18 April 2012
.
.
Presbyterians Week Headlines
.
[1] Porcine Fascism in Michigan
[2] First Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, Converted to Muslim School
[3] Mali Christians Flee Imposition of Sharia
[6] Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery to Meet Thursday 19 April 2012
[7] The Two Empires in Japan: A Record of the Church—State Conflict
.
—
.
[1] Porcine Fascism in Michigan
A 16 April 2012 Natural News article by Mike Adams titled “Michigan Government Unleashes Armed Raids on Small Pig Farmers, Forces Farmer to Shoot All His Own Pigs” reports that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has conducted two armed raids involving six vehicles and ten armed men on pig farmers, one in Kalkaska County at Fife Lake and another in Cheboygan County, with the intent of shooting all the farmers’ pigs under a new “Invasive Species Order” (ISO) declaring traditional livestock to be an invasive species.
The ISO declares farmers who raise the subject pigs to be felons, and MDNR officials were ready to make arrests on the scene and prosecute the farmers.
One of the farmers shot all of his pigs in advance of the raid in an attempt to not be arrested and charged with a felony, and described the subsequent MDNR raid at his farm:
“I was served a search warrant yesterday at 7: 45 a.m. I have killed all my hogs. [MDNR] gave me papers that say I do not have any hogs on my property. All they saw were dead hogs laying around from my mass slaughtering. It took twelve guys four times in there to kill all of them, sows with young, pregnant sows, dozens of piglets, and old mature boars. It has been a sad few weeks. Does anyone know what it feels like to open fire on twenty baby piglets in one group which weigh between five pounds and fifteen pounds? They are so adorable and cute. They commented to everyone that they never saw a fence built so tough and no way would a hog get out of this area.
+ Natural News, P. O. Box 29-99 Taichung, Taichung City 40899, Taiwan, Contact Page
+ Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Executive Office, Post Office Box 30028, Lansing, Michigan 48909, 517-373-2329, DNR-Director@michigan.gov
.
.
[2] First Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, Converted to Muslim School
A 15 April 2012 Times Live article titled “Uproar over Conversion of Church to Muslim School” reports that the first Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been sold to Muslim buyers for conversion into a Muslim school.
The church pastor, the Rev. Hennie van Rooyen said that the church was sold because maintenance of the building was too expensive.
The church was previously being rented by an independent Pentecostal church led by Bishop Ryan Sooknunan. The bishop accused Van Rooyen and the Dutch Reformed Church, by selling the church, to have violated an agreement made with him. Sooknunan threatened to take legal action, and said the he would arrange a march in protest of the sale.
+ Times Live, 4 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa, 011-280-3000, Contact Page
+ Dutch Reformed Church, Posbus 13528, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa, 27-0-12-342-0092, Fax: 27-0-12-342-0380, algemenesinode@ngkerk.org.za
.
.
[3] Mali Christians Flee Imposition of Sharia
Ethnic Tuareg rebels have seized control of northern Mali. Whilst the main rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, is professedly secular, its ally, a jihadist faction known as Ansar Dine, has wrested control, hoisted the black flag of al-Qaeda and announced the imposition of Sharia Law. The Tuareg rebellion has devastated northern Mali. There have been reports of pack rapes and violence, whilst the massive destruction and widespread looting has left the humanitarian aid sector totally crippled. Christian charities and churches have been destroyed. With Christians being targeted, virtually the entire Christian population of northern Mali has been forced to flee.
+ Religious Liberty Monitoring, info@elizabethkendal.com
.
.
A 16 April 2012 BBC article titled “Norwich Reformed Church Banned for Islam ‘Hate’ Leaflet” reports that the City Council of Norwich, England, has banned the Norwich Reformed Church from further operation of a church bookstall in the city-owned Hay Hill park because of the church circulating a leaflet titled “Why Not Islam,” which a complainant characterized as “hate-motivated” literature against Islam. Additionally, the church has been banned from further use of the city-owned Eaton Park Community Centre which the church has used as a place of worship since 1994.
The City Council instituted the ban after they “…received a complaint from a member of the public about material published by the Norwich Reformed Church which uses council facilities… [that] was considered to be hate motivated.” The City Council added that they had a “duty to foster good relations between people of all backgrounds and religions.”
The church is appealing its eviction from city-owned facilities, characterizing the council’s action as “a violation of freedom of speech.”
.
+ BBC, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, England, Fax: 020-8008-2398
+ Amyraldian Association, 8 Le Strange Close, Norwich, NR2 3PN, England, nrchurch@yahoo.com
.
.
Bill Keller, Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, asks the question why Christians would vote for Mitt Romney and listen to Glenn Beck, both proud and unapologetic members of the Satanic Mormon cult?
Keller was in the national news in 2007 for his now infamous quote, “a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan,” and has demanded that Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and media personality Glenn Beck quit lying to people that they are a Christian, when the beliefs of their cult are 100 percent inconsistent with Biblical Christianity!
Keller says, “Beck, Romney, and others in their cult use the words ‘god’ and ‘jesus,’ yet the ‘god’ and ‘jesus’ of the Mormon cult are NOT the God and Jesus of the Bible! They view the Bible as a flawed and incomplete book usurped by the writings of their cult’s founder, Joseph Smith, who history documents as being a racist, pedophile, polygamist, and murderer!”
Keller goes on, “Mormon doctrine teaches their ‘god’ used to be a human who rose to god-like status, just like Romney, Beck, and all Mormons believe they will too after their death. The ‘jesus’ of the Mormon cult is the natural offspring of their ‘god’ Elohim who had sex with Mary, meaning their ‘jesus’ is a created being and NOT a deity as the Bible, not some creed, teaches, and who they believe is the brother of Lucifer.”
Keller adds, “Beck, Romney, and members of their cult believe that America was colonized by Israelites who sailed to the New World in 600 BC and that those with black skin are under the ‘curse of Cain.’ Romney and all ‘Temple Mormons’ also wears magical underwear with satanic markings 24/7, which is why the pictures of him at the beach this past weekend showed him with a body suit on instead of bare chested.”
Keller continues, “The media doesn’t understand that the reason Romney acts ‘out of touch’ is because he is guided by his cult’s fantastical beliefs that also drive Beck’s apocalyptical rants. Romney truly believes he is the ‘chosen one’ to fulfill his cult’s prophecy of having a Mormon President rescue the nation in chaos, set aside the US Constitution, and enact a Mormon theocracy. This is why President Obama and his re-election team want to face Romney so bad[ly]. Through their super pac and surrogates, they will use the media to educate people on the fantastical beliefs held by Romney and members of his cult!”
Keller concludes, “I could care less what fantasies Romney, Beck, and those in their cult choose to believe, but I do care that they lie to people saying they are a Christian, when a person who believes in the teachings of the Mormon cult are no more a Christian than a Muslim is. It is amusing when Beck condemns the false theology of Jeremiah Wright when his own theology is equally as false! Most appalling are prominent Christians like David Barton, John Hagee, James Robison, Jay Sekulow, and others who have sold out the faith to help Romney and Beck perpetuate their lie that they are Christians, aiding that cult to lead ignorant souls to hell for eternity.”
Keller said that he is not worried about being politically correct or being labeled as a ‘bigot’ by those whose only concern is politics, since at stake are the eternal souls of men! “According to the Bible, not Bill Keller” said Keller, “those who believe in a false gospel like the Mormon’s teach, will die and be in hell for all eternity. Sadly, the political pundits like Karl Rove denounce those who dare to tell the truth about Romney’s cult since they are only concerned with winning elections and not those souls who will be drawn to Romney’s cult and end up in hell for all eternity!”
Keller has challenged Glenn ‘The Truth Lives Here’ Beck to a public debate about Mormon doctrine, but those challenges have gone unanswered since “he will never publicly debate a Christian theologian about what his cult teaches since it would destroy his ability to lie to the public, especially Christians who have never studied Mormonism, that he is a Christian. Romney needs Christians to vote for him, and Beck relies on ignorant Christians to fund his multi-million dollar business empire.”
.
+ Liveprayer.com, 6660 46th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709, Contact Page
+ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, 801-240-2640, Contact Page
.
.
[6] Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery to Meet Thursday 19 April 2012
The Reformed Presbyterian Church-Hanover Presbytery will meet for its 2012 Annual Stated Meeting on Thursday, 17 May 2012 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Reformed Presbyterian Church, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110.
.
+ Reformed Presbyterian Church-Hanover Presbytery , c/o the Rev. Dr. Allen Church, Stated Clerk, hanoverpresbyter@yahoo.com
.
.
[7] The Two Empires in Japan: A Record of the Church—State Conflict
A book by John M. L. Young – a founder of the Presbyterian Church in Japan, author of the book Missions: Biblical Motive and Aim, and Presbyterian missionary in Japan in the mid-20th century.
“To what lengths are God’s people and His churches prepared to go in order to preserve themselves, avoid persecution, or pursue growth?”
This question, posed by Matt Filbert, director of Reformed Presbyterian Missions, is comprehensively answered in this recently released edition of The Two Empires in Japan.
First published in 1961, Young asks the questions that were presented to missionaries in Japan as far back as the l500’s. The answers and lessons contained within this book are still of value to Christ’s church today.
John M. L. Young describes the deep conflict that resulted when the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ met with the animosity of the Emperor of Japan and Shinto shrine religion. Providing the historical background behind modern developments of the church in Japan, he also details the time that he himself lived through there. In doing so, he provides the doctrinal groundwork for standing firm for Christ under persecution within a resistant culture.
Young fully understood the dangers of compromise, especially to the truth and authority of the Word of God. He sympathetically addresses the mistakes and compromises of missionaries and churches, and gives stirring accounts of the brave testimony and terrible price paid by believers for the sake of Christ over centuries of mission work in Japan.
Once again the Church is facing pressures from secular and religious antagonists, not only in Japan, but also in the West. Young’s work delivers a warning and an encouragement to God’s people, compelling them to uphold Scripture in times of persecution, and to aim to glorify God no matter what the political and social pressures of the day.
The Two Empires in Japan consists of fifteen chapters and a useful bibliography for further reading. Steven Miller (adjunct professor of missions at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Shigeru Takiura (pastor of Okamoto Keiyaku Reformed Presbyterian Church), and Sam Boyle (former missionary to Japan) provide three forwards.
ISBN: 978-1-884527-36-4, 196 pages, US$12.00 retail
.
+ Crown & Covenant Publications, 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-241-0436, info@crownandcovenant.com
+ Reformed Presbyterian Missions, 3004 5th Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010, 724-384-8327, ProclaimChrist@rpmissions.org
+ Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-1177, Fax: 412-731-8861
+ Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 7418 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-8690, Fax: 412-731-4834, info@rpts.edu
.
.
Comments are closed for this Article !