Eastern European wives of Syrians fleeing war

By Anna Melnichuk and Dusan Stojanovic

KIEV, Ukraine (AP)—They forged lives of promise in an unfamiliar land. Now war is tearing those lives apart.

Hundreds of Eastern European women married to Syrian men have fled the war with their children in recent weeks as fighting intensifies, splitting up families and leaving them wondering about whether they can ever go back.

Among them is Kseniya Murtada, a 36-year-old Ukrainian who fled Syria last week with two sons, 3 and 5, leaving her husband Aziz in Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city and the focus of a major battle between government and rebel forces.

“Who knows what might happen? This is a war,” said Murtada, who was among about 200 Ukrainians evacuated on a government plane last week. That followed the return of a smaller group last month.

“Our men have stayed there, they will fight, and they will defend their home,” she said. “Some families will be broken; some kids will lose their fathers. But we all live with hope.”

The marriages between Eastern European women and Syrians are believed to number in the thousands. They result from close ties first forged in the 1960s when the Soviet Union, its Eastern European satellite states and the former Yugoslavia began welcoming students from the Middle East and Africa with the aim of spreading their influence around the world through an educated elite.

Yugoslavia was then a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, which had close ties to the Assad family regime. The Soviet Union had an interest in spreading its political influence in the volatile Middle East. Oleksandr Bogomolov, president of the Kiev-based Center for Middle East Studies, said Soviet authorities encouraged the marriages as a way to gain influence with the Syrian elite since most of the Syrian students came from prominent families.

For the women, marriage to a foreigner offered an escape from communist repression and the promise of a better life abroad, and many were attracted to Syria’s cultural wealth and good climate.

The tradition has continued since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, with Russian, Ukrainian and women from Belarus still eager for better living conditions abroad and husbands who don’t drink, though such marriages abated in the former Yugoslavia during its bloody breakup in the 1990s.

Murtada, who met her husband when he was studying computer engineering in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, was taken by her husband’s charm.

“He was so romantic, always with flowers, always very kind and polite, so I could not but marry him,” she said.

Many of the Syrian men who married women from the ex-communist countries are believed to be members of the educated Alawite elite, the group most under threat from a rebel insurgency dominated by the country’s Sunni majority. The Assad regime only let its supporters travel to Europe in the communist period.

“These women did not land in some village and did not have to struggle for a living,” said Katarzyna Gorak-Sosnowska, a professor in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Warsaw in Poland. “They are the wives of men educated at European universities, academies.”

Among those who fled in recent days was Biljana Ayoubi, a 53-year-old Serbian mother who left Syria on a Serbian plane with her three children along with nearly 40 others, almost all of them the wives and children of Syrians. To her, there is no doubt who is to blame for the carnage that forced her to leave her husband in Aleppo.

“Americans are to blame. They have been financing the rebels, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” she said, adding that her husband stayed behind because “he did not want to return, he was too proud.”

Ayoubi said she hoped the Syrian army “will win and we will go back” to Aleppo, adding that Assad “has nothing to do” with the carnage.

Svetlana Djurdjevic, a 53-year-old Bosnian-born woman who returned on the same Serbian government flight, said the sectarian violence reminds her of the 1992-95 war in her native country, which she escaped with her marriage.

“It’s a civil war there, just like it was in Bosnia,”

she said. “They are fighting to change things for the better, but it turned out it can’t get any worse.”

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JCPenney Looks To Eliminate The Cash Register With RFID CHeckout

Kim Bhasin, Business Insider, July 18, 2012

JCPenney CEO and former Apple retail guru Ron Johnson is speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, and he revealed a bit of what his strategy is for store checkout.

He wants to eliminate the employees who stand at cash registers and get rid of traditional checkout by the end of 2013.

Instead, he’s pushing mobile checkout and self checkout. The stores will be 100 percent RFID (radio frequency identification) and wi-fi enabled.

JCPenney would reinvest those savings in customer service, he says.

If JCPenney can pull this off, customers won’t have to wait in lines anymore, making things more convenient and reducing their time in stores.

This also suggests that there will be more job cuts, since those workers won’t be needed anymore.

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Superando Dúvidas… E Se…

Michael Licona

Dr. Craig,

Qual o melhor conselho que o senhor pode oferecer para alguém superar dúvidas e questionamentos do tipo “e se”? Essa é a minha maior batalha. Encontro um argumento convincente, mas depois fico pensando, “mas e se...”. O que me joga de volta à estaca zero. Sei que isso se deve em parte ao medo que tenho de me entregar ao cristianismo e descobrir que errei. Está relacionado ao orgulho, porque eu ficaria arrasada. Já passei por isso quando minha fé foi abalada. Mas sei que jamais chegarei a uma conclusão se ficar sempre questionando “e se”. Como faço para superar isso? Outros talvez achem muito simples, basta parar de questionar. Mas quem já passou por um medo muito forte sabe que é muito difícil ter essa atitude. Então, para aqueles como eu que sofrem da síndrome do “e se”, qual deve ser o próximo passo?—Amanda, EUA
Dr. Craig responde:

Às vezes convido um palestrante para responder a uma pergunta sobre a qual ele já estudou. Recentemente, Michael Licona falou para a minha classe Defenders sobre Dúvida, por isso, Amanda, pedi a Mike para cuidar da sua pergunta. Acho que vai perceber que vocês dois são bem parecidos! Ele deu a seguinte resposta:

Eu entendo a situação dessa “duvidadora”, pois eu tenho mania de questionar já tirando conclusões. Parece que questiono tudo! Não quero tomar decisões erradas nem em questões de pouca importância, então é normal eu ficar em dúvida sobre decisões relativas a questões de grande porte. Não é um exercício intencional. Na verdade, fico frustrado com essa minha atitude. Mas é assim que sou.

Por causa disso, já duvidei da minha fé cristã muitas vezes. Às vezes chegou ao ponto de eu quase renegá-la. Já me perguntei se sofri lavagem cerebral… “Será que não consigo pensar de maneira objetiva porque fui ensinado a acreditar? E se eu estiver errado?" Eu tenho a paz que Paulo menciona ser uma confirmação interior do Espírito de Deus de que pertenço a Cristo.[1] [Mas] como discernir se a minha paz realmente procede de Deus? É uma pergunta difícil. E, para ser sincero, ainda não sei a resposta.

Graças a Deus, quando comecei a ter dúvidas na década de 80, um professor de Filosofia entendeu a minha situação porque ele também já tinha passado por isso. Eu não tive aula com Gary Habermas na Liberty University, já que ele lecionava no departamento de Filosofia, e eu fazia um curso de estudos do Novo Testamento. Mas Habermas me ajudou muitíssimo a entender dúvida e como lidar com ela. A seguir apresento um conjunto de pensamentos de Habermas e meus. E tenho uma boa notícia para quem batalha contra dúvidas: É possível lidar com dúvidas tomando estas quatro atitudes certeiras.

Ação Nº1: Reconheça que é normal ter dúvidas. Abraão encontrou-se com Deus, que lhe informou que teria um filho que daria início a uma grande nação. No entanto, quando Abraão corria perigo, ele mentiu para salvar o seu pescoço, mesmo sabendo que a promessa de Deus de lhe dar um filho ainda não se tinha cumprido.[2] Pensaríamos que ele confiaria que Deus o salvaria. Mas, em vez disso, ele mentiu, e Deus acabou intervindo para ele conseguir recuperar sua esposa, Sara, que tinha sido levada justamente por causa da mentira que Abraão contou. Avancemos oito capítulos, e Abraão está diante da mesma situação. Mas desta vez, sabendo que podia confiar na proteção de Deus, sem ter que assumir o controle da situação e mentir. Olha, não aconteceu assim. Abraão duvidou da promessa de Deus novamente, e repetiu o erro. Mentiu para o rei que, como Faraó, levou Sara para o seu harém, e Deus precisou intervir de novo.[3] No entanto, Abraão se tornou um homem de grande fé, cujo nome consta na Galeria da Fama da Bíblia.[4] Na verdade, se existe um MVP (Jogador mais Valioso) na Galaria da Fama, é Abraão.

João Batista era primo de Jesus. Ambos nasceram sob circunstâncias milagrosas. No futuro João viria a batizar Jesus e veria o Espírito Santo descer sobre Ele, ao mesmo tempo em que uma voz vinda do Céu confirmava a Sua posição. Mais tarde João foi preso, e durante esse período enviou alguns dos seus discípulos para perguntarem a Jesus se Ele era realmente o Messias ou se deviam esperar outra pessoa. Uáu! Como João podia fazer essa pergunta se já tinha ouvido a história do nascimento milagroso tanto dele como de Jesus, além dos sinais divinos que lhe foram revelados ao batizar? João sentiu-se abandonado na prisão, o que causou uma dúvida de caráter emocional. Ele conhecia a evidência, mas a vida não estava transcorrendo como ele esperava. Na verdade, a situação estava bem desagradável naquele momento. E Jesus sabia disso. Ele disse aos discípulos de João para voltarem a ele e contarem os milagres que tinham visto Jesus fazer, milagres que se esperava do Messias.[5] Depois que os discípulos se foram, Jesus virou-Se para a multidão que O fitava intensamente. O que Ele diria para aquelas pessoas que tinham acabado de ouvir que o Seu companheiro de ministério estava tendo dúvidas?

Que fostes ver no deserto? Uma cana agitada pelo vento? Sim, que fostes ver? Um homem ricamente vestido? Os que se trajam ricamente estão nas casas dos reis. Mas, então, que fostes ver? Um profeta? Sim, vos digo eu, e muito mais do que profeta; porque é este de quem está escrito: Eis que diante da tua face envio o meu anjo, que preparará diante de ti o teu caminho. Em verdade vos digo que, entre os que de mulher têm nascido, não apareceu alguém maior do que João Batista.[6]

Veja que Jesus não repreendeu João por duvidar, pelo contrário, providenciou evidências, o encorajou e elogiou dizendo que não havia ninguém maior – e sabendo que João batalhava contra dúvidas.

Se Abraão e João Batista passaram por essa experiência de dúvida apesar de terem o favor do Senhor, parece que Deus entende a nossa constituição emocional e tem paciência conosco. Muitos cristãos jamais duvidam. No entanto, para os que passam por isso é reconfortante saber que estamos em boa companhia, com pessoas como Abraão e João Batista. Duvidadores não são cidadãos de segunda classe no reino de Deus!

"Cara! Vai ver que funciona para quem ouviu Deus falar e viu os milagres de Jesus. Mas pra mim não ajuda muito, porque nunca vi nenhum milagre.” Entendo, mas até agora eu só disse que o primeiro passo é lidar com a dúvida: Reconhecer que é normal duvidar.

Ação Nº2: Reconhecer que existe evidência fidedigna a favor do cristianismo. Não podemos entrar em uma máquina do tempo e voltar ao passado para testemunharmos os milagres de Jesus, no entanto, dispomos de sólida evidência histórica comprovando o maior dos Seus milagres, a ressurreição. Gary Habermas mais do que ninguém entende bem desse assunto. Poderiam dizer, “Entre aqueles nascidos de mulher, nenhum conhece melhor a evidência da ressurreição de Jesus do que Gary Habermas."

Se Jesus ressuscitou, o cristianismo sem dúvida é verdadeiro. “Mas”, você pode questionar, “a ressurreição está relatada na Bíblia. Como vou saber se a Bíblia é verdadeira? Será que devo aceitar puramente por fé?" Na primeira visita ao professor Habermas, ele me ofereceu uma sinopse em ordem cronológica da evidência história da ressurreição de Jesus. Foi um consolo saber que tal evidência existe. Mas, devo admitir, havia falhas na explicação. A evidência não me deu 100% de garantia. Mas Habermas não se preocupou. A Ciência também não comprova nada cem porcento. Investigação científica e histórica só nos leva até um certo ponto. Precisamos procurar a melhor explicação com base nos dados disponíveis e aceitarmos uma certeza razoável ou até certo ponto adequada, assim como agimos em relação a todas as grandes decisões na vida. O resto fica no campo da fé, e isso se aplica a qualquer visão de mundo, tanto de cristãos como de judeus, muçulmanos, hindus, budistas ou ateus. Mas a ressurreição de Jesus é incomparável, em termos de fortes evidências confirmando sua ocorrência. [Obs.: Veja o link no final do artigo para um e-livro grátis de Habermas.]

Ação Nº3: Reconheça que certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional: Algumas pessoas vivem com fé sem jamais duvidar. Isso é otimo. Mas alguns de nós fomos criados de maneira que somos incapazes de ter essa atitude. Alguns anos atrás, tive um momento “iluminado” que mudou minha vida. Percebi que a minha fé é apenas uma das muitas coisas que questiono. Eu duvido de muitas decisões muuuuuuuiiiito tempo depois de tomá-las. É uma mania de infância que eu detesto. Não me refiro apenas a decisões importantes, como, por exemplo, casamento. Às vezes, eu me vejo reconsiderando, re-reconsiderando, e re-re-reconsiderando decisões sem muita importância, como, por exemplo, algo que comprei, quer um relógio, quer um carro ou um perfume. Só reconhecer essa atitude ajudou-me sobremaneira a entender por que duvido. Fui criado assim. Para mim, a certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional. Portanto, estou aprendendo a viver satisfeito com um certo grau de certeza.

Ação Nº4: Reconheça que a fé é mais do que um sentimento ou a falta de dúvida. É um compromisso. Certo homem veio a Jesus e pediu que Ele curasse seu filho possesso. Ele acreditava (afinal de contas, foi ele quem procurou Jesus), mas pediu a Jesus para ajudá-lo com a sua incredulidade.[7] Ele dependia de Jesus para curar o seu filho. Pedro caminhou sobre as águas e começou a afundar quando ficou com medo das ondas e duvidou.[8] No entanto, Pedro é que estava fora do barco enquanto os outros observavam. Para o seguidor de Cristo, fé é confiar em Cristo, e só nEle, para a salvação. Ser um seguidor de Cristo significa que, diante de uma decisão moral, eu sigo pelo caminho ensinado por Jesus. ... obedeço a Jesus porque acredito nEle. Posso ter dúvidas persistentes, mas é a fé que vence e determina a minha conduta na vida de fé. Como o irmão de Jesus escreveu, “Mostre sua fé sem obras e eu lhe mostrarei a minha fé pelas minhas obras."[9]

Resumindo, estas são as quatro ações para lidar com dúvidas:
Reconhecer que é normal duvidar.
Reconhecer que existe evidência sólida comprovando a verdade do Cristianismo.
Reconhecer que a certeza absoluta é uma expectativa irracional.
Reconhecer que fé é mais do que um sentimento ou falta de dúvida. É um compromisso.

Pode ser muito bom para o leitor interessado ler mais sobre lidar com dúvidas no livro online de Gary Habermas The Thomas Factor: Using Your Doubts to Draw Closer to God.(O Fator Tomé: Usar as Dúvidas para se Aproximar de Deus.)

Para ler uma defesa cronológica e abrangente da ressurreição de Jesus, veja o meu livro mais recente, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. (A Ressurreição de Jesus: uma Nova Abordagem Historiográfica.)

Site Reasonable Faith,
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9333
Publicado no Âncora em junho de 2012.
Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli. Revisão Denise Oliveira.


[1] Romanos 8:16.

[2] Gênesis 12.

[3] Gênesis 20.

[4] Hebreus 11.

[5] Ver Os Pergaminhas do Mar Morto 4Q521; ver também Isaias 61:1–2; Lucas 4:16–21.

[6] Mateus 11:7–11 NET; cf. Lucas 7:24–28.

[7] Marcos 9:24.

[8] Mateus 14:28–31.

[9] Tiago 2:18 NET.

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A Bible Study Of The True Meaning Of The Seventy Weeks Of Daniel

Articles from David Berg and the Family International - www.deeptruths.com
" Daniel 9 "

By David Brandt Berg, 1975

The ninth chapter of Daniel is one of the most astoundingly definite, literal time prophecies given in the entire Bible, giving the exact times for both the first and second comings of Jesus Christ!

The chapter opens with Daniel desperately calling out to God on the behalf of his people Israel, who at this time were captive slaves of the Persian Empire (about 538 B.C.--see verses 1-19).

"And whiles I was speaking, and praying, the man Gabriel being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation (worship). And he informed me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding." (Dan.9:20-22)

Daniel had been praying for God to save His city (Jerusalem) and His people (verse 19). The angel now appears to tell Daniel when and how God is going to save them. "Therefore" he says, "understand the matter, and consider the vision." (verse 23)

The actual prediction begins in the 24th verse and continues to the end of the chapter, verse 27. As in the other Daniel prophecies, we will first give the prediction and follow it with the interpretation.

Vision: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy." (Dan.9:24)

Interpretation: This word that's translated "weeks" here in the King James Bible is the Hebrew word "shabua", which literally means "seven". Therefore, a little better translation of this would be "seventy seven's", instead of "seventy weeks".

As we proceed to read and understand the prophecy and its fulfillment, it becomes evident that these seventy sevens are seventy sevens of years, with each "week" representing a period of seven years, for a total of 490 years.

"Thy people", Daniel's people, were God's people. So he says that as far as the history of God's people is concerned, they've got seventy sevens yet to go to finish the transgression, make an end of sins, etc. As we proceed we will find exactly how this was to be fulfilled in seventy sevens.

Commandment goes forth rebuilding streets
and wall in troublous times - 453 B.C.

Vision: "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks (or 69 sevens): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself." (Dan.9:25, 26a)

Interpretation: In 453 B.C., Artaxerxes Longimanus, king of the Medes and Persians, gave nehemiah the commandment to go forth and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:5). There were several other proclamations made by Persian kings to release the Jews from captivity and let them return to Israel to rebuild the temple, but the principle proclamation to rebuild the city of Jerusalem itself was made in 453 B.C.

The prophecy predicted that from the time of that proclamation unto Messiah the Prince shall be--how long? 69 sevens of years, or 69 times seven years, which is exactly 483 years. From 453 B.C., this would bring us to exactly 30 A.D., the very year of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!

Messiah cut off 30 A.D.

Though Jesus was 33 years old when He was "cut off", modern historians date the birth of Jesus at 4 "B.C.", and His crucifixion IN 30 "A.D.". This is because of a miscalculation on the part of the Catholic monk, Dionysius, who in the 6th century devised our present calendar system.

Therefore, Jesus actually began His ministry at 30 years of age (LK. 3:23), in the year 27 A.D., and was crucified, as we said before, in 30 A.D. So here we have the 69 sevens of years, or the 483 years, giving us the exact time of the Messiah's crucifixion.

Now you notice that the prophecy divides the 69 weeks into two groups, one of seven weeks, and then 62 weeks. This was because the wall and city were built in the first seven weeks or 49 years. Then, after that, there were still 62 weeks, or 62 sevens of years, before the crucifixion of Christ.

It says, "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself". Isaiah, in another prophecy, tells why the Messiah was to be "cut off". "For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was he stricken... when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin my righteous servant shall justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isa 53:8,10,11 --750 B.C.) He died for us--not for Himself, but for the transgression of the whole world--for our sins.

When Jesus died on the cross in 30 A.D. He accomplished in Himself the promises of that 24th verse: He finished the transgression, made an end of sins, and made reconciliation for iniquity, etc. As the Apostle Paul said, "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son", (Rm. 5:10) And "He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb 9:26) He brought in "everlasting righteousness" through salvation. (Rm. 10:4)

Though Jesus accomplished all these promises in Himself, we as believers in Him do not fully possess them yet: We only have them now by faith, in the realm of the Spirit, and we will not possess them literally until Jesus returns.

For instance, it says that after "seventy weeks" the "vision and prophecy" will be "sealed up", or completed. Paul said that now "we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come (Jesus), then that which is in part shall be done away." (I Cor. 13:9, 10)

Therefore, we know that this seventieth week has not happened yet, because when it ends it will usher in perfection upon God's people, which can happen only with the return of Christ! So this seventieth week is still in the future! (Note from webmaster: I personally believe the seventieth week will begin in my lifetime. I'm nearly 59 at the time of this post on Deep Truths.)

Vision: "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." (Dan.9:26b)

Romans destroy city and sanctuary - 70 A.D.

Interpretation: After Jesus was crucified, do you know what happened to Jerusalem ("The city") and the Temple ("the sanctuary")? In 70 A.D. the Roman Legions came and burned Jerusalem to the ground, took the Temple down, and destroyed it. Over one million Jews were slain and 95,000 were taken as slaves!

Whether or not you agree with our interpretation of times and weeks, etc., you cannot argue with the facts of fulfilled prophecy that show that the Messiah would come before the destruction of the temple and the city in 70 A.D.--40 years after Jesus' death! This is only one of over 300 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, all written 4 to 15 centuries before His birth!

Micah 5:2 , Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 (750 B.C.) foretold that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of a virgin, and was to be called "the Prince of Peace" Who had been in existence "from everlasting". His betrayal by Judas is seen in Zechariah 11:12, 13 (500 B.C.) for "thirty pieces of silver"; His crucifixion in Psalm 22:16, 18 (1000 B.C.)--"pierced my hands and my feet"; and resurrection in Psalm 16:10 --"will not leave my soul in hell."

We hope that you have accepted Jesus as the Messiah because we still have that seventieth week yet to go, which, as we said, will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ--this time not as a sacrificial lamb, but as a roaring lion to take over the world and rule it with a rod of iron. You'd better be ready!

Vision: He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Dan.9:27)

Interpretation: Now we have that week that was left over, that seventieth week--which will be the last seven years of history!

This "he" that confirms the covenant is the "prince that shall come", of verse 26. His people, the Romans, destroyed Jerusalem. They were "the people of the prince that SHALL come", who is the Antichrist, whose empire, according to other prophecies in Daniel 2 and 7 , will be a revival of and continuation of the old Roman Empire--in spirit and so forth!

This covenant has to do with the city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the ancient Jewish temple that used to stand on Mt. Moriah where the Dome of the Rock now stands, and restoration of the Temple worship of blood sacrifice.
Time Line Charts Of The 70 Weeks Of Daniel


Paul talked in Galatians of two Convenants that God makes with people: The covenant of promise was made to Abraham and his seed. Paul said this seed was Christ, and "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the Promise" of blessing from God! (Gal. 3:16, 29)

The other covenant is the Law, which came by Moses and contains the curse on all those who don't obey "all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Deut. 27:26) Of course, no one can, and that is why God sent Jesus to die for us. Anyhow, Paul compared this covenant to "Jerusalem which now is", or the flesh and blood children of Abraham: the so-called Jews.

The Antichrist will "confirm the covenant with many". This "many" may mean to both these, the natural stock of Israel as well as the spiritual descendants, the true Israel.

The only way this could ever happen, of course, is by an armed invasion of Israel, leading possibly to even full-scale atomic war, which will put a stop to the Arab-American-Israeli war, restore the Arab lands to their rightful owners, and make Jerusalem an international religious capitol of the world by a specific pact enforced on the participants by this invasion force, its coming world dictator, and his powerful one-world government which arises from the ashes of this war!

"In the midst of the week (at the end of 3 1/2 years, leaving 3 1/2 more) he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease (in other words, stop religious worship), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate."

This ceasing of the "daily sacrifice" by the AntiChrist is also predicted in Daniel chapters 8 and 11. In Daniel 8 it says, "by him (the little horn) the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down... (by) the transgression of desolation." (Dan.8:11-14) (See Time Line Charts for further explanation of these verses.) Daniel 11:31 says, "Arms shall stand on his part, and they... shall take away the daily sacrifice, and... place the abomination that maketh desolate."

This "abomination of desolation" is going to be the "image of the beast" or a demon-possessed idol of the Antichrist. It has something to do with money. The monetary system itself is an idol; it's the money god of Mammon, an abomination of desolation which the world worships! Money, in a way, is the "image of the beast" of this world, the reflection of his power--the entangling idol of governments today![4] "Shew me a penny. Whose image hath it? They answered... Caesar's." (Lk.20:24)

According to Revelation 13, the present money medium will soon be replaced by a new "money" medium, a very remarkable credit system in which every person in the world who belongs to the system will have a credit number, without which he cannot buy or sell. (Rev.13:7)

This number will be branded on each person: "a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads...that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast (the world leader and his government), or the number of his name...for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six (666)." (Rev.13:16,17)

Soon man will no longer fear the power of paper currency and their owners, but they will have a neW God, a new monetary medium, and be branded by the beast like cattle for the slaughter, and will be forced to worship the beast and this image, or be killed!

The control center for this credit system will be the magical speaking image of the Beast (probably the long-foretold super computer) which will be set up in the glorious holy mountain (Mt. Moriah, Jerusalem) where the Temple stood and the Mosque of Omar now stands. (See Dan.11:45)

Just look at how the world is being prepared for a mechanical god, an electronic brain, a computer deity, which they will then be willing to worship because it is their own creation, the work of their own hands. [7] "They worship the works of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made." (Isa.2:8)

This idol of the Antichrist, this abomination of desolation, will be put right in the temple at Jerusalem to make the Jews worship it. They will also endeavour to do so in the very hearts of the people, the true temple of God, the spiritual temple of God.

Mr. Cyntnia Systemite proudly gets the Mark of the Beast.

They will succeed in those who knew Him not and were not truly His temple, but in his true temple, those true remaining believers, they will not set up the abomination, that worship of the Antichrist. [8] As Jesus said, "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth"--the temple of His Spirit, not the temple "at Jerusalem". "And they (the true worshippers) shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (Jn.4:21-23 ; 10:29)

Vision: Even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Dan.9:27)

Interpretation: The abomination will be placed in the temple in the midst of the week and will make desolate until the "consummation", which in the Hebrew literally means "completion", or the completion of the week.

Then, at the second coming of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God will be poured upon the desolate--those who have accepted the Antichrist as God and worshipped his image, which will bring desolation and abomination to all who believe in it.

Jesus said, "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place where it ought not...then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be!" (Mt. 4:15,21 and Mk.13:14)

The first three and a half years of this dictator's seemingly benign rule will be followed by three and a half years of a reign of terror called the Great Tribulation, under this demon dictator's image and its false prophet, and an unparalleled worldwide persecution of both Jews and Christians!

According to the book of Revelation, it is during this time that the Gentiles will tread the Holy City under foot for "forty and two months"--"one thousand two hundred and threescore days"--while God's witnesses (the Children of God) shall prophesy in (red) sackcloth with great power and wonders until they have finished their testimony. then the beast shall make war against them and kill them because their message has tormented those who dwell on the earth. (Rev.11:2-10)

The great red beast (Rev.12:3) shall have power over all the earth for three and a half years, speaking great blasphemies and doing great wonders and miracles, so that all the world shall wonder after him and worship him, saying, "Who is like unto him, and who is able to make war with him?" (Rev.13:4-8 and II Th. 2:3-12)

The Antichrist and his forces will be all-powerful, so all-powerful they're even going to think they can make war on God and His people--and that's where they're going to lose! God is going to protect us and keep us, at least a lot of us if not most of us, supernaturally, miraculously, powerfully in many ways, and the message will get out all the more, in spite of everything they do! Then when it looks like we're going to be really wiped out, Jesus comes and saves us--a happy ending to the story!

For then, Jesus said "immediately after the tribulation of those days" (at the consummation or completion of Daniel's seventieth week), "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven...and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds...from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mt.24:29-31 ; Mk.13:27)

Here at the end of this seventieth week we have the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ to "gather together" his Church--the true believers. This gathering together involves first the resurrection of those saints who have died, and then the transformation of those believers still alive at His coming, both of whom, at that time, will receive immortal bodies!

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God... (and) them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" when He comes.

"The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1Th.4:14-17)

Are you prepared for these coming events? If not you'd better get ready, as things are really moving! Take Jesus now!
Copyright © 1998 by The Family

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Made in the Image and Likeness of God (Part Two): Peter Amsterdam

The Heart of It All: Humanity

By Peter Amsterdam

August 7, 2012


The previous article described the change that came about when sin entered humanity, the degradation of the image and likeness of God in humanity. Nevertheless, humans are still in God’s image, though no longer as fully.

So, knowing that we as individuals, and all human beings, are made in God’s image, what does that mean in our everyday lives? Is it significant? Should it affect our thinking and actions? The simple answer is yes, it should.

Being the only created thing that God said is made in His image and likeness shows that human beings are special in God’s eyes. The Bible states that humankind is at the pinnacle of physical creation and that God put man in place to rule and take care of the earth.

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.[1]

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”[2]

God has made humans to be different from all other physical creatures. He has placed them above the other creatures and has made them distinct. Let’s take a look at what being in the image of God tells us about ourselves.
Human Value

The primary thing is that we, as people, have value to God. While He created us along with all other things, He made us different from all other created things by making us in His image. He created us as unique beings and intimately breathed life into us.

The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.[3]

German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer states:

The Bible expresses the essential difference between this work and all God’s previous creative activity by the way in which it introduces this work. The Hebrew plural here indicates the significance and sublimity of the Creator’s action. It is also to be noted, however, that God does not simply call humankind forth out of nonbeing, as God called forth everything else; instead we are taken up into God’s own planning, as it were, and thereby become aware that something new, something that has not yet been, something altogether original, is about to happen. And God said: “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness.” Humankind is to go forth from God as the last work, as the new work, as the image of God in God’s work. There is no transition from somewhere else here; here there is new creation. [4]

He made us personal beings, able to enter a relationship with Him and other humans. He made us a combined physical and spiritual being by giving us body and spirit. And even though all humans have sinned against Him, He loves us so much that He made a way for humanity to become reconciled with Him through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. God loves His image-bearing creatures, and He values us.

Because God values human beings, each has intrinsic, essential value. This should cause us to value each human being. All humans, no matter what their gender, race, skin tone, or creed, are created equal. Each person bears God’s image and should be respected and treated as such. Neither one’s place nor one’s value in society diminishes a person’s intrinsic value.

Authors Lewis and Demarest put it this way:

Each person is of inestimable temporal and eternal value and significance. Persons have this inward worth inalienably as creatures of God made in the image of God. Their value goes far beyond that of their amazing bodies or that of being the highest animal on earth. Their value is not diminished when for some reason and for some time they are not useful to society in the form of their family, church or nation. Every living human being is of intrinsic worth—poor or rich, female or male, educated or not, lighter or darker—because he or she is an endlessly existing active spiritual person like God.[5]

Newborns, children, the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, the mentally retarded, the unborn, the hungry, widows, and prisoners, those you disagree with, even enemies—every human being, no matter what their condition, circumstance, or religious belief—has the dignity of being God’s image bearer, and deserves—and should be granted—equal honor and respect by all other human beings.

Seeing others as God’s image bearers should rid us of racial, religious, and all other prejudices. It should cause us, as individuals, to view and treat others with respect, regardless of our differences.

It should also cause us to look at ourselves with respect and dignity. To realize that God loves and values us should help us to value ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. It should cause us to view ourselves positively, to take care of ourselves physically, to nurture our spirits with positive and godly input. It should remind us of the sanctity of our own lives, thus keeping us from harming ourselves in any way.

We should recognize that despite any personal weaknesses or failures, how we may perceive our own worth, how we view our physical appearance or our education or mental abilities, we are valued by God and thus should value ourselves.

Realizing that God values human beings, that He loves and cares for us, should cause us to value humanity, to recognize the worth of every person, ourselves included, and to do what we can to live in harmony and peace with others. In short, we should love and care for our neighbor, because God does.

Besides loving and caring about others and caring for ourselves, we should understand that as those given dominion over the earth, we are responsible to care for and use its resources wisely. When God created the earth and all that is in it, He said it was good. He then told man to be in charge of it, to take care of it. It is up to us, as those given dominion over this good earth, to be good stewards of the environment, to wisely and judiciously and equitably use its resources for the benefit of humankind. We are to value the earth as part of God’s creation, and not to greedily exploit it or otherwise damage, endanger, or destroy it.
Salvation and the Image of God

Does belief in Jesus and salvation make any change in the believer in regard to being in the image and likeness of God? We’ve seen that sin brought separation from God and that it has brought a serious deterioration in His image and likeness within humankind. Sin has negatively affected our conscience, our ability to do God’s will, our desire to align our will with God’s, our thought processes, our decision making, our motives, etc. God’s Word says that because sin entered humanity, we are slaves to it. (More on the topic of sin in upcoming articles.) Clearly we are a long way off from the pre-fall Adam and Eve, when they were morally upright with elements of righteousness, knowledge, holiness, and the ability to not sin.

Through salvation, we are spiritually born again. It makes us new creatures in Christ, and this greatly affects our lives. To begin with, it brings us into God’s family, it brings forgiveness of sin, it takes away the guilt of our sin, it means we will live with God for eternity, in spirit when we die and in body and spirit after Jesus returns.

Salvation breaks the bondage of sin; and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, God living in us, makes it possible for us to grow into greater likeness of Christ. Jesus was the image of God on earth, and as we become more like Him, we grow in the image and likeness of God.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.[6]

The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.[7]

The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.[8]

Growing in Christ’s image is a progressive growth which comes over time, in degrees, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.[9]

Even though as Christians we still sin, salvation sets us free from the dominion that sin has over us. We become dead to sin, in that we have the power to overcome acts or patterns of sinful behavior.[10]



So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. … For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. … But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. … But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.[11]

Salvation doesn’t make us sinless, but as we grow in our Christian life and walk with the Lord—a process calledsanctification* in theology—we are better able to not sin. In this lifetime no one can reach a state of sinless perfection, as sin will not be entirely eradicated. Sanctification, or growth in our walk with the Lord, is a process in which regenerate persons, depending on God’s help, work toward spiritual growth, obedience to and application of God’s Word in their lives.[12] As we spiritually grow, we can progressively transform more into the likeness of God. As we grow and mature in our faith, we exhibit more of the fruit of God’s Spirit in our lives.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.[13]

Maturing in our spiritual lives and walk with the Lord is something Scripture says is a goal of Christians.

He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.[14]

As Christians who grow in our faith, we can be more like Jesus, and thus exhibit more of the image and likeness of God in which we are made. As His image bearers, we should strive to become more like Him. As His witnesses we should reflect Him, so that others will see Him in us and thus want to come to know Him.

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.[15]

(*Further information about sanctification will be covered in a future article.)



[1] Psalm 8:4–8.


[2] Genesis 1:27–28.


[3] Genesis 2:7.


[4] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 3, Creation and Fall (Fortress Press, 1997), p. 61–62.


[5] Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest. Integrative Theology, Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), p. 172.


[6] Colossians 1:13–15.


[7] 1 Corinthians 15:47–49.


[8] 2 Corinthians 4:4.


[9] 2 Corinthians 3:18.


[10] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 2000), p. 747.


[11] Romans 6:11, 14, 17, 18, 22.


[12] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology (Tyndale House Publishers, 1993) p. 170.


[13] Galatians 5:22–23.


[14] Ephesians 4:11–15.


[15] Matthew 5:16.



Copyright © 2012 The Family International.

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Thoughts on Humility and Learning from Others

A compilation

Download Audio (6.91MB)

I love Peter 5:5: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. That single verse, I call it the law of favor, is at the core of my spiritual operating system.

God can’t bless pride. God won’t bless pride. But if we cultivate a posture of humility, you can’t stop God from blessing, from favoring, from gracing. All I know is this: I don’t want God opposing me! So my only option is to cultivate a spirit of humility.

I’m more and more convinced that humility is a chief virtue. When you operate with a prideful spirit, you’ll experience resistance, but if you operate with a spirit of humility, the world will come to your aid. And more importantly, the Almighty will come to your aid.

The spirit of pride never wins. The spirit of humility is undefeated. You can’t lose if you operate out of a humble heart. Will you be taken advantage of on occasion? Sure. But God will honor you. Will you have to eat some humble pie along the way? Absolutely! But the net result will be the favor of God.—Mark Batterson

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The more humble a man is in himself, and the more obedient towards God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.—Thomas a Kempis

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Being humble is the first step to greatness. You have two choices in athletics and in life; be humble or be humiliated.—George Foreman

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Humility leads to strength and not weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.—John J. McCloy

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Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.—William Arthur Ward

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Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment.—H. Ross Perot

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I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. Really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man.—John Ruskin

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We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.—Mother Teresa

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I’ve got a little idea for you that could radically impact your interactions with others. It’ll require a good dose of humility and teachability. But once you get the hang of it, it will feel second nature.

Give everybody in your life the opportunity to be your consultant once in a while.

You’d be surprised how much the people in your life could help you with your situations and dilemmas. But you’ve got to invite the feedback.

Some of the most helpful insights I’ve ever received didn’t come from books or conferences. They materialized when I asked one of these questions to someone close to me:

What do you think I should do in this situation?
Am I missing something here?
How do you see it?
What would you do if you were me?

A few caveats:
People don’t want to hear all your aches and pains, so make sure to keep it positive and solution oriented when you involve others in your situations.
If you ask someone to speak into your life, do your best to shut up and say thank you when they’re done. Thank you, and that’s it. Whether you agree or not. Whether you intend to follow the advice or not. If you launch into a three-minute defense or rebuttal regarding their opinion, why would they open up to you next time you ask? My guess is they won’t.
Weigh the words of those who advise you according to their character and competency. Don’t give equal access to everyone. Be smart about it.

Liabilities aside, almost everyone you interact with has something to teach you. Even when their motives are wrong, or their worldview is different, there’s something to glean.

You can’t trust everyone as a confidant. But you can utilize everyone as a consultant at some level. Ask. Listen. Learn. Implement.—Steven Furtick

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How do we know if we have a servant’s heart? By how we act when we are treated like one.—Author unknown

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A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can counterfeit hope and all the other graces, but it is very difficult to counterfeit humility.—D. L. Moody

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I have learned that much of my spiritual progress does not come directly from God, but through my ability to humble myself and hear Him speak through imperfect people.—Francis Frangipane

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Humility is freedom from your own driven ego.—Martha Kilpatrick

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Humility is offering no resistance to the dealings of the Lord with us.—Chip Brogden

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Humility is knowing you yourself desperately require forgiveness as the greatest of all needs.—Martha Kilpatrick

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Oh, that we fully understood how very opposite our self-righteousness is to the designs of God!—Jeanne Guyon

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Provided that God be glorified, we must not care by whom.—Francis de Sales

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Humility and love are precisely the graces which the men of the world can understand, if they do not comprehend doctrines. They are the graces about which there is no mystery, and they are within reach of all classes … The poorest Christian can every day find occasion for practicing love and humility.—J. C. Ryle



Published on Anchor August 2012. Read by Simon Peterson.

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A Chilling Scenario of the End of America?

By Bill Sardi, Aug. 6, 2012
Senator Tom Coburn creates a chilling “end of the world as we know it” scenario in his recent book The Debt Bomb (Thomas Nelson 2012, 349 pages, indexed). The CIA should take note. Maybe it already has.

I’ll synopsize Senator Coburn’s fictional crisis that begins on August 4, 2014 in Tokyo where a large mutual fund is holding a meeting there along with dozens of private funds and representatives from foreign governments. The mutual fund is a large buyer of U.S. Treasury Bills that fund U.S. debt spending.

The Japanese mutual fund, frustrated that the U.S. has failed to cut spending, fears the Federal Reserve will print more money to inflate itself out of repaying its debts in full to holders of its IOUs (U.S. T-bills). The head of the Japanese mutual fund openly espouses a sell-off of U.S. Treasury Bills “before the Americans have a chance to devalue their currency any further.”

Recognizing some of the smartest investors in America had also declined to buy U.S. Treasury bills, the Japanese mutual fund officially votes to sell off its T-bills, which makes the newswires that morning in Asia.

The initial response is calm. But then another large fund in Asia also sells its holding in U.S. T-bills and by that afternoon Singapore releases its holdings as well. By then the European markets open and every major private firm is in a frenzy to unload their T-bills. Japan itself, the second largest holder of U.S debt, unloads its T-bills while China elects to wait it out.

In the dark of night, U.S. officials are awakened to a financial crash of unprecedented proportion. The newly elected Republican President, awakened at his vacation home, emphatically responds: “there will be no bailouts on my watch.”

Americans arise to a day more memorable than the JFK assassination or the 911 terrorist attacks—everything they own has now lost a third of its value compared to other currencies.

At a White House press conference the President says the fundamentals of the U.S. economy remain strong and everything will be all right. Then the Wall Street markets open and the Dow loses 10 percent of its value in minutes, so trading is halted for an hour. When trading resumes the Dow falls another 20 percent, prompting Americans to head for ATM machines. Bank websites begin to crash, and an orderly coast-to-coast bank run is in progress.

A week into the crisis the dollar loses 50% of its value and oil rises from $80 to $240 a barrel.

With rumors of mass layoffs, anguished American workers take to the streets and reach for matches. Whole city blocks are now going up in flames from city to city. The National Guard is called into action to restore order.

The immediate problem that confronts government is that tax receipts to the Treasury plummet and with a government already operating on borrowed money, largely from Japan and China, there aren’t sufficient reserves to issue Social Security pension checks, make Medicare payments and pay for all the other federal entitlements.

The international community offers loans but only under the condition that reforms be immediately put into place. The great and mighty United States of America is now taking orders from overseas to put reforms into practice it had resisted for many years. The U.S. becomes Greece II. Retirement age will immediately begin at age 72. Social Security taxes will double.

The American economy drags along for three more years, with unemployment hitting a high of 24%.

Two years later the People’s Republic of China, staging a naval exercise in the Taiwan Strait, suddenly heads directly for Taiwan. The U.S. threatens military action but the Chinese respond they will dump our T-bills if we interfere.

Senator Tom Coburn’s scenario reveals how the most advanced country in the world can be brought to its knees by debt. Senator Coburn quotes Admiral Mike Mullen who says: “Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.”

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Os Cinco Maiores Arrependimentos na Hora da Morte

Bronnie Ware

Trabalhei muitos anos na área de saúde com tratamento paliativo. Meus pacientes eram pessoas que tinham ido para casa morrer. Passamos momentos incríveis juntos. Estava com eles nas suas últimas três a doze semanas de vida.

As pessoas crescem muito diante da sua própria morte. Aprendi a nunca subestimar a capacidade de amadurecimento de alguém. Algumas mudanças eram fenomenais. Cada pessoa passava por uma variedade de emoções, como era de se esperar: negação, medo, raiva, remorso, mais negação, e eventualmente aceitação. Mas cada paciente, sem exceção, encontrava paz antes de partir.

Quando lhe perguntavam se tinham algum remorso ou algo que teriam feito diferente, temas comuns surgiam repetidas vezes. Aqui estão os cinco mais comuns:

1. Quem me dera ter levado a vida que eu queria, e não que os outros esperavam de mim.

Este foi o remorso mais comum de todos. Quando as pessoas percebem que sua vida está quase no final e fazem uma retrospectiva, é fácil ver que muitos sonhos não foram realizados. A maioria das pessoas não realizou nem metade de seus sonhos e morrem sabendo que isso se deu por causa de escolhas que fizeram ou deixaram de fazer.

É muito importante tentar honrar pelo menos alguns de seus sonhos durante sua vida. depois que perde a saúde é tarde demais. Saúde lhe dá uma liberdade que poucas pessoas percebem, até perdê-la.

2. Gostaria de não ter trabalhado tanto.

Ouvi isto de cada paciente homem de quem cuidei. Eles não estiveram presentes na infância dos filhos e nem na companhia das esposas.

As mulheres também mencionavam este remorso. Mas, como a maioria era da geração mais velha, muitas das minhas pacientes não eram o ganha-pão da família. Todos os homens de quem cuidei arrependiam-se profundamente de terem passado tanto na roda vida da sobrevivência.

Se simplificar seu estilo de vida e fizer escolhas conscientes, é possível não precisar da renda que acha que precisa atualmente. E, ao criar mais espaço em sua vida, será mais feliz e estará mais aberto a novas oportunidades e a coisas mais adequadas ao seu novo estilo de vida.

3. Eu gostaria de ter tido coragem de expressar meus sentimentos.

Muitas pessoas abafam seus sentimentos para manter a paz com outros. Muitas ficam doentes por causa de rancores e ressentimentos que carregaram ao longo da vida. Por isso, acomodam-se a uma existência medíocre e nunca alcançam o seu potencial pleno.

Não podemos controlar as reações dos outros. As pessoas podem reagir depois que você muda sua maneira de ser e se expressa honestamente, e no final eleva o relacionamento a um nível totalmente diferente e mais saudável... Ou o libera de uma relação nada saudável na vida. De um jeito ou de outro, você sai ganhando.

4. Gostaria de ter mantido contato com meus amigos.

Muitas vezes as pessoas só percebiam as vantagens de terem velhos amigos nas suas últimas semanas de vida, e nem sempre era possível encontrar tais amigos. Muitas haviam se envolvido de tal forma em suas próprias vidas que deixaram amizades de ouro se perder ao longo dos anos. Eram muitos os remorsos por não terem dado às amizades o tempo e esforço que mereciam. Todos sentem falta de seus amigos quando estão morrendo.

É comum pessoas que vivem ocupadas perder contato com os amigos. Mas diante da morte, os detalhes físicos da vida perdem importância. As pessoas, contudo, querem deixar todos os assuntos financeiros em ordem. Mas não é o dinheiro ou o status que têm importância para elas. Querem deixar tudo em ordem para o bem daqueles que amam. Geralmente, porém, estão doentes ou cansadas demais para realizar essa tarefa. No final das contas, é tudo uma questão de amor e relacionamentos. Isso é tudo o que permanece nas últimas semanas: amor e relacionamentos.

5. Gostaria de ter me permitido ser mais feliz.

Essa é surpreendente.

Muitas pessoas não percebem até o final da vida que felicidade é uma escolha.

Permaneceram presas em velhos padrões e hábitos. O “conforto” da familiaridade suplanta suas emoções, assim como suas vidas no físico. Medo de mudança as faz vender uma imagem de felicidade. Ao passo que, lá no fundo, anseiam rir de verdade e voltar a ter descontração na vida.

Quando está no seu leito de morte, o que os outros pensam de você está longe de seus pensamentos. Que maravilha poder não se preocupar e voltar a sorrir, muito antes de morrer.

A vida é uma escolha. É a SUA vida. Faça escolhas conscientes, com sabedoria e sinceridade. Escolha a felicidade.

De http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html.
Publicado no Âncora em junho de 2012.
Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão Hebe Rondon Flandoli.

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He Is a Christian

By Tommy Jacek

“Did you touch it?” Soccer players from both teams shouted in my direction.

At this stage of the game, whether I had touched the ball or not was very important. It decided whether it would be a goal kick for us or a corner kick for our opponents. The game time was almost up, but the score stubbornly remained at a draw. That’s why the eager faces of players from both teams stared at me in anticipation. My answer, as the goalkeeper, would determine the next play.

“I did,” I admitted, nodding my head.

“Why did you have to say that?” a new player on our team shouted at me. His reaction was typical of a player under pressure and didn’t surprise me at all. It’s what happened next that amazed me.

“He’s a Christian,” came the simultaneous answer from two or three other players in my defense.

“I don’t like that,” mumbled the new guy, but it was obvious that he was dumbfounded by the response of the other players.

I was taken aback too. I had hardly witnessed to these guys at all. A couple of them knew me as a pastor, and some of them got an occasional Activated mag, but I had witnessed (at length) to only one man, and he wasn’t coming to our Tuesday evening games any longer. The rest of the guys would show up in time for the game and leave soon afterwards. It was hardly an opportunity for in-depth conversation.

That’s why their strong convictions about my beliefs amazed me.

Another similar situation happened to me once before. Some time back, the only man on our soccer team whom I had deeply witnessed to shouted at me from a distance, after I admitted to touching the ball before it went out of play. “Tommy, this is not a church; this is a football pitch!” Needless to say, everyone had a good laugh.

Why am I writing this and why is it important to me? Because it encouraged me immensely.

You see, I do much less personal witnessing than I used to. I miss it and I also feel bad about it. It’s almost like a part of my heart was cut out of me. After all, talking to people about Jesus was the main reason for my existence, I thought. At times I have had to fight off condemnation that maybe I wasn’t doing my job properly.

Yet, here, unsolicited and from the mouths of others, comes: “He’s a Christian.” When I least expected it and from the people that I least expected to hear it from.

It turned out that I was being a witness, simply by trying to follow the Lord. The Lord wanted me to be honest (as I should always be) about touching the ball. Simple as that. All I had to do was to tell the truth, and Jesus took care of the rest. It didn’t even need to be a showy miracle in order to attract their attention, like the five loaves and two fishes were. Just two words were enough.

There was something else about that whole situation that was both contradictory and sobering.

The majority of players that I play with would say they were Christians, yet they had a different standard for me as a missionary than they had for themselves. The funny part about it was that they saw no contradiction in it.

In their minds, it was okay for them to tell a little “white lie” in a game of soccer. At the same time, if I were to do that, it would be wrong. Since I professed to be a missionary, I was expected to stay on the straight and narrow path no matter what.

I thank God for His grace to do just that.

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Are you standing for Godly convictions?

By Dennis Edwards:

I was reading Psalm 94 today and came upon some interesting verses, all in the same psalm. The following verse really got me thinking. “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frame mischief by a law?” [1] Governments often pass laws which are contrary to the laws of God. Just because the government passes such a law does not make it right. I would interpret that to mean that we as Christians should not have fellowship with that kind of government or political party that promotes that violation of God´s law.

The next verse in the psalm goes on to say, “They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.”[2] What soul in its natural state could be more righteous than the soul of an unborn child? What blood could be more innocent than the blood of an unborn child?

Earlier in the same psalm we find the verses, “Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless?”[3] How often, these small ones killed in abortion are “fatherless.” A woman has conceived a child out of wedlock or has been raped. Therefore, to avoid shame and scandal the child is aborted. The child is paying for the sins of the parents. He or she has done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, he or she is punished with death.

The Bible tells us, “Thou shall not kill.”[4] Jesus went on to say, “In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”[5] He also said, “As you would that men should do unto you, do you likewise to them also,”[6] and “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”[7]

The psalm continues, “Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?”[8] In other words, God is looking and sees and hears what we are doing. We will ultimately be required for our wrong doing, if not in this life, in the world to come, unless we confess, repent and change. Even then, we often suffer and others suffer because of our sins and mistakes, although God can bring this together for good, like He has promised in His word. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”[9]

The Psalmists goes on later to plead: “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”[10] The Psalmist is seeking for others to stand with him and speak out against the injustice that is happening around him, even if it is framed by law and is lawful, like abortion and homosexuality. Just because something is legal does not make it right in the eyes of God. Some countries like Holland have legalized euthanasia, but that does not make it right in the eyes of God. We need to go back to God´s Book and find out what He thinks and make our judgments based on what He says, not the biggest political party or most popular opinion of the day.

“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.”[11] It is not easy to speak up about these controversial questions and one would probably rather just keep silent. But God's spirit within us will push us to be a testimony for truth. It is not a popular route, but it is a route we must take if we want to sincerely please our maker and defend the rights of the innocent which we are all required by God to do.

The psalmist finishes the psalm with this warning. “And He (the Lord) shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.”[12] There will be a judgment day for each of us. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.”[13] 

It behooves us to take account of these things and do our best to love and help others and speak out against wrong doing. If we do not, who will? Is God´s voice calling you to stand up with conviction and lovingly point others to God´s truth? Do not be ashamed. God will help you. In turn, you will help others and they and you will be glad you did! “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”[14]

God bless you as you stand up for convictions based on the Word of God.

Footnotes:

[1] Psalm 94:20
[2] Psalm 94:21
[3] Psalm 94:3-6
[4] Exodus 20:13
[5] Matthew 25:40
[6] Luke 6:31
[7] Luke 17:2
[8] Psalm 94:7-9
[9] Romans 8:28
[10] Psalm 94:16
[11] Psalm 94:17
[12] Psalm 94:23
[13] 2Corinthians 5:10)
[14] Matthew 10:32

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