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Should Christians be observing Sabbath, or any other High Holy Day or Festival given to the Jews in the Old Covenant?

After all, there are Scriptures like Exodus 12:24 which state:

“Obey these instructions as a LASTING ordinance for you and your descendants”

If God does not change, then New Covenant Christians should be able to find the answer in the New Covenant  as to whether or not Born Again Believers are to be observing any  Old Covenant Laws, Holy Days, the Sabbath, or the 10 Commandments.

This is what this Post will do.

I have put together every single New Testament Scripture I could find which teaches the New Covenant Born Again Believer about the position or authority of the Old Covenant now that there is a New Covenant in place, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

The New Covenant Scriptures will walk us through the following:

1 — What Happened To The Law At The Cross Of Christ
2 — Since The Law Is Fulfilled In Christ, Paul Says We Are Therefore Free From the Law (and therefore the 10 Commandments)
3 — Is The Law Therefore Bad?
4 — If Paul States That The Law Is Actually Holy or Good, Is It Therefore Beneficial For   Believers To Still Observe Some Or All Of The Law In Order To Make Sure We Are Living Holy Lives For God?
5 — What Then, Was The Purpose Of The Law?
6 — What Are The Actual Commandments For The New Covenant Believer?
7 — Conclusion (As Explained In Galatians)

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Written by:  LeeAnn Bell

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# 1 — What Happened To The Law At The Cross Of Christ?

Christ Abolished The Law

Ephesians 2:14-15 — For He Himself is our peace, Who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by ABOLISHING  in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations {NIV}

Ephesians 2:14-15 – having ABOLISHED in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances {NKJV}

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Christ Is The End Of The Law

Romans 10:4 — Christ is the END OF THE LAW  so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes {NIV}

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The Law Is Wiped Out

Colossians 2:14 — He forgave us all our sins, having CANCELED  the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He TOOK IT AWAY, nailing it to the cross {NIV}

Colossians 2:14 — having WIPED out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has TAKEN IT OUT OF THE WAY, having nailed it to the cross {NKJV}

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Jesus Christ Fulfilled the Law and Gave us His Righteousness

Romans 8:3 — He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be FULLY MET  IN US, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit {NIV}

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The Old Covenant is Removed and Set Aside by Christ

Hebrews 10:9 — Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He SETS ASIDE the first to establish the second {NIV}

Hebrews 10:9 — He TAKES AWAY  the first that He may establish the second {NKJV}

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The Law Was Set Aside and Annulled

Hebrews 7:18 — The former regulation is SET ASIDE because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God {NIV}

Hebrews 7:18 — there is an ANNULLING of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect {NKJV}

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The New Covenant is Better than the Old Covenant

Hebrews 7:22 — Because of the oath of (Melchizedek) Jesus has become the guarantee of a BETTER COVENANT {NIV}

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The New Covenant is Better and More Superior to the Old Covenant, and has Replaced the Old Covenant and Made the Old Covenant Obsolete

Hebrews 8:6 — But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is SUPERIOR TO THE OLD one, and it is FOUNDED on BETTER PROMISES.   For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another … By calling this covenant “new”, He has made the first one OBSOLETE; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear {NIV & NKJV}

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# 2 — Since The Law Is Fulfilled In Christ And Done Away With,  Paul Says We Are Therefore Free From The Law

Galatians 2:19 — I DIED TO THE LAW  So that I might live for God {NIV}

Galatians 3:23 — Now that faith has come, we are NO LONGER UNDER  the supervision of the law {NIV}
Galatians 4:9 — But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? DO YOU WISH TO BE ENSLAVED BY THEM ALL OVER AGAIN? {NIV}

Galatians 5:18 – But if you are led by the Spirit, you are NOT UNDER THE LAW {NIV & NKJV}

Romans 6:6-18 — For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin … For sin shall not be your master, because you are NOT UNDER THE LAW, but under grace
{NIV}

Romans 6:6-18 – Sin will not rule over you, because you are NOT UNDER LAW {HCSB}

Romans 7:4 – So, my brothers, you also DIED TO THE LAW through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him Who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God {NIV}

Romans 7:4 – Therefore, my brethren, you also have become DEAD TO THE LAW {NKJV}

Romans 7:6 – But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been RELEASED FROM THE LAW so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code {NIV}

Romans 7:6 – But now we HAVE BEEN DELIVERED from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter {NKJV}

Romans 8:4-9 – And so He condemned sin in sinful man (by sending Him to the cross) in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be FULLY MET IN US, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit {NIV}

1 Timothy 1:8-9 – We also know that the LAW IS MADE NOT FOR THE RIGHTEOUS but the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious {NIV}  … Remember:  WE ARE “the  righteous”  in Christ Jesus, therefore the Law is NOT for us any longer!

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# 3 — Is the Law Therefore Bad?

Romans 7:5, 7-8 — For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies … What shall we say, then? IS THE LAW SIN? CERTAINLY NOT! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead … So then, THE LAW IS HOLY, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful {NIV}

Romans 7:14-18 — We know that the LAW IS SPIRITUAL; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin … And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in my sinful nature {NIV}

Romans 8:4-9 — For what the law was  POWERLESS  to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering {NIV}

NOTE: The above  Scriptures teach that the Law is good and holy, however, it is weak and powerless to accomplish its righteous goal in sinful flesh.

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# 4 — If Paul States That The Law Is Actually Holy Or Good, Is It Therefore Beneficial For Believers To Still
OBSERVE  SOME   OR  ALL  Of The Law (or the 10 Commandments) In Order To Make Sure We Are Living Holy Lives For God?

Galatians 3:10 — All who rely on observing the law are UNDER A CURSE, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” {NIV}

Galatians 4:9 — But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are TURNING BACK TO THOSE WEAK AND MISERABLE principles? Do you wish to be ENSLAVED  by them all over again? {NIV}

Galatians 2:21 — … for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ   DIED FOR NOTHING! {NIV}

Colossians 2:16-19 — Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come;   THE REALITY, HOWEVER, IS FOUND IN CHRIST.   Do not let anyone who delights in false humility …  DISQUALIFY YOU  for the prize.   Such a person … has  LOST CONNECTION WITH THE HEAD,  from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow … Such regulations indeed  HAVE AN APPEARANCE OF WISDOM,  with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in (actually) restraining sensual indulgence {NIV}

Romans 4:15 — because LAW BRINGS WRATH {NIV}

Galatians 4:21, 30-31 — Tell me  YOU WHO WANT TO BE UNDER THE LAW,  are you not aware of what the law says? … “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” {NIV}

Galatians 5:1-4 — It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free …  DO NOT  LET YOURSELVES   be burdened again by a  YOKE OF SLAVERY  … if you let yourselves be circumcised    (or let yourself be compelled to observe the Sabbath or refrain from pork, etc) CHRIST WILL BE OF NO VALUE TO YOU AT ALL  … You who are trying to be justified by law have been ALIENATED FROM CHRIST;   you have FALLEN AWAY FROM GRACE. {NIV}

Special Note regarding Colossians 2:16-19:

The Laws and Holy Days which God stated were to be remembered or “kept” forever { ie:  in Exodus 12:24, Exodus 31:17, Deut. 28:46, Leviticus 24:1-9, and the Ten Commandments as seen in Exodus 20}  ARE FULLY met and KEPT in Christ Jesus, for Jesus IS our Sabbath, Jesus IS our Jubilee, Jesus IS our Passover, etc.

Therefore, we ARE observing and keeping all the Law forever, through the Spirit, when we are Born-Again INTO Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4:9-10).

He IS the fulfillment of the entire Law, and that entire Law is now FULLY met in us (Romans 8:3) because we are IN Christ Jesus and the Holy Days, and other Laws, are NOT to be kept in the flesh.

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#5 — What Then, Was The Purpose Of The Law?

Galatians 3:23 — Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the  LAW WAS PUT IN CHARGE TO LEAD US TO CHRIST   that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION of the law {NIV}

Galatians 3:23 — Therefore the  LAW WAS OUR TUTOR  to bring us to Christ … But after faith has come, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A TUTOR {NKJV}

Romans 3:20 — Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, THROUGH THE LAW WE BECOME CONSCIOUS OF SIN {NIV}

Romans 7:7-13 — What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I  WOULD NOT HAVE KNOW WHAT SIN WAS EXCEPT THROUGH THE LAW.   For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead … But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful {NIV}

Note:  The Law, therefore, was to teach us what sin actually is, to show us our sinfulness, and to lead us to Christ — or show us our need of a Savior.

Colossians 2:16-19 — Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a SHADOW OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TO COME;  the reality, however, is found in Christ {NIV}

Note:   This Scripture shows us that the Law’s Festivals and Holy Days which were a commandment to keep, were just a foretelling/foreshadowing of the true “Sabbath”,  true “Day of Atonement”, true “Pentecost”, true “Passover” or even true “Jubiliee” — all of which are met/kept/found in Christ.

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# 6 — What Are The Actual Commandments For The New Covenant Believer?

John 13:34 — A NEW command I give you:  LOVE one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another {NIV}

1 John 3:23 — This is My commandment, that you  LOVE  one another as I have loved you {NKJV}

John 15:17 — And this is His command: to  BELIEVE  in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to  LOVE  one another as He commanded us {NIV}

Galatians 5:14 — The entire law is summed up in a single command: “LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” {NIV}

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Conclusion
{as explained in Galatians}

– The Apostle Paul was astonished by the Galatians who were turning from grace and freedom, back to the Law (Galatians 1:6)

– Paul was persecuted by the Jews for preaching freedom from the Law (Galatians 1:10)

– Those who traveled with Paul were not compelled to obey any parts of the Law or its rules or regulations (Galatians 2:3)

– Paul continued to preach to Jewish Believers that all are now free from the rules of the Law (Galatians 2:5)

– Paul opposed Peter “to his face” because Peter was intimidated by Jewish Believers to be separate from Gentiles and keep Jewish law and traditions (Galatians 2:11-14) which Paul says is “contrary” and “not in line with the Truth of the Gospel” (Galatians 2:14)

– Paul goes on to say that Gentiles should not be compelled to follow Jewish customs / the Law (Galatians 2:14-16)

– Paul states if any righteousness could be attained through observing any part of the Law, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21)

– Paul calls obeying any part of the Law as departing from Christ (Galatians 3:1-3)

– Paul says “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)

– Paul calls the Law “weak and miserable principles” which will enslave us if we turn back to following them (Galatians 4:11)

– Paul teaches that returning to the Law after being born again, means enslaving yourself to the entire Old Law and Covenant (Galatians 4:8-11, 21-30)

– Paul then states that it was for Freedom that Christ set us free, and that we should not go back to observing or feeling compelled to observe the Law any longer (Galatians 5:1-4)

– Again, Paul reminds us that he was persecuted for preaching freedom from the Law (Galatians 5:11) and says that whoever preaches that Believers should be observing any part of the Law is actually throwing Believers into confusion (Galatians 5:7-10), that this teaching isn’t from Christ, and that teaching that we still need to observe any part of the Law is actually “keeping” us from the Truth (Galatians 5:8)
Paul concludes his letter to the Galatian Gentile church with the statement that:

Circumcision or un-circumcision doesn’t mean a thing.

Therefore, keeping a Sabbath or not keeping a Sabbath does not mean a thing  or  eating pork or not eating pork does not mean a thing.
All that matters is “a new creation” (Galatians 6:15) and walking in or living by “the Spirit”:

Galatians 5:16-25 — So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature …. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. {NIV}

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“Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule”
{Galatians 6:16}
Amen.

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After reading the below News Story, would you consider sending a donation to the Alliance Defense Fund?

I am in no way affiliated with  this group of Lawyers, but greatly appreciate their stand to protect Christian’s Rights and  Freedom of Speech.

 

Maine counselor’s career threatened for support of marriage

 

Note: Facts in ADF news releases are verified prior to publication but may change over time. Members of the media are encouraged to contact ADF for the latest information on this matter.

ADF attorneys representing man reported to licensing board say complaint is attempt to shut down free speech, silence opposition

 
Friday, October 30, 2009, 3:22 PM (MST) |
ADF Media Relations | 480-444-0020

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AUGUSTA, Maine — A high school counselor who supports marriage between one man and one woman has been reported to a Maine licensing board because of his views.  Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund represent Donald Mendell, the subject of a complaint filed with the Board of Social Worker Licensure by a co-worker because he expressed support for marriage and the “Vote Yes on One” campaign.

“No one should have their livelihood placed in jeopardy because they believe marriage is the union of a man and a woman,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks.  “This threat to Don, his family, and his career makes clear that those in favor of redefining marriage also want to penalize and silence those who don’t agree with them.  So, the definition of marriage is not the only thing at issue here.  Free speech, freedom of conscience, and religious liberty are also in danger.”

The complaint attacking Mendell, a licensed counselor at Nokomis Regional High School, accuses him of violating the state’s code of ethics for social workers because of his expressed position on marriage.

The complaint cites his appearance in a “Vote Yes on One” television ad that encourages citizens to vote in favor of Ballot Question 1, which would allow Mainers to repeal a recent law that imposed a redefinition of marriage on the people.  The complaint fails to mention that the ad was created in response to a “Vote No on One” ad that featured a Nokomis teacher encouraging a “no” vote on Question 1 from a classroom at the high school itself.  The complaint is not critical of that ad or the teacher featured in it.

Mendell has 30 days from the date he received a copy of the complaint to respond to it.

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith.  Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.

 

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by  L.A. Bell

Because  the below News Story may bring a twinge of FEAR to the hearts of some, I am repeating yesterdays opening lines which I wrote before posting the news story  regarding the historical connection of a society’s money devaluation and hyper-inflation:

The decline of US power, prestige and current way of living,
Hyperinflation,
Economic Depression …

are all issues which the world are afraid of / talking about.

But how should Christians be responding to all the talk of an economic collapse?

Are our thoughts focused on “things above” and not on “things on earth”?

Can we actually believe and trust that God is truly our Provider?

If economic news has you worried or fearful, then you should be renewing your mind to the Truths of the Bible.

We must take THIS current time to build our faith, and put our focus on God and His Truths, so that when things get even worse we will be able to walk in FAITH and not in FEAR.

God says He did not give us a spirit of FEAR
but power, love and a sound mind.

Let’s build our faith in God as Provider (and Protector) NOW before things get even worse.

Do a Word Study with on-line Bible Tools, searching key words which will remind you that God provides for His people all the time …. in famine and in disaster, God is our Help. God is our Provider.  A very real Help in times of danger.  His Name is our secure Tower (and Fortress).  And His children will never been seen ‘begging for bread’.

There are Scriptures backing each statement I just made.

Memorize those Scriptures.

Meditate on such Scriptures, so that when the time gets tougher, you will be spiritually STRONG … equipped with a sound mind and faith to overcome all the trouble the enemy may throw at us.

Be blessed.
And “let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid“
{John 14:1, 27}

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Gold prices surge as India buys IMF reserves

• Gold hits new high on International Monetary Fund sale
• India diversifies reserves as dollar continues to weaken

• Graeme Wearden
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 November 2009 12.01 GMT

 

Gold prices surged to a new high of $1095.05 an ounce this morning following the news that India has purchased $6.7bn (£4.05bn) of gold from the International Monetary Fund.

Yesterday the IMF announced it had sold 200 tonnes of gold to the Reserve Bank of India over the past two weeks. Traders reported that the huge sale had intensified interest in gold, which has now risen by almost 23% this year.

India said it was keen to diversify its reserves away from the US dollar, which has weakened in recent months.

Pranab Mukherjee, India’s finance minister, said: “We have money to buy gold. We have enough foreign exchange reserves.”

Erik Nilsson, senior economist at Scotia Capital, said the deal was “certainly indicative that the monetary authorities in India are not overwhelmingly upbeat about the outlook for the US dollar”.

The dollar has lost 6.5% of its value in the last five months, measured against a basket of other currencies. This has helped to push up the price of commodities priced in dollars, including gold and oil.

The deal underlines how India’s economy has been transformed since 1991, when a financial crisis forced the company to take a loan from the IMF – and ship its gold reserves to London as security.

The IMF declined to say how much India had paid for the gold, saying only that it got “a good price”. It decided two months ago to sell 400 tonnes of gold this year, to raise money to help meet its obligations. In April it promised to lend another $500bn to countries that are suffering from the financial crisis.

 

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The decline of US power, prestige and current way of living,
Hyperinflation,
Economic Depression …

are all issues which the world are afraid of / talking about.

But how should Christians be responding to all the talk of an economic collapse?

Are our thoughts focused on “things above” and not on “things on earth”?

Can we actually believe and trust that God is truly our Provider?

If economic news has you worried or fearful, then you should be renewing your mind to the Truths of the Bible.

We must take THIS current time to build our faith, and put our focus on God and His Truths, so that when things get even worse we will be able to walk in FAITH and not in FEAR.

God says He did not give us a spirit of FEAR
but power, love and a sound mind.

Let’s build our faith in God as Provider NOW before things get even worse.

Do a Word Study with on-line Bible Tools, searching key words which will remind you that God provides for His people all the time …. in famine and in disaster, God is our Help. God is our Provider.  A very real Help in times of danger.  His Name is our secure Tower.  And His children will never been seen ‘begging for bread’.

There are Scriptures backing each statement I just made.

Memorize those Scriptures.

Meditate on such Scriptures, so that when the time gets tougher, you will be spiritually STRONG … equipped with a sound mind and faith to overcome all the trouble the enemy may throw at us.

Be blessed.
And “let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid“
{John 14:1}

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To read the FULL STORY which is quoted below, click HERE

….  Since the dawn of civilization, every major nation that has been saddled with unpayable debts and obligations has ultimately resorted to currency devaluations in some form.

In ancient Rome, the Roman denarius was the dominant currency not only of the Roman Empire but even beyond its borders. But when Rome began to fall, so did its currency.

From its heights in the fourth century A.D., the Roman denarius plunged to 1/50 of its former value — in just 13 short years … and then ceased to exist.

Later, during the Byzantine Empire, their money was, in many aspects, the world’s reserve currency for 1,000 years. But in the 12th century, when the empire began to suffer under the weight of overwhelming, unpayable debts and obligations, it was also devalued by reducing its gold content until it effectively ceased to exist in the 14th century.    ….

….  So you can see that this is a well chartered path: The rise and fall of empires; the rise and fall of their currencies. What is most alarming, though, is what happens when countries lose all semblance of discipline and when they are ultimately punished by market panics.

In Germany after World War I, the government printed money in massive quantities to repay war loans and reparations with worthless currency — and to help industrialists to pay back their own loans. The reichsmark plunged from 4.2 to the U.S. dollar at the outbreak of World War I to 1 million per dollar by August 1923 … and then to as low as three trillion to 1 in the final panic before the rise of the Nazi regime.   ….

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Iceland Might Go Broke

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — This volcanic island near the Arctic Circle is on the brink of becoming the first “national bankruptcy” of the global financial meltdown.

Home to just 320,000 people on a territory the size of Kentucky, Iceland has formidable international reach because of an outsized banking sector that set out with Viking confidence to conquer swaths of the British economy — from fashion retailers to top soccer teams.

The strategy gave Icelanders one of the world’s highest per capita incomes. But now they are watching helplessly as their economy implodes — their currency losing almost half its value, and their heavily exposed banks collapsing under the weight of debts incurred by lending in the boom times.

“Everything is closed. We couldn’t sell our stock or take money from the bank,” said Johann Sigurdsson as he left a branch of Landsbanki in downtown Reykjavik.

The government had earlier announced it had nationalized the bank under emergency laws enacted to deal with the crisis.

“We have been forced to take decisive action to save the country,” Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde said of those sweeping new powers that allow the government to take over companies, limit the authority of boards, and call shareholder meetings.

A full-blown collapse of Iceland’s financial system would send shock waves across Europe, given the heavy investment by Icelandic banks and companies across the continent.

One of Iceland’s biggest companies, retailing investment group Baugur, owns or has stakes in dozens of major European retailers — including enough to make it the largest private company in Britain, where it owns a handful of stores such as the famous toy store Hamley’s.

Kaupthing, Iceland’s largest bank and one of those whose share trading was suspended last week to stop a huge sell-off, has also invested in European retail groups.

Thousands of Britons have accounts with Icesave, the online arm of Landsbanki that regulators said was likely to file for bankruptcy after it stopped permitting customers to withdraw money from their accounts Tuesday.

To try to wrest control of the spiraling situation, the government also loaned $680 million to Kaupthing to tide it over and said it was negotiating a $5.4 billion loan from Russia to shore up the nation’s finances.

The speed of Iceland’s downfall in the week since it announced it was nationalizing Glitnir bank, the country’s third largest, caught many by surprise despite warnings that it was the “canary in the coal mine” of the global credit squeeze.

Famous for its cod fishing industry, geysers, moonscape and the Blue Lagoon, Iceland was the site of the Cold War showdown in which Bobby Fischer of the United States defeated Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in 1972 for the world chess championship. Last year, Iceland won the U.N.’s “best country to live in” poll, with its residents deemed the most contented in the world.

No more.

Despite sunny skies Tuesday after three days of unseasonably cold weather, Reykjavik’s mood remained grim — cafes were half-empty, real estate agents sat idle, and retailers reported few sales.

“I’m really starting to get worried now. Everything is bad news. I don’t know what’s happening,” said retiree Helga Jonsdottir as she headed to a supermarket.

Icelanders are also beginning to question how a relative few were able to generate the disproportionate wealth — and associated debt — that Haarde has warned puts the entire country at risk of bankruptcy.

Iceland’s reinvention from the poor cousin in Europe to one of the region’s wealthiest countries dates to the deregulation of the banking industry and the creation of the domestic stock market in the mid-1990s.

Those free market reforms turned Iceland from a conservative, inward-looking country to one of a new generation of internationally educated young businessmen and women who were determined to give Iceland a modern profile far beyond its fishing base.

Entrepreneurs become its greatest export, as banks and companies marched across Europe and their acquisition wallets were filled by a stock market boom and a well-funded pension system. Among the purchases were the iconic Hamley’s toy store and the West Ham soccer team.

Back home, the average family’s wealth soared 45 percent in half a decade and gross domestic product rose at around 5 percent a year.

But the whole system was built on a shaky foundation of foreign debt.

The country’s top four banks now hold foreign liabilities in excess of $100 billion, debts that dwarf Iceland’s gross domestic product of $14 billion.

Those external liabilities mean the private sector has had great difficulty financing its debts, such as the more than $5.25 billion racked up by Kaupthing in five years to help fund British deals.

Iceland is unique “because the sheer size of its financial sector puts it in a vulnerable situation, and its currency has always been seen as a high risk and high yield,” said Venla Sipila, a senior economist at Global Insight in London.

The krona is suffering in part from a withdrawal by a falloff in what are called carry trades — where investors borrow cheaply in a country with low rates, such as Japan, and invest in a country where returns, and often risks, are higher.

After watching the free-fall for several days, the Central Bank of Iceland stepped in Tuesday to fix the exchange rate of the currency at 175 — a level equal to 131 krona against the euro.

Haarde said he believed the measures had renewed confidence in the system. He also was critical of the lack of an Europe-wide response to the crisis, saying Iceland had been forced to adopt an “every-country-for-itself” mentality.

He acknowledged that Iceland’s financial reputation was likely to suffer from both the crisis and the response despite strong fundamentals such as the fishing industry and clean and renewable energy resources.

As regular Icelanders begin to blame the government and market regulators, Haarde said the banks had been “victims of external circumstances.”

Richard Portes of the London Business School agreed, noting the banks were well-capitalized and had not bought any of the toxic debt that has brought down banks elsewhere.

“I believe it is absolutely wrong to say these banks were reckless,” said. “Quite the contrary. They were hugely unlucky.”

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Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down.

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Hate crimes law – ungodly, unconstitutional, unnecessary

Jim Brown – OneNewsNow – 10/29/2009

A Christian evangelist who was once arrested, jailed, and charged under Pennsylvania’s hate crimes law says the federal hate crimes bill signed into law by President Obama is one of the most dangerous laws in the history of the United States.

 

 

With the stroke of President Obama’s pen yesterday, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act became law. It creates additional penalties for violent crimes motivated by the victim’s “actual or perceived” gender, “gender identity,” sexual orientation, or disability.

Michael Marcavage, director of Philadelphia-based Repent America, was one of 11 Christians who were jailed and charged with a hate crime for carrying Bible verse banners and preaching at a 2004 homosexual pride event in Philadelphia. The charges were later dismissed — and in 2008, the state’s Supreme Court ruled the law had been passed illegally by the Pennsylvania legislature.

Marcavage says the new federal hate crimes law is yet another move by the federal government to “silence Christians.”

“What this bill does is [seek] to shut down those who dare to speak against the sin of homosexuality with the hope and freedom that is found in Jesus Christ,” says the Christian activist.

“Having been charged under a hate crime, I’m definitely moved with compassion on those who the government is trying to silence us from reaching out to,” he continues, “but we’re going to continue to do as we have been doing, and ministering to those trapped in the bondage of this lifestyle.”

Marcavage offers three reasons why he opposes the new law. He says it is ungodly because it “seeks to shut down the gospel of Jesus Christ”; unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection guarantee of the 14th Amendment; and also unnecessary because there are already laws on the books that punish violent crimes.

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Wash your hands.
Get plenty of rest.
Eat well.
Wash your hands.
Don’t panic.
It might not be the SWINE flu.

And did I mention….wash your hands? 

Oct. 21, 2009
Swine Flu Cases Overestimated?
CBS News Exclusive:  Study of State Results Finds H1N1 Not As Prevalent As Feared

 

To read the FULL Story click HERE

 

(CBS)

It’s unknown what patients who tested negative for flu were actually afflicted with since the illness was not otherwise determined. Health experts say it’s assumed the patients had some sort of cold or upper respiratory infection that is just not influenza.

With most cases diagnosed solely on symptoms and risk factors, the H1N1 flu epidemic may seem worse than it is. For example, on Sept. 22, this alarming headline came from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.: “H1N1 Flu Infects Over 250 Georgetown Students.”

H1N1 flu can be deadly and an outbreak of 250 students would be an especially troubling cluster. However, the number of sick students came not from lab-confirmed tests but from “estimates” made by counting “students who went to the Student Health Center with flu symptoms, students who called the H1N1 hotline or the Health Center’s doctor-on-call, and students who went to the hospital’s emergency room.”

Without lab testing, it’s impossible to know how many of the students actually had H1N1 flu. But the statistical trend indicates it was likely much fewer than 250.

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Luke 17 {NIV}  –

26“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark.

Note:  people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage right up to the day Noah LEFT the earth by entering the ark.  There was no wrath being poured upon the earth, while Noah was out of the ark on ON the earth.  No tribulation.  No judgment.  People were still buying, selling, and eating as usual.  But once Noah was REMOVED from the earth, by entering the ark, THEN …..

27 Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

Note: Once again, we see the same statement.  Jesus teaches us that people will be eating, buying, selling … “business as usual”.  Even building.  No great wrath while His saint was in the location which was to be destroyed.   And so it will be in the End, Jesus said:  no trouble or judgment poured upon the earth BEFORE the Rapture or departure of the Saints of God/The Church.  Sure there will be the beginning of the Birth Pains, as Jesus taught elsewhere:  earthquakes in different places, with some famines and pestilences too    {Luke 21 or Mark 13},  but no global disasters.   No 100 pound hailstones {Revelation 16:21} or one third of the earth being burned up {Revelation 8:7},  as described once the WRATH of God begins to be poured upon the Earth {Revelation 6:16-17}.  While the Church remains on the Earth, WRATH will not be poured out.

But once Lot left Sodom, and once The Church leaves the Earth, look out …….

29 …  fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

Wrath began AFTER Lot LEFT Sodom.   And so wrath will begin AFTER The Church is raptured and leaves the Earth.

Jesus goes on to state:

30“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.^d” {NIV}

In Conclusion:  Jesus warns His people about LOVING the things of this life, more than  the Kingdom of God …  33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Let’s not be so in love with our possessions, or let’s not be so busy with the ‘busyness of life’  that we forget to keep our attention on the Kingdom …. looking for the return of our Lord {2 Peter 3:12}, remembering to fill ourselves daily with the oil of the Holy Spirit {Matthew 25:1-13}, and keeping ourselves pure so that we won’t shrink back from Jesus when He appears {1 John 2:28}.

The Rapture is a message of hope  … for God has not given us a spirit of fear.   And the Rapture is a message to remind ourselves to STAY FOCUSED and READY …. Rapture Ready!!

Are you ready?
If Christ returned today, would you be ashamed?

Let us encourage each other, in love, while we still have time.

And let us be ready so we can whole-heartedly state,  “COME QUICKLY, LORD JESUS!” without fear or shame.

Grace, peace, and the wisdom to ready oneself, be upon all who love the Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.

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But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
{Hebrews 3:13 – KJV}

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
{1 John 2:28 – KJV}

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The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.

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