Wednesday, September 14, 2011

14 September 2011


Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1]
New Christian Observer Articles for September 2011

[2] Reformed Church in Hungary Operating State-Owned Schools as Local Governments Suffer from Economic Recession

[3] Public Prayer Service Held at Ground Zero after New York City Mayor Bloomberg Bans Clergy from 9 September 2001 Anniversary Memorial

[4] 11 September 2001 American Airlines Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is a Muslim Crescent Pointing to Mecca

[5] Free Ebook “Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism” from the Nicene Council

[6] Full Transcript of “Fight the Good Fight of Faith” – J. Gresham Machen’s Last Princeton Sermon – Available from PCA Historical Center

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[1]
New Christian Observer Articles for September 2011

New articles in the Christian Observer for September 2011 include:

‘Where Was God Last Tuesday?’ – by the Rev. Frank Smith, Ph.D., D.D. – Frank Smith’s 16 September 2001 sermon updated for the tenth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the U.S. by Muslim terrorists; and,

The Board of Education – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – the different outcomes of corporal punishment and positive behavior reinforcement in school discipline;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons and Westminster Shorter Catechism lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.

.
+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Reformed Church in Hungary Operating State-Owned Schools as Local Governments Suffer from Economic Recession

An 8 September 2011 Ecumenical News International article by Jonathan Luxmoore titled “In Recession-Hit Hungary, Churches Take Over State Schools” reports that local governments in
Hungary suffering from the economic recession and unable to afford upkeep of schools are turning the schools over to the Reformed Church in Hungary and twelve other denominations.

Reformed Church in Hungary ecumenical officer Balazs Odor explained: “Churches are entitled to run schools in
Hungary as public service providers, receiving the same taxpayers' money as public sponsors.”


+ Ecumenical News International, Post Office Box 2100, CH – 1211, Geneva 2,
Switzerland, 41-22-791-6111, Fax: 41-22-788-7244, eni@eni.ch

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, MRE Zsinata1146 Budapest, Abonyi u. 21., Hungary, 30-3361-666, info@reformatus.hu


[3] Public Prayer Service Held at Ground Zero after New York City Mayor Bloomberg Bans Clergy from 9 September 2001 Anniversary Memorial

After New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned clergy from the official memorial service marking the tenth anniversary of the 9 September 2001 attacks by Muslim terrorists, New Your City clergy and national faith leaders received permission from the New York City Police to hold a prayer service at Ground Zero at 10:00 a.m. on 11 September 2011.

Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition the Rev. Pat Mahoney stated:

“In the dark days after 9/11, millions of Americans turned to God in prayer for strength, comfort, guidance and assurance. This was especially true for those who lost loved ones.

“During the past 10 years, it has only been faith in God and prayer that has enabled so many to move forward and rebuild their lives and protected America from another major terrorist attack.

“Therefore, it is extremely troubling for Mayor Bloomberg to exclude public prayer and expressions of faith from the 9/11 Memorial Service.

“In response to this tragic decision by the Mayor, we felt it was imperative to have a public prayer service at Ground Zero during the 9/11 weekend.

“During our prayer time at Ground Zero, we will seek God for His continued protection, especially with new credible terrorist threats, pray for those who lost loved ones, pray for our leaders and elected officials and turn to God in repentance recognizing only He can bring healing and restoration to our nation.”

National Clergy Council President the Rev. Rob Schenck stated:

“On September 11, 2001, millions of Americans did the most important and natural thing in the face of such an enormous tragedy, they prayed. In the days following, they went to church to pray, to remember, to grieve to cry.

“Pastors around the nation spent countless hours comforting the bereaved, assuring their flocks, engaging in acts of compassion and speaking words of hope.

“The absence of both at this weeks 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero may seem like a reasonable situation to some, but it will only compound the pain and loss for some many others.

“Our intention is to address that need in the hearts and minds of so many affected by the pain of that infamous day.”

Founder of Expectant Mother Care Chris Slattery stated:

“To exclude prayer and public expressions of faith from the 9/11 Memorial Service by Mayor Bloomberg, is to exclude one of the most important factors in helping millions of Americans get through the shock and grief of that brutal attack.

“Prayer and gracious acts of compassion and kindness by so many Priests, Ministers and churches played a critical role in helping our nation heal and rebuild after 9/11.

“We are going to pray at Ground Zero because it is essential that we honor God and continue to look to Him for strength and protection.”


+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Christian Defense Coalition, Post Office Box 77168, Washington DC 20013, 202-547-1735, ChristianDefense@gmail.com

+ National Clergy Council, 109 Second Street Northeast, Washington DC 20002, 202-546-8329, Fax: 202-546-6864, Info@FaithandAction.org

+ Expectant Mother Care, PO Box 134, Bronx, New York 10470, 718-884-9210, Fax: 718-504-4761, SlatteryNY@aol.com


[4] 11 September 2001 American Airlines Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is a Muslim Crescent Pointing to Mecca

A paid ad dated 31 August 2011 run in the Somerset, Pennsylvania, Daily American during the tenth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 hijacking by Muslim terrorists and subsequent crash into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, of American Airlines Flight 93 titled “Muslim Consultants LIED to Park Service” reports that the “Crescent of Embrace” memorial being built at the Flight 93 crash site is actually “a giant mihrab: the Mecca-direction indicator around which every mosque is built.”

The ad reports that three outside Muslim consultants hired by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) to determine whether the memorial design was actually a mihrab, lied to the NPS in their conclusions that the memorial is not a mihrab, and the ad explains in detail the misleading information provided by the Muslim experts.

The ad was written by author and blogger Alec Rawls and by Tom Burnett Sr., father of Tom Burnett Jr., who was killed in the crash of Flight 93. Both men continue their work to expose the fact “that the Flight 93 memorial [is] going to be a terrorist memorial mosque.”


+ Crescent of Betrayal, alec@rawls.org


[5] Free Ebook “Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism” from the Nicene Council

The Nicene Council is offering the free ebook “Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism” on the council website:

http://store.nicenecouncil.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=112&products_id=1106


+ Nicene Council, Box 411, Draper, Virginia 24324, 866-735-9582,
admin@nicenecouncil.com


[6] Full Transcript of “Fight the Good Fight of Faith” – J. Gresham Machen’s Last Princeton Sermon – Available from PCA Historical Center

Wayne Sparkman, director of the PCA Historical Center has made available the full transcript of J. Gresham Machen’s last sermon at Princeton Seminary preached Sunday morning 10 March 1929 titled “The Good Fight of Faith”:

http://continuing.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/fight-the-good-fight-of-faith-machens-last-princeton-sermon/#more-1746

The sermon was originally published in The Presbyterian 99.13 (28 March 1929).


+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

+
Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08542-0803, 609-921-8300