Does Barack Obama Expect The Upcoming Election To Spark Rampant Civil Unrest?

Does Barack Obama Expect The Upcoming Election To Spark Rampant Civil Unrest?
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

What is Barack Obama preparing for? What does Barack Obama actually expect to
happen in November? Does he believe that the upcoming election could actually spark rampant civil unrest inside the United States? The conditions are certainly ripe for civil unrest in this country. A multitude of recent polls and surveys have shown that Americans are angrier and more frustrated than ever. Sadly, we are taking a lot of that anger and frustration out on each other. America is more divided today than at any other time since the Civil War era. 

The left absolutely hates Mitt Romney the Republicans, and the right absolutely hates Barack Obama and the Democrats. If you doubt this, just surf political blogs for a few hours and read the comments that people leave. This country is a boiling cauldron of hatred and anger and all it is going to take is just the right "spark" to cause all of this hatred and anger to absolutely explode. This upcoming election season is likely to be one of the most heated and divisive election seasons in U.S. history, and if there is not a clear winner on election night there is the potential that chaos could be unleashed that would be far, far worse than anything we saw during the Bush/Gore debacle of 2000.

Right now, the polls tell us that this is likely to be a very, very tight election. If you doubt this, just check out the daily Gallup tracking poll.
As I write this, Obama and Romney are tied at 46 percent.

In 2008, a wave of positive emotion helped Obama secure a solid victory on election night where there was no doubt about the outcome.
But this time there is not going to be the same wave of positive emotion behind Obama, and that means that the election is likely to be much, much closer.
One thing that set off alarm bells for me is when various news stories starting discussing the "legion of lawyers" that Barack Obama was recruiting for this election. The following is from a recent article in the Huffington Post....

President Barack Obama's campaign has recruited a legion of lawyers to be on standby for this year's election as legal disputes surrounding the voting process escalate. Thousands of attorneys and support staffers have agreed to aid in the effort, providing a mass of legal support that appears to be unrivaled by Republicans or precedent.

Did you catch that?
Obama's "unprecedented" legion of lawyers is definitely getting prepared for something.
In a tightly contested race, would Obama use every legal angle that he possibly could to take the election away from Mitt Romney?
Would Mitt Romney potentially do the same to Obama?

How would the rest of America respond to another huge legal struggle over the presidency?
Let us hope that we never find out the answers to any of those questions.
But fighting in court is not the only avenue that Barack Obama could potentially use to keep his spot in the White  House.

There is also the possibility that Barack Obama could use his executive powers to influence the outcome of the election.

This year, Obama has issued a whole series of very strange executive orders.
Many have been wondering what the true purpose of these executive orders really is.
For example, EO 13603 enables Barack Obama to take total control over all food, all energy, all health resources and all transportation resources with the stroke of a pen.

The following is from an article about this executive order by Jim Garrison in the Huffington Post....

President Obama's National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order of March 16 does to the country as a whole what the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act did to the Constitution in particular -- completely eviscerates any due process or judicial oversight for any action by the Government deemed in the interest of "national security." Like the NDAA, the new Executive Order puts the government completely above the law, which, in a democracy, is never supposed to happen.

Later in that same article, he detailed some of the extraordinary powers that the executive branch would be given if Barack Obama decided that "national security" required it....

• The Secretary of Defense has power over all water resources;
• The Secretary of Commerce has power over all material services and facilities, including construction materials;
• The Secretary of Transportation has power over all forms of civilian transportation;
• The Secretary of Agriculture has power over food resources and facilities, livestock plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment;
• The Secretary of Health and Human Services has power over all health resources;
• The Secretary of Energy has power over all forms of energy.

According to this executive order, a "national emergency" is not even required to activate these powers. If Barack Obama decides that there is a threat to "national security" (or to his job security) he could activate these powers at any time.

Another executive order, EO 13618, would potentially give Obama power over all communication resources in the United States.

So does that mean that Obama could potentially pull the plug on the Internet during a crisis?
That is a very good question.

Overall, Obama has issued 130 executive orders during his time as president. The amount of power that he now claims to possess is absolutely mind blowing.

So will he ever actually attempt to use the powers that he has granted himself under these executive orders?

Let's hope not.

In addition, it appears that the Department of Homeland Security is gearing up for something.

An article posted on RT the other day entitled "DHS gears up for civil unrest prior to presidential elections" detailed some of the purchases that the Department of Homeland Security is looking to make....

The DHS submitted a rushed solicitation to the Federal Business Opportunities site on Wednesday, which is a portal for Federal government procurement requisitions over $25,000. The request gave the potential suppliers only one day to submit their proposals and a 15-day delivery requirement to Alexandria, Virginia.
As the brief explains, “the objective of this effort is to procure riot gear to prepare for the 2012 Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the 2013 Presidential Inauguration and other future similar activities.”
The total amount ordered is about 150 sets of riot helmets, thigh and groin protectors, hard-shell shin guards and other riot gear.

Specifically, DHS is looking to obtain:

- “147 riot helmets” with “adjustable tactical face shield with liquid seal”

- “147 sets of upper body and shoulder protection”

- “152 sets of thigh and groin protection”

- “147 hard-shell shin guards” with “substantial protection from flying debris, non-ballistic weapons, and blows to the leg” and “optimized protective design for severe riot control or tactical situations.”

- “156 forearm protectors”

- “147 pairs of tactical gloves”

The riot gear will be worn by Federal Protective Service agents who are tasked with protecting property, grounds and buildings owned by the federal government.

You can find the DHS solicitation right here.

Also, as I have written about previously, earlier this month FEMA posted a solicitation for a large number of pre-packaged meals. According to the solicitation, the maximum number of meals that would be provided to FEMA under the contract would be 17.5 million meals. The following is from the FEMA solicitation document....

As referred to in paragraph (b) of FAR Clause 52.216-22, “Indefinite Quantity” of this contract, the guaranteed contract minimum is 21,000 packaged meals to include the base and option periods. The contract ceiling amount shall not exceed 17,500,000 packaged meals.

So do those solicitations mean anything special or are they just part of normal government operations?

That is a good question.

But what we do know is that U.S. military personnel are going to be deployed at the Democratic and Republican national conventions in support of U.S. Secret Service personnel. The following is from a recent Stars and Stripes article....

"During the Democratic/Republican National Conventions, Department of Defense personnel will support the U.S. Secret Service," a Northern Command spokesman said in an email.
"For operational security reasons we do not discuss the numbers of military personnel and resources that are involved," U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. William G. Lewis said. "Additionally, we do not share our operational plans."

Could the same forces be deployed to quell civil unrest sparked by a controversial election result in November?

Let us hope that this upcoming election season is not as bitter and divisive as many are projecting and let us hope that there is a clear winner in November.

The conditions are definitely right for America to be absolutely torn apart if the "perfect controversy" comes rolling along.

At this moment, Americans are incredibly frustrated. Our economy has been in the dumps for quite a few years, and now it look like another recession is starting. The patience of the American people is running out.

Over much of the western United States things are so hot and dry right now that just a single spark is often enough to set off a forest fire that can burn for weeks. Well, the same thing can be said for the political climate in the United States right now.

The American people are so hot and so angry that it would not take much to set off a raging political fire.

Let us hope that cooler heads prevail, because a single spark could set this country ablaze.

La bataille des jeux olympiques -1

La bataille des jeux olympiques -1

http://schoenelblog2.blogspot.com.br/

En décembre 2009 j’avais innové en inventant le concept de la bataille spirituelle contre l’esprit de Noël pour tout le mois de décembre: La bataille de Noël. Je vais reprendre l’idée pour couvrir le principe des jeux païens olympiques modernes. Car de plus en plus de symboles religieux s’imposent dans notre quotidien sans que l’on y prête la moindre attention. Cela va du symbole européen de la couronne mariale, à la bûche de Noël ou du lapin de pâques, aux obélisques, etc. Les jeux olympiques n’étant qu’une facette de la guerre spirituelle qui nous entoure et dont plus personne ne fait attention. Cependant le Seigneur nous avait prévenu : Matthieu 24 : 11 Plusieurs faux prophètes s’élèveront, et ils séduiront beaucoup de gens. 12 Et, parce que l’iniquité se sera accrue, l'amour (du Christ) du plus grand nombre se refroidira. 13 Mais celui qui persévérera jusqu’à la fin sera sauvé.

Cette année les jeux sont à Londres et le dragon c’est trouvé un nouveau nid pour y pondre ses œufs après Pékin. Londres, capitale emblématique de la finance mondiale, elle-même archétype d’une finance qui a su s’affranchir de toute barrière et de toute morale. Ainsi en pleine crise financière, la pire depuis la grande dépression des années 30, le dieu Mammon et ceux de l’Olympe, vont-ils mener ensemble pour quelques jours le monde, pour leurs seuls gloire et vanité. Jeux dont les symboles seront forts, comme la colombe et la branche d’olivier à Olympie, associées pour le rituel de l’allumage par Apollon (le soleil). Cette image renvoie directement à l’image de Noé et de la colombe qui revient avec un rameau d’olivier, symbole de la paix retrouvée avec Dieu.

La torche allumée à Olympie se retrouvera à Londres où elle sera distribuée à sept jeunes athlètes, qui représentent le transfert générationnel et également le chiffre de l’Eternel. Les sept se sont ensuite dirigés vers les 204 pétales qui symbolisent les 204 délégations engagées aux Jeux Olympiques. Ces pétales d’acier se sont relevés pour former la grande flamme olympique qui illuminera le ciel de Londres jusqu’au 12 août. Le choix de recourir à sept jeunes athlètes a permis au comité d’organisation de souligner son mot d’ordre et slogan pour ces Jeux Olympiques : « Inspire a generation » (inspirer une génération). L’union des peuples inspirés par le même esprit, tout est dit...

Origine des jeux

Les jeux étaient profondément liés au religieux et le fait qu’ils n’aient pas été annulés une seule fois en plus de mille ans montre leur caractère sacré! La victoire n’avait pas du tout le même sens. Si aujourd’hui, il s’agit de s’améliorer sans cesse, de gagner du temps, la victoire antique avait une autre portée: Gagner signifiait avoir obtenu la grâce des dieux, la victoire était en quelque sorte parrainée par les dieux et le joueur vainqueur devenait un héros, au sens mythologique du terme. D’ailleurs, point de deuxième ou de troisième vainqueurs. Un seul homme pouvait être soutenu par les dieux. En guise de récompense, une simple couronne d’olivier suffisait, l’essentiel étant ailleurs…

Au 9° siècle avant l'ère chrétienne, le roi d'Elide Iphitos dut se résoudre à demander à la grande prêtresse, le moyen de débarrasser son pays de la peste. La Pythie lui répondit que les dieux interviendraient favorablement, s'il établissait les Jeux Olympiques en leur honneur. Aussi Iphitos dut-il conclure un traité avec Sparte, déclarant Olympie inviolable durant les Jeux sacrés. C'est donc entre le fleuve Alphée et le mont Kronion que furent remportées de 776 avant J.-C. jusqu'à 393 après J.-C., soit pendant plus de onze siècles, les victoires les plus éclatantes de l'Antiquité. Se déroulant tous les quatre ans, ces Jeux devaient en effet se développer très rapidement par l'adjonction de nouvelles disciplines et la participation de plus en plus massive des représentants des autres cités grecques.

Toutes les photos ci-dessous sont prises avec les interprètes habillés en prêtresses qui se sont réunis pour une cérémonie à Olympie en mai 2012, où ils ont fait appel à l'Apollon dieu du soleil devant le temple d’Héra, pour allumer la flamme olympique.

Olympie se trouve en Élide. Ce n'était pas une ville mais un sanctuaire. Lieu consacré aux dieux, qui n'appartenait donc à aucune nation. Ce lieu boisé et verdoyant (ce qui est plutôt rare en Grèce) porte le nom d'Altis : bois, et plus particulièrement, bois sacré. À l'origine, l'Altis possédait un temple en l'honneur de la déesse Héra. Entre -468 et -457, les Grecs bâtissent un temple en l'honneur de Zeus, le dieu des dieux. Une vingtaine d'années plus tard, le sculpteur Phidias termine la statue colossale de Zeus, d'or et d'ivoire, érigée à l'intérieur du temple. C'est l'une des 7 merveilles du monde. L’œuvre de Phidias représente Zeus, couronné d’un rameau d’olivier, tenant dans sa main droite une statuette de Niké, déesse ailée qui représente la victoire, tandis que sa main gauche tient un sceptre décoré où l’on peut d’ailleurs percevoir un aigle perché. La couronne des vainqueurs sera tressée avec des rameaux cueillis sur les oliviers près du temple.

La première journée se déroulait dans l'enceinte sacrée, dans laquelle se dressait, imposante, la masse d'or et d'ivoire du temple de Zeus et quatre-vingts autels devant lesquels s'amoncelaient les trésors offerts aux dieux par les citoyens grecs. Après ces cérémonies religieuses consacrées aux cantiques et aux prières, le cortège empruntait, dès l'aurore, le lendemain, la direction du stade ; les dix magistrats ouvraient ce défilé, suivis des députations et des concurrents A l'issue de l'appel de chaque engagé, se déroulaient les premières courses.

La flamme comme principe divin

Héros de la mythologie grecque, Prométhée se vit confier par Zeus la mission de créer l'humanité et de doter les êtres vivants de dons nécessaires à leur survie. Mais Zeus avait interdit aux hommes l'usage du feu, attribut de sa puissance divine.

Prométhée qui était fils et frère de Titans alors en conflit avec Zeus, profita d'une invitation de la déesse Athéna sur l'Olympe pour y dérober le feu. Prométhée, désireux de parfaire l'humanité, remit le feu aux hommes ainsi maîtres des éléments. Le héros fut puni par Zeus qui le fit attacher au rocher de Caucase où un aigle venait chaque jour lui ronger son foie qui se régénérait chaque nuit. Prométhée est finalement libéré par Hercule fondateur mythique des jeux.

Dans la Grèce antique, le feu était un élément sacré et brûlait en permanence dans les temples et sanctuaires. Son allumage était aussi symbolique et se faisait par l'intermédiaire d'un miroir parabolique (skaphia) qui concentre les rayons du soleil. Une flamme était placée au milieu des sites sportifs et du banquet installé pour les athlètes sur l'autel de la déesse du foyer Hestia. D'autres feux illuminaient les temples de Zeus et d'Héra. Les lampadédromies, ancêtres du relais de la flamme olympique, étaient des processions de flambeaux pour honorer les dieux. Les sportifs couraient sur une courte distance depuis un feu sacré jusqu'à l'autel. A Athènes, les jeux voyaient s'affronter plusieurs équipes de relayeurs. Les vainqueurs avaient l'honneur d'allumer l'autel de Prométhée.

Le maitre de l’Olympe Zeus et Héra son épouse, étaient donc par le feu sacré, représentés aux jeux. Aujourd’hui c’est devant le temple d’Héra à Olympie, que des actrices représentant les prêtresses de la déesse, rejouent le cérémoniel de l’allumage sacré de la flamme olympique.

Héra est la personnification féminine de la belle saison. Ce n’est que par la suite que son union avec Zeus est interprétée comme le prototype de l’union légitime. Sa couleur symbolique est la couleur blanche theá leukốlenos, déesse aux bras blancs, divinité d’élection d’Argos « la ville blanche ». Héra est enfin liée aux Heures, ces divinités du retour du printemps et enfin aux héros dont le prototype est Héraclès celui qui a la gloire d’Héra. Le vainqueur aux jeux olympiques devient ainsi symboliquement un reflet mystique d’Héraclès, qui glorifie la déesse Héra.

Héra est également présentée comme la déesse du mariage et des épouses, protectrice du couple, de la fécondité et des femmes en couche. Sous son épiclèse d’hoplosmía, au cap Lakinion et à Élis, elle assume une fonction guerrière. Ce qui par ces caractéristiques divines, lui donne toutes les ressemblances à l’antique Ishtar babyloniennes, dont les traits divins sont identiques. Mais cependant c’est à la déesse Hestia qu’il convient d’attribuer le principe du feu sacré olympien.

L'origine divine du feu en fait un élément sacré et les Grecs avaient pour habitude de faire brûler un feu en permanence devant les principaux temples. La pureté de ce feu était garantie par la technique d'allumage : la flamme était obtenue par les rayons du soleil captés au centre d'un récipient appelé skaphia, (l'ancêtre du miroir parabolique utilisé aujourd'hui pour l'allumage de la flamme olympique). Au sanctuaire d'Olympie, là où se déroulaient les Jeux Olympiques de l'Antiquité, une flamme brûlait en permanence sur l'autel de la déesse Hestia situé dans le Prytanée (bâtiment utilisé pour les grands banquets offerts aux athlètes à la fin des Jeux). Hestia est donc la gardienne du feu olympique.

Dans la mythologie grecque, Hestia est la divinité du feu sacré et du foyer. Fille aînée de Cronos et de Rhéa, sœur de Zeus, Poséidon, Hadès, Héra et Déméter, elle appartient à la génération des douze grandes divinités de l'Olympe. Dans la mythologie romaine, elle correspond à Vesta. L’Hymne homérique à Aphrodite indique que Cronos l'engendre « la première — et aussi la dernière », sans doute parce qu'elle est la dernière à être recrachée par son père. Aînée des dieux, elle jouit d'une considération particulière parmi les Olympiens. L'hymne delphique d'Aristonoos la nomme ainsi la « maîtresse du ciel et de la terre».

Presque aucun mythe ne se rattache à cette déesse. Dans l’Hymne homérique à Aphrodite, Apollon et Poséidon la poursuivent de leurs assiduités, mais Hestia refuse leurs propositions à tous deux et jure sur le Styx, en touchant la tête de Zeus, de rester vierge à jamais — tout comme Artémis et Athéna. En compensation, elle obtient de Zeus le privilège d'être honorée dans chaque demeure humaine et dans tous les temples. La légende est probablement inventée par l'auteur pour mettre en évidence ses principales caractéristiques : Hestia est une déesse vierge et immuable. Quand Platon met en scène le cortège des Olympiens, dans le Phèdre, il précise qu'Hestia n'en fait pas partie, car elle demeure en permanence sur l'Olympe. Dans le culte, Hestia est liée à Apollon : elle veille sur le foyer de Delphes, l'un de ses principaux sanctuaires et à Délos, sa statue est assise sur l'omphalos, le nombril du monde.

Les Grecs commençaient et finissaient tous leurs sacrifices par honorer Vesta/Hestia, et l'invoquaient la première, avant tous les autres dieux. Plus tard à Rome, ainsi que chez les grecs, Vesta/Hestia, la vierge, n'avait d'autre image ou d'autre symbole que le feu sacré. Les Grecs commençaient et finissaient tous leurs sacrifices par honorer Vesta, et l'invoquaient la première, avant tous les autres dieux. Une des manières de la représenter était en habit de matrone, vêtue de la stola, tenant de la main droite un flambeau ou une lampe. Ainsi Hestia la vierge, maîtresse du ciel et de la terre, est le véritable symbole du feu olympique. La forme sportive du culte catholique à la reine du ciel.

Come Lord, But Not Yet. Follow Up

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher

Q. I too have mixed feelings but for a different reason. I want be taken up in the rapture as soon as possible, but I have a calling to lead more to Christ before it comes. I want as many as possible to be saved and don’t want to leave until He is done using me for that purpose. I trust that His timing will be perfect.

A. God does not put conflicting desires into a believer’s heart. He’s not the author of confusion, but of order. If you have such a calling, then it will be complete when the rapture comes. In the meantime you are not to let your work here diminish your longing for His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).
Remember, although the Church in Ephesus was commended for it’s work, the Lord criticized them because they had forsaken their first love (Ephes. 2:4). We are not to become so focused on the King’s work that we forget about the King.

Thorns in the Flesh-

Thorns in the Flesh- Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=7268

The word 'holy' comes from a Greek word that means 'separated' -- in this context, it means 'separated' from the world of sin. In context, Peter and Paul were therefore two of the twelve holiest men who ever lived.

They were Personally 'separated' from the world by Jesus Christ! But neither went on to live a sinless life. Peter fell back into some legalistic Judaic practices and had to be publicly upbraided by Paul. (see Galatians 2: 11-21)

Paul approached the Lord three times, requesting the Lord remove a "thorn in his flesh," a "messenger of Satan sent to buffet me" -- complaining that this infirmity hindered his ability to minister effectively.

Paul wasn't lying when he said he was chief among sinners back then. And I am not lying when I say that I am chief among sinners today. I don't know every sinner. But I am certain that I am the worst sinner that I do know.
Thus it is with each of us, if we are honest. I may know of a Christian who commits more obvious sins than I do -- but I cannot honestly name somebody who sins MORE than I do.
The only sins that I know others commit are the sins I actually see them commit. I am with ME every time.
I am with me when I get cut off in traffic. I am with me when I think bad thoughts. I am with me when I do things I wouldn't do if I was with my pastor.
I am with me when I am uncaring for strangers, unkind to loved ones, unreasonable, unthankful, unholy, disobedient . . . the list goes on.
To be brutally honest, I don't know ANYBODY who sins more than me. (And if you are honest, I suspect you can probably say the same thing about you.)

Peter was called out and separated by Jesus Christ to serve the Gospel. But Jesus did not drop him like a hot rock after Peter said, "I don't know Him."
Jesus called out Paul on the road to Damascus and separated by Jesus Christ to serve the Gospel. He told Paul to stop worrying about his problems with the messenger of Satan.
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. . ." (2nd Corinthians 12:9)

I was called out and separated by Jesus Christ one winter night in 1975 to serve the Gospel. That is what salvation is all about -- being separated for the Great Commission.
But it isn't YOU that does the separating. It is Jesus Christ. If it is you that is the one doing the separating, then how would you go about it?
The answer would seem to be obvious. You avoid places where sin is going on. You stay away from people that might lead you into sin.
You surround yourself with other like-minded Christians and you separate yourself from the world. That's what Paul said to do. Didn't he?
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (2nd Corinthians 6:14-15)
But clearly, that seems contradictory. When Jesus was criticized for mingling with sinners, He replied, "It isn't the healthy that need a Physician."

So what is Paul talking about? Paul's letter was addressed to the body of believers at Corinth who had fallen into all kinds of pagan practices.
He was speaking to the Corinthian church's practice of mingling idol worship and depraved parties masquerading as the Lord's Supper with some sins "such are are not even named among the Gentiles."

Individual believers are, by virtue of their salvation, already called out and made separate (holy) and righteous (by imputation). It is accomplished;
"Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)

The New Covenant with the Church Age is not a corporate agreement between God and a specific people, but rather is individual relationship between Jesus Christ and just ONE person -- you.

That is why God does NOT punish believers. He chastises them. And God does NOT visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. The children have their own accounts to settle. Individually.
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." (Hebrews 12:5-6)
This is a good place to stop and examine the difference between chastisement (chastening) and punishment.
Chastisement is correction -- parents correct their children by chastising them until they fall back into line. The chastisement stops when the behavior is corrected.
Punishment is different. It is retribution -- punishment continues whether the offender changes his ways or not. If you are serving a life sentence, changing your ways is nice, but it has no effect on the sentence.

I don't know about you, but while I loved them all equally, all my children were different. Although the rules were the same, it was necessary to set different boundaries with each one of them.
I had a different way of dealing with the kid who tried a puff off a cigarette (and didn't like it) than I did with the kid who had a pack of butts hidden in his bedroom.
Same rules, same offense. But it was a greater threat to one of them than it was the other and so one of them needed a firmer form of correction than the other.

Is God not as good a parent as you or I?
The Lord doesn't have one set of rules for one Christian and a different set of rules for another. The rules are the same for us all.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:27)

Don't let the enemy steal your victory. Nobody is perfect except God and He made you the way you are for His glory and according to His purpose.
His strength is made perfect in weakness, the Lord told Paul. Paul didn't argue with the Lord and demand that God change Paul into the kind of Christian that Paul thought he ought to be.

Paul didn't get mad at God for his afflictions. Instead, Paul responded this way;
"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
So, you think you are weak and ineffective at your calling and unworthy of your salvation? You think you are too big a sinner to be used of God? Then you're just the one He's looking for.

Has He got a job for you!

Acordo-Stênio Marcius

Igreja doa 100% dos dízimos e ofertas aos pobres

Igreja doa 100% dos dízimos e ofertas aos pobres

Por Wesley Moreira

Passar a sacolinha durante os cultos de domingo, para cumprir o orçamento não era suficientente para os líderes de uma pequena igreja no Mississippi.

Então, dois anos atrás, o pastor e os líderes da Igreja Batista Traceway na cidade de Clinton começaram a orar sobre a melhor forma de servir a sua comunidade. Após dois meses de oração e jejum, eles ouviram de Deus que deveriam dar todos os dízimos e ofertas alçados pela igreja e doar aos pobres.

“Essencialmente, nossa oração era: Deus, o que podemos fazer para que quando as pessoas olhem para nós elas vejam a Ti?” Explicou o Pastor da igreja, John Richardson (foto), em entrevista ao Jornal Christian Post.

“Quanto mais oravamos mais sentiamos Deus nos dizendo: “Se vocês querem me apresentar para a sociedade tornem-se generosos, porque Eu Sou generoso”, explicou Richardson. “A forma como nós interpretamos que poderiamos realizar a vontade de Deus foi em doar todos os nossos dízimos e ofertas aos mais carentes.”

Apenas 50 pessoas, muitas delas de natureza transitória, freqüentam regularmente Igreja Batista Traceway fundada seis anos atrás. No entanto, somente de Abril de 2010 a Abril de 2011, a igreja foi capaz de doar US $ 60.000 para pessoas carentes na comunidade. A igreja começou a doar os dízimos e ofertas no ano de 2009 e desde então as entradas tem aumentado. 

“Tudo o que é ofertado e dizimado em nossa igreja é doado para as mães abusadas, pessoas em situações ruins e basicamente vivendo com as roupas do corpo, pessoas que estão tentando se libertar de vícios, para os que perderam seus empregos, aos que enfrentam despejos por não pagarem suas hipotecas ou precisam de tratamento médico e não podem pagar, casos assim “, explica o Pastor Richardson.

Quando questionado sobre como a Igreja foi capaz de operar sem rendimentos provenientes de dízimos, Richardson disse: “Foi um processo interessante.”

Agimos por fé e obediencia a Deus. Não sabiamos o que fazer mas criamos na palavra de Deus. Quando fizemos a primeira doação de 100% das entradas, e não restou nada nem para o aluguel. Então líderes de outra igreja vieram falar conosco da Traceway. Eles ainda não sabiam o que estava acontecendo conosco, mas vieram nos dizer que sentiram que Deus lhes tinham ordenado algo a fazer. Eles nos disseram que ficariam honrados se a Igreja Batista Traceway Batista se mudasse para umas instalações da igreja deles que não estava sendo usadas. Eles nos ofereceram tudo, livre de taxas, de aluguel e de contas de luz e água.

“Nós também cortamos o que pudemos de nosso orçamento”, disse Richardson. Ao longo de um ano, notavelmente Deus providenciou doações fora da nossa comunidade para cada uma das necessidades orçamentarias da igreja” continuou Richardson, “quando você realmente começar a viver generosamente, especialmente se você sabe que é algo que Deus lhe pediu para fazer, isso abre seus olhos para o quão incrivelmente generoso Deus é para nós”, disse ele.

“Generosidade não é apenas uma coisa agradável de fazer, mas é provavelmente a resposta para o maior obstáculo espiritual que temos hoje para nos tornar discípulos de Jesus. A generosidade ao próximo carente é um antídoto para a ganância” ensina o Pastor, “a generosidade ajuda você a imitar os caminhos de Deus e tornar-se mais como Ele é. É um pedaço enorme do processo de discipulado que a maioria das igrejas perdeu.”

O livro de Richardson é destinado a ajudar igrejas e cristãos a pensar mais sobre ser generosos. “Trata-se de levar os líderes de igrejas a um lugar onde comecem a olhar para o dinheiro e se perguntarem: Estou vivendo como se esse dinheiro pertencesse a Deus ou pertencesse a mim?”

Richardson é formado em Teologia pelo Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary e já serviu como pastor por mais de 10 anos.

Em 2005, quando em meio a amigos, questionava eu sobre a viabilidade em utilizar a maioria das entradas da igreja para ajudar os mais carentes fui zombado como ‘pastor comunista’, creiam-me, nada é pior que ser acusado daquilo que você desgosta. Duas coisas se provam com a experiência da Igreja Traceway, que a Igreja pode sim se manter doando grande parte de suas entradas e que eu preciso escolher melhor minhas amizades.

***

Fontes: The Christian Church – Traceway Baptist Church. Do blog Wesmo, de Wesley Moreira, colunista do Púlpito Cristão.

Jesus is our judge

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Jesus is our judge

http://the-end-time.blogspot.com

 

Jesus is our judge. He is the sole authority to Whom we will answer, and our sins are crimes we have committed against Him. (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:8)

The world hates this notion, and continually rebels against it. They say that we only answer to ourselves, or that Jesus doesn't exist, in the vain hope that their lawlessness will go unpunished. Most people will acknowledge there is some sort of God, distant and perhaps disinterested. But Jesus is the name at which they cringe.That is because He convicts of sin and will judge it.

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy." (James 4:12).

If you really think about all the language of the bible, you realize just how much of it is "legal" language. This is because sin, also known as lawlessness, is a crime. (1 John 3:4). Crimes must be judged.

Many people say that the bible is a "love letter from God." In a way, it is. Others say that Jesus is our Friend, our Comforter, our Father, and all these are true too. However, when I came to Jesus for salvation, I came through a deep knowing of how pervasive and ugly sin is. By contrast, I understand His holiness. I appeal to Him as my Judge. Though Jesus is all things that are Good, and I enjoy my relationship with Him as Father and Friend, I relate to Him mostly as my Judge.

Far from it being a cold, distant relationship, I enjoy the order of His courts, the regularity and perfection of His dispensing of Justice, past, present and future. I am the kind of person who has always lived for justice, order, and for moral good, and in Jesus I finally found my home in that and it comforts me like a blankie and a teddy bear.

When we tune our ear, the Christian use of legal language is pervasive, all of it from the bible. I bet we say these things without really envisioning them being used actively in His court in a legal context, by God, Jesus, satan, But, let's.

By the way, I deliberately chose verses mostly from the New Testament to show that there is one God, not two. The bible does not show us an 'OT God of wrath' and a 'NT Jesus of love.' They are one and the same. He is wrathful in the first place because He hates sin.

Accuser

"And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." (Revelation 12:10)

Advocate

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' " (1 John 2:1)

Confess

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

Convicted

"I got convicted of that activity when I heard the preacher's sermon."

"It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15).

Court
There is a heavenly court, you know! It is much more perfect to be judged by God than by man.

"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself." (1 Corinthians 4:3)

Judge

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:" (2 Timothy 4:1)

Lawlessness

"I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." (Romans 6:19).

Pardon
He pardons us of our crimes!

"Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17)

Penalty

"and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." (Romans 1:27)

Testimony

During the Tribulation, the Two Witnesses testify to and of Jesus constantly for three and a half years.

"And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,' (Revelation 11:7)

Verdict

"The decision is announced by messengers ['Watchers' in ESV], the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'" (Daniel 4:17).

I sure would like to know who these mysterious Watchers are mentioned three times in Daniel 4:13, 17, 23 but nowhere else. They seem to be a class of angel, because they are holy, and angel, because they are messengers. The term is introduced by Nebuchadnezzar who describes how he saw "a watcher, a holy one come down (singular verb) from heaven." They seem to me to be both Bailiff keeping watch over proceedings, and Jury Foreman announcing the verdict. But I don't know for sure. The bible is cloaked on the subject, only alluding to but not explaining these Watchers.

Witness
Paul is ordained as a witness for Jesus.

"for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard" (Acts 22:15)

The Two Witnesses testify to the power and holiness of God.Rev 11:1-14.
(Gérard Jollain, engraving 1670)

This little missive is intended to remind us of the fact that God is HOLY HOLY HOLY. Everything stems from that. Sin, its effects, its lawlessness, our pardon, His justice...is all about dealing with sin in the face of a Holy God. Oh, yes, Jesus will judge. Are you ready?

All a person needs to do is be penitent, that means, to be sorry for your sins. You must ask the Judge (who is Jesus) to pardon you. His death on the cross satisfied the justice required from God as the blood sacrifice to satisfy the penalty. God's wrath is therefore satisfied in all people who come to Him through Jesus. You will be pardoned and washed clean of your crimes. The Judge will say "You are free to go."

Failure to repent before your own death means that you die having committed many crimes. Those must still be dealt with. Just because you're dead doesn't mean your crimes go away. They are in fact still boomeranging around the Universe, tainting everything. On the day of Judgment, Jesus will stand you before Himself and you will answer for those crimes in His court. The penalty for them is eternity in hell (jail) with no hope of parole. All judgments are final. But all His mercies are eternal!

PRESENTE DE DEUS OU PROPRIEDADE DE DEUS?

PRESENTE DE DEUS OU PROPRIEDADE DE DEUS?
http://www.pulpitocristao.com/

Por Isaltino Gomes Coelho Filho

Um dia desses vi uma pintura num veículo: “Foi Deus quem deu!”. Entendi a mensagem que o proprietário queria transmitir. Ele reconhecia que Deus lhe proporcionara uma bênção material. No caso, aquele carro.

Mais tarde pus-me a meditar no caso. Respeitosamente, não me soa o reconhecimento correto. Na realidade, há mais de mundano que de espiritual na frase. Ela não expressa apenas o reconhecimento de que foi uma bênção, mas traz certo ufanismo.

Afinal, conheço bem o movimento evangélico de hoje e sei da ênfase que ele coloca em bens materiais como sinal da aprovação divina. Quem é suficientemente bom aos olhos de Deus recebe bênçãos materiais. A doutrina da graça tem sido varrida para longe pelo neopentecostalismo. É um tal de “declarar”, “exigir seus direitos”, “reivindicar” que se vê uma total ignorância do que seja graça. Consequentemente, do que seja o evangelho. Quando alguém diz “Foi Deus quem me deu” pode muito bem estar dizendo: “Viu? Fui um bom menino, e Papai do Céu me deu de presente!”. Vejo tanto ufanismo com bens materiais! Muitos evangélicos parecem mais ligados em Mamom, o pseudo-deus das riquezas, que em Jesus Cristo.

O correto não é “Foi Deus quem deu!”. Porque se somos mesmo cristãos, nada é nosso, e tudo é dele. As coisas que nos vêm às nossas mãos, na realidade não são nossas, mas dele. Estão conosco para nosso uso, mas prestaremos contas delas, porque não somos proprietários, mas servos e mordomos (Lc 12.37 e 42) e despenseiros (1Pe 4.10). Alguns acham que são donos e assim dão migalhas dos bens, do tempo, das emoções e dos afetos para Deus. Amam os bens e dizem que Deus lhes deu.

Se você realmente é uma pessoa que entregou a vida (e não apenas o louvor) a Jesus, nada do que você tem é seu, mas é dele. As pessoas se lembram do Salmo 24.1 quando querem reivindicar coisas como “filhas do Rei”. Se tudo é dele, somos dele e nossas coisas são dele.

Sua vida é dele? Então seu carro não foi presente dele, mas é dele. Sua casa é dele. Seus filhos são dele. Sua carreira é dele. Se ainda não entendeu isso, cante o hino 422 do Hinário Para o Culto Cristão: “Tudo o que sou e o que vier a ser eu ofereço a Deus”. Em um ato de culto ofereça a Deus o que é dele por direito. Que seja de fato.

Nada seu é seu. Tudo seu é dele. Reconheça isso e viva isso antes que ele, insatisfeito com sua visão, dê a outro: “Tirai-lhe, pois, o talento e dai-o ao que tem os dez talentos” (Mt 25.28). Lembra-se desta história? Aconteceu quando o senhor chegou e chamou os servos à prestação de contas (Mt 25.19). Demorou, mas veio. Você é apenas servo, e não senhor. Quando ele vier, que não chame você de “servo inútil”.

***
Fonte: Isaltino Gomes Coelho Filho. Compartilhado do Ministério Beréia. Divulgação: Púlpito Cristão.

UPDATED- Aurora Colorado shooting

Friday, July 20, 2012

UPDATED- Aurora Colorado shooting

http://the-end-time.blogspot.com

 

Many tears this morning for our evil, sinful dying world, and the people affected by the tragic and wanton shooting in Aurora Colorado. The only Light of this world is Jesus. 'When the darkness closes in I will still say Blessed be the name of the Lord'.
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.(Habakkuk 3:17-19)

---------------Update--------------

OK I've had time to cry, pray, mourn, sing, run to the bible, and pray some more. That's what I do on tragedy days.

Jesus is Good. How so, one might ask? Well, how many angels did He send to tend to the people who love Him? "Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). If we were blessed with spiritual eyes being opened as Elisha's servant was, (2 Kings 6:17) and God allowed him to see the myriads of chariots in the spiritual realms standing at the ready for battle, we might see legions of angels sent from on high at the command of God, to minister to those in pain and anguish in Aurora Colorado this morning.

He is Good because though the evil stain of sin and hate overspread the Mall in Aurora, His victory will out pace all that satan can do or ever thought to do. Satan is a loser and all his schemes and plans will fail. The Holy God of Israel has won! Take heart even in the darkness because He is the Light! He has the victory.

Therefore who can say how many miracles were given in grace to the people at the shooting location? Who can say how many medical miracles He effected through the hands and minds of the paramedics, nurses, and doctors? Who can say who many miracles were effected by His own hand, directly? Because He is good and loves us, we can have assurance that His eyes were on the situation.

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9a)

What else is Good? We do not know how many people who were threatened with death at any second will re-think their time on earth and finally repent to Jesus unto salvation. He sends Gospel seeds which flower, and do so ever more when there is darkness and sin. This is so He can be glorified ever more brightly.

He is Good because He will accept true repentance from all who come to Him, even the shooter himself. His mercies are so far above us, we cannot conceive of a loving God such as this. Yet He does love us. He is Good because of this, caring for and redeeming a sinful humanity.

It is satan that is bad. But we are not unaware of satan's schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11) and we persevere in love so satan will not steal the joy, even on a dark day such as this. My love for Christ does not depend on positive circumstances. Let our love for Him and our faith that He is working in this situation just as He always has in every situation, ever since He said, "in the beginning..."

3 comments:

Have Our Future Sins Already Been Forgiven?

Have Our Future Sins Already Been Forgiven?
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher

Q.  I recently read an article that claimed the Bible offers no proof that our future sins are forgiven.  It says this is just an assumption that Eternal Security advocates have made.  It says if that was the case we wouldn’t need Jesus to be our advocate (lawyer), and that Romans 3:24-25 proves that only our past sins were forgiven.  I’ve thought of Colossians 2:13-14 “He forgave us all our sins …” as a rebuttal.  Are there others?
 

A.  I read the excerpts you sent me and find them to be full of theological holes.  In the first place there is Scriptural proof that all our sins are forgiven. Along with Colossians 2:13-14 that you mentioned there are also Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Cor. 1:21-22 which say our inheritance was assured from the moment we believed, and that God has taken ownership of us and put His spirit in our hearts as a deposit to guarantee this.  How could our inheritance be guaranteed from the moment of belief unless all the sins of our life had been forgiven?

The critical word in these passages is not seal, as the article suggests, it’s guarantee. The Greek word translated guarantee means earnest.  It’s a legal term describing a deposit that obligates the purchaser to complete the transaction. When God set His mark of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts (2 Cor. 1:21-22), He was giving us His word that He would redeem us. There is nothing we or anyone else in Heaven or on Earth can do that will cause Him to break His word (John 6:38-40, John 10:27-30, Romans 8:38-39).

Similarly, Hebrews 10:14 says by His one sacrifice the Lord has made us perfect forever, and 2 Cor. 5:17,21 says if we’re in Christ we’re a new creation having the righteousness of God. (The verbs in these two verses are all in the past perfect tense.  That means they’ve already happened and they are complete.)

The argument that we wouldn’t need an advocate (lawyer) if our violations were already paid for is also flawed.  Common sense tells you that even if you’ve been unjustly hauled into court, you’d better have a lawyer.  Remember, Satan is our accuser and he’s an unjust one at that.

And Romans 3:24-25 is being taken out of context.  The past sins Paul was talking about are the ones people had committed before the cross.  Because of their faith in the promised Redeemer God permitted the sacrificial system to set their sins aside until Jesus came to pay for them in full.

What you won’t find in the New Testament is any indication that having obligated Himself to save you, God will subsequently break His word and revoke His salvation. Once we are saved we are always saved.

(Komatsubara Shun) Kujira - Sungha Jung