This past spring NavPress released My First Message by Eugene Peterson. The book is meant to be a child's first Bible. A product description of the book suggests that the contemplative practice called lectio divina is being utilized:Lectio divina is indeed powerful, as are other contemplative practices, but it will not "deepen" the devotional lives of children. On the contrary, it will introduce kids to a spirituality that produce detrimental results on practitioners.

Israeli security officials on Monday warned citizens traveling in Egypt, Jordan and other Muslim countries to leave immediately due to a "concrete and severe" threat of terror attacks.

The World Meteorological Organization has published a new report stating that the world has witnessed a record breaking series of extreme weather patterns during the first half of 2007. The United Nations organization said that global land surface temperatures from January to April were most likely the hottest since records began, and that it was difficult to predict what sort of weather we should expect in the latter half of the year. The report listed some of the unusual weather patterns, with record breaking heatwaves across Europe in April and May, followed by the worst flooding since records began. South Africa, Argentina and Chile experienced unusually cold weather last month. Floods in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Uruguay, Mozambique and China killed hundreds of people and displaced millions more. The Arabian Sea also witnessed the biggest storm in 60 years to hit the region, coming on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War.

Quote: "There have also been severe monsoon floods across South Asia, abnormally heavy rains in northern Europe, China, Sudan, Mozambique and Uruguay, extreme heatwaves in southeastern Europe and Russia, and unusual snowfall in South Africa and South America this year, the WMO said. "The start of the year 2007 was a very active period in terms of extreme weather events," Omar Baddour of the agency's World Climate Program told journalists in Geneva.

The year 2005 entered the record books for the most hurricanes in one year. The year 2006 entered the record books for being the warmest in at least 2000 years. It looks like the year 2007 is already on record for being the wettest year in history. A couple of years ago, I was sitting with my work colleagues in a restaurant, and the topic happened to come around to the unusual weather. My friend Patricia said to me as a joke, I suppose you think all this bad weather means the end of the world is coming. I don't recall what my reply was. My work colleagues know I am a Christian, and Patricia does know the Gospel but is not saved. We've even had some conversations about the end times, but she believes that the end may come perhaps in her children's lifetime. And I guess that's the view most people take. They never think, what if the Lord returns in my lifetime? What if the events described in the book of Revelation unfold while I am alive? There was a time when the people of Israel thought the same, and they mocked the warnings of impending judgement...

Ezekiel 12:27-28
Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

The weather patterns do show us that the events spoken of regarding the last days are beginning to unfold. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted an increasing trend in extreme weather over the past fifty years - roughly from the time Israel became a nation. Certainly the world has always experienced extreme weather of one sort or another, but never before have all these prophetic events coalesced to form such a picture as we are seeing now. Christians need to be ready to meet their Lord, and sinners need to know their sins forgiven, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Will He be coming as Saviour to deliver you from the wrath to come, or will you be experiencing His righteous judgement in an increasingly ungodly world?

Source Reuters

The World Council of Churches, an ecumenical organization that represents many of the mainstream "Christian" sects, is seeking to approve a "code of conduct" by which member churches will adhere to when seeking converts. For the first time, Evangelical and Pentecostal churches will be involved in helping to draft the agreement. Members of the WCC held a consultation with representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Yoruba religions, during which they issued a joint statement, that "freedom of religion was a non-negotiable right of every human being". 

Quote: "WCC officials say the code should help ease relations with other faiths, especially with Islamic leaders who regard individual Muslims who convert as apostates. In some countries, these face the death penalty if they do not recant. Individual Muslim groups regard missionaries -- or even suspected missionaries -- of other religions as "enemies of the true faith" and sometimes take extreme measures against them. The Taliban in Afghanistan have accused the 23 South Koreans they captured last month, two of whom they have since killed, of coming to the country to spread Christianity in a devoutly Muslim land. 

But when it comes to Muslims, Jews and Hindus, freedom to "choose one's religion" and freedom to "make disciples of all nations" are two completely different things. Israel still has strict anti-proselytising laws, Christian missionaries that proclaim the Gospel are persecuted by anti-missionaries, and Jewish families often disown relatives that become Christians. Christians are very much persecuted by Hindus in India, and as we have seen before, a Muslim that becomes a Christian faces extreme persecution and quite often death at the hands of their tormentors. But the WCC is seeking to "ease relations" with other religions, by adhering to some code that will likely hinder the preaching of the Gospel. And it's easy to see how big denominations wrapped up in the ecumenical movement will comply. Already a "bloodless Gospel" is being preached from many pulpits across the world. In the name of good relations with the people, some pastors are prepared to tickle the ears of their congregation so as not to cause offence - even so far as publicly denying Acts 4:12, "neither is there salvation in any other". I'm not a preacher, and how I wish I was bold in my God to be able to witness better for Him. I'm a complete failure, and I hope and pray that God would somehow be able to use me for His glory. But I pray that God would save us from this generation of vipers, and that we would get back to preaching the true Gospel, and stop being ashamed of our Saviour. The disciples were warned by the religious leaders of the day to stop preaching in this Name, and even though they were beaten and thrown into prison, the next day they were back in the Temple preaching Yeshua.

Acts 5:27-31 
And when they had brought them, they set [them] before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

It's the same today. The Name of Jesus Christ is being blotted out of the Congress, the military, and many other public spheres of life. You can pray in Buddha's name, Allah or any other name, except the name of Jesus. God help us to be zealous for the Name of Jesus.

Source Reuters