Iran replaces dollar with euro in most oil dealings

Alert Focus: Mammon / The Third Seal / The prince of the kingdom of Persia Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in the December 9, 2006 edition of Moriel's Be Alert! email newsletter. MEHR NEWS AGENCY - December 5, 2006 -- TEHRAN — Iran has started replacing dollar with euro in majority of its crude oil exchanges in the last several months, an informed source with Iran’s Oil Ministry said here on Tuesday. Oil Ministry has taken the policy to substitute dollar with euro, and begun to implement it for most of its oil dealings, the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Mehr News Agency. “This can maintain the real value of Iranian oil,” he added. The majority of Iran crude’s customers are Asian and European states, the source noted. Iran is the number two oil producing member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It also stands second behind Russia in terms of gas reserves in the world. http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=416994 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

The plan to destroy America – via the dollar

Alert Focus: Mammon / The Third Seal Proverbs 13:7 There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth. James 5:3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! WORLDNETDAILY - Commentary by Hal Lindsey - December 8, 2006 -- The value of the U.S. dollar on the international market is continuing to plummet, despite record growth in the US economy. Since October, the dollar has fallen 4 percent against both the euro and the Japanese yen. And this week, the dollar hit the lowest it has been against the euro since March 2005. With the Dow setting records every week and America creating more jobs than it can fill, why is the dollar falling? There are several reasons. Approximately 70 percent of all foreign-exchange currency is currently held in U.S. dollars. The U.S. then sells Treasury debt into that foreign exchange market. This is a bit complicated, but here's what that means. Each U.S. bill is a receipt for Treasury debt. Once accepted as "money" it has value to its bearer. But, it is debt to its issuer. The system relies on the global flow of U.S. dollars in and out of foreign currency reserves. A smaller foreign exchange holding in U.S. dollars means a smaller pool out of which to sell U.S. debt. This sets up a financial peril that is little understood by most Americans. It sets up a double threat to the dollar. It not only shrinks the dollar's value, but also raises both the trade deficit and the budget deficit. Now stay with me, here. This may be some of the most important information you will need to try and force Congress to do something – and also to take action to defend your own personal financial future. It has become apparent that there is a new strategy to destroy America. It is a new kind of warfare designed to destroy the value of American currency via a carefully coordinated attack against our dollar by a coalition of our enemies. And, based on the rapid shrinking of the dollar's worth, despite an economic boom, it appears to be working. Certain countries have begun quietly divesting themselves of U.S. foreign exchange holdings, converting them to euros. In 2004, the Switzerland-based Bank for International Settlement reported that the U.S. dollar-denominated deposits of OPEC countries fell from 75 percent of their total deposits in the third quarter of 2001 to 61.5 percent by the end of 2003. In the same period, the share of euro-denominated deposits of OPEC countries rose from 12 percent to 20 percent. OPEC member euro-denominated deposits reached 44 billion in June 2004, nearly double the 23.4 billion euros these countries held in the third quarter of 2001. In the same period of time, the dollar holdings of the OPEC member countries decreased from $145.3 billion to $132.1 billion. In 2005, China negotiated major oil and natural gas rights from Iran. For years, North Korea's Kim Jong-il has been flooding the global economy with so-called "supernotes" – counterfeit U.S. $100 bills so good even Secret Service agents can't tell the difference without conducting sophisticated tests. The 2005 arrests of major Asian crime figures in several U.S. cities led investigators straight to Pyongyang – and from there to Beijing. Experts now believe that a significant percentage of U.S. $100 bills now in circulation are counterfeit. The strategy is to flood the market with counterfeit dollars to deflate its value. Then to convert U.S. holdings to euros, thus pushing the dollar into a deflationary freefall. In January 2006, China announced an intention to reduce 75 percent of its foreign exchange reserves currently held in U.S. dollars. Since China is the world's second-largest holder of U.S. dollar-denominated foreign-exchange reserves, it has the power to create a catastrophe. At the same time, Venezuela and Iran are now demanding that all payments for oil shipments be paid for in euros – not dollars. In addition, both nations are planning regional central banking schemes designed to hold all foreign exchange holdings of participating countries in euros instead of dollars. This explains why enemy operators, spearheaded by members of the Saudi royal family, have flooded hundreds of millions of dollars into Venezuelan held bearer-bonds that are used to buy as many banks as possible throughout the Caribbean and South American areas. All these factors cannot be coincidence. They reveal a concerted, well-coordinated strategy to destroy America through economics. I believe oil is being used in this same overall strategy against America. Last October, OPEC agreed to reduce production to keep oil prices up near $60 per barrel. The price was suggested by Hugo Chavez after consultation with his friends in Tehran and Moscow and accepted by OPEC. With that one brilliant maneuver, Chavez cornered the global oil market. Venezuela has vast deposits of heavy oil in the Orinoco, but heavy oil is expensive to extract and refine at free-market prices. However, at $60 per barrel, the Orinoco reserves give Venezuela the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Not just larger than the vast reserves of Iran or Saudi Arabia, it is larger than both of them put together. In fact, it is bigger than all the proven oil reserves in the Middle East combined. Venezuela's deposits alone could extend the oil age for another 100 years. Hugo Chavez is raking in some $200 million a day in oil sales, most of it from the United States. If Chavez demands payment in euros, it will throw the whole U.S. economy into a crisis. Amazingly, Hugo Chavez has now become the go-to guy for all of OPEC. He's held audience with every oil sheik and dictator in the Middle East, including our "friends" the Saudis and Kuwaitis. With the recent re-election of Chavez, the U.S. is ringed by five of the most virulently anti-American leftist regimes in Latin America. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53285 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Be Alert! Communiqué: Teen and TwentySomething Christians Falling Away

Alert Focus: The Falling Away / Deception

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Matthew 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

Editorial Note: Some of these articles originally appeared in the December 11, 2006 edition of Moriel's Be Alert! email newsletter.

Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years THE BARNA RESEARCH GROUP - THE BARNA UPDATE - September 11, 2006 -- Ventura, CA – Transitions in life are rarely simple. Some of the most significant and complex shifts that people undergo occur during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood. An important part of that maturation is the refinement of people’s spiritual commitment and behavior. A new study by The Barna Group (Ventura, California) shows that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twentysomethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years – and often beyond that. In total, six out of ten twentysomethings were involved in a church during their teen years, but have failed to translate that into active spirituality during their early adulthood. Teens Embrace Spirituality… Teenagers thrive on fresh experiences and new perspectives. The spiritual dimension gives teens a fertile ground for their explorations. Half of teens attend a church-related service or activity in a typical week. More than three-quarters discuss matters of faith with peers and three out of five teens attend at least one youth group meeting at a church during a typical three month period. One-third of teenagers say they participate in a Christian club on campus at some point during a typical school year. There is also a substantial amount of unorthodox spiritual activity: three-quarters of America’s teenaged youths have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity during their teen years (not including reading horoscopes). Still, one of the most striking findings from the research is the broad base of opportunities that Christian churches in America have with to work with teenagers. Overall, more than four out of five teens say they have attended a church for a period of at least two months during their teenage years (81%). This represents substantial penetration and significant prospects for influencing the nation’s 24 million teens. …But Disengagement Happens At the same time, the Barna research underscores how fleeting that influence may be: twentysomethings continue to be the most spiritually independent and resistant age group in America. Most of them pull away from participation and engagement in Christian churches, particularly during the “college years.” The research shows that, compared to older adults, twentysomethings have significantly lower levels of church attendance, time spent alone studying and reading the Bible, volunteering to help churches, donations to churches, Sunday school and small group involvement, and use of Christian media (including television, radio and magazines). In fact, the most potent data regarding disengagement is that a majority of twentysomethings – 61% of today’s young adults – had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying). Only one-fifth of twentysomethings (20%) have maintained a level of spiritual activity consistent with their high school experiences. Another one-fifth of teens (19%) were never significantly reached by a Christian community of faith during their teens and have remained disconnected from the Christian faith. For most adults, this pattern of disengagement is not merely a temporary phase in which they test the boundaries of independence, but is one that continues deeper into adulthood, with those in their thirties also less likely than older adults to be religiously active. Even the traditional impulse of parenthood – when people’s desire to supply spiritual guidance for their children pulls them back to church – is weakening. The new research pointed out that just one-third of twentysomethings who are parents regularly take their children to church, compared with two-fifths of parents in their thirties and half of parents who are 40-years-old or more.... Piecing Faith Together While twentysomethings often disengage from traditional religious expressions, faith and spirituality are hardly absent from their lives. The research also examined a number of significant realities about the spiritual journeys of young adults: - As for religious identity, most twentysomethings maintain outward allegiance to Christianity: 78% of twentysomethings say they are Christians, compared with 83% of teenagers. Although they are less likely than older generations to feel this way, most twentysomethings describe themselves as “deeply spiritual.” - Loyalty to congregations is one of the casualties of young adulthood: twentysomethings were nearly 70% more likely than older adults to strongly assert that if they “cannot find a local church that will help them become more like Christ, then they will find people and groups that will, and connect with them instead of a local church.” They are also significantly less likely to believe that “a person’s faith in God is meant to be developed by involvement in a local church.” - These attitudes explain other anomalies of twentysomething spirituality. Much of the activity of young adults, such as it is, takes place outside congregations. Young adults were just as likely as older Americans to attend special worship events not sponsored by a local church, to participate in a spiritually oriented small group at work, to have a conversation with someone else who holds them accountable for living faith principles, and to attend a house church not associated with a conventional church. Interestingly, there was one area in which the spiritual activities of twentysomethings outpaced their predecessors: visiting faith-related websites. ... http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=245

Bible-Based Youth Ministry Bumps Out Pop Culture THE CHRISTIAN POST - By Lillian Kwon - November 16, 2006 -- Sugarcoated, MTV-style youth ministry is over, Time magazine reported. The current trend that is packing teens in pews: Bible-based worship. Youth ministers have tried to engage teens in the church with a message wrapped in pop-culture packaging to initially attract the young crowd. The approach has successfully drawn a large number of youths to the pews. But it has failed to keep them there. Research groups have tracked a dropping percentage of young adults still participating in church activities or attending church at all since their teenage years. A Barna survey showed 61 percent of people in the 20-29 age group had participated in church activities as teens but are now disengaged. Youth Transition Network coordinator Jeff Schadt preaches an even higher proportion of youths - as high as 88 percent - falling away from the church, especially when leaving the nest for college. The sugarcoated Christianity that was popular in the past few decades was found to be causing growing numbers of kids to turn away from youth-fellowship activities and the Christian faith altogether, according to Time. "The vast majority of teens who call themselves Christians haven't been well educated in religious doctrine and therefore don't really know what they believe," Christian Smith, a University of Notre Dame sociologist and author of Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, told the magazine. "With all the competing demands on their time, religion becomes a low priority, and so they practice their faith in shallow ways." Teen Mania, one of the nation's largest youth organizations, openly rejects the MTV culture. More than 200,000 teens just this year attended the organization's new Battle Cry stadium-worship events that feature top Christian music artists while grounding teens in Scripture. Stadium events run like a Christian Lollapalooza, as Time described it, but founder Ron Luce knows the significance of a strong foundation in Scriptural teachings. He aims to raise up "serious followers of Christ" and his approach has been a huge success with teens and youth leaders. Today's teens are more drawn to Scripture and desire to get a better understanding of what they believe. One surprising finding that Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry revealed in an ongoing study was that teens attend youth group because they like their youth pastor and to learn about God. Those reasons were listed by the majority of the surveyed students. The Barna Group found the top reason listed among teens for attending church was to "understand better what I believe." Students also said they wanted to have more time for deep conversation and also desired more accountability in their youth groups. Games or other activities were not a desired priority. Time reported churches now focusing more on Scripture and less on entertainment are actually growing. Youth attendance numbers are at least doubling at such churches as Shoreline Christian Center in Austin, Texas and Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md. And teens are happy with the traditional approach as they're understanding what it means to be a Christian. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061116/23499.htm

Study: State of High School Seniors Today THE CHRISTIAN POST - By Lillian Kwon - October 24, 2006 -- Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry (CYFM) released results from its first wave in a three-year longitudinal study surveying high school seniors going off to college. Studying the current state of seniors and the type of students youth ministries are developing today, the College Transition Project received responses from high school students around the country for wave one of the milestone study. Surprisingly, the top reason students go to youth group is because of their youth pastor. According to the responses received, 162 of which were usable, 68 percent said it is "very true" or "completely true" they go to youth group because they like their youth pastor. The second most popular reason was "I learn about God there," which was followed by 58 percent who said "It's fun." Other reasons listed as "very true" or "completely true" by at least 50 percent of the students included "I feel comfortable there," "I've always gone to church/youth group," "It's a place where I can learn to serve," and "It feels like a real community." Some youth workers expressed ambivalence about the top reason students listed but they also raised the question if it's possible that the students have become "too dependent" on their youth pastors. "Interestingly, seniors' connections with their friends at youth group don't rank as highly as many would have guessed," noted the report. "By average score, seniors ranked the options regarding community and a sense of belonging seventh, eighth, and tenth." The least likely reason students listed was that their parents make them go or that they feel guilty if they don't go. Students were also asked what they wanted to see more of in youth ministry. At the top was the desire for more service projects. Following that, 70 percent of the respondents wanted more or much more time for deep conversation; 65 wanted more mission trips; 65 percent wanted more accountability; and 58 percent wanted more time to worship. Ranked last was the desire for more games. "The major theme of these seniors’ responses is a desire for deeper responsibility and interaction; they want to express themselves and their faith through service and mission trips, and they want deeper interaction through conversation, accountability, and alone time with leaders," stated the study. "The vast majority do not want more games." Although 56 percent said they wanted more Bible study, the study highlighted its lower ranking among the listed changes and pointed to the little time seniors spend on reading the Bible on their own. A separated questionnaire had indicated that the seniors read the Bible by themselves an average of 2 to 3 times per month. On an additional note, involvement in Sunday youth group gatherings was found to have a significant relationship with seniors' choices on such risk behaviors as drinking alcohol and sexual activity. Earlier results from the project's first pilot phase had found that 100 percent of students who graduated from youth ministry had engaged in risk behaviors. However, the more activities, such as Bible reading or youth ministry works, students engaged in, the greater effect it had on their faith and life choices. A third question in the study asked seniors about their feelings toward their adult youth leaders. Youth leaders were looked to as a greater source of support than fellow peers or "other students" in their youth group. "Overall, this is encouraging news for youth leaders," the report highlighted. "Seniors feel supported, valued, and appreciated by youth ministry adults. Perhaps surprisingly, seniors’ perceived levels of support from other students in their youth groups pales in comparison to the support they receive from their adult leaders." Their perception of being supported by their youth group leaders also made a difference in their choosing to or not to drink alcohol. It had no effect on their levels of sexual activity. Having discussions with parents was also found to make a significant difference on students and the choices they make. When it came to integrating their faith into their life choices, 85.1 percent agreed that it is important that God be pleased with their dating relationship; 81.5 percent agreed that they try to see setbacks and crises as part of God's larger plan; 75.9 percent said it is important that their future career somehow embody a calling from God; and 72.2 percent said it was important to them to seek God's will in choosing what college to attend. "The good news is that students’ faith makes a difference in their perspective on dating, crises, college selection, and future career," the study noted. "The bad news is that students’ faith has far less impact on their choices related to money and schedule." One college sophomore described, “In high school, everything was scheduled. In college, every choice is up to you, and you set your own schedule. You can do whatever you want.” Wave one of the College Transition Project collected data from 162 high school seniors through online and paper surveys. The majority of the respondents were female, had a GPA of 3.0 or above, live with both parents, and said they were involved in student leadership or leadership training at their churches. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20061024/23143.htm

A New Generation of Adults Bends Moral and Sexual Rules to Their Liking THE BARNA RESEARCH GROUP - THE BARNA UPDATE - October 31, 2006 - Ventura, CA – Do Americans share much common ground when it comes to defining appropriate moral behavior and attitudes? Most Americans say they are concerned about the moral condition of the country and the vast majority of adults describe themselves as moral people. But the nation’s residents have difficulty agreeing on what a “moral” life should look like – much less how to make ethical decisions or how to define moral standards. A new nationwide survey from The Barna Group examines one of the largest gaps in the moral persuasions of Americans: the difference between those in their twenties and thirties (an age group comprised primarily of the so-called “Buster” generation) and those over the age of 40. The new study shows a significant divide between the nation’s young adults and its older residents. The project analyzed 16 different areas of moral and sexual behavior and found that Busters’ lifestyles took a less traditional – some would say less moral – path on 12 of those 16 areas. The study also explored 16 different perspectives regarding morality and sexuality, finding that Busters’ views are less conventional than that of their predecessors in 13 areas. In none of the 32 facets of lifestyle or attitude were Busters more likely to possess a conventional moral position when compared with the older crowd of “pre-Busters.” Sexuality Perhaps no moral dimension has changed as much as Americans’ perspectives and behaviors related to sexuality. Among the 32 factors examined in the research, eight of them related to such topics as extramarital sex, pornography, homosexuality, and sexual fantasies. In all eight of these areas, Busters were significantly different from older Americans. Some of these differences show up in the sexual activities engaged in during the past month. Busters were twice as likely to have viewed sexually explicit movies or videos; two and a half times more likely to report having had a sexual encounter outside of marriage; and three times more likely to have viewed sexually graphic content online. But many Busters also defy sexual convention in their attitudes. For instance, more than two-thirds of the generation said that cohabitation and sexual fantasies are morally acceptable behaviors, compared with half of older adults. Most young adults contended that engaging in sex outside of marriage and viewing pornography are not morally problematic, while only one-third of pre-Busters agreed. Almost half of Busters believed that sexual relationships between people of the same sex are acceptable, compared with one-quarter of older adults. Other Behaviors Moral experimentation is often most evident at a young age. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that Busters were more likely than older adults to say that in the past month they had used illegal drugs and had gotten drunk. (Smoking rates, however, were comparable between the generations.) But on a deeper level, the new rules of morality affect how young adults interact with others, creating less civility, respect, or patience. Busters were twice as likely as their parents’ generation to use profanity in public, to say mean things about others behind their back, to tell something to another person that was not true, to do something to get back at someone who hurt or offended them, to take something that didn’t belong to them, and to physically fight or abuse someone. Given their familiarity with and access to technology, the study also showed that young adults – especially twentysomethings – were ten times more likely than older adults to download or trade music online illegally. While some of that gap can be attributed to the relative comfort of the younger adults with the technologies involved, a considerable degree of the gap must be credited to the different moral standards of the two adult segments. The lifestyles of young and old were indistinguishable in a few ways. Out of the 16 areas of moral behavior, adults across the generations were equally likely to have given someone “the finger” while driving, to smoke, to buy a lottery ticket, and to place a bet or gamble. Views about Morality People’s actions are guided by their values and the research showed that Busters’ opinions about morality were also distinct from those of their predecessors. Young adults were significantly more likely to accept gambling, profanity, intoxication, and illegal drug use as morally acceptable behaviors. Busters’ perspectives were no different from that of their elders on three issues: the acceptability of abortion, allowing the “f-word” on broadcast television, and deeming divorce not to be a sin. However, other large generational gaps emerged when the survey explored how people decide what is right and wrong. Nearly half of all pre-Busters said they view moral truth as absolute, but only three out of 10 Busters embraced the concept of absolute truth. Two-thirds of those over 40 said humans should determine what is right and wrong morally by examining God’s principles; less than half of Busters felt this way. Instead, nearly half of Busters said that ethics and morals are based on “what is right for the person,” compared with just one-quarter of pre-Busters. This mindset helps to explain why Busters are more likely to embrace a pragmatic, individualized form of moral decision-making. When asked to describe how they make moral and ethical choices, a majority of pre-Busters said they follow a set of principles or guidelines, while less than half of Busters (including just one-third of those in their twenties) said they follow such external ideals. A Christian Distinctive? To what extent does faith make a difference among Busters? The research shows that born again Busters – a group defined not based upon self-identification with the “born again” label but based upon their beliefs about Jesus Christ and regarding life after death – were different from non-born again young adults on some issues. Born again Busters were somewhat less likely to illegally download music, to smoke, to view pornography, to purchase a lottery ticket, or to use profanity. However, young believers were actually more likely than non-believers to try to get back at someone and to have stolen something. Moreover, on eight of the 16 behaviors, the profile of born again Busters was virtually identical to that of non-born again Busters. The research also compared born again Christians across age groups. Born again Busters were much less likely to act in a “moral” manner than were born again adults over 40. On nine of the 16 activities, young believers were less conventional than older believers, while engagement in the other seven activities was indistinguishable between the generations.... The director of the research, David Kinnaman, pointed out, “The research shows that people’s moral profile is more likely to resemble that of their peer group than it is to take shape around the tenets of a person’s faith. This research paints a compelling picture that moral values are shifting very quickly and significantly within the Christian community as well as outside of it.” ... http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=249

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Church Growth Hormone - a Biblically Banned Substance

Alert Focus: The Falling Away / Deception Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. By Ray Baumann - December 7, 2006 -- I used to be a Church Growth Hormone addict. For my first eight years in the ministry, I was on a daily diet of books and videos centered around the latest church fads and trends that focused on church growth. I was on the cutting edge of ministry thinking, learning more and more about marketing and the psychology of connecting people. I believed that numbers equaled success, even if that meant changing the name of the church, offering self-help programs, or implementing any other sort of method I thought would help to boost the numbers. Like many pastors, I could be compared to a professional athlete when it comes to how we view success and how we perceive we are valued. For an athlete, the math is pretty simple; if you score goals, hit home runs, and nail the three point shot, its all about the numbers. The more successful you are in making the score, in essence, hitting your numbers, the greater your worth. For pastors, it’s the number of people that are sitting in the seats that seems to be the measure of success. This is something, however misguided it may be, that we all strive to obtain. Now, more than ever before, there are numerous books that place emphasis on the subject of church growth and there seems to be a greater desire to be a mega church. This desire then facilitates the thought pattern of, “If I grow the church, I’m doing more for God than the next guy.” What we have seen in recent news is that many professional athletes have been taking illegal substances to build muscle and strength to improve their performance. These players will do whatever it takes to bump up the numbers that they think give them value. To these players, the end result justifies the means no matter what the side effects. Pastors around the world have come to believe that church growth equals success. Thousands have attended conference after conference, read book after book, and are even listening to audio messages regarding church growth. Just like the professional athlete on steroids, pastors have been caught taking Church Growth Hormones for growth’s sake. Many have seen the fast, “successful” results and have signed on, thus endorsing this dangerous pill. They have improved their performances on Sundays and Wednesdays to attract people. The Church Growth Hormone contains some very ugly ingredients. Let’s take a look. The ingredients are as follows: man-centered theology, relevant messages that solve people’s problems by meeting their needs, events and programs that reach out to the community, and music that is contemporary and entertaining. For best results, remove pews, dress casual, and install a 5000 lumen projector. If taken weekly and if you follow a regimented marketing strategy, you are guaranteed growth. The side effects may include unbelievers in leadership, false converts, uncommitted members, and shallow minds. On my own, there is no way that I could see the damaging effects of what I was participating in. To top it off, I was encouraged in this sin by many people. If anyone asked how the church was doing, what they really wanted to know was how our attendance numbers were, not how God was working or what He was doing in our congregation. My world view was filled with garbage and I was blinded. My flesh was in constant need to be validated, which was coming directly from numbers and growth instead of how God was moving. That’s right, I said flesh, and this was my first problem. It was all about me. When I took me out of the equation, my sight started becoming clearer. The Word had to become my number one reference for all things. After some study, I actually began to be discerning. Those many books that I owned went right into the trash and I learned how to inductively study the Bible. When it came down to it, Jesus basically rewrote the hard drive of my mind. Steering away from a numbers-driven thought process, growing the church was no longer my focus. Now my focus is about training the believer. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." – Proverbs 16:25 ---------- Wearing many hats typically come easy to a minister. Such is the case with Ray Baumann. Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor, Coach, Husband, and Father, Ray wears them all, while continually trying on more. Ray is a former emergent, postmodern relevant, purpose-driven church growth thinker that God has dramatically transformed. Currently serving as Associate Pastor at First Assembly of God in Belleville, IL, Ray is a 10-year youth ministry veteran turned family pastor. While he spent the first eight years of his ministry focused on growing the church, Ray has recently changed his focus to growing the believer. Coupled with a passion for speaking on youth culture and church issues, Ray enjoys coaching and training high school soccer players at Belleville East High School year round. Juggling ministry, coaching, and family isn’t always easy, but Ray’s easy going personality, quick wit, and his desire to disciple students are truly God-given gifts, gifts that God has used to bless Ray in both his ministry and his family. Ray and his wife Kristi have four children and have taken on the challenge of working to home school their children, all the while teaching them of the importance of leading Christ centered lives. Their active, lively household is located in Shiloh, IL. http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?ArticleID=1336%0A

Jews Wake Up!

Alert Focus: A Burdensome Stone / Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Genesis 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." THE JERUSALEM POST - By Caroline Glick - December 8, 2006 -- When the history of our times is written, this week will be remembered as the week that Washington decided to let the Islamic Republic of Iran go nuclear. Hopefully it will also be remembered as the moment the Jews arose and refused to allow Iran to go nuclear. With the publication of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group chaired by former US secretary of state James Baker III and former congressman Lee Hamilton, the debate about the war in Iraq changed. From a war for victory against Islamofascism and for democracy and freedom, the war became reduced to a conflict to be managed by appeasing the US's sworn enemies in the interests of stability, and at the expense of America's allies. Baker and his associates claim that the US cannot win the war in Iraq and so the US must negotiate with its primary enemies in Iraq and throughout the world - Iran and Syria - in the hopes that they will be persuaded to hold their fire for long enough to facilitate an "honorable" American retreat from the country. Like his unsupported assertion that the US cannot win in Iraq, Baker also asserts - in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary - that Iran and Syria share America's "interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq." Because of this supposed shared interest, Baker maintains that with the proper incentives, Iran and Syria can be persuaded to cooperate with a US withdrawal from Iraq ahead of the 2008 presidential primaries. The main incentive Baker advocates offering is Israel. Baker believes that Iran will agree to temporarily hold its fire in Iraq in exchange for US acceptance of Iran as a nuclear power and an American pledge not to topple the regime. Syria will assist the US in exchange for US pressure on Israel to hand over the Golan Heights to Syria and Judea and Samaria to Hamas. Obviously, if implemented, the Baker-Hamilton group's recommendations will be disastrous for Israel. Just the fact that they now form the basis for the public debate on the war is a great blow. But it isn't only Israel that is harmed by their actions. The US too, will be imperiled if their views become administration policy. Although Baker - and incoming Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who served on his commission until Bush announced his appointment last month - believes that there is a deal to be done that will end Iranian and Syrian aggression against the US, its vital interests and its allies, the fact of the matter is that there is no such deal. Contrary to what the Baker report argues and what Gates said in his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Iran is not analogous to the Soviet Union and the war against the global jihad is not a new cold war. Even if the US were to somehow get them to agree to certain understandings about Iraq, there is no reason to believe that the Iranians and Syrians would keep their word. Not only would the US be approaching them as a supplicant and so emboldening them, but to date the US has never credibly threatened anything either Syria or Iran value. Indeed, through supporting negotiations between the EU and Iran, empowering the UN to deal with Iran's nuclear program, and forcing Israel to accept a cease-fire with Hizbullah last summer that effectively gave victory to the Syrian and Iranian proxy, the US has consistently rewarded the two countries' aggression. Worse than that, from a US perspective, although Gates admitted Tuesday that he cannot guarantee that Iran will not attack Israel with nuclear weapons, he ignored the fact that Iran - whose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad daily calls for the destruction of the US - may also attack the US with nuclear weapons. Gates admitted in his Senate hearing that Iran is producing many bombs - not just one. Since it is possible to destroy Israel with just one bomb, the Americans should be asking themselves what Iran needs all those other bombs for. There are senior military sources in the US who have been warning the administration to take into consideration that the day that Iran attacks Israel with a nuclear bomb, 10 cities in the US and Europe are liable to also be attacked with nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, no one is listening to these voices today. IT IS particularly upsetting that Washington has chosen now of all times to turn its back on the war. Ahmadinejad hinted Monday that Iran has completed the nuclear fuel cycle and so has passed the point of no return on its nuclear program. He also made a statement indicating that Iran will have its nuclear arsenal up and running by March - just four months away. Serious disagreement exists in Washington over the status of the Iranian program. Some claim that Iran is four or five years away from nuclear weapons capabilities. Others maintain that Iran has recently experienced serious technical setbacks in their uranium enrichment activities and that the North Korean nuclear bomb test in October, in which Iranian officials participated, was a failure. But there are also engaged officials who agree with Ahmadinejad's assessment of Iran's nuclear progress. Those officials maintain first that the North Korean-Iranian test in October was successful and should be taken as a sign that Iran already has a nuclear arsenal. Second, they warn that the US and Israel have six months to act against Iran's nuclear installations and to overthrow the regime or face the prospect of the annihilation of Israel and the destruction of several US cities as a result of an Iranian nuclear offensive. Obviously, Israel cannot risk the possibility that the last group of officials is correct. And since Washington has decided to go to sleep, it is up to Israel alone to act. WHAT MUST Israel do? First, it must plan an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities and regime command and control centers. To pave the way for such an attack, the IDF must move now to neutralize second order threats like the Palestinian rocket squads and the Syrian ballistic missile arsenals in order to limit the public's exposure to attack during the course of or in the aftermath of an Israeli attack on Iran. Second, Israel must work to topple the Iranian regime. As the Defense Minister's advisor Uri Lubrani told Ha'aretz last week, the regime in Iran is far from stable today and ripe for overthrow. The overwhelming majority of Iranians despise the regime. There are rebellious groups in every ethnic group and province in the country - Azeris, Kurds, Ahwazi Arabs, Baluchis, Turkmen and even Persians - that are actively working to destabilize the regime. Every day there are strikes of workers, women and students. Every few weeks there are reports of violent clashes between anti-regime groups and regime forces. Recently, oil pipelines were sabotaged in the oil-rich Khuzestan province in the south where the Ahwazi Arabs are systematically persecuted by the regime. Westerners who recently visited Iran claim that Israel operating alone could overthrow the regime by extending its assistance to these people. Thirdly, in his testimony in the Senate on Tuesday, Gates casually mentioned that Israel has nuclear weapons. In so doing, he unceremoniously removed four decades of ambiguity over Israel's nuclear status. While his statement caused dismay in Jerusalem, perhaps Israel should see this as an opportunity. With the threat of nuclear destruction hanging over us, it makes sense to conduct a debate about an Israeli second strike. While such a discussion will not dissuade Iran's fanatical leaders from attacking Israel with nuclear weapons, it could influence the Iranian nation to rise up against their leaders. Moreover, such a debate could influence other regimes in the region like Saudi Arabia which today behave as if Israel's annihilation will have no adverse impact on them. Americans like Baker, Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and their European friends need to understand that as goes Israel so go the Persian Gulf's oil fields. Such an understanding may influence their willingness to enable Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Tragically, in these perilous times, we are being led by the worst, most incompetent government we have ever had. Prime Minister Olmert's way of dealing with the Iranian threat is to pretend that it is none of his business. During his visit to the US last month, Olmert abdicated responsibility for safeguarding Israel from nuclear destruction to President Bush. It didn't bother him that Bush didn't accept the responsibility. By mindlessly adhering to non-existent cease-fires with Iranian proxies in Gaza and Lebanon and squawking about peace with them, Olmert continues to behave as if this is someone else's problem. For her part, reacting to the possibility of national extinction, Education Minister Yuli Tamir this week cocked her pedagogical pistol and shot at her rear. By ordering the public schools to demarcate the 1949 armistice lines on the official maps and so wipe Israel off maps of Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights, Tamir worked to divide the nation over second order issues at a time when unity of purpose is most essential. Olmert, who refused to overturn her scandalous decree, was doubtlessly pleased with her political stunt. For two days the media devoted itself entirely to stirring up internal divisions and so ignored the threat hanging over our heads and Olmert's refusal to deal with it. Next Thursday, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein and former ambassador to the UN Dore Gold will hold a press conference in New York where they will call for the US to indict Ahmadinejad under the International Convention Against Genocide for his call to annihilate Israel. This is doubtlessly a welcome initiative. But it is insufficient. In a few months, Iran may well be in possession of nuclear weapons which it will use to destroy the Jewish state. With the US withdrawing from the war and Israel in the hands of incompetents, the time has come for the Jewish people to rise up. GUARANTEEING our survival begins with each of us deciding that we are willing to fight to survive. And today the challenge facing us is clear. Either the Iranian regime is toppled and its nuclear installations are destroyed or Israel will be annihilated. The Jews in the Diaspora must launch mass demonstrations and demand that their governments take real action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The citizens of the State of Israel must also take to the streets. The government that led us to defeat in Lebanon this summer is leading us to a disaster of another order entirely. All citizens must demand that Olmert, his ministers and the generals in the IDF General Staff make an immediate decision. They now hold the responsibility for acting against Iran. They must either act or resign and make way for others who will. America just abdicated its responsibility to defend itself against Iran and so left Israel high and dry. Nevertheless, the Jewish people is far from powerless. And the State of Israel also is capable of defending itself. But we must act and act immediately. ---------- Caroline B. Glick is the senior Middle East fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C., and the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881847667&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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Catch the Fire Appeal: Media Reports and Comment from Ros Phillips

Alert Focus: Persecution Mark 13:9 "But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. SALT SHAKERS E-NEWS - By Jenny Stokes - December 17, 2006 Ros Phillips of Festival of Light in South Australia, has followed the Catch the Fire case closely from the beginning. In this report she analyses Justice Nettle's comments in the decision. Ros then goes on to ouline the proposals for 'vilification' laws to be added to South Australia's Equal Opportunity law. Although they will not apply to 'religion', the proposed victimisation (similar to Victoria's vilification laws) will apply to every 'ground' covered by 'discrimination' law in the Equal Opportunity Act - including marital status and sexuality! The debate on these proposals will continue in February 2007. If you live in South Australia, please contact your MPs and ask them to vote against these laws. Ros' letter analysing the decision on CTFM is attached. Here are the media reports on the decision.... Pastors will keep 'telling truth' on Muslims The Age, Barney Zwartz, December 15, 2006. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pastors-will-keep-telling-truth-on-muslims/2006/12/14/1165685825233.html Free speech win for Islam critics Craig Binnie, December 15, 2006 Herald Sun. At http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20930620-2862,00.html Preachers claim win The Australian, December 15, 2006 At http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20930443-2702,00.html A Lack of faith in these laws Andrew Bolt, December 15, 2006 YES, the Supreme Court yesterday overturned the convictions of Pentecostal pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot for preaching hatred at a church seminar on Islam. But how did it get so far? As I wrote at the time, Scot in particular had been found guilty by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal of breaking the Bracks Government's vilification laws by quoting the Koran, mostly accurately. The Supreme Court even confirmed that "on any analysis (Scot's) plea to love Muslims and to minister to them comes across as sincere". And it gave an extraordinary number of examples of VCAT accusing Scot of saying what he had not -- such as calling Muslims "demons" who thought killing was "good". Ten times it corrects VCAT with: "Pastor Scot did not say . . ." What drove the Government to pass such dangerous laws? What drove the Equal Opportunity Commission to hunt these pastors? How did VCAT rule as it did? There is a touch of Salem about this. At least the Supreme Court insists there is a "distinction between hatred of the religious beliefs of Muslims and hatred of Muslims". We should now be free again to criticise a faith without being found guilty of vilifying the believer. But until these laws are scrapped, can you be sure? At http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20928768-5006029,00.html Blog and comments at: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_lack_of_faith_in_these_laws/ http://www.saltshakers.org.au/ Letter from Ros Phillips, Festival of Light.... 14 December 2006 Dear Friends, We are praising the Lord! This morning three Victorian Supreme Court judges - Nettle, Ashley and Neave - handed down their decision to uphold the appeal by pastors Daniel Scot and Danny Nalliah against their conviction for religious vilification. You can read the entire 51 page judgement yourself on: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VSCA/2006/284.html In my view, Justice Nettle's judgement is a damning indictment of Judge Higgins' original decision to convict the pastors in December 2004. Justice Nettle lists about 20 separate instances where Judge Higgins of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) misrepresented what Daniel Scot had said in his seminar on Islam in March 2002 (eg Higgins wrongly claimed that Scot had said "Muslims are demons"). Justice Nettle also points out that Judge Higgins in effect failed to recognise the difference between hatred of the sin and hatred of the sinner, and did not acknowledge that it is possible to criticise certain beliefs without inciting hatred against those who hold those beliefs. Justice Nettle says Judge Higgins' views on the accuracy or inaccuracy of Pastor Scot's views on Islam and the Quran were not relevant to the case, noting: "In my view it was calculated to lead to error for a secular tribunal [like VCAT] to attempt to assess the theological propriety of what was asserted at the Seminar." Justice Nettle also notes that Judge Higgins paid insufficient attention to Daniel Scot's emphasis on the need for his audience to love Muslims, to show sensitivity for Muslim culture and respect for the Quran and Mohammed. Justice Nettle says at one point: "I have listened to the tape recording of the Seminar... Unlike [Judge Higgins], however, I was unable to perceive from the tape anything in the manner of Pastor Scot's delivery which rendered his statements more likely to incite the audience to hatred and other relevant emotion of or towards Muslims. To the contrary, as it seemed to me, what one hears is a speaker who, although endowed with an admirable command of the English language, speaks it as a second language with all the difficulties which that sometimes entails. I hear a degree of nervousness in delivery, a pattern of speech which is idiomatically incongruous and consequent double entendre which the speaker sounds not to have intended. Admittedly, his style is given to ridicule in places, and the ridicule results in cynical laughter at places. But on any analysis his plea to love Muslims and to "minister" to them comes across as sincere enough as do the sounds of his audience's reaction to it." While Judge Higgins paid great attention to the hurt feelings of the three Muslims who attended the seminar, Justice Nettle says that "the affront to the feelings of the Muslim witnesses was largely if not wholly irrelevant. The concentration needed to be on the members of the audience who were not Muslims. What demanded to be assessed was whether the effect of the injunctions to love and to witness to Muslims was sufficient to prevent hatred and other relevant emotion by the non-Muslims towards Muslims. "In fact, the Seminar was replete with statements by Pastor Scot, to which neither Mr Thomas [a Muslim complainant] nor [Judge Higgins] made any reference, favourable to Muslims and ex facie calculated to persuade an audience of non-Muslims to love and 'witness' to Muslims (despite Pastor Scot's perception of the shortcomings of Islam)." Justice Nettle goes on to quote substantial parts of the seminar where Pastor Scot speaks of Muslims and their culture in positive terms. Justices Neave and Ashley have written briefer judgements than Justice Nettle, and while supporting his main conclusion, do not agree with him on all points. Judge Ashley was particularly critical of the conduct of the pastors' VCAT defence, which in his view took up too much time in irrelevant theological debate. In my view, Judge Higgins was more to blame for allowing such debate and presuming, with no theological training, to decide who was right and wrong. The orders (penalties) handed down in 2005 by Judge Higgins have been set aside - and we praise God that the two pastors are once again free to preach and teach about Islam and hold seminars like the one Pastor Scot conducted in a Melbourne church in March 2002. Yet the case is far from over. It has been sent back to VCAT - an action which could be perceived as passing the buck on this politically highly sensitive issue. The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) has been ordered to pay half the costs of the Supreme Court appeal. A VCAT judge (not Higgins) will reconsider the evidence already given and make another decision next year - guided by comments of the three Supreme Court justices. DANGER LOOMS FOR SA The two Daniels have welcomed the Victorian Supreme Court decision and have again called for the repeal of the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act - which has demonstrably created more, not less, intolerance and disharmony in Victoria's religious community as a result of cases like theirs. Other cases such as the complaint of a convicted paedophile witch against a Salvation Army officer conducting a prison Alpha Bible course show that vilification laws like these can be and are used to harass groups with differing beliefs. South Australia would face the same trauma if the SA Equal Opportunity (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2006 - due for continued debate on 6 February 2007 - is passed. Clause 61 of this bill would introduce a new SA offence of "victimisation" - in reality vilification, similar to the definition in the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act: "engaging in a public act inciting hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule of a person or group" on any of the many unlawful grounds of discrimination in the Equal Opportunity Act. Unlike in Victoria, religion is not one of the unlawful grounds in SA - but almost everything else you can think of, and many things you haven't thought of, are included. No other state with anti-vilification laws has so many prohibited grounds for vilification. Marital status and sexuality vilification would be banned under this bill and the SA Commissioner for Equal Opportunity told a delegation from Festival of Light Australia on 9 November that she would NOT automatically dismiss complaints against doctors who publicly warn of health risks of the homosexual lifestyle, or pastors who expound Bible passages which condemn divorce or homosexual behaviour. Legal advisers to the SA Attorney-General told us that truth would not be a defence against such complaints, nor would there be an exemption for acts with a religious purpose. Christian schools who discriminate in employment against practising homosexual teachers would be required to publicise that policy and report it to the Commissioner, who would be empowered by the bill to publicise such schools and "name and shame" them. No school could discriminate against pupils on the ground of marital status or sexuality; Christian schools could be prohibited from teaching biblical sexuality since such teaching could be deemed to incite hatred or contempt for those who do not practise it. The Commissioner would be empowered under the bill to investigate, without approval by the Tribunal or the Attorney-General, any matter of her choice, even where no one has lodged a complaint. We could see a resurgence of witch hunts - or rather, "Christian hunts". Remember that even if such complaints are dismissed, there is no compensation for the lost time, stress and legal costs incurred in conciliation proceedings. Interstate, the result has been that newspapers choose not to publish important facts (eg about the homosexual lifestyle) because they are not considered worth the hassle of dealing with vilification complaints by homosexual activist groups. This issue is not yet on the radar of most media. Short, topical letters to the editor and to MPs (eg Premier Mike Rann - premier@saugov.sa.gov.au ; Opposition Leader Iain Evans - davenport@parliament.sa.gov.au ) could help bring this bill to the attention of people in high places who need to understand that our freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of religion are seriously under threat. [For MP details: http://www.saltshakers.org.au/html/P/13/B/108 ] God bless! ROS Mrs Roslyn Phillips, B Sc Dip Ed Research Officer, Festival of Light Australia 4th Floor, 68 Grenfell Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Phone 1300 365 965 Email rhp@fol.org.au Website www.fol.org.au

Christian or "Christ Follower"

Alert Focus: The Falling Away / Deception Matthew 24:10-12 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH PROJECT - December 23, 2006 -- Christian or Christ follower. It's a distinction that is being made more and more today, and often the latter term, Christ follower, is replacing the former term, Christian. Even many Christian leaders are making the switch. But just what does it mean? Emerging church leader, Erwin McManus says his "goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ." In McManus' book, The Barbarian Way, he talks about being "awakened" to a "primal longing that ... waits to be unleashed within everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ." McManus says that the "greatest enemy to the movement of Jesus Christ is Christianity [i.e., Christians]." A video series on YouTube.com called "Christian No More" (by Christian Community Church) exemplifies this view by portraying those who call themselves Christians as shallow church-goers who wear suits and ties, have Christian bumper stickers on their cars and prefer the King James Version. This video is evidence that it is increasingly more popular to call oneself a Christ follower rather than a Christian. Interestingly, most of those leaders who seem to be downplaying the name Christian and promoting the appropriation of the term "Christ follower" are contemplative spirituality proponents. One contemplative advocate, Rick Warren, has the term throughout his pastors.com website. Lee Strobel refers to it in his book Case for Christ (Student Edition), and Wesleyan pastor David Drury has a Christ Follower Pop Quiz on his web site to help determine if you are really a "Christ follower." This theme of anti-"Christian" sentiment is not going to disappear any time soon. Book titles, for example, express this growing attitude. One book, Why One Can Be a Christian or a Christ Follower (But Not Both), by Floyd Henderson, is a case in point. Emerging church leader and labyrinth promoter Dan Kimball has a new book coming out next spring called, "They Like Jesus, But Not the Church." The idea is that you can go for Jesus, but you don't have to identify yourself as a Christian or part of the Christian church. This concept spills over into some missionary societies too, where they teach people from other religions that they can keep their religion, just add Jesus to the equation. They don't have to embrace the term "Christian" (see The New Missiology). So what's the problem? So what if you want to be a Christ follower instead of a Christian. Well, the problem, when identified, will show you why the Spiritual Formation movement (which is promoted by Purpose Driven, Willow Creek, the emerging church, etc) is so dangerous and misleading. Let us explain. If you have researched the teachings of contemplative authors, you may have noticed a common message. That message says: If you want to be like Christ, then practice these certain disciplines and you can be like Him. Chuck Swindoll has bought into this when he wrote his book, So You Want to Be Like Christ: Eight Essential Disciplines to Get You There. But Swindoll exalts one particular discipline - the silence. In fact, he goes so far as to say you can't become a deep, meaningful Christian without it. Beth Moore, in the pro- contemplative film, Be Still, says: "[I]f we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There's got to be a stillness." And this is what contemplatives teach. The one common thread woven throughout spiritual formation teachings is that the silence and being a Christ follower are practically synonymous. You can't have one without the other. And of course, this silence is induced through meditative practices such as centering prayer, lectio divina, etc. So what we are witnessing is countless teachers, authors and leaders telling people they can become like Christ through a method that can be learned. Richard Foster teaches that anyone, not just believers, can practice contemplative prayer and become like Christ. Now here lies the difference between a Christian and a Christ follower. A person who is truly born-again has Jesus Christ indwelling him. Jesus lives inside that person. And it is His life in him or her that gives the power to become progressively more like Him (sanctification), as Paul said in his address to Corinthian Christians: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18). The believer draws his strength and power from Jesus Christ (who indwells him), and he realizes his salvation and any good thing in him is from Christ; as the Scripture says: "Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). But being born again or having the indwelling of Jesus Christ is not a prerequisite for the Christendom of today. Spiritual formation can be practiced by anyone. Jesus becomes a model or an example who can be followed and mimicked. For example, Ken Blanchard, says Jesus is a perfect model to follow. That's why he talks so much about leading like Jesus would lead. But Blanchard has shown time and again that he believes meditation is a key factor in becoming like Jesus. While Jesus was and is a model, that wasn't His primary mission. And when people refer to Him as a model, it is often because they see Him as a model for higher consciousness rather than the unique Son of God, Emmanuel (God with us) who came to die for us and be our Savior. And that's what you find across the board in contemplative writings. Contemplative icons Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen saw Jesus in this manner. This is why Nouwen said it disturbed him when he heard people say Jesus was the only way. He said it was his mission to help people find his or her own way to God (see Sabbatical Journey). That's also why he saw India as a source for many spiritual "treasures" for the Christian.1 In an eastern religion like Buddhism, Buddha was a model where his followers were imitators of him. But in Christianity the Spirit of Christ indwells us through faith. So Jesus becomes more than a model; He is a living presence in us. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). This is actually the heart of the whole spiritual formation movement. It supposedly teaches you how to be like Christ, but the power to do this doesn't come from Jesus Christ living in you (in fact that isn't a requirement, according to Richard Foster) - but the power to change has to come from somewhere. Where? It comes from meditation! So anyone at all, from any walk of life, from any religion, can be a "Christ follower." But this does not mean they have Jesus Christ in them. The contemplative prayer movement is misguiding millions into believing that if they practice certain disciplines they can be like Christ, thus securing their spiritual well being. They may come to believe that they have a christ consciousness and are Christ like, yet they do not have the actual power of Christ within. That power can only come from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18). This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come ... Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (II Timothy 3:1,5). The man who virtually wrote the book on the subject (Centering Prayer), Basil Pennington, made the point of what we are trying to say when he penned these words: It is my sense, from having meditated with persons from many different [non-Christian] traditions, that in the silence we experience a deep unity. When we go beyond the portals of the rational mind into the experience, there is only one God to be experienced.2 Another major contemplative promoter stated: The new ecumenism involved here is not between Christian and Christian, but between Christians and the grace of other intuitively deep religious traditions. --Tilden Edwards These two men have both been leaders of the contemplative prayer movement for decades. And it is important to note that evangelical leader Richard Foster endorsed Edwards' book, Spiritual Friend, from which this last quote came (see back, Celebration of Discipline). Both Pennington and Edwards would call themselves Christ followers, following in the same spiritual path as Jesus Christ followed. But as you can see, both Pennington and Edwards do not accept the view that believing the gospel is a vital prerequisite for having a relationship with the living God. Otherwise they would not have said the above. With this mindset, the message of the cross is rendered useless. And so the question that we must ask ourselves is this: Will we, who have Jesus Christ living in us, call ourselves Christians? Let those of us who name the name of Christ, stand and say, yes, we will be called Christians. For a complete analysis and documentation of contemplative spirituality and its infiltration into Christendom, we encourage you to read A Time of Departing and Running Against the Wind. http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

Be Alert! Communiqué: Birth Pangs 24 December 2006

*This Blog Is updated daily as a running weekly tally. Alert Focus: Creation Groans / Pestilence / Birth Pangs Indonesia floods recede, at least 100 dead REUTERS - December 26, 2006 -- JAKARTA -- Floodwaters that killed scores of people in northwestern Indonesia have begun to recede, authorities said on Tuesday, as rescuers search remote areas for up to 200 people still missing. State news agency Antara said one district official reported 500 bodies found in a remote village in Aceh province, but senior government and Red Cross officials said they had no information to confirm that. Officials contacted by Reuters said the floods and subsequent landslides have killed at least 100 people in Aceh and neighbouring North Sumatra province, with tens of thousands forced to flee their homes for higher ground, officials said. In Aceh, still reeling from the devastating tsunami two years ago that left about 170,000 dead or missing in the impoverished province, the death toll rose to 69, the officials said. Another 31 have died in neighbouring North Sumatra, including 22 people killed in a landslide in Muara Sipongi district after getting approval to return home following an earthquake last week. "Today we are continuing to search for victims. There are 200 people reported missing," Syahbuddin Usman, head of Aceh's hard-hit Tamiang district, said by telephone. Washed out bridges, impassable roads, and no communications in some areas meant it was impossible to know whether the missing were dead or simply unable to alert family or the authorities that they had survived.... Authorities have blamed heavy rains and the effects of deforestation for the destruction. Lack of adequate forest cover leaves the ground less able to absorb excess water. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?storyid=2006-12-26T125832Z_01_SP158069_RTRUKOC_0_UK-INDONESIA-FLOOD.xml&type=worldNews&WTmodLoc=World-C3-More-7 Victims of floods starving THE AUSTRALIAN - By Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta correspondent - December 27, 2006 -- HUNDREDS of thousands of Indonesians forced to flee their homes are threatened by starvation and disease after heavy floods in the nation's west. As Aceh marked the grim anniversary yesterday of the 2004 tsunami that wiped out much of its coastal society, it was the turn of those further inland on Sumatra island to face having lost everything. The death toll stood at more than 80 yesterday across west and north Sumatra and on nearby Riau island, with more than 200,000 people made homeless, four days after wild storms brought flooding, believed to have been made worse by the effects of illegal logging. Several more people were dead and tens of thousands homeless in neighbouring southern Malaysia. At least 21 central Sumatrans were killed by landslides hours after they returned to their homes on Monday, having fled when an earthquake measuring 5.7 rocked Mandailing Natal district last week. "From morning to afternoon on Monday we used military vehicles to collect refugees of the earthquake who wanted to return to their homes, and shortly afterwards in the evening the landslide hit," Mandailing Natal police spokesman Syarbani Harahap said.... Acehnese governor-elect Irwandi Yusuf, a former rebel leader who has been elected to represent his people in the restive province, warned that the illegal logging responsible for frequent landslides during the annual rainy season must be dealt with. "This activity must be halted so this kind of disaster does not keep happening," Mr Yusuf warned yesterday. At least 14 bridges were knocked out by the floods, and the Indonesian air force was airlifting food, blankets, tents, mattresses and clothing by helicopter and Hercules transports. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20977279-2703,00.html Violent Storms Hit Florida on Christmas ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Brent Kallestad - December 25, 2006 -- TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Powerful storms damaged at least three dozen homes as heavy rain and strong wind swept across the Southeast on Monday. The worst damage was in Florida, between Tampa and the Georgia border, where three people were injured and three homes were destroyed.... The Tallahassee area was also swamped by rain as the storms moved through, with more than 5 1/2 inches falling at the regional airport, the most there on a Christmas Day since 1897, weather service meteorologist Ron Block said. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/25/D8M829980.html Fears of Tsunami Ease After Taiwan Quake ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Annie Huang - December 26, 2006 -- A powerful earthquake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, briefly prompting fears of a tsunami on the second anniversary of the quake and deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia. Taiwanese media reported one person died and three were injured when their home collapsed in the southern city of Pintung. Other reports said city streets had cracked and a major bridge was damaged. They said fires were burning out in the area, apparently caused by downed power cables. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 7.1, while Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau measured it at 6.7. It was followed eight minutes later by 7.0 magnitude aftershock, the USGS said. Two hours later, an official at Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no longer any danger of a destructive tsunami headed for the Philippines, as had been predicted.... Phone lines were cut in the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, possibly hindering reports of damage by residents, the CTI Cable News reported. Several high-rise hotels swayed violently in Kaohsiung, it said.... The initial tremor was centered at sea about 13 miles southwest of Hengchun on the southern tip of Taiwan, the bureau said. Hengchun is about 260 miles south of Taipei.... A 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004 caused a tsunami that killed at least 230,000 people in 11 countries. Those waves reached as high as 33 feet. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/26/D8M8M66O0.html Taiwan earthquake triggers false alarm -- in Switzerland DRUDGE REPORT NEWS FLASH - December 26, 2006 -- A Swiss official said an earthquake alarm reported in Switzerland on Tuesday was a mistake, triggered by the powerful quake that struck off southwestern Taiwan. Nicolas Deichmann, an official at the Swiss Seismological Service, said machines falsely interpreted the Taiwan earthquake in registering a separate 3.1 magnitude quake with an epicenter near the town of Ilanz, in the mountainous Swiss canton, or state, of Graubuenden. There was no evidence of an earthquake in Switzerland on Tuesday, he said. http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2006/12/26/20061226_155715_flash.htm Bird Flu Kills Woman in Egypt, Infects Family Members BLOOMBERG - By Jason Gale - December 26, 2006 -- Bird flu killed a woman in northern Egypt as authorities attempt to eradicate the lethal virus that infected two other members of the woman's family. The infection killed a teenage girl in Cairo, Agence France-Presse reported. The woman from Zifta, in the northern province of Gharbia, had been in contact with infected poultry, Egypt's Ministry of Health said in a statement on its Web site today. Fowl kept by the family and neighbors have been culled, and people in contact with the birds are being tested, the ministry said in a separate statement on Dec. 24. A 15-year-old girl died from the H5N1 strain of avian flu in a Cairo hospital, AFP reported yesterday. She was transferred from a hospital in the Nile delta province of Garbiya, where she was admitted Dec. 20, AFP said. World health experts are trying to control the H5N1 virus, which risks infecting humans and mutating to become more contagious. A virus that spreads among people as easily as seasonal flu could spark a deadly pandemic capable of killing millions of people, health authorities have said. The H5N1 strain is known to have infected 258 people in 10 countries during the past three years, killing 154 of them, the World Health Organization said on Nov. 29, when it reported the last fatality. Avian flu has infected 19 people in Egypt -- including the four cases recorded during the past week -- killing nine of them. Infections in Egyptian poultry were reported for the first time in February. ... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=aVw4.HxBKoSk Disappearing world: Global warming claims tropical island THE INDEPENDENT - By Environment Editor Geoffrey Lean - December 24, 2006 -- Rising seas, caused by global warming, have for the first time washed an inhabited island off the face of the Earth. The obliteration of Lohachara island, in India's part of the Sundarbans where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal, marks the moment when one of the most apocalyptic predictions of environmentalists and climate scientists has started coming true. As the seas continue to swell, they will swallow whole island nations, from the Maldives to the Marshall Islands, inundate vast areas of countries from Bangladesh to Egypt, and submerge parts of scores of coastal cities. Eight years ago, as exclusively reported in The Independent on Sunday, the first uninhabited islands - in the Pacific atoll nation of Kiribati - vanished beneath the waves. The people of low-lying islands in Vanuatu, also in the Pacific, have been evacuated as a precaution, but the land still juts above the sea. The disappearance of Lohachara, once home to 10,000 people, is unprecedented. It has been officially recorded in a six-year study of the Sunderbans by researchers at Calcutta's Jadavpur University. So remote is the island that the researchers first learned of its submergence, and that of an uninhabited neighbouring island, Suparibhanga, when they saw they had vanished from satellite pictures. Two-thirds of nearby populated island Ghoramara has also been permanently inundated. Dr Sugata Hazra, director of the university's School of Oceanographic Studies, says "it is only a matter of some years" before it is swallowed up too. Dr Hazra says there are now a dozen "vanishing islands" in India's part of the delta. The area's 400 tigers are also in danger. Until now the Carteret Islands off Papua New Guinea were expected to be the first populated ones to disappear, in about eight years' time, but Lohachara has beaten them to the dubious distinction. Human cost of global warming: Rising seas will soon make 70,000 people homeless Refugees from the vanished Lohachara island and the disappearing Ghoramara island have fled to Sagar, but this island has already lost 7,500 acres of land to the sea. In all, a dozen islands, home to 70,000 people, are in danger of being submerged by the rising seas. http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2099971.ece In Shirt-Sleeve Holiday Season, Overcoats Linger on the Racks NEW YORK TIMES - By Michael Barbaro - December 23, 2006 -- NEW YORK CITY -- Retailers are calling it the Coat Crisis of 2006, a fashion fiasco measured in racks of unsold fur-lined shearlings at Saks Fifth Avenue and down puffer jackets at Bloomingdale’s. Balmy temperatures on the East Coast, with average highs this holiday season 15 degrees warmer than last year, have been disastrous for sales of all kinds of cold-weather clothing, from cashmere caps to wool scarves. What seemed like a meteorological aberration — the coatless, hatless, gloveless morning commute in Washington, New York and Boston — is starting to feel like the new normal, encouraging consumers to splurge on a flat-screen television instead of a peacoat. The glut of winter wear has sent a chill through the executive suites of major retailers, who count on big profits from coats in the crucial holiday shopping season. They are even starting to grumble about the first “global warming Christmas.” So like farmers praying for rain, merchants have begun scanning weather forecasts, hoping for a sudden drop in temperature to lift their sales. “At first, you start to chuckle in the morning when it’s 50 degrees, then you start to snicker and then you start to curse,” said Rick Weinstein, director of sales and marketing at Searle, a Manhattan retailer that supplies coats to high-end department stores. A few days before Christmas, temperatures remained in the mid-40s from Maryland to Maine. Alex Grossman, a 33-year-old New York City resident, buys a new winter coat every holiday season, waiting until the first cold snap. This year, it did not come. “Now it’s so late in the season I won’t even buy one,” he said, standing sans coat in Midtown Manhattan Thursday afternoon as temperatures reached 45 degrees. The NPD Group, a retail research firm, predicts that sales of outerwear will plunge at least 20 percent this holiday season, compared with last year, with the not-winter-like weather to blame. Retailers will not report holiday sales figures until January, but there are clear signs of trouble. Even apparel executives, generally an optimistic group, are acknowledging there is a problem. ... [more] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/23/business/23warm.html?ei=5065&en=874c9936c0f905f5&ex=1167454800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print Egypt reports two new human cases of bird flu AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - December 23, 2006 -- Two Egyptians were taken to hospital after testing positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the central Nile delta region, the health ministry said. The latest cases brings to 17 the total number of Egyptians infected, including seven who were killed by the virus. The two Egyptians from the village of Hanut in the Gharbiya governorate contracted the disease after coming into contact with infected ducks they had been rearing in their homes, according to a ministry statement carried by the official MENA agency.... The H5N1 strain of bird flu was first diagnosed in birds in Egypt in February, and the first case in humans was announced on March 18. In its most aggressive form, the H5N1 strain has killed 154 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/23/061223194046.mcmjylzx.html Storm Cuts Power to Thousands in Wisconsin ASSOCIATED PRESS - By James A. Carlson - December 23, 2006 -- MILWAUKEE -- A winter storm dumped 7 inches of wet, heavy snow on central Wisconsin, leaving thousands of people without electricity and disrupting holiday preparations. Wisconsin Public Service Corp. reported fewer than 17,000 customers without electricity Saturday night. About half of the outages were in the towns of Wausau and Stevens Point.... The snow began falling Friday night and did not let up until Saturday morning. The weight of the snow snapped power lines and tree limbs, causing the outages, she said. Nearly 30,000 customers initially had service interrupted. ... [more] http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/23/D8M6VPR00.html Denver Airport Operating Near Capacity ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Judith Kohler - December 23, 2006 -- DENVER -- Denver's airport was operating at close to capacity Saturday after being snowed in for two days, but for many travelers jammed in its terminals it was not expected to be enough to rescue their hopes of joining their families for Christmas. Thousands of travelers whose flights were canceled by a blizzard that backed up air traffic nationwide were stuck on standby, trying to grab a rare empty seat on planes that were mostly booked.... The jam in Denver backed up flights around the country heading into one of the busiest travel times of the year, and low visibility in Atlanta and wind in Philadelphia on Friday added to delays. About 9 million Americans planned to take to the air during the nine-day Christmas-to-New Year's period, the AAA estimates.... Overseas, fog had grounded flights for most of the week at London's Heathrow Airport, stalling tens of thousands of people who had planned on taking flights at Europe's busiest airport. The fog finally started to lift Saturday, and British Airways pledged to operate 95 percent of its scheduled flights. In South America, flight cancellations and hours-long delays caused by overbooking and equipment problems had haunted Christmas travelers across Brazil since Tuesday. Even the Brazilian air force was called in to help move passengers with its fleet of eight passenger jets. At Denver, more than 3,000 incoming flights alone were canceled or diverted during the 45-hour shutdown that began Wednesday. ... [more] http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061223/D8M6Q2O00.html Christmas travel chaos continues BBC NEWS - December 22, 2006 -- Christmas travellers have endured a third day of misery as thick fog caused flight cancellations and delays, but the weather should improve on Saturday. More than 300 flights were cancelled at Heathrow on Friday, including all British Airways domestic flights. BA plans to start domestic flights to and from Heathrow from midday on Saturday, and hopes to operate 95% of its Heathrow services through the day. Train firms provided extra services and the roads generally flowed on Friday. BA hopes to operate 87% of short-haul flights on Saturday, and plans a full Heathrow service on Sunday, including resuming services to Paris and Brussels. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6202349.stm Giant squid caught on video by Japanese scientists REUTERS - December 22, 2006 -- TOKYO -- Its mass of reddish tentacles flailing, a giant squid fought a losing battle to evade capture in a video unveiled by Japanese scientists on Friday. Images of the squid -- a relatively small female about 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in) long and weighing 50 kg (110 lb) -- were the ultimate prize for zoologists at the National Science Museum, who have been pursuing one of the ocean's most mysterious creatures for years. "Nobody has ever seen a live giant squid except fishermen," team leader Tsunemi Kubodera of the museum's zoology department said in an interview on Friday. "We believe these are the first ever moving pictures of a giant squid." Little was known until recently about the creature thought to have inspired the myth of the "kraken", a tentacled monster that was blamed by sailors for sinking ships off Norway in the 18th century. ... [more] http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-12-22T133726Z_01_T148997_RTRUKOC_0_US-SQUID-GIANT-JAPAN.xml&src=rss&rpc=22 Hurricanes hardly happened, so it's a good year for the insurers LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH - By Caroline Muspratt - December 22, 2006 -- Fewer storms and natural disasters have made 2006 the least expensive year for insurers in almost a decade and the third-cheapest in the past 20 years. Natural and man-made catastrophes have triggered total economic losses of about $40bn (£20bn) and cost property insurers $15bn this year, according to estimates from insurer Swiss Re's Sigma report. An estimated 30,000 people lost their lives in catastrophes including earthquakes, windstorms and shipping disasters. "After years of record losses, property insurers appear to be getting off lightly in 2006," Swiss Re said. "Catastrophe losses of only $15bn will allow them to replenish their risk capital, depleted by record payments for hurricane damage in 2005 and 2004." ... [more] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/12/21/cnins21.xml