Westy Seed Sower

Open Doors' World Watch List: NKorea, 9 Islamist Countries Worst Christian Persecutors

2012-01-08T16:42:00.002-07:00

Christians face the most severe religious persecution in North Korea and nine Islamic states, according to Open Doors USA’s annual World Watch List.

North Korea heads the list, released Wednesday, for the 10th consecutive year. This is the first time that the other nine are all Islamist nations, according to the Santa Ana, Calif.-based organization, which counts 38 Islamist nations on its list of 50.

Afghanistan moved to its highest ranking in the list’s history at No. 2. Rounding out the top 10 are Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Iraq, and Pakistan.

“Christians often face persecution from extremists, the government, their community and even their own families,” said Carl Moeller, president and CEO of Open Doors USA. “While many thought the Arab Spring would bring increased freedom, including religious freedom for minorities, that certainly has not been the case so far.”

North Korea deserves the dubious top spot on the list, Open Doors said. With a quasi religion built around Kim Il Sung, who founded the country, individuals with another god are persecuted. An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Christians in North Korea remain underground, and around 50,000 to 70,000 Christians in the country are confined to prison camps, the organization reported.

Even after feared dictator Kim Jong Il’s recent death, Christians in North Korea still face danger, Moeller said.

“Certainly the situation for believers remains perilous,” Moeller said. “Please pray with me that the Lord will open up North Korea and there will be religious freedom to worship the one, true God, not the gods of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung.”

North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Uzbekistan are the only representatives on the list from the eight nations that the State Department designates as “countries of particular concern” for violations of religious freedoms. Others are Eritrea at 11th; Sudan at 16; China, 21; and Burma, 33.

The Open Doors rankings are compiled from questionnaires that members of Christian ministries answer and experts evaluate.

Source - Newsmax.com

Shock: 40% of New York pregnancies aborted

2012-01-08T15:47:00.001-07:00

With the highest abortion rate in the nation, nearly double the 23% national average, New York continues to be a place that babies in the womb cannot love.

New York City Department of Health released data that shows that 83,750 abortions were performed in New York City in 2010, which translated to 40% of all pregnancies, down from 41% in 2009.

The Bronx saw a staggering 48% of pregnancies end in abortion. The city lost 38,574 African-Americans babies to abortion, a dumbfounding 60% of the city’s African-American pregnancies.

“In parts of the city more than half of all pregnancies end in abortion - this is very, very disturbing,” said Greg Pfundstein, Executive Director of the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a pro-life organization that says it was instrumental in the city’s decision to itemize the abortion and pregnancy statistics and release them in a more timely manner.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Michigan Minister Opens Tattoo Parlor in His Church

2012-01-08T15:12:00.002-07:00

A Michigan pastor who says he's doing everything he can to reach out to people who don't feel comfortable at a traditional house of worship has opened a tattoo parlor inside his church.

Rev. Steve Bentley of The Bridge, a church located inside a Flint Township shopping center, said his ministry is built on the belief that mainstream religion has become ineffective and irrelevant to most people. To that end, he opened Serenity Tattoo.

Tattoo artists Ryan Brown and Drew Blaisdell work by appointment or from noon until 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday, at the county-licensed tattoo shop that sits not far from Bentley's office as well as the watering trough that he uses for baptisms.

Bentley, who has two tattoos, said he understands some don't like the idea of Serenity Tattoo inside the church, but the pastor considers tattooing a "morally neutral" practice that he likens to getting one's ears pierced.

"We are about doing church in a different way and being relevant to people," Bentley told The Flint Journal. "You can get a tattoo in a clean environment. You can do it while still sticking to your moral code."

Brown is a recovering alcoholic who said the atmosphere inside the church building has helped to keep him focused and on the right path.

"I was running my own studio. I was just working. There wasn't much purpose in it," he said. "I was struggling with whether I could keep my studio" and stay sober.

"I prayed a lot and decided the best thing was to close it and come to the church. I figured I could have a lot more positive impact" here, Brown said.

The church owns 30,000 square feet inside the Flint-area shopping center.

Bentley said about 1,000 people call The Bridge their home church, and up to 500 in total attend his three weekend services.

The pastor makes an effort to talk to all who visit Serenity Tattoo, he said, although not all end up checking out the church.

Source - FoxNews

PASTOR’S WIFE & JUMPOFF THROW DOWN IN CHURCH

2012-01-08T15:01:00.001-07:00

Shocked church members say a fight broke out at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis last Sunday during the Communion services! The members watched as two women threw down right in the middle of service and the police had to be called.

Since the fight, cops have launched a FULL investigation to get to the bottom of this mess! Even though news reports claim it was three church members, insiders and the church’s message boards are reporting it was the first lady and the pastor’s mistress who got into the fight! DANG! In the church?!

Soon after the fight between the two women kicked off, a brawl between two families sparked near the church’s choir section, reports WMCTV who also reports that Beverly Milam, her nemesis Terry Bell, and Bell’s daughter, Charra Lumpkin, were at the center of the throw down.

Bell and Milam revealed that the fight began over a verbal confrontation during Bible study where Milam told Bell to “stop sleeping with somebody” which led to Bell getting in her face.

At the fight in church on Sunday, both women are claiming the other one started it. Bell claims Milam hit her daughter, while Milam claims Angel, Bell’s friend, hit her in the face with an umbrella and that’s when family ‘jumped in.’ Oh snap!

Later, officers arrived on the church scene and separated the women and others from fighting.

No one was arrested. Milam was treated at the church, for a slightly swollen and bloodshot right eye, while the other two (Bell and Lumpkin, who both suffered from scratch marks to their neck and upper chest) refused medical treatment.

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An Epidemic of Apostasy – Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to Become Accredited

2012-01-02T18:14:00.001-07:00

Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case, you will find contemplative spirituality and its “pioneers” such as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Henri Nouwen. Spiritual Formation is based on “spiritual disciplines” that can be practiced by people of any faith to make them more “Christ-like.” Rebirth through Jesus Christ and regeneration through the Holy Spirit are not essential. Rather it is a works-based ”theology” that has strong roots in Roman Catholicism and ancient paganism.

Contemplative Spirituality: A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common terms used for this movement are “spiritual formation,” “the silence,” “the stillness,” “ancient-wisdom,” “spiritual disciplines,” and many others.

What do Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Biola Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Urshan Graduate School of Theology, Briercrest College and Seminary, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Moody Theological Seminary & Graduate School and around 240 other seminaries throughout North America all have in common? They are all accredited through the Association of Theological Seminaries (ATS).

What do Cincinnati Christian University, Columbia International University, Eston College, Hope International University, Moody Bible Institute, Multnomah University, Nazarene Bible College, and Prairie Bible College and about 90 other colleges and seminaries throughout North America all have in common? They are all accredited through the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

What do the two accreditation organizations – Association of Theological Seminaries and Association for Biblical Higher Education - have in common? Both associations require schools that wish to be accredited to include Spiritual Formation within the school’s infrastructure. Just what exactly does that mean for these 350 some seminaries and Bible colleges? Well, it means that if they want to receive and maintain their accreditation, they are going to have to incorporate Spiritual Formation (i.e., contemplative spirituality) into the lives of their students.

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African Warlord Who Killed 20,000 People Repents; Now Christian Evangelist

2012-01-02T18:04:00.002-07:00

It’s a story of transformation that has surprised thousands and shocked all who have heard: a brutal African warlord with a violent past finds Christ and dramatically turns his life around.

Selected for The Economist Film Project, an initiative by The Economist in partnership with PBS NewsHour, “The Redemption of General Butt Naked” is a chilling documentary about the changed life of Joshua Milton Blahyi, once dubbed to be one of Liberia’s most feared warlords.

Now renouncing his violent past – which includes confessing to killing nearly 20,000 people during Liberia’s 14-year civil war – after converting to Christianity, Blahyi seeks to reinvent himself as an evangelist, traveling the nation as a preacher and asking for forgiveness from those whom he had hurt in the past.

Filmmakers Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion spent five years with Blahyi, closely following his troubled life as he sought forgiveness from his former soldiers and his numerous victims.

Strauss had become interested in Blahyi after he read about him in a book called The World’s Most Dangerous Places.

“It was just a tiny blurb about a notorious warlord who had killed thousands and was now walking the streets preaching truth and reconciliation,” Strauss told The Los Angeles Times. “I wondered, ‘Could someone like this really exist?’”

“Was transformation this extreme even possible?” Anastasion added. “And how would that play out in the real world?”

Offering a glimpse into their questions through their documentary, the filmmakers created “The Redemption of General Butt Naked,” highlighting faith and forgiveness.

“The film forces [viewers] to question the very nature of what true, meaningful reconciliation looks like in a country where justice has not been available,” the film’s website noted.

“It’s only Christianity that can help this nation, because Christianity, it is the only belief, the only faith that tell you to love your enemies, that tell you to accept and forgive the one who hurts you,” Blahyi stated in an excerpt from the movie, according to PBS.

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Christianity - world's most persecuted religion

2011-12-10T09:10:00.001-07:00

Christian believers all over the world have found themselves in jeopardy amid massive attacks on Christians and Christianity in the Middle East, North and South Africa and South East Asia. Unless appropriate measures are taken, the Christian civilization will vanish completely, warn the participants in the International Conference on the Freedom of Religion and Discrimination against Christians, which is currently under way in Moscow. The religious forum has brought together representatives of Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic communities and religious experts from Russia and countries of the near and far abroad.

About 100 million Christians worldwide are suffering persecution and thousands die in religious conflicts. The biggest number of persecutions against Christians is taking place in the countries of Africa and the Middle East, said Metropolitan Hilarion, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church’s Foreign Relations Department:

"In Libya, Christians have been leaving the country en masse following the toppling of Gaddafi’s regime and the coming to power of the National Transitional Council. According to the Open Doors human rights watchdog, 75 percent of Christians have left Libya. Tunisia’s government advocated the principle of religious tolerance before the revolution. Right after the revolution, Christians in Tunisia began to come under frequent attacks and a number of Christian churches were seized and turned into mosques."

Anti-Christian sentiment has become strong in Egypt, which reports new victims among Christians regularly, and in Iraq. Christian believers come under fierce attacks in Algeria, Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the Philippines.

The main reasons for this anti-Christian campaign lie in the loss of Christian roots and European secularism when secular authorities aim to oust religion from public life. Governments tend to regard religion as superfluous, a trend which is fraught with danger, Archbishop Josef Ender of the Vatican, says.

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12 nurses sue over being forced to help with abortions

2011-12-04T15:32:00.003-07:00

A dozen nurses have filed a lawsuit against a hospital run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey over a plan that would coerce them to help with abortions, and they want an injunction right away as the hospital has scheduled them to be in the operating rooms as early as Friday.

And the complaint asks that the hospital be told to return some $60 million to the federal government, too.

Federal law prohibits hospitals that receive certain types of federal funds from forcing workers to help with abortions, according to the case brought by the Alliance Defense Fund.

Further, New Jersey law states, "No person shall be required to perform or assist in the performance of an abortion or sterilization."

"Pro-life nurses shouldn't be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs," said Matt Bowman, legal counsel for the organization. "No [fewer] than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections.

"That is flatly illegal," he said.

Click to read the rest of the article.here

FCC cracks down on religious broadcasters

2011-12-04T15:12:00.003-07:00

If a church broadcasts the word of God on TV without closed captions, it risks incurring the wrath of the FCC.

Some 300 small- to medium-sized churches can expect letters from the commission within the next few days explaining why their closed captioning exemptions were lifted for TV shows like “Power in the Word” and “Producing Kingdom Citizens.”

The FCC has been mailing the letters for the past few days to churches from Maine to California, explaining that the hundreds of exemptions are now rescinded and giving the programmers 90 days to reapply.

The churches were granted FCC exemptions from the closed captioning requirement under a 2006 commission decision known as the “Anglers Order” for the Anglers for Christ Ministries program that had argued for exemption from the rules.

While the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau used the Anglers Order as the model to grant at least 298 other exemptions, the full commission overturned that decision Oct. 20 after objections were raised from a coalition of organizations for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The churches may still be eligible to win an exemption from the rules if they can prove they can’t afford closed captioning, but they now have to make their case individually.

“This was a process that went awry,” said Craig Parshall, senior vice president of the National Religious Broadcasters, an international association of Christian communicators. “Now, we are going back to Square One.”

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Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T22:24:00.002-06:00

Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

After No Rapture, 'That was awkward' Billboard Pops Up

2011-05-28T18:41:00.002-06:00

As promised, a user at reddit.com responded to Harold Camping's billboard campaign proclaiming the Rapture with a billboard campaign of his own in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The digital billboard, which could be seen near Interstate 40 and Gallimore Dairy Road in Guilford County on Sunday, said "That was awkward" and included a verse from Matthew 24:36 stating "No one knows the day or the hour..."

The billboard was the result of a lengthy discussion on reddit.com where Redditor xtcg123 posted a picture titled 'Thinking of renting a billboard on May 22. Thoughts?' The picture/thread received over 1,508 comments with suggestions and comments about the billboard.

On Sunday, the billboard went live in Greensboro.

In a thread on reddit.com, the user explained his decision to put up the billboard message.

"The point here...is that if you're going to use any source (in this case, the Bible) to promote an agenda, you can't just leave out the part that completely goes against what you have just 'guaranteed."

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False Doomsday prophet Harold Camping followers receive solace from Calvary Bible Church Milpitas

2011-05-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

Members of churches near Oakland, Calif. based Family Radio, are pouring out in droves, offering comfort and spiritual support to the dejected followers of false Doomsday prophet Harold Camping, who has predicted that the World will end on May 21, 2011.

Family Radio President Camping, relying on Bible verses from Genesis 7:4 ("Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth") and 2 Peter 3:8 (“With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”), has come up with May 21, 2011 as the day when 200 million people will Rapture and the rest left behind will perish in a series of natural disasters, including violent earthquakes which would make Japan’s recent earthquake “look like a Sunday school picnic in comparison.” The world will be completely destroyed on October 21, 2011.

However, when no earthquake of magnitude greater than the one that struck Japan (9.0) took place on May 21, 2011, it soon became clear that Camping’s prediction was false and his followers became devastated.

Many of Camping’s followers, believing his Doomsday predictions to be true, had sold their possessions and quit their jobs before the May 21 date.

For instance, Adrienne Martinez and her husband have reportedly quit their jobs and planned to spend their “last” days in Orland. She said, “We budgeted everything so that, on May 21, we won’t have anything left,” said Adrienne.”

But with days still continuing after the appointed time, what would happen to the deceived followers who might have lost everything by now?

Some Christian leaders, such as author of “Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse” and “O Me of Little Faith” Jason Boyett, have expressed their concerns about the followers’ plight devastation.

“Camping's faith will survive the impending disappointment, as will his ministry and radio empire. He'll make excuses and set another date. I don't worry about him; I worry about his followers and their families,” wrote Boyett on The Washington Post On Faith page.

He added, “It is easy for us to sit here and to poke fun at Harold Camping...he'll get past it… But what we got to remember is that he has a whole lot of people whose lives and faith will be devastated… As a result, many of them will have lost money; many of them who quit their jobs will be in a tough spot.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Atheists Plan "Rapture Parties"

2011-05-18T20:54:00.002-06:00

May 21, 2011 is the date for the latest Rapture, or Judgment Day prophesy by Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping, who predicts the world will then end on October 21. Camping is the President of an Oakland-based religious broadcasting network with over 150 outlets nationally.

American Atheists will sponsor/advertise events in Four states to celebrate another Rapture that Wasn't.

Source - americanatheists
Related article - End of the world? How about a party instead?

Well, since Harold Camping is a proven false prophet, the atheists will be correct in predicting no rapture on May 21 but are wrong when they claim no rapture at all.

New York Man Spends Life Savings Ahead of May 21 Doomsday

2011-05-16T20:42:00.002-06:00

A New York man spent his entire $140,000 life savings advertising his prediction that the world will end May 21, the New York Post reported Friday.

Robert Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old Staten Island resident, said he spent at least that sum on 1,000 subway-car placards and ads on bus kiosks and subway cars.

They say, "Global Earthquake: The Greatest Ever! Judgment Day May 21, 2011."
In a self-published book, "The Doomsday Code," Fitzpatrick said the Bible offers "proof that cannot be dismissed."

"Judgment Day will surprise people. We will not be ready for it," Fitzpatrick said in an interview with the newspaper. "A giant earthquake will render the earth uninhabitable."

If you want to set an alarm clock, the quake will happen just before 6:00pm local time, he said.

"God's people will be resurrected. It is also the day that God stops saving anyone," he said.

Fitzpatrick hopes that he is one of the chosen ones, but he could not be really certain.

"There's just a little doubt," he said. "Most churches teach that if you just believe, you will be saved. It is not our choice. It is God's choice."

Source - FoxNews.com

Boy, won't he be disappointed on Sunday the 22nd when he's still here. Harold Camping is a FALSE PROPHET.

Teen Challenge founder killed in traffic accident

2011-04-29T21:21:00.002-06:00

David Wilkerson — founder of Teen Challenge which has its South Carolina headquarters in Georgetown County — has passed away.

Charisma Online reports Wilkerson died Wednesday in an automobile accident in Texas.

Wilkerson founded Times Square Church in New York City and was the focus of the book and movie The Cross and the Switchblade.

Wilkerson founded Teen Challenge in 1960. The goal of Teen Challenge is to help troubled youth and adults, particularly those with life-controlling problems due to drugs or alcohol.

Over five decades, the Christ-centered Teen Challenge program has consistently shown one of the world's highest success rates, according to the organization’s website.

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Fallen Angel Commercial

2011-04-25T20:13:00.002-06:00

What's the meaning behind this commercial?

Related video - Luciferian Agenda: Promoting Sex With Fallen Angels

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Jude 1:6

Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

2011-03-31T23:16:00.000-06:00

'Arab unrest signals Messiah's coming'

2011-03-09T20:58:00.002-07:00

Prominent rabbis from the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox sector have offered their own curious interpretations for the upheaval that is spreading through the Middle East, stating that the events are a clear proof that a higher power is at work.

The cellular portal Haredim, which offered a collection of responses on the matter, quoted Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman Rabbi, the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Lithuanian sector in Bnei Brak, as blaming the instability in the region on contemptuous attitudes towards Torah study.

"Recently it appears that there is a powerful effort to destroy and agitate the world of the Torah, through various attempts to prosecute kollels and yeshiva students," Steinman said. "When you try to agitate the world of the Torah, God agitates the world."

Steinman explained that the sages of the Talmud teach that there is a connection between Torah study and the existence of the world.

"God does great and strange things in the world, to make them deal with the (disasters) instead of looking for ways to mind those observing the Torah and the mitzvot," he said. "Because if they don't study, it will continue to move closer to us."

Carmel fire as punishment?
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, an unconventional Lithuanian leader who is believed to have mystic powers, offered a different explanation. "It is evident that many unnatural things are happening," he said. "People have come to me and said that it's 'Gog and Magog'. We cannot know. But it's probable that any unrest that God creates shows that the Messiah is coming, and that we must begin to prepare for it and become stronger."

Another prominent rabbi, Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, is certain that God is causing the turmoil in order to put the people in their place.

"God goes and humiliates (those feeling) sinful pride," he said. "At first there was this little fire here, and a state that thought that it is big and strong suddenly needed help from the entire world. Not a war, nothing special, just a small fire.

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Modern-Day Noah: Dutch Man Builds Ark of Biblical Proportions

2011-02-20T18:47:00.002-07:00

If you had infinite time and endless religious zeal, what are the chances you'd spend your days building a life-size replica of Noah's Ark?

After dreaming of the Netherlands disappearing in water almost 20 years ago, Johan Huibers set out to recreate an ark like Noah's in the Book of Genisis. Practically speaking, it's not a ridiculous aspiration, as nearly one-quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level. Almost 2,000 people in his home province were killed by a flood in 1953.

Between 2005 and 2007 he built his first ark, spending six days a week constructing a half-size replica using the biblical measurements. During the first two years after it was completed, 400,000 visitors toured the ark. Last year, he sold the original model to a friend in order to focus his energies on the main event, a full-size ark.

Now, the Dutch building contractor has nearly completed a life-size model of Noah's ark, which he says will be ready for visitors in May. His current opus follows the dimensions described in Genesis 6:15 -- 300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits. The new ark's volume is nearly ten times the original's. Despite his attempted precision, there is no standardized interpretation of the size of a cubit. Huiber is equating the biblical measurement to half a meter. Inside, it houses two theaters, a cinema, a restaurant, live animals (of course) and a train that takes visitors on a ride through the creation story.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Click here for the Noah's Ark website.

Religious literacy: When atheists know more than Christians

2011-01-24T20:21:00.003-07:00

It does not exactly inspire confidence about the future of North America to learn that atheists and agnostics are less ignorant about religion than most Christians.

The United States is the most religious, most Christian, developed nation on the planet. The Bible infuses American politics. But, paradoxically, the rate of religious literacy south of the border is dismal.

A disturbing poll by the respected Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that U.S. atheists and agnostics, as well as Jews and Mormons, know more about religion than do most of the strong majority of Americans who are Protestants and Catholics.

However, even while these four subgroups show a relatively decent ability to name Genesis as the first book of the Bible or that most people in Pakistan are Muslims, the overall level of religious literacy in the U.S. remains about as low as a drunken beer hall argument.

Fewer than half of Americans can name the four Christian gospels, according to the Pew survey of 3,400 adult Americans. That's the same grim statistic that describes how many know the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, the Koran is Muslims' holy book and that Martin Luther inspired the Protestant Reformation.

One-third of Americans falsely believe, according to other polls, that evangelist Billy Graham delivered the Sermon on the Mount. (It was Jesus.) And more than half of Americans do not recognize that Judaism is a religion.

Religious knowledge surveys are good at serving up black humour too. An early poll showed one in 10 Americans believe Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. Another one in five believe that Sodom and Gomorrah were a married couple.

The implications of this religious ignorance are huge for the U.S., where more than nine out of 10 believe in God and 85 per cent profess some form of Christian faith.

However, I suspect smugness is not in order for Canadians (four out of five of whom believe in God, and two out of three who show at least a lingering loyalty to Christianity).

I would guess Canadians would do only slightly less poor than most Americans on the Pew Forum's quiz, which you can still take online (if you dare).

On average, U.S. atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons correctly answered between 20 to 21 of the Pew Forum's 32 questions on Christianity, world religions and laws governing faith in public life.

White evangelicals, however, averaged scores of only 17, while white Catholics and mainline Protestants were able to answer just 16 of the questions.

Why is such cluelessness dangerous for us all?

Boston College Prof. Stephen Prothero has outlined some of the worries in a best-selling book titled Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't (Harper San Francisco).

Prothero's arguments go far beyond concern over how North Americans are becoming unable to understand the Biblical references of a host of writers, from Shakespeare to William Faulkner, Robertson Davies to Mordecai Richler.

Nor would many North Americans now understand the Jewish link when TV announcers refer to "David and Goliath," says Prothero. Or when politicians urge compassion for strangers by citing the New Testament story of the Good Samaritan.

What is even more significant is that Christian illiteracy runs rampant at the same time two out of three Americans believe the Bible has the answer to all of life's important questions.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Related article - U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey

Related post - Jesus Christ the sinless One

End of Days in May? Believers enter final stretch

2011-01-04T19:09:00.002-07:00

Harold Camping's Heresies EXPOSED!
False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011
Is Harold Camping and Family Radio a cult?

If there had been time, Marie Exley would have liked to start a family. Instead, the 32-year-old Army veteran has less than six months left, which she'll spend spreading a stark warning: Judgment Day is almost here.

Exley is part of a movement of Christians loosely organized by radio broadcasts and websites, independent of churches and convinced by their reading of the Bible that the end of the world will begin on May 21, 2011.

To get the word out, they're using billboards and bus stop benches, traveling caravans of RVs and volunteers passing out pamphlets on street corners. Cities from Bridgeport, Conn., to Little Rock, Ark., now have billboards with the ominous message, and mission groups are traveling in countries from Latin America to Africa to spread the news outside the U.S.

"A lot of people might think, 'The end's coming, let's go party,'" said Exley, a veteran of two deployments in Iraq. "But we're commanded by God to warn people. I wish I could just be like everybody else, but it's so much better to know that when the end comes, you'll be safe."

In August, Exley left her home in Colorado Springs, Colo., to work with Oakland, Calif.-based Family Radio Worldwide, the independent Christian ministry whose leader, Harold Camping, has calculated the May 21 date based on his reading of the Bible.

She is organizing traveling columns of RVs carrying the message from city to city, a logistics challenge that her military experience has helped solve. The vehicles are scheduled to be in five North Carolina cities between now and the second week of January, but Exley will shortly be gone: overseas, where she hopes to eventually make it back to Iraq.

"I don't really have plans to come back," she said. "Time is short."

'Definitely against the grain'
Not everyone who's heard Camping's message is taking such a dramatic step. They're remaining in their day-to-day lives, but helping publicize the prophecy in other ways. Allison Warden, of Raleigh, has been helping organize a campaign using billboards, postcards and other media in cities across the U.S. through a website, We Can Know.

The 29-year-old payroll clerk laughs when asked about reactions to the message, which is plastered all over her car.

"It's definitely against the grain, I know that," she said. "We're hoping people won't take our word for it, or Harold Camping's word for it. We're hoping that people will search the scriptures for themselves."

Camping, 89, believes the Bible essentially functions as a cosmic calendar explaining exactly when various prophecies will be fulfilled.

The retired civil engineer said all his calculations come from close readings of the Bible, but that external events like the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948 are signs confirming the date.

"Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment," he said.

The doctrine known as the Rapture teaches that believers will be taken up to heaven, while everyone else will remain on earth for a period of torment, concluding with the end of time. Camping believes that will happen in October.

"If May 21 passes and I'm still here, that means I wasn't saved. Does that mean God's word is inaccurate or untrue? Not at all," Warden said.

Great Disappointment
The belief that Christ will return to earth and bring an end to history has been a basic element of Christian belief since the first century. The Book of Revelation, which comes last in the New Testament, describes this conclusion in vivid language that has inspired Christians for centuries.

But few churches are willing to set a date for the end of the world, heeding Jesus' words in the gospels of Mark and Matthew that no one can know the day or hour it will happen. Predictions like Camping's, though, aren't new. One of the most famous in history was by the Baptist leader William Miller, who predicted the end for Oct. 22, 1844, which came to be known as the Great Disappointment among his followers, some of who subsequently founded the Seventh Day Adventist church.

"In the U.S., there is still a significant population, mostly Protestant, who look at the Bible as kind of a puzzle, and the puzzle is God's word and it's predicting when the end times will come," said Catherine Wessinger, a professor at Loyola University in New Orleans who studies millennialism, the belief in pending apocalypse.

"A lot of times these prophecies gain traction when difficulties are happening in society," she said. "Right now, there's a lot of insecurity, and this is a promise that says it's not all random, it's part of God's plan."

Past predictions that failed to come true don't have any bearing on the current calculation, believers maintain.

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The great and the terrible day of the Lord

2010-12-23T22:00:00.002-07:00

Joel 2:31 "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come."

Red Moon: Lunar eclipse to make memorable solstice

“Christian famous” pastor quits his church, moves to Asia

2010-12-22T22:05:00.002-07:00

Francis Chan quits his church & moves to Asia saying “I think there has been too much emphasis on me. I want to be used by God, but I think we have this desire to make heroes out of people rather than following God and the Holy Spirit.” Click here to read the entire article.

New Agers Consider Rick Warren A Guru

2010-11-16T22:47:00.004-07:00

Click here to see Rick Warren listed with other new age teachers such as Ekchart Tolle, Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra & many others with names to hard to pronounce. Read about the spiritual deception of Rick Warren by clicking here or here.

Atheist Ministers Struggle With Leading the Faithful

2010-11-16T22:02:00.002-07:00

Tit 1:16 "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

"I am an atheist," says "Jack," a Southern Baptist with more than 20 years in ministry.

"I live out my life as if there is no God," says "Adam," who is part of the pastoral staff of a small evangelical church in the Bible Belt.

The two, who asked that their real identities be protected, are pastors who have lost their faith. And these two men, who have built their careers and lives around faith, say they now feel trapped, living a lie.

"I spent the majority of my life believing and pursuing this religious faith, Christianity," Jack said. "And to get to this point in my life, I just don't feel like I believe anymore."

"The more I read the Bible, the more questions I had," Jack said. "The more things didn't make sense to me -- what it said -- and the more things didn't add up."

Jack said that 10 years ago, he started to feel his faith slipping away. He grew bothered by inconsistencies regarding the last days of Jesus' life, what he described as the improbability of stories like "Noah's Ark" and by attitudes expressed in the Bible regarding women and their place in the world.

"Reading the Bible is what led me not to believe in God," he said.

He said it was difficult to continue to work in ministry. "I just look at it as a job and do what I'm supposed to do," he said. "I've done it for years."

Adam said his initial doubts about God came as he read the work of the so-called New Atheists -- popular authors like the prominent scientist Richard Dawkins. He said the research was intended to help him defend his faith.

"My thinking was that God is big enough to handle any questions that I can come up with," he said but that did not happen.

"I realized that everything I'd been taught to believe was sort of sheltered," Adam said, "and never really looked at secular teaching or other philosophies. ... I thought, 'Oh my gosh. Am I believing the wrong things? Have I spent my entire life and my career promoting something that is not true?"

He said he feared for his salvation and soul. "In that point where I realized I was losing my faith yet I still feared for my own salvation, I asked God to take my life before I lost my faith," Adam said.

Adam said he now considers himself an "atheistic agnostic." "I don't think we can prove that there is not a God or that there is a God," he said. "I live out my life as if there is no God."

He and Jack said that when speaking to parishioners, they tried to stick to the sections of the Bible that they still believed in -- the parts about being a good person. Both said that they would like to leave their jobs though they can't afford to.

"I want to get out of the position that I'm in as quickly as I can because I try to be a person of integrity and character," Adam said. "With the economy the way it is, with my lack of marketable skills other than a seminary education, it has me in a tough spot."

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School Trip to “Moderate” Mosque: Inside Video Captures Kids Bowing to Allah

2010-09-24T20:21:00.002-06:00

Apparently, separation of church & state only applies to Christianity.

The video was taken inside the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center – Boston’s controversial Saudi-funded mega-mosque – during a Wellesley Middle School social studies trip to the mosque, ostensibly taken to learn about the history of Islam first-hand. Yet the video reveals that the students are being blatantly mis-educated about Islam. A mosque spokesperson is seen teaching the children that in Mohammed’s 7th century Arabia women were allowed to vote, while in America women only gained that right a hundred years ago. This seems to be an increasingly recurring theme in American schools – the denigration of western civilization and the glorification of Islamic history and values. In fact, just recently, the American Textbook Council revealed that the New York State high school regents exam whitewashes the atrocities that occurred during the imperialistic Islamic conquest of Christian Byzantium, Persia, the African continent, and the Indian subcontinent, even as it demonizes European colonialism in South America.

The mosque spokesperson also taught the students that the only meaning of Jihad in Islam is a personal spiritual struggle, and that Jihad has historically had no relationship with holy war. As far as we know, the school has not corrected these false lessons.

For the past three years we’ve been sounding the alarm about the radical leadership and Saudi funding of the Boston mega-mosque and the organization that runs it, the Muslim American Society, which has been labeled by Federal prosecutors as “the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in America.”

The Islamic Society of Boston was founded by Abdulrahman Alamoudi, who is currently serving 23 years in jail on terror charges. For years, its board of trustees included Yusuf al Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who was banned by Bill Clinton from the United States in 1999. Qaradawi now chairs the Muslim American Society’s university, which offers classes inside the mosque. Over half the mosque’s $15.5 million price tag was funded by wealthy Saudis and since it opened, several of its leaders, donors and members have been implicated in Islamic extremism.

Oussama Ziade, a big donor to the mosque, is now a fugitive in Lebanon after being indicted in 2009 for dealing in the assets of an Al Qaeda financier. Ahmad Abousamra, the son of the Boston Muslim American Society’s former vice-president Abdulbadi Abousamra, is now a fugitive in Syria, fleeing the country before being indicted in 2009 on charges of aiding Al Qaeda. One of the mosque’s imams, Abdullah Faaruuq, was captured on tape in 2010 telling followers to “pick up the gun and the sword” and to defend another local terrorist Aafia Siddiqui from the U.S. government. Siddiqui, who was one of the imam’s congregants, is an MIT graduate and Al Qaeda memberawaiting sentencing for attempting to murder FBI agents in Afghanistan while shouting “death to America.” (LINK)

The mosque leadership continues to be embraced by top Massachusetts political and religious leaders. These include Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, as well as a group of local progressive rabbis and Christian clergy, who all insist despite evidence to the contrary that the mosque is moderate and its critics are just bigots.

Indeed, this is a familiar refrain by leaders nationwide in response to the increasing public realization that Islamic leaders are not as moderate as they present themselves. Radicalism is growing and many moderate Muslims have been silenced. In various parts of the country, public schools are allowing Muslim extremists to promote Islam to our children. Something’s broken here. Our leadership is failing. It’s now up to ordinary citizens to fix it.

Source - Americans for Peace & Tolerance

Exposing the 'real' Quran

2010-09-12T09:03:00.002-06:00

A minister wants to help Americans learn the "real" Quran and bring Muslims to Christ.

Usama Dakdok, founder of The Straight Way of Grace Ministry, was born in Egypt and raised in a Christian home as the son of a Baptist pastor, where he accepted Jesus at the age of 11. But despite his background, he was forced to learn the Quran in school.

After becoming a U.S. citizen in the 1990s, Dakdok felt called to bring Muslims to Christ and teach Americans the truth about the Quran. But he shares that every English translation he purchased at that time was misleading.

"They have sugar-coated the Quran so badly -- taking words out, twisting words, and putting them in wrong places," he laments.

As a result, Dakdok and several others have come up with what they feel is the most accurate English translation of the Quran, which includes the true meaning of jihad.

"[Sadly] some people in our media say...'Jihad does not really mean to fight a holy war. Jihad is [the] struggle to do what's right,'" the minister recognizes. But he points out that "there are 37 verses in the Quran [where] the word 'jihad' is mentioned," and he quotes "chapter 9, verse 73: 'All you prophets, perform jihad against the infidel and the hypocrite and be harsh with them.'"

Dakdok warns that unless the U.S. acts now, America will follow Europe in seeing a much bigger Islamic presence. "They will build mosques anywhere and everywhere they choose to, and they are using our Constitution to say 'freedom of religion.' But Islam is not a religion that will give freedom of religion," he contends.

Source - OneNewsNow

Pastor facing court date after sharing the gospel with Muslims in Kansas

2010-09-12T08:28:00.004-06:00

A pastor is facing a court date after sharing the gospel with Muslims -- in Kansas.

About 14 people, including three senior pastors, went to the local mosque to distribute to Muslims packets containing the books of John and Romans in English and Arabic and a DVD with testimonies of former Muslims. Pastor Mark Holick of Spirit One Christian Center was one of those passing out the packets to people leaving the mosque.

Holick tells OneNewsNow that when local police officers arrived on the scene, he was handcuffed then detained in a patrol car, where he repeatedly asked what crime he had committed.

"And then about 15 minutes later, 20 minutes later, something like that, they finally came over and told me that I was being charged with 'loitering' and 'failure to disperse,'" the pastor shares.

Asked if this episode occurred in Saudi Arabia, he replies, with a chuckle: "No, this was in Wichita, Kansas."

The pastor says it was very disconcerting to see the gospel squelched -- especially on a public sidewalk in a country with a constitutional guarantee of free speech. Holick believes police are suggesting that he was blocking traffic on the driveway.

"Of course we never did do that," he assures. "There would be no reason for us to block vehicles -- and they probably have no idea how much I like all of my organs and bones perfectly in the position they're in right now."

Holick says serious free-speech rights are in question, so he is asking the Alliance Defense Fund to represent him. There has been no decision on that so far.

Source - OneNewsNow

N. Korea Asks Christian Charity for Flood Aid

2010-09-07T07:07:00.002-06:00

Devastating floods in North Korea are forcing the government there to turn to Christian agencies for help.

Torrential rains in the communist country have ruined crops, washed out bridges, and destroyed many homes.

Although relations with the United States are strained, North Korea requested relief supplies from Samaritan's Purse, a Christian charity based in North Carolina.

"But we were contacted by the North Korean mission in New York City. They asked us for help. They asked for medicine, they asked for food, they asked for building materials," said Ken Isaacs, international director of projects for Samaritan's Purse.

The Christian charity loaded a chartered 747 airplane with 90 tons of relief aid, including medicine, water filtration systems, temporary shelter materials, blankets, and hand tools.

"What this shipment will signal is that Christians in America care about the condition of other people in the world. And that care is unconditional. This gives us an opportunity to practically demonstrate that," Isaacs said.

Samaritan's Purse said it has provided some $12 million in emergency assistance to the people of North Korea since 1997.

Source - cbn.com

Earlier post - No. 1 persecutor tests weapons on Christians
North Korea, which reportedly has used believers as guinea pigs to test chemical and biological weapons, is the world's worst persecutor of Christians, while Iran, which may be using Christians as scapegoats for internal opposition to its president, is No. 2 on the Open Doors 2010 World Watch List.

Sudden Death? Matt Simmons

2010-08-15T21:04:00.002-06:00

One of BP's biggest critics, Matt Simmons, was found dead this past week from an apparent heart attack and subsequent drowning. The question is, was this really a heart attack from natural causes or something more sinister. We may never know.

Men were scorched with great heat

2010-08-15T20:07:00.003-06:00

I was recently reading an article which stated that Moscow deaths have doubled to 700 a day amid smog & unprecedented heat. I thought of Revelation 16:8-9 after reading it which states that "men were scorched with great heat". The Greek word translated "great" is megas from which we get our English word mega so people are going to be burned with exceedingly great or intense heat and even during this judgment upon this earth, people still won't repent because verse 9 says they "blasphemed the name of God and they repented not to give him glory." Image what the per day death toll will be during this period of time.

Christian Woman Stops Robbery With Faith

2010-08-08T20:14:00.002-06:00

Held up at gunpoint, a store clerk invoked her faith to turn the desperate thief into a repentant gunman.

When a man tried to rob a MetroPCS cell phone store at gunpoint in Pompano Beach, Fla., store manager Nayara Goncalves, 20, calmly talked to the man about Jesus and her faith until he left without taking any money.

Goncalves said she doesn't know why she began to talk to him about Jesus.

"I believe it was the Holy Spirit of God that really made me want to tell him about Jesus," Goncalves told ABCNews.com.

"I would never be able to do that myself. I would never think that God could use me the way that he did," she said. "[God] impressed me."

A store surveillance camera captured the whole exchange between Goncalves and the would-be robber.

The man entered the store and made small talk about the rainy weather. He asked to see a phone, and then showed Goncalves a gun and nervously asked for the money in the register.

"I really hate to do this," the gunman told Goncalves.

She slowly walked towards the register and started to speak to the man, who told her not to be afraid.

"I'm not," she said. "I'm just going to talk to you about the Jesus I have."

"May God Bless you for that," the robber said in return. "Just know in mind that I absolutely hate doing this... I'm embarrassed I have to do this and I have no choice."

Goncalves continued to talk to the man about God and it started to work. Already nervous and reluctant, the man slumped onto the counter and looked more and more defeated.

Source - abcnews.com

'Lose Christianity or face expulsion'

2010-07-28T06:17:00.002-06:00

Georgia student told to read 'gay' lit, attend 'pride parade,' change beliefs

A lawsuit against Augusta State University in Georgia alleges school officials essentially gave a graduate student in counseling the choice of giving up her Christian beliefs or being expelled from the graduate program.

School officials Mary Jane Anderson-Wiley, Paulette Schenck and Richard Deaner demanded student Jen Keeton, 24, go through a "remediation" program after she asserted homosexuality is a behavioral choice, not a "state of being" as a professor said, according to the complaint.

Also named as defendants in the case that developed in May and June are other administrators and the university system's board of regents.

The remediation program was to include "sensitivity training" on homosexual issues, additional outside study on literature promoting homosexuality and the plan that she attend a "gay pride parade" and report on it.

The lawsuit, filed by attorneys working with the Alliance Defense Fund, asserted the school cannot violate the Constitution by demanding that a person's beliefs be changed.

University "faculty have promised to expel Miss Keeton from the graduate Counselor Education program, not because of poor academic showing or demonstrated deficiencies in clinical performance, but simply because she has communicated both inside and outside the classroom that she holds to Christian ethical convictions on matters of human sexuality and gender identity," the law firm explained.

School spokeswoman Kathy Schose today declined to address the allegations in the case but agreed to discuss the counselor teaching program in general.

She cited the American Counseling Association's code of ethics and said students would be required to adopt its provisions.

"There is a code of ethics that govern counselors," she said. "They have to abide by the code of the profession."

Ethics codes generally govern behavior, and Schose denied the school was attempting to alter any student's beliefs or moral values.

But the lawsuit specifically charges the faculty members targeted Keeton's biblically based belief system and values, not her behavior regarding the treatment of any clients, which had not yet happened.

"Schenck told Miss Keeton that it was unethical for her to believe that her convictions should also be shared by other persons. … Schenck explained that while Miss Keeton was free to have points of view about how she personally should conduct and define herself, she may not believe that others should adopt the standards she personally is convinced are true," the lawsuit said.

"Anderson-Wiley confirmed that Miss Keeton will not be able to successfully complete the remediation plan and thus complete the (Augusta State University) counseling program unless she commits to affirming the propriety of gay and lesbian relationships if such an opportunity arises in her future professional efforts," it continued.

ADF Senior Counsel David French contended a public university student "shouldn't be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that's exactly what's happening here."

"Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform," he said. "Abandoning one's own religious beliefs should not be a precondition at a public university for obtaining a degree. This type of leftist zero-tolerance policy is in place at far too many universities, and it must stop. Jennifer's only crime was to have the beliefs that she does."

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Sudden Death: Text Messaging

2010-07-23T23:03:00.001-06:00

TACOMA, Wash. -- A dispute that started with an exchange of angry text messages and escalated to random gunfire led to the fatal shooting of a bystander in Tacoma Thursday night, the victim's family told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

The victim's brother, Vincent Silva, said the dispute started over text messages between two young girls. One of the girls called friends, who arrived and joined the dispute.

Silva said his sister, 40-year-old Lisa Melancon, heard the argument near her home on South Bell Street near South 72nd Street at about 11:30 p.m. and that she called 911.

Tacoma police Spokesman Mark Fulghum said the victim stepped outside for a closer look at what was going on outside her house just as someone in a car leaving the scene fired three shots at random.

Two of the bullets struck the victim, Fulghum said. She died on her front porch.

“I could see my sister's body slumped over the porch. She was shot and she flailed back laying there in her own blood,” said Stephanie Bubnick, Melancon's sister.

Amie Hieronymus said she was one of the teens texting before the incident occurred.

“I'm so sorry, she was innocent,” Hieronymus said.

She said when the fighting started she went to the Melancon’s home for help.

“I yelled for him to help and he came outside…Lisa came out and screamed for him to come back in; I warned there was a gun,” Hieronymus said.

Joe Melancon was on his porch, his wife Lisa came out too, just as the car was driving off.

“It (the bullet) went right past my head. I dropped to the ground to kind of dodge any more bullets and when I looked up Lisa was on the ground,” Hieronymus said.

A bullet hit Lisa Melancon in the head.

“She laid on her door step. When she laid her head on that doorstep, she died in that house she made home,” Silva said.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Drunk Russians Drowning Due To Heat Wave

2010-07-18T21:54:00.003-06:00

Vodka-drinking groups - some with small children - can be seen at lakes and ponds in and around the Russian capital where the current three-week heatwave may set a record of 98.6F (37C) this weekend.

"Russia's Emergencies Ministry is very worried by the current situation. In the last day alone, 49 people drowned (in Russia), including two children, Vadim Seryogin, a department head at the ministry, told a news conference.

More than 1,200 people drowned across Russia in June this year, he said, including 233 between July 5 and July 12.

"The majority of those drowned were drunk," he said. "The children died because adults simply did not look after them."

Last week six children drowned in the Sea of Azov in southern Russia because the summer camp employees who were minding them were drunk.

Weather forecasters say the heatwave will last another week.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Amusement Park Ride

2010-07-18T21:34:00.002-06:00

(CNN) -- A 15-year-old girl died and two other people were hospitalized with severe injuries after an amusement park ride in Barcelona, Spain, broke in midair, a city spokeswoman said.

A young boy who was on the ride suffered minor injuries, but walked away from the twisted metal on his own, Barcelona spokeswoman Rosa Diaz said.

The names of the victims have not been announced.

The mechanical arm of "El Pendulo" (The Pendulum) broke and the basket carrying the teens fell on top of the ride known as "The Golden Mine," said Sara Jaurriete, director of the Tibidabo amusement park.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Archaeologists Uncover Goliath's Hometown

2010-07-17T21:40:00.003-06:00

An ongoing archaeological excavation in Tel Tzafit continues to unearth the ruins of what was once the city of Gat – described in the Bible as the hometown of Goliath. Professor Aren Maeir, who is directing the dig, spoke to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service to discuss the latest finds.

Recent finds from the Tel Tzafit excavation are “fascinating,” Maeir said. The site, inhabited at times by Canaanites and at other times by Philistines, has remnants from many periods of history. “We are focusing on the Canaanite period, the Philistine period, and the Israelite period, and for now we're primarily in the Philistine period,” he said.

One of the most interesting finds was a piece of writing containing, among other things, Philistine names, some of which were similar to the name “Goliath.”

"We've found a rich variety of artifacts” showing that Gat was a major city at that time, he continued. “We are now discovering remnants from metal craft and bronze, and from the destruction of the city at the hands of King Chazel of Aram as described in the second books of Kings.”

Findings show that Chazel and his army laid siege to the city until its residents had exhausted their food supply, then attacked. Dozens of buildings were found that were demolished by the invading army.

Other buildings appear to have collapsed in an earthquake, possibly the one mentioned at the beginning of the book of Amos, he said.

The relationship between the nation of Israel and the Philistines was more complex than people tend to assume, Maeir revealed. “The Philistines... were often more than just enemies. We can see this in the Bible as well, for instance, in the fact that Samson married a Philistine woman,” he said. There appears to have been crossover between the two cultures – for example, findings show that elements of Philistine cooking became common among the Israelites as well.

Read the story of David & Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

Source - IsraelNationalNews.com

Related article - Digging Through the Bible: David and Goliath

No More Bull, Illustrated Rodeo Sermon Extravaganza?

2010-07-11T23:03:00.002-06:00

The Museum of Idolatry presents the No More Bull, Illustrated Rodeo Sermon Extravaganza!

I think they should tax churches. Most churches are amusement centers anyhow. And you have to pay taxes on amusement. - Leonard Ravenhill

Free Book: God Has A Wonderful Plan For Your Life

2010-07-04T18:00:00.005-06:00

Request a free print copy, download the PDF version or download the free audio version from freewonderfulbook.com.

Hell Was Full So I Came Back?

2010-07-04T17:08:00.004-06:00

I recent saw an individual wearing a t-shirt with this saying on the back. I understand that it's just a saying but it made me think of Isaiah 5:14 which says "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it."What we call "Hell" is the temporary place of the unrighteous dead until the Great White Throne Judgement of Revelation 20:11-15 at which time death & hell will be thrown into the lake of fire along with everyone who's name isn't written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus said that hell was so bad that it would be better to enter into eternal life with one eye than to be cast into hell with both eyes where the worm never dies & the fire is never quenched (Mark 9:46-48).

Christian Persecution in America

2010-06-25T15:27:00.002-06:00

Sudden Death: Drag Racer

2010-06-16T20:22:00.000-06:00

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. - A drag racing driver ran through a containment area at the end of a track and died of head injuries after crashing his alcohol-fueled funny car at a “high rate of speed” during a qualifying round at the NHRA SuperNationals at a New Jersey raceway Friday, state police said.

Neal Parker, 58, of Millville, N.J., crashed at Raceway Park in Old Bridge, state police Sgt. Stephen Jones said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Lightning

2010-06-08T18:34:00.002-06:00

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Richard Butler wanted his girlfriend to think they were just taking a scenic hike in the North Carolina mountains, but he had a secret plan. When they got to the top, he planned to pull out a ring and ask her to be his bride.

Lightning struck three times as the Knoxville, Tenn., couple were on Max Patch Bald, near Asheville. The third hit Butler, 30, and his girlfriend, Bethany Lott, 25, killing her on Friday, he told the Asheville Citizen Times. He suffered third degree burns.

"She didn't say anything, and I turned around and she was laying a few feet away, and I crawled to her," he told the newspaper on Monday. "I did CPR for probably 15 minutes and the whole time was trying her cell phone, but I couldn't get anything out."

He described the lightning strike.

"I was spun 180 degrees and thrown several feet back," he told the newspaper. "My legs turned to Jello, my shoes were smoking and the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire."

His mother, Janet Delaney, said her future daughter-in-law loved the mountains.

"She hiked thousands of miles and spent a couple of years in Utah just hiking," Delaney, also of Knoxville, told The Associated Press.

She and her son are mourning instead of celebrating the joy the engagement would have brought.

"The first couple of times I met her, I felt she was my own daughter," Delaney said. "She made my life complete and my son's life complete."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Jovan Mackenzy - Christ in My Rhymes

2010-06-06T17:59:00.000-06:00

One Minute Gospel

2010-06-06T17:51:00.000-06:00

Jovan Mackenzy - Heresy

2010-05-31T11:46:00.000-06:00

Monica Dennington Teaches Heresy By Saying That The Holy Spirit Is A Woman

2010-05-31T11:21:00.003-06:00

Monica Dennington say that the Holy Spirit is a woman but this contradicts the Word of God. Between John 16:7-15, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "he" or "him" 12 times. These verses also refute the Jehovah Witnesses who say that the Holy Spirit is a force.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

Sudden Death: Pickup Truck Rolled

2010-05-24T14:59:00.001-06:00

TREMONTON, Utah (AP) - A Colorado woman is dead but her three young children have survived after their pick-up truck rolled on Interstate 84 west of Tremonton.

Utah Highway Patrol troopers say the 23-year-old woman from Meeker, Colo., was driving west on I-84 about 3 p.m. Wednesday when the vehicle veered into the center median and swerved back onto the highway before crashing and rolling over.

They say the woman wasn't wearing a seat belt but remained inside the vehicle with her three children.

The 4-year-old boy, 2-year-old girl and a 9-month-old boy were all secured in the vehicle and received only minor injuries.

Source - 9news.com

11:11 and other weird times Texas churches are choosing for worship

2010-05-16T19:54:00.003-06:00

In Gemantria the number 11 typically represents disorder, destruction and judgment so why would churches be aligning themselves with Antichrist numerology?

The latest trend among some contemporary Texas churches is a seemingly simple one: the start time. Instead of traditional on-the-hour worship, they're picking times a minute or two off.

The Loft, the contemporary worship ministry of the Woodlands United Methodist Church, holds services at 6:29 p.m. on Saturdays and 9:29 and 11:11 on Sunday mornings.

"We wanted the Loft to be a different worship experience and the times kind of reflect that," said Rozlyn Tunstall, the church's logistics coordinator. The services have a "rock-concert feel," with parishioners in casual clothing and sipping coffee from their café.

When new people come, they'll usually ask about the weird times. "Some people think they're symbolic of a Bible verse or something. They're not," said Tunstall.

11:11 seems to be among the most popular unconventional times. It's when Second Baptist Church holds its contemporary service, called the "11:11." It features a worship band instead of an orchestra and choir, and Ed Young's son Ben, an associate pastor at the church, gives the message.

Zion Church in Garland and Aldersgate UMC in Lubbock both hold 11:11 a.m. services as well.

Kent Shaffer, an expert in church strategy who runs the site ChurchRelevance.com, said the time-changing trend isn't widespread yet, but he can see why churches are trying it out.

"It's very catchy. It's a lot easier to remember," said Schaffer. "In theory, it could cause people to show up on time."

Click here to read the entire article.

Related post - Jesus Meets Oprah? The Sad State Of The American Church

Sudden Death: Former NFL Defensive Tackle

2010-05-16T18:52:00.001-06:00

Former NFL defensive tackle Norman Hand has died after collapsing at his home in South Carolina.

Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey said the 37-year-old Hand collapsed at his home in Walterboro, S.C., about 11 a.m. Friday and died about 90 minutes later at a local hospital.

Click here to read the entire article.

Sudden Death: Safe

2010-05-15T08:48:00.002-06:00

JEFFERSON COUNTY - More questions than answers surfaced on Friday as OSHA continued its investigation into why a man was crushed to death while moving a 4,500-pound safe inside a bank.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the man as 41-year-old Donald Lindsey. Friends tell 9NEWS Lindsey leaves behind his wife of more than 20 years and two teenage children.

Lindsey was killed on Thursday when the safe tipped and pinned him to a door inside the Chase Bank branch on Ken Caryl Avenue near Shaffer Parkway. Investigators say Lindsey did not die right away.

Other people were trapped inside the room because of the safe and firefighters had to cut a hole in the wall to get them out of the room.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Bible Quiz

2010-05-11T20:24:00.000-06:00

Take this basic Bible quiz to test you knowledge of the Scriptures.
http://www.speraindeo.org/quiz1/popquiz.htm

Almost Sudden Death: Lord Jesus Christ Hit By Car

2010-05-11T19:38:00.003-06:00

A Pittsfield motorist was cited after becoming involved in a traffic collision with pedestrian Lord Jesus Christ. The accident occurred on Main Street in Northampton, Massachusetts on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, as reported by WWLP.com.

According to Northampton Police Lt. Michael Patenaude, 50-year-old Lord Jesus Christ was making his way across Main Street at approximately 3:30 p.m. Although Christ was occupying the crosswalk at the time, 20-year-old Brittany Cantarella failed to yield to the crossing pedestrian. As a result, Cantarella’s vehicle struck Christ, a Belchertown resident, in front of Fitzwilly’s restaurant.

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel were subsequently dispatched to the scene of the injurious traffic accident. Christ, who suffered minor facial injuries in the collision, was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for treatment.

Lt. Patenaude noted the pedestrian was carrying a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicle identification card at the time, clearly identifying him as Lord Jesus Christ.

Source - JusticeNewsFlash.com

Though this man might be legally named Lord Jesus Christ, there's truly only one Lord Jesus Christ & it's not some 50 year old man from Massachusetts. Here's what the Bible says "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:15-16

Christian Preacher Arrested For Saying Homosexuality Is A Sin

2010-05-06T19:02:00.004-06:00

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." John 15:18
"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Mark 13:13

Dale McAlpine was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.

The 42-year-old Baptist, who has preached Christianity in Workington, Cumbria for years, said he did not mention homosexuality while delivering a sermon from the top of a stepladder, but admitted telling a passing shopper that he believed it went against the word of God.

Police officers are alleging that he made the remark in a voice loud enough to be overheard by others and have charged him with using abusive or insulting language, contrary to the Public Order Act.

Mr McAlpine, who was taken to the police station in the back of a marked van and locked in a cell for seven hours on April 20, said the incident was among the worst experiences of his life.

“I felt deeply shocked and humiliated that I had been arrested in my own town and treated like a common criminal in front of people I know," he said.

“My freedom was taken away on the hearsay of someone who disliked what I said, and I was charged under a law that doesn't apply.”

Christian campaigners have expressed alarm that the Public Order Act, introduced in 1986 to tackle violent rioters and football hooligans, is being used to curb religious free speech.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Ex-NFL Player

2010-05-06T18:37:00.001-06:00

Former NFL player and Georgia Tech star Nick Rogers has died in a one-car accident. He was 30.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office says Rogers was killed about 1:30 a.m. Monday when his car hit a utility pole in College Park, near Atlanta.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Motocross

2010-05-03T06:26:00.002-06:00

One of Australia's most successful motocross riders has died after an accident at an event north of Melbourne Sunday.

Former world No. 2 Andrew McFarlane, 33, of Queensland, died after becoming airborne and landing incorrectly during a practice lap at the Australian Motocross Championships at Broadford, the Herald Sun reported.

Family and friends of the father of one, who has toured Europe and the United States in pursuit of the daredevil sport, witnessed the accident during a practice lap just after 9.30 a.m. local time.

Frantic efforts by paramedics could not revive McFarlane, who died at the scene.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Man Killed In Hit And Run On I-25

2010-04-26T22:28:00.001-06:00

DENVER - Police say a man walking down southbound I-25 was killed early Sunday morning after being hit by a driver who then left the scene.

It happened just before 2 a.m. at I-25 and 8th Avenue.

Police say the victim was talking on his cell phone and walking down the middle lane of southbound I-25 when the driver of an SUV hit him and then drove away.

The man who was struck died at the scene.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Head-On Crash

2010-04-26T22:25:00.001-06:00

EVERGREEN - At least one person is dead after two cars hit each other head-on Wednesday afternoon on a small road near the town of Evergreen.

The Evergreen Fire Department says it happened on Myers Gulch Road just before 2 p.m.

A woman and two infants, both 6 months old, were in one car. All three were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

The woman driving the other car was pronounced dead at the scene.

Source - 9news.com

About 115 People Die Every Day In Vehicle Crashes In The United States -- One Death Every 13 Minutes

2010-04-17T21:47:00.003-06:00

These sobering statistics are based on data collected by the Federal Highway Administration. The following are recent local headlines that prove this. So the question is, Are You Ready To Die?

Man killed while trying to get help following accident
WELD COUNTY - State Patrol says a man was killed early Saturday morning while trying to wave down some help shortly after rolling his SUV.

It happened at 2:05 a .m. at the intersection of Weld County Road 49 and Weld County Road 30 east of Fort Lupton.

Investigators say the man was driving his Jeep Cherokee southbound on Weld County Road 49 when the SUV rolled near Weld County Road 30.

Investigators say the man was able to get out of the vehicle and tried to wave down some help when he was hit and killed by an Acura driving southbound on Weld County Road 49.

Sedan Collides With A Freightliner Tractor-Trailer
Spokesman Sgt. John Hahn with the Colorado State Patrol said a sedan collided with a Freightliner tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 287 near Lamar, killing one person and injuring five others.

Troopers say the tractor-trailer tried to pass a Toyota Camry in a no-passing zone and hit a Chrysler New Yorker head-on. After the tractor-trailer hit the Chrysler, the Chrysler hit the Camry.

A passenger in the Chrysler was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to Prowers Medical Center with serious injuries. A third passenger was taken to Denver Health Medical Center with serious injuries.

One-Vehicle Rollover Crash
Near Calhan - about 30 miles northeast of Colorado Springs - there was a one-vehicle rollover crash that killed two people: 30-year-old Jonlyn Mansfield and 12-year-old Dustin Mansfield, both of Peyton. Investigators believe the vehicle may have been speeding and that the driver could have fallen asleep.

Authorities Identify Motorcyclist Killed On I-25 Ramp
DENVER - The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner has identified a 47-year-old man who was killed Sunday in a motorcycle crash on the northbound Interstate 25 ramp to Interstate 70.

Authorities say John Ertl of Lakewood was killed after he and a vehicle collided, sending Ertl into a concrete barrier.

Denver Police say Ertl was taken to Denver Health Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy was planned for Monday.

Young girl killed when rental truck hits minivan
BRIGHTON - Police are investigating after a young girl was killed in a crash on eastbound Intestate 76 near the E-470 overpass on Tuesday afternoon.

Brighton Police say it happened around 1:30 p.m. when a rental truck crashed into a Ford minivan that was stopped along the shoulder.

A young girl who was in a child-safety seat inside the minivan died at the scene.

Police identify 2nd victim killed in RTD bus crash
DENVER - Police have identified the two people who were killed in a gruesome crash involving an RTD bus and two vehicles. Fourteen others were injured in the wreck.

Denver Police say 29-year-old Carla Miranda and 29-year-old Dustin Peletier were killed in a crash at E. 8th Avenue and Lincoln Street when an RTD bus ran a red light and slammed into two other vehicles just before 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Jesus Meets Oprah? The Sad State Of The American Church

2010-04-12T06:35:00.002-06:00

I'm sure there was an altar call after the message & people were assured that they had were "born again" because they raised their hand, came forward to the altar & repeated a fictitious prayer that doesn't exist. The "sinners prayer" is nothing more than psychological manipulation.

Go to Church on Easter, Win Fabulous Prizes
Corpus Christi, Texas, megachurch is offering an unusual approach to bringing people to Christ this Easter. Let's call it Jesus meets Oprah.

The Bay Area Fellowship, the largest church in Corpus Christi, will give away more than $4 million in cash and prizes to everyone who attends Easter services at one of its seven locations.

The prizes range from gift bags with $300 worth of goods and services all the way up to cars -- 16 of them , to be exact, all of them used but low-mileage. And there's everything in between: 10 furniture sets, flat-screen TVs, tickets to sporting events, 300 bicycles and skateboards, photography sessions, and more.

"Someone could come to church [on Easter] and walk away an hour later with a car," lead pastor Bil Cornelius said on MSNBC today.

Cornelius said he got the idea from a fellow pastor in Minneapolis who got a local car dealer to donate a car to give away to a lucky churchgoer at Easter. The idea apparently inspired Cornelius' flock to follow suit -- all of the items being given away this Sunday are donated by church members, including an iPod donated by a 12-year-old church member. "To a 12-year-old, an iPod's a really big thing," Cornelius said. "This boy said, 'I'd rather have someone come to youth group on Sunday to learn about the love of Christ by donating my iPod to the drawing.

"It's a way to draw people in for a prize and then give them the ultimate giveaway, which is a relationship with Christ, which is free heaven, which is better than any material prize we have to offer," he continued.

Church officers anticipate the giveaway will prove a highly effective marketing tool -- they're expecting 15,000 to 20,000 people, more than twice their normal weekly attendance, to show up for Easter services. One car will be given away at each of the services at the church's main campus and its six satellite locations in the Corpus Christi area.

Don't Be An April Fool!

2010-04-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 14:1
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 53:1

aprilfools_tract1

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Shai Linne - Were You There

2010-03-30T19:44:00.001-06:00

Sudden Death: Snow From Roof Kills 2 Men

2010-03-21T22:52:00.002-06:00

DENVER (AP) - Two leaders in state water use organizations are dead following a freak accident at a cabin near Creede.

Officials say 56-year-old Ray Wright and 53-year-old Doug Shriver were smothered Friday when heavy snow from the cabin roof buried them.

Wright was board president for the Rio Grande Water Conservation District and Shriver was chairman of the Rio Grande Water Users Association.

Mineral County coroner Charles Downing says the snow slid off the roof all at once and caught the two Monte Vista men.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: 2 Small Planes Collide Over Central Florida

2010-03-21T22:48:00.002-06:00

WILLISTON, Fla. -- A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman says two pilots died when their small planes collided over central Florida.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Sudden Death: Man Was Listening To IPod When Fatally Struck By Small Aircraft In S.C.

2010-03-18T06:29:00.001-06:00

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - The kit-built single-engine plane was gliding quietly as it came down for an emergency landing on a beach. Pharmaceutical salesman Robert Gary Jones, listening to his iPod while jogging, likely never saw or heard it before the aircraft hit him from behind and killed him.

"There's no noise," aviation expert Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the National Transportation Safety Board, said of the Monday evening accident. "So the jogger, with his ear buds in, and the plane without an engine, you're basically a stealth aircraft. Who would expect to look up?"

The 38-year-old Jones, whose mother said he was serious about nutrition and exercise, especially jogging, was on a business trip to Hilton Head for GlaxoSmithKline. He was looking forward to getting home to the northern Atlanta suburb of Woodstock, Ga., for his daughter's third birthday Wednesday, Pauline Jones said.

"I was never so shocked in all my life," she said of learning the news, her voice shaking. "They say that God only gives you what you can handle. I said, 'You know what, I've reached my max.'"

The pilot, Edward I. Smith of Chesapeake, Va., and his lone passenger walked away from the crash-landing near the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office named the passenger as David Henry, 59, also of Chesapeake, The Island Packet newspaper reported.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Man Killed By Car While Crossing I-25

2010-03-18T06:24:00.001-06:00

THORNTON - Police say a man was killed Saturday night after the driver of an SUV hit him as he attempted to cross I-25.

Investigators say it happened at 9:46 p.m. at the 8400 block of I-25.

Thornton Police say a preliminary investigation reveals the man was attempting to cross the highway when he was struck by a full size GMC pick-up truck that was traveling northbound.

Investigators say the SUV driver stopped immediately and remained at the scene.

The pedestrian, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Snowmobiler Killed In Avalanche

2010-03-13T08:52:00.002-07:00

SAGUACHE COUNTY - A man killed by an avalanche Friday afternoon while riding with friends had experience rescuing others in the backcountry, according to authorities.

It happened at 1:15 p.m.on Marshall Pass on Sheep Mountain between Salida and Villa Grove.

The Saguache County Sheriff's Office says the driver of the snowmobile Vernon Kelso, 55, of Salida, was found by friends he was riding with in the debris field under several feet of snow.

Kelso was found not breathing and had no pulse, according to authorities

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Train Kills Woman Trying to Retrieve Bag

2010-03-13T08:02:00.002-07:00

A 48-year-old woman was hit and killed by a No. 6 train in an Upper East Side subway station on Thursday afternoon after she dropped her bag on the tracks and jumped down to go after it, the police and witnesses said.

The woman’s sudden leap onto the tracks at the 77th Street station created a harrowing scene for crowds of commuters who watched in shock from the platform, pleading with the woman to lie flat in a trench between the rails, as a northbound train bore down on her. Panicked, the woman scrambled toward the platform and struggled to climb up, but was crushed as the train came charging into the station, the police and witnesses said.

“People were telling her to lie down, but she was too scared,” said Jahmal Reid, 13, a student who witnessed the accident from the southbound platform.

The accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m., delaying train service for an hour and setting off a brief panic as parents and teachers from Wagner Junior High School and other nearby schools frantically tried to account for their students. The station is typically packed with teenagers during rush hour, and witnesses initially described the victim, who was dressed in athletic clothes, as a girl.

James Murtagh, a police investigator who was on the scene right after the accident, did not release the woman’s name, but said she lived on First Avenue.

Investigators later removed a black nylon LeSportsac shoulder bag from the track.

Paul J. Browne, a police spokesman, said Thursday evening that he was “not aware of any criminality,” and that investigators were canvassing to see if the accident was caught on video. He said officers were interviewing the train’s crew.

“Based on pieces of information that we have now, she went onto the track to retrieve her bag,” Mr. Browne said. A Fire Department official said the first 911 call reporting that someone had been hit by a train came in at 3:45 p.m. A minute later, another 911 call came in, and it was clear that the victim had been killed.

The operator of the train sounded his horn as the train bore down on the woman, apparently even engaging his emergency brake, one police officer said. Three or four urgent, lengthy honks alerted riders that something was wrong, they said. They felt the impact of the crash, noticed flickering lights inside their cars and then were thrown into momentary darkness as the train screeched to a halt.

“We felt a horrible thud,” said Glenda Farr, 52, who was in the second or third car. “It was horrible. I’ve never felt anything like it, that terrible boom.”

The train came to a stop most of the way into the station, leaving part of the woman’s body visible between the platform and a door of a car toward the front of the train.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Related article - Woman Hit by a Train Is Identified

Buddha For Sale

2010-03-08T20:46:00.003-07:00

I sure am glad that I don't worship a god that can be bought or sold like a piece of furniture. I don't know how people can trust in a god who can't speak, see, hear or smell. That's what Psalm 115:1-8 says "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." Psalm 135:15-18 says essentially the same thing as the previous scripture; however, the Christian knows that "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."Acts 17:29 AMEN TO THAT TRUTH.

Sudden Death: ‘Abnormally high’ waves in Mediterranean kill 2 and injure 14 on boat

2010-03-04T19:20:00.002-07:00

BARCELONA, Spain - Monstrous waves that smashed into a Mediterranean cruise ship flooded cabins, broke windows in a restaurant and sent terrified travelers screaming for doctors, passengers said Thursday, a day after three massive waves killed two people and injured 14 others.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Tractor

2010-03-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

PUEBLO (AP) - A 64-year-old driving a farm tractor in southern Colorado was killed when his tractor was hit from behind by a minivan.

Sixty-four-year-old Paul Bregar died Wednesday afternoon on a highway east of Pueblo. The Colorado State Patrol says that the farmer was hit by a minivan, flipping the tractor. Bregar was pinned under his John Deere tractor and pronounced dead on the scene.

Source - 9news.com

Sudden Death: Woman Killed in 'Freak' Lawnmower Accident

2010-03-04T19:07:00.001-07:00

A woman was killed while walking to work Wednesday after she was struck in the head by a flying piece of steel in a freak lawnmowing accident in north Queensland, Australia.

The 42-year-old was walking along a path in Townsville, just after 8 a.m. local time when she was hit by the piece of pipe, the Townsville Bulletin reported.

It is thought that a slasher, a tool used to clear bushes and grassland, being towed by a small tractor ran over the pipe, which had been hidden in long grass.

The tractor was mowing a vacant block next to a Liquor Land bottle store and was believed to be operated by a private contractor.

An ambulance was called at 8:12 a.m. but the woman died instantly.

It was initially thought a mower blade caused the fatal injuries.

A distraught witness described the tragic event as a "freak accident."

Source - foxnews.com

Sudden Death: Light Rail Train

2010-02-24T22:12:00.001-07:00

DENVER - An individual was hit and killed late Tuesday night along RTD tracks west of Speer Boulevard.

According to RTD, the person was trespassing on RTD property around 11 p.m. when a northbound, C Line light rail train hit the person north of the Pepsi Center. The person was in a place where the light rail train operator could not see the individual on the tracks. The person hit by the train was pronounced dead on the scene.

Cleck here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Killer Whale

2010-02-24T22:00:00.002-07:00

ORLANDO - A SeaWorld killer whale seized a trainer in its jaws Wednesday and thrashed the woman around underwater, killing her in front of a horrified audience. It marked the third time the animal had been involved in a human death.

Distraught audience members were hustled out of the stadium immediately, and the park was closed.

Trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, was one of the park's most experienced. It was not clear if she drowned or died from the thrashing.

A former contractor with SeaWorld told the Orlando Sentinel that the whale, Tillikum, is typically kept isolated from SeaWorld's other killer whales and that trainers were not allowed to get in the water with him because of his violent history. The park said it hasn't decided yet what to do with the whale.

Brancheau's sister Diane Gross, of Indiana, said her sister "would not want anything done to that whale."

Gross told the Associated Press that news of her sister's death "hasn't sunk in yet."

A SeaWorld official said that because of Tilikum's size and involvement in two previous deaths, trainers were not supposed to get into the water with him.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Train Bridge

2010-02-21T21:12:00.001-07:00

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Three teenage girls were joking around and taking pictures on a narrow bridge when they were hit by a train, killing them as a friend watched helplessly, police and a witness said Sunday.

The girls and the fourth teenager, a boy, had been hanging out in Melbourne's downtown area — known for its shops and nightclubs — when they decided to cross the trestle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Curtis Barger said. Their parents had dropped them off at a mall, and then they took a bus downtown where they were "just goofing off," he said.

The boy yelled for the girls to run when he saw the train approach, then told them to jump, Barger said. Crane Creek, about 20 feet below the bridge, is slow-moving and about 10 feet deep. The girls did not have enough time.

Bruce Dumas, 53, said he was fishing under the bridge when he saw the teens walk onto the trestle around sunset. He warned them to be careful, but he said they didn't pay much attention to him.

"You know how kids are," Dumas said. "They probably wanted pictures of themselves on the track."

The girls were about midway across when the train barreled down the tracks, blowing its whistle continuously, he said. Dumas said he could hear the sound of the brakes. After the impact, he heard a girl screaming and crying.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Drag Race

2010-02-21T21:09:00.002-07:00

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP)
A woman died Sunday after being hit by a tire from a crashing dragster at the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

The woman was watching a first-round Top Fuel run at Firebird International Raceway when Antron Brown's Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster went out of control on the strip and its left rear wheel came off.

Alia Maisonet, a spokeswoman for the Gila River Indian Community, said the woman was airlifted to a Phoenix-area hospital for treatment and later died. Gila River emergency responders were among the first to respond to the scene.

Click here to read the entire article.

The Exam

2010-02-16T21:52:00.002-07:00

Realted Post - Good-O-Meter

Sudden Death: 2 Fort Carson Soldiers Killed In Traffic Accident

2010-02-13T22:49:00.001-07:00

A Fort Carson soldier who allegedly had been drinking slammed head-on into a utility truck on Highway 115 early this morning, killing two soldiers and injuring three others.

The names and ages of the victims, who were both men, have not been released, said Sgt. John Hahn of the Colorado State Patrol.

The soldier who was driving the car was taken to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs in critical condition, Hahn said.

The driver of the utility truck and a third driver of another car involved in the crash were taken to the same hospital. The utility truck driver was in serious condition but is expected to live.

"It appears alcohol and speed were both factors in the crash," Hahn said.

The soldiers were in a black Audi sedan headed south on Highway 115 at 5:15 a.m. when the car veered into the northbound lane and crashed head-on into the utility truck, for a company that delivers road barriers, he said.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Hit By SUV

2010-02-13T22:41:00.001-07:00

LAKEWOOD - Police say a person was killed Friday night after a car hit him.

The accident happened at 10:05 p.m. on Wadsworth Boulevard and West 17th Avenue

Investigators say the pedestrian was crossing Wadsworth when a GMC Yukon traveling northbound hit him.

Investigators say the man dropped something and was kneeling down in the right lane of Wadsworth to pick up the items when the collision occurred.

The pedestrian was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

New Lindsay Lohan cover photo angers Christians

2010-02-12T21:41:00.004-07:00

Hollywood bad girl Lindsay Lohan is making some Christians cross. The 23-year old ex-Catholic actress and model has just appeared on the cover of the French fashion magazine Purple in a very Christ-like pose. She wears a white gown with a plunging neckline and stands, arms outstretched, in a pose suggestive of Christ on the cross. Just in case there's anyone out there who might not see the connection, she's also wearing a crown of thorns.

Predictably, this has angered a lot of Christians. Bill Donohue, the perpetually apoplectic head of the Catholic League, had this to say on the CL website:

"Not only is the pose inappropriate, the timing is offensive: Lent begins next week.

Lohan, an ex-Catholic who is spiritually homeless, recently said, “I’m all about Karma…what goes around comes around.” If she believes that, then it behooves her to apologize to Christians before it’s too late."

In an apparent reference to commentator Brit Humes' remarks about Tiger Woods' Buddhism last month, Donohue added,

"Looks like Tiger Woods is not the only celebrity who would benefit by converting to Christianity these days. Forgiveness occupies a central place in Christianity, but the predicate to forgiveness is repentance."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Luger

2010-02-12T21:38:00.001-07:00

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - A men's luger from the former Soviet republic of Georgia died Friday after a crash during training, an Olympic official with direct knowledge of the situation said. The death cast a shocking pall over the Vancouver Olympics before the opening ceremony.

The official told The Associated Press that the International Olympic Committee received confirmation of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the 21-year-old luger's family hadn't been notified yet.

There was no immediate comment from Vancouver organizers, international luge officials or the International Olympic Committee. At the Whistler track, officials said the IOC and VANOC were preparing a joint statement to be released Friday afternoon.

Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Avalance

2010-02-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

RIDGWAY - One person was killed and another injured after an avalanche buried them Thursday afternoon.

It happened around 3 p.m. in the Cirqu Mountain area in remote Ouray County.

The Ouray County Sheriff's Office says a group of backcountry skiers were skiing the Dallas Trail, which is part of the hut to hut system in the county.

Authorities say the group got separated along a ridge. Investigators say two people on top of the ridge triggered the slide which buried the two male victims below.

The Ouray County Sheriff's Office says Kellen Sams, 27, of Manitou Springs attempted to ride out the avalanche but hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Teenager Kills Two Ministers Preaching To Him

2010-02-12T21:26:00.002-07:00

Ordained as ministers last year, Stephen Ocean (23) and Tite Sufra (24) spent most of their time preaching to troubled youths in the streets before being gunned down Saturday night by an 18-year-old man named Jeriah Woody. According to police reports, the ministers had been preaching to Woody for about 15 minutes. Woody walked away, then inexplicably turned around and came running back to kill both men. Woody surrendered to Boynton Beach police this morning.

Ocean and Sufra are not the first men to be attacked while preaching in the streets. Several months ago, Justin Eiland was charged with battery after lashing out at street preachers in downtown DeLand, Florida. Eiland said they had made him feel guilty about going out for a drink. There are countless other examples of verbal and physical assaults against people preaching in the streets.

Street preaching has its roots in the Bible. According to the Book of Mark (16:15), Jesus told his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Street preachers have helped turn around troubled youth, get prostitutes off the street, and encourage addicts to seek treatment.

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Sudden Death: Train Crashes Into Car

2010-02-12T21:22:00.001-07:00

YUMA COUNTY - The Colorado State Patrol says two women were killed Thursday afternoon after they attempted to cross railroad tracks in front of an approaching train.

It happened just after 1 p.m. on Highway 34 a mile and a half east of Wray.

Investigators say a the driver, Dana Barnett, 53, of Wray, and her passenger, Catherine Cartwright ,78, of Highlands Ranch, were pronounced dead on the scene.

Investigators say Barnett did not see the train.

Source - 9news.com

Sudden Death: Ski Lift

2010-02-09T22:52:00.001-07:00

SUMMIT COUNTY (AP) - A North Carolina man has died after going into cardiac arrest on a ski lift in Colorado.

The Summit County coroner says 46-year-old Christopher Harrison of Durham, N.C., was riding a chairlift alone Monday at Copper Mountain Resort when his head fell forward in the chair. The lift operator stopped the lift, and ski patrol cared for Harrison until an ambulance arrived.

Source - 9news.com

Parent Alert: Toys R US Selling Glow In The Dark Ouija Board

2010-02-08T19:47:00.005-07:00

"The New Age Christ cannot appear until -- or unless -- a significant proportion of the people have been preconditioned to accept him" -- New Age Plan, "Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow", by Constance Cumbey

Our Recommended Age: 8 - 14 years
Manufacturer's Age: 8 years and up
Product Description
Ouija Board has always been mysterious. It has always been mystifying. And now the OUIJA Board is glow in the dark! With 72 fun questions included, you'll never run out of things to ask. Who will call/text me next? Gather your friends around, draw a card, place your fingers on the planchette and ask your question. Concentrate very hard and watch as the answer is revealed in the message window. Make up your own questions, and let the OUIJA Board satisfy your curiosity in virtually endless ways. OUIJA Board will answer. It's just a game - or is it? Includes OUIJA Board, message indicator (planchette), card deck with 72 questions, carrying case with storage pockets and instructions.

Divination: any attempt to foretell the unknown by occult means

It is very clear that the God of the Bible strictly forbids all forms of divination. This includes all forms of mediumship, channeling, witchcraft [Wicca], occultism, psychic, fortune telling, tarot cards, reading tea leaves, etc. Divination is forbidden by God because it unlocks the door to the world of the demonic and spiritual deception.

Leviticus 19:31 - Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6 - And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
1 Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

DIVINATION IS PRACTICED IN NUMEROUS WAYS

Divination is practiced by Diviners (Deuteronomy 18:14)

Divination is practiced by Enchanters (Deuteronomy 18:10; Jeremiah 27:9)

Divination is practiced by Witches [Wiccans] (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10)

Divination is practiced by Charmers (Deuteronomy 18:11)

Divination is practiced by Wizards (Deuteronomy 18:11; 1 Samuel 28:3)

Divination is practiced by Spiritists - Consulters of familiar spirits (Deuteronomy 18:11)

Divination is practiced by Magicians (Genesis 41:8; Daniel 4:7)

Divination is practiced by Astrologers (Isaiah 47:13; Daniel 4:7)

Divination is practiced by Sorcerers (Jeremiah 27:9; Acts 13:6,8)

Divination is practiced by Necromancers (Deuteronomy 18:11)

Divination is practiced by Soothsayers (Isaiah 2:6; Daniel 2:27)

Divination is practiced by False prophets (Jeremiah 14:14; Ezekiel 13:3,6)

DIVINATION IS FORBIDDEN BY GOD'S LAW

In the Torah, God's Law forbade the Israelites to practice divination (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10,11)

In the Torah, God's Law forbids seeking out those with familiar spirits (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:14)

Those who seek familiar spirits are defiled by them (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:14)

In Old Testament times, people who utilized divination were to be put to death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27)

God is against all who go a whoring after those with familiar spirits (Leviticus 20:6)

DIVINATION IS ABOMINABLE

Divination is an abominable practice (1 Samuel 15:23)

All who practice divination are considered to be abominable (Deuteronomy 18:12)

Divination is considered to be a system of fraud and spiritual deception (Ezekiel 13:6,7; Jeremiah 29:8)

Those who practice and enjoy divination will be frustrated by God (Isaiah 44:25)

God protects His people from diviners' conjurings (Numbers 23:23)

Divination is a form of evil and it provokes God to anger (2 Kings 17:17; Isaiah 2:6)

From the Spiritual Research Network

Here's a story from the Orange County Register, August 2000, with the headline, “Inmates Get a Scare Out of a Ouija Board.” A circle of inmates set an Ouija Board on the floor and gathered around. They leaned in and together prayed to the devil. At one point, inmates said they lightly placed their fingers on the board and called up the spirit of a woman. They asked the spirit how she died and followed the message indicator around the hand-crafted board as it spelled out I was murdered. They asked how, and then watched the indicator move letter to letter spelling out, investigate. The inmates were spooked but the game wasn’t over. According to Santa Clara County jail officials, the inmates went from asking a few questions to praying to Satan to—three of them screaming out loud after they thought they were possessed by demons. The bizarre situation became so intense jail officials said, the correctional officers called in a priest who, one by one, blessed twenty-nine prisoners as he sprinkled them and then, the group’s dormitory with holy water. We have never had anything like this occur here, said Brian Paretti, County Department of Correction spokesman. The Ouija Board, a plain board with the alphabet and words, yes, no, and good-bye, printed on it, is said to have been around in some variations for hundreds of years. Some sit down to the board out of curiosity, others seek spiritualistic or telepathic messages. The jail inmates, all documented gang members, said they spent an entire night earlier this month crafting the board. They used the underside of a scrabble game as the base, fancily penciled in the alphabet and shaped a piece of cardboard into a tear drop to use as the message indicator which, according to superstition, mysteriously moves from letter to letter spelling out messages after a question is asked. On three separate nights four to five inmates gathered at one time in the bathroom. It’s the darkest place in the dorm with just a flicker shining in from afar. Before long, inmate Isaiah Valaskas, twenty-one, said he and others thought they felt a presence in the bathroom. They asked the board if anyone was in there and the teardrop began spinning uncontrollably, he said. Everyone bolted! When they went back in, Marcos Vasquez said he looked at the board on the floor, and then turned to face the others. I felt cold and bigger, the twenty-six year old said. I was filled with anger and talked in this deeper voice I had never had. Inmates thought Vasquez was acting but the drama continued. By the third day, three inmates, including Vasquez, feared they were possessed. They tore up the board and threw it away. But, on the morning of August 5, two correctional officers, who never saw the inmates toying with the Ouija Board, said they heard screams coming from the inmates’ dorm. They went inside and confronted a chaotic scene in which inmates were crying and flailing their arms. Paretti, the corrections spokesman, said officers soon realized the inmates seriously believed they were possessed. After interviewing all the inmates involved, jail officials said they don’t believe the fear was feigned. They called a priest away from his other prayer duties and asked that he bless and counsel the inmates. The clergyman spent two days counseling the three inmates most overpowered by fear. Marylou Etter, who has been Director of Detention Ministry of the Diocese of San Jose for about fifteen years, said this is the first time she has heard of the county’s jail inmates using an Ouija Board. But it’s not unusual, she said, for some to pray to the devil. She said she counseled one woman who contemplated praying to Satan because someone told her it could get her out of jail faster. Some of the incarcerated have asked to see a minister after claiming to have seen dead loved ones. Others Etter said, want ministers to cleanse their cell after seeing or hearing their cell mates pray to Satan, but in all her years of working inside of jails and juvenile halls, this is the only Ouija Board. Most of the inmates involved were probably overcome by guilt, she said. They were doing something they weren’t supposed to Etter said, and they were probably fearful of what they might have done. Some did have a religious turnabout. Vasquez said he was raised Christian and before this incident, sort of believed in God. Now, there is no “sort of” about it, this was a sign to believe. Both Vasquez and Valaskas are awaiting completion of their trials. Vasquez is jailed on charges of being under the influence of drugs and willful harm, injury or endangerment to a child and a parole violation. Valaskas faces charges of spousal abuse, false imprisonment and parole violation. According to an internal memo about the incident, the priest told jail administrators one thing he neglected to tell the inmates. The Catholic Church doesn’t believe a person can become possessed through use of a Ouija Board. Etter declined to say whether she believed the board could evoke spirits. It’s not for me to say whether they are or are not possessed. We need to honor whatever people think is going on with themselves, Etter said. The board, she added, goes into the same grouping as Tarot cards and fortune tellers; it’s nothing to play with. Vasquez is now taking that advice seriously. The inmate who has tattoos that run up his arms and cover his chest and neck said last week that he was counseled twice and still has a hard time sleeping. He still can’t explain what came over him but said one thing’s certain, he’s never touching a Ouija Board again.

Source - The Berean Call

Sudden Death: Mid-Air Collision

2010-02-07T14:38:00.002-07:00

BOULDER - The NTSB said at 10:30 p.m. Saturday that it was no longer searching for additional victims of the mid-air collision near Boulder. Three people died and three survived the afternoon incident involving two small planes and a glider.

Former NTSB investigator Greg Feith, now a 9NEWS aviation expert, had been told authorities suspected four people were killed onboard on a Cirrus plane that hit the other plane, a Piper Pawnee. That plane, whose only occupant died in the crash, had a cable strung out behind that was pulling a glider.

An NTSB spokesperson tells 9NEWS the family of the Cirrus pilot indicated there were only two people on board that aircraft.

Mile High Gliding confirms the person killed in the tow plane was one of their pilots.

Rick Brough with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office says the glider unhooked from the cable just before the crash and landed safely.

Feith's sources tell him the occupants of the glider were the only survivors. They are believed to be the pilot, an 11-year-old boy and his mother. Feith's sources indicated the family was taking the glider trip as part of a party.

No names of any of the people involved were immediately released.

The NTSB says the glider went through a fireball after the crash, but it landed uneventfully at the Boulder Municipal Airport.

Source - 9news.com

Sudden Death: Snowboarder

2010-02-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

SUMMIT COUNTY - A snowboarder died early Sunday on Copper Mountain after fracturing her head and neck on a black-rated trail.

Twenty-four-year-old Ericka Schriefer was found just before 10 a.m. Sunday. The Copper Mountain Ski Patrol responded. They found Schriefer in cardiac arrest upon arrival.

She was taken to St. Anthony Coppper Mountain Clinic by Flight for Life where she later died.

Source - 9news.com

Parent Alert: Harry Potter Theme Park Soon to Open in Florida

2010-02-06T17:56:00.003-07:00

Spiritual danger of Harry Potter
The True Danger Of Your Child Reading The Harry Potter Books!
Who Dies in Harry Potter? God
What do "The Secret", Yoga and Harry Potter have in common?
Harry Potter and the Superconsciousness
Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft
THE WICKED WORLD OF HARRY POTTER
Disney Exposed!-Documentation Part 1

Clearly visible is the iconic shape of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, covered in a dusting of fake snow. Scheduled to be opened in early spring, the 20-acre park, which is in the Universal Orlando Resort, is estimated to have cost upwards of £160 million.

The Potter theme park will offer guests a tour of Hogwarts Castle, a visit to Ollivander's wand shop and the chance to drink some real-life butter beer. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be followed up in November by the release of the last film in the series, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

Guests to the park will be greeted by the iconic whistle that announces the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade Station. At the Hog's Head pub, in the recreated Hogsmeade village, Fire-Whiskey and pumpkin juice will be on offer, along with “traditional British food fare''.

Three roller-coaster rides make-up the centre of the new park but Universal are still keeping the biggest and best one under wraps. internet fan sites speculate it is a hi-tech experience inside the Hodgwarts Castle called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey that involves likenesses of the actors from the films

Flight of the Hippogriff is described as a family-orientated ride that replicates a Hippogriff – the half-horse, half-eagle beast from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – training flight over Hogwarts castle.

And Dragon Challenge will be a twin high-speed coaster that features elements from the Triwizard Tournament, which made up a plot line of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Central to the park though, is the recreation of the Hogwarts Castle, in the same way that Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disney Land is the iconic image of that park.

Standing 150 feet tall, the castle will appear to tower some 600 feet up due to architectural tricks the parks creators have put in place. "Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," said Brad Globe, President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

"We are excited to share with fans a first glimpse into the truly enchanted world we are bringing to life with all of our partners at Universal Orlando Resort." The park has already received the approval of the stars of the film series Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson and they have both visited the park. Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has said: "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed."

Source - Telegraph.co.uk

L.A. megachurch hopes to win Super Bowl ad contest

2010-02-06T17:17:00.004-07:00

Erwin McManus - His Goal is to "Destroy Christianity"
"My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ," McManus, author of a new book called "The Barbarian Way," said in a telephone interview.
"Some people are upset with me because it sounds like I'm anti-Christian. I think they might be right." Erwin McManus

Erwin McManus's Casket
Phil Johnson of Pyromaniacs said in a 2008 post: "Clear gospel truth is almost impossible to find in the material he publishes and posts for public consumption. And in that regard, I don't see a whole lot of difference between Erwin McManus and Joel Osteen. He's Osteen with blue jeans and an occasional soul patch rather than a shiny suit and a perpetual grin."

LOS ANGELES — Pastors have long competed with the NFL on Sundays, but this season a hipster megachurch is turning the tables with a 30-second ad that could muscle its way into that all holiest of sporting events: the Super Bowl.
Mosaic, a 3,000-member megachurch, is one of six finalists in the Doritos' "Crash the Super Bowl" challenge with a lighthearted spoof that plays off the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If the church's ad, titled "Casket," is among the top three vote-getters in an online playoff, it will air on Feb. 7 during the Super Bowl. If the commercial ranks in the top three most-popular ads among viewers, it could win its creators either $400,000, $600,000 or $1 million.

FAITH & REASON: Pastor: Networks favor evangelicals

For Erwin McManus, Mosaic's lead pastor, the ad competition represents a chance to make his faith relevant to one of the largest TV audiences in the nation when viewers least expect it — and are least likely to tune out.

Another more serious religious message planned during the game has caused a stir: A pro-life ad paid for by the conservative group Focus on the Family is expected to feature University of Florida football star Tim Tebow speaking about how his mother gave birth to him despite doctor's recommendations that she should have an abortion.

But the LA church, a congregation full of hip twenty-somethings who mostly work in the film industry and make short films for a hobby, is taking a different tack. They were careful to stick to the quirky, slapstick-style humor that's expected by Super Bowl fans.

"We're not trying to use Doritos to propagate a message, but I think we want people to know that we have a sense of humor, that it's OK to laugh," McManus said. "So much of what comes out of the faith community seems so dour and somber and we want to say, 'Hey, we're real people. You can be a person of faith and really enjoy life and laugh."

With its talent base in entertainment, the church is at the vanguard of a growing Christian movement focused on injecting faith-based themes into the plot lines of mainstream TV shows, Hollywood movies and video games that aren't explicitly Christian, or advertised as such.

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A Shocking Youth Message: Matthew 7:13-27

2010-02-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:13-27

Way of the Master - Season 3

2010-02-04T18:52:00.001-07:00

Heaven, Hell, Sin... This Is What The Bible Says...
Uploaded by LuMeL1962. - More video blogs and vloggers.

Orphan population will explode following Haiti's quake

2010-01-21T22:17:00.002-07:00

A 6.1 aftershock shook the country of Haiti again yesterday. Many aid agencies are unsure if the quake caused additional damage.

It's been more than a week since the quake demolished buildings, left two-million homeless and killed an estimated 200,000 people. The deaths of those people will create another disaster -- an increase in the orphan population, says Al Lackey, President of Kids Alive International.

"As the dust settles, there are always thousands of orphans that nobody has made plans for. They get lost in the shuffle," Lackey says.

He's concerned that not many are talking about them. "Why should we allow all this attention and effort to be invested in this country and then when everybody leaves there are thousands of orphans that no one has concerned the long term care that they will need."

Kids Alive cares for the whole child by providing for the full range of spiritual, educational, social, physical, and emotional needs, believing children should have the opportunity to grow and develop to their full potential. Currently in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Kids Alive supports over 1,000 kids in children's homes. They will be expanding that by 300 immediately.

Kids Alive children are excited that they can introduce these earthquake victims to Christ, just as they received Christ's love when they entered the homes.

But Lackey knows that's not enough, so Kids Alive is making a commitment. "We want to become the voice of these kids," Lackey adds. "Right now, we know there were at least 400,000 orphans prior to the earthquake. We know there will be thousands more. But my passion and desire is to see every child that has been orphaned by way of this earthquake put into a family that will make him or her secure, loved and prepared for a future to make a significant difference as young adults in Haiti."

While it seems like a huge task for one organization, Kids Alive is relying on God and His divine work. "We have networks we have built over the years. We have staff. We know how to raise children in homes. We can train people. We have the ability to network to make it possible."

As Kids Alive cares for children, they will hear the Gospel of Christ. Many of them will come to Christ and be committed Christians.

Click here to read the entire article.

Sudden Death: Helium

2010-01-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

RIVERSIDE -- A Riverside teenager is dead after he inhaled helium, a gas that is often mistakenly thought to be harmless. Now, the boy's father wants other teens and parents to be aware of the dangers of inhaling the gas.

17 year old Micah David was found dead in his room on December 14, according to his family. Micah's father, Tony David, says his son bought the helium tank at Walmart, but he didn't know about the purchase until after he made the tragic discovery. "It was a small tank, the kind you would use to blow up balloons for a party," David says.

Micah was found with a bag over his head, according to Riverside Police Sgt. Mark Rossi. He had attached the bag to the helium tank to keep the gas from escaping, Rossi said.

Rossi said that teens don't really understand how dangerous inhaling gases can be. Helium is often inhaled from a balloon to distort a person's voice, making it sounds like Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. But, teens also inhale it to get high along with other aerosols. Experts say too much of the gas can cause the user to pass out and suffocate.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Sudden Death: Heli-Skiing

2010-01-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

TELLURIDE (AP) - A heli-skiing accident has killed a woman who fell into a creek and apparently drowned when her helmet got stuck between two rocks.

Fifty-year-old Mary Scott King, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was heli-skiing with a guide in the Mineral Creek Basin near Telluride Saturday morning when she crossed a creek.

The San Miguel County Sheriff's Office says King fell in the water and that her helmet became wedged between two rocks. The guide was unable to free her, and she drowned.

Source - 9news.com

Sudden Death: Enlarged Heart

2010-01-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Kevin Gant couldn't quite believe it the first time he heard Southern Indiana teammate Jeron Lewis was finally getting into shape.

Lewis came to the Screaming Eagles two summers ago as a 6-foot-8, 300-pound center looking for a home after bouncing between junior colleges. He loved brownies and cracking up teammates with one-liners. Working hard wasn't always part of the plan.

Things changed last summer when Lewis shed 40 pounds through a self-imposed workout regimen, determined to make his senior season special.

"You just knew it was a different Jeron, that he was motivated," Gant said of his roommate.

That hard work and dedication made Lewis' death on Thursday night all the more shocking to one of the nation's top Division II programs.

The 21-year-old Lewis collapsed on the court with about 4 minutes to go in a game against rival Kentucky Wesleyan. He appeared to go through a series of convulsions before being taken to a hospital, where he died at about 10 p.m. He leaves behind a fiancee and a month-old son.

Daviess County, Ky., Coroner Bob Howe said preliminary results from an autopsy showed Lewis had an enlarged heart and may have died from a heart condition he may not have even known he had. Fans reported seeing Lewis hit his head in the fall, but the coroner said he saw no evidence that played a role.

Source - The Huffington Post

Sudden Death: Utility Worker

2010-01-18T19:59:00.001-07:00

BROOMFIELD - A man working on a power line died Friday morning after the hyrdaulics failed on the boomtruck and he was thrown from the bucket and slammed into a truck, according to police.

It happened at 10:19 a.m. at the intersection of Sheridan Boulevard and 120th Avenue.

The North Metro Fire Rescue District says the accident involved two men who work for Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc.

Fire officials say the workers were putting up a line, which was not live, when something caused the bucket on their truck to give way.

One worker was thrown from the bucket and hit the truck. He died at the scene from his injuries according to investigators. He was later identified as 53-year-old Ross K. Thompson.

Source - 9news.com

What Happens To A Nation That Rejects God?

2010-01-15T20:07:00.003-07:00

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:17

Back in 2003, President Jean-Bertrand Aristede recognized voodoo as a religion. Voodoo is practiced by three quarters of Haiti’s 8 million citizens.

Should You Invite Jesus Into Your Heart?

2010-01-10T21:38:00.002-07:00

Is it useful to critique any person’s or ministry’s method of evangelism? For one thing, there are not enough people calling on others to follow Christ. Should I attempt to cripple their efforts in the slightest way, even for the few who might listen to me? I hope I will not. I would rather think that I’m improving our evangelism. And it does need improving.

The apparent results of the method of evangelistic appeal built upon the verse in question (John 1:12, along with Rev. 3:20) surely cannot be argued with. I think I could say with ease that almost all the evangelistic results coming out of America are rooted in a method that emerges from the problematic view of John 1:12 which I will unfold. One campus organization whose workers almost always use this verse, with what I believe is an errant understanding of it, claims that tens of thousands are won to Christ each year through their multiple worldwide ministries. I’ve known many involved in this ministry, and can attest to the sincerity of these workers, and their willingness to be bold for Christ. Surely the majority of evangelistic workers cannot be wrong. Surely pastors who have taught this particular view cannot be in error. At least from the ad hominem side of the argument, I’m going to look pretty silly if I’m opposing such faithful people and am in error myself. So, I’ll tread gently. I’m talking to friends who care as strongly as I do about good evangelism.

Since I have, in the past, made much use of John 1:12 with what I consider a wrong interpretation of it, I think I have the right to speak openly about how I see it now. I have watched as scores of people have responded positively to my wrong use of this verse over several years of my earlier ministry. There is something haunting about that. I asked them to do what I assumed this verse was calling for, and they did it. In earlier days, one motivation for abandoning this concept had to do with observing that so many of my converts coming through the wrong use of John 1:12 appeared to be false converts. I could not live comfortably with that.

I hope you understand me when I say that I also “miss” this verse as a mainstay evangelistic tool. The old way was easier, produced what appeared to be more instant results, received the approbation of almost all my friends, and called forth many colorful illustrations to support it. As soon as I understood the verse in another light, I lost my main conceptual weapon. It took some time to work out how I was going to present the gospel from then on.

A Look at the Verse in Context

I haven’t told you the concept many wrongly derive from this verse. I’ll do so after I quote the verse in its context (1:11-13).

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

What is the wrong use of John 1:12 that I’ve been alluding to? It has to do with the use of the word “receive” which is taken to mean that an unconverted person is to “ask Jesus into his heart” as the invitation of the gospel. The wrong use of this word, in tandem with Revelation 3:20 (“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man opens the door . . .”) has shaped Western evangelism (and beyond), making our evangelism look a lot different than the apostles.

What then is this verse, with its surrounding context, actually saying?

1. First, it declares that the world, and Jews in particular, were blind to Jesus. They did not understand who He was. They did not know Him even though He created them all. On their own, they were incapable of perceiving who Christ was. They did not “receive” or “welcome” or “accept” or “properly acknowledge” Him. Although a full blown doctrine of depravity is not taught here, it is implied because of the universality of their rejection of Christ apart from the special case John will mention.

2. Second, it teaches us that some people, regardless of the general blindness, do have the power (or actual right) to become children of God. It is those who receive Him. That is, it is those who welcome, accept, or favorably acknowledge Him. So, in the midst of general rejection there are some who receive. This word “receive” does not mean “those who invite Christ into their hearts” but rather those who welcome Him for who He is, truly God. A simple comparison with the word “receive” in verse 11 and in verse 12 will yield that this word could not possibly have the meaning of inviting Christ in, as is commonly used by Western evangelism. Here is the error that has spawned much confusion in evangelism.

3. Third, it teaches that reception of Jesus must be qualified further. In other words, not mere welcoming of Christ is enough, but those who receive must believe, “even to those who believe in His name.” There are two ways to take this. John might mean that this “receiving” is the same as “believing.” In other words, the two words could be used interchangeably. Or, John may be saying that reception of Christ must include faith. It would be as if John is saying, “Those who receive him have the right to become his children, but I mean receiving plus true believing or faith.” Either nuance leads us ultimately to faith. We know that faith is more than the mere reception of Christ in truth, or as He is actually. That is its beginning. But it is more. It is reliance upon the Christ who came into the world on His intended mission, to die for us. Those who believe (which starts with their welcoming of Him) have the right of sonship.

4. Fourth, the child of God experiences something beyond (and I contend, before) his faith. God, in other words, is doing something to make him a child of His that could not be done simply on man’s initiative. In fact, these people’s sonship has nothing to do with bloodline, human decision, or the will of others on his behalf. When John says that a person must receive and believe, yet his birth into the family has nothing to do with blood, human decision or the will of another, then he is acknowledging something mysterious and profound. Salvation, as much as we would like to say otherwise, cannot be ultimately attributed to man in any way even in his believing, but is an act of God first of all.

Verse 13 may convey the idea that the order for attaining sonship begins with the birth (“who were born,” emphasis mine) which results in the faith that is said to be necessary for sonship. (“those who believe in His name, who were born . . . of God”). If this order is correct, we can say that regeneration, at least in a kind of philosophical order, precedes faith. If we do not say this, we would have to say John is teaching that it is at least concurrent to a man’s faith. While the man is believing, he is being born; while he is being born, he is believing. But since John asserts that “human decision” could not initiate this birth necessary to be a child, it appears that placing it before the exercise of the will in belief is the right way to view the chronology.

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No. 1 persecutor tests weapons on Christians

2010-01-10T20:52:00.003-07:00

North Korea, which reportedly has used believers as guinea pigs to test chemical and biological weapons, is the world's worst persecutor of Christians, while Iran, which may be using Christians as scapegoats for internal opposition to its president, is No. 2 on the Open Doors 2010 World Watch List.

Iran is among eight nations in the top 10 of the group's ranking of the 50 worst persecutors of Christians in which Shariah, the Islamic religious law, is dominant. A total of 35 nations on the list are under some form of Shariah.

"We can classify that as a growing trend," Jerry Dykstra, a spokesman for the ministry that works to serve persecuted Christians around the globe, told WND. "We've seen more countries (on the list) from the Muslim world."

The World Watch List, which is detailed on the Open Doors website, was started by the Open Doors Research Department in 1991. It seeks to understand the unique persecution fingerprint of each country.

The ranking is derived from a questionnaire of 53 questions sent to Open Doors workers, church leaders and experts in 70 nations.

It examines every aspect of persecution, including the degree of legal restrictions, state attitudes, how free the church is to organize itself, church burnings, anti-Christian riots and the murders of Christians that make headlines.

Open Doors is positioned uniquely to provide the research as it is the world's largest mission agency working on behalf of the persecuted, operating in more than 45 countries worldwide.

North Korea is No. 1 on the list for the eighth straight year. The report says every religious activity in the communist nation is viewed as an insurrection against the dictator, Kim Jong-Il. Arrests, torture and death are routine as North Korean officials desperately try to control all of society.

Open Doors reports an estimated 200,000 North Koreans are in political prisons, including 40,000 to 60,000 Christians.

"Christians are the target of fierce government action, and once caught, are not regarded as human," said a veteran observer of North Korea who cannot be identified for security purposes. "Last year we had evidence that some were used as guinea pigs to test chemical and biological weapons."

"It is certainly not a shock that North Korea is No. 1 on the list of countries where Christians face the worst persecution," said Carl Moeller, the organization's president. "There is no other country in the world where Christians are persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner. Three generations of a family are often thrown into prison when one member is incarcerated."

Dykstra notes Kim Jong-Il insists on the adulation of his citizens as if he were a god.

"Kim Jong-Il continues to have a hold on the country," Dykstra said. "But we know that Christians are praying that this is the year that they have freedom of religion, all kinds of freedom, and the regime will collapse."

He said the Christian community in North Korea has been growing significantly despite the persecution. The organization recently provided secret training for 4,000 Christians there, books are being distributed and other outreaches that cannot be publicized are under way.

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