October 19, 2012 Friday Heshvan 3, 5773
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Father
As a Father pitieth his children
and has mercy on us
Lord have mercy
God as Creator of the Universe
Lord have Mercy
There is not one Day nor one day
we do not need you mercy.
God it is hard to say it as we should mean it
Lord have mercy on us.
When Israel your people were led astray
It was not by others they refused to obey
But chose to reject you.
We have become like Israel today.
We are in name only calling ourselves
Christian.
Lord have mercy, Lord have Grace
Lord lead us in the Way everlasting
Guard us and Guide us with a Strong Hand
We have each turned to our own way
Help us to Find
The Way, The Truth, The Life
Help us Jesus
We need you
RAPTURE READY NEWS FLASHER
19 Oct 12
Putin’s New ‘Fortress Russia’ A place for Jews on the Temple Mount "#UnBonJuif": Twitter deluged with French antisemitism Car bomb causes massive blast in Beirut Small earthquake rattles western Nebraska East China Sea tension: China conducts naval exercises EU leaders agree to one banking overseer Moderate earthquake rattles Egypt, felt in Israel Assad launches new wave of air raids, pounding key Syrian town Spain banks’ worst-case scenario turning real Despite Manipulation, Swiss Gold To Become Money More Believe In Space Aliens Than In God According To U.K. Survey Gallup study: Only 3.4 percent of US adults are LGBT Romney leads by seven in latest Gallup tracking Tornadoes, severe storms swat Southeast; 7 hurt Clashes erupt at Greek anti-austerity protests Afghan roadside bomb kills 18 wedding guests EU summit: Compromise deal on eurozone bank supervisor Yemen soldiers killed in attack on south military base
Moscow is cozying up to China, supporting the Assad regime in Syria and ignoring the Iranian nuclear race. The Kremlin is hard at work to create a sphere of influence along its periphery and a “pole” in the multipolar world that would stand up to Washington.-Putin is implementing a “Fortress Russia” policy, which is based on repression at home and confrontation abroad. It is used to justify a $700 billion military buildup.
The state of affairs on the Temple Mount is intolerable and untenable.-A way must be found to enable Jews to exercise their right to commune with their Maker, without further stoking hatred and intolerance. In fact, there is a simple and very practical solution to this predicament: build a synagogue on the Temple Mount where Jews would be free to pray as they wish.
Jewish and anti-racist organisations in France have threatened to sue dozens of Twitter users for posting antisemitic jokes and statements on the site using the hashtag #UnBonJuif (“a good Jew”). Many tweets mocked the Holocaust, said “a good Jew is a dead Jew” or contained other racist statements which are illegal under French law.-Antisemitic violence has grown in France by 45 per cent in the first eight months of 2012.
Lebanon's state-run news agency says a massive blast in east Beirut was caused by a car bomb and that there are casualties. An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw bloodied people being helped into ambulances and heavy damage to what appeared to be residential buildings in the mostly Christian Achrafieh neighborhood.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 3.6 earthquake happened at 11:21 p.m. Wednesday. It was centered about 18 miles northwest of Hyannis (heye-AN'-us). Grant County Sheriff Shawn Hebbert told The Omaha-World Herald (http://bit.ly/Rbu3zF ) that some people felt the quake, saying it woke them up. The sheriff says he didn't feel a thing.
China is conducting naval exercises in the East China Sea, state media report, amid heightened tensions with Japan over islands both claim. The exercises are aimed at "sharpening response to emergencies in missions to safeguard territorial sovereignty", state-run Xinhua news agency said. They involve 11 ships and eight aircraft, including vessels from marine surveillance and fisheries agencies.
EU leaders agreed to create a single banking overseer for the eurozone that could aid ailing banks, but Germany and Britain balked at some details. The 27 EU heads of state and government agreed "on a political framework for the end of 2012 and a gradual implementation in 2013" of a new EU single supervisory mechanism, European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said after the first day of a two-day EU leaders' summit on resolving the eurozone debt crisis. The commission is the EU's executive body.
5.0-magnitude quake comes two days ahead of Israel’s large-scale preparedness drill..
Syrian regime warplanes launched a new wave of strikes Thursday on the northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan, seized by rebels last week, an AFP correspondent reported. Fighter jets began overflying and bombarding Maaret al-Numan, located on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway, in the early hours of the morning, targeting the strategic town and its periphery.
Bad loans as a proportion of total lending jumped to a record 10.5% in August from a restated 10.1% in July as 9.3-billion euros (US$12.2-billion) of loans were newly classified as being in default, according to data published by the Bank of Spain on its website Thursday. The ratio has climbed for 17 straight months from 0.72% in December 2006, before Spain’s property boom turned to bust.
There is an incredible amount of intervention and manipulation (in the gold and silver markets). I know you’ve had these superb interviews with the ‘London Trader,’ but just looking at the screen, at every important level, the gold and silver prices are being attacked and there is selling taking place.”
More than 33 million U.K. citizens believe in extraterrestrial life, compared to just over 27 million -- less than half the country -- who believe in God. That's the result of an online survey of 1,359 adults who were asked a variety of questions ranging from belief in alien visits to Earth, suspicions of UFO cover-ups, belief in extraterrestrials vs. belief in God, and whether or not men actually landed on the moon.
A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The findings, released Thursday, were based on interviews with more than 121,000 people. Gallup said it is the largest study ever aimed at calculating the nation's LGBT population.
Mitt Romney leads President Obama by seven points with a majority of the vote, according to Gallup’s latest tracking poll. The poll puts Romney at 52 percent, ahead of Obama who is at 45 percent.
At least four tornadoes were part of the storm system that raked northern and central Mississippi on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, injuring at least seven people, the National Weather Service said. The biggest of the four storms was a twister that traveled 16 miles through several counties east of Jackson. With a half-mile-wide damage path, it was rated EF-3 on the Fujita scale, with peak winds estimated at 140 mph, the weather service said. That storm blew down trees as well as three electrical transmission towers.
Greek police clashed with anti-austerity protesters hurling stones and petrol bombs on the day of a general strike that brought much of the near-bankrupt country to a standstill. In the second major walkout in three weeks on Thursday, almost 40,000 protesters marched in Athens in a bid to show EU leaders meeting in Brussels that new wage and pension cuts will only worsen their plight after five years of recession.
A massive roadside bomb has killed at least 18 people on their way to a wedding in northern Afghanistan. At least 15 others have been wounded in what a BBC correspondent called one of the worst such attacks in the country for some time.
EU leaders have agreed to set up a single eurozone banking supervisor - a major step towards a banking union. A legislative framework is to be in place by 1 January next year, with the body starting work later in 2013.
At least nine soldiers have been killed in an attack by suspected al-Qaeda militants on a military base in southern Yemen, military officials say. The attackers drove a vehicle into the base in Shuqra, Abyan province, before blowing it up. One official said they travelled in a military vehicle and passed through several checkpoints to reach the camp.
"You are a Missionary"
NEWS BRIEFS
Featured News  | ||
| Friday, Oct 19, 2012 07:55:16 AM EDT Suspected al Qaeda attack on Yemen army base kills 26 | Friday, Oct 19, 2012 07:52:25 AM EDT Moderate earthquake rattles Egypt - Felt in Israel | Friday, Oct 19, 2012 07:48:06 AM EDT Thieves breach IDF base in north; steal 4 rifles |
| Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:15:18 PM EDT Navy prepares for possible takeover of 'Estelle' | Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:30:10 PM EDT Iran: Drone infiltration proves Israel can’t defend itself | Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 11:53:44 AM EDT Assad forces intensify air assaults; dozens killed |
| Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 08:00:18 AM EDT Morsi’s warm letter to Peres sparks anger and denial in Egypt | Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:57:05 AM EDT Russia protects Israel from UNESCO condemnations | Wednesday, Oct 17, 2012 04:27:36 PM EDT Ahead of largest ever joint US-Israel drill, generals say troop cutback insignificant |
| Back To Top | ||
White House News | ||
| Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 11:56:19 AM EDT Obama, Romney: First Thoughts - Wooing Women | Wednesday, Oct 17, 2012 08:14:47 AM EDT Obama, Romney turn up the tension in second presidential debate | Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012 12:37:27 PM EDT Romney Ties Obama Among Likely Women Voters in Swing States |
| Back To Top | ||
Israel News Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither | ||
| Friday, Oct 19, 2012 07:49:26 AM EDT Report: 70% of buildings may collapse during strong quake | Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 08:45:01 AM EDT Over 2,000 Jews pray for girl shot by Taliban | Wednesday, Oct 17, 2012 07:56:20 AM EDT Jerusalem residents suffer from stone attacks |
| Back To Top | ||
Inspired by God
"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." - E. M. Bounds | ||
| Sunday, Jun 24, 2012 11:19:49 AM EDT October 19: Triumph Through Trouble - Charles Stanley | Sunday, Jun 24, 2012 11:18:21 AM EDT October 19: The Unheeded Secret - Oswald Chambers | Wednesday, Oct 05, 2011 11:33:37 AM EDT October 19: Cushion of The Sea - Streams in the Desert |
| Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 11:36:42 AM EDT A.W. Tozer's Daily Devotional | Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 11:35:45 AM EDT Charles Spurgeon's 'Morning and Evening' Daily Devotional | Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 11:34:26 AM EDT Daily Light 'Morning and Evening' Devotional - Jonathan Bagster |
| Friday, Aug 08, 2008 09:36:37 AM EDT Charles Stanley's Audio Messages | ||
HEADLINER STORY
Iran-UAE Island Dispute Could Escalate
October 18, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC — Together, Abu Musa, Greater Tunbs and Lesser Tunbs amount to fewer than 26 square kilometers of sand and scrub. But their location in the middle of Persian Gulf shipping and tanker lanes near the Strait of Hormuz gives the islands huge strategic importance.
And this importance extends not only to the United Arab Emirates and Iran – both of which claim the islands -- but far beyond. The dispute over who has sovereignty over the islands dates back more than a century. Until recently, the debate was a regional matter. Now, in the light of rising tension over Iran’s nuclear plans and Israel’s threats to attack Iran, the dispute could heat up quickly.
Historic context
In 1968, Britain announced it would withdraw from the Gulf region by the end of 1971. It had taken control of the islands in the 1920s, but because they had been ruled by the Arab Qassimi family dynasty for at least two centuries, Britain decided to hand them over to Sharjah, slated to join the United Arab Emirates.
Iran disputed the decision, claiming its own historic rights to the islands. Eventually, Britain brokered a deal between Iran and Sharjah giving them joint control of Abu Musa and equal shares in any future oil reserves. No agreement, however, was reached on the two Tunbs islands.
But on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, the Iranian military moved quickly and took the three islands by force. It has occupied them ever since.
The UAE perspective
Thomas R. Mattair is Executive Director of the Middle East Policy Council and author of The Three Occupied UAE Islands: The Tunbs and Abu Musa. He says Sharjah signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) under duress, therefore making it invalid.
“The Shah [of Iran] was on record many times as indicating that if he couldn’t get the islands any other way, he would take the islands by force and he talked about the military assets he had that would enable him to do that,” Mattair said. “So the ruler of Sharjah signed the MOU under those circumstances, and he was right to be afraid that Abu Musa would be taken by force, because when his counterpart, the ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah did not sign an agreement with Iran, Iran did use force to take the Tunbs islands as well.”
Mattair says Iran has no claim to the islands. “Iran was asked many times by British officials during the 19th and 20th centuries to establish that they had used and possessed the islands, and they never really did come forward with documents, and therefore from a legal point of view, they have no case to make,” Mattair said.
UAE Calls on Iran to Take Islands Dispute to UN Court
“The UAE can produce historical documents that establish the fact that people from [what are now] the Emirates used and possessed the islands over a long period of time,” he said. “And in international law, long, uninterrupted use and possession are the most important criteria for sovereignty.”
The view from Tehran
While Iran recognizes that Arabs ruled the islands for centuries, it argues they did so from the Iranian port city of Lengheh and therefore as Persian subjects—making the islands Iranian.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands firm in defense of its territorial integrity...Dr. Bahman Aghai Diba, a former Iranian diplomat, international lawyer and author of The Law and Politics of the Caspian Sea, says that Iran’s sovereignty over the islands has been well-established in historical books and documents—and even in the records of British authorities in colonial India. In a statement he provided VOA, also published on the internet, he wrote: “The British made a package deal with Iran, according to which Iran stopped its demand for the restoration of its sovereignty over Bahrain and took the three islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu-Musa.”
Diba says that following what he terms the “restoration of the Iranian sovereignty” over the islands, three Arab countries, Egypt, Iraq and Libya, “thinking that they were the main leaders of the Arab world and…pretending that they acted as the representative of the Arabs,” complained to the UN Security Council.
“The United Arab Emirates was not one of them,” he said. “However, the UNSC heard the explanations of the parties and after hearing the report of the British representative that implicitly referred to a ‘package deal,’ the UNSC deleted the issue from its agenda.”
As far as Diba is concerned, the matter was settled there and then—Iran has the rightful claim to the islands.
But U.N. records indicate that four Arab countries—Iraq, Libya, Algeria and Yemen—requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the situation. On December 9, 1971, just days after the Iranian seizure of the islands, Iraq’s ambassador complained about what he termed an “armed aggression by Iran,” worrying that it could impact regional security. Iraq accused Britain and Iran of “collusion” contrary to the U.N. Charter.
In the end, the Council decided to “defer consideration of the matter to a later date, allowing time for “thorough third-party efforts to materialize.” The matter has not been taken up by the Council since.
My government expresses, once again, its regret regarding the continued Iranian occupation of our three islands - Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs - and demands for the restoration of the UAE's full sovereignty.”
The UAE has offered either to engage in bilateral talks with Iran on the issue or to take it to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Diba says Iran is reluctant to consider the latter option because it wouldn’t stand a chance facing the combined opposition of the UAE and its supporters, i.e., members of the Arab League, the GCC, the European Union and the U.S. “No country will be ashamed of standing against a regime that is known as an international thug in the world,” Diba said.
Strategic significance
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil chokepoint. The U.S. Energy Information Administration, a statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, says 17 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait every day, which is nearly 20 percent of all oil traded worldwide. If any party wanted to interrupt oil shipments, it could do so from these islands.
The Federation of American Scientists says Iran has built up a military presence on the islands that includes anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
Last April, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Abu Musa, a move that, when viewed alongside repeated Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, was interpreted as a warning to the U.S. and Israel. Mattair says Iran views its presence on the islands as a deterrent against attack, “although the deterrent would only be valuable for a day or two before their adversaries could neutralize it.”
Analysts also view the visit as a signal to other Gulf states of Iran’s ambitions as a regional power.
At last month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.A.E. Foreign MinisterSheikh Abdullah bin Zayed reiterated an appeal for the dispute to be settled through negotiations or at The Hague.
Iran subsequently warned the UAE it was considering severing diplomatic ties with its neighbor over the dispute, then later retracted.
October 18, 2012
And this importance extends not only to the United Arab Emirates and Iran – both of which claim the islands -- but far beyond. The dispute over who has sovereignty over the islands dates back more than a century. Until recently, the debate was a regional matter. Now, in the light of rising tension over Iran’s nuclear plans and Israel’s threats to attack Iran, the dispute could heat up quickly.
Historic context
In 1968, Britain announced it would withdraw from the Gulf region by the end of 1971. It had taken control of the islands in the 1920s, but because they had been ruled by the Arab Qassimi family dynasty for at least two centuries, Britain decided to hand them over to Sharjah, slated to join the United Arab Emirates.
Iran disputed the decision, claiming its own historic rights to the islands. Eventually, Britain brokered a deal between Iran and Sharjah giving them joint control of Abu Musa and equal shares in any future oil reserves. No agreement, however, was reached on the two Tunbs islands.
But on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, the Iranian military moved quickly and took the three islands by force. It has occupied them ever since.
The UAE perspective
Thomas R. Mattair is Executive Director of the Middle East Policy Council and author of The Three Occupied UAE Islands: The Tunbs and Abu Musa. He says Sharjah signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) under duress, therefore making it invalid.
“The Shah [of Iran] was on record many times as indicating that if he couldn’t get the islands any other way, he would take the islands by force and he talked about the military assets he had that would enable him to do that,” Mattair said. “So the ruler of Sharjah signed the MOU under those circumstances, and he was right to be afraid that Abu Musa would be taken by force, because when his counterpart, the ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah did not sign an agreement with Iran, Iran did use force to take the Tunbs islands as well.”
Mattair says Iran has no claim to the islands. “Iran was asked many times by British officials during the 19th and 20th centuries to establish that they had used and possessed the islands, and they never really did come forward with documents, and therefore from a legal point of view, they have no case to make,” Mattair said.
UAE Calls on Iran to Take Islands Dispute to UN Court“The UAE can produce historical documents that establish the fact that people from [what are now] the Emirates used and possessed the islands over a long period of time,” he said. “And in international law, long, uninterrupted use and possession are the most important criteria for sovereignty.”
The view from Tehran
While Iran recognizes that Arabs ruled the islands for centuries, it argues they did so from the Iranian port city of Lengheh and therefore as Persian subjects—making the islands Iranian.
Diba says that following what he terms the “restoration of the Iranian sovereignty” over the islands, three Arab countries, Egypt, Iraq and Libya, “thinking that they were the main leaders of the Arab world and…pretending that they acted as the representative of the Arabs,” complained to the UN Security Council.
“The United Arab Emirates was not one of them,” he said. “However, the UNSC heard the explanations of the parties and after hearing the report of the British representative that implicitly referred to a ‘package deal,’ the UNSC deleted the issue from its agenda.”
As far as Diba is concerned, the matter was settled there and then—Iran has the rightful claim to the islands.
But U.N. records indicate that four Arab countries—Iraq, Libya, Algeria and Yemen—requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the situation. On December 9, 1971, just days after the Iranian seizure of the islands, Iraq’s ambassador complained about what he termed an “armed aggression by Iran,” worrying that it could impact regional security. Iraq accused Britain and Iran of “collusion” contrary to the U.N. Charter.
In the end, the Council decided to “defer consideration of the matter to a later date, allowing time for “thorough third-party efforts to materialize.” The matter has not been taken up by the Council since.
The UAE has offered either to engage in bilateral talks with Iran on the issue or to take it to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Diba says Iran is reluctant to consider the latter option because it wouldn’t stand a chance facing the combined opposition of the UAE and its supporters, i.e., members of the Arab League, the GCC, the European Union and the U.S. “No country will be ashamed of standing against a regime that is known as an international thug in the world,” Diba said.
Strategic significance
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important oil chokepoint. The U.S. Energy Information Administration, a statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, says 17 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait every day, which is nearly 20 percent of all oil traded worldwide. If any party wanted to interrupt oil shipments, it could do so from these islands.
The Federation of American Scientists says Iran has built up a military presence on the islands that includes anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
Last April, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Abu Musa, a move that, when viewed alongside repeated Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, was interpreted as a warning to the U.S. and Israel. Mattair says Iran views its presence on the islands as a deterrent against attack, “although the deterrent would only be valuable for a day or two before their adversaries could neutralize it.”
Analysts also view the visit as a signal to other Gulf states of Iran’s ambitions as a regional power.
At last month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.A.E. Foreign MinisterSheikh Abdullah bin Zayed reiterated an appeal for the dispute to be settled through negotiations or at The Hague.
Iran subsequently warned the UAE it was considering severing diplomatic ties with its neighbor over the dispute, then later retracted.
CHRISTIAN NEWS FEATURE
(HELD OVER)
Perry Noble: Never Pretty When the Church Crawls in Bed With Politics
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/perry-noble-never-pretty-when-the-church-crawls-in-bed-with-politics-83491/#rWUZpO70XqIA64HE.99
While a growing number of pastors appear to be pushing the envelope more than ever when it comes to mixing the Gospel with political opinions and in some cases endorsements, one well-known Christian leader said it's time to quit obsessing on candidates and party platforms.
"It's sad," Pastor Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in South Carolina wrote in his blog published Wednesday. "…[B]ut I believe that there would be way more celebration in many mainline churches if Mitt Romney won the election than there would be if one sinner repented of their sins the following Sunday! I have a question for Republicans and Democrats alike…how is putting your hope in a political savior going for you?"
Noble, whose church averages 16,000 people in attendance during weekend services at multiple campuses throughout the state, believes it's "never pretty when the church crawls in bed with politics."
He said he wrote the post, "The Church & Politics = A Mess!" because there has seemingly been an outpouring of pastors "declaring to the people in their church who they should vote for."
Noble goes on to describe the failings of the current administration and the previous one under George W. Bush in order to illustrate that he was not picking on a particular party. Rather, he wanted to point out that pastors may be leading their congregations to a "false messiah."
Some pastors have been spurred on to talk about politics from the pulpit by groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian-based legal team that sponsored Pulpit Freedom Sunday held on Oct. 7.
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Registration for the event increased from 100 pastors two years ago to nearly 1,500 pastors this year. Pulpit Freedom Sunday is meant to challenge the Internal Revenue Service's regulations that restrict religious leaders from endorsing candidates and discussing policies with their congregations.
However, many pastors such as Noble restrain themselves from making political endorsements in order to keep preaching the Gospel the top priority.
"All too often churches are seemingly becoming obsessed with our government passing legislation regarding abortion, homosexual marriage and other hot button topics, believing that the passing of a particular law will somehow stop the downward spiral our country is obviously on," Noble wrote.
"PLEASE understand me when I say that while we should pay attention to what our government is doing…the REAL issue the church has been called to deal with is the condition of the human heart," he continued. "Yes, our country is in desperate need of change…but the kind brought about when God's grace collides with our sinfulness."
Addressing pastors he writes, "As a person meets Jesus and then walks closer with Him they are WAY LESS LIKELY to plunge into the destructive behaviors that hurt them and others…which is why we MUST be obsessed pointing people to Jesus rather than our political preferences!"
Noble, whose latest book is Unleashed! Breaking Free From Normalcy, believes that politics are more suited for changing laws and not for changing the condition of the human heart.
He concludes that the "church should NEVER sell itself out to a lesser vision of temporary change rather than eternal impact that is brought about through the preaching of the Gospel!"
DAY 22 of 40
God Save your People
from Blindness
Remove from them the stony heart
The Distracted View
The Perspective of Hate and Fear
So prevelant in our land.
God
Only You Can Light Our Darkness
Because O Lord Most Hight
In the Heart of the People
How Great is the Darkness
WITHIN
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"FEATURED WEEKLY STUDY"
Someone asked me this week what I thought about James MacDonald having T. D. Jakes at the Elephant Room. Well, to put it simply, I think it was great! James took a bold step in reaching out and inviting a man that some Evangelicals don't want to accept. I can understand having genuine questions about Jakes' position on the doctrine of the Trinity considering his longtime involvement with "Oneness Pentecostalism," and his own admission that he at one time held to an anti-trinitarian view of God's nature. But he has also, on several occasions over the past few years, stated that he no longer holds a "Oneness" or "modalistic" view of God and now believes in the doctrine of the Trinity. This he clearly articulated once again at the Elephant Room.
Jakes formally held the Oneness doctrine, also known as "Jesus Only," which teaches that Jesus is both the Father and the Son. The term Father refers to His deity, the term Son refers to His humanity. According to the Oneness doctrine, there is no Trinity—one God in three persons; rather there is one God who expresses Himself in different modes, sometimes as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit. Now this teaching is certainly contrary to the biblical doctrine of the triune nature of God and is therefore "heretical," but to say that those who hold this view are not Christians is in my opinion going too far. Granted, it is an incorrect view regarding the nature of God, but it is not like other anti-trinitarian views that deny the full deity of Christ. I personally do not think you can put those who hold the Oneness doctrine in the same category as a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon. I might be wrong, but that's the way I see it at this point. Should we seek to correct the view of the Oneness Pentecostals? Yes we should, in the same way we would seek to correct any person or group that has fallen into theological error. What I don't think we should do is spurn them or cast a final eternal judgment on them.
Now back to T. D. Jakes and those Evangelicals who are still refusing to accept him. This is sad! Give the brother a break. What else could he have done to affirm his belief in the Trinity? He's declared publicly that he "now" (showing he's moved away from his former position) believes that God exists in three persons. He even explained that during the process of changing his position he began to see that there were things the Bible says about the Father that couldn't be said about the Son, and things the Bible says about the Son that couldn't be said about the Father, necessitating distinct persons within the divine nature. He did say that he wasn't all that crazy about the use of the term "persons" when speaking about the distinctions within the divine nature, but others have expressed similar things, feeling that sometimes the term person might be too limiting or give the impression that God is a person just like we are. This seems to me to be the kind of theological "hair splitting" that has been the bane of the church from generation to generation, and something that, God help us, we really need to outgrow.
My hat is off to James and to the others who came together with T. D. Jakes for a time of honest dialogue and fellowship in Christ at the Elephant Room. The church desperately needs more of this kind of thing. After all, Jesus didn't say that the world would know we were His disciples by our total agreement on all the finer points of theology; He did say that they would know we were His disciples by our love for one another. The Elephant Room was a beautiful display of Christ's disciples doing just that.
Brian has been involved in pastoral ministry for over 30 years. He has served as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Vista, California, and as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Westminster, London, England. Brian has been extensively involved in missions and church planting work throughout various parts of the world. He now serves at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California. Brian is the featured speaker on the Bible teaching program "Back to Basics." He is known for his clear and challenging exposition of the Scriptures. Brian and his wife Cheryl have four children and four grandsons and reside in Southern California. You can connect with Pastor Brian through his Facebook Page orTwitter.
http://michaeljamesstone.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=viddevotoday
WEEKLY WORD
![[image]](http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt59/mrnetbizness/WordDevo-1.png "[image]")
WHEN I WAS A CHILD I THOUGHT AS A CHILD WOULD.
Growing up I watched John Wayne, Errol Flyinn, Classic movies of Good conquering Evil and even greater stories of Dying for your Country.
When I was a child I thought dying for your country was good thing.
Getting older I used to watch Battle Cry, King Arthur, Exodus and many movies that all wanted to tell me to die for and Idea. To give my life fo
r a higher calling, be devoted to the IDEAL even if it meant my death.
When I was a child I thought ideas were a good thing to believe in.
Later in life people told me I needed to solve social issues. I watched SCI FI and fantasy movies telling me I could make a difference, I could change the world, I could save the planet, the hungry, the poor and the unborn.
When I was a young man I thought solving issues were a good thing.
I got Old.
I have seen in retro movies and the same stories being told again to die for your country. And I have seen a generation of people actually think bombing each other and fighting wars for peace actually work....
I am too old for that. Been there, done that.
I have seen the ideal societies again playing push me pull you with everyone saying I have to make a change because it really is up to me stop Abortion, Fix the Debt, Create Jobs, Do healthcare, renew the world....
Sorry, I am too old for that.
Been there, done that.
You know even Christians now are telling me I have to vote Mormon and put away being a Christian because if I don't vote I am not saved or somehow I am not "with them"
So sorry, I have decided to Follow Jesus.
I don't follow men, I don't follow creeds. I don't follow you when you have high idea's or moral dilemmas. I don't worry or fret or act like I can save the World. I can't
I follow Jesus.
OTHERS MAY DIE FOR ALOT OF REASON:
I HAVE DECIDED TO LIVE WITH JESUS.
(Weekly)
The Religion of Politics
People don't want to admit how Religious they are by practicing politics. And yert they do the same things in politics they do in religion.
People will put Faith in a candidate. Organizers want you to Believe in a party. Dogmas are campaign promises, made by men but now power in them to be true. Doctrines are party platforms people want everyone to agree on but seldon do. I really don't see any difference between a religious fanatic and poltical junkie. They both go to and use extremes to accomplish one purpose.
As good as religion can be at times and abused at others, I see the same truth in politics. Truth, Honesty, Integrity, Social Justice, Moral righteousness, just like religion I see politics wanting those to be done while in fact doing the opposite, much like religion. Wars, Debates, Agreements, Money, Economics, Health, Commerce, Trade. I do find the RELIGION OF POLITICS often more active in America than relgions of man.
Sadly I see On the Altar of Politcs America crucified of her Soul for the sake of Elections and little Grace or God involved at all
Religion and Politics cannot solve personal relationships, only people can.
Jesud wanted nothing do with Politics or Religion
If it meant giving up God in the Process
Have you?
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