World Crisis, Economic Meltdowns & The End Times

October 23, 2008
Am I the only one amazed by what appears to be the stunning speed of this economic meltdown? It seems like years ago that we were collectively mourning the collapse of investment firm Bear Stearns—when in fact only seven months have passed since March 17, 2008. True, the home mortgage and foreclosure crisis was already under full steam in the summer of ’07, but in a post-Bear-Stearns world the dire headlines have exponentially accelerated! And in the unraveling process, we have witnessed an historic immersion and injection by not only our own government, but the governments of the world, into the marketplace of banking, investment and consumerism.

And yet all the economic masters, wizards and talking heads notwithstanding, the national and global financial predicament only grows more dire. For every voice that whistles the cheery note that “this too shall pass,” there is a growing and anxious chorus of analysts that warns the worst is yet to come. So who’s right? And aren’t we better off simply going about our quiet, citizenly, Christian ways, letting the finance barons, economic professors and Wall Street moguls negotiate with the nation’s and world’s politicians for the eventual “fix” that will surely come?

A century ago there was a little lady whose predictions at the time now seem amazingly prescient today. According to her, the exploding headlines that presage the return of Christ will be stunning in their speed. “Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones” (9T 11). Would the overnight blitzing of our unfolding headlines of late qualify for “rapid ones?” Apparently, societal change in the closing chapter of earth’s history will be marked by its rapid flux.

But what is even more startling is her observation two pages later of the economic conundrum that will face earth’s governments just before Christ returns. “There are not many, even among educators [read: economics professors like Paul Krugman, this year’s Nobel laureate for economics, who himself is unable to prescribe a “saving” economic response to this crisis] and statesmen [read: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, President George Bush, senators Barack Obama, John McCain, et al], who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem[s] . . . They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis” (13). “In vain” seems to be the subplot these days, doesn’t it?

So how then shall we live, we who believe we are approaching the eve of Christ’s return? Business as usual? How dare we! What we expect of our government leaders we must demand of ourselves—steadfast vigilance and thoughtful, bold action. For the community of faith that means seizing the paradigm-shifting opportunities that this present crisis is providing to share the everlasting gospel of hope with those around us who despair the future. The return of Christ is the greatest hope this race has been given—energetically sharing that hope is the greatest mission this church has been entrusted. Given the accelerating speed of our headlines, surely we agree that this is the greatest opportunity of our lifetime to share the truth of Jesus with our world! “We must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4 TNIV).

Pr. Dwight Nelson - PM Church, MI.

A week ago, a scientist warned that the world might end . . . a week ago.

A week ago, a scientist warned that the world might end . . . a week ago. Which is why he wasn’t celebrating with the rest of his colleagues in the scientific world over the brand new Large Hadron Collider that was unveiled beneath the grassy sod along the Swiss-French border. Billed “the world’s largest atom smasher,” this brand new particle accelerator is a seventeen mile underground circular tunnel. In the tunnel are two parallel tubes into which scientists last week first fired one beam of protons clockwise and then fired a second beam in the second tube counterclockwise. Traveling at nearly the speed of light, the two beams made 11,000 circuits of that 17-mile tunnel . . . in a single second! Cheers went up when computers revealed that the two beams had successfully circumnavigated the tunnels and crossed the finish line in opposite directions.

Why all the hoopla? Because scientists are hoping to recreate the conditions that might have been present in the birth of the universe long ago. Their plans are to gradually increase the two beams with protons, fire them in opposite directions, and then at four points in the tunneled circuit through giant magnets cause the beams to cross into each other. At that split second massive digital cameras weighing thousands of tons will record those collisions through millions of snapshots per second. Pouring over those “pictures,” scientists hope to piece together clues that might unravel the mystery of our universe’s origin.

And that party-pooper scientist? He fears that the underground collision of those protons will threaten this earth through the formation of micro black holes, ultra-tiny versions of the collapsed stars in the universe that are known to suck in all nearby light, planets and stars. Adios amigos, is his warning.

Let’s leave to the scientists the debate over the perils of this fascinating new particle accelerator. But surely we who believe in the Creator God of the universe are not surprised at the unbridled power that science unleashes in these atom smashers. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6 TNIV). We sprinkle the word “omnipotent” in our sentences, but truly the all-powerful reality of the divine is beyond our feeble human comprehension!

Let us remember—he is the God who poured out his life for a fallen race at Calvary. At the fulcrum of the cross, the energy of a trillion trillion galaxies was released, as into the black hole of Christ’s death the sins of an entire planet were sucked into the divine heart, so that “whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). No wonder, as we noted in “Primetime”—III last week, it is so strategically essential that through prayer we bring our lost friends and family to him. What more powerful force could possibly be unleashed to save and rescue them than the redeeming love of the universe’s Creator?

Forward on our knees indeed! Dwight K. Nelson.

High Heels and High Holidays - Jewish Calendar

By Yisrael Rice

During services today my almost three year old daughter ran into the Shul, parading in my wife's high heel shoes. "Hrmph" I thought. Here it is, the special month of Elul, we are all working on preparing our souls for the approaching High and Holy days. And my daughter marches in and breaks our devoted concentration with her distracting (albeit adorable) antics.
I quickly realized that my reaction is what needed the work. Everything happens for a reason; G‑d doesn't play dice with the universe and all of that. We call this "Divine Providence." I think of it as Supernal Synchronicity.
My reaction to this cute event was, "How can this be happening when I am trying to serve G‑d?" My reaction should have been, "What can I learn from my daughter?" Upon short reflection, the answer was obvious. Here she is presenting graphically what we are all trying to do emotionally and spiritually. She is working on elevating herself just a few inches.
We have had a nice warm summer, with leisurely pastimes and a very intense focus on "taking it easy." But then, sometime during September, Rosh Hashana appears on our calendar. It is serious business, the Day of Judgment. This is followed by several more days with the inviting epithet, "Days of Repentance," which conclude with Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement.

What about transition?
Judaism does provide one. In fact, it provides an entire month before Rosh Hashana called, "Elul." And now back to the high heels. This is a month of self-improvement. It is a month in which we endeavor to lift ourselves just a few inches higher to prepare for the High Holydays. But our elevation during this month is quite different, and in a sense more profound, than the elevation of Rosh Hashana, et al.
Jewish holidays bring with them an intensive amount of light and inspiration. (Ever felt inspired on Yom Kippur? Now you know why!) On the one hand, this is awesome. On the other hand, a very important ingredient may be missing - our own personal effort.
On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we are lifted, but we are lifted from above, so to speak. During the month of Elul1, we are not privy to that awesome light. We must lift ourselves up from below. We may not feel the inspiration; we may not feel anything at all. We are simply aware that Rosh Hashana is coming again, and we must make a move, a change.
This uninspired feeling is referred to in Chassidic writings as the heel. It has the least sensitivity. But it provides the footing for the rest of one's service. And although the inspiration may be of a lower grade, it is infinitely more precious to G‑d. It is for this effort that we make, when we are not in the mood, that G‑d created us in the first place.
Our service during the Holidays is infused with G‑d's gift to us. But lifting up our heels, and changing just a bit, even when there is little stimulation – this is our gift to G‑d.

FOOTNOTES
1. The word "Elul" is also an acronym for the verse "I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me." The two parts of the verse describe the two different types of elevation elucidated in the article. "I am to my beloved" refers to our work to get closer to G‑d (with little inspiration). "My beloved is to me" refers to the assistance we receive through the Divine holiday revelation.

By Yisrael Rice
Rabbi Yisrael Rice is the Executive Director of Chabad of Marin, Marin County, California and Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Jewish Learning Institute.

Olympic Lessons

All that’s left is the grand finale! And if it’s anything like the spectacular opening extravaganza, the 29th Olympiad will go down in history as the most memorably choreographed sporting event of all time. Certainly the world’s kudos rightly belong to Beijing and the 1.3 billion member family of China. So what shall we take away from this two-week celebration of youth and physical prowess? Over the course of the games I’ve scribbled onto a yellow pad a few life lessons. Here are a handful:

1. Be a good sport. She wasn’t young Michael Phelps with his record eight gold medals. But even the three silver medals of 41-year-old mother and swimmer Dara Torres (the oldest swimmer on record to medal) were outshined by the genuinely gracious way she congratulated the winners with a dripping hug after each race, proving that even in losing, good sports always win. Ephesians 5:32—“Be kind and compassionate to one another.”

2. Don’t brag about yourself. Perhaps the greatest swimming race of all time pitted the U.S. men’s 400 meter free style relay team against the favorites of another nation, who unfortunately boasted beforehand to the press that they were going to “smash” their opponent. As fate would have it, they were a split second behind the young Americans. Proverbs 27:2—“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth.”

3. Become a team player. Superstars are memorable, but there’s nothing like being on a team! What’s more thrilling than sharing the fete with a team of members who combined their gifts and energies into a group win? Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12—“Two are better than one. . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

4. Life isn’t fair. The most successful gymnastics coach in history, Bela Karolyi, exploded to Bob Costas of NBC over the egregious (to him) judging error that cost one of the coeds he was cheering a gold medal. Who was right? We’ll never know. Not everything in life is fair or deserved. Being able to go on in spite of it is a mark of maturity. Philippians 4:11—“I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances” (Message).

5. Everybody needs a coach. No matter how good you may be at what you do, there is somebody who can help you be even better. Physically, academically, professionally and spiritually—ask someone to share the journey with you. John 14:16—“‘And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.’”

6. What’s most important is never seen. Remember that the handful of minutes Michael Phelps spent racing (and winning) in the pool is dwarfed by the four long grueling years of daily training far away from the spotlight. What counts most in any life isn’t the public glare—it’s the very private and consistent practice that always pays off. Luke 5:16—“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

7. Let your Father be your trainer. Did you know that three of the top U.S. gymnasts are coached by their parents? Nastia Liukin, winner of the all-round gymnastics gold medal, has her father Valeri to thank, himself a gold medalist in the 1988 Games. For when your Father is already a Winner, how could you possibly go wrong? Ephesians 3:14—“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family derives its name.”

The 29th Olympiad ends in a few hours. But the race of life stretches before us all. And thanks to Jesus Christ, it’s the one race that everybody who enters can win. Let’s go! (Pr. Dwight K. Nelson, 2008)

What is True

According to the ancient Jewish worldview, God is not somewhere else. God is right here. It is God's world and God made it and God owns it and God is present everywhere in it. In the book of Genesis, a man named Jacob had a dream in which God spoke to him and reminded him of his destiny and purpose. When Jacob woke up, he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it."

God has been there all along, and Jacob is just beginning to realize it. He's waking up from physical sleep, but he is also waking up from spiritual sleep. I've heard people tell stories about something powerful that happened and then at the end of the story say, "And then God showed up!" As if God were somewhere else and then decided to intervene.

But God is always present. We're the ones who show up.

For the ancient Jew, the world is soaked in the presence of God.

The whole earth is full of the kavod of God.

For the writers of the Bible, this truth is everywhere. It's here. It's there.

It's all over.

And not only is truth everywhere, not only is the whole earth filled with the kavod of God, but the writer Paul makes a fascinating observation about people in his letter to the Romans. He says at one point, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves." Gentiles is his word for people who don't follow God, and law is his word for the Scriptures. So he says that people who don't know anything about God are able to do the right thing on a regular basis. Without having any instructions from God or the Bible, these people are still able from time to time to live as God created us to live. For Paul, truth is available to everyone.

Truth is everywhere, and it is available to everyone.

But Paul takes it further, because for him truth is bigger than his religion. Notice what he says in the book of Titus. He is referring to the people who live on the island of Crete when he writes that even one of their own prophets has said, "`Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' He has surely told the truth."

So Paul quotes one of the Cretan prophets and then affirms that this guy was right in what he said. "This testimony is true." What the prophet said was true, so Paul quotes him. For Paul, anybody is capable of speaking truth. Anybody, from any perspective, from any religion, from anywhere.

And these words from the book of Titus, the quote from a Cretan prophet, are in the Bible. So the Word of God contains the words of a prophet from Crete.

Paul affirms the truth wherever he finds it.

But he takes it further in the book of Acts. He is speaking at a place called Mars Hill (which would be a great name for a church) and trying to explain to a group of people who believe in hundreds of thousands of gods that there is really only one God who made everything and everybody. At one point he's talking about how God made us all, and he says to them, "As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.'" He quotes their own poets. And their poets don't even believe in the God he's talking about. They were talking about some other god and how we are all the offspring of that god, and Paul takes their statement and makes it about his God. Amazing.

Paul doesn't just affirm the truth here; he claims it for himself. He doesn't care who said it or who they were even saying it about. What they said was true, and so he claims it as his own.

This affirming and claiming of truth wherever you find it is all through the writings of Paul. In 1 Corinthians, he tells his readers, "All things are yours,... and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." He essentially says to them, "It all belongs to God, and Christ is of God, and you are of Christ, so...it's all yours."

Claim it.

If it is true, if it is beautiful, if it is honorable, if it is right, then claim it. Because it is from God. And you belong to God.

The philosopher Arthur Holmes is known for saying, "All truth is God's truth." It is such a great statement, because what other kind of truth could there be?

So as a Christian, I am free to claim the good, the true, the holy, wherever and whenever I find it. I live with the understanding that truth is bigger than any religion and the world is God's and everything in it...
***

I don't follow Jesus because I think Christianity is the best religion. I follow Jesus because he leads me into ultimate reality. He teaches me to live in tune with how reality is. When Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me," he was saying that his way, his words, his life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence. For Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God. I love the way Paul puts it in the book of Colossians: These religious acts and rituals are shadows of the reality. "The reality...is found in Christ." Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis.

Read it...

Once there was a holy place
Evidence of God's embrace
And I can almost see mercy's face
Pressed against the veil

Looking down with longing eyes
Mercy must have realized
That once His blood was sacrificed
Freedom would prevail

And as the sky grew dark
And the earth began to shake
With justice no longer in the way

Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me

Once there was a broken heart
Way to human from the start
And all the years left it torn apart
Hopeless and afraid

Walls I never meant to build
Left this prisoner unfulfilled
Freedom called but even still
It seemed so far away

I was bound by the chains
From the wages of my sin
Just when I felt like giving in


Sometimes I still feel so far
So far from where I really should be
He gently calls to my heart
Just to remind me

PCD

Present Politics and the Bible - Yes, it has something to tell!

June 4, 2008
History was made Tuesday night, when Barack Obama was declared the winner of the Democratic presidential primaries, thus becoming the first African American to be nominated for President of the United States by a major political party. And given the painful history of race relations in this country, Americans of all parties, races and faiths surely hope this is a harbinger of better days to come.

Which, of course, is not to suggest that the five month electoral journey to November 4 that Obama and John McCain now begin will be a love-fest of political or national unity. Being the earthy reality that it is, it is unlikely the American political process will become a model of decorum and civility.

The question is: How should we who are followers of Jesus Christ relate to the politics and political processes of this electoral season? Surprisingly enough, Romans 13 offers three still relevant guiding principles for the citizens of any nation on earth, all of which are pertinent for the presidential election ahead.

First of all, Paul declares that human governments practice a derived authority from God himself. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1 NIV). I.e., followers of Christ are also citizens of earth, and as such we are under obligation to live peacefully under governmental authority.

Secondly, Paul admonishes: “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7 NKJV). And that counsel certainly would include “votes to whom votes are due.” Following Christ neither prevents nor precludes the Christian’s obligation to participate in the electoral process of the land. Both our taxes and our votes are due to Caesar, and we must render them.

And how shall we render our participation in the political process? Romans 13’s third principle is pertinent. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10 NKJV). Like every other campaign, this one is sure to be infused with heated rhetoric, angry rebuttals, and uncivil recriminations—and all of that from the supporters of the candidates! The follower of Christ lives by a higher standard. Irrespective of our political persuasions, we must live out Jesus’ self-sacrificing, others-deferring love and compassion. “He must increase; I must decrease” is a doomed political mantra, but it is the quintessence of selflessness. Through the followers of Christ love can triumph over the most political of processes and mean-spirited of campaigns.

In this season of uncertain history, let us model Christ’s love for all in the face of divisiveness, his abiding humility in the face of ego and rancor, and his peaceful trust in the One who sits above all political processes. And let us pray his prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.

Clay Tablet proves Sodom and Gomorrah's Destruction

A clay tablet that has baffled scientists for 150 years has been identified as a witness's account of the asteroid suspected of being behind the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Researchers who cracked the cuneiform symbols on the Planisphere tablet believe that it recorded an asteroid thought to have been more than half a mile across.

The tablet, found by Henry Layard in the remains of the library in the royal place at Nineveh in the mid-19th century, is thought to be a 700 B.C. copy of notes made by a Sumerian astronomer watching the night sky.

He referred to the asteroid as a "white stone bowl approaching" and recorded it as it "vigorously swept along."

Using computers to recreate the night sky thousands of years ago, scientists have pinpointed his sighting to shortly before dawn on June 29 in the year 3123 B.C.

About half the symbols on the tablet have survived and half of those refer to the asteroid. The other symbols record the positions of clouds and constellations. In the past 150 years scientists have made five unsuccessful attempts to translate the tablet.

Mark Hempsell, one of the researchers from Bristol University who cracked the tablet's code, said: "It's a wonderful piece of observation, an absolutely perfect piece of science."

He said the size and route of the asteroid meant that it was likely to have crashed into the Austrian Alps at Köfels. As it traveled close to the ground it would have left a trail of destruction from supersonic shock waves and then slammed into the Earth with a cataclysmic impact.

Debris consisting of up to two-thirds of the asteroid would have been hurled back along its route and a flash reaching temperatures of 400 Centigrade (752 Fahrenheit) would have been created, killing anyone in its path.

About one million sq kilometers (386,000 sq miles) would have been devastated and the impact would have been equivalent to more than 1,000 tons of TNT exploding.

Dr Hempsall said that at least 20 ancient myths record devastation of the type and on the scale of the asteroid's impact, including the Old Testament tale of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the ancient Greek myth of how Phaeton, son of Helios, fell into the River Eridanus after losing control of his father's sun chariot.

The findings of Dr. Hempsall and Alan Bond, of Reaction Engines Ltd., are published in a book, "A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels Impact Event."

The researchers say that the asteroid's impact would explain why at Köfels there is evidence of an ancient landslide 3 miles wide and a quarter of a mile thick.

Tale of devastation

"Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven; and he overthrew those cities and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities ... [Abraham] looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace."

Source: Genesis 19:24-28

New Quarter!!! New Sabbath School Lesson!!!

Hello, dear friends and students. We're starting a brand new quarter. Here we're posting the easy reading version of the study guide and some Elle White's comments.

Introduction
An Eternal Hope for the World
Of all the famous people throughout the history of the world Jesus of Nazareth
had the shortest period of public work. Only three and a half years.
But what a three and a half years they were!
Socrates taught for 40 years. Plato for 50 years. Aristotle for 40 years. But
Jesus worked for not even four. But the influence2 of Christ’s short ministry
(work) goes beyond that of the combined 130 years of those three famous Greek
thinkers.
Someone once wrote that the best paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and
Leonardo da Vinci (famous Italian painters) show Jesus, the Light of the world.
Haydn, Handel, Bach, and Mendelssohn (German musicians) gave to the world
their best melodies (music). They wrote them to glorify (give praise to) Jesus
Christ. Art, culture, music, and philosophy all have been made better by His
teachings. But Christ offers far more than philosophy, art, and music. These cannot
save. Jesus offers light and life and salvation3 to sinful men.
The above sentences are beautifully written. But they fail to equal the richness
of Jesus. This is because these sentences are written for the West only. Christ’s
work goes all over the world. It goes beyond all political, ethnic,4 and cultural borders (boundaries).
“You should study the Bible,” Ellen G. White writes. “This is because it tells you
of Jesus. As you read the Bible, you will see how beautiful Jesus is.You will fall
in love with Him. At every step you can say to the world, ‘His ways are pleasant,
and all His paths are peace.’ You are to represent Christ to the world. You may
show to the world that you have an eternal hope in Christ.”—Adapted from Ellen
G. White, Life Sketches, page 293.
With Jesus at its center, Christianity is also a historical religion. This means
that it centers on a Person whose life and work are open for careful historical
study. But, at the same time, we cannot limit Jesus Christ within the confines
(limits) of history. This is because the real Jesus is suprahistorical (above history).
Jesus goes beyond the point that history cannot explore. History cannot
take us into the mysteries of salvation. It cannot study the wonderful reasons for
Christ’s death for the world. For all that history offers, it cannot understand fully
what Ellen G. White called “an eternal hope for the world.”—Adapted from The
Review and Herald, June 10, 1852.
1. eternal—forever; without end.
2. influence—the power to affect or change persons or things.
3. salvation—God’s plan for saving sinners from eternal (without end) death; the gift of eternal life; being saved.
4. ethnic—having to do with different races of people.

This quarter centers on Jesus. It centers on who He was, on what He taught,
on what He did and on what He is doing now. That last wording, “on what He is
doing now,” makes a very big difference in the world. It is what might be called
the “mystery of our present history.” It is very important because it separates
Jesus from every other famous person in history. No other famous historical person,
no matter how great he or she is, can equal Jesus!
Who was this wonderful Jesus? What was He like? What did He do while
here? What is He really doing for us now? And finally, why should He interest
people in the twenty-first century?
The answers, as we will see, are not just for study. Instead, they influence
the future of every human being (person).

Roy Adams was born in the Caribbean area. He is the author of this quarter’s
Bible study guide. He is also an associate editor of the Adventist Review, the
world magazine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is married to Celia
(nee Wilson), and they have two adult children, Dwayne and Kimberly.

Sabbath School Lesson Link (copy it to your navigator):
http://absg.adventist.org/2008/2Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ208_01.pdf

SSL - Lesson 13 (Last Sabbath)

Selecione o endereço abaixo e cole em seu navegador.

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_13.pdf

Don't forget: our Sabbath School Service starts at 9 am every Sabbath here at IACS.

Lesson 12

Selecione o endereço abaixo e cole em seu navegador.

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_12.pdf

Sabbath School Lesson 11

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_11.pdf

Sabbath School Lesson 10 - Disciplieship under Pressure

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_10.pdf

Only for my English Students at IACS

Vejam este site e adicionem a seus favoritos para estudos e leitura:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/index.shtml

Aqui segue um exemplo da qualidade da BBC de Londres, que na página indicada também fornece a opção de se ouvir a notícia:

Learning English - Words in the News

17 October, 2007 - Published 14:42 GMT

Vatican to publish Knights Templar trial


People dressed as Crusaders
Later this month, the Vatican will publish a document which lay forgotten in the Pope's secret archives for hundreds of years. It is the account of the trial of the Knights Templar during the reign of Pope Clement V at the beginning of the fourteenth century. This report from David Willey:

This is one of the most astonishing publishing ventures ever. Even with a cover price of over eight thousand dollars, the facsimile edition of the minutes of the trial of the Knights Templar is already a financial success. Libraries and collectors from around the world have reserved most of the eight hundred copies of the parchment documents and an accompanying book which are going on sale soon.
The parchment tells in mediaeval Latin how the legendary Crusader Knights - who still fascinate contemporary writers of popular fiction - were tried for heresy by the Inquisition and found not guilty.

The Christian military order - who called themselves the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon - protected Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land from the beginning of the Crusades. But after the recapture of Jerusalem by Muslims and military defeats of Crusader armies two centuries later, the knights fell on hard times. To answer accusations of heresy because of alleged secret initiation ceremonies and other crimes, Pope Clement ordered a trial and it’s the record of these proceedings - which partially rehabilitated the Knights - that are now being published in this expensive luxury edition.

facsimile
exact copy

the minutes
here, the official summary of a meeting

parchment
thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used for writing on

mediaeval
referring to the period in history from around 1100 AD - 1500 AD

were tried for heresy by the Inquisition
were investigated by a Catholic court for views that opposed the religious views of the day

pilgrims visiting the Holy Land
believers making a journey to Jerusalem and other places mentioned in the Bible

fell on hard times
became poor or had many troubles

alleged
reported (without proof)

initiation ceremonies
rituals that new members of a group had to perform

rehabilitated
here, recovered the good reputation of

Sabbath School - Lesson 9 (23-29 de Fevereiro)

Abaixo o link para a lição da Escola Sabatina em Inglês, de fácil compreensão.
Bom estudo!

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_09.pdf

Sabbath School Lesson - Lesson 8 (Link)

http://absg.adventist.org/2008/1Q/ER/PDFs/ERQ108_08.pdf

Entre e estude sua lição em inglês!

Valentine Flowers

An old man got on a bus one February 14th, carrying a dozen roses. He
sat beside a young man. The young man looked at the roses and
said, "Somebody's going to get a beautiful Valentine's Day
gift." "Yes," said the old man.

A few minutes went by and the old man noticed that his young
companion was staring at the roses. "Do you have a girlfriend?" the
old man asked.

"I do," said the young man. "I'm going to see her right now, and I'm
going to give her this Valentine's Day card."

They rode in silence for another 10 minutes, and then the old man got
up to get off the bus. As he stepped out into the aisle, he suddenly
placed the roses on the young man's lap and said, "I think my wife
would want you to have these. I'll tell her that I gave them to you."

He left the bus quickly. As the bus pulled away, the young man turned
to see the old man enter the gates of a cemetery.

2008 Mouth Watering, Soul Watering Good.

by Gary Chester

You'll be blessed when you work up a good appetite for God in the new
year. Eugene Peterson puts it this way: He's food and drink in the
best meal you'll ever have. (Matthew 5:6 MSG)

God is to the soul what tasty, healthy food is to the body. As the
Psalmist said, my soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods.
(Psalms 63:5 NIV)

My wife, Ro, is extraordinary in the kitchen. I never cease to be
amazed at what healthy, tasty morsels she turns to satisfy my
hunger. They get better and more nourishing all the time.

Likewise, my soul never ceases to be amazed at the nourishment it
gets from God's Word, along with other Christian writings, it gets in
the mornings from my time of stillness with the Lord. Like my wife's
cooking, it gets more satisfying all the time.

But over time I've had to develop an appetite for my wife healthy
delicious meals. The same holds true for God's corrective, uplifting
thoughts.

Growing up on mostly fried, fatty foods, it has taken time for me to
prefer well seasoned light-on-the-salt, healthy veggies, chicken and
fish over artery-clogging pizza, greasy burgers and fries. Likewise,
reared with an empasis on career success and hardly any personal
study of the Bible, it also has taken time for me to acquire a habit
and real love for the Word.

But my body has gotten hooked on feeling physically more fit through
healthier eating. Likewise, my soul has gotten hooked on walking
out a new life in Christ through being hooked on the book. (Read
this week's blog, Wierdness at 2AM, for my odd way to ingest the
Word.)

Cultivating healthier physical and soulful habits takes time, but
tasting them is mouth watering and soul watering good. The enormous
payoff is, All Is well with my soul. Would that kind of payoff not
be worth your effort in '08? And guess what? It eventually becomes
sheer delight to give my all to Him who gave his all for men who win.

Listen to my 8 minute radio show download, Escape from Noise to
Discover Life's Deeper Answers.