Signs of the Times

[Barbara]

Cont'd...

Ida's aftermath traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and set a 24 hour rain record on Nov 20 in Great Britain - the highest total since record keeping began in 1727. Britains Met Office said a record 12.3 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in the Cumbria area - the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the UK.
     Queen Elizabeth II said she was "deeply concerned and saddened by the dreadful flooding across Britain."
     Ha'aretz reported that on Tuesday, Nov 3, British Foreign Sec'y David Miliband criticized Israel's construction of settlements in the West Bank as "illegal" and said they represented an obstacle in the path of peace.
     "Settlements are illegal in our view and an obstacle 'that impedes efforts which seek to work out a final settlement between the Israelis and Palestians,' Miliband told a press conference at the end of a one day visit to Jordan and talks with King Abdullah II.
      Miliband supported the establishment of an Independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and expressed concern over Israeli violations in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War."
             
It seems Jerusalem is becoming a burdensome stone...and from what I've read in my Bible, Israel is not leaving. Our leaders just don't get it, do they? God doesn't like His land divided...

[nChrist]

It seems Jerusalem is becoming a burdensome stone...and from what I've read in my Bible, Israel is not leaving. Our leaders just don't get it, do they? God doesn't like His land divided...

Most politicians around the world have no clue at all, certainly including the politicians in Israel. There is more than enough in the Old Testament for the Old Testament Bible Scholars in Israel to know what's going on, but they're temporarily blinded. I mentioned this because most in Israel reject the New Testament. I'm convinced that the vast majority of the people in Israel have no clue what is about to happen. By the way, I firmly believe that it could start happening any day now. I don't say this claiming any special revelation, just common sense in looking at world events through the lens of God's Word.

Nobody knows what the world will do to the borders of Israel during the Tribulation Period, but Christians know what Jesus Christ will do with Israel's borders after His Second Coming. I find it very sad knowing that the people of Israel have no clue that they will have their Promised Kingdom, King, and Messiah. When will Ezekiel 38 and 39 be fulfilled? Only God knows, but students of Bible Prophecy think it will be soon. Why? - The conditions and players are lined up and ready to go. The fuses for the powder kegs appear to be lit and edging ever closer to the powder.

In the meantime:

Romans 11:7-10 (KJV)  7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded   8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.   9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:   10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Shammu]

Bible is most-stolen book during holidays
Reported by: Janet Kwak 

SAN ANTONIO -- Noah's Ark Christian Bookstore sees about one to two Christian items stolen every year.

This holiday season, it's seeing three to four items missing from its shelves.

"I can see the need people have, they need to buy more but don't have the means to do it," store manager Maria Obregon says.

You can't ignore the irony of the situation. The book that read, "Thou shalt not steal" is also one of the most-stolen books in the world. In San Antonio, Bible bandits are on the rise. Local bookstores say it's a problem they see year-round. They attribute it to a slow economy, and people turning to God in tough times.

"It hurts the cash register," claims Obregon.

Bibles at Noah's Ark can cost anywhere from $10 to $70. So the holy heist could hurt the bottom line. Security cameras are put in place to watch those going astray, but Obregon doesn't expect the thieves to return with their stolen goods.

"So I just bless them that they can [use it] and read it," she says.

Obregon also works out deals with her customers who are spending on a budget. Oftentimes, she says she gives discounts, or even hands out free Bibles for new believers.

Bible is most-stolen book during holidays

[nChrist]

Bible is most-stolen book during holidays
Reported by: Janet Kwak

Fascinating article! It is the most needed book by the world.

[Barbara]

Jesus the Socialist
by Cal Thomas

Apparently not content with his congressional majority that wishes to force Americans on a long march to health care disaster, Obama has invoked the name of Jesus to broadcast his gospel of spreading the wealth.
     Speaking Monday afternoon to a group of children from Wash D.C, Boys and Girls Club, Obama delivered a mini-sermon on "why we celebrate Christmas." He asked the children if they knew.
     Obama spoke of what Jesus "symbolizes for people all around the world", which he said is "the possibility of peace and treating each other with respect". And then in the best tradition of community organizer, he said Jesus is about "doing something for other people."
     Even the three wise men were invoked to support Obamas idea of wealth redistribution: "...these guys have all this money, they've got all this wealth and power, and they took a long trip to a manger just to see a little baby."
     And what conclusion should be drawn from that journey? Obama told the children, "...it just shows you that because you're powerful or you're wealthy, that's not what's important. What's important is...the kind of spirit you have."

 Contd...

[Barbara]

Cont'd...

To Obama, this means the spirit of government taking from the productive and giving to the nonproductive. To him, Jesus is a socialist or perhaps an early Robin Hood. Any first year seminarian (if the seminary is a good one) could destroy this flawed exegesis.
     Jesus of Nazareth was NOT a symbol. Neither was He just a good teacher as some who do not fully accept His teachings about Himself would like to claim. As Paul, the apostle put it "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." (1 Timothy 1:15, NIV).
     The call of Scripture is to do for other people as we would like to have them done to us, but that call is personal, NOT CORPORATE. That's because only people can be compassionate. A government check too often brings dependence and a sense of entitlement. A personal touch builds relationships horizontally with others and vertically with God. 
KOENIGS PERSPECTIVE: Today it is accepted in major international religious meetings to portray Jesus Christ as one who was interested in social issues, BUT there is immediate rejection of those that say HE IS THE MESSIAH, the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, and the ONLY PATHWAY TO GOD.

[nChrist]

Hello Sister Barbara,

All I can say is that it makes me SICK to learn that Obama is invoking the Holy Name of Jesus Christ to advance his communist/socialist/fascist agenda. Obama is two-faced, and I seriously doubt that he knows Jesus Christ at all.

[Shammu]

LAPD plans to run its youth program without Boy Scouts
From news services
Posted: 12/22/2009 04:57:15 PM PST

The Los Angeles Police Department's Explorers youth program will end its nearly 50-year relationship with the Boys Scouts of America, pledging not to tolerate discrimination.

As of New Year's Day, LAPD Deputy Chief Earl Paysinger said the department will run the youth program under a different name independent of the Boy Scouts, with the program being funded in part through donations.

The Boy Scouts started the Explorers program in 1949 as a career-oriented program for boys.

The LAPD began participating in 1962. Since 1998, the LAPD has been running the Explorers program while Learning for Life - an organization created by the Boy Scouts - provided insurance coverage to participants.

But the Police Commission voted last month to sever ties with Learning for Life, saying the Boys Scouts' policy of barring gays, atheists and agnostics from being troop leaders violates the city's non-discrimination policies.

"It's bittersweet in the sense that the Boy Scouts or Learning for Life have been part of this for a long time - in name only - but the LAPD is committed to a better program and we can do that without having discrimination," said Police Commissioner Alan Skobin.

Commissioner Robert Saltzman, who is openly gay, said that because he cannot support the Boy Scouts, he has invested a lot of time to ensure the new youth program is "as good or - I'm confident - better than the program it replaces."

"The Boy Scouts are clear that they discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity and religion, and the result of that is I could not be active on the Boy Scouts," Saltzman said.

LAPD's Explorer program provides training to youths ages 14 to 20 who are interested in law enforcement careers. About 1,000 Explorers are assigned to the 20 police stations around the city.

Wearing special uniforms, they help officers with searches for evidence and provide crowd control at special events. They also provide tours of police stations, assist with clerical work and participate in educational camping trips.

The Boy Scouts' policy of banning gays from being troop leaders faced legal challenges in the 1990s. However, the Supreme Court ruled the Boy Scouts had the right to decide who can join its ranks.

The Boy Scouts had argued that accepting gays would violate its constitutional right to freedom of association and free speech.

LAPD plans to run its youth program without Boy Scouts

[nChrist]

LAPD plans to run its youth program without Boy Scouts
From news services
Posted: 12/22/2009 04:57:15 PM PST

The Los Angeles Police Department's Explorers youth program will end its nearly 50-year relationship with the Boys Scouts of America, pledging not to tolerate discrimination.

Par for the course of an Ultra-Liberal city government and a gay commissioner. This is extremely sad for the good kids involved in that program. The people there need to take their government back.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mediterranean Union to name Arab head





The nascent Mediterranean Union is “very close” to naming its first secretary general, who will be from an Arab country, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Tuesday.

He was speaking at a news conference in Madrid before leaving for Cairo to attend a meeting of representatives of member states.

The Mediterranean Union “is very close to naming its secretary general,” who will be a representative of an Arab country, Moratinos said.

He said an announcement, which could come as soon as Tuesday evening, would allow the Union to prepare for its second planned summit, scheduled for Barcelona in June as part of Spain’s six-month EU presidency.

Launched at a Paris summit in July 2008, the Mediterranean Union groups EU member states with countries in North Africa, the Balkans, the Arab world as well as Israel in a bid to foster cooperation in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

But the project was the victim of the 22-day war in the Gaza Strip that ended on January 18 last year as Arab countries have refused to sit next to Israel.

France announced last month that the foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Jordan, Spain and Tunisia would meet in early January in Cairo to try to revive the grouping.

[nChrist]

Thanks Pastor Roger!

It's fascinating to watch things develop.

[Shammu]

Music can be banned if it even sounds religious
Supreme Court won't hear case where officials censored melody
Posted: March 22, 2010
8:09 pm Eastern

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

A public school has banned performance of an instrumental version of "Ave Maria" at its high-school graduation simply because the superintendent fears it might sound religious – and the U.S. Supreme Court is allowing the ban to stand by refusing to hear the case.

Kathryn Nurre, a former student at Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett, Wash., brought the action against Carol Whitehead, superintendent of Everett School District, alleging that she engaged in unjustified censorship of expression.

Nurre, a member of the Jackson High School Wind Ensemble who played alto saxophone, received her high school diploma in June 2006. The group was expected to perform at the graduation ceremony, and 17 students unanimously chose Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria" as their selection.

Their performance would be purely instrumental, with no singing or lyrics.

However, upon learning of the selection, Jackson High School Principal Terry Cheshire contacted District Executive Director Lynn Evans, who in turn contacted Superintendent Whitehead.

"Without student input or involvement, the administrators unilaterally decided to prohibit the seniors from playing 'Ave Maria' at the graduation," the complaint states.

Whitehead testified, saying "We made the decision that because the title of the piece would be on the program and it's 'Ave Maria' and that many people would see that as religious in nature, that we would ask the band to select something different."

According to court documents, no one at the meeting admitted to knowing the meaning of the words "Ave Maria" – "Hail Mary" in Latin. However, they agreed that it seemed to have a religious connotation.

At Whitehead's direction, an e-mail was sent to high school principals with guidelines on music selections for graduation ceremonies. It insisted that the music be "entirely secular in nature."

The students asked if they could play "Ave Maria" if they identified it only as "A selection by Franz Biebl" on the program. But Principal Cheshire said doing so would not be "ethical."

Instead, the students were forced to perform a movement from Gustav Holst's "Second Suite for Military Band" at the commencement ceremony.

Attorneys for the Rutherford Institute filed suit against the school district in June 2006. Nurre alleged the school district deprived her of her rights under 1) the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, 2) the Establishment Clause of the 14th Amendment and 3) the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The district court ruled against Nurre, and the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the judgment.

In a 2009 dissenting opinion, Circuit Judge Milan Smith expressed his view that Nurre's First Amendment rights were violated and his fear that the decision could lead "public school administrators to chill – or even kill – musical and artistic presentations by their students ... where those presentations contain any trace of religious inspiration, for fear of criticism by a member of the public, however extreme that person's views might be."

The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit legal group, asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in December, but the Court has now refused the request.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito blasted the court for rejecting the case.

"When a public school purports to allow students to express themselves, it must respect the students' free speech rights," Alito stated in his six-page opinion on the case. "School administrators may not behave like puppet masters who create the illusion that students are engaging in personal expression when in fact the school administration is pulling the strings."

Likewise, John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, said he is disappointed in the Court's decision to let the lower court ruling against Nurre stand.

"Free speech in the public schools is on life support," he said. "With this decision, the Supreme Court may have pulled the plug. It's a sad day for freedom in America."

[nChrist]

"Free speech in the public schools is on life support," he said. "With this decision, the Supreme Court may have pulled the plug. It's a sad day for freedom in America."

Yes, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.