Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Tenth Commandment
Jul 3rd, 2013
CommentaryIan C. Kurylyk
Categories: Inspirational;Exhortation

“Thou shalt not covet...” (Exodus 20:17a)

The principles of righteousness seen in the Ten Commandments are certainly far-reaching, comprehensive, and interrelated one with the other. Not only is it wrong to steal your neighbour’s possessions, it is unlawful also to covet his house or his servants or anything. Not only is it wrong to commit adultery, it is sinful to covet your neighbour’s wife.

The law of God begins with our worship life with God; it extends also to our actions before our fellow man; and it even has to do with the desires of our hearts. Coveting is having a heart desire for that which belongs to someone else and those things which cannot be lawfully obtained. It is an inordinate affection.

Just because someone desires something or somebody with all his heart it does not make what he does beautiful or even acceptable just because it is called “love”. It is wrong to love outside the boundaries of righteousness laid down in God’s law. Unlawful love is lust. And God’s law requires not only that we “do” but also that we “be”. This goes to the root of our sin problem. Not only have we committed acts of sin, we have sin engraved deeply in our innermost being. “The sin of Judah is written with a pen iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the tables of their heart...” (Jeremiah 17:1).

The Apostle Paul before he was a Christian was a self-righteous Pharisee. When he read the first nine commandments he excused himself with the idea he had never physically murdered anyone or committed adultery etc.. He was by his own words “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:6b). This meant he had no public scandal or scar of sin before the eyes of other men.

But the truth of the tenth commandment made him realize the extent of God’s Holy Law and his personal condemnation without Christ. “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7b). This testimony of the law against Him led him to trust the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive his sin and be his Saviour. Before fully considering this tenth commandment in the law he was smug and proud of his status as a brilliant religious figure. The power of the truth, however, turned him around to the realization of his deep sinfulness and need of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Timothy 1:15).

This means Paul is an example for all of us. He was as morally upright as the best - according to human evaluation, but he was led by God’s law to see himself as the worst of sinners. The conclusion is that God can save from sin and hell anyone that follows his example and accepts the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for their own sin. “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (I Timothy 1:16)

Military Coup in Egypt. Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood Officials Detained. Army Controls Cairo
Jul 3rd, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egypt’s military coup d’etat of Wednesday, July 3, has been bloodless for now. President Mohamed Morsi was taken from his palace to a military barracks. Muslim Brotherhood officials were detained and issued with travel bans. Army tanks, APCs and troops, including commandos, are deployed at key facilities in the capital and positioned so as to seal off and separate rival groups of demonstrators. Muslim Brotherhood followers continue to stream into the city to join the pro-Morsi rally around Cairo University. Violence clashes have so far been averted.

The generals, who have taken over state television newsroom and are monitoring content, say that three prominent public and religious figures will later Wednesday night proclaim a short transition period for the formation of a provisional council to prepare a new constitution and early elections to the presidency and parliament. Sources in Cairo report that top Muslim Brotherhood officials will be tried for “crimes” committed during their year in office. Prime Minister Hisham Kandil and the remaining ministers have left their offices with their possessions.       

Defense minister Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spent the afternoon conferring with leading politicians and clerics. Muslim Brotherhood leaders refused to attend.
Tuesday night, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi rejected the Defense Minister‘s demand that he quit to avert a bloodbath. He said he stood by his “constitutional dignity and demanded the army’s withdrawal of its ultimatum. Sixteen people were killed in three separate violent clashes after the speech between supporters and opponents of the Islamist president. Another huge anti-government took place in Alexandria as well as other Egyptian cities.

Military circles indicated that to defuse the crisis the army would force the regime to transfer ruling authority to an interim council made up of citizens and technocrats and entrusted with drafting a new constitution and preparing early elections for president.

Those sources did not disclose what would happen to Morsi and whether he would stay on in the meantime as a figurehead president without executive powers.
President Morsi and the Muslim Brothers are hardly likely to lie down for this roadmap out of the crisis, because it would mean relinquishing power after just one year, at the end of decades of being pushed to the fringes of Egypt’s political scene.

But there is not much they can do. Their call to turn out and demonstrate for the Islamic flag Tuesday brought out their own followers and no one else, whereas the opposition is not only backed by millions of assorted groups but has now gained the support of the army, the police, the security service and the intelligence agency.
Tuesday morning, US President Barack Obama and Chief of US General Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey intervened in the Egyptian crisis early Tuesday, July 2, in an attempt to save the besieged President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood. Obama called the Egyptian president and Gen. Dempsey phoned Chief of staff Gen. Sedki Sobhi, hoping to defuse the three-way crisis between the regime, the army and the protest movement before it gets out of hand.

The crash of Morsi’s presidency would seriously undermine the objectives of the Arab Revolt pursued by the Obama administration as the arch-stone of his Middle East policy.
The administration had earlier sought unsuccessfully to persuade the heads of the Egyptian army not to issue its 48-hour ultimatum to Egypt’s rulers “heed the will of the people” by Wednesday afternoon - or else the army would intervene. The Americans proposed instead to leave Morsi in place after stripping him of presidential authority and installing a transitional government to prepare the country for new elections to the presidency and parliament.
debkafile’s Middle East sources report that the army chiefs led by Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi rejected the American proposal.
Obama promised to back steps taken by President Morsi to show he is “responsive to the opposition’s concerns,” while Gen. Dempsey asked Egyptian generals to moderate their stand against the Muslim Brotherhood. The underlying message was that if they failed to do so, Washington might reconsider its $1.3 billion annual military assistance package which is the main source of income for the armed forces.

Heartened by the US president’s vote of support, Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamic allies, rejected the army’s ultimatum for resolving the country’s deadly crisis, saying it would sow confusion and ran contrary to the Egyptian constitution.

Morsi insisted he would stick to his own plans for national reconciliation.

His regime is meanwhile crumbling:  Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr resigned early Tuesday, the sixth minister to quit the government in the last 24 hours. He follows the president’s military adviser Gen. Sami Anan, former chief of staff under President Hosni Mubarak. Senior judges and high police officers were seen taking part in the anti-government protest rallies of the last week.

Morsi and the Brotherhood now face two ultimatums: If by Tuesday afternoon, he has not agreed to step down and call an early election, the organizers of the protest movement, which has brought millions to the streets of Egyptian cities, will launch a relentless and anarchic campaign of civil disobedience. The defense minister says the army will intervene if the government fails “to heed the will of the people” by Wednesday afternoon.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 3rd, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Military Coup in Progress in Egypt
..sources in the Mohammed Morsi administration, a military coup is underway in Egypt. An advisor to Morsi told NBC News that tanks were moving outside Cairo and that Morsi’s communications had been cut and the president had been isolated. That cutoff came hours after the military’s vague ultimatum to Morsi to step down passed, with crowds celebrating in Tahrir Square. The Muslim Brotherhood reports that its members have been imprisoned by the military.  

EU accuses 13 banks of derivatives collusion
EU investigators accused 13 top banks including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs on Monday of colluding over derivatives trading, in a new move to tighten banking standards. "If it is confirmed that banks collectively blocked exchanges from the derivatives market, the Commission could decide to impose sanctions," Almunia said at a press briefing. "Exchange trading of credit derivatives improves market transparency and stability," he said. Collusion between banks to prevent this type of trading would be "a serious breach of our competition rules", he said. Almunia declined to give an estimate of the size of possible fines on the banks but he said the CDS market at the moment was worth about 10 trillion euros ($13 trillion).  

Crucial Rule Is Delayed a Year for Obama’s Health Law
In a significant setback for President Obama’s signature domestic initiative, the administration on Tuesday abruptly announced a one-year delay, until 2015, in his health care law’s mandate that larger employers provide coverage for their workers or pay penalties. The decision postpones the effective date beyond next year’s midterm elections.  

There is no place the IDF can’t reach, says Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday reminded the world of the IDF’s capabilities, speaking during a Knesset ceremony marking the 37-year anniversary of Operation Yonatan, the raid on Uganda’s Entebbe airport to free over 100 passengers held hostage after a terrorist hijacking.  

Report: Egyptian army getting ready to take over
Egypt's flagship state newspaper Al-Ahram reported Wednesday that the Egyptian army is taking a number of steps that signal it is getting ready to take the reigns when a deadline set by the army for resolving the country's political crisis expires.  

White House Violates Law With Obamacare Delay
Obama administration officials are illegally delaying enforcement of a central provision in the president’s namesake legislation in a desperate attempt to manipulate the 2014 midterm elections and swell the ranks of those who look to government for healthcare.  

Egyptian Protesters Blame Obama For Morsi Dictatorship
Images seldom broadcast on mainstream media networks reveal a wave of anti-Obama fervor has gripped Egypt as demonstrators blame the White House for helping to install Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who could be toppled later today  

China to join Russia for largest naval drills with foreign partner
China will join Russia later this week for its largest-ever naval drills with a foreign partner, underlining deepening ties between the former cold war rivals along with Beijing's desire for closer links with regional militaries. China has long been a key customer for Russian military hardware, but only in the last decade have their militaries begun taking part in joint exercises.  

The Middle East Is on Fire: An Unsettling Wrap-Up of the Death, Destruction and Chaos From Around the Globe
The Middle East, on the other hand, is literally on fire. Tuesday was deadly and chaotic for parts of the region with nearly 70 deaths reported. Sadly, that is becoming the norm as chaos continues to destabilize parts of the globe. Here is a recap of some of the most recent carnage. Keep in mind, these incidents are from Tuesday only.  

Indonesia quake toll rises to 22
More than 200 people were also injured in Aceh's mountainous interior when the strong 6.1-magnitude quake struck on Tuesday, flattening buildings and triggering landslides.  

Fourth of July terror alert in the U.S.
The U.S. is on high alert, fear of Fourth of July terror attacks has law enforcement officials across the U.S on the lookout for potential terrorists on Thursday. According to the Daily Mail the notice was issued in a ‘Roll Call Release’ by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, and obtained by ABC News.  

Abortionists Declare Their Team: Chant “Hail Satan” as Christians Sing Amazing Grace
As Texas gears up to push legislation that would prohibit late term abortions — those conducted after 20 weeks — Christian activists in the Texas State Capitol sang “Amazing Grace.” Abortion rights activists, there to support killing kids, tried to shout down the Christians by chanting “Hail Satan.” Yes, there is video.  

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Arrested, Army Moves in
Jul 3rd, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Chana Ya'ar
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egyptian sources report that senior officials in the Muslim Brotherhood have been placed under house arrest and the military is securing strategic facilities across the country.

The Islamist group that backed President Mohamed Morsi in last year’s successful bid to win the nation’s first democratic election is also now being scrutinized for corruption in the ranks. 

The group’s funding structure and records are being probed, according to a report posted Wednesday by the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper.

The report also claimed the Egyptian Army has begun to hermetically seal strategic installations across the country in accordance with a military “road map” plan that mandates implementation by the army if politicians could not resolve the leadership crisis by Wednesday.

The army reportedly had already taken control of all weapons and munitions arsenal sites.

However, an Egyptian military source denied the reports, saying he instead expected political, social and economic figures to gather for talks on the “road map” plan.

Military leaders are mulling three options for transitional leadership of Egypt, in the fast-approaching aftermath of the almost certain ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, according to the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper.

The first would be appointment of the president of the Constitutional Court as transitional leader, supported by a national council comprised of military and government officials.

A second option would be leadership by the Higher Military Council. 

The third option to lead the nation would be appointment of a presidential council comprised of military and civilian officials.

Morsi continues to insist that he will remain in office and has refused to resign. Nevertheless, a local media source told foreign reporters Wednesday morning that after the 48-hour ultimatum to the president by the army expires, “one of two things” would happen: “Either Morsi announces his resignation himself, or the declaration of his removal through the road map for the future [is] set out by the armed forces.”

Any transitional government is expected to be in place for at least nine to twelve months, during which a new constitution would be drafted, with presidential elections to be held at the end of the transitional period.