Vol 5
No 4 ISSN 1595-6342
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July
- August
2002
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CHRISTIAN LEADERS URGE BOTCOTT OF NEW GENDER-NEUTRAL BIBLE
A broad coalition of Church and Ministry leaders has urged a boycott of the controversial new gender-neutral version of America's best-selling Bible, the Today's New International Version (TNIV). More than 100 influential pastors, theologians and ministry heads, from conservative evangelicals to Pentecostals in the statement jointly signed said that "the TNIV is not sufficiently trustworthy to commend to the Church". Among those who signed the statement are Jack Hayford, James Dobson and Charles Colson. The gender-neutral Bible arose from the thinking that it is wrong and inaccurate, to think of God in terms of the male gender and that divinity/spirituality could be expressed equally well as either male or female. This is surely another of the so-called "post-modern" madness. And the objective in sight is hardly hidden: if the Bible cannot be physically removed from the earth, it can be effectively removed by being corrupted. Talk of contaminating the salt. Thank God, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world
PROTEIN FOLDING AND EVOLUTION
Researchers at IBM are currently trying to build a super computer that will simulate the process by which cells in our bodies carry out one of their routine jobs - folding protein molecules, correctly. To accomplish this simulation, the IBM has found it has to build a supercomputer with about one million microprocessors and which will run 500 times faster than the fastest supercomputer yet in existence today. They call this computer "Blue Gene".
Even for Blue Gene, the trivial task of folding a modest 300-residue protein is expected to last about a year of round-the-clock processing. Yet this is what most of the 75 trillion cells in our bodies have to do, routinely within seconds - if life is to go on. (See Nature 416 April 4, 2002 and ICR Acts and Facts Vol. 31, June 2002). How incredible that some people could dare to ascribe all these to mere chance and random processes! Would Blue Gene just evolve of itself out of nothing without a designer? How true the words of King David, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God"
SWEDEN SET TO CRIMINALIZE
OPPOSITION TO HOMOSEXUALITY
The Swedish Parliament has passed a constitutional amendment that will criminalize criticism of homosexuality. Such a show of 'intolerance' will attract between 6 months to 4 years in jail. The measure, passed by 56% of the voters must still be voted on again after elections this September before it becomes effective. According to Annalie Enochson, a Christian Member of Parliament, this amendment is a serious threat to religious freedom and speech. .(Please see details
HERE or HERE)
The reasoning behind this noble-sounding decision being promoted by New World advocates is that the world will become more peaceful if humanity can only be more 'tolerant'. In other word, people should be free to promote any way of life they choose (indoctrinating many in the process) without being opposed or corrected in any way.
So the 'wise' people have decided, and all of us (the majority) must fall in line. How long before this anti-christ philosophy currently being vigorously promoted in different aspects of life (environmental, ethics, etc) become one big fire that engulfs the current world order? Only the Church has the power to keep the restraints on (1 Jhn 5:5, 2 Thess. 2:7)
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<FAMILY>
EKITI BLOWS HOT-COLD ON MARRIAGE TAX FOR
CHURCHES
According to the Comet of May 20 (page 3), the Christian Association of Nigeria in Ekiti state has confirmed receipt of a "directive" from the State government that Churches (and Mosques also) are now to pay a yearly tax of N77,000 before they could join couples together in holy matrimony. A few days later however, the state governor himself, Chief Niyi Adebayo came out to deny any such tax; and that the state was only asking for the existing charges of N500 to be paid for the cost of the stationary. Well, all is well that ends well. Taxing religious organization for the performance of their society-stabilizing roles is certainly appalling.
PRIEST
OPENLY DENIES JESUS AS SON OF GOD
A 54-year old priest in the Church of Ireland Rev. Andrew Furlong has repeatedly denied that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God. When put to Church trial for heresy, he chose to resign his office and keep what he calls his nearly 30 years conviction. The Bible states clearly that confessing that Jesus is the Son of God is a test to detect the spirit of the anti-christ (1 John 4:3,15). Earlier, the Archbishop of Canterbury himself has said that we could not really be sure whether Jesus rose from the dead or not, and that the issue is not crucial to Christianity (Vol 2 No 6). See however, 1 Cor. 15:14,17 for what the Bible says on the matter.
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SEARCH
FOR EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL LIFE
Have you heard that NASA is now confident there might be life in Mars, following pictures of ice (water) taken by their latest unmanned probe? And this has once again put the shine back on the question: Are we (earthlings) alone in the world? Come on, what do you think? Go ahead and answer the question!
Anyone who doubts we are NOT ALONE must certainly be kidding! Especially if such a person carries the title "Christian". The Bible is very clear about the answer. We CERTAINLY are not the only intelligent beings in the universe. Many people adapt self-deluding models to keep themselves confused. For example, there was this UFO-believing group that insisted that Elijah the Tishbite was only abducted by some alien space-craft! Without any doubts, Enoch, Elijah, and the Lord Jesus, men who once walked upon this earth and who vanished into apparent thin air, are today in a place habited by sentient beings. And by the way, your own stay on the earth is limited. Hell or Heaven, the choice is yours. For more information, visit a local Bible believing Church or alternatively, contact us at Church Arise!.
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2003
ELECTIONS WILL BE PEACEFUL - ADEBOYE
Amidst the general apprehension in the country concerning the forthcoming elections in Nigeria, highly respected General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has declared that according to the almighty God, the elections will be very peaceful. His exact words, "it will be so peaceful that, by the time it ends, people would wonder whether there was an election. Anybody who wants to disrupt the peace of Nigeria, God will put to sleep. You can quote me".
Pastor Adeboye made this comforting declaration at the Special Holy Ghost Service organized by the RCCG at Abuja on Friday 24th May. Among the tumultuous crowd that thronged the Christian Praying Ground venue of the programme were the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and the Senate President, Chief Pius Anyim Pius, among other dignitaries. All this of course does not mean that the intensity of on-going Christian prayers for the elections should be reduced!
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