Watchdog Alert: The Pope, Episcopal Politics, And Church Homeless Camp

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Update on Pope Francis

My wife and I just watched the award-winning movie ‘Conclave’ which portrays the political machinations and processes involved in how the Catholic Bishops choose a new Pope when necessary. Very good movie, highly recommended.

The Vatican has been providing regular updates on Pope Francis’ health. The Pope is currently receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and has undergone bronchoscopies to address his respiratory issues. His prognosis remains guarded, and he continues to receive respiratory physiotherapy. – More at Catholic News Agency

Episcopal churches offer ‘Ashes To Go’ for Ash Wednesday

As I have pointed out previously, the Episcopal Church is becoming a woke, politically far left-leaning organization which is trying to push the gospel of Jesus Christ and his coming Kingdom as a modern social justice message. Reading the headlines and items from the ENS, linked below, is like reading a political agenda statement.

“Episcopal congregations churchwide will begin Lent by offering Ashes to Go on Ash Wednesday, March 5, as a convenience for people unable to attend worship services in the middle of the week.” – More at Episcopal News Service

Montrose judge denies city emergency request to potentially clear church camp for unhoused

We went through the very same issue with a United Methodist Church in my hometown, Great Falls MT, a couple of years ago. We eventually were able to clear the ‘homeless’ camp on the churches parking lot because of the drugs, violence, public defecation, and even prostitution disrupting the homes and businesses surrounding the church.

We didn’t need a court order because our citizens spoke up and the church poobahs gave in and posted trespass notices so that law enforcement could intervene and stop the crimes being committed. The ‘homeless’ folks dispersed soon thereafter.

Yes, we’re to love our neighbors and take care of the less fortunate. But that doesn’t mean we allow our community to be destroyed by irresponsible, many times criminal, people who don’t want to live by the same rules the rest of us have to live by.

“At a hearing in Montrose, on Wednesday, Municipal Court Judge Erin Maxwell rejected a city request for an emergency abatement on a camp of unhoused residents sitting on Montrose United Methodist Church grounds. The abatement would have permitted city authorities to go onto private property to potentially clear the camp, which has drawn controversy in recent weeks.” – More at CPR News

The Prosperity Gospel, Part 1

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Did Jesus teach the ‘prosperity gospel’? Did the Apostle Paul? Should we? These are some of the questions we’ll attempt to address in this ongoing series.

What is the prosperity gospel?

The prosperity gospel, or the health and wealth gospel, is a theologically based school of thought that teaches that God provides financial prosperity and physical health through faith, positive thinking, and positive affirmations of material success, health and prosperity.

Along with faith and positive thoughts and confessions of course donations to the preachers’ ministry will greatly help seekers along the path to personal success, abundance, and happiness.

It’s basically Norman Vincent Peale, Jim Rohn, and Zig Ziglar all rolled into one, but with some Jesus and a few Bible verses sprinkled in.

Who are the top proponents of the prosperity gospel?

There are several, but here are a few of the most popular and recognizable:

Joel Osteen: Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Known for his charismatic sermons and positive affirmations, Osteen’s televised sermons reach over 100 million households in the United States every week. His teachings emphasize the power of positive thinking and faith in achieving financial and personal success.

T.D. Jakes: T.D. Jakes is the founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas. Renowned for his powerful preaching and motivational speeches, Jakes has written over 40 books, many of which have become New York Times bestsellers. His messages often focus on overcoming adversity and achieving prosperity through faith and determination.

Joyce Meyer: Joyce Meyer is a prolific author and speaker who emphasizes the importance of applying biblical principles to everyday life. Her ministry, Joyce Meyer Ministries, operates in over 200 countries and provides humanitarian aid and support to those in need. Meyer’s teachings often highlight the connection between faith, personal growth, and financial success.

Others include Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and Paula White.

Is the prosperity gospel biblical – or a scam? We’ll start the deeper exploration of that question in Part 2 of this series coming soon. Stay tuned.

Watchdog Middle East Alert

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Picture via Lara Jameson pexels.com

Whether or not you believe that the Holy Land holds any modern day relevance in biblical prophecy, that region of the world is most definitely vitally important when it comes to global affairs and geo-politics.

Because we are always to be vigilant and aware, Bible Rebel continues to keep a watchdog’s eye on events around the world and here in America.

Here’s the latest from the Middle East.

Mass starvation looming in Sudan

“More than 600,000 people in Sudan are “on the brink of starvation” as famine stalks the war-torn country, the United Nations has warned.” – More from Al Jazeera

Hamas ready to negotiate Phase II

“Hamas said Thursday it was ready to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after a swap overnight in which it handed over what it said were the remains of four hostages in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian detainees held by Israel.” – More from gwire.com

Israel underestimated Hamas’ terror intentions and abilities

“An investigation by the Israeli military has determined that Hamas was able to carry out the deadliest terrorist attack in Israeli history on Oct. 7, 2023, because the much more powerful Israeli army misjudged the militant group’s intentions and underestimated its capabilities.” – More from CBS News

Terrorist injures 13 in car attack in Northern Israel

“A Palestinian man steered his car into a crowd of people waiting at a bus stop in northern Israel on Thursday in a terror spree that left 13 people injured, including a teen hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.” – More from the Times of Israel

Death Row Letters: Two Kinds Of Evil

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Greetings, fellow death rowers.

Let’s pick up where we left off last time where we were discussing one of the main arguments atheists have against the existence of God, which is the problem of evil.

We’ll probably spend a lot of time talking about this in our correspondence here, so let’s start off with defining the two kinds of evil.

Moral Evil

First, there is moral evil, or human evil. Simply put, moral evil is defined as the willful acts of human beings – like murder, rape, thievery, destruction etc.

Lots of that going on in the world, right? Always has been.

Human nature is, by default, depraved and desperately wicked. It’s the natural state as a result of the primeval and continuing disobedience to and hatred for God.

Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

You can’t blame God for moral evil, we’re not robots or puppets. God does provide grace and protection for those who claim it in faith, but murder, genocide, and all manner of horribleness is not on God, it’s on the freewill ickiness of people.

Natural Evil

Second, you’ve got your natural evil, which is stuff like earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, pestilence and disease etc. You can’t really blame a human being for an earthquake that kills thousands of people.

But can you blame God for causing those awful things to happen, or at least for allowing them to happen? Well, ‘blame’ is a pretty harsh word, but yes I think we can say God does allow natural evil to happen.

The question is ‘for what purposes’ and ‘under what circumstances’ does He allow earthquakes and tsunamis and cancer to have their way with human beings?

I’ll leave you with this to chew on for now and we’ll dig deeper in my next letter.

Romans 8:22-23 – For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Ciao for now,
Your fellow death row occupant

Church Watchdog Alert: LGBTQ Stance

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Bible Rebel continues to keep a watchdog’s eye on the state of denominational churchianity. Here’s some of the latest.

Church splits over LGBTQ stance

33 Christian Reformed ministers take oath to a rival denomination as church split deepens

Pope Francis is critical but stable as “lifewatch” continues

The current vigil for Pope Francis, referred to as a “lifewatch,” emphasizes the importance of reflection, contemplation, and prayer within the Catholic Church. This period is seen as a time for the Church to prepare for the possibility of the Pope’s passing. See latest from National Catholic Register here.

Alfred Street Baptist Church Ends Contract with Kennedy Center:

Alfred Street Baptist Church in Virginia has decided to end its contract with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts due to the center’s new leadership. The church cited the new leadership’s opposition to honoring artistic expression across all backgrounds as the reason for the decision. See latest from MSN here.

World Watchdog Alert

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Bible Rebel is keeping a watchdog’s eye on events around the world. Here’s some of the latest.

Friedrich Merz will be Germany’s new Chancellor

“If the exit poll stands, the Christian Democratic Union party will claim 28.8% of the vote in Sunday’s election, meaning Merz – an old-school conservative who has never held a government role previously – will become the new chancellor of Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and most populous state.” – CNN

EU leaders to hold emergency summit on Ukraine

“The leaders of the 27 European Union countries will have an emergency summit on March 6 about next steps for Ukraine and Europe’s security.” – Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu draws the line

“Israel will not allow the new Syrian government’s military forces to operate in territory south of Syria’s capital Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned.” – Al Jazeera

Watchdog Report: Biblical Archaeology

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Here are three recent reports from discoveries in biblical archaeology, all from Bible Archaeology Report.

Tomb of Doctor who “Treated the Pharaoh Himself” Discovered in Egypt:

A French-Swiss team of archaeologists discovered a 4,100-year-old tomb at Saqqara belonging to Teti Neb Fu, a doctor who treated the Egyptian pharaoh. The tomb dates to the Old Kingdom period and contains vibrant paintings of Teti Neb Fu’s life and work.

Discoveries Made at Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple:

Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass announced several discoveries around the mortuary temple of Egypt’s female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. The excavation team found the temple’s foundation deposit, including stones with Hatshepsut’s cartouche and several tools. They also unearthed nearly 1500 painted blocks from Hatshepsut’s nearby valley temple.

Structure on the Eastern Slope of the City of David Identified as an Ancient Place of Worship:

A recent article in the journal ‘Atiqot interprets a structure on the eastern slope of the City of David in Jerusalem as an ancient place of worship. The structure was in use from the Middle Bronze Age to the mid-eighth century BC.