FREEDOM JULY 2010

Page 1

"STAND FAST THEREFORE IN THE LIBERTY WHEREWITH CHRIST HAS MADE US FREE" (GAL 5:1) FREEDOM BUSINESS GROUP INC

PALIN DECRIES OBAMA ADMIN SELLOUT IF ISRAEL GOES WE ALL GO

PAGE 2 & 3

BREAKING FREE CONFERENCE PROPHECY WATCH A GREAT AWAKENING

PAGE 4

EX PORN STAR

PAGE 5 PRESIDENTS CORNER LEARNING TO STAND FAST

PAGE 6 & 7

ARRESTED FOR BEING CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA EX PORN STAR SUPPORT ISRAEL

PAGE 8 & 9 WALL BUILDERS

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

PAGE 10 & 11

PRINCIPLES OF PROSPERITY THREE THINGS WE MUST KNOW LEARNING TO STAND FAST SERVICEMENS SPOTLIGHT

PAGE 12 & 13 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS WOMEN OF FAITH

PAGE 14 & 15 & 16

IF ISRAEL GOES EVIDENCE FOR CREATION

PROMOTE FREEDOM AND HELP US REACH OUR GOAL of 60,000+ Homes Monthly

Advertise a product, service, business, or make an announcement with FREEDOM. Our rates are THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. You can also become a FREEDOM PARTNER by giving a tax deductible donation to RSMI Call us at:

641-512-8485 or write to us at:

FREEDOM 1207 1st Ave NW Austin, MN 55912

Write: FREEDOM 1207 1ST AVE N.W. Austin, MN 55912

Only $35.00 per year!

Subscribe to FREEDOM

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, MN PERMIT NO. 3

FREEDOM PUBLICATIONS 1207 1st Ave N.W.Austin, MN 55912

December Issue 2005 JULY 2010

PALIN DECRIES OBAMA

IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 1

www.freedompublications.org

ADMINISTRATION’S ‘SELLOUT’

F

to wonder about the ormer Alaska value of an alliance governor and with our country anyvice presimore. They’re askdential candidate ing what it is worth,” Sarah Palin acPalin said, citing cused President congressional cuts Barack Obama of in military allocations kowtowing to Ruswhile simultaneously sia and China and spending trillions in selling out Amerinew deficits. ca’s allies, such as During his remarks, Israel. former Virginia Sen. “Do they think, realGeorge Allen called ly, that we’re getting the Democratic anything in return Former Govener of Alaska Sarah Palin majority in Congress for all this bowing “sanctimonious, and kowtowing and pompous social engiapologizing?” Palin asked neers…spending on someparticipants at a gathering one else’s credit card….” in Norfolk, Va., on Sunday, Allen too decried Obama’s organized by a Norfolk talk apologies for America’s miliradio station. “No. We don’t tary strength. get anything positive in return for this,” she said. “So while President Obama is getting pushed around “We don’t need to apologize as Americans,” Allen said. “Americans throughout history have liberated more by the likes of Russia and China, our allies are left Continued on Page 12

IF ISRAEL GOES DOWN, WE ALL GO DOWN!

“Israel is our first line of defense in a turbulent region that is constantly at risk of descending into chaos,” Aznar wrote, adding that “to abandon Israel to its fate, at this moment of all moments, would merely serve to illustrate how far we have sunk and "The West is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Chrishow inexorable our decline now appears.” tian roots. If the Jewish element of those roots is The Friends for Israel initiative will include promiupturned and Israel nent political figures is lost, then we are and academics such as lost too. Whether Irish Nobel Prize laurewe like it or not, our ate David Trimble (Irish fate is inextricably Nobel Prize laureate intertwined.” -Forand a panel member in mer Spanish Prime Israel’s internal invesMinister José María tigation into the Gaza Aznar. flotilla raid), Andrew Roberts (British hostoriormer Spanish an) John Bolton (former Prime Minister United States AmbasJosé María sador to the United NaAznar announced tions), Alejandro Toledo recently that he (the former President planned to promote Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar of Peru), Marcello Pera a new initiative which (philosopher and former would defend Israel’s President of the Italian Senate), Fiamma right to exist, as “if Israel goes down, we all go Nirenstein (the Italian author and politician), the down,” the former premier wrote in London newspafinancier Robert Agostinelli and the Catholic intellecper The Times on Thursday. tual George Weigel, Aznar wrote in The Times. JOSÉ MARÍA AZNAR ANNOUNCES NEW PRO-ISRAELI INITIATIVE FRIENDS FOR ISRAEL WHICH AIMS TO DEFEND ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST AND DEFEND ITSELF.

F

Continued on Page 14


FREEDOM


FREEDOM

I LOVE YOU FATHER GOD

Page 3

PROPHECY WATCH A GREAT AWAKENING you’ll keep it in that here is in the order, we’ll continue land today a to work together great awakening, and we will continue saith the Lord. to move forward. I’m wakening the Now this word: sinner. I am waking There is already up those that have mighty seeds sown been asleep in throughout the the Church. I am island of Cuba. waking up people Mighty seeds all over this nation. Prophecy given by For you see, this KENNETH COPELAND have been sown there and they are nation lost its light. growing. They are It lost its guidance. flourishing and there will be It no longer knows what it’s for and what I designed it to be. It is people from this congregation that will minister on the island a lighthouse. It is like a city set on top of a hill; not just liberty in of Cuba, throughout the entire the natural physical manner, but it country of Cuba, and Havana is the cradle of the gospel of the will come to be known as the place where the gospel has Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. exploded. These things are at That’s what I raised it up to be. And of course, Satan has tried to hand. This is happening now.

T

destroy it. He’s trying it again but he has never ever accomplished anything that he ever set out to do. So this awakening is at hand and this church and those in it are a great part of that awakening. This place is a lighthouse church. It is a marked congregation. For out of this place will come great, good news to the land, great and wonderful things—miracles, outpourings, revelations. Many of you, many of you, many of you, all of you, if you desire, but many of you have sought Me for this and this will come to pass.

The world and its systems are caving in. The Babylonian structures are falling in on their foundationless footings, and I now have a people in this land that are ready and prepared. And if you’ll stay close to Me, stay close to Me in prayer, stay close to Me in your tithing, stay close to Me in your offerings, be obedient to Me, report for duty every morning. Report to Me first, saith the Lord.

I’m not telling you to report to your job first. Report to Me first. I am your employer. I’m the One that takes care of you. You You’ll be walking in the marketplace. You’ll walk into the only have one source—many place where you up to now have channels but only one source. If worked. You will be walking down you’ll look to Me and if you will walk with Me, there will be things the street, in the grocery store, and you won’t know it. You won’t take place that will absolutely even see it, but others will begin boggle the imagination of the to see a light and a glow around people around you. For there is a supernatural release from you. Some will fall at your feet heaven, a divine release of and begin to weep. Don’t be shocked. Don’t be dismayed. It’s supernatural multiplication, a not you they’re trying to worship. divine release of glory coming Don’t be embarrassed. Lead them into this place, and you are earmarked as carriers and in the sinner’s prayer. Lay your messengers of My goodness and hands on them and you’ll see My grace. Take your place and great and wonder…signs and wonders and the miraculous. Be see what I will do in this land, very careful. Be very careful, very saith the Lord. by Kenneth Copeland on February 15, 2009 careful. You are the messenger. The Word of His Power Conference www.kcm.org I am the miracle worker. And if


Page 4

FREEDOM

EX-PORN STAR: ‘PORN DESTROYS DE STROYS HUMAN LIVES’ It’s a national epidemic. “Pornography robs men of their masculinity, of their psychological health, of their self-respect, of their greatness. It then robs their family, their community and their country of all that they could have offered.” espite six federal obscenity laws currently on the books, illegal hardcore pornography is running rampant on cable television and the Internet -- and federal prosecutions are virtually nonexistent. That needs to change, says a group of researchers and anti-porn activists.

D

prosecutions is very little,” Trueman said. Still, he said, on those rare occasions when prosecutions have been made, the government has been successful. Trueman attributes that success to the “community standard” that he said has to “come into play.” “A jury has to decide whether hardcore material is beyond community standards and every community wants to say that their community is better than that material,” Trueman said.

Shelly Lubben Founder of At a briefing held at the U.S. Capitol, The Pink Crosses Foundation www.shelleylubben.com researchers and Though the laws make its distribution illegal, activists, including a former porn movie there has been plenty of study into what actress, highlighted the finding of leading constitutes “obscene material” – and reresearchers on the harm and long-term efsearchers no longer wonder what is obscene fects that hardcore pornography has on its viewers -- especially children -- and called on and what isn’t. Congress to make the Justice Department “Obscenity is graphic material that focuses crack down on those who make and distrib- on sex or sexual violence,” professor Donna ute illegal pornography. Rice Hughes, the president of Enough is Enough and a lead spokeswoman on keep“We are asking that the prosecution of ing Internet safety said during the briefing. obscenity laws, which seems to be on hold in this administration, be given a high priority “(Obscenity) includes lewd exhibition of the because of the widespread harm we now genitals, close ups of graphic sex acts and know hardcore pornography is causing to deviant activities such as group sex, bestialAmerica,” Patrick Trueman, the group’s ity and excretory functions,” Hughes said. spokesman, said. “They’re not doing much Hughes said that the laws do not criminalize at all. So we are asking them to make it a the “soft-core” pornography found in some priority.” movies and on TV for adults, but it is not The group, which calls itself the Coalition legal for children. for the War on Illegal Pornography, is calling “For 15 years, kids have been spoon-fed on the Obama administration, Congress, easy access to Internet pornography; right and the Justice Department to elevate the in the privacy of their own homes or through enforcement of obscenity laws it says are any electronic device,” Hughes said. “Bebeing ignored. cause obscenity laws have not been en“Our efforts today are not partisan because forced, illegal adult pornography has flooded the protection of children, violence against and polluted the Internet.” women, addiction and sexual trafficking are Hughes said the reach of adult pornography not partisan issues. Nor are we here today has grown and has extended to “epidemic to quarrel with Attorney General Holder,” proportions.” said Trueman, the former chief of the Child Research has proven that 40 percent of Exploitation and Obscenity Section, U.S. first-time Internet porn views occur unintenDepartment of Justice. tionally while searching the Internet through Trueman said laws already on the books a search engine. Another 12 percent come make it illegal to distribute hardcore pornogfrom misspelled words in Web site names. raphy on the Internet, by satellite or cable The average age when Americans first view television and in sexually-oriented busipornography is now between 8- and 11nesses. years-old, Hughes said. “We are not asking for new laws. We have Despite the unlawful nature of hardcore enough laws. What we are asking is that pornography, the coalition said obscene those laws be vigorously enforced,” Trueman material has a severely negative affect on said. consumers – and on the actresses involved. Trueman said the Obama administration isn’t ‘Porn destroys human lives’ alone – previous administrations have not Former porn movie actress Shelly Luben, spent much time or effort enforcing Amerifounder and director of an outreach group ca’s obscenity laws. to those working in the adult film industry “Rather than aggressively enforcing the law, offering a variety of support and a transition the Justice Department, through the Bush out of the industry, said that the adult film years and the Clinton years before that, has industry is a hostile and volatile industry for been prosecuting relatively minor producits performers. continued on page 6 ers and distributors and the impact of those


FREEDOM

Page 5

Rev. Rory Synoground Founder and President of Rory Synoground Ministries International www.rsmifreedom.org

LLEARNING EARNING TO STAND FAST “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

Y

ou see there is a freedom that only Christ Jesus gives. That freedom is only received by faith. This freedom though is still under attack by the enemy. In order for you and I to live in and walk in that freedom, we are going to have to learn how to STAND FAST! For example it always amazes me that some people believe that the United States of America, as a nation, started out in rebellion against Britain. There are those that actually believe that America’s founding Fathers were law breakers, and rebels. If that were the case we must realize that the government of America could not have lasted the as long as it has. The seed or foundation of rebellion would not have produced a nation that has experienced the blessings of God, and prospered, as much as America has, had it started out in sin. The truth is America didn’t start out with this attitude; nor did we have a rebellious revolt against England. No, the truth is the colonies at that time were already free. They had contracts and agreements with King George that said they were free to govern themselves, which meant that they were free from the taxation without representation of British Parliament and the dictatorship of King George. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers listed the violations that Great Britain and King George were committing, and declared: “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government...” And that’s where the debate began. There were some that said, let them tax us; we’ll get their protection, and we’ll be okay. Hey, if Britain taxed us, then we can demand certain protections from them. They were willing to put up with the abuses that were already being committed for that false sense of security. Then there were the people that said that they came over here to be free from that. They believed that all men were created equal by God, with certain God given rights. And since they were already free; they didn’t want the influence of a tyrannical form of Government controlling their lives.

At this time there were well educated preachers that ministered from Gods Word, the true reality of our freedom. Preachers like John Witherspoon, and Jacob Duche. Rev. Duche ministered a Sermon entitled “The Duty of Standing Fast in our Spiritual and Temporal Liberties.” He based His Sermon on Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” These sermons and many like them at the time impacted and formed the belief systems and thoughts of the day. Sermons like those preached by Rev. Peter Powers titled “Jesus Christ the King”, even gave rise to a sentiment that has been described as the motto of the American Revolution. “No king, but King Jesus”. The spiritual emphasis manifested so often by the Americans during the Revolution caused a Crown-appointed British governor to write to Great Britain complaining that “If you ask an American who is his master, he’ll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ!” Yes, America was already free. So, what did they do? They united; they got into agreement. In fact before the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, they made sure that they had a unanimous decision. Once the vote was in, they made their declaration; Congress took the signed document and read it aloud from the steps of Independence Hall, after which the Liberty Bell was rung. The inscription around the top of that bell, Leviticus 25:10 declared “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.” This was the belief that formed the contract signed by an extraordinary group of 56 men of faith. They closed the final paragraph of the Declaration by stating “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” That was the faith seed that planted the United States of America. And that’s the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ you have been made free from sin. Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”, & John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” You are already free, and until you believe that, you’ll never receive your freedom; you’ll never experience that freedom. continued on page 10


Page 6

FREEDOM

ARRESTED FOR BEING CHRISTIANS …IN AMERICA?

“No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn.”

O

n Friday, on June 18th, three Christians; Dr. Nabeel Quereshi, David Woods, and Paul Rezkalla, were arrested at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, according to an ANS News report. A video, recorded by the three the next day after their release, explains what happened when they stood at the festival and only spoke with those who freely approached them. They maintain that they did not hand out Christian pamphlets, nor did they preach at people. “We didn’t approach anyone,” says Nabeel on the video. “We waited for them to approach us, and they did.” He says that at first, the Muslims that came up to them would accuse them and call them racist, but “in a matter of minutes, multiple times, we were talking very amicably [with them], and enjoying the conversation. We made many friends yesterday…” Toward the end of one of those conversations, however, officers approached and handcuffed the three, leading them away to the police truck. A fourth person (an 18-year-old female), “Nageen,” who had been filming the entire

situation from a distance, was soon also surrounded by security, and brought to the police area as well. Dr. Nabeel notes, “It cannot be said that we were arrested for causing a disturbance, because we did not approach anyone, rather everyone with whom we spoke first approached us. It cannot be said that we were harassing anyone, because the moment anyone said ‘stop talking to me,’ we would stop talking to them. And it cannot be said that we were spreading hate speech, because we said virtually nothing about Islam at all. On the contrary, we repeatedly affirmed our love for all Muslims. Whenever I was asked ‘Why would you love me?’ I said ‘Because Jesus loves you, and He told me to love you.’ “No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn.” Steven Atkins, a resident of Toronto, Canada, who was visiting the festival and observed the incident lamented, “I never thought I would see this in America.” According to ANS News: Dr. Nabeel Quereshi is co-director of Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School and an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University. This year, the city of Dearborn banned the distribution of Christian literature near the festival. Some accused the city of catering to its large Muslim population when the law was passed. On June 17, a three-judge panel from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency motion on behalf of Pastor George Saieg, allowing him to distribute literature and talk about his faith to Muslims at the festival.

EX-PORN STAR: ‘PORN DESTROYS DE STROYS HUMAN LIVES’

continued from page 4

Sixty-six (66) percent of actors within the porn industry contract herpes and 70 percent of the sexually transmitted infections contracted in the industry occur in women, she said.

the women they love. It psychologically destabilizes them to violate their own innate sense of justice, fairness and the golden rule and reduces their own self-respect,” Layden said.

Luben was a pornography performer for 12 years, during which she contracted herpes, Human Papilloma Virus and battled cervical cancer. She spent eight years recovering from her time in the industry and in 2008 founded the Pink Cross Foundation to minister to others still in the industry.

Layden said the American Psychiatric Association has added hypersexual disorder to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) used to diagnose psychiatric and psychological disorders.

“I have suffered much at the hands of the porn industry,” Luben said. “Porn destroys human lives and is destroying our nation. And I am proof of that.”

“Pornography robs men of their masculinity, of their psychological health, of their self-respect, of their greatness. … It then robs their family, their community and their country of all that they could have offered,” she said. The group, meanwhile, is asking every member of the House and Senate to sign a letter to be sent to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to make obscenity cases a priority for the Justice Department.

Mary Anne Layden, a psychotherapist and director of education of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the Center for Cognitive Therapy of the University of Pennsylvania has treated Other speakers at the briefing were: Dr. several patients suffering from pornography Sharon Cooper, a forensic pediatrician; Gail addiction. Dines, professor of sociology at Wheelock College in Boston; and Laura Lederer, an “They would watch things being done to attorney and leading voice against human women that they would not want done to trafficking.


FREEDOM

Page 7

“SUPPORT ISRAEL!” OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF U.S. SENATORS SIGN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

"IT IS IN “OUR NATIONAL INTEREST TO SUPPORT ISRAEL AT A MOMENT WHEN ISRAEL FACES MULTIPLE THREATS FROM HAMAS IN GAZA, HIZBULLAH IN LEBANON, AND THE CURRENT REGIME IN IRAN.”

A

n overwhelming majority of the United States Senate (87 U.S. senators) has signed a letter to President Obama encouraging him to stand strongly behind Israel in the face of “challenges” to its international standing.

The letter, written in the midst of a continuing international onslaught against Israel in the wake of the flotilla-Gaza blockade situation, emphasizes that it is in “our national interest to support Israel at a moment when Israel faces multiple threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, and the current regime in Iran.”

Union of Good was created by and strongly supports Hamas, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department. We recommend that your administration consider whether the IHH should be put on the list of foreign terrorist organizations…” The Senators commend Obama on the prevention of an “unfair United Nations Security Council resolution” against Israel, and “deplore the actions of the United Nations Human Rights Council which, once again, singled out Israel… We ask you to stand firm in the future at the United Nations Security Council and to use your veto power, if necessary, to prevent any similar biased or one-sided resolutions from passing.” The letter concludes with the hope for the continuation of peace talks leading to a twostate solution.

Similar House Letter The Senate letter comes four days after a similar letter in the House of RepresentaThe missive has been signed by 87 senators, tives, signed by 75% of the members. It was and was spearheaded by Senate Majority initiated by Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tx) and Rep. Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv) and Senate Repub- Gary Peters (D-Mi), and bears the signatures lican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). of more than 320 of their colleagues. The House letter to Obama details the true inten“Israel’s opponents have developed clever tions of the IHH and the Gaza flotilla, and diplomatic and tactical ploys to challenge calls on the president to use his veto power its international standing,” the letter states, in the U.N. Security Council to block oneincluding “the effort to isolate Israel at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review con- sided, anti-Israel resolutions. ference [and] the recent effort to breach the "We urge you to remain steadfast in the naval blockade around Gaza… Israel’s naval defense of Israel in the face of the internablockade, which is legal under international tional community’s rush to unfairly judge and law, allows Israel to keep dangerous goods condemn Israel in international fora such as from entering Gaza by sea.” the UN Security Council,” the House letter IHH Connections With Hamas Describing Israel’s response to the terror activists who attempted to break the blockade, the letter states that the Israeli forces who boarded the ship owned by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), were “brutally attacked with iron rods, knives, and broken glass. They were forced to respond to that attack and we regret the loss of life that resulted. We are deeply concerned about the IHH’s role in this incident and have additional questions about Turkey and any connections to Hamas. The IHH is a member of a group of Muslim charities, the Union of Good, which was designated by the US Treasury Department as a terrorist organization. The

states. (IsraelNationalNews.com)


Page 8

FREEDOM

THE AMERICAN overlook this verse? No, these were not men ignorant of Scripture. In fact, they used Scripture to support their cause in the most devious of ways. The deception that prevailed during this period of history was immense. God and Scripture was the vehicle of mobilization that unified the cause, gave it credence, and allowed the Deist leaders at the top to move the as the American masses toward rebellion. Scripture Revolution an act of was the Forefathers’ most useful tool rebellion against God and of propaganda. the Bible? Many today claim that it was. For example, John McArthur Others hold the same position. (Pastor of Grace Community In fact, Dr. Daryl Cornett of MidChurch and host of the national America Theological Seminary radio program “Grace to You”) maintains that the American asserts: Revolution occurred because . . . People have mistakenly linked Deistic and Unitarian tendencies in democracy and political freedom regards to religion. . . . were of such to Christianity. That’s why many strength that even orthodox Christians contemporary evangelicals believe the were swept up into rebellion against American Revolution was completely their governing authorities. . . . justified, both politically and Those Christians who supported scripturally. They follow the arguments physical resistance against the of the Declaration of Independence, tyranny of Britain generally turned to which declares that life, liberty, and Enlightenment rhetoric for validation, the pursuit of happiness are Divinely propped up by poor exegesis and endowed rights. . . . But such a position application of the Bible. is contrary to the clear teachings and While such charges certainly commands of Romans 13:1-7. So reflect the personal views of these the United States was actually born critics, they definitely do not out of a violation of New Testament accurately reflect the extended principles, and any blessings God theological debates that occurred has bestowed on America have come at the time of the American in spite of that disobedience by the Revolution. In fact, contrary to Dr. Founding Fathers. Cornett’s claim that the Founding Oklahoma church leader Albert Fathers “turned to Enlightenment Soto similarly claims: rhetoric for validation” of the The Colonists’ act of rebellion flies in American Revolution, the topic of the face of [Romans 13:1,2]. Did they civil disobedience and resistance to

W

Was it an Act of

governing authorities had been a subject of serious theological inquiries for centuries before the Enlightenment. This was especially true during the Reformation, when the subject was directly addressed by theologians such as Frenchman John Calvin, German Martin Luther, Swiss Reformation leader Huldreich Zwingli, and numerous others. It was not strange that such Biblical discussions should have arisen in that period, for many tyrannical civil leaders who felt personally threatened by Biblical Reformation teachings attempted to suppress the spread of those teachings through bloody purges, brutal tortures, and barbaric persecutions – such as when French leaders conducted the famous St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572, resulting in 110,000 Reformation followers being killed, or when Henry VIII (1491-1547) similarly utilized public executions and burnings at the stake (a practice continued by Edward VI, Mary,

Elizabeth I, and subsequent monarchs). In fact, those civil leaders even deliberately enacted laws specifically prohibiting Reformation adherents from practicing their Scriptural beliefs. Facing such civil opposition, Reformation leaders turned to the Bible and found much guidance on the subject of civil disobedience and resistance to tyrannical civil authority. In fact, numerous famous heroes of the Bible – including many of those listed in the “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11 as well as in other passages – were accorded their special position of honor because they committed civil disobedience (e.g., Daniel, the Three Hebrew Children, the Hebrew midwives, Rahab, Moses, etc.; and the Apostles in Acts 4-5 also declared their willingness to be civilly disobedient against tyrannical commands of civil and religious rulers). Some of the important theological works on the subject of civil disobedience and resistance published during that time included the 1556 Short Treatise


FREEDOM

Page 9

Author and historian David Barton is the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization which distributes historical, legal, and statistical information; and helps citizens become active in their local schools and communities. WallBuilders is a name taken from the Bible book of Nehemiah. And just as Nehemiah led a grassroots movement in Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of that city and restore its strength and honor; so, too, WallBuilders seeks to energize the grassroots today to rebuild that which makes America strong—its constitutional, moral, and religious foundations.

REVOLUTION: REV OLUTION: Bibl Bibliical Rebellion?

of Politic Power and of the True Obedience which Subjects Owe to Kings and Other Civil Governors by Bishop John Poynet (1516-1566), and the 1579 Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos (A Defense Of Liberty Against Tyrants), published by French Reformation theologian Philippe DuplessisMornay (1549-1623) and French Reformation leader Hubert Languet (1518-1581) in response to the horrific St. Bartholomew Day Massacre. Both works undertook an indepth Biblical examination of

how God’s people throughout the Scriptures had responded to civil rulers, including both good and bad rulers. Those theological discussions continued in England during the brutal reign of Henry VIII (1491-1547), the repressive abuses of James I (1566-1625), and the ruthless rule of the Tudor monarchs, including that of Bloody Mary (1516-1558).

Church leaders (recall that James I was the official head of the English Church) to concoct two new “church” doctrines: (1) the Divine Right of Kings (that kings stand in the place of God, representing Him to the people), and (2) Complete Submission and Non-Resistance to Authority (that because kings have an allegedly Divine position, they are not to be resisted – ever, for any reason). Not surprisingly, In fact, James I, in addition to Reformation followers openly using brutal persecutions and opposed James’ “irrational and murders to help combat the theological teachings and writings unscriptural doctrines,” 8 thus leveled against him, even ordered prompting him to level even harsher persecutions against them, including mutilation, hanging, and disemboweling. In 1644, during in the reign of Bloody Mary, Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford penned the important theological work Lex Rex, demonstrating that the law is king rather than vice versa. For asserting that Biblical position, Rutherford was charged by British monarchy with high treason but died before he could be tried. Not surprisingly, Lex Rex was banned by the Crown and every person who had a copy was ordered to turn it in to a king’s official. James II continued the persecution of believers, and not surprisingly, the theological debates also continued. For example, when

clergyman Abednego Seller penned a defense of James’ reign, urging complete obedience to the Crown in his Passive Obedience Prov’d to be the Doctrine of the Church of England, from the Reformation to These Times (London, 1689), clergyman Samuel Johnson responded with An Answer to the History of Passive Obedience (London, 1689). Significantly, the many theological writings penned during these brutal and tyrannical reigns provided the underpinning for the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which: (1) tyrannical monarchs were set aside; (2) England made its first attempts to separate State from Church and thus end religious tyranny and murders wrongly committed in the name of Christ; and (3) representative government was instituted under William of Orange (1650-1702). When British autocratic tyranny began to increase toward America preceding the Revolution, those ancient theological debates were renewed. The Quakers and Anglicans adopted the position set forth by King James I (and subsequently embraced by Dr. Cornett, Rev. MacArthur, and others of today’s critics), but the Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Congregationalists, and most other denominations of that day adopted the theological viewpoint presented by Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Rutherford, Poynet, Mornay, Languet, Johnson, and continued on page 12


Page 10

FREEDOM

PRINCIPLES OF PROSPERITY THREE THINGS WE MUST KNOW The body of Christ must know three things regarding the laws of prosperity. If you are ignorant of them, whether you’re rich or poor, you are a problem going somewhere to happen. 1. It Is God’s Will To Prosper You

by Kenneth Copeland

the here and now! God intended for material creation to bless and prosper His people. 3. God’s Way Of Prospering You The last thing you must know is God’s way of prospering His people. God prospers by prospering the soul (3 John 2) and through the avenue of giving. You can’t solve the world’s problems with your natural, limited mind. But if you allow God to illuminate your human conscience with His way of thinking, anything is possible.

The first thing you must know is that God’s will is to prosper His people. God is not limited by what part of the world you live in or what government you live under. Believers all over the world have God wants to elevate proven that fact. your thinking to His level. I’ve heard testimonies He wants to prosper your Kenneth & Gloria Copeland of God prospering soul with the answer. First, people in the most devastated places like Africa, El Salvador, start by giving financially. Then, it will turn into a giving life. Soon a giving attitude takes Nicaragua and South America. The laws over. This should then take over the entire that govern abundance work for anyone who will put them to work. They are laws! body of Christ. People have the idea that spiritual things God Is Shaking This World’s Wealth The wealth of the earth belongs to God. He are separate from material things. That said: "And I will shake all nations, and the isn’t true. Spiritual laws govern material things. A Spirit created all matter. So, the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. laws of prosperity will work for anyone who will meet the biblical requirements to The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter walk in them. house shall be greater than of the former. " 2. God’s Reason For (Hag. 2:7-9) Prospering You The second thing you need to know is God’s reason for prospering His people. The Word says, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Eph. 4:28). The whole purpose for gainful employment and prosperity is to take God’s laws and prosper by them and then do something about the poverty in the rest of the world.

God is shaking this world’s system. The wealth that the world has accumulated is going to fall out of their hands. Into whose hands will it land? The Word says, “He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor” (Prov. 28:8). This is why God keeps telling the church to do something about the poor. We have let the government handle our responsibility. They have put patches on the problem instead of solving it.

If the church of Jesus Christ would get involved through sharing the new birth and Some rich people don’t want to do anything but stay rich. But if I’m preaching preaching the gospel to the poor, poverty could be broken instead of multiplied. the gospel to a born-again man from Mozambique, he has some hope for the Forget your own needs. Get involved in the first time in his life. He learns that God whole gospel. Begin to meet the needs of wants to prosper him and his people. others—spirit, soul and body—and watch To the starving man that doesn’t mean a Cadillac! It means that God will show him how to get some rain on his scorched ground. God will do something about the poisons in his land, so that he can grow good crops and feed his family. The gospel not only gives him hope in the kingdom to come, but through Jesus, through the message that God wants to prosper His people. That gives us hope in

how quickly God will move on your behalf. Remember the words of Jesus: “Seek ye first the kingdom and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). One of the great keys to this is to take your eyes off of your own life and put them on the lives and needs of others. Source: Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours by Kenneth Copeland. Excerpt permission granted by aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries

LLEARNING EARNING TO STAND FAST

continued from page 5

Now, here’s what happened in America; they chose to believe it. Our founding fathers chose to believe that fundamental principle, that all men were created free, and had a right to be free. So, they made their declaration. Immediately the devil attacked that belief system and there was a revolutionary war as a result of it. When you begin to hear the truth from the Word of God; such as, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) "By His stripes ye were healed"; (1st Peter 2:24), & “My God shall supply all of your need according to His riches In glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:18), and start believing these truths, then you have the opportunity to begin making your declarations; I’m healed devil, & I am rich, I am no longer a sinner. I am forgiven, I am free. At this point I encourage you to unite with other born again believers, who will agree with you, and stand with you. Because as soon as you begin making your declarations of faith, get ready for the war. I am telling you something, the devil is going to send all of hell after you. This is where you and I have to learn how to STAND FAST in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made you free! He will try to get you to not believe those declarations. To believe that maybe you’re not healed. Maybe you’re not forgiven. Maybe your needs won’t be met this time. Then the devil will begin to point out other options and answers for you.

He’ll even begin suggesting that you could look some where else for your answers. Such as, a little alcohol won’t hurt you, or maybe you need to work longer hours, etc. He’ll begin to promise you all sorts’ deceptive securities, and you know, nothing with the devil is free. He’ll just go right on taxing you until you die. Without faith in God making men free and equal, the American Revolution would have died in its cradle. Without the belief that this nation needs to take that freedom and serve each other in love; to have Jesus as our King; that revolution would have died at its conception. Now, it is evident to me that our Founding Fathers knew that this belief would be attacked in future generations, so they gave us some instructions and said; “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” (James Madison) They knew that we would have to learn how to stand fast in this freedom! You see we need to get into Gods Word, believe His Word and start making our declarations from His Word. We need to find people that will unite with us and stand with us, if we are going to stand fast through the attacks of the enemy and experience the freedoms that Jesus has purchased for us, through His blood!


FREEDOM

Page 11

"EVER FEEL LIKE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IS JUST STEALING YOUR HAPPINESS FROM YOU? EVER FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO BE HAPPY FOR BUT SOMETHING JUST KEEPS YOU FROM ENJOYING YOUR LIFE? LYNN MOSHUR, WHO HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO ME, HELPS US TO IDENTIFY MORE CLEARLY THE REAL THIEF IN HER ARTICLE "SPIRITUAL PICKPOCKETS".

SPIRITUAL PICKPOCKETS By Lynn Mosher

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up” (1 Peter 5:8-9a, The Message). Ever been mugged? I hope not. Praise the Lord, I haven’t. Hmmm…or have I? What exactly does “mug” mean? The dictionary defines it as to assault, menace or threaten a person with the intent to rob. In the Old Testament, God told His people not to consort with those enemies surrounding them (you know, all the -ites – the Amalekites, the Canaanites, the Amorites, and the others) because of their unholy ways. God separated His people to keep them holy. He knew that, if they mingled with the -ites, their holiness would be stolen. As insatiable suitors, enemy -ites always prowl around in the back alleys of temptation, lurking under the shroud of seduction. Just waiting to jump out and mug us! Peter warns us of The Enemy -ite, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up.” (1 Peter 5:8-9a Message) What did the disciple John say was the enemy’s purpose? “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10 TLB) So, what areas of our lives does the enemy target? Our: * joy * peace * health * comfort * finances * holiness? What are those sticky-fingered muggers, those spiritual pickpockets, that the enemy uses to assault us, menace us, and rob us? How about doubt, worry, unbelief, strife, unforgiveness, bitterness, cheating, stealing, depression, murmuring, jealousy/envy, complaining, rebellion, hypocrisy, bitterness, lying, lust, pride, judging, gossip, addictions, marital affairs, porn, other impure thoughts, negative attitude, speaking against others, busy schedules, or anything else that grieves the Holy Spirit? Any one of these -ites can be hazardous to the health of our bodies and our spirits. Guarding our hearts is so vital, in all we see, hear, and do. So, what are the -ites, the petty thieves that entice you, desiring to invade your heart’s home and snatch away your treasures? Does their wooing prompt you to pack your bag of temptation, sneak out the window of your room of separation, climb down the ladder of immorality, and run off with these vendors of swill? Unless a “No Solicitors” sign is posted, a heart that does not fully pursue God will be enticed by outsiders selling their wares and will run off with any swindler. Remember, where you are on Saturday night represents who and what you say you are on Sunday morning! What you do and who you are with will either draw you toward God or draw you away from Him. Let me encourage you to hang onto what you have gained

spiritually. Guard those treasures with all your might and all your faith, as Solomon said, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Question: What picks your spiritual pockets? Father, I am looking to you to give me some direction and wisdom on where my weakness’ are. I am asking you to show me the areas where I am weak and that need to be strengthened with your word. I am asking you to help me guard my heart so the course of my life glorifies you. So the things of this world do not have the power to steal my joy and happiness my peace my money. Father, I pray right now in the name of Jesus that you protect my mind, will and emotions from the ites that try to play on them. I am a strong child of the most high GOD and I am anointed to do the impossible for you. Amen.

Hello! My name is Lynn Mosher. Born and raised in a Christian home in Kentucky, I became a believer at the age of 11. Years later, I committed my life to the Lord. Through many hardships, trials, and health issues, I have learned to depend entirely on Him for everything. In trusting Him, He has shown me that every Jordan barrier converts into an open portal, every pit offers golden nuggets, and every hill of difficulty transforms into a mount of deliverance. I live with my husband in our empty nest in Kentucky. On occasion, the three offspring, who have flown the coop, come to visit, accompanied by a lovable son-in-law and a very precocious granddaughter, who constantly tells me I need a pet. The Lord has proved to me over and over the promise of this verse, which has become the strength of my life, and I share it with you, “Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 AMP May the Lord bless you in all your efforts to serve Him.


FREEDOM

Page 12

PALIN DECRIES Continued from page 1

people than any other country on earth, including the liberation of my mother from the Nazis,” he said of his Jewish mother, Etty. Palin was quick to defend Israel’s response to pro-Palestinian activists aboard the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara on May 31. “Far too many in the media and in various governments rush to condemn Israel,” Palin wrote on her Facebook page. “We must put the recent events off Israel’s coast into the right perspective. This “relief” convoy was not about humanitarian aid, as the liberal mainstream media keeps reporting,” she wrote. “The whole operation was designed to provoke Israel, not to provide supplies to Palestinians held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Anyone who sees the video of Israeli commandos being attacked as they land on that ship knows the people aboard

were vicious thugs, not “peace activists.” The media insults our intelligence with their outright mischaracterization of who these enemies are,” Palin said. “We can only hope the Obama administration does not join the anti-Israel chorus in the aftermath of this staged confrontation. Please, Mr. President, we need to let Israelis know we stand with them in their fight against terrorists and those who arm and support them. American and her ally, Israel, stand by waiting for your response,” Palin wrote.

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS OFF TO A SLOW START DESPITE BRIGHT SPOTS By Patrick Seitz Investor's Business Daily

M

edia tablets, 3-D TVs and motion-controlled video games are expected to be the bright spots on an otherwise dull U.S. consumer electronics landscape. Consumer electronics spending was weaker than expected in the first four months of the year, says Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the Consumer Electronics Association. That will put more pressure on the winter holiday shopping season to salvage the year, he said Tuesday in New York at the CEA’s midyear update briefing. The economy is fragile following the recession and with government stimulus spending wearing off, consumers will have to drive spending on their own, DuBravac says. But employment and wages have lagged where they traditionally should be coming out of a recession, DuBravac says. “The recovery has been mediocre at best,” he said. “We’re at this very delicate handoff as we move from the first half of the year to the second half of the year. “We’re moving from a stimulus-supported economy to an economy that needs to be driven by the private sector.” Consumer electronics sales have held up relatively well, as people shifted spending from vacations to home entertainment, he says. But will they still be in a buying mood this holiday season?

results for the three months ended May 29 that fell short of Wall Street’s views. Sales of TVs and entertainment software were especially weak, the retailer reported June 15. The Christmas shopping season this year will be even more promotional than in years past, Dubravac says. Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving and the traditional start of holiday shopping season — will get an earlier start, he predicts. Last year, some retailers offered “Black Friday now” and “Better than Black Friday deals” in early November. And Wal-Mart (WMT) stretched Cyber Monday — a big day for online sales as it’s the first workday after the Thanksgiving weekend — into Cyber Week, Dubravac says. “Black Friday” was the top search term on Google (GOOG) last year during that period in Switzerland, Brazil, Israel and other countries that don’t typically recognize the shopping holiday. “We have exported Black Friday to the rest of the world,” Dubravac said. “It has become synonymous with technology discounts, deals, bargains and shopping. That phenomenon is going to be even bigger this year.”

The Consumer Electronics Association has said it expects product shipments to total more than $165 billion this year, a slight increase from 2009. But that forecast, made in January, is being revised following the disappointing sales so far this year, DuBravac says. The nation’s top consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy (BBY), last week reported

With new motion controllers, “American Idol” alums Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo play a Ubisoft dance game. AP

THE AMERICAN Continued from page 9 REVOLUTION REVOLU TION

other theologians across the centuries. In fact, John Adams specifically recommended the theological works of Poynet (A Short Treatise of Politic Power, 1556) and Duplessis-Mornay and (A Defense Of Liberty Against Tyrants, 1579) to readers who wanted to understand the theological thinking in the American founding.

On the basis of those numerous historic theological writings (which, significantly, had also been regularly preached from American pulpits for decades prior to the American Revolution), Americans embraced two specific theological positions that guided their thinking and conduct in the conflict with Great Britain. The first was that most Christian denominations during the Founding Era held that while they were forbidden to overthrow the institution of government and live in anarchy, they were not required blindly to submit to every law and policy. Those in the Founding Era understood that the general institution of government was unequivocally ordained by God and was not to be overthrown, but that did not mean that God approved every specific government; God had ordained government in lieu of anarchy – He opposed anarchy, rebellion, lawlessness, and wickedness and wanted civil government in society. Therefore, a crucial determination in the colonists’ Biblical exegesis was whether opposition to authority was simply to resist the general institution of government (an institution ordained by God Himself), or whether it was instead to resist tyrannical leaders who had themselves rebelled against God. (The Scriptural model for this position was repeatedly validated when God Himself raised up leaders such as Gideon, Ehud, Jepthah, Samson, and Deborah to throw off tyrannical governments – leaders subsequently praised in Hebrews 11:32 for those acts of faith.) That the Founders held the view that the institution of government is not to be opposed by that tyranny is, is a position clearly evident in their writings.

natural right to be free; and they have it ordinarily in their power to make themselves so if they please….If both those powers are retained in the hands of the many (where nature seems to have placed them originally), the government is a simple democracry, or a government of all over all. . . . [God is] the only monarch in the universe Who has a clear and indisputable right to absolute power because He is the only one Who is omniscient as well as omnipotent. Founding Father John Dickinson (a signer of the Constitution) also affirmed that spiritual view: Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness. . . . We claim them from a higher source – from the King of kings and Lord of all the earth. They are not annexed to us by parchments and seals. They are created in us by the decrees of Providence, which establish the laws of our nature. They are born with us, exist with us, and cannot be taken from us by any human power without taking our lives. In fact, Samuel Adams (the “Father of the American Revolution” and a signer of the Declaration of Independence) specifically recommended a study of the Scriptures in order to understand the basis of America’s struggle against a tyrannical king, explaining that: The Rights of the Colonists as Christians. . . . may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament. The Founders clearly believed that they were not in rebellion to God’s ordained institution of civil government; they were only resisting tyranny and not the institution itself.

For example, Founding Father James Otis explained that the only king who had a “Divine right” was God Himself; beyond that, God had ordained that power should rest with the people (c.f., Exodus 18:21, Deuteronomy 1:15-16, etc.): Has it [government] any solid foundation? – any chief cornerstone. . . ? I think it has an everlasting foundation in the unchangeable will of God. . . . Government. . . . is by no means an arbitrary thing depending merely on compact or human will for its existence. . . . There can be no prescription old enough to supersede the law of nature and the grant of God Almighty, Who has given to all men a

Samuel Adams

In fact, Rev. Jacob Duché (a supporter of the British) argued from the Bible in favor of the American position, explaining: Continued in the next issue of Freedom


FREEDOM

Page 13

PFC HEIDI MARIE GOODNATURE

I

Edited by Freedom Publications

joined the Army National Guard just over That day I prayed a lot..I wanted to make 2 years ago. I got up one morning after going through a divorce and didn’t recog- sure that I was okay with everything in my life. That evening we were taken out to a nize the person that I saw looking back at me in the mirror, nor did I like her all that much anymore. I had let the relationship and the demise of the relationship dictate my actions and me as a person. I needed to make a change and had always wanted to join the Army but was to afraid I guess.

I joined the Army at 35 years old and when I tested to get into the Army I told them that the runway and waited for the Chanook Choppers to come in. None of us spoke that only way I would go is if I could be a Medic. much I don’t think...I don’t remember being Clearly, I tested high enough and went to at all nervous. I do, however, remember Basic Training then to AIT and became a when we took off and flew into Iraq it was Combat Medic. honestly one of the most peaceful and I would say that during Basic Training I prayed serene moments of my life. every night as well as kicked myself for even It was a 20 minute flight into Camp Bucca thinking that I could do it..then every morning I in Southern Iraq...and it was incredible! My would get out of bed and do it all over again. platoon was tasked with running the TMC (Troop Medical Clinic). We took care of It was the most challenging and rewarding military, coalition forces, and some third thing that I have ever done. I realized that country nationals. It was a very small clinic know matter how hard you push yourself mentally or physically..your body will just fol- with 2 trauma beds. low and do what needs to be done.

There were things that happened and that I saw that most people can’t comprehend The amazing thing was that in the time of Basic and AIT I learned a valuable lesson.. I or would even want to know about nor do I learned to love myself as a person for the first have any desire to talk about. time in a long, long time. The base that I was on had not been I was home for approximately 6 months and bombed in almost 2 years and they started got orders to deploy to Iraq. I was scared to bombing it in March. I guess it never redeath when I first found out that I was getting ally bothered me as it was happening, but afterward when I tried processing what had orders to deploy..but it was weird..I wasn’t just happened it made me realize just how scared at all for myself. I was afraid for my short life can be. daughter... I was afraid that there was a possibility that she would have to grow up without me. My son is grown and in college and kind of on with his life..and while I was concerned for him having to live his life without me..it was my daughter that really hurt. I knew what I signed up for and I know how important my freedom and this country is to me. I knew I would eventually deploy..I just didn’t really expect it to be that quick. We trained over a few months and then left for Kuwait. In Kuwait we spent about 10 days getting used to the heat. At first it was almost unbearable..but you honestly just get used to it. The day that my platoon left to go into Iraq it was like everything was happening so quickly.

There are things that I still think about, but I feel like we did a lot of good and did our jobs as we were trained. For the most part it was a very gratifying experience. There are days that I hated every minute of it... but other days that there wasn’t any other place in the world I would have rather been. I am thankful to be home..and again there are days that I would give anything to go back.


Page 14

FREEDOM

IF ISRAEL GOES

Continued from page 1

Spain and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1975, however the ties between the two countries have not always been strong. In 2006, following the Second Lebanon War, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero accused Israel of “abusive force” which Israel strongly condemned. Israel’s envoy to Spain said at the time that the two countries’ relations had been damaged after the Spanish prime minister’s speech, during which he wore a Palestinian scarf. Spain’s Jewish community accused Zapatero of being anti-Semitic, however tensions have since eased.

of a radical Islamism which sees Israel’s destruction as the fulfillment of its religious destiny and, simultaneously in the case of Iran, as an expression of its ambitions for regional hegemony. Both phenomena are threats that affect not only Israel, but also the wider West and the world at large.” Azner stressed, however, that the initiative would not defend any specific Israeli policies, but rather “what binds us is our unyielding support for Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.”

The former Spanish premier ended his opinion by highlighting Israel’s central role in defining the West and said that “the West “In the wake of the recent incident on board a is what it is thanks to its Judeo-Christian ship full of anti-Israeli activists in the Mediter- roots. If the Jewish element of those roots ranean, it is hard to think of a more unpopu- is upturned and Israel is lost, then we are lar cause to champion.” Aznar wrote of his lost too. Whether we like it or not, our fate is initiative which aims to support Israel despite inextricably intertwined.” the onslaught of criticism over a recent Israeli raid on a Freedom Flotilla headed to Gaza, in which nine activists were killed. “ In an ideal world, no state, let alone a recent ally of Israel such as Turkey, would have sponsored and organized a flotilla whose sole purpose was to create an impossible situation for Israel: making it choose between giving up its security policy and the naval blockade, or risking the wrath of the world.” Aznar went on to state that Israel’s right to exist should not be questioned as it was established by a United Nations decision, and added that as a nation with “deeply rooted democratic institutions,” Israel is the only Western country that exists under constant threat of attack, whether it be from its neighboring countries or Iran. “The real threats to regional stability,” Azner wrote, “are to be found in the rise

RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER PARTNERS WITH SCU Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Courses four majors: Biblical Leadership, Human and Family Services, Business Administration, and Offered on RBTC Campus Business Leadership. Students who already fter more than 30 years, RHEMA Bible have a bachelor’s degree can earn a Master Training Center located in Broken Arrow of Ministry degree in either Life Coaching or Oklahoma, is remaining steadfast in carLeadership. Degrees can be earned in as little rying out God’s purpose of empowering as 16 months by attending class one night Christians to take the Gospel to the ends of a week from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. At this pace, the earth. students finish a three-credit-hour course every five weeks. Since 1974, RBTC has trained more than 40,000 for the harvest. The sun never sets RBTC endeavors to ground their students in on RHEMA graduates ministering around the practical skills and spiritual disciplines that the world, either in the pulpit, on the mission will equip them for success. They receive qualfield, or as active believers supporting God’s ity classroom and hands-on training, a diploma work in local churches. upon completion of course of study, and the

A

And now RHEMA Bible Training Center is partnering with Southwestern Christian University. Beginning this fall, SCU will offer a Bachelor of Science degree-completion program and a master’s degree program on the RBTC campus. All RBTC second-year graduates will be able to transfer 40 credit hours for their two years of training. The bachelor’s degree program offers

opportunity to become licensed and ordained through RHEMA Ministerial Association International.

PUBLISHER PUTS WARNING LABEL ON THE CONSTITUTION

A

s hard as it may be to believe (or perhaps not), a US publisher has put a warning label on a recently released book comprised of a copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and other works written by America’s Founding Fathers.

there’s anything that you ought to be able to take at a first gulp for yourself and then ask your parents if you’re wondering about this or that strange thing, it should be the founding documents of American history.”

Have we really come so far have we come in our country where any who What’s next, a warning label at the publishes a copy of our country’s front door of the US National Arfounding documents should have to chives? (Via Fox News) worry about “offending” anyone? Or Wilder Publications warns readers could it be that someone in the publishof its reprints of the Constitution, the ing house itself has the kind of liberal Declaration of Independence, Combias that makes them feal that these mon Sense, the Articles of Confeddocuments are offensive? Perhaps it’s eration, and the Federalist Papers, a little of both. among others, that “This book is a As for anyone being offended, given product of its time and does not reflect that the media and our society practithe same values as it would if it were cally trains people to become offended, written today.” it should come as little surprise. The The disclaimer goes on to tell parents trouble is that they’re being trained to be offended at the values that gave that they “might wish to discuss with birth to our country. their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and inter- Of course the documents are a “prodpersonal relations have changed since uct of (it’s) time”. Unfortunately, in the age of the “Living Constitution”, we this book was written before can’t rely on their being interpreted allowing them to read this classic and applied as they were meant to work.” be “in their time”. Maybe that’s one Walter Olson, senior fellow at the Cato more reason liberals prefer the “Living Institute, says the company may be Constitution”, trying to ensure that oversensitive because they can ignore the parts that people don’t pull its works off bookmay be offensive to their store or library shelves. viewpoints (or political ends)? It also seems that the part of the label “Any idea that’s 100 years old will that suggests it “does not reflect the probably offend someone or other,” same values as it would if it were writOlson told FoxNews.com. “…But if ten today” speaks volumes about our country, and maybe to the prejudices of the publisher. (Again, that whole Living Constitution thing) The book is for sale on Amazon as has provoked (as you can imagine) a pretty lively thread of reviews and comments, some calling for a boycott of Wilder Publishing for their ignorant “warning label”.


FREEDOM

Page 15

EVIDENCE FOR CREATION A tremendous pyramid of evidence for design and recent creation is available for detailed study. Romans 1:20 states: “For the invisible things of him from the creation are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse.”

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED

M

any questions are raised by defenders of evolution when presented with the evidence for creation. Of a particular interest is evidence for the worldwide flood which is documented in the Bible and by numerous other historical, anthropological, and cultural sources. This article addresses some of the common questions.

How did marsupials get to Australia? Noah was charged with building the vessel to safeguard certain animals during this massive and complex worldwide disaster; not with distributing them afterwards. Once Noah released the animals on Mount Ararat, natural instincts and climatic conditions determined how the redistribution of the animal population took place. As subsequent generations of animals spread across the globe, territorial prowess or chance movements would send certain groups in certain directions. Those animals least suited for or least able to defend a territory would either be forced further from the landing site or face extermination. An immediate consequence of the worldwide flood was a brief but severe ice age which locked ocean water into vast ice fields. This lowered ocean levels and created a land bridge to Australia. A similar land bridge connected Asia to Alaska during this period of Earth history allowing free movement of man and animals between these continents. Land movements during the ice age or subsequent melting of the ice cut off the connection between Australia and Asia effectively isolating the unique animal life to Australia. How could massive worldwide coal deposits form rapidly? The first effect of the worldwide flood would have been the ripping up of vegetation worldwide and erosion on an unimaginable scale. As the water receded from one area, vegetation would have been deposited only to be subsequently buried as the area sank and water brought in more sediment. This, layer upon layer of coal would be formed. Furthermore, it has been shown in the laboratory that vegetation can be turned into coal

by: Bruce Malone

in as little as 1 hour with sufficient heat and pressure. A recent model of coal formation is provided by a study of the catastrophic explosion of Mount St. Helens in 1980. This explosion knocked down millions of trees which ended up floating on Spirit Lake. Underneath this layer of peat consisting of tree bark and organic matter. If that organic matter were buried by a subsequent eruption, the result would be a coal seam covered by sedimentary rock. Repeated cycles would rapidly produce a series of coal seams with sediment on top of each seam. This small scale model shows that it is reasonable to believe that an enormous flood would rapidly create the worldwide coal seams which we find today. Is “Survival of the Fittest” part of the evolution? Modern evolutionists have tried to distance themselves from this concept due to the obvious negative consequences of the social realm. Denying that survival of the fittest is part of the evolutionary process is akin to denying that one type of animal will drive another to extinction given the right conditions. Contrary to the rosy picture of animal cooperation which evolutionists like to portray, one type of animal has no qualms wiping out another in its quest to propagate itself. Survival of the fittest has always been an integral part of the evolutionary theory. Wild dogs introduced to Australia are endangering native species because they are more aggressive and have no natural enemies.Sounds like “survival of the fittest” doesn’t it? If we are also animals who have evolved according to this basic principle of evolution, why shouldn’t we extend this principle into the social realm? Why shouldn’t we eliminate weaker classes of humans which are competing for what we feel we need? Evolution taken to its logical conclusion leads to a savage world akin to Hitler’s Nazi Germany when the strong determine what is right. It was no coincidence that Hitler was strongly influenced by the writings of Darwin. Does it make any logical sense that this method of death and destruction would be a loving God’s method for making us???



Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.