Category Archives: Religion

Religion

Pope Francis final pontiff?, Peter the Roman?, Jorge Mario Bergoglio Italian ancestry, Saint Malachy prophecy, Destruction of Rome and judgment of Christ?

Pope Francis final pontiff?, Peter the Roman?, Jorge Mario Bergoglio Italian ancestry, Saint Malachy prophecy, Destruction of Rome and judgment of Christ?

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End.”…Saint Malachy

“…and there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.”  … Luke 21:25

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

 

From  WND March 13, 2013.

“POPE FRANCIS HISTORY’S ‘FINAL’ PONTIFF?”

“An author who predicted Pope Benedict XVI would be the first pontiff
in nearly 600 years to resign believes the election today of Jorge
Mario Bergoglio as the 266th Roman Catholic pontiff lines up with a
medieval prophecy that would make him the “final pope” before the End
Times.

Tom Horn, co-author with Cris Putman of the book “Petrus Romanus: The
Final Pope is Here,” told WND today Bergoglio’s selection was a
“fantastic fulfillment of prophecy.”

His book examines St. Malachy’s “Prophecy of the Popes,” said to be
based on a prophetic vision of the 112 popes following Pope Celestine
II, who died in 1144.

Malachy’s prophecies, first published in 1595, culminate with the
“final pope,” “Petrus Romanus,” or “Peter the Roman,” whose reign ends
with the destruction of Rome and the judgment of Christ.

Horn has said a pope of Italian descent would fulfill the prophecy,
noting Bergoglio is the son of Italian parents and a Jesuit.

“Being a Jesuit is a very important aspect of our prediction in our
book,” Horn told WND in an email.

Citing his book, Horn said the name “Petrus Romanus” in the prophecy
“implies this pope will reaffirm the authority of the Roman Pontiff
over the Church and will emphasize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic
Faith and the Roman Catholic Church above all other religions and
denominations, and its authority over all Christians and all peoples
of the world.”

Horn pointed out the Jesuits order was organized “to stop
Protestantism from spreading and to preserve communion with Rome and
the successor of Peter.”

As WND reported, Horn and his co-author, Cris Putnam, predicted in
their book Benedict would step down, making way for history’s “final
pope.””

Read more:

Pope Francis history’s ‘final’ pontiff?

Billy Graham Ad, 2012 election statement of belief, Vote for biblical values, Vote for those who protect sanctity of life and marriage, Romney meeting

Billy Graham Ad, 2012 election statement of belief, Vote for biblical values, Vote for those who protect sanctity of life and marriage, Romney meeting

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.”…Barack Obama

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”…Matthew 7:16

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

From the AFA, American Family Association October 18, 2012.

“A message from Billy Graham about the election”

“I wanted to pass this full page advertisement from Billy Graham on to you. It ran today in the Wall Street Journal and will run in other large papers in the coming days. You can click on the picture at right for full size.

Dr. Graham’s office has given permission to spread this vital message far and wide. He has given anyone permission to pay to run this ad in their local paper or to pass out at church, etc.

Your newspaper can get the ad at this link:
http://action.afa.net/uploadedFiles/Resources/grahamad.pdf
(Newspapers can call Paula Woodring at Samaritan’s Purse 828-262-1980 x1121 to verify permissions.)

Pray that tens of millions of people will read this personal reflection from Dr. Graham and heed his call to vote.

Vote your values! Visit the AFA Voter Guide atwww.AFAAction.net for the most distinctive and comprehensive presentation of information on candidates available at one location for values voters (we are still adding candidate information to the guide).

Every individual voter can visit the website, type in his or her address and be presented with their candidates and information that will assist the voter in determining who will best represent their Christian values if elected to public office.

Free Voter Guide Apps are now available for the smartphone by visiting your App Store and searching “AFA Action” or text “apple” or “android” to 70994. Share this powerful resource with family, friends and church members by utilizing the social networking tools including Facebook and Twitter. Then vote your values!

Sincerely,TimTim Wildmon, President
American Family Association

From the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association October 11, 2012.

“October 11, 2012 – Billy Graham and Franklin Graham met with Gov. Mitt Romney in the evangelist’s Montreat, N.C. home today.”

“Evangelist Billy Graham, 93, issued the following statement after meeting today in his North Carolina home with presidential candidate, Gov. Mitt Romney:

“It was an honor to meet and host Gov. Romney in my home today, especially since I knew his late father former Michigan Gov. George Romney, whom I considered a friend. I have followed Mitt Romney’s career in business, the Olympic Games, as governor of Massachusetts and, of course, as a candidate for president of the United States.

“What impresses me even more than Gov. Romney’s successful career are his values and strong moral convictions. I appreciate his faithful commitment to his impressive family, particularly his wife Ann of 43 years and his five married sons.

“It was a privilege to pray with Gov. Romney—for his family and our country. I will turn 94 the day after the upcoming election, and I believe America is at a crossroads. I hope millions of Americans will join me in praying for our nation and to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms.””

http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=8983

Obamacare and Catholic Church, Religious liberty and health care, Dr. Grattan Brown, Natural Law as the Foundation of Religious Liberty, Belmont Abbey College

Obamacare and Catholic Church, Religious liberty and health care, Dr. Grattan Brown, Natural Law as the Foundation of Religious Liberty, Belmont Abbey College

“Führer, my Führer, give me by God. Protect and preserve my life for long. You saved Germany in time of need. I thank you for my daily bread. Be with me for a long time, do not leave me, Führer, my Führer, my faith, my light, Hail to my Führer!”…Recited by Hitler youth

“If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”…Barack Obama

“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me –
and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.”…Pastor Martin Niemoller

From Saint Pius X Church in NC.
“Saint Pius X to Host Lecture on Religious Liberty & the HHS Mandate

Dr. Grattan Brown, STD, a professor at Belmont Abbey College, will deliver a lecture,

“Natural Law Foundations of Religious Liberty & the HHS Mandate,”

in the church on Saturday, October 6, at 7 p.m. Dr. Brown is a former researcher in religion and public policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC and former professor at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.

A reception will precede the event at 6 p.m.

This is an important topic not just to Catholics, but to all Americans who cherish religious liberty. Much is heard about the issue in the news, but Dr. Brown will be able to help us understand the issue from the viewpoint of Catholic tradition and Church teaching.
This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.”

http://www.stpiusxnc.com/

From Citizen Wells November 18, 2011.
“Belmont Abbey sues feds over birth control rule”
“Belmont Abbey College has filed a broad legal challenge to the part of President Barack Obama’s health care reforms that requires employer insurance plans to cover contraception and other birth control.
The Catholic college in Gaston County says the federal mandate forces religious institutions opposed to birth control to violate their beliefs or face penalties. The rule goes into effect next August.
The school has sued a number of federal agencies. The defendants include Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Keith Maley, an HHS spokesman, said the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit, public-interest law firm.”

Defense of the Faith: A Forum on “Religious Liberty” (Part 2 of 4 – Dr. Grattan Brown)

“Published on May 28, 2012 by StBenedictPressTAN
Defense of the Faith: A Forum on Religious Liberty (PART 2 OF 4)
Dr. Grattan Brown: “Natural Law as the Foundation of Religious Liberty”
PART 1: Introduction (http://youtu.be/9v3FQYZ_d9g)
PART 3: Mr. Kyle Duncan (http://youtu.be/o-qfS4Q7Z_w)
PART 4: Mrs. Nancy Matthews (http://youtu.be/tl91F_R6l2s)
On March 21, 2010, the United States House of Representatives voted on, and narrowly passed, a new national healthcare reform bill. Two days later, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into federal law. On January 20, 2012, over repeated objections by the United States Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reaffirmed a rule mandating that virtually all private healthcare plans must cover sterilization, abortifacients and contraception by plan years beginning on or after August 1, 2012.
This action has been called by many religious leaders an egregious violation of the first amendment which states that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .”
On Saturday, February 11, 2012, over one hundred attendees gathered for a forum on religious liberties hosted on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. The event was moderated by Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College. Three nationally-recognized speakers took the podium.
Dr. Grattan Brown, Associate Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College, opened the forum with his presentation on Natural Law as the foundation for religious liberty, addressing various contraceptive methods mandated under the new administrative guidelines, and their potential to function as abortifacients in violation of Natural Law.
Mr. Kyle Duncan, Senior Legal Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm located in Washington, DC, spoke on the accelerating legal challenges to religious liberty in the United States.
Mrs. Nancy Matthews, recently retired Chancellor and General Counsel for the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, closed the forum with a presentation on the goals and objectives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ad hoc committee on religious liberty. Mrs. Matthews is currently a consultant to this committee.
It is our hope that this forum will help you to better understand these issues facing the Catholic Church and nearly all employers in America today and encourage you to take action to ensure the continued protection of religious freedom.”

Obama a Christian?, Media protects Obama slams Romney, Real economy numbers reported in late November 2012, John Hammer Rhino Times, August 9, 2012

Obama a Christian?, Media protects Obama slams Romney, Real economy numbers reported in late November 2012, John Hammer Rhino Times, August 9, 2012

“My whole family was Muslim,” …Maya Soetoro-Ng

“A light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come
down upon you, you will experience an Epiphany…and you will
suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Obama.”…Barack Obama

“There is no evidence that Barack Obama is a Christian”…Citizen Wells

Real reporting about Obama, in print, in NC,

From John Hammer of the Rhino Times August 9, 2012.

“The presidential campaign is still not officially underway – since neither candidate is the official candidate of their party until after the party conventions – and it is already ugly and is going to get worse. Obama, with an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, cannot run on his record. He spent the $1 trillion in stimulus money to get the unemployment rate down and it didn’t work. If Obama talks about the $1 trillion in stimulus he opens the door for a mistake that he has admitted to making – there is no such thing as a shovel-ready project. So the $1 trillion that was for shovel-ready projects was for fantasy projects. It reminds voters how little Obama knows about how the government works, how business works or, really, how anything other than a political campaign works. And the indications are that he really doesn’t understand political campaigns either.

Four years ago Obama ran what appeared to be a flawless political campaign, but in retrospect it appears that he was running against a Republican that all the other Republicans had beaten when he ran in his campaign mode. It was only when he ran as Sen. John McCain that anyone could tolerate him. When McCain went back to being the Republican presidential candidate, instead of himself, he had already lost. Also Obama could have been caught in the act with a creature from outer space and the media would not have reported it. How many photos did you see of Obama smoking? Do you think the media would have run photos of Sarah Palin smoking if they had them? The media was only going to report good things about Obama and they did. It is why we still know so little about Obama.

The only real source of information we had about Obama was his own book, and then we found out that it is far from a memoir in that he has a composite girlfriend. If the press vetted Obama at all we would know whether or not he was really Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s protégé as he once said, or was he just someone who attended that church on occasion because of its political clout in the black community in Chicago. If he was a protégé then Obama needs to explain when he realized that Wright’s racist rants against white people in general and Jews in particular went too far and he decided not to be a follower.

If the truth is that he was never really a follower of Wright’s, and that is the only church he has ever been a member of according to his book, is he really a Christian? He wasn’t raised as Christian. Neither of his parents were Christians. If Wright did not bring him to Christ, who did? And why did he decide not to practice his religion in a formal manner while president.

These are the kinds of questions that you would expect to have answers to about the president of the United States, but evidently asking any question about Obama that he has not already answered is wrong.

, , ,

Along those same lines, it is no surprise, but worth noting, that the mainstream media have become even more liberal and partisan. Back in 2010 and even 2011, with the election at least a year away, the mainstream media were willing to be critical of Obama and to admit that whoever the Republican nominee was that he or she might have some redeeming qualities.

Now that the election is less than three months away, the mainstream media pundits are back to proclaiming Obama the messiah, and Mitt Romney is just some rich guy who inherited a bunch of money, has never really done anything and now wants to buy the presidency. Four years ago when Obama raised more money than any presidential candidate ever had it was because he had the support of the people. Now that Romney is raising more money month after month than Obama it is because Romney is rich. It’s amazing how things get reported.

, , ,

One thing that has changed in this election is that no one can argue that Obama doesn’t have the experience to be president. He now has more experience than anyone still in the game. He will soon be tied with both George Herbert Walker Bush, and James Earl Carter Jr., but it is unlikely that either one of them will decide to run for another term.

Experience was a good issue for Republicans in 2008, since Obama had not completed a full term in the US Senate and had never been the chief executive of anything other than the Harvard Law Review and his own political campaigns, both of which are a little different from being president. But this time around Romney’s experience running a business, running a state and running the Olympics are all good preparation but Obama has him beat when it comes to experience being president.

Now it is easy to argue that Obama’s experience as president proves that he shouldn’t serve another term, because he hasn’t been able to get the economy back on track. It will be interesting to see what the real numbers are for the economy when the election is over. It will be a real surprise if the figures released by the government are not revised in November after the election.

I have no doubt that the government in late November will reveal that the economy is in worse shape than the figures released earlier would indicate. Unemployment will turn out to be higher and economic growth will turn out to be lower, and not reporting it earlier was simply due to an unfortunate mathematical error.”

Read more:

http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/Articles-Columns-c-2012-08-08-212799.112113-Under-the-Hammer.html

Easter 2012, Jesus face from Shroud of Turin, April 8, 2012, Italian scientists – created by flash of supernatural light, God save us

Easter 2012, Jesus face from Shroud of Turin, April 8, 2012, Italian scientists created by flash of supernatural light, God save us

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”…First Corinthians 1:25

Have a blessed Easter

From Citizen Wells April 23, 2011.

What I am about to present is intended primarily for the Doubting Thomases out there. First some observations. Jesus was born in the Middle East. His skin color, neither lilly white or black, was average. He was born into a lowly existence and therefore could speak to everyone regardless of status. His message is simple and true. I can find no fault with it. He was crucified. No other method of death would have gotten the attention of humans. If that is not enough for you, I have studied the Shroud of Turin for years. I believe that it is real.

Presented here on April 5, 2010.

Is this the face of Jesus?

From the History Channel

“What did Jesus look like? Artists, scholars and millions of Christians around the world have been pondering the question for centuries. And on Tuesday, March 30, at 9/8c, HISTORY viewers may get closer to an answer than ever before, thanks to a special two-hour event.

The Real Face of Jesus? follows a team of graphic experts as they use cutting-edge 3D software to bring a holy relic known as the Shroud of Turin to life. Many believe Jesus Christ was buried in this ancient linen cloth, which bears traces of blood and the faint, ghostly image of a man. With the help of modern technology, can HISTORY finally unlock the secrets of one of the world’s most scrutinized and controversial artifacts?

To attempt this feat, HISTORY turned to computer graphics artist Ray Downing of Studio Macbeth, who used photographs and digital animation to reconstruct Abraham Lincoln in 2009. As Ray and his team grapple with the task, we delve into the Shroud of Turin’s long history, along with the many perplexing questions that centuries of scientific research have failed to settle. How, for instance, did the figure’s imprint appear on the cloth? And how can we extract 3D information from a two-dimensional piece of linen?

In The Real Face of Jesus?, HISTORY unveils the fruit of many months of labor, made possible by sophisticated computer tools in very capable hands: an accurate depiction of the man many believe to be Jesus Christ. For the devout and curious alike, this is a compelling story of transformation—a fascinating journey from the realm of creativity and imagination into the domain of science and technology.”

“The advent of photography in the late 19th century forever altered the course of the shroud’s history. In 1898, a lawyer named Secondo Pia took the first known photograph of the cloth, and his negative revealed new details—including strikingly clear facial features—that could not be observed with the naked eye. Scientific interest in the relic immediately picked up. In 1902, the French anatomist Yves Delage, an agnostic, inspected the photographs and pronounced that the figure on the shroud was indeed Jesus Christ.

The first direct examinations of the cloth were conducted in the 1970s, most famously by the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), a team of scientists led by physicist John P. Jackson of the University of Colorado. The group found that the markings on the cloth were consistent with a crucified body and that the stains were real human blood; they also suggested that the image’s shading patterns contained three-dimensional information. They could not explain how the imprint ended up on the fabric in the first place.

In 1988, scientists removed a swatch of the shroud for radiocarbon testing. Three independent laboratories concluded that the material originated between 1260 and 1390, leading some to deem it inauthentic. Since then, however, further studies have cast doubt on those results, suggesting that the shroud may indeed date back to the time of Jesus Christ’s life and death.

In March 2010, researchers unveiled a revolutionary radiocarbon dating method that could allow scientists to safely establish accurate ages for precious artifacts like the Shroud of Turin. Unlike traditional carbon dating, the new process does not require samples; instead, the entire object is exposed to an electrically charged gas that gently oxidizes its surface without causing damage. This means that, someday soon, the world may have a more precise estimate of the Shroud of Turin’s real age.

In the spring of 2010, the Shroud of Turin will be available for its first public viewing in 10 years, scheduled from April 10 to May 23.”

Read more:

http://www.history.com/shows/the-real-face-of-jesus

After reading numerous books and articles on the Shroud of Turin beginning over 30 years ago, I found a book that convinced me that the Shroud could be authentic. Mark Antonacci wrote and published “The Resurrection of the Shroud” in 2000. From the preface:

“It actually began out of nowhere on a Sunday afternoon. I had just had a serious argument with a girlfriend. The problem was that she was religious, and I was not. She was very committed to her religious views, and I was definitely a committed agnostic. Because it was over a matter that threatened our relationship, it caused me great anxiety. Not wanting to hang around the apartment and continue to think about it all day, I decided to go to work at my law office to take my mind off the argument.

When I got to my office, I couldn’t concetrate on my work. Hoping to get my mind off the disagreement, I decided to go across the street and catch some lunch at Hummel’s, my favorite restaurant, and read the paper. On the way I happened to buy a particular newspaper for the only time in my life.

As I was moving down the serving line at Hummel’s with the newspaper on my tray, I couldn’t help but notice the words across the top of the paper, advertising what was inside the weekend edition. In the upper right-hand corner was a facial picture of the man on the shroud; next to it, a caption asked if this was a picture of the historical Jesus Christ. The paper was featuring an article on a recently published book about the Shroud of Turin. The picture was staring up right at me, and as I went down the line, I muttered to myself, “Great, this is just what I need.”

“I did not like seeing this picture and being reminded of the subject and the argument, so I pushed the paper a little bit away from me. As I continued reading, I noticed the picture again and pushed the paper farther away still. I did the same thing another time until, noticing the picture yet again, I finally said, “all right, I’ll read the !$#?% article,” and angrily threw down the sports page and picked up the article on the shroud.”

From an interview posted on Amarillo.com on April 14, 2001

“Ex-agnostic researches, writes book on shroud”

“Mark Antonacci said he was a committed agnostic until he stumbled upon an article about a subject he would eventually spend nearly 20 years researching.
Antonacci, a St. Louis lawyer, is author of “The Resurrection of the Shroud.” He spoke in a telephone interview about his book about the cloth that he and others believe wrapped the body of Jesus Christ.
His book delves into questions about the wounds suffered by the man whose impression is on the shroud, the shroud’s history and scientific challenges to the carbon dating of the shroud.
Now a Christian, Antonacci said much historical, medical and archaeological evidence exists to prove Christ’s death was consistent with Gospel accounts. The evidence he said he found changed his mind about God.
“I came to the conclusion that the literal, actual crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred,” he said.”

Read more:

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/041401/rel_researcher.shtml

From the book website:

“With the passing of a generation of research and development, science may now be able to move beyond the question of authenticity and prove some of the most startling events in history, while disproving the results of the Shroud’s controversial carbon dating.  Mark Antonacci, author of The Resurrection of the Shroud, the most comprehensive and substantive book ever written on the subject, and Art Lind, a retired physicist from McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and the Boeing Company, have devised a series of tests and experiments that will test what they consider to be the most likely explanation of the Shroud’s images and unprecedented features, while explaining the cloth’s aberrant carbon dating. Scientific tests and experiments utilizing nuclear reactors and accelerator mass spectrometers could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:”

  • Particle radiation irradiated the Shroud.
  • The particle radiation emanated from the length, width, and depth of the body wrapped within the cloth.
  • The event occurred in the 1st Century.
  • The event happened in Jesus’s burial tomb.

Read more:

http://www.resurrectionoftheshroud.com/Index.html

Have a special Easter.

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/easter-2011-jesus-resurrection-wisdom-of-god-message-to-doubting-thomases/

Italian scientists on shroud.

“Turin Shroud ‘was created by flash of supernatural light’: It couldn’t be a medieval forgery, say scientists”

“The image on the Turin Shroud could not be the work of medieval forgers but was instead caused by a supernatural ‘flash of light’, according to scientists.
Italian researchers have found evidence that casts doubt on claims that the relic – said to be the burial cloth of Jesus – is a fake and they suggest that it could, after all, be authentic.”

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/shroud-of-turin-authentic-italian-scientists-created-by-flash-of-supernatural-light-not-medieval-forgery-huge-burst-of-energy-at-resurrection-of-christ/

 

Pope Benedict to retire soon?, April 16, 2012 birthday, Pope Benedict XVI turns 85, Saint Malachy prophecy last pope next, Destruction of Rome

Pope Benedict to retire soon?, April 16, 2012 birthday, Pope Benedict XVI turns 85, Saint Malachy prophecy last pope next, Destruction of Rome

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End.”…Saint Malachy

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

From The Raiders News Network April 5, 2012.

“Prophecy Has Catholics and Protestants Watching Pope Benedict in April”

“As April 16th looms, speculation is mounting concerning the possible post-birthday retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. These speculations are fueled by statements last year from Italian media personality journalist and Vatican insider, Antonio Socci, who wrote in The Times of London, “In short: the Pope does not discard the possibility of resigning when he reaches 85 in April next year.”[i]

Benedict was 78 when appointed pope in April of 2005 and was quoted then as having preferred a peaceful retirement, “At a certain point, I prayed to God ‘please don’t do this to me’…Evidently, this time He didn’t listen to me.”[ii] Even more, in his book, Pope Benedict XVI Light of the World, when asked if he thought it appropriate for a pope to retire he responded, “If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign.”[iii] This widely reported predisposition adds credence to recent rumors.

While official sources assert his recent trip to Cuba as evidence of his ongoing vitality, a December 2011 Associated Press story from Vatican City asserted, “Pope Benedict XVI seems worn out.”

The internet and Bible prophecy community have been buzzing due to an ancient prophecy attributed to Saint Malachy which predicted some 112 popes culminating in the destruction of Rome, Benedict being next to last. Adding fuel to the fire are assertions from a soon to be released book titled after the predicted last pope concerning a cryptic cipher published by a Belgian Jesuit back in 1951.

Bestselling author, Thomas Horn (Apollyon Rising, Forbidden Gates), has teamed up with a Christian apologist and author Cris Putnam (Pandemonium’s Engine) in the soon to be released book, Petrus Romanus, which explores the intricacies of the Malachy prophecy and the potential role of the pope in biblical prophecy. According to the blog promoting the soon to be released book, the deceased Jesuit priest and codebreaker, René Thibaut, decoded 2012 explicitly as the year for the final conclave. According to calculations at Putnam’s website the date coincides with the recent rumors.

While some Catholic scholars are divided on the Prophecy of the Popes, John Lupia Ph.D. at Roman Catholic News has deemed it genuine. Loyal Catholics are likely incredulous due to Rome’s predicted doom during the next pontificate. This foretold apocalyptic demise has Protestants like Hal Lindsey and Jack Van Impe speculating that the “rapture” of the church — a time when true believers will be caught away into the heavens and saved from great tribulation — will occur very soon. For believers in the rapture, this seems all the more exhilarating amidst the numerous 2012 predictions.

Other Protestants see a remarkable potential that the predicted final pope may personify the false prophet predicted in the Book of Revelation in chapter 13 verses 11 onward. That end-time figure is said to appear as a lamb, a Christian, yet speak like a dragon pointing to the same book’s symbol for Satan. Prophetic commentators have been quick to point out recent Vatican statements calling for an increased role for the United Nations and a world financial authority. While many Catholic faithful are incensed by the insinuation that the next pontiff is the predicted second beast, it is not without precedent. In addition to respected Catholic seers down through time who predicted Rome would become the seat of the Antichrist, Pope Benedict himself, while still a Cardinal, shocked the Catholic community when he confessed that he did not think the Holy Spirit was necessarily involved in the conclave that elects popes. When asked on Bavarian television in 1997 if the Holy Spirit is responsible for who gets elected pope, Cardinal Ratzinger responded, “I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the pope. … There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously not have picked.”[iv]

Cardinal Ratzinger’s startling admission seems at odds with the traditional dogma of papal succession all the way back to Jesus’ disciple Peter and inadvertently lends credence to the election of a false prophet.

The Vatican has done little to silence the building buzz concerning the next pope and Malachy prophecy. Ratzinger also created a stir when he chose the name “Benedict” seeming to intentionally fulfill the Malachy prophecy’s characterization of him as the “glory of the Olive” (the Benedictine order is symbolized by an Olive branch). With the recent rumors concerning the pope’s soon retirement, this begs the question of whether the Vatican is intentionally fulfilling the Malachy predictions and setting the stage for the coming of Petrus Romanus.”

http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/pope-retire.htm

Saint Malachy Prophecy.

http://www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp

Obama son of Islam, No evidence Obama Christian, Franklin Graham speaks out, Franklin states Islam got free pass under Obama, Obama narcissist

Obama son of Islam, No evidence Obama Christian, Franklin Graham speaks out, Franklin states Islam got free pass under Obama, Obama narcissist

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”…Proverbs 16:18


“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”…Galatians 5:22-23

The Reverend Franklin Graham and I have at least 3 things in common. We are native North Carolinians, we have Grahams in our ancestry and we both believe in the message of Jesus.

My position on Obama’s religious beliefs is simple.

First there is absolutely no evidence, fruit that Obama is a Christian.

Secondly, Obama’s strongest influences have been Muslims and radicals.

And most conclusively, Obama is a narcissist. He has no need to worship anything else but himself.

From US News February 21, 2012.

“Rev. Graham: Obama seen as ‘son of Islam'”

“Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and a prominent evangelical leader in his own right, waded into contentious waters Tuesday when asked for his views on the religious beliefs of President Obama and the GOP hopefuls.

Graham, the CEO and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told a Morning Joe panel he couldn’t say for certain that Obama is a Christian.
“You have to ask him. I cannot answer that question for anybody. All I know is I’m a sinner, and that God has forgiven me of my sins,” Graham said. “You have to ask every person. He has said he’s a Christian, so I just have to assume that he is.”

But Graham also said he couldn’t “categorically” say Obama wasn’t a Muslim, in part, because Islam has gotten a “free pass” under Obama. Graham also said the Muslim world sees Obama as a “son of Islam,” because the president’s father and grandfather were Muslim.
According to Edina Lekovic, director of policy at the Muslim Public Affairs Council, being born in a Muslim family doesn’t make one a Muslim. A person has to make an active choice to become a Muslim, Lekovic said.

Obama has said again and again that he is a Christian, both as a presidential candidate and as president.

“I’m a Christian by choice,” Obama told a group of New Mexico voters last September, answering a question from a member of the audience. He said he has embraced his faith even though growing up, “my family didn’t, frankly. They weren’t folks who went to church every week.”
In Chicago, Obama was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for years, but he quit in May 2008 after videos of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s racially-divisive sermons surfaced on the Web.

“Our relations with Trinity have been strained by the divisive statements of Reverend Wright, which sharply conflict with our own views,” Obama and his wife Michelle wrote at the time.

The debate over the president’s faith was brought up again on the campaign trail this Saturday, when Rick Santorum told a Tea Party crowd in Columbus, Ohio, that Obama’s agenda is “not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about your quality of life. It’s not about your job. It’s about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible, a different theology, but no less a theology.””

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/21/10466877-rev-graham-obama-seen-as-son-of-islam

Thanks to commenter Observer

Merry Christmas 2011, God bless, December 25, 2011, Jesus birthday celebration

Merry Christmas 2011, God bless, December 25, 2011, Jesus birthday celebration

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”…Magi, Matthew 2:2

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”…Jesus, John 8:12

“the truth shall make you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

Merry Christmas

God bless

Shroud of Turin authentic, Italian scientists, Created by flash of supernatural light, Not medieval forgery, Huge burst of energy at Resurrection of Christ

Shroud of Turin authentic, Italian scientists, Created by flash of supernatural light, Not medieval forgery, Huge burst of energy at Resurrection of Christ

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”…Luke 2:10-14

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”…First Corinthians 1:25

I bring you good tidings.

From the Daily Mail December 21, 2011.

“Turin Shroud ‘was created by flash of supernatural light’: It couldn’t be a medieval forgery, say scientists”

“The image on the Turin Shroud could not be the work of medieval forgers but was instead caused by a supernatural ‘flash of light’, according to scientists.
Italian researchers have found evidence that casts doubt on claims that the relic – said to be the burial cloth of Jesus – is a fake and they suggest that it could, after all, be authentic.
Sceptics have long argued that the shroud, a rectangular sheet measuring about 14ft by 3ft, is a forgery dating to medieval times.

Scientists in Italy believe the kind of technology needed to create the Shroud of Turin simply wasn’t around at the time that it was created
Scientists from Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development spent years trying to replicate the shroud’s markings.
They have concluded only something akin to ultraviolet lasers – far beyond the capability of medieval forgers – could have created them.

This has led to fresh suggestions that the imprint was indeed created by a huge burst of energy accompanying the Resurrection of Christ.
‘The results show a short and intense burst of UV directional radiation can colour a linen cloth so as to reproduce many of the peculiar characteristics of the body image on the Shroud of Turin,’ the scientists said.”

“Carbon dating tests in 1988 dated it from between 1260 and 1390 – implying it was a fake.

Scientists have since claimed that contamination over the ages from patches, water damage and fire, was not taken sufficiently into account In 1999, two Israeli scientists said plant pollen found on the Shroud supported the view that it comes from the Holy Land.
There have been numerous calls for further testing but the Vatican has always refused.
The image of the bearded man on the shroud must therefore have been created by ‘some form of electromagnetic energy (such as a flash of light at short wavelength)’, their report concludes. But it stops short of offering a non-scientific explanation.”

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2076443/Turin-Shroud-created-flash-supernatural-light.html

 

From Citizen Wells April 23, 2011.

“What I am about to present is intended primarily for the Doubting Thomases out there. First some observations. Jesus was born in the Middle East. His skin color, neither lilly white or black, was average. He was born into a lowly existence and therefore could speak to everyone regardless of status. His message is simple and true. I can find no fault with it. He was crucified. No other method of death would have gotten the attention of humans. If that is not enough for you, I have studied the Shroud of Turin for years. I believe that it is real.”

“With the passing of a generation of research and development, science may now be able to move beyond the question of authenticity and prove some of the most startling events in history, while disproving the results of the Shroud’s controversial carbon dating.  Mark Antonacci, author of The Resurrection of the Shroud, the most comprehensive and substantive book ever written on the subject, and Art Lind, a retired physicist from McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and the Boeing Company, have devised a series of tests and experiments that will test what they consider to be the most likely explanation of the Shroud’s images and unprecedented features, while explaining the cloth’s aberrant carbon dating. Scientific tests and experiments utilizing nuclear reactors and accelerator mass spectrometers could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:”

  • Particle radiation irradiated the Shroud.
  • The particle radiation emanated from the length, width, and depth of the body wrapped within the cloth.
  • The event occurred in the 1st Century.
  • The event happened in Jesus’s burial tomb.

Read more:

https://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/easter-2011-jesus-resurrection-wisdom-of-god-message-to-doubting-thomases/

I have been in the process of gathering data for another report on the Shroud of Turin. Reporting from the mainstream media has never been more suspect. In the midst of doing more research, I watched a show on the Shroud on the National Geo channel. The information in the show, while purported to be from all viewpoints, was heavily laced with professional skeptics (professional debunkers) and absurd and outdated references to theories of the image being painted on. This further strengthened my resolve to present the facts.

Here is some of the information.

From Shroud Story.

“Carbon 14 and the Shroud of Turin”

“Biggest Radiocarbon Dating Mistake Ever

Photomicrograph of fibers from warp segment of carbon 14 sample. It is chemically unlike the rest of the shroud. That is a problem.

In January, 2005, things changed. An article appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal Thermochimica Acta, which proved that the carbon 14 dating of the Shroud of Turin was flawed because the sample used was invalid. Moreover, this article, by Raymond N. Rogers, a well-published chemist and a Fellow of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, explained why the Shroud of Turin was much older. The Shroud of Turin was at least twice as old as the radiocarbon date, and possibly 2000 years old.

Peer-reviewed scientific journals are important. It is the way scientists normally report scientific findings and theories. Articles submitted to such journals are carefully reviewed for adherence to scientific methods and the absence of speculation and polemics. Reviews are often anonymous. Facts are checked and formulas are examined. The review procedure sometimes takes months to complete, as it did for Rogers.

It was Nature, another prestigious peer-reviewed journal, that in 1989, reported that carbon 14 dating ‘proved’ the shroud was a hoax. Rogers found no fault with the article in Nature. Nor did he find fault with the quality of the carbon 14 dating. He defended it. What Rogers found was that the carbon 14 sample was taken from a mended area of the Shroud that contained significant amounts of newer material. This was not the fault of the radiocarbon laboratories. But it did show that the carbon dating was invalid.

Immediately after the publication of Rogers’ paper, Nature published a commentary by scientist-journalist Philip Ball. “Attempts to date the Turin Shroud are a great game,” he wrote, “but don’t imagine that they will convince anyone . . . The scientific study of the Turin Shroud is like a microcosm of the scientific search for God: it does more to inflame any debate than settle it.” Later in his commentary Ball added, “And yet, the shroud is a remarkable artifact, one of the few religious relics to have a justifiably mythical status. It is simply not known how the ghostly image of a serene, bearded man was made.”

Yellow dye can be seen from spliced thread. Newer material was dyed with alizarin from madder root to match age-yellowed older thread.

Ball, who understood the chemistry of the Shroud of Turin images, rejected a notion popularized by conspiracy theorists that Leonardo da Vinci created the Shroud’s image using primitive photography. He called the idea flaky. He also debunked the sometimes reported speculation that the image was “burned into the cloth by some kind of release of nuclear energy” from Jesus’ body. This he said was wild.

Almost all serious Shroud of Turin researchers agree with Ball on these points. When flaky and wild ideas appear in newspaper articles or on television, as they often do, scientists cringe. Rogers referred to those who held such views as being part of the “lunatic fringe” of Shroud research. But Rogers was just as critical of those who, without the benefit of solid science, declared the Shroud of Turin a fake. They, too, were part of the lunatic fringe.

The idea that the Shroud of Turin had been mended in the area from which the carbon 14 samples had been taken had been floating around for some time. But no one paid much attention. In 1998, Turin’s scientific adviser, Piero Savarino, suggested, “extraneous substances found on the samples and the presence of extraneous thread (left over from ‘invisible mending’ routinely carried on in the past on parts of the cloth in poor repair)” might have accounted for an error in the carbon 14 dating. Longtime shroud researchers Sue Benford and Joe Marino independently developed the same idea and explored it with several textile experts and Ronald Hatfield of the radiocarbon dating firm Beta Analytic. The art of invisible reweaving, Benford and Marino discovered, was commonly used in the Middle Ages to repair tapestries. Why not the shroud, they thought? They believed they saw evidence of it.

Photomicrograph of fibers from the center of the radiocarbon sample in water. Gum material is swelling and detaching from fibers. Chemical tests show that dye is yellow alizarin from madder root complexed with alum, a common mordant. Several cotton fibers are also visible. Cotton, alizarin and gum are only found in the C14 sample area of the shroud.

But the skeptically minded Rogers did not agree. He had already debunked every other argument so far offered to explain why the carbon 14 dating might be wrong. According to Ball, “Rogers thought that he would be able to ‘disprove [the mending] theory in five minutes’.” Instead he found clear evidence of discreet mending. He also showed, with chemistry, that the shroud was at least thirteen hundred years old. And he proved, beyond any doubt, that the sample used in 1988 was chemically unlike the rest of the shroud. The samples were invalid. The 1988 tests were thus meaningless.”

http://www.shroudstory.com/

 

Obama religious beliefs, Narcissism, John Hammer Rhino Times calls Obama Chreaster, Narcissist Obama influenced by Muslims, secular humanists, radicals

Obama religious beliefs, Narcissism, John Hammer Rhino Times calls Obama Chreaster, Narcissist Obama influenced by Muslims, secular humanists, radicals

From John Hammer of the Rhino (Rhinoceros) Times, December 15, 2011.

“Some people have questioned President Obama’s religious beliefs.

He was not raised in a Christian household, his mother was reportedly an agnostic or a secular humanist, both his father and his stepfather were Muslims, and as a boy Obama attended both Muslim and Catholic schools. Obama professed to be a devout Christian when running for president, but when the teachings of his mentor and pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the man who Obama credited with bringing him to Christ, were revealed as being racist and anti-American, Obama was quick to denounce his old friend.

Obama claimed to have regularly attended Wright’s church for years but was unaware that Wright said things like “God Bless America. No, no, no, God damn America.” When his racist anti-American teachings were made public, Obama dropped Wright like a hot potato.

However, there is strong evidence that although Obama claimed to be a faithful member of Wright’s church he was not, because he and his wife donated nearly nothing to the church. They were making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and then millions, and yet they gave almost nothing to the church they claimed to regularly attend.

Since then the most powerful man in the free world has not been able to find a church to his liking. But we now know what denomination he is. Obama is a Chreaster. There are a tremendous number of Chreasters, people who attend church at Christmas and Easter. Obama drug his family along to church on Sunday and the last time they all went to church, publicly, was Easter.

Obama may hold private prayer meetings in the White House every day and there is a chapel at Camp David where services can be held. But as far as we know there is no chapel on the golf courses at Andrews Air Force Base where Obama spends most of his Sundays.

It seems that when Obama does go to church he likes to make a big show of it, which is what he did last Sunday.”

Read more:

http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/Articles-Columns-c-2011-12-14-210455.112113-Under-the-Hammer.html

I agree with Rush Limbaugh. Why would Obama need to attend church. Every time he stands in front of a mirror he is worshipping himself.