June 18: News Summary Headlines

Tuesday, Jun. 18, 2013

BLOOMBERG

President Obama and former national security contractor Edward Snowden are mounting public relations campaigns over a classified U.S. surveillance program leaked by Snowden, with Obama promising to declassify details and Snowden seeking vindication of his motives.

Advances such as hydraulic fracturing are leading to record production that may outstrip refinery capacity within 18 months to three years. Net petroleum imports now account for about 40 percent of demand, down from 60 percent in 2005.

Private nonresidential construction is losing steam in the U.S., a sign that commercial real estate may be a drag on the economy as business leaders are reluctant to make large property investments.

The cost of living in the U.S. rose 0.1 percent, less than forecast in May, restrained by the first drop in food prices in almost four years and signaling inflation remains under control.

Beginning construction of new U.S. homes increased 6.8 percent, less than forecast, to a 914,000 annualized rate in May and permits to build single-family houses rose to a five-year high, extending a rebound that is helping shore up the expansion.

President Obama said Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke has stayed in his post “longer than he wanted,” one of the clearest signals the central bank chief will leave when his current term expires next year.

The probe of Libor manipulation is proving to be the tip of the iceberg as inquiries into assets from derivatives to foreign exchange show that if there’s a chance to rig benchmark rates in world markets, someone is usually willing to try.

Rubber is headed for the biggest glut on record, prolonging the bear market that began in April, as supply exceeds demand for a third year and Southeast Asian exporters ended curbs on shipments.

Swiss banks face the risk of further indictments for helping U.S. citizens evade taxes after Swiss lawmakers rejected a bill that would help resolve a tax dispute.

Yahoo, the largest U.S. Web portal, said it got as many as 13,000 requests for information from U.S. law enforcement agencies, becoming the latest technology company to detail government data collection.

New York City health officials are increasing public awareness about a meningitis outbreak, urging gay men to get vaccinated for the infection in advance of as many as 1 million visitors for gay pride events in June.

AP Top Stories

Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that his country’s armed forces are taking over the lead for security nationwide from the U.S.-led NATO coalition.

Military leaders are ready to begin tearing down the remaining walls that have prevented women from holding thousands of combat and special operations jobs near the front lines.

The leaders of major economic powers are declaring themselves dedicated to a political solution to Syria’s bloody civil war, even as President Obama and Russian President Putin stake out diametrically opposite stands on which side deserves military support.

The Taliban’s spokesman says the group will open a political office in Qatar to try to find a political solution to the war in Afghanistan.

Two suicide bombers targeted a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, one blowing himself up at a nearby checkpoint while the other slipped inside during prayers. The blasts killed 26 people.

The FBI saw enough merit in a reputed Mafia captain’s tip to once again break out the digging equipment to search for the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa, last seen alive before a lunch meeting with two mobsters nearly 40 years ago.

As the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee begins a two-day meeting , economist Nouriel Roubini and political scientist Ian Bremmer warned that the Fed’s monetary easing exit strategy would be “treacherous” and would lead to financial instability.

BBC

The US will open direct peace talks with the Taliban after more than 10 years of war in Afghanistan, senior White House officials announced.

The lower house of Switzerland’s parliament has refused to debate a bill that would allow Swiss banks to pass client information to the US tax authorities.

The US has 46 inmates held at its military prison in Guantanamo Bay who it says it does not have the evidence to try but are too dangerous to release. Most are from Yemen and Afghanistan.

Piracy off the coast of West Africa has now overtaken Somali piracy, a report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and other seafarers’ groups said.

WND

First Lady Michelle Obama is staying Monday evening in the $3,300-per-night Princess Grace suite of Dublin’s Five-Star Shelbourne Hotel, according to Irish press reports, adding some credence to accusations she is in the city for a quick vacation at taxpayer expense.

Bullying and aggressive behavior by a sibling can be as damaging as bullying by a classmate, neighbor or other peer, finds a new study that links it to increased depression, anxiety and anger among victimized kids and teens.

An Egyptian misdemeanors court has issued an 11 year prison sentence to Islamist preacher Ahmed Abdullah (AKA Abu Islam) on charges of insulting religion and burning the Bible. The court also sentenced Islam, Abu-Islam’s son, to eight years in prison and fined him LE 2000 for taking part in burning the Bible with his father. This sentence is also suspended pending appeal.

Google is to create a global database of child abuse images – which it will share with its rival companies – in a bid to eradicate child pornography from the web.

What is Christianity all about (picture)?

Reblogged from A Twisted Crown of Thorns ®:

What is True Christian Liberty?

Reblogged from Possessing the Treasure:

by Mike Ratliff

25 ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου, οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται. (James 1:25 NA28)

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides there, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Read more… 1,013 more words

Boy, The 'Pop Culture as Source for Theology' People Are as Bat-Crazy as the Emergents and Seeker-Sensitives

Reblogged from Zwinglius Redivivus:

That's all.  They're just bonkers.  I mean 'stalker loon crazy' bonkers like the emergents and seeker sensitives.  Bonkers like the crazy anonymous commentators that festoon online forums about aliens and cats.

What this means, I suppose, is the old dictum: when someone won't stand for something, they'll fall for anything.

Read more… 4 more words

June 18: A Christian’s Breakfast

“In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” (Psalm 5:3)

At home I look ahead, in the morning, to the breakfast table. There we gather first of all around the Word of God, with our children, for a few moments with the Book. We like to have our family worship before eating. I remember that Leland Wang, of Hong Kong, gives his people the slogan, “No Bible, no breakfast!” If you must go without one of them, skip the porridge, but do not let your soul starve through a morning. Your body can live on the stored–up strength, but the manna from yesterday spoils if we try to use it over again today. There are many Christians who could find the whole secret of a life of defeat in a neglected Bible.

And then somewhere at the close of the prayer, perhaps even silently, after the audible words have ended, I look forward to the next bend of the road and commit the table conversation to the Lord and all that must happen until the children go out of the door to school. So much can be taught to children by the incidental and indirect conversation of the father and mother, while they pay attention to their food. We can pick out incidents from the daily press or the life of the parish, and point out some one’s failure or success and see the basis for it. To say that John Smith got into trouble because he did a certain thing may leave a more lasting impression than to say, “Now son, mind you never do such a thing.” The discussion of some verse in the Scripture may bring out a truth which father and mother will know needs strong application in the life of one of the children, and they are quicker at catching the point than are many grown folks.

http://www.makinggodswordplain.org/mgwp/christians-breakfast

June 18: God’s Formula for Great Giving – Part Two

God’s Formula for Great Giving
2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Theme: Generosity.
This week’s lessons teach us that giving is a matter of the heart.

Lesson
We read in the Book of Acts that the Christians at Antioch sent money to Jerusalem. Paul collected money as he traveled into Macedonia and into Greece proper. He refers to the one trip several times where, together with representatives of the Gentile churches, he went to Jerusalem to present this great offering. I suppose Paul thought of this as a testimony to the great unity of the Christian church. That is because here was a true, common brotherhood of those who had been born again and were brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ, showing a family concern for one another. So as Paul is writing to the Corinthians, he encourages them to give.

Early in this chapter he talks about the giving of the churches in Macedonia where the churches of Thessalonica, Berea, and Philippi were located. Paul saw their giving as a model for how other churches should be giving. We also know about the giving of these churches in Macedonia from other references through-out Paul’s writing. In Philippians 4:16, he says, “For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.” So we know that they gave at least two times.

They took care of Paul because they knew he lived by the preaching of the Gospel. So, when they heard he was in need, they sent money to take care of him. They did that more than once.

Then we read further on in chapter 11, verse 9, that when he was in Corinth, although the Philippians had little money themselves, they gave to Paul when he was in need. They had a great desire to provide for Paul.

A period of time likely came when the Christians at Philippi lost touch with Paul and his missionary efforts and they would not have known what had happened. Then, at last, word came, but it was that Paul had been arrested and taken as a prisoner to Rome. In Rome, he was in need. When they heard, they got a new collection together and they sent a man off to Rome bearing that offering for him. This was the occasion for the letter to the Philippians. Some people have said it was one of the best thank-you letters ever written. I think Paul had more in mind than that, but among the other things, he was certainly writing in that letter to thank them for their great gift.

This was what the Macedonian churches were like. Not only did they give to Paul, but they also gave generously to this relief fund for the poor in Jerusalem. In this passage, Paul talks about these Christians at Macedonia, and, using their example, he gives a formula for great Christian giving, one that is very different from how giving is presently considered in our technological age.

Paul describes what he found in verse 2: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up into rich generosity.” It is not what you would expect, is it? But Paul explains that this is the way it happens spiritually when Christians go through particularly difficult times.

We know that was true of many of the Christians in Macedonia. They endured all kinds of persecutions. Paul himself was persecuted, he was arrested, he was beaten, and we would expect the same sort of treatment to happen to his converts. Un-doubtedly it did on many occasions.

In any case, whatever they went through, it was severe. And yet, Paul points out that they did not give up. They did as Christians do in circumstances like that. They did as Paul himself did when he was imprisoned at Philippi. Rather than giving up, their joy in the Lord came bubbling to the surface because they counted it a great pleasure to suffer in this way for God. So out of this severe trial there was a joy beyond all measure, which, when added to their extreme poverty, brought forth this generosity that he commends to the Christians at Corinth.

Study Questions

How did the Macedonian churches serve as a model for other churches?
What prompted Paul to write his letter to the Philippians?
Why were the Philippians able to be joyful in suffering?
What was Paul’s formula for great giving?

Further Study

Read Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Find those portions of the letter that exhibit the generous spirit in that church. How did their giving encourage Paul?

http://info.alliancenet.org/tab/gods-formula-great-giving-part-two

June 18: INTERCESSION: Pray for the Relief of Suffering Churches and Persecuted Christians

Pray for the Relief of Suffering Churches and Persecuted Christians

10
For the relief of suffering churches and the support, comfort, and deliverance of all who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

We desire in our prayers to remember those who are in prison for the testimony of Jesus, as in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since we also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3(ESV) O send from on high and rescue them from those who hate them, Psalm 18:16-17(ESV) and bring them out into a broad place. Psalm 18:19(ESV)

O let not the scepter of wickedness rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous should stretch out their hands to do wrong. Psalm 125:3(ESV)

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, as in the generations of long ago, and make the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed of the Lord to pass over. Isaiah 51:9-10(ESV)

Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, arise now, O LORD, and place them in the safety for which they long. Psalm 12:5(ESV)

O strengthen the endurance and faith of your suffering saints, Revelation 13:10(ESV) that they may wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26(ESV)

O let the year of your redemption come, Isaiah 63:4(ESV) and the year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Isaiah 34:8(ESV)

O that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion; and when the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Psalm 14:7(ESV)

O let not the downtrodden turn back in shame, but let the poor and needy praise your name. Psalm 74:21(ESV)

Lord, arise and have pity on Zion, and let the time to favor her, the appointed time, come; Psalm 102:13(ESV) indeed, let the LORD build up Zion and appear in his glory. Lord, regard the prayer of the destitute and do not despise their prayer. Psalm 102:16-17(ESV)

O Lord GOD, please cease: How can Jacob stand, for he is so small? Amos 7:5(ESV) O make your face to shine upon that part of your sanctuary, which is desolate, for your own sake, O Lord. Daniel 9:17(ESV)

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you, and according to your great power, preserve those who for your name’s sake are doomed to die. Psalm 79:11(ESV)

Let those whose teachers have been removed, again see their teachers, though they have the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Isaiah 30:20(KJV)

Method for Prayer – Matthew Henry

June 18: Daily Bible

Reading for Today:

2Kings 25:1–30

Psalm 75:1-10

Proverbs 19:4-5

Acts 3:1-26

Notes:

Psalm 75:1 Your name is near. God’s name represents His presence. The history of God’s supernatural interventions on behalf of His people demonstrated that God was personally immanent. But Old Testament saints did not have the fullness from the permanent, personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:1, 16, 17; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A description of God familiar to Peter’s Jewish audience (Ex. 3:6, 15; 1 Kin. 18:36; 1 Chr. 29:18; 2 Chr. 30:6; Matt. 22:32). He used this formula, which stressed God’s covenant faithfulness, to demonstrate that he declared the same God and Messiah whom the prophets had proclaimed. His Servant Jesus. Peter depicted Jesus as God’s personal representative. This is an unusual New Testament title for Jesus, used only 4 other places (v. 26; 4:27, 30; Matt. 12:18), but a more familiar Old Testament name for Messiah (Is. 42:1–4, 19; 49:5–7; 52:13–53:12; Matt. 20:28; John 6:38; 8:28; 13:1–7). Pilate…determined to let Him go. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at Jesus’ trial, came from a national tradition that strongly supported justice. He knew Jesus’ crucifixion would be unjust and therefore declared Him innocent 6 times (Luke 23:4, 14, 15, 22; John 18:38; 19:4, 6) and repeatedly sought to release Him (Luke 23:13–22; John 19:12, 13).

Acts 3:15 killed…God raised…we are witnesses. Peter’s confident and forceful declaration (1 Cor. 15:3–7) was a clear defense of and provided further evidence for Christ’s resurrection. Peter’s claim was undeniable; the Jews never showed any evidence, such as Jesus’ corpse, to disprove it. Prince of life. The Greek word for “prince” means originator, pioneer, or beginner of something. Both Hebrews 2:10 and 12:2 translate it “author.” It describes Jesus as the Divine Originator of life (Ps. 36:9; Heb. 2:10; 12:2; 1 John 5:11, 20).

Acts 3:19 Repent…be converted. “Converted” is a frequent New Testament word that relates to sinners turning to God (9:35; 14:15; 26:18, 20; Luke 1:16, 17; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 Pet. 2:25). your sins…blotted out. Ps. 51:9; Is. 43:25; 44:22. Blotted out compares forgiveness to the complete wiping away of ink from the surface of a document (Col. 2:14).

DAY 18: How did Judah and Jerusalem finally fall?
Responding to King Zedekiah’s rebellion in 2 Kings 24:20, Nebuchadnezzar sent his whole army to lay siege against the city of Jerusalem (2 Kin. 25:1).The siege began in January 588 B.C. and lasted until July 586 B.C. In August 586 B.C., one month after the Babylonian breakthrough of Jerusalem’s walls (vv. 2–4), Nebuzaradan, the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s own imperial guard, was sent by the king to oversee the destruction of Jerusalem. The dismantling and destruction of Jerusalem was accomplished by the Babylonians in an orderly progression (v. 8).

First, Jerusalem’s most important buildings were burned (v. 9). Second, the Babylonian army tore down Jerusalem’s outer walls, the city’s main defense (v. 10).Third, Nebuzaradan organized and led a forced march of remaining Judeans into exile in Babylon (vv. 11,12). The exiles included survivors from Jerusalem and those who had surrendered to the Babylonians before the capture of the city. Only poor, unskilled laborers were left behind to tend the vineyards and farm the fields. Fourth, the items made with precious metals in the temple were carried away to Babylon (vv. 13–17). Fifth, Nebuzaradan took Jerusalem’s remaining leaders to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar had them executed. This insured that they would never lead another rebellion against Babylon (vv. 18–21).

“Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land” (v. 21). Exile was the ultimate curse brought upon Judah because of her disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:36, 64). The Book of Lamentations records the sorrow of Jeremiah over this destruction of Jerusalem.

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, http://www.thomasnelson.com.

June 18: Looking Beyond the Externals

“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism” (James 2:1).

Jesus is “our glorious Lord” (James 2:1)–the Sovereign One who rules over all His creation, and the One in whom the fullness of God’s glory is revealed. John said, “The Word [Jesus] became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Paul said, “In Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9).

As God, Jesus shares the impartiality of the Father. He knows that a person’s worth is based on the value of his soul, not on external considerations. That’s why He always looks on the heart and never judges on externals alone.

That was evident in the way Jesus dealt with sinners when He was still on earth. He never hesitated to confront them–whether they were influential Jewish religious leaders or common folks. Even His enemies acknowledged His impartiality when they said, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any” (Matt. 22:16).

Like the Father, Jesus also extended the offer of salvation to men and women of every race, social class, and moral standing. That’s illustrated by the parable He told in Matthew 22:1-14 about the marriage of a king’s son (an illustration of Himself). The invited guests (Israel) didn’t show up, so the king commanded his servants to go out and gather everyone they could find to furnish the wedding with guests. As a result, people of every station in life attended the wedding, just as people of every station in life are called to salvation.

As you have opportunities to minister to others today, don’t be influenced by externals such as looks, clothing, or economic level. Do as Jesus did: treat them with compassion and speak the truth without compromise.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise the Lord for His impartiality, and ask Him for special grace as you reach out to others today.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 20:1-16. How does that parable illustrate the impartiality of God?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, http://www.crossway.com.

June 18: Integrity Triumphs Under Fire

“Then [Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego] were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.” – Daniel 3:21-23

When God doesn’t deliver you from a trial, He refines you through the trial.

When facing excommunication at the Diet of Worms, Martin Luther wrote to the Elector Frederick, “You ask me what I shall do if I am called by the emperor. I will go down if I am too sick to stand on my feet. If Caesar calls me, God calls me. If violence is used, as well it may be, I commend my cause to God. He lives and reigns who saved the three youths from the fiery furnace of the king of Babylon, and if He will not save me, my head is worth nothing compared with Christ. This is no time to think of safety. I must take care that the gospel is not brought into contempt by our fear to confess and seal our teaching with our blood.”

Luther was willing to risk even death for the sake of Christ. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego before him, he valued integrity above his own life, and in his loneliest hour drew encouragement from their experience. Often we pray to avoid trials when God wants to use them for our greater good. But trials test the genuineness of our faith and purge us of sin and shallowness like a refiner’s fire purges gold. The process may be painful, but the result is more precious than the purest gold (1 Peter 1:7).

Suggestions for Prayer:
Pray that you might face each trial with wisdom, patience, and a clear sense of the Lord’s presence.

For Further Study:
Read Acts 20:22-24. What was the apostle Paul’s perspective on the persecution that awaited him in Jerusalem? What was his ultimate goal?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, http://www.crossway.com.

June 18 – Wrong Judgment: An Erroneous View of Ourselves

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,”and behold, the log is in your eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your eye. – Matthew 7:3–5

When we judge critically we also manifest an erroneous view of ourselves. The “speck” Jesus refers to is not something insignificant—it was likely a twig or splinter. Though small in comparison to a log, it was not a good thing to have in your eye. Jesus’ comparison is not between a very small sin or fault and one that is large, but between one that is large and one that is gigantic. His primary point is that the sin of the critic is much greater than the sin of the person he is criticizing.

The wretched and gross sin that is always blind to its own sinfulness is self-righteousness. It looks directly at its own sin and still imagines it sees only righteousness.

The very nature of self-righteousness is to justify self and condemn others. Self-righteousness is the worst of all sins because it trusts in self rather than God. It trusts in self to determine what is right and wrong and to determine who does what is right or wrong.

Too, the term “notice” conveys serious, continual meditation. Until you have thought long and hard about your own sin, how can you confront another with his shortcomings?

Ask Yourself

Again, the thought conveyed here is not that we are forbidden from ever pointing out the sins of another, aiding him toward repentance and a desire for God’s forgiveness. But our hearts are so suspect, we must regularly keep our sins confessed and to the surface. How do you practice this discipline in your own life?

From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, http://www.moodypublishers.com.

June 18: A View of Forgiveness

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

God was kind and tenderhearted toward you, forgiving you even when you didn’t deserve it. If you base your attitude toward people on what they deserve, you’ve missed the point. Don’t yell at people, slander them, or get angry with them, even if they deserve it. Those who exemplify God’s character are loving, kind, tender, and forgiving. That’s the kind of attitude God expects from those who are His new creations in Christ.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God’s grace. Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

June 18: Going On Is For Those Who Have Begun

TOZER DEVOTIONAL

In the Hebrew epistle a great deal is said about the need for persistence in the Christian life. The converts were losing heart and the man of God sought to encourage them to “hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first” (3:14). “So do not throw away your confidence,” he exhorts them, “it will be richly rewarded” (10:35).

This concept of the Christian life as a journey to be taken, a growth to be attained, is being lost to us through two widely separated modern errors.

The first is that of the liberal, who cheerfully advises the unrenewed sinner to continue in the Christian life, overlooking the important fact that he has no life in which to continue. Where there has been no impartation of life to the soul of the man, growth and development are impossible. To assume that a saving act of God has been done in a man’s heart when in reality no such act has been done is to set the soul of the man in mortal jeopardy and all but guarantee his final ruin.

Verse

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. First Peter 1:23

Thought

You cannot progress in the Christian life if you have never begun. It is spiritual birth through faith in Christ that gives us life, equipped with the Holy Spirit within and the spiritual dynamic of God. But we can’t grow if we have never been born.

Prayer

Father, thank You I am Your child.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer

Do Not Seek Christian Unity

The Key to True Unity

The key to true unity is to make sure that unity is never the goal. I don’t think that unity can be a goal of Christian faith and practice. I think unity is a result of Christian faith and practice.

Read More Here:
http://www.tillhecomes.org/christian-unity/

WWIII Begins: Iran to send 4,000 troops to aid Syria – U.S. urges allies to supply arms in conflict

Nightmare: US urges Britain and France to join in supplying arms to Syrian rebels as MPs fear that UK will be drawn into growing Sunni-Shia conflict. The civil war in Syria could wage for a decade, with terrorist bombing rampant and erupting across the country from warring Islamic sects.

Read More Here:
http://watcherslamp.blogspot.com/2013/06/wwiii-begins-iran-to-send-4000-troops.html

Eugene Peterson: “Nothing disembodied, nothing impersonal, nothing in general”

Theology is about God, and God is Spirit — so why the adjective ["spiritual" theology]? Maybe because we have accumulated a lot of experience in the Christian community of persons treating theology as a subject in which God is studied in the ways we are taught to study in our schools—acquiring information that we can use, or satisfying our curiosity, or obtaining qualifications for a job or profession. There are, in fact, a lot of people within and outside formal religious settings who talk and write a lot about spirituality, things of the spirit or the soul or “higher things,” but are not interested in God. There is a wonderful line in T. H. White’s novel of King Arthur (The Once and Future King), in which Guinevere in her old age becomes the abbess of a convent: “she was a wonderful theologian but she wasn’t interested in God.” It happens.

So—spiritual theology, lived theology—not just studied, or discussed, or written about; not “God” as an abstraction but God in a participating relationship; not God as a truth to be argued; not God as a weapon to be wielded in the culture wars. Rather, the conviction that everything of God that is revealed to us is to be lived relationally in the dailiness of our human lives on this local ground on which we have been placed. Nothing disembodied, nothing impersonal, nothing in general.

- Eugene Peterson

http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/eugene-peterson-nothing-disembodied-nothing-impersonal-nothing-in-general

June 17: News Summary Headlines

Monday, Jun. 17, 2013

BLOOMBERG

President Obama will sound out western allies this week on how far to go to intervene in Syria’s civil war and find out how determined Russia is to stand in the way.

Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr’s plan to suspend payments on $2 billion of Detroit’s debt threatens a basic tenet of the $3.7 trillion municipal market: that states and cities will raise taxes as high as needed to avoid default.

Demand for the Treasury securities most vulnerable to inflation is climbing to an almost two-year high as pension funds and insurance companies snap up discounted debt with consumer prices rising at the slowest since 2010.

Nuclear utilities thrust into the spotlight after the Fukushima meltdowns have ordered 20 reactors shut, the most in a three-year span since Chernobyl’s aftermath, saddling the industry with a possible $26 billion in costs.

More than $500 billion wiped off the value of U.S. stocks is providing opportunities for investors who remember that equities tend to rise when the Federal Reserve begins reducing efforts to stimulate the economy.

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of Edward Snowden. The last known location of the admitted U.S. intelligence leaker was in Hong Kong. McDonough, in an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” declined to say whether there are plans to prosecute Snowden.

The Swiss government started a new Internet portal to help claimants, museums and researchers track down art looted by the Nazis that has found its way to Switzerland, an art-market hub before and during World War II.

AP Top Stories

President Obama’s job approval rating fell sharply over the past month-from 53 percent to 45 percent, according to a new CNN poll. Fifty-four percent of Americans disapprove of the job he’s doing, also up from 45 percent, the survey found.

Iran’s newly elected president pledged to follow a “path of moderation” and promised greater openness over the country’s nuclear program, but sided with the hard-line Islamic establishment that refuses to consider halting uranium enrichment.

Thirty-eight countries have beaten a U.N.-imposed deadline of 2015 to cut in half the proportion of hungry people.

British Prime Minister David Cameron says leaders gathering for the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland should reach speedy agreement on trade and tax reforms, and draw inspiration from the host country’s ability to resolve its own stubborn conflict.

President Obama declared peace in Northern Ireland a “blueprint” for those living amid conflict around the world, while acknowledging that the calm between Catholics and Protestants will face further tests. Summoning young people to take responsibility for their country’s future, Obama warned there is “more to lose now than there’s ever been.”

Labor unions and political foes of Prime Minister Erdogan rallied by the thousands across Turkey, hoping to capitalize on weeks of initially small-scale protest to register broader discontent.

The US and Cuba will resume talks on restarting direct mail service despite a deadlock between Washington and Havana over detainees that has largely stalled most rapprochement efforts.

Republicans’ hopes to reclaim the White House in the 2016 elections hinge on whether they support – or sabotage – the immigration overhaul being debated in the Senate, two lawmakers who helped write the proposal warn.

Apple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data for the six months ended in May.

A record deficit in platinum supplies is set to push prices higher, as unrest sweeps the South African mining industry and demand is boosted by the auto sector and a new exchange traded fund (ETF), according to HSBC.

BBC

The Turkish government said it could use the armed forces to end nearly three weeks of unrest by protesters in Istanbul and other cities.

The US and South Korea respond to North Korea’s offer of talks with Washington with caution, as the US calls for actions, not words.

The US will keep Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan after a military exercise, angering Russia. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that any attempt to use the F-16s to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would violate international law.

A workshop to make suicide bomber vests has been discovered in northern Mali, the French army has said. About 5,000kg of fertilizer intended to be used as explosive was also uncovered in Bourem, a town on the Niger River between Gao and Timbuktu.

At least 19 people were killed in landslides and flooding after heavy monsoon rains in northern India, officials said.

China-based supercomputer Tianhe-2, developed by the government-run National University of Defense Technology, topped the latest list of the fastest 500 supercomputers, by a team of international researchers.

WND

Maine has become the first state in the nation to pass legislation ordering its grid to be hardened against an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, event.

Fed up with declining payments and rising red tape, a small but growing number of doctors are opting out of the insurance system completely. They’re expecting patients to pony up with cash.

Rotting, Decaying And Bankrupt – If You Want To See The Future Of America Just Look At Detroit

Eventually the money runs out. Much of America was shocked when the city of Detroit defaulted on a $39.7 million debt payment and announced that it was suspending payments on $2.5 billion of unsecured debt, but those who visit my site on a regular basis were probably not too surprised. Anyone with half a brain and a calculator could see this coming from a mile away. But people kept foolishly lending money to the city of Detroit, and now many of them are going to get hit really hard. Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has submitted a proposal that would pay unsecured creditors about 10 cents on the dollar. Similar haircuts would be made to underfunded pension and health benefits for retirees. Orr is hoping that the creditors and the unions that he will be negotiating with will accept this package, but he concedes that there is still a “50-50 chance” that the city of Detroit will be forced to formally file for bankruptcy. But what Detroit is facing is not really that unique. In fact, Detroit is a perfect example of what the future of America is going to look like. We live in a nation that is rotting, decaying, drowning in debt and racing toward insolvency. Already there are dozens of other cities across the nation that are poverty-ridden, crime-infested hellholes just like Detroit is, and hundreds of other communities are rapidly heading in that direction. So don’t look down on Detroit. They just got there before the rest of us. (Read More….)

Immigration law mandate: Biometric ID cards to become mandatory

Buried in the comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the Senate are obscure provisions that impose on Americans expansive national identification systems, tied to electronic verification schemes. Under the guise of “reform,” these trample fundamental rights and freedoms.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2265155/pg1

The Government’s Spying Is Not As Bad As The Whistleblower Said … It’s WORSE

The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone call could be accessed “simply based on an analyst deciding that.”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-governments-spying-is-not-as-bad-as-the-whistleblower-said-its-worse/5339213

The Making of a Totalitarian State

For someone who understands Bible prophecy, there is nothing humorous about our government acting like Big Brother. The Bible warns that in that last days the Antichrist will have total control of the citizens of planet Earth. If the NSA PRISM program is not part of the Beast’s 666-mark system, it will at least be a prototype of the network he sets-up.

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one can buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17).

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Soros and Evangelicals Unite

Founders of Evangelicalism Would be Ashamed of This Union

According to the Arizona Republic, the George Soros funded National Immigration Forum, which advocates virtual open borders, is paying for a $250,000 national radio ad campaign with prominent Evangelicals urging legislation to legalize about 11 million illegal immigrants. The ads are timed to influence the upcoming debate starting this week in the U.S. Senate over legislation that would legalize first and later seek greater enforcement measures in the future.

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The Christian and Patriotism

Kevin T. Bauder

[This essay was originally published on July 8, 2005.]

Patriots come in more than one variety. Some patriots honor their nation more than they honor God. That kind of patriotism is arrogant, idolatrous, and immoral. Other patriots, however, are motivated by a sense of gratitude at the patrimony they have received from their homeland. They display their gratitude in ordinate ways, remembering that every nation, like every person, is finite and flawed. Such patriotism is not only permissible; it is probably implied by the fifth commandment.

Let me identify myself as a patriot of the second sort. The citizens of the United States are constituted as a people by an idea. This idea has been established and articulated in the founding documents of their republic (the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights) and in other significant statements (the Mayflower Compact, Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Association, the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address). This idea involves the rule of law, limited government, separation of powers, guarantees of important freedoms, and individual responsibility and accountability. I believe that the constitutional republic of the United States is almost as close as one can get to an ideal government of, by, and for sinful people. I love the idea and honor the symbols that represent it: the National Anthem, the Fourth of July, the flag. I wear the uniform in the auxiliary of one of the nation’s armed services. And yes, I pledge allegiance to the flag.

Let me say it plainly: I love these United States. What factors should help us decide whether to honor and celebrate the United States (or any other nation) in our church services?

Read More Here: http://www.centralseminary.edu/resources/nick-of-time/in-the-nick-of-time-archive/463-the-christian-and-patriotism

Pop Culture Isn't the Source of Theological Truth

Reblogged from Zwinglius Redivivus:

It strikes me as more than odd that some 'theologians' are more interested in talking about the 'subtle themes of redemption' in films than in talking about scripture.  The very 'theologians' who talk most about theological themes in pop culture tend to be the ones least familiar with what scripture says, and means.  What they don't realize is that pop culture isn't the source, or even a source, of theological truth.

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