News In Review

Rick Warren's claim that the first church in Jerusalem was a "megachurch" five times bigger than Saddleback shows he either has a slim grip on reality, or that he is purposely twisting the truth in order to make his Peter Drucker church growth model fit with church history.

Further, Understand The Times goes on record to predict the time is coming soon when megachurches built on purpose driven seeker-friendly church growth methodology will be exposed as pseudo-Christian entertainment centers.

Smaller churches with pastors who teach the Bible as God's Word, warn about deception, and boldly proclaim the truth will be part of the remnant church. They will present the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly according to the Scriptures. In fact, these churches will be much like the early church. They follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and reject the doctrines of demons that pseudo-Christians accept.

There's a myth today that megachurches are just a contemporary fad and will fade out. That's just not true, asserted famed evangelical pastor Rick Warren.

"Christianity for 2,000 years has had large churches, including the very first one," the Saddleback Church pastor said Wednesday during a four-day conference. "The first church in Jerusalem was five times bigger than Saddleback." Most Bible scholars say the first church grew from 120 to over 100,000 people within 20 years, Warren noted.

"So the very first church was a megachurch," he highlighted, as he accused those who say the megachurch era will die out of not knowing church history.

While many people believe megachurches are a modern phenomenon, Warren wants to emphasize that it's a 2,000-year-old idea.

Moreover, multi-site churches - which have begun to explode in recent years - are nothing new either. "They met in different courts," Warren underlined. "Notice: one church, multiple locations. One church, multiple venues. "That's a biblical concept," he stressed. Plus, it's better stewardship, he said.

Small groups are not an option, Warren stressed. They serve as the basic cells in the body of Christ. "One cell (a church body without small groups) that gets bigger and bigger; there's a word for that: it's called cancer. You don't want to be a cancer," he said. "A healthy body is made up of large group worship, small group fellowship."

Saddleback has more people in small group Bible study every week (some 32,000) than in worship attendance on weekends (some 22,000), he noted.

September 3 - Hipster Faith
Article: Emerging Church

The following article presents the facts as they are and shows the absolute absurdity that is impacting Christianity all over the world. In an effort to reach the postmodern generation with a message there is a Christ, the church that once was Bible-based has become antichrist.

What is even more absurd is the fact there are still leaders who people look up to as great Christian teachers, pastors or evangelists, who refuse to take a stand and warn the sheep that the wolves are devouring the flock. Rather than protect the sheep they are driving them to be slaughtered. They compromise the truth of God's word with the "lie" and further confuse those who try to remain on board with Jesus.

The Emerging Church should change their term "Christ followers" to what is really happening. They are not following Jesus Christ. They have forsaken Jesus Christ and are following church growth gurus who are following Satan

Welcome to the world of hipster Christianity. The latest incarnation of a decades-long collision of "cool" and "Christianity," hipster Christianity is in large part a rebellion against the very subculture that birthed it. It's a rebellion against old-school evangelicalism and its fuddy-duddy legalism, apathy about the arts, and pitiful lack of concern for social justice.

They prefer to call themselves "Christ-followers" rather than "Christians." They cringe at the thought of an altar call, and the prospect of passing out tracts gives them nightmares.

In order to remain relevant in this new landscape, many evangelical pastors and church leaders are following the lead of the hipster trendsetters, making sure their churches can check off all the important items on the hipster checklist:

Get the church involved in social justice and creation care.
Show clips from R-rated Coen Brothers films (e.g., No Country for Old Men, Fargo) during services.
Sponsor church outings to microbreweries.
Put a worship pastor onstage decked in clothes from American Apparel.
Be okay with cussing.
Print bulletins only on recycled cardstock.
Use Helvetica fonts as much as possible
Leverage technologies like Twitter.

Christian hipster. As the '90s gave way to the 2000s, young evangelicals reared in the ostentatious Jesus subculture began to rebel. They sought a more intellectual faith, one that didn't reject outright the culture, ideas, and art of the secular world.

They looked up to young Christian authors and pastors like Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, and Donald Miller, read Relevant magazine, adored indie-folk musician Sufjan Stevens, and were fascinated by ancient church liturgies and prayers. They began to dress and act like secular hipsters: drinking beer, getting tattoos, riding fixed-gear bikes, and eating raw and organic foods. They took interest in a broader range of issues (the environment, HIV/AIDS, globalization) than their parents' generation, and voted for Barack Obama.

What makes a church a "hipster church"? Does it have a one-word name that is either a Greek word or something evocative of creation? Does the pastor frequently use words like kingdom, authenticity, and justice, and drop names like N. T. Wright in sermons? Does the church advertise a gluten-free option for Communion? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, chances are that it's a hipster church.

One thing we can fairly say of hipster Christianity is that it frequently strives for shock value. During his sermon, Driscoll-looking like a metrosexual jock in an Ed Hardy-esque tight T-shirt, cross necklace, and faux-hawk-talked about how wives should be "visually generous" with their husbands (e.g., they should keep the lights on when undressing and during sex). I never thought I'd hear a preacher talk about these things from the pulpit. And that's exactly the point.

Hipster Christianity's attention to shock value manifests in others ways. Some churches hold their services in bars and nightclubs-Mosaic in L.A. meets in the Mayan nightclub, and North Brooklyn Vineyard in New York meets at a place called the Trash Bar. Other churches focus more on the shock value of sermons, delving into touchy subjects such as homosexuality, child abuse, sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and so on, sometimes with an f-bomb or two thrown in for good measure.

September 5 - 'Iran orders 99 lashes for woman facing execution'
Article: Misc.

So far, Canada and the United States governments have not implemented Sharia law common to Islamic ruled nations. Here in North America there are actually laws that prohibit hatred towards people of faith, sexual orientation and race.

This is good!

However, when you read the following article, you may be shocked to find out there are many in the world who get away with hateful acts by having laws in their countries that permit physical abuse and torture.

However, these same laws that permit hatred in other places, (if some have their way) may be coming to your state or province soon in the name of equal rights. Wouldn't that be an oxymoron?

Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashitiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, has also been sentenced to 99 lashes for a photo published of her without a headscarf, according to her son.

He said that a prison judge confirmed that she was to be lashed for spreading "corruption and indecency" by the publication of a photograph of her without a headscarf that appeared in a British newspaper.

The Times of London published on August 28 a photo of a woman without a headscarf that it said was Mohammadi-Ashtiani, however on September 3 it said the attribution of the photo, which it received from one of her lawyers that has fled Iran, was incorrect. The photo "... is certainly not that of my mother," said Sajjad.

Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was given the death penalty for an extramarital relationship.

Iran has subsequently said she was also convicted of being an accomplice in her husband's death, though she has denied that was the case.

September 1 - Putin on road back to power
Article: Israel And The Last Days

Keep one eye on Vladimir Putin and another eye on the Bible. Actually, it would be better to have both eyes on the Bible all the times and watch or read the news when you can fit that in. We are living in a day when many of the prophecies of the Bible are about to take place. If you don't have knowledge of Bible prophecy or believe that prophecy is not for today, just read the news and attend a purpose-driven church where you will be told "everything is OK" and there are "no worries". Besides, Bible prophecy will never be mentioned.

Actually, there are no worries if you are a Bible believer and follow Jesus Christ. Our God has everything in control. He inspired His prophets to write down warnings that are recorded in the Bible to tell us in advance that He knows what is going to happen. Jesus is coming soon!

Vladimir Putin emerged from a yellow Lada sports car in the Siberian city of Chita yesterday, after driving more than 1930 km to complete a road trip across Russia's Far Eastern regions. Fitting in to what appears to be a growing PR campaign to boost his image ahead of a potential return to the Kremlin in 2012, the Russian Prime Minister set off on the journey last week, sporting a pair of dark glasses and a cream polo shirt.

In one interview, given while at the wheel of the Lada to the Kommersant newspaper, Putin admitted he was contemplating a return to the Russian presidency in 2012. He also said that pro-democracy protesters deserved to be "beaten around the head with truncheons".

He was also playing up to his "man of the people" image, in a month that has seen a remarkable flurry of televised stunts, even by his standards.

Putin has been widely tipped for a return to the Kremlin, and with presidential terms extended to six years, Putin could remain in power until 2024. He has said he will sit down with President Dmitry Medvedev and decide which of them will run in 2012. In the current Russian political climate, non-Kremlin candidates would not stand a chance.

Read Full Article:

September 1 - Barak: Israel May Divide Jerusalem, Internationalize Holy Basin
Article: Israel And The Last Days

According to current events that are presently happening, the Peace Plan that will dupe the world into believing that a peace plan has been brokered to bring about peace in the Middle East, is very close to happening. From a biblical perspective, we know this event WILL happen, but as far as peace goes, there will never be peace until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, arrives on the scene as King.

Obviously there are a number of events that have to occur before this happens. For more information, read the Bible!

Defense Minister Ehud Barak says it is likely that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will agree to divide Jerusalem with the Palestinian Authority.

Barak told the Hebrew-language newspaper Haaretz in an interview published Wednesday that he believes the best chance for peace lies in a peace deal in which all the Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem would be handed over to the PA in order to create a capital for a new Arab country.

The peace plan described by Barak includes the following:

* two states for two nations

* an end to the conflict and the end of all future demands

* demarcation of a border "that will run inside the Land of Israel" dividing a demilitarized PA state from an Israel that includes the "settlement blocs"

* retrieving and relocating the "isolated settlements" into the settlement blocs or within Israel

* a solution to the refugee problem within the PA state, or rehabilitating them through international aid

* comprehensive security arrangements

* a "solution to the Jerusalem problem."

Netanyahu promised the packed hall, "We have demonstrated in the past, and will continue to demonstrate our commitment to a complete, undivided Jerusalem... Everyone knows what will happen if we were to leave those areas and divide Jerusalem. Someone will enter - and that someone will be Hamas."

September 6 - US Tells Turkey - Cool it with Iran
Article: Israel And The Last Days

I wonder if US decision makers have read the Bible and know that Turkey will be part of an End Times alliance with Iran and Russia, who will someday try to wipe out Israel (Ezekiel chapter 38).

Or are they just playing a game inspired by proponents of the New World Order who are working behind the scenes to manipulate nations.

The heat is on Turkey to cool it with Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen has told Turkey it must join the international coalition seeking to contain Iran. Speaking in Ankara over the weekend Mullen said "The mutual goal of Iran not achieving a nuclear-weapons capability, that we completely agree on, we just need to reinforce. "

Turkey is also under significant economic pressure from the US - a Treasury delegation was in Ankara two weeks ago, warning key banks and private companies not to do business with Iran.

President Obama has personally warned Turkish Premier Tayyip Erdogan in that Turkey would forfeit a major arms deal (to purchase drone aircraft) - if it did not cool its relationship with Iran and reconsider a controversial fuel swap deal brokered with Iran in May.

In May, Turkey and Brazil, voted against a UN sanctions resolution on Iran and brokered an independent deal with Tehran whereby Turkey would receive unprocessed uranium from Iran, and send back smaller amounts of enriched uranium for use in a medical reactor.

Read Full Article....

September 6 - Iran Says Israeli Attack Would Mean Destruction of Jewish State
Article: Israel And The Last Days

It is well known that followers of Islam are encouraged to lie in order to advance the Muslim faith. The president of Iran is a Muslim.

However, Muslims will also tell the truth, so it is sometimes hard to know when they are lying. For example, the president of Iran proposes that Israel be destroyed and no longer possess the land that the God of the Bible gave them. This is exactly what the president and other Muslims want to happen. He also states that Iran has no intention to develop nuclear arms, and therefore should be allowed to develop nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel.

The United Nations allows him to speak at their conferences for the cause of bringing peace to the world. Only Bible believing Christians who believe in Bible prophecy see what is happening. Purpose-driven "Christians" also have a Peace Plan, so they don't get it.

Iran's president said Sunday that any Israeli attack against his nation would mean the destruction of the Jewish state.

The two nations have exchanged numerous threats and warnings in the confrontation over Iran's nuclear program, which Israel, the United States and other countries believe is aimed at developing weapons, despite Tehran's denials.

"Any offensive against Iran means the annihilation of the Zionist entity," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a visit to the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. "Iran does not care much about this entity because it is on its way to decay."

He said he doubted Israel or the U.S. would dare to stage such an attack because "they know that Iran is ready and has the potential for a decisive and wide-scale response."

Ahmadinejad, who met with Qatar's leader during Sunday's visit, said there is a need for reconciliation and cooperation between Shiite-dominated Iran and other Gulf nations.

U.S. military chief Adm. Mike Mullen said last month that America's military has a plan to attack Iran, although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea. Still, he said the risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable and he reiterated that "the military option" remains on the table.

Read Full Article....

September 6 - Russia, Israel sign military cooperation pact
Article: Israel And The Last Days

As mentioned in a previous comment, it is well known that Islam sanctions lying for the cause of Islam. Could this be a characteristic of other religions and or nations who have alternate motives than what it appears?

For example, the following article states that Russia believes that Israel is a great nation and they are purchasing military equipment from Israel to show they are on the side of Israel. However, Russia is also supporting Iran in their goal to establish nuclear weapons, and Iran wants to wipe out Israel

Russia and Israel have signed a new long-term military cooperation agreement. Details of the agreement signed Monday by the countries' defense ministers in Moscow were not immediately disclosed.

But Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov says Russia recently bought 12 unmanned aerial drones from Israel and it is important to borrow experience and know-how from the Israeli armed forces for the modernization of the Russian armed forces."

His Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak says Israel considers Russia "a great power, globally and for our region."

Russia and Israel have clashed verbally in recent years over Russia's contract to sell S-300 air-defense missiles to Iran. Russia says none of the missile have been delivered.

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules
Article: Unbiblical Christianity

September 7 - Iran has enough fuel for 2 nuclear warheads, report says
Article: Israel And The Last Days

Read Folly Article

The nation that has promised to "wipe out Israel" now "has produced enough nuclear fuel to power two atomic warheads." Either there will be a "peace plan" or there will be an "Armageddon" in the near future. For more information, read the Bible.

Iran has produced more than enough nuclear fuel to power two atomic warheads if it were to further enrich its supply and disregard its treaty obligations, according to a report issued Monday by the world's nuclear energy watchdog.

The report also indicates continuing friction between Tehran and international inspectors, who regularly visit Iran's nuclear facilities. In the wake of an argument this year over Iran's rejection of two particular IAEA employees, the report accuses the government of objecting to "inspectors with experience in Iran's nuclear fuel cycle and facilities."

This month, Iran is launching a Russian-built nuclear reactor in the city of Bushehr. World powers suspect it is trying to obtain at least the capability to build nuclear weapons, which require uranium enriched to levels of 60% or higher - well above the purity level of the bulk of Iran's nuclear fuel supply.

In addition, Iran told the watchdog agency that it had produced nearly 50 pounds of 20% enriched uranium for a Tehran medical reactor that is running out of fuel. Weapons inspectors worry that the effort, which Iran initiated after the failure of talks to swap its own fuel for medical reactor plates abroad, could bolster the nation's nuclear know-how.

The IAEA has demanded quicker and better access to Iran's nuclear facilities and plans, but Tehran says it is not legally bound to submit to the increased scrutiny required by a Nonproliferation Treaty amendment that it signed in 2003 but that its parliament never ratified.

September 7 - Big Brother, for Sons and Daughters: The Risk of Family Monitoring
Article: Technology For Global Monetary System

As they head off to school, a growing number of students are being carefully tracked -- not only by their teachers in class, but by their parents at home.

Family monitoring software is coming out of the woodwork. From communications companies such as Verizon and AT&T to tech giants like Google, software to track children via GPS satellites can keep parents worry free and happy. But are these apps just a natural evolution of modern society, where technology is integrated deep into our lives, or do they take things too far?

Some argue that family tracking apps could create a false sense of security: suppose a child becomes separated from the device that's supposed to be tracking her, for example. And Internet privacy experts caution that if mom can see a map of her kid's whereabouts, so can someone else.

"They need to know what kind of information is being gathered. How long is it being kept. Who has access to it. When is it going to get deleted," Jeschke cautioned.

Life360 C.E.O Chris Hulls acknowledges the advent of GPS family tracking raises new moral and legal issues, but he argues that tracking kids electronically will soon be the norm.

"It's beyond just safety," Hulls said. "Every single electronic device is soon going to have a location associated with it, and that brings up a whole host of new products as well as concerns. But it really is a new world, and parents are adopting this technology at a very quick rate."

August 28 - Interfaith service has Labor Day themes
Article: One World Government

News Alert - September 9 - Clinton declares 'new moment' in U.S. foreign policy in speechAugust 28 - Interfaith service has Labor Day themes
Article: One World Government.

Hillary Clinton has made a formal announcement.

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, she stated that the United States is now ready to join the "New World Order." This has of course been predicted by Bible prophecy scholars for some time. This "New World Order" must be formed as a means of controlling the whole world.

Essentially, the Council of Foreign Relations plays a role as the "government" that governs governments. Of course, the secular news media will not report this news this way.

Understanding the news can only be understood through reading the Bible

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Wednesday that "a new American moment" has arrived in international relations, "a moment when our global leadership is essential, even if we must often lead in new ways."

In a lengthy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in which she defended the Obama administration's foreign policy approach, Clinton said that "this is a moment that must be seized - through hard work and bold decisions - to lay the foundations for lasting American leadership for decades to come."

More than a year ago, in the same venue, Clinton spoke of "tilting the balance away from a multi-polar world and toward a multi-partner world" and emphasized the administration's willingness to engage with its adversaries.

"This is no argument for America to go it alone - far from it," Clinton said. "The world looks to us because America has the reach and resolve to mobilize the shared effort needed to solve problems on a global scale - in defense of our own interests, but also as a force for progress. In this we have no rival."

She added: "For the United States, global leadership is both a responsibility and an unparalleled opportunity."

Clinton said the administration has put into practice the ideas she laid out a year ago and has begun to build what she called "a new global architecture" of alliances and interests.

September 9 - Marian Shrines Have Much Life, Says Cardinal
Article: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days

Please read the following article and make your own comments. As far as we are concerned, if anyone wants to believe this unbiblical nonsense there is absolutely no possible way to convince them otherwise.

The archbishop of Barcelona is urging the faithful to rediscover the meaning of Marian shrines, which have an abundance of life. "They have much life," he said. "People go there because they feel it as their own spiritual reality, as it was for their ancestors."

The prelate affirmed that at Marian shrines "the Virgin Mary is attentive to the requests of pilgrims; she receives them and intercedes effectively for them."

"These shrines, as a presence of the Church, contribute to evangelization," he said, observing that these places are "also visited by persons who are non-believers and very far from the Church."

Because of this, the cardinal added, "in shrines everything that can help people to be more aware of the religious and evangelical motivation of the visits should be intensified."

"Mary places herself between her Son and persons in the reality of their privations, indigence and suffering," he said. "She places herself in their midst, that is, she acts as mediatrix."

He noted that "because of this, it is necessary to rediscover the human and Christian meaning of the Marian shrines of our earth to be able to visit them, seeking a moment of silence, reflection and prayer, all of which the man of today does not find easily in the rhythm full of stress of the life he leads."

September 9 - Community to celebrate 'act of reparation' for sacrilege against Eucharist
Article: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days

Please read this article and make your own comments!

The Catholic community in the Spanish town of Rotova will hold an act of reparation this Friday for a sacrilege committed against the Eucharist during Mass last weekend. The incident occurred at a parish in Rotova when a group of young people who had been participating in an annual festival came to noon Mass. One of them took the host out of his mouth during Communion and threw it on the floor.

Witnesses-including a local justice of the peace-informed the priest who was celebrating the Mass, Father Victor Jimeno. The priest then had one of the parish assistants retrieve the trampled host and give it to him. Becoming angry, Fr. Jimeno approached the young man, slapped him, and threw him out of church, calling him sacrilegious.

"For me, my love for the Eucharist is greater than the love for my parents. I just was overwhelmed and I don't know what happened."

The priest explained that he "went over to the group of young people who were taking pictures in front of the altar, and I asked if the boy had thrown the host on the ground." Fr. Jimeno continued saying that the boy just looked back at him "and smiled." The priest added that he was sorry for slapping the young man.

Fr. Jesus Sanchez, episcopal vicar of Safor, told the newspaper Las Provincias that the incident was "sad" and that although Fr. Jimeno was wrong to lash out at the young man, "He reacted as a father would in response to an offense."

"All of this has affected me a lot, I am very said. I couldn't sleep last night and I just prayed and cried,' Fr. Jimeno admitted, noting that it is difficult for unbelievers to understand his reaction. What happened to the Eucharist "is the worst thing that can be done to a believer."

The "act of reparation and atonement" will take place in accord with directives given by the Archdiocese of Valencia and will be celebrated by Fr. Sanchez. The faithful and priests from the surrounding areas are encouraged to attend.