1st Amendment * Book of Daniel * Mark of the Beast

The 2 horned beast of Revelation (2nd beast from dry land). ..... the 2 horns representing separation of church & state as the secret to its powerful, quick rise of its government.

1st Amendment
Clause 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
The Fiery Furnace in Daniel......
Here the king of Babylon established a state religion - the statue to bow down to.
....shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Daniel 3:10

Clause 2
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
The Lion's Den of Daniel......
Here the king of Persia violated Daniel's right to worship as he believed.
 ...Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true,
Daniel 6:12

The Mark-Of-The-Beast will involve violating BOTH clauses, as demonstrated in the book of Daniel.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast,

that the image of the beast should both speak,

and cause that as many as would not

worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Revelation 13:15

IN the NEWS- Catholic Rubio Defending Protestants in Mexico

"International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on the afternoon of Jan. 26, 10 Christian families consisting of 18 adults and 10 children were expelled from the community of Tuxpan de Bolanos in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, for refusing to recant their faith. At 3 p.m., a town assembly agreement to evict these families from the community was executed by local citizens who gathered the Baptist believers into a pickup truck and abandoned them in the nearby mountains.
Currently, the regional president of the Baptist community, Omar Rodriguez, has made arrangements with the city government of Guadalajara to house the expelled families, while the city has also been asked to dispatch police patrols to transport them to safety. 

This is the latest incident in a decades-long system of persecution of evangelical Christian

in rural Mexico, as well as further evidence of the continued reluctance by the state and federal government to protect religious minorities. 

 On July 15, Senator Marco Rubio questioned Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, the current nominee for next U.S. ambassador to Mexico, on how she would address this trend with the Mexican government. 

Nate Lance, ICC's advocacy manager, stated, "ICC is disturbed to learn of another instance of religious minorities being expelled by local governments on the basis of their faith. It is equally disturbing that despite being notified of multiple cases of persecution throughout rural Mexico, the state and federal government refuse to protect their religious minorities or prosecute perpetrators. As a result, these families are now religious refugees in their own country. In the strongest terms, we demand that the government of Mexico intervene and reinstate the freedom of worship that their constitution is meant to guarantee." CN

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,

and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,

 for my sake.

Matthew 5:11

SDA Issues - Belgian - Luxembourgian Rebellion

"The Belgian Luxembourg Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

has released a statement announcing that the conference will no longer ordain pastors until women and men are ordained equally in the Adventist Church." Cristo Vai Voltar


Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding
Jeremiah 3:22 NIV

"Says the apostle Jude, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." The apostles and their co-laborers in the early Christian church were constantly obliged to meet heresies, which were brought in by false teachers in the very bosom of the church. These teachers are represented not as coming openly, but creeping in unawares, with the gliding motion of a serpent. They followed their own pernicious ways, but were not satisfied without drawing away others with them. They had no connected chain of truth, but taught a disjointed medley of ideas, supported by a passage of Scripture here and another there. These disconnected scriptures were woven together into a tissue of falsehood that would strike the fancy, and would deceive those who had not, by searching the Scriptures for themselves, become established in the truth for that time." Signs of the Times 1884 E.G.W. 

Creation Moment 2/20/2016 - Pretending

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God,

1 Corinthians 1:21

"Of all the fads and foibles in the long history of human credulity, scientism in all its varied guises — from fanciful cosmology to

evolutionary epistemology and ethics — seems among the more dangerous, both because it pretends to be something very different from what it really is and because it has been accorded widespread and uncritical adherence.... One longs for a new Enlightenment to puncture the pretensions of this latest superstition." — Austin L. Hughes, The New Atlantis, Fall 2012   

Lesson of Jehoiachin's Portion

And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king,

a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

2 Kings 25:30

 

"Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king's palace with a store to last him for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord's people.

 

*A daily portion is all that a man really wants.

*We do not need tomorrow's supplies;

*that day has not yet dawned,

*and its wants are as yet unborn.

 

The thirst which we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet;

 

Jehoiachin's case is ours, we have a sure portion, a portion given us of the king, a gracious portion, and a perpetual portion. .... in matters of grace you need a daily supply.

 

Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy."

Charles Spurgeon

Papal Notes - Trump Rumble

"Thrusting himself into the heated American presidential campaign, Pope Francis declared

Thursday that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he wants to address illegal immigration only by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump fired back ferociously, saying it was "disgraceful" for a religious leader to question a person's faith.

The rare back-and-forth between pontiff and presidential candidate was the latest astonishing development in an American election already roiled by Trump's free-wheeling rhetoric and controversial policy proposals, particularly on immigration. It also underscored the popular pope's willingness to needle U.S. politicians on hot-button issues." Drudge

 

I'm not voting for Trump in the primary, but what business is it of Francis about a wall to stop "illegal" immigration? Doesn't "Caesar" have a duty, and role, to protect its people? Wouldn't it be "unchristian" to violate the "Caesars" Laws of another country?



The Vatican-surrounded by a WALL

Just asking, since Francis brought it up.....As someone who IS NOT voting for Trump, I find it RUDE of Francis to call him "not Christian" because he wants to protect his country's borders. (I can think of other reasons to think Trump isn't a "Christian", lol, but securing your borders is not one of them.)

 

Didn't Nehemiah build a wall? I'm just saying...the Pope should stay out of our politics.....

Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land:

Nehemiah 5:16

Amos Analysis 9:15

Walk through Amos, verse by verse, with the great Bible Commentaries of Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714) & Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832)

9:15

And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. KJV

 

{And I shall plant them on their land, and I shall no more draw out them of their land, which I gave to

them, saith the Lord thy God.} Wycliffe's Bible

 

I will plant them upon their land - They shall receive a permanent establishment there.
And they shall no more be pulled up - Most certainly this prophecy has never yet been fulfilled. They were pulled out by the Assyrian captivity, and by that of Babylon. Many were planted in again, and again pulled out by the Roman conquest and captivity, and were never since planted in, but are now scattered among all the nations of the earth. I conclude, as the word of God cannot fail, and this has not yet been fulfilled, it therefore follows that it will and must be fulfilled to the fullness of its spirit and intention. And this is established by the conclusion: "Saith the Lord thy God." He is Jehovah, and cannot fail; he is Thy God, and will do it. He can do it, because he is Jehovah; and he will do it, because he is Thy God. Amen.

 

 

Creation Moment 2/19/2016 - "Breathtaking"

"To a physicist like me, life looks to be a little short of magic: all

those dumb molecules conspiring to achieve such clever things! How do they do it? There is no orchestrator, no choreographer directing the performance, no esprit de corps, no collective will, no life force – just mindless atoms pushing and pulling on each other, kicked about by random thermal fluctuations. Yet the end product is an exquisite and highly distinctive form of order. Even chemists, who are familiar with the amazing transformative powers of molecules, find it breathtaking." — Paul Davies, The Eerie Silence, Astrobiology Magazine, April 15, 2010

Actually, the reason it Looks "breathtaking" is because there is, what there appears to be....an "orchestrator"....Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer,

and he that formed thee from the womb,

I am the LORD that maketh all things;

that stretcheth forth the heavens alone;

Isaiah 44:24

 

ARCHAEOLOGY: "Oldest" Jerusalem?

"Israeli authorities announced Wednesday they had uncovered findings proving for the first time the 

A child's coffin at the site

existence of an established human settlement in Jerusalem.....
In the Chalcolithic period humans were "still using stone tools, but began to create high-level ceramics and for the first time, copper tools as well," said Ronit Lupo, director of excavations at the authority.
They were also forming "established settlements with economies," Lupo said.
Chalcolithic settlements were found elsewhere in what is today Israel and Jordan.
Barzilai said the focus on Jerusalem's later historical eras could have led to researchers overlooking the Chalcolithic period, considered by some a bridge between antiquity and modern human communal existence." yahoo

Sounds early post-Babel...but try this for an idea only....what if the reason SALEM was a center for the High Priest of the true God, apparently sometime before Abraham came along, I wonder if this where those true to God during the rebellion at Babel congregated? Just a thought...
Salem is thought to be "Jerusalem" in it's earliest days by many....

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:

and he was the priest of the most high God.

Genesis 14:18

IN the NEWS - Twins of the Womb

Abortion supporters...please read....

"A family that was devastated to learn one of their twin fetuses is

unlikely to survive has drawn comfort from knowing his sister is there for him.

Incredibly, a recent sonogram shows the tiny siblings holding hands.

Doctors told Ian and Brittani McIntire, of Hutchinson, Kansas, they don't think boy, already named Mason, will survive. He has a hole in his heart and an abnormal brain.

"His only chance of survival would be heart surgery but they wouldn't do heart surgery on him because of his brain," Brittani told CBS affiliate KWCH." InsideEdition

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

Amos Analysis 9:14

Walk through Amos, verse by verse, with the great Bible Commentaries of Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714) & Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832)

9:14

And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. KJV

{ And I shall convert the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build (up the) forsaken cities, and shall dwell; and shall plant vineyards, and they shall drink wine of them; and shall

make gardens, and shall eat fruits of them.} Wycliffe's Bible

Though the mountains and hills drop wine, and the privileges of the gospel-church are laid in common, yet they shall enclose for themselves, not to monopolize these privileges, to the exclusion of others, but to appropriate and improve these privileges, in communion with others, and they shall drink the wine, and eat the fruit, of their own vineyards and gardens; for those that take pains in religion, as men must do about their vineyards and gardens, shall have both the pleasure and profit of it.

Creation Moment 2/18/2016 - 100% CORRECT Ken

... no man repented him of his wickedness, saying,
What have I done?
every one turned to his course,
as the horse rusheth into the battle.
Jeremiah 8:6

"Ken Ham, a biologist and supporter of young Earth creationism, said evolution is a “belief,” not a “theory” -- a “fairy tale” for people who “try to explain life without God” -- and he added that the secular State has established a church, the

“Church of Evolution, with Darwin as the High Priest,” and teachers and professors as “priests” who push the Darwin religion in the schools.

In an interview on VCY America on Feb. 10, two days before the international Darwin Day, host Jim Schneider said to Ken Ham, “I was disturbed in my spirit to hear we have House now and Senate resolutions declaring Feb. 12 to be Darwin Day, and as much as that grieved me, it grieved me even more though to see that churches are doing the very same thing.”

Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis and founder of the Creation Museum, said, “Churches are doing the very same thing.  And think about this: At the same time, they’re trying to throw nativity scenes out of public places, take Christ out of Christmas, and then they claim there’s separation of church and state...." CNS

IN the NEWS - GREEN NAZISM & a GREEN SABBATH coming?

Below is an article by Vivienne Westwood (fashion designer/activist) exemplifying what GREEN Nazism really is.....and will this GREEN RELIGION push one day blend (via a GREEN Pope) with Christianity to set aside a GREEN Sabbath? One side to appease an angry Father God during disasters and the other side to appease an angry mother earth by setting aside a day to reduce our so-called "carbon footprint"? Will this be the (GREEN) glue that brings the world into co-operation for the mark of the beast?.....

"Exchange Business as Usual for Green Economy.

Before the French Revolution in 1789 most people

believed in monarchy and the divine right of kings.

 After 1789 they believed in democracy.

We need to change old for

new as quickly as that.

 If not, we're dead.



Vivienne Westwood

To do this we must:

Destroy the Credibility of the Press (Mainstream Media)

The press repeat what politicians say.
After the recent Paris Agreement, President Hollande said, "This is a major leap for mankind". The story is: 195 countries have promised to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero in the next 50 years. This time it's different because China is with us.
Most people now think climate change is under control, our leaders are taking care of it.

Propagate vision of new world.

Our organization, Climate Revolution, means the same as the title and substance of Naomi Klein's book, This Changes Everything. It means the very process of changing to a green economy will give us the world we want. We can stop climate change by living in harmony with the earth (instead of raping it). This will activate the best in us, bring true human values to the fore. It means that by changing to a green economy we will need to build community and care, fair distribution of wealth, right to life, comfort, culture (not consumption), justice, happiness (give each individual the opportunity to develop), peace - not a war economy. Jobs that benefit the whole world - more teachers, nurses. It could even give us a new religion - love of the earth.

Save the Rainforest - be specific, stop the loggers. Climate Revolution is working with the charity, Cool Earth; working with indigenous people they are ring-fencing the forest to stop the loggers and so protect the interior.

Save the Ocean - Be specific, regenerate. We are still talking with, especially, Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd about this. Paul tells me the ocean currently sequesters up to a third of the carbon emitted by human activity, roughly two billion metric tons each year. Greater diversity and increased populations of phytoplankton will increase the sequestering abilities of the ocean.

Intellectuals Unite! The world suffers from the isolation of intellectuals. During the Renaissance intellectuals were the most influential members of society. I am an intellectual; I am a reader and an art lover. I need to understand the past to understand the present. As an activist, today I spend more and more time on the problem of climate change and how to save ourselves.(*see below)

We have already begun to form a movement; in 6 colleges and schools young people are forming active cells to oppose governments and fight climate change. They will ask their professors and visiting speakers to join, they will expand the movement to other colleges and link with intellectuals from all walks of life." HuffingtonPost

Who changed the truth of God into a lie,

and worshipped and served the

 creature more than the Creator,

who is blessed for ever.

Romans 1:25

 * "The principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion;"
 Desire of Ages p.35 E.G.W.

Amos Analysis 9:13

Walk through Amos, verse by verse, with the great Bible Commentaries of Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714) & Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832)

9:13

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. KJV

 

{Lo! days come, saith the Lord, and the earer shall (over)take the reaper (Lo! days shall come, and the plowman shall overtake the harvester), and the treader, or (the) stamper, of grape(s) shall (over)take the man sowing seed; and mountains shall drop sweetness, and all small hills shall be tilled.} Wycliffe's Bible

 

The ploughman shall overtake the reaper - All the seasons shall succeed in due and natural order: but the crops shall be so copious in the fields and in the vineyards, that a long time shall be employed in gathering and disposing of them; so that the seasons of ploughing, sowing, gathering the grapes, treading the wine-press, etc., shall press on the heels of each other; so vast will be the abundance, and so long the time necessary to gather and cure the grain and fruits. We are informed by travelers in the Holy Land, Barbary, etc., that the vintage at Aleppo lasts from the fifteenth of September to the middle of November; and that the sowing season begins at the close of October, and lasts through all November. Here, then, the ploughman, sower, grape-gatherer, and operator at the wine-press, not only succeed each other, but have parts of these operations going on at the same time. But great fertility in the land, abundance in the crops, and regularity of the seasons, seem to be the things which the prophet especially predicts. These are all poetical and prophetical images, by which happy times are pointed out.

Creation Moment 2/17/2016 - "Catch-all"

"Moreover, even if we can be confident that our universe has

unchanging physical laws — which many of the new speculative cosmologies call into question — how is it that we “mere collections of particles” are able to discern those laws? How can we be confident that we will continue to discern them better, until we understand them fully? A common response to these questions invokes what has become the catch-all explanatory tool of advocates of scientism: evolution."   — Austin L. Hughes, The New Atlantis, 2012

God's Catch-all

am Alpha and Omega,

 the beginning and the ending,

Revelation 1:8

Creation Moment 2/16/2016 - Zicron Zinging Evolutionary Timescales

"A commonly-used dating method has been threatened by new findings that undermine assumptions. Crystals of zircon often contain uranium and have been used for a long time to date rocks into the millions-of-years range. The assumption has been that the parent (U) and daughter (lead, Pb) remain locked in the tight crystal lattices of zircon, so that mineralogists can accurately measure ratios of the elements resulting from radioactive decay. That assumption has been called into question by a new paper just published in Nature Communications.

First, the impact: Our findings have important implications for the use of zircon as a

geochronometer, and highlight the importance of deformation on trace element redistribution in minerals and engineering materials. Now, the reasons for the concern: Trace elements diffuse negligible distances through the pristine crystal lattice in minerals: this is a fundamental assumption when using them to decipher geological processes. For example, the reliable use of the mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) as a U-Th-Pb geochronometer and trace element monitor requires minimal radiogenic isotope and trace element mobility. Here, using atom probe tomography, we document the effects of crystal–plastic deformation on atomic-scale elemental distributions in zircon revealing sub-micrometre-scale mechanisms of trace element mobility. Dislocations that move through the lattice accumulate U and other trace elements. Pipe diffusion along dislocation arrays connected to a chemical or structural sink results in continuous removal of selected elements (for example, Pb), even after deformation has ceased. However, in disconnected dislocations, trace elements remain locked. This means that parent and daughter elements in the radioactive decay chain are not locked into the crystal: they can move.

Our results demonstrate the importance of deformation processes and microstructures on the localized trace element concentrations and continuous redistribution from the nanometre to micrometre scale in the mineral zircon. Dislocation movement through the zircon lattice can effectively sweep up and concentrate solute atoms at geological strain rates. Dislocation arrays can act as fast pathways for the diffusion of incompatible elements such as Pb across distances of >10 μm if they are connected to a chemical or structural sink. Hence, nominally immobile elements can become locally extremely mobile. Not only does our study confirm recent speculation that an understanding of the deformation microstructures within zircon grains is a necessity for subsequent, robust geochronological analyses but it also sheds light on potential pit-falls when utilizing element concentrations and ratios for geological studies. Our results have far-reaching implications for the interpretation of local elemental variations in not only deformed minerals but also a range of engineering materials.

The authors do not provide any specific examples of rock dates being misinterpreted either as older or younger, or by how much the error could be. They only show that a “fundamental assumption” in the dating method is not true; the elements can move quickly and become “extremely mobile.” For this reason, they warn, “when interpreting local elemental and isotopic variations in both deforming and deformed crystalline materials, a thorough characterization of deformation-related dislocation structures is essential.”

We do not know the degree of impact this paper will have on interpretations of rock ages other than the authors’ warnings that the implications could be “far-reaching”. 
 Creationists may remember the findings of ICR’s RATE project that showed unexpected helium retention in zircons under high heat in deep wells (see explanation by D. Russell Humphreys at ICR). This new paper appears to present a possible significant challenge to another leading assumption about zircon dating that would reinforce the RATE finding. For if lead can diffuse around in the crystal, how much more the slippery, lightweight noble gas helium? If nothing else, this paper points out that long-age dates are not “set in stone” like some kind of sealed time capsule. You have to make assumptions to interpret a measurement, and assumptions are subject to change. So what other dating methods will have their assumptions questioned in the future? Be careful when scientists offer “proof” of long ages." CEH

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;
1 Corinthians 1:25

Your Balance Sheet & Profit & Loss Statement

For what shall it profit a man,

 if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

Or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:36,37

 

"The primary difference between the profit and loss statement and

the balance sheet involves their respective treatments of time. The balance sheet summarizes the financial position of a company for one specific point in time. The P&L statement shows revenues and expenses during a set period of time." Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

Your Part....

How's your spiritual profit and loss statement today? Is there any expense "(sacrifice) for your soul that is really too "expensive" today?

 

HIS Part....

How's your spiritual balance sheet looking for Judgment Day? Have you accepted His blood sacrifice & Grace?

Amos Analysis 9:12

Walk through Amos, verse by verse, with the great Bible Commentaries of Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714) & Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832)

9:12

That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. KJV

 

{that they wield the remnants of Idumea, and all nations; for that my name is called to help on them, saith the Lord doing these things.} Wycliffe's Bible

 

That they may possess the remnant of Edom - Bp. Newcome translates this clause as follows:

"That the residue of men may seek Jehovah, and all the heathen who are called by my name." Here, instead of אדום Edom, he reads אדם Adam, men or mankind, which is the reading of the Arabic, and some MSS. of the Syriac, and of Acts 15:17.
The Pachomian MS. of the Septuagint adds here, ὁπως εκζητησωσι με, that they may seek me. And the Arabic has the Lord; and in stead of יירשו yireshu, "they shall possess," the learned bishop seems to have read ידרשו yidreshu, "they may seek;" and thus the text resembles the quotation by St. James, Acts 15:17, "That the residue of men might seek after the Lord." It is strange that not one of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi, nor any of my own, favors or countenances any of these alterations. I am of opinion, therefore, that we must dismiss all these conjectural emendations, and take the Hebrew text as we find it. That it speaks of the conversion of the Jews in Gospel times, we have the authority of the New Testament as above to prove; and it we cannot make the words, as they stand there, entirely to agree with the words here, the subject is not affected by it. The Jews shall be converted and restored, and this text in both covenants is a proof of it.

Papal Notes - "Our Lady" Illustrates the Point

"Pope Francis met with the bishops of Mexico on Saturday at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, where he highlighted the intercessory power of Our Lady of Guadalupe and

encouraged the country’s clergy to overcome their challenges through perseverance and unity.
“I know that by looking into the eyes of the Blessed Virgin, I am able to follow the gaze of her sons and daughters who, in her, have learned to express themselves,” Pope Francis stated.
“I know that here is found the secret heart of each Mexican,” he continued, saying “please allow la Guadalupana to be the starting point of everything I will say to you.”

Earlier in the day, he met with President Enrique Pena Nieto and other civil authorities at the National Palace, and will later celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

During his meeting, Pope Francis underscored the profound impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe, saying “no other voice can speak so powerfully to me of the Mexican heart… she guards its highest aspirations and the most hidden hopes.”
The Holy Father also pointed to Our Lady of Guadalupe as an example to all religious and clergy,

because she “teaches us that the only power capable of conquering the hearts of men and women is the tenderness of God.”

Pope Francis additionally noted his concern for those “seduced by the empty power of the world,” who are blinded by the lure of money and the violence of drug trade. The phenomenon of this dangerous power poses a specific challenge to the pastors of the church of Mexico, the Holy Father stated.

Despite the country’s at times lonely and painful history, the Holy Father encouraged the Mexican bishops to “never cease to remind your people of how powerful their ancient roots are, roots which have allowed a vibrant Christian synthesis of human, cultural and spiritual unity which was forged here.”
EWTN

THIS (2ND) Commandment is cut out of the "Catholic" 10 Commandments..now you know why...

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:

Exodus 20:4,5

"Our Lady of Guadalupe also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a venerated image enshrined within the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in México City. The basilica is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, and the world's third most-visited sacred site.^{" wikipedia}

IN the NEWS - CULTURAL ROT on DISPLAY by POLITICIANS

Others have been with those who rebel against the light;

They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

Job 24:13

"OLYMPIA, Washington, February 11, 2016  – A bill to reverse a public accommodations law that allows transgender people to use opposite-sex bathrooms and locker rooms was blocked in the state Senate – in part thanks to three Republicans who voted with the minority Democrats.

The law took effect earlier this year and drew a backlash from Republicans concerned about men pretending to be transgender in order to harass and assault women. The GOP has a slim majority in the state Senate, but the three Republicans gave Democrats a 25-24 victory.

The sponsor of the repeal bill, Sen. Doug Ericksen, told his colleagues that business owners are helpless under the existing law to protect women from assailants. "Under this rule, practically, what can he do to be able to protect his members that are uncomfortable?" he asked, according to The Associated Press.

Some Republicans took issue with how the law was implemented –

not via the legislature or a ballot referendum, but through the state's Human Rights Commission. Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Chairman Michael Baumgartner, who held hearings on Ericksen's bill, said he "certainly was disappointed in the rule because it definitely put people at risk" and criticized the commission for involving itself.

The official Senate bill report on Ericksen's bill says that current law – enacted in January – punishes anyone who "expresses concern or discomfort about a person who uses a facility that is consistent with the person's gender expression or gender identity[.]"

The Senate's vote means the repeal effort is essentially dead in the water; the Democratic-controlled House is unlikely to consider the measure." Lifesite

Papal Notes - "Meeting of the Millennium"

"The meeting was the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century.
The two-hour talks on Friday between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill were held at Havana airport.
The document called on the world community to defend Christians, saying that "in many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in

Christ are being completely exterminated."
"Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed."
Pope and the black-robed Patriarch were holding each other by the shoulders and smiling warmly. Then the leaders of Catholics and Russian Orthodox Christians sat down.
Russian state TV described the talks between the two men as the "meeting of the millennium".
In purely symbolic terms, this is an extraordinary moment, but it is perhaps even more significant in terms of Church diplomacy, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana says.

The Roman Catholic Church has more than a billion members worldwide, while the Russian Orthodox Church numbers about 165 million.
The Russian Church is the largest and most powerful in the Orthodox faith, which is made up of a number of separate churches." BBC
.....and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:3

Amos Analysis 9:11

Walk through Amos, verse by verse, with the great Bible Commentaries of Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714) & Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832)

9:11

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: KJV

 

{In that day I shall raise the tabernacle of David, that fell down, and I shall again-build openings of

the walls thereof, and I shall restore the things that fell down; and I shall again-build it, as in old days,} Wycliffe's Bible

 

Will I raise up the tabernacle of David - It is well known that the kingdom of Israel, the most profane and idolatrous, fell first, and that the kingdom of Judah continued long after, and enjoyed considerable prosperity under Hezekiah and Josiah. The remnant of the Israelites that were left by the Assyrians became united to the kingdom of Judah; and of the others, many afterwards joined them: but this comparatively short prosperity and respite, previously to the Babylonish captivity, could not be that, as Calmet justly observes, which is mentioned here.

These tabernacles had fallen and gone to decay, the royal family was so impoverished, its power abridged, its honour stained, and laid in the dust; for many of that race degenerated, and in the captivity it lost the imperial dignity. Sore breaches were made upon it, and at length it was laid in ruins. So it was with the church of the Jews; in the latter days of it its glory departed; it was like a tabernacle broken down and brought to ruin, in respect both of purity and of prosperity. 2. By Jesus Christ these tabernacles were raised and rebuilt.

Creation Moment 2/15/2016 - NO EXCUSE

For the invisible things of him from the

creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made,

......so that they are without excuse:

Romans 1:20

"While the admission of a design for the universe ultimately raises

the question of a Designer (a subject outside of science), the scientific method does not allow us to exclude data which lead to the conclusion that the universe, life and man are based on design. To be forced to believe only one conclusion—that everything in the universe happened by chance—would violate the very objectivity of science itself." — Wernher von Braun, rocket pioneer, 1972.

Who Will Call Him King Of Kings performed by SANDI PATTY

Who Will Call Him King Of Kings performed by SANDI PATTY
https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Qy2T7eNkQ0?list=PLT70zxsi10M8HWIX2R91CUkACvxpe0eKy

SDA President Ted Wilson, preaching
in Communist, Atheistic China as
the 1st head of a Christian denomination allowed to do so.....

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,

 having the everlasting gospel

 to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,

 and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Revelation 14:6

 

And Jesus said, I am:

and ye shall see the Son of man

sitting on the right hand of power,

and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Mark 14:62

VALENTINE'S: What about it?

We are not casting judgment on those who celebrate Valentine's Day....we will follow Paul's words.. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
 or in respect of an holyday,....
Colossians 2:16

YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.....

The New Oxford American Dictionary says “ORIGIN: Old English hāligdæg [holy day.]”
O.E. haligdæg, from halig "holy" + dæg "day;" in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of recreation", but pronunciation and sense diverged
Holiday is a compound stemming from the words holy and day. The word 'holiday' first surfaced in the 1500's replacing the earlier word 'haliday' which was recorded before 1200 in the Old English book Ancrene Riwle. Earlier , about 950, the word was 'haligdaeg' and appeared in the Old English Lindisfarne Gospels. It was a compound of halig (holy) plus daeg (day) English Language & Usage

"In 313 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity and ended Rome's persecution of Christians. In 380 A.D., Christianity becomes the OFFICIAL state religion of the

Roman Empire. These actions not only enabled the teachings of Christianity to spread unhindered within the empire, it encouraged non-Christians to convert to the once-persecuted religion.

The pagans, however, who adopted Christianity as their religion did not entirely abandon the traditions and practices they held before their "conversion." One of these traditions brought into the church was the fertility celebration known as the Lupercalia, which eventually became the Valentine's holiday.

"Yet the vestiges of superstition were not absolutely obliterated, and the festival of the Lupercalia, whose origin had preceded the foundation of Rome, was still celebrated under the reign of Anthemius."

"After the conversion of the Imperial city (Rome), the Christians still continued, in the month of February, the annual celebration of the Lupercalia . . . " (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons, Chapter 36, Part 3)
Twenty-four years after the death of Emperor Anthemius, a "Christianized" form of the festival of Lupercalia was officially adopted by the church as a time to honor Saint Valentine.

"Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday (Valentine's) honoring the saint of romantic causes than with one recognizing a pagan festival. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius named February 14 in honor of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers." (How Valentine's Day Works, Apr. 1, 2000, retrieved Jan. 11, 2011)

February 14th as the day to honor this "saint" (the Catholic Church currently recognizes at least three different martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus) stayed on the church's Calendar of Saints until 1969 A.D. Pope Paul VI removed it from the calendar.

What was the festival of Lupercalia?

The Lupercalia festival was partly in honor of Lupa, the she-wolf who (according to legend) nursed the infant orphans Romulus and Remus. Roman legend states that Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome in 753 B.C. The pagan festival was also in honor of the Roman god Lupercus who was the god of shepherds.
Lupercus was Rome's 

PAN

equivalent to the Greek god Pan.
The link between the Lupercalia, fertility, and romance in general is evident in the festivities that occurred during the celebrations (Valentine's Day, History Channel web site, retrieved Jan. 10, 2011).
The Greek historian Plutarch (c. 46 to 120 A.D.) also describes the Lupercalia and its relationship to fertility. The second-century Christian apologist Justin Martyr further links the worship of pagan gods to the Lupercalia when he writes of an image of "the Lycaean god, whom the Greeks call Pan and the Romans Lupercus," who is nude save for a girdle of goatskin, which stood in the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf.

Valentine's Symbols

Red Roses Red roses were the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection, and erotic love. Cupid today appears shooting his bow to inspire romantic love.

The Heart
It is unclear the origin of the familiar heart shape used for Valentine's celebration. One possibility involves the now-extinct North African plant silphium. The city-state of Cyrene had a lucrative trade in the plant, which looks just like the heart shape used in modern times."

Sources: "Where did the ubiquitous Valentine's symbol come from?"

 

 

Lupercalia ancient Roman festival ancient Roman festival
 that was conducted annually on February 15
under the superintendence of a corporation of priests called Luperci.
Each Lupercalia began with the sacrifice by the Luperci of goats and a dog,
after which two of the Luperci were led to the altar,
 their foreheads were touched with a bloody knife,
and the blood was wiped off with wool dipped in milk;
 the ritual required that the two young men laugh.
The sacrificial feast followed, after which
the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the sacrificial animals
and ran in two bands around the Palatine hill,
striking with the thongs at any woman who came near them.
 A blow from the thong was supposed to render a woman fertile.
 In 494 AD the Christian church under Pope Gelasius I
appropriated the form of the rite as
the Feast of the Purification.
Encyclopedia Britannica
**FEAST OF PURIFICATION**
"The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary---
The Feast of the Presentation is one of the oldest feasts of the Catholic Church,
celebrated since the 4th century AD in Jerusalem.
The Lupercalia have frequently been linked to the presentation of Jesus at the temple,
particularly by Cardinal Cesare Baronio in the 16th century
 especially because of the theme of purification that the two festivals share.
In fact, Pope Gelasius I had much earlier written a letter
 to a senator Andromachus, who wanted to reestablish the Lupercalia
 for the purpose of purification, and the so-called Gelasian Sacramentary
 mentions the celebration of the Presentation of Jesus,
lending support to the conclusion
that Gelasius substituted the pagan festival with a Christian one.
Imbolc
Among the Celts, the pagan celebration of Imbolc occurred on the first of February.
This was in honor of the goddess Brigid and was associated

with purification and fertility at the end of winter.

Peasants would carry torches and cross the fields in procession,
praying to the goddess to purify the ground before planting.
In churches, the torches were replace by blessed candles
whose glow was supposed to take away evil and symbolize
 that Christ is the light of the world.
They would then take the candles to their homes
 to bring protection to their homes.
 In 1372 this celebration would also be associated
with the purification of Mary at the Temple.
Bears
From antiquity to the Middle Ages, bears were an object of cult.
Germans and Scandinavians and, to a lesser extent,

 the Celts celebrated the end of hibernation of the bears
 at the end of January and beginning of February.
However January 24
was for most of Europe the date of the celebration.
This was around the time when the bears would leave their dens
and see if the weather was mild.
This festival was characterized by bear costumes or disguises,
 and mock rapes and abductions of young girls.
For a long time, the Catholic Church sought to eradicate these pagan practices.
 To do this, it instituted the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
 which is celebrated on February 2,
which corresponds to the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.
However, the celebrations of the bear and the return of light continued,
with bonfires and other torchlight processions.
 Pope Gelasius I in the fifth century therefore instituted the feast of candles.
From the twelfth to the eighteenth century,
Candlemas was called "chandelours" in many areas
where the memory of the cult of the bear was still very present.
United States and Canada
The celebration of Candlemas has largely
 been replaced in the media by groundhog day."
Wikipedia