Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Two - Hour Delay in Netanyahu’s Departure for China
May 5th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The Eigtht Commandment
May 5th, 2013
CommentaryIan C. Kurylyk
Categories: Exhortation

“Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

God recognizes ownership. God Himself is the real owner of everything. “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). As absolute Proprietor (He made it all), He has allowed people to possess certain things on an earthly level of ownership. This has been done in accordance with certain laws and principles that provide for a just basis of owning things. We can legitimately acquire things as gifts, as inheritances, as purchases, and various other lawful means.

To take something in a way which violates the legitimate ownership of another is condemned in the Eighth Commandment as stealing. Man’s problem with this sin began when he first sinned by taking the forbidden fruit. He took what was God’s first. Since then sin has led mankind to take many things that are rightfully God’s. The prophet Malachi pointed out the audacity of such a crime with the words, “Will a man rob God?” (Malachi 3:8a).

The willingness of men to violate the boundaries of lawful ownership by theft soon progressed to the possessions of other human beings. If a person does not respect God it is a small matter to then disregard the claims of other people on their possessions. Look where it has taken the world today because of the constant threat of robbery. Imagine what we could save in prisons, courts, lawyers, insurance, security, and law enforcement costs if all stealing was stopped.

And stealing is hardly limited to certain professional crooks but is shown in the Bible to be an epidemic in all the world. Employees steal from employers - employers steal from employees. Investors steal from corporations - corporations steal from investors. Citizens steal from governments - governments steal from citizens. The poor steal from the rich - the rich steal from the poor. Customers steal from merchants - merchants steal from customers. People steal money, goods, services, time, praise, virtue, happiness, and just about everything others possess.

The insanity of stealing is evident from the Bible. It is a crime which is first against God who told us of His laws. Though done in this life if will follow the sinner into the next when he stands before God. However, any goods he has stolen (or even acquired legitimately) will not. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (I Timothy 6:7) It is the height of folly to trade away eternity for illicit possessions had for a few brief years at most.

This Commandment is another one that convicts us all in some way as law breakers. We have broken God’s law against stealing and there is only one way that the debt can be settled. Like all crimes against a perfect God its magnitude is beyond our ability to pay for ourselves. But Jesus Christ has already paid for our crime when He died on the cross of Calvary. The Psalmist foretold that event and its significance. “I restored that which I took not away” (Psalm 69:4c).

It was also a thief that was crucified beside Him at His crucifixion and was fully pardoned. He acknowledged his sins and trusted the One offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”(Luke 23:43).

Syria: Israeli Attack Equals Declaration of War. Iron Domes At Haifa and Safed
May 5th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Sunday, May 5, that the strike at Syria overnight represented a "declaration of war" by Israel. Russian and Iranian media earlier predicted full-scale Middle East hostilities involving Israel erupting in the coming hours, in the wake of Israel’s renewed strikes against Iranian missiles bound for Hizballah and other targets around Damascus. Russian sources reported rumors that President Bashar Assad was on the point of declaring war on Israel.

Russia Today claimed that an Israeli rocket strike Sunday caused heavy Syrian casualties – according to rumors, at least 300 members of the Syrian Army’s 501st Unit dead and hundreds filling four Damascus hospitals. debkafile: If this is confirmed, then the unit which operates the chemical weapon facility at the Barzeh district north of Damascus at the foot of Mt. Qassioun was hit. Israel’s security cabinet holds emergency session.

The same Russian source reported that Syrian security forces cordoned off the sites of the explosions against entry. Residents reported after the blasts that the ground moved with the force of a 4 magnitude earthquake.

Shortly after the Israel attacks in the Damascus area Sunday, the IDF posted additional Iron Dome anti-missile batteries in Haifa and Safed to defend those northern towns against incoming Syrian and Hizballah rockets.

Low-ranking Syrian and Iranian officials responded to the Israeli attacks on Syria: Deputy Information minister His Al-Yiftah commented by saying that “a new foreign element had entered the Syrian conflict overnight and this would cause war.”

In Tehran, an Iranian foreign ministry official condemned “Israeli aggression on Syria and accused Israel of fomenting instability and ethnic discord in the region. The commander of the ground forces asked if the war was not about to burst out of Syria’s borders, without answering the question.
An Israeli official confirmed to AFP that Israeli had Sunday conducted a second round of strikes in three days on advanced weapons including Iranian F-110 weapons bound for Hizballah in transit at Damascus international airport. Syrian TV reported only an attack on the Jamraya military research center just north of Damascus. This was the same facility which Israeli planes attacked in January.

Let the Headlines Speak
May 5th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egypt mob lynches teenage son of an Islamist leader
An angry Egyptian mob has lynched the teenage son of a Muslim Brotherhood leader, accusing him of killing a man over Facebook comments critical of the Islamist movement, security sources said Saturday.

Jobbik rally against World Jewish Congress in Budapest
Hungary's far-right Jobbik party has staged a rally in central Budapest in protest at the capital's hosting of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Sunday. Several hundred supporters took part, despite attempts by the government to prevent it going ahead. Jobbik said the rally was a protest against what it said was a Jewish attempt to buy up Hungary.

Riot police battle Islamists in Dhaka Bangladesh
Police in Bangladesh have used tear gas and rubber bullets in a clash with conservative Islamist protesters in the capital Dhaka. Thousands of activists from Hefajat-e-Islam blocked highways, isolating Dhaka from other parts of the country. Demands included the death penalty for those who insult Islam and greater segregation of men and women.

Israel deploys Iron Dome in North amid Syria tensions
The IDF has deployed two Iron Dome batteries to northern cities due to regional tensions following air strikes in Damascus which foreign sources have attributed to the Israel Air Force. In recent days, one battery has been stationed in Haifa, while another has been placed in Safed, a senior defense source said. The source stressed that "this is not the first time that the systems have been deployed to the North."

Syrian military site hit by fresh Israeli strike early Sunday
Syrian state television reported Israel struck an area near Damascus early Sunday morning, the second such airstrike in 48 hours. The Syrian report claimed Israeli rockets hit a military research site on the outskirts of the capital at about 2 a.m., and smoke could be seen rising from the area. An unnamed Israeli official told AFP the target was a shipment of Iranian made Fatah-110 missiles that were on their way from Syria to Hezbollah terrorists.

Israel may join defense pact with Saudi Arabia, UAE
Israel is working on joining an anti-Iran defense alliance with a number of moderate Arab states that would involve sharing Jerusalem’s newly developed anti-missile technologies, a British newspaper reported Sunday.

Low-level eruption at Alaska's Cleveland Volcano
Alaska's Cleveland Volcano is undergoing a continuous low-level eruption following an explosion early Saturday morning, scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Nigerian Ethnic Violence Leaves 39 Dead in Northeastern Town
Violence between Muslims and Christians in the northeastern Nigerian town of Wukari in Taraba state left 39 people dead, according to the police. More than 30 people were injured and more than 30 homes were burned yesterday in clashes between Hausa Muslims and Jukun Christians, Joseph Kwaji, a police spokesman, said today by phone from the Taraba state capital, Jalingo. The military and police were deployed to quell the unrest, he said.

China's Currency Gains On Dollar
The Chinese currency continues to make gains on the dollar. Some of it is pure market force. Other aspects of the rising currency are actions from within the government itself, which promised around 3% to 5% gains year over year of the yuan.

7 American service members killed in Afghanistan
Seven U.S. soldiers and a member of the NATO-led coalition were killed on Saturday in one of the deadliest days for Americans and other foreign troops in Afghanistan in recent months, as the Taliban continued attacks as part of their spring offensive.

Israeli Air Force Continues Air Strikes Against Damascus
May 5th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israeli rockets early Sunday, May 5, reportedly struck the Jamraya military research center just north of Damascus, the same facility which Israeli planes attacked in January, causing powerful explosions and shooting columns of fire. debkafile: The Israeli operation in Syria appears to be ongoing after the first round failed to prevent the transfer of Iran-supplied Scud D and Fateh-110 missiles to Hizballah units fighting in Syria the next day, Saturday. Syrian state TV reported the attack on Jamraya. There was no comment from Israeli spokesmen.

Arab sources reported Israeli rockets also hit two 4th Division Republican Guard battalions. The 4th Division is the main Syrian military unit buttressing the regime. It is commanded by President Bashar Assad’s brother, Gen. Maher Assad. There were also claims that rockets were fired on or close to Mount Qassioun, one of Bashar Assad’s presidential palaces and the site of command posts and arsenals overlooking the capital.
The BBC’s Arab sources add that Hizballah forces stationed in Damascus were also targeted.

Our military sources have said in the past that the tactic of bombing in Syria advanced weapons shipments in transition from Iran to keep them from reaching Hizballah in Lebanon had been overtaken by the presence of half of Hizballah’s military strength in Syria and able to collect them directly.
And in fact, the Syrian army immediately transferred The Scud D and Fateh-110 consignments directly to the Hizballah elite Al Qods and Al Mahdi brigades which are spearheading the Syrian battle for the key town of Al Qusayr near the Lebanese border, which Syrian rebels have held for more than a year.

The Al Mahdi Brigade joined Al Qods in Syria last Tuesday, April 30.

Israel is determined not to get involved in the Syrian civil war. Therefore, Israel has not struck the advanced weapons passing in this way to Hizballah, which is learning to use them in battle with the rebels. Neither are the 7,000-strong brigades themselves been attacked – thus far.

Israel’s calculus could change when they head back to Lebanon with their new advanced missiles – or before that.
In another response to Israel’s earlier air strike, Syrian army units facing the Jordanian border blasted rebel convoys driving in from Jordan as they passed the Yarmuk River, causing dozens of casualties among the rebels and the Jordanian instructors who had trained them.

Some were hit while still on Jordanian soil; others while on the move from the border past the little Syrian town of Saham al-Jawlan opposite the Golan.

While the Syrian army has made cross-border attacks on Lebanon, this was its first inside Jordan.
The blasts were heard Saturday on the Israeli Golan and caused the cancellation of sporting and other events. Residents were warned that the next time they heard sirens, they were to take heed and seek cover.

Israel Closes Air Space in the North
May 5th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The Arkia airline Sunday afternoon suspended flights from Haifa to Eilat, informing travelers that the airspace of northern Israel has been closed until further notice due to the high tension on its northern borders.

Evolution Fact or Fiction - Part 3
May 5th, 2013
CommentaryRoger Oakland
Categories: Creation - Evolution;Contemporary Issues

American Military at War with Christians
May 5th, 2013
Weekly CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Persecution;Contemporary Issues

Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that evil is already working in the world. Paul goes on to talk about a coming day when the Holy Spirit, who is restraining evil, will cease His restraining activity, and evil will be for the very first time totally unrestrained.

Today we see the foreshadowing of that coming time. In Isaiah 5:20 we read, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” One of the fruits of evil is the persecution of those who do right. Jesus said in John 15:19-20, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you....”

Believers all around the world are being persecuted and slaughtered for their faith in Christ. We have not experienced that in North America but times are changing.

The Pentagon has placed a ban on believers sharing their faith in the military. They are threatening court martial for doing so.

Note the following item from Breitbart News:

“Today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation’s armed forces.”

Those words were recently written by Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), in a column he wrote for the Huffington Post. Weinstein will be a consultant to the Pentagon to develop new policies on religious tolerance, including a policy for court-martialing military chaplains who share the Christian Gospel during spiritual counseling of American troops.

Weinstein decries what he calls the “virulent religious oppression” perpetrated by conservative Christians, whom he refers to as “monstrosities” and “pitiable unconstitutional carpetbaggers,” comparing them to “bigots” in the Deep South during the civil rights era.

He cites Dr. James Dobson—the famous Christian founder of Focus on the Family—as “illustrating the extremist, militant nature of these virulently homophobic organizations’ rhetorically-charged propaganda.” Regarding those who teach orthodox Christian beliefs from the Bible, Weinstein concludes, “Let’s call these ignoble actions what they are: the senseless and cowardly squallings of human monsters.”

Another news agency issued the following statement:

“Barack Obama has taken his communist revolution to a new level. His political appointees in the Pentagon have implemented a new policy that bans Christians in the Armed Forces from sharing their faith in Jesus Christ with other soldiers. Christians who violate the ban could face court martial, imprisonment, and/or a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. military. The bottom line: The Obamanistas have criminalized Christianity in the U.S. military. The Old America – the “land of the free, home of the brave” is dead. We now live in Communist America. Why are the American people sleeping through this revolution?”

The new anti-Christian policy is the evil fruit of Mikey Weinstein – an atheist Jew who founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. He was cited by Forward Magazine as one of the most influential Jews in America. Barack Obama appointed Mr. Weinstein as his new “religious tolerance” consultant to the Pentagon. Mr. Weinstein cannot open his mouth without spewing forth venomous denunciations of conservative Evangelical Christians.

Mr. Weinstein claims that Christians in the military – including chaplains – are guilty of treason for sharing their Christian faith among fellow soldiers. He has described Christians in the Armed Forces as “enemies of the Constitution.” The Jewish atheist has also described Christian witnessing as an act of “spiritual rape” as serious as sexual assaults.

Under the new policy, American soldiers who dare to tell other soldiers about their faith in Jesus Christ risk being convicted in a court martial as would a soldier convicted of treason, murder, rape, or other serious crimes. Court martial punishment may include imprisonment in a military correctional institution or a dishonorable discharge from the military and loss of pension and benefits. When Mr. Weinstein demands that Christians in the military be branded traitors, he knows that treason in the military is a crime punishable by death.

Mr. Weinstein told the Washington Post, “This is a national security threat. What is happening [aside from sexual assault] is spiritual rape. And what the Pentagon needs to understand is that it is sedition and treason. It should be punished.” Do you comprehend the seriousness of the policy that is now in effect under Mr. Obama? Christians in the military who defy the order may be put to death by military executioners. Who is next?

Mikey Weinstein and members of his Jesus-hating Military Religious Freedom Foundation met privately on April 23 with Pentagon officials. He said that U.S. troops who “proselytize” their religious views on military bases are guilty of sedition and treason. He said they should be punished by the hundreds if necessary to stave off a “tidal wave of fundamentalists.” Mr. Weinstein reportedly demanded that soldiers who talk about Jesus Christ to other soldiers should be booted from the military. Furthermore, Mr. Weinstein told Air Force commanders that any officer who attempts to convert others to Christianity should face a court martial. This is what “religious tolerance” will look like under the Obama communist regime: Christians will be persecuted, ostracized, imprisoned, and eventually put to death. I will repeat my earlier statement: Mr. Obama has criminalized Christianity in the U.S. military. Life in America changed on May 1 – May Day, the universal celebration of the Communist movement.