, and the percentage that does not pay income taxes is almost larger than those who do. A study of the history of nations reveals that financial collapse follows moral collapse, which we have witnessed for many years.



What kind of leader would God choose for us if we were a righteous nation? The answer is given by Jethro, Moses' father in law, in Exodus 18. Moses could not handle all of the decisions brought to him, so Jethro counseled him to appoint captains of 10, 50, 100 and 1,000 families. Israel had its first formal organization: "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens" (Exodus:18:21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:).



Notice that these men were to have four qualities: 1. Men of ability, 2. Fearing God, 3. Men of truth and 4. Hating bribery or unjust gain. Would it not be wonderful if we had such men governing nations today! Instead, in all too many cases our systems bring out the venal, narcissistic, proud, ambitious, dishonest, godless, bribe-giving and taking, arrogant and self-centered types. Character matters, always. God said so.



There are still many genuine servants of our nation and others in positions of governance, but they appear to be in the minority and becoming fewer all the time. Just as it was in Ancient Rome, so it is with us today. Rome lasted over 300 years after the moral decay had set in as reflected in its leaders. Due to modern communication our decline has accelerated much faster and our end result will be here before many people realize what is taking place.



For more on this subject about choosing leaders, and for some startling answers, watch our video program titled: "Could Jesus Be Elected President?"or read the Good News magazine article, "Could Jesus Christ Be Elected President?". http://www.ucg.org/commentary/next-us-leader-who-would-god-choose/

.

Eurasia SCO Supplants U.S. Dominance

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.



Eurasia SCO Supplants U.S. Dominance


A commentary by Ken Murray




While the United States continues to vie for influence in Central Asia, a multi-state organization of Central and East Asian powers is gaining in prominence in this important region. Does this hold any prophetic significance? What does it mean for the rest of the world?





SCO member and observer states

Source: Wikimedia CommonsJust when many people are lulled into a false complacent sense of security, prophetic world geopolitics is taking a huge transformational step away from United States domination of the world stage!



Most American citizens would be oblivious to what is happening on June 15, 2011, in a city they have probably never heard of: Astana, Kazakhstan. It will have profound impact on the USA.



A power vacuum is being created in Afghanistan, as Washington officials seek to draw down American troop numbers, and their other allies are espousing ways of reducing their troop numbers, without a “panic to the exits,” as reported in the media.



A powerful Eurasian coalition

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is having its 10th year anniversary meeting at Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 15, 2011, with the express views of stepping into the power vacuum in Afghanistan.



Nicolas J. S. Davies reported on Consortiumnews.com, on June 7, 2011:



“On May 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that an important expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be on the agenda at its upcoming summit in Astana in Kazakhstan on June 15.



“If the expansion is approved, India and Pakistan will join China, Russia and the Central Asian republics as full SCO members, and Afghanistan will join Iran and Mongolia as a new SCO 'observer.'



“The U.S. media seem to have missed this news, but future historians will be unlikely to ignore it as an important turning point in the history of Afghanistan, the United States and the world.



The original Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), who met in 1996 to sign a 'Treaty on Deepening Trust in Border Regions,' formed the SCO in 2001 with the addition of Uzbekistan and a commitment to greater cooperation in military and economic affairs.



“In 2005, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan hailed the historic nature of that year’s SCO summit, the first time that the original members were joined by India, Pakistan and Iran. He noted that half the human race was now represented around the SCO negotiating table” (Consortiumnews.com at: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/06/07/asian-alliance-supplants-us-empire/ , emphasis mine throughout).



Davies further adds:



“The United States also applied for 'observer' status in the SCO in 2005, but its application was rejected.



“The Afghans have decided to join the SCO despite longstanding opposition from Washington. Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul spent four days meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing before Lavrov’s announcement on May 15.



“One thing we can be sure they all agreed on is that they want the United States out of Afghanistan, and the rub for the United States is that the SCO and its member states will be waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces whether we get out this year, next year or in ten years’ time” (ibid).



The rest of the world watches with interest

The implications from this momentous SCO 10th anniversary meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, will also not be lost on a very aware European Union.



As the EU observes a further erosion of U.S. power in Eurasia via the SCO, they will very likely begin stepping up their own military and economic ties within the central major national members of the E.U.



Already, there are signs of a shift to the right in European politics, since the elections in Portugal.



God’s prophet Ezekiel prophesied long ago about the coming end-time empire of Gog and Magog, in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Will this Asian bloc of nations fulfill this prophecy?



A huge empire from the East is prophesied to form an army of 200 million in the end-time and to attack the European Beast power across the Euphrates river (Revelation:9:13-19; Revelation:16:12).



In that devastating initial battle one third of mankind are prophesied to die (Revelation:9:18-19).



It will be at that time that Jesus Christ will intervene and return to this Earth to establish God’s Kingdom on this Earth, before “no flesh might be saved alive” (Matthew:24:22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.; Isaiah:9:6-7[6]For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.[7]Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.).



See other articles about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from our United Church of God archives at www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/china-cooperation-or-conflict/  and www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/out-hibernation-russian-bear/ .

.

Immigration Lessons from Lebanon

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632

Immigration Lessons from Lebanon


A commentary by Don Hooser




Once considered the banking capital of the Arab world, Lebanon was widely known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East." It attracted tourists in large numbers. The city of Beirut was often referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East." But Beirut has since undergone drastic changes.



Lovely Lebanon is becoming less and less lovely. Where once there were great forests of the mighty "cedars of Lebanon" on the snow-capped mountain slopes, there remains only a small percentage of those famous trees. Numerous towns and villages have been devastated by many years of war.



What caused Lebanon's tragic decline? The answer has many parts. I will focus on just three aspects: (1) repeated floods of immigrants, refugees and invaders, (2) the demographic change from a largely Christian population to a predominantly Muslim population, and (3) its civil war and wars against Israel.



Great devastation in Lebanon occurred during the Lebanon Civil War, 1975 to 1990. The name "civil war" is terribly misleading.



The story of Lebanon during that terrible time is told by Brigitte (pronounced bri-zheet') Gabriel in her book titled: Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.



Brigitte grew up in Lebanon as a Maronite Christian and the daughter of a prosperous restaurant owner. She describes how hospitable and multicultural the Lebanese people had been, welcoming immigrants and multiple waves of refugees from many countries across their open borders.



Most of the new residents, of course, were Muslims. Lebanon did not foresee that the dominant mindset of the new immigrants would change the internal political climate from hospitable to hostile. Hatred replaced tolerance.



In 1975 Brigitte was ten years old when militant Islamists from throughout the Middle East poured into her country and declared jihad ("holy war") against Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was the only country in the Middle East with a Christian majority and the Lebanese Civil War was the first front in what has become the worldwide jihad of the fundamentalist Islamic theology against "infidels"—all non-Muslim peoples.



Brigitte, at age 10, could hardly believe that the radical Islamists wanted to kill her—just because she was Christian. Her family home was soon destroyed by a rocket that left her seriously injured. For the next seven years, she and her parents lived in an 8x10 bomb shelter with no electricity and barely enough food and water to stay alive. They finally received help in various ways from the Israelis.



Radicalized Islamists and Palestinians have been invading Lebanon ever since. Their goal has been to cleanse the country of Christians and to set up bases for attacking Israel. Lebanon has become increasingly helpless, often a puppet of Syria and Iran. Today much of Lebanon is still under the control of the terrorist organization Hezbollah.



The radicalized Islamist population in Lebanon has increased dramatically, due to Muslims immigrating into Lebanon with their customs of having multiple wives and encouraging high birth rates. (Osama bin Laden was one of 53 children, and he has 27 children.)



Western nations could learn some valuable reality lessons from the history of Lebanon. The goal of radical Islamists involves the genocide of all "infidels" who will not convert to Islam. Their quest is to dominate the entire world with Sharia law (Islamic religious law). To accomplish this, they increasingly glorify suicide bombings.



Brigitte Gabriel alleges that a common saying of the radicalized Islamists is, "First comes Saturday, and then comes Sunday," indicating their aim to first destroy "the little Satan" (the Sabbath leaning nation of Israel) and then "the great Satan," (the Sunday leaning nation of America).



The U.S. Border Patrol classifies each illegal alien only as Mexican or OTM—"Other Than Mexican." OTM sounds harmless. But OTM's can include radical Islamists from all over the world. The U.S. already is plagued with countless terrorist sleeper cells—just waiting for the right opportunities or timing to strike.



The region of Lebanon and "the glory of Lebanon" are referred to prominently in the Bible (Isaiah:35:2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.; 60:13). But that glory has largely been destroyed from within.



The tragedy in Lebanon should alert America and other Western nations to a particular biblical warning about allowing unfriendly aliens to take up residence within their borders. The result will be, "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower" (Deuteronomy:28:43The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.).



How will this affect your life? Biblical prophecy plainly reveals the effect that current trends in the Middle East will have on Western nations and on your future. You need to understand those prophecies.



To receive that understanding, I recommend that you request or download our free, informative booklet, The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.

.

Religious Deception in the Post Modern World

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Religious Deception in the Post Modern World

article by Donald Ward





How will the sophisticated people of the Western world be deceived?



Church pews in Europe are all but empty on Sunday mornings. Even though European history is inextricably linked to Western Christianity, the link seems irrelevant in the postmodern world. The countries that comprised the Holy Roman Empire show little evidence of holiness. Save for the peals of their bells, the imposing church structures of Europe are but silent relics of the past. Europeans have little interest or time for religion in a society given to secular pursuits. Of the people in England who profess to be Christians, only ten percent attend church regularly. Even though the percentage is higher in the U.S., its social, political and educational institutions are secular to the core.



Yet, Bible prophecy reveals a time of religious deception so great that if it were possible "they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew:24:24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. KJV). The thoroughly secularized peoples of the Western world view themselves as sophisticated and educated. Nothing is to be accepted as valid, reliable or relevant unless it can be scientifically proven. So how are the highly sophisticated, educated and scientifically oriented people of the Western world going to be deceived?



Satan's insatiable desire to be worshiped will eventually be realized. "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation:13:8). The false prophet will unleash a barrage of deceptive miracles that will deceive everyone but the very elect (Revelation:13:13, 14).



The peoples of the world are being conditioned to accept these miracles. Movies portray various invasions from outer space. Various forms of alien life have become common place on our television and movie screens. From Star Trek, to the American television program "Touched by an Angel," moviemakers and television producers are increasingly portraying supernatural characters and supernatural phenomena in their productions. Several of the new movie releases portray apocalyptic events. Psychic hot lines abound. Even some in the scientific community tell us that in all probability life exists beyond our planet earth. More and more people regularly consult various spiritual mediums in their quest to cope with the postmodern world.



They seem to be saying we have tried education and science and found them lacking. As knowledge increases, and science discovers more and more, we know less and less about the big issues of life. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy:3:1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come., 7).



Many voices are crying out concerning the human condition. Many of them eloquently identify and articulate the root cause of the sense of helplessness and hopelessness that saps our creative energies. When the second leading cause of death for persons under thirty years old is suicide, it takes little discernment to realize the problem is spiritual.



We live in very paradoxical times. On the one hand, the world is enjoying one of the most peaceful periods in human history. One could easily ask why all the fuss? But on the other hand, there is great unrest and dissatisfaction with the human condition. The gap between the rich and poor continues to expand. Crime, disease, immorality, family decay, political corruption, aberrant behavior of all sorts, national and ethnic squabbles, war and rumors of war, apathy and loss of vision and lack of leadership plague people around the world.



The solutions to these problems cannot be solved through science or by politicians. These problems reside deep within the heart and mind of humankind. These problems are spiritual in nature. Solutions can come only from the true source of all spiritual knowledge-the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.



World Ripe for Deception



The peoples of the world have been deceived into believing that there are many gods, or that the true God has manifested Himself in different ways to different cultures. All of the world's major religions are looking for a great spiritual leader to come on the scene at the beginning of the next millennium. Christians are looking for the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. Jews are looking for a Messiah. Hindus are looking for Krishna. Moslems are looking for the Iman Mahdi. Buddhists are looking for the fifth Buddha. New Agers are looking for Maitraya. The world is ripe for great religious deception.



The great end-time deception will parade under the banner of Christianity. The False Prophet will deceive the world into believing that God's true witnesses are the Beast and the False Prophet. So the Beast makes war against God's servants and kills them (Revelation:11:7). "And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation:11:10). One will sit in the temple of God exalting himself above all that is called God while showing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians:2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God., paraphrased).



Even though the two witnesses have power to perform miracles and call fire down from heaven, they will not seek to glorify themselves. Their mission will be to warn people of God's impending judgment upon all nations. Satan will deceive the earth into believing that the plagues the two witnesses inflict upon the peoples of the earth, in an effort to bring them to repentance, are not of God. Satan will cleverly reverse the roles. He will feign the return of Christ and set himself up as God.



Exactly how this deception will take place no one knows for sure, but Christ warns us: "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!''do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew:24:24-27[24]For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.[25]Behold, I have told you before.[26]Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.[27]For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.).



The current pope, John Paul II, believes that after a series of heavenly signs he will be given the authority to create a new universal religious system and rule over a church-state world government.



A former Jesuit Priest, Malachi Martin, in his book, The Keys to This Blood, writes of the current pope's devotion to the visions (apparitions) of Fatima. Martin's book reveals that the political and religious agenda of John Paul II is dramatically influenced by these visions.



Beginning on May 13, 1917, Mary supposedly appeared to three peasant girls over a period of five months. During this time she gave them three secret messages. In brief, these messages elevate Mary to a position of worship, and demands that the world, especially Russia, be consecrated to Mary. The visions also contain various details concerning end time events that will afflict the world at the close of this millennium. For example, the third vision speaks of the great political, military and natural disasters that will come upon the world if the Vatican does not take the actions demanded by the messages. Pope John XXIII and Paul VI allegedly read the messages of Fatima but refused their authority. According to Malachi Martin, Pope John XXIII explained his refusal to his papal successors by stating that, "these [predictions] do not concern our times."



Pontiff Devoted to Fatima Messages



By contrast, John Paul II is totally devoted to carrying out the demands of the Fatima messages. His devotion to the messages was firmly set on the day that the Turkish assassin, Ali Agca, tried to kill him. On May 13, 1981, during a papal audience the Pope noticed a little girl wearing a picture of Mary at Fatima. As the Pope bent over to greet her, Ali Agca fired two shots at his head. The bullets missed their mark because at that instant the pope stooped to greet the child. But the next two shots hit his body. As the Pope recovered from his wounds, he seriously considered the visions of Fatima in relationship to his role in their fulfillment (Final Warning by Grant Jeffrey page 157).



On the first anniversary of the assassination attempt, John Paul held a special service at Fatima in which he affirmed his commitment to obeying the commands in the visions of Fatima. His personal motto is "Totus Tuus" (entirely yours). He publicly professes that his life is motivated and directed by Mary.



John Paul II firmly believes that he is destined to be the pope that fulfills the third vision of Fatima. According to Malachi Martin, the Pope is waiting for a great miraculous intervention from heaven that will stun the world with its display of supernatural power. The event will feature an appearance of Mary in conjunction with the sun.



Martin writes, "He is waiting, rather for an event that will fission human history, splitting the immediate past from the oncoming future. It will be an event on public view in the skies, in the oceans, and on the continental landmasses of this planet. It will particularly involve our human sun, which every day lights up and shines upon…this earth for our eyes. But on the day of this event, it will not appear merely as the master star of our so-called solar system. Rather, it will be seen as the circumambient glory of the Woman whom the apostle describes as 'clothed with the sun' and giving birth to a 'child who will rule the nations with a scepter of iron.' Fissioning it will be as an event, in John Paul's conviction of faith, for it will immediately nullify all the grand designs the nations are now forming and will introduce the Grand Design of man's Maker. John Paul's waiting and watching time will then be over. His ministry as the Servant of the Grand Design will then begin. His strength of will to hold on and continue, and then when the fissioning occurs, to assume that ministry, derives directly from the Petrine authority entrusted solely to him the day he became Pope, in October of 1978. That authority, that strength, is symbolized in the Keys of Peter; washed in the human blood of the God-Man Jesus Christ. John Paul is and will be the sole possessor of the Keys of this Blood on that day" (The Keys of This Blood by Malachi Martin). Martin alleges the Pope believes that this phenomenon will give him the authority to create a new religious order and rule over a new church-state world government.



Marianism Increasingly Popular



Couple the fact of apparitions of Mary occurring all over the world and John Paul's commitment to ecumenism, and you have the formula for great religious deception. These supposed appearances of Mary basically coincide with the visions of Fatima. That is, Mary has been sent to warn the world that unless they repent and become consecrated to her, God will bring severe plagues on the earth.



Web sites dedicated to disseminating Mary's messages to the faithful abound in cyberspace. Of these sites, the Medjugorje site is perhaps the most notable. The site "is dedicated to providing information about one of the most incredible and important supernatural events of our time." Since 1981, Mary has been appearing and giving messages to the world in a small village named Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her messages are communicated through "visionaries." (The "visionaries" Mirjana, Vicka, Jacov and Ivanka, reside in Medjugorje. There is one other visionary, Marija, who currently resides in Italy.) The visionaries receive the pilgrims daily (Medjugorje Web site).



Mary tells the "visionaries" that God has sent her to our world, and that the time she is spending with us is a time of grace granted by God. Millions of people from around the world have visited the site. Thousands of believers claim that they have been healed and converted as a result of visiting Medjugorje. Throughout the month of September in the shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje, 114,000 "holy communions" were distributed and 2,732 priests from around the world concelebrated "Holy Mass."



According to the Medjugorje Web site: "Medjugorje is the continuation of Fatima.... Through her presence in Medjugorje-in this year dedicated to her Son, Savior of the world, she-the mother of God, continues to encourage us to follow the pope, the vicar of Christ, wherever he goes. Medjugorje has become like Fatima, an international center of prayer and of spiritual sustenance for the universal church and, in a particular way, for the ministry of Pope John Paul II. One reason why the Queen of Peace came to the village of Medjugorje was to confirm the 'Totus Tuus' of the Holy Father by helping him carry to the end the immense work the Lord has entrusted to him. This work entrusted by the Lord to the Holy Father, as he himself often recall, is the task of bringing the church in the third millennium."



The Marian Web sites are totally committed to helping John Paul II fulfill the visions of Fatima and Medjugorje. These visions call upon the Vatican and the Pope to usher in a new world order. The pope delivers from time to time "The Novus Ordo (New Order) Mass." The Marian Web site, Yellowstone, greets its visitors by stating: "Welcome to one of the busiest sites on the Internet covering the nefarious new world order from a Christian perspective." Yellowstone offers a book titled "Rebuking the New World Order." In their view, the creation of a new order is reserved for John Paul II. They reason that John Paul's "new order" will derive its authority directly from God. So any other "new order" is of the Devil.



John Paul is working feverishly to unite the people of the world under the banner of religion. In his Papal Encyclical titled, "Ut Unum Sint" (That They May Be One) he writes: "I myself intend to promote every suitable initiative aimed at making the witness of the entire Catholic community understood in its full purity and consistency, especially considering the engagement which awaits the church at the threshold of the new millennium. That will be an exceptional occasion, in view of which she asks the Lord to increase the unity of all Christians until they reach full communion…This is the specific duty of the Bishop of Rome as the successor of the Apostle Peter. I carry out this duty with the profound conviction that I am obeying the Lord, and with a clear sense of my own human frailty…Together with all Christ's disciples, the Catholic Church bases upon God's plan her ecumenical commitment to gather all Christians into unity."



Pope Sees One Spirit in All



The Pope's tactical strategy for bringing the nations of the world together through religious unity centers around the presence and action of the "spirit" in other religions and in the world. In an article titled, "Presence and Action of the Holy Spirit in The World and In Other Religions," Giovanni Cereti writes, "Sincere and full recognition of the Spirits's action in the world and among non-Christians, fully constant with biblical facts, has come about in the Catholic Church above all thanks to the courageous declarations made by John Paul II. In his message addressed from Manila to the people of Asia in 1981, the Pope says he has come as a witness of the Spirit, who [sic] acts in the history of peoples and nations, and whose action thus seems not to be limited to calling non-Christians to the Church.... In his address to the Roman Curia after the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Pope John Paul II stressed once more the universal presence of the Holy Spirit, stating that every authentic prayer is called forth the Holy Spirit, who [sic] is mysteriously present in the heart of every person, Christian or otherwise."



In his Apostolic Letter for the Preparation of the Jubilee of the Year 2000, John Paul explains how he hopes all Christians and peoples of other religions will join hands in a simultaneous celebration of the Jubilee in Rome and in local churches throughout the world. The Pope hopes to create a religious ground swell that will rally the peoples of the earth to help him fulfill the visions of Fatima.



Can you be deceived? The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica urging them to love the truth so they would not be deceived. "And for this reason [not loving the truth] God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the [not a] lie) lie" (2 Thessalonians:2:11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:). What was the great lie that Paul was addressing at Thessalonica? He was warning them not to believe the lie that "the day of Christ had come" (2 Thessalonians:2:2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.). Paul then gave them specific signs to watch for. Then the scene shifts to the end times in which some are deceived because they loved not the truth and were deceived.



In view of the deceptive times in which we live, we must put on the whole armor of God. Now is the time to fill our lamps with oil. This is the time to love the truth. This is the time to search the Scriptures. Now is the time to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. Before Christ's return, Satan will establish a new order that forces the world to worship him. So even though the churches of Europe are empty today, they may be filled tomorrow. This is indeed a time to watch and pray as never before. WNP

.

The Feast of Pentecost: The Firstfruits of God's Harvest

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Feast of Pentecost: The Firstfruits of God's Harvest

Pentecost serves as a reminder that God that grants His Holy Spirit to the firstfruits of His spiritual harvest.

In the process of revealing His plan of salvation for mankind, God established His annual Holy Days around the harvest seasons in the Middle East (Leviticus:23:9-16[9]And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,[10]Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:[11]And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.[12]And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.[13]And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.[14]And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.[15]And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:[16]Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.; Exodus:23:14-16[14]Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.[15]Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)[16]And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.). Just as His people harvested their crops around these three festival seasons, God's Holy Days show us how He is harvesting people for eternal life in His Kingdom.



The Holy Days have meanings that build upon each other. Together they progressively reveal how God works with humanity.



Earlier we saw Passover symbolizing Christ's giving of Himself for us so our sins could be forgiven. We also learned how the Days of Unleavened Bread teach us that we must remove and avoid sin, whether in actions or attitudes. The next festival and Holy Day, Pentecost, builds on this important foundation.



This festival is known by several names that derive from its meaning and timing. Also known as the Feast of Harvest (Exodus:23:16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.), it represents the firstfruits (Numbers:28:26Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:) gathered as the result of the labor of those who completed the spring grain harvests in ancient Israel (Exodus:23:16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.).



It is also called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus:34:22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.), with this name coming from the seven weeks plus one day (50 days in all) that are counted to determine when to celebrate this festival (Leviticus:23:16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.). Similarly, in the New Testament, which was written in Greek, this festival is known as Pentecost (Pentekostos in the original), which means "fiftieth" (W.E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, "Pentecost").



Among Jews the most popular name for this festival is the Feast of Weeks, or shavuot, in Hebrew. When celebrating this festival, many Jewish people recall one of the greatest events in history, God's revealing of the law at Mount Sinai.



But Pentecost doesn't just picture the giving of the law; it also shows—through a great miracle that occurred on the first Pentecost in the early Church—how to keep the spiritual intent of God's laws.



The gift of Pentecost: the Holy Spirit



God chose the first Pentecost after Jesus Christ's resurrection to pour out His Holy Spirit on 120 believers (Acts:1:15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)). "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts:2:1-4[1]And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.[2]And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.[3]And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.[4]And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.).



The speaking in various languages occurred as a crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem, with each visitor hearing the speech of the disciples in his own native tongue (verses 6-11). These astounding events demonstrated the presence of the Holy Spirit.



At first the people of Jerusalem who witnessed this miraculous phenomenon were astonished, with some attributing the actions of the Christians to drunkenness (Acts:2:12-13[12]And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?[13]Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.). The apostle Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly explained the event to the crowd as a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh" (Acts:2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:; Joel:2:28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:).



Peter explained how his listeners could also receive this Spirit: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts:2:38-39[38]Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.[39]For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.).



God used these miracles and Peter's preaching to add 3,000 people to His Church in one day. These converts were all baptized and received the Holy Spirit (verses 40-41). From this pivotal point, God's Spirit has been available to all who truly repent and are properly baptized. The Day or Feast of Pentecost is an annual reminder that God poured out His Spirit to establish His Church, the group of believers who are led by His Spirit.



Why we need God's Spirit



Humanly speaking, no matter how hard we try not to, we still sin (1 Kings:8:46If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;; Romans:3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;). Acknowledging this inherent weakness of humanity, God lamented in Deuteronomy:5:29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!, "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments that it might be well with them and with their children forever!"



Here God explains that humankind has a heart problem. Academic knowledge of the law does not enable us to think like God. Becoming godly in our thoughts, attitudes and actions is beyond the comprehension and ability of men and women without an additional ingredient—God's Spirit.



God's way of thinking produces peace, happiness and concern for others. Jesus complimented a lawyer who correctly quoted the essence of God's law: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind" and "[love] your neighbor as yourself" (Luke:10:27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.). This man quoted Deuteronomy:6:5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. and Leviticus:19:18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD., from two books of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). Jesus here confirmed that the Old Testament Scriptures are based on these two great principles of love (Matthew:22:40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.).



The essence of God's law is love (Romans:13:8-10[8]Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.[9]For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.[10]Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.; 1 Thessalonians:4:9But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.). God gave His commandments because He loves us. Writing to brethren who had God's Spirit, John said, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John:5:2-3[2]By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.[3]For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.).



Because God's Spirit was now residing in the Church, its members could express genuine love. "A new commandment I give to you," Jesus had said, "that you love one another; as I have loved you . . . By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John:13:34-35[34]A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.[35]By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.). God's gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost made it possible for the Church to fully express God's commandments of love.



Jesus Christ: the firstfruits of eternal life



Firstfruits are the first agricultural products to mature and ripen. Throughout the Bible, God uses the analogy of the harvest—and, particularly on Pentecost, firstfruits—to illustrate aspects of His plan of salvation. Israel observed this day in the late spring after the barley and wheat harvests. A special offering of the first ripe grain during the Days of Unleavened Bread, called the wave-sheaf offering, marked the beginning of these harvests, which continued during the next 50 days and led up to Pentecost (Leviticus:23:11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.). This spring harvest was the firstfruits of the yearly agricultural cycle.



One of the first harvest lessons of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ "is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians:15:20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.). The wave-sheaf offering represented Jesus Christ, who was the "firstborn over all creation" and the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians:1:15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:, 18). He presented Himself to God the Father on the Sunday after His resurrection, the same day during the Days of Unleavened Bread on which the first sheaf of grain of the spring harvest was to be waved before God.



Early on the first day of the week (Sunday morning), while it was still dark and after Jesus had already been resurrected (John:20:1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.), Mary Magdalene came to His tomb and discovered that the rock in front of it had already been rolled away. She ran to tell Peter and John that Jesus was no longer in His grave. The two men hurried to see this and verified that Jesus' body was gone (John:20:2-10[2]Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.[3]Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.[4]So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.[5]And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.[6]Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,[7]And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.[8]Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.[9]For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.[10]Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.). Mary also returned and, after Peter and John left, she stood outside the tomb (verse 11). As she wept, Jesus appeared to her but would not allow her to touch Him because He had "not yet ascended" to the Father (John:20:17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.).



Later that same day Jesus appeared again. This time He allowed certain women to touch Him (Matthew:28:9And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.). His own words show that, between the time Mary Magdalene saw Him and the time He allowed the women to touch Him, Christ had ascended to, and had been accepted by, the Father.



The wave-sheaf ceremony God gave to ancient Israel thus represents Jesus Christ's acceptance by His Father as "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians:15:20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.).



The Church as firstfruits



Romans:8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. speaks of Jesus Christ as "the firstborn of many brethren." Yet the New Testament Church is also considered to be firstfruits. In speaking of the Father, James said, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James:1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.).



God's Spirit within us identifies us and sanctifies us—sets us apart as Christians. "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ," wrote Paul, "he is not His," and "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans:8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his., 14).



Paul also referred to the members of the Church as those "who have the firstfruits of the Spirit" (verse 23). He alluded to several first-century Christians as the firstfruits of God's calling (Romans:16:5Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.; 1 Corinthians:16:15I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)).



The significance of the Bible writers calling these people of God firstfruits becomes evident when we consider John:14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.. Here Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."



How many, throughout the centuries, have really accepted and practiced the way of life Jesus taught? Even today many people have simply never heard much, if anything, about Jesus Christ. How will God offer them salvation?



Few people understand that God follows a systematic plan, symbolized by His Holy Days, to save all of humanity by offering all people eternal life in His Kingdom. In this world we are simply at the beginning of the harvest for the Kingdom of God.



The apostle Paul understood this: "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Corinthians:15:20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept., 22-23). Anyone who is now called and chosen by God is included with Christ as God's firstfruits (James:1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.).



The Bible teaches us that God must call people (John:6:44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.; 6:63). Our Creator, therefore, controls the timing of His harvest. When God founded His Church by imparting His Spirit to believers on the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31, He was expanding His spiritual harvest. It was the beginning of what Joel prophesied, that God will ultimately pour out His Spirit on "all flesh" (Joel:2:28-29[28]And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:[29]And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.; Acts:2:14-17[14]But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:[15]For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.[16]But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;[17]And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:).



The Holy Spirit at work



The coming of the Holy Spirit dramatically changed the lives of these early Christians. The book of Acts is filled with accounts of the early Church's remarkable spiritual impact on the surrounding society. A transformation was so evident that nonbelievers accused the Christians of "turning the world upside down" (Acts:17:6And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;). Such was the dynamic, miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.



To fully grasp how God's Spirit can work with us, we must comprehend what the Holy Spirit is. It is not a person who, along with God the Father and Christ the Son, forms a "Holy Trinity." In Scripture the Holy Spirit is described as the power of God at work in our lives (Acts:1:8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.; Romans:15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost., 19), the same power that was at work in the ministry of Jesus Christ (Luke:4:14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.; Acts:10:38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.). (To learn more about what the Holy Spirit is, read our free booklets Who Is God? and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.)



This divine power allows us to be "led by the Spirit of God" (Romans:8:14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.). It was this same power that transformed the lives of the early Christians and is the power working in the Church today. Paul told Timothy that God's Spirit is a "spirit of . . . power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy:1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.).



Pentecost serves as an annual reminder that our Creator still works miracles, granting His Spirit to those called to be the firstfruits of His spiritual harvest, empowering them to carry out His work in this world.

Caught! On Facebook

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Caught! On Facebook


article by Carol Taylor





Even if you remove material from a Web site, it is cached by search engines and Internet archives. Once you post a picture, a video or text, it is out there, and you cannot get it back. Ever!



Intending to interview a promising young student, Ana Homayoun of Green Ivy Educational Consulting visited the girl's page on Facebook. She found explicit photographs and commentary about the student's sexual escapades, drinking and pot smoking. "I was just shocked by the amount of stuff that she was willing to publicly display," Ms. Homayoun said. "When I saw that, I thought, 'Okay, so much for that.'"



The wonder (as well as the potential danger) of the Internet is the ease with which anyone can find, download or publish information and pictures. Virtually all that is posted on the Web, whether protected or not, can be copied and reposted somewhere else.



And as Michael Sciola, director of the Career Resource Center at Wesleyan University, says: "People who use social sites should understand that any information that appears online is there forever and cannot be deleted. Even material that is withdrawn from the Web is cached by search engines and Internet archives. These things have consequences. Once you put stuff up, it is out there, and it is gone. You cannot get it back" (Diane Lewis, "Job Applicants' Online Musings Get Hard Look," The Boston Globe, March 30, 2006, emphasis added).



Andy Beal (coauthor of Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online) reveals that 78 percent of recruiters use search engines in their research when they screen new candidates. He adds that a startling 35 percent of recruiters say they have eliminated a candidate because of something they found on the Web.



Some of the postings that damage credibility are provocative or inappropriate photographs or information. Other problems include evidence of the candidate drinking or using drugs, showing poor communication skills, making discriminatory comments, lying about qualifications, sharing confidential information from previous employers, and bad-mouthing previous employers, coworkers or clients.



David Gerwitz, an author who specializes in technology and security issues, tells social networkers, "Every tweet, every post is being actively indexed by different search engines. It's going to be available in perpetuity" (David Phelps, "Imprudent Posts Online Can Sabotage a Job Search," Star Tribune, July 5, 2009).



Social networking sites can help us keep in touch and be a great place for networking. But they can also ruin reputations and careers—perhaps forever. Every comment, every link, every picture and even every friend's picture that you allow on your private site is a potential reputation killer. (You're known by the company you keep!)



And it's not just social networking sites that can get you in trouble. Any video, text message, e-mail, blog and picture can be found, uploaded or scanned into the computer and posted on the Internet for all to see.



There is great wisdom in Proverbs:22:1A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." With that in mind, realize that you can ruin your good name with just one sleazy picture or comment. As Ann Doss Helms of The Charlotte Observer says, "Never put in electronic form anything that you wouldn't want viewed by a million people, including your colleagues, students, and supervisors—and your mother" ("Teachers Disciplined for Facebook Postings," Nov. 12, 2008). VT



For further reading see:



"How to Protect Your Online Reputation" by Amanda Berlin, July 1, 2009 - Forbes.com



"Is Facebook Your 'Permanent Record'?" by Sarah Perez, Feb. 4, 2008 - ReadWriteWeb.com

.

World News and Trends: The Arab uprising and Iran's hostility toward Israel

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

World News and Trends: The Arab uprising and Iran's hostility toward Israel


article by Jerold Aust, John Ross Schroeder





In the wake of the uprisings in a number of Arab countries, the former head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Richard Dearlove, revealed some hard truths to an audience in Chatham House in London.



The Jewish Chronicle's political editor, Martin Bright, reported: "One of Britain's top spies has described the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood [centered in Egypt] as ‘at heart a terrorist organisation' and labelled Hamas and Hizbollah as surrogates of the Iranian state" ("Britain's Former Spy Chief: MI6 Kept Secrets From Israel, Hamas Iran's Puppet," April 1, 2011, emphasis added throughout).



Dearlove personally said: "I, for one, have absolutely no illusions about what the Muslim Brotherhood is, or can be. It can be a social organisation. It can be a political organisation. But it is at heart, in my view, a terrorist organisation."



Bright reports him as adding "that the Muslim Brotherhood was by far the most organised political movement in Egypt." Dearlove spoke of both Hamas and Hezbollah in terms of their behavior toward Israel as "Iranian surrogates."



Extreme Islamist elements, particularly in Iran, still want to eliminate the Jewish state. Some countries in this region still have not recognized Israel. We should not forget these hard facts. (Source: The Jewish Chronicle [London].)

.

Kitchen Table Economics

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Kitchen Table Economics


article by Darris McNeely





There are times when households reach the end of their financial resources and have to declare bankruptcy. Their income cannot meet their debts. Has America come to such a defining moment?







Break old habits and begin to get control of your personal finances.



Source: Photos.comOne of my uncles was a farmer who hit on hard times and had to declare bankruptcy. I well remember the night he and his wife came to my parents' home, sat down at our kitchen table and spread out their financial papers. They had some paperwork to accomplish and file with the court before they left town. Their eldest son had found factory work out of state, and they were traveling north to join him, in hopes that they too would find hourly work to enable them to get a fresh start in life.



My uncle was a small farmer, and too many bad years finally caught up with him. I remember the hushed talk that night in our home as he and my parents went over their plight and what that would mean for the family. Sound financial management is vital to the family unit—and to society at large. It makes the difference between stability and chaos—for both households and entire nations.



The United States is bankrupt

The United States of America is facing a defining moment in its history. On April 18, 2011, as CNNMoney reports, "S&P [Standard & Poor's], one of the three main agencies that rate the ability of companies and sovereign nations to repay their debts, lowered its outlook for America's long-term credit rating to 'negative' from 'stable.' The change means that there is a one-in-three chance that S&P could downgrade the nation's 'AAA' credit rating within two years. That would make it harder for the U.S. government to borrow money to fund its activities" (April 19, 2011).



The sad reality is that the country is fiscally bankrupt, and unless it makes some fundamental changes it will decline as a great power. Other countries will not only take America's place in the world but will also dictate much of its future.



Anyone who honestly looks at the amount of debt we owe and the obligations coming due in the future can see that we don't have the money in hand and currently owe more than we can pay. President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the next fiscal year nearly doubles the current debt position.



No one with an ounce of fiscal sanity can stand by and watch this train wreck about to happen without asking serious questions about the future of the country. Entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are unsustainable. Promises made to a generation of Americans cannot be met without the United States government going deeper in debt to other nations who are willing to finance our profligate spending patterns.



China, Japan and Saudi Arabia have been willing to buy our bonds and treasury bills, in effect loaning us money to finance what we cannot afford. They hold our future in their hands. Like any bank or lending institution, they can call that debt by demanding payment. If you cannot pay you have to return the goods or declare insolvency. For an individual this is bankruptcy. For a nation it could mean economic servitude.



Grasping the scope of the problem

When we speak of trillions of dollars of national debt it's hard to really picture what that means. The Wall Street Journal recently carried a story with an illustration that brings this subject home to the kitchen table. Freshman Republican Congressman Mick Mul-vaney of South Carolina explained to a group of his constituents just how serious America's debt problems are. "It's much, much worse than I had expected," he stated.



"Picture, he suggested, a family of four with an income of $46,000, annual costs of $78,000, and a credit-card debt of $281,000. That drew a gasp from the audience of mostly older voters. The figures are roughly proportionate to federal government revenue, annual outlays and the accumulated national debt, he said" (April 1, 2011).



I think we all know what that would mean if you were sitting around your kitchen table. The answer would be to file for bankruptcy, sell your assets to pay what you could to creditors and hope for a new start.



When we hear figures of billions and trillions of dollars of national debt we instantly glaze over. No one really understands how much money a trillion dollars is. Mention that America's debt could reach $14 trillion and we tune out. But bring it down to what that means for a family of four and we begin to get the picture.



The United States has been able to avoid the consequences of massive debt for a number of reasons. Macroeconomics works a bit differently than microeconomics, the level where the average person functions. Because of its size, power and scale of population, a large nation can go a long time without paying back outstanding debt to the rest of the world. America has been running budget deficits for decades, and because other nations have reason to accept and enable this behavior the situation continues.



Enabling factors

One reason is that America is the world's largest consumer nation. China's rise in recent decades has been tied to America's demand for cheap labor to produce things it wanted. Japan's earlier rise was based on this to some degree as well. It has been to these nations' advantage to see America remain in this position. If financing U.S. debt is perceived as good for business, then that's what is done.



Arab nations like Saudi Arabia produce oil that fuels America's, and much of the world's, economy. Petro dollars are good for the region and its ruling governments.



Factor in the military might of America. It protected Europe from the Soviets during the Cold War, sheltered Japan from encroachment by other Asian powers and kept the sea lanes of global commerce free and open for the world economy. The desire to maintain America in its protective role is part of why key nations have been willing partners in its descent into debtor status.



Could this come to change?



It could through any number of ways. Imagine one scenario: To finance America's debt the U.S. Federal Reserve prints more and more dollars. Since many of the basic commodities like food and fuel are denominated in dollars, this flooding of markets creates a rise in costs, called inflation. More dollars chasing fewer goods, or goods in greater demand, create a problem. (See "A Note About Inflation".)



When a person in Damascus or Cairo can't afford the rise in food costs and has to go without, it causes unrest. This leads to food riots and the potential for other instability. A commentator recently wrote, "When the Fed sneezes money, the weak economies of the world, and the poor masses who are highly vulnerable to price rises in the necessities of life, catch pneumonia."



The Middle East is already seeing massive instability. Unrest is leading to change in governments, some of which may not be as friendly to American interests in the region. They will not be able to withstand domestic upheaval. If such unrest is linked to American fiscal policy, you have another reason for some to turn from old alliances to pursue their own self-interest.



Back to the kitchen table

Prices are rising in America as well. Food prices are going up, and gasoline is approaching (and in some places now over) $4 per gallon. While this is catching up with the rest of the world, it can't help but have an impact on the American consumer. When jobs and incomes do not keep up with inflation, cuts in lifestyle will be dictated. Those prepared can manage. Those who aren't will face constricting challenges.



Lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have been making proposals to begin to deal with the budget deficits. Proposals introduced in early April target the nation's health care and social entitlement programs. Changes to the tax structure are also on the table. If such changes are enacted, and if other world factors remain stable, there is some hope that America could pull out of the decline and return to fiscal stability.



Which brings me back to the kitchen table.



My uncle's bankruptcy taught him a big lesson. He moved out of a farming career to which he was not suited. The day of the small farmer was passing, and he needed to move on to other work. He found it in a factory and went on to make a living wage and another life. He later retired and moved back to our home area and died at a good age. He never again filed for bankruptcy.



You and I live in a highly challenging period, with the opportunity to learn deep and enduring lessons. Massive, uncontrollable debt is not good. As we watch large nations struggle with crippling debt loads, we are offered the chance to change our own immediate behavior regarding money. It's as if God is giving you and me the chance to prioritize our values and bring our spending habits in line with our income—to live a realistic life with the income we have.



Perhaps this is the one opportunity you will have to break old habits and begin to get control of your personal finances. If you choose to do so, we can help. We have a free booklet, Managing Your Personal Finances, that presents a biblical foundation for financial management. It offers practical advice along with budgeting tools to help you turn around this part of your life. You can read or download it at our website or request a copy from the address on the inside cover of this magazine.



Sit down at your kitchen table. Take a completely honest look at your income and expenses. Do something today's lawmakers find difficult to do, and get control of your financial life.

.