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RECAP NEWSLETTER - 11/10/6 Issue 50 America is a land that is being smitten. Its ruin is being accomplished on many fronts by many means - policies, money, nature, justice, tyranny, and leadership. It is interesting that God places a large part of the blame on leaders - both the elders who know better, and the teachers and prophets who teach lies. Perhaps one of the most descriptive words He uses is where He describes the people as hypocrites and evildoers. In Matthew 15:7-9, He again describes His people with that term: "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Where can I start? Where else but in America will you find so many 'flavors' of groups who profess to be 'Christian'? Where else but in this 'christian nation' is there such a bounty of so-called Christians following after the teachings of men instead of God's Word! The Purpose Driven Drivel and the Dominion Baloney are just some of the examples of twisted false teaching being passed off as doctrine. You can go to any secular bookstore and find a plethora of books on false 'christian' teaching. God also described his people as ones whose speech is filled with "folly". The word 'folly' in that verse has the idea of moral wickedness, sin. The American hellivision and radio is just saturated with perversion, filth, innuendoes, outright abominations and debauchery, yet it is called entertainment. America is full of foul-mouthed people inbibing in debauchery. The internet is also chock full of absolute filth, pornography - where the sinner's mind is titillated by the exploring of all abominable possibilities. The language and thinking of our current generation (and the previous one) is spilled out in verbose tirades of folly and depravity - and incredible anger against God. God chose a special tool to exact judgment on His people - the Assyrians. Isaiah 10:5-7 says, "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few." Too many Christians have only a secular perspective of what is called a 'New World Order'. Just like God used Assyria as a rod of His anger, God has blessed the nations that follow Him, and has cursed nations that rejected Him. In these end times, nations will be used against other nations in the final fulfillment of prophecy. God warned Israel not to get puffed up into thinking that their land is so great, and the people righteous. God warned them, even before they went in, that if the turned themselves over to wickedness, He would judge them just as the nations of Canaan. Deuteronomy 9:4 warns, "Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee." "Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burden and causes of banishment." Lamentations 2:14 Dear Christian, while we cannot alter in large ways the path of our country, we are responsible for our own heart and family. Can the Lord say of you that your are a hypocrite? Can the Lord say of you that your mouth is known for speaking folly? America's time is short, but God will be just in His judgment. Hosea 10:12 admonishes, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up you fallow ground: for it is time to sek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Seek Christ first and highest of all.
QUOTES & THOUGHTS He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help. -Abe Lincoln A great leader never set himself above his followers except in the carrying of responsibilities. You can judge the character of a man by how he treat those who can do nothing for him. "Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." — Daniel Webster "It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted. For example, if exorbitant ambition and venality are predominant, ought they not to warn their hearers against those vices? If public spirit is much wanted, should they not inculcate this great virtue? If the rights and duties of Christian magistrates and subjects are disputed, should they not explain them, show their nature, ends, limitations, and restrictions, how muchsoever it may move the gall of Massachusetts." John Adams, 1754 "Have you ever found in history, one single example of a Nation thoroughly corrupted that was afterwards restored to virtue?... And without virtue, there can be no political liberty....Will you tell me how to prevent riches from becoming the effects of temperance and industry? Will you tell me how to prevent luxury from producing effeminacy, intoxication, extravagance, vice and folly?...I believe no effort in favor is lost..." John Adams, in a letter written to Thomas Jefferson
UPDATES I hope you have had a chance to read the recent articles: "The Household Of Faith And The Duties Therein" and "Ways To Spiritual Suicide or Ways To Fail As A Christian". Your questions, comments, and feedback can be of great encouragement to us. We try to respond to every valid email, so let's hear from you! You can email me at editor@informedchristians.com. Prayer requests are added to the PrayerList, and are prayed for.
CURRENT EVENT RECAP
THE ECONOMY Proverbs 24:27 provides the Biblical principles toward houses: "Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house." In other words, make sure your fields, cattle, and other assets are productive before you spend time and money on a house (which is counted as a liability). Do not borrow to buy a big fancy house if you cannot quickly repay, especially if you do not have assets to pay for it. Perhaps an example for America would be what happened in Japan when their real estate bubble popped. All of the high-priced homes and properties suddenly dropped in value. However, the loans were for the previous values, which still had to be repaid. Their banks had (and still have) trillions of yen that cannot be repaid; yet the the banks still hold them. The same will probably happen in America, but on a larger scale. It is interesting to note that the Pentagon has kept soldiers back from overseas who are deeply in debt. Their reasoning (rightly so) is that a soldier can be distracted by such a large financial burden, and also be open to bribery and treason risks. Well, what about the average American? The Bible warns about the dangers of money when it says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (I Timothy 6:10). Now we have a country with barely a 1% savings rate among the population and heavy in debt. Sounds like the makings of a desperate people. Statistically, over two million people in our country experience homelessness each year. Only ten to twenty percent of them are chronically homeless. Deuteronomy 11:16-17 "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you." Farming is tightening its belt as well. With over sixty percent off our country in drought conditions this year, crops and herds have taken large losses. Agriculture is, again, one of the few true industries that America has left. However, with many family farms already in debt, or barely getting by, some farmers might just call it quits. Already the drought has affected a rise in flour because of the effect on wheat. The continuing drought has also affected water levels on the Missouri River, curtailing barge movements a bit. A lot of corn and wheat is transported to markets via those barges. Almost eight-hundred million dollars in drought aid is being distributed this year, largely to areas where the nation's beef cows are raised - Minnesota, western Nebraska, Wyoming, central and southern Texas, South and North Dakota, etc. Ranchers are having to thin herds because of water scarcity and feed costs. Even though America is having a large corn crop this year (even after drought losses), the demand for corn is outpacing supply. Now that ethanol is gaining in popularity, much more corn is going to be used. Already the increasing demand has driven up the price of corn-based feed products for cattle ranchers. Corn, itself, is now at a ten-year price high, while at the same time its consumption is outpacing its production in six out of the last seven years. The drought has also affected hay crops and irrigation-dependant crops heavily. Texas, alone, is estimated to lose over four billion dollars because of the drought. Combine scarcity with rising energy prices and you have scarce products that cost more. All of this at a time when the world's grain and corn stockpiles are at a twenty-five year low. Drought in Australia has produced a crop yield that was less than half of last year's crop. Economies get infusions from harvest times and agricultural exports. Increasing harvesting expenses, plus lower yields, also means than farm bank loans might be left outstanding - affecting the agricultural industry even more. "How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein?" Jeremiah 12:4 We are seeing many labor industries in America (such as construction), being taken from America first by illegal immigrants, then outsourcing, and now by the economy. The labor market and economy over the past few years has shifted to a service industry, primarily in the healthcare sector. Of course, we know that the healthcare industry is self-growing because it is not profitable to make people well - just get them better enough through chemicals and psychological medications that they will be chronically sick. One example we saw is the report that almost seven million children in America have been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The majority of them are now prescribed Ritalin. Also, over 35 million Americans are addicted to prescription and nonprescription medication. Not only will these behavior-altering drugs alter the mental capacities of the next generation, it will get them dependant on a system to provide chemical medications to achieve textbook mental health. On top of that, states are now considering (or have signed) mandatory health insurance for their residents. Healthcare is probably such a large, overly-expensive industry here that many companies are looking toward overseas healthcare in their employee plans. Another growing area of outsourcing is in the area of education. The outsourcing of customer services to Asia has now fueled e-tutoring by growing Asian companies and individuals. The number of American science and engineering graduates has fallen since the early 1980s; yet China and India are producing the world's largest number of these graduates - at least five times as many as America! That shouldn't be too surprising, considering that America aborts the majority of its future farmers, inventors, scientists, engineers, and doctors! Outsourced production, outsourced services, outsourced research, outsourced education, and now outsourced healthcare. Hmmm... sounds like Americans are fleeing what America has to offer.. Should we be surprised that even Americans are looking abroad for sound economical choices? Across Europe, the US budget deficit and economy is seen as the greatest threat to a global economy. It seems that foreigners are more keen and up-to-date about our reckless spending, debt - not to mention the blow that will come when larger numbers of baby boomers start retiring in 2007 and 2008. More government spending (a.k.a debt) will come flooding in via Medicaid, Social Security, pensions, etc., plus in the private sector as well. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently listed five major risks to the world economy, and all five of them (to varying degrees) were attributed to "the economy and foreign policies of the US administration." What about other world powers? Well, in August, Russia finished paying off it 23.7 billion dollar Paris Club debt, and announced that its Stabilisation Fund (which is bolstered by their investment in energy industry infrastructure) was worth more than 82 billion dollars, while their gold and foreign exchange reserve are now at $250 billion dollars. China's foreign exchange reserve are already at one trillion dollars, and at the rate of money that they are siphoning off of us, they will hit two trillion in 2010. Approximately at the rate of $30 million dollars an hour, China is getting richer. Approximately at the rate of $80 million an hour, America's capital is depleted. China has been looking closely at using some of that money to bolster their gold foreign exchange holdings, which are currently at 1.3 percent to possibly 5 percent. More and more countries are moving away from the dollar as part of their reserves, and as part of their economy. Syria this month exchanged its foreign currency surplus to euros, and has started to pay off larger amounts of its debt to other countries. Even Greenspan has stated that banks and private investors are moving to the euro instead of the dollar. Folks, our economy is not improving, it is getting worse. Unfortunately, it is about to get exponentially worse. You hear the news puppets talk about how the economy is recovering and getting better - baloney. You can fake a surge in an economy by consuming your resources quicker. In our case, increasing debt, foreign entanglements, and other Titanic-proportion gashes in the economy are just being accelerated, and called prosperity. True, it takes money to make money. But, America is spending and loosing the vast majority of its capital on bags with holes - welfare, programs, foreign aid, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, Palestinians, etc. Our economy has been hemorrhaging for quite some time now. Prepare for shock and organ shutdowns. It may be a year or two or three, but the conditions are present that all China has to do is sell off its dollar reserves now. I strongly recommend that you have tangible assets such as gold, silver, and durable food goods. Cash on hand will be good for a while, too. Bank runs can be nasty (1907), but inflation hits after that. Do not have your 'wealth' tied up in paper and certificates that can loose their 'value' instantly. Most importantly, get out of debt and save! Teach your children to save money, too. Deuteronomy 28:43-45 "The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee." While we lament the state of our economy, why are we not surprised that we are in such a condition? After all, we are only reaping what we have been sowing. In our nation alone, pornography is a $12 billion dollar a year industry - that is almost twice "the combined revenues of the three major television networks - ABC, CBS and NBC..." More and more businesses in America are reaching out for the sodomite dollar. So many businesses lobby and support their towns and cities to have 'pride' activities and parades just to draw in business. The city of West Hollywood is just one example. Their 'pride' activities draw about 300,000 people a year. When I lived in Pensacola, Florida, you could see it every year around Memorial Day as they had a big push to attract the sodomite dollar. Of course, Hurricane Ivan came and made them repay (and continue to repay). New Orleans beckoned for the money from Mardi Gras and the gay festival, Decadence. They, too, are now having to pay dearly. You see, Christian, Satan will give you everything you want - but it will cost you all you have. In the city of Salem, the Halloween events bring witches and wizards from across our nation to buy and sell their abominations. America, in general, uses Halloween to also buy and participate in one of the worst abominations. Money is poured out for costumes, decorations, parties, and treats. In our nation, Halloween is second to Christmas. All the money spent in the adoration of Satan and his activities will be required of our nation. In our nation's stores, we see a marked increase in the smut being sold. Walmart is now in partnership with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Walmart states that their commitment is to advance diversity among all of its associate, supplier and customer bases. That 'customer base' is the people of America. Walmart, one of our nation's largest mega-corporations, is Satan's inroad to your family and our nation. He knows that people have gotten dependant on going there. That's why Walmart carried 'Brokeback Mountain' when other stores refused to sell it. Satan knows your family will likely see some smutty trash on display in the center aisles as you go there for common items. He knows your family members and children will see the movie covers on their racks and see the harlots alluring them on the dozens of magazines at the checkout counters. Find other stores to shop in. If you absolutely have to shop in Walmart, go to the garden, camping, or electronic section to check out. Usually those counters do not have room for smutty magazines. Does the average Christian care? Do you care? Does it move you to action to shop elsewhere?
SODOMY The tiny nation of Israel puts us to shame many times over. Three times this year sodomite activists have tried to get their 'World Pride Parade' through Jerusalem. Each time it has been fiercely opposed by those who know what God says. The first time, the war with Lebanon broke out, so that cancelled it. You would think that they would get a hint. Jonathan Rosenblum puts it succinctly: "...on two successive years there have been national traumas that have prevented the scheduling of the parade. Maybe if we didn't keep scheduling the parade we could avoid the traumas as well." Sheikh Abdel Salam also warned, "...God is stronger than the State of Israel and the United States, and he can sink Jerusalem like Sodom and Gomorrah and we can be left without a capital..." How come American Christians do not even feel the same way? After the first parade was cancelled, they tried again, scheduling it for the day on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Romans 1:28 warns, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." Sodomites live in open rebellion to God. Sodomites who call themselves 'Christian' and have 'gay churches' serve an idol - they serve a god they conjured up in their mind who accepts them. The significance of the date of Rosh Hashanah is made clear when we see that the Jews celebrate it as the beginning of the Jewish new year. "The celebration of this holiday is marked with solemnity, as it is the day on which the whole world is judged for the coming year. Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, as it was on this day that G-d created Man on the 6th day of creation. Every year, on this day, we proclaim G-d as our one and true King." (torah.org) Do you see why they wanted a parade on the eve of this day? They wanted to openly mock God - they have no desire for Him to be their King, and they mock and scorn the idea of judgment for their wickedness! Again, the parade was cancelled due to security concerns. So they rescheduled for the day that marks 'Crystal Night' - the day that marks the beginning of the Holocaust for Jewish people. Again, mocking the concept of judgment. There were enough men over there who knew where God stood on that abomination that they were able to get the parade cancelled. It was not an easy task, but they made it clear to the whole world what God said about sodomy, and what their stance on that sin was. Would that America was known for taking a stand for the right!
THINKING Too many Christians are also consumed with television. It just blows my mind how people can sit and watch some of the most stupid and mindless shows! Many of them are teaching them principles that they are not aware of. Again, how can people be so ignorant of what popular shows such as 'Survivor' teach them? That television show is a classic manifestation of the egregious situational ethics illustration: five people in a four-person lifeboat, who gets thrown off? People are being taught to think that there are certain options that change based on outcome. Television shows like this make it easier for the public to accept abortion, euthanasia, killing of the disabled, group-think, etc.! The secular mindset looks at the typical lifeboat question and determines who is most valuable and most fit, and throws the weak, injured one overboard. A Christian mindset would say that no one is expendable, and throwing someone overboard is not an option. Resourceful ways are then pursued, such as one person taking turns swimming in the water holding onto the boat, thus alleviating the weight in the boat. My point is that what you watch affects how you think. Satan and the world wants you to think a certain way - the way everybody else does. Watching principles illustrated visually is just another form of learning. Unplug your cable box. Pick it up and take it outside. Make sure your whole family is watching. Place it under the front wheel of your vehicle's. Turn on the car, put it in gear, and slowly ease forward crushing the cable box. Put it in reverse and repeat the path over the box. Then, ease off the box, pick it up and throw it in the garbage can. Then, gather your movies and DVDs, and repeat the process. I guarantee you, that if you and your children spend more time in front of the TV than you do in front of the Bible, you will learn more from the world than you do from God. Galatians 6:7-8 warns, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." We have recently seen news articles that talk about the growing trend for adults and seniors to play video games. Statistically, twenty-five percent "of U.S. gamers are 50 and older..." Americans are some of the most ignorant, mindless, and selfish people on this planet. We have *our* own TVs, where we watch *our* programs, with *our* remote. We play mindless games for hours on end, then watch mindless television program for more countless hours. If you are a Christian, and this describe you, your family, or your children, you are a shameless steward! Luke 16:2 provides a warning for all stewards: "And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward." Get the world out of your home! Start family devotions. Pray together. Worship together; if you go to a church, DO NOT separate your children from your family. Forget children's church and junior church. Your children need to learn from watching mommy and daddy rather than from a roomful of their immature peers. Try reading a portion of Scripture at the dinner table. Read the Bible responsively together. Quiz your children on Bible trivia. Give them books on great Christian missionaries and workers whereby they can be encouraged to serve God also.
STEM CELL/ABORTION Most people do not know that America is still the world leader in adult/cord blood/bone marrow stem cell research. The top eight leading research labs are here in America, with most of the leading 25 stem cell labs in America. These stem cell research labs have shown definite proof of concept, and provable medicinal means in contrast to the lies and false promises of embryonic stem cell research. Those pushing for embryonic research are using it as an excuse for further dehumanization, human cloning, and bioengineering. For a Christian perspective on abortion, read our article, "Why Would God Judge America?" It can be found in the Resource section under Letters From The Editor.
WAR Across the Middle East is a tight web of alliances, treaties, and pacts relating to war. The Middle East came closer to full ignition several months ago during Lebanon's War. Even though the conflict is 'over', the tensions are greater now than they were before. More larger and complex war games are being executed by various countries, many of them key players and threats. In August, Iran conducted military exercises in fourteen of their provinces, some lasting five weeks. In September, Russia conducted its largest-ever air force exercise involving over fifty of its long-range bombers. In October, Russia sold one of its most recent warships to China. What is most concerning for America (or any nation) is that this ship is outfitted with Russian SS-N-22 Sunburn supersonic anti-ship missiles. These missiles travel almost three times the speed of sound, and "can perform violent maneuvers that can defeat most defenses designed to ward off subsonic anti-ship missiles." This is just *another* ship and platform for these deadly missiles (which also includes the Moskit, Yakont, and Granit-type supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, not to mention their rocket torpedoes). China and Russia both already have them deployed on various platforms. What this means to America is that our carrier fleets, which we depend on very heavily, can easily be sent to the bottom of the ocean. If there is going to be a full-scale war in the Middle East, chances are America might find itself watching instead of participating - especially if China decides to take advantage of the conflict, neutralize American forces in the area, and attack Taiwan. Iran, Russia, and Syria have cemented stronger ties, while the UN also gets involved in a commitment with troops in Lebanon. Iran and Syria signed a military pact on June 15th specifically to go against "Israeli threats". Iran specifically addressed Israel and warned them that Iran will support Syria if Israel attacks "even in the slightest way." Then, Syria addressed Israel and stated that it is ready for a regional war, and is considering the possibility of initiating it if Israel does not hand over lands it had confiscated. Then, Putin also warned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel's "foiling Iran's nuclear program could end in disaster for the world." Even Egypt's President Mubarak warned that a regional war could soon break out." Incidentally, most people think that Israel (or the US) should just go in and perform tactical strikes against Iran's nuclear program. That is impossible. There are scores and scores of *known* nuclear-related facilities in Iran. You would never know for sure if you crippled them enough. Besides, with the alliances and technology that Iran (and its allies) have, even America could be beaten back. Iraq was a pushover because of older weapons technology. They could not build up with the sanctions and oversight since the Gulf War. Iran, however, enjoys technological and weapons trade with both Russia and China. However, Iran, even by itself, is formidable. It exports more than 100 million dollars worth of military equipment to over fifty countries. For over a decade, they have produced their own tanks, armored personnel carriers, and missiles. Hezbollah has now recovered and surpassed, in weapons strength, its status before the Lebanon conflict. Even at the end of the conflict, they boasted that they still had over 20,000 rockets. Much of the intelligence shows that Iran is rearming them (and others) by smuggling through Syria. We shouldn't forget than the weapons being smuggled and shared between partners-in-crime are gaining in destructibility. Hezbollah's use of a Chinese-built C-802 against the Israeli naval vessel is just a hint at what power they have on a (now) much larger front. Increased weapons smuggling and positioning has also increased Hamas' strength and threat. Across the world, leaders and lay people are expecting all-out-war in the Middle East. In his farewell speech to the UN, Kofi Annan put it concisely when he stated, "We might like to think of the Arab-Israeli conflict as just one regional conflict amongst many. But it is not. No other conflict carries such a powerful symbolic and emotional charge among people far removed from the battlefield." Zechariah 12:2-3 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." Christian, time is too short to live for the world and it's empty pleasures. Christ is calling us to live for Him! Cast off the world and its allurements and pursuits. We will be held accountable of God for our actions as a Steward, Soldier, Watchman, Salt, and Light. How will you be reckoned? Romans 6:11-13 "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
1John 3:1-3 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
even as he is pure."
REMINDERS & PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for our President that if he is not saved, he will come to the true
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Pray that he will work to the protection
of the American people, and the punishment of the wicked.
Pray for the requests in PrayerList. Tell a friend at church about our website!
May God richly bless,
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