"Rampaging Muslims"

**Two New Articles @:   www.apf327.blogspot.com

FAITH UNDER FIRE

Christian churches burned by rampaging Muslims

Dozens of buildings destroyed by Islamic attackers

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Posted: March 10, 2011
1:00 am Eastern

By Michael Carl
© 2011 WorldNetDaily

Destroyed: Ethiopian Christian church (Compass Direct photo)

More than 50 churches, nearly 30 houses, a school and an orphanage along with other Christian-owned buildings have been destroyed by rampaging Muslims in Ethiopia's Jamma region, according to reports from the Christian news service Compass Direct and others.

International Christian Concern's Jonathan Racho has been in contact with a pastor in Ethiopia who confirms that more than 50 churches have been burned – along with a school, an orphanage and an office.

Racho said the wave of arson was touched off by Muslims framing Christians for desecrating a Quran.

"The Muslims desecrated a Quran and put it in a church compound and then accused Christians of desecrating a Quran, then started attacking," Racho said. "Since this happened, since it happened in a part of Ethiopia where Muslims have the majority, the police failed to protect the Christians.

"So the Muslim mobs were able to carry out attacks in many cities," he said.

"This is unprecedented in Ethiopia because Ethiopia is considered to be a Christian majority country. There have been attacks against Christians in the past but it's unprecedented because of the number of churches," Racho explained.

Atlas Shrugs publisher Pamela Geller says the mainstream press has ignored the church burnings.

Racho indicated that while there is no cause-and-effect relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia, the philosophical basis is the same.

"There is no evidence to link what happened in Ethiopia to the sometimes democratic voices that we are hearing in some Arab countries," Racho declared. "There is no evidence whatsoever to link the two movements."  However, Racho said that there is a similarity in the motivation.

"The church leaders were able to tell us that there is a very radical Islamic movement called Kwarej. … This group believes that Muslims should only live in an Islamic state and only obey laws which are made by Islamic states," Racho stated.

"They consider Ethiopia an illegitimate country so they have no regard for Ethiopia at all. This is the group believed to be behind the attacks on the churches," he added.

Racho said that Kwarej's philosophy matches the Islam proclaimed in Muhammad's Medina period.

WND reported on an article by American-born Imam Anwar al-Awlaki that Center for the Study of Political Islam founder Bill Warner describes this level of Islamic practice as "mature Islam."

"This is in line with where radical Muslims call for an Islamic state where Shariah is the law of the land. And it's where Christians and Jews are considered second class citizens and tiny other religions are exterminated and believers of the other religions will be killed," Racho said.

Rubble of Christian church destroyed in Ethiopia (Compass Direct photo)

"This is a movement to re-establish an Islamic state that was in existence in the past," he said.

Racho explained that the Kwarej movement in Ethiopia is very much in agreement with the philosophy and goals of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"There is no doubt. One of the motives of the Muslim Brotherhood is the Shariah law, so, yes, there is no doubt," Racho said.

Various reports indicate that the Kwarej take their name from an Islamic movement that broke away from Muhammad's successor, Ali ibn Ali Talib. The Kwarej were also called the Hukmiyya because they denied the authority and leadership of two of Muhammad's arbitrators, Abu Musa al-Ashari and Amr ibn al-As. The Kwarej were also known for a defiant battle cry, "The decision belongs to Allah alone; the two arbitrators have no power to decide!"

Racho explained that the local governments have failed to act to stop the violence. He says Ethiopian federal authorities have stepped in and dismissed a local official who failed to intervene and stop the attacks.

The recent attacks have not only taken a toll on churches, but reports indicate that the wave of church and house burnings has left more than 3,000 people homeless.  Most of the newly created refugees in Ethiopia are seeking shelter in other villages and towns in the Christian parts of the country.

"How Little Portion is Heard of Him"

"Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him?  but the thunder of his power who can understand?" (Job 26:14)

"Parts of his ways...."  Think just now of the person you believe to be the most "spiritual," the most powerful teacher, one with the greatest, most consistent prophetic revelation.  Finished?  Well that person, just like you and me, knows, "parts of his ways"!  Several translations go on to say, "how faint," or, "small the whisper we hear of him!"  The NASB says, "And how faint a word we hear of Him!"  To all who see themselves as "confessors" or counselors for the less enlightened, all you have is, "how faint a word...."

The devastation today in the Pacific Basin from the 8.9 earthquake has shown and reported suffering on a massive scale.  Most of humanity has touched suffering in some form and to some degree, yet I never try to answer the "whys."  Job, however, is a great example of a surrendered- life attitude.  All throughout the Book of Job, though confused at times, even despairing of life itself, we read of Job's surrender to the Divine mystery.  After all his reasoning, all his questions, his confusion, perhaps his greatest statement was, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."  

Father says to Son, Jesus, "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.  They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment."  The best rest for the human soul today is in Jesus Christ.  The Greek word for, "laid," here is in the present active indicative mood, and has the sense of agreement.  Can I suggest, the Blessed Trinity is creating, sustaining, empowering, caring for, "upholding all things by the Word of His power," any who are suffering, have questions, answered or unanswered, yet thankful for however, "faint the whisper we hear of Him."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the, "little...portion," I hear of You.  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

Latest News on German Rail Strike

Transport Chaos in Germany

Commuters Hit Hard as Train Drivers Strike

Photo Gallery: 10 Photos

DPA

Travel chaos descended on Germany Thursday as some 800 train drivers went on strike. Hundreds of services were cancelled, and commuters across the country suffered massive delays. The union behind the industrial action is demanding that its members who work for smaller private rail firms should earn as much as those employed by Deutsche Bahn.

A crippling strike by train drivers in a dispute over wages caused havoc across Germany during rush hour on Thursday morning, with countless delays and cancellations. Around 800 drivers walked off the job for six hours between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., leaving thousands of commuters struggling to get to work -- and the dispute is threatening to become a long-term nightmare for travelers.

ANZEIGE

The industrial action was taken by the GDL union, which represents around 75 percent of Germany's train drivers. It is demanding a single pay scale for all its members, aimed at forcing smaller, private rail companies to offer the same wages as Deutsche Bahn, the country's national railway company. Private firms, which employ around 6,000 drivers compared to 20,000 at Deutsche Bahn, currently pay up to 30 percent less. The union has targeted Deutsche Bahn as a way of creating leverage, but the company has heavily criticized the strike action.

Delays and cancellations affected the rail system across Germany Thursday, and were particularly apparent in large cities like Berlin, where S-Bahn trains were operating only sporadically. The extra traffic forced onto cars, buses and trams clogged up the streets. Passengers were told to plan for major delays even after the end of the strike at 10 a.m., as knock-on effects were expected to last hours until normal rail traffic is resumed.

GDL leader Claus Weselsky said that, while many passengers were frustrated by the action, there was also support for the union's demand for a single collective wage agreement and higher salaries. Weselsky also refused to rule out further strikes: "It's all open-ended."

And while he said they were aware of the impact the strike was having, the GDL does not want to rule out any possibilities "until the end." But now it was down to the employers to put an offer on the table that is "worthy of negotiation," he added.

Commuters Hit Hard

Deutsche Bahn, meanwhile, says it was disappointed that, contrary to what the GDL had said previously, commuters were hit hard. DB board member and human resources manager Ulrich Weber, speaking on TV channel ZDF on Thursday morning, also looked for the union to return to the negotiating table. "I call on the GDL to respond to our various written and oral offers."

But Weber said the union was to blame for the deadlock. He put the failure of negotiations with private rail companies squarely on the shoulders of the GDL, and also criticized the union's policy of withholding information about planned strikes. "The scheduling is suffering because the GDL always informs us of their intentions quite late."

Freight services had already been affected by the strike on Wednesday evening, with 500 drivers taking part and more than 600 trains arriving at their destinations either late or not at all. And on Thursday, urban, regional and national services were all hit badly, while busy hubs on Germany's long-distance network, including Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich, were particularly affected by the walkouts.

But this week's strikes were only a warm-up for the GDL. With a large-scale walkout, the train drivers' union was able to paralyze rail traffic across the country -- and it has threatened to do it again.

It's enough to send shivers down the spines of passengers who remember the crippling stoppages in 2007 and 2008, when GDL members walked out dozens of times in a dispute that lasted months.

Unfortunately for commuters, the potential for a similar marathon dispute also exists this time. "Trade unions can in principle go on strike as long as money is available in the strike fund," says employment law expert Julia Zange. The Friedenspflicht, the obligation not to go on strike during negotiations, only applies where there is a collective bargaining agreement that has not yet expired (such deals are generally only in place for a set number of years, and usually only for a few) -- which in the current dispute is not the case.

Another complicating factor is that there is no legal regulation of labor disputes in Germany. "Much depends on the intentions of both sides," says employment lawyer Greg Bush.

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"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

Jesus Christ, An Extravagant, Unreasonable Help

-----Original Message-----
From: sforest@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Mar 10, 2011 12:12 pm

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

So, here we are, the 10th of the month and Psalms 46-50, repetition of the same words over and over again, words which are, "life to those who find them and medicine to all their flesh."  

Our text does not say, "a very present help," to get us out of trouble," or to solve problems, or make life easy for me.  It is, "a very present help in trouble."  When Stephen died nearly 41 years ago, God was not, "a very present help," to bring him back, nor to take away the pain, the void, the sadness.  It's still here.  What He was, though, and is, and every shall be is, "a very present help."  Some want a God who does their bidding, then leaves them alone until they need more "help"--------- then more bidding, more help, more bidding.  Really?  There is never a time when I am not needy; and the Good News in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that while I am continually needy, Jesus Christ is continually, "very present."  

The Hebrew word for, "very," in our text is translated elsewhere as, "excessive, diligent."  So, the Blessed Trinity is, "God our refuge and strength, a diligent, excessive help," period.  "Excessive," means "going beyond the necessary," extravagant, even unreasonable.  This is God revealed solely in Jesus Christ------------- always "going beyond the necessary," extravagant, a beyond reason, "Help." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, without You I am an extremely vulnerable lamb, no protection, no strength.  So glad and thankful You are Both.  Amen.

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* See Article on Rift Between Germany and Israel at: www.apf327.blogspot.com  

* Please Pray for Our Mission to Berlin/East Europe, March 26-April 25

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"....The Truth...Lives in Us...Forever"

"....because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever...." (2 John 2, NIV)

I say this to you, my friends with whom I fellowship in this relatively modern media, the Internet, I am committed to you, "because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever."  Of course we know that truth is a Person, "The Word of God," Jesus Christ, and, "everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."  Though there be "truths," such as 2+2= 4, or gravity, or "the sun always rises in the east," they  cannot save us.  Only, "love of the Truth," can do that.

Yesterday I referred to a quote of Joseph Goebbels, the German Propaganda Minister from 1933-1945.  Wicked, evil though he was, he was not stupid.  He was a master of what the Bible calls, "the lie."  His philosophy was, "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."  This is going on every day in state (public) schools across America and around the world.  Children are being programmed in, "the lie," and it is scientific, economic, and social Darwinism which is the root of the educational lie.  This is one of the reasons I am absolutely committed to Christian Schools, aka, Kingdom schools.  

Ironically, my Mom and Dad were taught Scriptures in the state school system right here in the United States of America.  Mom once told me that the majority of the Scriptures she memorized she did so, not in Bible School, or Sunday School, but in her elementary school!  Decades later, America succumbed to, "the lie," and outlawed the Bible and the Prayer of Jesus for America's children.  The Enemy, "will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them"(2 Thess. 10, NLT).  

Now, it is up to us, "because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever," to do something about it.  Pray, vote for truth-loving political leaders, and hold one another accountable to and for truth.  "For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth" (2 Cor. 13:8).

Father, in Jesus' Name, keep people in my life who hold me accountable to and, "for the truth."  Amen.

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News, Commentary:  www.apf327.blogspot.com

Prophetic Video:       www.antipasprayerforce2.blogspot.com

   

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"How Satan Works"

"For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth."  (2 Jn. 3)

Joseph Goebbels once said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.  The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie.  It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State....When it comes to propaganda, you just have to keep repeating the same thing over and over again until people can't bear to hear it anymore------- and then you say it again."

2 Thessalonians 2 says, "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works.  Okay, if I want to know, "how Satan works", here it is.  "He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie."  You can apply this to the German in the 1920 and 1930 era.  You can apply this to current America, yes, to any people group.  The Bible is not a "Western religion."  Jesus Christ, "came to seek and to save that which is lost."  It is not "white man's religion."  Others love to believe that because they can go on loving and living the lie which their wicked hearts desire.

"Wickedness deceives those who are perishing," and they, "are perishing," because they refuse, "to love the truth and so be saved."  Forget the "sinner's prayer for a moment, and look for those who, "love the truth."  Give them the truth and you won't have to give them anything else.  They can take it from there.    

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Oh, how love I thy law!  It is my meditation all the day."  Amen.

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* Please pray about the pending transportation strike in Germany

* New Article at: www.apf327.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"Do Not Weep" Instead, "Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah"

"But one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep.  Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.'" (Revelation 5:5)

The word translated, "scroll," is the Greek word, "biblion," from which we get our English word, Bible.  I was once asked outright by a Romanian border guard if I had any "Biblie."  It is sort of a "universal" word (no pun intended).  At any rate, even though there is a particular "prophetic word" here to which the angel is referring, a further thought occurred to me as I was researching our text.  If a person wants to, "open the Biblion," he needs to constantly be in, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David," King Jesus, Who alone is worthy to, "open the biblion and to loose its seven seals."

There has been a lot of weeping over the centuries because of what Daniel spoke concerning, "the hidden things," or Paul, "even the deep things of God."  Man just cannot stand not knowing.  The range of his questions is unending, from, "Why did God allow this," to, "What about those who never heard?" to attempts to understand current global events in light of Biblical prophecy.  The previous verse to our text says, "I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside."  I wonder sometimes if all those religious gurus out there who think they can answer just about every question put to them, who condescend to us lowlies, if they ever thought for a moment that there are answers not found through the intellect, or in some ecclesiastical "position," even historical or Biblical knowledge, but rather in relational worthiness, viz., surrender-obedience to the, "Christ in us, the hope of glory."   

Throughout the ages, the reality facing humanity has been, "no one was found worthy...."  To which one may then say, "Okay, then what?"  To which Father replies, "behold, (See!  Look!) the Lion of the tribe of Judah." 

Addendum:  Just in case any "replacement" people may read this, notice that the last book of the New Testament, the last Book of the Biblical Canon, still refers to the "New Testament" Savior, Jesus, the, "King of kings and Lord of lords," the Only, "Head of the Church," as, "the Lion of the tribe of JUDAH"---- that very Jewish Tribe!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am not worthy to open Your Book without You.  Thank You that You brought me into You, into the "sealed" chamber.  Amen.

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News, Commentary: www.apf327.blogspot.com

Prophetic Video: www.antipasprayerforce2.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2