| K-House eNews
For The Week Of April 15, 2008
**TABLE OF CONTENTS**
This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast Articles and Commentary
- Behold a Black Horse: The Global Food Crisis - (Read)
- A Passover Lesson: The Invisible War - (Read)
- Upcoming Events - (Read)
Important News Headlines Memory Verse of the Week
**THIS WEEK'S 66/40 RADIO BROADCAST**
|  Genesis 1:5-1:8
Continuing in Genesis Why study the book of Genesis? It is the book of beginnings: creation, man, women, sabbath, marriage, home, childhood, sin, murder,sacrifice, grace, trade, agriculture, city life, languages, ect. Genesis anticipates all false philosophies: atheism, pantheism, polytheism, materialism, humanism, evolution, and uniformism. All major doctrines have their roots in Genesis: sovereign election, salvation, justification by faith, believer's security, separation, disciplinary chastisement, divine incarnation, resurrection, priesthoods, and covenants. |
**SPECIAL OFFER**
|  Behold A Black Horse - MP3 Download by Chuck Missler ''...And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'' -Revelation 6:5b-6 The Coming Economic Upheaval and World Wide Famine. - What is the real cause of inflation?
- What are the real causes of famine?
- Does the Bible predict a time of global inflation? (or deflation?)
- Will the ''New World Order'' institutions reduce the famines throughout the world?
In Behold A Black Horse, Chuck considers the nature of money and inflation, the Federal Reserve, The World Bank and IMF, and famine in the world today. The Black Horseman of Revelation calls our attention to, not just famine at the onset of the Tribulation, but also to the greater economic conditions of the end times. $5.95 - click here to order.
Retail price is $7.95.
This offer will expire in 7 days. |
**ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY**
BEHOLD A BLACK HORSE: THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS - (Print)
In recent weeks you might have noticed your grocery bill go up. If so, you're not alone. Food prices are soaring worldwide. Consumers in many western nations are just beginning to notice the change, however in many parts of the world the rising cost of food has already reached crisis levels.
According to the United Nations, global food prices rose 35 percent in the last year. Since the new year prices have continued to rise. This year corn prices have hit a 12-year high and the price of wheat has jumped almost 90 percent. Likewise, in just the past few weeks the cost of rice has gone from $580 a ton to $760 a ton. Rice is the staple food for more than three billion people around the world. Most of these live in poorer nations, and some already spend 50 to 70 percent of their incomes on food.
Experts are describing the problem as "the perfect storm." Its cause is said to be a combination of various factors: Growing populations means growing demand. Also, the growing middle class in places like China means growing demand for more varieties of food. For example, the demand for beef has increased in China, which in turn effects the price of corn and other crops used to feed cattle.
Unusual weather conditions and drought have also been a factor. In Australia prolonged drought has reduced wheat exports by half and the rice crop this year will be the smallest in history. In Bangladesh a cyclone last summer destroyed 600 million dollars worth of its rice crop. Events such as these have decreased the overall food supply.
Rising oil prices have also had caused food prices to rise. Oil prices effect not only the cost of transporting food, but also the cost of fertilizers which are made with oil-derivatives. Government mandates and subsidies for biofuels have also had an impact. In the US it is estimated that almost thirty percent of the grain harvest is being diverted to make ethanol. Likewise, the European Union plans to start producing enough biofuels to meet at least 10 percent of its transportation needs by 2010.
This situation has not received enough media attention, prompting some to label it the "silent famine." Malnutrition and hunger are growing problems, and charitable organizations are having trouble keeping up with the growing demand. The black horseman of the Book of Revelation speaks of a condition wherein a man's daily wages are so poor, he can barely support himself, much less his family (Revelation 6:5-6). Could it be that we are getting close? To learn more about this subject, listen to Chuck's briefing pack titled Behold A Black Horse. Related Links: • Behold A Black Horse - MP3 Download - Special Offer!
• The World's Growing Food-Price Crisis - TIME
• EU May Slow Down on Biofuel - IHT
• UN Warns of Global Food Crisis - Telegraph
• The 5 Horsemen of the Apocalypse - CD-ROM - Koinonia House
• Revelation - Verse by Verse Study - 8 Disc DVD Set!
A PASSOVER LESSON: THE INVISIBLE WAR - (Print)
Passover begins this Saturday at sunset. The feast of Passover is a celebration, a time when Jews remember how God used Moses to free Israel from bondage and slavery in Egypt. There have been few dramas that can equal the story of the Exodus. Yet while most Christians are familiar with the events of Passover, few of us are probably aware of the significance behind the other nine plagues. Each of the nine plagues targeted specific ancient Egyptian gods, they were part of an invisible cosmic war against the demons of darkness. The plagues were a powerful and dramatic demonstration of the supremacy of the true and living God of Abraham and Moses.
Waters Turned to Blood
The first of the judgments was upon the waters of Egypt. The Nile was the highway of this ancient land, as it still is today. Not only was the Nile turned to blood, but the other waters of the land were as well, even the water that was drawn for use in the houses in wooden and stone jars. For seven days the whole land was in horror, with dead fish and a stench from the river.
To better appreciate what was going on, we must examine the numerous gods of the river: Osiris, one of the chief gods of Egypt, was first of all the gods of the Nile. He, with his companion, the mother god, Isis, and their child, Horus, were human-headed gods (in contrast to the many that had heads of birds, beasts, and reptiles). There were other gods of the Nile, too: Hapimon in the north, and Tauret at Thebes, and the hippopotamus goddess of the river. There was also Nu , the god of life in the Nile. The supernatural pollution of the waters of the land were a humiliation to the gods the Egyptians worshiped.
The Frogs
The second of the wonders further proved the powerlessness of the gods of Egypt. The land was covered with a plague of frogs in such abundance that they infested the Egyptians' houses and beds. One of the principal goddesses of the land was Hekt , the wife of the creator of the world, who was always shown with the head and the body of a frog. The frogs came out of the sacred Nile and Egypt's devotion to them prevented them from dealing with them: they soon had decaying carcasses throughout the land, resulting in a stinking horror. (It is interesting that the climactic war against God in Revelation is assembled by three frog-like spirits.)
The Sand Flies
The third of the judgments on Egypt came out of the soil in Egypt. The Hebrew word ken, is translated "lice" in our English translation, with "sand flies" or "fleas" in some marginal notes. The Hebrew word comes from a root meaning to dig; it is probable that the insect was one which digs under the skin of men. This was an embarrassment to their great god of the earth, Geb, to whom they gave offerings for the bounty of the soil. Also the presence of the fleas or lice were a barrier to their officiating in their priestly duties!
The Scarabs
The fourth of the plagues were "swarms" ("of flies" is not in the original). The word is `arob, a swarm, possibly suggesting incessant motion. The deification of the scarab beetle is still conspicuous - even today - in the jewelry and artifacts celebrating ancient Egypt. Amon-Ra, the king of the gods, had the head of a beetle. Some of the giant scarabs were even accorded the honor of mummification and entombment with the Pharaohs.
This is particularly bizarre since the scarab is actually a dung beetle. The insect is about the size of a nickel and feeds on dung in the fields or the side of the road. When animals defecate, these insects swarm from their holes in the ground and collect their provender for future meals by forming it into round balls about the size of golf balls, which they roll across the ground to their underground dwellings. Since they seemed to "come from nowhere," and perhaps because these perfectly round balls were possibly associated with the sun, these beetles became associated with creation.
The plague of swarms of scarabs, with mandibles that could saw through wood, and destructive qualities worse than termites, must have caused extreme consternation since they were so venerated and thus were not to be interfered with! Pharaoh called Moses, pleaded for a cessation, hinted at the possibility of compromise, and even asked to be prayed for. But God doesn't compromise; the judgments continued.
The Animals
The fifth plague was against the domestic animals of Egypt, and thus Apis, the bull god, and the cow-headed Hathor, goddess of the deserts. These were so widespread that even the children of Israel had become tainted by their worship, which led to the fiasco of the golden calf in the image of Apis.
The plague was a "murrain," a contagious disease among the cattle, and even the sacred bulls in the temple died. Other domestic animals were sacred also, and their images adorned many of the idols, such as Bubastis, the cat goddess of love, feminine matters and fashion, etc. (The veneration of cows still creates a sight in India, when cows appear on the streets and even in stores and shops.) The cattle of the Hebrews, of course, were not touched.
Ashes
The sixth wonder was manifested against the bodies of men. The plague of shechiyn, translated "boils", may hide something more terrible. The root means "burning," and the same word can be translated as leprosy, and as the Egyptian botch, which was declared to be incurable.
Among the gods to which cures would have been ascribed were Thoth, the ibis-headed god of intelligence and medical learning, and Apis, Serapis and Imhotep. Here even the magicians did not escape and could not carry on their priestly functions. It was their custom to take the ashes of human sacrifices and cast them into the air. Borne by the wind over the milling populace, they were viewed as a blessing. (It is inferred by some that this heathen custom was the source of the practice of putting ashes on the forehead on the first day of Lent.) Moses launched this plague with a parody of this practice, and may even have had access to the very furnaces used in the sacred precincts of the royal temple.
Fiery Hail
Egypt is a sunny land with virtually no rain. The seventh wonder was a tempest of hail and fire. Where was Shu, the wind god? And Nut, the sky goddess? Where was Horus, the hawk-headed sky god of upper Egypt? When Pharaoh confessed his sin and the sin of his people, he even used the Hebrew names for God:
"I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord that there be no more mighty thunderings ["voices of Elohim"] (Exodus 9:27,28)."
(The French have a phrase for one who speaks with spiritual language but whose heart is far from God: le patois de Canaan, the dialect of Canaan.)
Locusts
Some of the earlier plagues may have been separated by extended intervals, but the eighth plague followed immediately on the heels of the seventh: locusts came upon the land. Every twig and leaf that had somehow escaped the hail and fire was now taken by the locusts. Where was Nepri, the grain god? Where was Ermutet, goddess of childbirth and crops? Where was Anubis , the jackal-headed guardian of the fields? And where was Osiris, great head of their senior trinity who was also their agricultural god? Having lost faith in their gods, rebellion was now in the air.
Thick Darkness
The ninth wonder was a darkness that could be felt! Josephus writes:
"But when Moses said that what he desired was unjust, since they were obliged to offer sacrifices to God of those cattle, and the time being prolonged on this account, a thick darkness, without the least light, spread itself over the Egyptians, whereby their sight being obstructed, and their breathing hindered by the thickness of the air, they were under terror lest they be swallowed up by the thick cloud. This darkness, after three days and as many nights was dissipated."
Where was Ra, god of the sun? In the school of On, or Heliopolis, city of the sun, the worship of Ra was virtually almost monotheistic. He and Aten, the sun's disc, were worshiped with the ankh, symbol of life from the sun, as almost a sort of trinity. Where was Horus, the god of the sunrise? Or Tem, the god of the sunset? Or Shu , the god of light? Or the deities of the moon and planets?
The Firstborn
And, of course, the well-known tenth and final plague was the death of the firstborn - on those homes not covered by the lamb's blood on the doorposts or lintels. We all know the story of the Passover in Egypt, remembered by the Jews to this day. And, of course, Jesus is our Passover: John the Baptist introduced Him twice as "The Lamb of God."
Lessons for Today
The invisible war goes on. These same demons are worshiped today. The Scriptures tell us that we become like the gods we worship. Visit Egypt today and when you leave Cairo you will see villages living on dung hills. And this is not a typical "third world" country: it once ruled the known world! Are idols of stone cold, unresponsive, and immovable? If you worship idols of stone, you, too, will become cold, unresponsive, and immovable. Is the world materialistic? Harsh? Unforgiving? If you worship the world, you, too, will become materialistic, harsh, and unforgiving. You will become like the gods you worship. But if you worship Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us, you will become more like Him. Related Links: • Exodus - Verse by Verse Study - MP3 Download
• Exodus - Verse by Verse Study - CD-Rom With Over 20 Hours of Teaching!
• The Feasts of Israel - DVD - Koinonia House
• The Feasts of Israel - MP3 Download - Koinonia House
UPCOMING EVENTS - (Print)
Israel II - The 2008 Issachar Tour
Israel II, The Issachar Tour, is Koinonia Institute's one-of-a-kind trip to the Holy Land that will give our explorers an INSIDER'S look at the Israel of today. Besides visiting unforgettable Biblical sites, this trip will provide briefings with members of the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet, as well as members of the Knesset. These unique encounters with Israeli speakers will enlighten you to the real Israel of today - the one that you will never see on the 6 o'clock news or read about in your local paper.
The tour is scheduled for October 28th to November 8th with the option to extend your trip to visit Petra (one of the new seven wonders of the world). This is a one bus tour, so space is very limited. More details about the 2008 trip will be posted soon. Until then, visit our website to read about last year's Issachar tour. If you have any questions please contact Sharon Stolebarger at 1-800-KHOUSE-1 (Ext. 251) or by email at sharon@khouse.org Related Links: • Event Calendar - Koinonia House
• The 2007 Issachar Tour - Trip Review
• Issachar Tour - 2007 Itinerary
**IMPORTANT NEWS HEADLINES**
Divorce, Unwed Parenting Costing Taxpayers - April 15, 2008
Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost US taxpayers more than $112 billion a year. The study was conducted by economists at Georgia State University. The study attributes the loss to the fact that households headed by a single female have relatively high poverty rates, leading to higher spending on welfare, health care, criminal justice and education for those raised in broken homes. The $112 billion estimate includes the cost of federal, state and local government programs, and lost tax revenue at all levels of government. AP Bankruptcy Filings Jumped 38 Percent Last Year - April 15, 2008
Bankruptcy filings jumped 38 percent last year compared with 2006, as many consumers struggled with higher mortgage payments and other debt loads. Total bankruptcy filings rose to 850,912 in 2007. The largest increases in filings came from California and Nevada, where the real estate bust has hit particularly hard. Bankruptcy filings jumped 98.5 percent in Nevada. MSNBC Western Wall Stones in Danger of Crumbling - April 15, 2008
Some of the stones at Jerusalem's Western Wall are in danger of crumbling. The damaged stones that are beginning to disintegrate are not the ancient ones dating back to the Second Temple Period, but the small uniform stones that make up part of the wall built in the 19th century. JP Bible Tops America's 10 Favorite Books of All Time - April 15, 2008
Regardless of which demographic group they belong to � male-female, Republican-Democrat or old-young � Americans named the Bible as their favorite book of all time, according to a recent nationwide poll. An estimated 92 percent of Americans own a Bible and the average household owns three, a 1993 Barna Research study found. More recent research puts Bible ownership at an average of four per household, which suggest that Bible publishers sell twenty-five million copies a year. Yet less than half of Americans actually read their Bible in a typical week. CP National Media More Liberal, Secular Than Ever - April 15, 2008
A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 32 percent of national reporters acknowledge being politically liberal - compared to only 19 percent of the general public. The Pew survey also found that 68 percent of national reporters and news executives never or almost never attend worship services. ONN Iran Says It Will "Eliminate" Israel if Attacked - April 15, 2008
ran will respond to any military attack from Israel by "eliminating" the Jewish state, a senior army commander said on Tuesday. Some analysts have speculated that Israel might attack Iran to stop its nuclear activities, which the West fears are a front for weapons development. Iran, which does not recognize Israel, insists it wants nuclear technology only for electricity. Reuters
**KOINONIA INSTITUTE**
 | KOINONIA INSTITUTE - equipping Christians to sojourn in our world.
- Study the Bible as the inerrant Word of God
- Learn about our world from a Biblical perspective
- Then apply that Biblical training and Biblical worldview to get into our world and change it
For information on our online learning courses and how you can join the Institute and be a part of what God is doing here, go to www.studycenter.com. |
**MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK**
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalms 51:2-4 KJV
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