PropheZine Newsletter #103 September 15, 2000 Bob Lally Publisher Lori Eldridge Senior. Editor Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor Zenith Merrill Asst. Editor To Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Change email addresses see notice at the bottom of this newsletter. ====================================================== IN THIS ISSUE ----GREETING FROM LORI ELDRIDGE ----MINISTRY NEWS ----ARTICLES Dr. Jack Van Impe.....The Signs of His Second Coming! Berit Kjos..... Two UN Summits, One Millennium Goal: Conforming Humanity to Socialist Solidarity Bob Ippolito..... The Media is controlled - and the Internet Must Also Be ----DEVOTIONALS Barri Mallin..... Ready for a Hebrew lesson? ----POETRY Timothy Jon Barrett..... SPIRITUAL AMNESIA ----SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ----SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE ----PRIVACY NOTICE ====================================================== GREETING FROM LORI ELDRIDGE ====================================================== Greetings Everyone, My ISP decided to discontinue dial-up service on the first of the month so please take note of my new email address below. Most of my web pages can be reached through PZ's home page. Lots of things happening in the news this month. Berit Kjos summed up the UN religious and world governing summits quite nicely. Does anyone beside me see the parallel between these world gatherings aimed at a one world religion/government and what happened before God destroyed the Tower of Babel? We also have an article by our assistant editor, Bob Ippolito, showing how the internet is being controlled just like our media. Toping the list of articles is another excellent article by Dr. Jack Van Impe on signs of the second coming. Be blessed, Lori Eldridge lorield@uswest.net Senior Editor ====================================================== MINISTRY NEWS by Bob Lally ====================================================== Hi Everyone! We sold 90 copies of The Christ Clone Trilogy. Thank God! The publisher is printing more copies (10,000 I think) so if you are interested in making a purchase please go to http://www.prophezine.com/bookstore/james.html Please remember that PropheZine receives a large commission from each set sold! The PropheZine News on the Home Page as become quite popular. We post news between 7am and 9am EST each morning. We mostly post events that relate in some way to End Times. I also post again later in the day on most days. Enjoy! Well, that's it for now. We have more features coming soon so keep watching! Bob Lally PropheZine ************** ARTICLES ************** ====================================================== A Message From Dr. Jack Van Impe: The Signs of His Second Coming (http://www.jvim.com) ====================================================== The Signs of His Second Coming Revelation 17 warns of the rise of a one-world religious system, which will unite all false religions just before the return of Christ to earth. Do you know the foundation for such a plan is already being laid? Powerful forces are at work today to create a United Religions organization that mimics the United Nations in structure, scope and authority. The second sign Jesus predicted as a precursor of His return has to do with "Wars and rumors of wars." In other words, the planet will be consumed in violence, revolution, upheaval and chaos. It will not just be nation against nation, but "kingdom against kingdom" -- indicating the political map of the world will need to be redrawn. Have we not seen the early stages of this phenomenon in the 1990's as one of the largest and most powerful empires of all time-the Soviet Union-imploded suddenly and almost without warning? Have we not witnessed the rise of another empire in the East as China emerges as an economic and military superpower? Have we not observed the maps of Eastern Europe and Central Asia being completely redrawn? Today we see brother fighting against brother, tribe against tribe, in Albania, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Sudan and, of course, in the Middle East -the center stage for the unfolding prophetic drama. But there's more. Jesus continued, And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places," Matthew 24:7. Famines? Recently I reported in the Van Impe Intelligence Briefing that the world's leading agricultural scientists say we are headed for an unprecedented global food shortage beyond the scope of anything modern man can imagine. They said that because the developing world's population is expected to grow by 2 billion in the next few years, those countries least able to produce food will need at least 75 percent more. Yet, despite advances in technology, food production around the world is growing at its slowest rate in four decades and is actually on the decline in at least 90 countries. Grain stocks are at their lowest levels in 35 years. Diseases that won’t go away Pestilences? It would have been hard to imagine, even a generation ago, that the world would be preoccupied with infectious diseases and plagues. After all, thanks to immunizations and better drugs, scientists were confidently predicting the demise of many common, yet threatening, illnesses. Some even went on record saying that certain diseases would soon be gone forever. How wrong they were. Not only have these diseases refused to go away, they have increased dramatically. Not only in the under-developed nations, but here in North America as well. Even leaving deadly AIDS out of the equation, common infections such as pneumonia are killing more people than ever. Why? Because of the growing resistance to the very antibiotics that were supposed to save us. As grave as the situation is in the United States, it is even worse throughout the rest of the world. Global incidences of cholera, tuberculosis, diphtheria and bubonic plague have skyrocketed in the past five years. The mosquito-borne illness dengue, which produces deadly fevers, has shown up in Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time in more than 20 years. Another factor in the spreading of disease is the new levels of international travel and mixing of populations that has occurred only in the latter part of the 20th century. As Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg put it: "We have created the perfect world for the bugs to take over." Earthquakes? Is it our imagination or have more and more violent quakes shaken the tectonic plates of our earth in recent years? Or is it simply better technology that allows us to measure them and report them to the world instantaneously? Perhaps it is both. The truth is we are witnessing a dramatic upsurge in earthquake and volcanic activity throughout the globe. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, from 1890 to 1930, there were only eight quakes measuring 6.0 or larger. From 1930 to 1960, there were 18. From 1960 to 1979, however, there were 64 "killer" quakes. And from 1980 to 1996, there were more than 200. What does Jesus tell us next? Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. This worldwide persecution of the church is taking place in increasing numbers and nations even as you read these words. Christians in the North America are suddenly awakening to the extent of the slaughter and repression of believers in Communist and Islamic nations. I've just seen a report that indicates Christians in India and in many Muslim nations are being hunted down and persecuted in record numbers. Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute has called Christians "the Jews of the 21st century." The horrors are unspeakable in some Islamic countries, where Christians are being literally crucified for their faith. In China, the underground church-members of which are subject to arrest just for reading the Bible-is said to be larger than the entire evangelical community in the United States. Even here in the enlightened West, we are seeing the emergence of anti-Christian bigotry in the media, in government and in the popular culture. The Struggle will continue And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another, Jesus says in Matthew 24:10. Does this sound familiar? Have you ever known a time in history in which people are so easily offended over nothing? Now that the Ten Commandments has been relegated to the scrap heap by the world-and considered by many to be simply the Ten Suggestions-absolute standards of right and wrong are no longer in vogue. So now we have new sets of rules-wacky laws and regulations that cause a six-year-old boy to be kicked out of school for innocently kissing a girl on the cheek. "Sexual harassment," they called it. This in an age when all-too-many schoolchildren are carrying guns to school and taking drugs. Think about the divorce rate. Is not unfaithfulness or adultery the ultimate form of betrayal-whether it is at the highest level of government or in the bedroom of the average citizen? That's the world we're living in today-a world in which no one knows whom to trust anymore, a world in which nothing, not even the most loving relationships, seem permanent and lasting. A world that is leaping headlong toward a seven-year Tribulation hour which, praise God, will be followed by an era of peace such as the world has never known. However, we are not quite there yet! So let’s continue. Think about the enmity people have for one another around the world. It's not just nation rising up against nation, it's brother fighting with brother. Look at Bosnia and Rwanda where people who look like one another, and even speak the same language, are merciless in their bloodlust and commitment to ethic cleansing. The latest killing field is Albania, where civil war is wreaking havoc because the people feel "betrayed" by their own government. In the last days, not only will people look to false Christs, but will also flock to false prophets (Matthew 24:5, 11, 24). Today, we see self-proclaimed gurus, many of whom wear clerical garb, telling us we are being misled by the truth of the Holy Scriptures. They suggest a better way, or multiple ways, or more convenient ways, or ways that do not offend the masses of reaching God. They misrepresent the Word of God. They distort it. They read it out of context. They ignore passages they do not like. They search in vain for new passages that validate their blasphemous beliefs. In addition to quasi-Christians peddling a false gospel, we have the New Age charlatans spreading demonically inspired ideas about channeling, chanting and other neo-pagan myths, relying on crystals instead of Christ. Because of this situation, Jesus said: "the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12) But the news, even in this trying time, is not all bad. God is still in charge. One day He will bring ultimate peace to our world. However, that time has not yet come. Jesus said, And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. Then and only then, Jesus says in verse 14, shall the end come, meaning the end of this age, not the world. Then Jesus, our Lord and Savior, shall appear with lightning speed in a blaze of glory. (Matthew 24:27) Do you realize, that only in this age of modern communications and world travel could even the most isolated peoples be reached with the Word of God? Today it is happening! The same technology that makes global government a threat, makes it easier than ever to blanket the globe with the truth. That's what our ministry is all about: fulfilling the Great Commission. Did you know that there are more than 6,000 languages spoken in this world today? Never before has the Bible been translated into so many of these tongues-even some spoken by obscure tribal peoples with no access to radio, television, the Internet or even the written word. Yes, my friends so much is happening in our world today to show that we are the generation about which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:34. And no signs are more important than the rebirth of the state of Israel in 1948 and the recapturing of Jerusalem by the Jews in 1967. The sheer existence of Israel is a testament to the truth of the prophets and the fact that God keeps His word. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. An when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24-32)Jesus is coming soon So the good news is that Jesus is returning! He is coming back! And this time, He's staying on earth to rule personally for 1,000 years. Even that is only the beginning, because He is establishing an earthly kingdom that will last forever--in a world without end. (Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 45:17, Ephesians 3:21; Luke 1:33; Hebrews 1:8). The prayer of every believer should be even so, come Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).The Nations are Judged Now let’s fast forward the clock of time and return to the subject at hand. The terrible seven years of Tribulation has ended. Prophecy after prophecy has been fulfilled, and we have now entered the glorious Millennium, that thousand-year period of calm and serenity that has come about solely because Christ is our earthly ruler and Lord. However, it will also be a time when Jesus judges the nations. This will occur in the valley of Jehoshaphat, in the Kidron valley, below the eastern gate following the battle of Armageddon. I have always thought it to be ironic that Christ judges the nations in the same spot where he was betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Now you may ask, Why will Jesus judge the nations? What have they done to deserve this judgment? First, a point of clarification. This is not the judgment of Revelation 20:11-15, that general judgment of the world, which we call the Great Judgment Day. The judgment to which we are now referring is the one that prepares the people for the millennial reign, the thousand-year rule of Christ upon earth. In Matthew 25:31-46, we see God judging the nations because the world’s inhabitants did or did not receive Christ, did or did not receive the mark of the beast, and because they did or did not persecute Yahweh’s wife, the Jews. Let’s delve deeper to establish who these people are. First, there are the ones-on the right, according to Scripture-who have shown love for the Jewish people and then for all people because of the Spirit of Christ living within them. These accepted the message of Christ's Kingdom including their belief in the efficacy of the cross and the shed blood of our Savior (John 1:29). And what does Christ say to those who have shown love and have prepared their hearts by receiving the message of Calvary? Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). I cannot think of anything more exciting in Scripture than to realize that the coming of the King was planned from the creation and foundation of the world. Now, all is ready, and He says to those who believe, Come! Your hearts are ready. You have believed, and now you will receive your reward-that is to live with me on earth for one thousand glorious years. The Ultimate Purging But what of the others, those on the "left hand" who have demonstrated hatred toward so many? These are the bigots, the racists, those who have thrived on the venom of anti-Semitism, who failed to come to the cross to receive the Savior’s forgiveness. These individuals sought neither a new heart nor a changed life through Christ's work at Calvary. What happens to those who have missed the mark? Matthew 25:41 says, Then shall he say to them on the left hand, depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire. That is the ultimate purging as the lost are eliminated. Only those who have accepted Jesus enter the earthly Kingdom and enjoy the great and glorious beginning of the next phase of life. Satan has been bound, and the saved are entering and enjoying the Kingdom for which believers prayed for centuries (Matthew 6:10). No sinners remain to influence the redeemed for evil. Something else is extremely interesting in this context. In Daniel chapter 12, verses 11 and 12, we see a mention of 1290 and 1335 days. This passage says, And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. What is the significance of these numbers? Clearly, we know the tribulation period will last 2520 days because that is exactly seven years long (Daniel 9:27). A Jewish month was 30 days, so if you multiply 30 days a month by 12 months you get 360, and 7 years of that becomes 2520, and one half of that becomes 1260. Note that in Revelation 11:3 and Revelation 12:6 it talks about the final 1260 day reign of Antichrist. What does it mean? As mentioned previously, we know that the Tribulation period will last 2520 days according to the Jewish calendar (Daniel 9:27). Now one half of that is 1260 days. But what about the 1290 days? Why the additional 30 days? Because when Christ comes, the first thing he does is destroy the Antichrist, his works and the false prophet by casting them into the lake of fire. We see this is Revelation 19:20, And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. So Christ judges the corruption that has existed under the regime of these evil ones and that takes 30 days. Next, the text mentions 45 more additional days for a total of 1335. Why? Because Christ judges the nations and their inhabitants. But how can He possibly do this in such a short period of time? Because believers who returned with Him share in the judgment of the world (I Corinthians 6:2). And oh what a time of rejoicing this will be as Christ ushers in a theocracy-the rule of God upon earth for centuries to come. Many continue to misunderstand that it is only after the thousand years when Christ is re-commissioned that the eternal kingdom continues in total perfection. Please don’t misunderstand. Righteous living will occur during the Millennium but not a time of perfection because those who entered the Kingdom after the judgment of the nations in Matthew 25 will still be housed in normal bodies containing old natures. Because of this situation, millions rebel against Christ’s authority through their descendants at the conclusion of the thousand years (Revelation 20:7-10).It’s important to remember that when we who are raptured return with Christ to that Holy City of Revelation 21:9 to 22:15, we will have bodies that no longer sin because they are like our Lord’s. We were translated, changed, made new creations on the way up (Philippians 3:20). But those who remained still have their old bodies containing the old Adamic nature. They will still procreate and have children, and their children will have children who can sin. Because of this situation, Christ must rule the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9, Revelation 19:15). The Rule of the Rod of Iron Because Christ establishes a theocracy on earth, He now administers His power to subdue mankind’s stubborn natures (Psalm 2:9). But that’s not all. He also rules with a rod of iron to keep people in line even when there's no devil to tempt them, even when there's no worldliness allowed, no riotous living, because of Christ’s control over the subjects of His kingdom. Imagine. Millions go into His kingdom as righteous people but bear children who turn away from the Lord. I've always felt if the Lord can't convince people of His power and majesty after a thousand years of earthly reign, that it’s nothing short of amazing when we preach the gospel in our day that people actually get saved and begin their walk with the Lord. I have always seen this as one of the greatest miracles of all. Another question I am often asked is If the devil is bound during this time, and Jesus is on earth ruling and reigning with a rod of iron, how is it possible for sin to remain so rampant? Here is the answer. There are three things that make us sin: the world, the flesh and the devil. First, the devil becomes helpless and is ruled out of the picture because Christ comes and binds Satan for a thousand years, (Revelation 20, verses 1 to 3) and casts him into the bottomless pit where he co-exists with the beast and false prophet (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10). Secondly, because Christ rules with a rod of iron, there will be no strip shows, no pornography, no drunkenness, no drug addiction, no overt expression of evil of any kind. Christ simply will not allow it (Revelation 19:15). So what is left? The flesh! Remember there are still great multitudes in the Millennium with bodies possessing old natures and James 1:13 states: Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. So sin occurs because of mankind’s fleshly bodies and natures. Therefore, since the wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death, James 1:15, mankind must still die (Isaiah 65:20). This, however, will not include the Raptured who already have glorified bodies and enjoy a sinless life in this Holy City above earth. They can never die again. Nevertheless, the good news concerning the earth dwellers is that sin is limited making it possible for people to live extended and lengthy lives during the Millennium. In fact, Isaiah 65:20 says that a child, at 100 years of age, is considered to be practically a teenager because sin, which brings death, is vastly limited under Christ’s rule. So they will still be able to sin, but in a limited environment and because of it live happier and longer lives. But let me say it again, the ones who are hovering above the earth in the Holy City, the ones who returned with Christ and are in their new glorified bodies cannot sin. They live eternally beginning with the thousand-year reign of Christ as well as during Christ’s eternal kingdom upon earth after the Millennium. In this final Kingdom on earth, all its inhabitants will have received glorified bodies and thus making sin impossible forever. Presently, the stage is set for this era of righteousness and peace such as the world has never experienced. Soon we will have heaven on earth forever fulfilling the prayer stated in Matthew 6:10, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Visit the Van Impe web site at http://www.jvim.com ====================================================== Two UN Summits, One Millennium Goal: Conforming Humanity to Socialist Solidarity by Berit Kjos ====================================================== The Millennium World Peace Summit http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/aboutframe.html (August 28-31) sought a spiritual foundation for a global ethic of socialist rights and duties The UN Millennium Summit http://www.un.org/millennium/ (September 6-8) sought approval for a world government that would manage natural, human, and social resources around the world by consensus "For the first time in history religious and spiritual leaders from the major religious traditions and from all regions of the world met at the United Nations to pledge themselves to work for peace. They signed this 'Commitment to Global Peace' and resolved to join together to address the pressing problems of conflict, poverty and the environment." Commitment to Global Peace http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/aboutframe.html "...there have been well meaning and sometimes eloquent calls for world government; calls which pointed to the unfairness, inequality and injustice of the present distributions of wealth, power and policy making.... If only we could work as one world, then we could solve the world's problems together." Introduction to The Charter for Global Democracy signed at the Millennium Summit. http://www.charter99.org/charter.html "We pledge to move expeditiously to endow the UN with resources -- both operational and financial -- commensurate to the tasks it faces in its peacekeeping activities worldwide.... As Permanent Members of the Security Council, we will continue to fulfill our obligations under the Charter and commit to making UN organization stronger and more effective." Presidents Clinton (USA), Putin (Russia), Zeming (China) and Chirac (France) and Prime Minister Blair (UK), September 7, 2000. Statement by the P-5 on the Millennium Summit. http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/9/8/ 2.text.1 The two UN summits fit together. As in Nazi Germany, political success calls for cooperating churches and compromising spiritual leaders. http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#1 [1] Both Summits agreed to build a more "efficient" United Nations. They wanted a standing UN army and a "reformed" Security Council -- one unencumbered by the "gridlock" of a veto. Canadian master-strategist Maurice Strong, http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#ms who led the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, serves their joint goal well. Mr. Strong, who now heads the UN's University of Peace -- a vital partner to the World Peace Summit -- is also in charge of UN "reforms". His view of the needed reforms is no secret, for his leadership on the strategic Commission on Global Governance exposed some sobering plans. Its 1995 report, Our Global Neighborhood, http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#gn outlined the agenda: "Governments are understandably reluctant to commit troops rapidly for UN action, particularly in civil wars and internal conflicts.... "This underlines the need for a highly trained UN Volunteer Force that is willing, if necessary, to take combat risks.... Such an international Volunteer Force would be under the exclusive authority of the Security Council...." (page 110) What if the US Congress disagrees with UN decisions. Could it simply press for a US veto on the Security Council? Not if Strong implements his vision of reform. The United States, which is billed 25% of the huge UN budget, would be dismissed from the Security Council: "We recommend that a new class of 'standing ' members be established.... Of these new members, two should be drawn from industrial countries and three from among the larger developing countries. Of the two from industrial countries, presumably one will be from Asia and one from Europe. Of the three from developing countries, we would expect one each to be drawn from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.... "The new standing members will not possess a veto, and we believe the aim should be for the power of the veto to be phased out." (240-241) Many Americans refuse to believe this could happen. Others -- who like my family in Norway, saw nations shift from freedom to Nazi tyranny overnight during World War II -- know well that massive social changes always have and will be part of history. It's tempting to think that the United Nations would save us from such devastations in the future. Instead, we need to realize that the same human quest for power that drove Lenin and Hitler to unthinkable ends, is now being centralized in a single government ruled by ambitious, compromising national leaders -- some in virtual bondage to the World Bank and IMF. Granting such powers to the UN would mean that countless decisions affecting our lives and families will be made for us by leaders who are not accountable to voters and cannot be removed from office. So don't be deceived by the noble sentiments. In spite of the grand promises, local control and "decentralization" are outright lies! Everyone -- throughout the world -- would have to live, think, participate and work according UN rules and standards or face a potential intrusion by the UN-controlled forces. And when that happens, you would have no place to hide. (See Local Agenda 21 http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/la21_198.html ) Part 1: The World Peace Summit http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/aboutframe.html Sheiks and swamis, priests and patriarchs, moguls and medicine men.... From around the world, they had gathered in New York on August 28 to join a four-day dialogue on "unity among religions." This Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual leaders would supposedly thrust humanity toward a utopian oneness and peace on earth. But for those who doubt the noble rhetoric, this meeting of minds raised some sobering questions: What kind of unity did these religious leaders envision? What would the UN require of its spiritual leaders? What did they have in common? What kind of unity? Not all spiritual leaders were welcome. The new global "democracy" calls for worldwide representation -- but only by those who conform to the UN vision of solidarity. Dissenting voices could cause conflict and expose the lack of consensus. As Rabbi Arthur Schneier, president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, said, "We have to marginalize religious leaders who are peace spoilers and are inciting hatred http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/cwhbcv3-98.html and nationalistic passions, which destroys life.... We have a lot of those who are out there who are not in sync, and who are seeking to undermine our peacemaking, bridge-building efforts.'' http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#3 [2] "Peace spoilers" include those who refuse to conform to the UN vision of "Religion in a Culture of Peace." Biblical Christianity would fit the label well, for the true followers of Christ cannot be "in sync" with the world. They will not compromise their faith in order to please the global village. Since Ted Turner's Better World Fund paid most of the Summit expenses, one would expect intolerance for God's truth. It's no secret that the Summit's Honorary Chairman Turner has little love for Christianity. In his Summit message, he described his spiritual search: "The thing that disturbed me is that my religious Christian sect was very intolerant... because it taught we were the only ones going to heaven. It just confused the devil out of me because I said heaven is going to be a might empty place with nobody else there. "Now I believe there may be one God who manifests himself in different ways to different people ... And I can't believe God wants us to blow ourselves to kingdom come. He wants us to love each other and live in peace." http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#33 [3] http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00b/20000839a.htm Ted Turner Attacks Christianity At U.N. "Peace Summit" http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#33 The Dalai Lama didn't fit either. China would tolerate no public support for the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader. Its leaders had voiced their disapproval, and the UN chose to violate its own principles rather than offend the Communist giant. What does the UN require of its spiritual leaders? The UN's readiness to bow to Chinese demands caused both concern and consternation. "While religion should not dictate politics, neither should politics dictate faith,'' said Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We have a very sorry experience from the Communist period, as well as the most recent past, where politics has manipulated religion.'' It makes sense that history would repeat itself. In spite of the tempting lies about human and spiritual evolution, human nature doesn't change from century to century. June Griffin, who attended the Summit with support from Congress, described the hypocrisy of those who proclaim lofty ideals but pursue self-interest, power and prestige: "Past agendas have failed, thus religion is to be reintroduced into politics as the ultimate pressure. Over a thousand religious leaders and spiritual heads of the poor nations came to the UN Religious Peace Summit in their humblest limousines, SUV's and other means of western accommodation, after having flown through the air on Yankee-invented airplanes. One Hindu said he spent $20,000 to attend and still he couldn't get a place to speak. Not all is well. ... "The solemn ceremony was delayed 45 minutes because the emcee was unable to clear the first three rows for the speakers. Either they didn't understand his "please empty the first three rows so that we can get on with this historic event," or used it as a good excuse to retain the best seats. He pleaded patiently for 45 minutes, I said, and in vain called an interpreter, but alas, none moved. "Please turn off cell phones," but they rang on. Seems Mother Earth's children don't mind very well." http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#4 [4] A personal report from a reporter who was present at the conference. What did count was a public demonstration of "unity in diversity." This "diversity" called for showy but shallow distinctions between their various religions. Drums, feathers and other outward symbols helped hide the genuine ideological differences which had yielded to UN standards for the new global "unity." In other words, peace pipes and distinguishing robes were welcome. Unlike the Biblical cross, they didn't threaten the blueprint for solidarity. What did they have in common? At the close of the World Summit, the spiritual guides signed a "Commitment to Global Peace." http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/aboutframe.html Together they would support the UN's quest for answers to "the pressing problems of conflict, poverty and the environment." As in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and Communist China, compliant religious leaders would consent to a common UN-defined duty: to be used by political strategists to persuade and manage the masses. Ponder some of the suggestions in this Commitment to Global Peace. As in most UN documents, it highlights the crisis needed to justify the loss of freedom and the planned control. Notice how it commits religious leaders (1) to accept its dubious presumptions, and (2) to use their influence to serve the UN agenda for "sustainable development" -- establishing a socialist welfare system and economic equality around the world under the banner of "saving the environment." "Whereas our world is plagued by violence, war and destruction, which are sometimes perpetrated in the name of religion.... "Whereas no individual, group or nation can any longer live as an isolated microcosm in our interdependent world.... "Whereas there can be no real peace until all groups and communities acknowledge the cultural and religious diversity of the human family in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding.... "In light of the above, and with a view to discharging our duty to the human family, we declare our commitment and determination: 1. To collaborate with the United Nations and all men and women of goodwill locally, regionally and globally in the pursuit of peace..... 2. To lead humanity by word and deed in a renewed commitment to ethical and spiritual values... 5. To awaken in all individuals and communities a sense of shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family.... 7. To educate our communities about the urgent need to care for the earth's ecological systems.... The second point -- "no individual... can any longer live as an isolated microcosm in our interdependent world" -- is already being used in communities across the USA to justify pressuring people of all ages to participate in the consensus process. http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/mc9-24-98.html The Columbine massacre and the new quest to identify "loners" as potential criminals have intensified this pressure. Remember, the United Nations demands solidarity. Only a new set of shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors can complete its utopian vision of the global community. To succeed, it needs the cooperation of spiritual leaders who will persuade their followers. Absolute truth and political dissent are unacceptable. Uncompromising positions could bring conflict and gridlock. Our Global Neighborhood suggests a threefold approach to establishing " an ethical dimension to global governance. " Do they sound familiar? Encourage commitment to core values and strengthen the sense of common responsibility for the global neighborhood. Express these values through a global ethic of specific rights and responsibilities. Embody this ethic in the evolving system of international norms, adapting, where necessary existing norms of sovereignty. (See Our Global Neighborhood) http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#gn This "sense of common responsibility" was as vital to totalitarianism in Nazi Germany and the Communist block as it is to the United Nations today. While the responsibilities (or duties) were adapted to both real and artificial needs of the times, they served to focus the masses on common quests. Part 2: The UN Millennium Summit http://www.un.org/millennium/ Like today's leading politicians, the Summit promised all kinds of rewards to those who would bow to its reign. But its seductive promises hide unthinkable threats to personal freedom and national sovereignty. Their purpose is socialist control, not compassion. Hard to believe? Then look at the roots of the United Nations. Founded in 1945, the United Nations chose the communist spy Alger Hiss http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,41464+1+40585,00.html as its first, though temporary, Secretary-General. http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#5 [5] A Harvard law-school graduate, he served as an advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt at the end of World War II. While secretly functioning as a Soviet agent, Hiss worked with the forerunner to the National Council of Churches to establish a world government that fit the Communist vision for socialist control. (See Conforming the Church to the New Millennium) http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/ConformingChurch1-0 He didn't stay long at the helm of the organization he had helped found. In 1946 he was elected president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and was replaced by Trygve Lie, a Norwegian labor leader. http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,49312+1+48173,00.html Trygve Lie had earlier first been nominated to preside over the General Assembly by Andrey A. Gromyko of the Soviet Union. As Secretary-General in 1950, he urged that the UN admit the Communist People's Republic of China. But he offended the Soviet Union by supporting military intervention in the Korean War. From then on, he faced its "official hindrance and personal insult." Meanwhile, as a result of the McCarthy investigations against suspected Communists in the UN, Lie's "secretariat was accused of giving jobs to disloyal U.S. citizens." None of the charges were proven, but his authority suffered and he resigned in 1952. http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#6 [6] In the article, The Un-American United Nations, http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=2000/9/6/092459 Steve Farrell wrote: "Of the 17 individuals identified by the US State Department as having helped shape US policy leading to the creation of the United Nations, all but one were later identified as secret members of the Communist Party USA.... "... the ideological makeup of the UN¹s leadership has been constant. In its 54 year history all eight Secretary Generals of the UN have been either dedicated socialists or communists, all 15 of the UN Under-Secretary-Generals for Political and Security Council Affairs (the UN¹s military boss) have been communists (all but one from the Soviet Union/Russian Federation), and two thirds of the membership in the General Assembly, the Security Council, and in the World Court have always been representatives of socialist and communist nations.... "Besides the scandal of having American communists Alger Hiss and company as the creators of the UN, a 1952 official Senate investigation into the then 6 year old United Nations revealed, 'extensive evidence indicating that there is today in the UN among the American employees there, the greatest concentration of Communists that this committee has ever encountered.' And these were high officials." http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#7 [7] Words that, to many, bring a sense of security such as peace, ethics, compassion, rights, democracy, security, and sovereignty become meaningless in this context. Like Gorbachev's "Council of the Wise," the minds behind the UN agenda are masters at deception. Having rejected Biblical and moral absolutes, they are free to believe that the end they envision justifies any unconscionable means. Consider some of the main points in the "working draft" http://www.sovereignty.net/p/gov/madeclaration.htm of the United Nations Millennium Declaration "unanimously adopted" http://srch1.un.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb?state_id=968860489&view=unsearch&numhi tsfound=3&query=United%20Nations%20Millennium%20Declaration&&docid=1571&docd b=pr2000&dbname=web&sorting=BYRELEVANCE&operator=adj&TemplateName=predoc.tmp l&setCookie=1 by the delegates: I. Values and Principles 1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the United Nations, have gathered... to reaffirm our faith in the Organization and its Charter as indispensable foundations of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. Fact: It cancels every Constitutional right we treasure in America. The UN offers no balance of powers, no jury trial when accused..... (See Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules) http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/turfur12-98.html 2. We recognize that... we have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of equality and equity at the global level.... Fact: If your lifestyle fails to meet the UN's socialist standard for equality and equity you will face the consequences. 3. We reaffirm our commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, which have proved timeless and universal.... Fact: The UN Charter, as an international treaty, could cancel our freedoms under the U.S. Constitution. 4. We believe that the central challenge we face today is to ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for all the world's people.... To be inclusive and equitable, globalization requires broad and sustained effort to create a shared future, based upon our common humanity in all its diversity.... Fact: This requires totalitarian training, management and monitoring of human resources around the world. Today's teaching and surveillance technology makes it possible to monitor compliance with the UN's politically correct "mental health" (including community participation and willingness to compromise) of each person and community. The UN claims the right to define the rules, manage the action, and monitor compliance on each of the points below. The nice-sounding terms help win public consensus, but they hide an agenda that opposes the freedom we treasure in America. For example, "Equality" would end your family's right to choose traditional gender roles for your home. "Tolerance" carries the duty to participate in the (dialectic)consensus process, http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/MentalHealth2-99.html put aside contrary facts and absolutes, and join the unbiblical quest for "common ground." 5. We consider certain fundamental values to be essential to international relations in the 21st Century. These include: Freedom: Men and women have the right to live their lives and raise their children in dignity, free from hunger and from the fear of violence, oppression or injustice. ... Equality: No individual and no nation must be denied the opportunity to benefit from development. The equal rights and opportunities of women and men must be assured. Solidarity: Global challenges must be managed multilaterally, and in a way that shares the costs and burdens fairly in accordance with the most basic principles of equity and social justice. ... Tolerance: Human beings must respect each other, in all their diversity.... Differences... should neither be feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset.... Dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted. Respect for nature: Prudence must be shown in the management of all living species and natural resources, in accordance with the precepts of sustainable development. ... The current unsustainable patterns of production and consumption must be seriously addressed in the interest of our future.... The next section is introduced in Article 6 as "the key objectives to which we assign particular significance." It includes surrendering legal rights such as a jury trial to the whims and inefficiencies of a UN Criminal Court and to UN officials who often despise everything America once valued. II. Peace, Security and Disarmament 7. We will spare no effort to free our peoples from the scourge of war... 8. We resolve therefore: To strengthen respect for the rule of law.... [i.e. the UN's international laws] To enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security, by giving it the resources and the tools required to promote conflict prevention, the peaceful resolution of disputes, post-conflict peace building and reconstruction, and by strengthening the capacity of the Organization to conduct peace keeping operations. To take concerted action against the menaces of terrorism and drug trafficking.... To take concerted action to prevent the illegal traffic in small arms and light weapons, especially by creating greater transparency in arms transfers.... To strive towards the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons... National sovereignty isn't mentioned here. However, the Security Council Declaration http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/peace_security.htm signed on September 7 "reaffirms its commitment to the principles of... national sovereignty... and respect for human rights and the rule of law." But, as in most UN treaties, there is a catch. (See Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules) http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/turfur12-98.html If, in the eyes of the UN, a nation violates the rules and principles of these treaties, they would face UN disciplines. If, under the planned UN monitoring system, a person or nation fails to carry out its UN-defined duties, it loses its rights. In this context, national sovereignty becomes meaningless. The U.S. Constitution would no longer guard the nation against UN legal or military interference. For example, the Declaration "Affirms its determination to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping operations by: "taking steps to assist the United Nations to obtain trained and properly equipped personnel for peacekeeping operations;" "strengthening consultations with troop contributing countries when deciding on such operations;" President Clinton and other national representatives have promised to provide the resources needed to establish a UN militia capable of "rapid deployment" that could interfere in civil matters within nations. In effect, they are handing the UN the very tools it needs to destroy the freedom God once gave us. In his Summit speech on September 6, http://www.un.org/millennium/webcast/statements/usa.htm Bill Clinton gave the kind of ambiguous message we have learned to expect from our president. You may want to compare his Executive Order on The Implementation of Human Rights treaties http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/turfur12-98.html with these nice-sounding words. They take on a different meaning in the overall context: "We find today fewer wars between nations, but more wars within them. Such international conflicts, often driven by ethnic and religious differences, took five million lives into the last decade.... These conflicts present us with a stark challenge. Are they part of the scourge the UN was established to prevent? If so, we must respect sovereignty.... but still find a way to protect people.... "We must provide those tools-- with peacekeepers that can be rapidly deployed with the right training ad equipment, missions well defined and well led, with the necessary civilian police." http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#8 [8] This UN militia may well be necessary to quell the anger of the masses when they awaken to the true UN agenda. The next section gives another glimpse of the plan. It would establish a socialist welfare system for the people of the world -- funded primarily by U.S. taxpayers. Free enterprise, as we have known it, would no longer exist: III. Development and Poverty Eradication 9. We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty... fully realizing the right to development and freedom from want. 10. We resolve, therefore, to create an enabling environment.... 11. ... Internationally, success depends on the existence of an open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, which guarantees special and differential treatment of developing countries.... 12. We ... call on the industrialized countries to: adopt... a policy of duty-free and quota-free access for essentially all exports from the least developed countries; to implement the enhanced program of debt relief.... 14. We resolve further: To halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of the world's people (currently 22 per cent) whose income is less than one dollar a day.... 15. We also resolve: To ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially information technology, are available to all. To develop strong partnerships with the private sector and civil society organizations in pursuit of development and poverty eradication. The Summit called for ratification of several treaties: IV. Protecting our Common Environment 16. We must spare no effort to free all of humanity... from the threat of living on a planet irredeemably spoilt by human activities.... 17.We resolve, therefore, to adopt in all our environmental actions a new ethic of conservation and stewardship and, as first steps agree: To adopt and ratify the Kyoto Protocol, so that it can enter into force no later than 2002- 10 years after the Rio Conference, and 20 years after the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and to begin the required reduction of emissions of greenhouse gasses, especially in developed countries. To press for the full implementation of the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification. To arrest the unsustainable exploitation of water resources.... To ensure free access to the information on the genetic code, since this belongs to all humanity. To better understand the practical ramifications of the above treaties, click on these sites: Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO) http://www.freedom.org/ Environmental Perspectives, Inc. (EPI) http://epi.freedom.org/ Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) http://www.cfact.org/ V. Good Governance, Democracy and Human Rights 18. We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as the respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development. 19. We resolve, therefore: To fully observe and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To press for more inclusive and participatory political processes in all of countries. To ensure the right of the media to perform its essential role of informing the public, and the right of the public to receive ideas and information provided by the media. At the first glance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sounds good, as do all the intrusive UN human rights treaties. Article 18 upholds "the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion..." Article 19 affirms "the right to freedom of opinion and expression... and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." (Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules) http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/turfur12-98.html But this basic end, Article 29 states that "these rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." In other words, these "rights" or "freedoms" don't apply to those who would criticize the UN or its policies. Your rights would be conditioned on your compliance. Only if your message supports official ideology are you free to speak it. As Andrei Vishinsky wrote in The Law of the Soviet State, "There can be no place for freedom of speech, press, and so on for the foes of socialism." VI. Protecting the Vulnerable 20. We will spare no effort to ensure that women and children and all civilian populations who suffer disproportionately the consequences of natural disasters and armed conflicts, are given every assistance and protection to regain normal life. We resolve, therefore: To combat violence against women in all its forms, To encourage the ratification and full implementation of the Convention of the Rights on the Child.... Few would disagree that we should "combat violence." But the word violence, like countless others, has been redefined by the feminist movement. At the 1995 UN Conference for Women in Beijing, it wasn't limited to the dictionary definition: "the use of physical force so as to damage or injure." http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_edn1 [9] Diane Knippers, President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, gave some examples to show the new usage: Economic violence included 'unequal distribution of wealth. . . as evidence by world debt' and 'no wages for women's work.' Political violence ranged from genuine examples of violence [such as rape] . . . to 'women's exclusion in decision-making.' Religious violence was 'intolerance and persecution of women who will not conform' and 'exclusion of women from religious leadership.' http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_edn2 [10] Sexual violence [included] 'compulsory heterosexuality.' http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_edn3 [11] VIII. Strengthening the United Nations 23. We will spare no effort to make the United Nations a more effective instrument for pursuing all of these priorities; the fight against poverty, ignorance and disease; the fight against injustice; the fight against violence, terror and crime; and the fight against the degradation and destruction of our common home. 24. We resolve, therefore: To restore the centrality and enhance the effectiveness of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative and representative organ of the United Nations. To call for the speedy reform and enlargement of the Security Council, making it more representative, effective and legitimate in the eyes of all the world's people. To further strengthen the Economic and Social Council.... To give full opportunities to civil society, parliamentarians, the private sector and other non-state actors to contribute to the achievement of the Organization's goals and programs.... 26. We solemnly reaffirm on this historic occasion that the United Nations in the indispensable common house of the entire human family, and through which it will be able to realize its universal aspirations for peace, cooperation and development. We will therefore pledge our unstinting support for the attainment of these common objectives. The last part would ensure that every nation bows to UN duties and demands. It establishes the power of the world government to enforce and punish those who refuse to conform. According to key UN reports, http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#gn the planned "reform and enlargement of the Security Council, making it more representative, effective and legitimate..." would end the Security Council veto. In other words, the USA, a Permanent Member, would lose the authority to block unwanted UN projects. On the vital issues of sovereignty and UN control, the USA, as a minority member, would be forced to yield to a majority of socialist and communist leaders. Are you ready for this new world order? Are your children ready? Whatever your answer, please pray for God's mercy on America, for a change of heart in her leaders, for an awakening of its people and churches, http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/ConformingChurch1-0 for humble and watchful hearts in her children. Then equip your family with His armor http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/armorofgod.html and Truths. http://www.crossroad.to/text/spiritual%20ready/Scriptures.html Don't forget, if you belong to Him, this promise is for you: "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord our God is the One who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (Deut. 31:6) Endnotes: Maurice Strong. This powerful Canadian multi-billionaire founded both the World Economic Council and Planetary Citizens. He has served as director of the World Future Society, trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation and Aspen Institute, and is a member of the Club of Rome. As head of the Earth Council, he began to prepare an Earth Charter global code of conduct based on global values and radical environmental guidelines. Strong led the 1992 "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development). It produced the controversial Biodiversity Treaty and Agenda 21 http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/la21_198.html ‹ the monstrous plan for reorganizing the world along environmental guidelines. One of his offices is only two blocks away from the White House. Officially, Strong was "hired" by Annan to "reform" the massive, inefficient, and corrupt UN bureaucracy so that the US Congress would pay its dues. But his leadership brings little comfort to those who remember Strong¹s occult and environmental ties, globalist ambitions, and corrupt business practices. [1] The World Peace Summit's list of "strategic partnerships" http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/aboutframe.html starts with the UN University for Peace, "an international institution created by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1980." It helps infuse the global education system with psycho-social strategies for conforming minds to the UN agenda. Started by Robert Muller, http://www.crossroad.to/Books/BraveNewSchools/2-International.htm former assistant Secretary General of the UN, the University of Peace is now led by Maurice Strong. [2] Gustav Niebuhr, "Religion's Many Faces Meet in New York for Peace," The New York Times, 31 August 2000. Rabbi Arthur Schneier's Appeal of Conscience Foundation "has worked on behalf of religious freedom, human rights and peace throughout the world. This inter-religious coalition of business and religious leaders promotes mutual understanding, tolerance and pluralism in many regions, including the former Soviet Union, Central Europe, China, Cuba and the former Yugoslavia." (See http://www.millenniumpeacesummit.org/partner.html) [3] http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00b/20000839a.htm [4]June Griffin, who attended the Summit with help from Jesse Helms, emailed this information in the form of an article. For more information, contact Berit Kjos through this website. [5]http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,41464+1+40585,00.html [6]http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,49312+1+48173,00.html [7] The points made in this quote are documented in the original article by Steve Farrell at http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=2000/9/6/092459 [8] UN transcript posted here: http://www.un.org/millennium/webcast/statements/usa.htm See also http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/9/8/ 2.text.1 Statement by the P-5 on the Millennium Summit The Law of the Soviet State, "There can be no place for freedom of speech, press, and so on for the foes of socialism.... http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_ednref1 [9]The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary (New York: Lexicon Publications, 1989). http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_ednref2 [10]Diane Knippers, "Power!" (November/December 1995); 10. http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/#_ednref3 [11]Ibid. (Knippers, "Power!") Our Global Neighborhood, the official report of The Commission Global Governance (Oxford University Press, 1995), calls for (as does http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/RR8-99.html Towards A Rapid Reaction Capability for the UN) a more effective UN police force and an end to veto on Security Council. But this more "efficient" world government would operate by a consensus based on ethical solidarity -- everyone must conform to the new global values and duties: "The quality of global governance will be determined by several factors. High among them is the broad acceptance of a global civic ethic to guide action within the global neighborhood, and courageous leadership infused with that ethic at all levels of society. Without a global ethic, the fractions and tensions of living in the global neighborhood will multiply. "The most important change that people can make is to change their way of looking at the world. We can change studies, jobs, neighborhoods, even countries and still remain much as we always were. But change our fundamental angle of vision and everything changes our priorities, our values, our judgments, our pursuits. Again and again, in the history of religion this total upheaval in the imagination has marked the beginning of a new life, a turning of the heat by which men see with new eyes and understand with new minds and turn their energies to new ways of living. "In our rapidly changing world, the standards and restrains provided by commonly accepted values and norms become ever more essential. Without them, it will be hard, if not impossible, to establish more effective and legitimate forms of global governance." pages 46-47) For more information, see: Millennium Declaration Analysis http://www.eco.freedom.org/el/20000901/maanalysis.shtml and What's Happening at the UN? http://www.eco.freedom.org/el/20000901/unfued.shtml Berit Kjos http://www.crossroad.to/index.html ====================================================== THE MEDIA IS CONTROLLED - and THE INTERNET MUST ALSO BE by Bob Ippolito PropheZine Assistant Editor from Issue #3 of The Watchman's Trumpet ====================================================== As a mature Christian examines the Bible and examines world events, it becomes evident that we are in the last days. The relentless, yet oh so stealthy push for a unified global government, as prophesied in Scripture, has been underway for much longer than many of us would care to believe. One of the primary characteristics of this age, as set forth by the Lord Himself, is deceit, (Daniel 11:34, Matthew 24:4,11,24, etc.). The Media has been, and continues to be, the primary weapon of deceit and manipulation of the globalists. With the conglomeration that has occurred in the mainstream press steadily over this century, can one really wonder why every television channel (network and local) reports the exact same news simultaneously? Then one picks up a national paper to read again the exact same stories that day and the local paper headlines are again, identical. Radio stations, the same! The American people are being deceived and manipulated 1. By censorship of the really important information, (dumbing down) 2. By bombardment of the trivial (desensitizing us) 3. By continual and repetitive exposure to selective issues often with slanted emphasis or downright lies, (propagandism designed to shape our very thinking, opinions and beliefs). Why is the Multilateral Agreement of Investment (MAI), (which will have greater scope and more drastic implications than NAFTA or GATT), virtually impossible to find in the press while in its final stages of negotiation, yet soap opera style trials, and stories of world balloonists abound? (More information about MAI will be provided in future issues, as God is willing.) Why does a boxer's bitten ear receive local and nationwide coverage, but we are never told about presidential Executive Orders that affect the entire nation? By controlling press releases of economic strategies that shape national trends, the power elite are able to not only tighten their stranglehold on this nation's economic structure, but can extend that control that quotes David Rockefeller, founder of the Trilateral Commission in June of 1991, as he addressed a meeting of that organization: "We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine," Rockefeller told them, "and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination [read as "democracy"] practiced in past centuries." (This quote with further references can also be found in the book "Censored 1996", by Carl Jensen.) Now, however, there is a huge news leakage problem, and it is called the Internet. THE INTERNET TOO MUST BE CONTROLLED A source from the FBI puts the entire issue in perspective, "there must be some control imposed on the Internet, it is too dangerous in its present unrestricted and unregulated state." In keeping with the FBI concerns regarding the "dangerous" level of freedom of information is a statement by Council on Foreign Relations member Lawrence Eagleburger, "We have to be the world's THOUGHT policemen", he said. Now we see that the US is reaching out "internationally" to "combat high-tech crime and pornography in the Internet", (AP News 12/04/97). Has anyone stepped into a local convenience store lately? Seen any Television? How about billboards, magazines, movies, music? Let us therefore think and examine what is behind this sudden concern on the part of Attorney General Janet Reno to monitor and regulate the Internet, when pornography is virtually protected everywhere else. Pornography is not the real concern here. On the contrary, recent history shows that our Government has been preoccupied with protecting and supporting this 'Freedom of Speech". No, instead, this is another attempt of Big Brother to Watch Over You by first MONITORING, then LEGISLATING the usage of the Internet. This is also why, the press was publishing all of the major concerns "from top law enforcement officials from the world's industrial nations" to develop and "agree on an international strategy for combating the growing problem in computer crime" (USA Today, 12/10/97). At this same time, only 8 hours prior, news stories broke of Internet Terrorists "demanding the release of an imprisoned comrade and threatening to unleash a crippling computer virus" (also USA Today, 12/09/97). The Internet, by God's grace thus far, has become a medium by which we can still proclaim the Truth about Christ, and expose the evil deeds of this world. Here the Government must identify 'crises' or create them so they can then convince the sheep of the need for more Government regulation so that we will voluntarily surrender more of our rights and privacy, without even realizing it - until it's too late. Let us pray, and use diligently the resources God has given us, while we have them, to inform the Christian Body to 'watch and be prepared'. Let us seek and serve Him as if there is no tomorrow (John 9:4, 12:35). Watchman's Trumpet http://pages.prodigy.net/hippolytus/ ******************* DEVOTIONALS ****************** Ready for a Hebrew lesson? by Barri Mallin Step into any synagogue, reform temple or messianic congregation, and you will most likely see a light burning. These are not the ceiling lights, but a special light - it usually has its own visible place on the bima or dais. This is called the Ner Tamid, the eternal light, the eternal lamp. It is always burning, never is it to go out. The word - Ner - is lamp in Hebrew, and Tamid means eternal or continually. In I Kings 11:36 we read: "But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name." God wanted David and his ancestors to rule forever. We read in Exodus 25:30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times. And Numbers 4:7 says "Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the spoons and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the libation, and the continual bread shall be on it." The bread of the Presence was always there. In Leviticus 6:12-13 we read: "And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out." God was firm about the continual fire, because the fire originally came from Heaven Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Lev.9:24 The Fire which originally came from Heaven was to be visible by all of Israel. Sometimes I think it would have been much easier to serve the LORD back then, because of all of His VISIBLE signs - the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. I know that God's word says that we walk by faith and not by sight, and yet, I must confess to you, that sometimes I have "Chicken Little" faith. You remember Chicken Little? He was the chicken who when he felt one rain drop on his head, he ran back to the coop yelling ' THE SKY IS FALLING!! THE SKY IS FALLING ! Wow, it is not too hard for me to emulate Chicken Little. One battle, one challenge, and it seems as though my faith goes out the window. Why can't I have that VISIBLE pillar of fire to guide me? And then I stop. And wait. And read my Bible. And wait. And pray. And wait. And try to be about the Father's business. And wait. And pray. And read my Bible. And wait. And then, when it seems as though eternity has passed, I realize that I do have the eternal fire within, it is the Holy Spirit, the Ru-ach Ha Ko-desh. The eternal fire has not gone out, it may just need the fan of faith to stir up the flames somewhat. The furnace is still on. The Holy Spirit gives us more than the Energizer Bunny can only dream about ! The Holy Spirit helps us to be better than Timex - take a lickin' but keep on tickin'. Sometimes it seems like our light within is a 25 watt bulb, and sometimes it seems like a floodlight. But the blessed thing is, is that if you are born again, born from Above, then you have the Ner Tamid, you have the Eternal Flame within you, what a gift!!! Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation , or shifting shadow. James 1:17 "Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually (tamid)." I Chron 16:11 Yeshua Jesus says "You are the light of the world." Matt 5:16 "Barri Mallin" ******************* POETRY ******************* SPIRITUAL AMNESIA by Timothy Jon Barrett Have you ever lost your thoughts, just forgotten who you are? A total lapse of memory, your brain not up to par. These strange and scary feelings, that frequently will seize ya, the inner person drifts away, from a spiritual amnesia. Those attacks come straight from Satan, he makes you to forget, a partial lapse at first, then he steals it - bit by bit. Cause a Christian needs his memory, to remember who he is, those thoughts that keep you going, Satan wants them to be his. The item that he wants the most, is remembrance of salvation, "Just rest a while", he tells you, "give your soul a good vacation." Then once you've packed your bags, and journeyed out on this trip, then Satan steals your purpose, and tightens down his grip. Then the farther on you go, the distance you have traveled, vacation time starts piling up, and your memory has been unraveled. Then in the midst of leisure, the fun you've had so far, you can't recall for the life of you, your home, or who you are. But the thought it lingers firmly, that you've jumped the chosen track, how did I get to where I am? - and how do I get back? First cancel your vacation, pack your bags, start getting ready, concentrate on Jesus Christ, bring those thoughts back firm and steady. Then keep your thoughts on Jesus, where ever you may roam, and don't forget your purpose, if you travel far from home. Cause Jesus loves the forgetful, when repentance they do find, so remember who you are my friend, and keep Jesus on your mind. You can find more of Timothy's poetry in PZ's poetry page, Endtime Poets http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/tim.html ======================================== SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: ======================================== PZ is always looking for new articles, poetry and devotional submissions to PropheZine so if you're interested please observe the way we format the articles and send them in--the more closely the format fits PZ the less work is involved and the more likely we will utilize your article as long as it is scripturally sound. Please take special note that the PZ newsletter comes in an email medium so there is no ability to italicize, bold, indent quotes, or other fancy formatting so all of those words/phrases/sentences will need to be changed in some other manner (either quote them or put them in caps or enclose with asterisk, etc.). 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