The results of a recent survey of small business owners reveals a desire for banks to offer other options when a loan application is denied. 87 percent of rejected small business loan applicants were not offered any alternative by their bank after they were denied a traditional lending product. However, 69 percent said they would consider an alternative offered by their bank, highlighting an opportunity for banks to satisfy customer need by providing other funding options and ideas.

An overwhelming 87 percent of small businesses surveyed indicated that it is important to have access to a readily available and predictable source of capital, a reflection of today’s credit conditions. These results indicate that banks may have a compelling marketing opportunity to provide additional value, secure customer loyalty and responsibly meet demands for working capital even as credit conditions tighten. The survey was conducted online; respondents consisted of 276 small business operators who accept credit cards as a form of payment in their business.

What Happens When the Bank Says No?
An April 2008 survey released by the Federal Reserve found that approximately half of U.S. banks are tightening their small business loan standards, compared with approximately 30 percent that reported doing so earlier this year. Loan decline rates of 70 percent or more are common. What happens to the small businesses that are turned down for traditional financing, and where can they turn next?

Is Your Bank Still Your Best Source?
Even amidst the documented “credit crunch”, 76 percent of respondents believe that banks are still one of the most trusted sources of capital, despite perceptions that banks are struggling financially. Yet 42 percent also place strong importance on having an alternative or back-up source of capital readily available. A total of 69 percent of the survey respondents said “yes” when asked if they would consider an alternative offered by their bank if the bank was unable to provide a loan or offer the full amount of required capital directly.

Life After “Decline”: Benefits to Offering Alternative Working Capital Solutions
A new value enhancing strategy for banks to consider is alignment with an alternative provider of working capital. Through a well-crafted referral program, banks can create revenue from what would otherwise be a dissatisfied customer. Working with alternative capital providers can be a benefit for both the financial institution and the small business customer in what could be dubbed the “antidote” to the credit crisis.
“Working capital referral programs have the potential to support banks and their loan officers in acquiring, retaining and even expanding small business relationships by providing working capital to businesses that fall outside the bank’s regular lending parameters, all without cannibalizing existing credit revenue,” notes Nick Miller, president of Clarity Advantage, a consulting group specializing in sales acceleration engineering for the financial services industry.

Companies who provide alternatives to small business loans and other forms of business financing are experiencing increased interest in their products. A Merchant Cash Advance is an increasingly popular solution for banks that want to retain the profitable small business checking accounts of small business customers rejected for loans or other bank financing. The product can be delivered through white labeled, co-marketed or referral programs at the time the loan is declined. Training of bank personnel is minimized, because the offer is made through a centralized communication mechanism.

Merchant Cash Advance providers are able to approve requests that banks deny because they focus less on consumer-oriented measures of viability like credit scores and place greater emphasis on the business’s track record of success when making funding decisions. Plus, personal collateral is not required and money can be delivered in as few as 3 days.

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Hope For the Best, But Prepare For the Worst

In all likelihood, Murphy’s Law was probably originated by a small business owner.

It’s true that in a small business, anything that might go wrong probably will. It is also true that you can’t possibly plan for everything. However, many smart small business owners know that to take a few precautionary steps early on can save you a world of heartache if when something does go wrong.

Simple Steps to Help Protect Your Small Business

Emergency Fund. Every business should have an emergency fund: a safety cushion of accessible cash ready to handle the unexpected. The proper amount of money for your emergency fund would depend a lot on probable uses. This is a fund that should receive regular deposits to keep it as powerful as possible. Look into accounts that allow regular deposits but might offer benefits for infrequent withdrawals. Be diligent about contributing, and vigilant about keeping its purpose intact; though it may be tempting, don’t spend it elsewhere.

Proper Insurance. How healthy is your business insurance? It is a good idea to spend some time at least once a year to review your insurance plans and options with your insurance agent. Proper coverage in place can help you handle many possible problems as they arise.

Sleep and eat properly. Physical and mental fatigue can certainly be made worse by a poor diet and poor sleeping habits. In taking care of yourself and your small business, sometimes it pays to start with the basics. Make sure you are sleeping well, eating balanced meals and exercising regularly. Some simple attention to the basics your body needs can help you find better focus for your small business objectives.

Identify new sources of help before you need them. Know where you would go if your business was suddenly in a pinch. Play out a couple “what if” scenarios to consider your possible resources. Annually review your credit scores, and identify opportunities and credit lines available with banks or other lenders. Identify any alternative sources of working capital that might work for your needs. Look into each resource to see how much you can get and how quickly. Determine all the things that would need to come together to make each solution effective for you. If possible, have plans and contingencies at least loosely identified so you can reduce your stress in a time of true crisis management.

A small business owner should not lose a sense of optimism, but should be very realistic about what the business might have to face unexpectedly. An expensive emergency situation can quite literally kill a business. Smoothly handling problems as they arise is often the very thing that separates the businesses that survive from those that will not.

Smart business owners know to hope for the best but plan for the worst. They keep their insurance up-to-date and have an emergency fund in place. These business owners understand that to find success in a small business, many challenges will require some form of capital. By taking the time to identify many possible sources of funds to cover a variety of emergency expenditures, smart business owners make Murphy’s Law less likely to impact the business’ stability and growth initiatives.

Business Loans and Cash Advances

A merchant cash advance (business cash advance) is a great option for small business owners, we offer completely unsecured cash advances up to $150,000! A merchant cash advance has many benefits if compared with a small business loan. We help you capitalize your proven track record that’s why we lend cash based on your future credit card sales. With our cash advances we know you will be on the right track for success, the process is very fast and simple, without the strict requirements of a traditional business loan offered by banks. Traditional business loans will require security (collateral), good credit and a long business history. Newer businesses and business owners with a less than perfect credit history may still qualify for our cash advances.

A commercial business loan is similar to a personal loan but it is used for all types of business purposes and is typically secured by business assets. There are many options to consider when looking for a commercial business loan and this process can sometimes be overwhelming. We can help make access to sources of capital for your business fast and easy. First, take a minute to tell us a little about your business and your financing needs. Your request will then be matched against those funding sources offering what it is you have requested and those to which your funding needs may also apply.

To Apply go to www.merchantcapitalservices.com and send in a preliminary application and

one of our account managers will be in contact with you within 24 hrs.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is a worldwide information security standard assembled by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). The standard was created to help organizations that process card payments prevent credit card fraud through increased controls around data and its exposure to compromise. The standard applies to all organizations which hold, process, or pass cardholder information from any card branded with the logo of one of the card brands.

Validation of compliance can be performed either internally or externally, depending on the volume of card transactions the organization is handling, but regardless of the size of the organization, compliance must be assessed annually. Organizations handling large volumes of transactions must have their compliance assessed by an independent assessor known as a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), while companies handling smaller volumes have the option of self-certification via a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). In some regions these SAQs still require signoff by a QSA for submission.

Enforcement of compliance is done by the bodies holding relationships with the in-scope organizations. Thus, for organizations processing Visa or Mastercard transactions, compliance is enforced by the organization’s acquirer, while organizations handling American Express transactions will deal directly with American Express for the purposes of compliance. In the case of third party suppliers such as hosting companies who have business relationships with in-scope organizations, enforcement of compliance falls to the in-scope company, as neither the acquirers nor the card brands will have appropriate contractual relationships in place to mandate compliance. Non-compliant companies who maintain a relationship with one or more of the card brands, either directly or through an acquirer risk losing their ability to process credit card payments and being audited and/or fined.^[1]

[edit]Requirements

The current version of the standard (1.2)^[2] specifies 12 requirements for compliance, organized into six logically related groups, which are called “control objectives.”

[edit]History

PCI DSS originally began as five different programs: Visa Card Information Security Program, MasterCard Site Data Protection, American Express Data Security Operating Policy, Discover Information and Compliance, and the JCB Data Security Program. Each company’s intentions were roughly similar: to create an additional level of protection for card issuers by ensuring that merchants meet minimum levels of security when they store, process and transmit cardholder data. The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) was formed, and on 15 December 2004, these companies aligned their individual policies and released the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

In September 2006, the PCI standard was updated to version 1.1 to provide clarification and minor revisions to version 1.0.

Version 1.2 was released on October 1, 2008.^[3] Version 1.1 “sunsetted” on December 31, 2008.^[4] v1.2 did not change requirements, only enhanced clarity, improved flexibility, and addressed evolving risks/threats. In August 2009 the PCI SSC announced the move from version 1.2 to version 1.2.1 for the purpose of making minor corrections designed to create more clarity and consistency among the standards and supporting documents.

[edit]Updates and supplemental information

The PCI SSC has released several supplemental pieces of information to clarify various requirements. These documents include the following

• Information Supplement: Requirement 11.3 Penetration Testing^[5]
• Information Supplement: Requirement 6.6 Code Reviews and Application Firewalls Clarified^[6]
• Navigating the PCI SSC – Understanding the Intent of the Requirements^[7]
• Information Supplement: PCI DSS Wireless Guidelines^[8]

[edit]Compliance and Wireless LANs

In July 2009, the PCI Security Standards Council published wireless guidelines^[8] for PCI DSS recommending the use of Wireless Intrusion Prevention System(WIPS) to automate wireless scanning for large organizations. Wireless guidelines clearly define how wireless security applies to PCI DSS 1.2 compliance^[9].

These guidelines apply to the deployment of Wireless LAN (WLAN) in cardholder data environments, also known as CDEs. A CDE^[10] is defined as a network environment that possesses or transmits credit card data.

[edit]Wireless LAN and CDE Classification

PCI DSS wireless guidelines classify CDEs into three scenarios depending on how wireless LANs are deployed.

• No Known WLAN AP inside or outside the CDE: The organization has not deployed any WLAN AP. In this scenario, 3 minimum scanning requirements (Sections 11.1, 11.4 and 12.9) of the PCI DSS apply.
• Known WLAN AP outside the CDE: The organization has deployed WLAN APs outside the CDE. These WLAN APs are segmented from the CDE by a firewall. There are no known WLAN APs inside the CDE. In this scenario, Three minimum scanning requirements (Sections 11.1, 11.4 and 12.9) of the PCI DSS apply.
• Known WLAN AP inside the CDE: The organization has deployed WLAN APs inside the CDE. In this scenario, three minimum scanning requirements (Sections 11.1, 11.4 and 12.9), as well as six secure deployment requirements (Sections 2.1.1, 4.1.1, 9.1.3, 10.5.4, 10.6 and 12.3) of the PCI DSS apply.

Key sections of PCI DSS 1.2 that are relevant for wireless security are classified and defined below.

[edit]Secure Deployment Requirements for Wireless LANs

These secure deployment requirements apply to only those organizations that have a known WLAN AP inside the CDE. The purpose of these requirements is to deploy WLAN APs with proper safeguards.

• Section 2.1.1 Change Defaults: Change default passwords, SSIDs on wireless devices. Enable WPA or WPA2 security.
• Section 4.1.1 802.11i Security: Set up APs in WPA or WPA2 mode with 802.1X authentication and AES encryption. Use of WEP in CDE is not allowed after June 30, 2010.
• Section 9.1.3 Physical Security: Restrict physical access to known wireless devices.
• Section 10.5.4 Wireless Logs: Archive wireless access centrally using a WIPS for 1 year.
• Section 10.6 Log Review: Review wireless access logs daily.
• Section 12.3 Usage Policies: Develop usage policies to list all wireless devices regularly. Develop usage possible for the use of wireless devices.

[edit]Minimum Scanning Requirements for Wireless LANs

These minimum scanning requirements apply to all organizations regardless of the type of wireless LAN deployment in the CDE. The purpose of these requirements is to eliminate any rogue or unauthorized WLAN activity inside the CDE.

• Section 11.1 Quarterly Wireless Scan: Scan all sites with CDEs whether or not they have known WLAN APs in the CDE. Sampling of sites is not allowed. A WIPS is recommended for large organizations since it is not possible to manually scan or conduct a walk-around wireless security audit^[11] of all sites on a quarterly basis
• Section 11.4 Monitor Alerts: Enable automatic WIPS alerts to instantly notify personnel of rogue devices and unauthorized wireless connections into the CDE.
• Section 12.9 Eliminate Threats: Prepare an incident response plan to monitor and respond to alerts from the WIPS. Enable automatic containment mechanism on WIPS to block rogues and unauthorized wireless connections.

[edit]Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) Implementations

Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems are a possible option for compliance with some PCI DSS requirements, and can be implemented in either an internally hosted or externally hosted Software as a Service(SaaS) model. ^[12]

The hosted implementation is offered in an on-demand, subscription-based SaaS model^[13]. Hosted implementations are said to be particularly cost-effective^[14] for organizations looking to fulfill only the minimum scanning requirements for PCI DSS compliance.

The network implementation is an on-site deployment of WIPS within a private network. Such a deployment is viable, but the significant costs have been thought to lead some companies to avoid WIPS deployments.^[15]

[edit]Controversies and criticisms

It has been suggested by some IT security professionals that the PCI DSS does little more than provide a minimal baseline for security.

“The fact is you can be PCI-compliant and still be insecure. Look at online application vulnerabilities. They’re arguably the fastest growing area of security, and for good reason — exposures in customer-facing applications pose a real danger of a security breach.” – Greg Reber^[16]

In contrast, others have suggested that PCI DSS is a step toward making all businesses pay more attention to IT security, even if minimum standards are not enough to completely eradicate security problems.

“Regulation–SOX, HIPAA, GLB, the credit-card industry’s PCI, the various disclosure laws, the European Data Protection Act, whatever–has been the best stick the industry has found to beat companies over the head with. And it works. Regulation forces companies to take security more seriously, and sells more products and services.” – Bruce Schneier^[17]

[edit]Compliance and Compromises

Per Visa, Chief Enterprise Risk Officer, Ellen Richey, “…no compromised entity has yet been found to be in compliance with PCI DSS at the time of a breach.”^[18]However, it has nevertheless become a common misconception that companies have had security breaches while also being PCI DSS compliant. Much of this confusion is a result of the 2008 Heartland Payment Processing Systems breach, wherein more than one hundred million card numbers were compromised.^[19]Around this same time Hannaford Brothers^[20] and TJX Companies were similarly breached as a result of the alleged very same source of coordinated efforts of Albert “Segvec” Gonzalez and two unnamed Russian hackers^[21].

Assessments examine the compliance of merchants and services providers with the PCI DSS at a specific point in time and frequently utilize a sampling methodology to allow compliance to be demonstrated through representative systems and processes. It is the responsibility of the merchant and service provider to achieve, demonstrate, and maintain their compliance at all times both throughout the annual certification cycle and across all systems and processes in their entirety. Therefore, these frequently cited breaches and their pointed use as a tool for criticism even to the point of noting that Hannaford Brothers had, in fact, received its PCI DSS compliance certification one day after it had been made aware of a two-month long compromise of its internal systems^[22]; fail to appropriately assign blame in their blasting of the standard itself as flawed as opposed to the more truthful breakdown in merchant and service provider compliance with the written standard, albeit in this case having not been identified by the assessor.

Other, more substantial, criticism lies in that compliance validation is required only for Level 1-3 merchants and is optional for Level 4, that is merchants below limit of 20′000 e-commerce transactions and below 1 million POS transactions annually. At the same time 80% of payment card compromises since 2005 affected Level 4 merchants^[23].

[edit]Compliance as a Snapshot

The state of being PCI DSS compliant might appear to have some temporal persistence, at least from a merchant point of view.^{[citation needed]} In contrast, the PCI Standards Council General Manager Bob Russo has indicated that liabilities could change depending on the state of a given organization at the point in time when an actual breach occurs.^[24]

[edit]Costs

Similar to other industries, a secure state could be more costly to some organizations than accepting and managing the risk of confidentiality breaches^{[citation needed]}. However, many studies have shown that this cost is justifiable.^[25]

[edit]Other PCI standards

The PCI Security Standards also include:

• PIN Entry Device (PED) Security Requirements

PCI PED applies to manufacturers who specify and implement device characteristics and management for personal identification number (PIN) entry terminals used for payment card financial transactions. Merchants should use only PIN entry devices that are tested and approved by the PCI SSC. Authorized devices are listed at:List of PCI Approved PIN Entry Devices

• Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS)

The PA-DSS is for software developers and integrators of payment applications that store, process or transmit cardholder data as part of authorization or settlement when these applications are sold, distributed or licensed to third parties. Most card brands encourage merchants and third party agents to use payment applications that are validated independently by a PA-QSA company and accepted for listing by the PCI SSC. Validated applications are listed at: List of PA-DSS Validated Payment Applications

[edit]See also

• Wireless Intrusion Prevention System
• Wireless LAN
• Wireless security
• Secure POS Vendor Alliance

[edit]References

[edit]Updates on PCI DSS v1.2

• Summary of Changes
• Summary of Changes FAQ
• PCI DSS 1.2 Announcement, Oct. 1, 2008

[edit]External links

• PCI DSS Standard
• PCI Quick Reference Guide

emember the early days of relationship marketing? Our job back then, as merchant level salespeople (MLSs), was to show merchants how to optimize customer-facing POS solutions, from PIN pads with basic black and white monitors to full-color signature capture touch screens.

Add a video or coupon to the monitor, we advised them. Leverage your customer relationship management database by offering discounts to your customers on their favorite items. It’s about building relationships. Today, merchants and customers have taken relationships to a whole new level. They follow each other on Twitter and “friend” each other on Facebook. We’d insult their intelligence if we suggested they become better aqua-inted. They’re not dating anymore; they’re married. In a post-analog world, a merchant’s traditional media mix is getting a makeover via mobile commerce, social networking, blogs and chat rooms, online ordering, and in-store digital content environments. MLSs need a high-level understanding of these applications, so we can partner with merchants who are looking for ways to seamlessly integrate payment processing across an enterprise. Merchants need to connect with their customers anytime, anywhere and on any device.

Anytime

Virtualization is a driving force in the new POS landscape, forever changing traditional concepts of time and place. In an always-on, always-connected merchant/customer relationship, leveraging five seconds at a checkout counter is no longer mission-critical.

It still makes sense for merchants to offer instant coupons, but if their customers don’t seize the PIN pad moment, they can always opt-in later, with an online order, text or e-mail.

The on-demand component of the digital age has freed consumers from the constraints of scheduled programming. Television shows can be recorded by DVRs, to be screened at the viewer’s convenience, commercial free. Meetings and tutorials can be posted online, to accommodate busy and changing work schedules.

In Always On: Advertising, Marketing, and Media in an Era of Consumer Control, authors Christopher Vollmer and Geoffrey Precourt of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. address the new consumer-centric playing field, which has made it necessary for merchants and advertisers to personalize their overtures to target audiences. Market research has been replaced by one-on-one, interactive communication.

They wrote, “In an always-on world in which media usage is migrating to digital, advertising can be blocked or skipped, and content can be consumed on demand, marketers have to find new ways to distinguish between those aspects of consumer behavior that will remain the same and those that will change. Many are turning to direct observation of and contact with consumers.”

For more information about the book, visit http://books.google.com/books?id=GV5EomJuc68C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Always+On+by+Precourt&source.

Any device

Interaction isn’t limited to the cash register or credit card terminal anymore, or even the brick-and-mortar store. It happens everywhere we go, through laptop and smart phone browsers that keep us connected to friends, families, employers and suppliers. It’s hard to imagine life without the mobile Web now that it has become so embedded in our collective consciousness.

Internet access, once considered the exclusive province of computers, has gone unplugged. According to Dmitriy Lerman, Director of Marketing at Charge Anywhere LLC, “Smart phones are replacing computers in our everyday lives. Simple tasks like writing an e-mail, reading an attachment, staying in touch with people, getting informed on news and weather, and organizing one’s day have comfortably fallen into the realm of a phone, no longer a computer. Payments are not immune to this paradigm shift.”

Today’s merchants have more choice in POS hardware. Credit and debit cards can be swiped on portable and countertop terminals or on card reader peripherals paired with laptops and smart phones. Secure encrypted cardholder data can be managed by payment gateways.

A major component in the payment value chain, gateways optimize the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, increase transaction visibility through secure Web portals and empower business owners with real-time access to transaction data from broad populations of devices. They offer reporting tools to manage that data and the ability to react quickly to questionable transactions and communications failures. For a list of validated payment applications, visit www.pcisecuritystandards.org.

Anyone

We’re living in an age of one-hour sales and text messaging from banks on available lines of credit. POS technology has expanded in scope, beyond countertop devices and customer-facing screens, to a multidimensional, interactive consumer environment. This environment is more conversation than transaction. What does that mean, exactly?

Consider how frequently you receive an e-mail after making a purchase, inviting you to write a review. The company would like to know more about you and your preferences and will post your comments, good or bad, on its Web site, to be shared with other prospective buyers. Or how about the e-mails you receive from manufacturers and credit card issuers, inviting you to join online communities where members can exchange ideas and information?

It’s all part of the new online experience. Anyone can host a Web site, post a real-time video, write a blog and participate in live chat. The media is watching us. Every day, ordinary citizens are pulled from obscurity and elevated onto the world stage. Newly minted celebrities who surpass 1 million hits on YouTube are approached by advertisers who pay to post banner ads and product placements on their sites to be proudly displayed on millions of tiny screens.

While the monetization of social networks and YouTube is being debated, it’s clear that the ever-broadening online marketplace will need fast, secure and reliable methods to process payments, because there’s no place for hard cash in the virtual world.

In my next article, I’ll take a closer look at some cool, new applications that leverage mobile technology, enrich electronic transactions, and deepen the relationship between merchants and consumers. The mobile Web is the next frontier of payment processing and an opportunity for MLSs to demonstrate knowledge and leadership. To paraphrase Visa Inc., it’s everywhere we want to be.

In this short article, I will only be able to highlight some of the important parts. I will give more details on an audio tape which you may order.

This story began a couple of weeks prior to this issue of Dew going to press. In the book review section, I was going to review a book by Dr. Ernest Martin entitled The Secrets of Golgotha. His new up-dated version was scheduled to be released in the latter part of November. I had read his earlier version and found it interesting enough to write a favorable review. I was having a difficult time writing the review because Dr. Martin speaks strongly against the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit today, especially speaking in tongues. He recently released a very strong warning against the kind of “speaking in tongues” used in the Charismatic Movement.

I also did not agree with his views on eschatology and prophesy, so I had some hesitation recommending his book because I knew those who ordered the book would be put on his mailing list to receive his other teachings. We agree on many things including the centrality of Jesus Christ, reconciliation of all mankind, and many others topics, but due to our differences stemming from the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we also see many things differently.

Nevertheless, I love him as my brother, and I highly respect his research into church history as well as his research into the ancient civilizations. I think his book has some great insights. I will gladly give his address to those of you who would like to order his book. Just don’t get mad at me if you also get material speaking against dreams, visions, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit etc.

As I was working on the review of Dr. Martin’s book, I came across some information which placed the site of Jesus’ crucifixion at a different sight from Dr. Martin’s location. I called the ministry who published this information. Dr. Martin places the crucifixion on the Mount of Olives. Ron Wyatt of Wyatt Archaeological Research (WAR) placed the site on Mount Moriah. Before releasing information on Dr. Martin’s book, I felt I should look at the evidence from WAR. They sent me two videos and three books. One video was a two hour presentation entitled Discovered, Noah’s Ark. The other video was entitled Presentation of Discoveries which presented a video presentation of several very significant archaeological discoveries made by Ron Wyatt. I also received three books entitled Discovered!-Mount Sinai, Wyatt Archaeological Research “Discovered” Volume, and The Ark of the Covenant.

Since the crucifixion location was what I was working on, I watched the video entitled Presentation of Discoveries and read The Ark of the Covenant first since these were supposed to contain the material on the crucifixion.

What I saw on the video and read in the small spiral-bound book made my jaws drop. I saw video clips and photographs of ancient sites and artifacts which just seemed unbelievable. This man, Ron Wyatt, believed he had verified the true discovery of Noah’s Ark approximately 15 miles from the main peak of the Ararat Mountains, discovered the cities of Sodom and Gomorroh, revealed exact location of the Red Sea Crossing of Israel, showed in incredible video and photographs the original Mount Sinai, and to top it all off, he laid claim to having discovered the exact stake hole for the beam which held Jesus Christ. The crowning achievement was the discovery of the lost Ark of the Covenant buried 20 feet below the crucifixion site. He claimed the Ark was sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ when his side was pierced and the earthquake opened a crack which opened the way for His blood to literally drop down onto the Mercy Seat of the Ark.

As I watched this video and read the book, I could hardly believe my eyes. If this was all true, why hasn’t every television channel broadcasted these amazing discoveries. But then some of it has appeared on television. His work on Noah’s ark was aired on the television program 20/20, the Today Show, Discovery Channel as well as others. Wyatt’s video on Noah’s Ark was full of top quality scientists, archaeologists, government officials, and Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, all seeming to acknowledge that this structure 15 miles south of the central peak of the Ararat Mountains was indeed, Noah’s Ark.

I could hardly believe my eyes! But when watching Ron Wyatt make his presentation on the video, looking into his watery eyes as he described the blood of Christ sprinkling the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, I couldn’t call him a liar. He looked like one of the most humble, loving men I have ever seen. This video of the Ark of the Covenant was filmed at a convention of a large world-wide Christian Women’s organization. The Christian astronaut James Irwin seemed to be involved with the Noah’s Ark video. The videos and books were full of names of prominent people in Christian, scientific and archaeological, circles.

I cannot properly describe to you how effective the scenes on the video and Ron Wyatt’s presentation were. You would have to see the video to know what I am trying to poorly convey. All I can say is this: I used to be in the advertising business and know how presentations are put together to make you buy something. Having been a successful sales manager, I know a great deal about techniques of persuasion. I have seen behind the scenes of many Christian organizations and have uncovered many power-driven, money-making deceptive practices by “respectable” Christian leaders. I have shown how many Christian publishers take dead men and women’s books and edit them to change their doctrines to make the books more marketable. I have read many books uncovering some behind the scenes activities of some of the major Christian television broadcasting companies. I know about the many frauds going on in many of the healing and evangelistic ministries. I have read books like Marjoe revealing how the “World’s Youngest Evangelist” was nothing but a money making con orchestrated by his greedy evangelist mother and father. I have talked to Randy the magician who exposed the evangelist Peter Popoff by showing on the Johnny Carson Show how Popoff’s so-called “word of knowledge” was nothing but a radio receiver in his ear from which he was fed information about people in the audience. (Incidentally, even after being exposed as a fraud to the entire country, Randy the magician told me Peter Popoff is still making millions still conning gullible Christians.)

I said all the above and could say much more just to let you know, as a result of what I know about deception in the Christian world, I don’t get suckered easily. Yet after watching the video and reading the book about the Ark of the Covenant, based on his presentation, I had to believe he was telling the truth even though my mind said, “This can’t be!”

I got the address of Wyatt Archaeological Research from a person who writes a Christian newsletter and travels the country teaching Bible. I called him and asked him whether he believed what Ron Wyatt had presented. He said he did. This man has spent a great deal of time studying Biblical times. I told him I wanted to check things out. He gave me the address and telephone number of the people who had first introduced him to Wyatt Archaeological Research material. (I will use the initials WAR for rest of the article.)

I called this number and talked with the wife of a man who had become a close confidant to Ron Wyatt. This woman, who would consider herself a devoted Christian, told me that at first she was extremely doubtful about what Ron Wyatt was claiming. But after several meetings and having her husband minister with Ron Wyatt, she was convinced he was one of the most sincerely Christian men she had ever met. She mentioned her husband shared some of the material from WAR in an audio tape which has been reproduced by many people and has gone all over the world. She said every week they get responses from all over the world wanting more information. I asked her for a copy of the tape. She gave me the name of a Christian bookstore in Portland, Oregon which sold the tape. I called the store and asked for a review copy. (Publications such a Dew that review books etc., often get review copies free.) The man, who sounded like he might own the store, told me it would cost $2.50 plus $2.00 postage and I could put it on my credit card. I hated to spend the money, but I did.

So now I had a newsletter writer and Bible teacher tell me they believed Wyatt’s claims, a wife of an associate of Wyatt’s who put him on a pedestal, and a Christian bookstore selling audio tapes that promoted Ron Wyatt’s discoveries.

I called a friend of mine about this information and he informed me that one of the leading international Creation Science organizations was recommending Wyatt’s materials. This friend of mine gave me 3 or 4 telephone numbers of Creation Science groups in the United States. He thought perhaps they might have some information on WAR.

At this point, things began to explode. I received about thirty pages of faxes of different articles from one of the leading Creation Science research organizations. These articles stated that Wyatt’s research was at the best based only on circumstantial evidence to being an outright fraudulent. Another Creation Science organization whose present head comes from Australia, did a soft-shoe dance on a telephone interview with me. He basically said all of Wyatt’s evidence for his discoveries is circumstantial, but he wouldn’t rule it out. I later found out his organization not only promoted WAR’s discoveries, but actually sold WAR’s materials to their organization’s supporters. This leading Creation Science spokesperson was so concerned for his position and job, that he would not acknowledge that he promoted a fraud. And we wonder why the Creation Science scientists have a difficulty establishing credibility.

This article cannot go into all the details dealing with all the scientific tests and archaeological evidence against almost all of WAR’s claim to fame. For those of you who want the addresses for more information, I will happily forward them to you. I want to focus on something else.

One of the articles about Ron Wyatt which was faxed to me came from Christian Information Ministries International, whose editor is Bill Crouse. He did some investigation of Ron Wyatt and his organization and discovered some of Wyatt’s information about himself in a brochure his Christian booking agency produced for him was untruthful. Bill Crouse spoke with Jeff Roberts and Associates, about the false information in the brochure they used in booking Wyatt into churches. (Yes, many Christian celebrities use booking agencies to get speaking engagements in churches) Quoting from the Ararat Report of May-June 1988 from Christian Information Ministries, it says, “It lists Ron as graduating from the University of Michigan with honors in Pre-med and as having finished all the requirements for both M.A. and Ph.D. in antiquities. It also lists him as being a Korean war veteran.” Christian Information Ministries when checking this out found none of the above to be true. According to Bill Crouse, when Ron Wyatt’s booking agency Jeff Roberts and Associates, located in Hendersonville, Tennessee, was questioned about the discrepancies in the brochure, they admitted the brochure needed to be re-written, but they did not know who was to blame for the inaccuracies.

I called this agency up to find out what their views of Ron Wyatt were today, 7 years later. First, I got a run-around. Then, the receptionist was told to tell me that it was too far in the past to remember. Imagine yourself as a small Christian booking agency and the man who claims to have found the Ark of the Covenant with the blood of Jesus Christ still on it wants to give you the honor of announcing it to the Christian world. It is your job to get this incredible information to the Christian world and seven years later, you don’t remember anything about it? I told the lady to tell her boss, that as a Christian, he should be ashamed of himself. He was promoting one of the greatest scams I have ever come across in my life and now the head of this “Christian” booking agency is not willing to warn the Christian community of this con artist. Why? Because it would leave egg on his face and he would rather see the name of Jesus Christ dragged through the mud and thousands of innocent Christians being taken into this con, than to admit his part in this deception.

As I followed this story as far as my income would allow, I found many others, like the heads of this booking agency, willing to hide their involvement in this rip-off and allowing the show to go on to avoid the risk of “losing their credibility or reputation.” A head of a Creation Science organization, Professors at seminaries, people who lost thousands of dollars investing in WAR, owners of Christian book stores, heads of large Bible teaching organizations, all just shoved the thing under the rug or were still promoting what I now see as probably the most incredible scam I have ever seen. Hollywood would have a difficult time creating a “Sting” movie as incredible as what I have come across the last few days.

Perhaps more incredible to me than the fact this con could go on as long as it has, is the response of many Christian leaders to this perpetration. I think the most honest response I got in this whole investigation came from a non-believer from a television studio. He said, “I became involved for the money.” Thank you, non-Christian for a little honesty.

I can’t cover most of what I discovered in the several days of investigative calls all over this country. I’ll try to put all that in an audio tape complete with the details of how to get this information for yourself. I will tell you enough here to hopefully convince you WAR is a Christian con game. Ron Wyatt is either very psychologically ill or one of the greatest liars I have ever come across.

One of the individuals who I interviewed, who lost approximately 30,000 thousand dollars to Ron Wyatt, went to Israel with him, supposedly to see some of these sights and record them on film. An assignment editor of a major television station in Nasheville went with them. Not only did this individual not see any of these incredible discoveries, but his wife was told by one of Ron Wyatt’s sons that the chariot wheels that Ron supposedly discovered in the Gulf of Aqaba were planted there by Ron. Mr. Wyatt gave this couple some coins which he supposedly found at the Ark of the Covenant site. Again, one of Wyatt’s sons informed the wife that Wyatt bought those coins. Gentle, soft-spoken Ron verbally abused an Arab car rental agent when the agent told Mr. Wyatt that his son was to young to drive the vehicle.

This couple and the television man returned with nothing to show for the ten’s of thousands of dollars he gave to Ron. Later, Ron returned and asked for $10,000 dollars more. This man told Ron he would give him the money if he agreed to take a lie detector test and sign a statement agreeing to allow this man to use the results of the test any way he wanted. Ron tried to get the money without agreeing to take the test, but when he saw that he would not get another dime without the test, he finally signed the statement and took the test. In the words of the man who put Ron Wyatt through the test, as told by the man who gave Ron Wyatt all the previous money, “He failed just about everything except his name.”

After this, Ron Wyatt physically threatened the man who had Wyatt sign the statement. I also found out one of the so-called scientific apparatuses Ron Wyatt used to determine that he verified the true Noah’s Ark, was a device advertised in the back of treasure hunter magazines. It was nothing but a glorified “divining rod.” It had absolutely no scientific value whatsoever, yet leading ancient antiquities professors, Creation Science people with advanced degrees in geology, and newsmen fell for a modern version of the old water “divining rod.”

I hope you understand the reason I am writing this story is really not to expose one man, Ron Wyatt. There are thousands of Ron Wyatt’s in the Christian community. One of them may be in your pulpit. What I want to expose is what causes us to fall for these kind of schemes.

After I listened to the tapes and read the books, listened to Ron Wyatt give his explanations on the telephone for an hour, talked to his wife a couple of times, and spend almost an hour with the wife of one of Ron Wyatt’s associates, I believed Ron Wyatt was telling the truth. I could not call him a liar. Everything about him seemed very Christ-like. His videos showed well known people support his views.

But I had an obligation to those who read Dew and receive Tentmaker material to search the matter further. It cost several days of time and probably hundreds of dollars, but it uncovered the lie which was so beautifully packaged. This scam had its beginning as early as 25 years ago. It is still going on, ever increasing in deception. Many leaders in the Christian community know it is a lie, yet they keep their mouths shut either because they do not want people to know they fell for it, or because they made money themselves from it, or because they are running a small version of a scam themselves and just don’t want people to get too disgusted with things like this because it might shut down their little scam.

I have to admit, I believed this man was telling the truth. Should you see the video, you will see that it was put together very well and Ron Wyatt certainly deserves an Emmy for his performance. I have never seen such an amazing performance in my life.

As the pace in this world increases, and decisions have to be made faster and faster, it will be much easier for people to be taken advantage of. One of the biggest scams going right now in the Christian community is the Pre-trib Rapture teaching. This teaching has set up millions of Christians to be conned many times. The any-day-now rapture opens the door to Christians making many rash decisions because there is not enough time to think about it, certainly not enough time to search and see if these things be so. There is just enough time to buy the right books and tapes to get ready and maybe save some of your friends and relatives.

Christians of all different persuasions have developed the “tickled ear” syndrome. They are so busy chasing the things of the world while claiming to be seeking the things of the kingdom, there is not enough time to really study, search, and pray. We’ll just find a nice looking man or woman who, for a little of our money and a couple hours on Sunday will keep us informed of what we need to do to be ready “when the Lord returns.” And most of those who live like this do not realize that because of their own attitude about how to spend their time, they have prepared themselves to be a perfect candidate to attend a church with the same kind of leaders as Ron Wyatt.

What can I say to you to make you see the seriousness of this situation? Father, please do something to the one who is reading this right now to turn to You in a fresh way, to seek you with all their heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. Father, raise up leaders who do not seek to sit in Moses seat, but who desire to lift your people up to you. Raise up servants who can bring forth teaching which will make your people desire to study and seek your face in a deeper way than ever before. Oh, Father please, deliver your people. Set us free to enjoy receiving your wisdom so that we will no longer be taken in by charismatic cons who know how to manipulate our senses

There are many reasons why you should work for yourself. First, the biggest reason is that you are now your own boss…the big cheese. Here is the down site. You now will go from listening to a boss to listening to yourself. The Question is; are you discipline enough to listen to yourself? There is no one else to make those big decisions for you.

Working for yourself is also a big question when considering your schedule. Now you have the freedom not to listen to yourself. You really need to know that working for yourself is more dedicated than working for the boss. I remember the first time I when on a business interview to see a client and it was my first time. WOW… I’m the president of the company and have no one to answer to…..really? What about the customer…..He needs an answer you better know.

There are four M’s in the business world.

1.    The Machinery of work (Equipment, tools, furniture, etc…you get the point)

2.    The Man Power (This is hard one. You just decided that you want to be the boss and now you have to hire people like yourself that don’t want to work for a boss….pretty funny.)

3.    The Management (Now you need people that will help you run your business and have loyalty and integrity)

4.    Finally the big M….. Money. No Money….No Honey. Now you pay for everything. No more going to the boss for anything.

Here is why you should work for yourself. Very simply put. You will either work for a salary or you will work for a profit. Now if you treat your boss (you) good and work hard for your boss (you) then you will reap the benefits of working for yourself.

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by the way…..THIS IS NOT AND I REPEAT…. IT IS NOT MLM….THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!

EVERY TIME SOME ONE USES THEIR CREDIT CARD TO PAY FOR A TRANSACTION…..

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• Did you also know that a soul is dead every second
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2 Chronicles 7:14   if my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land.

Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)

Trust Jesus Christ today!

Here’s what you must do:
Admit you are a sinner!!!!!

Be willing to turn from sin and pray this (not better yet cry out to the Lord to save you from hell and eternal punishment….. This is a serious matter of life and death….all believing and or disbelieving won’t matter after you die….. so think twice before throwing this opportunity out the door)

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you in Jesus precious name to ask that you forgive me of my sins and cleanse my heart, my spirit and my soul. I recognise that I am a sinner and that nothing I do can get me into heavenly.. Please save my soul from hell. I believe you (Jesus) are the key to eternal life and without you I stand to eternal punishment and separation from you. I now ask you to come in mine heart and my soul. I ask you to change me through your Holy Spirit and have your spirit dwell in me. I thank you for your precious sacrifice that you did on Calvary. Please change me, mold me and cleanse me of all iniquity. I renounce every work and deed I have committed for the devil and his kingdom. I ask you to take dominion over my life. Thank You for saving my soul.

In Jesus All Mighty Name….. Amen