A Full Course Meal for Atheists

DEAD FLIES cause the ointment of the perfumer to putrefy [and] send forth a vile odor; so does a little folly [in him who is valued for wisdom] outweigh wisdom and honor.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 [AMP]

Some of you may remember how the Watergate scandal brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. He should have gone down in history as the man who ended the Vietnam war. The man who initiated detenté with the former Soviet Union. The man who crossed the Bamboo Curtain and opened to the door to diplomatic and economic relations with China. But when you say the name Richard Nixon, the first thing that comes to the mind of many is Watergate. Thus, the words of the writer of Ecclesiastes (commonly thought to be King Solomon) are proven to be absolutely correct.

All it takes is a little foolishness to bring much wisdom and honor to nought.

Most of you know that broadcaster Harold Camping predicted that the rapture would occur on May 22, 2001 -- accompanied by a myriad of catastrophic events. Pundits, comedians and naysayers caught hold of this and responded with a barrage of comments, basically riduculing any belief in God. This has dangerous consequences... as King David found the hard way.

Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme

2 Samuel 12:14a [AMP]

What makes false prophecies even more dangerous is if the cause you to do something contrary to the will of God for your life. There was a huge controversy over a pastor who taught a relatively famous parishioner of his that God approves of people living homosexual lifestyles. Not to open a can or worms (whoops, too late!) but anyone who questions what God has clearly said is doing the same thing that the serpent did to Eve in the Garden of Eden. There was a prophet in the Old Testament who was led astray by a false prophet and that act of disobedience came with a heavy price.

⁷ Then the king invited the holy man, "Join me for a meal; I have a gift for you."
^8-10 The holy man told the king, "Not on your life! You couldn't pay me enough to get me to sit down with you at a meal in this place. I'm here under God's orders, and he commanded, 'Don't eat a crumb, don't drink a drop, and don't go back the way you came.'" Then he left by a different road than the one on which he had walked to Bethel.
¹¹ There was an old prophet who lived in Bethel. His sons came and told him the story of what the holy man had done that day in Bethel, told him everything that had happened and what the holy man had said to the king.
¹² Their father said, "Which way did he go?" His sons pointed out the road that the holy man from Judah had taken.
^13-14 He told his sons, "Saddle my donkey." When they had saddled it, he got on and rode after the holy man. He found him sitting under an oak tree.

    He asked him, "Are you the holy man who came from Judah?"

    "Yes, I am," he said.
¹⁵ "Well, come home with me and have a meal."
^16-17 "Sorry, I can't do that," the holy man said. "I can neither go back with you nor eat with you in this country. I'm under strict orders from God: 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop; and don't come back the way you came.'"
^18-19 But he said, "I am also a prophet, just like you. And an angel came to me with a message from God: 'Bring him home with you, and give him a good meal!'" But the man was lying. So the holy man went home with him and they had a meal together.
^20-22 There they were, sitting at the table together, when the word of God came to the prophet who had brought him back. He confronted the holy man who had come from Judah: "God's word to you: You disobeyed God's command; you didn't keep the strict orders your God gave you; you came back and sat down to a good meal in the very place God told you, 'Don't eat a crumb; don't drink a drop.' For that you're going to die far from home and not be buried in your ancestral tomb."
^23-25 When the meal was over, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. Down the road a way, a lion met him and killed him. His corpse lay crumpled on the road, the lion on one side and the donkey on the other. Some passersby saw the corpse in a heap on the road, with the lion standing guard beside it. They went to the village where the old prophet lived and told what they had seen.

1 Kings 13:7-25 [MSG]

Following the false prophecy caused the holy man to meet an untimely demise. You can read more about the holy man, the false prophet, and the full set of events in Chapter Three of our book, Five Men Who Faced the Roaring Lion.

But getting back to Camping’s obviously false prophecy, many people are using this false prediction as an occasion to blaspheme. We read in Hearst Seattle Media’s Seattle P-I web site that atheists are having rapture parties to ridicule religious belief. Adding additional fuel to the fire are other journalistic reports, including an article in The Los Angeles Times regarding seemingly foolish behavior by those who followed Camping’s false prophecy.

Too bad Camping never read our book, Please Don’t Feed the Atheists.

Unfortunately, antics such as Campings false prophecy are giving the atheists a full-course feast. Last year, comedian Ricky Gervais published a piece in the Wall Street Journal speakeasy section in which he explained why he was an atheist. We have seen similar thoughts from Bill Maher and other pundits... and like Gervais’ article, there are the streams of comments by fellow atheists blasting Christianity (primarily the target of such diatribes). Funny how atheists rarely spew hateful venom at Ba’Hai, Hinduism, Buddhism, or other belief systems). For that matter, they never use figures of those religions as curse words.

What can we do about this absolute mess? The only solution is to show the world what real Christianty is.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8 [AMP]

²⁶I anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren).
²⁷External [a]religious worship [[b]religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

James 1:26-27 [AMP]

One final note: The Powerhouse produced a CD a while ago entitled Atheists Challenge. You can listen to this message by clicking here.

Message from Melody Green

Dear Friends, The idea for this event came from a prayer-leader in CA that I’d never met, Dai Sup Han of Prayer Surge Now! He wanted Keith’s friends, John Dawson, Loren and Darlene Cunningham, and me to take part. It seemed impossible but I realized God was in it as it began to fall together almost miraculously.  Pray • Worship • Reignite          Wednesday, July 28, 2010 6:30 PM CST Click here to see your time zone (US & Int'l Viewers) “Remembering the Life of Jesus in Keith Green” LIVE web-stream Event at KeithGreen.com During Keith’s seven years of following Jesus, he made a powerful impact still strongly felt today. Was he perfect?  Of course not…  But, his willingness to “go for it with God” and “obey no matter the cost” left a treasure of music and messages -- that are needed now more than ever. Please Help Get the Word Out Keith would like nothing better than to know that today his voice might help fill your churches, training centers, missions bases, works of justice and mercy, Bible Studies, Youth Groups, and prayer rooms, etc. We are using this day as a “divine excuse” for the Lord to grip the hearts of believers of all ages, everywhere, in all denominations. And hopefully bring many prodigals home too. It’s All About Jesus This is not an event to promote a ministry or to ask for money. It’s not about LDM …or me. Honestly it’s not “really” about Keith either – except to remember the challenging and worshipful messages he preached and put into music. We want it to motivate, challenge and inspire all who watch to a deeper walk with Jesus, giving a time of personal response at the end. Will You Help Us Spread the Word? Simple Tools To Use Click on the banner link above and your team can download banners, flyers, Facebook info, a Facebook profile picture, and more.  We also have a short video here, (with never seen footage of Keith preaching and singing Oh Lord You’re Beautiful).  This video can be posted on anyone’s blog, website, or social networking site, etc. Host Event on YOUR site or Blog We'd love to have many places playing the LIVE event so it will bless !  We’d love to see this bless your ministry, and those who follow your websites and blogs, etc. You could also host a meeting at your church or home and invite friends. It's on a Wednesday Night Host a Gathering at Your Church, Youth Group or Home Make it a personal or community event. Invite your friends to watch together and pray and talk after!! Please note that it will view LIVE at 6:30 PM CST, so make sure and check when that is for YOUR time zone. (You can click here for US and International times for LIVE viewing.) I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and I also appreciate your prayers, In Jesus, PS Feel free to pass this email on to as many as you like.            The Legacy Package - Only $24.99 NO COMPROMISE book and LIVE EXPERIENCE Special Edition CD/DVD  (Retails separately for $35!) Get ready to have your heart challenged! "Last night when I finished No Compromise, I surrendered "EVERYTHING" to the Lord and told Him I was His for whatever He wanted me for!" - Hannah Keith Green 28|28|28 was a Great Surprise! But LDM needs some extra funding to pull it off We could use your help now… We believe the Lord will use 28|28|28 to powerfully change lives around the world! But we don’t have extra funds to cover the cost of new web designs, promotion, extra hours of work, planning, travel, etc.  We’re willing to go the distance at a personal cost, but we really do need your help to make it all it can be.  Many don't realize we operate on a shoestring budget -- with a small staff who often volunteer many hours beyond their compensation. A gift of any size will be a huge blessing. We really can't do this alone. Thank you for giving what you can...Melody

Israeli Rabbis Predicting Armageddon?

ISRAELI RABBIS SAY CURRENT EVENTS COULD LEAD TO “WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG”

By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., June 3, 2010) -- A pastor friend of mine who is helping us set up the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia later this month just sent me an urgent text message with this headline from Israel National News:

“RABBIS: FLOTILLA CLASH SIMILAR TO GOG AND MAGOG PROPHESY.”

As you might expect, it caught my attention right away.

Excerpts:

• The Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria issued a statement Thursday in which it said that the results of the incident in which Israel intercepted a flotilla trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza seem like the Biblical description of  the beginning of the Gog and Magog process where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption….
  
• The Council was formed by Rabbi Zalman Melamed of Beit El and includes leading religious Zionist rabbis who are the spiritual leaders of communities in Judea and Samaria….
   
• “Gog and Magog” is a reference is to chapters 38 and 39 in the book of Ezekiel, a part of which is read on the intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot (Tabernacles). These chapters describe a vision of a war where the world is united against Israel that will precede the final redemption of Israel and the world. The prophecy’s symbolism involves a prince called Gog of Magog, leader of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, who leads a coalition that includes Persia (Iran), Cush, Phut, Gomer, and Beit Togarmah against Israel. There are various opinions regarding the modern identity of these nations.

There is growing interest in the Ezekiel prophecies and whether they could play out in our lifetime. I believe it is still too early to say anything definitively. But I agree that current events are strikingly consistent with the prophecies and I believe it is possible that we could see these events unfold soon.

The mention of “Gomer” in Ezekiel, for example, refers to the modern-day State of Turkey which will be an enemy of Israel and part of a Russian-Iranian alliance against the Jewish state. I’m not saying the prophecy will necessarily come to pass soon, but I can’t rule out that possibility.

We’ve never seen a convergence of geopolitical and spiritual events so consistent with Ezekiel 38-39 in history like we are seeing today. We need to be prayerful, sober, alert and prepared.

At the conference on June 25-26 in Philly, I will address the latest developments. But I knew you’d want to see this article.

It’s posted on my weblog -- http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com.

---

2010 EPICENTER CONFERENCE UPDATE

• Over 1,300 people registered
• Over 700 radio stations and several TV networks will be broadcasting portions of the conference
• Just 24 days left to register to attend or to show the webcast to your congregation

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel’s weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel’s email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here and visiting our new website, www.joshuafund.net.

GO: Join Joel’s “Epicenter Team” on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here (www.epicenterconference.com) 

Will Netanyahu Hit Iran by August? (By Joel C. Rosenberg)

(Washington, D.C., April 15, 2010) -- Russia has just announced that it intends to allow the Iranian nuclear reactor facility located in Bushehr (near the Persian Gulf) to go live in August. This is an ominous development.

Now Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has a fateful decision to make. Will he order a preemptive military strike against all of Iran’s nuclear sites before August when the Bushehr site becomes "hot"? His mentor, Menachem Begin, ordered an Israeli air strike against Saddam Hussein’s Osirik nuclear reactor in Iraq before it went hot in 1981. Netanyahu wants the world to act with decisive unity to stop Iran from getting the Bomb. But that is increasingly unlikely. The Obama administration is no longer calling for "crippling sanctions," and even if they were, it appears to be too late for sanctions to be effective. U.S. officials -- including Defense Secretary Robert Gates -- says Iran could have the Bomb by next year. German intelligence thinks it could be sooner.

We must prepare for peace, but prepare for war. Here’s how:

* We need to preach the gospel to all the people of the epicenter, including our enemies. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I had the remarkable opportunity to go on live satellite TV into Iran and share the gospel, teach on Bible prophecy, and explain God’s love for Iran and Israel and all the people of the world. Millions saw the program. We answered live calls from Iran, Europe, the U.S. and even China. Two Iranian Shia Muslims even called in to pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord! More details on those programs are posted on my weblog.

* Hormoz Shariat, the most widely listened to Iranian evangelist in the world, hosted me on his shows. He has also graciously agreed to speak at the 2010 Epicenter Conference. I urge you to register to come and hear his astounding insights and wisdom into what Jesus is doing in Iran today.

* The Joshua Fund would greatly appreciate your prayer and financial help as we stockpile food and other humanitarian aid in our warehouse and at other facilities strategic positioned throughout Israel. We have expanded the number of food distribution centers in the country from 1 to 8. We’re feeding thousands of needy Israeli and Palestinian families each month, but we need your help to do more.

Also on the weblog:

• An open letter from the leader of the World Jewish Congress strongly criticizes President Obama for his positions on Israel and Iran
• A new poll indicates Jewish support for the President is plummeting
• The Joshua Fund’s new website has details on our 2011 tour and Epicenter Conference in Israel
• More details on how close Iran is to getting the Bomb.

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here ’

PRAY: Sign up for Joel’s email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests. ’

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here. ’

GO: Join Joel’s "Epicenter Team" on Facebook. ’

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here. ’

New Podcast: The Tax-Free Church

Our latest podcast presents seven minutes (and seven seconds) of wisdom entitled “The Tax-Free Church.”

This was inspired in part by articles in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post about churches that flagrantly violate federal laws and claim that as Christians they have the right to do so. It is big news... and getting bigger as we rapidly approach the 2008 Presidential elections.

Granted, this is a heated and historic Presidential election season... but no where in the Bible does it tell us to back our favorite politician and curse the opposition in church when we should (more importantly) be doing the work of the gospel. You know... feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, preaching good news to those who are captive? Yeah... that sort of thing.

This seven minute podcast is available by clicking the icon below (or, right-click to download the MP3).

You can also download this message (and other resources) from our download site, http://www.link2power.org.

If you have not seen the CNN video on this topic, the video is posted below:

Wright and Wrong

I received a copy of one of my favorite Christian publications and was amazed to see an article by the editor condemning presidential candidate Barack Obama because of the outrageous statements made by his former pastor.

The writer inquired, how can we elect a man to run this country when he was anointed by this flamboyant and controversial pastor? How could Obama spend 20 years in a church and not be 100% in line with his former pastor.

Um... hello?

Is any Christian 100% in line with what his or her pastor says?

I mean... come on.

Really?

I attended a church for years where the pastor spoke against the gift of tongues. Unbeknownst to my former pastor, I had received this gift of the Spirit in my dormitory room during an hour of Bible study and prayer. I wasn’t seeking it... but God was gracious to give it.

I kept the fact of my gift quiet and just continued to, as my god-sister told me, chew up the meat and spit out the bones. In other words, accept those things that you can digest and ignore those things that you can’t.

Despite the fact that my former pastor preached vehemently against tongues, I continued to attend because I enjoyed many other aspects of that church:

• the music
• the fellowship
• the Bible studies
• the free fried chicken dinners
  
• the majority of the pastor’s teaching.
  

Whenever my former pastor said something that I didn’t completely cotton to, I would simply chew on the meat and spit out the bones. And, maybe pray that he would change his perspective on certain matters...

Eventually, I left that church... largely because my former pastor began to suspect that I was Spirit-filled and received a prayer language. Not sure how he knew, since I never spoke publicly (only in my prayer closet) and never told anyone.

Maybe he received a word of knowledge?

So I can understand how Obama could spend 20 years in a church and not be 100% in line with any controversial statements made by his former pastor.

Maybe he kept attending because of the chicken dinners?

From BGEA Regarding Myanmar

May 8, 2008

Dear Friend,

I am currently in Asia, and the news of Myanmar’s devastating Cyclone Nargis is on every TV and newspaper. As I write, the death toll is reported at nearly 23,000, but some believe it could be as high as 100,000. More than 42,000 people are reported missing, and up to 1 million may have lost their homes after a 12-foot storm surge swept away entire villages.

In this time of great suffering, will you please join us in praying for the thousands of victims?

Please pray:

· For the survivors who are without safe shelter, food, and clean water

· That the government will allow outside relief groups to bring much-needed aid

· That the people of Myanmar will turn to Jesus Christ for the hope and comfort only He can provide

Myanmar is bordered by China, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, and more than 90 percent of the population does not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is our prayer that many would find new life in Him and be able to join with the psalmist in saying: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1–3, NIV).

Please visit billygraham.org in the coming days for updates on how you can pray for the devastated people in Myanmar. And please forward this to as many people as you can.

Thank you for your prayers. May God bless you.

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham
President

The Rod of Correction

I recall, as a first grader, being taken to get inoculated from some disease or another. The shot was with a four-pronged device that was scary-looking and very painful. One of my classmates was so upset at the teacher for taking us to get shots, he stabbed her with a pencil. He was strongly disciplined.

Flash forward to today’s society where teachers practically need bodyguards to go to and from the classroom.

For example, there was the situation in Waycross, Georgia where eleven third-graders conspired to murder their teacher. Each of the eleven students at Center Elementary School had a job to do, including one assigned to wipe up the blood after the teacher had been killed. Fortunately, the police were tipped and the murder was prevented.

What?

3^rd graders conspiring to commit murder?

Eight year olds?

In Seattle, Washington, roving gangs of youths as young as eleven have been attacking innocent bystanders... according to CBS News, at least one attack resulted in a fatality.

Part of the problem in our modern society can be attributed to our own societal foolishness. Remember the old verse from the song “School Days” that went:

Reading
and writing
and ‘rithmetic,

Taught by the rule
of a hickory switch

My parents experienced corporal punishment (e.g., getting spanked by a teacher or a school administrator). That went away with my generation. However, when my group began cutting up, the ringleader’s dad was invited for show and tell. He showed how he used his belt to whip his son’s posterior anatomies... and started to tell his son to straighten up or else! But that could not happen in today’s litigious society. Today, even parents are held back from spanking their own children.

Years ago, a mother in Georgia slapped her son for mouthing off to her in a department store. Someone saw that and called the police. The woman was arrested, even though the boy admitted that he deserved punishment for his behavior. Even across the pond, a mother in the UK was arrested for smacking her son.

As Marvin Gaye would ask, What’s going on?

Now, this is not to advocate child abuse, but just to make note of an ancient truth:

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15 [Jewish Publication Society; Tanakh]

It is a child’s role to do crazy things. That is simply the nature of a child. That is who God gives us parents... to teach us the correct way to behave.

Think about the 8-year-old who assaulted his teacher in Fort Myers, Florida. The parent (grandmother) blames the teacher. WRONG! It is the job of the parent to correct bad behavior. But when the law says you can’t discipline your child and school officials are also powerless... then what is the alternative?

You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.
Proverbs 23:14 [NASB ©1995]

Think about that. A simple spanking can keep a child from going to hell. How so? Well... if you don’t set boundaries for your children (and enforce them), then someone will. They may grow up in your house without restrictions... but then society will impose restrictions... like stopping for a red light or not murdering someone. But if the child rebels there, then the penal system will impose the restrictions. And, if the child still doesn’t learn... eventually he or she will exit this planet and stand before the Throne of Judgment.

Pause and think about that...

He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 13:24

Again, we are not talking abuse... we are talking about teaching them while they are young and pliable that life has boundaries. If you don't spank them... the police officer or state trooper will do so. And the longer it goes on... the more severe matters get. There is the case of the 14-year-old boy in Washington, DC who was shot by police officers after their vehicle was hit by a bullet. There is question as to whether or not the 14-year-old fired the shot. Still, shouldn’t a child of that age have been at home and not on the mean streets in the evening hours?

A group of youth we recently started working with would say no. It’s boring being in the house... outside is where the excitement is. One young man confessed he was in trouble for sleeping in class. When asked why, he stated he didn’t want to go to bed when his mother told him to... he had better things to do. Funny, when my mom told me to go to bed, the only alternative I had was to have a high-heel shoe wedged into an orifice.

Our youth pastor asked the youth if they saw their teachers as authority figures. The unanimous answer was no. One young man explained, “They’re just people in school who talk to you.”

You get that?

It is important for us to come to grips with the idea that our youth are rapidly going downhill. You see on TV the kids in the middle east with rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons. Kids in urban America are almost as well equipped... and how long before gangs in the USA roll down the streets in M1 Abrams tanks?

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left undisciplined brings his mother to shame.
Proverbs 29:14-16 [Amplified Bible]

My parents knew the importance of taking the rod of correction and placing it against the seat of understanding. Is it too late for this generation?

For the next?

One of our more recent podcasts, The Rod of Correction, goes into this topic.

You can find more details at Powerhouse Podcasts, or download it at our iTunes podcast page.

Pearls of wisdom to brighten your day, strengthen your walk, and enlighten your path as only The Powerhouse Ministry can do it...

Most podcasts are “Seven Minutes of Wisdom” that provide milk for the babies and meat for those more mature.

Get your free subscription to Powerhouse Podcasts featuring Brotha DC on iTunes!

Oops!

It is all over the news media... Britney Spears’ kid sister, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, has announced that she is pregnant.

While the pundits are wagging their chins on the matter, we thought we would provide seven minutes of wisdom on the matter.

Click (or Right-Click) here to listen or download the podcast

Pray for her!

Children Raping Children

Have you heard the case out of Atlanta Georgia about three boys under the age of ten who are in jail for raping an 11 year old girl?

This is a reminder that the enemy is actively seeking those whom he may devour. Pray over your children!

For details on this case, see the WLTX TV web site or Fox News.

More Signs of the Times

I was contemplating the news about Israel considering giving half of Jerusalem to the Palestinians may have slipped under the radar. Israel is considering this as a means for bringing peace. But, according to the Bible, this move signals the soon return of our Lord.

¹BEHOLD, A day of the Lord is coming when the spoil [taken from you] shall be divided [among the victors] in the midst of you.
²For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses rifled and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zechariah 14:1-2

This news is exciting (for some), for it lets us know that the things that are happening in the world are signs of the return of Jesus Christ. It is not time for the church to be sleeping. Rather, the church needs to get busy doing the work of the kingdom.

I hope you have made and secured your travel arrangements!

Get right... or get left!

Juanita Bynum Assaulted

The Washington Post reports that evangelist Juanita Bynum was badly beaten by her estranged husband in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel.

This is sad on several levels -- but mostly because it gives a “black eye” to the gospel message, causing the enemies of the Lord an occasion to blaspheme.

Let us pray for the evangelist, the situation, and all parties involved.

Six-Year-Old Suicide Bomber

There shouldn’t be doubt in anyone’s mind that Jesus is coming back soon!

Remember when we tould you about the 12-year-old Jihadist?

Later, we shared a report about the terrorist Mickey Mouse clone teaching children the glories of suicide bombing missions?

It would appear that this is more than just rhetoric.

It was reported on CNN, The Guardian, and at Hot Air that the Taliban is using children as young as the age of six as suicide bombers.

If that weren’t enough... there is a video on YouTube showing a 14-year-old that had an explosive vest strapped to his chest for the purpose of a suicide bombing attack.

Fortunately, the teenager cut the vest off and aborted the mission.

When innocent children are convinced to kill themselves and others, this is a very bad sign. This world is spiraling and we need to pray like we have never prayed before.

Come quickly Lord!


Amen!

A Little-Known Side-Affect of the Iraq War

According to The New York Times, one little-known side-effect of the war in Iraq is a boom in the dark underworld of prostitution in Syria. In establishments like the one pictured above, Iraqi women displaced by the war... afraid to return home because they could be slaughtered by Al-Qaeda... and with no male to support them financially... women are being forced to sell their bodies in order to survive. One Iraqi mother had to deal with the shame of prostituting her 16-year-old daughter so that they could have the basic bare necessities of life.

Women who came from a proud tradition, who were chaste in their dress and deportment, who wore the hijab as a sign of their modesty and morality, are now forced to display their naked bodies to drunken leering men who pay them mere pennies so that they can avoid starving to death on the streets.

Fortunately, there are Christian women in Syria who are ministering to these women and attempting to help them. Let us pray for those who are serving Christ in the Middle East, and that out of this terrible tragedy the Light may shine and that men and women may see and be saved.

"Honor Killing" of 17-Year-Old Girl

In John 8:1-11, a crowd of religious men wanted to murder a woman they claimed had committed adultery. They asked Jesus for His opinion. Jesus said:

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
(John 8:7b AMP)

As much as those men wanted to murder that woman in their self-righteous fervor, they realized that they too were guilty of sin. Some, even worse than that woman was accused of. On that day, no stones were thrown.

On today’s news, a mob of religious men set out to murder a teenage girl for falling in love and marrying a man of a different religion. The vicious and brutal act was recorded on video that has been posted to the internet and broadcast on television for all the world to see.



This certainly gives fuel to those who are against all religion... but it was not religion that motivated Jesus when He told the woman:

I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.
(John 8:11b AMP)

Religion kills... but the love and compassion of God is expressed through the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. It was religion that motivated the situation that was described by the Assyrian International News Agency thusly:

For four months the girl had been given shelter by a local Muslim Sheik. It was reported that in the last few days her family persuaded her to return home, convincing her that she had been forgiven by her parents and relatives for her mistake.

In a short mobile video clip which appears to have been taken by locals at seen of the murder, the girl is seen being ambushed on her way home by a group of up to 1000 men who were waiting for her to return; the men killed her in the most brutal way possible, by throwing large stones on her head. The following clips show that while she is alive and crying for help she is taunted and kicked in her stomach until someone finishes her off by throwing a large stone on her face.

Note, video links will not be posted here, as the images are graphic and disturbing. The Assyrian News Agency continues, saying:

From the clips it appears that the girl was first stripped naked to symbolize that she had dishonored her family and her Yezidi religion. She is lying on the road naked while her smashed face is covered with blood and still breathing.

According to the website and footage from the clip a number of armed local police officers were present who in fact helped the crowd to kill the woman rather than preventing the crime. Sometime later the Iraqi army arrived at the scene and refused anyone entry, including the press.

Killing women for reasons of honor, shame and religion does happens in regions of Kurdistan and Iraq. The above incidents are not uncommon in some of the deeply religious and traditional communities. For long violence against women has been commonly used as a political and religious weapon and as a means of social control.

Deep religion kills. Jesus gives life. In the Bible, Jesus says:

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows).
(John 10:10 AMP)

Turn away from religiousity and follow Christianity.

R.I.P. Yolanda Denise King

We were shocked when we learned that Yolanda Denise King, the eldest daughter of late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., left this planet at the too-young age of 51.

An actress and producer (see her IMDb page), Ms. King appeared in major motion pictures and hit television series. She ran Higher Ground Productions, involved in theatre, film and television productions.

One of her last interviews, given on National Public Radio earlier this year, can be listened to at the NPR web site.

She collapsed at the door of her brother Dexter’s house in Santa Monica, California. Cause of death is undetermined at this time.

It is sad to lose such a bright talent at such a young age... but comforting to know that she is with her mother and father... and her Lord.

R.I.P. Jerry Falwell

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that he was certainly an influential man.

Most of you already know that Rev. Falwell died suddenly at his desk during what seemed to be an otherwise uneventful day.

While you may not agree with his politics or his often controversial statements, it is hard to ignore the impact he has had in America and, perhaps, the world.


The son of an entrepreneur, Rev. Falwell founded a successful church, a university, a political movement, and more.

Rest in peace.

Children's Show Teaches Hate and Advocates Suicide Bombing

Once again, we see sad and shocking proof that satan is out to destroy the youth of this generation. You may remember when we shared the news story featuring the 12-year-old boy labeled the “junior jihadist.” This youngster was encouraged to execute an “infidel” by sawing off his head.

Now, we see an even more insidious plot that is poisoning the minds of possibly millions of young innocent children. This is being done through a Palestinian children’s program called “Tomorrow’s Pioneers.” This show features a young girl named Saraa who makes deadly proclamations from behind a podium while a Mickey Mouse look- and sound-alike named Farfur adds emphasis.

At an age where young children should be learning their ABC’s and their 123’s, they are being taught hatred and to embrace martyrdom as a suicide bomber.


Don’t believe it? View the video (embedded on the right) for samples from this series.

More details about Farfur and his sidekick, a young child named Saraa, can be found at World Net Daily.

Junior Jihadist

Does anyone still doubt that satan is out to destroy the youth of this generation?

We had tragedies like Columbine and more recently, Virginia Tech. Those were just the tip of the iceberg...

Today there was the news report about a pre-teen used as a jihadist to cut the throat and saw off the head of an alleged traitor to the Taliban. This is horrifying and the international reaction to this travesty has been loud and clear.

But this is not without precedent. For years, we have violent street gangs in the USA that teach pre-teens to commit a “187” in order to join the gang. So this is not anything new... but perhaps it will finally get people to wake up and realize that we need to pray!


2^nd Chronicles 7:14-15

¹⁴If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
¹⁵Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.

The Deadliest Shooting in U.S. History

We are sure none of the students in Blacksburg Virgnia realized on a Monday morning that a murderous rampage would leave 33 of their classmates dead and over 20 wounded. President Bush and members of Congress expressed their surprise and grief at a senseless tragedy.

The perpetrator of this crime killed himself as the police closed in on him. And the sad thought... where is this young man now? The Bible tells us, in Hebrews 9:27 [AMP]

And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment

That young man was deceived by satan into thinking he could murder dozens of innocent people and escape judgment by killing himself. What he failed to realize was that by killing himself he did not escape judgment. Rather, he walked right into judgment. While we are alive on this earth, we can confess our sins and repent to receive God’s forgiveness. God sent Jesus into the world to save the world (John 3:16-17).

You can accept Jesus and have eternal life, or reject Him and wind up in the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 [AMP] says:

But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.

Death is inevitable. Hell is not. God can and will forgive your sins if you come to Him and ask.

Give your life to Jesus... because life is short... and eternity is a long, long, long time!

Brotha DC