"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."
(2 Timothy 4:3)

Itching Ears

Dear Friends,

      Greetings. In the book of Acts, chapter twenty, the apostle Paul called the elders of the church at Ephesus together for a meeting. Paul had spent considerable time in Ephesus converting and nurturing the early Christians of that city. He was also bidding them farewell as he knew he was never to return.

      Before departing from Ephesus, Paul, gave the elders a warning in verse twenty nine; "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Paul also warned the Christians in Galatia stating; "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."(Galatians 1:8,9)

      Jesus also warned in Matthew 7:15; "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." And of course Jesus gave several warnings in Matthew, twenty four ,about false prophets.

      On July 8 this year, the Episcopal Church in the United States, which has over two million members, held its triennial meeting in Anaheim, California, at which time the presiding bishop termed individual salvation to be a "heresy". (See article below)

      Interestingly enough, in a history of the Anglican Church this does not appear to be the case. The Episcopal Church is what the Anglican Church is called in the United States.

      "The eighteenth century saw the rise of two important movements in Anglicanism: Cambridge Platonism, with its mystical understanding of reason as the "candle of the Lord",and the Evangelical Revival, with its emphasis on the "personal experience of the Holy Spirit". The Evangelical Revival, influenced by such figures as John Wesley and Charles Simeon, re-emphasized the importance of justification through faith and the consequent importance of personal conversion." - Wikipedia

      As you read the article below, you will see that the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church appears to have adopted much of the New Age belief as her interpretation of Scripture.

      "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (2 Thessalonian 2:3)

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Associated Baptist Press

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Terms Individualistic Salvation 'heresy'

By Bob Allen

July 09, 2009

ANAHEIM, Calif. (ABP) -- The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church called the evangelical notion that individuals can be right with God a "great Western heresy" that is behind many problems facing the church and the wider society.

Describing a United States church in crisis, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori told delegates to the group's triennial meeting July 8 in Anaheim, Calif., that the overarching connection to problems facing Episcopalians has to do with "the great Western heresy -- that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God."

"It's caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus," Jefferts Schori, the first woman to be elected as a primate in the worldwide Anglican Communion three years ago, said. "That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of being."

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori blames individualistic views of salvation for ills plaguing the church in the United States.Jefferts Schori said countering individualistic faith was one reason the theme chosen for the meeting was "Ubuntu," an African word that describes humaneness, caring, sharing and being in harmony with all of creation.

"Ubuntu doesn't have any 'I's in it," she said. "The 'I' only emerges as we connect -- and that is really what the word means: I am because we are, and I can only become a whole person in relationship with others. There is no 'I' without 'you,' and in our context, you and I are known only as we reflect the image of the One who created us."

Jefferts Schori said "heretical and individualistic understanding" contributes to problems like neglect for the environment and the current worldwide economic recession.

"The sins of a few have wreaked havoc with the lives of many, as greed and dishonesty have destroyed livelihoods, educational possibilities, care for the aged, and multiple forms of creativity," she said. "And that's just the aftermath of Ponzi schemes for which a handful will go to jail."

She said in order to be faithful, "we need to be continually rediscovering that my needs are not the only significant ones."

"Ubuntu implies that selfishness and self-centeredness cannot long survive," she said. "We are our siblings' knowers and their keepers, and we cannot be known without them."

"We have no meaning, no true existence in isolation," she said. "We shall indeed die as we forget or ignore that reality."

About 200 Episcopal bishops and 850 clergy and lay deputies were expected to convene for the 10-day meeting. Business items are set to include debates over human sexuality, politics and poverty.

One resolution being considered calls for "generous discretion" to be extended to clergy in exercising pastoral ministry in six states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont -- where the civil marriage of same-gender couples has been legalized as well as other states that may follow suit in the next three years.

The 2.1-million-member denomination has argued vociferously about homosexuality since 2003, when the group approved the election of its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Many more conservative Episcopalians and a handful of congregations have begun breaking away from the church in the years since.

      He (individually not they collectively) that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

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Associated Press

Chips in official IDs raise privacy fears

Jul 12, 2009

By TODD LEWAN

Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he'd bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards of strangers, wirelessly, without ever leaving his car.

It took him 20 minutes to strike hacker's gold.

Zipping past Fisherman's Wharf, his scanner downloaded to his laptop the unique serial numbers of two pedestrians' electronic U.S. passport cards embedded with radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags. Within an hour, he'd "skimmed" four more of the new, microchipped PASS cards from a distance of 20 feet.

Increasingly, government officials are promoting the chipping of identity documents as a 21st century application of technology that will help speed border crossings, safeguard credentials against counterfeiters, and keep terrorists from sneaking into the country.

But Paget's February experiment demonstrated something privacy advocates had feared for years: That RFID, coupled with other technologies, could make people trackable without their knowledge.

Putting a traceable RFID in every pocket has the potential to make everybody a blip on someone's radar screen, critics say, and to redefine Orwellian government snooping for the digital age.

With advances in tracking technologies coming at an ever-faster rate, critics say, it won't be long before governments could be able to identify and track anyone in real time, 24-7, from a cafe in Paris to the shores of California.

In February 2005, when the State Department asked for public comment, it got an outcry: Of the 2,335 comments received, 98.5 percent were negative, with 86 percent expressing security or privacy concerns, the department reported in an October 2005 notice in the Federal Register.

Identity theft and "fears that the U.S. Government or other governments would use the chip to track and censor, intimidate or otherwise control or harm them" were of "grave concern," it noted.

Those citizens, it turns out, had cause.

But what of concerns about the e-passport's read range?

In its October 2005 Federal Register notice, the State Department reassured Americans that the e-passport's chip would emit radio waves only within a 4-inch radius, making it tougher to hack.

But in May 2006, at the University of Tel Aviv, researchers directly skimmed an encrypted tag from several feet away. At the University of Cambridge in Britain, a student intercepted a transmission between an e-passport and a legitimate reader from 160 feet.

The State Department, according to its own records obtained under FOIA, was aware of the problem months before its Federal Register notice and more than a year before the e-passport was rolled out in August 2006.

In February 2006, an encrypted Dutch e-passport was hacked on national television, and later, British e-passports were hacked.

They imagine stalkers skimming RFID tags to track their targets, and fear government agents compiling chip numbers at peace rallies, mosques or gun shows, simply by strolling through a crowd with a reader.

Others worry more about the linking of chips with other identification methods, including biometric technologies, such as facial recognition.

Should biometrics be coupled with RFID, "governments will have, for the first time in history, the means to identify, monitor and track citizens anywhere in the world in real time," says Mark Lerner, spokesman for the Constitutional Alliance, a network of nonprofit groups, lawmakers and citizens opposed to remotely readable identity and travel documents.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. agency that sets global standards for passports, now calls for facial recognition in all e-passports.

      "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17)

Medvedev Shows Off Sample Coin of New 'World Currency' at G-8

Bloomberg

Lyubov Pronina

July 10, 2009

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev illustrated his call for a supranational currency to replace the dollar by pulling from his pocket a sample coin of a "united future world currency."

"Here it is," Medvedev told reporters today in L'Aquila, Italy, after a summit of the Group of Eight nations. "You can see it and touch it."

The coin, which bears the words "unity in diversity," was minted in Belgium and presented to the heads of G-8 delegations, Medvedev said.

The question of a supranational currency "concerns everyone now, even the mints," Medvedev said. The test coin "means they're getting ready. I think it's a good sign that we understand how interdependent we are."

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     "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." (Daniel 11:45)

The Canberra Times

Israel Rejects EU Call For Palestine Deadline

JERUSALEM

14/07/2009

Israel has rejected an EU call for the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state by a certain deadline even if the Middle East protagonists fail to agree on a peace deal.

''A peace agreement can come only following direct negotiations and cannot be imposed,'' Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday.

Mr Lieberman was commenting on a speech by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in London on Saturday, in which he called for the international community to set a deadline for recognizing the state of Palestine.

''The mediator has to set the timetable,'' Mr Solana said.

''If the parties are not able to stick to it, then a solution backed by the international community should ... be put on the table. After a fixed deadline, a UN Security Council resolution should proclaim the adoption of the two-state solution. This should include all the parameters of borders, refugees, Jerusalem and security arrangements.

''It would accept the Palestinian state as a full member of the UN, and set a calendar for implementation. It would mandate the resolution of other remaining territorial disputes and legitimize the end of claims.''

The Israeli foreign ministry responded, ''Any approach that calls for an artificial deadline undermines the prospects of actually reaching a bilateral agreement.''

Israel has come under increasing pressure from its closest ally, the United States, to take steps in the stalled peace process, such as freezing all settlement activity on occupied land, but the right-leaning government led by hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to do so.

US President Barack Obama's efforts to jumpstart the peace process had raised fears in Israel the US would lessen its support for the Jewish state as it seeks to repair US relations with the Muslim world.

The Palestinians had said they would not return to the negotiating table unless Israel freezes all settlement activity, one of the main obstacles in the peace process.

Meanwhile, Israel will get rid of Arabic and English names for cities and towns on road signs, keeping only the Hebrew terms. Israeli road signs are written in Hebrew, Arabic and English, with the city names in each language.

So Jerusalem is identified as Yerushalaim in Hebrew, Jerusalem in English and Al-Quds in Arabic (along with Yerushalaim written in Arabic script). Under the new policy the Holy City will only be identified as Yerushalaim in all three languages.

The move was a response to the Palestinian refusal to use Hebrew names for some Israeli towns. Israel gave Hebrew names, often of biblical origin, to many villages and towns that came under its control following the 1948 war. AFP

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Gore: U.S. Climate Bill Will Help Bring About 'Global Governance'

Climate Depot Exclusive

July 10, 2009

By Marc Morano

Former Vice President Al Gore declared that the Congressional climate bill will help bring about "global governance."

"I bring you good news from the U.S., "Gore said on July 7, 2009 in Oxford at the Smith School World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment, sponsored by UK Times.

"Just two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey climate bill," Gore said, noting it was "very much a step in the right direction." President Obama has pushed for the passage of the bill in the Senate and attended a G8 summit this week where he agreed to attempt to keep the Earth's temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees C.

Gore touted the Congressional climate bill, claiming it "will dramatically increase the prospects for success" in combating what he sees as the "crisis" of man-made global warming.

"But it is the awareness itself that will drive the change and one of the ways it will drive the change is through global governance and global agreements."

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Guardian.co.uk

Penniless California issues IOUs

Andrew Clark

12 July 2009

Money woes in the most populous US state have given birth to an impromptu trading market for the newest of American financial instruments - the California IOU.

Encumbered by a $26bn (£16bn) budget shortfall and a seemingly intractable political stalemate, California's state government is issuing IOUs to businesses, health clinics, college students and taxpayers who are owed money by the state.

The green documents look like any ordinary cheque except for the words "registered warrant" stamped in the corner. They carry a 3.75% interest rate and can be cashed in October, by which time California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is hoping that he will have some money.

California is the world's eighth largest economy but its financial situation is grave.

The once booming property market has been hit catastrophically by foreclosures and its wealthy elite have seen their income wiped out by stockmarket woes. Usually 1% of the population contribute 50% of income tax revenue, but the capital gains of these rich individuals have evaporated.

Schwarzenegger has proposed deep cuts to social programmes, including aid for the elderly, disabled and impoverished, plus cuts to schools, healthcare and universities.

The initial victims of the standoff are California's creditors, who had received 91,000 IOUs worth $354m as of the end of Thursday. High-street banks, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase, agreed to cash them for a few days but announced that they would not accept them beyond the end of the week.

Last week, the credit agency Fitch cut its rating on California's debt by two notches from "A minus" to BBB - just two levels above "junk" status. Analysts fear that there could be weeks of IOUs to come.

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CNN

Size 14 Is The New 10?

(CNN) -- The little number on the tag on a pair of pants that indicates size can mean a lot to a person, and retailers know it.

That's why, in recent years, as the American population has become generally more overweight, brands from the luxury names to the mass retail chains have scaled down the size labels on their clothing.

"You may actually be a size 14 and, according to whatever particular store you're in, you come out a size 10," said Natalie Nixon, associate professor of fashion industry management at Philadelphia University. "It's definitely to make the consumer feel good."

Research shows that, when it comes to self-perception, the concept of "overweight" may be relative.

A working paper from a group led by Mary Burke, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Massachusetts, suggested that people's perceptions of overweight have shifted, and "normal" is now heavier than it used to be.

I don't think being over weight is normal, it's more like being lazy...If you can take the time for a little cardio along with eating the right foods, then no one would have a problem trimming down and staying healthy...

Stop Poisoning Your Body With 'Food'

Ten Most Common Food Additives (Toxic, Deadly)

Jennifer Harrington

ABC News

7-12-9

Want to look better and feel better? What if you could avoid just 10 food ingredients and make a huge improvement in your health.

Paula Owens (PaulaOwens.com) the author of "The Power Of 4" says avoiding these 10 things will change your body dramatically. Owens has a master's degree in holistic nutrition and a bachelors degree in kinesiology.

She explains what ingredients to avoid and how your body will benefit if you avoid them.

1. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS)

HFCS is the number one source of calories for most Americans and causes obesity.

You'll find high-fructose corn syrup in processed food, fast food, sodas, syrup that goes into your Latte, etc.

HFCS is extremely toxic to your liver, increases inflammation, causes obesity, oxidative stress and creates an aggressive insulin response.

2. ALL PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS (TRANS FATS)

Partially hydrogenated oils are found in thousands of processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips).

Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease and contribute to obesity.

Restaurant food, especially from fast food chains, often serve food loaded with trans fats.

Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include:

* increased inflammation

* decreased immune function

* decreased testosterone

* Arthritis

* Cancer

* Decrease IQ -learning disabilities. American IQ has dropped 20 points in the past 20 years.

* Diabetes

* Elevated blood pressure

* Free radical production

* Heart Disease

* Interferes with neurological & visual development of fetus

* Liver damage

* Obesity

* Osteoporosis

* Type II diabetes

3. MSG

Monosodium glutamate is a chemical that has been associated with reproductive disorders, migraine headaches, permanent damage to the endocrine system leading to obesity and other serious disorders. MSG is used in many foods as a taste enhancer. It is linked to reduced fertility.

4. SODIUM NITRATE

This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer.

5. REFINED SOY

When it comes to soy, much of what we read and hear about comes from the people who market it.

Before you mix up a soy shake, snack on a soy protein bar or pour yourself a glass of soy milk consider this: unfermented, processed soy inhibits the thyroid, is deficient in amino acids, is toxic to infants and shrinks the brain.

There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts.

If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese and other soy junk foods that are disguised as health foods.

6. WHITE SUGAR

Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Sugar has a profound influence on your brain function and your psychological function.

When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases excess amounts of insulin, which in turn causes a drop in your blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.

In addition, sugar is pro-flammatory damages skin collagen and promotes wrinkles, increases your appetite, depletes your body of B vitamins, causes joint degeneration, ADHD and other behavior disorders, stimulates cholesterol synthesis and weight gain.

7. SODIUM CHLORIDE

Commercial table salt is highly processed and full of aluminum, chemicals and additives which are toxic. Opt for a healthier version such as Bragg's amino acids or Celtic sea salt (light pink, grey or beige color).

8. ASPARTAME, SPLENDA, SWEET N LOW, EQUAL

Aspartame is an artificial, chemical sweetener found in many foods and beverages including desserts, gelatins, protein powder, low calorie foods, drink mixes and sodas.

It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness, migraine headaches, weight gain, increased appetite, bloating, rashes or hallucinations.

Aspartame poisoning mimics symptoms of MS. NutraSweet is in over 7,000 foods!

Side effects:

* Increased heart disease

* Bloating and edema

* Brain seizures

* Cancer

* Cravings

* Headaches

* Predispose you to Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease

* Rashes and hives

* Weight gain - results in obesity

9. FOOD COLORINGS (Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6)

Six food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing.

There is evidence that food coloring and food additives contribute to behavioral problems in children, lead to lower IQ, hyperactivity, ADHD, depression, hormonal dysfunction and cancer.

Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, ice cream candy and baked goods have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats.

This harmful artificial color causes cancer and changes in brain chemistry. Read the list of ingredients in your child's cough syrup (artificial color).

Green 3 is a potential allergen and has been linked to bladder cancer. Green 3 is added to candy, mint jelly, cereals and beverages.

Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods, cereals and pet food have been linked to allergies and cancer.

Yellow 5 is the most notable artificial color because it causes the most immediate allergic reaction in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin.

Yellow 6 has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. Yellow 6 is added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods and candy.

Take home message--Stay away from any product listing an ingredient with a color plus a number.

10. PROCESSED/REFINED WHEAT AND GLUTEN

Refined grains are devoid of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels and are highly allergenic for many individuals.

Wheat and gluten have adverse health affects for approximately 80 percent of the population. Gluten is a protein found combined with starch in the endosperm of grains, notably wheat, rye and barley.

Gluten intolerance/sensitivity is severely misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed - one estimate says that 97 percent of all sufferers don't know they have the disease due to unfamiliarity with it among U.S. physicians.

Signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the healthy mucosa, or lining tissue of the small intestine causing an autoimmune response that's similar to an allergic reaction.

In some cases there may be symptoms in childhood such as allergies, asthma, anemia, reoccurring infections, a constant upset stomach or milk intolerance.

Other symptoms are nasal and throat mucous, feeling of food sitting in stomach, bloating, gas, diarrhea with periodic constipation, mental fogginess and skin rashes.

In severe cases, as with Celiac disease, there can be seizures, psychosis, violent behavior and withdrawal from self.

Eliminate gluten-products for 3-4 weeks and tell me how great you feel.

It's important to form a habit of reading the list of ingredients on ALL products!

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      "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."  (1 Corinthians 3:16-17])

      These last two verses from 1Corinthians, were written to the early Christians which were at Corinth, a city in Greece. They must have been doing something that Paul felt justified to give the admonition. So if we are Christians we should do what we can to try and eat sensibly. It is part of our witness.

      If you are not a Christian we would like to invite you to part take in the personal experience of receiving Jesus into your life for your personal salvation.

      Jesus said; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul wrote; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

      Jesus wants to give you His free gift of eternal life. All you have to do is to pray a simple prayer to receive this gift. Dear Jesus I understand I can never work hard enough or be good enough to receive salvation. I accept your free gift, I ask you to come into my heart, forgive my sins, and give me the gift of eternal life. Amen.

      If you would like to receive more information regarding your decision to receive Jesus, have a prayer request, our would like to contact one of our Christian mystics, we invite you to do so via the web site.

      Until next week we hope you have a close personal intimate week with Jesus!

Almondtree Productions

"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

(John 15:15)