Published by the Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, Bob Williams - Managing Editor ----- In memory of Dr. Edwin Elliott - Publisher, d. 11 October 2009
The editor sometimes accepts Facebook “Friend” invitations from persons unknown if said person is already a Facebook “Friend” of a known friend. Several days ago, I received the following Facebook post from one of those unknown friends (whose Facebook page contained a “Happy Ramadan” banner):
“1 - the fall of the seven princes of the States “2 - the emergence of Imam Mahdi “3 - the emergence of the Antichrist “4 - the descent of our Lord Jesus, peace be upon him “5 - the emergence of Gog and Magog “6 - Sunrise from the west “7 - close the doors of repentance “8 - an animal will show the ground to mark a sign of Muslim “9 - Alillaab will prevail on the earth for forty days and kill all believers the right so as not to rest Ishdo signs “10 - A great fire will cause Damaar “11 - destruction of the Kaaba “The Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him and God and peace “(((The transfer of Hama news about me I will make him on the Day of Resurrection a place in Paradise)))
“Focused on the modern “Focused on the modern “Focused on the modern “Focused on the modern “Focused on the modern” The editor is unaware of any contextual significance to the fish photo, but invites anyone with an understanding of the relevant eschatological theology to provide Presbyterians Week readers with an explanation of this strangely syncretic greeting from a now “unfriended” Facebook “Friend”.
"A few Synod statistics...it really doesn't make for good reading. For General Synod 2012, the constituted roll contained 252 ministers and 127 ruling elders for a total attendance of 379.
"Here's where the embarrassment begins. More than half of the total possible number of delegates for 2012 did not attend. Not a single counted vote came close to the number enrolled, (379), and at every session, delegates were seen in places other than the meeting in session.
"When the challenge to a quorum (one-fourth of the ministers of the General Synod and elders from at least one-fourth of the congregations) was made at Thursday's scheduled evening meeting, the number necessary to constitute a quorum was 121 ministers and seventy-two elders. Present at that point were 104 ministers and sixty-six elders.
"By the time dinner was over on the second day of scheduled business (Thursday evening), 148 ministers had departed along with sixty-one elders. Over half of the ministers and elders left after staying for what was actually only one full day of business.
"That business consisted of dealing with the reports from SOME of the special committees and two Boards. This meant that due to the lack of a quorum, seventeen items of business were not considered. Only two Boards, Executive and Erskine, were debated and voted on; no Standing Committee reports were received. The proposed new Form of Government, which was to be adopted and sent to the Presbyteries for their vote, is now back in the hands of the committee.
"The following letter was emailed by me to the chairmen of those committees and boards:"
"Gentlemen:
"My deepest apologies that your report was not handled by Synod 2012. As you are probably aware this is only the second time, recently at least, that a quorum call was made which ceased all further work of the Synod.
"In response to the other (2010), a decision to print unhandled reports for informational purposes only was made. The decision for 2012 has not yet been made. But in my opinion, as all the materials were distributed and none of them were considered or acted upon, such a printing would not offset the additional effort or cost to reproduce again.
"Therefore, I'm advising the ARP Center that the Minutes of Synod 2012 reflect only the business that was actually done."
"Now, what is to be done with the unfinished business? As there exists no method of handling your reports for 2012, short of a called meeting of the Synod (which I do not see happening, at least for now), may I suggest that unless there are matters, financial or otherwise, that the Executive Board needs to handle as emergency actions on behalf of Synod, you simply place in your reports to Synod 2013 any materials you think ought to be carried over. If there are matters which the Executive Board could declare to be of an emergency nature and thus acted upon, please contact the center as soon as possible so that such matters may be scheduled for the Executive Board.
"Thank you for your time and talent in serving our Lord through your work.
"It is notable that Synod in years past was in session from the Monday evening worship through Friday evening (or afternoon if we behaved ourselves), and never was there any need for a quorum call.
"Now we have more churches, more possible delegates, more ministers, more reports to deal with, and instead of four days of work, we have only two scheduled, and we cannot even commit to attend that. A ruling elder stood on the floor several years ago and quoted The Best of Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”"
“There has been much discussion on both sides of the argument in recent weeks, but the responses to the consultation are a primary matter of public interest. Why have they not been released?
“The Scottish Government went to the people of Scotland, now it’s time we heard the result. Marriage is not some sort of political football to be kicked around for the sake of political correctness.”
Marty stated: “Ghana is being raped and no one cares,” and called on the government, security agencies, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to do something to stop the exploitation and lawlessness.
[7] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining Articles from the past week regarding kings and rulers setting themselves against the LORD and against his anointed:
A14 July 2012 Irish Times article by Olivia Kelleher titled “Grand Revival at First Huguenot Day in Cork” reports that the first annual Huguenot Day was held 14 July 2012 in Cork, Ireland, to honor the members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, who left their home country for Ireland due to religious persecution, beginning with the Edict of Nantes in 1685.
Celebration events included talks by Dr. Alicia St. Leger and Dr. David J. Butler, the librarian and archivist of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster Freemasons, a tour of the Masonic Hall with emphasis on the items of Huguenot heritage on display, and walks to sites of Huguenot interest in Cork such as the Huguenot burial ground in French Church Street and the Triskel Christchurch.
A 14 July 2012 Irish Examiner article titled “Adams Seeks Meeting with Orange Order” reports that in the wake of violence in north Belfast started after a 12 July 2012 Orange Order parade marking the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. A separate parade was held the same day by Irish nationalists protesting the Orange Order parade.
Three blast bombs were thrown and approximately ten shots were fired by a gunman. Three car hijackings additionally occurred in the rioting areas. Twenty police officers were injured during the riots, and four arrests were made.
Ascoll reported that between 800 and 1000 signatures were added to the statement before its removal, at best representing .0000625 of all Southern Baptists. Ascoll very graciously said that the statement “has called attention to the great need for serious theological education and conversation within the SBC. Pray that this will take place without distraction from the shrill voices giving apocalyptic warnings and the sound of banging war drums, both of which can be found in various theological camps within and beyond the SBC.”
Dr. Paas discusses various ideas about the position of present-day Israel with regard to the Church and the Kingdom of God. Paas criticizes the movement of Christian Zionism, which in his view mistakenly has placed post-Biblical physical Israel in a prominent position in the history and the order of salvation.
According to the author Christian Zionism has decentralized Christ and decreased his uniqueness, thus undermining the Church’s foundation and its calling of universally directed mission. Moreover, he suggests that Christian Zionism has distorted Christian-Jewish relations and has failed to find a safe sailing route between the cliffs of antisemitism and philosemitism.
Although the author himself sympathizes with Jews and modern Israel as a nation, he maintains that an exaggerated philosemitism has always tended to be morphed into antisemitism in history. The author gives a very readable historical overview of the theological development of Christian Zionism, and also answers the claim of Christian Zionists who characterize the view of their opponents as ´replacement theology´.
A new Yahoo email group has been established to provide a virtual international study group of the Synod of Dordt. The purpose of the initiative is to form an international reformed study group consisting of ordinary children of Christ who believe that God will be honored (Soli Deo Gloria; Romans 11:36) by the continuation and advancement of the reformation that started in the 16th century.
In ARPTalk Issue #64, titled “Erskine Theological Seminary – R.I.P.”, editor the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Wilson reports that Erskine President Dr. David Norman announced in two email messages dated 1 June and 20 June 2012 that, [by executive fiat and without the approval of the Erskine board], Erskine College has absorbed Erskine Theological Seminary into “Erskine College and Graduate School of Religion”, thus eliminating the distinct institution founded in 1839 that functioned as the “agency” of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in professional training of candidates for the gospel ministry.
The Orange Order additionally warned that Scotland is a “nation in turmoil” and raised concerns about the current campaign for devolution.
Grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, Henry Dunbar, urged Orange Order members to vote against devolution and to back the Union. Another resolution published ahead of the Orange Order’s 12 July 2012 parade called on the Church of Scotland to stand up for protestant heritage.
Sally Foster Fulton, convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, responded: “The Orange Order has shown itself again and again to be out of date and out of time.”
The recently completed 2012 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) included the following happenings:
-- Voted to retain the “property clause” of the Book of Order, which says that all property held by or for a congregation is “held in trust nevertheless for the use and benefit” of the denomination. The assembly rejected several proposals to return control of a church’s property to the local church.
-- Passed a resolution encouraging the use of discipline methods that do not include corporal punishment of children.
-- Voted to support the work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
-- Voted to keep the current definition of marriage “between a woman and a man”, narrowly defeating a proposal to change the wording to “between two people”.
-- Voted to affirm the connection with the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba.
-- Voted to reject an attempt to reverse ordination standards and once again ban partnered homosexual clergy.
The editor this past Friday evening 29 June 2012 was driving southbound through the Shenandoah Valley on I-81 in Virginia when severe thunderstorm warnings began being broadcast on the radio, predicting seventy mile-per-hour winds and urging listeners to seek shelter from the approaching storm. Assuming that the editor’s four-wheel-drive vehicle was adequate shelter, the southbound trip continued.
The storm began with no rain but with heavy wind gusts continually changing directions, blowing debris, and creating dust storms wherever a dry field adjoined the highway. Unusually massive webs of lightening flashed across the sky as the wind increased in intensity and a small amount of rain began to fall.
Trees adjacent to I-81 began to collapse onto the road; completely blocking the right-hand travel lane is several places. As the editor exited I-81 about sixty miles later and made his way toward home, darkened traffic lights and other signs of electrical outages became more and more apparent. During the final leg of the trip over several two-lane roads, at least three fallen trees completely covered the pavement, and the editor drove through several shallow ditches and on an old, mostly-abandoned one-lane dirt road to finally make his way home.
As of the publication of this article, the editor’s home electric service, and thus well water, adequate lighting, television, and Internet service, remain unavailable with no end in sight, and daytime temperatures remain in the high-nineties with high humidity. The situation remains inconvenient and uncomfortable, but the editor and his family have been greatly blessed by the hospitality of nearby family and friends whose electricity was restored soon after the end of the storm.
The past few days have reminded the editor, in spades and honors for you bridge players, how truly blessed in wealth and comfort are the overwhelming majority of those in the U.S. and Canada, and how insignificant are the editor’s inconveniences and uncomforture compared to so many others affected by the storm, and by the normal day-to-day situation of so many of the brethren in Christ around the world.
[A] rare and destructive phenomenon known as a derecho. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath.
In the Old Testament book of Haggai, God punished the disobedient remnant of his people in several ways described in Haggai 2:17:
"I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord."
The NASB and some other translations say Judah was smote with a “blasting wind”, one of several things God used to bring famine to his unrepentant people.
The editor asks the reader to keep in mind the U.S. Supreme Court decision of 28 June 2012 upholding the complete nationalization of health care in the U.S., which among many evils requires Christian and other religious entities to violate the tenets of their faith by providing abortifacient drugs and other birth control, and by funding surgical abortions - 55 million of which have been performed in the U.S. since the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision.
The editor now asks the reader to view the YouTube video of the satellite image of the 29 June derecho storm that knocked out electric power to 3 million people, 1.8 million of whom remain without electric power:
Please notice how the storm grew so large and fierce over Ohio, how the storm proceeded eastward over West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland with the eye of the storm at its strongest point crossing directly through Washington DC, then dissipated to nothing as the storm travelled eastward across the eastern shore of Maryland and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Please too review the following articles from 2009:
So, is the editor trying to say that the 29 June derecho was God’s wrath being poured out on the U.S. and its government for its continuing descent into God-less statism and murder? How about the Stornoway, Scotland and Minneapolis, Minnesota tornadoes? No, the editor cannot definitively say this, nor I think will any of us know for sure on this side of heaven or prior to the Second Coming.
What the editor can say definitively to those in the U.S. government usurping the authority of God and man, those with or without electrical power, and those anywhere else that have allied themselves with the prince of this world, is the same thing that Jesus Christ told his questioners in Luke 13:5:
"…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 2, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following commentary is submitted by Dr. Michael A. Milton:
Ideas have consequences and often - unintended consequences. The ideological basis for the Supreme Court decision regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Healthcare Acts ("ObamaCare") I believe will be discovered to be such a case.
The merits and deficiencies of this decision will be debated between political parties for months and among legal scholars for decades. Yet the deeper realities of this and other such laws which touch deeply our personal lives, will craft our national consciousness and sculpt the "very soul of our nation" for centuries.
Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein (1818)(1) is an illustration of this important concept. Her classic story was not just a great universal classic horror movie, but was also a profound early 19th century statement on the unintended consequences of good intentions that were ethically deficient in the scientific experimentation of a fast changing world.
Over the years, I have witnessed many sad souls living with their "monsters" - the unintended consequences of bad decisions like: tearful battles in family court, rebellious adolescents, alcoholism, and even suicide. These "monsters," or unintended consequences, cannot all be traced to a singular bad decision. More often these monsters arise, as in Shelly's classic, from a long series of decisions based on poorly conceived and erroneous ideas.
I have no credentials for making these statements beyond that of an arm-chair-quarterback-concerned-citizen trying to analyze the Obamacare SCOTUS decision from a minister's perspective. But I would like to offer a pastoral-theological reflection on what I see as the precipitating event, in a series of bad actions, that appears to be creating an unnatural, godless and uncontrollable monster that will stalk us and affect our well-being as a nation long into the future.
I believe that our "Frankenstein's monster", the result of unintentional consequences is statism: the perpetual philosophical lie that human redemption can come from a centralized political collective and that it will lead us to the utopia we inherently desire.
The desire for betterment individually or collectively is not wrong. It is, as I say, inherent. It is a familiar longing in all of us. However, it is the "thing" that we chose for redemption that can destroy us or can save us. That choice is wrapped up in what we call a "worldview" - that is how we see the world and we understand the world to work.
Belief in statism as a redemptive power is a "worldview". It is a very bad and dangerous worldview and it grips much of the world today. It falsely promises a better place, a utopia, if you will, with a Faustian devil's deal, if ever there was one.
Statism contradicts the biblical worldview of God's Creation-Man's Fall-Redemption in Christ. There is no utopia save the Kingdom of love that is communicated in the Bible through redemption in Christ, available to all who receive it and the Kingdom of God that is inevitably coming in the form of a new heaven and a new earth. Statism, as Austrian economist F.A. Hayek pleaded in his landmark title, The Road to Serfdom (1944) is the antithesis of the worldview of Christianity. As he begins his chapter on "The Great Utopia," he exposes the rotten-core worldview of statism:
"What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it his heaven."(2)
Having left his native country in 1931, which eventually collapsed itself under the monster of statism, and eventually handed herself over to the shackles of totalitarianism and national socialism, he became a professor at the London School of Economics.
Hayek believed that European people were making a deal with the devil by accepting the State's promise for collective security by trading their personal liberty. He argued that Britain, as early as 1944, was in danger of a selfsame statism that would lead to devastating consequences. His arguments were, at length, exported to America as he immigrated here to teach at the University of Chicago. Though "he being dead yet speaketh,"(3) Hayek's call to be wary of the "outsourcing" of personal security and responsibility for State control and planning of our lives is the bedrock issue we are facing today as a people.
I say again, as a minister and theologian, I am most concerned that the recent issues in healthcare, national debt and growing entitlements are lifting the curtain to reveal a mad scientist at work creating a monster that will not be silenced but by many sorrows. The voices of Shelly and Hayek are important, but they are yet lesser voices of warning echoing a greater voice to every man, woman and child:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1 AV).
This Independence Day is a good time to remember that America was founded by those whose worldview exposed the lie of statism and chose freedom and then were willing to pay the price to keep it. Their selfless sacrifice for that liberty brought about consequences that have been a blessing unto this day. It is never too late to reclaim that liberty again.
(1) Shelley, Mary, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (New York: Oxford UP, 1994).
(2) F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents, edited by Bruce Caldwell (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007 edition of the 1944 original), 76. Hayek began this chapter with the quotation cited by German poet, Johann C. Hölderlin.
(3) The Epistle to the Hebrews, 11:4. Authorized Version (AV).
Michael Anthony Milton (Ph.D., University of Wales) serves as the chancellor/CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary (one of the largest accredited seminaries in the country), a U.S. Army chaplain (instructing at the Armed Forces Chaplain School) and the James M. Baird Jr. chair of pastoral theology at RTS/Charlotte. He is an author, songwriter, singer, ordained minister, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., and he previously served as the president of RTS/Charlotte. Dr. Milton also hosts a national Bible teaching television program, Faith For Living, broadcast on the NRB Television Network, and a radio program broadcast on several stations in the southeast. For 16 years he served in the business world and has also served as a top-secret Navy linguist.
“God commands the USA to have a Christian government so Americans can be blessed with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” says Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries. He calls denominations, pastors and Christians throughout July to speak up for Christians to be elected, and to publicly repent of sinning against God by helping non-Christians Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
“Romney and Obama voters are destroying the USA,” he says. “Who do you fear God or Obama? If you fear God, then you will work for Christians to be elected. If you fear Obama, then you will sin with Romney.”
“You are throwing your vote away by voting for God’s enemies-because helping those who hate the LORD gets God angry and only causes God’s judgment on the economy and our freedoms (2 Chronicles 19:2),” he says.
“God warns that Obama and Romney are ‘accursed’ (Galatians 1:9). Christians believe that Jesus is the Second Person of the Godhead. As a Mormon, Romney thinks Jesus is a created being, the spirit brother of Lucifer. Mormons also think men become a God,” he continues.
“Obama covered the name and cross of Jesus at Georgetown, believes in leaving living babies to die who survive botched abortions and is trying to remove the Holy Bible from government. God says turn away from Obama and Romney,” he explains.
Polling shows that Christian Ron Paul beats Obama (Rasmussen, April). He believes the Republicans need to give Ron Paul for President; Otherwise Christians should quit the Republican and Democrat parties and vote for Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party. Goode, Wiley Drake and Tom Hoefling are Christian candidates.
“Ron Paul already has the votes to win if Christians repent. Virgil Goode has strong ballot access,” he says.
People say that Obama and Romney are twins. They: 1) are non-Christians; 2) won’t cut the deficit; 3) want unconstitutional laws like NDAA to put Americans in prison for life without a trial, and martial law; and 4) believe in non-Christian unjust wars.
Paul, Goode, Drake and Hoefling oppose these non-Christian ways.
“Christian should read ‘Making A Strong Christian Nation’ to understand the Biblical reasons for the USA’s problems and what God’s answer is to heal our nation,” he says. God warns voting for non-Christians causes corruption, economic decline and removes freedom. Are you smarter than God (Deuteronomy 28)?”
“If you love Jesus and want to help the USA, then you will call for Ron Paul or Virgil Goode to be President and repent of Obama and Romney in July.”
“Just imagine if the denominations feared God and taught what the Holy Bible says, God’s blessings would come right back to Americans. God loves us (Proverbs 14:34),” he says.
“Sadly, many turned astray with Romney or Obama and refused to repent when asked, including Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen, Jerry Falwell Jr., Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Richard Land, T.D. Jakes, National Right to Life, Susan B. Anthony, NOM and others. Their sins are obvious to the church (Ezekiel 22:26-29).”
Dr. Gagnon discusses Exodus International President Alan Chambers’s interview in The Atlantic (June 20, 2012) where Chambers assures “Gay Christians” that unrepentant homosexual practice is no barrier to salvation … among other Gospel distortions and bad moves.
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Presbyterians-Week is a product of the Christian Observer Foundation, publisher of the oldest international Presbyterian and Reformed periodical. Dr. Edwin P. Elliott, Publisher - Bob Williams, Managing Editor
