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Be Alert! - March 10, 2007
Greetings in Christ Jesus,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so- called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
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.
1 Timothy 4:1
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,...
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.
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1) Reports of Jesus' grave 'a sideshow'
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
WORLDNETDAILY - February 27, 2007
A Hollywood filmmaker whose new movie reports on the "discovery" of the Jerusalem grave of Jesus Christ is nothing more than "a modern day circus sideshow," according to a prominent Christian leader in the United States.
James Cameron, who previously directed "The Titanic," held a New York news conference yesterday to display two stone coffins he said come from a family grave that he alleges he documented as belonging to Jesus and another member of his family.
The statement, of course, conflicts with the Christian belief that Jesus was crucified, rose on the third day, and after a time returned to Heaven.
"Cameron, whose claim to fame is a fictionalized account of the sinking of the Titanic, unveiled a documentary claiming a coffin found in Jerusalem 27 years ago once contained the remains of Jesus Christ," said Rev. Rob Schenck, the president of the National Clergy Council.
However, he said, "a Hollywood director is the least qualified to render any determination of biblical truth. Not only so, but the people Mr. Cameron has partnered with completely lack credibility. One has been discredited by experts as a charlatan. This is nothing more than a modern day circus sideshow.
"At best it is pure presumption. At worst, it is pure chicanery," Schenck said.
The Resurrection of Jesus is key to the Christian faith, but Schenck said the attack on Christianity isn't even anything new.
"Over the years, Hollywood has attacked and mocked Christianity, providing only negative portrayals of people of faith. It has produced films that undermine moral culture. Hollywood's production of 'The Da Vinci Code' sensationalized a conspiracy theory that the Catholic Church engaged in a cover up of the real story of Jesus operating in the manner of a crime syndicate," Schenck said.
Cameron's film, which is to be broadcast next weekend, alleges Jesus not only was not God, but he apparently had a son, Judah, with Mary Magdalene.
"According to Cameron, his film is no mere speculation, but historical fact. By claiming the remains of Jesus returned to dust along with other members of his family, the Hollywood filmmaker is denying the divinity of the Son of God and his victory over death," Schenck said.
"Cameron clearly intended to drive a stake into the heart of Christianity, since without the Resurrection, Jesus was only a mortal man," he said.
Schenck recommended that media outlets "should exercise restraint in reporting Cameron's Hollywood fiction masquerading as scientific fact."
"All of Jesus' contemporaries recorded Christ rose after being dead for three days and ascended into Heaven. For 2,000 years people of faith along [with] countless scholars have pored over the Scriptures, confirming their veracity," Schenck said.
Rev. Schenck holds degrees in Bible and Theology, Christian Ministry and has completed additional postgraduate work in Christian History. He is chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance and president of the National Clergy Council in Washington.
The news conference promoted the Discovery Channel film, called "The Lost Tomb of Christ." It makes the claim that ancient ossuaries – small caskets used to store bones – found in a Jerusalem suburb in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to the Discovery Channel.
But a coalition of leading biblical and archeological scholars issued a statement calling Cameron's logic "full of holes, conjectures and problems." Ben Witherington, author of "What Have They Done With Jesus?" said the production is just "old news with a new interpretation."
"There are all sorts of reasons to see this as much ado about nothing," he said.
He and the others said the film is without substance because:
- There is no DNA evidence that this is the historical Jesus of Nazareth The statistical analysis is untrustworthy The name "Jesus" was a popular name at that time, appearing in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries There is no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child The earliest followers of Jesus never called him, "Jesus, son of Joseph" It's unlikely Joseph, who had died earlier in Galilee, would have been buried in Jerusalem The Talipot tomb and ossuaries probably would have belonged to a rich family, which is not a historical match for Jesus Fourth-century church historian Eusebius makes quite clear the body of James, brother of Jesus, was buried alone near the temple mount.
- The two Mary ossuaries do not mention anyone from Migdal, but just Mary, a common name
By all ancient accounts, the tomb of Jesus was empty, making it unlikely that any body was moved, allowed to decay for a year, then be put into an ossuary.
Theories about the possibilities that Jesus survived the crucifixion abound. One current website alleges that Jesus lived, moved to India, and died and is buried there, while another claims he's buried in Japan.
Israeli antiquities officials said they did allow two of the ossuaries to be transported to the United States for use in the press conference, but they contained no human remains.
The movie makes the claim that one of the boxes found in the tomb bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," providing support for a supposition that Jesus may have had a son.
The BBC more than a decade ago broadcast a short documentary on the same issue, and archaeologists at the time challenged the claims. It largely had been an ignored issue since then.
Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the conclusions cannot be supported by the evidence – but it's a way to make money on television. He would have nothing to do with supporting the movie's assertions. "It's nonsense," he said.
Another blogger at BibleProbe.com agreed the new movie is just another way to make a buck. "Why is it, nobody seems to have any interest in doing the same thing to Islam, rabbinic Judaism, Hinduism or Buddhism?" he asked.
And Bill Venard wrote WND to challenge the simple logic that the movie proposes. "Consider this: James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the book of James, the early leader of the church in Jerusalem, was martyred for his faith. Why does James make no mention in his letter that Jesus was not bodily resurrected? When he was about to die why didn't he just recant his beliefs and say, 'Okay, okay! My brother didn't rise from the dead. Here's where we took him. Here's where his bones are. Here's our family tomb. We made the whole thing up?' People will generally not die for a lie when they know it's a lie. - - Why would James die perpetuating a lie when it would have been so easy to disprove?"
Cameron, on a movie information website, expressed a little of his own theology, which won't be familiar to those who study the Bible.
"Well, I see our potential destruction and the potential salvation as human beings coming from technology and how we use it, how we master it and how we prevent it from mastering us," he said.
The movie purports to have documentation from DNA supporting the idea that the bone boxes were for Jesus and his family.
But even bloggers discounted that. "DNA comparison only works if you have something to compare the bones to. Last I checked, no one had a Jesus hair follicle in their bathroom hair brush. Sure, someone might claim to have DNA that definitely belonged to the Christ, but there's no way to prove it. And without absolutely proof positive Jesus DNA to compare those bones to, I don't see how Cameron can prove anything," wrote Joshua Tyler.
"This whole thing is a waste of time," he said.
Discovery said its "scientific analysis" provided "credible new information that the tomb once may have held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family."
"It doesn't get bigger than this," said Cameron. "We've done our homework; we've made the case; and now it's time for the debate to begin."
The movie makes the case for Jesus and Mary Magdalene being "a couple," because their DNA results indicated people whose remains had been in two of the boxes were unrelated maternally.
Discovery also makes a modest attempt to assure Christians it means no disrespect by including a website disclaimer.
"It is a matter of Christian faith that Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion circa 30 [A.D.] This is a central tenet of Christian theology, repeated in all four Gospels. - Even if Jesus' body was moved from one tomb to another, however, that does not mean that he could not have been resurrected from the second tomb."
"It is also a matter of Christian faith that after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven. Some Christians believe that this was a spiritual ascension, i.e., his mortal remains were left behind. Other Christians believe that he ascended with his body to heaven. If Jesus' mortal remains have been found, this would contradict the idea of a physical ascension but not the idea of a spiritual ascension."
Schenck said the whole publicity stunt may backfire on Cameron, and encourage people to dig deeper into the reasons they believe the way they do. "In the end - the truth will be told," he said.
He cited a favorite Bible verse: "What the devil means for destruction God will turn for good."
The news comes a year after the release of "The Da Vinci Code" movie, based on the best-selling novel of 2004 by Dan Brown, both of which also claimed Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. But while the new movie alleges Jesus had a son, in "The Da Vinco Code," it was a daughter.
A website has been created to tout the media event. A companion book, "The Jesus Family Tomb," published by Harper-Collins, is set for release this week.
Emphasis Added
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2) Compilation of Articles on the "Jesus Tomb" Hoax
'Titanic' attack on Resurrection
WORLDNETDAILY - February 25, 2007
The Oscar-winning director of "Titanic" is expected to announce in a news conference tomorrow that his next film project is a documentary suggesting Jesus wasn't resurrected, was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son.
James Cameron is producing "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," claiming the discovery of 10 stone coffins in a Jerusalem suburb in 1980 is actually the family crypt of Jesus of Nazareth.
Read Full Article
'Today' touts story 'that could rock Christianity'
NBC morning show offers little contradiction to claim bones of Jesus found
WORLDNETDAILY - February 26, 2007
"Today" co-hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira informed the world this morning the NBC show had a story that could do no less than completely destroy a pillar of Western civilization.
"A shocking new claim that an ancient burial place may have housed the bones of Christ and a son. This morning a Today exclusive that could rock Christianity to its core," intoned Lauer in the show's opening.
Vieira later chimed in: "There are so few 'wow' stories out there, this is one of them." - - -
The news watchdog website Newsbusters noted that while "Today" aired some contradictory statements, "for the most part the entire segment ran as a full blown infomercial for Cameron's documentary." - - -
Vieira concluded the segment telling Cameron, in her interview, the claim is "absolutely fascinating, potentially, I mean, many would argue the biggest story or one of the biggest stories of our lifetime if you are correct."
Read Full Article
'Lost Tomb of Jesus' is old news, scholars say
THE COURIER-JOURNAL [Louisville, Kentucky] - By Peter Smith - March 3, 2007
For three decades, Joseph Trafton has been studying artifacts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, and he keeps up on what has been dug up in the Holy Land.
So the Western Kentucky University professor was amazed at this week's breathless news reports on something scholars had known about for years -- a tomb near Jerusalem containing burial boxes engraved with names that appear to include Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The uproar stems from a new documentary, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which airs tomorrow night on the Discovery Channel - - and makes claims that challenge the traditional Christian belief in the Resurrection.
But Trafton notes that most archaeologists have largely rejected the claims.
The names Jesus, Joseph and Mary were common among ancient Jews, for example, and finding them in an ancient tomb is like going to Cave Hill Cemetery and seeing names like "John" and "Smith," said Joel Drinkard, professor of Old Testament, Hebrew and archaeology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. - - - -
Read Full Article
Even The New York Times realizes there is serious holes in this theory
Leaning on Theory, Colliding With Faith
NEW YORK TIMES - By Alessandra Stanley - March 3, 2007
Creationists reject the theory of evolution. Religious pilgrims still line up for the Shroud of Turin. So it is unlikely that many Christians will lose sleep — let alone faith — because of “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” on the Discovery Channel tomorrow.
The documentary, which carries the seal of approval from its executive producer James Cameron (“Titanic”), has already caused some ado, however, with bold assertions that clash with conventional Christian doctrine. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son, Judah, according to the filmmakers. And all three were laid to rest in a family tomb that is now buried deep beneath a Jerusalem apartment complex.
And, of course, the filmmakers’ claim that they identified the burial remains of Jesus of Nazareth — including traces of DNA — suggests that he was not bodily resurrected, after all.
Maybe, or maybe not. The archaeological arguments are plausible but not persuasive: this is a breakthrough that relies more on “what if” than “here’s how.” And even an amateur can see that the ifs are stacked to support one hypothesis. But it is a fashionable one. - - - -
Read Full Article
See reviews of the docu-drama from a Biblical perspective here:
http://www.deceptioninthechu rch.com/bookreviews.html#l
Scroll down to the Letter "L" for The Lost Tomb of Jesus
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3) Ten Reasons Why The Jesus Tomb Claim is Bogus
Leading Scholars Say Discovery Channel 'Documentary' Makes for Good TV, Bad History and Bad Science
CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE - Media Advisory - February 26, 2007
The claim of James Cameron and the Discovery Channel that a tomb contains the bones of Jesus is bogus, said leading Biblical and archeological scholars today.
"Unfortunately, this is a story full of holes, conjectures and problems," said Dr. Ben Witherington, author of What Have They Done With Jesus? and New Testament professor at Asbury Theological Seminary. "It will make good TV and involves a bad critical reading of history. Basically, this is old news with a new interpretation. We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. There are all sorts of reasons to see this as much ado about nothing much."
Witherington and other leading biblical scholars and archeologists say there are at least 10 reasons why the "Jesus Tomb" claim is completely bogus:
- There is no DNA evidence that this is the historical Jesus of Nazareth The statistical analysis is untrustworthy The name "Jesus" was a popular name in the first century, appearing in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries There is no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child The earliest followers of Jesus never called him "Jesus, son of Joseph" It is highly unlikely that Joseph, who died earlier in Galilee, was buried in Jerusalem, since the historical record connects him only to Nazareth or Bethlehem The Talipot tomb and ossuaries are such that they would have belonged to a rich family, which does not match the historical record for Jesus Fourth-century church historian Eusebius makes quite clear that the body of James, the brother of Jesus, was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries, making very unlikely that the Talipot tomb was Jesus' "family tomb" The two Mary ossuaries do not mention anyone from Migdal, but simply has the name Mary, one of the most common of all ancient Jewish female names
- By all ancient accounts, the tomb of Jesus was empty, making it highly unlikely that it was moved to another tomb, decayed for one year's time, and then the bones put in an ossuary
"In light of all the incredible number of problems with the recent claim that Jesus' grave has been found, the time-honored, multi- faceted evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus is more convincing than ever," said Dr. Gary Habermas, an expert on the resurrection of Jesus and author of The Case for the Resurrection. "Even the early opponents of the Christian message acknowledged that Jesus' tomb was empty. And the evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection appearances has never been refuted."
These leading Biblical and archeological experts are available for media interviews:- - - -
See article link for list of experts
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4) The Lost Tomb of Jesus - A Biblical Review
Reviewed by Chuck Missler
KOINONIA HOUSE - from the February 27, 2007 eNews issue
This Sunday the Discovery Channel will debut a made-for-TV documentary titled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus." Filmmakers claim that a tomb in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem is the final resting place of Jesus of Nazareth and several members of his family. Not only does the documentary seek to undermine the deity of Christ, it attempts to substantiate the Magdalene Heresy made popular by Dan Brown's book The DaVinci Code.
The Talpiot tomb was originally discovered in 1980. It is a large tomb that contained ten ossuaries (an ossuary is a chest that holds skeletal remains). Archaeologists say there is nothing extraordinary about the tomb, but filmmakers believe they have made a discovery that will shake the very foundations of Christianity. They believe the tomb contained the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as his mother Mary, his father Joseph, and other family members. They also speculate that one of the ossuaries found in the tomb contains the remains of Mary Magdalene. According to the filmmakers, their "discovery" supports claims that Jesus and Mary Magdalene where married and may have had children.
A Fraud of Titanic Proportions
The writer, producer, and director of the Discovery Channel documentary is Simcha Jacobovici and its executive producer is James Cameron, the man who brought us the film Titanic. Jacobovici was the driving force behind the documentary, however he is not an archaeologist and his speculations leave many questions unanswered. In fact, most of the scholars who have reviewed his claims - even those who are not Christians - have raised objections to the validity of his assertions. Jacobovici lays out an impressive array of data, including the results of DNA-testing and statistical analysis. However, while Jacobovici does a good job of selling his speculations, he can't actually prove any of them. Scientists and scholars around the world have been quick to point out the many holes in his theory.
When the Talpiot tomb was originally excavated more than 26 years ago, the ossuaries were taken to the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Joe Zias, who was the curator for anthropology and archeology at the museum from 1972 to 1997, personally numbered the Talpiot ossuaries. Zias has criticized on the Discovery Channel documentary saying, "Projects like these make a mockery of the archeological profession." He further stated that the show's producers have "no credibility whatsoever."
What's in a Name?
Of the ten ossuaries found in the tomb, six of them had inscriptions. Although in some cases, the "inscriptions" appear to be little more than crudely scratched names. The names archeologists found carved on ossuaries in the Talpiot tomb were: Jesus son of Joseph, Maria, Mariamene, Matthew, Judas son of Jesus, and Jose (a diminutive of Joseph). Producers of the documentary believe that Mariamene (or Mary) is in fact Mary Magdalene. However there is no evidence directly connecting Mary Magdalene to the Mary in the tomb. Furthermore, scholars are quick to point out that these were all very common names. The name Mary is one of the most common of all ancient Jewish female names. In fact, during the first century, nearly 25 percent of women in Jerusalem, for example, were called Miriam or some derivative of that name. Even the name "Jesus" was a popular name in the first century; it has been discovered in at least 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.
The Gnostic Gospels
Much like DaVinci Code author Dan Brown, the documentary's producers relied heavily upon the so-called "Gnostic gospels" to support their conjectures concerning Jesus and Mary Magdalene (in particular the Gospel of Phillip). Scholars widely agree that none of the Gnostic gospels contain historically reliable information about the life of Jesus and that all were likely written in the second century or later - in contrast to the contemporaneous eyewitness accounts in the New Testament. The Gnostic gospels are not really "gospels" at all, but rather they are filled with unverifiable claims and were written under false pseudonyms in an attempt to gain legitimacy (i.e. the "Gospel of Philip" was not written by Philip, nor was it even written during his lifetime). These documents emerged during the centuries following the ministries of the Apostles and were universally rejected by the early church. The Gnostic gospels include The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Philip, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Truth, and about four dozen others.
The Ossuary of James
In addition to his other claims, Jacobovici believes that the now-infamous ossuary of James is authentic and that it may have come from the Talpiot tomb. (In 2003, the Israeli Antiquities Authority declared that the inscriptions on the James ossuary were modern forgeries. To this day, the ossuary's province of origin remains unknown. The collector who owned the ossuary has since been convicted of forging various other ancient artifacts.) According to Newsweek, the technique Jacobovici uses to "prove" the match between the James ossuary and the Talpiot tomb is a technology he calls "patina fingerprinting," which was essentially invented for the purposes of the film.
The Truth of the Matter
Amos Kloner is the archaeologist who oversaw the work at the tomb in 1980 and who authored the official report on the dig. He says the burial cave is not extraordinary. "It's a typical Jewish burial cave of a large size. The names on the ossuaries are very common names or derivatives of names. There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a family tomb. They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the first century CE." Recently he told The Jerusalem Post that, "It makes a great story for a TV film. But it's impossible. It's nonsense."
The conjectures presented in "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" are filled with holes. According Amos Kloner's report the tomb was disturbed in ancient times, and vandalized. Some of the biggest questions that remain unanswered relate to this early break-in: who vandalized the cave, when, what did they do there and why? Also, it is highly unlikely that Joseph, who died in Galilee, was buried in Jerusalem (he would have most likely been buried in Nazareth or Bethlehem). The Talipot tomb and ossuaries also clearly belonged to a rich family. Why would Jesus' family have a tomb outside of Jerusalem if they were from Nazareth? Why would they have a tomb if they were poor? More importantly, there is no DNA evidence to suggest that the remains in the Talipot tomb are that of the historical Jesus of Nazareth. There is also no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child. Nor can the filmmakers refute historical evidence of Jesus' resurrection. Even the Roman centurions who were given the task of guarding the Jesus' tomb acknowledged that it was empty. After which, Jesus appeared in the flesh before hundreds of witnesses.
Ben Witherington, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, commented on the documentary saying, "Unfortunately, this is a story full of holes, conjectures and problems. It will make good TV and involves a bad critical reading of history. Basically, this is old news with a new interpretation. We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. There are all sorts of reasons to see this as much ado about nothing."
While the Discovery Channel documentary may not be true, it does indeed make for good television. Even more unfortunate, it makes for convincing television. No doubt many who see it will be deceived. In times like these, when we find ourselves amidst an ever-increasing barrage of conflicting information, it is important to rely on God's Word for guidance and to remember that grace and truth come by Jesus Christ.
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5) Rise of the funerals that leave out God
LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH - By Caroline McClatchey - March 5, 2007
More than 30,000 funerals in Britain last year were nonreligious, as families turn increasingly to "celebration-of-life" ceremonies rather than church services, according to new figures.
The rise is being attributed to people's growing willingness to admit that they are non- believers, and to their desire to avoid "hypocrisy".
Ten years ago, a funeral without a minister of religion and reference to God was virtually unheard of but increasingly, services are presided over by a "celebrant" and involve poems instead of psalms, while mourners are often asked to wear something bright rather than black.
One in 20 families now rejects a church service in favour of a celebration of life, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), which represents 85 per cent of the industry.
Most of those choosing non-religious funerals were brought up as Anglicans or Presbyterians but have stopped going to church and no longer believe in God, said Dominic Maguire, a spokesman for the association.
"Years ago, people thought they needed a minister of some religion," he said. "They were concerned about what the neighbours would think. Now they are saying there's going to be no hypocrisy in death." Lapsed Roman Catholics are more likely to be "dragged" into church by their families, he added. - - -
Part of the appeal of non-religious services may also be the increased cost of conventional funerals. Britons spent £1.3 billion on funerals last year and the average cost has risen by 61 per cent from £2,048 in 2000 to £3,307 last year. A celebrant from the British Humanist Association charges an average £130, about the same fee as an average clergyman. - - - -
Emphasis Added
Note: I don't blame them concerning the cost as it is robbing the dead.
My wife and I just experienced the passing of her dad and it was a lesson in the death industry that feeds and profits off of people during one of their weakest points in life.
It was reported to us by the funeral director that many church "volunteers" demand $20.00 tips for anything they do and that he has to carry a wad of bills with him to pay off the churches and cemeteries for each funeral.
He said this is a hidden cost that he rarely informs his customers of, or charges them for, and likened it to a bribe that is just part of the business that is needed to keep his customers from facing these vultures during this dark time.
All I could think of was here was another example of of "Mystery Babylon" profiting of the blood of the Lamb.
BE/\LERT!
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6) New 'Bible' says Christ born of gorilla, not virgin
WORLDNETDAILY - By Jay Baggett - March 2, 2007
A new, lavishly illustrated book – described by its marketer as a "postmodern" edition of the Bible – takes Darwin's theory of evolution as gospel and presents Jesus as being born, "not to a virgin, but to a gorilla."
According to Ruth Rimm, Bronx school teacher and book artist, her version of the Scriptures – titled "Lost Spiritual World" – "explores the emergence of a new global spirituality that mixes the best of each wisdom tradition with the latest findings in psychology, quantum physics, neuroscience, and linguistics."
It is a "Bible for skeptics, seekers, and people of different faiths."
The first volume in the series – which will eventually present the Torah, Bhagavad Gita, Buddhist sutras, and Sufi mysticism – covers the Gospel of Mark.
Rimm, however, includes parables not found in Mark, such as the Parable of the Dolphin, the Parable of the Snow Leopard and the Parable of the Gorilla, which are illustrated in a series of irreverent videos to be made available on YouTube as part of the book's marketing campaign.
The Parable of the Gorilla begins with a Renaissance painting of Mary and baby Jesus. The voice over by a standup comedian begins:
He was born in a manger a long time ago – not to a virgin – but to a gorilla. What's so funny? Who did you expect his ancestors to look like, Tom Cruise? - - - -
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7) Australia's Hillsong
Original Report from The Australian
Church on the march
THE AUSTRALIAN - Watching brief - By Sian Powell - March 1, 2007
ORDAINED Assemblies of God minister Anthony Venn-Brown, who has preached at the Hillsong church, will lead the first openly gay Pentecostal marchers in this weekend's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney. The dress theme will be denim, said the Christian, who still worships at Hillsong, but there will be no choreographed dance steps. And, so far, there has been no objection (or indeed any reaction at all) from his church. The most vociferous opposition to the parade has in the past come from the ardently Christian NSW politician Fred Nile, who usually prays for rain.
Read Full Article
2nd Report - STATEMENT by Philip L. POWELL - Former Gen Sec, AoG (1989-1992)
Sadly AoG-Australia has left the door open for this. I will explain in another email next week, God willing. In the meanwhile PLEASE do as is encouraged - PRAY against this ABOMINATION -
Brian Houston has issued a statement on the Hillsong website as follows:
Clarification on Reports Relating to Hillsong & Anthony Venn-Brown Tony Venn-Brown attends services at Hillsong Church occasionally but in no way do we support his views on homosexuality or his intentions for the Mardi Gras. Reports that Tony has 'preached at Hillsong Church' are also misleading. Tony has only ever spoken at Hillsong Church's predecessor, Christian Life Centre, prior to his being 'outed' as a practising homosexual some 18 years ago. At this time, Tony's AOG credential was also revoked. Brian Houston - Senior Pastor, Hillsong Church & National President, AOG Australia
STATEMENT by Philip L. POWELL continued ....
We wonder if AoG will now say something more about Brian's late father's abominable conduct and about his own links with Ted Haggard and Paul Crouch. While we do not support Venn Brown's obvious sick publicity push we wonder if his action may not at least bring some of the hidden things to the surface so that hopefully those in "office" will openly acknowledge and where required confess and repent over them. I think the die is now cast.
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8) Man Tries to Cash $50K Check From God
Intrestingly enough, the AP admits that Jesus Christ is God in this article
ASSOCIATED PRESS - March 2, 2007
HOBART, Ind. - - Kevin Russell found out it's not easy trying to cash a check from God. The 21-year-old man was arrested Monday after he tried to cash a check for $50,000 at the Chase Bank in Hobart that was signed "King Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Servant," Hobart police Detective Jeff White said.
Russell was charged with one count attempted check fraud and one count intimidation, both felonies, and one count resisting law enforcement, a misdemeanor. He could face prison time.
Police were called to the bank after Russell tried to cash the check, which was written on an invalid Bank One check with no imprint, White said. Russell had several other checks with him that were signed the same way but made out in different dollar amounts, including one for $100,000.
Russell struggled with police as they tried to detain him, White said, and then threatened police as they transported him to the Hobart Police Department.
"I've heard about God giving out eternal life, but this is the first time I've heard of him giving out cash," White said. - - - -
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9) Irish Catholic Bishops & Gaza - by JJ Prasch
An Informed Response
MORIEL MINISTRIES - By James Jacob Prasch - March 4, 2007
Given the pro Hitler broadcasts by the Irish American Jesuit radio preacher Coughlin to 20 million listeners, I do not suppose I should be surprised by such activity by the Irish Bishops condemnatory of Israel and biased towards Palestinian Arab Moslems. As my mother is Irish Catholic the now widely reported hypocrisy and corruption of The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has never been an alien concept to me.
I was however in Israel last autumn when 7 Roman Catholic churches in The West Bank and Gaza were burned by the Moslems protesting remarks by Pope Benedict XIV (who served in Hitler’s military unlike other German Catholics and others who chose a Nazi prison for their refusal).
It is of course fair to ask if the Irish Bishops include the cardinal and the prelates of Raphoe, Dublin, and Derry, caught protecting pedophile sex criminal nuns and priests at the expense of not protecting the children whose lives these wicked demons destroy. It would appear that after films like the ‘Raggedy Boys’ and ‘The Magdalene Sisters’, exposing Irish Catholicism for what it truly and irrefutably is in The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland (and elsewhere) is trying to redeem its image as a moral voice of some description by finding a straw man they can misrepresent as being worse than them. This however, is Roman Catholic theocratic politics as usual and is typical of Irish Catholicism.
What puzzles me though is that we do not see The Irish Catholic Bishops rallying to the condemnation of Islamic countries such as, Indonesia where 300,000 Roman Catholics were exterminated in open genocide by radical Islam in East Timor or decrying the 80,000 Roman Catholics in the southern Philippines murdered by radical Islam in the last three decades.
Neither do we see them calling for boycotts on Sudan where 3.3 million Christians murdered have been murdered by radical Islam, or Saudi Arabia where Roman Catholicism is illegal, or against Iran. Instead we witness the same church of The Inquisitions once again targeting the Jews, aiming at Israel – the one country in The Middle East fully protecting the human rights and religious liberty of Arab Christians. This includes the Maronite Roman Catholic (See Here and Here) community whom Israel saved from wholesale slaughter by Hizbollah in South Lebanon and absorbed as ‘Christian refugees’ into a Jewish country. Yet it is this Israel the Irish bishops contend with, not the Islamic terrorists who are genuinely responsible for the suffering of their own people.
The following day after Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gaza, Hamas used Gaza to fire Qassem missals at the out skirts of Tel Aviv. Yet it is Israel the Irish bishops condemn.
Speaking personally, my own family is a mixture of Irish and Jewish (like St. Peter), but due to my Irish mother, I was brought up Roman Catholic. I read St. Patrick’s Confessions and his Epistle to Croticus and found no mention of the papacy, purgatory, the veneration of Mary or many other fundamental Roman Catholic beliefs I learned in my youth. After reading The New Testament I rejected Catholicism and converted to what I hold to be biblical as opposed to papal Christianity. When I view this kind of hypocrisy by the Irish bishops, it re-enforces my convictions and I become more and more convinced that I made the correct decision.
The prayer of my heart is that many other of my fellow sons and daughters of Eiren will do the same.
J. Jacob Prasch
(aka: Seamus, as my Donegal grandmother called me)
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10) Comic Sarah Silverman depicted in carnal relations with Almighty
If this were Allah or Mohammad, Silverman and the Management of Comedy Central and MTV would have to go into hiding or they would be beheaded.
WORLDNETDAILY - By Joe Kovacs - March 8, 2007
Comedy Central consummated its season of "the Sarah Silverman Program" last night by featuring the title character having sex with God, and then trying to brush him off after a night of lovemaking.
Silverman was shown in bed with an amorous Almighty, whom she referred to as "Black God," portrayed by actor Tucker Smallwood, a former NBC television director who also served in the Army in Vietnam.
The network, perhaps best known for its boundary- pushing "South Park" series, is offering an online clip of the episode, which is slated for rebroadcast tonight at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. (Viewer discretion of the clip and website strongly advised.) - - -
Comedy Central is owned by Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of MTV Networks, whose parent company is New York-based Viacom.
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11) Kingdom Now: We're Not Returning to Eden
OLIVE TREE MINISTRIES - By Jan Markell - March 7, 2007
One of the fastest-growing false teachings in the church today is called by various names: Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology, Reconstructionism, and the Restoration Movement. It is also known as "liberation theology." It is an effort to use the church to make the world perfect for our Lord's return. It is embraced and taught in part or whole by the National and World Council of Churches, Jim Wallis, Tony Campolo, Earl Paulk, Bob Weiner, John Wimber, James Robison (who is called "the President's pastor"). There are many other names that are focusing on the Leftist social gospel in hopes that this will clean up the world and make it perfect for Christ's return. No more disease, war, poverty, AIDS, global warming, etc. Jesus will return when the church is unified, vibrant, forceful, spotless, and wrinkle-free. This is delusional and keeping people out of Heaven.
There is no Biblical support for this belief, for the Bible teaches just the opposite. In the end of days, bad things will wax worse and worse until the world calls out for a savior. They first pick the wrong one. And are the likely billions of saints in Heaven now there because they attained perfection or were a part of a movement to make the world perfect? The Bible says our works qualify us for rewards but not for Heaven itself. There is nothing we can do to hasten Heaven except preach the gospel and save the lost spiritually speaking.
This theology is borne out of the Manifest Sons of God movement and Latter Rain movement in about 1948. It also has ties to the positive confession movement. Major points of the theologies teach:
- Prophetic scriptures are denied or fulfilled in 70AD (as is also the belief of Preterism). The church is the new Israel. Armageddon is the ongoing battle between the forces of light and darkness. The Antichrist is a spirit, not a person. We are already in the Tribulation, but at the same time, we are in the Millennium. It doesn't get any stranger! It's one or the other. Rather than following traditional Bible prophecy, they follow "new revelations." Modern-day prophets must be obeyed and not judged for their inaccuracy.
- They want to restore the Edenic nature even though Eden is where sin began.
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