Drones

      Until I received this email I knew practically nothing about drones and really didn't care.  And I am still not sure I want to know all that is contained here.  Nevertheless, it looks as if they're here to stay and our privacy is and/or will be, non-existent.

Roaches, Mosquitoes, and Birds: The Coming Micro-Drone Revolution

Canada Free Press, 15 April 2013…by John W. Whitehead

      “[Drones are a] game-changing technology, akin to gunpowder, the steam engine, the atomic bomb—opening up possibilities that were fiction a generation earlier but also opening up perils that were unknown a generation ago.”—Peter Singer, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

America will never be a “no drone zone.”

       That must be acknowledged from the outset. There is too much money to be made on drones, for one, and too many special interest groups—from the defense sector to law enforcement to the so-called “research” groups that are in it for purely “academic” reasons—who have a vested interest in ensuring that drones are here to stay.

        At one time, there was a small glimmer of hope that these aerial threats to privacy would not come home to roost, but that all ended when Barack Obama took office and made drones the cornerstone of his war efforts. By the time President Obama signed the FAA Reauthorization Act into law in 2012, there was no turning back. The FAA opened the door for drones, once confined to the battlefields over Iraq and Afghanistan, to be used domestically for a wide range of functions, both public and private, governmental and corporate. It is expected that at least 30,000 drones will occupy U.S. airspace by 2020, ushering in a $30 billion per year industry.

         Those looking to the skies in search of Predator drones will be in for a surprise, however, because when the drones finally descend en masse on America, they will not be the massive aerial assault vehicles favored by the Obama administration in their overseas war efforts. Rather, the drones coming to a neighborhood near you will be small, some nano in size, capable of flying through city streets and buildings almost undetected, while hovering over cityscapes and public events for long periods of time, providing a means of 24/7 surveillance.

         One type of drone sensor, the Gorgon Stare, can keep track of an area 2.5 miles across from 12 different angles. Another sensor system, ARGUS, can find an object that is only 6 inches long, from 20,000 feet up in the air. A drone equipped with this kind of technology could spy on an entire city at once. For example, police in California are about to begin using Qube drones, which are capable of hovering for 40 minutes at heights of about 400 ft. to conduct surveillance on targets as far as 1 kilometer away. Michael Downing, the LAPD deputy chief for counter-terrorism and special operations, envisions drones being flown over large-scale media events such as the Oscars, using them to surveil political protests, and flying them through buildings to track criminal suspects.

         These micro-drones will be the face of surveillance and crowd control in the coming drone age.

Modeled after birds, insects, and other small animals, these small airborne surveillance devices can remain hidden in plain view while navigating spaces off limits to conventional aircraft. Able to take off and land anywhere, able to maneuver through city streets and hallways, and able to stop and turn on a dime, these micro-drones will still pack a lethal punch, equipped with an array of weapons and sensors, including tasers, bean-bag guns, “high-resolution video cameras, infrared sensors, license plate readers, [and] listening devices.”

         You can rest assured, given the pace of technology and the fervor of the drone industry (and its investors), that the sky is the limit when it comes to the many uses (and abuses) for drones in America. The following is just a small sampling of what will be descending from the skies in the near future.

The Symphony, Life, and The Church

     We went to the symphony last night and enjoyed an evening of beautiful music.  But even more than listening to a beautiful performance I came away pondering life lessons.  As I observe the workings of the orchestra I'm always struck by the parallels with life I see as they warm up, tune up, and come under the guidance of the conductor.  The 'noise' of each person playing his own tune while warming up is not pleasant--just as in life when each person goes his own way, doing his own thing it is not pleasant.  Then as the concertmaster begins to encourage them to tune their instruments to the oboe's 'A',  I begin to hear possibilities.  As the conductor enters, all eyes are on him and when he signals for them to begin, astonishingly beautiful music comes forth.  Each instrument is needed.  Some play more than others.  Some sections of the orchestra in which there are several of the same instruments, like the violins, play the same melody at the same time.  Others have solo parts.  Last night a cowbell was used to play only 2 notes the entire evening but it was an important part to be played--the performance would have been incomplete without those two notes.  Others played the entire concert.
      Isn't that how it is when we fix our attention on God?  He knows which of us needs to be played at the precise time to make a situation complete. And nothing but beauty can come forth when our eyes are on Him because He is beautiful!
    This morning I was thinking of the symphony in relation to church services.  If the musicians came as unprepared for the symphonic performance as we do to participate in church there would be no reason to have the performance.  Do we spend the week before, practicing, listening to the songs we will be singing, seeking to hear His voice?  Are we filling our minds with God's Word?
     The conductor shared that one of the compositions they played last night, "The Moldau" by Smetana, was a piece he listened to over and over when he was a child of 3 or 4 years old.  At that young age his mother had given him an LP recording of "The Moldau" to play in his room at night.  He loved it so much, he listened to it as often as he could!
     Do we do this with God's word?  Are we filling our minds with it?  Do we sing songs of praise and worship every spare moment during the week so we can sing them flawlessly with feeling and purpose on Sunday?  The musicians in the symphony love music so much they are willing to give up many other things to immerse themselves in it.  Do we love God that much?
       Some people want to argue that spending time in prayer, reading the Word, and helping others is 'works', but we are saved by grace.  Absolutely we are saved by grace!  Jesus payed the price--we need  do nothing to supplement His sacrifice.  So, just as any person who says they love music can enjoy a musical performance we can agree that Jesus' sacrifice was enough and be saved.  But is that the only reason we're here on earth--to be a spectator and wait to go to Heaven?  Wouldn't it glorify Him so much more if we would submit ourselves to the Great Conductor as finely tuned, well practiced instruments so that He can make us into a symphony for His glory and thereby bring others into His Kingdom, too?
     If we want to be part of making beautiful music we must fill our minds with that beautiful music.  We must tune our instruments and practice using them so they're ready for the Conductor to use in any way he knows will bring honor and glory to Himself.
     Wouldn't our church services be lovely if we brought the same dedication to God that musicians bring to a musical performance?

Activation of the Qualified by Joshua Alvarez

       Because of several challenging things happening in my life right now, this was a very encouraging word!  I desire that God's ordained purposes be fulfilled and I agree with Him that I am here for such a time as this to call them back to order.  As I remember this and act on it passing the tests will qualify me for all that God has destined.  Amen!

Joshua Alvarez:

Activation of the Qualified

      Have you ever had a challenge present itself before you? Perhaps a test? We all have. Life with God is especially full of these good challenges. I'm sure right now you are experiencing some of these very tests in your life. One of the crucial points to obtaining victory is for our spiritual eyes to be aware and recognize these tests. The revelation we need is found in us embracing the test. Remember that he who our heavenly Father calls He has to qualify (see Romans 8:30). During this season He is qualifying you! The test you are in right now has been designed and purposed to bring you to the other side qualified, thus releasing you into destiny.

       This word began stirring in my heart on the first night of Passover. I heard the Lord saying so clearly, "I'm qualifying you!" This word means: to make eligible for an office, position, task; and to declare competent, capable; certified.

      I believe that those who are going to lead in the future are being called forth and chosen right now. There is a reason for the test, for promotion is on the other side.

But, why was this so significant during Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Because this is the Father's celebration for His Son, Jesus, being qualified as the perfect sacrifice for iniquity and sin:

       "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin..."(Isaiah 53:10).

So, we also find in the Word that this is also our Father's celebration of our redemption too! "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight" (Colossians 1:21-22).

       So, we know that the Lord sees us qualified already, but what He desires to do during this season is to take out the distractions that have been around us, thus allowing Him to show His power through us. This will cause us to receive a deeper revelation of the sufficiency of His work toward us in the midst of the circumstance we are in. "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

       The Lord is calling us to take out the leaven of distraction, works of the flesh, fear, offense, etc. This season and the celebration that is going on in Heaven and earth was designed by God to increase our faith and prepare us to enter the fullness of His inheritance!

Back To God's Original Intent

        Redemption is such a key word when we are talking about this, because by definition it means to bring back to original intent. We see all around us, in our society and culture, things being taken out of God's original intent. This is what the spirit of antichrist does.

       Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18

       And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws... Daniel 7:25

       One of the tools the enemy is using to wear out the saints is what is described here: the shifting and changing of God's original intent. But remember that we have the weapon calledredemption! "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 107:2 ).Something always happens when we remember our spiritual status as redeemed! The enemy hates it because it brings us back to ruling in the garden of the Lord – God's original intent. That's why the enemy hates this season and has been trying to wear you out.

Cry Out!

        Right before the story of Passover in the Book of the Exodus, the Word of God records the condition of the people of Israel and the cry that caused a burning bush experience that ultimately led to incredible deliverance of an entire nation:

        "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them." (Exodus 2:23-25).

      Here we see clearly that it was the deep cry and brokenness of the nation in the midst of a test that released forth redemption.

       So, let's get rid of the old leaven and go back to the simplicity of loving our God with all our heart and embracing the test, knowing that our destiny is inside the package.

      "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8).

       Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7

       In the midst of what you are going through, remember that He is qualifying you into your destiny! He promises in His Word not only to redeem you but to use you to bring everything around you back to His order and original intent. Let the redeemed of the Lord rise!

Pastor Joshua Alvarez, M.Th.
The River Church
Kingdom Voice Ministries
Email: contact@trcvan.com
Website: trcvan.com

 

Why The World Is In A Mess

      We seem puzzled that the world is in such a mess, but Romans 1 tells us exactly why that is.  Here is The Message translation beginning with verse 19:

       "But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

        So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

        Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn’t know how to be human either—women didn’t know how to be women, men didn’t know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men—all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it—emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches.

        Since they didn’t bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!"

FUN FLOWER FACTS

       A local nursery included these fun flower facts in a recent newsletter.  I thought you might be interested in them, too.   I also created a link to each plant for easy access in case you aren't familiar with the plant, or wanted to know more about it.  Just click on the flower name to access it.

FUN FLOWER FACTS:

~Tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold in Holland in the 1600s.

~Tulip bulbs can be substituted for onions in a recipe.

~The very expensive spice, saffron, comes from a type of crocus flower.

~Hundreds of years ago, when Vikings invaded Scotland, they were slowed by  
     patches of wild thistle, allowing the Scots time to escape.  Because of this, the wild   
     thistle was named Scotland’s national flower.

~The juice from bluebell flowers was used historically to make glue.

~Foxglove is an old English name, derived from the belief that foxes slipped their feet
     into the leaves of the plant to sneak up on prey.

~Dandelions might seem like weeds, but the flowers and leaves are a good source

      of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and potassium. One cup of dandelion greens

      provides 7,000-13,000 I.U. of vitamin A.

~The flower buds of the marsh marigold are pickled as a substitute for capers.

~Sunflowers move throughout the day in response to the movement of the sun from east
      to west.

~Moon flowers bloom only at night, closing during the day.

~Gas plants produce a clear gas on humid, warm nights. This gas is said to be  
      ignitable with a lit match.

~When Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they subsisted on the roots of  
      the Sego Lily Plant. This plant is the state flower of Utah.

~Angelica was used in Europe for hundreds of years as a cure for everything from the
       bubonic plague to indigestion. It was thought to ward off evil spirits.

~During the Middle Ages, lady’s mantle was thought to have magic healing properties.

~When Achilles was born, his mother dipped him head first in a bath of yarrow tea,
        believing it had protective qualities. Yarrow is still known for healing and was used

        during World War I to heal soldiers’ wounds.

Wendy Alec: "For Behold, Watch, I Do a New Thing!"

An exciting prophetic word from Wendy Alec:

Wendy Alec:

"For Behold, Watch, I Do a New Thing!"

Prophetic Word from God received by Wendy Alec on April 12th, 2013:

"For do not look at the past," says the Lord. "Do not look to the things that have gone before. For behold, watch, I do a new thing! A new thing. And I will pour out My Spirit in a new way, in a manner you have not known before; for behold this is a new day. It is a new day and behold the past is behind and all things are become new.

"And yes, there will be naysayers and yes, there will be persecution, but they know not the Mind of the Lord. They know not My Mind. For am I not God? Is a man's heart not in My hands? For I tell you that I am God Almighty, God of Heaven and earth, and I choose whom I choose to choose.

"And I tell you that in the days and in weeks to come, you shall even see signs that you have not known. And you shall see wonders. I tell you wonders, wonders. Wonders in the sky, wonders in the Revival, wonders in the overflow rooms, wonders in the stadiums to come. For I tell you that the stadiums, they are to come. The stadiums the stadiums, the living rooms, the glory...

"For My fire shall fall. My fire shall fall from Heaven, and there shall be thunder and there shall be lightnings and there shall literally be the sounds of Heaven. The sounds of Heaven shall resound through the earth, through this Outpouring.

"VISITATION, VISITATION, VISITATION," says the Lord."Prepare for visitation, in homes, in your cities, in your nation. For what I am about to do cannot be contained. It cannot be contained... and I will turn unbelievers in their steps and I will open blind eyes and the paralyzed will walk!

A Great Grace

"The hallmark of this next move shall be a great grace," says the Lord. "A great grace, a great grace, and there shall be weeping and tears.

I Like This Quote

       "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him had better take a closer look at the American Indian."    ~  ~ Henry Ford

Good News! by Paul Ellis

      If you have heard the good news (the gospel of grace) that God loves you so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for you then I thought you would appreciate this article written by Paul Ellis, author of The Gospel In Ten Words, which helps to explain how we are to respond to this wonderful news.  You can read it online at http://escapetoreality.org/resources/good-news/2/, where you will also  find many other helpful articles and resources.

Good News! by Paul Ellis

What should I do in response to the good news?

God has done it all – the only thing you can do is respond. He offers no carrots or sticks, just invitations. Jesus once said, “Turn to God and believe the good news,” and on another occasion, “Come to me all who are weary and find rest.”

What does He want from you? He wants friendship, love, and intimacy. He doesn’t want your toys or your service – He just wants you. He loves you more than you know. Need proof? Look at the cross and the empty grave! He died for you and now He lives for you. His intentions are clear; He wants you to be with Him and enjoy Him forever.

But I’m not worthy

You don’t feel worthy? Then look at the cross! You’ve been redeemed by the most precious commodity in the universe – the blood of God. That’s how much He values you! You are the apple of your Father’s eye and because of Jesus you are highly favored.

If Jesus was speaking to you right now, He might say this: “If anyone opens the door I will come in and dine with him and he with me.” Do you realize Who is knocking on your door? It’s the King of kings! The most beautiful, loving, gracious and mighty person in the universe knows you by name and He’s come to win you with His love. Don’t be distracted by your unworthiness, but be amazed by His grace and respond. The Creator of heaven and earth waits to see what you will do with Him. Will you ignore His overtures or will you say, “Lord, come in!”

How can I respond?

The only thing you can do with a gift is receive it or reject it. God has offered you the greatest gift of all – Himself. This is called grace. What does grace look like? It looks exactly like Jesus. He is grace personified. You cannot earn grace and you cannot buy it. You can only receive it through child-like faith.

One of the most common phrases in the Bible is: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever.” What is an appropriate response to God’s goodness and love? It is giving thanks! If you want to turn to God, you could pray like this:

“Thank you heavenly Father for loving me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to rescue me from sin and death, and thank you for raising Jesus from the dead. I was lost but you have found me. Jesus, be my king, my savior, my friend. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may know you more and reign in life with you. Lord, I am yours and you are mine. Thank you for promising to never leave me nor forsake me. Amen!”

What happens now?

If you just prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, then rest assured you are saved. The Bible says so (see Romans 10:9-13)! The gift that God gave us 2000 years ago is now yours forever and you have peace with God. Just take care that no one tries to make you pay for His gift. The only way you can set aside grace is by thinking you have to perform to remain pleasing to God. The truth is you are saved by grace and you are kept by grace. It’s grace from start to finish! Don’t let anyone frighten you into doing dead works, but rest secure in His finished work. Just as you did nothing to earn salvation, there is nothing you can do to lose it.

The best thing is to see your old self as crucified with Christ. You are now brand new and He lives in you. But you are not Him so don’t try to be Him. In fact, don’t try to do anything at all. Just trust. And allow Jesus to live His life through you. If you have questions, just ask Him! He has given you His Spirit to teach you and guide you into all truth.

The adventure is just beginning!

- Further reading

It is so important for us to understand grace!

      I don't believe we can hear the message of grace enough because most of us have been taught a message of grace-plus-works, or grace-plus-Law.  It is imperative that we truly understand that all we need do is believe that Jesus is who He says He is.  He died in our place, so that all our sins (past, present, & future) could be forgiven.  We are now new creations--old things are passed away.  The Holy Spirit now lives in us to will & to work God's good pleasure.  Jesus has done it all.  There is nothing we can do but believe and act as if it is so.  There are no other requirements for our righteousness than trusting Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
      Joseph Prince is an excellent grace teacher/preacher.  He explains it so well again in this email to his Daily Devotions subscribers.  For a much more detailed explanation of grace read his book, Destined To Reign.
    Another great explanation of grace comes from Paul Ellis in The Gospel In Ten Words.  
    I highly recommend these books!

Dear Friend,       Have you ever gone for a walk in the rain? If you have, you know that every part of you gets drenched. Your hair, your clothes, what you are carrying, whoever is with you. Nothing remains untouched under open heavens.       Beloved, I have good news for you today. Just as the rains pour from heaven, God is pouring out His blessings on your life, soaking every part of your life with His goodness.        Because of Jesus, every blessing is yours. You are living under open heavens.       Your home, your family, your relationships, your finances. The big things, the little things. Your coming in and your going out. It's all soaked in the favor, health and provision of Jesus! In Deuteronomy 28, there is a beautiful list of the overwhelming blessings God has for your life (more about these in a moment). But before the list is unveiled, look at what Scripture says:      "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth." (Deuteronomy 28:1)        You see here that there is a "condition" before we can be set on high, "if you diligently obey..." Most of us read this and think, "How will I ever qualify to be positioned to receive the blessings?"         By our own efforts, that condition can never be met. But the good news is this—Romans 5:19 says...by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.        Jesus diligently obeyed every single commandment, and His obedience has been set to your account!        Notice the order in Deuteronomy 28:1. Before the blessings are listed, your position is promised. You have been placed high above! You are seated together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6)  Your position in Christ qualifies you for the blessings of heaven.       The Bible goes on to say in Deuteronomy 28:2 that "all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you..."        The picture of blessings overtaking you is one of great abundance. It's the same picture we see in the book of Amos. Amos 9:13 says...         "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it."        Friend, this is the picture of the blessings of God. Scripture says that they overtake you and that the plowman will overtake the reaper. We are living in these times right now!        Let me give you another picture. Psalm 23:6 says: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.         In the original language, that verse is actually translated, "goodness and mercy will hunt you down." That means you can't get away from God's goodness and mercy. They are pursuing you.       No matter how far off they feel, no matter how unlikely it seems, the blessings of God are chasing you down.        You don't have to perform at a certain level to receive the blessings. You can't earn God's favor or merit His goodness.       Jesus is all the qualification you need.       Perhaps you are thinking, "Pastor Prince, Deuteronomy 28 listed conditions for the blessing. It said, 'If you do this and that. What happens when I fall short? How can God still bless me?"        Beloved, if it depends on us to obey all of God's commandments, none of us can do it. That's why Jesus came. Jesus met all of the stipulations. All of the "if you keep the commandments" have been kept by our Lord Jesus.        The work is finished. Grace has won!        The heavens are opened to you and every blessing is yours today because you are seated with Christ...         ...I want to remind you that you are blessed already. Even as one blessing is being poured out in your life, another is overtaking you. Don't look to your circumstances or your own strength; rest in the finished work of Jesus.        The heavens are open. So receive the downpour of blessings today.       Seated with Christ, Joseph Prince P.S.        I want to leave you with this powerful truth: One of the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 is that God will cause your enemies to be defeated for you to see. Just as the Red Sea split in front of the Israelites and Goliath fell before David, God will bring the victory before your very eyes. Don't be discouraged by an enemy or obstacle before you. God will allow you to come face to face with your trouble so that you will see His hand do something mighty in your life.

Media Ignore Philadelphia Case--Another Example of Selective Reporting

     Another excerpt from the Patriot Post.  It is appalling and unconscionable that the mainstream news media is not publicizing this atrocity!  If these murders had been done with a gun we would have had endless stories on the need for gun control, but because it is the slaughter of innocent babies the story has been covered up.  I saw on Breitbart there had been complaints about this clinic for 17 years but the authorities had covered it up and/or ignored it.
    We are being brainwashed in this country.  Only certain things are politically correct to talk about.  I pray we will wake up!  The real news is 'out there' we need to search it out and not believe what is being handed to us by the liberal left.

Faith and Family: Media Ignore Philadelphia Case For weeks, abortion's truly ghoulish face has been showing itself in a Philadelphia courtroom, and it's the stuff of nightmares. Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell is on trial, charged with, among other things, seven counts of first-degree murder for killing infants born alive after failed late-term abortions. If you haven't heard about the case, you're not alone. While the media endlessly rehashes the aftermath of the Newtown tragedy (or the mean things a Rutgers basketball coach said to his players, or Brad Paisley and LL Cool J singing a song about racism), with few exceptions, they've all but ignored the Gosnell trial, the details of which are gruesome beyond description. One worker in Gosnell's clinic testified of an 18-to-24-inch newborn who didn't yet have eyes or a mouth but who was "screeching, making this noise ... [that] sounded like a little alien." As one blogger points out, "That's called crying. It's what human babies do when they're in distress, in this case, the ultimate distress." Former Gosnell employee Steven Massof told of babies having their necks snipped in what was "like a beheading." Such cases were not unusual. Massof testified that in Gosnell's clinic alone, he saw at least 100 babies born alive after failed abortions, only to be "snipped" in the back of the neck with surgical scissors to guarantee their "demise." Instead of being outraged, though, many are still hiding behind the farce of a woman's "right to choose." Indeed, one Planned Parenthood official callously insisted that the decision of what to do with a surviving baby "should be left up to the woman, her family and the physician." Notably, when the Born Alive Infant Protection Act was introduced in the Illinois State House some years ago, a young state senator named Barack Obama opposed it for three consecutive years. And voters have now elected this advocate for the slaughter of innocents to the presidency, not once but twice. Just as the Leftmedia protected Obama's record from public review, they are spiking the story of Gosnell's alleged crimes, and it's all to serve the "progressive" agenda. But to what are we progressing?

Don't you wish the news media would feel obligated to publish good news, too?

From The Patriot Post:

Around the Nation: An Unreported Milestone November 2012 was historic, but perhaps not for the obvious reason. In an era when "green" is promoted everywhere and subsidized heavily with tax dollars, it escaped the news cycle that the government's own Energy Information Administration determined that last November was the month the United States passed Saudi Arabia to become the world's top oil producer. And while Barack Obama has, at times, tried to take credit for this achievement, it's worth repeating that his regime has placed roadblock after roadblock on domestic production on federal lands. This boom is taking place almost entirely on private or state property. There's no question this boom is continually threatened by overzealous EPA regulators as well as revenue-hungry Democrats in Congress who see oil companies as a drilling well for taxation. Moreover, it's worth pointing out that a federal permitting process that averages more than 10 months for Uncle Sam gets a 10-*day* turnaround in North Dakota -- hence, that state is booming with the nation's lowest unemployment rate. And by the way, North Dakota is also building the first new refinery in the U.S. since 1976. The energy turnaround has been nothing short of amazing, despite the best efforts of the Obama administration to thwart it. A nation that imported 60 percent of its crude oil just five years ago is on a path to cut that in half by the end of this year, with some in the industry beginning to believe North American oil independence is possible once again. But as we saw with the coal industry, a concerted effort to make oil prices "necessarily skyrocket" like electric rates could throw a monkey wrench into these optimistic plans. The radical environmentalists wouldn't want us to pay $2 or less for a gallon of gas again, would they?

World Murder Statistics

      For those of you who think banning guns is the answer to the problem of violence in this country you might be interested in these statistics:

WORLD MURDER STATISTICS 

From the World Health Organization:

The latest Murder Statistics for the world: 

Murders per 100,000 citizens

Honduras 91.6

El Salvador 69.2

Cote d'lvoire 56.9

Jamaica 52.2

Venezuela 45.1

Belize 41.4

US Virgin Islands 39.2

Guatemala 38.5

Saint Kits and Nevis 38.2

Zambia 38.0

Uganda 36.3

Malawi 36.0

Lesotho 35.2

Trinidad and Tobago 35.2

Colombia 33.4

South Africa 31.8

Congo 30.8

Central African Republic 29.3

Bahamas 27.4

Puerto Rico 26.2

Saint Lucia 25.2

Dominican Republic 25.0

Tanzania 24.5

Sudan 24.2

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9

Ethiopia 22.5

Guinea 22.5

Dominica 22.1

Burundi 21.7

Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7

Panama 21.6

Brazil 21.0

Equatorial Guinea 20.7

Guinea-Bissau 20.2

Kenya 20.1

Kyrgyzstan 20.1

Cameroon 19.7

Montserrat 19.7

Greenland  19.2

Angola 19.0

Guyana 18.6

Burkina Faso 18.0

Eritrea 17.8

Namibia 17.2

Rwanda 17.1

Mexico 16.9

Chad 15.8

Ghana 15.7

Ecuador 15.2

North Korea 15.2

Benin 15.1

Sierra Leone 14.9

Mauritania 14.7

Botswana 14.5

Zimbabwe 14.3

Gabon 13.8

Nicaragua 13.6

French Guiana 13.3

Papua New Guinea 13.0

Swaziland 12.9

Bermuda 12.3

Comoros 12.2

Nigeria 12.2

Cape Verde 11.6

Grenada 11.5

Paraguay 11.5

Barbados 11.3

Togo 10.9

Gambia 10.8

Peru 10.8

Myanmar 10.2

Russia 10.2

Liberia 10.1

Costa Rica 10.0

Nauru 9.8

Bolivia 8.9

Mozambique 8.8

Kazakhstan 8.8

Senegal 8.7

Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7

Mongolia 8.7

British Virgin Islands 8.6

Cayman Islands 8.4

Seychelles 8.3

Madagascar 8.1

Indonesia 8.1

Mali 8.0

Pakistan 7.8

Moldova 7.5

Kiribati 7.3

Guadeloupe 7.0

Haiti 6.9

Timor-Leste 6.9

Anguilla 6.8

Antigua and Barbuda 6.8

Lithuania 6.6

Uruguay 5.9

Philippines 5.4

Ukraine 5.2

Estonia 5.2

Cuba 5.0

Belarus 4.9

Thailand 4.8

Suriname 4.6

Laos 4.6

Georgia 4.3

Martinique 4.2

And

The United States 4.2

ALL the countries above America have strict gun bans

It might be of interest to note that Switzerland also has NO MURDER OCCURRENCE. However their law requires that EVERYONE own a gun, maintain marksman qualifications and "carry". Interesting how you never hear about this.

Bob Jones: Two Witnesses: Truth vs. Heresy

      This is an interesting prophetic word, and a new way of looking at the idea of how Satan counterfeits what God is doing.  It also is hopeful, in that if we pray, Satan is not able to bring destruction to our area.  How important it is to understand the power of prayer and the privilege God has given us in bringing His Kingdom to earth!

Bob Jones:

Two Witnesses: Truth vs. Heresy

True and False Witnesses

Bob was told there will be two witnesses to what God is going to do. These two will be the old and the young and they will both speak out the truth. Satan will also have two witnesses – the young and the old speaking and both will speak out heresy.

God's truth will be established with the true witnesses and satan will establish untruth or heresy by his false witnesses. The two true witnesses will be young children and the old (or those who are over fifty), who will both bring messages of truth.

So don't discourage children when they speak, instead listen to them.

Their conscience is clean and they speak out of a pure unadulterated spirit.

Satan's Witnesses: Floods and Destructive Winds

Some of these truths will be established by demonstration of fire and water.

The things satan will be permitted to do will result in fire and water like floods, severe rain, mudslides, forest fires and extreme heat.

Satan will send floods in areas where he's permitted – if intercessors don't raise up against it. There will be many signs in the heavens and in the earth that the natural eye can see, like rain and wind.Satan's two witnesses will bring floods and destructive winds.

Everything that happens for good, satan will send a counterfeit. Destruction by the enemy can be stopped by intercession. The storm at sea that the Lord rebuked had demons behind it. These things can be stopped if we rebuke them. We can determine which way it's going to go.

John Crying Out in the Desert

The third chapter of Matthew's Gospel clearly describes the two witnesses. John is baptizing in the wilderness of Judea saying "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" John was the voice crying out in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord.

People from Jerusalem, Judea and the region around Jordan came to the Jordan River confessing their sins and being water baptized by John. Here John gives evidence of the two witnesses. He calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers. They were inspired by satan to spread evil, deceit and heresy. Their intentions were to turn people away from the one true God while those being baptized by water into repentance bore witness to God.

Jesus' Witnesses: Baptisms of Water and Fire

These are two witnesses: the baptisms of water and fire – the baptism of water unto repentance and the baptism of fire unto sanctification.

Water baptism is repentance from the old nature, and in the baptism of fire God removes everything from us that is not of Him. All of our self-centered desires are surrendered unto Him.

Jesus defends His self-witness while speaking to the Pharisees when He said, "I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me" (John 8:18).Likewise, the two true witnesses (both old and young) bear witness of the baptism of water and fire bringing forth a message of truth. Their words will be in one accord with the Father to establish His truth in the earth.

Jesus said, "It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true" (John 8:17). In the same way Jesus, as an earthbound man, bore testimony of the Father in Heaven; so will the old and young earthbound witnesses bear testimony of the Truth establishing "on earth as it is in Heaven."

Soul and Spirit

God is raising up a company of Elisha's, both young and old, who bear witness to the Cross of Jesus Christ. They are led by the Spirit of Truth and carry the message of repentance unto salvation and the baptism of fire.

Baptism of water is death of the old man while the baptism of fire burns away every ungodly thought and desire of the flesh. Then the body, soul and spirit are in complete unity with the Father.

Right now satan is bearing witness of immorality and mockery. There's a strong spirit of mockery coming out now and it hardens the heart where man cannot find Christ.

Yet we know that Jesus was the Word that bore witness; the Word was with Him (John 1:14). Christ was also two witnesses because the witness is in the Word and the witness was in Him. We are both soul and spirit. And now our soul must first agree with our spirit for us to get saved. It is a commandment that we get water baptized. Then our spirit man will reign over us. These two bear witness that Christ has come in the flesh.

Bob and Bonnie Jones
The Prophetic Ministry of Bob and Bonnie Jones

To contact Bob Jones send your inquiry to:
Bob and Bonnie Jones Ministries
White Horses Publishings
P.O. Box 838
Pineville, NC 28134-0838

Bad News for the Bunnies

         I needn't have worried about having nine more rabbits in my garden because when I went out to pull weeds this morning I discovered the rabbit nest uncovered and empty with two dead babies lying beside it.  They were getting almost big enough for their eyes to open.  I really was looking forward to watching those cute little guys grow up.
       I suppose an owl got them.  Since they're so close to the house it surely wasn't a coyote.  We do have stray cats show up sometimes though so it could have been one of several different animals.  As we know they're part of the food chain.  If all the rabbits born lived to a ripe old age, we would be over run!
       I took this picture yesterday afternoon, but decided to wait and take another today since I thought the change in them would be even more obvious.  Since this is the last one, I might as well post it.