Children of God

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  
2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.     1 John 3:1-3

Happy Sabbath!

What Did Arius Really Believe?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.          Hosea 4

Spiritualist teachers refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God

Modern spiritualism, resting upon the same foundation, is but a revival in a new form of the witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned and prohibited of old. It is foretold in the Scriptures, which declare that "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Timothy 4:1. Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the second advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ's second coming, he declares that it is "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2 Thessalonians 2:9. And Peter, describing the dangers to which the church was to be exposed in the last days, says that as there were false prophets who led Israel into sin, so there will be false teachers, "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. . . . And many shall follow their pernicious ways." 2 Peter 2:1, 2. Here the apostle has pointed out one of the marked characteristics of spiritualist teachers. They refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." 1 John 2:22, 23. Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the manifestation of antichrist.        Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 686

Washington in the Lap of Rome

James Japan

Trump defends Pope Francis’s handling of the abuse crisis

Catholic Herald 

The President told the Daily Caller: 'The Pope is handling it, I guess, the best anyone can handle it'

Donald Trump has defended Pope Francis’s handling of the abuse crisis, saying that the Pontiff is handling the situation “the best anyone can handle it”.

World Evangelical Alliance head has met with United Nations Secretary General

Ecumenical News  September 11 2018
World Evangelical Alliance head Bishop Efraim Tendero has met with United Nations Secretary General António Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York to share concerns for human rights, religious liberty and social issues such as refugees and migrants.

The meeting points to a growing tendency for the United Nations and international organizations to engage church and faith groups to help in shaping intricate global problems and issued.

Only a week earlier the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby had addressed the UN Security Council in New York.

Serving some 600 million evangelicals in more than 120 countries and holding Special Consultative Status in the Economic and Social Council of the UN, the WEA has been engaged with a number of UN bodies and agencies for many years.

Pelosi: ‘We Are, In Our View, the Eucharist, the Body of Christ’

CNS  September 17, 2018

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the nation at her press briefing on Thursday that she is a “practicing Catholic” and that Catholics understand the church to be “the body of Christ.” 

Pelosi, who (contrary to Catholic teaching) supports abortion on demand and same-sex marriage, made the remarks while responding to questions about the clergy sex scandal.

“Well, as a practicing Catholic, I feel great sadness for what has happened in the church,” Pelosi said. “I feel sadness for what it means to the church writ large, but more sad about what it means to the individuals who have been abused, and that they should be respected, protected, and that we have to get to the bottom of it.”

Global marches seek urgent action on climate change

Washington Post September 8

PARIS — More than 18,000 people marched Saturday in Paris as part of an international mobilization to show popular support for urgent measures to combat climate change in advance of a San Francisco summit.

Crowds overflowed a plaza in front of City Hall before marching east to the Place de la Republique, carrying an urgent message that it’s up to the public to put global warming at the top of the political agenda.

“Planet in Danger,” read some banners.

Activists around the world encouraged “Rise for Climate” protests before the summit taking place Sept.12-Sept. 14. California’s governor proposed the event after President Donald Trump vowed to pull the U.S. out of a landmark 2015 climate accord.

The international agreement was negotiated in France, and the French capital’s march was more successful than ones held Saturday in other French cities or elsewhere in Europe.

Environmental groups said the organized hundreds of events around the globe Saturday to highlight the issue.

Thousands of people took to the streets of San Francisco, marching about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city’s piers to City Hall. Demonstrators banged drums, sang and hoisted signs that said “Rise for climate justice” and “Not a penny more for dirty energy.” They called for politicians to spearhead a transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups

Sputnik 17.09.2018
ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkey is ready to cooperate with Russia on the fight against terrorist groups in the Syrian northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If the situation in Idlib continues as is, the results will be heavy. We have to find a solution with Russia and the coalition forces without letting this happen. As you know, the US has a different position, however, we have previously held meetings with Germany and France. We are already in it together with Russia," Erdogan said on Sunday, as quoted by Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper.

Erdogan stated that he had noticed Putin's positive approach toward the resolution of the conflict during the trilateral summit held between the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey in the Iranian capital of Tehran on September 7.

"I hope he [Putin] will continue the positive stance also going forward," Erdogan stressed, adding that he considered it necessary to eliminate terrorists, but not the moderate opposition, which is also operating in Idlib.

Google has admitted to changing Android phone settings remotely without user permission

Breitbart 18 Sep 2018

The BBC reports that Silicon Valley Master of the Universe Google has admitted to remotely activating the “battery saver” function on many users’ Android phones. The battery saver function is designed to allow the phone to operate at a lower performance while preserving battery life and in some cases is automatically enabled when a phone goes below a certain battery level. According to multiple people describing the incident, the battery saver was enabled with a full or nearly full battery.

In a post to Reddit, a Google spokesperson explained that the sudden enabling of the feature was part of an internal test update to the Android operating system which was accidentally rolled out publicly.

“This was an internal experiment to test battery-saving features that was mistakenly rolled out to more users than intended,” the company said in a Reddit comment. “We have now rolled battery saver settings back to default. Please configure to your liking. Sorry for the confusion.”

The majority of phones affected were reported to be Google Pixel devices, but there were reports of other brands of phones having the battery saver feature suddenly enabled. Kate Bevan, the editor of Which? Computing magazine, commented on Google’s ability to roll out these changes saying:

“I noticed the other day that suddenly my battery saver was on and I was a bit puzzled by it. I don’t want any app or operating system reversing decisions I’ve made — unless I know why they are doing it,” said Bevan. “It’s about transparency and consent — it may well be a good idea that a change is being made but I still want to know why.”

80 Years Later, Cosmetics Chemicals Still Unregulated

EWG  June 25, 2018

It’s been 80 years since Congress last voted to regulate cosmetics.

And a lot has changed since June 25, 1938 – the day Congress passed the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938. These days cosmetics are a $60 billion-a-year business, and the average woman uses 12 products with 168 different ingredients every day.

The 1938 law only prohibited the sale of cosmetics with any “poisonous or deleterious substance,” or any “filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance,” so the Food and Drug Administration has so far only banned nine cosmetics ingredients for safety reasons. Members of Congress made other efforts to modernize cosmetics law, starting in the 1950s, but all of these attempts were defeated by the cosmetics industry.

Vegan GMO Burger That “Bleeds” Hits Hundreds of Fast Food Locations Including 'Organic' Ones

Greenmedinfo  September 20th 2018

From White Castle to 'Organic' Burger Joints like Bareburger, a bloody GMO burger is quickly gaining mass adoption. But is it as safe, healthy, and good for the planet as they claim? 

It’s no surprise that after $400 million dollars of funding, including contributions by notoriously pro-GMO power brokers like Bill Gates,¹ that Silicon valley startup Impossible Foods genetically modified ‘ground beef analogue product’ has gained mainstream market penetrance in over 400 White Castle burger joints throughout the U.S this month.² This is in addition to its already successful placement in Applebee’s, Bareburger, and Whalburgers, and other independent restaurants throughout the country.

Americans consuming more fake meat & dairy than ever

RT  16 Sep, 2018
A new study by the Good Food Institute (GFI), which represents the plant-based foods industry, found that sales of substitutes for animal products have exceeded $3.7 billion.

While total US retail food sales grew just two percent over the last 12 months, retail sales of plant-based foods grew 17 percent during the same time period.

“The plant-based foods industry has gone from being a relatively niche market to fully mainstream,” said Michele Simon, Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).

Plastic products that boast of being “BPA-free” aren’t necessarily any safer for us

Gizmodo   9/13/18

Plastic products that boast of being “BPA-free” aren’t necessarily any safer for us, suggests a new mouse study published Thursday in Current Biology. The chemicals used to replace BPA in these plastics can still leak out and affect the sperm and eggs of both male and female mice, it found. And these same effects could be happening in people.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical commonly used to create polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. These clear white plastics are themselves used in food and drink packaging, as well as consumer products and medical devices, while resins are used to coat metal products like canned foods. When these products degrade or are otherwise damaged (from being repeatedly heated in a microwave, for example), they can leach out BPA, exposing us to it. As a result, it’s estimated that 93 percent of Americans have some level of BPA in their system.

That’s troubling, because there’s growing research showing BPA exposure can have subtle but real effects on our health. It’s one of many chemicals thought to interfere with our endocrine system, which regulates how hormones affect everything from our fertility to brain development. BPA in particular has been implicated as a possible cause of genital deformities in men, early puberty in women, and developmental problems in the very young; it might also contribute to metabolic disorders like obesity as well as certain cancers.

Study blames Roundup herbicide for gluten intolerance and celiac disease epidemic

Returntonow September 4, 2018  

“Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it,” researchers wrote in a meta-analysis of nearly 300 studies.

“Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup^®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic,” they add.

The study, published in the journal Interdisciplinary Toxicology in 2013, was completely ignored by the media except for Mother Earth News and The Healthy Home Economist.

Now that glyphosate is getting the attention it deserves, being named as the culprit in a $280 million cancer lawsuit and labeled as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the state of California, it may be time to look at the chemical’s role in a related disease:

The symptoms of so-called “gluten intolerance” and celiac disease in are shockingly similar to the symptoms in lab animals exposed to glyphosate, argue the study’s authors Anthony Samsel, an independent scientist who’s served as a consultant to the EPA on arsenic pollution and to the U.S. Coast Guard on chemical hazard response, and Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at MIT.

No amount of alcohol is safe, health study warns

RT  25 Aug, 2018

Any and all alcohol consumption is bad for your health, according to a new global report from health experts, who are attempting to settle the drinking debate once and for all.

The report, published in The Lancet medical journal, claims to be the most comprehensive of its kind and goes against previous studies which have suggested a glass of red wine is equal to going to the gym, or that drinking alcohol makes you live longer.

Skipping an Evening Meal Improves Metabolic Flexibility

Mercola  September 03, 2018

• Eating your main meal at 2 p.m., and skipping an evening meal altogether and fasting until the next morning, combats weight gain by reducing hunger, increasing fat burning and improving metabolic flexibility to burn both fat and carbs
• People who eat dinner (evening meal) at least two hours before bedtime have a 20 percent reduction in cancer risk for breast and prostate cancer combined
• Men and women who eat dinner two or more hours before bedtime have a 26 percent and 16 percent lower risk of prostate and breast cancer respectively than those who eat dinner closer to bedtime
• “Morning people” who have a natural affinity for getting up early in the morning are at particularly high risk for cancer when eating dinner too close to bedtime, compared to “night owls”
• Avoiding food at least two or three hours before bedtime will help you optimize your mitochondrial function, which is key for optimal health and chronic disease prevention

Cancer Link Confirmed in Largest Ever Cell Tower Radiation Study

Walking Times August 21, 2018

As the rollout of the nationwide 5G cell network moves forward, many concerned scientists and public health experts are raising the alarm about the potential harms of bathing the environment in high frequency electromagnetic energy. This new technology would add another layer of electromagnetic radiation to an already dangerously inundated environment.

Cell phone manufacturers downplay the potential risks as well as studies that link them to the formation of brain cancer, and in 2017, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidelines aiming to help people reduce their exposure to the risks involved in using cell phones.

5G is already known to cause unused health disturbances and while many are working to derail this massive project, new research gives us extraordinary insight into the effects that cell tower radiation is already having on our health. This technology is far from benign, and while scientists from both sides debate the potential for harm, more evidence continues to mount, suggesting we would be wise to reconsider our dependence on cell technology and upcoming 5G.

Frankincense Oil: The 'King' of Oils

Mercola  June 02, 2016
Frankincense has a significant meaning in Christianity being one of the gifts offered by the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. However, did you know that t his fragrant resin can be transformed into an essential oil that's valued not only in religious practice, but in aromatherapy and natural health too? Continue reading to gain more knowledge about frankincense oil and the health benefits you may derive from it.

What Is Frankincense Oil?

Frankincense, also called olibanum,¹ is derived from two types of Boswellia trees: Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri.² The process starts with extracting the milky white sap from the tree bark and hardened into a gum resin in around 10 days,³ and scraped off as tear-shaped droplets.⁴ The resulting oil is pale yellow-green and has a woody, earthy and spicy aroma.⁵
Boswellia trees grow in African and Arabian regions, including Yemen, Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia. In particular, Oman is well-known for producing and trading frankincense to India, China and other countries in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Live Science highlights that Oman is considered the most ancient source of frankincense.⁶
Frankincense trees can produce different colored resins. Brown-yellow and muddy frankincense is touted as the cheapest and most readily accessible, while silver and clear frankincense is considered high-quality. If you’re in Oman, the latter is usually reserved for the sultan  and rarely shipped out of the country – it’ s hard to acquire if you live in Western parts of the world.^7,8

The Origin of Nations

The Holy Spirit is Christ

Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.      14 MR 23

The nonsense Trinity

BRO. WHITE : The following questions I would like to have you give or send, to Bro. Loughborouh for, explanation.
W. W. GILES.
Toted, Ohio.

QUESTION 1.
What serious objection is there to the doctrine of the Trinity?

ANSWER.   There are many objections which we might urge, but on account of our limited space we shall reduce them to the three following :

1. It is contrary to common sense.
2. It is contrary to scripture.
3., Its origin is Pagan and fabulous,.

These positions we will remark upon briefly in their order.
 

1. It is not very consonant with common sense to talk of three being one, and one being three. Or as some express it, calling God "the Triune God," or "the three-one-God." If Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are each God, it would be three Gods ; for three times one is not one, but three. There is a sense in which they are one, but not on person, as claimed by Trinitarians.

2. It is contrary to Scripture.    Almost any portion of the New Testament we may open which has occasion to speak of the Father and Son, represents them as two distinct persons. The seventeenth chapter of John is alone sufficient to refute the doctrine of the Trinity.  Over forty times in that one chapter Christ speaks of his Father as a person distinct from himself.  His Father was in heaven and he upon earth.  The  Father had sent him.  Given to him those that believed.  He was then to go to the Father.  And in this very testimony he shows us in what consists the oneness of the Father and Son.  It is the same as the oneness of the members of Christ's church.  "That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou halt sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one."   Of one heart and one mind.  Of one purpose in all the plan devised for man's salvation.  Read the seventeenth chapter of John, and see if it does not completely upset the doctrine of the Trinity.

To believe that doctrine, when reading the scripture we must believe that God sent himself into the world, died to reconcile the world to himself, raised himself from the dead, ascended to himself in heaven, pleads before himself in heaven to reconcile the world to himself, and is the only mediator between man and himself.  It will not do to substitute the human nature of  Christ (according to Trinitarians) as the Mediator; for Clarke says,  "Human blood can no more appease God than swine's blood."  Com. on 2 Sam. xxi, 10. We must believe that in the garden God prayed to himself, if it were possible, to let the cup pass from himself, and a thousand other such absurdities.

Read carefully the following texts, comparing them with the idea that Christ is the Omnipotent, Omnipres-
ant, Supreme, and only self-existent God: John xiv, 28; xvii, 3; iii, 16; v, 19, 26; xi, 15; xx, 19; viii,  50; vi, 38; Mark xiii, 32; Luke vi, 12; xxii,  69; xxiv, 29 ; Matt. iii, 17; xxvii, 46; Gal. iii, 20 ; 1 John. ii, 1 ; Rev. v, 7;  Acts xvii, 31.  Also see Matt. xi, 25, 27; Luke i, 32; xxii, 42 ; John iii, 35, 36;  v,  19, 21, 22, 28, 25, 26;
vi, 40; viii, 35, 36;  xiv, 13; 1 Cor. xv, 28, &c.

The word Trinity nowhere occurs in the Scriptures.  The principal text supposed to teach it is 1 John i, 7, which is an interpolation. Clarke says, " Out of one hundred and thirteen manuscripts, the text is wanting in one hundred and twelve.  It occurs in no MS. before the tenth century.  And the first place the text occurs in Greek, is in the Greek translation of the acts of the Council of Lateran, held A. D. 1215."—Com. on John i, and remarks at close of chap.

3. Its origin is pagan and fabulous.  Instead of pointing us to scripture for proof of the trinity, we are pointed to the trident of the Persians, with the assertion that "by this they designed to teach the idea of a trinity,  and if they had the doctrine of the trinity,  they must have received it by tradition from the people of God.  But this is all assumed, for it is certain that the Jewish church held to no such doctrine. Says Mr. Summerbell,  "A friend of mine who was present in a New York synagogue, asked the Rabbi for an explanation of the word 'elokim.'  A Trinitarian clergygyman who stood by, replied, ' Why, that has reference to the three persons in the Trinity,'-  when a Jew stepped forward and said he must not mention that word again, or they would have to compel him to leave the house; for it was not permitted to mention the name of any strange god in the synagogue."* Milman says the idea of the Trident is fabulous.

This doctrine of the trinity was brought into the church about the same time with image worship, and  keeping the day of the sun, and is but Persian doctrine remodled.  It occupied about three hundred years from its introduction to bring the doctrine to what it is now.  It was commenced about 325 A. D., and was not completed till 681.  See Milman's Gibbon's Rome, vol. iv, p, 422.  It was adopted in Spain in 589, in England in 596, in Africa in 534.—Gib. vol. iv, pp. 114, 345; Milner, vol. i, p. 519.

*Discussion between Summerbell and Flood on Trinity, p. 38. Hist. Christianity, p. 34.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH     J.N. Loughborouh, Review & Herald, November 5, 1861.

The intoxicated doctrines of Babylon

The cause of the fall of Babylon is thus stated: "she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Her fornication was her unlawful union with the kings of the earth. The wine of this, is that with which the church has intoxicated the nations of the earth. There is but one thing that this can refer to; viz., false doctrine. This harlot, in consequence of her unlawful union with the powers of earth, has corrupted the pure truths of the Bible, and with the wine of her false doctrine, has intoxicated the nations. A few instances of her corruption of the truths of the Bible must suffice:

1. The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. This was derived from the Pagan mythology, and was introduced into the church by means of distinguished converts from Paganism, who became

"fathers of the church." This doctrine makes man's last foe, death, the gate to endless joy, and leaves the resurrection as a thing of minor importance. It is the foundation of modern spiritualism.

2. The doctrine of the Trinity which was established in the church by the council of Nice, A. D. 325. This doctrine destroys the personality of God, and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The infamous, measures by which it was forced upon the church which appear upon the pages of ecclesiastical history might well cause every believer in that doctrine to blush.        J.N. Andrews, Review & Herald, March 6, 1855

Protestants not guided by scripture.

[" Doctrinal Catechism"—pp. 101, 174, 251-355.]

"Q. HAVE you any other proofs that they (Protestants) are not guided by the Scriptures?

A. Yes; so many, that we cannot admit more than a mere specimen into this small work. They reject much that is clearly contained in Scripture, and profess more that is nowhere discoverable in that Divine Book.

Q. Give some examples of both?

A. They should, if the Scripture were their only rule, wash the feet of one another, according to the command of Christ, in the 13th chap. of St. John;—they should keep, not the Sunday, but the Saturday, according to the commandment, 'Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath-day ;' for this commandment has not, in Scripture, been changed or abrogated."

" Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."

" Q. Do you observe other necessary truths as taught by the Church, not clearly laid down in Scripture?

A. The doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine the knowledge of which is certainly necessary to salvation, is not explicitly and evidently laid down in Scripture, in the Protestant sense of private interpretation.      Review & Herald, August 22, 1854.

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

IS THE HOLY GHOST A PERSON ?
 

J. W. W. asks : " Are we to understand that the Holy Ghost is a person, the same as the Father and
the Son ? Some claim that it is, others that it is not."
 

ANSWER.

—The terms " Holy Ghost," are a harsh and repulsive translation. It should be " Holy Spirit " (hagionpneuma) in every instance. This Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ ; the Spirit being the same whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present. Christ is a person, now officiating as priest in the sanctuary in heaven; and yet he says that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst. Matt. 18 : 20. How? —Not personally, but by his Spirit.  In one of Christ's discourses (John, chapters 14, 15, and 16) this Spirit is personified as " the Comforter," and as such has the personal and relative pronouns, " he," " him," and " whom," applied to it. But usually it is spoken of in a way to show that it cannot be a person, like the Father and the Son. For instance, it is often said to be " poured out " and " shed abroad. " But we never read about God or Christ being poured out or shed abroad. If it was a person, it would be nothing strange for it to appear in bodily shape ; and yet when it has so appeared, that fact has been noted as peculiar. Thus Luke 3 : 22 says : " And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him." But the shape is not always the same ; for on the day of Pentecost it assumed the form of " cloven tongues like as of fire." Acts 2 : 3, 4. Again we read of the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Rev. 1:4 ; 3:1 ; 4:5 ; 5:6.  This is unquestionably simply a designation of the Holy Spirit, put in this form to signify its perfection and completeness. But it could hardly be so described if it was a person. We never read of the seven Gods or the seven Christs.        Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, October 28, 1890.

Understand and know the Lord

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.    Jeremiah 9:23-24

World of Signs

Evangelical Leaders Uniting for Spiritual Warfare

 

CP Aug 28, 2018

About 100 evangelical leaders were invited to dinner at the White House Monday night for what was a prayer-filled event that's been compared to a church camp meeting and a campaign rally.

Dubbed a "state dinner" for evangelical leaders, the event was held specifically in the "honor of evangelical leadership." The dinner was attended by dozens of evangelical pastors, evangelists and activists who've been involved in informally advising the administration including well-known figures like Franklin Graham, James Dobson, and Greg Laurie.

The dinner was also attended by Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Homeland Security Ben Carson, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. The event was officially hosted by first lady Melania Trump.

"We are here today to celebrate America's heritage of faith, family and freedom," Trump told the crowd. "As you know in recent years, the government tried to undermine religious freedom but the attacks on communities of faith are over. We've ended it."

Chase ATMs go cardless

Fox  August 02, 2018

Forgot your bank card? No worries. Chase has you covered.

The New York City-based bank announced that it has expanded its cardless access to nearly all of its 16,000 ATMs nationwide.

The new technology will allow customers to get cash through their phone’s mobile wallet without needing a physical debit card or an access code for authentication.

Users can simple “tap” their smartphone on the ATM to “easily and securely access money on the go.”

“Cardless no longer means cashless,” Sol Gindi, chief administrative officer of consumer banking at Chase, said in a statement. “As more of our customers are using digital wallets to pay, we’re pleased to be able to provide them with the same experience at the ATM.”

Adventists leaders sounding like Rome

Adventist Jul 10, 2018

Seventh-day Adventist religious liberty leaders were invited by the Colombian government to help celebrate the country’s third annual National Religious Freedom Day, held July 4. During a morning meeting at Casa La Giralda, headquarters of Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior, Dr. Ganoune Diop, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Adventist world church, addressed more than 100 religious and political leaders who had gathered to mark the occasion. 

“You have the opportunity to make a historic contribution to peace by recognizing human dignity as the essential foundation for building a peaceful coexistence,” Dr. Diop told the group, which included Evangelicals, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and representatives of other faiths. 

A group of strict Protestants who believe Sunday should be a day of rest are going to court on Friday to have a festival in the centre of Alkmaar banned

Dutch News July 20, 2018

A group of strict Protestants who believe Sunday should be a day of rest are going to court on Friday to have a festival in the centre of Alkmaar banned. 

The Vereniging Zondagsrust is using legislation dating from 1815 to make its case to halt the outdoor dance party, due to be held on Sunday August 26. 

The legislation, which was amended in 1953, states that there must be no noise nuisance close to churches before 13.00 on Sunday or any public entertainment nearby, unless local councils rule otherwise. 

But it also stops local councils in strict Protestant communities from banning sports events on Sundays. 

Councils are allowed to deviate from the rules, but must properly support their arguments, association lawyer Laus Vogelaar told local paper Noordhollands Dagblad. 

And, he says, the town council has failed to mention the legislation when granting the licence for the event. Sunday as a day of rest is being increasingly undermined, he says, adding ‘it is right that the courts take a look at it’. 

The Alkmaar resident who initiated the legal action told local website Alkmaar Centraal he hoped the courts would realise the importance of having a day of rest to city centre residents. 

The previous coalition government had planned to remove the law from the statute books but the new coalition, which includes two Christian parties, decided to leave it unchallenged.

A group of strict Protestants who believe Sunday should be a day of rest are going to court on Friday to have a festival in the centre of Alkmaar banned. The Vereniging Zondagsrust is using legislation dating from 1815 to make its case to halt the outdoor dance party, due to be held on Sunday August 26. The legislation, which was amended in 1953, states that there must be no noise nuisance close to churches before 13.00 on Sunday or any public entertainment nearby, unless local councils rule otherwise. But it also stops local councils in strict Protestant communities from banning sports events on Sundays. Councils are allowed to deviate from the rules, but must properly support their arguments, association lawyer Laus Vogelaar told local paper Noordhollands Dagblad. And, he says, the town council has failed to mention the legislation when granting the licence for the event. Sunday as a day of rest is being increasingly undermined, he says, adding ‘it is right that the courts take a look at it’. The Alkmaar resident who initiated the legal action told local website Alkmaar Centraal he hoped the courts would realise the importance of having a day of rest to city centre residents. The previous coalition government had planned to remove the law from the statute books but the new coalition, which includes two Christian parties, decided to leave it unchallenged.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

A group of strict Protestants who believe Sunday should be a day of rest are going to court on Friday to have a festival in the centre of Alkmaar banned. The Vereniging Zondagsrust is using legislation dating from 1815 to make its case to halt the outdoor dance party, due to be held on Sunday August 26. The legislation, which was amended in 1953, states that there must be no noise nuisance close to churches before 13.00 on Sunday or any public entertainment nearby, unless local councils rule otherwise. But it also stops local councils in strict Protestant communities from banning sports events on Sundays.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

A group of strict Protestants who believe Sunday should be a day of rest are going to court on Friday to have a festival in the centre of Alkmaar banned. The Vereniging Zondagsrust is using legislation dating from 1815 to make its case to halt the outdoor dance party, due to be held on Sunday August 26. The legislation, which was amended in 1953, states that there must be no noise nuisance close to churches before 13.00 on Sunday or any public entertainment nearby, unless local councils rule otherwise. But it also stops local councils in strict Protestant communities from banning sports events on Sundays.

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

When a man of God becomes complacent

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. ² He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. ³ For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. ⁴ But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. ⁵ In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. ⁶ One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

 ⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of^[a] Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.

 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

¹¹ The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. ¹⁴ They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.    2 Chronicles 15, 16

God's love letter

Top bank warns that earth is running out of resources to sustain life

RT 9 Aug, 2018

One of the world’s largest banks, HSBC, has highlighted research indicating that Earth is running out of resources to sustain life and that governments and corporations are failing to prepare for the effects of climate change.

The world has spent its entire budget of natural resources for the year after crossing the threshold on August 1. The date, dubbed ‘Earth Overshoot Day’, marks the earliest point the planet hit its annual resource limit.

HSBC highlighted the issue using research from the Global Footprint Network (GFN), an independent think tank that promotes conservation and sustainability. The bank blamed businesses and governments for not adequately preparing for climate change, and not using natural resources efficiently.

The bank noted extreme weather events, such as rising temperatures across Europe and wildfires in California, Greece and Scandinavia in its remarks about the research. "As scientists work on attribution analysis for specific events – the general consensus is that climate change is making these events more likely to occur and more severe,” HSBC said, according to Business Insider.

Scientists have discovered a supervolcano in eastern California

SFGate August 14, 2018 

Scientists have discovered 240 cubic miles of semi-molten magma below the Long Valley Caldera, a supervolcano in eastern California near Mammoth Mountain.

The long-dormant supervolcano is currently a 20-mile-long caldera, or a crater that forms after an eruption forces the mouth of a volcano to collapse. According to an August report published in the scientific journal Geology, the semi-molten magma found could lead to possible eruptions.

Get ready for a commuter doomsday

NY Post August 9, 2018 

It’s a good thing that New York is the city that never sleeps — since it takes all day to get anywhere.

A perfect storm of subway repairs, highway construction, commuter rail woes and worsening gridlock is creating a commuter doomsday the likes of which the city has never seen before.

“It’s really bad out there, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get any better,” Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA Northeast, said of the amalgam of transit troubles. “For the next four or five years, every day will be like Thanksgiving.”

The cost of living in the U.S. is rising at its fastest rate in 10 years

The Hill 08/10/18
The cost of living in the U.S. is rising at its fastest rate in 10 years, according to new data from the Labor Department.
The data, released Friday, revealed that consumer prices increased 2.9 percent in July from the year before, meaning Americans may be earning less than they did at this time last year.
The consumer price index, meanwhile, rose 0.2 percent last month, which analysts largely attributed to rising housing costs, CNBC reported. Annual inflation remained unchanged from June's pace at 2.9 percent.
Energy, medical care and apparel costs dropped in July, while food prices ticked up.
"Rising rents remain the source of inflation. This is driven by shortages of housing in desirable markets," Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told CBS News.
"Unfortunately, the downward trend in housing construction means that these shortages are unlikely to be addressed on the supply side in the foreseeable future."
CBS reported that, when adjusted for inflation, average weekly earnings have dropped 0.1 percent in the past year.

Google tracks your location even when you ask it not to, says report

RT. 14 Aug, 2018 

If you’ve ever suspected that Google is watching your every move even when you explicitly tell it not to, a new investigation has vindicated your suspicions by proving just that.

An investigation carried out by the Associated Press has found that Google is in fact storing Android and iPhone users’ location data even when they have chosen privacy settings to prevent the company from doing so.

Google claims that if you turn off the ‘Location History’ setting on your device, the company will not be able to store information about where you have been. The company states on its support page, that you can turn off Location History “at any time” and that, with the setting turned off, “the places you go are no longer stored.”

But that’s not true, the AP report says, because some Google apps continue to store time-stamped location data even when the ‘Location History’ setting is switched off – without asking for permission.

Some of the examples given by the AP include the Google Maps app, which takes a snapshot of your location as soon as you open it and even completely unrelated searches like “chocolate chip cookies” which “pinpoint your precise latitude and longitude” and save it to your Google account.
The AP looked into the issue after K. Shankari, a graduate researcher at UC Berkeley, blogged about how her Android device had prompted her to rate a recent shopping trip to Kohl’s even though her location history had been turned off.

The deformed corporeality by algorithms in an artificial intelligence society.

Utopia

The backlash against the high tech mob is so obvious that no sane person can deny that their version of acceptable thinking requires banning Free Speech. The genie is out of the lamp and the only way to prevent these demons from repeating their censorship is to cork the bottle of any product offered by these companies. Utopia for the authoritarian collectivists necessitates that they conjure up twisted and absurd content targets as hate speech in a desperate attempt to rationalize the purging of counter opinions to their orthodox "PC" Communist Manifesto. In essence, the "so called" left has become the model of fascism by and under Silicon Valley's techno plutocrats. Merging Fabian ideals with state/corporatist absolutism produces a deformed corporeality by algorithms in an artificial intelligence society.

Algorithms function as filters to identify dangerous voices of reason and common sense. Eradicating any kind of dissent or historic cultural viewpoints is automated in the digital cloud of approved thinking. The canard that the masters of artificial truth are private companies and are not subject to Bill of Right protections is an insult to anyone who is committed to the building of a free society. Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have emerged as monopolies that restrict speech and excel at censorship.

10 numbers that prove America’s current financial condition

The Economic Collapse 

America’s long-term “balance sheet numbers” just continue to get progressively worse.  Unfortunately, since the stock market has been soaring and the GDP numbers look okay, most Americans assume that the U.S. economy is doing just fine.  But the stock market was soaring and the GDP numbers looked okay just prior to the great financial crisis of 2008 as well, and we saw how that turned out.  The truth is that GDP is not the best measure for the health of the economy.  Judging the U.S. economy by GDP is basically like measuring the financial health of an individual by how much money he or she spends, and I will attempt to illustrate that in this article.

#1 U.S. consumer credit just hit another all-time record high.  In the second quarter of 2008, total consumer credit reached a grand total of 2.63 trillion dollars, and now ten years later that number has soared to 3.87 trillion dollars.  That is an increase of 48 percent in just one decade.

#2 Student loan debt has surpassed 1.5 trillion dollars for the first time ever.  Over the last 8 years, the total amount of student loan debt has shot up 79 percent in the United States.

#3 According to the Federal Reserve, the credit card default rate in the U.S. has risen for 7 quarters in a row.

#4 One recent survey found that 42 percent of American consumers paid their credit card bill late “at least once in the last year”, and 24 percent of Americans consumers paid their credit card bills late “more than once in the last year”.

#5 Real wage growth in the United States just declined by the most that we have seen in 6 years.

#6 According to one recent study, the “rate of people 65 and older filing for bankruptcy is three times what it was in 1991”.

#7 We are in the midst of the greatest “retail apocalypse” in American history.  At this point, 57 major retailers have announced store closings so far in 2018.

#8 The size of the official U.S. budget deficit is up 21 percent under President Trump.

#9 It is being projected that interest on the national debt will surpass half a trillion dollars for the first time ever this year.

#10 Goldman Sachs is projecting that the yearly U.S. budget deficit will surpass 2 trillion dollars by 2028.

America's biggest weapons-sale in all of history.

UNZ   August 10, 2018

Donald Trump’s biggest success, thus far into his Presidency, has been his sale of $400 billion (originally $350 billion) of U.S.-made weapons to the Saudi Arabian Government, which is owned by its royal family, after whom that nation is named. This sale alone is big enough to be called Trump’s “jobs plan” for Americans. It is also the biggest weapons-sale in all of history. It’s 400 billion dollars, not 400 million dollars; it is gigantic, and, by far, unprecedented in world-history.

US Spending On Interest Hits All Time High

Zero Hedge   08/10/2018
The US' spending problem is starting to become a major issue.

According to the latest Monthly Treasury Statement, in June, the US collected $225BN in tax receipts - consisting of $110BN in individual income tax, $91BN in social security and payroll tax, $4BN in corporate tax and $20BN in other taxes and duties- a drop of 2.9% from the $232BN collected last July and a reversal from the recent increasing trend...

 ... and in July, the 12 month trailing receipt total was barely higher compared to a year ago, up just 0.4% Y/Y after rising as much as 3.1% at the end of 2017.

Meanwhile Federal spending rose, up 9.9% from $275BN last July to $302BN last month.

 ... where the money was spent on social security ($83BN), defense ($49BN), Medicare ($24BN), Interest on Debt ($35BN), and Other ($111BN).

This resulted in a July budget deficit of $77 billion, in line with expectations, and a signification deterioration from the $43 billion recorded in July of 2017.
The July deficit brought the cumulative 2018F budget deficit to over $684BN during the first 10 month of the fiscal year, up 28% over the past year.

MIT computer model predicts end date for civilisation by 2040

Express  Aug 13, 2018

A COMPUTER MODEL developed in 1973 by a team of MIT researchers has predicted the "end of civilised life as we know it" by 2040, with a major change coming in 2020 - just two years away from now.

An apocalyptic computer model, processed by one of the world's largest computers in 1973, has predicted the end of civilization  by 2040.

The prediction came from a programme nicknamed World One, which was developed by a team of MIT researchers and processed by Australia's largest computer. 

It was originally devised by computer pioneer Jay Forrester, after he was tasked by the Club of Rome to develop a model of global sustainability.

However, the shocking result of the computer calculations showed that the level of pollution and population would cause a global collapse by 2040.

This shows that the world cannot sustain the current level of population and industrial growth for more than two decades.

Australian broadcaster ABC has republished its original report from the 1970s, since there is just two years until a major change is expected according to the computer model.

The model based its predictions on trends such as pollution levels, population growth, availability of natural resources and quality of life on earth.

The eerie calculation has been remarkably accurate in certain predictions, such as a stagnated quality of life and diminishing pool of natural resources.

Monsanto Guilty Verdict Is Only Beginning

Journal Neo. 15.08.2018

A jury trial in California has resulted in a guilty verdict against the agrichemical and GMO giant, Monsanto, now Bayer/Monsanto. The judge has ordered Monsanto to pay damages of USD 289 Million to former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, who has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His lawyer argued it was caused by Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weed-killer Roundup. Not surprisingly Monsanto plans to appeal the verdict. The impact of the ruling, regardless the outcome of the appeal, will unleash worldwide consequences that spell huge problems for the entire GMO agrochemicals business model.

The Johnson trial, Dewayne Johnson v. Monsanto Co., CGC-16-550128, in California Superior Court in San Francisco,is the first of more than 5,000 such cases across the United States awaiting trial for claims that Roundup ingredients cause cancer.

Johnson, age 46, is a former pest control manager for a California county school system, where he applied Roundup and Monsanto’s Ranger Pro on school grounds across the county up to 30 times per year for more than two and a half years.

According to the magazine Insurance Journal, the guilty verdict could influence the outcome of thousands of similar cases against Monsanto glyphosate-based Roundup. Notably, the same law firm, California-based Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC is involved as part of the legal team in many of the other cases awaiting trial.

French doctor treating homosexuality by homeopathy faces medical investigation

RT 16 Aug, 2018

A French doctor who claimed that homosexuality can be treated by alternative medicine is facing a Swiss government probe. The Geneva-based homeopath Jean-Yves Henry said homosexuality is “not a pathology but a special symptom.”

Henry published a paper saying that homosexuality is a symptom of illness, and can be treated with homeopathy and alternative medicine depending on the patient’s gender. Geneva regional health minister Mauro Poggia has urged the government body that oversees health professionals and patient rights in the Swiss canton to investigate the doctor’s practice.

“For him, it would seem that homosexuality is an illness to cure. This element is enough to justify opening an investigation,” Poggia told Le Courrier daily. The case was brought to Poggia’s attention following significant backlash on social media, with Twitter users dubbing the French doctor a “clown,” an “insult to science,” and a “charlatan.”

Militarizing Space

Counter Punch  August 10, 2018

This week Vice President Pence announced that the Department of Defense is beginning a planning process to establish a sixth military branch, known as the Space Force.  Pence’s statement was a public reassurance that Trump’s sudden announcement of the Space Force was not just another of the president’s frequent sudden announcements that have no connection to reality.  Pence claimed that this new Space Force military division will be in place by 2020, and while many in the media are reacting as if the militarization of space were a sudden departure from American policy, as with much of the Trump presidency, this policy shift is only a minor, more grotesque version of what our government has long routinely undertaken.

The Secret Battle for Africa

Corbett Report 08/12/2018

In October 2017 United States African Command confirmed that three Green Berets had been killed and two more had been wounded when their patrol was ambushed in Niger. Reaction to this news from the non-Corbett Report audience was: “What? There’s a United States African Command?” followed swiftly by “What are Green Berets doing conducting patrols in Niger, anyway?”

First things first: As my long-time viewers will be aware, there is indeed a United States African Command (AFRICOM). It was established in 2007 and has been the spearhead of Uncle Sam’s attempts to gain a military foothold on the African continent. My viewers will likewise be aware that the whole Kony 2012 psyop was similarly used as a cynical ploy to increase American military intervention in Africa.

But the extent of US Special Forces penetration in Africa (also reported on in these pages in recent years) is a reality that is still only gradually being revealed to the public. A recent congressional review of the incident in Niger has again cast a spotlight on the use of Special Forces around the world, with the Pentagon now floating the possibility that they will cut back on commandos in Africa to concentrate on the “real” enemies: Russia and China.

How drug companies sell treatments by inventing diseases

Yahoo June 8, 2018

The pharmaceutical industry’s image has been significantly damaged in recent years as the public discovered the role its aggressive marketing played in fueling the opioid epidemic. But the American people are still largely in the dark about what may be pharma’s most effective tactic for pushing drugs — marketing diseases.

There’s a substantial body of medical literature dating back to the early ’90s about the practice known as “disease mongering.” Pharmaceutical companies regularly pathologize everyday experiences, convince doctors that they are serious problems, tell a hypochondriacal public it needs help and offers the cure: a new drug. Against the onslaught of billions of dollars in marketing campaigns each year, however, researchers’ warnings about these tactics have gone largely unheeded.

To be clear: Pharmacology has helped countless people recover from illness or lead more productive lives. But the number of patients receiving any given drug is often greater than those who would benefit from it, and often includes people it could harm.

The United States was still the largest single pharmaceutical market in 2017, generating more than $450 billion of revenue. In contrast, all of Europe accounted for roughly $214 billion. U.S. pharmaceutical spending alone is double the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average. According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug.