THIS WEEKS PRAYER

Seek to experience the reality of the Holy Spirit this week. Ask Him for a heart encounter that transforms you in His presence and fully grips, revives and empowers you for intercession. Pray for the upcoming elections as well as your community, church, local and federal government. Pray for God’s protection over our borders, cities, military, schools, food and water supply. Continue to pray for the persecuted church, Israel, the Middle East, and all nations. I Tim. 2:1-8

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week pray that the Lord will increase your discernment and ability to see things the way He does. Ask Him to give you His love for people so that you can pray with a compassionate heart for those who are lost and hurting. Ask Him for prayer strategies to pull down the strongholds over our nation, state, city, community and homes. Continue to pray for the situation in Iraq, Israel and the Middle East as well as for our own government and the 2008 elections. 1 Thes. 5:17

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week ask the Lord to reveal any areas where you may be deceived into disobedience. Thank Him for extending the grace to change and for doing a transforming work in you. Continue to pray for Israel, the Middle East, all areas of the globe and our own governmental leaders. Ask the Lord to pour out more of His Spirit across the planet, to ignite revival and to send out laborers into His ripe harvest fields. James 1:22

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week pray a blessing on your families, church, co-workers, city, county, state and nation. Ask God to make you a blessing wherever He leads you. Bless our troops, their families and all those serving in civil and community services. Bless Israel and the surrounding area in the Middle East. Bless our government and ask God to raise up those of His choosing to run for office, be elected and lead the nation back to righteousness. Proverbs 18:21; Deut. 28:1-14

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week ask the Lord to reveal to you any areas in your life where you are out-of-control but have not accepted personal responsibility for your behavior. Ask Him to forgive you and to send His Spirit to work His fruit of self-control in your life. Thank Him that you will be able to overcome in all these areas. Continue to pray that He would send revival across our land and more laborers into His harvest field. Pray that the Iraqi war would come to an end and that the gospel would spread throughout Israel, the Middle East and over the entire world. I Thes. 5:17

The Lost Tomb of Jesus ?

Here are comments by Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,
Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,
Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan

Several Adventists have asked me to comment on the newly released book and movie that allege that the tomb of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene have been found in East Talpiot, a suburb of Jerusalem. The documentary promoting this view is entitled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," and/or "The Jesus Family Tomb." It was aired on the Discovery Channel on March 4, 2007.

The documentary was spearheaded by a well-known Emmy-winner TV Director Simcha Jacobovici and produced by Oscar-winner "Titanic" Director James Cameron. These men argue that the bones of Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene, along with lesser-known relatives, were found in 1980 in a Jewish burial cave containing 10 bone boxes, called ossuaries.

In many ways the movie and the book expands the Da Vinci Code fiction that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and the had children. The difference between the two is that while in the Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown builds his case by using late gnostic heretical gospels, Jacobovici and Cameron use names inscribed in some bone boxes as well as gnostic gospels. Both movies and books attempt to destroy the foundation of the Christian faith by denying the Resurrection of Jesus. If it were true that Jesus never resurrected because his very bones and those of his family have been found, then as Paul puts it, "our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain . . . and we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor 15:14, 19).

The 1980 Ossuaries' Discovery

The documentary is based on several bone boxes (ossuaries) that were found in an ancient tomb unearthed by a construction crew in 1980. That year marked a construction boom in Jerusalem. The result was that hundreds of tombs were uncovered containing thousands of bone boxes (ossuaries).

In Christ's time it was common for wealthy Jewish families to build tombs in the hills throughout Judea and place the remains of their loved ones in those caves. The procedure was to place a newly dead body on a rock shelf for about a year. When the flesh had desiccated it was customary to gather the bones and place them in a small limestone chest called "ossuary." Sometimes the name of the deceased would be inscribed onto the outside of the box. Eventually the caves became so crowded with bone boxes, that to conserve space several skeletons were placed in the same box. First century limestone bone boxes are so common in Israel today that they are used as planters in gardens and living rooms.

Though tombs' discoveries are very common, the Talpiot construction crew immediately stopped their work when they unearthed an ancient tomb. They called the Israel Antiquities Authority, that sent a small team of archeologists to excavate the site. Under pressure from the builders, the archeologists worked fast. The human remains in the cave, were given over to the religious authorities to be reburied in accordance with Jewish law.

Ten bone boxes (ossuaries) were taken away to the Israel Antiquities Authority warehouse. Six of them had inscriptions to remind family members of whose bones the boxes contained. Here are the names found carved on the bone boxes of the Talpiot tomb: Jesus, son of Joseph; Maria; Mariamene; Matthew; Judas, son of Jesus; and Jose, a diminutive of Joseph.

One of the bone boxes even bears the title, "Judah son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus had a son. The claim that Jesus even had an ossuary of His wife and children, contradicts the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

Criticism of Archeologists

Archeologist Amos Kloner who oversaw the original archeological dig and wrote the official report, found nothing remarkable in the discovery. He says: "The names on the ossuaries are very common names or derivatives of names." In a Newsweek report he dismissed any possible connection with Jesus' family as "impossible." "It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's completely impossible. It's nonesense."

Joe Zias, the archaeology curator of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, dismissed the documentary as a "hyped-up film which is intellectually and scientifically dishonest. . . . Projects like these make a mockery of the archaeological profession" (Newsweek)."

Jacobovici disagrees very strongly with this criticism. He advances various arguments to prove the bone boxes found at Talpiot belong to Jesus Family. Competent archeologists find his arguments preposterous. For example, William G. Dever, a leading American archeologist who has been excavating ancient sites in Israel for the past 50 years, said to the Washington Post: "I have known these ossuaries for many years and so have many other archeologists, and none of us thought it was much a story, because there are rather common Jewish names from the period. It's is a publicity stunt, and it will make these guys very rich, and it will upset millions of innocent people because they don't know enough to separate fact from fiction."

Discrediting Considerations

The claims of the movie and book that the bones of Jesus's family have been found at the Talpiot tomb excavated in 1980, are discredited by the following factual considerations:

1) As far as we know, the earliest followers of Jesus never called Him "Son of Joseph." As a matter of fact, this is how Jesus was called by His opponents. This means that His family members would have never inscribed such a name on His bone box.

2) The ancestral home of Joseph was Bethlehem and his adult home was Nazareth. The family continued to live in Nazareth even after the death of Joseph. Why in the world would the family choose to carve an elaborate tomb to place their bones in a suburb of Jerusalem?

3) Even assuming that Jesus was buried, it would be most unlikely that He would be buried in or around Jerusalem, where Roman and Jewish authorities were searching for His body to disprove the widespread report of His Resurrection.

4) Jesus' family was a poor, peasant family from Nazareth, with an ancestral lineage in Bethlehem. There is no logical reasons for their bones to end up in a middle class tomb in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the picture of the Talpiot's tomb shows it to be ornately decorated. Only a middle class family could have paid for the carving of such elaborate tomb. Jesus' family did not have the resources to purchase the land and build an a decorated tomb.

6) The two Mary ossuaries do not mention anyone from Migdal (Magdalene), but simply Mary. This was the most common of all the ancient Jewish female name.

7) The tomb includes the names of people like Matthew, which do not match with the list of Jesus' brothers' names. In other words, the tomb includes names that should not be there and lacks the names of people who should be there.

Factual considerations such as these discredit the claims that the Talpiot tomb contains the bones of Jesus' family. All the ancient accounts confirm that Jesus' tomb was empty because He resurrected. Jewish and Roman authorities acknowledged this fact. It takes a year for the flesh to desiccate before the bones can be placed in an ossuary. Jesus' body was long gone from Joseph of Arimathea's tomb before then.

To believe that Jesus' body was placed in another tomb, dessicated, and then put in an ossuary, means to accuse James, Peter, and John of fraud and cover up. Could they have perpetrated a fraudulent religion for which they and others were prepared to die?

Prophetic Significance of The Lost Tomb of Jesus and The Da Vinci Code

We are witnessing today a concerted effort to destroy the credibility of the Christian faith, especially by attacking its Founder, Christ Himself. Hollywood has been at the forefront in launching these attacks. For example, in the movie The Last Temptation, Martin Scorzese depicts Jesus imagining Himself engaged in sexual activities.

In the Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown atempts to prove that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and they had a daughter named Sarah, whose royal bloodline survives to this very day. In The Lost Tomb of Jesus, Jacobovici and Cameron argue that the bones of Jesus' family have been found. The names inscribed in the bone boxes allegedly show that Christ married Mary Magdalene and fathered their son Judah.

These sacrelegious movies are popular today because they appeal to our secular, postmodern, humanistic, new age culture which rejects moral absolutes of the Christian faith, such as the Ten Commandments, creation, final judgement and destruction of evildoers. Our postmodern culture promotes instead moral relativism, where truth is subjective, based on personal beliefs.

The moral relativism of our time that promotes a self-centered worship, has prophetic significance. It represents a clear fulfilment of Christ's prediction: "When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). The false worship promoted today by books and movies like The Lost Tomb of Jesus, must be seen as players in the prophetic endtime battle between true and false worship. God's final appeal in Revelation is to come out of the false worship promoted by spiritual Babylon: "Come out of her my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues" (Rev 18:4).

Revelation portrays Satan like a monster with many tentacles, using different strategies (beasts) to win the battle over worship. Sacrilegious movies like The Last Temptation, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Tomb of Jesus, are one of the significant Satanic strategies. Our calling is to proclaim to the world God's final warning message: "Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountain of the water" (Rev 14:7).

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week ask God to shine His light into every area of your life so that you can walk in total freedom and transparency before Him. Ask Him to use you to carry his truth and His presence to those you influence. Pray that a great awakening would spread throughout our nation and that God would purge His church and our government from all unrighteousness. Ask Him to pour His Spirit on all nations and manifest His glory on the earth. Continue to pray for Israel, the Middle East and our troops. John 3:16

UP- COMING SINGING IN AREA

The Harvest Center church is preparing to celebrate two very special events.

Singer-song writer-musician Ronny Hinson will be appearing Sunday, March 11, 2007, at 6:00 PM. It will be an evening of music and song as Ronny Hinson sings many of the songs he has written and is known for. For many years, Ronny Hinson sang with the original gospel singing group, The Hinsons of Nashville, Tennessee. The song he is perhaps best known for is "The Lighthouse."

The second event is Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at 7:00 PM when the Lee University Philharmonic Orchestra will provide the community with an evening of music as only this group of accomplished musicians can. From Cleveland, Tennessee, 60 of the university's best musicians will present a variety of music. Music lovers of all genres will be pleased with this evening of superb music.

All events are free and the public is invited. There is plenty of parking and seating capacity. For directions or more information, go to www.harvestcenterchurch.org or call 256-524-2050.

A WORD OF THANKS

Thanks to everyone that prayed, sent cards, called, or come to visit Chris and I at the funeral home. Everything went great today I know Grandma Lacey would have been proud.

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week make sure you are in right standing with God so you can pray His will with power and authority. Pray that revival would spread from coast to coast so that our nation would shift back to righteousness. Ask God to expose the plots of the enemy and give us strategies against them. Continue to pray for our troops and the situation in the Middle East. Pray protection for the persecuted church and Israel so that each would fulfill God’s divine purpose. James 5:16

Another Death In Our Family

This morning my wifes grandmother passed. Her name is Odesa Lacey and was 92. She will be at W.T. Wilson in Rainsville, arrangements will be made Monday. Please keep our family in your prayers.

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week stand on the promises of God, trust Him to carry you through any situation you face and thank Him for His faithfulness. Continue to pray for our nation and its leaders. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom in dealing with domestic and foreign issues that involve our national security, the Middle East and Israel. Pray for the persecuted church at home and abroad and ask the Lord to send a revival that reaps a great harvest of souls before His return. Matt. 9:37-38

Valentine's Day at Church

We had a great time last night . First we ate a variety of soups and cornbreads. The best cook's in all the world come to Browntown Church. Emeril should come here for cooking lessons. Next we watched "One Night With The King". We had a great time. Christians have fun but without the headache.

News from India

Hello folks,

I have just returned from another tribal village area. We went in the rain. Walked 2 kilometers in the rain and then ministered in such a 'National Geographic area" that you wouldn't believe. But how rewarding. This is a place full of animist worship and witchcraft. Today after the message, during prayer time 2 were delivered from demons, and others healed. We ate with them and then they walked us half way, then more words of encouragement to them, and we walked the rest of the way out of the village field area to the waiting auto rickshaw.

Last night we were also in a different tribal village where we had to walk through the dark through the fields to the village. This is ministry in its purest form and I am so blessed of God to be part of it.

We are getting ready to move to another area which means we will leave Pastor Paritosh and his family. This has been a full 2 days with ministry to pastors and leaders yesterday, the 2 tribal villages, and ministry to the Pastor and his family. It has been my privilege to work with his young son, Jason, 15, and share the Word with him.

Do continue to keep me in your prayers and the work in India. We are in a very great battle for the salvation of this land. We leaders are also being put to the test. Please pray our strength in the Lord and His provision for every need. Without HIM we can do nothing!

Sis. Joyce Cannon

DEATH ARRANGEMENTS

Brother Loftin's He was an Alabama Pastor for over 30 years.

BISHOP M. T. LOFTIN

VIEWING: Monday, February 5, 6 - 8:00 pm

Union Grove CoGoP

461 County Road 1650

Mooreville MS

FUNERAL: Tuesday, February 6, 2:00 pm

Union Grove CoGoP

FEW GOOD FOLLOWERS

A young woman was filling out an application for college when she
came across the question: Are you a leader? She thought she had
better be brutally honest, so she answered, "No." She was convinced
when she sent the application in that she'd never hear from them
because of that answer.

But she received a letter back from the school that read: "We have
reviewed numerous applications and, to date, there will be some 1,452
new leaders attending school next year. We have decided to accept
your application because we felt it was imperative that they have at
least one follower."

One man bought a sign and put it on his office door. The sign read:
"I'm the boss." The next day he came to work he noticed that someone
had put a post-it on his sign that said, "Your wife called. She wants
her sign back."

We can't all be the boss. And what good are leaders without
followers? In actuality, we need to be both.

Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow. We lead by example, but we
still follow role models. We lead by sharing our expertise, but we
remain open to the wisdom of others.

There are numerous courses and lessons on leadership. Yet the best
leaders are also excellent followers. They know how to listen, they
respect and follow great ideas from those around them, and they are
humble enough to seek help when it's needed.

You may be the boss, but do you know how to follow? This world could
use a few good followers.
Steve Gooder

Men's Support Group Meeting

February 1, we gathered at the Fellowship Christian Center in Rainsville for another great move of God. Bro. Cates Noles ministered this month to about 30 men. To all of those in this area, we meet every first Thursday night at 6:00 pm, call or contact me by e-mail for the location of the next meeting. You will be blessed.

I'm Here But I'm Not All Their.

This year has been the most difficult time of my life. On Jan. 2nd my dad had a stroke and was in Huntsville Hospital for 15 days before leaving this walk of life. Then on Jan. 29 Brother Dellmer Boozer passed, I had known this man of God all my life. But God, is faithful and I want everyone to know that He has been with me and God is working a great thing in all of this. For the past 3 weeks my Bro. and his wife and girls have been with us in church, my Sister and her husband have also been with us. We praise God for what He is doing, and I thank you for your prayers, God has and is answering prayer.

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

This week, thank God for His indescribable gift and celebrate the reason for the season. Ask God to use you as His powerful, loving instrument to spread the Good News of His coming. Ask Him to direct you to those who are in need so that you can bring His love and provision to them. Continue to pray for our military and their families as well as President Bush and all those in authority with him. Pray for the protection of Israel and for the spread of the gospel in the Middle East and throughout the world. 2 Cor. 9:15; John 8:12; Luke 2

THIS WEEKS PRAYER

Remember the “salvation tree” during your prayers this Christmas season and thank God for His “unspeakable gift.” Ask Him to use you to point others to this special tree. Continue to pray for the soldiers in Iraq and the Middle East along with their families and loved ones. Remember Israel when you pray for the nations of the world. Pray for wisdom and protection for our president during this transition season. Pray that righteousness will exalt the nation. Phil. 4:6