K-House eNews
For The Week Of May 13, 2008
**TABLE OF CONTENTS**
This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast
Articles and Commentary
- Unity v. Truth in the Apostate Church - (Read)
- Science Friction: Hybrid Embryos Stir Controversy - (Read)
- Examining the Gospel of Matthew - (Read)
- Strategic Perspectives Conference - THIS WEEKEND! - (Read)
Important News Headlines
Memory Verse of the Week
**THIS WEEK'S 66/40 RADIO BROADCAST**
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Genesis 1:24-2
The Architecture of Man
Why study the book of Genesis? It is the book of beginnings: creation, man, women, sabbath, marriage, home, childhood, sin, murder,sacrifice, grace, trade, agriculture, city life, languages, ect. Genesis anticipates all false philosophies: atheism, pantheism, polytheism, materialism, humanism, evolution, and uniformism. All major doctrines have their roots in Genesis: sovereign election, salvation, justification by faith, believer's security, separation, disciplinary chastisement, divine incarnation, resurrection, priesthoods, and covenants.
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**SPECIAL OFFER**
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Weathering the Storm - MP3 Download by Chuck Missler
- Is your life heading into a threatening storm?
- Is the course you're on heading for rocks and shoals?
- How do you navigate stormy seas?
- What steps do you take when preparations prove inadequate?
- Are you encumbered with excess baggage?
- Why did God allow the storm you're in?
Chuck and Nancy relate the surprising directions they received from their reading of Scripture and the manner in which God transformed their "success" into significance.
Weathering the Storm - MP3 Download $5.95
This offer will expire in 7 days.
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**ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY**
UNITY V. TRUTH IN THE APOSTATE CHURCH -
(Print)
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 10:32-33
The minister at Toronto's West Hill United Church, Rev. Gretta Vosper, does not teach her congregation to recite the Apostle's Creed. She does not believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit or born of a virgin. She does not believe that Jesus rose again from the dead or ascended into heaven... or most of the basic tenets of Biblical Christianity. In fact, when her congregation sings famous hymns, the references to Christ and God are removed. Yet, Ms. Vosper calls herself a "Christian" and runs a church in one of Canada's largest Protestant denominations.
Ms. Vosper believes that all that stuff about resurrection and miracles and the forgiveness of sins is something the Christian Church has to get past in order to make it in the 21st Century world. To her, the essence of Christianity is about loving your neighbor. She therefore follows some of the teachings of Christ - according to her preferred interpretation of those teachings. The rest of his message, about dying for our sins, rising again on the third day, and being one with the Father, those must be things she just ignores.
On the other hand, famous evangelical theologian J.I. Packer has recently cut his ties with the Anglican Church of Canada because a significant portion of its liberal leadership has become heretical. He is not alone in his concern. A number of more conservative Anglican parishes have protested the gradual acceptance of homosexuality within many Anglican dioceses. These parishes have split off in increasing numbers, aligning themselves with their Anglican brothers and sisters in other countries. The divisions are not just caused by sex issues. A chasm has steadily grown between those who hold conservative, Bible-based beliefs and those who affirm more liberal, man-centered views.
Packer still believes the Bible is the absolute authority on divine truth. "I'm simply being an old-fashioned mainstream Anglican," Packer said. He hasn't changed, and the Bible hasn't changed, but the Anglican leadership in Canada certainly has.
Since the days of the apostles themselves, Christianity has been full of division. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for being divided among themselves, for some saying, "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ (1 Cor 1:12)." He encouraged them to be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Cor 1:10)."
Yet, Jesus himself warned that he did not come to earth to bring peace, and that he would divide even families. Christianity is not really its own religion, after all. Christianity is merely Mature Judaism. Jesus split Judaism into two camps – those who followed Christ in the New Covenant, and those who clung to the Old Covenant.
Psalm 133 describes how desirable unity is. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard..." We are to seek unity, to exhort each other in humility and love (and not rudeness or high-and-mightiness). Our love for one another is something that is supposed to demonstrate to the world that we are Christ's (John 13:35). Church leaders are to know the Word of God, so that they may "be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers (Titus 1:9)." Yet, when the choice comes down to unity or truth, truth must always win. Unity can never be more important than following Christ himself.
"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37-38)."
Rev. Gretta Vosper is wrong about the future of Christianity. Biblical Christianity that is full of the Spirit of God will never become outdated. It might be scorned by the intellectuals who consider themselves wise, and it might be rejected by those who seek the praise of man over the praise of God. But, the Spirit of God is always at work in the hearts of men, giving life to human spirits by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Cor. 4:6)."
Jesus never promised us unity in this world. He did, however, say that he was the way, the truth, and the life. If we keep our eyes on him, we'll be walking in unity with all others who are doing the same.
Related Links:
• Pastor Promotes a Christianity without Christ - The Globe and Mail
• Famed Theologian Quits Anglican Church of Canada - The Christian Post
• Strategic Perspectives Conference II - DVD - Special Offer!
SCIENCE FRICTION: HYBRID EMBRYOS STIR CONTROVERSY -
(Print)
Rapid advances in the field of biology have prompted lawmakers to consider creating guidelines to regulate experiments involving animal-human hybrids. As politicians debate the ethical and moral issues, scientists continue to explore uncharted territory, with each step forward prompting the question: how far is too far?
Animal-human hybrids were once purely the stuff of science fiction, however fiction has become reality. Scientists have created sheep that possess human hearts and livers, pigs that have been born with human blood, and a variety of other creatures whose genetic makeup has been tampered with. Biologists call these hybrid animals chimeras. They are named after a mythical Greek creature that was said to possess a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
In recent years cross-species experimentation has become more widespread. Scientists at Newcastle University recently created Britain's first ever human-animal hybrid embryos. Researchers inserted human DNA from a skin cell into cow eggs from which the genetic information had been removed. The human-cow hybrid embryos will be used for stem cell research.
The Yuck Factor
The frightening reality is that there are not currently any federal guidelines to regulate chimeric experiments. Researchers have been left alone to regulate themselves, but there seems to be no consensus within the scientific community over what is and is not considered ethical.
Moral objections to chimeric research are often dismissed by proponents as simply knee-jerk reactions based on instinctual, rather than logical, thinking. These misgivings are sometime referred to by scientists as the "yuck factor." Unfortunately, many researchers describe the "yuck factor" as though it were an obstacle to scientific discovery, instead of evidence of a troubled conscience.
Exploring these new frontiers of science and medicine without the guidance of a strong moral compass will lead us into an ethical quagmire with dangerous repercussions. Without some kind of clear guidelines, we risk adopting a form of logic that would leave us tempted, not only to ponder, but also to do the unthinkable.
We are embarking upon an enterprise unlike anything undertaken before. The avalanche of advances in the current biotech revolution is both exciting and frightening. The promise of new remedies and cures in many diverse fields of medicine has given new hope to those who suffer from diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's. Meanwhile science continues to outrun lawmakers. The biotech revolution has produced a host of ethical questions that have yet to be answered. These questions strike at the very heart of what it means to be human. To learn more about this topic, click on the links below.
Related Links:
• First British Human-Animal Hybrid Embryos Created - Guardian
• Bill to Ban Human-Animal Hybrids Introduced in Congress - Life Site
• Genetically Modified Human Embryo Stirs Criticism - AP
• Strategic Trends: Biotech - Koinonia House
• BioTech: The Sorcerer's New Apprentice? - MP3 Download
• BioTech: The Sorcerer's New Apprentice? - DVD
EXAMINING THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW -
(Print)
The first thing to notice about the Gospels is that they are skillfully designed; each one is tailored to suit its specific perspective. Matthew was a Jew, a Levite; he presents Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel - the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This first book of the New Testament plunges right in to establish Jesus as the Meshiach Nagid, the Messiah the King. After first establishing the royal genealogy, Matthew then proceeds to focus on the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies: Matthew uses the term "fulfilled" 82 times!
Matthew emphasized what Jesus said. He evidently recorded the discourses verbatim. As a customs official, he was a tachygrapher, or shorthand writer. The reason Matthew's Gospel is so much longer than Mark's is that he includes Jesus' extensive discourses, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse; without these discourses, Mark's Gospel would be longer.
Early Origin
Many scholars now believe that the Gospels were written before Paul's first imprisonment in 57-60 AD, and that virtually all of the New Testament books were written before Jerusalem's destruction.
There is no hint in the New Testament of Nero's persecutions after 64 AD, nor of the execution of James, the Lord's brother, in 62 AD. There is not the slightest mention of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, which began in 66 AD, nor of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. These historic events would have been irresistible in making many of the arguments in the New Testament documents.
Textual evidence suggests that the Gospels were originally written in Hebrew. In hundreds of places the Greek sentence structure betrays a Semitic influence and implies a translation from the Hebrew. It appears that within five years after the death and resurrection of Christ, most of His words and deeds had been committed to a simple written Hebrew form and Matthew is, of course, assumed to be part of this compilation.
In 1994, an ancient segment of the Greek text of Matthew's Gospel was analyzed and it appears to be dated before 66 AD. Known as the Magdalen Papyrus, it contains segments of Matthew 26:23 and 26:31 on both sides of three fragments. Using a scanning laser microscope, it has provided physical evidence that the Gospel according to Matthew is an eyewitness account written by contemporaries of Christ.
Your Challenge
Matthew's thoroughness and precision lends many special insights as one delves into his detailed presentations. His rendering of the Seven Kingdom Parables in Chapter 13 is remarkably parallel to the Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, etc. His presentation of Jesus' confidential briefing to His disciples about His Second Coming in Chapter 24 is an essential foundation in any eschatological (end-time) study. So, clearly, this very basic book of the Bible is, of course, a most rewarding study to both novice and experienced Bible students who are willing to diligently dig in. Our prayers are that you will be blessed as you embark on this fascinating study!
Related Links:
• Matthew - MP3 Download - Koinonia House
• Matthew - DVD - Koinonia House
STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES CONFERENCE - THIS WEEKEND! -
(Print)
Strategic Perspectives: Southern California Conference
May 16th-17th at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills
Friday Night - 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Worship with Dennis Agajanian
"What The 'News' is Not Telling You"
Joseph Farah, World Net Daily Founder
"High Tech in the Bible"
Chuck Missler, Koinonia Institute Founder
Q&A with Chuck Missler
Saturday - 9:00am to 10:00pm
Worship with Dennis Agajanian
"All Eyes On The Epicenter: Russia, Iran and the Future of Israel"
Joel Rosenberg, Author, Speaker, Communications Strategist
"The Signs of the Times: We Are Closer Than You Think"
Paul McGuire, Author/Radio Commentator
"The Merciful God of Revelation"
Tim LaHaye, Author of the Left Behind Series
"The Divine Butler…A Nation in Distress"
Ray Comfort, Pastor/Author/Bible Teacher
"Lessons From the Ledge...A Biblical Explorer Shares His Incredible Findings"
Bob Cornuke, Archaeologist with B.A.S.E. Institute
"Israel at 60: What Does the Future Hold"
General Shimon Erem
"Islam in Bible Prophecy"
Walid Shoebat, Former PLO Terrorist
Sunday Night - There will be a special KI Members Dinner and private session with Walid Shoebat. For more information on the KI dinner contact Dan Stolebarger.
Time is running out! The conference is only a few days away, so get your tickets today! For more information, or to purchase tickets, click on the link below.
Related Links:
• Purchase Tickets Here - Conference Starts Friday!
• Events Calendar - Koinonia House
**IMPORTANT NEWS HEADLINES**
German Archaeologist on Trail of Ark of the Covenant - May 13, 2008
German researchers claim to have found the remains of the palace of the Queen of Sheba — and an altar that may have held the Ark. The discovery, announced by the University of Hamburg last week, has stirred skeptical rumblings from the archaeological community. The location of the Ark, indeed its existence, has been a source of controversy for centuries.
FOX News
China Quake Left 18,000 Buried in One City - May 13, 2008
The toll of the dead and missing continues to soar as rescue workers dig through flattened schools and homes in a desperate attempt to find survivors of China's worst earthquake in three decades. The official Xinhua News Agency said the death toll exceeded 12,000 in Sichuan province alone, and 18,645 were still buried in debris in the city of Mianyang, near the epicenter of Monday's massive, 7.9-magnitude quake.
MSNBC
1 in 10 Boomers Borrow For Everyday Expenses - May 13, 2008
The economic downturn is hitting roughly one in 10 middle-aged and older Americans especially hard, compelling them to borrow money for everyday living expenses and to seek help from family, friends or charities, according to a survey released Tuesday by the AARP.
MSNBC
Iran Could Have Nukes by '09 - May 13, 2008
With Iran racing forward with its nuclear program, Israel now believes the Islamic Republic will master centrifuge technology and be able to begin enriching uranium on a military scale this year. The new assessment moves up Israel's forecasts on Teheran's nuclear program by almost a full year - from 2009 to the end of 2008. According to the new timeline, Iran could have a nuclear weapon by the middle of next year.
JP
Practising Muslims Will Outnumber British Christians by 2035 - May 13, 2008
Practicing Muslims will outnumber worshipping Christians in Britain within 30 years. By 2035, there will be about 1.96 million active Muslims in Britain, compared with 1.63 million church-going Christians, according to calculations by a Christian think-tank.
Telegraph
Consequences of Abortion Threaten Russia - May 13, 2008
Abortion has been used as a method of birth control for decades in Russia and other eastern European nations. Russia will likely lose one-third of its current population by 2050 as a result. The underpopulation crisis unlimited abortions has caused in Russia is so bad, that the nation will likely need to import large numbers of foreign workers because of labor shortages. US CIA director Michael Hayden says he's concerned that will lead to racial unrest.
LifeNews
Lebanon Slides Towards New Civil Conflict - May 13, 2008
Pro-Western Siniora government and Iran-Syria-backed Hizballah forces exchanged fire in the streets of Beirut Wednesday. It would appear that both sides are preparing for a possible civil war.
DEBKA File
**MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK**
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20 KJV
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