Ark of the Covenant to be Revealed to the World!

Please take a few minutes to read the articles in the links below. If these plans are true, and I have no reason to doubt them, then this will be the biggest religious event in recent history, possibly since the resurrection of Christ! A church in Ethiopia has, for 3,000 years, claimed to have the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the original Ten Commandments, in a secure location (details in the articles). It has been secured by a guardian constantly since its arrival there. The guardians, over 30 have had the task, live their entire lives inside the confines of a fenced area containing the small building where the Ark is kept. When a guardian dies, a new one is appointed. The patriarch, a religious official of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia, has announced plans to unveil this treasure to the world.

Rendition of the Ark of the Covenant

 
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102119
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102200

For more on Bob Cornuke, the biblical investigator, international explorer and best-selling author who was one of the first to publically discover the whereabouts of the Ark, please visit: http://www.baseinstitute.org/ 

Growth- A Spiritual Look at Our Standing (or Running)

GROWTH

One of the biggest, if not the biggest problem that Christians face is a lack of growth. So many just, kind of stop. Wherever they happen to be in life, they cease going to Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and the worship thing that all your friends were going to at that other church, and… You get the idea.

I’m not saying its your fault or their fault, I’m just pointing it out. Maybe the church put the men’s group on hold for the holidays and just never picked it up again. Maybe the prayer meetings were canceled for the summer when the leader was out of town and they haven’t restarted. Maybe the worship thing is too far away, or maybe, whatever it is, just fell off your radar. That happens. Unfortunately, though, life goes on. The world continues.

The thing we need to do, is find another place to plug into. What group, activity, fellowship, etc. could-

a.) benefit from your presence;

b.) be a blessing to you;

c.) act as a continuance of your worship and/or exaltation of the Lord

The first thing to do in order to find the right fit is to find what’s missing. While you’ve been “doing your thing”, the planet has been spinning. That means that there have been multitudes of people answering God’s call without you. Thousands around the world, even millions, have been praying, fasting, worshiping, studying; all to keep up the work of the Lord. For you to plug back into that, think back. Think of the time when you feel that you were doing the most for God. Meditate on that time and remember what it was that you were active in. Was it High School? College? When you joined a new congregation? When was growth at its peak; when did you shine the brightest?

Take that time and hold it in your mind. Now, from then to today, divide that in half. For example, if my high point was 3 years ago, then my half way point is 1 ½ years ago. Measure your growth as a Christian from beginning to halfway, and from halfway to now. Which has the bigger growth? If you said the first half, then you are behind schedule. What stopped? What took place to move you from that place of substantial Spiritual growth to a stunted growth? That is what you must rectify. If you cannot return to the same group, for whatever reason, find another one that is both available and Biblical.

In some cases, it isn’t the group that had problems; it might’ve been you. Perhaps you weren’t ready to go to the next level at the time when everything else seemed to be doing just that. Perhaps the growth is in an area that you are now able to achieve. Here is a list of things that every believer should strive for. Not only to do, but to do better.

1.      Forgive others freely

2.      Worship God wholeheartedly

3.      Be readily available and willing to witness your faith to others

4.      Serve God unselfishly in any capacity

5.      Give cheerfully, not just monetarily, not just materialistically, not just emotionally, but entirely

6.      Generously offer encouragement

7.      Be a Scriptural leader (maybe that means you lead the new Bible study)

8.      Receive correction humbly

9.      Accept thanks respectfully

10.  Pray over others in any circumstance (even if you have to find one to pray about)

11.  Discern spiritual traps, don’t give the devil an inch

12.  Overcome addictions and pleasures of the world

13.  Control the tongue

If you constantly work at these, you will become increasingly better equipped to serve God, your church, and others. You will notice a distinct difference in your life and the lives of people you encounter. You will be able to look back and see that the last half has had an increasingly improved Spiritual growth, and that it will continue to grow even more. The beauty of growing with God is that we never quite arrive; we just keep improving in ways that we may never have thought possible for us. Remember what Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Don’t hesitate. Now that you know what you need, and where you need it, go to God with it. Whether you are at home or sitting in a coffee shop or online with your phone, humble yourself before God in prayer right now (or as soon as possible). Shut the door and turn your phone off for a few minutes and just talk to God. He will always welcome you back and He always has more for you.  In closing, carefully read this selection of Scripture and meditate on it as you consider God’s faithfulness to His prodigal, even when that prodigal is you.

 From Luke 15:

 11And He said, “A man had two sons.

 12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ‘ So he divided his wealth between them.

 13“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

 14“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

 15“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

 17“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

 18‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘

 20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 22“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

 23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

 24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

 26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

 27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’

 28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

 29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

 30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

 31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

 32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’

(Luke 15:11-32)

 

 

The Spirit of Elijah – Power to Turn the Heart

The Spirit of Elijah – Power to Turn the Heart

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER KC – COREY STARK

FORERUNNER CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

 

I. THE COMING OF ELIJAH – LITERAL OR SYMBOLIC?
 

 Malachi 4.5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and (turn) the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.
 
A. The future tense coming of the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord is both symbolic and literal. In its literal sense, it speaks of the coming again of Elijah, the man that never died, but was taken up to heaven in a chariot and whirlwind of fire (2 Kings 2.11). Jesus declared that he will come again and “restore all things” (Matthew 17.11). In its symbolic sense, it speaks of an operation of the Holy Spirit upon a believer that imparts a mission like unto Elijah’s that carries the same message and is accompanied by similar manifestations of power.
 
Matthew 17.10 His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? (Before Messiah)” 11 Jesus answered… “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things (future tense, literal, 2nd coming). 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already (past tense, symbolic, 1st coming), and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished…” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
 
B. In speaking of John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel said that he would go before Jesus 1st coming in the “spirit and power of Elijah”. In other words, he would be anointed with power by an operation of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the same mission with the same message as Elijah.
 
Luke 1.13 But the angel said…15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him (Jesus Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Matthew 11.14; 17.10-13; Mark 9.11-13)
 
C. Today, in the same way that John operated in the “spirit and power of Elijah” to prepare the people to respond correctly to Jesus 1st coming, the Holy Spirit is raising up catalytic forerunner messengers all over the earth that have the same mission, the same message and operate in the same power as Elijah, to prepare people for Jesus 2nd coming. We understand through the prophet Isaiah that John was merely an initial down payment and partial fulfillment of a larger company of forerunners that were to emerge at the end of the age in fullness.
 
Isaiah 40.3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God… 5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh (all nations) shall see it together (at Jesus’ Second Coming).
 
D. The point of the arrow for this larger company of forerunners worldwide will be two men that stand boldly as a witness before God in Jerusalem and prophesy against the antichrist regime.
 
Revelation 11.3 And I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.  5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. …he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. (Zech 4.11-14)
 

II. THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH – THE MISSION AND MESSAGE
 

A. To understand the mission and message of the spirit of Elijah, we must first look at the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel in Elijah’s day and the hearts of the people to whom he was sent.
 
B. The Bible first records Elijah’s ministry in the days of King Ahab who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all (the kings of Israel) who were before him” 1 Kings 16.30. He married “Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him” 1 Kings 16.31. Earlier, the Lord warned King Solomon concerning the Sidonians, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods” 1 Kings 11.2. Jezebel clearly did this as King Ahab “went and served Baal and worshiped him… set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria …made a wooden image and …did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” 1 Kings 16.31-33. Jezebel then “massacred the prophets of the Lord” 1 Kings 18.4, 13 and established “four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table” 1 Kings 18.19. It was in this climactic state of spiritual apostasy and national idolatry led by the King and Queen that God sent in the Prophet Elijah to confront and to call back the nation!
 
C. Elijah’s primary mission was to prepare the people for the Lord by being a “catalytic messenger” that would “turn their heart” back to God by confronting the dead religious system and by calling them back to the worship of the one true God. In other words, the message of “turning the heart” confronts the ‘false’ that imprisons the heart and calls people back to the Truth that sets it free. It was in context to this mission that God released massive amounts of power to confirm the message of “turning the heart” and empower the responsive to change at the heart level (“spiritual violence” Matt 11.12; “rending” Joel 2.12; “cutting” Matt 5.29-30).
 
1 Kings 18.21 “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him… 22 Then Elijah said… “let them give us two bulls… 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” 37 “Hear me, O Lord, …that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
 

III.    THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH – THREE PRIMARY GENERATIONS
 

Three primary generations have been unusually anointed with the “spirit and power of Elijah”.
 
A. The generation of Elijah and Elisha
 
B. The generation of Jesus’ 1st coming beginning with John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles

 

C. The final generation just prior to Jesus 2nd coming with the return of Elijah, the Two Witnesses and the worldwide company of forerunner messengers
 
IV.    THE POWER OF ELIJAH – THREE EXPRESSIONS

 

A. In each of these three generations, the three-fold power that is released upon these forerunner messengers is given to confirm and empower the same message – “Turn your Heart”!
 
Acts 2.17 ‘…in the last days …I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’
 
1. Supernatural Revelation (vs. 17-18 ) Prophecy, visions, dreams, open heaven, “Jacob’s ladder” angelic ministry, heavenly visitations, translations, etc.
 
2.Miracles, Signs and Wonders (vs. 19-20) Wonders in the heaven, signs upon earth, raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out demons, multiplying provision, releasing plagues and judgments, transportations, “greater works than these” John 14.12, etc.
 
3.Apostolic Preaching (vs. 21) Supernatural clarity, boldness and authority upon the preaching of the Word (hammer, fire, arrow), grace upon the hearts to receive releasing authentic conviction and repentance, “sin, righteousness, judgment” John 16.8.
 
B. Two-fold turning: first to God and secondly toward one another, with a special emphasis upon the family, as God’s chosen institution upon earth to reveal His heart as tender Father and as a passionate Bridegroom. The spirit of Jezebel has targeted men to seduce and destroy the family.
 
Luke 1.13 But the angel (Gabriel) said… 16 And he (John) will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him (Jesus Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
 

V.    PREPARING THIS FINAL GENERATION OF FORERUNNER MESSENGERS
 

A. These “forerunner messengers”, are not only preachers or teachers with platform ministries, but they are also artists (singers, musicians, actors, etc.), writers (books, blogs, internet, etc.), in media, in the marketplace, one-on-one discipleship in church, university’s and mom’s and dad’s.
 
B. God consistently prepares His messengers in the wilderness. Some wilderness experiences are voluntary, where we lay aside our strength in the form of our time (prayer), our money (giving) and our physical energy (fasting), entering into “voluntary weakness” in order to encounter God for the sake of love. Many times though, they are involuntary, where God in His wisdom and mercy places us in a special season of testing to remove the props that we falsely lean upon (Heb 11.21) and to expose the faulty foundations that we naively trust in (Luke 6.46-49), so that our great need for God is revealed in the radiant clarity of our barrenness (Deut 8; Matt 4).
 
Song 8.5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
 
C. It is in the sometimes-difficult acceptance of our true inward condition, that we find the grace or “power” to overcome. For those who recognize they are “poor in spirit”, all the resources of Heaven are available! (Matt 5.3) God gives grace to those who acknowledge their need for Him (humility), but resists those who think that they don’t (pride). Whether voluntary or involuntary, the Lord’s desired outcome is that we would encounter Him there in the wilderness of our soul and our hearts would be changed to be like His – authentic in identity and “fully alive in love”.
 
John 8.32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
 
D. Why is this important? Because we can only impart and multiply what we are (Gen 1.11). When we operate in the “flesh, false self, old man”, we have no spiritual power to impart the life of Christ (John 15.1-8). Therefore, for our own good, God wants to remove these false identities that choke our hearts and reveal the truth of Christ in us (Gal 1.15-16; 2.20) by releasing genuine power to “turn our hearts” to the Truth, as we acknowledge our need for Him. We become, not only messengers with a message, but we embody the very message itself, “an authentic voice not merely and echo”, those with an overcoming testimony (Rev 12.11) that can give hope, strengthen faith and release true spiritual power as a catalyst to “turn the hearts” of others.
 
John 15.4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
 
E. Since the Fall, one of man’s greatest enemy’s has undoubtedly been fear (Gen 3). It not only caused Adam to hide from the only One that could ever cover (forgive), heal (restore) and cause him to triumph over his weakness, but it fooled him into thinking that he could hide and fix the problem himself (fig leaf “false self”). However, because “God’s strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 9.6), we don’t need to hide in shame or draw back in fear any longer, but rather we can come into the light of His truth to receive forgiveness, be restored and triumph over our enemies! After which, we can even partner with God in delivering others from the same bondage that we ourselves were bound with (1 Samuel 21.9; 22.10; 2 Corinthians 1.4).
 
Mark 3.1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand… 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 5 And… He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
 

VI.  THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH – POWER TO TURN THE HEART (JAMES 5.16)
 

A. James 5.16 is the wisdom of God to position our heart to receive Divine grace or “power” to change. As we position our hearts in humility before the ones that we have offended by confessing our own sins (not pointing out their flaws), and by asking them to pray for our areas of weakness, they become the very channel and means by which Divine power flows to empower our “hearts to turn” and be healed.
 
James 5.16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

James 4.6 Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5.5-6)

 

Preparing the End-Time Church as a Bride

Preparing the End-Time Church as a Bride

I. God’s Mission statement: to provide an eternal companion for Jesus

 

⁶ I heard…the voice of a great multitude…saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. ⁹ He said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” (Rev. 19:6-9)

A. Marriage of the Lamb – God’s eternal purpose for His creation is to provide a family for Himself and an equally yoked bride for His Son as His eternal companion (Jesus’ inheritance).

⁹ The LORD’s portion (reward) is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. (Deut. 32:9)

 

¹⁷ That the…Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of…revelation…18 that you may know (experience)…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints… (Eph. 1:17-18 )

B.  His wife has made herself ready (prepared) – to walk in mature voluntary love and holiness. God has zeal in this hour to train and purify the Church on the earth as a Bride that is fully ready. This is glorious and terrifying that God would be zealous in His commitment to see that we are ready.

C.He granted her to be arrayed in fine linen – these are distinctive wedding garments that are given individually to each believer according to their behavior (acts of obedience). All saints receive the robe of righteousness because of Jesus’ death on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 61:10).

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10)

 

⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun…another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. ⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. (1 Cor. 15:41-42)

D. The Bride’s garments will be comprised of different elements: glory, fabric, color, fragrance, etc. 

E. A Bride chooses her wedding garments with great care and love. This is different than the way that she chooses her other clothing. We will resist the temptation to sin (compromise), to quit (lose heart), to neglect diligence (laziness) because of love for Jesus as our Bridegroom God.  

F. The wedding garments that we will possess forever are being formed now by our obedience that is done in the spirit of love. We are making choices now that we will literally wear forever. What we do now has impact far beyond our natural lives. Our choices before the wedding are preparation for the life of the redeemed after the wedding.

G. Lord God Omnipotent – God is praised for releasing His power to prepare the Church (v. 6).

II.  The church will be filled with glory at the Second Coming (Eph. 5:26-29)

 

²⁶ That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle…but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies…²⁹ No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church… (Eph. 5:26-29)

A. In this passage, Paul gives us key details and defines what it means for the Church to be made ready at the time of the Second Coming. The Church will be so filled with glory, sanctified and cleansed that she will not have spots or wrinkles (her garments reflecting her actions) or blemishes (her skin reflecting her inner life). The Church’s mind, emotions and actions will be radically cleansed while on earth before Jesus’ Coming. This is glorious and terrifying because the Church worldwide is far from walking in purity in this hour. What will make the difference?

B.  How will this glory be released in the Church? The causes of pressure on a compromising believer are 3-fold. They include Satan’s rage, man’s sin and God’s zeal to discipline us for our good (Heb. 12:5-11). However, the means of grace that God prefers to use to cleanse the Church is His Word (v. 26) and prayer (Rev. 22:17) in context to understanding that we are cherished by Jesus i.e., the Church must feed on portions of the Word that reveal His tender emotions for Her.

C.  God will release great grace on our private times in the Word as well as raising up vessels that will sing and proclaim His Word in great power so as to help transform the Church.

D.  Prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, and obedience positions our heart before God to freely receive. These activities do not earn us God’s favor. Analogy: we put our cold heart before the bonfire of God’s presence by seeking Him in the Word in spirit and truth.

E.  We give our heart to God and receive from Him as we read Scripture in a way that creates an active dialogue in our heart with God. Scripture gives us the “conversational material” in our prayer life. We pray truths back to Him that exhort us “to believe” His Word by thanking God for such truths and by asking God to reveal them to us. We dialogue with God by praying truths back to Him that exhort us “to obey” His Word and by committing ourselves to obey God in the specific way set forth in a passage. Make simple declarations of your resolve to obey the Word and ask God to empower you to obey a particular truth.

III. The necessary 3-fold cry of the Bride’s intercession 

 

¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”…20 He…says, “Surely I am coming…”(Rev. 22:17, 20)

A. This age will end with a worshipping and praying Church in a bridal identity. This passage is the most significant, comprehensive and clearest End-Time prophecy. It reveals to us what the Spirit is saying and doing. The Church will be in unity with the Spirit as she will be anointed with power, engaged in intercession, established in her bridal identity and effective in the harvest.

B.  The 3-fold cry for God to come in power (Holy Spirit breakthrough)

1.    Come NEAR US in intimacy (renewal or personal encounter): touch my heart 

2. Come TO US in revival (historic visitation of the Holy Spirit): touch our city with signs, wonders and apostolic authority until we see the Habitation of the Lord established

3.  Come FOR US in the sky (Second Coming of Jesus): touch the earth

C. God has delegated the earth to authority or domain of the human race (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 116:15).

¹⁶ The heavens, are the LORD’s…the earth He has given to the children of men. (Ps. 115:16)

 

²⁶ Let Us make man in Our image…let them have dominion over…all the earth… (Gen. 1:26)

 

⁷ You have crowned him (man) with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. ⁸You have put all things in subjection under his feet…He (God) left nothing that is not put under him. (Heb. 2:7-8 )

D. Each person has a specific sphere of authority or domain entrusted to them by God that includes their inner man, ministry, finances, family relationships and the geographic area they live in, etc.

³² He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Prov. 16:32)

 

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us–a sphere which includes you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves…as though our authority did not extend to you… (2 Cor. 10:13-14)

 

The Kingdom…is like a man (Jesus) traveling to a far country (heaven), who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents… (Mt. 25:14-15)

 

¹² A certain nobleman (Jesus) went into a far country… ¹³ So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ (Lk. 19:12-13)

E. Prayer is a covenantal way in which we open the windows to that which is under our domain (heart, circumstances, geographic area, etc.). Our prayers invite the Holy Spirit on a covenantal basis to come into the areas that are under our domain (inwardly and outwardly). Prayer provides the covenantal tracks on which the Spirit works. He comes to the measure that He is invited. The key of David and the keys of the Kingdom operate by covenant with justice before God’s court.

F.   The Bride will prepare a place for the coming of the Lord to dwell individually, corporately, and geographically, as she invites Jesus to come near us, to us and for us (Ps. 132:1-5).

² How he (David) swore to the LORD…, ⁴ “I will not give sleep to my eyes…⁵ until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Ps. 132:1-5)

IV.  The exhortation to acquire wedding garments

A. We can buy white garments or acquire them in the ways that the grace of God teaches. They declare the measure of our love for Jesus in this life. Jesus wants to give us more white garments.

¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire…and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness (lack of garments) may not be revealed… (Rev. 3:18 )

B.  Some will suffer the loss of their rewards while keeping their salvation.

¹⁴ If anyone’s work…endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:14-15)

 

⁸ Look to yourselves, that we (you; NAS, NIV, RSV) do not lose those things we (you; NIV, RSV) worked for, but that we (you; NAS, NIV, RSV) may receive a full reward. (2 Jn. 8 ) 

C. God will wipe away all tears and sorrow after the Millennial Kingdom is completed.

¹ I saw a new heaven and a new earth…there was no sea. ³ I heard a loud voice …saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men…⁴ God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…no more pain… (Rev. 21:1-4)

D.  Jesus exhorted us to watch (pray) as the way to keep our garments in the End-Time pressures. We can keep our garments; however, some will lose the garments that they could have had.

¹⁵ Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. (Rev. 16:15)

E. Believers can defile their testimony and lose some of their wedding garments by compromise.

⁴ You have a few…in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. (Rev. 3:4-5)

F.  John exhorts us to “now” abide in Jesus so we do not draw back in the shame of denying our faith at the Second Coming of Jesus.

²⁸ Now…abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed (not shrink away from Him in shame; NAS, RSV) before Him at His coming. (1 Jn. 2:28 )

G.  There will be people on earth at the Second Coming who will seek to celebrate the wedding banquet. “Friend” is the same term that Jesus used with Judas (Mt. 26:50). To bind him is to take him prisoner and cast him into darkness (Lake of Fire).

² The kingdom of heaven is like a certain King who arranged a marriage for His Son 3 He sent out His servants to call those who were invited to the wedding…⁴ saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “I have prepared my dinner…all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”… ¹¹ When the King came in…He saw a man who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² He said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” He was speechless. ¹³ The King said, “Bind him…and cast him into outer darkness…” (Mt. 22:2-4, 11-14)

New Testament Intercessory Prayer List

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER – WWW.IHOPKC.COM

New Testament Intercessory Prayer List

(Not a comprehensive list – compiled by Mike Bickle – July 99)

APOSTOLIC PRAYERS OF PAUL

1. Prayer for revelation of Jesus’ beauty and the Bride’s destiny unto transforming our heart

…the Father of glory, may give to you the SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the HOPE OF HIS CALLING, what are the riches of the GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, and what is the exceeding GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US… (Eph. 1:17-19).

2. Prayer for the release of supernatural strength in the heart unto experiencing God’s emotions.

…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19)

3. Prayer for God’s love to abound in our heart resulting in discernment and righteousness.

And this I pray, that YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may APPROVE THE THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:9-11).

4. Prayer to know God’s will, to be fruitful in ministry and strengthened by intimacy with God.

We…do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, fully pleasing Him, BEING FRUITFUL in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; STRENGTHENED WITH ALL MIGHT, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (Col. 1:9-12)

5. Prayer for unity in the church across a city or region.

Now may the God of patience and comfort GRANT YOU TO BE LIKE-MINDED toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, THAT YOU MAY WITH ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. (Romans 15:5-7)

6. Prayer to be filled with supernatural joy, peace and hope.

Now may the God of hope FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING, THAT YOU MAY ABOUND IN HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

7. Prayer for Israel to be saved through Jesus.

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ISRAEL is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1).

8. Prayer for the release of apostolic ministry and to abound in love and holiness

…we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and ABOUND IN LOVE to one another and to all…so that He may ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS BLAMELESS IN HOLINESS before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13)

9. Prayer for the release of the Holy Spirit’s power unto mature holiness

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

10. Prayer to be equipped and prepared to receive the fullness of God’s destiny for the church.

Therefore we also pray always for you THAT OUR GOD WOULD COUNT YOU WORTHY OF THIS CALLING, AND FULFILL ALL THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS GOODNESS AND THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

11. Prayer for the Word to increase by the release of God’s power to win unbelievers to Jesus.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD MAY RUN SWIFTLY AND BE GLORIFIED, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. NOW MAY THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEARTS INTO THE LOVE OF GOD AND INTO THE PATIENCE OF CHRIST. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5)

Note Scriptures describing God causing His Word to increase resulting in many being born again.

God glorifies His Word by manifesting His power to confirm it with signs and wonders.

Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48 )

So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. (Acts 19:20)

The Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly… (Acts 6:7)

But the Word of God grew and multiplied. (Acts 12:24)

Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the Teaching of the Lord. (Acts 13:12)

12. Prayer that God would open a door of evangelism through releasing His power on the Word.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, THAT GOD WOULD OPEN TO US A DOOR FOR THE WORD, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (Col. 4:2-4)

Note Scriptures describing God causing a door to open for His Word by manifesting His power to confirm it with signs and wonders. In other words, that a door of power and opportunity would increase, resulting in people being born again.

…that God…had OPENED THE DOOR OF FAITH to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27)

For a GREAT AND EFFECTIVE DOOR HAS OPENED TO ME… (1 Corinthians 16:9)

when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a DOOR WAS OPENED TO ME BY THE LORD…(2 Corinthians 2:12)

…I have set before you AN OPEN DOOR, and no one can shut it… (Rev 3:8 )

Note Scriptures declaring how God opens hearts (by revelation) in order to grant  repentance to the spiritually deceived. We pray for revival, that God supernaturally opens many hearts.

…IF GOD PERHAPS WILL GRANT THEM REPENTANCE, so that they may know the truth, and…come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil…(2Tim 2:24-26).

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us…THE LORD OPENED HER HEART TO HEED the things spoken by Paul. (Acts 16:14)

He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45)

13. Prayer to be enriched with the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit leading unto righteousness.

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, THAT YOU WERE ENRICHED IN EVERYTHING by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so THAT YOU COME SHORT IN NO GIFT, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, THAT YOU MAY BE BLAMELESS in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 1:4-8).

Note Scriptures that exhort us to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. One primary way to earnestly seek the gifts of the Spirit is to earnestly pray for their release. This is a pray for revival.

But EARNESTLY DESIRE the best gifts… (1 Cor. 12:31)

…DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, but especially that you may prophesy. (1 Cor. 14:1)

DESIRE EARNESTLY to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. (1 Cor. 14:39)

 

THE APOSTOLIC PRAYER OF PETER AND JOHN

1. Prayer for the impartation of Holy Spirit boldness through the release of signs and wonders.

…they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, “who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: `Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and GRANT TO YOUR SERVANTS THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK YOUR WORD, “BY STRETCHING OUT YOUR HAND TO HEAL, AND THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS MAY BE DONE through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:24-31) also, see Eph. 6:19.

THE APOSTOLIC PRAYERS OF JESUS

Consider the Apostle…of our confession, Christ Jesus… (Heb. 3:1)

1. The Lord’s Prayer

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. YOUR KINGDOM COME. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. GIVE US this day our daily bread. And FORGIVE US our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And DO NOT LEAD US into temptation, but DELIVER US from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matt 6:9-13)

2. Prayer for anointed laborers in the Harvest

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  “Therefore PRAY THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS into His harvest.” (Matt 9:37-38; Luke 10:2)

3. Prayer for the release of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!” (Luke 11:13)

4. Prayer of strength in temptation.

Then He came to the disciples…, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” (Matt. 26:40-41)

 

JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER – JOHN 17

1. Jesus prays to keep the saints in the Father’s name

“…I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (John 17:11)

2. Jesus prays to keep the saints from the evil one

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

3. Jesus prays that the saints might be sanctified by truth

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

4. Jesus prays that the saints would experience the fullness of God’s glory

“that they ALL MAY BE ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also MAY BE ONE IN US, that the world may believe that You sent Me. “the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they MAY BE ONE JUST AS WE ARE ONE: “I in them, and You in Me; that they MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them AS You have loved Me.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, THAT THEY MAY BEHOLD MY GLORY which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

“And I have declared to them Your name, and WILL DECLARE IT, THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH YOU LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM, and I in them.” (John 17:21-26)

 

WORSHIP HYMNS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

1. John’s thanksgiving to Jesus for such great love that makes us kings and priests unto God.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev. 1:5, 6)

2. The seraphim’s song magnifying the Father’s transcendent beauty.

The four living creatures… do not rest day or night, saying: “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4:8 )

3. The 24 elders sing to the Father – this is the 1st “worthy song”. (Note 3 themes in their praise.)

The 24 elders fall down…saying: “YOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:10-11)

4. The seraphim and the 24 elders before the Throne sing to Jesus – this is the 2nd “worthy song”. (Note the 5 verbs that describe Jesus’ activity in redemption.)

…the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders…sang a new song, saying: “YOU ARE WORTHY to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us KINGS AND PRIESTS TO OUR GOD; And we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:8-10)

5. The angelic host, the seraphim and the 24 elders sing to Jesus as the scroll is about to be opened – This is the 3rd and final “worthy song” in the New Testament. (Note 7 themes in their praise.)

…many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand…saying with a loud voice: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:11-12)

6. The Song of all creation before the Throne as the scroll is opened. Note the only 3 times that ALL the saints worship together before the Throne. (Rev. 5:11-14; 7:9-12; 19:1-7)

And EVERY CREATURE which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13)

7. Worship from all nations as result of the Great Harvest at the end of the age.

…a great multitude…of all nations…standing before the throne…saying, “SALVATION BELONGS TO OUR GOD WHO SITS ON THE THRONE, AND TO THE LAMB!” (Rev. 7:9-10)

8. The angelic host responds seeing people from all nations worship God. (Note 7 themes in their praise.)

All the angels…and the elders and the four living creatures…worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 7:11-12)

9. The tribulation saints worship in context to the end time judgments.

I saw…a sea of glass mingled with fire…standing…having harps of God they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! Just and true are Your ways, O KING OF SAINTS! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? FOR YOU ALONE ARE HOLY. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.” (Rev. 15:2-4).

10. God’s righteousness is declared in light of His end time judgments.

…the angel of the waters saying: “YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS, O LORD, the One who is and who was and who is to be, BECAUSE YOU HAVE JUDGED THESE THINGS. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” (Rev. 16:4-5)

11. A voice from God’s altar of incense before the Throne.

I heard another from the altar saying, “Even SO, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE YOUR JUDGMENTS.” (Rev. 16:7)

12. The Bride worships God in light of the end time judgments. Note 4 themes in their praise.

…a loud voice of a great multitude…saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! FOR TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE HIS JUDGMENTS, BECAUSE HE HAS JUDGED THE GREAT HARLOT who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” (Rev. 19:1-2)

13. The Bride worships God at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

…the voice of a great multitude…saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (Rev. 19:5-6)

 

NEW TESTAMENT DOXOLOGIES

1. Worship prayers to God by Paul in 1 Timothy.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1Tim. 1:17)

He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. (1Tim. 6:15-16)

2. A worship prayer esteeming God’s power in creation.

And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.” (Heb. 1:10-12)

3. Worshipping God for the joy of salvation

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, (Jude 24)

4. Proclamation of our blessing in the heavenly realm.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Eph. 1:3).

PRAYERS FOR MORE PERSONAL REVELATION OF GOD

1. An apostolic intercessory benediction to be established with insight into the mystery.

Now to Him who is able TO ESTABLISH YOU according to my gospel…according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith– to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. (Rom. 16:25-27)

2. Prayers to grow in grace and knowledge of God

GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, (2 Peter 1:2,3)

…grow in the grace and KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18 )

3. The Bride’s prayer for Jesus’ Coming.

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”…He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS! (Rev. 22:17, 20)

 

THE CENTRAL ROLE OF SINGING PRAYERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1. The vital place of making melody and singing from the heart in Spirit filled living

…be filled with the Spirit, (by) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART to the Lord… (Eph. 5:18-19)

2. The necessity of singing the Word in our spiritual songs.

Let the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS to the Lord. (Col. 3:16)

3. The central role of singing with our spirit (singing in the Spirit) – note its value and importance in the apostle Paul’s life.

For if I pray in a tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my understanding is unfruitful. I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also sing with the understanding. (1 Cor. 14:14-16).

I thank my God I speak with tongues MORE THAN YOU ALL; (1 Cor. 14:18 )

4. The necessity of praying in the Spirit with all perseverance

…praying ALWAYS with ALL PRAYER and supplication IN THE SPIRIT, being watchful to this end with ALL PERSEVERANCE and supplication FOR ALL the saints– (Eph 6:18 )

5. The central role of singing the Word in the spiritual songs in the Tabernacle of David in the Old Testament.

King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the lord WITH THE WORDS OF DAVID AND OF ASAPH the seer. So they sang praises with gladness… (2 Chr. 29:30)

 

FIVE BENEFITS OF SINGING OR PRAYING WITH OUR SPIRIT

1. We speak mysteries – in other words, speaking inspired ideas to God and receiving inspired ideas from God in our prayers.

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; HOWEVER, IN THE SPIRIT HE SPEAKS MYSTERIES. (1 Cor. 14:2)

2. We bless (worship) God through singing in the spirit

I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT…you BLESS WITH THE SPIRIT… (1 Cor. 14:15-16).

3. We give thanks (worship) toward God through singing in the spirit

What is the conclusion then?…I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also sing with the understanding…you BLESS WITH THE SPIRIT…FOR YOU INDEED GIVE THANKS WELL…(1 Cor. 14:15-17).

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered… (Acts 10:46)

4. We build up our faith by praying in the Spirit (this includes praying with our spirit or in tongues)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, (by) praying in the Holy Spirit… (Jude1:20)

5 To edify our human spirit by praying with our spirit or in tongues)

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself… (1 Cor. 14:4)

Inheritance of Jesus: Bride Crowned with Glory

FORERUNNER SCHOOL OF MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION TO THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

Inheritance of Jesus: Bride Crowned with Glory

I. GOD’S PROMISE TO HIS SON – REVIEW

A. The inheritance God promised His Son: a people He fully possesses.

Ask of Me, and I will give You, the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalm 2:8 )

B. Jesus prays for His inheritance to be released.

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them…, 23 …that the world may know that You…have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold (experience) My glory which You have given Me…(John 17:22-24)

C. The apostle Paul prayed for the release of the Ps. 2:8 reality just as Jesus did.

“that God…may give to…revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that YOU MAY KNOW…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…(Ephesians 1:17-18 )

1. “God…may give…revelation in the knowledge (experience) of Him…”

2. “…that you may know (experience) …” – the result is to possess a profound sense of success in being His inheritance.

 

II. A BRIDE IN HIS IMAGE: OUR ULTIMATE DESTINY IN GOD’S GLORY

A. We are destined (Divine determination) to be like Jesus in several ways.

“…predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Romans 8:29)

“…when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him.” (1 John 3:2)

B. The Father planned great things for Jesus’ inheritance (His Bride).

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ORDAINED BEFORE THE AGES FOR OUR GLORY…But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:7, 9)

1. Ordained before the ages – Divine determination cannot be stopped.

2. For our glory – our inheritance and destiny.

 

III. BRIDE’S INHERITANCE: POSSESSING NEW CAPACITIES IN GOD’S GLORY

A. Becoming partakers of God’s glory.

“…the glory which You gave Me I have given them…” (John 17:22 )

“…You have crowned him (the redeemed) with glory and honor… (Hebrews 2:7, 10)

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed IN US.” (Romans 8:18 )

B. A Bride possessing the indwelling spirit.

“…God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians l:27)

“…you are…built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

“…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

“…till we all come to…the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)

C. The human spirit is God’s eternal dwelling place or the place of His highest communion and expression. It is the place God, the Consuming Fire chose to express His glory – His grandeur, love, beauty, authority, pleasure, etc.

D. We receive the Divine nature or God’s seed.

“…given to us exceedingly great …promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Whoever has been born of God…His seed (life) remains in him…(1 John 3:9)

1. The life of God is eternally deposited in the human spirit at the new birth. Therefore, we will have all the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit forever.

2. We alone address the Most High God as, “our Father.”

 

IV. THE GLORY OF GOD ON OUR MINDS AND HEARTS

“This is the covenant that I will make with them…I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them…” (Hebrews 10:16)

A. We will think and feel like God does forever. When God writes on our mind and heart it speaks of our capacity being supernaturally enlarged.

 

B. A mind with supernatural capacities for revelation (understanding), communication (perception), skillful tasks (competency).

“…I will put My law in their minds…34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor…saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

1. New mental capacities for understanding face-to-face revelation of His heart (the revealing of His name).

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads…for the Lord God gives them light…(Revelation 22:4-5)

“…I will write on him the name of My God and the name of …the New Jerusalem…And I will write on him My new name. (Revelation 3:12)

2. New mental capacities for understanding of life.

“…we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

a. New mental capacities for communication – clear thinking, perfect ability in to express thoughts and heart feelings with great understanding of others. Skillful communication in languages, music, poetic expression, etc

b. New mental abilities with competency in many areas (math, science, technology, food, art, music, etc.). In other words, we will possess many skills , great intelligence in many areas like Adam in the garden of Eden.

 

C. A new heart with supernatural capacities for holiness and satisfaction.

“…I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts…(Jeremiah 31:33)

“…I will give you a new heart…” (Ezekiel 36:26)

“…the riches of the glory…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

1. New emotional capacities for love – empowered affections for God/others.

“…the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

I (Jesus) have declared to them Your (Father) name…that the love with which You (Father) loved Me may be in them…” (John 17:26)

2. New emotional capacities for confidence – no accusation, condemnation, fear of failure, comparison, competition, etc.

3. New emotional capacities for happiness and contentment.

“…you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…” (1 Peter 1:8 )

 

V. A NEW BODY WITH CAPACITIES FOR GOD’S GLORY

“…when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him.” (1 John 3:2)

A. Jesus became human forever. God designed the greatest physical body for His beloved Son. It is the best body that God can create, it is far superior to the angels.

B. It is a body with all the capacities necessary to express the glory of God to the fullest measure.

C. The body that God custom designed for Jesus is the same type of body the Bride will have forever. Our eternal body will have the same supernatural properties and abilities that Jesus’ body has.

“…who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…” (Philippians 3:21)

D. A body filled with light (glory, color etc).

“…Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment…” (Psalm 104:2)

“…having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal…” (Revelation 21:11)

“…You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14)

E. A body filled with power and glory.

There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:41-44)

1. Supernatural abilities – 5 senses without corruption or weakness.

a. Sight – seeing at a distant, at close range, through walls (x-ray vision).

b. Hearing – at distances, with great perception, perfect balance, etc.

c. Taste – enjoyment of food to the full degree (1 Cor. 10:31).

d. Touch – to discern and feel perfectly.

e. Smell – to enjoy and discern.

2. Supernatural abilities related to communication – speech, musical, singing

3. Supernatural abilities in strength – speed, endurance, lifting objects

4. Supernatural abilities in health – no fatigue (energy), sickness or death

5. Supernatural abilities in travel – flight and speed.

6. Supernatural abilities related to the material realm – pass through walls

7. Supernatural beauty – physical countenance, fragrance, light, color, etc.

 

F. A supernatural unity (relationship) with one another like unto the Father and Son.

that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us… (John 17:21)

I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one… (John 17:23)

G. Jesus shares His heart and affections with His eternal companion.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9)

1. Four dimensions of God’s love.

that He would grant you…to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the

WIDTH AND LENGTH AND DEPTH AND HEIGHT — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

2. Receiving the embrace of the Father in the same way Jesus does.

“…that the world may know that You …have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:23)

3. Jesus’ desire to be with His bride and to share His glory.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory.” (John 17:24)

4. The affections of Jesus are imparted to His people.

For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:8 )

5. The Bride being cherished and nourished by Jesus.

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (Ephesians 5:29)

H. Jesus shares His home – the Eternal City (Rev. 21-22).

 

VI. JESUS SHARES HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY WITH HIS CO-HEIRS.

The Bride inherits a new position in the heavenly authority structure. The Church has authority in eternity to judge the world and the angels. She possesses a unique rank in all of creation as a co-heir with Jesus. To rule by words that have God’s authority released in them. Adam in the garden of Eden ruled by words not strife, etc. Adam ruled by naming of animals and plants.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21)

“…to him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them…” (Revelation 2:26)

“…made us kings…to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10)

“I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. I saw the souls…they lived and reigned with Christ for a 1000 years.” (Revelation 20:4)

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection…they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a 1000 years. (Revelation 20:6)

They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?…3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels?….(1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

“…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:17)

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (2 Timothy 2:12)

So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28 )

And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ (Luke 19:17-19)

 

Scripture in all caps added for emphasis. Source is International House of Prayer, K.C., MO; www.ihop.org and Friends of the Bridegroom www.fotb.com.  Orignal notes by Mike Bickle.

The Book of Revelation: Jesus’ End-Time Battle Plan for the Church

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER KC – MIKE BICKLE

FORERUNNER CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

The Book of Revelation: Jesus’ End-Time Battle Plan for the Church

 
I.    THE BOOK OF REVELATION: JESUS’ END-TIME BATTLE PLAN FOR THE CHURCH
 

A.    The Book of Revelation reveals the glory of Jesus (Rev. 1:1) and His dramatic plan to transition the earth to the age-to-come. There will be unique dynamics in the generation Jesus returns that are absolutely necessary in preparing the nations for His return. These events require our deep involvement. Thus, Jesus gives us the details which are essential to equip us to fully participate.
 
B.    There are 4 parts in the structure of Revelation. The 4th part has 5 chronological sections in which the events occur in sequential order. There are 7 main symbols in the Book.
 
C.    The main theme of Revelation is Jesus’ return to earth to rule all the nations. His End-Time battle plan is to physically destroy all the evil governments on earth by releasing His judgments on them during the Great Tribulation as described in Rev. 6-19.
 
D.    As the Book of Acts describes the power of the Holy Spirit that was released through the early Church so the Book of Revelation describes the power of the Holy Spirit that will be released through the End-Time Church. I refer to Revelation as the “End-Time Book of Acts”. It is a “canonized prayer manual” that informs us of the ways in which Jesus will manifest His power.
 
E.    As Moses released God’s judgments on Pharaoh by prayer (Exodus 7-12), so the Church will release the Great Tribulation judgments on the Antichrist by prayer. The miracles and judgments in Exodus and Acts will be multiplied and released worldwide through prayer. The greatest demonstrations of power in history will be openly manifest by Jesus and Satan (Rev. 12:9; 13:2).
 
18 I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades (authority of hell) shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Mt. 16:18-19)
 
F.    Revelation is Jesus’ battle plan to allow the sin in man’s heart to fully come to the surface and then to drive evil off the planet through the praying Church. These judgment events do not happen to us as helpless victims of Satan but are released through us as participants with Jesus. Jesus’ judgments are released to remove all that hinders love. He is at war to have His wedding.
 
G.    The 7 main symbols: all events and numbers in Revelation are to be taken in their plain meaning (literal) unless specifically indicated not to (Rev. 1:20; 5:6; 11:8; 12:1, 3, 9; 17:7, 9, 15-18, etc.)
 
1) Dragon: is symbolic of Satan (Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4; 16:13; 20:2)
 
2) First Beast: is symbolic of the Antichrist (Rev. 13; 14:9-11; 17:3-17; 19:19-21; 20:4, 10)
 
3) Another Beast: is symbolic of the False Prophet called “another Beast” just once (Rev. 13:11)
 
4) Seven Heads: are 7 empires from history that persecuted Israel (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
     Persia, Greece, Rome, revived Roman Empire of Dan. 2:41-42; 7:7; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3-16)
 
5) Ten Horns: represents a 10-nation confederation that serves the Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-13)
 
6) Harlot Babylon: will be a worldwide demonically inspired religious and economic system
     based in the re-built city of Babylon, near Baghdad in Iraq (Rev. 17-18; Jer. 50-51)
 
7) Woman and Male-child (Jesus): is the faithful remnant of Israel throughout history (Rev. 12)
 

II.    STRUCTURE OF REVELATION: 4 PARTS AND 5 SECTIONS (IN THE 4TH PART)
 

Rev. 1      Pt. 1 John’s CALLING to prophesy about the End-Times: John gave 18 truths about Jesus’ majesty that formed the way he prophesied about the End-Times, which are meant to equip us.
 
Rev. 2-3    Pt. 2 Jesus gave 7 LETTERS to 7 churches: the instructions Jesus gave to these 7 churches about overcoming sin give us practical insight into what we must also overcome today.
 
Rev. 4-5   Pt. 3 Jesus takes the SCROLL: contains the earth’s title deed and His battle plan to cleanse it.
 
Rev. 6-22   Pt. 4 Jesus’ BATTLE PLAN: includes Great Tribulation judgments against the Antichrist. Jesus reveals His main storyline of love to cleanse the earth of evil. His battle plan here is seen in 5 Chronological sections that describe events that unfold in sequential order.
                          Each section is followed by an Angelic explanation to help us understand that section.

 
The 5 Chronological Sections: tell us what happens to the Antichrist’s followers in 21 judgment events (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls). These intensify in severity as they unfold.
 
The 5 Angelic Explanations: function as a parenthesis, putting the storyline on “pause”. They answer questions arising from the chronological sections: Why is God’s wrath so severe? What will happen to us? Angels explain to John what happens to God’s people including what Jesus will do to help us and what the Antichrist will do to persecute us.
 

Rev. 6            Chronological section #1: the SEAL JUDGMENTS against the kingdom of darkness.
Rev. 7           Angelic Explanation #1: we receive PROTECTION from judgments and falling away.
 
Rev. 8-9       Chronological section #2: the TRUMPET JUDGMENTS against the Antichrist’s empire.
Rev. 10-11   Angelic Explanation #2: we receive DIRECTION by great increase of prophetic ministry.
 
Rev. 11:15-19 Chronological section #3: the SECOND COMING PROCESSION and the Rapture.
                         The 7th and Last Trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 10:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16): Jesus replaces all governmental leaders on earth in a hostile takeover. In His Procession, Jesus first travels across the sky to rapture the saints (every eye sees Him; Rev. 1:7), then through the land of Edom (modern day Jordan; Isa. 63:1-6) then into Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. 

Rev. 12-14    Angelic Explanation #3: the CONFRONTATION against the saints by the Antichrist’s system and persecutions requires that all his governments be taken over. Satan is on earth.
 
Rev. 15-16   Chronological section #4: the BOWL JUDGMENTS destroy evil infrastructures in society
Rev. 17-18   Angelic Explanation #4: the SEDUCTION of Babylon’s evil religion will permeate and infiltrate all the structures of society, requiring that Babylon be totally destroyed. 
 
Rev. 19-20   Chronological section #5: Jesus’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY to Jerusalem (Rev. 19:11-21:8 )
Rev. 21-22   Angelic Explanation #5: the RESTORATION of all things Acts 3:21 (Rev. 21:9-22:5)

 

 

Learn more at: http://www.ihop.org

Politics. Stand for someting.

Politics. So many of us are just sick of it. Neither candidate has been telling the whole truth. Neither of them has a perfect voting record. Both of them love to sling mud. Its part of the job. One has to wonder, though, if being in the position of a presidential candidate requires such, let call it cruelty, and a heartlessness that you can publically attack another in front of millions, what else must that person have done to be in that position? Did they have to lie? Cheat? Break IRS tax codes and commit mass corporate deceptions? I’m sure that they did. You can’t get all the way to the top without stepping on a few toes.

 

He taxes too much. If you vote for him you’ll be homeless. If you vote for the other one, your children will starve. But if you vote for the first guy, they’ll lose all their education and become stupid rejects, begging for day-old scraps behind the ghetto bakery. But the other guy will take your job. And the other one will tax your new raise so you actually come home with $5 less every week. One of them will date your mom. The other will shut down her nursing home. One will have dinner with terrorists at Arby’s while the other just sends him a check at Christmas, even though they don’t celebrate Christmas.

 

Here’s what I’m saying: There are bigger issues than whose face is on the front page. Every day 6000 kids are killed by mid-term or later abortion. They refuse to allow Bibles in schools, so Christian parents teach home school, allowing their children to learn math and moral values at the same time. While the schools are taking a massive dump when it comes to value and ethics and crime and teaching self-worth, the state of California just outlawed Christians from their God-given right to teach their own kids. Now they have to send them to the cesspool of a school that will teach anti-creation science, thereby infringing on the rights of students to practice their own religion freely (but don’t worry, they won’t attack Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, pagans, wiccans, Scientologists, etc. Just the Christians.)

 

Let’s see, what else? Lets talk about gay marriage. I’m all for gays to have the right to choose their lifestyle- its their choice. (Just like my kids schooling used to be.) But I’m not for the whole gay-marriage thing. Sure, they can practice it, but that doesn’t really make it a marriage. I know, I know, they’ve redefined what “marriage” is, but it used to be a union before God between a man and a woman. Since most homosexuals don’t believe in or care for God, they can’t really have a union before Him that He will honor. But, what they hey, they ignored my right to practice my faith (only if it’s from the Christian Bible) by ignoring the 1^st amendment, why not ignore the other principals too.

 

So who is going to do what to help me out? Am I personally going to benefit from either party being elected? Maybe, but probably not. There aren’t a whole lot of things that are going to actually make a difference in the way I daily live my life. I could be wrong, but here’s how I look at it:

If one side is accused of overtaxing and the other of allowing abortions, I will sacrifice a couple bucks, even a couple hundred, per year to vote for the sanctity of life.

If one side is accused of sending jobs overseas and the other of limiting free speech, I’m probably going to have to go for free speech. There will always be a need for jobs on the US. They may not be the best, but we have too many people not to need a ton of jobs. We also have a lot of politicians going after free speech, even though the ones attacked are the churches and the right. Hmm.

If one side wants to build a thousand mile fence at the borders and the other wants to let gays marry, I will go for the fence. Those guys are great climbers and if they can get in through, over or under a military fence, then they deserve to stay. For those that can’t, they can still come here, but have to go through the legal process. Meanwhile, I stand up for what I believe regarding gay marriage. I’m not anti-gay, but I’m not pro-gay. I’m just ok-gay; they can do their thing, but I don’t want tax dollars going toward something I find immoral.

Bottom line, I can’t do anything about the politicians. But, then again, I will probably never have to answer to them. I will, however, have to answer to God. I will stand before Him and be able to say that I voted for the things and the principles that are on His side, His Law, and His eternal purpose. I will say that I stood up for hundreds of thousands of innocent children and supported their right to life. I will say that I voted against the activity that led to His destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, the activities that He calls an abomination. I will be able to say that I stood up for His Word, His teaching, for the right to exhibit by faith, to speak freely the gospel. I will say, “Jesus, I stood up for you.”

What do you stand for?

Purpose of the Church- A short answer

Question: “What is the purpose of the church?”Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” So, according to this Scripture, the purposes / activities of the church should be: (1) teaching Biblical doctrine, (2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, (3) observing the Lord’s supper, and (4) praying. But there is even more:The church is to teach Biblical doctrine so we can be grounded in our faith. Ephesians 4:14 tells us, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” The church is to be a place of fellowship, where Christians can be devoted to one another and honor one another (Romans 12:10), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and most importantly love one another (1 John 3:11).

The church is to be a place where believers can observe the Lord’s supper, remembering Christ’s death and shed blood on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The concept of “breaking bread” (Acts 2:42) also carries the idea of having meals together. This is another example of the church promoting fellowship. The final purpose of the church according to Acts 2:42 is prayer. The church is to be a place that promotes prayer, teaches prayer, and practices prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Answer:

 

 

VERSES TO READ:

Ephesians 4:14; Romans 12:10; Romans 15:14; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 John 3:11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Acts 2:42; Philippians 4:6-7

To the Unbeliever

Christians. Bible-Huggers. Born-Agains. Religious Nuts. Holy-Rollers. I’ve been called them all. And, yeah. I’m one of ‘em. I am a Christian. With that statement is usually followed, by non-believers and self-described heathens, with a list of my shortcomings.

            “Well, if you’re a Christian, then how come you….?”

How come I what? Smoked? Drank? Fornicated? Had a porno when I was 18? Screwed a girl who’s last name I didn’t know? If I’m a Christian, WHAT??

Since we’re on it, you do the same and claim no moral basis whatsoever. You do it and you’re proud of it. So then, why are you judging me? I’m the one with the, as you put it, impossible standard. I should be judging, shouldn’t I? But then, I never claimed to be perfect, or to have it all together. But the fact is, I’m trying. And when I make a mistake, I have what’s called “remorse” for what I’ve done. I am genuinely sorry when I screw up or have a lapse in judgment. So what do I do? I pick myself up and try again.

Either way, yeah, I’m a Christian and I’m into the whole “God thing”. Yes, I’m reading the Bible, and I sure will quote it to you. Yes, I quit doing a few of the things I used to do, then a few more.

Why is it that you, a non-believer, non-Christian (or atheist, Satanist, pagan, wiccan, agnostic, etc.) are so concerned with my new life?

Is it that you don’t want me to have godly standards? Is it that you like me better when I’m a drunk? Or when I’m high? Do you like when I steal things?  Swear? Listen to music about sex, and grinding hot, sweaty body parts against total strangers? The music about “tappin’ hoes” and getting stoned? You like when I’m like that?

Or maybe, JUST MAYBE, you feel that, when I quote the Bible, or display an act of Christianity, could it be that YOU feel convicted? Maybe it is that way. Maybe it should be. Maybe, when I take on a lifestyle of complete peace, feeling the love that no person can ever give, when I decide its not good to get wasted, trashed, high, screwed, or chance being busted- maybe that’s good for ME. I like feeling good. Not “good” like a crack binge, or temporary buzz that goes away leaving me feel like human waste, but good in the sense that there is actually a bigger purpose to life, a God out there who actually loves me as though I was perfect. I like feeling like I’m doing the right thing, not just my thing. And maybe my God, who I know is real, wants you to feel that way too. Whatever your argument is, He already sent me and every other Bible-toting, cross-wearing, Scripture-quoting Christian your way. There’s a Bible in almost every book store, a church on almost every corner. The little flyer you found on the counter in the public bathroom, the billboards, the TV channel that EVERYONE gets with preacher after preacher telling you that Jesus loves you.

You know what I hear? “If God loved me, He’d…”

You know something? He already has. You know how? Everything I’ve just mentioned is getting to you. That’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You will either fight it and become even more embittered, or you will accept it.

If you can say that I, and the millions of others who have GENUINELY felt the very presence and love of God are wrong, then quit here. If you can push past your pride and selfishness, keep going. If you feel that I might be right in some way, carry on.

 

Jesus lived. That’s a fact. Some 2000 years ago, He walked the earth and taught great things. It didn’t end there.

Secret Agendas- Articles that read ‘between the lines’

Source: http://www.infowars.com/?p=4771

 

Army Awards Contract for “High Speed Portable Portal Iris Capture Solution”

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

September 23, 2008

Sarnoff Corporation today announced it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to develop and demonstrate a high speed biometric capture technology solution for iris-based identification. The system will be designed to be ruggedized for field use and quickly deployable.

The new iris recognition system will leverage Sarnoff’s patent-pending Iris on the Move(R) (IOM) technology for fast and reliable identification. IOM is a proven biometric identification system that quickly captures the iris image of a person in motion. The technology is ideally suited for force protection, civil-military operations, and combat situations.

Other iris scanning technologies require users to stop, line up their eye properly, and stare directly into a scanner for a period of time. IOM technology verifies identities at speeds of up to thirty people per minute, allowing subjects to walk through the system at a standard pace, without stopping. In addition, Sarnoff’s design will automatically adjust for subjects’ height without slowing throughput.

“Current biometric ID systems take too long to identify people in high traffic areas and cause long lines to form at checkpoints,” said Dr. Don Newsome, President and CEO of Sarnoff Corporation. “This is inconvenient and poses a security risk. The IOM technology makes it easy to set up iris scanning checkpoints that are as reliable as other biometric-based options but quick enough to keep lines moving rapidly.”

The IOM system delivers accurate identification regardless of whether the subject is wearing prescription glasses, most sunglasses, or contact lenses. In addition, IOM technology can capture iris images from farther distances than any other commercial iris scanning technology.

Sarnoff has delivered IOM technology to several secure government facilities and private corporations. The technology can be used for a broader range of applications including banking ID verification, border crossing initiatives, event security, payment systems, and employee access.

Video clip example of iris scan in ‘Minority Reeport’. Gov’t embedded idea into movies to “get people ready”.

Article URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6607757.stm

   

 

 

US and EU agree ‘single market’

The United States and the European Union have signed up to a new transatlantic economic partnership at a summit in Washington.

The pact is designed to boost trade and investment by harmonizing regulatory standards, laying the basis for a US-EU single market.

The two sides also signed an Open Skies deal, designed to reduce fares and boost traffic on transatlantic flights.

But little of substance was agreed on climate change.

However, EU leaders were pleased that the US acknowledged human activity was a major cause.

Richest regions

Economics rather than the environment or politics was the focus of the summit, says the BBC’s Europe correspondent, Jonny Dymond, from Washington.

The two sides agreed to set up an “economic council” to push ahead with regulatory convergence in nearly 40 areas, including intellectual property, financial services, business takeovers and the motor industry.

            Without the US there can’t be any success in coping with a globalised world

European diplomat

 

The aim is to increase trade and lower costs.

Some reports suggest that incompatible regulations in the world’s two richest regions add 10% to the cost of developing and producing new cars.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said last month that if the US and EU could set business norms today, they would “secure the markets of tomorrow”.

Since she came to office 18 months ago, she has made repairing damaged relations with the US a top priority.

Emission cuts

The Europeans said they were pleased that the US now officially acknowledged that climate change was happening and that human activity was a major cause of it.

“We agree there’s a threat, there’s a very serious global threat,” said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

“We agree that there is a need to reduce emissions. We agree that we should work together.”

But behind the scenes, says our Europe correspondent, officials were saying that not much had changed.

Ms Merkel will try to nudge the US towards a global approach to climate change before a G8 summit Germany is chairing in six weeks’ time, says our correspondent.

But the US has consistently rejected the European approach of imposing national limits on greenhouse gas emissions, saying they would harm the international economy.

Visa hope

The Open Skies agreement will take effect on 30 March 2008 and will allow EU carriers to fly to anywhere in the US and vice versa.

The deal promises to lower airfares and widen choice for passengers on both sides of the Atlantic.

The EU hopes to go further and create an “Open Aviation Area” between the two sides “in which investment can flow freely and in which European and US airlines can provide air services without any restriction,” said a EU statement.

The EU is also hoping that the US will agree to withdraw its visa requirement for travellers from a number of EU states.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6607757.stm

Published: 2007/04/30 23:21:16 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

 

Secret Bilderberg Agenda To Microchip Americans Leaked

Elitists want to microchip Americans in name of fighting terrorism, Europeans universally opposed to attack on Iran, Globalists fear oil prices rising too quickly

Paul Joseph Watson

Prison Planet

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Sources from inside the 2008 Bilderberg meeting have leaked the details of what elitists were discussing in Chantilly Virginia last week and the talking points were ominous – a plan to microchip Americans under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups which will be identified as blonde haired, blue eyed westerners.

Veteran Bilderberg sleuth Jim Tucker relies on sources who regularly attend Bilderberg as aides and assistants but who are not Bilderberg members themselves. The information they provided this year is bone-chilling for those who have tracked the development of the plan to make the general public consider implanted microchips as a convenience as routine as credit cards.

“Under the heading of resisting terrorism there were points made about how the terrorist organizations are recruiting people who do not look like terrorists – blonde, blue eyed boys – they’re searching hard for those types to become the new mad bombers,” said Tucker.

As we have documented, the blue eyed blonde haired Al-Qaeda line is a familiar talking point that has been pushed on Fox News and within other Neo-Con circles in an attempt to turn the anti-terror apparatus around to target dissidents, protesters and the American people in general.

Ominously, Tucker’s source also told him that Bilderberg were discussing the microchipping of humans on a mass scale, which would be introduced under the pretext of fighting terrorism whereby the “good guys” would be allowed to travel freely from airports so long as their microchip could be scanned and the information stored in a database.

Tucker said the idea was also sold on the basis that it would help hospital staff treat a patient in an emergency situation because a scan of the chip would provide instantaneous access to health details.

Tucker underscored that Bilderberg were talking about subdermally implanted chips and not merely RFID chips contained in clothing. The discussion took place in a main conference hall and was part of the agenda, not an off-hand remark in the hotel bar.

Such a bizarre concept may seem unbelievable to some, but over the last ten years there have been dozens of examples of people accepting implanted chips for a variety of different reasons.

In 2004, Mexico’s attorney general and 160 of his office staff were implanted with tracker chips to control access to secure areas of their headquarters.

The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona and other nightclubs around the world are already offering implantable chips to customers who want to pay for drinks with the wave of a hand and also get access to VIP areas of the club lounge.

Bilderberg skeptical of attack on Iran

Tucker’s source told him that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates did attend Bilderberg despite him not appearing on the official list.

Tucker said that his sources told him Gates was in attendance to present his case for war with Iran, but that the majority of Bilderberg members were against an attack at this time.

“The Europeans were generally opposed to an invasion of Iran – Gates made the regular war propaganda drill about how Iran is a nuclear threat to everybody,” said Tucker, adding that European Bilderbergers made snide comments about where such nuclear weapons actually were being kept and at one point joking that they were possibly “in Saddam Hussein’s tomb”.

Despite Bilderberg opposition, Tucker said that the administration was still considering an attack before Bush leaves office in January.

“At least 90 per cent of the Europeans oppose a war, probably closer to 100 per cent,” said Tucker, adding, “most of the Americans were passive and deferential to the Secretary of Defense and Condoleezza Rice’s pitch in so far as Iran is concerned”.

Tucker said that most Americans present at the meeting were opposed to attacking Iran but dare not be as visible and loud in their opposition as the Europeans.

Energy and oil prices

“One of the Bilderberg boys raised this question – should we put a lid on the rise in oil prices, are we reaching the point of diminishing returns,” said Tucker, adding that Bilderberg noted how Americans were trading in their SUV’s in record numbers for small and more fuel efficient cars and using more public transport to combat high gas prices.

Tucker’s source said that Bilderberg were predicting $5 for a gallon of gas by the end of this summer and oil over $150 dollars a barrel, but that this was a ceiling and oil prices would probably begin to decline thereafter because they thought the acceleration had happened too quickly.

As we previously reported, Bilderberg called for oil prices to soar in 2005 when oil was a mere $40 a barrel.

During the conference in Germany, Henry Kissinger told his fellow attendees that the elite had resolved to ensure that oil prices would double over the course of the next 12-24 months, which is exactly what happened.

During their 2006 meeting in Ottawa Canada, Bilderberg agreed to push for $105 a barrel before the end of 2008. With that target having been smashed months ago, the acceleration towards $150 is outstripping even Bilderberg’s goal, which is why the elitists expressed a desire to cool prices at least in the short term.

Just two days after he left Bilderberg, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, George W. Bush and others expressed support for a strong dollar and Bernanke hinted that interest rates could rise, which immediately caused oil prices to drop in line with Bilderberg’s consensus.

 

Masons are chipping their kids at a local fair!!!! They do a retinal scan, voice recording and they put an RFID chip in the kids as a carnival attraction.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7octwsoi4HM

 Videos:

Concentration Camps in US:

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqi123hBw2A

Concentration Camps in Texas

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxYxTly-yo8

Apparently, there are a number of buildings throughout the US that are supposedly “abandoned” warehouses and large factory-style businesses. These buildings have unique additions, such as military personnel, US Army & Air force vehicles, wind socks and other markers for helicopters,  the addition of barbed wire- pointing inwards (to keep people in, not out) and added heating systems (for buildings deemed “not in use”).  This is one piece of the puzzle.

 

Bill Clinton was asked about these and basically said, “We need to get along with other agencies and cooperate in our inter-dependant world” He DID say, “We’re better off with NATO. We’re better off with the United Nations.” Hand over our control? Live under the dictatorship of a one world government?

Here’s that link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFPsHPKY0y8

 

The world’s government is planning on mass world depopulation. Many cases of witnesses have seen and taped the piles and piles of caskets. This is for those who die in the depopulation and those who disobey the martial law. Hundreds of thousands of caskets in scarcely populated rural areas. About 1 ½ min into this video is a close-up. Second video even better.

  URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYp85QMJd1Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGa_sdyRS7Q

 

 

FEMA has already built underground caves and tunnels and is ready for a nuclear attack or “plague” to strike. We already know that the governments are working together (google “Builerberg” for more) and that they will more than likely intentionally release the pestilence and/ or weapons to annialate up to 80% of the world’s population. In this video, the FEMA agent becomes suddenly quiet when asked about the underground facilities, even though it is supposedly for “security in the event of an attack”.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S2J3i34XW8

 

A massive conspiracy to create a new one world order?

Watch these, and see the evidence. Then make your decision. (2nd half of this video is of the concentration camp, above)

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXlEfUGEzl4

 

 

This last video is VERY LONG. Its over 2 hours, so watch it as you have time. This is an exclusive documentary about the secret Bilderberg meetings and the plans that the governments have for martial law, with piles of proof and evidence. Here’s the video, followed by Wikipedia’s definition and explanation of the Bilderberg group, and a list of attendees:

 

 URL: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261&ei=kPPWSOX1NqXGrQK_iOnZAg&q=alex+jones+endgame&hl=en

 

Origin and purpose

 Hotel de Bilderberg

The original Bilderberg conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem in The Netherlands, from May 29 to May 31, 1954. The meeting was initiated by several people, including Joseph Retinger, concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, who proposed an international conference at which leaders from European countries and the United States would be brought together with the aim of promoting understanding between the cultures of United States of America and Western Europe.[5]

Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who agreed to promote the idea, together with Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland, and the head of Unilever at that time, the Dutchman Paul Rijkens. Bernhard in turn contacted Walter Bedell Smith, then head of the CIA, who asked Eisenhower adviser C. D. Jackson to deal with the suggestion.[6] The guest list was to be drawn up by inviting two attendees from each nation, one each to represent conservative and liberal (both terms used in the American sense) points of view.[5]

The success of the meeting led the organizers to arrange an annual conference. A permanent Steering Committee was established, with Retinger appointed as permanent secretary. As well as organizing the conference, the steering committee also maintained a register of attendee names and contact details, with the aim of creating an informal network of individuals who could call upon one another in a private capacity. Conferences were held in France, Germany, and Denmark over the following three years. In 1957, the first U.S. conference was held in St. Simons, Georgia, with $30,000 from the Ford Foundation. The foundation supplied additional funding of $48,000 in 1959, and $60,000 in 1963.[6]

Dutch economist Ernst van der Beugel took over as permanent secretary in 1960, upon the death of Retinger. Prince Bernhard continued to serve as the meeting’s chairman until 1976, the year of his involvement in the Lockheed affair. There was no conference that year, but meetings resumed in 1977 under Alec Douglas-Home, the former British Prime Minister. He was followed in turn by Walter Scheel, ex-President of West Germany, Eric Roll, former head of SG Warburg and Lord Carrington, former Secretary-General of NATO.[7]

Attendees

Main article: List of Bilderberg attendees

Attendees of Bilderberg include central bankers, defense experts, mass media press barons, government ministers, prime ministers, royalty, international financiers and political leaders from Europe and North America.

Some of the Western world’s leading financiers and foreign policy strategists attend Bilderberg. Donald Rumsfeld is an active Bilderberger, as is Peter Sutherland from Ireland, a former European Union commissioner and chairman of Goldman Sachs and of British Petroleum. Rumsfeld and Sutherland served together in 2000 on the board of the Swedish/Swiss engineering company ABB. Former U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary and former World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz is also a member. The group’s current chairman is Etienne Davignon, the Belgian businessman and politician.

Mainstream criticism

Critics claim the Bilderberg Group promotes the careers of politicians whose views are representative of the interests of multinational corporations, at the expense of democracy.[8] Journalists who have been invited to attend the Bilderberg Conference as observers have discounted these claims, calling the conference “not much different from a seminar or a conference organized by an upscale NGO”[9] with “nothing different except for the influence of the participants.”[10]

 Conspiracy theories

The group’s secrecy and its connections to power elites encourages speculation and mistrust by such groups or individuals who believe that the group is part of a conspiracy to create a New World Order. This is further encouraged by the frequent use of the term ‘New World Order’ by its members when referring to their ultimate goal of world integration. The group is frequently accused of secretive and nefarious world plots by groups such as the John Birch Society.[11] This thinking has progressively found acceptance within both elements of the populist movement and fringe politics. [12] According to investigative journalist Chip Berlet, the prominent origins of Bilderberger conspiracy theories can be traced to activist Phyllis Schlafly. [13]

Radio host Alex Jones claims the group intends to dissolve the sovereignty of the United States and other countries into a supra-national structure similar to the European Union. This accusation is also linked with others claiming plans for a merger of Canada with United States, hoping Canadian influence will be calming to American society and foreign policy.

From “The Hunt for Red Menace:” “The views on intractable godless communism expressed by [Fred] Schwarz were central themes in three other bestselling books which were used to mobilize support for the 1964 Goldwater campaign. The best known was Phyllis Schlafly’s A Choice, Not an Echo which suggested a conspiracy theory in which the Republican Party was secretly controlled by elitist intellectuals dominated by members of the Bilderberger group, whose policies would pave the way for global communist conquest. Schlafly’s husband Fred had been a lecturer at Schwartz’s local Christian anti-communism Crusade conferences.” [14]

Jonathan Duffy, writing in BBC News Online Magazine states “In the void created by such aloofness, an extraordinary conspiracy theory has grown up around the group that alleges the fate of the world is largely decided by Bilderberg.”[15]

Denis Healey, a Bilderberg founder and former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, decries such theories. He was quoted by BBC News as saying “There’s absolutely nothing in it. We never sought to reach a consensus on the big issues at Bilderberg. It’s simply a place for discussion.”[15]

Some popular media references to the group are in Fredrick Forsyth’s novel “The Icon” where the group decides to undermine a nationalist Russian leader loosely modeled on Vladimir Putin (among others).

 

LIST OF ATTENDEES:

Royalty

•               Prince Philip (1965, 1966, 1967), Duke of Edinburgh

•               Prince Charles (1986), Prince of Wales

•               Prince Bernhard (Chairman of Bilderberg Meetings 1954-1976), father of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

•               Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands[3]

•               Claus von Amsberg (1967, 1968, 1971, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986-1989), husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

•               Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange (1990, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2008), Crown Prince of the Netherlands

•               Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1989)

•               Queen Sofia of Spain, wife of Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996)

•               Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, younger daughter of Juan Carlos I, King of Spain

•               Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant (1992, 1993, 1996, 2008), Crown Prince of Belgium

•               Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King of Sweden (1995)

•               Harald V of Norway, King of Norway (1984)

•               Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1985, 1986, 1987)

•               Prince Axel of Denmark (1955, 1957)

Politics

United States

•               David L. Aaron (1977), former Deputy National Security Advisor

•               Dean Acheson (1957, 1958, 1964, 1966), former United States Secretary of State

•               Keith B. Alexander (2008), current Director, National Security Agency

•               Roger Altman (2008), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               John B. Anderson (1977), former US Congressman

•               Michael Armacost (1997), President, Brookings Institution

•               Nancy Kassebaum Baker (1988), former US Senator

•               George W. Ball (1954-1992),[4] former U.S. diplomat

•               Evan Bayh (1999), current US Senator, former Democratic Leadership Council Chairman, also attended the Renaissance Weekend. Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Member of the Alfalfa Club

•               Lloyd Bentsen (1989, 1992, 1995 – 1997), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Sandy Berger (1997), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               James H. Billington (1992), former Librarian of Congress

•               Eugene R. Black, Sr. (1957, 1966), former President of the World Bank

•               John Bolton (2003)

•               John Brademas (1966), former US Congressman

•               Bill Bradley (1985), former US Senator

•               Nicholas F. Brady (1984, 1986, 1988, 1991), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Edward Brooke (1968), former US Senator

•               Zbigniew Brzezinski (Guest, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1985), President Carter’s National Security Advisor

•               McGeorge Bundy (1956, 1957, 1964, 1966, 1980), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               William Bundy (1977)

•               Clifford P. Case (1958), former US Senator

•               John Chafee (1979, 1986, 1991, 1992), former US Senator

•               Frank Church, former US Senator

•               Hillary Clinton (1997), current US Senator, also attended the World Economic Forum, the Munich Conference on Security Policy, the Salzburg Global Seminar and the Renaissance Weekend. Member of the Democratic Leadership Council

•               Bill Clinton (1991),[5] former US President, 1993 – 2001

•               Carlos M. Collazo (2003)

•               Barber Conable, former President of the World Bank

•               Richard Cooper (1975, 1977), former United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs

•               Jon Corzine (1995 – 1997[3], 1999, 2003, 2004), current Governor of New Jersey

•               Kenneth W. Dam (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989-1997), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Richard Darman (1987), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Thomas A. Daschle (2008), former US Senator

•               Lynn Davis (1995)

•               John M. Deutch (1998), former CIA Director, former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

•               Thomas E. Dewey (1956, 1957, 1966), former Governor of New York

•               C. Douglas Dillon (1968), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Christopher Dodd (1999 – 2001), current US Senator

•               John Edwards (2004), former US Senator

•               Stuart Eizenstat (2002), former United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Mike Espy (1994), former United States Secretary of Agriculture

•               Daniel J. Evans (1986, 1988), former US Senator, former Governor of Washington

•               Dianne Feinstein (1991), current US Senator

•               Douglas Feith (2004)

•               James Florio (1994), former Governor of New Jersey

•               Tom Foley (1988, 1990, 1995, 2002), former Speaker of the US House of Representatives

•               Gerald R. Ford (1964, 1966), former US President, 1974 – 1977

•               Harold Ford, Jr. (2008), current Chairman, Democratic Leadership Council, former US Congressman, Vice Chairman, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

•               Donald M. Fraser (1971), former US Congressman

•               Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen, Jr. (1964, 1966, 1971), former US Congressman

•               J. William Fulbright (1956, 1957, 1964), former US Senator

•               Cornelius Edward Gallagher (1963, 1966), former US Congressman

•               Melinda Gates (2004), wife of Bill Gates

•               David Gergen (1992, 1995), political consultant and presidential adviser during the Republican administrations of Nixon, Ford, and Reagan, campaign staffer for George H.W. Bush and adviser to Democratic President Bill Clinton

•               Dan Glickman (2001), former US Congressman

•               Andrew Goodpaster (1968, 1974), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Donald Gregg (1985), former United States Ambassador

•               Marc Grossman (2007), former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

•               Alfred Gruenther (1955, 1957, 1966), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Richard N. Haass (1991, 2003, 2004)[6], president, Council on Foreign Relations

•               Philip C. Habib (1992)

•               Chuck Hagel (1999 – 2001), current US Senator

•               Alexander Haig (1978), former United States Secretary of State

•               Lee H. Hamilton (1997)[3], former US Congressman

•               Fred R. Harris (1966), former US Senator

•               H. John Heinz III (1978), former US Senator

•               Christian Herter (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966),[7] former Secretary of State

•               Carla Anderson Hills (2002), former United States Trade Representative

•               Richard Holbrooke (1995 – 1999, 2004 – 2006, 2008), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Kay Bailey Hutchison (2000, 2002), current US Senator

•               Henry M. Jackson (1964, 1966-1968), former US Senator

•               Jacob Javits (1964, 1966), former US Senator

•               Joseph E. Johnson (1954)[8], former President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

•               Bennett Johnston Jr. (1991), former US Senator

•               James Robert Jones (1985), former US Congressman

•               Vernon Jordan (1979-1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2005, 2006, 2008 )

•               Robert Kagan (2004)

•               Thomas Kean (1989), former Governor of New Jersey

•               Robert M. Kimmitt (1995), current United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

•               Lane Kirkland (1977), former President, AFL-CIO

•               Jeane Kirkpatrick (1981), former United States Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Henry Kissinger (1957, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977-2003, 2004,[6] 2005-2008), Secretary of State, 1973 – 1977

•               John LaFalce (2002), former US Congressman

•               Michael Ledeen (2005)

•               Lyman L. Lemnitzer (1957, 1963, 1966), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

•               Winston Lord (1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1996), former United States Ambassador to China

•               William J. Luti (2004), Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy for the National Security Council

•               Terry McAuliffe (2002), former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

•               John J. McCloy (1958, 1964, 1966), former President of the World Bank

•               Donald F. McHenry (1986, 1996), former United States Ambassador to the United Nations

•               Robert S. McNamara (1968, 1975), former US Secretary of Defense, former President of the World Bank

•               Charles Mathias, Jr. (1967, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1984-1993), former US Senator

•               Ken Mehlman (2005), former Chairman of the Republican National Committee

•               Cord Meyer (1957), CIA official

•               George J. Mitchell, former US Senator

•               Walter F. Mondale (1974, 1981), former US Vice President, 1977 – 1981

•               Lauris Norstad (1967), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

•               Sam Nunn (1996, 1997[3]), former US Senator

•               William Odom (1993), former National Security Agency Director

•               Dan Quayle (1990, 1991), former US Vice President, 1989 – 1993

•               George Pataki (2006), former Governor of New York

•               Henry M. Paulson, Jr. (2008), current United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Claiborne Pell (1992), former US Senator

•               Richard Perle (1983, 1985, 2003, 2006, 2008), assistant Secretary of Defense, 1981 – 1987

•               Rick Perry (2007), current Governor of Texas

•               William J. Perry (1996), former United States Secretary of Defense

•               Peter George Peterson (1978), former United States Secretary of Commerce

•               Colin L. Powell (1997), former United States Secretary of State

•               Larry Pressler (1993), former US Senator

•               Lewis Thompson Preston, former President of the World Bank

•               Joel Pritchard (1975), former US Congressman

•               Marc Racicot (2002), former Chairman, Republican National Committee

•               Ralph E. Reed, Jr. (2004), former first executive director of the Christian Coalition

•               William K. Reilly (1989), former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

•               Condoleezza Rice (2008), current United States Secretary of State

•               Bill Richardson (1999, 2000), current Governor of New Mexico

•               Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (1971), former US Senator

•               Alice Rivlin (1984)

•               David Rockefeller, original U.S. founding member, life member, and member of the Steering Committee (1954-

•               David Rockefeller, Jr. (1989)

•               Jay Rockefeller (1971), current US Senator

•               Nelson A. Rockefeller (1957, 1974), former US Vice President, 1974 – 1977, former Governor of New York, 1959 – 1973

•               Dennis Ross (2004, 2006, 2008 )

•               Walt Whitman Rostow, former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               Donald Rumsfeld (1975, 2002), Secretary of Defense, 2001 – 2006

•               Dean Rusk (1955, 1957, 1966), former United States Secretary of State

•               Mark Sanford (2008), current Governor of South Carolina, also attended the Renaissance Weekend

•               Hugh Scott (1961, 1966), former US Senator

•               Brent Scowcroft (1985, 1988, 1994), former National Security Advisor (United States)

•               Kathleen Sebelius (2007, 2008), current Governor of Kansas

•               George P. Shultz (2008), former United States Secretary of State, former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Kristen Silverberg (2007), Bureau of International Organization Affairs, part of the State Department

•               William E. Simon (1982), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               Walter Bedell Smith, former CIA Director

•               Nancy Soderberg (1995)

•               John Sparkman (1955, 1966), former US Senator

•               James Steinberg (1994, 2000), former Deputy National Security Advisor

•               Adlai Stevenson III (1971), former US Senator

•               Robert Schwarz Strauss (1982, 1989, 1990, 1992), former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

•               Lawrence Summers (1998, 2002, 2008), former United States Secretary of the Treasury

•               John H. Sununu (1990), former Governor of New Hampshire

•               Shirley Temple (1982), former United States Ambassador, former child actress

•               Laura D’Andrea Tyson (1999)

•               Cyrus Vance (1971), former United States Secretary of State

•               Mark Warner (2005), former Governor of Virginia

•               Vin Weber (2007, 2008), former US Congressman

•               John C. Whitehead (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989-1997), former United States Deputy Secretary of State

•               Christine Todd Whitman (1998), former Governor of New Jersey

•               L. Douglas Wilder (1991), former Governor of Virginia, current Mayor of Richmond, Virginia

•               Ross Wilson (ambassador) (2007), current United States Ambassador to Turkey

•               Paul Wolfowitz (1990, 1994-1998, 2008), former President of the World Bank

•               George David Woods (1966), former President of the World Bank

•               Philip D. Zelikow (2007), executive director of the 9/11 Commission and Counselor of the United States Department of State

•               Robert Zoellick (1991, 2003, 2006, 2008), former Deputy Secretary of State and current President of the World Bank

Canada

•               Lester B. Pearson (1964, 1966, 1968), former Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968

•               Pierre Trudeau (1983, 1985), former Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979, 1980 to 1984

•               Jean Chrétien (1982, 1996), Canadian Prime Minister, 1993 – 2003

•               Paul Martin (1996), Canadian Prime Minister, 2003 – 2006

•               Stephen Harper (2003), Canadian Prime Minister, 2006 – Present

•               Bernard Lord (2001), former Premier of New Brunswick

•               Robert L. Stanfield (1968), former Premier of Nova Scotia

•               Jason Kenney (2007), Canadian Member of Parliament

•               Preston Manning (1998), former leader and founder of the Reform Party of Canada

•               Lloyd Axworthy (1996), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)

•               Kevin G. Lynch (2004), Canadian civil servant

•               Frank McKenna (1994, 2006, 2008), former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, former Premier of New Brunswick, current Deputy Chairman of Toronto-Dominion Bank

•               Michael Wilson (politician) (1991), current Canadian Ambassador to the United States, former Minister of Finance (Canada), former Minister of International Trade (Canada)

•               Marc Lalonde (1977), former Minister of Finance (Canada)

•               Jacques Parizeau (1968), former Premier of Quebec

•               Robert Bourassa (1971), former Premier of Quebec

•               Jean Lesage (1966), former Premier of Quebec

•               Mike Harris (1996), former Premier of Ontario

•               David Peterson (1990), former Premier of Ontario

•               Ralph Klein (1995), former Premier of Alberta

•               Peter Lougheed (1973), former Premier of Alberta

•               Gerald Regan (1977), former Premier of Nova Scotia

•               Paul Joseph James Martin (1957, 1966-1968), former Canadian Senator, former Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada), former Minister of National Health and Welfare (Canada), former Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada), father of former Prime Minister of Canada,Paul Martin

•               Jeanne Sauvé (1974, 1986, 1989), former Governor General of Canada

•               Donald S. Macdonald (1971, 1973, 1979-1986, 1988, 1993), former Minister of Finance (Canada), former Minister of National Defence (Canada)

•               Allan MacEachen (1983), former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada

•               Heather Reisman (2006, 2007, 2008), Canadian businesswoman

•               Andre Desmarais, Power Corporation of Canada

United Kingdom

•               Gordon Brown (1991), current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Tony Blair (1993),[5] former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom[9]

•               John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Margaret Thatcher (1975),[10] former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               James Callaghan (1963, 1966), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Edward Heath (1963, 1966, 1967), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Alec Douglas-Home (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Harold Wilson (1966), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

•               Kenneth Clarke (1993, 1998,[11] 2006[12] & 2007[13]), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               George Osborne (2006)[14] Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 2004-Present; member of the opposition 2001-Present

•               Denis Healey, former Secretary of State for Defence 1963-1970, former Chancellor of the Exchequer 1974-1979 (founding member of Bilderberg)

•               Ed Balls (2001-2003), Economic Secretary to the Treasury 2006 – 2007

•               Paddy Ashdown (1989), former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats

•               Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (1978, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989-1998), former Secretary-General of NATO

•               David Owen (1973, 1982, 1993), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Norman Lamont (1995), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               Nigel Lawson (1982, 1990), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               William Hague (1998), former leader of the Conservative Party (UK), current Shadow Foreign Secretary

•               Sir Malcolm Rifkind (1986, 1996), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Douglas Hurd (1980, 1981), former British Foreign Secretary

•               Cecil Parkinson (1989), former Chairman of the Conservative Party

•               Michael Heseltine (1984), former Secretary of State for Defence

•               Roy Jenkins, former President of the European Commission

•               Reginald Maudling (1955, 1957, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1978), former Chancellor of the Exchequer

•               Hugh Gaitskell (1954, 1955, 1958), former leader of the Labour Party (UK)

•               William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill (1987, 1988, 1990, 1995)

•               John Smith (UK politician) (1986, 1989, 1991), former leader of the British Labour Party

•               William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank (1974)

•               Clement Davies (1954, 1955, 1957), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               Jo Grimond (1958, 1966), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               Jeremy Thorpe, former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               David Steel (1986), former leader of the Liberal Party (UK)

•               David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick (1995, 1998 )

•               Geoffrey Rippon (1974)

•               David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech (1958, 1966), former British Ambassador to the United States

•               Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1965, 1966)

•               Christopher Price (UK politician), former Labour Party (UK) Member of Parliament, former member of the European Parliament

•               Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury (1997)

•               Michael Stewart, Baron Stewart of Fulham (1964, 1966)

•               George Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth (1971)

•               Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (1967)

•               George Brown, Baron George-Brown (1966, 1978 )

•               Enoch Powell (1968 )

•               Kenneth Younger (1966)

•               John Horam (1975)

•               John Nott (1977), former Secretary of State for Defence

•               Edmund Dell (1978 )

•               Keith Joseph (1977)

•               Rodric Braithwaite (1993)

•               Frederic Bennett (1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977-1980, 1984)

•               John Keegan (1988), British military historian

•               John Monks (1996) , former General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress

•               Charles Forte, Baron Forte (1977)

•               Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations (1985, 1986, 1993)

•               Giles Radice, Baron Radice (1995)

•               Philip Gould, Baron Gould of Brookwood (2003)

•               Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn (2002, 2003)

•               Pauline Neville-Jones, Baroness Neville-Jones (2004)

•               Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton (1977)

•               Harold Lever, Baron Lever of Manchester (1977, 1985), former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

•               John Baring, 7th Baron Ashburton (1980, 1984, 1986), former Chairman of British Petroleum

•               David Young, Baron Young of Graffham (1985, 1986)

•               John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)

•               William Rees-Mogg (1993)

•               George Weidenfeld (1992)

•               Roy Hattersley (1985)

•               Norman Tebbit (1985)

•               Richard Dearlove (2007), former head of MI6

•               Eric Roll (1964, 1966, 1967, 1973-1975, 1977-1999) (Bilderberg Steering Committee),[15] Department of Economic Affairs, 1964, later Bilderberg Group Chairman

•               John Kerr, Baron Kerr of Kinlochard (2004, 2008), member of the House of Lords, Deputy Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell

•               Antony Acland (1988), former British Ambassador to the United States

•               Lawrence Freedman (1991), Professor, Oxford University

Ireland

•               Garret FitzGerald (1975, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1987), former Prime Minister of Ireland

•               John Bruton (1998), former Prime Minister of Ireland

•               Michael McDowell (1992, 2007), founding member of the Progressive Democrats of Ireland

•               Paul Gallagher (2008), Attorney General of Ireland

Germany

•               Egon Bahr (1968, 1971, 1982, 1987), German Minister, creator of the Ostpolitik

•               Rainer Barzel (1966), former German opposition leader

•               Kurt Biedenkopf (1992), former Prime Minister of Saxony

•               Max Brauer (1954, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Birgit Breuel (1973, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1994), chairwoman of Treuhandanstalt

•               Andreas von Bülow (1978), former Minister of Research of Germany

•               Karl Carstens (1971), former President of Germany

•               Klaus von Dohnanyi (1975, 1977), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Ursula Engelen-Kefer (1998), former chairwoman of the German Confederation of Trade Unions

•               Björn Engholm (1991), former Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein

•               Ludwig Erhard (1966), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Fritz Erler (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), Socialist Member of Parliament

•               Joschka Fischer (2008), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Germany)

•               Herbert Giersch (1975), Director, Institut fur Weltwirtschaft an der Universitat Kiel

•               Helmut Haussmann (1979, 1980, 1990, 1996), former Minister of Economics of Germany

•               Wolfgang Ischinger (1998, 2002, 2008), former German Ambassador to Washington

•               Helmut Kohl (1980, 1982, 1988), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Walter Leisler Kiep (1974, 1975, 1977, 1980), former Treasurer of the Christian Democratic Union (Germany)

•               Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1955, 1957, 1966), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Hans Klein (1986), Member of German Bundestag

•               Otto Graf Lambsdorff (1980, 1983, 1984), former Minister of Economics of Germany

•               Karl Lamers (1995), Member of the German Bundestag

•               Angela Merkel (2005), current Chancellor of Germany

•               Alois Mertes (1983, 1985)

•               Siegmar Mosdorf (2001), Secretary of State for Economics in Germany

•               Alfred Müller-Armack (1966), Secretary of State for Economics in Germany

•               Volker Perthes (2008), Director, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

•               Friedbert Pflüger (2005, 2006), Member of the German Bundestag

•               Ruprecht Polenz (2002)

•               Volker Rühe (1983, 1991-1994), former Defense Minister of Germany

•               Rudolf Scharping, former Defense Minister of Germany

•               Wolfgang Schäuble (2003), current Minister of Internal Affairs of Germany

•               Walter Scheel (1981-84, 1986), former President of Germany

•               Karl Schiller (1966), former Finance Minister of Germany

•               Otto Schily (2003-2006), former Minister of Internal Affairs of Germany

•               Carlo Schmid (1955, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Vice President of the Federal Parliament

•               Helmut Schmidt (1966, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986), former Chancellor of Germany

•               Gerhard Schröder (CDU) (1971, 1974), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Germany), former Minister of Defence (Germany)

•               Gerhard Stoltenberg (1966, 1968), former Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein

•               Franz Josef Strauß (1963, 1966), former Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Bavaria

•               Lothar Späth (1993), former Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg

•               Erwin Teufel (1991), former Prime Minister of Baden-Wurttemberg

•               Henning Voscherau (1996), former Mayor of Hamburg

•               Richard von Weizsäcker (1978), former President of Germany

•               Guido Westerwelle (2007), leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany

•               Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski (1971, 1973, 1974, 1978), former Secretary of State in the Chancellor’s Office of Germany

•               Matthias Wissmann (1998, 2004, 2005), former Minister of Research of Germany

Austria

•               Otto von Habsburg, Archduke and Crown Prince of Austria

•               Alfred Gusenbauer (2002, 2006), current Chancellor of Austria

•               Wolfgang Schussel (1984), former Chancellor of Austria

•               Franz Vranitzky (1975, 1979, 1986-1991, 1993, 1995-1999), former Austrian Chancellor

•               Bruno Kreisky (1979), former Austrian Chancellor

•               Thomas Klestil (1988), former President of Austria

•               Martin Bartenstein (2006), Austrian Minister for Economy and Labour

•               Josef Krainer (1989), former Governor of Styria

Switzerland

•               Flavio Cotti (1994-1997), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Pascal Couchepin (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005), current President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (1995), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Max Petitpierre (1963, 1966), former President of the Swiss Confederation

•               Jacob Kellenberger (1993), former Swiss State Secretary of Foreign Affairs

•               Sigmund Widmer (1975), former Mayor of Zürich

•               Denis de Rougemont (1954, 1955, 1966)

France

•               Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1968, 2003), former President of the French Republic

•               Lionel Jospin (1996), former Prime Minister of France

•               Georges Pompidou (1966), former President of the French Republic

•               Dominique de Villepin (2003), former Prime Minister of France

•               Laurent Fabius (1994), former Prime Minister of France

•               Michel Rocard (1986), former Prime Minister of France

•               Pierre Bérégovoy (1992), former Prime Minister of France

•               Edouard Balladur (1987), former Prime Minister of France

•               Raymond Barre (1983), former Prime Minister of France

•               Edgar Faure (1974), former Prime Minister of France

•               René Pleven (1963, 1966), former Prime Minister of France

•               Pierre Mendes-France (1968), former Prime Minister of France

•               Antoine Pinay (1954, 1955, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Prime Minister of France

•               Jean-Bernard Raimond (1994), former French Foreign Minister

•               Jean Francois-Poncet (1982, 1985, 1988), former French Foreign Minister

•               Michel Barnier (2007), former French Foreign Minister

•               Hubert Védrine (1987, 1992, 2008), former French Foreign Minister

•               Bernard Kouchner (2005), current Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)

•               Manuel Valls (2008), French Member of Parliament

•               Jean-Pierre Jouyet (2008), French Minister of European Affairs

•               Jean-Pierre Chevenement (1984, 1990), former Minister of Defense (France)

•               Jacques Attali (1975), French economist and scholar and former presidential adviser of France’s socialist government

•               Gaston Defferre (1964, 1966), former Mayor of Marseille

•               Maurice Herzog (1974), former Mayor of Chamonix

•               Philippe Seguin (1990), former Mayor of Epinal

•               Jean-Pierre Cot (1977), French politician, former Mayor of Coise

•               Olivier Guichard (1966, 1977), French politician, former French Minister of Justice

•               Guy Mollet (1954, 1955, 1957, 1963, 1966), former Socialist Prime Minister of France

•               Maurice Faure (1955, 1963, 1966)

•               Jacques Rueff (1966)

Belgium

•               Paul Van Zeeland (1955-1958, 1966), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Leo Tindemans (1980), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Wilfried Martens (1989-1991, 1993), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Jean-Luc Dehaene (2004), former Prime Minister of Belgium

•               Philippe Maystadt (1996), former Belgian Minister of Finance

Netherlands

•               Jan-Peter Balkenende (2008), current Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 2002 – present

•               Ruud Lubbers (1983, 1991, 1992, 1994), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1982 – 1994

•               Wim Kok (1993, 2003), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1994 – 2002

•               Barend Biesheuvel (1968), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1971 – 1973

•               Jelle Zijlstra (1966, 1975), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1966 – 1967

•               Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst (1974, 1981), former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Max van der Stoel (1980), former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1973 – 1977, 1981 – 1982

•               Jozias van Aartsen (2005), former Dutch Minister of Agriculture, 1994 – 1998, former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1998 – 2002

•               Maxime Verhagen (2006, 2008), current Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2007 – present

•               Frank Heemskerk (2007), Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade

•               Frans Timmermans (2008), Dutch Minister of European Affairs

•               Klaas de Vries (2003), Dutch Member of Parliament

•               Ivo Samkalden (1963, 1966), former Mayor of Amsterdam

•               Harold Goddijn (2008), CEO of TomTom

Italy

•               Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1987), former President of the Italian Republic, former Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Francesco Cossiga (1977), former President of the Italian Republic

•               Amintore Fanfani (1955, 1956, 1966), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Alcide de Gasperi (1954), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Claudio Martelli, former Italian Minister of Justice

•               Gianni De Michelis (1991), former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa (1986, 1998, 1999, 2008), former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Romano Prodi (Steering Committee Member of Bilderberg in the 1980s), former Italian Prime Minister and former President of the European Commission

•               Virginio Rognoni (1982, 1991), former Italian Minister of Defense

•               Mariano Rumor (1966), former Italian Prime Minister

•               Domenico Siniscalco (1998), former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Giulio Tremonti (2000), current Italian Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Walter Veltroni (1996), former Mayor of Rome

Spain

•               Esperanza Aguirre Gil de Biedma (1999, 2000), president of Madrid

•               Joaquin Almunia (1998, 2008), European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs

•               Enrique Barón (1988), politician

•               Jaime de Carvajal y Urquijo (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998), CEO, Ford Spain, Ericsson Spain and Banco Urquijo.

•               Juan Luis Cebrián (1988, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), former director of newspaper El País, CEO, Grupo Prisa

•               Guillermo de la Dehesa (1989, 1993), CEO, Banco Pastor

•               Carlos Ferret Salat (1993), banker

•               Manuel Fraga Iribarne (1977), politician, former Secretary General, Alianza Popular

•               Felipe Gonzalez (1989), former Prime Minister of Spain

•               Loyola de Palacio (2005), politician

•               Jesús de Polanco (1989), CEO, media group PRISA

•               Jordi Pujol (1991), politician

•               Rodrigo Rato (1992, 1994), politician and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

•               Matías Rodríguez Inciarte (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001-2008), Deputy CEO, Grupo Santander

•               Miguel Boyer Salvador (1989), former Finance Minister of Spain

•               Miguel Sebastián Gascón (2005), former Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister and Minister of Industry (2008-…)

•               Narcís Serra (1990, 1991, 1992), politician

•               Javier Solana (1985, 1998, 2000), Secretary-General of the Council of the EU, former Secretary-General of NATO

•               Pedro Solbes Mira (1999), Second Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance

•               Federico Trillo-Figueroa Martínez-Conde (1995), politician

•               Juan Antonio Yañez-Barnuevo (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996), Spanish Permanent Representatives to the United Nations

•               Emilio de Ybarra y Clurruca (1988, 1989), former CEO, BBVA

Portugal

•               Francisco Pinto Balsemão (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995-2007) ,[16] former Prime Minister of Portugal, 1981 – 1983 and CEO of Impresa media group

•               António Guterres (1990, 2005), former Prime Minister of Portugal, currently the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

•               Pedro Santana Lopes (2004), former Prime Minister of Portugal

•               José Sócrates (2004), current Prime Minister of Portugal

•               Jorge Sampaio (1989, 1999), former President of Portugal

•               Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues (2003), former Leader of the Socialist Party

•               António Costa (2008), current Mayor of Lisbon

•               Rui Rio (2008), current Mayor of Porto

•               Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco (2006),[16] Member of Parliament (PSD)

•               Augusto Santos Silva (2006),[16] Minister for Parliamentary Affairs

•               Rui Machete (1989), former Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal

•               Joaquim do Amaral (1999), Member of Parliament

•               Manuel Sarmento Rodrigues (1966)

Greece

•               Kostas Karamanlis (1998), current Prime Minister of Greece

•               Constantine Mitsotakis (1993), former Prime Minister of Greece

•               Georgios Alogoskoufis (2008), current Minister for Economy and Finance (Greece)

•               Dora Bakoyannis (2003), current Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), former Mayor of Athens

•               Anna Diamantopoulou (2008), Member of Parliament in Greece and former EU Commissioner

•               George Andreas Papandreou (1998), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), President of the Socialist International

•               Gerasimos Arsenis (1994), former Minister of Defense of Greece

•               Stefanos Manos (1986, 1993, 2001), Greek politician

•               Andreas Andrianopoulos (1988), former Mayor of Piraeus

Turkey

•               Süleyman Demirel (1975), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Bülent Ecevit (1975), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Adnan Menderes (1956), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Mesut Yilmaz (1990), former Prime Minister of Turkey

•               Selim Sarper (1966), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               İsmail Cem (1989, 1998), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               Hikmet Çetin (1995, 2007), former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)

•               Emre Gönensay (1992, 1996, 2007), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

•               Ali Babacan (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008), current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

Sweden

•               Fredrik Reinfeldt (2006), Prime Minister of Sweden, 2006 – present

•               Carl Bildt[3] (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006-2008), former Prime Minister of Sweden and current Minister for Foreign Affairs

•               Olof Palme (1962, 1966, 1973, 1975, 1984), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Percy Barnevik (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001), Businessman

•               Mona Sahlin (1996), Chairman of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, (Invited by Percy Barnevik)

•               Thorbjörn Fälldin (1978), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Tage Erlander (1962, 1966), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Leif Pagrotsky (2001), former Swedish Minister for Education, Research and Culture [1];

•               Anders Borg (2007), current Minister for Finance of Sweden

•               Herbert Tingsten (1954, 1955, 1966), former Chief Editor, Dagens Nyheter

•               Martin Waldenström (1955), Industrialist

•               Björn Lundvall (1968, 1975, 1977-1980) (LM Ericsson)

•               Anna Lindh (2003), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Göran Persson (2001), former Prime Minister of Sweden

•               Gunnar Sträng (1973), former Minister for Finance of Sweden

•               Krister Wickman (1973, 1974, 1975, 1977), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Hans Blix (1989), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

•               Maud Olofsson (2008), Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden

Norway

•               Gro Harlem Brundtland (1982, 1983), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Kåre Willoch (1966, 1968, 1982, 1987), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Trygve Bratteli (1977), former Prime Minister of Norway

•               Jens Stoltenberg, (2002), current Prime Minister of Norway

•               Siv Jensen (2006), Chairman Fremskrittspartiet

•               Johann Olav Koss (2006)

•               Halvard Lange (1964), former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Norway)

•               Ole Myrvoll (1974), former Minister of Finance (Norway), former Mayor of Bergen

•               Svein Gjedrem (2003), Chairman of Norges Bank 1999 – present

Denmark

•               Anders Fogh Rasmussen (2000), current Prime Minister of Denmark

•               Mogens Lykketoft (1998), former leader of the Social Democrats of Denmark

•               Tøger Seidenfaden (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999), editor-in-chief of Danish newspaper “Politiken”

•               Ritt Bjerregaard (1991, 1995), former Danish Secretary of Education, EU Commissioner and currently Mayor of Copenhagen

•               Anders Eldrup (2001-2007, 2008), CEO, Danish Oil and Gas Corporation (DONG)[citation needed]

•               Flemming Rose (2008), editor, Jyllands-Posten

Finland

•               Jaakko Iloniemi (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990-1997)

•               Ilkka Suominen (1988 )

•               Aatos Erkko (1991)

•               Jarl Köhler (1992-1994)

•               Ulf L. Sundqvist (1992)

•               Johannes Koroma (1993)

•               Jorma Ollila (1994, 1997-2008), former CEO of Nokia

•               Krister Ahlström (1994)

•               Georg Ehrnrooth (1994)

•               Sirkka Hämäläinen (1994)

•               Jaakko Ihamuotila (1994)

•               Max Jakobson (1975, 1994)

•               Gerhard M. H. Wendt (1994)

•               Jukka Harmaja (1995)

•               Björn Mattsson (1995)

•               Pertti Voutilainen (1995)

•               Janne Virkkunen (1998, 2001)

•               Olli-Pekka Heinonen (2001)

•               Christoffer Taxell (2002)

•               Teija H. Tiilikainen (2002-2007)

•               Olli Kivinen (2003)

•               Björn Whalroos (2003)

•               Paula Lehtomäki (2004)

•               Erkki Liikanen (1999, 2005)

•               Matti Vanhala (1999)

•               Pentti Vartia (1999)

•               Mikael Pentikäinen (2005)

•               Eero Heinäluoma (2006)

•               Sixten Korkman (2006)

•               Atte Jääskeläinen (2007)

•               Kalevi Sorsa (1990), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Esko Aho (1994), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Paavo Lipponen (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004), former Prime Minister of Finland

•               Matti Vanhanen, current Prime Minister of Finland

•               Martti Ahtisaari (1994, 1995, 1996), former President of Finland

•               Sauli Niinistö (1997)[3], former Minister of Finance (Finland), Speaker of Parliament

•               Jyrki Katainen (2007), current Minister of Finance (Finland)

Iceland

•               Davíð Oddsson (1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999), former Prime Minister of Iceland, 1991-2004

•               Geir Hallgrímsson (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984-1988, 1990), former Prime Minister of Iceland

•               Björn Bjarnason (1977, 1978, 1982-1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995), vice editor of Morgunblaðið (1984 – 1991), Icelandic Minister of Education (1995 – 2002), current Minister for Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs (since 2003)

Russia

•               Anatoly Chubais (1998), Russian politician

•               Grigory Alexeyevich Yavlinsky (2004), Russian politician

Slovakia

•               Ivan Mikloš (2005), former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia

Czech Republic

•               Karel Schwarzenberg (2008), Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs

•               Jiří Pehe (2001), Director, New York University in Prague; former advisor to President Václav Havel

•               Michael Žantovský (1999), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, Czech Senate, presently Czech Ambassador in Israel

•               Karel Kovanda (1998), Head of Mission of the Czech Republic to NATO and the WEU, presently Deputy Director General responsible for CFSP, Multilateral Relations and North America, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, EEA, EFTA

Poland

•               Joseph Retinger (1954-1960), founder of Bilderberg Group

•               Hanna Suchocka (1998), first woman Prime Minister of Poland

•               Andrzej Olechowski (1994-1999, 2003), Leader, Civic Platform

•               Aleksander Kwaśniewski (2008), former President of Poland

Hungary

•               János Martonyi (2008), former Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor of International Trade Law, Partner, Baker & McKenzie

•               Gyorgy Suranyi (1996, 1997, 1999), former President, Hungarian National Bank

Israel

•               Natan Sharansky (2005)

Iran

•               Mahmood Sariolghalam (2006)

Iraq

•               Ahmed Chalabi (2006)

New Zealand

•               Thomas Clifton Webb (1955)

EU Commissioners

European Union Commissioners who have attended include:

•               Joaquin Almunia (1998, 2008), European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs

•               José Manuel Barroso (1994, 2003), current President of the European Commission

•               Ritt Bjerregaard (1991, 1995), Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and former European Commissioner for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection[9]

•               Frederik Bolkestein (1996, 2003),[17] former European Commissioner

•               Emma Bonino (1998 )

•               Leon Brittan (1992, 1998 )

•               Hans van den Broek (1986, 1988, 1991, 1995),[9] former European Commissioner

•               David Byrne (politician) (2005), former European Commissioner

•               Henning Christophersen (1979, 1982, 1983)

•               Étienne Davignon (1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994-2008), Bilderberg conference chairman in 2005

•               Jacques Delors (1992), former President of the European Commission

•               Franz Fischler (2001), former European Commissioner

•               Walter Hallstein (1955, 1958, 1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Neelie Kroes (2005 – 2008), present Commissioner for Competition

•               Pascal Lamy (2003)[17]

•               Erkki Liikanen (1999, 2005)

•               Franco Maria Malfatti (1964, 1966, 1974), former President of the European Commission

•               Peter Mandelson (1999[18])

•               Sicco Mansholt (1963, 1964, 1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Robert Marjolin (1966), former European Commissioner

•               Charlie McCreevy (2008), European Commissioner

•               Karel Van Miert (1993), former European Commissioner

•               Mario Monti (1983-1994, 1996, 1999, 2003[17]) ,former and/or present member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee[9]

•               Francois-Xavier Ortoli (1977), former President of the European Commission

•               Filippo Pandolfi (1989)

•               Lord Patten of Barnes (2007)

•               Andris Piebalgs (2006), European Commissioner for Energy

•               Romano Prodi, Steering Committee Member of Bilderberg in the 1980s

•               Olli Rehn (2007), European Commissioner for Enlargement

•               Jean Rey (1966), former President of the European Commission

•               Jacques Santer (1991), former President of the European Commission

•               Henri Simonet (1971, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982), former Vice Chairman of the European Commission

•               Javier Solana (1985, 1998, 2000), High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU)

•               Pedro Solbes (1999)

•               Günter Verheugen (1995)

•               António Vitorino (1996)

UN, WTO, NATO and other International Organizations

•               Josette Sheeran (2007), Executive Director of United Nations World Food Programme

•               Kurt Waldheim, former United Nations Secretary-General

•               Kemal Derviş (2002), current United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator

•               Ad Melkert (1996), current UNDP Associate Administrator

•               Thorvald Stoltenberg (1973, 1982, 1994, 1995), former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

•               Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (1955, 1966), Pakistani politician, diplomat and international jurist

•               Knut Vollebæk (2008), OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

•               Eric Wyndham White (1964, 1966), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Arthur Dunkel (1991), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Mike Moore (2000), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Renato Ruggiero (1986, 1987, 1990-1996), former Director-General of the World Trade Organization

•               Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (2003, 2008), current Secretary General of NATO

•               George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen (1998), former Secretary General of NATO[9]

•               Willy Claes (1994, 1995, 2003), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Manfred Wörner (1982, 1985, 1990-1993), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Joseph Luns (1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977, 1978-1984), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Manlio Brosio (1965-1967), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Dirk Stikker (1964, 1966), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Paul-Henri Spaak (1963, 1966), former Secretary General of NATO

•               Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay (1955), former Secretary General of NATO

Military

•               Terence Airey (1955, 1966), Military Governor of Trieste

•               Colin Gubbins (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966), head of the British SOE[19]

•               Hans Speidel (1964, 1966), former World War II and Cold War general

Corporate

Financial institutions

•               Hermann Josef Abs (1958, 1966), former Chairman of Deutsche Bank

•               Josef Ackermann (2005, 2008), CEO of Deutsche Bank

•               Ben S. Bernanke (2008), current Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Michel Camdessus, former IMF Managing Director

•               Guido Carli (1958, 1965, 1966, 1975, 1977, 1987), former Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Tim Collins (financier) (2003, 2008), founder, Chief Executive Officer of Ripplewood Holdings LLC

•               E. Gerald Corrigan (1994), former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, current Goldman Sachs Managing Director

•               Mario Draghi (1994, 1995, 2004, 2008), current Governor of the Banca d’Italia

•               Wim Duisenberg (1977, 1978-1983, 1986), former President of the European Central Bank

•               Otmar Emminger (1966), former President of the Deutsche Bundesbank

•               Timothy F. Geithner (2004, 2008), current President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

•               Dermot Gleeson (1995, 2008), Chairman of Allied Irish Banks

•               Alan Greenspan (2002), former Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Alfred Herrhausen (1978-1985, 1987, 1988), German banker, former Chairman of Deutsche Bank

•               Kenneth Jacobs (2007, 2008), Deputy Chairman, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC

•               Per Jacobsson (1957), former IMF Managing Director

•               James A. Johnson (businessman) (1998, 2008), Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC

•               Mervyn A. King (2003), current Governor of the Bank Of England

•               Hilmar Kopper (1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998-2003, 2005), former CEO of Deutsche Bank

•               Alexandre Lamfalussy (1983, 1986, 1988, 1992), former General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements

•               Thomas S. Lamont (1957), former Vice Chairman, Morgan Guaranty Trust

•               Jacques de Larosière (1982), former Governor of the Banque de France

•               William J McDonough (1997)[3], former President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

•               Tom McKillop (2008), Chairman, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

•               Karl Otto Pöhl (1982, 1991), former President of the Deutsche Bundesbank

•               Jürgen Ponto (1975), German banker, former Chairman of Dresdner Bank

•               John Francis Prideaux (1974), former Chairman, National Westminster Bank

•               Louis Rasminsky (1968), former Governor of the Bank of Canada

•               Rodrigo Rato (1992, 1994), former IMF Managing Director

•               Gordon Richardson (1966, 1975),[20] former Governor of the Bank of England

•               David Rockefeller, CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank

•               Emma Rothschild (1995)

•               Sir Evelyn de Rothschild (1983, 1998 )

•               Guy de Rothschild (1974)

•               Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild

•               Lynn Forester de Rothschild (1998 )

•               Rudolf Scholten (1992, 1999-2001, 2003-2008), CEO of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank

•               Pierre-Paul Schweitzer (1964, 1966), former IMF Managing Director

•               George Soros (1990, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002)

•               Dominique Strauss-Kahn (2000), Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and member of the social-democrat Socialist Party of France

•               Jean-Claude Trichet (1995, 1999, 2008), current President of the European Central Bank

•               Anthony Tuke (1974), former President, Barclays Bank

•               Alfons Verplaetse (1990), former Governor of the National Bank of Belgium

•               Paul Volcker (1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1997)[3], former Chairman of the Federal Reserve

•               Marcus Wallenberg (1996, 1997), current Chairman of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, former CEO of Investor AB

•               Jacob Wallenberg (1998, 2008), current Chairman of Investor AB, former Chairman of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken

•               Siegmund Warburg (1966, 1977), founder of S. G. Warburg & Co.

•               Eric Warburg (1957), founder of Warburg Pincus

•               James Wolfensohn (1985, 1987, 1988, 1989-1999, 2004, 2008), former President of the World Bank Group

Major corporations

•               Giovanni Agnelli (1958, 1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1973-1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987-1998, 2000), former CEO of Fiat

•               Otto Wolff von Amerongen (1955, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1966-1968, 1971, 1973-1975, 1977-1980, 1982-2001), CEO of Otto Wolff Group (today: Part of ThyssenKrupp)

•               Dwayne Andreas (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987-1996), Chairman and CEO of Archer Daniels Midland

•               Percy Barnevik (1992-1996, 1997,[3] 2001), former CEO of ASEA

•               Anders Björgerd (1973, 1982), former deputy CEO of Sydkraft AB

•               Lloyd Blankfein (2007), CEO of Goldman Sachs

•               Ian Bremmer (2007), President of Eurasia Group

•               Lord Browne of Madingley (1995, 1997,[3] 2004), Chief Executive BP

•               Gerhard Cromme (2000), former CEO and Chairman of ThyssenKrupp

•               Paul Desmarais (1982)

•               Paul Desmarais, Jr. (2006, 2008), Chairman and co-CEO of Power Corporation of Canada

•               John Elkann (2008), vice chairman of Fiat and the Agnelli Group investment company IFIL

•               Louis V. Gerstner (1994, 1997), former Chairman of IBM, current Chairman of The Carlyle Group

•               Maurice R. Greenberg (1989-1991), former Chairman and CEO of American International Group

•               H. J. Heinz II (1954)[8], CEO of H. J. Heinz Company

•               Paul Hermelin (2007), CEO of Capgemini

•               Daniel Janssen (1971, 1973-1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1995), former Chairman of the Executive Committee, Solvay (company), former vice president of the board, Union Chimique Belge, member of the European Round Table of Industrialists, member of Trilateral Commission executive committee

•               James Kimsey (2006), co-founder, CEO, and first chairman of America Online (AOL)

•               Andrew Knight (1978, 1980-1985, 1987-1996), Director of News Corporation, 1991-present, CEO of News International, 1900-1994, CEO and Editor-in-Chief The Daily Telegraph Group, Editor of The Economist, 1974-1984

•               Klaus Kleinfeld (2008), CEO of Siemens AG

•               Rahmi Koç (1994), Turkish business tycoon

•               Idar Kreutzer (2007), CEO of Storebrand

•               Craig Mundie (2008), chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft

•               Egil Myklebust (1997, 2006, 2008), Chairman of the Board of SAS Group

•               Stavros Niarchos (1967, 1968), Greek shipping tycoon

•               Harald Norvik (2006), former CEO of Statoil

•               Jorma Ollila (1997,[3] 2005, 2008), Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell and Nokia Corporation

•               Eivind Reiten (2000), former CEO of Norsk Hydro

•               Eric E. Schmidt (2007, 2008), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Google

•               Jürgen E. Schrempp (1994-1996, 1997,[3] 1998, 1999, 2001-2005, 2006, 2007), former CEO of DaimlerChrysler

•               Ekkehard Schulz (2002, 2005, 2006), CEO of ThyssenKrupp

•               Peter Sutherland (1989-1996, 1997,[3] 2005), former Chairman of BP

•               Sidney Taurel (2007), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eli Lilly

•               Martin Taylor (1993-1996, 1997),[3] former CEO, Barclays

•               Peter A. Thiel (2007, 2008), Co-Founder, PayPal

•               Daniel Vasella (1998, 1999, 2005, 2008), Chairman and CEO of Novartis

•               Jürgen Weber (2004), Chairman of Lufthansa Airline

•               Klaus Zumwinkel (2002-2006), former CEO of Deutsche Post AG

University, institute and other academic

•               Heather Munroe-Blum (1997), Principal and Vice-Chancellor, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

•               Marie-Josée Kravis (1998, 1999, 2008), Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

•               C. Fred Bergsten (1971, 1974, 1984, 1997)[3], President, Peterson Institute

•               Walter Isaacson (2004), President, Aspen Institute

•               Bruce MacLaury (1977), former President, Brookings Institution

•               Victor Halberstadt (1975, 1977, 1978-1999, 2008), Professor of Economics, Leiden University, Former Honorary Secretary General of Bilderberg Meetings, Netherlands

•               Klaus Schwab (1995-1997), founder of the World Economic Forum

•               Laurence Parisot (2007), Head of French MEDEF

•               Marshall McLuhan, Canadian Professor of English literature, literary critic, and communications theorist

•               Michael Boskin (1991), Professor of Economics and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution

•               William Kristol (1995), co-founder of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), member of the American Enterprise Institute, the Manhattan Institute and the Ethics and Public Policy Center

•               Graham Allison (1970, 1971, 1974, 2007), Harvard political scientist and leading analyst of U.S. national security and defense policy with a special interest in nuclear weapons and terrorism

•               Eberhard Sandschneider (2004), political scientist, Director of the Research Institute of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für auswärtige Politik, expert on China

•               Fouad Ajami (2006, 2008), Director, Middle East Studies Program, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

•               Barnett Rubin (2008), Director of Studies and Senior Fellow, Center for International Cooperation, New York University

•               Chester A. Crocker (2008), James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies

•               Martha Farah (2008), Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience; Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

•               Roger Martin (2008), Dean, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

•               Jeffrey Sachs (1990), Professor, Harvard University

•               John Polanyi (1991), Professor of Chemistry, University of Toronto

•               Gerald L. Curtis (1990), Professor of Political Science, Columbia University

•               Aurelio Peccei (1963, 1964, 1966-1968), founder of the Club of Rome

•               Lester Thurow (1977), Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School, former Dean, MIT Sloan School of Management

•               Paul Samuelson (1966, 1970), American Economist, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

•               Andrew W. Cordier (1966, 1970), former President of Columbia University

•               Theodore M. Hesburgh (1975), former President, Notre Dame University

Media

•               Michael Barone (pundit) (2007), journalist

•               John G. Bernander (2002), former head of the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK

•               Lord Black of Crossharbour (1981, 1983, 1985-1996, 1997)[3],Telegraph Chairman

•               Oscar Bronner (2005-2007, 2008), Editor of the Austrian newspaper Der Standard

•               William F. Buckley, Jr. (1975, 1996), founder of National Review and former host of Firing Line

•               Hubert Burda (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005-2007), Owner and CEO of Hubert Burda Media

•               Phillip Crawley (2006), Globe and Mail Publisher

•               Mathias Döpfner (2005-2007), CEO of Axel Springer AG, editing amongst others Die Welt and Bild

•               Esther Dyson (2007), commentator on emerging digital technology

•               Paul Finney (1977), former Managing Editor, Business Week

•               Donald E. Graham (1999, 2008), Chairman of the Board of The Washington Post Company

•               Josef Joffe (1993, 2006), Publisher of Die Zeit

•               Rupert Murdoch (1982, 1988 )

•               Christine Ockrent (1984, 2007, 2008), former first anchor of the 8pm news on the Antenne 2 French TV channel

•               Anthony O’Reilly (1983), Irish media tycoon

•               Norman Podhoretz (1996), Editor, Commentary

•               George Stephanopoulos (1996, 1997[3]), ABC News’s Chief Washington Correspondent, host of ABC’s This Week, senior political adviser to the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign of Bill Clinton and former communications director for Clinton.

•               Arthur Hays Sulzberger (1956, 1957, 1966)

•               Arthur Taylor (1977), former President, CBS

•               Ben J. Wattenberg (1982)

•               Mortimer Zuckerman (1994), publisher/owner of the New York Daily News, current Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News & World Report

Journalists

•               Alexandre Adler (2003), French conservative journalist

•               Paul Gigot (1996, 2008), Editor of the Editorial Page of The Wall Street Journal 2003- present

•               Martin Wolf (1999-2001, 2003-2006), Financial Times columnist

•               Juan Luis Cebrián (1983, 1985, 1987-1990, 1993, 2008), Ex-director of El País Spanish daily newspaper and CEO of PRISA Group

•               Will Hutton (1997)[5]

•               Peter Jennings (1995)

•               George Will (1978, 1981)

•               Charlie Rose (2002, 2008 )

•               Fareed Zakaria (2002, 2005)

•               Andrea Mitchell (2002)

•               Lesley Stahl (1989, 1997)

•               Thomas L. Friedman (1995, 2003)

•               Bill D. Moyers (1967, 1968, 1971, 1973)

•               Jim Hoagland (1993, 1998, 1999, 2002)

•               Vendeline A. H. von Bredow (2006-2008), Business Correspondent for The Economist

•               Adrian D. Wooldridge (2004-2008), Foreign Correspondent for The Economist

Who is this Jesus?

The deeper we go into the Bible and Study the Scriptures, the more we will find slight interpretation. Many churches and denominations have based an entire belief over just a few verses that, when put in the right order, seem to suggest a “secret” that most people glaze over. Occasionally, there is more Scriptural evidence and example to back up these thoughts. Other times, not. One of the biggest fought over ideas is whether or not Jesus was who the church claims He is. Even there, many are divided on just who Jesus really was, and whether or not He still is.

 

The name given to the three-pronged godhead is the Trinity. And that is where the opinion splits. Some don’t believe that there is a Trinity, while others believe there must be. Yet the degree to which each member of the Trinity is not agreed upon either. [1]

 

In some cases, people believe that there is only Jesus. He is the Father and He is the Holy Spirit. There is absolutely no distinction between the three. They are the same “person”. This is to say that while Jesus was on the earth, there was no Father in heaven, because Jesus is the Father. [1]

 

Some believe that Jesus was just a prophet, a man through whom God spoke. Someone who taught us how to live well and follow the teachings of God’s Law. He wasn’t the Son of God, but just someone on God’s team. [2]

 

Still others believe that Jesus was merely a great orator. He spoke fancy words and convinced people to things His way, but they maintain that He couldn’t have been real since there is no God who could’ve sent Him. [3]

 

The most ignorant of all don’t believe that Jesus is real. They say that some people invented the idea of Jesus just to scare people into being what they call “good”. These people are living with a distorted perception. There really is no doubting that Jesus lived, walked the earth, taught people and was killed for His ways. [4]

 

The real question here is not whether Jesus exists (or existed), but the real question is: Who is Jesus? God in entirety? Son of God? Prophet? Teacher? Heretic? I attempt to answer these questions with the oldest and most trustworthy record of the time that these events occurred, some 2000 years ago. I refer, of course, to the Bible.

 

1. As to the fact that there is a separation between the Father, Son, and Spirit: All three are God, and yet each is unique in His place, position and duties.

• No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. –Mark 13:32
  • If Jesus admitted to not knowing what only the Father knew, He couldn’t be the Father Himself.
• Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. –Matthew 28:19
  • Jesus’ command was to make disciples in the name of all three members of the godhead.
• As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” –Matthew 3:16-17
  • In this depiction, the Son, Jesus, is present alongside the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the voice of the Father is heard from heaven. All three are shown separate, so Jesus cannot be the Spirit or the Father. The Spirit cannot be the Son or the Father and the Father cannot be the Son or the Spirit. Here are a few more verses that point to a separation of the three-pronged Godhead if you wish to look them up.
• Genesis 1:26
• Genesis 3:22
• Isaiah 6:3 & 8
• Isaiah 11:2-3 
• Isaiah 42:1
• Isaiah 48:16
• Isaiah 63:10-11
• Matthew 3:11
• Matthew 12:28
• Luke 4:1 & 14
• John 3:34-35
• John 14:26
• John 15:26
• John 16:13
• Acts 10:38
• 2 Corinthians 13:14
• 1 Peter 1:2
• 1 John 5:5-11

 

2. To the point that some say Jesus was not the Son of God, there is quite a bit of Scriptural evidence to the contrary.

• Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:1-3
  • Even Satan knows that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s why Satan hoped to tempt Jesus to slip up in any small way. Of course, it didn’t work.
• The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” – Matthew 26:63-64
  • Here, Jesus admits to the high priest that He is indeed the Son of God.
• As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” –Matthew 3:16-17
  • Again, this reveals to be an important passage. God the Father audibly tells everyone within earshot that Jesus is indeed His Son. I have again included a list of other references to Jesus as the Son of God.
• Matthew 4:6
• Matthew 8:29
• Matthew 14:33
• Matthew 27:40, 43, 54
• Mark 1:1
• Mark 3:11
• Mark 15:39
• Luke 1:35
• Luke 3:38
• Luke 4:3 , 9, 41
• Luke 22:70
• John 1:34, 49
• John 5:25
• John 11:27
• John 19:7
• John 20:31
• Acts 9:20
• Romans 1:4
• 2 Corinthians 1:19
• Galatians 2:20
• Ephesians 4:13
• Hebrews 4:14
• Hebrews 6:6
• Hebrews 7:3
• Hebrews 10:29
• 1 John 3:8
• 1 John 4:15
• 1 John 5:1, 5, 10, 12-13, 20
• Revelation 2:18

 

3. This point is intimately more problematic than most others. To believe that Jesus is God’s Son, you must first believe in God. These verses and facts show that what the Bible says is real. God created the earth and sent His Son Jesus to earth for us. I also list quite a bit of science here, so feel free to browse the topics in bold.

·         Formation of Life: Dead chemicals cannot become alive on their own. The cell is a miniature factory with many active processes, not a simple blob of “protoplasm” as believed in Darwin’s day. Lightening striking a mud puddle or some “warm little pond” will never produce life. This is another view of the core issue of information as the simplest living cell requires a vast amount of information to be present. The “Law of Biogenesis” states that life comes only from prior life. Spontaneous generation has long been shown to be impossible (by Louis Pasteur in 1859). Numerous efforts to bring life from non-life (including the famous Miller-Urey experiment) have not succeeded. The probability of life forming from non-life has been likened to the probability of a tornado going through a junkyard and spontaneously assembling a working 747 airplane. The idea that life on earth may have been seeded from outer space just moves the problem elsewhere.

o         Key reference: Why Abiogenesis is Impossible, Jerry Bergman, CRS Quarterly, Volume 36, March 2000

·         Design of Living Things: Design is apparent in the living world. Even Richard Dawkins in his anti-creation book The Blind Watchmaker admits “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” The amazing defense mechanism of the Bombardier Beetle is a classic example of design in nature, seemingly impossible to explain as the result of accumulating small beneficial changes over time, because if the mechanism doesn’t work perfectly, “boom” – no more beetle! This is also another view of the core issue of information, as the design of living things is the result of processing the information in the DNA (following the blueprint) to produce a working organism.

o         Key reference: The three-part video series Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution describes many more examples like that of the Bombardier Beetle

·         Irreducible Complexity: The idea that “nothing works until everything works.” The classic example is a mousetrap, which is irreducibly complex in that if one of its several pieces is missing or not in the right place, it will not function as a mousetrap and no mice will be caught. The systems, features, and processes of life are irreducibly complex. What good is a circulatory system without a heart? An eye without a brain to interpret the signals? What good is a half-formed wing? Doesn’t matching male and female reproductive machinery need to exist at the same time, fully-functioning if any reproduction is to take place? Remember, natural selection has no foresight, and works to eliminate anything not providing an immediate benefit.

o         Key Reference: Darwin’s Black Box (Behe)

·         Second Law of Thermodynamics: The Second Law of Thermodynamics refers to the universal tendency for things, on their own, to “mix” with their surrounding environment over time, becoming less ordered and eventually reaching a steady-state. A glass of hot water becomes room temperature, buildings decay into rubble, and the stars will eventually burn out leading to the “heat death” of the universe. However, the evolutionary scenario proposes that over time things, on their own, became more ordered and structured. Somehow the energy of a “Big Bang” structured itself into stars, galaxies, planets, and living things, contrary to the Second Law. It is sometimes said that the energy of the Sun was enough to overcome this tendency and allow for the formation of life on earth. However, application of energy alone is not enough to overcome this tendency; the energy must be channeled by a machine. A human must repair a building to keep it from decaying. Likewise, it is the machinery of photosynthesis which harnesses the energy of the Sun, allowing life to exist, and photosynthesis is itself a complex chemical process. The maturing of an acorn into a tree, or a zygote (the first cell resulting from fertilization) into a mature human being does not violate the Second Law as these processes are guided by the information already present in the acorn or zygote.

o         Key reference: The Second Law of Thermodynamics (answersingenesis.org)

·         Existence of the Universe: By definition, something must be eternal (as we have “something” today and something cannot come from “nothing”, so there was never a time when there was “nothing”). Either the universe itself is eternal, or something/someone outside of and greater than the universe is eternal. We know that the universe is not eternal, it had a beginning (as evidenced by its expansion). Therefore, God (the something/someone outside of the universe) must exist and must have created the universe. Einstein showed that space and time are related. If there is no space there is no time. Before the universe was created there was no space and therefore no concept of time. This is hard for us to understand as we are space-time creatures, but it allows for God to be an eternal being, completely consistent with scientific laws. The question “who created God” is therefore an improper/invalid question, as it is a time-based question (concerning the point in time at which God came into existence) but God exists outside of time as the un-caused first cause.

·         Fine-Tuning of Earth for Life: Dozens of parameters are “just right” for life to exist on this planet. For example, if the Earth were just a little closer to the Sun it would be too hot and the ocean’s water would boil away, much further and it would be covered continually in ice. Earth’s circular orbit (to maintain a roughly constant temperature year-round), its rotation speed (to provide days and nights not too long or short), its tilt (to provide seasons), and the presence of the moon (to provide tides to cleanse the oceans) are just some of many other examples.

The presence of large amounts of water, with its amazing special properties, is also required. Water is a rare compound in that it is lighter in a solid state than in a liquid state. This allows ponds to freeze with the ice on the surface allowing the life beneath to survive. Otherwise bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up and become solid ice. Water is also the most universal “solvent” known, allowing for dissolving/mixing with the many different chemicals of life. In fact, our bodies are 75-85% comprised of water.

o         Key reference: The Privileged Planet (Gonzalez/Richards)

·         Fine-Tuning of Physics: The fine-tuning of the physical constants that control the physics of the universe – the settings of the basic forces (strong nuclear force constant, weak nuclear force constant, gravitational force constant, and electromagnetic force constant) are on a knife’s edge. A minor change in these or any of dozens of other universal parameters would make life impossible. The “multiverse” idea that there may be many universes and ours “just happened” to have these proper values is outside of science and could never be proven. Even then we would have to ask “what was the cause of all these universes?”

o       Key reference: Hugh Ross lists about 100 parameters on the Reasons To Believe web site. See also Design and the Anthropic Principle

·         Abrupt Appearance in the Fossil Record: The oldest fossils for any creature are already fully-formed and don’t change much over time (“stasis”). The “Cambrian Explosion” in the “primordial strata” documents the geologically rapid appearance of most major groups of complex animals. There is no evidence of evolution from simpler forms. Birds are said to have evolved from reptiles but no fossil has ever been found having a “half-scale/half-wing”. A reptile breathes using an “in and out” lung (like humans have), but a bird has a “flow-through” lung suitable for moving through the air. Can you even imagine how such a transition of the lung could have taken place? Abrupt appearance and stasis are consistent with the biblical concept of creation “according to its kind”, and a world-wide flood that scoured the earth down to its basement rocks, depositing the “geologic column” and giving the appearance of a “Cambrian Explosion”. Smarter, more mobile creatures would escape the flood waters longer, becoming buried in higher-level strata, leading to a burial order progressing from “simpler” forms to more complex/higher-level forms, which people now wrongly interpret as an evolutionary progression.

o       Key reference: Fossils Q&A (answersingenesis.org)

·         Human Consciousness: A person is a unity of body + mind/soul, the mind/soul being the immaterial part of you that is the real inner you. Chemicals alone cannot explain self-awareness, creativity, reasoning, emotions of love and hate, sensations of pleasure and pain, possessing and remembering experiences, and free will. Reason itself cannot be relied upon if it is based only on blind neurological events.

o       Key reference: The Origin of the Brain and Mind, Brad Harrub and Bert Thompson, CRS Quarterly, Volume 41, June 2004

·         Human Language: Language is one of the main things that separates man from the animals. No animal is capable of achieving anything like human speech, and all attempts to teach chimpanzees to talk have failed. Evolutionists have no explanation for the origin of human language. However, the Bible does. It says that the first man, Adam, was created able to speak. The Bible also explains why we have different human languages, as God had to “confuse” the common language being used in Babel after the flood, in order to force people to spread out around the world as He wanted. This was only a “surface” confusion though, as all languages express the same underlying basic ideas and concepts, enabling other languages to be learned and understood.

o       Key reference: The Mystery of Human Language (Morris, icr.org)

·         Sexual Reproduction: Many creatures reproduce asexually. Why would animals abandon simpler asexual reproduction in favor of more costly and inefficient sexual reproduction? Sexual reproduction is a very complex process that is only useful if fully in place. For sexual reproduction to have evolved complimentary male and female sex organs, sperm and eggs, and all the associated machinery in tandem defies the imagination.

·         The Bible’s Witness: The Bible is true. The history of the Bible is true. The words of the Bible concerning our origins were given to men to write down, by God, who was the only living being present. We were not there! God said He created the universe. God said He created all living things. We know that life is much more than chemicals. God put His life into Adam and that life has been transferred from generation to generation all the way down to us!

o       Key reference: The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict (McDowell)

·         Other Scientific evidence would point out that, at the rate of the magnetic field’s decay, sedimentary layering, population statistics, radio halos, the atmospheric helium content, expansion of space fabric, and the design of both living systems and of the human brain. Some points on these below:

o        Earth’s Magnetic Field Decay: Dr. Thomas Barnes, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at El Paso, has published the definitive work in this field.⁴ Scientific observations since 1829 have shown that the earth’s magnetic field has been measurably decaying at an exponential rate, demonstrating its half-life to be approximately 1,400 years. In practical application its strength 20,000 years ago would approximate that of a magnetic star. Under those conditions many of the atoms necessary for life processes could not form. These data demonstrate that earth’s entire history is young, within a few thousand of years

^o          Global Flood: The Biblical record clearly describes a global Flood during Noah’s day. Additionally, there are hundreds of Flood traditions handed down through cultures all over the world. ⁵ M.E. Clark and Henry Voss have demonstrated the scientific validity of such a Flood providing the sedimentary layering we see on every continent. ⁶ Secular scholars report very rapid sedimentation and periods of great carbonate deposition in earth’s sedimentary layers..⁷ It is now possible to prove the historical reality of the Biblical Flood.⁸

o        Population Statistics: World population growth rate in recent times is about 2% per year. Practicable application of growth rate throughout human history would be about half that number. Wars, disease, famine, etc. have wiped out approximately one third of the population on average every 82 years. Starting with eight people, and applying these growth rates since the Flood of Noah’s day (about 4500 years ago) would give a total human population at just under six billion people. However, application on an evolutionary time scale runs into major difficulties. Starting with one “couple” just 41,000 years ago would give us a total population of 2 x 10⁸⁹. ⁹The universe does not have space to hold so many bodies.

o        Radio Halos: Physicist Robert Gentry has reported isolated radio halos of polonuim-214 in crystalline granite. The half-life of this element is 0.000164 seconds! To record the existence of this element in such short time span, the granite must be in crystalline state instantaneously.¹⁰ This runs counter to evolutionary estimates of 300 million years for granite to form. Recently there have been evolutionists online in newsgroups and on blogs that have claimed Polonium 214 doesn’t exist. Main reason being is because they declare the Granite in the earth’s crust took many millions of years to form and finally cool and Polonium 214 takes less then a second to expend all its half-lifes. In order to save face, some evolutionists have decided to lie and say Polonium 214 simply doesn’t exist. HOWEVER, if you go to http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=15735%2d67%2d8, you will see one of many online Scientific websites that list the element Pulonium 214 to be found on Planet earth. On that page they share evidence that Polonium 214 is in fact a chemical profile that can and has been recorded by many scientists. Praise the Lord we have yet another factoid to prove evolution is a lie of Satan.

o        Atmospheric Helium Content: Physicist Melvin Cook, Nobel Prize medalist found that helium-4 enters our atmosphere from solar wind and radioactive decay of uranium. At present rates our atmosphere would accumulate current helium-4 amounts in less than 10,000 years.¹²

o        Expansion of Space Fabric: Astronomical estimates of the distance to various galaxies gives conflicting data. ¹³The Biblical Record refers to the expansion of space by the Creator14. Astrophysicist Russell Humphries demonstrates that such space expansion would dilate time in distant space.¹⁵ This could explain a recent creation with great distances to the stars

o        Design of Living Systems: A living cell is so awesomely complex that its interdependent components stagger the imagination and defy evolutionary explanations. A minimal cell contains over 60,000 proteins of 100 different configurations.¹⁶ The chance of this assemblage occurring by chance is 1 in 10 ^4,478,296 .¹⁷

o        Design of the Human Brain: The human brain is the most complicated structure in the known universe.¹⁸ It contains over 100 billion cells, each with over 50,000 neuron connections to other brain cells.¹⁹ This structure receives over 100 million separate signals from the total human body every second. If we learned something new every second of our lives, it would take three million years to exhaust the capacity of the human brain. ²⁰ In addition to conscious thought, people can actually reason, anticipate consequences, and devise plans – all without knowing they are doing so.²¹

§   *References for the above 21 notations (1-3 not used above, but are still great references to the same conclusions):

·   ¹Woodmorappe, John, “The Essential Non-Existence of the Evolutionary Uniformitarian Geologic Column: A Quantitative Assessment,” Creation Research Society Quarterly, vol. 18, no.1 (Terre Haute, Indiana, June 1981),pp. 46-71

·   ² Nilsson, N. Heribert, as quoted in Arthur C. Custance, The Earth Before Man, Part II, Doorway Papers, no. 20 (Ontario, Canada: Doorway Publications), p. 51

·   ³Corner, E.J.H., Contemporary Botanical Thought, ed. A.M. MacLeod and L.S. Cobley (Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1961), p. 97

·   ⁴Barnes, Thomas, ICR Technical Monograph #4, Origin and Destiny of the Earth’s Magnetic Field (2^nd edition, 1983)

·   ⁵Blick, Edward, A Scientific Analysis of Genesis (Oklahoma City: Hearthstone, 1991) p. 103

·   ⁶Clark, M.E. and Voss, H.D., “Fluid Mechanic Examination of the Tial Mechanism for Producing Mega-Sedimantary Layering” (Third International Conference on Creation, Pittsburg, July 1994)

·   ⁷Ager, Derek, The Nature of the Stratigraphical Record (New York: John Wiley and Sons) p. 43 and p. 86

·   ⁸West, John Anthony, Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt (New York: Julian Press, 1987) pp. 13-14

·   ⁹ See Morris, Henry, Scientific Creationism (El Cajon, CA: Master Books)

·   ¹⁰Gentry, Robert, Creation’s Tiny Mystery (Knoxville, Tenn.: Earth Science Assoc.,1988 )

·   ¹¹ Baugh, Carl, Why Do Men Believe Evolution AGAINST ALL ODDS? (Oklahoma City: Hearthstone, 1999)

·   ¹²Cook, Melvin, “Where is The Earth’s Radiogenic Helium?” Nature, Vol. 179, p. 213

·   ¹³Cowan, R., “Further Evidence of a Youthful Universe,” Science News, Vol. 148, p. 166

·   ¹⁴Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 40:22

·   ¹⁵Humphries, Russell, Starlight and Time (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1994)

·   ¹⁶Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Bethesda, Maryland: Adler & Adler, 1986) p. 263

·   ¹⁷ Mastropaolo, Joseph, “Evolution Is Biologically Impossible,” Impact # 317 (El Cajon, CA: Institute For Creation Research,1999) p. 4

·   ¹⁸Restak, Richard, The Brain: The Last Frontier, 1979, p. 390

·   ¹⁹The Brain, Our Universe Within, PBS Video

·   ²⁰Wonders of God’s Creation, Moody Video Series

·   ²¹Weiss, Joseph, “Unconscious Mental Functioning,” Scientific American, March 1990, p. 103

 

4. Some would ask, “How is believing in God different than believing in Jesus?” In this context, many do believe in God the Father and Creator, but not that Jesus was His Son, or that He even existed.  Some of the evidence given to point 3 could be attributed to Jesus. The fact is, Jesus walked the earth. He spoke, He taught, He shook things up. There are a lot of Biblical New Testament examples of Jesus speaking to, and appearing before large groups of people in very public places. However, most non-believers exclude anything the Bible says automatically and without consideration of the many different peoples who penned the pages. Here are some of the extra-biblical references I’ve found:

·         Ask yourself: Could a person who never lived have affected human history so remarkably? The reference work The Historians’ History of the World observed: “The historical result of [Jesus’] activities was more momentous, even from a strictly secular standpoint, than the deeds of any other character of history. A new era, recognized by the chief civilizations of the world, dates from his birth.”
Critics, nevertheless, point out that all that we really know about Jesus is found in the Bible. No other contemporary records concerning him exist. But is this true?

Yes, think about it. Even calendars today are based on the year that Jesus was thought to have been born. “Dates before that year are listed as B.C., or before Christ,” explains The World Book Encyclopedia. “Dates after that year are listed as A.D., or anno Domini (in the year of our Lord).”

Although references to Jesus Christ by early secular historians are meager, such references do exist.

 

·         Cornelius Tacitus, a respected first-century Roman historian, wrote: “The name [Christian] is derived from Christ, whom the procurator Pontius Pilate had executed in the reign of Tiberius.” Tacitus lived from A.D. 55 to A.D. 120. He was a Roman historian and has been described as the greatest historian of Rome, noted for his integrity and moral uprightness. His most famous works are the Annals and the Histories. The Annals relate the historical narrative from Augustus’ death in A.D.14 to Nero’s death in A.D. 68. The Histories begin their narrative after Nero’s death and finish with Domitian’s death in A.D. 96. In his section describing Nero’s decision to blame the fire of Rome on the Christians, Tacitus affirms that the founder of Christianity, a man he calls Chrestus (a common misspelling of Christ, which was Jesus’ surname), was executed by Pilate, the procurator of Judea during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberias. Tacitus was hostile to Christianity because in the same paragraph he describes Christus’ or Christ’s death, he describes Christianity as a pernicious superstition. It would have therefore been in his interests to declare that Jesus had never existed, but he did not, and perhaps he did not because he could not without betraying the historical record. See —THE COMPLETE WORKS OF TACITUS (NEW YORK, 1942), “THE ANNALS,” BOOK 15, PAR. 44.

 

·         Suetonius and Pliny the Younger, other Roman writers of the time, also referred to Christ. Suetonius was a Roman historian and a court official in Emperor Hadrian’s government. In his Life of Claudius he refers to Claudius expelling Jews from Rome on account of their activities on behalf of a man Suetonius calls Chrestus [another misspelling of Christus or Christ]. Pliny was the Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor (AD. 112). He was responsible for executing Christians for not worshipping or bowing down to a statue of the emperor Trajan. In a letter to the emperor Trajan, he describes how the people on trial for being Christians would describe how they sang songs to Christ because he was a god.

 

·         Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, wrote of the stoning of James*, whom he identified as “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” Josephus was a Jewish historian who was born in either 37 or 38 AD and died some time after 100 AD. He wrote the Jewish Antiquites and in one famous passage described Jesus as a wise man, a doer of wonderful works and calls him the Christ. He also affirmed that Jesus was executed by Pilate and actually rose from the dead! (*THE JEWISH ANTIQUITIES, JOSEPHUS, BOOK XX, SEC. 200)

 

·         Lucian of Samosata was a Greek satirist of the latter half of the second century. He therefore lived within two hundred years of Jesus. Lucian was hostile to Christianity and openly mocked it. He particularly objected to the fact that Christians worshipped a man. He does not mention Jesus’ name, but the reference to the man Christians worship is a reference to Jesus.

 

·         Mara Bar-Serepion Some time after 70 A.D., Mara Bar-Sarapion (spelled either Se- or Sa-), who was probably a Stoic philosopher, wrote a letter to his son in which he describes how the Jews executed their King. Claiming to be a king was one of the charges the religious authorities used to scare Pontius Pilate into agreeing to execute Jesus.

·         Common Sense Factor: Why would apostles of Jesus allow themselves to martyred in such horrific ways if they knew Jesus wasn’t real? All except John were killed for their faith, each separate from one another. “EVIDENCE IN MUSEUM?”As it did with the Hebrew Scriptures, archaeology has brought to light many interesting artifacts in support of the inspired record contained in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
For instance– Pontius Pilate Inscription. It was in 1961 that the first archaeological find was made with reference to Pontius Pilate. ( the person who put Jesus to death) This was a stone slab located at Caesarea, which bore in Latin the name of Pontius Pilate
To mention only one, as there are literally hundreds of artifacts relating to everything Jesus said and did. All the people Jesus mentioned; there is proof they existed, all the places he said he visited, there is proof these places did exist, and so on.
To put is simply, if we are to doubt the historicity of Jesus, we must also doubt the historicity of ones like, Alexander the Great and Napoleon, as there is more evidence of Jesus existence than of theirs.

“BIBLE ALL HEARSAY, WHERES THE PROOF?”
How can we be sure the Bible has not been changed?

 

With reference to early non-Christian historical references to Jesus, THE NEW ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA states: “These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus “(1976), MACROPÆDIA, VOL. 10, P. 145.

 

Not “hearsay”, here are some examples of why the Bible is believable as the Word of God—

1. It is filled with prophecies reflecting detailed knowledge of the future—something impossible for humans. Some of them have occurred, some are occurring, and some are yet to occur. Jesus fulfilled many of them Himself. Remember that the contents of the Bible was written during a span stretching over 1600 years.

2. Its contents are scientifically sound on matters that human researchers discovered only at a later date. One such example is the existence of King David. Many didn’t believe that such a man existed until the last couple hundred years, when more evidence was found to back his reign as king.

3. Its internal harmony is significant. The four gospels, for example, were written by different men at different times in different areas. They are not all filled with exactly the same stories and situations, but what is in one may be in another, and nothing in any is disproof of another’s writings. They tell thee same story from four different views.
Other aspects of Biblical harmony is shown by the fact that the books of the Bible were recorded by some 40 men as diverse as king, prophet, herdsman, tax collector, and physician. They did the writing over a period of 1,600+ years; so there was no opportunity for collusion. Yet their writings agree, even in the smallest details. This is further proved by the point that the Bible wasn’t “put together” as a whole until long after all pieces were written. To appreciate the extent to which the various portions of the Bible are harmoniously intertwined, you must read and study it personally.

“In the number of ancient MSS. [manuscripts] attesting a writing, and in the number of years that had elapsed between the original and the attesting MSS., the Bible enjoys a decided advantage over classical writings [those of Homer, Plato, and others]. . . . Altogether classical MSS. are but a handful compared with Biblical. No ancient book is so well attested as the Bible.”—The Bible From the Beginning (New York, 1929), P. Marion Simms, pp. 74, 76.

A report published in 1971 shows that there are possibly 6,000 handwritten copies containing all or part of the Hebrew Scriptures; the oldest dates back to the third century B.C.E. Of the Christian Greek Scriptures, there are some 5,000 in Greek, the oldest dating back to the beginning of the second century C.E. There are also many copies of early translations into other languages.

In the introduction to his seven volumes on The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, Sir Frederic Kenyon wrote: “The first and most important conclusion derived from the examination of them [the papyri] is the satisfactory one that they confirm the essential soundness of the existing texts. No striking or fundamental variation is shown either in the Old or the New Testament. There are no important omissions or additions of passages, and no variations which affect vital facts or doctrines. The variations of text affect minor matters, such as the order of words or the precise words used . . . But their essential importance is their confirmation, by evidence of an earlier date than was hitherto available, of the integrity of our existing texts.”—(London, 1933), p. 15.

 

One must conclude that, based on all of this evidence, there must have existed the man Jesus. The recorded writings of His life must be true. He did what the Bible says He did, walked where it says He walked, died as it says He died, rose from the dead as it says He did. All of these things happened. Even those who saw this and still didn’t accept Him as the Son of God agree that He was a magnificent speaker, teacher, a moral man without fault, and that He died and rose from death. They wouldn’t accept Him for reasons of selfish nature, be it fear (as the Pharisees), pride, or traditional religious belief. But 2000 some years later, we know what is lasting. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What will you choose?

The Church’s ‘What if…?’

The church’s “What if…?”

Written by Justin Lessard

 The word “church” has lost its meaning in today’s world. Originally, the word church referred to a body of believers, a fellowship of saints, a group of two or more who were gathered in the Name of Christ. The members often described as the saints, believers, the faithful, the witnesses for God and the household of God. It is not meant to describe the building in which they met, the stone walls that stood around them. The church IS the people of God.

 

The organization of the early churches was not governed by a rigged plan that each church had to follow. Instead, the body felt free to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to developing a structure that would contribute to fulfilling those responsibilities. The primary goal was to respond to, and follow without restraint, the very Word of God, and the very instruction of God. They were not reining one over another. Instead, each church felt free to witness, testify, teach, instruct, encourage, edify, pray for, build up and bless others any way, time, form or shape that they could.

 

Church is not about how bright the stained-glass windows are. It’s not about our sound systems, or our gymnasiums. It isn’t even about the decorating committee’s decision for the new addition’s bathrooms. It is about reaching the lost for Jesus. It is about reaching out to a homeless man, a battered woman, a suicidal teen, a single mother prostituting, and a drunken addict. They won’t care so much if the new bathroom is covered in vines of fish decor. They will care that you extended your hand, invited them in again and again, and offered a shoulder to cry on, an ear to hear, and arms to hold. If the church weren’t so self-involved, we might actually make our Father proud. I thank God for comfortable seats, quality sound systems, carpeted floors, track lighting and fine decor; but not at the cost of losing the lost. Our focus needs to remain the same as those who reached out to us when we were unsaved. We have lavish luxury on a lifeboat, while sinners sink into hell.

 

What would happen if we, in today’s church responded similarly to the cry of the Holy Spirit?

What would happen if we gathered for a prayer meeting all night and God came suddenly?

What would happen if we decided that we were going to do whatever it takes to follow God?

What would happen if we laid every single earthly thing down and go after Him for a change?

What would happen if we said, “Okay, God. I’m going after You.”?

What would happen if we threw out our television, our computer, our magazines, and went whole heartedly after the will of our Father?

 

Now turn the focus from an individual standpoint to a group perspective.

What would happen if the church decided to go more after God than after man?

What would happen if we weren’t as concerned as to how long service is or how long I have to stand to worship God?

What would happen if we said, “God, I’m going after You and I don’t care what it takes!”?

 

We might make our Father proud. We might receive the REAL blessing. We might reach others who are sinking and hand them a raft. And a map and compass. We would be able to do more than tell them where they need to be, but we can show them the way and tell them how to get there.

 

So, what would happen if we really loved our neighbor more than our self? We would get out of our house, knock on their door and invite them for dinner. We would reach out. But only if we really loved them. Only if the love of Christ really dwells within us.

 So, does it? Then go fishing.