For those who love/like Batman

If you like Batman, you will love to see the actors that have played the character throughout the years.

I hope you like it.

Here it's the link.

You want to know how long animals live, here it's a chart.

Is Jesus the only way? A lecture by apologist Mike Licona

via Wintery Knight 

Summary:

• even in the ancient world, Christians were persecuted for their exclusivity
• some people feel that exclusivity is unfair, but feelings don’t determine truth
• there are three views of salvation: universalism, inclusivism, and exclusivism
• does the Bible teach universalism?
• Paul writes that sincerity is not enough to be saved (see verse below)
• Paul writes that an accurate view of God is required to be saved
• Paul writes that those who reject Christ will not be saved
• John also writes that those who reject Jesus will not be saved
• Jesus says that you have to have true beliefs about him to be saved
• Jesus says that the way to salvation is narrow and few find it
• there is broad agreement across the New Testament for exclusivism
• the earliest Christians held to exclusive salvation
• the probability, historically, that Jesus made exclusive claims, is high
• what about those who have never heard the gospel?
• what about babies and the mentally handicapped?
• what about those who are sincere but don’t believe?
• what about the obligation to be tolerant?

Is Jesus the Only Way? from Mike Licona on Vimeo.

Paula White was one of Ralph Messer's first victims

Like I said in my previous post, and do believe that the issue is that Ralph Messer picks those who has gone through some sort of ministry scandal, and goes to them, and does his thing to make them feel better. These people are so desperate to be affirmed, that they are willing to open their arms to him. 

Apparently, Paula White was no exception.

An Orlando-area rabbi, upset that Florida-based televangelist Paula White strongly denied participating in "scroll-wrapping" considered "repulsive and inappropriate" by some Jewish religious scholars, submitted a video that seemingly corroborates that such an act did occur.

Maybe what she thought was that she was not proclaimed queen, at least not in that video, which is some time ago.

This is how the story came about:

On Friday afternoon, Feb. 3, the West Orlando News Online reported "rumors that Messer will be in Orlando over the week-end to crown pastor Paula White, new leader of the New Destiny Christian Center (NDCC), queen."
At 6 p.m. that Friday evening - just after the Florida Courier broke a story on the Internet addressing rumors of White's possible 'coronation' - Messer became the focus of discussion on Orlando's WEUS-AM 810, a local talk radio station.
Host Don Miller of "The Don Miller Show" harshly criticized both Long and Messer. One of the featured guests on the show Rabbi Ira Michaelson of the Beth Tefillah congregation in Clermont, just outside of Orlando.
About 10 minutes into the broadcast, Miller confirmed that he heard rumors that Messer was coming to Orlando "to do this" (another Eddie Long-style 'coronation') at another church." 

Messer does seem to have an affinity to pick those he wants to proclaim kings and queens. Who does he think he is? God?? But read why he picked on "poor" Paula.

In response, Michaelson said, "He actually already did this to Paula White some years ago...this was after she was divorced from Randy White and before the scandal with Benny Hinn came out. He took her and wrapped her in a scroll and said the same thing - 'I'm wrapping you in the Word of God.'"

Smart, isn't it? Long and White are desperate for affirmation after they've had a rough patch, either being their fault or created, and then comes Messer, to proclaim them king or queen, to cover them with the Torah, so no one can again attack them.

Silliness, and both Long and White should have known better. Hopefully Messer is run out of town, and of offerings so he won't be doing his show anymore.

Watch the video:

Eddy Long apologizes for being crowned king

This news has gone full circle, and now Eddy Long apologizes for being a clown. CNN reports.

"The ceremony was not my suggestion, nor was it my intent, to participate in any ritual that is offensive in any manner to the Jewish community, or any group. Furthermore, I sincerely denounce any action that depicts me as a King, for I am merely just a servant of the Lord," Long wrote in a letter dated Saturday.The letter was addressed to Bill Nigut, southeast regional director of the Anti-Defamation League -- a Jewish group that fights anti-Semitism."While I believe that Rabbi Ralph Messer has good intentions during his message at New Birth, I understand that the ceremony he performed on Sunday, January 29th, caused harm to the Jewish community, for which I am deeply sorry," Long wrote.

I am willing to accept that he didn't know what was going to happen. Apparently, Messer has been crowning or pretending to surround people with the Torah for some time, and particularly those who have had some sort of ministry scandal.

Rabbi Hillel Norry of Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta said last week the ceremony was "ridiculous." There's no Jewish coronation ceremony where someone is wrapped in a Torah and made a king, he said. 

"We just don't do that. We treat it with deference," Norry said of the Torah. "It's not a shawl, not a crown. Don't treat it that way."

As I said in my previous post, there's no such ritual in Judaism. But I guess, now all the flak is coming Messer's way.

Norry said Messer doesn't appear to be an ordained rabbi in the Jewish faith. He also doubts that the Torah scroll that Long was wrapped in is actually 312 years old, and had somehow escaped detection in a concentration camp.

 I doubt that he knows anything about Judaism, and is just taking advantage of the ignorance of his gullible audience.

But like I said, Messer seems to always target those leaders who are in need of a boost.

Two years ago, Long's public image took a hit when four young men accused him of misusing his spiritual authority to coerce them into sexual relations. He settled out of court. Long's wife, Vanessa, filed for divorce last year.

In my next post, I will also mention another of Messer's victims, who needed a boost after her divorce.

The Visual Bible

A good graphic that is trying to visualise the Bible. If you notice, Titus is not there, but it will be fixed shortly. You can check out more resources here.

Stealing ice? Only in Chile!!!!!

Well, I must confess, I am married to a Chilean, but still, I find this news very perplexing.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Police in Chile say they’ve stopped cold a scheme to steal ice from a disappearing glacier.The plan was to deliver five tons of ice carved out of icebergs from the Jorge Montt glacier to upscale bars and restaurants in the capital for use as ice cubes, authorities said Friday.

I wonder if they would sell it more expensive since it is a glacier?? Notice, the ice was destined for "upscale" bars and restaurants, not for the common folks.

The ice was loaded onto a boat and carried to the town of Caleta Tortel, and then put on a refrigerator truck, with plans to drive it over gravel and dirt roads, ferries and highways, a trip of more than 1,400 miles (2,200 kilometers) to Santiago. 

Wow, such a long trip just for ice cubes!! Insane!!

If you want to read more, see the link provided at the beginning. Messed up people if they want to steal ice.

Messianic Jews and Jews are offended by what transpired with Eddy Long. Well, I am too!!

Yesterday's post showed a video of Eddy Long being proclaimed "king" and being shrouded in the Torah, as a spectacle, yes, spectacle, of proclaiming him as having a new rebirth.

Now we find that there are some Messianic Jews, as well as plain Jews, who are not happy with the parody done a Long's church. The story makes for an interesting read.

Jewish leaders are criticizing a ceremony that involved a controversial megachurch leader being wrapped in a religious scroll and exalted as a "king" to the applause of his parishioners.
The video from a service last Sunday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church shows Rabbi Ralph Messer, a Messianic preacher, instructing two men to slowly wrap Bishop Eddie Long in a large scroll that's purported to be the Torah.

Well, and not only two men touching the Torah, a woman also. That's for Orthodox Jews a big NO NO. And it's a shame that such a club is called "Baptist Church".

But here comes the criticism from the messianic jews:

Messianic Jews believe that Jesus Christ, or Yeshua, is the Messiah, putting them at odds with traditional Jewish theology. Most Jews consider the faith to be a form of evangelical Christianity.Rabbi David Shiff of Congregation Beth Hallel, a Messianic Jewish synagogue in Roswell, condemned the actions in the video."Ralph Messer in no way represents Messianic Judaism," Shiff said. "He is not affiliated with any legitimate branch of Messianic Judaism. His actions in no way reflect the position of Messianic Judaism. I found the presentation to be repulsive and inappropriate." 

He is right to condemned them. Messer knows the Judaism that he wants to know. We don't have any data saying that they used to wrap the king with the Torah, rather, that the Torah was supposed to be at the King's side, Deut. 17:18. So he should read it, not wrap himself with it!

But also no-Messianic Jews have criticised this pathetic show:

The Torah is one of Judaism's most sacred objects and Jewish groups said the notion that it was used in a ceremony at the church was offensive."The notion that he wraps Bishop Long in a Torah is horrifying simply because it's completely inappropriate. It's an awful way to use the Torah," said Bill Nigut of the Anti-Defamation League. "And it doesn't in any way approximate any Jewish ritual." 

It is the truth, there is no ritual in Judaism for what Messer passed as a Jewish enthronement,  or whatever he wanted to call his show.

The club, I mean, the church offered a statement:

Long's church, which is in Lithonia east of Atlanta, issued a statement from Messer saying that the ceremony was based on a passage from the Old Testament on restoring the Kingdom of David."My message was about restoring a man and to encourage his walk in the Lord," Messer said in the statement. "The presentation of the Scroll of Torah was simply a way of bringing honor to a man who had given his life to the Lord and had given so much to his church, the Atlanta metro area and throughout the world."It was not to make Bishop Eddie L. Long a king."

I wonder what passage he is talking about, since I don't find it anywhere in Scripture.

And he was not to make Eddie L. Long a king? He needs to watch his own video.

If you want to see why people mock Christianity, this is a good example

For those rockets enthusiast like me

My brother Carlos, mentioned to me the other day that he remembered a book that had all the rockets in the world that I had when we were kids.

Well, now, in his honour, I post this picture, which I hope him and many others will enjoy.

If you want to see it bigger, see this website.