4/30/2008

K-House eNews for April 29, 2008

Koinonia House Online
Bringing the world into focus through the lens of Scripture
K-House eNews
For The Week Of April 29, 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

  • Syria's Foiled Nuclear Ambitions - (Read)
  • The Mediterranean Union - (Read)
  • The Apple of God's Eye Turns 60 - (Read)
  • Strategic Perspectives - Southern California Conference - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

 


**THIS WEEK'S 66/40 RADIO BROADCAST**

Genesis 1:9-1:19 Genesis 1:9-1:19
The Anthropic Principle

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**

The Magog Invasion - DVD by Chuck Missler The Magog Invasion - DVD by Chuck Missler

Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 describe the occasion in which God Himself intervenes to quell the ill-fated invasion of Israel by Magog and its allies (Persia, Cush, Phut, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah, Meshech, and Tubal). This passage also appears to anticipate the use of nuclear weapons.

Why does the Bible use such strange names? It has to - we keep changing the names of things: Petrograd = St. Petersburg = Leningrad = St. Petersburg again. (My friends in Russia remind me that ''in Russia, even the past is uncertain!'') Byzantium = Constantinople = Istanbul. Cape Canaveral = Cape Kennedy, etc. But we don’t change the names of our ancestors!

DVD - $17.95 (a $2.00 discount)

This offer will expire in 7 days.

 


**ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY**

SYRIA'S FOILED NUCLEAR AMBITIONS - (Print)

This past week the CIA made public evidence of Syria's foiled nuclear ambitions - including dramatic satellite images and on-site photographs. The CIA claims the North Korean-Syrian nuclear reactor was within weeks of becoming operational when it was bombed by Israel. Furthermore, according to the CIA, the site could have produced enough plutonium for two bombs a year.

Rumors concerning Syria's nuclear program have been circulating for months, following reports that Israel conducted a nighttime raid deep into Syria to destroy the clandestine nuclear facility. The mysterious raid took place on September 6th, leaving behind what has been described as a "big black hole" in the desert. In the days and weeks following the raid, rumors spread concerning the nature of the target. Some believed the raid may have been an attack against a chemical weapons facility. Others speculated that Israel destroyed an Iranian-financed missile base or a weapons shipment destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the White House, the CIA report was made public in order to send a message to nations like North Korea and Iran.

The US has long hoped that pressure from the international community would motivate North Korea to continue with six-party talks and eventually abandon its nuclear program. For more than six years the six nations have tried to reach an agreement, without much success. North Korea's eccentric dictator, Kim Jong-Il, has a history of unpredictable behavior and has proven to be a fickle negotiating partner. Evidence of North Korea's nuclear proliferation activities in the Middle East has made the matter even more complicated.

The Magog Invasion


Many experts believe that a large-scale confrontation between Israel and its neighbors could happen in the near future. Syria and Israel are still technically at war, and Syria has yet to officially recognize the Jewish state. Formal peace negotiations between the two nations fell apart in January of 2000, thus making Syria's growing relationship with nations such as Iran and Russia more concerning.

Russia has repeatedly expressed a desire to play a larger role in the Middle East. Since losing the Mid-East foothold provided by Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Russia has been carefully cultivating ties with Turkey, Iran and Syria. With its vast natural resources and growing energy wealth, its renovated nuclear force, renewed sense of nationalism, and fresh alliances, Russia is once again at the forefront of international politics.

The prophet Ezekiel spoke of an invasion of Israel by Russia, which has not yet been fulfilled. Many respected scholars disagree as to when the invasion will take place in relation to other Biblical prophecies, but most all agree that God will directly intervene, rescuing Israel from a nuclear attack. Tensions in the Middle East continue to increase and recent events indicate that this famed battle prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 could be on our horizon. To learn more about The Magog Invasion click on the links below.

Related Links:

 • The Magog Invasion - DVD - Special Offer!
 • The Magog Invasion - MP3 Download
 • Strategic Trends: The Magog Invasion - Koinonia House
 • Syria Reactor Could Make 2 Bombs a Year - MSNBC
 • Syrian Nuclear Reactor Was Weeks From Functioning - FOX News
 • Russia and Egypt Sign Nuclear Energy Pact - Daily Times

THE MEDITERRANEAN UNION - (Print)

The European Union is continuing its expansion with plans to form a new entity called the Union for the Mediterranean. The Union for the Mediterranean is an international community made up of EU member states and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The potential members include Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, and much of northern Africa. The new union will be established at a summit scheduled to take place in Paris this summer.

The Union for the Mediterranean was put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is strongly opposed to Turkey's EU bid. The new union was first proposed as a means by which the EU could avoid granting Turkey full membership status in the European community. However Turkey has refused to participate unless it is given a guarantee that the Mediterranean Union would not be viewed as an alternative to EU membership. Despite the controversy surrounding Turkey, and some disagreement between France and Germany over membership, it would appear that plans for the Mediterranean Union are on track.

Europa Rising

The strategic geopolitical horizon of past half-century has been dominated by two superpowers: the United States and the USSR. But it is becoming clear that the two dominant powers of the next half-century apparently will be China in the east and the "new Europe" in the west. Over the last fifty years the European Union has emerged as a growing world power. The EU now encompasses more than 460 million people, stretching from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and east all the way to the Black Sea.

Europe's leaders are working hard to create a stronger, more-centralized Europe. In 2007, the European community welcomed two new member states: Romania and Bulgaria. It also expanded the border free zone and announced plans to merge its overseas embassies. In December, Europe's leaders signed the historic EU reform treaty, also called the Treaty of Lisbon. If all goes as planned the treaty will be ratified by member states next year and will enter into force on January 1, 2009. (The Treaty of Lisbon is essentially the same as the failed EU constitution, but this time around its fate will not rest in the hands of the people.)

Efforts to create a stronger Europe seem to be working. The EU has surpassed the United States to become the "world's biggest" economy. The combined gross domestic product of the 15 countries which use the euro overtook that of the United States in 2007. This is due in large part to the decline of the value of the US dollar. This past year Europe eclipsed the US in stock market value for the first time since the first World War, and economists say that the Euro could eventually take the place of the dollar as the world's primary reserve currency.

To learn more about this topic, click on the links below.

Related Links:

 • Sarkozy Dispatches Envoy to Convince Turkey - Turkish Daily News
 • France and Egypt to Lead Setting Up of Mediterranean Union - RIA
 • Summit Approves 'Union for the Mediterranean' - EurActiv
 • Strategic Trends: Rise of the European Superstate - K-House
 • AntiChrist: The Alternate Ending - DVD
 • Europa Rising: Rebuilding the Empire - DVD
 • Europa Rising: Rebuilding the Empire - MP3 Download

THE APPLE OF GOD'S EYE TURNS 60 - (Print)

The Nation of Israel is preparing to celebrate its 60th birthday. Despite its position as the world's only Jewish state, surrounded by hostile Arab states, Israel has survived and prospered for six decades.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion met in the Tel Aviv Museum with Jewish representatives from across Israel and declared Israel's independence. Within 24 hours, the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon attacked. Ever since, Israel has been in constant state of self defense. Like Nehemiah's workers at the wall, Israel's nation builders have had to shovel mortar with one hand and grip a spear with the other.

During its first 15 months of life, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fought off invaders and over 6000 Israelis were killed. Despite the attacks, some 50,000 Jews - mostly Holocaust survivors – had poured into Israel by the end of the summer of 1948. Nearly 700,000 would arrive by the end of 1951 - 300,000 of those from Arab lands.

In January, 1949, Israel held national elections in which nearly 85 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. The first 120-seat Knesset went into session shortly thereafter.

On 11 May 1949, Israel became the 59th member of the United Nations.

Despite constant terror attacks, the people of Israel built housing, developed industry and mining, and planted thousands of trees along the expanding roadway system. They improved agriculture and opened new areas to cultivation. They established telecommunications and electrical networks. Schools were built and soon school attendance was free and required for all children ages 5-14.

Yet, Egypt hovered on Israel's southern border, Jordan growled on the west, and Syria and Lebanon chafed on the north.

In 1956, Egypt began to keep ships with Israel interests from passing through the Suez Canal, and Egyptian troop numbers on the Sinai grew. Israel took action, capturing the Gaza strip and the Sinai peninsula in an eight-day campaign. The United Nations stepped in and placed troops in the Sinai. Israel agreed to back off in stages, and Egypt allowed Israel to use the waterways for trade.

As Israel entered its second decade, its manufacturing and food production sectors continued to expand. Israel grew increasingly more self-sufficient and able to export the goods and food it produced.

In 1961, a large medical complex, the Hadassah Medical Center was constructed adjacent to the Ein Kerem neighborhood, along with a medical science campus of the Hebrew University. In 1965, the Israel Museum opened, and the permanent home for the Knesset was dedicated in August, 1966.

Israel's Arab enemies had made many deadly attacks on Israeli citizens since the nation's formation. On June 2, 1964, The Palestinian Liberation Organization(PLO) was created. In its Statement of Proclamation of the Organization (three years before the Six-Day War) the PLO declared:

"... the right of the Palestinian Arab people to its sacred homeland Palestine and affirming the inevitability of the battle to liberate the usurped part from it, and its determination to bring out its effective revolutionary entity and the mobilization of the capabilities and potentialities and its material, military and spiritual forces."

Then, in May of 1967, Egypt again moved troops into the Sinai. In the meanwhile, Jordan and Syria forces pushed in from the east and north. Surrounded by an Arab force of nearly half a million troops, Israel made preemptive strikes at the beginning of June, 1967. After six days of fighting, Israel had taken the Sinai, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. For the first time since the new state's formation, Israel controlled all of Jerusalem.

The Arab position at the Khartoum Summit in August 1967 remained full of animosity. The Arabs called for no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, and no recognition of Israel.

Again in 1973, Israel's existence was put in jeopardy. On October 6, 1973, Egyptian and Syrian forces surprise-attacked Israel on the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur. Israel defeated its enemies once again during the 20 days that followed, making gains in the Golan Heights and hammering Egypt in the Sinai.

In 1978, Israel's Prime Minister Manachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat drafted a peace agreement with President Jimmy Carter at Camp David.

In 1994, Israel Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin and Jordan's King Hussein signed the "Washington Declaration" to bring peace between Jordan and Israel.

But peace has eluded Israel. The PLO under Yasser Arafat refused to come to any real peace agreement. The destruction of Israel was more important, apparently, than helping its own people escape poverty and ignorance. Even today, with Arafat dead, that violent spirit continues among many Palestinians.

Yet, despite every war, every suicide bomb attack, and every stream of profanity directed at the Jewish state, Israel has pushed on for 60 full years. It lives on, offering the world a sense that the God of Israel still lives, and that He is protecting the apple of His eye. Just as He said He would.

Happy Birthday, Israel. God blesses those who bless you.

Related Links:

 • History of The State of Israel - Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 • Strategic Trends: The Struggle for Jerusalem - K-House
 • Strategic Trends: The Magog Invasion - K-House
 • The Legacy: Israel In Prophecy - Six Briefings on One CD-Rom!
 • The Magog Invasion - DVD - Special Offer!

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE - (Print)

Strategic Perspectives: Southern California Conference
May 16th-17th at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills

Friday Night - 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Worship with Dennis Agajanian

"What The 'News' is Not Telling You"

Joseph Farah, World Net Daily Founder

"High Tech in the Bible"
Chuck Missler, Koinonia Institute Founder

Q&A with Chuck Missler


Saturday - 9:00am to 10:00pm

Worship with Dennis Agajanian

"All Eyes On The Epicenter: Russia, Iran and the Future of Israel"
Joel Rosenberg,  Author, Speaker, Communications Strategist

"The Signs of the Times: We Are Closer Than You Think"

Paul McGuire, Author/Radio Commentator

"The Merciful God of Revelation"
Tim LaHaye, Author of the Left Behind Series

"The Divine Butler…A Nation in Distress"
Ray Comfort, Pastor/Author/Bible Teacher

"Lessons From the Ledge...A Biblical Explorer Shares His Incredible Findings"
Bob Cornuke, Archaeologist with B.A.S.E. Institute

"Israel at 60: What Does the Future Hold"

General Shimon Erem

"Islam in Bible Prophecy"
Walid Shoebat, Former PLO Terrorist


Sunday Night
- There will be a special KI Members Dinner and private session with Walid Shoebat. For more information on the KI dinner contact Dan Stolebarger.

General admission tickets are only $25 if you purchase them before May 1st – so don't wait! For more information, or to purchase tickets, click on the link below.

Related Links:

 • Purchase Tickets Here - $25.00 before May 1st
 • Events Calendar - Koinonia House

 


**IMPORTANT NEWS HEADLINES**

VeriChip Launches Direct to Consumer ID Chips - April 29, 2008
VeriChip has launched a direct-to-consumer ID chip program known as Health Link. Consumers may now opt to have the RFID chip implanted in their arms, the transponder's unique 16-digit ID number is linked to a database containing that individual's medical records. RFID Journal

Home Foreclosure Rate Continues Ugly Climb - April 29, 2008
The number of US homes heading toward foreclosure more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier, as weakening property values and tighter lending left many homeowners powerless to prevent homes from being auctioned to the highest bidder. Among the hardest hit states were Nevada, Florida and California. MSNBC

Housing Prices Drop at Fastest Pace Ever - April 29, 2008
Housing prices dropped in February at the fastest rate ever, reflecting that the housing slump is gaining momentum and showing no signs of letting up. MSNBC

Hamas Says It Has 200,000 Suicide Bombers - April 29, 2008
Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, said on Tuesday that Hamas has 200,000 people who want to blow themselves up inside Israel. Zahar says Israel will pay if it rejects the Egyptian initiative for truce with the Palestinians. JP

Some Stores Limiting Sales of Rice as Customers Hoard - April 29, 2008
Some Sam's Club, Costco, and warehouse stores are limiting purchases of rice and flour. Some consumers have started hoarding rice, the food staple for half the world, as prices soar and supplies shrink. AP

 


**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**

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Psalms 122:6-0 KJV

 


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4/27/2008

Breaking The Wave

The Tipping Point

Those who desire change are often counseled to expect small transformations and rewards that reveal themselves slowly. And the most profound adjustments in how people perceive the world often do occur gradually, with clear relationships between the cause and the effect. But ideas can literally be contagious, spreading little by little from one individual to another, with no noticeable societal change. No large-scale change, that is, until a critical mass has been reached. At that point, the tipping point, change is accelerated and rushes forward, almost unstoppable. The idea can be something concrete, such as the widespread interest in a fad, or something more cerebral, such as growing spirituality, enlightenment, or experiencing an awakening of consciousness.

To visualize the tipping point, think of a wave composed of individual drops of water representing people. As people embrace a movement or method, they increase the wave. As more people benefit from it, the wave grows, until it reaches its peak and plunges forward, actively drawing people in, without their being aware of any change at all. At that point, the idea, social behavior, or trend begins to spread at an amazing rate. When applied to the context of an awakening conscious, one person may assist another in that awakening and they in turn may help another. But the spread will only progress from individual to individual until the tipping point is reached. When the critical mass is reached, it becomes almost futile to resist that awakening, and the whole of a group or even the whole of humanity may be transformed.

The tipping point is a period of change wherein a creative minority can make a tangible difference by spreading positive ideas to the majority. It only takes a single individual to tip the wave. In applying the concept of the tipping point to your own growth, it may be helpful to remember the power of one. It means no effort is useless, because it is contributing to a larger outcome, and that even small actions can produce profound changes.

4/25/2008

K-House eNews for April 22, 2008

Koinonia House Online
Bringing the world into focus through the lens of Scripture
K-House eNews
For The Week Of April 22, 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

  • 'Expelled' Finds An Audience - (Read)
  • Darfur Food Rations Cut In Half - (Read)
  • Is Life Really Worth Living? - (Read)
  • Upcoming Events - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

 


**THIS WEEK'S 66/40 RADIO BROADCAST**

Genesis 1:6-1:13 Genesis 1:6-1:13
The Properties of Space

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**

The Creator Beyond Time and Space Series on CD-ROM by Chuck Missler The Creator Beyond Time and Space Series on CD-ROM by Chuck Missler

Astonishing discoveries have surfaced which point to the existence of a transcendent extra-dimensional Creator. Furthermore, numerous recent discoveries now confirm the incredible scientific and historical accuracy of the Bible, as well as the supernatural origin of its texts.

Now, you can get the entire Creator series on one CD-ROM.  If you were to purchase all these studies separately, it would cost you almost $60.00.

This self-contained CD-ROM includes these studies:
The Creator Beyond Time and Space
The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message
Immanuel: The Deity of Messiah
The Divine Watchmaker

MP3 on CD-ROM - $18.95 (Normally $24.95 - Save 25%)

This offer will expire in 7 days.

 


**ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY**

'EXPELLED' FINDS AN AUDIENCE - (Print)

This past weekend the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed opened in theaters around the country. The documentary, hosted by Ben Stein, takes a look at the debate – or lack thereof – and the controversy surrounding the theory of intelligent design. Expelled examines how many scientists have been chastised, denied tenured positions, or even fired for suggesting that Darwin's theory of evolution may not be the best explanation for life on earth. The film argues that "big science" is using intimidation and censorship to stifle academic and scientific debate. Instead of encouraging scientists to ask questions, examine the facts, and follow the evidence wherever it may lead, our universities and scientific institutions are using their influence to suppress those who are bold enough to question the accepted evolutionary theology.

Expelled did well at the box office, despite being almost universally panned by mainstream media critics (a rather hostile review by the New York Times actually described the film as a sleazy "conspiracy theory rant"). Expelled took in $3.2 million in its opening weekend. It managed to break into the top 10 at the box office, despite only showing on about 1,000 screens nationwide (wide release films typically show on 2,000+ screens). While $3.2 million certainly isn't spectacular for a mainstream movie, it is quite good for a documentary. In fact, Expelled had the third best opening in history for a documentary, and could end up as one of the top 10 highest-grossing documentaries of all time.

Darwin's Wall

Expelled opens with documentary footage of the Berlin going up and ends with it coming down. The idea is that a similar wall has been built in the scientific community. It is a wall meant to protect the sacred cow of modern science and the cornerstone of secular humanism. Expelled argues that scientists should be able to take an objective look at intelligent design without fear of reprisal. The film includes interviews with scientists on both sides of the debate, including Stephen C. Meyer of the Discovery Institute and well-known atheist Richard Dawkins.

If intelligent design isn't real science, if indeed it is merely religious propaganda, what are scientists like Dawkins so afraid of? The truth is that the more we learn about universe, the more obvious it becomes that we are not the result of random chance. The discovery of DNA, in particular, has radically transformed modern science and changed how many look at the origin of life. DNA is a digital, error-correcting, and self-replicating code; and within its complicated and elegant structure are the blueprints of every living thing on the planet. According to Dr. Jerry Bergman, a professor of science at Northwest College, "At the moment of conception, a fertilized human egg is about the size of a pinhead, yet it contains information equivalent to about six billion chemical letters. This is enough information to fill 1000 books, 500 pages thick with print so small you would need a microscope to read it! If all the chemical letters in the human body were printed in books, it is estimated they would fill the Grand Canyon fifty times!"

Random chance cannot account for the complex design of DNA. It is statistically and mathematically impossible. The chances of winning the state lottery every week of your life from the age of 18 to 99 are better than the odds of a single-celled organism being formed by random chance. Likewise, the probability of spontaneous generation is about the same as the probability that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard could assemble a 747 from the contents therein. It is impossible. The evidence all points to the unavoidable conclusion that we not the product of chance, but the result of intelligent design.

To learn more about this topic click on the links below. For a more in-depth look at the origins of life check out The Creator Series (this series contains four excellent briefings on various topics related to the creation/evolution debate).

Related Links:

 • The Creator Series on CD-Rom - Special Offer!
 • Study Resources: Creation/Evolution - Koinonia House
 • Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed - Official Movie Website
 • 'Expelled' Enjoys Top 10 Opening - BP
 • 'Expelled' Review - New York Times
 • Stein Turns the Tables on Darwinists - LA Daily News

DARFUR FOOD RATIONS CUT IN HALF - (Print)

Throughout the past year the humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of Sudan has continued to deteriorate. Furthermore, experts say it is likely to get worse. Full deployment of the much-touted UN peacekeeping force has been delayed until next year, according to recent Security Council reports, and food rations for the needy have been cut in half due to attacks on UN convoys. It has long been acknowledged that something should be done, yet despite the severity of the situation it seems very little progress has been made to stop the bloodshed and suffering.

Over the past five years hundreds of thousands of people have died in Darfur as a result of violence, disease, and malnutrition. The conflict began in February of 2003. In response to political unrest in the western region of Darfur, the Sudanese government mobilized an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed – which translated means "devils on horseback." The Janjaweed have been accused of burning villages, kidnapping children, contaminating water sources and systematically raping women as a form of ethnic cleansing.

Humanitarian agencies estimate that more than 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes. Approximately 260,000 refugees have fled the country and the rest have settled in camps throughout the region. Those in refugee camps still live in fear of the Janjaweed and are suffering from disease and starvation. Tens of thousands of people are without shelter or sanitation, receive no food aid, and have to drink contaminated water. Militiamen often attack anyone who ventures away from the refugee camps to search for food and water.

Sudan is on the US State Department's list of states that sponsor terrorism. Sudan has given shelter to terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, which used Sudan as its main operational and training base from 1991 to 1996. Since the September 11 attacks, international investigators suspect it has become a financial hub for al-Qaeda's terror network. Sudan has also harbored members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, and others. The National Islamic Front, the strict Islamist party that governs most of Sudan, does not consider any of these groups to be terrorist organizations.

It has been said that a single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic. However we serve a loving God who created us and knows us intimately. The very hairs on our heads are numbered. It is the same with each and every person in Sudan. God sees their pain and is grieved by it - as His children we should be grieved by it too.

Related Links:

 • Strategic Trends: The Rise of Islam - Koinonia House
 • U.N. Says Darfur Conflict Getting Worse - FOX News
 • 100,000 More Dead in Darfur Than Reported - CNN
 • Darfur Food Aid Cut by Half - PA
 • The Sword of Allah - Koinonia House

IS LIFE REALLY WORTH LIVING? - (Print)

Is life really worth living? We have in our possession a considered response to this basic question from one of the wisest, richest, most powerful men to have walked the earth. And yet even today his counsel is widely ignored or misunderstood!

"Vanity of vanities," lamented Solomon, "all is vanity!" Solomon used the word "vanity" 38 times in Ecclesiastes as he wrote about life "under the sun." The word means "emptiness," "futility," "vapor"; "that which vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind." From the human point of view, life ("under the sun") does often appear futile; and it is easy for us to get pessimistic. But we should not mistake brutal honesty with pessimism.

The Hebrew title is Koheleth, and it is the title given to an official speaker who calls an assembly. The Greek word for "assembly" is ekklesia, and thus the Septuagint version gives us the English title of the book, Ecclesiastes. But the Preacher did more than call an assembly and give an oration. The word Koheleth carries with it the idea of debating, not so much with the listeners as with himself. He would present a topic, discuss it from many viewpoints, and then come to a practical conclusion.

Ecclesiastes is different from any other book of the Bible. It does not dwell on the covenant, the election of Israel, redemption, prophecy, sacred history, or the temple. Its focus is on man the creature, his life on earth, and the inscrutability of God and His ways. Ecclesiastes goes beyond the other wisdom literature to emphasize the fact that human life and human goals, as ends in themselves and apart from God, are futile and meaningless.

Relevance for Today

Among other things, Solomon saw injustice to the poor (Eccl 4:1-3), crooked politics (Eccl 5:8), incompetent leaders (Eccl 10:6-7), guilty people allowed to commit more crimes (Eccl 8:11), materialism (Eccl 5:10), and a desire for "the good old days (Eccl 7:10)." It sounds relevant for us, too, doesn't it? Solomon has put the key to Ecclesiastes right at the front door:

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? - Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

Just in case we missed it, he also put the same key at the back door (Eccl 12:8). But don't assume he is cynical or pessimistic: that would miss his real point! Whether he considers his wealth, his works, his wisdom, or his world, Solomon comes to a sad appraisal: all is "vanity and vexation of spirit." However, this is not his final conclusion, nor is it the only message that he has for his readers. We will discover much more as we delve into the depth of the book.

In spite of his painful encounters with the world and its problems, Solomon does not recommend either pessimism or cynicism. Rather, he admonishes us to be realistic about life, accept God's gifts and enjoy them (Eccl 2:24; 3:12-15, 22). After all, God gives to us "richly all things to enjoy." [Words related to joy (enjoy, rejoice, etc.) are used at least 17 times in Ecclesiastes.]

Solomon does not say, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die!" Instead, he advises us to trust God and enjoy what we do have rather than complain about what we don't have. Life is short and life is difficult, so make the most of it while you can.

Solomon initially opens with three bleak observations: nothing is really changed nothing is really new, and nothing is understood. After experimenting and investigating "life under the sun," he initially concluded, "No, life is not worth living!" And he gave four arguments to support his conclusion: the monotony of life, the vanity of wisdom, the futility of wealth, and the certainty of death.

But being a wise man, Solomon, in Chapters 3 to 10, reviewed his arguments and this time brought God into the picture. What a difference it made! By reexamining each of these impressions more carefully he realized that life was not monotonous but filled with challenging situations from God, each in its own time and each for its own purpose. He also learned that wealth could be enjoyed and employed to the glory of God. Though man's wisdom couldn't explain everything, Solomon concluded that it was better to follow God's wisdom than to practice man's folly. And as for the certainty of death, there is no way to escape it; it ought to motivate us to enjoy life now and make the most of the opportunities God gives us.

So he asks his listeners to look up, look within, look ahead, and look around, and to take into consideration time, eternity, death, and suffering: these four factors God uses to keep our lives from becoming monotonous and meaningless. In his final conclusion and personal application, Solomon then presents four pictures of life and attaches to each picture a practical admonition for his readers to heed:

  • Life is an ADVENTURE - live by faith (Eccl 4:1-5:9)
  • Life is a GIFT - enjoy it (Eccl 11:1-6)
  • Life is a SCHOOL - learn your lessons (11:7-12:8) 
  • Life is a STEWARDSHIP - fear God (Eccl 12:9-12)

These four pictures parallel the four arguments that Solomon had wrestled with throughout the book: Life is not monotonous; rather, it is an adventure of faith that is anything but predictable or tedious. Yes, death is certain, but life is a gift from God and He wants us to enjoy it. Are there questions we can't answer and problems we can't solve? Don't despair. God teaches us His truth as we advance in "the school of life," and He will give us wisdom enough to make sensible decisions. Finally, as far as wealth is concerned, all of life is a stewardship from God; and one day He will call us to give an account. Therefore, "fear God, and keep His commandments."

Here we have practical advice about life from one of the wisest, richest, most powerful men to have ever lived. His insights about life, money, values, and ordering one's personal priorities are priceless: this is a rewarding guidebook to the reader who looks behind the initial impressions to find the wisdom this remarkable man gleaned from his unique career  - click on the link to learn more.

Related Links:

 • Ecclesiastes - Verse by Verse Commentary - MP3 Download
 • Ecclesiastes - Verse by Verse Commentary - CD-Rom
 • Bible Study Resources - Koinonia House

UPCOMING EVENTS - (Print)

Strategic Perspectives: Southern California Conference
May 16th-17th at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills

Friday Night - 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Worship with Dennis Agajanian

"What The 'News' is Not Telling You"

Joseph Farah, World Net Daily Founder

"High Tech in the Bible"
Chuck Missler, Koinonia Institute Founder

Q&A with Chuck Missler


Saturday - 9:00am to 10:00pm

Worship with Dennis Agajanian

TBA
Jack Hibbs, Pastor of CC Chino Hills

"The Signs of the Times: We Are Closer Than You Think"

Paul McGuire, Author/Radio Commentator

"The Merciful God of Revelation"
Tim LaHaye, Author of the Left Behind Series

"The Divine Butler…A Nation in Distress"
Ray Comfort, Pastor/Author/Bible Teacher

"Lessons From the Ledge...A Biblical Explorer Shares His Incredible Findings"
Bob Cornuke, Archaeologist with B.A.S.E. Institute

"Israel at 60: What Does the Future Hold"

General Shimon Erem

"Islam in Bible Prophecy"
Walid Shoebat, Former PLO Terrorist


Sunday Night
- There will be a special KI Members Dinner and private session with Walid Shoebat. For more information on the KI dinner contact Dan Stolebarger.

General admission tickets are only $25 if you purchase them before May 1 – so don't wait! For more information, or to purchase tickets, click on the link below.

Related Links:

 • Strategic Perspectives - Southern California Conference
 • Events Calendar - Koinonia House

 


**IMPORTANT NEWS HEADLINES**

US Christians Support Israel - April 22, 2008
More than 80 percent of American Christians say they have a "moral and biblical obligation" to support the State of Israel, and half say Jerusalem should remain its undivided capital, according to a recent survey. JP

New Chip Will Store 500,000 Songs - April 22, 2008
Mobile phones, iPods and other consumer devices may soon be able to hold a hundred times more information than they do at present thanks to a breakthrough in storage technology. Scientists at IBM say they have developed a new type of digital storage which would enable a device such as an MP3 player to store about half a million songs - or 3,500 films - and cost far less to produce. Times

Study: Few Born Agains Tithe - April 22, 2008
Only 9 percent of all born again adults gave 10 percent of their income to churches and charitable groups, a new survey revealed. Overall, only 5 percent of US adults tithed in 2007, according to data collected by the Barna Group. CP

UN Food Chief Urges Crisis Action - April 22, 2008
The head of the UN World Food Programme has said urgent action is required to stimulate food production and help the poor cope with soaring food prices. According to the UN, an additional 100 million people, who did not need assistance six months ago, cannot now afford to purchase food. BBC

Judge Orders School to Stop Bible Giveaways - April 22, 2008
A federal judge ordered a public school system in Louisiana to stop allowing in-school Bible giveaways, saying the practice violates the First Amendment separation of church and state. The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the school district after Gideons International was allowed to distribute Bibles on campus. FOX News

 


**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**

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
James 1:22-25 KJV

 


**SUPPORT INFORMATION**

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4/24/2008

That 'Insulting' Pope

The WallStreet Journal

Review & Outlook

It's not everyday that a backbencher in Congress draws international attention by insulting the spiritual leader of one in four Americans. But Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo, the anti-immigrant obsessive, wasn't about to miss his moment.

Pope Benedict XVI called on U.S. bishops last week to "continue to welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials and to help them flourish in their new home." Mr. Tancredo's response was to accuse the pontiff of "faith-based marketing" and claim that "the pope's immigration comments may have less to do with spreading the gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the church."

[Pope Benedict XVI]

Mr. Tancredo – who sports T-shirts that read "America Is Full" – also cited a March 1 Wall Street Journal editorial to support his argument. The editorial concerned a new Pew survey on religion in the U.S. and noted that in recent decades the Catholic Church has been losing members among the native born but gaining them among the foreign born. "We'd encourage our friends on the right who want to limit immigration to consider the health of our churches," we wrote.

Our point, evidently missed by the Congressman, was that the U.S. Catholic Church has traditionally been an immigrant church, helping to settle and assimilate generations of Irish, Polish and Italian newcomers. The pope made a similar argument during his visit last week in separate remarks to U.S. educators. "Countless dedicated religious sisters, brothers and priests together with selfless parents have, through Catholic schools, helped generations of immigrants to rise from poverty and take their place in mainstream society," he said.

To Lou Dobbs, another Tancredo-like compulsive, all of this amounted to the pope "insulting our country." The CNN anchor said, "I really don't appreciate the bad manners of a guest telling me in this country and my fellow citizens what to do." You know the restrictionists have gone head-first into the fever swamps when they denounce a Christian religious leader for sounding like a Christian.

The pope welcomes immigrants because he's Catholic, not because they are. He isn't "marketing" his faith. He's practicing it.

4/23/2008

The List: The World’s Most Dangerous Food Crises

ForeignPolicy.com

Soaring energy prices, growing demand from India and China, the rise of biofuels, and increasingly unpredictable weather have spawned a global food crisis that stretches from Port-au-Prince to Pyongyang. This week, FP looks at the next places likely to be rocked by shortages, riots, poverty, and hunger.

North Korea

Undernourished population: 35 percent
Rice price: up 186 percent since April 2007
Overall food prices: up 70 percent

In 2007, catastrophic flooding wiped out anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of North Korea’s staple corn and rice crops. Earlier this month, the regime announced it was suspending the food ration system in its capital for six months, a sign that leader Kim Jong Il’s administration is bracing itself for another crisis. The North regularly produces only about 80 percent of what it consumes, a figure likely to shrink to about 60 percent this year. But that hasn’t stopped the regime from alienating the very donors—international aid organizations, the West, and South Korea—that have aided it in years past. Kim has annoyed his counterparts in the West and South Korea with harsh rhetoric and continual delays in nuclear negotiations. Responding to the tough stance of new South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Kim’s party newspaper Rodong Sinmun vowed that North Korea “will be able to live as it wishes without any help from the South.” Maybe that’s true for Kim and his associates, but for the 6.5 million North Koreans who live with chronic food insecurity, it spells trouble.

Prediction: The current food crisis could be the worst the country has ever seen, according to an unnamed North Korean official quoted in USA Today. That’s saying a lot, considering that famine during the 1990s killed an estimated 2 million people.

Click here to read full text.

4/22/2008

What is 'New Age' Religion, and Why Can't Christians Get on Board?

By Barbara Curtis
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

If you haven't run into it before, it would be hard to avoid it now. Oprah's rolling out the red carpet for the New Age: a weekly online class with New York Times bestselling guru Eckhart Tolle and a daily broadcast with Marianne Williamson, whose Course in Miracles was beckoning seekers thirty years ago when I was tripping through the wonderland of discovering my own divinity and wielding the powers of the universe to create my own reality.

Ah, but I didn’t know Jesus back then – that is, I didn't know him as the Son of God. I knew him only through my guru, who taught that Jesus was a great spiritual master and who blended quotes from the New Testament with quotes from the Bhagavad-Gita to produce a spiritual foundation for people like me – too hip, too cool, too sophisticated to tie themselves to the narrow-minded thinking of Christianity.

As someone plucked out miraculously from the New Age, I can only hope that Christians who love and trust Oprah will not blur the lines of their faith. Oprah has stated that though she was raised as a Baptist, she no longer believes that Jesus is the only way to reach God. It sounds so much more rational and compassionate, doesn't it?

Why can't we all just get along?

There are questions we don't have the answers to. And there are questions that are not seeking an answer, but rather opening a door leading to "a wider path" – questions like the one posed long ago: "Hasn't God said that you could eat of every tree of the garden?"

The New Age is based on concepts that sound almost irresistible. Like Eve, some hear the spiels of modern gurus like Tolle and Willamson and begin to think the faith of their fathers is too rigid, too narrow – that God would never impose an "irrational" boundary between us and "full knowledge of the spiritual realm."

Sometimes the lie creeps in subtly as Christians begin to research natural or holistic medicine – alternatives which can be very God-honoring but for years were shunned by Christians, thus becoming New Age territory by default. Or a doctor may recommend yoga or meditation to reduce stress. No matter how uplifting and innocent some New Age practices appear, Christians need discernment in these areas, just as at the seashore they need to know where the undertow begins.

The more we understand the distinctions between New Age religion and Christianity, the less vulnerable we are ourselves and the better able to address the confusion of people who may be – as I once was – earnestly seeking the truth.

What exactly is the New Age? Impossible to narrow down, the New Age is actually a vast smorgasbord of beliefs and practices. Each New Ager fills his tray with whatever assortment fits his appetite. All is liberally seasoned with self-centeredness. It's really a Have-It-Your-Way religion – thus its modern appeal...

Click here to read full text.

----------
There are Christians who live their lives as though they are not. There are non-Christians who live their lives as though they are Christians.

[Matthew 7:21-24]

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Conceiving Conception at Messiah

By Dr. Paul Kengor

...One of the most frustrating exchanges in the forum related to the question of conception—when human life begins. This is a significant question for these two candidates, given there is not much difference in their extremism on abortion. It is also significant that it was raised at a Christian college in Pennsylvania. The Christian aspect is obvious; as for Pennsylvania—outsiders should know that this is a pro-life state, where pro-life Democrats not only commonly exist but often get elected.

On this literal life-death issue, credit goes to Newsweek’s Jon Meacham, who co-hosted the forum, and did his homework. Meacham must have known that Mrs. Clinton has always carefully avoided this question. She understands the stakes of conceding that life begins at conception. As noted by Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason, if the object in the womb is not a life begun at conception, then whatever one chooses to do with it is no concern. But once one acknowledges the object is human life, moral considerations completely change.

In my research on Mrs. Clinton, my closest lead into her thinking was this assertion by her husband in his 2004 memoirs: “Everyone knows life begins biologically at conception,” wrote Bill Clinton, the man with whom Hillary Clinton has had more discussions on more subjects than anyone else, including abortion. One would think “everyone” includes Senator Clinton. But then, Bill added a classic Clinton qualification: “Most people who are pro-choice understand that abortions terminate potential life.”

Note the words potential life. Alas, this was precisely Mrs. Clinton’s response at Messiah. “I believe that the potential for life begins at conception,” she explained, and then plunged into a defense of abortion. “But for me, it is also not only about a potential life…. And, therefore, I have concluded, after great, you know, concern and searching my own mind and heart over many years, that our task should be, in this pluralistic, diverse life of ours in this nation, that individuals must be entrusted to make this profound decision…. I think abortion should remain legal.”

Clearly, Mrs. Clinton’s view of “pluralistic, diverse life” has limits.

Obama’s answer was even more ambiguous: “This is something that I have not, I think, come to a firm resolution on. I think it’s very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So, I don’t presume to know the answer to that question. What I know, as I’ve said before, is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we’re having these debates.”

Basically, Obama concluded that in considering these questions during these debates, we should consider these questions during these debates—and that potential life is “extraordinarily powerful.” In response, the Messiah faithful erupted into applause, indubitably impressed.

In essence, neither of these would-be presidents professes any idea when life begins. In actuality, of course, both almost certainly believe life begins at conception. No doubt, any scientist at Harvard could have clued in Obama on this simple biological reality. And Hillary Clinton must have heard this somewhere at Yale.

The truth is that both candidates will not state the obvious on conception because of their positions on abortion. If they utter the self-evident truth, they undermine the “compassion” of their stance on abortion...

Click here to read full text.

Why Rice is So Expensive

By Ricky Carandang

...With all these concerns about the health of the US economy, there’s been an exodus of portfolio money from US assets. As all this hot money goes out of the US, fund managers are looking for other places to put their money. And they’re going into commodities. They’ve seen how oil and precious metals have gone up and continue to go up. But with oil and gold hitting record highs, there’s a sense that the upside may be limited so they’ve focused on commodities that they believe could have a greater short term upside. And that means corn, wheat, soy, and rice.

Yes, there are real supply and demand factors driving up rice prices, but one must concede that a big chunk of the increases in the prices of oil, gold, and rice, are due to speculation on the international commodities markets.

But because gold is not a basic commodity, it can go up dramtically without too much of a ripple in the world economy. And yes, the global economy has proven pretty resilient in the face of rising oil prices because increased efficiencies in their use. For example, cars today are much more fuel efficient than they were in the 1970s when the last major oil shock rattled the global economy.

But a rapid and sharp rise in rice and wheat prices will have a dangerous impact on the world’s poor countries. The World Bank and the United Nations have raised the alarm on this.

The effects are being felt not just in the Philippines but all over the developing world. Western media is blaming supply and demand problems, and to some extent they are right. Governments like ours have lacked the foresight or the will or just never really cared about forward planning to ensure food security. So the government is partly to blame as well. But Western media is also glossing over the fact that much of this food crisis is due to unhampered speculation on the international commodity markets...

Click here to read full text.

----------
So in light of speculative investing, after all, in the long run, is total free trade advantageous to economies striving to emerge?

Why do you think the USA is getting more aggressive now in promoting free trade than before?

Emerging economies should be very prudent in deciding what specific areas of their economies are they going to allow free trade.

An emerging economy entering into a total free trade agreement with a fully developed economy is like a wage-earner gambling poker against a casino.

4/20/2008

A Softer Touch

Apply Gentleness To Everything

Throughout life we must cope with blockages that impede our forward momentum. Whether these obstacles are of a personal, professional, or societal nature, our first instinct may be to push against the obstruction. But the simplest way to alleviate resistance is to approach it gently, with a soft manner and kind intentions. Struggle and strife can find no foothold when confronted with mildness because conflict can only exist when fed by two opposing forces. So many areas of our lives can benefit from the application of gentleness. The beauty of gentleness lies in its multifaceted nature. It is part love, part compassion, part patience, part understanding, and part respect for others. When we move through life gently as a matter of course, we naturally attract these wonderful elements into our lives.

This does not mean that gentle people are by nature passive or meek. Rather, their copious inner power is manifested in their gentleness and their choice to move with the flow of the universe instead of against it. You can make use of gentleness in your own life by applying it in situations where you feel challenged by your circumstances or by people in your environment. As you move forward gently, the energy pervading your life will likely shift and, consequently, the blockages before you will vanish. Cooperation progresses smoothly when approached gently because all parties involved feel confident that their needs will be met. And quarrels are easily quelled with gentleness because the dualistic concepts of losing and winning are made moot by our willingness to exercise infinite patience with those whose values differ from our own.

Gentleness must be practiced, as we are inadvertently encouraged to act competitive in certain phases of our lives. At first, your established habits may make being truly gentle challenging. Yet after a time, if you commit to consciously applying gentleness to all areas of your life, whether by collaborating rather than competing or yielding graciously to the impassable roadblocks in your path in order to seek a new road, you will find that you begin to act gently habitually. Your patterns of thought and behavior become ever more peaceful, and you will discover that you encounter far less impassable resistance on your individual journey.

----------
Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.

Tearing Down To Rebuild

Rethinking Complaining

We all know someone who has elevated the process of complaining to a high art. Sometimes funny, sometimes exhausting, these people have the ability to find a problem just about anywhere. In its more evolved form, complaining is simply the ability to see what’s not working, in one’s own life or in the external world, and it can be quite useful if followed to its natural conclusion—finding a solution and applying it. However, many of us don’t get that far, and we find that complaining has become an end in itself. In small doses, this is not a big problem, but if complaining has become a huge part of our identities, it may be time to take a good look at how we are spending our energy.

Complaining is a person’s way of acknowledging that they are not happy with the way things are. In a metaphorical way, when we complain or criticize, we are tearing down an undesirable structure in order to make room for something new. But if all we do is tear down, never bothering to summon the creative energy required to create something new, we are not fulfilling the process. In fact, we are at risk for becoming a stagnant and destructive force in our own lives and in the lives of the people we love. Another issue with complaining is that we sometimes tend to focus on other people, whom we can’t change, as a way of deflecting attention from the one person we can change—ourselves. So transforming complaining into something useful is a twofold process that begins with turning our critical eye to look at things we can actually do something about, and then taking positive action.

When we find ourselves complaining, the last thing we need to do is get down on ourselves. Instead, we can begin by noticing that we are in the mode of wanting to make some changes. But rather than lashing out at somebody or an organization, we can look for an appropriate place to channel this energy—not our neighbor’s house, but possibly parts of our own. Finally, we can ask ourselves the positive question of what we would like to create in the place of whatever it is we want to tear down. When we do this, we channel a negative habit into a creative process, thus using our energy to change the world around us in a positive way.

----------
1 Thessalonians 5:14-22

We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

Don't quench the Spirit.
Don't despise prophesies.
Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.

Hebrews 3:13

But exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today;” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

4/17/2008

K-House eNews for April 15, 2008

Koinonia House Online
Bringing the world into focus through the lens of Scripture
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 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 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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