The Plain Truth

Today Mark's God's Feast of Tabernacles ... Feast of what?

By Bob Barney  (originally published Sept 30, 2009)
      Most of our readers probably have never heard of the Feast of Tabernacles, but

it is in the Bible! In fact, this week meaning to God is so important that the Bible predicts that after Jesus returns to this earth, he will punish all who refuse to keep this feast! Read on for the proof. Again, like for the Day of Atonement, I am going to use the writing of Herbert Armstrong concerning this holiday. He does the subject much better than I can. The only difference that I have with his argument is the date he and most of the other feast keeping churches follow. Since they follow the Jewish calendar, and not the calendar of Moses (e-mail us for proof on the true calendar) and Jesus, they are often following the feast days on the wrong days. I am not sure if God is all that worried about this however....

FEAST OF TABERNACLES AND LAST GREAT DAY
Herbert Armstrong

NOW WE come to the festival of Tabernacles -- or Feast of Booths -- the sixth festival. Let us notice the instruction concerning this occasion:

     "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine. And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter ....Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice ... and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee" (Deut. 16:13-17).

     Here is the Festival of Tabernacles, to be kept for seven days, beginning the 15th day of the seventh month of God's sacred calendar. Notice Leviticus 23:33-35: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work therein."

     On the first of these days is a holy convocation -- a commanded assembly. No work is to be done. "... And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days .... It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month" (Lev. 23:40-41).

     Notice that it is commanded forever.

     Here are pictured those final culminating events in God's great plan: after Christ has died for our sins to redeem mankind -- after He has sent us the Holy Spirit and picked out a people for His Name to become kings and priests through the thousand years -- after His glorious Second Coming -- after He has finally restored the redeemed by placing all the sins upon the head of Satan, their real author, and separating both him and the sins from the presence of God and His people, thus finally perfecting the at-one-ment, making us finally joined in one -- then we are ready for that final series of events, the commencement of the "Marriage of the Lamb," the actual making of the New Covenant, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and the reaping of the great harvest of souls for a thousand years.

     This festival is the picture of the Millennium!

Satan's plan to erase 'sin'

Tony Stewart - Is "dead weight" sleeping with the fishes?

This is an update to our story: Is Tony Stewart's Dead Weight, his girlfriend? Won't Say!

By Jim Pedley | Managing Editor
RacinToday.com

Last Sunday’s Sprint Cup victory by Tony Stewart in New Hampshire came with a built-in mystery. A mystery complete with a John Doe victim.

Stewart himself prologued the mystery when he gave an excited, impassioned Victory Lane television interview after winning the Sylvania 300.

During that interview, Stewart was asked why he has won two Chase races in a row after having gone winless during the 26-race non-playoff portion of the 2011 season.

Stewart, in part, said, “Well, we got rid of some dead weight earlier this week. So, it made it a lot easier. It’s been a big weight lifted off our shoulders. Just sometimes you have to make adjustments in your life and we did that and it has definitely helped this weekend for sure.”

The TV reporter, of course, moved on without inquiring about the identity of the mangled victim(s) who was suddenly lying under the bus.

During the portion of post-race interviews held inside the media center at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, other reporters attempted to dig a little deeper.

Stewart’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, was the first to get to the dais in the media center. He

Is somebody missing from this picture from earlier in the year? (RacinToday/HHP photo by Erik J. Perel)

was asked what Stewart was referring to in Victory Lane.

“I’ve heard a lot of people talk about it,” Grubb said. “But I haven’t heard what he was talking about.  I know he went and did a lot of dirt racing and had a lot of fun this week, kind of unloaded everything. Maybe it was a lot of dead weight off his mind.

Grubb was then asked if there were any personnel changes on the team.

“Not that I know of,” Grubb said. “Maybe he’s talking about me and I just don’t know it yet.”

That response was met by laughter.

Stewart was next to the dais and the laughter ceased in mid ha-ha.

Things went like this as soon as the interview was thrown over to the media.

Question: “Tony, ever since you were on TV in Victory Lane, the buzz all around the track and Internet is wondering what you meant when you said, ‘We dropped some dead weight earlier this week’.”

Stewart:   Read More>>>>>>>>>>

Is Tony Stewart's Dead Weight, his girlfriend? Won't Say!

LOUDON, N.H. – Tony Stewart apparently wanted to send a message after his victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday, but he is keeping the details of his curious public comment on a need-to-know basis.

After his victory in the Sylvania 300, Stewart said on national television: “We got rid of some dead weight earlier this week, so it made it a lot easier. It’s been a big weight lifted off our shoulders – just sometimes you have to make adjustments in your life and we did that and it has definitely helped.”

What exactly was he referring to? Stewart wouldn’t say afterward.   MORE>>>>>>

President Abbas declares 'Palestinian Spring'

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians cheering and waving flags gave President Mahmoud Abbas a hero's welcome in the West Bank Sunday, as he told them triumphantly a "Palestinian Spring" had been born following his historic speech to the U.N. last week.

Abbas' popularity has skyrocketed since he asked the U.N. on Friday to recognize Palestinian independence, defying appeals from Israel and the United States to return to peace talks. His request has pushed the region into uncharted waters, and left the international community scrambling over how to respond. MORE>>>>>>>

Charles Spurgeon Sermon - The Day of Atonement

A VERY good Sermon, delivered 150 years ago.....

The Day of Atonement is for Christians

FROM: United Church of God

The Day of Atonement, as a Christian festival, reminds us that the atoning sacrifice of Christ is not only for individual Christians in this age but for the forgiveness and reconciliation of all people.

What was the significance of the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel?

"This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls [by fasting], and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD" (Leviticus:16:29-30[29]And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:[30]For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.).

On the Day of Atonement each year the nation of ancient Israel was figuratively cleansed from its sins. This figurative cleansing was only a type of a spiritual cleansing that will occur first for the people of Israel, and then for the rest of the world, after Christ returns.
How will this universal reconciliation with God be brought about?

Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasping his garment and saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you'" (Zechariah:8:22-23[22]Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.[23]Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you., NRSV).

Starting from Jerusalem, in a restored and spiritually cleansed nation of Israel (Ezekiel:37:21-28[21]And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:[22]And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.[23]Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.[24]And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.[25]And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.[26]Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.[27]My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.[28]And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.), Christ will begin the process of extending this reconciliation to all peoples until the whole world repents and is at one with God.
What is the real and permanent atonement for a person's sins?

"In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John:4:10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins., New Revised Standard Version).

"This righteousness [justification] from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood" (Romans:3:22-25[22]Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:[23]For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;[24]Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:[25]Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;, NIV).

Jesus died as the reconciling sacrifice for the sins of every human being so that humanity—the entire world—can at last be reconciled to God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.). The Day of Atonement represents the fifth step in God's master plan for the salvation of mankind.

This part of God's plan was depicted on the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel by two special sacrificial animals that were ceremonially set apart to represent reconciling the people to God, for figuratively cleansing them of their sins. But no animal sacrifice is adequate to cleanse us from our sins. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" (Hebrews:10:4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.).

Two goats were figurative bearers of guilt. Both had all the sins of the people symbolically placed on them. One goat was left alive but banished to a wilderness. The other, representing Jesus, was killed as a sacrifice for sins (Leviticus:16:6-10[6]And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.[7]And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.[8]And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.[9]And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.[10]But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness., 15-16). In this drama the banished live goat represented Satan's part in the people's sins. The slain goat, picturing Christ, represented Him taking on Himself the penalty for the people's sins.

Ceremonies on this day even pointed to the cleansing, or forgiving, through an atoning sacrifice, of sins committed in ignorance.

"But into the second part [of the tabernacle] the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing" (Hebrews:9:7-8[7]But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:[8]The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:).

Why was the "Holiest of All," the inner room of the tabernacle that symbolized direct access to God, not opened to the entire congregation "while the first tabernacle was still standing"? Because the atoning sacrifice of Christ had not yet been made. Only His sacrifice, not the sacrifice of animals, can truly atone for our sins. Anciently the Day of Atonement signified that Jesus would become the atoning sacrifice for humanity.
How do we know Christ's death is the atoning sacrifice for mankind?

"... We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John:2:1-2[1]My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:[2]And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world., New Revised Standard Version).

Paul confirms that "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them ..." (2 Corinthians:5:19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation., NRSV). The American Heritage Dictionary, electronic edition, defines the theological meaning of the word atonement as "reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and human beings." The Day of Atonement points to the time in the future when God will reconcile humanity to Himself through Christ. "Atone," in English, means literally "at one." The Day of Atonement represents the time when humanity will at last be at one with God, no longer separated from Him.

Why is atonement for mankind necessary? It is required for two reasons. First, "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ ..." (2 Corinthians:4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them., NIV). Second, humans are "darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart" (Ephesians:4:18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:, NRSV). People's hardness of heart, caused by a combination of ignorance and human nature together with Satan's influence, has led them to sin and fall short of God's glory (Romans:3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;).
When will God remove Satan's influence?

"And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended" (Revelation:20:1-3, NIV).

Immediately after Christ returns, God will banish Satan for 1,000 years. This will fulfill God's earlier pledge, in the presence of Adam and Eve, that the coming Seed (the Messiah) would "bruise" (impair and disable) Satan's "head"—his leadership and influence over mankind (Genesis:3:15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.).
How will God begin to remove mankind's hardness of heart?

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter:3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance., NIV).

With Satan banished and his deceptive and destructive influence removed, Christ will begin dispelling the hardness of heart caused by ignorance and human nature by teaching everyone how to repent. The Day of Atonement, as a Christian festival, reminds us that the atoning sacrifice of Christ is not only for individual Christians in this age but for the forgiveness and reconciliation of all people. This atonement paves the way for Christ to gather all people—as many as are willing—into God's Kingdom during Jesus' 1,000-year reign after Satan's banishment.

‹ The Feast of Trumpets                                             The Feast of Tabernacles ›

Day of Atonement (Christian holiday)

By Bob Barney

 

Forward:  Most of the following is from Wikipedia and is not my words. The basic fact is that this holy day is not only biblical, it should be followed today, and it will be required in the millennium for all to observe. The fact that our position on the calendar differs substantially from the Jewish calendar and most of the Sabbath observing world is based on what the Bible itself claims about God's calendar. The lunar/solar calendar observed by most Jews is simply not Biblical and in fact, is of Babylonian heritage. It is a different calendar than Moses followed, nor is it the calendar that the  Essenes followed. It is very doubtful Jesus followed it, as his Passover was a full day before the Jews. I know the claim that the Last Supper was instituted a day before the real Passover (as Herbert Armstrong maintained) but the Bible plainly shows that Jesus' last supper was on Passover! Clearly, the Jews were not observing the same one. Historians such as Roland  DeVaux have proven quite convincingly that the ancient Hebrew calendar was only 360 days long, comprising of 12-30 day months. Five and every 4  years, 6 days were added   at the end of the year to make up for the shortfall created by a 360 year in a real world time of 365-1/4 day solar year. 

The Christian Day of Atonement is an English translation of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. The Bible calls the day Yom  Hakippurim (Hebrew, "Day of the Atonements"). The day is commemorated with a 25-hour fast by Jews, but normally a 24 hour fast by  Christians who observe it. While not observed by the mainstream of Christianity, the small Christian groups (mostly those with origins in the old Worldwide Church of God) that do observe it usually refer to it as the Day of Atonement.

Some Christians with an interest in Biblical Eschatology believe that the Day of Atonement, the sixth of the Feasts of Israel, will mark the very last day of this age. They believe that the Day of Atonement will be the final day to repent and that this epic future day in holy history will come on the eve of the Last Judgement.

 

Those who do observe this day normally observe it from sunset the night before until sunset of the day listed above (see Leviticus 23:32), similar to the Jewish observance. Some groups keep the biblical holy days on slightly different dates according to their understanding of when does the first day of the month occur. Those that believe the first day of the month is at the first appearance of the crescent moon will keep the Day of Atonement and the other Holy Days on slightly different dates than those listed here. We hold, however, that this is not biblical at all and that the Hebrew month has no correlation at all to the moon, as our months (literally  "moonths") have no real correlation to the moon today.

Biblical origin

 

The original rites and practices for the Day of Atonement are set forth in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus (cf. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27-31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7-11). It is considered to be a time for fasting, on which no food or drink are be consumed. Leviticus 16:9-10,20-22 states,

 

And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness... And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. (NKJV)

Christians who observe it note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat). Specifically, regarding the latter, they cite the following passage from Revelation 20:1-3:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

Those who observe it believe that the suitable man in Leviticus 16 is a parallel to the angel that binds Satan and casts him away in Revelation 20.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul refers to it as "the Fast" (Acts 27:9).

 

Jewish groups typically teach, "The Day of Atonement absolves from sins against God, but not from sins against a fellow man unless the pardon of the offended person be secured" (Mishnah tractate Yoma 8:9). Hence the custom of terminating on the eve of the fast day (or in the 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) all feuds and disputes. Even the souls of the dead are included in the community of those pardoned on the Day of Atonement. It is customary for children to have public mention made in the synagogue of their departed parents, and to make charitable gifts on behalf of their souls." Many believe that Jewish tradition is not scripturally valid in all aspects of its teaching. Much of Jewish practice is not strictly based on scripture itself.

 

Some believe proper observance of the Day of Atonement according to scripture requires the following:

• A person must be validly baptized by a valid baptizer according to scriptural mandates
• Fasting
• Asking God to bring to memory any sins committed and honestly repenting of them
• Assembling as a Holy Congregation and making an offering unto the Lord

Christians that observe the Day of Atonement normally teach that on that day they are to be at one with God and that fasting humbles them and makes them realize how dependent they are on God for all their needs. They also believe that they are dependent upon the sacrifice of Jesus for their salvation, and that Satan plays a role in encouraging people to sin.

One group that observes the Day of Atonement, the Living Church of God, states in their booklet The Holy Days:

Old Testament meaning

A day of fasting and repentance, known to the Jews as Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23:26-32)

New Testament meaning

Pictures the binding of Satan at the beginning of the Millennium and the world becoming at one with God.

The Christian Day of Atonement, comes after the Feast of Trumpets (also known as Rosh Hashana) and is considered to be part of God's plan of salvation as shown in the biblical holy days given the 12 tribes of Israel, including Judah. The fasting day also gives them pause before the Feast of Tabernacles which is a time of rejoicing and feasting that begins 5 days later.

In the book of Hebrews (chapters 8,9,10) there is a commentary on the Temple ceremony of the Day of Atonement. The author's subject throughout the book is Christ, His priesthood, His works. The author is at some pains to establish that Jesus is the High Priest even though, in the flesh, He comes from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. However, this is easily overcome by virtue of the fact that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, according to chapter six, verse 20, which is subsequently explained by the fact that Abraham paid homage to Melchizedek, thus establishing a hierarchy. And in the process of explaining and developing the priesthood of Christ, the author incidentally gives us a Christian commentary on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and tells us what it actually means to a Christian.

 

Abbas: 'We shall not recognize a Jewish state'...

 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked the United Nations on Friday to recognize a state for his people, accusing Israel of engaging in ethnic cleansing in his United Nations speech.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Abbas accused Israel of employing an “ethnic cleansing policy” in Jerusalem.  Read More>>>>>

Morgan Freeman: Obama Made Racism Worse

Obama's poll numbers continue to sink. This includes amongst reliably Democratic supporters such as Jews and African-Americans?

Have Jews and African-Americans suddenly become black haters?

The reality is that more and more people - even some in the media, perish the thought - are coming to the conclusion that Barack Obama was totally unqualified for the job as president, and that his performance in the past 32 months proves it.

What folks like Freeman don't get is that there's nothing racist about such feelings, and to make such an accusation is, well, racist.

Unfortunately, such accusations are destined to get louder and more frequent as we near Election Day and the chances for a second Obama victory based on nothing but hope, change, and ether continue to diminish.

Then folks like Freeman will really be shouting "racism."

So much for the election of the first black president bringing our nation together.

And on this I agree with Freeman: Obama has made racism worse.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/09/23/morgan-freeman-obama-has-made-racism-worse-tea-party-will-do-whatever#ixzz1YsgOQfUm

Pakistan warns U.S.: 'You will lose an ally'

Forward By Bob Barney: I wrote on here almost four years ago that we would see just how foolish the Bush policy of "democracy" in Pakistan would end up in a war, maybe a world war! (article here)  Now we see just how bad things are, all because we wanted to oust Pervez Musharraf, a dictator! Democracy in the middle east is 3 of us have voted to kill YOU!

(Reuters) - Pakistan warned the United States it risked losing an ally if it kept accusing Islamabad of playing a double game in the war against militancy, escalating the crisis in relations between the two countries.  More>>>>>>>

Rest of the Story - The Case of Police Brutality

The Year The Army Stopped Niagara Falls

Remember our article, THE DAY NIAGARA FROZE OVER--(CLICK HERE FOR INCREDIBLE PHOTOS)

 

In 1969, the Army Corps of Engineers accomplished an awesome feat: They turned off Niagara Falls. They did it to clean up the area, and check for structural integrity. Here are pictures of this bizarre episode in structural engineering history. These pictures were taken by tourists who visited the dry falls in 1969. Environmental design blog Mammoth explains the context: For six months in the winter and fall of 1969, Niagara's American Falls were "de-watered", as the Army Corps of Engineers conducted a geological survey of the falls' rock face, concerned that it was becoming destabilized by erosion. During the interim study period, the dried riverbed and shale was drip-irrigated, like some mineral garden in a tender establishment period, by long pipes stretched across the gap, to maintain a sufficient and stabilizing level of moisture. For a portion of that period, while workers cleaned the former river-bottom of unwanted mosses and drilled test-cores in search of instabilities, a temporary walkway was installed a mere twenty feet from the edge of the dry falls, and tourists were able to explore this otherwise inaccessible and hostile landscape. via Mammoth Photos from Russ Glasson's Flickr stream.   800x600 | Full Size

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Send an email to Annalee Newitz, the author of this post, at annalee@io9.com.

Private Family Foundations - Charities or Tax Evasion?

By Bob Barney:

      Almost everyone wants to help those in need, and I am no exception. Part of the "tithe" I give to God is in the money that I give to charities and food banks. Jesus said that when you help the poor and hungery, you are actually helping him!  It is our duty to give to the needy. God expects it. However, there is also a warning that I want to shout from the rooftop! Is it really a charity you are supporting, or is it just a tax evasion scheme, devised by clever lawyers to keep rich people RICH!  When the Federal Government is $14 trillion in debt, you should be paying extra attention to those so-called charities that are actually robbing from you in tax dollars and giving to the owner of the charity and not to those needy people you think you are helping.

The Plain Truth, and our sister site RaceRap.Com has helped raise over $150,000 in the past 10 years for charities which we have checked out throughly. We asked the tough questions, and frankly have found many charities that we have refused to help. There are guidelines that one should follow when donating or supporting a charity.

Does the charity???

• devote at least 75% of its budget to program??  (I would actually look for over 85%)
• Have a mission statement on the organization’s Web site to see that the group has clear goals and the ability to execute them?
• Have published finanicials?
• Have results? To know this, you will need to know what the mission statement is and if it has clear goals. For instance, if it is a program to help abused children, see how many children or childrens' facilities have been assisted in a given amount of time.
  
  

Just because a celebrity puts their name on a charity doesn't make it worth anything!

Madonna wants to sue the director of her foundation, Raising Malawi, to recover $3.8 million in squandered donations meant to build a school in the impoverished African country. Staffers of Raising Malawi are suing Madonna for lost wages.  (Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/29/beware-celebrity-charities-madonna-malawi-chairty-fiasco-shows-risks-unproven/#ixzz1KM9wupqD)

Consumers should try to vet any charity, celebrity run or otherwise, that they donate money to. But Art Taylor, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, says that celebrity charities deserve an extra dose of skepticism and donors should be careful about being wooed by a famous face.

“Celebrity in itself shouldn’t ever be the sole indicator of a charity’s reliability.  Look for information about the charity, not the celebrity,” Taylor advises. “Be wary of newly established charities with as yet little to offer beyond the celebrity connection.  A good organization may be in the making, but only a track record can give assurance.”

The Charitable Family Trust: Just who gets the charity money?

         Are you aware why many celebritities and millionaires set up charities, known as family trusts?  The shocking answer may make you mad! Are you aware that they government doesn't require much of the charity's money to be spent on the charity! JUST 5%!!!!!   Look at this example:

Let's suppose you leave (or raise from others) $2,000,000 for your Private Family Foundation. The IRS says you must distribute at least $100,000 (or 5%) to recognized charities in order for the Foundation to qualify for its special tax advantages. Of course, you can select a higher payout if you choose. But five percent is the absolute minimum.

The annual payout is established when you first sit down with a qualified estate attorney who has experience working with large estates. And the difference between what the assets earn (e.g. 6% per year) and the mandatory payout can be put back into the Foundation.

What advantages does this millionaire get?

• Special Tax Advantages:    Private Family Foundations have special tax advantages, because they are considered "charitable organizations" themselves. Because of this classification, any earnings on Foundation assets are tax-exempt, and can be distribute to the charities you choose.  If established properly, a private family foundation can often avoid capital gains taxes on highly-appreciated assets. In addition, interest and investment earnings that are not slapped with an income tax can instead be used to help the charities or causes you support.
• Immediate Tax Benefits: If you have highly-appreciated assets that you're holding to avoid steep capital gains taxes, a Private Family Foundation could help. Any appreciated assets that you transfer to a Private Family Foundation can be sold by the Foundation with no capital gains taxes. This is because of the Foundation's charitable status.   Second, you can get an immediate tax deduction for any money or property to grant to the Foundation. This deduction can equal up to 30% of your adjusted gross income (20% for appreciated property). Any income tax deduction not used in your contribution year may be carried forward over the next five years.  The valuation of these deductions depends on a number of things, including original cost and the type of property being transferred.  
•  Estate Tax Benefits:  Every dollar that you contribute to your Private Family Foundation means one less dollar that is included in your estate. Gifts that are regularly made to charities can instead be used to fund your PFF. And if you are in a higher tax bracket, that could ultimately save up to 46% in estate taxes.   Best of all, you can make such contributions to a Private Family Foundation without affecting the $12,000 annual gift tax exclusion or the current $1 million Gift Tax Credit . 
• Employment for the Family:   You may arrange for your heirs and descendants to receive salaries as "employees" of your Foundation. Simply name family members as replacement trustees to succeed you after death or resignation.  Many Foundations pay their directors using the difference between their required distributions and their annual income. If your Foundation is earning 10% annually on its assets, but only paying 5% annually to charities, the difference can be distribute for legitimate expenses, including salaries for the directors of the Foundation. 

Private Family Foundations can also be combined with Charitable Remainder and Charitable Lead Trusts. By doing so, you may able to draw a significant income for your lifetimes and earn significant tax savings, while still maintaining a large degree of control of your assets. (SOURCE: http://www.savewealth.com/planning/estate/foundations/)

So friends, beware of supporting charities without research, especially those with celebrity names attached to them. RICH PEOPLE DID NOT GET RICH GIVING THEIR MONEY AWAY!!!! Buyer (or giver) BEWARE!

 

Read our other expose's on Charities:

Why are billionaires giving away fortunes?

Gates Foundation Acknowledges Flaws in Report

Gates Foundation Invests $10 Million in Vaccines Developer

ANOTHER TRUST THAT SUPPORTS ABORTION

Bob Barney's Reasearch on Charities for WND.com

Boatlifters: The unknown story of 9/11

Four Wide: NASCAR vs. the NFL begins this weekend

By Jay Busbee

Rounding up some links for your weekend to keep you up with what's new in the NASCAR world. Enjoy, and feel free to hold court in the comments below.

• NASCAR vs. the NFL begins in earnest this weekend. Uh-oh. (Aside: this gives me a chance to link back to the very first article I wrote for this site, comparing NASCAR drivers to their NFL counterparts. See how far off I was ... or wasn't.) [The Daly Planet]

• Remember when Danica Patrick talked about dangers in Japan and everyone thought she was crazy? Turns out that an IndyCar report reached some of the same conclusions. [Racin' Today]

• Here's a pretty oversimplified look at Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the NASCAR media, but since it praises Junior and busts on the media, it'll make some folks happy. [Bleacher Report]

• Goodyear is running special "Support Our Troops" tires this weekend, though you'll have to be a quick reader to see them while they're moving. [Goodyear]

• Clint Bowyer might be headed to Michael Waltrip Racing after all. [NASCAR.com]

Got a link/tip for us? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or via Twitter at @jaybusbee. And follow us on Facebook here and Google+ here. Go!

NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoys being back in the Chase

Junior Nation is ecstatic.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sprawling fan base lit up NASCAR message boards and websites in celebration last Saturday after the 36-year-old driver earned a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth for the first time since 2008.

But it wasn't easy for a driver who started the season well, then struggled and qualified the hard way.

Maneuvering a damaged No. 88 Chevrolet to a 16th-place finish at Virginia's Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt locked down the 10th and final automatic Chase berth.

"We ran poorly" late in the season, Earnhardt said last week. "If we would have minimized our own mistakes, we would have had nothing to worry about at Richmond, we would have been locked in."  MORE>>>>>>>>>

The Mystery of the Resurrections Mentioned in the Bible

Does the resurrection from the dead seem like a mystery to you?

Source: Photos.com

Paul brings clarity to this often-overlooked biblical truth while acknowledging human mortality: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Corinthians:15:22-23[22]For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.[23]But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.).

Paul describes an order of resurrections commencing with "those who are Christ's at His coming," which Revelation:20:5 refers to as "the first resurrection." An order of resurrections commencing with one called "the first" means there are subsequent and sequential resurrections—and indeed these are described more fully elsewhere in the Bible.

A first resurrection for those who are Christ's   MORE>>>>>>>

Social Security is WORSE Than a Ponzi Scheme | THE PLAIN TRUTH

America After 9/11: On the Hinge of History

Plane Down into the Stands at Reno Air Races

Multiple fatalities feared at the Reno Air Races after an Unlimited plane crashed into the grandstand soon after take-off.

More Plus Video>>>>>>>>>

Rest of the Story - The Sexually Transmitted Epidemic

Feast of Trumpets

Hitler Discovers ATTACKWATCH is a Joke!

Why should Christians celebrate the Feast of Trumpets?

Prophecies of the end time include trumpet plagues and the return of Jesus Christ at the last trump. What does the Feast of Trumpets mean for Christians today?

Answer: The fourth festival of God (after Pentecost) is the Feast of Trumpets (or a "memorial of blowing of trumpets,")

 Leviticus:23:24-25[24]Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.[25]Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.), which falls in September or October. This festival is called Rosh Hashanah by the Jews today. Ancient Israel understood that trumpets were used as a way of announcing special, very important messages (Numbers:10:1-10[1]And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,[2]Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.[3]And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.[4]And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.[5]When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.[6]When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.[7]But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.[8]And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.[9]And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.[10]Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.).

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reveals that before His return to the earth, there will be the blowing of seven trumpets, announcing progressive stages of the downfall and overthrow of this world's kingdoms, ending with the return of Christ to take possession of the earth. Christ's return is announced by the seventh and final trumpet (Revelation:8:2; 11:15). This day also pictures the time when faithful Christians will be resurrected to eternal life at the time of the seventh trumpet (1 Corinthians:15:52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.; 1 Thessalonians:4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:) to reign with Jesus Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation:20:4-6).

Interestingly, it was around this time of year that Jesus was born—not in the dead of winter (see "Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Wasn't Born on December 25"). And the fall feast season represents the time when Jesus Christ will come to the earth again to reign in glory.

The remaining fall feast days describe steps in the establishment of the prophesied Kingdom of God on earth and judgment of humanity after Christ's return. The Feast of Trumpets is followed by the Day of Atonement.