The World is Going to End… Again

That was the headline (translated) in the May 21, 2011 issue of El Diario, when so-and-so predicted the world would end then. The story highlighted others who have predicted the doomsday, going all the way back to The Watchtower founder Charles Taze Russell, who predicted the world would end in 1995. But what makes today different from all the others? Because an ancient civilization had a calendar, that can’t even be 100% interpreted today, that ended on December 21, 2012? Some believe it, some don’t. Those who do believe it’ll happen today believe it because of the entire calamity in today’s world. Last week’s Newtown, CT tragedy is enough for some people to believe. Those who are in the middle kind of joke around about it, like this trending hashtag on Twitter, #EndOfTheWorldConfession. Those who don’t believe are just going about their days like normal. From wondering who you’ll be getting a holiday card from at the office to do your own last minute shopping, it’s just a normal Friday before that Christmas vacation students are looking forward to.

But for those who are worried about what can happen in the next five minutes or so, here’s some confort:

Jesus in Matthew 24:36

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Wearing a Tracking Device... Violates Your Faith?

John Jay High School's Science and Engineering Academy in Texas requires that its student wear a school badge with a tracking chip, so the school knows where each student is, at all times, commonly known to the school and students as a "Smart ID". One student, Andrea Hernandez, believes that this not only violates her privacy but also her faith. She describes wearing this "Smart ID" as having the "mark of the beast", as described in the Book of Revelation (starting with chapter 13). Since she refused to wear hers, the principle threatened to have her expelled, but a Texas judge has ruled in her favor.
[source: CBNNews.com]

Just one thing that I want to say about this story is that I really didn't understand it at first. But then I thought about it - yes, one's privacy will be invaded by his/her school, but at the same time they will be branded with an alternative "mark of the beast", as if they belong to that school and cannot transfer for whatever reason. But the question is, will that tracking still be there when students graduate? Some people may be paranoid that one day the government will put tracking chips in our devices, being that we are obsessed with the latest technology -- or even our bodies (like we're slaves of Tatooine). As the Book of Revelation of John the Divine says, those who have "the mark of the name of the beast" and "who worship his image" will have no rest from torment (Revelation 14:11).

Caught Between the Spouse and the Spirit | Christianity Today

Caught Between the Spouse and the Spirit | Christianity Today

Very interesting. This reminds me of a Scripture in 2 Peter, for wives with disbelieving husbands to keep serving the LORD and be an example of Christ :) and of course, for believing husbands with disbelieving wives the same.

Enjoy the story!

Mexican Folk Hero is Recognized Locally as a Patron Saint – of Drug Trafficking? | LatinTrends.com

Mexican Folk Hero is Recognized Locally as a Patron Saint – of Drug Trafficking? | LatinTrends.com

Interesting read... I wrote this for the magazine I work for :)

Immigration Program Gives Young Latinos Hope - US - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

Immigration Program Gives Young Latinos Hope - US - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/July/Phoenix-Man-Faces-Jail-Time-for-Home-Bible-Studies/

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/July/Phoenix-Man-Faces-Jail-Time-for-Home-Bible-Studies/

This is crazy... Yes, I read stories all the time about private Bible studies & house church services in countries China and Iran being raided, but here is the US? Sure, everyone and their mother knows how Arizona authorities have been treating a lot of Hispanics less than dirt, especially is they "look" like illegal immigrants, but now it looks like that the state of Arizona is attacking people in other ways -- by violating their First Amendment rights. Just like ministries that aid the Persecuted Church around the world, like Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors, we, as the Body of Christ in the United States, have to help in prayers and otherwise to expose more of the corruption of the state of Arizona.

Facebook, Tweet, and share it through any other social network that will get the word out.

The Battle to Worship in NYC Schools Goes On...

2 Timothy 3:12
"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution"
Yet another protest is occurring in NYC. The cause? To let the 60 congregations in the Bronx continue to hold their worship services inside public schools and community public housing rooms. Churches such as Infinity Church and Bronx Household of Faith have been using public schools for their Sunday worship services for years but now city lawmakers, along with the Dept of education, have given these congregations until February 12th to find a new house of worship.

Luckily, Pastor Dimas Salaberrios of Infinity Church is not alone. NYC Council member Fernando Cabrera of district 14 in the Bronx is with them every step of the way. Salaberrios pastors his church in the middle of the Bronx River Housing Projects, the poorest in the country and the birth place of hip hop.  Infinity Church was also under the eviction radar up until the City Housing Dept recognized that they weren't under the Dept of Education ruling. This touches home for Salaberrios, who started attending a church as a teen that rented a city public school at the time.

This may look like OWS all over again, but these protests are worth the fight for these 60+ Bronx congregations. These protests all started with the ruling that these congregations would be evicted from the public schools they rent as houses of worship. It’s said that these schools don’t want to be associated with one particular religion or belief system. These protests starting in early December of 2011, with things seemed to have taken a turning point when Councilman Cabrera was arrested, with six other pastors and church leaders, on trespassing charges for not moving from in front of the city’s Law Department on January 5^th.

According to the ruling, the date that these congregations will be evicted is next Sunday, the 12^th. To catch you up with this cause, Park Slope Presbyterian Church rented their space in John Jay High School on Seventh Ave, Brooklyn, up until yesterday. The NY Times reported that there was a feeling of “sadness and disappointment” among the Rev. Matthew Brown’s flock hours after their Sunday service ended. Rev. Brown took the opportunity at getting a space in a nearby parish. Though there was this sadness in the air of the church leaving the place they started eight years ago, the reverend said that there’s a part of him that feels “excited”. But, Park Slope Presbyterian wasn’t the only congregation to move. The Victory Outreach Church of East Harlem had to leave P.S. 57 behind and share with its sister church in Brooklyn. Pastor Tony Valenzuela, and his family, had to move back to their native California after finding that there was no cheaper space to rent. It was a congregation of about 70 people and they celebrated with a farewell service by watching a video of the church’s accomplishments and having a potluck. This church was in the East Harlem neighborhood for eighteen years, helping reformed gang members, addicts, and mothers who lost sons to gun violence.

Islam Taking Over Spain, Again?

The Muslim population in Spain, especially in Barcelona and Salt, is growing at an unimaginable rate. What's helping it rise? The native Spanish birthrate is lower than the replacement rate and college-aged youth are leaving Spain to escape the nation's 50% unemployment rate. While the native Spanish population is decreasing, the Muslim population is increasing with its birthrate double that of native Spaniards as well as the immigration, especially from Saudi Arabia. It was reported that first the husband would come, then the immediate family, then the extended family such as in-laws, cousin, parents, etc.

As a short history lesson, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was once taken over by Muslim armies in the 7th century, calling the area Al Andulus but they were not completely expelled till Columbus discovered the New World, about 700 years later.

And what is Spain doing? They are definitely not sitting back and taking it -- both civilians and politicians are making sure that the country isn't completely taken over again. One major mosque building project was stopped because someone had placed a severed pig head, cut in half, on the building site - making the site unclean to Muslims. Plataforma x Catalunya (Platform for Catalonia) leader Joseph Anglada told CBN News that they aren't in Spain to adapt, but to conquer.

Speaking of unclean animals, Muslims of the City of Lleida (which make up a quarter of the city's popluation) tried to have the city officials ban dogs from public transportation, since dogs are also unclean to Muslims. So what has been happening? Dogs dieing out of nowhere. Josep Ortiz of Plataforma x Catalunya in Lleida told CBN News that 12 to 14 dogs died in one day - by being poisoned. "They must have eaten something or were given something..." he said. Were these perros given chocolate?

As strange as all of these things sound, at least the Spanish government is doing their best to stop this "invasion", such as banning the burqa (headscarf for Muslim women) in Lleida, the first Spanish city to do so.

First Amendment Losing Its Value?

On Jan. 6^th, Three Kings Day, NYC Councilmember Fernando Cabrera, and six others, mostly ministers, were arrested for trespassing. There has been an ongoing battle between NYC Dept of Education and the somewhat 60 congregations that hold their worship services in the public schools on Sundays and/or during after-school hours. A court ruling banned these congregations from holding their worship services in the schools in the beginning of Dec, 2011. Councilmember Cabrera, who is also pastor of New Life International Outreach Church in the Bronx, will be pushing a legislation to appeal the Supreme Court order of banning religious worship services in public schools. The threatens our First Amendment right, but at the same time, the whole separation of church and state come into question as well. Where can the line be drawn? Many churches were started in places like theses. A council speaker stated "this is a victory for our city's school children..." If this is so, then we might as well stop having the children say the Pledge of Allegiance first thing in the morning when they get to homeroom or sing God Bless America at graduations, plays, etc. I pray that it is God's voluntad for these "school-churches" to win in court and stay where they have been worshiping for years past Feb. 12th, which is the court's date for them to move out.