Recent unusual weather worldwide calls for urgent preventive action, UN official warns

29 December 2015 – Extreme tornadoes in the United States over Christmas, abnormal snowfalls in Mexico, and heavy flooding in South America and the United Kingdom show that governments must take more preventive action to reduce human and economic losses from weather-related disasters, a senior United Nations official warned today.

“Prevention measures including upgrading early warning systems to deal with the new climate variability, revising building codes to ensure more resilience of critical infrastructure such as schools, hospital and roads, and more investment in flood defences are critical to protect more people against disaster impacts,” said Margareta Wahlström, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

“We have no time to lose as weather-related disasters continue to increase, affecting millions of people.”

Over the weekend, tornadoes and storms killed more than 20 people in the US states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, and flattened hundreds of buildings and houses.

“More people are at risk due to increased urbanization,” Ms. Wahlström said. “Reducing spatial density of single family housing and increasing the resilience of houses against heavier wind load can reduce tornado impacts.”

Meanwhile, the intense floods in South America are considered the worst in the past 10 years, forcing more than 170,000 people to evacuate in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

“The abnormal flooding is consistent with the prediction made by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) last November. We cannot ignore science. Their findings need to be better included in long-term policies,” Ms. Wahlström added.

Last month, WMO warned that the majority of international climate outlook models indicated that the 2015-16 El Niño weather phenomenon was set to strengthen before the end of the year, causing more flooding and more droughts, setting it among the three strongest since 1950.

The phenomenon, characterized by a warming of the Pacific Ocean, is also triggering a rise in drought in different parts of the Americas, sparking the worst droughts in decades in Central America and Haiti, and that they will continue into 2016.

In Mexico, snowfall over the weekend blanketed 32 towns in the state of Chihuahua, with some places hit by accumulations of 30 centimetres and temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius.

Further afield, December has seen communities in Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire in the UK swamped by rising waters with damages that could exceed £1.5 billion according to financial analysts.

“The repetitive floods in the UK and unusual snowstorms in Mexico are alerting the world about how difficult it is to predict global warming impacts and climate change,” Ms. Wahlström said.     UN

Our Congress should revisit and our candidates for president should consider advocating the restoration of Sunday as a day of rest

December 25, 2015 12:00 AM

Odds-makers out of Las Vegas have Sen. Marco Rubio winning the Republican nomination and Hillary Clinton winning the general election. We need the right leader for our times. The world is in turmoil in its struggle with the Islamic State group. On the home front, we have security, economic and social issues.
There is no argument or question that our country was founded on Christian values that have eroded over the years. A Dec. 20, Post-Gazette article is illustrative — “Church Fading Away After More Than a Century of Worship.” The subhead said the First Presbyterian Church in struggling Clairton will close with a Dec. 27 service.
Another article about the merit of religion appeared in the Dec. 20 Forum section: “Religion Is Good for Families and Kids.”
Our Congress should revisit and our candidates for president should consider advocating the restoration of Sunday as a day of rest, a paid day of rest, a required day of rest. Now we have the distraction of unnecessary shopping; in the not-too-distant past, nonessential business establishments were required to be closed on Sundays.
Americans deserve a day of rest, a day to be with families, attend church and interact with people on an interpersonal level. Imagine shutting down the Internet or cellphones for a day. How peaceful that day would be!
We have made a truly negative rat race, with limited time availability or potential for good interactions with one another.
We need to restore one takeaway from our past: Sunday as a day of rest, a day of worship, of prayer that was invaluable to our family values and individual well-being.
The odds are, regretfully, that our Sunday traditions of the past are gone forever just as are the odds that presidential candidates would even think of Sunday as an essential need. Merry CHRISTmas!  Post Gazette

Pope prescribes cure for Vatican ills

22 December 2015 at 10:09am

By: AFP

Vatican City - Pope Francis vowed on Monday to power ahead with the reform of the Curia, the Church's “diseased” governing body, throwing down the gauntlet to those fostering a climate of intrigue, greed and double-crossing in the Vatican.

His annual address to cardinals, bishops and priests running the Holy See echoed his speech at this time last year, when he suggested the Vatican's administrative hierarchy was beset by a “spiritual Alzheimer's” and a lust for power.

Though the December 2014 speech embarrassed and infuriated many of the Vatican's top figures, it appeared to have failed to convince the unruly Curia to change its ways - with fresh scandals blotting the government's copybook in 2015.

The pope reminded the Curia he had chastised them last year for “certain temptations or maladies... diseases which call for prevention, vigilance, care and, sadly, in some cases, painful and prolonged interventions.”

“Some of these diseases became evident in the course of the past year, causing no small pain to the entire body and harming many souls,” he said, in a reference to a second embarrassing leaks scandal at the heart of the Holy See.

Three people accused of stealing and leaking secret papers are currently on trial at the Vatican, along with two journalists accused of publishing the documents, which depict irregularities and extravagance in the Holy See's spending.

The year has also been marked by allegations of clerical sex abuse, stories of wild Vatican parties, accusations of charity money being spent on a cardinal's apartment and rumours appearing to originate within the Church of the pope's ill health.

The controversial or scandalous incidents were seen by some as a bid to discredit Francis, the driver behind a summit this year on the Church's approach to family values which bitterly divided conservatives and liberals.

The start of the convention was overshadowed by the 'coming out' of a Polish priest who worked at the Vatican and was quickly followed by a scandal over priests in Rome having sex with male prostitutes and vulnerable people in a city park.

At a meeting with the Vatican's employees and their families on Monday, Francis asked “forgiveness for the scandals”.

The pontiff, who was elected in 2013 on a mandate to bring the powerful but fractious Curia into line, promised cardinals, bishops and priests he would “move forward with determination, clarity and firm resolve” with his reforms.

Francis presented them with a “catalogue of needed virtues” - a 12-point “practical aid” of guidelines including “setting an example” for the faithful and being honest, charitable and humble.

Honesty, he underlined, was key: it is “the foundation on which all other qualities rest”.

“An honest and open person does not act virtuously only when he or she is being watched; honest persons have no fear of being caught, since they never betray the trust of others,” he added.

Not everyone was given black marks. The pontiff expressed his “heartfelt gratitude and needed encouragement to all those good and honest men and women in the Curia”.

Moreover, he ended on an upbeat note, insisting that problems were just “opportunities for growth, and never for discouragement”.    IOL

NOTE: The Severe Judgment against Babylon

1Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

2And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

3Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

4Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

5For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

6Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

7Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

8Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

9We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

10The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

11Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.

12Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

13O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

14The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.  Jeremiah 51:1-14

Pope Francis is the second most admired man in the United States

By Michael O'Loughlin

National reporter December 28, 2015

Pope Francis is the second most admired man in the United States, but he shares the spot with someone whose world view couldn’t be further from his own: Donald Trump.

According to a Gallup poll released Monday, President Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton are once again the most admired man and woman in America, respectively, by wide margins.

About 13 percent of Americans named Clinton as their most admired woman; she now holds the record for topping the list for the 20^th time, more than any other woman or man. On the men’s side, 17 percent of Americans chose Obama.

But the pope, whose papacy has been hallmarked by his pleas to protect the poor and to take care of the environment, tied with Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul and GOP anti-immigration crusader. Each chosen by 5 percent of Americans as their most admired.

Pope Francis isn’t the only religious figure who appears on the 2015 list.

Included in a five-way tie at the bottom of the list of the most admired men, with 1 percent each, were the Dalai Lama and the Rev. Billy Graham, who holds the record for appearing on the list the most number of times: 59. (Pope John Paul II is in eighth place when it comes to total appearances on the list; he’s been on it 27 times.)

This is Pope Francis’ third appearance, and each time he has placed second. In 2013, the year he was elected, he tied for second place with former President George W. Bush. He finished second in 2014 with 6 percent.

Francis visited the United States for the first time in his life in September, where massive crowds greeted him in Washington, New York, and Philadelphia. His trip included a speech to Congress, a papal first, an address to the United Nations, and a public Mass along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philly.     Cruxnow

NOTE: The Beast Out of the Sea

 1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.   Revelation 13:1-6

Pope Francis: Atheists And Homosexuals Welcome In Heaven

Pope Francis’ progressive attitude toward non-Catholics and non-believers has shocked many followers of God since he took on the papal position. His inane desire to accept everyone for who they are, and not reject them for the label they carry, has drawn attention toward him in both positive and negative lights. He has openly declared that Catholic individuals who partake in a homosexual lifestyle are welcome in heaven and should be treated no different than their heterosexual counterparts. Now, in an announcement that has surprised many in the Catholic community, Pope Francis has declared that even Atheists are welcome into heaven, regardless of their non belief in god or religion as a whole.

Founder of La Repubblica, Eugenio Scalfari, wrote an article for his newspaper, openly asking Pope Francis whether the Christian God would openly accept a non-believer into his heaven, according to the Independent. Rather than ignore the article written from the non-Roman Catholic newspaper founder, Pope Francis chose to respond with an open letter to the paper and its founder, explaining what he believes God would say if asked the same question.

Rather than respond defensively, Pope Francis chose to keep his tone friendly and open for further discussion, claiming that those that do not believe in God are simply ignoring their conscience and that disbelief in something does not discount its existence.

“You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.”

Pope Francis continued by stating that sin exists in all beliefs.

“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

Bustle summed up Pope Francis’ comments and stated that the existence of God is not a matter of belief or disbelief, but a matter of following one’s conscience.

“[Y]ou should at least follow your heart, if you’re not going to become Catholic, and that God will be cool with that.”

In other words, it seems as though Pope Francis is saying that one’s faith, or lack thereof, should not be the basis on which an individual is judged. Instead, his or her moral character, behaviors, and attitudes toward others, should be how an individual is judged. However, Pope Francis’ comments are not limited to religion alone, but also spread into an individual’s lifestyle.

Scalfari noted that Pope Francis’ comments further advance his position to unite everyone and open the world to real conversations that will hopefully lead to love and acceptance of all fellow men and women.

“… further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all…”

The dialogue Scalfari references goes back to July when Pope Francis openly accepted homosexuals into the Catholic church, advising that God loves and accepts them in the same manner as one with a devout heterosexual faith.

“If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?”

His new remarks lend one to believe that it doesn’t matter whether an individual is a devout Catholic, homosexual, atheist, a member of ISIS, or any other living man or woman on the Earth. In the end, it all comes down to following one’s conscience. If God opens the doors of heaven to everyone, their earthly belief does not matter, he will still welcome them into his home.

Pope Francis has created an upheaval of the Catholic church since taking on the moniker. However, his openness to acceptance has opened dialogue that previously was suppressed. What are your thoughts on the Pope and his comments?     Inquisitor

Note: The only thing the pope forgot to mention was true repentance. Yes, God loves the sinner but hates sin. We can not live contemplating sin once God's grace has reached us. We need to come closer to God, let go self and begin to have a real experience with Him. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.   Matthew 9:13  KJV
By the way, the word "repentance" is missing in the new bible translations. 

Chick-fil-A makes rare Sunday exception

Unlike many restaurants, Chick-fil-A is known for more than just food: it's also famous for being closed on Sundays.

But in the name of a good cause, some locations in Texas northeast of Dallas turned the lights on Sunday after tornadoes ripped through the state and killed 11 people.


"The locations were not open to the public, but team members from various restaurants in the area did volunteer to prepare and distribute free food to responders and others affected by the tornadoes—serving those in need during this tragic event," said Amanda Hannah, a spokeswoman for the chain, in an email.
Chick-fil-A has maintained its rare Sunday closure policy since the chicken chain opened. The weekly day off is meant to encourage employees to rest, spend time with family and worship if they choose.      CNBC

America's gun violence epidemic on Christmas Day

In further evidence of America's gun violence epidemic, 27 people were shot and killed on Christmas Day - more gun homicides than most countries see in an entire year.

Christmas Day in America. A 73-year-old grandmother in Texas shoots her husband over "marital issues." The parents of a young boy are gunned down in an Ohio parking lot. A barber is shot three times, and left lying on the sidewalk by his shop.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 27 people were killed in shooting incidents across the United States on Friday. Another 63 were injured, and neither of these figures include self-inflicted gunfire.

Two of the tragedies qualify as mass shooting incidents, defined by GVA as involving "four or more shot and/or killed in a single event, at the same general time and location, not including the shooter."

This rate of violence is especially shocking given that while 27 people died during a single day in the United States, that number is comparable to an entire year of gun-related homicides in Australia or the United Kingdom.

Hong Kong, Iceland, Bermuda, Estonia, Slovenia, Norway, New Zealand, and Austria - combined - would average 27 gun deaths per year.

Christmas Day was comparatively peaceful, when measured against the American average. On average, 36 Americans are killed in gun related fatalities every day, with another 73 injured.

A spate of mass shootings in recent years has brought renewed focus to gun violence in the United States. The San Bernardino massacre earlier this month saw 14 people killed. That incident occurred less than a week after a gunman opened fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic, killing three.

A report released earlier this month found that the San Bernardino shooting was the 355th mass shooting in the United States in the first 336 days of 2015.     SputnikNews

The Time of The End

We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude.

The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. 

The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the near future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails. The enemy has succeeded in perverting justice and in filling men's hearts with the desire for selfish gain. "Justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." Isaiah 59:14. In the great cities there are multitudes living in poverty and wretchedness, well-nigh destitute of food, shelter, and clothing; while in the same cities are those who have more than heart could wish, who live luxuriously, spending their money on richly furnished houses, on personal adornment, or worse still, upon the gratification of sensual appetites, upon liquor, tobacco, and other things that destroy the powers of the brain, unbalance the mind, and debase the soul. The cries of starving humanity are coming up before God, while by every species of oppression and extortion men are piling up colossal fortunes. 

I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify the owners and builders. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used. Those to whom these buildings belonged were not asking themselves: "How can we best glorify God?" The Lord was not in their thoughts. 

As these lofty buildings went up, the owners rejoiced with ambitious pride that they had money to use in gratifying self and provoking the envy of their neighbors. Much of the money that they thus invested had been obtained through exaction, through grinding down the poor. They forgot that in heaven an account of every business transaction is kept; every unjust deal, every fraudulent act, is there recorded. The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah. 

The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the lofty and supposedly fireproof buildings and said: "They are perfectly safe." But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines.

I am instructed that when the Lord's time comes, should no change have taken place in the hearts of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find that the hand that had been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No earthly power can stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the erection of buildings that will preserve them from destruction when God's appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their disregard of His law and for their selfish ambition. 

There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God's word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them. 

The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ's second coming. Of the men who by robbery and extortion are amassing great riches, it is written: "Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." James 5:3-6. 

But who reads the warnings given by the fast-fulfilling signs of the times? What impression is made upon worldlings? What change is seen in their attitude? No more than was seen in the attitude of the inhabitants of the Noachian world. Absorbed in worldly business and pleasure, the antediluvians "knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away." Matthew 24:39. They had heaven-sent warnings, but they refused to listen. And today the world, utterly regardless of the warning voice of God, is hurrying on to eternal ruin. 

The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place.

"Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate. . . . The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth." Isaiah 24:1-8. 

"Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. . . ." Joel 1:15. 

"I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down." Jeremiah 4:23-26. 

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:7. 

Not all in this world have taken sides with the enemy against God. Not all have become disloyal. There are a faithful few who are true to God; for John writes: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12. Soon the battle will be waged fiercely between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. Soon everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things that cannot be shaken may remain. 

Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows that his time is short, and he seeks at every point to counterwork the work of the Lord upon this earth. It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God's people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought. God's tried and tested people will find their power in the sign spoken of in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to take their stand on the living word: "It is written." This is the only foundation upon which they can stand securely. Those who have broken their covenant with God will in that day be without God and without hope. 

The worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandment, since this is the sign of God's creative power and the witness to His claim upon man's reverence and homage. The wicked will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the Creator's memorial and to exalt the institution of Rome. In the issue of the conflict all Christendom will be divided into two great classes, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive the mark of the beast, yet the people of God will not receive it. Revelation 13:16. The prophet of Patmos beholds "them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God," and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2. 

Fearful tests and trials await the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of the time of trouble that is coming,—a time of trouble such as has not been since there was a nation—God's chosen people will stand unmoved. Satan and his host cannot destroy them, for angels that excel in strength will protect them.    Counsels for the Church p. 37-40

Mother Teresa will be made a Catholic saint after Pope Francis approved a second miracle needed for her canonization

Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY 10:04 a.m. EST December 22, 2015
Mother Teresa will be made a Catholic saint after Pope Francis approved a second miracle needed for her canonization, a move welcomed by the archbishop of Kolkata, India, as “a real Christmas gift” from the pontiff.

Francis took the step by signing a decree late Thursday declaring that the inexplicable 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man who suddenly woke from a coma caused by a viral brain infection was due to the intercession of the Albanian nun, who died at age 87 in 1997.

Mother Teresa, known as "the saint of the gutters," was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 after dedicating her life to working on behalf of the poor, particularly in the slums of Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta.)

She was beatified in 2003 by Pope John Paul II after being attributed to a first miracle, answering an Indian woman's prayers to cure her brain tumor, according to the Vatican. One miracle is needed for beatification — described by the Catholic Church as recognition of a person's entrance into heaven — while sainthood requires two.

By the time of her death, Mother Teresa's India-based Missionaries of Charity supported 4,000 nuns and ran hundreds of orphanages, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and clinics around the world.

Church observers said the pope would probably canonize Mother Teresa on Sept. 4, the day before the anniversary of her death, which is also her official feast day.

“It is a real Christmas gift that the Holy Father has given, especially the Church in (Kolkata),” said Archbishop Thomas D’Souza, the Indian city's archbishop. “We were waiting for this moment, since many years really, and now that it has come we are very happy, overjoyed."

Francis, who has made outreach to the poor a priority for the Catholic Church, met Mother Teresa more than two decades ago while he was Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina. He is known for admiring her ministry as well as her fearlessness in speaking out on behalf of society’s outcasts.

“I would have been afraid to have had her as my superior, since she was so tough,” he once joked.

Visitors take photos of a portrait of Mother Teresa at the Missionaries of Charity after a special Mass in Kolkata, India, on Dec. 18, 2015. Pope Francis has signed off on the miracle needed to make Mother Teresa a saint, giving the tiny nun who cared for the poorest of the poor one of the Catholic Church's highest honors just two decades after her death.  Bikas Das, AP

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, into an ethnic Albanian family in what is today the Republic of Macedonia.

She joined the Loreto order of nuns in 1928. In 1946, while traveling by train from Kolkata to Darjeeling, was inspired to found the Missionaries of Charity order.

The order was established four years later and has since opened more than 130 houses worldwide to provide comfort and care for the needy.

While her actions gained widespread admiration, Mother Teresa was not beloved by all and was criticized for the quality of care in her clinics and taking donations from Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and disgraced American financier Charles Keating, according to the Associated Press.

Contributing: David Gibson and Rosie Scammell, Religion News Service

SOURCES:  U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.catholicdoors.com, AP and USA TODAY research;  PHOTO: AP       USA Today

Note: Martin Luther once said: “Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works; evil works do not make a wicked man, but a wicked man does evil works.” Goodreads Good works must emanate from the real source (Christ) to be consider a blessing, otherwise we will be deceiving ourselves. Worshiping God is my first and most important duty towards Him. Supplying the needs of my neighbors is my second duty. Matthew 6:33 says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." What is His righteousness? The perfect character of God as described in His Word (Job 36:3; Isaiah 51:5-8; John 17:25) That said, if we seek God's kingdom but not His righteousness then the great deceiver called the serpent and satan who deceives the whole world (Rev 12:9) and who transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) will try to perform miracles in the place of Christ.

The controversial 'surveillance' act Obama just signed

President Barack Obama signed into law a $1.1 trillion spending bill last Friday, staving off a potential government shutdown — and in the process, quietly inaugurated what some have called a second Patriot Act.

As part of the more-than-2,000-page document, the 14th rider to be exact, the appropriations omnibus includes the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. Buried within that section is the text of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), a bill that seeks to permit private companies to handover information to federal agencies.

In essence, the law allows companies to directly share information with the Department of Defense (including the National Security Agency) without fear of being sued. This info can be used for cybersecurity purposes, but critics have keyed into the law's allowance for using the data to address or investigate a "specific threat" of death, serious bodily harm, serious economic harm, terrorism, harm to a minor and more.

As Wired noted, an earlier bill only allowed information sharing in the case of "imminent threats," but the new "specific" verbiage disregards any timeliness.

The House Committee on Rules described the information sharing measure as "a voluntary cybersecurity information sharing process that will encourage public and private sector entities to share cyberthreat information, without legal barriers and the threat of unfounded litigation — while protecting private information."

As benign as that description may sound, several legislators released comments decrying the implications of the CISA measures.

"I was unable to vote for the omnibus spending bill today because it included an extraneous provision purported to facilitate cybersecurity information sharing that — in effect — will function as a surveillance tool," California Rep. Zoe Lofgren said in a statement.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden was even more critical, saying the "unacceptable surveillance provisions" are a "black mark" on the rest of the appropriations bill. He even implied that the information sharing provisions are worse than in previous incarnations.

"Ultimately, I cannot vote for this badly flawed CISA bill. The latest version of CISA is the worst one yet — it contains substantially fewer oversight and reporting provisions than the Senate version did," he said in a statement. "That means that violations of Americans' privacy will be more likely to go unnoticed."

To Wyden's point, 55 civil society groups, security experts and academics, wrote earlier this year that CISA would "seriously threaten privacy and civil liberties, and could undermine cybersecurity, rather than enhance it."

These complaints may be blowing the scope of the bill out of proportion, according to Randy Sabett, vice chair of the privacy and data protection group at the law firm Cooley.

"I try to maintain a relatively open mind toward the arguments that people raise when they start talking about privacy and civil liberties, but I guess where I have difficulty is with some of these sweeping statements that it's a pure surveillance bill," he said.

 

Sabett pointed to CISA's voluntary nature — it doesn't compel any company to share data with the government, only prevents them from being sued for it. On the other hand, the law unequivocally requires both federal authorities and companies to scrub personal information from shared data.

Additionally, the law compels the government to issue regular privacy update reports to monitor any abuses, Sabett said.

And there are many who support the information sharing law, including Obama administration officials and industry groups.

"Cybersecurity is a top priority for DHS and the Obama administration, and this bipartisan effort is a significant step forward in strengthening our nation's cybersecurity," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement after the omnibus spending bill was passed. "I look forward to working with Congress on further strengthening DHS' cybersecurity mission."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also put its support behind the new law. Recognizing that cybercrime targets both government and businesses, the Chamber's president and CEO, Thomas Donohue, said in a statement that CISA will allow businesses to voluntarily work with authorities "to better prevent, detect and mitigate threats."

"This legislation, long championed by the Chamber, is our best chance yet to help address this economic and national security priority in a meaningful way and help prevent further attacks," Donohue said.

Financial sector groups, such as the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and the American Bankers Association, have applauded CISA. Members of the Cyber Threat Alliance — which is made up of four companies: Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Symantec and Intel Security Group — were largely positive on the CISA measures in October.

"I have seen companies benefit from information sharing: To be in a situation where that information is like pulling teeth, and then to see the benefits that come out of it is an eye-opening experience," Sabett told CNBC. "Getting something on the books is going to have a lot more positive effects than the negative effects that the critics are pointing to."   CNBC

 

Everett Rosenfeld Staff Writer

An organ of the Vatican newspaper has slammed the new "Star Wars" film as a thorough disappointment because its villains are not sufficiently evil.

By Tom Kington

An organ of the Vatican has slammed the new "Star Wars" film as a thorough disappointment because its villains are not sufficiently evil.

The Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has given a dismal review to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," even as it breaks box-office records.

While the Vatican might have been expected to sing the praises of any "Star Wars" film, given the series' depictions of the battle between good and evil, the latest installment, directed by J.J. Abrams, drops the ball on sheer badness with a crop of unconvincing villains, the non-bylined review claims.

"The new director's set-up fails most spectacularly in its representation of evil, meaning the negative characters," according to the review. "Darth Vader and above all the Emperor Palpatine were two of the most efficient villains in that genre of American cinema."

This time around, the villains are more insipid than devilish, the paper adds.

"The counterpart of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, wears a mask merely to emulate his predecessor, while the character who needs to substitute the emperor Palpatine as the incarnation of supreme evil represents the most serious defect of the film," it wrote. "Without revealing anything about the character, all we will say is that it is the clumsiest and tackiest result you can obtain from computer graphics."

Amid a torrent of positive reviews for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which praise the film's old-fashioned sense of adventure, a handful of critics have complained it is a thinly disguised recycling of the original "Star Wars" movies.

In that vein, The Vatican's newspaper agrees, calling the film "more reboot than sequel." For good measure it adds, "Not a classy reboot however, like Nolan's Batman, but an update twisted to suit today's tastes and a public more accustomed to sitting in front of a computer than in a cinema."

Sticking the knife in further, the review adds, "Abrams' direction is in fact modelled on the sloppiest current action films derived from the world of videogames."

"The only merit of J.J. Abrams film is to show, by contrast, how the direction of the previous films was elegant, balanced and above all appropriate."

L'Osservatore Romano, has first published in 1861, has built a name for lively film reviews since its editor was told to spice up the paper in 2007 by then-Pope Benedict.

Since then, the paper has interspersed its reports on papal Masses and synods with articles about Bob Dylan and a look back at films including "The Blues Brothers."

Not all its film reviews are as tough as the one on the new "Star Wars" installment. In 2012, the paper raved about the 007 film "Skyfall," even lauding the "extremely beautiful Bond girls."

This year, it described futuristic road movie "Mad Max, Fury Road" as "a real, true masterpiece." On the other hand, it slammed Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings," saying it added nothing new to the biblical story except a welter of special effects.        LA Times

Note: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14  Biblehub

WCC leader says faith groups must follow up on climate deal

(Vatican Radio) World leaders have hailed the climate change agreement they struck in Paris at the weekend as historic, while some environmentalists have warned the deal does not go far enough to curb the effects of global warming on our planet. Financial analysts meanwhile have described the summit’s outcome as the most important climate agreement since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, saying it will boost the world's low carbon-emissions economy.
Leaders of the Christian Churches and other faith communities also played a vital role in Paris, representing the voice of the poorest communities who are worst effected by climate change.
Pope Francis on Sunday urged the international community to urgently follow up on the path set by the agreement, paying special attention “for the most vulnerable populations”.
Among the Christian leaders addressing the talks in Paris was the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. He was in Rome this week for talks with Cardinal Peter Turkson of the Pontifical Justice and Peace Council and members of the St Egidio community. Rev Fykse Tveit spoke to Philippa Hitchen about his hopes and his expectations following the historic agreement…
Listen: 
Rev Fykse Tveit says he told the politicians in Paris that all people – but especially the most vulnerable – have a right to hope that the world leaders would show responsibility towards all of humanity and not just the interests of their own countries.
He says the agreement is an important symbol of this and that politicians, business leaders, researchers, the civil sector and the religious communities now need to “speak the same language” to press for monitoring and implementation.
Faith leaders, he says, need to be “both strong in the conviction that (implementation) is possible” and hold the world leaders accountable to the commitments they have made. In Paris, he says, there was an interaction between civil society, the most vulnerable communities and politicians, “working together in ways we haven’t seen before”.
The religious discourse – especially Pope Francis’ encyclical – he says, has had an impact and “now it’s time to follow up”.
Regarding the recent refugee crisis that has caused tensions in many European countries, including his own nation, Norway, Rev Fykse Tveit praises the Norwegian Council of Churches for calling for the legal rights of refugees to be respected. He says there is a growing ecumenical and interfaith movement opposing the skepticism and proposing a more hospitable approach
There is a strong role for the Churches, he says, to combat the current fears and show that “our own security and wellbeing is not only defined by protecting our resources, but by making sure we live in a world of peace and justice, dealing with each other in a decent way”.
Rev Fykse Tveit also speaks about the Jubilee Year, inaugurated by Pope Francis earlier this month, saying it offers an ecumenical challenge, as well as opportunity for the “worldwide fellowship of humanity” to see that we need mercy “to be able to find a way forward”.
Finally the WCC leaders shares some of the priorities of the ecumenical body for the coming year: firstly, to look at what Christians can say together to combat the use of religion to justify violence; secondly to follow up on the climate change achievements; and thirdly to pursue the search for justice and peace, especially in the Middle East.    Radio Vaticana

7 evangelical Christians jailed for refusing to convert not to Islam but to Catholicism in Mexico

Seven evangelical Christians are facing a different kind of persecution—this time not by Islamic radicals but, surprisingly, by fellow Christ-believing Catholics.

In a report carried by Charisma News, the International Christian Concern (ICC) said it has learned that the seven evangelical Christians were sent to jail in Chiapas, Mexico, on Dec. 15 after they refused to convert to Catholicism.

ICC said Mexican state and federal authorities had been informed of threats to illegally expel or send to prison members of the evangelical community in the area, but they refused to intervene.

The evangelicals earlier received an ultimatum to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion and imprisonment by local officials of the place where they reside—in Leyva Velazques, a municipality of Las Margaritas, Chiapas.

Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion in Mexico where 82.7 percent of the people adhere to the faith, based on a census conducted in 2010. However, Mexico's Constitution explicitly protects the right of all citizens to profess and practice the religious belief of their choice.

Reports said the Catholics' ultimatum forced eight families in the village to sign documents indicating their willingness to convert to Catholicism.

But seven of their fellow evangelicals refused to sign the document and were sent to jail, according to Luis Herrera, Director of the Coordination of Christian Council of Churches.

Other evangelical Christians in the community are continually being pressured to renounce their faith by local officials of Leyva Velazques, according to ICC.

The Christian group said this incident shows the growing trend of religious persecution in rural areas of Mexico under the noses of state and federal government officials who refuse to do anything to protect religious minorities.

In June, ICC reported more than 70 cases of religious persecution against minority Christian communities in the states of Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla and Guerrero. Each case involved 20 to 100 victims.

Isaac Six, ICC's Advocacy Director, has appealed to the Mexican government to stop the persecution of Christian minorities in the country's rural areas.

It is simply unconscionable for the state and federal governments of Mexico to repeatedly ignore the arbitrary arrest and expulsion of their own citizens by local governments on the basis of religious belief," he said.

"Today, hundreds of men, women, and children are homeless in Mexico because they chose to follow their beliefs, and because their government refused to act. We call on the federal government of Mexico to immediately intervene and halt the unlawful detention of members of the evangelical community in Leyva Velazques," Six said.    CT

Sabbath debated on FOX with Huckabee

Published on Dec 15, 2010

Find out about the Sabbath: http://SabbathTruth.com/
How Sunday became the popular day of worship:
http://www.worshiponsabbath.com/how-s...

BOTH MEN ARE WRONG. Don't be fooled.
It's Satan's tactic to give 2 wrong options and ask you to choose.

Mike Huckabee (Pastor, Newscaster, Politian) Newscaster says:
-Constitution can be amended
-America is based on Bible
-no where were the 10 commandments made into the 10 suggestions and ready to be amended to the constitution -We should not amend the Bible to the constitution
-Jesus did not amend the 10 commandments, he gave better understandings
-It's not enough that you practice it outwardly, you must practice it inwardly as well.
-Saturday to Sunday is not an amendment, its an interpretation -An amendment is where you actually change the entire direction...
-Love your neighbor as yourself
-Jesus did not amend or change, he clarified.

Alan Dershowitz (Jewish Harvard Lawyer Professor) Visitor says:
-America was based on the constitution -America is not based on Bible
-its wrong to say "we shouldn't amend the Bible principles to the constitution"
-Christians changed the commandments specifically the 2nd and 4th
-In 10 commandments, adultery only applied to women, Jesus amended that among other things.
-10 commandments refer to slavery twice
-Jefferson pointed out that the sins of the fathers shall be inflicted on the sons for 3 generations and said "thank goodness no one takes that seriously anymore".
-Saturday to Sunday is a Christian clear amendment, clear amendment
-It's not a different interpretation, the Christians have said thay changed it.
-Religion thrives on change
-"Love your neighbor as yourself comes from Helail" lived 40 years before Jesus.

The Prophecy of Daniel 2

In the prophecy of Daniel 2 we read about how God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream with a great image of a man, made out of different metals, and how God revealed the interpretation of the dream to the prophet Daniel. God gave this dream to Nebuchadnezzar and revealed the information to Daniel around the year 603 B.C. And yet it accurately foretold the future kingdoms of this world right up to the end times, which we can confirm through historical records.

... Also, look deeper into the detail of the FEET OF IRON AND CLAY (further below) and you will see even more, how amazing and accurate this prophecy was.

We have added the picture opposite to give you a good visual of this prophecy and below we will give the details of each metal part of the image and the kingdom it represents. But pay special attention to the feet of iron and clay, as this applies to the time we are living in.

Daniel 2:31-35 ...'Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.'

Head of GOLD

BABYLON - We know the first kingdom of this image is Babylon, because Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he (king of Babylon) was the head of gold ... Daniel 2:38-40 ...'And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.' ... So we know that Babylon is the head of gold and Nebuchadnezzar ruled as king in Babylon from 605 BC.

Babylon was the most glorious kingdom of all. Which is why it was represented as GOLD.

Then Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar what would happen ... Daniel 2:39-41 ...'And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.'

Breast and Arms of SILVER

MEDO PERSIA - So the next kingdom which God allowed to conquer Babylon is represented by the chest and arms of silver. And history tells us that the kingdom which conquered Babylon in 539 BC was the Medo Persian empire. As the name suggests, this kingdom had two parts. The Medes and the Persians, with Persia being the stronger nation. This matches the fact that it is represented by the part of the body of the image that has TWO arms.

Just as SILVER is 'inferior' to GOLD, Medo Persia did not have the glory which was upon Babylon. Also, it is known that taxes were paid in SILVER in Medo Persia.

Is it a coincidence that the DUAL kingdom of Medo Persia matches the two arms of the image? Well, take a look at the iron of legs below and you will see that maybe God chose the image of a man perfectly to match the future kingdoms of the world.

Thighs of BRASS

GREECE - The next nation after Medo Persia which conquered and took control was the kingdom of Alexander the Great - GREECE. The kingdom of Greece began to reign in 331 BC after the conquest of Alexander the Great in the battle of Arbela in 331 BC.

The soldiers of the Grecian empire wore armor made out of BRONZE.

An interesting note concerning the kingdom of Greece, as mentioned above, is that their soldiers wore armor made of BRONZE. And this obviously matches the brass thighs of the image. So we can see that the future kingdoms not only matched the figure of a man, but the metals used also.

Legs of IRON

ROME - Rome was the kingdom which ruled the world after it conquered Greece in 168 BC. And it was the dominant kingdom that ruled during the time of Jesus Christ.

IRON was widely used in the armor and weapons of the Roman Empire. And what about the TWO legs? History confirms that Rome split into TWO political areas. The Western Empire ruled from Rome and the Eastern Empire ruled from Constantinople (Turkey).

Now something to notice with these metals in the image is that they begin with GOLD, the most glorious metal, matching the kingdom of Babylon. Then as we progress down the image, the metals become less 'glorious', but STRONGER. And we end up with the 'IRON' kingdom of Rome. Probably the least 'glorious' kingdom, but certainly the strongest, as Rome was known for it's so called 'iron grip' during it's reign.

Feet of IRON and CLAY

EUROPE - The Roman Empire as a one world power disintegrated due to the attacks from the barbarian tribes. By 476 AD Rome had lost it's power and the tribes that sacked the Roman Empire became the 10 nations of Europe. These tribes were the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Alemannians, Sueves, Anglo-Saxons, Heruli, Lombards, and Burgundians. Three of these tribes were uprooted by Papal Rome (THE LITTLE HORN POWER) and the other seven evolved into the nations of Europe today, like Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, etc.

Daniel 2:41-43 ...'And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken?. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.'

So we know from this that the Roman Empire was the last single world kingdom to rule the earth. And even though the strength of the iron (civil power) is still amongst the nations of the earth. They will remain partly broken, never to fully cleave one to another again.

But look deeper. There is another important factor regarding the feet ...

What is the Biblical meaning of iron and clay? If you read Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:27, you will see that iron is a symbol of a ruling power. So in terms of the world, iron would denote a civil ruling world power. And what about the clay? If you read Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:1-6, you will see that clay in the Bible represents the people of God, with the Lord Himself being the 'Potter'.

So IRON = Civil ruling power and CLAY = God's professed church. So God is telling us through this image that there would be a mingling of church and civil power AFTER the fall of the Roman Empire.

And here is the important fact regarding the 'clay' (professed church). IT IS 'MIRY' CLAY (Dirty clay). Which means this professed church that 'mingles' with the civil powers is an APOSTATE CHURCH. And does history confirm any such thing happening AFTER the fall of the Roman Empire? Yes! The PAPAL CHURCH of Rome took control after Pagan Rome fell and the Bishop(s) of Rome took the place of the Caesars. And from their 'seat of authority' which Satan gave to them, they persecuted and killed millions of God's people throughout her 1260 year reign of terror.

The FEET represents the union of Church and State - THE PAPACY! But what about there being TWO feet. If you read Revelation 13, you will see that AMERICA makes an IMAGE OF THE PAPACY. A church-state union in America - In other words, A COPY!

What about the toes on the feet? Do the ten toes represent anything? Yes. Take a look at the following Bible verse ... Revelation 17:12-13 ...'And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.' ... The ten toes represent the 'ten kingdoms' in the last days which unite with the Papal beast and give their power to the beast so that she can enforce her mark upon the world.

The Destroying STONE

KINGDOM OF JESUS AND GOD - We reach an end of this prophecy and the end of this world as we know it, when Jesus Christ returns at the second coming and destroys once and for all the kingdoms of this world. Then, after the 1000 year millennium and the earth renewed, God will establish His kingdom on the new earth, which will be an everlasting kingdom. A kingdom of glory and righteousness, where there will be no more wicked men to rule over us, but a just and righteous God.

Friends, the prophecy of Daniel 2 is a truly amazing prophecy, given way back in 603 BC, and yet every detail of it was accurately fulfilled. In Daniel 7, we have a parallel prophecy with four beasts and a little horn, which God gave to Daniel to strengthen the prophecy of Daniel 2 and give us even further detail concerning the coming kingdoms of the world. We will be adding a study page for the prophecy of Daniel 7 soon     Source