End Times and Current Events

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
 
Matthew 24:24, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
 
We are told that the end time delusion is so strong that it will deceive the whole earth into accepting the antichrist. This lie of the end times will even fool many who think they are now Christians. This website is intended to counter the End Time Delusion, so that fewer people will be seduced by The Lie when it is allowed to come on the earth in full force.
 
Satan's time is short... Prophecy warns that advanced beings, the b'nai Elohim or SONS OF GOD, not "gods", will continue to deceive mankind. Although the Bible itself does indeed say that the Sons of God genetically manipulate humans, they are not THE creators of the human race but merely beings who pervert God's creation. We are warned not to believe these angels, for they have an agenda...to mislead the world. Extraterrestrials may admit they are angelic, but they give themselves away as the rebel angels. Satan and his rebel angelic hosts are subverting creation by twisting the truth, in their attempt to "be like the Most High".
 
The New Age sets up a scenario of miracles, earth changes, and aid from enlightened beings. The Bible warns us that there will be many signs preceding the arrival of anti-christ, but also tells us few will escape the deception of the end times:
 
The Antichrist will Counterfeit Prophecy:

The Second Coming of Christ:
1. Christ arrives at the end of a great war - Armageddon
2. The war will end in fire for the enemies of Israel
3. Christ comes with His holy ones, His raptured saints
4. Christ sets up an era of peace as ruler of the earth
5. Christ builds the Millennial Temple of Ezekiel 40

The Coming of the Antichrist:
1. Antichrist arrives at end of a great war - Gog and Magog
2. The war will end in fire for the enemies of Israel
3. Antichrist comes with his "holy ones" - aliens in UFO's
4. Antichrist sets up era of peace under global dictatorship
5. Antichrist allows building of Third Jerusalem Temple

When considering the identity of the Antichrist, keep in mind he will SEEM like the Messiah of Israel.

And even wear pretty robes and cause millions of Christians to be executed like the pope did.....

The "Battle of Armageddon", the number "666" and the "Antichrist" send a chill up the spine by the very mention of the words. For many, these words conjure up a dramatic image of some end of the world holocaust. With images that include fire, mass destruction, and the Devil himself taking political control of the world through the United Nations etc. etc. Speculations about who the "antichrist" is have included about every US president and any "evil" world leader. I remember a speculation that the "antichrist" would be a demon possessed super-human that was a genetically engineered clone. Recent favorites include Sadam Hussin of the Gulf war. I personally know of several individuals who believed the Gulf war was the beginning of the end of the world. In fact, many were absolutely terrified by the Gulf war, fearing what the outcome would be. TV evangelists love to talk about the "antichrist", but in the end it is all nothing more than idle speculation designed more to keep a TV audience sending in their donations.

Now don't get me wrong. The word "antichrist" is found in the Bible. But that is were the Bible parts ways with modern speculationists. The rhetoric regarding the "antichrist" is so loud, that the average person has been misled to believe that the book of Revelation talks about nothing else but the "antichrist". In fact, the word "antichrist" is not found even once in the book of Revelation. That in itself should send warning bells off. In fact, the word "antichrist" is only found in 4 passages. All were penned by Apostle John within the books of first and second John.

So exactly what does the Bible have to say about the "antichrist"? Here is an exhaustive study on the word. I, personally, have such a high regard for the Bible, that by reading the scriptures for yourself without my comment is all you need to have a clear understanding of the "antichrist".

THE 4 BIBLE PASSAGES:

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:18-19)

"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: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23)

"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
(1 John 4:2-3)

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (2 John 1:7)

From the Bible we can clearly see 3 things. First, the "antichrist" is defined as anyone who doesn't believe Jesus is the divine son of God. Second, "antichrists" appear to actively teach against Christ. Third, there were many "antichrists" in the world when John wrote the book. This directly contradicts the teaching of modern speculationists who say that one antichrist will arise at some still future time.

The Greek word from which our English word "antichrist" is translated is very simple to understand. It is a simple compound word and means "anti" + "Christ" = "antichrist". We use the same compound word every day. We have people who are "anti-smoking" or "anti-gay" or "anti-hunting" or "anti-Semitic" or "anti-abortion". There really is no big mystery as to what the word means. "Anti-Christ" is anyone who opposes Christ.

Take this test to see if someone is an "antichrist":
1. Do they actively teach or simply believe that Jesus Christ never walked the earth, but was a mythological figure?
2. Do they actively teach or simply believe there was a man named Jesus Christ, but he did not actually raise from the dead?
3. Do they actively speak out against or simply believe Christianity is a false religion?
4. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matthew 12:30). Are they an atheist or agnostic who is indifferent and non-religious? Then they too are an "antichrist"! The Bible term "antichrist" could be simply understood to be equivalent to being a "non-believer."

The "antichrist" then, has no horns or red glowing eyes. Neither is the "antichrist" some demon possessed super-intelligent human clone. Rather, the "antichrist" is that sweet elderly lady living next door who openly teaches the neighborhood kids that Jesus just was a myth.

You could say the same thing about our "founding fathers" over 200 years ago - they were big time antichrists themselves. It amazes me how the same pastors on the pulpits that trump the Constitution as the law of the land end up adding further confusion to their pews when they preach the gospel of Jesus Christ being the only way week in and week out(ie-the Constitution believes in religious freedom for all).

I gather that is your post, and not a quote from somebody elses article?

You pose a great question, as Jesus says that we "skall know them by their fruits", so that to me means we are to at some point learn what it is that we are watching for when we "try the spirits", allof which is only possible by the Holy Ghost.

I agree, scripture says there are "many antichrists". If you don't have the Comforter, you're antichrist, have an antichrist spirit. Unbelievers are antichrists. That's the "many" part of the scriptures.

However, I believe like Jesus said, while there are many antichrists, there will be THE Antichrist show up that will declare himself as god.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter what the details end up being, whether it's just a bunch of unbelievers, or the bunch of unbelieving antichrists with a lead Antichrist in the end standing in a rebuilt Jewish temple, it doesn't change God's Word and our salvation. Thank you Jesus.

You totally missed this simple little portion,


You notice how the passage says "ye have heard that antichrist shall come,"? That is implying a singular individual, there is no way around this in the sentence structure. And He is also already implying that this was taught before. Now if you look at the second part, "even now are there many antichrists", this is implying people other than the one singular individual already mentioned.

Look at it like this, we are told their is a Devil, a singular individual, we are also told there are many devils, many little demons running around. Now when i say there is a devil in the person am i referring to the one singular individual known as the Devil, or to one of the many little devils?

What you have in your passage is a subtle form of deception at play with words. There is a coming singular antichrist figure, this is found all through out scripture and he is not always called the antichrist. DO you doubt this? There are also many antichrists out there.

Just a little biblical discernment sees through this word play.

I have known that a single "Antichrist" is going to come for a long time. I didn't comment on that in the article, a bit of an omission sorry, but i think the post was still helpful in that it mentioned people that reject Jesus Christ are an antichrist.

I have a question for you guys - do you think there's a slight possibility that obama and maitreya are one and the same?

I saw one web site a couple of years ago that showed obama's 1988 picture(when he went to Kenya) and maitreya's when he visited Kenya that same year. Not saying I endorse this, but this web site did a pretty good job matching both from the pictures. No, I'm not saying I agree with them, but was just wondering your opinions on this.

I’m convinced that Maitreya is a specific unclean spirit with a specific mission. As such, it can inhabit whoever is in agreement with it. This explains how Crème can say that Maitreya has visited world leaders. It also explains how Crème can openly channel this spirit. Could it have even infested Obama for a time? I would say yes, it’s quite possible. Since it can switch willing hosts whenever it wants, pinning this spirit down to a particular human becomes problematic.

Now that I think about it, that’s what holds back the AC, false prophet, Maitreya, and any other future NWO leader. People need to AGREE with unclean spirits in some way to be open for possession. They need permission from either God via some legalism OR from the human host in order to occupy. If people are in agreement with God and sealed by the Holy Spirit, then possession becomes much more difficult for the demon. If the majority of people are truly in agreement with the living God of the Bible, then possession becomes restricted to animals and people that don’t know any better.

The Bible does talk about most people worshiping demons in the end. I can see the day when demonic possession will be openly viewed as desirable. They do have something to offer men who agree with them. It can be super human intelligence, strength, or abilities.

Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Therefore, they need to either deceive masses into believing in a substitute/redefined “god”, “christ”, and “holy spirit” and/or they need to silence true Christian voices through intimidation and, eventual extermination.

This also explains the mass propaganda today towards demoralization, or normalizing evil. Most books and movies these days offer us a substitute for biblically defined good and evil. White witchcraft, good witches, demon-boy, and dark superheroes are examples of the new “good” which is actually evil. They spend enormous amount of money in order to think for us through media, governments, and think tanks.

This partially explains why some books, movies, television, and video games are “relaxing” to us.

Jesus illustrated the problem WE have with needing entertainment. He DIDN’T go along with the program.

Mt 11:16  But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17  And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

It pretty much already is

If they knew that this was the same as intentionally ingesting a tapeworm in order to lose weight, would they still think this is a good idea? I wonder.

Well Satan entered Peter and then later Judas Iscariot. Satan did not stay in Peter and Judas for very long.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

FWIW, 1990's "Total Recall" got remade(saw the ad on tv during the basketball game) - same plot...some average joe goes to a place where he can get a NEW memory implant of his CHOICE(ie-which leads him into paradise), but finds out later he got short-changed and gets turned into some satanic super-soldier fighting the evil forces.

I wonder if that's how it will be when the mark gets implanted - where your previous brain memory function gets erased, and a new implanted memory of your CHOICE gets implanted. Hhhhmmm...

Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Rev 16:1  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

You talk about conditioning in the media being ramped up - they also remade 1995's "Judge Dredd". Not only a very bad movie, but nonetheless the character in it is "Judge, Jury, and Executioner".

Yep, this will be the AC when he makes his appearance, albeit he'll do it by "peaceful" and "flattery" means.

Also, was watching a movie last night with my parents(1984's "The Natural"), and during it both my dad and I commented how the main character(Robert Redford) became forgotten after making a comeback in the majors 16 years after his shooting b/c during the old days(the movie was set before the 50's, I think), the news media was limited with only radio, while not everyone got the national print publications like the NY Times.(so pretty much, like said, alot of these people that rise to fame back then, then don't make it, end up disappearing from the spotlight almost immediately and become forgotten)

Anyhow - look at the MSM today...there's not only many of the print publications on every news stand, but there's the internet, 24/7 cable that just repeats their talking heads all day, etc, etc. Speaking of entertainment people like sports players, there's this baseball player from Japan(Yu Darvish) whose team is in my backyard(TX Rangers). When he made his first start back in April, the media from AROUND THE GLOBE came down to North Texas to cover the game. It was just unbelievable how over one sports player that at least 1/2 of the country doesn't even care about, the worldwide MSM just went overboard covering his first appearance in the majors.

Or look at Obama - he's gotten more live tv appearances than any other President in history(that's LIVE tv appearances, NOT tv news reports).

With the media set up the way it is now, we will see how the worldwide MSM will slowly set the stage for the Antichrist when it is time for him to be revealed.

Also there is hardly any real reporting anymore. Most stories are pool stories released to the media outlets that just parrot it over and over again around the country and world. The media is already set up for the Antichrist as most stories originate either in Reuters or the AP.

Well, apparently the guy who made this anti-Islam film that stirred an uprising against Western embassies in the ME is not only a Coptic Christian(which is similar to Roman Catholicism), but also an ex-felon from So. California.

Whether this guy is genuine or a plant, either way, the whole thing was BY DESIGN from the get-go to stir an uprising, and in the process it seems to have painted a SYMPATHETIC and non-judgmental picture on Islam.

Not saying the Antichrist will be a Muslim, but when you look at the whole picture(for now) - you have the modern-day 501c3 corporate church(along with the Postmodernism Emergent Church) softening their stance on Islam. You have a Muslim in the White House. You have the "truth" movement showing sympathy toward Islam. And now you have this.

I guess we will see when the AC is revealed.

Here's a disturbing trend that's been out there recently(especially since 2008)...

First off, when the "religious right"/"moral majority" came about, they would 99% of the time expose abortion/gay rights activists as well as the Hollywood/Ellen Degenerous crowd as the "enemy" during the election years.

Now here's the disturbing trend since 2008 - slowly but surely, they are blaming, albeit subtlely CHRISTIANS for either not voting, or voting for someone other than the GOP candidate.(Yes, believe it or not, they've went as far as saying how dangerous Ron Paul and the 3rd parties are) After the 2008 election, WND somehow came up with a 30m Christians didn't vote figure(which the rest of the Churchianity leaders ran away with). And the last election, somehow people like Joel Rosenberg and Jan Markell's guests(among others) were blaming sectors of the church for voting for Obama in.

Yes, I know the game is rigged, but nonetheless look at the shift of the blame and fingers pointing there is now - what started with the (very)heathen crowd, has now shifted to within the church.

When the AC makes his debut, I guess we will see who are the wheat and tares - if any of these Churchianity ministries, the same ones that demonized others for not voting for Romney, fall hook and sinker for the AC...guess it should come as no surprise.

Huffington Post Calls For Election of an EU President

Put simply, there can't be the integration of large areas of economic policy -- banking union, fiscal union, even the prospect of an EU Treasury -- without a commensurate political union. So, inevitably now, along with the resolution of the immediate crisis, comes the investigation of what such a union would look like. We should conduct this investigation with the lessons of previous efforts at integration in mind. There are two crucial strategic objectives which any negotiation for such a political union should strive to achieve.       

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-blair/its-time-for-the-direct-e_b_2191918.html

As Americans, what do we care what the EU does?

OH, that's right! It's only globalist sell-outs and traitors living in America that are calling for it! Silly me.

Well, I guess you can scratch off Prince William from the Antichrist list now(as the AC is not supposed to be a lover of women)...

Kate and William: Duchess pregnant, palace says
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20586343

Uhm, not so fast, at least from that reasoning. I realize the verse says he's not sexual, but a pregnant princess does not mean her husband got her pregnant. I mean really, we all know the basic history of the royals. What a bunch of freaks! So I personally, don't think it means anything. Royals have been having "arranged" marriages throughout the ages, looking to tie families together to solidify their position of authority.

Nah, I see it as non-issue really. It does seem the AC would be from the start not married or in any relationship, but I'm thinking it relates more to the lack of heart, not the outward appearance. As society goes more and more "metrosexual", a single male, even in positions of authority won't be looked down on as in the past, I'd say due to the gay lobby.

As an example, the recent NASCAR awards, the championship winner showed up with no date at all, while most of the others are married, even the other single drivers looked like they had dates. Use to be it was considered something amiss if you showed up without a date. Now? Not so much, but they still questioned him about it.

Point being that the AC will in many respects do as society has been doing, and will basically blend right in. It's relationship status I think will be a non-issue and won't cause any questions.

But I agree, I have to lean towards it's very unlikely William is the Antichrist.

"Watch."

Yep, back in the 90's, when bigger sports celebs like Troy Aikman and Steve Young went for a long stretch without being married, everyone automatically assumed they were homosexual.

Fast-forward to the present day? Nope, noone thinks anything of anything anymore, regardless of what outward appearance they put out.

Pretty good analysis you put out there, Kilika, regarding shall not be a lover of women - never thought it of that way. Yeah, AS A WHOLE society has really changed - for example, we're seeing younger and younger leaders of pretty much everything...corporate CEOs, politicians, and yes, even Churchianity pastors.

I do not endorse Islamic prophecy- but this has interesting links they connect to a 7 year ruler and Syria + a (FALSE) Jesus...


I have to go back-track to get this exact link-- I'll post it shortly...

Imam Mahdi (Descendent of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) by Mufti A.H. Elias and Mohammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali

Who Is Imam Mahdi?

Note: Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Hadhrat Isa (Jesus) Alayhis Salaam. They are two different persons, and both will come during the last days. According to Hadeeth, Imam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will appear during Imam Mahdi's lifetime. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will be able to kill Dajjal (the "anti-Christ").

The term "MAHDI" is a title meaning "The Guided one".

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny does not rule over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name." (Tirmidhi)

Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initally was filled with oppression." (Abu Dawood)

His Features

Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Al Mahdi will be from my progeny. His forehead will be broad and his nose will be high. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years."

Other ahadeeth inform us that:

* He will be tall * He will be fair complexioned * His facial features will be similar to those of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) * His character will be exactly like that of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) * His father's name will be Abdullah * His mother's name will be Aamina * He will speak with a slight stutter and occasionally this stutter will frustrate him causing him to hit his hand upon his thigh. * His age at the time of his emergence will be forty years * He will receive Knowledge from Allah.

His Emergence and Rule

Hadhrat Umme Salmah (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, " After the death of a Ruler there will be some dispute between the people. At that time a citizen of Madina will flee (from Madinah) and go to Makkah. While in Makkah, certain people will approach him between Hajrul Aswad and Maqaame Ibraheem, and forcefully pledge their allegiance to him.

Thereafter a huge army will proceed from Syria to attack him but when they will be at Baida, which is between Makkah and Madina, they will be swallowed into the ground.

On seeing this, the Abdaals of Shaam as well as large numbers of people from Iraq will come to him and pledge their allegiance to him. Then a person from the Quraish, whose uncle will be from the Bani Kalb tribe will send an army to attack him, only to be overpowered, by the will of Allah. This (defeated) army will be that of the Bani Kalb. Unfortunate indeed is he who does not receive a share from the booty of the Kalb. This person (Imam Mahdi) will distribute the spoils of war after the battle. He will lead the people according to the Sunnat and during his reign Islam will spread throughout the world. He will remain till seven years (since his emergence). He will pass away and the Muslims will perform his Janazah salaat." (Abu Dawood)

According to a Hadeeth, Sayyidena Eesa (A.S.) will lead the Janaazah of Imam Mahdi (A.S.).

While the people will be pledging their allegiance to Imaam Mahdi, a voice from the unseen will call out:

"This is the representative of Allah, The Mahdi, listen to him and obey him"

This announcement which will be heard by all those present will establish his authenticity. Another sign which will indicate the authenticity of Imaam Mahdi wil be that in the Ramadhaan prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur.

Hadhrat Abu Umamah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans. The fourth agreement will be mediated through a person who will be from the progeny of Hadhrat Haroon (A.S.) and will be upheld for seven years."

The people asked: "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), who will be the Imaam of the people at the time?"

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "He will be from my progeny and will be forty years of age. His face will shine like a star and he will have a black spot on his left cheek. He will don two "Qutwaani" cloaks and will appear exactly as a person from the Bani Israeel..." (Tabrani)

According to hadith narrated by Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "...(regarding the rule of Imaam Mahdi) the skies will rain down in abundance and the earth will yield forth its crop in abundance, and those alive will desire that those who have already passed away should have been alive to enjoy this prosperity..."

Hadhrat Buraidah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be many armies after me. You must join that army which will come from Khurasaan." (Ibn Adi)

Abu Hurairah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "(Armies carrying) black flags will come from Khurasaan. No power will be able to stop them and they will finally reach Eela (Baitul Maqdas) where they will erect their flags."

from: "Signs of Qiyamah" by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali

More Hadeeth (with references) (contributed by Bradley Bilal).

1) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny (by then)."

References:

Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75 Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p7 Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 84,376; V3, p63

2) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us, the members of the household (Ahlul-Bayt)."

Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4085

3) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH)).

References:

Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet) Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4086

4) The Prophet (PBUH and HF) said: "We (I and my family) are members of a household that Allah (SWT) has chosen for them the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world; and the members of my household (Ahlul-Bayt) shall suffer a great affliction and they shall be forcefully expelled from their homes after my death; then there will come people from the East carrying black flags, and they will ask for some good to be given to them, but they shall be refused service; as such, they will wage war and emerge victorious, and will be offered that which they desired in the first place, but they will refuse to accept it till they pass it to a man from my family (Ahlul-Bayt) appears to fill the Earth with justice as it has been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that (time) ought to come to them even if crawling on the ice/snow since among them is the Vice-regent of Allah (Khalifatullah) al-Mahdi."

References:

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4082, The History Tabari al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, pp 250-251

5) Abu Nadra reported: We were with the company of Jabir Ibn Abdillah... Jabir Ibn Abdillah kept quite for a while and then reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: "There would be a Caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it." I said to Abu Nadra and Abu al-Ala: Do you mean Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz? They said: NO, (he would be Imam Mahdi).

References:

Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6961 Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2234, Tradition #67

6) "al-Mahdi is from our Ahlul-Bayt, no doubt Allah will enforce his appearance within a night (i.e., his coming is very unpredictable and is very sudden)."

References: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, p269

Compiled from various sources by Islam.tc, webmaster@islam.tc

Here is the link to the previous post:

http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/imam.html

The Coming Interspiritual Age

 :o they just come right out and say it... Notice ALL of the catholics!!!


Since the beginnings of formal religions, prophets and mystics have been predicting the spiritual transformation of mankind, a transformation that will usher in an age of peace and harmony. In Judaism, for example, a long-standing tradition holds that a Messiah will one day deliver the "golden age." Of course, Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah. That he didn't deliver the golden age in his lifetime is not a problem for them. He will complete the job in a Second Coming.

Some Christians believe in the "Rapture," a cataclysmic event before good conquers evil and establishes the godly age. More than 100 years ago Indian guru Vivekananda, who brought eastern spiritual philosophy to the West, proclaimed the unity of world religions. He envisioned humanity coming together bonded by oneness rather than differences. Another spiritual leader, Sathya Sai Baba -- an avatar according to his followers -- predicted in the 1980s that a vast spiritual revolution would sweep over the planet in the coming decades. Every spiritual group in which I have participated over the last 30 years has expressed a similar sentiment: that we are in the midst of a planetary shift in consciousness.

Yet we must be cautious in buying into these predictions. Consider Groucho Marx's famous quip when he was caught in a compromising position: "Are you going to believe what I tell you or what you see with your own eyes?" Today what we see with our own eyes is nothing to cheer about. The horrific events that we read about and view in vivid television reports hardly testify to an imminent state of spiritual elevation. Conflict, greed, self-interest, divisiveness, warfare and even genocide are as prevalent on the world stage today as they have ever been. Even religions and sects of religions that worship the same God are torn by strife and violence.

So when I first heard about the new book by Kurt Johnson and David Robert Ord, "The Coming Interspiritual Age," I was understandably skeptical. But when I read the endorsements by notables like Ken Wilbur, Andrew Harvey and Matthew Fox, I thought, "Maybe Johnson and Ord are on to something." And indeed they are.

Kurt Johnson, a monastic for more than a decade who later became an evolutionary biologist, and David Robert Ord, a Presbyterian minister, bring both a spiritual and scientific perspective to their vision of a new spiritual age. Inspiration for their book was sparked by the teachings and writngs of Catholic Brother Wayne Teasdale. Johnson was a close associate of Teasdale, who coined the words "interspirituality" and "interspiritual age" in 1999 in his now classic book "The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions." Teasdale, Thomas Merton, Raimon Panikkar, Matthew Fox and other western ecumenical thinkers began their work in response to the call of the historical Vatican II Council (1962-1965), which spawned a new dialogue across all of the world's religions, a process richly described by Johnson and Ord.

After setting down basic principles, "The Coming Interspiritual Age" takes the reader on a panoramic journey through human history, showing that discoveries and innovations have always co-existed with destructive forces. They point out that our progress from the cave to space travel over a relatively short time is no small accomplishment but that despite this stunning achievement, humans have been sloshing through a quagmire of base emotions and I-me driven motives. That will change, they argue, because conditions today are setting the stage for radical progress in the spiritual domain.

Indeed, we are on the threshold of a new interspiritual age, say Johnson and Ord, brought about by a confluence of world events, cultural changes, the technological revolution, and eight paradigm shifts that include "undoing the bonds of loyalty to clan, nation, religion, and skin color, along with abstaining from violence to solve problems, coupled with the dream of moving toward holistic, heartistic, trans-traditional, transcultural, and transnational perspectives."

Contributing to the likelihood of this new age is that fact that science is loosening its long-standing commitment to rigid materialism and reductionism in favor of "an all-inclusive quantum reality in which everything is made of the same thing." These changes are moving human consciousness toward a we-oneness universal state and away from the I-me consciousness that has hampered our spiritual growth.

Does oneness mean an end to diversity? Not at all, insist Johnson and Ord. Diversity, they explain, is a fundamental principle of nature. The task for humans is to find the unity within diversity. Only by doing this will we ultimately promote human survival. How to accomplish this ambitious goal? The authors offer no one-size-fits-all answer. They call on individuals, religious and spiritual groups, and world leaders to embrace the principle of oneness. With that firm conviction in place, Johnson and Ord are convinced that finding and articulating oneness in the diversity of life circumstances will flow naturally -- and the solutions will reflect diversity as well.

Is the interspiritual age guaranteed to come about? Johnson and Ord are not starry-eyed dreamers. They are fully aware of the obstacles and are mindful of the critical question: Will the rise in consciousness of the interspiritual age accelerate fast enough to beat the rising seas and other forces that threaten the viability of the planet and human existence? Johnson and Ord offer hopeful evidence to support a resounding "yes" to this question.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/the-coming-interspiritual-age_b_2254690.html

Is it just me, or does anyone else get very disturbed when you hear of reports of interfaith gatherings after tragic events? They did alot of these after 9/11(and during their "anniversaries"). And now they're doing so after the school shooting in CT. Jesus Christ specifically says to not to yoke with unbelievers. When will Churchianity ever learn?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/16/at-least-26-dead-in-shooting-at-connecticut-school/#ixzz2FFol20Dr
As the town mourns the deaths, President Barack Obama will attend an interfaith memorial service Sunday in Newtown.  It will be the fourth time he has traveled to a city after a mass shooting.

yeah message are they giving to everyone, they expect God to hear their prayers yet it wont work.


they wont learn if they have already fallen. What is the percentage of Christians that know not to do that? i would think it would be pretty low.

http://thetruthwins.com/archives/will-americans-soon-not-be-able-to-buy-sell-or-get-a-job-without-a-global-id-card

Will Americans Soon Not Be Able To Buy, Sell Or Get A Job Without A Global ID Card?

 By Michael, on February 21st, 2013

A plan being pushed in Congress right now by senators from both major political parties would force all Americans to get a biometric national ID card.  It is being promoted as a key "immigration reform" measure, but the truth is that a national ID card is much more about the government's endless appetite for more control over the American people.  If this national ID card plan is passed by Congress, you will not be able to get a job without one.  So how are you going to survive if you can't work?  In addition, this national ID card would undoubtedly soon be used to identify us for all sorts of other purposes.  For example, have you tried to open up a bank account lately?  They make you jump through all sorts of hoops to prove that you are who you say that you are.  So what would happen if the government decided to require you to show your national ID card before opening up a bank account?  If you refused to get a card, how would you be able to function in society without a bank account?  Would you try to conduct all of your transactions in cash only?  That might work for a while.  And of course you would not be able to drive or get on a plane without your national ID card.  So forget about going anywhere.  Are you starting to get the picture?  Unfortunately, the push for a national ID card in the United States is only a small part of the overall push toward a "global ID card" that is happening all over the planet.  The eventual goal is to have a "universal ID" that every man, woman and child on the planet will be forced to take.
 
That is why it is so important for the American people to speak up about this.
 
Right now, all of the big mainstream media outlets are lining up on the side of a national ID card.  For instance, just check out this short excerpt from a recent Washington Post article entitled "The case for a national ID card"...


And of course the Wall Street Journal is reporting on this too...


According to investigative reporter James Tucker, there are those in the Obama administration that are optimistic that they will be able to get a national ID card through Congress now that Ron Paul has left the House of Representatives...


So will anyone in Congress step up and fight this on behalf of the American people?
 
Let's hope so.
 
But of course there are many other large nations that are actually far ahead of the United States when it comes to implementing this global ID card scheme.
 
Just check out what is going on in Indonesia...


And India is currently collecting biometric information on more than a billion people...


Are you starting to understand what is happening?
 
This is a global effort.
 
At this point, there are approximately 100 countries that now issue mandatory ID cards, and undoubtedly this campaign to gather the biometric information of every person on earth will continue to spread.
 
In fact, soon you may not even be able to log in to your favorite Internet sites without a fingerprint or an iris scan.
 
Does that sound crazy to you?
 
It doesn't sound crazy to the major technology firms that are a part of the Fast Identity Online Alliance...


We live in a world that has become obsessed with information and obsessed with security.
 
At first, we may all just be forced to carry around ID cards, but eventually cards will not be considered to be good enough.
 
Cards are easily lost, they can be stolen, and they can be forged.
 
But what about an electronic tattoo?
 
Wouldn't that be much more secure?
 
That is the argument that will be made.
 
And the advancements that have been made in the field of electronic tattoos lately have got a lot of scientists very excited...


Does that sound "cool" to you?
 
That is how these changes will be marketed to the public.  They will be sold as the "hip" and "cool" things to do.
 
But the truth is that these electronic tattoos are incredibly dangerous.  They can receive electrical signals from your brain, and they can also send electrical signals to your brain...


This is very frightening stuff.
 
But most people just do whatever the "authorities" tell them to do without thinking about it.
 
So will you take a national ID card if Congress requires you to?
 
Will you take an electronic tattoo on your hand or your forehead someday if the authorities require it for "security" reasons?
 
The control freaks that run things just love to find new ways to watch us, track us and control us.
 
For example, just check out what is going on in New York City.  The following is from a recent article in the Telegraph...


Could you imagine how much more intrusive such a system would be if "national ID cards" were constantly feeding information about all of us into their computers?
 
But the "authorities" insist that all of this "security" is making life so much "better" and "safer" for all of us.
 
Well, what about for 3-year-old Lucy Schulte?
 
She is a sweet little disabled girl in a wheelchair that has Spina bifida.  Recently she was getting ready to get on a plane to go to Disney World, but TSA workers decided that she was a potential terrorist and so they manhandled her and confiscated her stuffed toy.
 
You can see very disturbing video of this incident below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oPloe08a3Q&feature=player_embedded

Is this really want we want America to become?
 
For much more on how America is being transformed into a Big Brother police state, please see the following article: "29 Signs That The Elite Are Transforming Society Into A Total Domination Control Grid".
 
So what do you think about all of this?
 
Do you believe that a global ID card is a good idea or a bad idea?
 
Would you take a national ID card if Congress made it mandatory?
 
Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below...

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Not necessarily.

Listen to what Prince Charles said in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWcsNubElc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnWcsNubElc)

"Very nice thought of fatherhoo... grandfatherhood at my old age, if I may say so."

Not only does he potentially have a "Freudian slip", but look at the sentence structure. Nice thought of grandfatherhood at your old age? Uh, the average age to be a first-time grandparent is now under 50 years old. You (Prince Charles) are 65! Becoming a grandparent isn't uncommon at your age, buddy. Now parenthood at 65? That's VERY uncommon, and would warrant the quip "Very nice thought of fatherhood at my old age, if I may say so."

It could very well be that George is not William's son at all. I've got a ton of info on William's potential candidacy for Antichrist, which I'll (hopefully) be posting in a thread sometime before the tribulation starts :D

While I don't believe the AC will be a British royal, funny business among royals is/has been common. It would not be unusual if Charles fathered children out of marriage, but that kind of discussion is better left to other websites.

EU's four top jobs up for grabs

It is all change at the top this year for the European Union, kicking off with May elections for the European Parliament followed by the naming in July of a new speaker.

In November, EU leaders will appoint a new president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, when its five-year mandate ends, as well as a new chair of the bloc's political wing, the European Council.

In addition, the 28 member states must replace Catherine Ashton at the European External Action Service, which was set up in 2009 to coordinate EU foreign policy and has become one of the bloc's most high profile roles.

Here is what is at stake as well as the favourites to win the posts.

European parliament president

The speaker, officially known as president of the Parliament, is elected in each new assembly as MEPs work out their groupings and alliances in what can be a protracted period of bargaining.

There are no candidates or favourites at this stage as the outcome will depend on the results of the EU-wide May 22-25 election for 751 seats.

But one name often cited is former Belgium premier Guy Verhofstadt, the outspoken head of the centrist Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) but who is also cited as a possible runner for European Commission chief.

Seats will be contested by more than a dozen political groups, led by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest in the outgoing assembly.

They are closely followed by the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), centrist group ALDE and the Greens, the environmentalist voice in Parliament.

This is the first Parliament election since the 2009 Lisbon Treaty came into force sharply increasing the assembly's powers, especially with the provision that EU member state leaders must now take into account the results of the May vote when choosing the next head of the European Commission.

Parliament - the EU's only directly-elected institution -- must also approve their nomination.

President of the European commission

The Parliament elections will have a direct bearing on who succeeds Jose Manuel Barroso in November, with the main groups already deciding their candidates even if it is still not absolutely clear that their choice will get past EU leaders.

Current favourite is former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker, backed by the EPP at their convention in Dublin, but he faces a tough challenger in Martin Schulz, currently the S&D speaker of Parliament.

The European Commission is the executive arm of the EU, acting as its civil service to draw up the legislative proposals needed to put European Council decisions into effect. It also initiates policy proposals.

As such, it has huge influence, although this has been eroded to some extent in recent years with the setting up of the European Council and by Parliament's new-found oversight powers since 2009.

The Commission, housed in the huge Berlaymont building in the Schuman district of central Brussels, is very much the public face of the EU and the one which comes into most public criticism. The Commission president leads a team of 28 Commissioners -- one from each country - who will also be new faces.

Chair of the European council

The Council is the political arm of the EU, bringing together member state leaders and their top officials to make the bloc's policy decisions.

Current head of the post as go-between among the often divided states is Belgian Hermann Van Rompuy, a former premier known for his quiet steady leadership and ability to build common ground. With 28 leaders determined to ensure their national interests are respected at all times, this is an essential skill.

Juncker was one name mentioned as a possible successor alongside Irish Premier Enda Kenny, Werner Feymann of Austria and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.

EU foreign policy chief

This post is currently held by Britain's Ashton who has played a high-profile role in many of the top international issues, from Iran's contested nuclear programme to Middle East peace and the crisis in Ukraine.

She heads a service that has grown from nothing to around 3,000 staff in less than three years, with offices worldwide.

Backed by former British prime minister Tony Blair for the job in 2009, competition will be just as intense and hugely political as EU leaders battle it out to get their candidate named to one of the EU's most sought-after jobs.

Among possible successors are Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski or Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak, giving the newer Eastern Europe EU members a strong voice. Also in the running are the foreign ministers of Austria or Sweden, Frans Timmermans and Carl Bildt.

EU leaders however will be aware that naming a man would put them under pressure to consider a woman for another of the top posts.

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/world/2014/03/10/eu-s-four-top-jobs-up-for-grabs

Hey guys, I stumbled upon this YouTube channel today, and I gotta admit, it's kind of creepy...

https://www.youtube.com/user/LieKillers/featured (https://www.youtube.com/user/LieKillers/featured)

They talk about the "Holy Roman Empire", this false Jesus figure (with long hair and all) "rising like a phoenix", they have the satanic hexagram as the "symbol of God", etc.

Has anyone else run into it? What do you make of it? I figure it's either a really elaborate hoax by someone who has too much time on their hands, just another cult like Vissarion, or a DEFINITE precursor.

It's all seems too coincidental, but the quality of the videos is almost too good for it to just be some guy in his mom's basement...

Briefly glanced at the “About Us” video. They are obsessed with symbolism. Claim that we will all be worshipping symbols soon.

Other claims:

-   They’re “students” from the Vatican
-   Christ is literally here on this earth and located in Czechoslovakia.
-   Group name is “the black cube”
-   First vid is about the comet ison personified

I would say Catholic cult – smallish, educated, less than 20 people. Vids contain Hebrew writing and are semi-professionally done. First vid posted December 2013. US is demonized while Rome is glorified. Most vids only have triple digit view counts.

Don't even waste one second of watching the channel - the narrator reveals in clear terms that satan is the "owner" of the channels. It is an extremely blasphemous channel and full of demonic chants, images, symbols, and confusion.

Of course, this is where it's all heading with "truthers" who don't worship in truth and Spirit.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-17 KJV
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,  Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Someone in my YT fellowship group posted this - no, I don't endorse everything he says, but he DOES largely look at it via the lens of scripture(and current events news). Alot of good points are made.

Watch it, and you be the judge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGT7oQ_eUCY

FWIW, look at these 2 passages(again) in 2nd The 2.

2Thes 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;


2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:


The 2nd passage above is talking about the rapture - the body of Christ being removed from this earth(...until he be taken out of the way) BEFORE the Antichrist is revealed.

But look at the 1st passage carefully - it's NOT talking about the rapture, but about the DAY OF THE LORD(Day of Christ - which happens during the 7 year great tribulation). Ultimately, these 2 passages are talking about 2 different events. This is why Paul said to not be troubled in spirit(as the body of Christ during the NT Church Age won't be here during the ToJT). I see where post-tribbers get this 1st passage confused(where they think Paul was talking to born again Christians, saying how the pre-trib rapture is false b/c the AC has to reveal himself first).


Ultimately, the first passage in 2nd The 2 lines up with this.

Acts 2:14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Act 2:15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Act 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgo3e4dGrMA

That's actually a portion of scripture I've looked at closely recently.

In the first two verses, I think Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the gathering together unto Jesus Christ so that they are not troubled thinking that the day of Christ is very near (at hand). I agree, he's NOT saying the day of Christ is the same thing as the gathering together.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The thing I noticed right away is that there is a semicolon right after "man of sin be revealed" and a semicolon right before "so that he as God..." What that tells me is that the sentence "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped" is probably a parenthetical statement. The way I end up reading it is:

...for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

What I mean, essentially, is that the man of sin being revealed is linked to him sitting in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God. I don't think the man of sin being revealed is the 1st seal: I think it's the Abomination of Desolation.

This is how I'm thinking it goes:

1. Falling away (happening more and more each day)
2. Catching away of the body of Christ
3. 1st Seal
4. "He who now letteth" taken out of the way
5. Man of sin revealed, the Abomination of Desolation
6. Day of Christ

Just a thought, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qm29cGq0H8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjml85BjESY

http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2015/jan/18/european-union-like-holy-roman-empire
1/17/15
European Union: we really don’t want the Holy Roman Empire brought back
It’s futile to try to turn the clock back on Europe to some idea of Pax Romana

I campaigned for a “No” vote in the 1975 referendum on the common market, largely on political grounds but objections were patronisingly dismissed – the market, we were told, was an economic, not political, project. Subsequently, I took a rather childish pleasure in continually referring to the European “project”, whatever its current nomenclature, as the “Holy Roman Empire”. Now, suddenly, I find myself in agreement with Will Hutton (“The British Museum reminds us Germany is a force for good”, Comment) who also sees the EU as the successor to the HRE! There the agreement ends, because he apparently finds this laudable.

Is this really the best we can do? For centuries, there has been a fixation with some mythic ideal of the Roman empire – its codes of laws, “Pax Romana” and so on, and the HRE was just one of the futile efforts to turn back the clock. Of course there are all manner of national and international problems that need co-operation and resolution, but over 200 years since Napoleon did us all a favour by getting rid of the thing, is bringing it back the most forward-thinking idea that the third millennium has to offer?

John Old

Nuneaton

Make milk the cream of the crop

The number of milk producers in England and Wales has now fallen below 10,000 and there are suggestions that this number will halve by 2025. This is due to the drive for ever cheaper milk. The use of milk by retailers as a loss leader amounts to playing with our food. A perception of cows in fields, maintained by those selling milk and dairy products, masks the steady march towards a future where these products will increasingly flow from industrial sites rather than traditional farms.

I started a farmer-led movement called Free Range Dairy and the Pasture Promise label to promote the value of Britain’s seasonally grazed dairy herds and try to shift industry focus away from volume and towards value. I would like to see clear labelling on milk cartons that will enable consumers to make an informed choice about the provenance of the dairy in their diet and reward farmers with a fair price.

Neil Darwent

BBC outstanding farmer of the year 2014; director Free Range Dairy Network CIC

Frome

Walkie Talkie’s poor reception

The Walkie Talkie is a sad contribution to London and the City in particular (“Iconic address” – or just more pie in the sky?”, Rowan Moore, New Review, 4 Jan). Wherever you see it from it looks out of scale and ugly. I am totally in support of elegant, beautiful towers; the Shard is a great contribution to London’s skyline. The problem with the Walkie Talkie is its proportion. It looks as if it has been sat on by a massive celestial gnome, making it bulge out like a malformed marshmallow.

Towers are exciting when they rise up elegantly, shimmer in the sunlight or moonlight and respect their neighbours. Chunky towers can be exciting, too, but the good ones respect proportion and are stout and rooted to the ground. The Walkie Talkie has none of these attributes. It is a sad indictment on Land Securities for forcing overdevelopment of the site and both the GLA and the City for running scared in their planning responsibilities. Moore is also right to question the sky garden; the reality is that few of us will ever get up there. It will be the playground of privileged City workers.

Camilla Ween

Goldstein Ween Architects

London SW8

Antidote for political games

I’m struck by the unedifying spectacle of politicians engaged in name-calling and abnegation of responsibility. I propose a remedy. If a politician blames the previous government for present ills the interviewer must make an adenoidal sound like the buzzer on the children’s game Operation; equally, if the politician ignores the interviewer’s question, he/she will receive the same treatment. Political parties should be prohibited from comparing their policies with those of other parties. Instead, they would lay out their manifesto and an independent, taxpayer-funded fact-checking body would tell us how much of it is true. Then in May we vote.

Ed Stoppard

Bromley

Lord Garden did his own research

I was angered to see your piece linking fees for trainees to my husband, Lord Garden, who was the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman in the Lords for the last three years of his life (“Unpaid interns charged £300 for job references”, News last week). He died in 2007. I don’t know Jan Mortier and never heard my husband mention him. Tim was well known for doing all his own research and administration and never felt the need to employ a “consultant” or an “aide”. He would certainly have had nothing to do with the practices associated with his name in the article.

Baroness Garden

House of Lords

We draw our own conclusions

It is to be expected that a piece entitled “Now hidden – Islam’s rich history of images of the prophet” (News, last week) should be illustrated – the key word being “images” – but I can’t have been the only reader to notice that the illustration used was of some buildings and some mountains.

Paul Colbeck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_m7FhCF78A

Howdy all! I wanted to ask a question to you all, because I've been searching for an answer and haven't found one yet. A common belief among students of eschatology is that Satan indwells the Antichrist, which results in the deadly wound being healed and a false resurrection. Is there anywhere in scripture that supports this idea, either explicitly or implicitly?

Around Rev 13 1-4. There is no one verse that explicitly states this. It is an applied concept.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/23/obama-pope-francis-welcome-ceremony-south-lawmn/72666066/
9/23/15
Obama, Pope Francis praise each other on climate change

WASHINGTON — Amid the pageantry of Pope Francis' visit to the White House,  President Obama received a rare papal endorsement Wednesday of his action to stem climate and tackle other global challenges.

"Your Holiness, in your words and deeds, you set a profound moral example," Obama said during a welcome ceremony that drew thousands of people to the South Lawn. "And in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency."

In thanking the president, Francis offered a forceful endorsement of his host's proposals "for reducing air pollution" and described climate change as "a problem which can no longer be left to our future generation."

Referring to the planet Earth, Francis said that "when it comes to the care of our 'common home,' we are living at a critical moment of history."

The pope, who has criticized as aspects of capitalism, also urged a serious examination "not only of the kind of world we may be leaving to our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them."

Citing U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Francis claimed that "we can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note, and now is the time to honor it." Making his first extended speech in English, the pontiff said that American Catholics "are committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive, to safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities, and to rejecting every form of unjust discrimination."

As he prepares to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, Francis said he will speak to lawmakers "as a brother of this country, to offer words of encouragement to those called to guide the nation's political future in fidelity to its founding principles."

After the 40-minute ceremony, the president and the pope walked into the White House residence and then along the Rose Garden colonnade to the Oval Office, where they held a private meeting.

Afterward, the White House issued a list of "shared values and commitments" discussed by Obama and Francis. It included calls to help refugees from war-torn Syria, protect religious minorities in the Middle East, improve U.S-Cuban relations, provide opportunities for at-risk youth, promote sustainable development, and end poverty.

Obama also gave the pontiff a pair of gifts: A metal sculpture of an ascending dove, the international symbol of peace; and a key from the Maryland home of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American to be declared a saint. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Mother Seton's canonization. The key dates from 1809.

In his remarks on the South Lawn, Obama praised the pope while referencing his calls to help immigrants and refugees, protect religious liberty, and improve U.S. relations with Cuba (site of the pope's first stop on his trip).

The president told Francis that "we support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to changing climate, and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations."

More than 11,000 people swarmed the South Lawn to welcome the pontiff. Many guests had lined up at checkpoints around the White House complex well before 3 a.m. The crowd packed the entire South Lawn, with another large group across the street on the Ellipse.

As the crowd awaited the pope, a red-jacketed Marine Band played martial music, a color guard carried the U.S. and Vatican flags, and military trumpeters positioned themselves on the portico of the White House.

Vice President Biden, wife Jill Biden, and Cabinet members streamed toward a seating section close to a small stage .

Among the guests: Ethel Kennedy, widow of assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the former U.S. attorney general and brother of the late president John F. Kennedy.

Light blue-and-white Argentine flags and soccer jerseys dotted the south lawn as people celebrated the arrival of the Argentine pope with rosaries, crosses and U.S. and Vatican flags. A few had seats on bleachers erected for the occasion, but most stood for hours waiting for the pope.

Jeffrey Richardson, who lined up outside the White House at 2 a.m. in order to get a front-row standing position, wore an Argentinian soccer jersey that belonged to his gay partner before he died of cancer in 2005.

"He was Argentine, and he was born and raised Catholic, but he drifted away from the church — I think he'd be encouraged by the pope's message," said Richardson, 37, of Washington.

That message includes  an attention to issues of poverty, he said, but also making the church more open. "We have a long way to go, clearly," he said.

Richardson, who is not Catholic, said Francis's visit was "more personal, more spiritual, than political" to him.

Amid heavy security in a long motorcade, the small Fiat that served as the Popemobile rolled up to the south entrance to the White House shortly after 9:20 a.m.

As the crowd cheered and screamed Francis' name, Obama attributed the frenzy to both the pope's stature and his "unique qualities" as a person.

"In your humility, your embrace of simplicity, in the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living example of Jesus' teachings, a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds," Obama said.

In his remarks on the South Lawn, Obama reminded Francis he is the first pope from the Americas, making his first visit to the United States, as well as "the first pontiff to share an Encyclical through a Twitter account." (Francis is also the third pope to visit the White House.)

The ceremony resembled the White House welcomes for other world leaders, complete with both national anthems and military marching to fife-and-drum music. One departure at this particular event: The leaders did not do a troop review, seeing as how the Pope controls no armed forces.

"Our backyard is not typically this crowded," Obama said in his remarks. "But the size and spirit of today's gathering is just a small reflection of the deep devotion of some 70 million American Catholics."

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-prepares-historic-address-congress-071839676--politics.html
9/24/15
Embrace immigrants, Pope Francis urges Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Standing before a rapt Congress, Pope Francis issued a ringing call to action on behalf of immigrants Thursday, urging lawmakers to embrace "the stranger in our midst" as he became the first pontiff in history to address a joint meeting at the U.S. Capitol.

Referencing the migration crisis in Europe as well as the United States' own struggle with immigration from Latin America, Francis summoned lawmakers "to respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal."

"We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best as we can to their situation," Francis urged.

He was welcomed enthusiastically to a House chamber packed with Supreme Court justices, Cabinet officials, and lawmakers of both parties, uniting the bickering factions before he even opened his mouth as all stood to cheer his arrival. The sergeant at arms intoned "Mr. Speaker, the pope of the Holy See," and Francis made his way up the center aisle in his white robes, moving slowly as lawmakers applauded, some inclining their heads in bows.

After the speech, he appeared on a Capitol balcony and briefly addressed a cheering crowd of thousands below on the lawn and the Mall beyond. "Buenos dias," he called out, and the crowd thundered its response.

Francis asked the crowd to pray for him, as he always does. But speaking in Spanish, he added a line to acknowledge that not everyone there was a believer. "If among you there are some who don't believe or who cannot pray, I ask that you send good wishes my way," he said, to tumultuous applause.

"God bless America!" he concluded, as he had in the House chamber.

Leaving the Capitol, he went to a local church where he gave a short speech on helping the poor and then was meeting with homeless people at the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. Late in the day he was leaving for New York for more prayer services and a speech to the United Nations.

The pope's whirlwind three-day visit to Washington was the first stop on a three-city U.S. tour that winds up in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday he was cheered by jubilant crowds as he visited the White House — where he and President Barack Obama embraced each other's warnings on climate change — paraded through Washington streets in his "popemobile," addressed U.S. bishops, noting the clergy sex abuse scandal, and celebrated a Mass of Canonization for Junipero Serra, the Spanish friar who founded major California missions.

Introducing himself at the Capitol as "a son of this great continent," the Argentine pope, reading his remarks slowly in English, spoke from the same dais where presidents deliver their State of the Union speeches. Behind him sat Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, the first and second in line to the presidency, both Catholics. Outside, tens of thousands watched on giant screens, and many more were watching on TV around the world.

Lawmakers of all political backgrounds and religious affiliations eagerly welcomed the pope, pledging to pause from the bickering and dysfunction that normally divide them and hear him out. Yet Francis spoke to a Congress that has deadlocked on immigration legislation, at a time when there are more than 11 million people in the U.S. illegally, and where some lawmakers have balked at Obama administration plans to accept more of the migrants from Syria and elsewhere who are now flooding Europe.

Indeed, Francis arrived at a moment of particular turmoil for Congress, with a partial government shutdown looming next week unless lawmakers can resolve a dispute over funding for Planned Parenthood related to the group's practices providing fetal tissue for research.

Francis steered clear of such controversies, alluding only in passing to the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion when he noted, to applause, "our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development."

He advocated abolition of the death penalty, something that enjoys support from a number of lawmakers of both parties at the federal level, and spoke out against fundamentalism of all kinds, while urging care in combating it.

"A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms," Francis said.

On immigration, Francis urged lawmakers — and the United States as a whole — not to be afraid of migrants but to welcome them as fellow human beings, not things that can be discarded just because they are troublesome.

Francis, the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, recalled that America itself was founded by immigrants, that many lawmakers are descended from foreigners and that that new generations must not "turn their back on our neighbors."

Given an ovation when he spoke of the Golden Rule, he said, "Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated."

He reiterated his stance on climate change, "the environmental deterioration caused by human activity."

Yet in calling for action on the climate and to combat poverty, Francis took care to insist he was not anti-business, as some conservatives have suggested. He quoted a Catholic teaching document calling business "a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world."

Many lawmakers had vowed to preserve decorum throughout the speech and members of both parties listened intently, yet they did not completely contain their reactions. The mention of climate change drew standing cheers from Democrats while Republicans stood to applaud the reference to abortion. One Democratic House member let out a whoop of delight at the pope's call to abolish the death penalty.

Republicans in particular also loudly applauded as Francis asserted the importance of family life and bemoaned that "fundamental relationships are being called into question as is the very basis of marriage and the family." The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage, recently legalized by the Supreme Court.

Francis also criticized the arms trade, significant before Congress because the United States is the world's largest exporter of weapons.

On Thursday, security was tight outside the Capitol, with streets blocked off and a heavy police presence that rivaled an Inauguration or State of the Union address by the U.S. president. The scene on the West Lawn was festive but orderly.

Francis enjoys approval ratings the envy of any U.S. politician as he's remade the image of the Catholic Church toward openness and compassion, yet without changing fundamental church doctrine. Addressing a chamber full of elected officials Thursday, he may have been the most adept politician in the room.

OK, Sept hasn't exactly been the month of fireworks like the "pundits" have said - but nonetheless, this false prophet Pope is quietly planting the rotten seeds.

Keep looking up, everyone!

http://qz.com/510241/the-popes-one-sentence-about-immigration-got-a-standing-ovation-from-us-congress/?utm_source=YPL
The Pope’s one sentence about immigration got a standing ovation from US Congress
9/24/15

Legislators on both sides of the aisle applauded when Pope Francis appealed to them as descendants of immigrants.

Speaking to a joint meeting of the US Congress, the pope advocated for those who leave their homes in search of opportunity and refugees fleeing conflict.
“We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation,” he said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sdRetaH8Hk

http://news.yahoo.com/awesome-pope-unites-diverse-washington-crowd-203655091.html
'Awesome' pope unites diverse Washington crowd
9/24/15

Washington (AFP) - Pope Francis may be a hero to the world's 1.2 billion Catholics but a far broader section of American society -- young, old, devout or just plain curious -- came out to catch a glimpse of him in Washington.

On his historic first visit to the United States, Francis brought parts of the capital to a standstill on Wednesday and Thursday, as tens of thousands jostled amiably to see the 78-year-old Argentine.

Some were devout Roman Catholics, but plenty more were eager onlookers or people touched by the pope's appeal for a more just world. Young and old mingled together.

Many in the prominent Hispanic community hailed the pope's "simplicity" and hoped he could highlight the sensitive issue of immigration -- a hot-button topic in American politics in the run-up to next year's presidential election.

The theme burst into view on Wednesday as a little girl managed to slip past security and deliver a missive to the pontiff urging him to press for legalization of America's millions of undocumented migrants.

Mario Alfaro, 43, originally from Salvador but who has been in the United States for more than 20 years, said hoped Francis would address the migrant issue in Congress -- as he did on Thursday -- "so it will give the new immigrants the same chance to be part of this great nation."

Alfaro praised the pope's ability to engage a diverse audience, be it on immigration or climate change -- another central theme of his visit.

"Some people have different views about marriage, climate, migrants. Instead of separating them or pushing them away, this pope tries to talk to them, to have a dialogue."

- 'Doesn't judge' -

Security around the pope -- the first from Latin America -- has been understandably tight.

But that did not stop some of his admirers getting at the very least a sight of him -- for a few in person and many more via big screens.

For some, that fleeting moment was enough.

Thousands cheered as Francis appeared on a balcony of the US Capitol following his historic speech to Congress and blessed the crowd, especially children.

"Buenos dias," Francis said, eliciting another roar from the crowd, some of whom wore t-shirts adorned with his picture. Others clutched the yellow-and-white Vatican flag or posters bearing his smiling face.

He was similarly mobbed as he walked through crowds during a visit to Charities of the Archdiocese in downtown Washington.

Some snapped pictures with their phones -- a lucky few grabbed a quick selfie -- and many more from all walks of life tried in vain to shake the pope's hand.

At the famed National Mall, in the heart of Washington, thousands more massed to rally for "climate justice," drawing an eclectic mix of entertainers, including gospel singers and the electronic music artist Moby.

The crowd took in environmentalists, black rights defenders, pastors and animal rights defenders, all thrown in together.

There was also room for dissent -- one protester wielded a huge sign proclaiming: "The pope is the antichrist."

Back at the Capitol, Nick Redmond, a seminarian holding a rosary, concurred with the pope's message to Congress, praising his ability to articulate the Church's plea for "mercy, love, respect for human life."

Dinora Orozco Vedadi, 28, born in the United States to Mexican parents, said she was of Catholic origin but admitted she did not go to church.

Nevertheless, she called his message about compassion for immigrants "awesome."

"He is someone more conservative about family, but he doesn't judge, doesn't marginalize, he is more bringing people into the fold," she said.

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-francis-set-bring-message-world-leaders-un-051955450.html
Pope brings ecology, anti-poverty message to UN
9/25/15

NEW YORK (AP) — In a day packed with encounters with both the powerful and the poor, Pope Francis arrived at the United Nations on Friday for an address expected to emphasize themes that have shaped his popular papacy: the environment and the poor.

Francis' agenda reflected both his global stature and his of-the-people approach, taking him from the solemnity of ground zero to the struggles of East Harlem.

His visit was scheduled to include events as large as a processional drive through Central Park, as personal as meetings with schoolchildren and immigrants, and as inspiring for the faithful as Mass for thousands at Madison Square Garden.

Francis, who on Thursday became the first pope to address a joint meeting of Congress, was set to speak to world leaders gathered for a U.N. General Assembly summit to adopt new global goals for fighting poverty and protecting the environment.

Religious persecution was also expected to be on the agenda for his international audience.

Francis was greeted on his arrival at the U.N. by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a key supporter of Francis' agenda. Francis thanked Ban and the U.N. staff for their service.

While his visit marks the fifth time a pope has been to the United Nations, the Vatican flag was raised for the first time just before his arrival. The General Assembly recently agreed to allow the U.N.'s two observer states, the Holy See and Palestine, to fly their flags alongside those of the 193 member states.

After the U.N., the pope was scheduled to visit the 9/11 memorial, where two waterfall pools mark the outlines of the World Trade Center's twin towers before they were toppled by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

He was expected to meet relatives of some of the nearly 3,000 victims before heading belowground to the Sept. 11 museum for an interfaith service.

Francis' plans for Friday afternoon reflected the penchant of the "people's pope" for engaging with the public.

First on the agenda was a visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School, set amid public housing in the heavily Hispanic neighborhood of East Harlem.

Known for ministering to the downtrodden in his native Buenos Aires, Francis was set to meet schoolchildren and offer a special blessing to refugees and immigrants, including people living in the country illegally.

Then he was to greet as many as 80,000 onlookers during a drive through Central Park, en route to Mass for 18,000 at Madison Square Garden.

On Thursday evening, thousands cheered as Francis waved from his popemobile along Fifth Avenue en route to St. Patrick's Cathedral for evening prayers.

His reflections included his strongest expression yet of gratitude and respect for American nuns, whom he thanked for their strength, spirit and courage.

Pews full of American priests and sisters erupted in applause on hearing Francis' words, which came after he halted an overhaul the Vatican had ordered under his predecessor to the largest umbrella group of U.S. sisters. The Vatican office that guards orthodoxy had accused the nuns of straying from church teaching, which they denied.

In Washington earlier Thursday, the pope waded into bitter disputes while speaking to Congress, entreating the nation to share its immense wealth with those less fortunate. He also urged the nation to abolish the death penalty, fight global warming and embrace immigrants.

Lawmakers gave him rousing ovations. Though he offered an agenda more to Democrats' liking, Republicans heard something to applaud in his references to the sanctity of life and family relations, reminders that even the more open Roman Catholic Church over which Francis presides still condemns abortion and gay marriage.

His historic speech appeared determined to remind the United States of its foundations as a country made up of immigrants.

"Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated," he said. "Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves."

Francis wraps up his U.S. visit this weekend in Philadelphia, where he speaks in front of Independence Hall and celebrates Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to close out a big rally on Catholic families.

 :( :( :( :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEDBXUsaiE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jA5NXesqpQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-1kPXP_Em8

Audio Inside Link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=103151716251
Sound The Battle Cry Presents - Pope Watch: Protestant Pastors Don't Protest Popery
10/3/15

Recently, I saw a local tv news report over a girl by the name of Jenesis. Won't go into details over what the news report was about, but nonetheless decided to look up this name on the Yahoo search engine for more info.

Pretty much, it's as if we're seeing the world system mock God's word openly in these potential last days we're living in. The last "Terminator" movie was called Genysis.(the prior "Terminator" movie was called Salvation) Anyhow, this is what this site says about the girl's name Jenesis.

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Jenesis

What does Jenesis mean?

Jenesis /je-n-e-sis/ [3 sylls.] as a girls' name (also used as boys' name Jenesis). Jenesis' root is Hebrew, and the meaning of the name Jenesis is "origin, birth". Jenesis is a variant transcription of Genesis (Hebrew). Jenis is a common last name.
Read more at http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Jenesis#BbwMA8ldcFywoSgg.99


How popular is Jenesis?

Jenesis is an unusual given name for females. Jenesis is an equally unusual last name for both adults and children. (2000 U.S. Census)

Below is a graphed analysis of the popularity of the girl name Jenesis and affiliated names. Genesis (#68 the previous year) is the only popular variation form of Jenesis (not ranked) rated in the Top 1000. Variants like Gennesiss are seldom used. This girl name was at the peak of its popularity in the year 2013 (usage of 0.945%) and has become significantly less widespread since (usage 0.932%, down 1.4%). Genesis (#68) is the most chic baby name here. (2014 Birth Statistics)

(http://www.thinkbabynames.com/graph/0/0/Jenesis/Genesis)

(http://www.thinkbabynames.com/graph/0/1)

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-calls-church-far-more-decentralized-114622177.html
Pope calls for church that is far more decentralized
10/17/15

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis called Saturday for a Catholic Church that is far more decentralized, where they laity play a greater role, bishops conferences take care of certain problems and even the papacy is rethought.

Francis issued the call during a ceremony Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, a consultative body formed during the Second Vatican Council that was intended precisely to encourage more collegiality in the running of the church by inviting bishops to offer their advice to Rome.

Over the past five decades, the synod has been little more than a talk-fest. But Francis has sought to re-energize it, and the contentious meeting under way at the Vatican, in which conservative and progressive bishops are squaring off over ministering to families, has been the result.

Francis noted that he launched the family synod process two years ago by sending out a questionnaire to Catholic families around the world asking for their input — a strong sign that ordinary lay Catholics have an important role to play in the governance of the church and spreading the faith.

"How would it have been possible to talk about the family without engaging families, listening to their joys and hopes, their pain and anxieties?" he said.

One of the main themes running through the current synod is whether individual bishops' conferences can take on greater responsibility in charting pastoral strategies to deal with issues like ministering to gays and divorced and civilly remarried couples. Conservatives insist that only Rome can offer such doctrinal guidelines; progressives say the local churches know better what individual circumstances require.

In his speech, Francis said the church needed to reflect further on "intermediate types of collegiality" involving bishops, even going back to some aspects of the greatly decentralized church of the past.

Finally, he said a truly collegial church has implications for the papacy — and therefore relations with other Christian churches that split from Rome precisely over the primacy of the pope.

Francis has been keen to insist that he is perhaps first and foremost the bishop of Rome.

"The pope is not, all by himself, above the church but rather inside it as a baptized Catholic among other baptized Catholics, and inside the episcopal college as a bishop among bishops," he said. At the same time, he added, the pope is called "to guide the church of Rome that presides in the love of all the churches."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scfy5XPtFpQ

http://www.timesofisrael.com/andy-kaufman-stand-up-to-be-performed-by-his-hologram/
Kaufman stand-up to be performed by hologram
Jewish comedian to be ‘resurrected’ and taken on a national tour next year
10/24/15

A cult of **** fans believes that Jewish comedian Andy Kaufman is still alive.

The eccentric prankster died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of 35. But some say he faked his death as a practical joke and is hiding out, waiting for the perfect moment to jump back into the spotlight and deliver the punchline.

In a way, Kaufman will now get the second life these fans hope for. He is to be resurrected in hologram form and taken on a national tour next year as part of a show by technology company Hologram USA, The New York Times reported.

The founder of Hologram USA, which also plans to tour holograms of pop music diva Whitney Houston, jazz legend Billie Holiday and comedian Redd Foxx, said the Kaufman show will have residences in “multiple locations in tourist-oriented cities across the country.”

Among many memorable performances, Kaufman is known for a foray into professional wrestling and for his role as Latka Gravas in the sitcom “Taxi.” Jim Carrey played Kaufman in the 1999 film about this life, “Man on the Moon.”

Michael Kaufman, the comedian’s brother and representative of his estate, told the Times that a hologram show is “the right platform for the new generation of audiences to experience Andy.”

Back in 2012, an image of deceased rapper Tupac Shakur performed at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California. The Tupac projection was not quite a hologram (more a product of complex CGI techniques), but it sparked debate about the ethics of representing dead artists and the implications for the future of live music.

Kaufman conspiracy theorists wouldn’t expect their hero to return without some public controversy.

“What if Andy actually jumps out of the technology and really appears?” Michael Kaufman said. “He’d be 66 and nobody would recognize him.”

What does this thread reveal about the anti christ?

That there's a lot of them at the moment. That their influence is becoming more accepted. And that Christians are expecting him to be revealed soon.

The two have little to do with each other. The Bible tells us about the anti christ spirit which is the root of all the false christs and gods in the world. The real anti christ, the devils version of messiah will be in a league all his own. The rest are amateur compared to him.

Thanks for the feedback though. I wish that you and others on this list would share your views a bit more. I keep hoping to facilitate some discussion and would love to see more opinion about anti christ.

Actually they do. It's obvious that the little boys are running around carefully setting the table so that the big guy can just slide into the chair at the head of the table when the time has come. They are all cooperating towards that goal as indicated by current world events.

Yes. You are right about that and they have always been doing it. I`ve had some conversations in the past with Preterists. They are frustrating but when I considered what they had to say I came to believe that at various times in history the table has been set and ready. The Preterist argument is interesting because one is able to see that the end of the age could have came in the first century if enough Jews had believed.

When you consider the sequence of 1st century events,what Jesus said, and what the apostles believed about the last days, it becomes apparent that the possibility of 1st century end of age had to be a real possibility. It was all part of God keeping His part of the covenant. For me it adds another dimension to the brilliance of Gods plan. When you understand what I`m trying to point out it just amazes.

To reword, what I meant was that the work of what the Bible calls the anti-christ spirit and the little anti-christs it creates is not the same thing as the literal anti-christ that is coming. Some people don`t believe in a literal anti-christ.

I don't see how they couldn't believe when the bible clearly describes a man that eventually sits himself in a rebuilt temple and declares himself god.

The globalism agenda, uniting the nations under one-world governance, international connectivity, and a united world commerce system are paving the way toward that happening. When combined with the human tradition of having authority arranged in a pyramidal structure, I see the prophecy as inevitable.

Fervorforfaith has some interesting observations in his “antichrist moment” series on YouTube.

His thread is here:
http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php?topic=10912.0

When I first read about how every eye would see the witnesses dead bodies for 3 days, I thought impossible, not going to happen. That was the 80's.

But now that webcams with live streaming have been set up everywhere in such a short time, that part of the table is set. AFAIK, this has never been possible before throughout human history. Unless one is talking about pre-flood conditions. But that is strictly speculative.

I don`t know the particulars but they would say its symbolic rather then literal.

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/pope-francis-met-with-instagram-ceo-to-discuss-power-of-images/

Pope Francis Met With Instagram CEO to Discuss Power of Images

At his papal audience, Systrom brought a curated book of 10 Instagram images to further prove that point. It included images from the Nepalese earthquake and the continuing exodus of migrants and refugees from the Middle East into Europe, as well as photographs from inside North Korea and from the heart of last year’s Baltimore protests.
3/3/16

Instagram’s CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss the power of images.

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Revelation 13:15 (KJV)

The audience with Pope Francis, which took place at the Apostolic Palace, is the latest move by Instagram to assert itself as the dominant platform for visual communication, with the Facebook-owned corporation saying images can “unite people across borders, cultures and generations,” it said in a statement released to TIME ahead of the meeting.

In recent months, Instagram has built up teams of curators to boost the social sharing platform’s discovery features. “We believe you can see the world happening in real time through Instagram,” Systrom told TIME in a previous interview. “And I think that’s true whether it’s Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour, which trends on Instagram all the time, or an important moment like a protest overseas, or a march like ‘Je suis Charlie’ in Paris. We want to make all of those, no matter how serious, no matter how playful, discoverable and accessible on Instagram.”

At his papal audience, Systrom brought a curated book of 10 Instagram images to further prove that point. It included images from the Nepalese earthquake and the continuing exodus of migrants and refugees from the Middle East into Europe, as well as photographs from inside North Korea and from the heart of last year’s Baltimore protests.

Instagram is now the photo-app for the world.
Facebook is now the social network for the world.
Youtube is now the video player of the world.

Nobody ever throws around the term monopoly though they should...

person of interest

Austrian 'whizz-kid' triumphs in election...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/austria-set-elect-youngest-eu-leader-wing-push-041425791.html

Rise of Sebastian Kurz; Anti-immigration millennial...
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/1.817358

The new nationalists...
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-10-15/austria-shifts-to-right-in-election-that-empowers-nationalists

The Secular World Is Cheering For The Arrival Of The ‘Man Of Lawlessness’

Book Ends of Blasphemy and Debauchery. The Olympics featured book ends of mockery. Their opening and closing ceremonies took inclusion and DEI to new levels. There was a prayer to Zeus. A golden calf was featured. Fallen angels were celebrated. Drag queens mocked the Last Supper. Demons seemed to be center stage. Jesus was mocked and portrayed by a lesbian. Scene after scene reflected blasphemy and debauchery—with a small child observing it all.

https://harbingersdaily.com/the-secular-world-is-cheering-for-the-arrival-of-the-man-of-lawlessness/

The Secular World Is Cheering for the Arrival of the ‘Man Of Lawlessness’

A godless globalist extravaganza! Of course, I refer to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. Much has been written about them. They opened with a rider on a white horse seeming to announce the arrival of the Antichrist. The organizers, and not the athletes, seemed to cheer him on. Clearly, the brains behind the outfit are a bunch of one-worlders who see the world as a global entity. They see us hurtling towards a sinister agenda.

And worst of all, Olympic organizers and their creative geniuses, were Satan’s useful idiots to advertise for him and to promote his kingdom.

Back in 2021, I wrote an article titled “Anticipating the Antichrist” and how America, particularly, is preparing for his any-day-arrival. Here we are in 2024 and the world is doing that even more enthusiastically. Not believers. We’re anticipating the return of Jesus. But the secular and pagan world is cheering for the arrival of the “man of lawlessness,” (2 Thess. 2).

The Olympics featured book ends of mockery. Their opening and closing ceremonies took inclusion and DEI to new levels. There was a prayer to Zeus. A golden calf was featured. Fallen angels were celebrated. Drag queens mocked the Last Supper. Demons seemed to be center stage. Jesus was mocked and portrayed by a lesbian. Scene after scene reflected blasphemy and debauchery—with a small child observing it all.

We are in an all-out war. A spiritual war. Christians are fair game. Islam, Mohammed, and the Koran are not. But even non-Christians could not help but comment on the fact that rituals and ceremonies were suspiciously dark and even Satanic. It wasn’t subtle. It was blatant—in your face.

Are You Seeing the Pattern?

No, it was nothing new. We saw it at just some of the following:

In New York City in 2015 when the goddess Kali was displayed on the Empire State Building.
At the Gotthard Base Tunnel ceremony in Switzerland in 2016.
In the Commonwealth Games of 2022 which featured a woman riding a beast—a bull—with many bowing down before them.
In endless Grammy Award ceremonies.
In many Super Bowl half-time performances.

World Leaders: A Bridge Too Far

World leaders often mock anything to do with God but as it concerns the activity in Paris this summer, many were in unity, denouncing these godless, pagan actions. You didn’t have to be a rightwing fundamentalist, or conspiracy theorist, to say they should have pulled the plug on whoever was the creative artist.

Satan wants to be glorified, and he wants to always remind the world that his kingdom is waiting in the wings. And he’s got legions of clueless, blind people who are willing co-conspirators. They may be laughing now, but one day, they will be wailing and pleading for mercy. It will be too late.

Channeling Ancient Babylon
Darkness is loved, while light is being ardently and actively hated. It isn’t enough for people to just revel in the darkness, they want to showcase it on the world’s stage and celebrate it. Surely, ancient Babylon operated in like manner.

John 3:19-20 says, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Satan’s Short-Lived Kingdom

This is not all bad news. It means that Satan is trying to rush his kingdom with good press releases. Here’s the good news: His kingdom is a laughing stock compared to what God has planned for those who love and serve Him in the days and years ahead. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

God’s kingdom is out of this world. No words can describe it. Things are wrapping up. They’re falling into place. Be encouraged.

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