ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES

The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl

2012-01-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

2012 The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl - Ron Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 1 Thessalonians 4:12. What this verse has so eloquently stated is we who walk in the precepts of the Lord should be an example to those on the outside of salvation. We should certainly not be distracted by known deceptions. We should always be prepared to denounce such lies. Satanic lies are established to create an atmosphere of fear while setting up a sense of confusion, all for the purpose of fulfilling Satan's agenda. We've heard the hype leading up to 2012, and that year has now arrived. That hype is a lie built around a calendar...a calendar created by the worshipers of the demon, Quetzalcoatl.

If we look to the alternative news websites we can glean a lot of good information about what is coming, prophetically speaking. In many of these articles those of us who are students of the Bible can see the occasional unveiling of the biblical prophetic truths we've been studying. Some disastrous scenarios might well reach us at our homes, but they will in no way be what the Bible describes as the wrath of God.

For some time now the mainstream media (who continually obfuscates the truth) has been enamored with the possibility that the Mayan prediction might actually occur in 2012. That the mainstream media would give so much air time to such a topic, and so intently, should give us reason to doubt any serious possibility of such an occurrence. In truth, what we can see approaching is far worse than anything the mainstream media depicts as the ultimate destruction of planet earth. Pie-in-the-sky plentiful times or the end of the world, both scenarios are equally presented by these goofy mainstream media pundits. But I will say this, for those of us who follow the One who is hated by most of humanity, this year may prove to be quite a distressing year.

With the looming doomsday scenario of the Maya predictions, many will become increasingly apprehensive which will lead to a state of fearfulness. It would be well to note that if we are going to put faith in a Maya calendar prediction we would do well to remember that the Mayans gained their notoriety as the civilization that sacrificed thousands upon thousands of their own people on the altar to their god Quetzalcoatl. The Mayan people did this bloodletting to appease their god and open portals for the demons to enter this dimension could the fact that we have the same bloodletting practice going on today in America and around the world, in the form of government sanctioned abortions, be opening the same portal of the demonic? The whole word now seems to be just as demonically enticed as the Mayans. Is Quetzalcoatl standing on our doorstep?

The lie which brought about this fairly new doom and gloom scenario is a key element in creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Fear is the tool at the top of the arsenal of weapons currently in use by the enemy of all humanity. Fear and confusion combined with manipulation will create the perfect atmosphere for the enemy as he draws closer to accomplishing his goal.

One day soon the world will be changed, but the end of the world will not occur on December 21, 2012. How can I, a mere human, make such a claim? Simple. I don't read that particular doomsday scenario anywhere in the Bible. I believe the Author of the Bible above all of man's writings. God has not declared an end to the world at a specific date in 2012, although the Rapture of His Church may occur in 2012. That would certainly usher in the apokalypsis and a mega war at a place referred to in the Hebrew tongue as Harmagedōn resulting in the re-appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints (the Church). The removal of the Church will be quite the cataclysmic event but not the end of the world.

This same lie that portends the world will end in 2012 is currently being perpetuated by Hollywood and through a plethora of books. Both venues are involved in this deception to capitalize on the dollars each can generate. Satan doesn't really care about the motivation, only the ultimate outcome. Movies and books will increase the promotion of the lie which will ultimately funnel down to fear and confusion. Increasingly we see that people are so ignorant of Biblical truth that falling for the enemy's schemes is inevitable. This 2012 end of the game scenario might well be the setup for the strong delusion spoken of by God in His word.

Jesus tells those who will read His word that the last days will be laden with deception. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:12. When we look at this verse with discernment, it's increasingly obvious that what Jesus told His disciples those many years ago has certainly begun. Many people today are perfectly in line with Satan's agenda and are fulfilling Jesus words to His disciples to the letter. Whatever we hear in these last days concerning impending doom, our recourse is to first search the scriptures to see if what we are being told, or if what we've heard, agrees with God's word.

Scary things may well be in our future, but the biblically astute will be much more alert to deception. This end of the world scenario is increasingly flooding humanity with thoughts of doom and gloom, that's Satan's modus operandi. Because Satan doesn't know, any more than mankind knows, when the end will come he must always capitalize on every opportunity even, the false predictions of future doom and gloom. But Satan's final goal will not be fully realized, unless

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Luke 21:25. The above verse is just an example of what people will be experiencing in the last days before the Lord's return. This whole idea of the 2012 Mayan end of the world doom and gloom brings into prefect view a sense of the perplexity of nations which can be plainly seen infecting our culture today. There is currently an increasing anticipation of foreboding as people begin to believe in the possibility that the 2012 Mayan prediction might actually occur. Here's the rub, it's not whether it will occur or whether it won't, but that it can't. As I've already mentioned, 2012 being the year the world ends is not recorded in the word of God. The world coming to an end in December of 2012 will be a non-event. But the purpose behind the lie will have come to fruition. The damage will have been done as the goal of the malevolent sadistic supernatural realm will be that much closer to bringing about fear and confusion while trapping humanity in a cesspool of deception.

The whole idea and promotion of 2012 being the end of the world has a dark element of supernatural origin implemented to create a desired effect, which, as I've already stated, is one of fear and confusion. Satan remains at odds with God even though he lost everything he held dear when God died for His creation. The cross was certainly a stumbling block for Satan who, over the last 2,000 years, has become even more determined to destroy mankind. He's not done.

The Bible plainly states that the wrath of God will come upon a Christ-rejecting world, but that the Church will not be here to witness even the beginning of the pouring out of God's wrath. We can read about the 70 weeks prophesied in the Book of Daniel and see that only 69 of those weeks have come to pass. The final week has not begun but when it does it will culminate in Christ's return with His Church. The Rapture must occur at least 7 years prior to Christ's return. After that there will be 1,000 years wherein Satan will be bound and the world will keep on spinning. How then can the world end in 2012? It can't.

The Mayans were devil worshipers who sacrificed their own people to their plumed serpent god, Quetzalcoatl. The idea that these devil worshipers could have come to a conclusion that the world would end in 2012 is preposterous. Instead of looking to Satan's devotees to open our eyes to the future, let's look to God first as our Creator and Savior, secondly as the initiator of our faith and the giver of life, and thirdly as the source of all true prophecy. In doing so, we simply look into His word to see the absurdity of those flooding the world with the Maya predictions.

There is an aspect of the Maya predictions that rarely gets discussed and that is the Maya didn't really portend an end to the world as many believe. They simply created a calendar that once deciphered ended with the year 2012. All of the doom and gloom associated with the Mayan calendar is only a satanic attempt at creating fear and confusion in the hearts of men. It sets up a plausible yet fictitious end game scenario. Since we know that Satan corrupts God's word we also know that there will be false prophecies that somewhat parallel God's own prophecies, but they are actually a very cleaver deception. With all the hype of 2012, I believe it is possible that we are being setup for the delusion that those who have rejected Christ will believe. If Satan can achieve his goal of getting people to accept this 2012 end of the world scenario, then as December 21, 2012, draws closer fear will also increase exponentially. If the Rapture were to occur after that anticipation reaches fever pitch, Satan will have no difficultly convincing humanity of his end of game ultimate deception.

With fear and confusion firmly embedded in the minds and hearts of men, Satan then uses his control over those men as pawns while establishing his end game goal. After the removal of the restrainer, which includes the Church, Satan will reveal his man in waiting to the deceived world who will accept this man with open arms as the savior of the world.

What we can be sure of is that the prophecies in the Bible are true, correct, and will all come to pass in due time. Just as all the fulfilled prophecies of the past came about exactly to God's specifications, those of the future are also guaranteed to come to fruition exactly as God has pronounced. Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Luke 21:26. Fearing what's coming on earth is not prudent for the believer who has placed their faith, trust, and hope in Christ. Satan controls a mass of misinformation on this globe and the end of the world coming in 2012 is one of his biggest lies since corrupting Eve I believe it is right up there with another huge lie which is, of course, the lie of evolution.

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psalm 34:7. Here we're told that those who belong to the Lord have nothing to fear from God's enemies. Why? The angel of the Lord is a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ. He is encamped around us we're protected on every side. The battle rages. The enemy is relentless, but powerless, against The angel of the LORD. Christians shouldn't fall for the ensuing deception as Satan floods the unbelieving world with his lies. We who follow Christ are fully protected from this evil and malevolent supernatural being; the rest of humanity, as they become more and more subjected to his lies, will find the truth increasingly elusive.

As the world becomes more and more engrossed with the idea of 2012 bringing an end to their beloved planet earth, Satan/Quetzalcoatl will continue to lead them in that lie as he sets them up for his impending doom. The rest of us will enjoy a firm and secure future, and just knowing about that future inspires hope We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:19-21. In other words, if prophecy isn't in the Bible it's a deception implemented by the deceiver of all mankind and destroyer of souls.

Any mention of any looming apocalyptic catastrophic destruction of planet earth not found in the Bible is a scenario created out of a mind consumed with evil and hatred for the inhabitants of said planet; Satan revels in this arena. His attempts at inculcating fear in the minds of humans are legendary. On the other hand, God delights in the offering of His grace to all of His creation. Satan is intent on man's destruction; God is fully focused on man's salvation. Satan hates us with a hate that is humanly inconceivable; God loves us with a love unimaginable, and therefore indescribable. Satan is bent on keeping the state of mankind in a posture reserved for the damned; God died for us to remove us from that state to become heirs of all He has. While Satan is bent on instilling fear in all humanity; God would be overjoyed if all humanity were to embrace the hope He has provided through His Son, Jesus the Christ. Satan only destroys lives; God builds on our lives to perfect us and ready us for an eternity with Him. Satan is a liar and the father of all deception; who would trust him? God's precepts are perfect and His prophecies are true and accurate; He can be trusted. Which one of these two supernatural beings are you going to look to for a true glimpse into the future?

The prophecies of God are being played out little by little almost every day just as there are false prophets portending approaching doom nothing new here. But in this year of 2012 we may well be witnessing the encroachment on humanity of the mother of deceptions, which include the false Maya predictions. This year, the hype of 2012 will make Y2K pale in comparison. Many, if they haven't already, will become caught up in this circus event and see it as an increasingly significant possibility. Before this year is over many will be setup to embrace the lie. What lie you ask? The lie which will be ushered in at the moment Christ removes His Church. But the prelude to that event is the setup. I believe this will be seen by the Church and will be obvious to many of us. It's just offstage ready to be unveiled as the date of December 21st gets closer and the possibility that the Lord takes His Church home this year grows stronger. Satan will then be in a perfect position to spring a great deception on the remainder of humanity. Get ready!

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed

Ministry address 96 County Road 5480 Salem, MO 65560

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On The Brink Of War?

2011-11-13T08:49:00.001-05:00

On The Brink Of War?

By Mike Taylor

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Prophecy writers have been preaching the soon return of Jesus Christ and we wonder how soon? The indicators of the soon return of our Lord are all around us, but it has been fuzzy, but grows much clearer as time passes. Much like a picture developed in a dark room, as we see the image slowly coming into view. News reports have been coming fast and furious in the last few weeks, and from this perspective, I see the puzzle of end time events growing much more into focus with each passing day.

MOUNTING NEWS FLASHES

Let’s examine a few of these indicators that the time is short for the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Start with the economic troubles in Greece, Italy, Ireland, Spain and most of Europe that has even affected our economy, as the world economy has become closely tied to one another. First news flash is that it’s been reported that the Vatican has taken a stance of encouraging a One World Authority for peace and posterity as an answer to the economic turmoil gripping the globe. It was reported on the website Catholic News Service the following:

“A Vatican document called for the gradual creation of a “world political authority” with broad powers to regulate financial markets and rein in the “inequalities and distortions of capitalist development. The document said the current global financial crisis has revealed “selfishness, collective greed and the hoarding of goods on a great scale.” A supranational authority, it said, is needed to place the common good at the center of international economic activity.” The logical start offered up by the Catholic Church is the United Nations with one central authority to regulate the world economy.

Second news flash is there has been a push by the Roman Catholic Church to unite all religions into a One World Religious authority and I submit will be headed by the Catholic Church and it’s pope. Rome has brought all the world religions including pagan religions to the Italian town of Assisi in front of the St. Francis Basilica to set the groundwork of a one world religious movement. Many writers are starting to write about this push that began with the groundwork being laid by Pope John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. This is a part of the prophetic puzzle that is growing clearer with each passing day. These two pieces of the end time puzzle are growing more into reality. Then let’s take a look at the continued unrest in the Middle East. Another piece of this end time puzzle is being played out on our news cast nightly. Instability in the region has been gaining steam, during this so called Arab spring. The nations that surround Israel have been in revolution overthrowing their leaders. Starting in Tunisia, it has spread to the other neighboring Arab countries, such as Egypt, now Libya, and unrest growing in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. What this has accomplished is the solidarity of these Muslim nations being changed from dictatorships, and transforming them into religious theocracies ruled by Sharia Law and the Koran and fueled by known terrorist groups with world conquest on their minds. These new governments will pattern themselves along the lines of the greatest threat in the Middle East, Iran. As we know, Iran has been working feverishly to develop nuclear capabilities and the Western world has been impotent to stop them. Threatened sanctions and diplomatic maneuvers have not slowed the government of Iran from building what the free world fears, a nuclear bomb. Couple that with Iran’s ranting of wanting to destroy Israel and wipe them off the face of the map from their leader, Mahmoud ( I’m a total nut job), only intensifies the fears the world feels and Israel’s rightly perceived threat to their sense of security and peace.

WAR AND RUMORS OF WAR

What could tip the fragile economic condition of the world we live in? What one word would send our world into a tail spin? What’s that word? It is WAR! It is especially true when you use it in context with the Middle East.

If you have been following the developments in the area it is reported that Iran, if they made an all out push for a nuclear weapon could achieve it in 6 months. For several years, I have been wondering not if, but when Israel would either with help from the USA, or unilaterally on its own, attempt to destroy the nuclear installations of Iran. It appears that new saber rattling is being reported coming from Israel. In the Asia Times written by Victor Kotsev, he reports the following news flash:

“Through a number of leaks and well-publicized war exercises, the Israeli government has dramatically increased its threats against Iran in the past days. Since the Israeli military likes to act by surprise, it seems this specific escalation is a bluff designed to help pass tougher diplomatic measures against the Islamic Republic at the United Nations Security Council, specifically following the anticipated publication of an important report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) next week.

However, given the exceptionally high and rising regional tensions (not all of which involve Israel directly), a larger war in the Middle East is a distinct possibility. Thus, the Israeli rhetoric can be interpreted in two additional ways (all three are not mutually exclusive): as an attempt to deter a possible first or second strike by Iran and its allies, and as a campaign to prepare public opinion, both at home and abroad, for hostilities. “

When Israel does attack, not if, but when, Iran will pull out all stops to attempt to make Israel pay and facilitate their belief that their mission is to bring about an Islamic Caliphate. Of course, we know that Iran will rely on it’s proxies to do it’s dirty work, as they may be crippled militarily and have been preparing for just such a scenario via Hezbollah, Hamas, and now with the uprising and the fall of dictatorships all over the Middle East, using these nations for a coordinated attack. I see a possible fulfilling of Psalms 83.

83:1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

83:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

83:7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

83:8 Assur also is joined with them: they have helped the children of Lot. Selah.

83:9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

Who are these people that make these plans that are noted in bold type? These are the ancient names of the people of the Muslim nations that surround Israel this day.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

I’m not saying this attack by Israel will happen this weekend, as Israel when they have attacked the atomic reactors in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, or Syria a few years ago, it was in total surprise. You didn’t know about it, till it was over. Only thing I see different right now, is the flight path of direct line attack over Iraq being opened up, as the USA will withdraw all our troops by the end of this year. It will be a direct flight path to their intended targets. Let’s also couple that with new stealth capabilities that Israel has developed to make their attack virtually unseen on radar until it’s too late. This will be a massive campaign and Israel has been preparing for this event for years. Iran has no air defense except from the ground, as their air force is from the time the Shah was in power and is inferior to Israel’s modern force. Ground to air missiles will be shooting in the dark with Israel’s stealth capabilities and evasive maneuvers to become invisible targets.

We know that the intelligence of the Israeli government is much more sophisticated than any news report, and they know when the window of opportunity will close for a successful strike. When Iran is suddenly struck with Israeli lightening speed, their only reprisal, I envision, will be through their proxies surrounding Israel. God has promised Israel that He would give them the land from the great river of Egypt to the River Euphrates, north to and including Syria, and south to the Arabian Peninsula. What will be the outcome of this battle? I suggest that the God given promise of the land promised to Abraham will be redeemed by the help of Almighty God fighting on the side of Israel, much like the 1948, 1967, and the 1973 wars that they should have lost, but God was with them.

Why do I think this? If you look at the Battle of Ezekiel, which I believe follows on the heels of the afore-mentioned Islamic defeat, you find in chapter 38, we read the following:

38:2 Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal, and prophesy against him,

38:3 And say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince (ruler) of Rosh, of Meshech, and of Tubal.

38:4 And I will turn you back and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords--

38:5 Persia, Cush, and Put {or} Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet,

38:6 Gomer and all his hordes, the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north and all his hordes--many people are with you.

Notice that you find none of the names of the peoples mentioned in Psalm 83 in the neighboring nations as they have been destroyed and also, note that the verses speak of a city without walls, a city living in peace as noted in this passage of Ezekiel:

38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:

38:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

When has Israel in all of its modern history since 1948 been as Ezekiel describes them in the verse 11? Never you say? You would be right, never. God will be their champion in both fights. It is more evident in Ezekiel than in Psalms 83, as it is revealed that God is doing the fighting and destroys Israel’s enemies on the mountains of Israel by using signs that can only be rendered as Divine in nature. Read the full chapter and digest the quick end to the enemies of Israel that dare come down upon God’s people or His Land. On the heels of this huge defeat of the Gog-Magog coalition, a man of great public stature will bring about a treaty for 7 years of peace. I believe that country, headed by this man is what we call the Anti-Christ!

How many years will be between Psalm 83 and the war in Ezekiel? We don’t know, but the focus of this sermon is that the next war that leads to the unveiling of the Anti-Christ could be close at hand. Israel will own all of the vast oil and gas fields of most of the entire Middle East after this next war and what better prize than for the armies of Gog-Magog to try and come down and take the riches of the Middle East from this upstart called Israel and their God?

Now here is the exciting part for you and me. When this Ezekiel war is quickly fought and lost by this Gog-Magog coalition secured by the power of Almighty God, I believe it will bring to the forefront a man with the number of his name adding up to the number 666. My bible says that he will be revealed according to God’s Word, II Thessalonians chapter 2:

2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

If you have been following my sermons for any length of time, you know the answer to who and what is being talked about here. Verse 9 speaks of one who has the power of Satan with signs and lying wonders. Who is that man? Correct, the Anti-Christ is who Paul is speaking of. But there is one thing that must happen before he can be revealed. What is that? Verse 7: For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. Who is being taken out of the way? There is something holding back this unspeakable evil, a force that keeps the full power of Satan at bay, and prevents Satan from doing as he would like to do, that is destroy mankind. What is that Force? It clearly is the Holy Spirit. God will remove all hindrance for Satan doing unimaginable evil.

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And skipping down to verse 13:

12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (Israel)

Let’s make a clear statement here. If the Holy Spirit is being removed and Satan is being cast down to the earth, never to be allowed back into the heavens, then if our Comforter, our Spiritual Counselor, and our deposit of God’s Holy Spirit within our spirit is being removed from this earth, then we who have that promise of redemption will be removed at the exact same time. Understand one thing, my reader. The tribulation is designed for one thing, the removal of sin from this earth and for refining Israel as gold is refined in the furnace. When Israel understands that the Messiah that came to them over 2000 years ago, they will cry out, as Jesus said in Luke chapter 13:

13:35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Then Israel will realize what they have done to the Lord of Glory, their prophesied Messiah who they killed in anger, but to fulfill God’s plan:

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Now let’s take a quick summary of where this puzzle is showing what may be on the horizon in the near future. The economies of this world are collapsing, number one. The beginning for the push for a One world Religion and Government are being designed right before our eyes, number two. Unrest in the Middle East will eventually explode into possibly WWIII at the greatest, or a Mid-East war in the least because of an attack by the Israelis on Iran’s nuclear installations that could be happening at any moment in the future, puzzle piece number three. Follow this on it’s heals of the conquering of the Middle East oil producing economies by Israel, a battle for control of this vast wealth by the Gog-Magog invasion and the revealing of the Anti-Christ to the world. But before the final puzzle piece is revealed, scripture says that the Church is removed along with the Holy Spirit. How much time in this scenario do you think it would take for all these events to being fulfilled? My friend, it could take several years, it could take ten years, but the point is, signs are saying that man’s history of self rule is drawing fast to a close. The revealing of the Anti-Christ will start the beginning of the Tribulation where peace will be illusive and as smoke in the wind. When this 7 year treaty has been signed, if you witness it, then you will have most likely missed the calling of the church to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The next 3.5 years from that time will be bad, economically, socially, spiritually and probably physically.

When this man who speaks of peace and looks like a saint trying to bring peace to the world, then without warning this man will approach the Temple in Jerusalem that he has allowed to be built as a part of this 7 year treaty and will stand in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem and proclaim himself, to be a god. Then all of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and all of the land held by Israel will realize that they have made a treaty with the devil and the Great Tribulation will have begun where if God allowed it, no man would be spared because of war, famine, and the wrath of Almighty God being poured out on an unrepentant mankind. My reader, I assure you that you do not want to be witness to the beginning of a 7 year treaty, much less a man standing in the Temple of God, proclaiming that he is God. It will be hell, quite literally, on earth. If you think that a Christian must endure the Tribulation and that Jesus Christ sacrifice didn’t finish the job, and we , the church saints, must be purified right along with Israel who is in spiritual rebellion and darkness, then my friend, you have more of a problem than the timing of the rapture of the church, as in your mind, Jesus and His blood sacrifice was insufficient to purchase your redemption. The Tribulation is designed to purify Israel and to remove sin from the earth in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ to rule with a rod of Iron for a Thousand years, called the Millineum.

My friend, do not be counted with the spiritual rebellion of Israel not accepting their Messiah. The nation of Israel are God’s people and He will save them out of this awful time and save them all, not losing one, but what about you? If you’re not Jewish, you have no idea that you will even have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If war breaks out in the Middle East in the near future, your chance for making eternity with God may be very short. Make that decision today, as the Holy Spirit wishes to bring you home with our Lord and Savior. Want to know how to make that decision, which is the most important decision that you will ever make? Read the Gospel of John slowly and let God’s Holy Spirit reveal who this Man, Jesus was and is today. He is wishing to come into your life. Won’t you answer the call?

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, wishing God’s salvation for your life. If there is anything I can help you with, pray with you about, or show you the way to salvation, give me an email to realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org. God bless you, till we hopefully meet at Jesus feet.

The End Of The Last Days

2011-11-13T08:47:00.001-05:00

The End Of The Last Days

By Matt Leasher

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In the decades that followed the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948, Bible prophecy scholars have been declaring the realization that we are in the last days and that Christ is coming soon. But as the decades continue to roll by many have become weary of the message that we are in the last days and have presumed Christ’s return to be far off. The problem with the people that are losing hope in Christ’s soon return is that perhaps they do not understand just exactly what the last days are in light of the big picture.

Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that the period known as being the “last days” began when Jesus Christ came into the world.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, (Hebrews 1:1-2).

The Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Hebrews to inform us that the last days began nearly 2,000 years ago. What does that mean to us now? Many people, (including myself), believe that God works in dispensations and that the time period of man’s governing the earth is 6,000 years divided into three sections. The first 2,000 years being approximately from Adam to Abraham. The next 2,000 years approximately from Abraham to Christ and the last 2,000 years, (hence the last days) being from Christ to the present. This could very well be the reason that the New Testament writers often referenced their day as being the last days, however to us it was nearly 2,000 years ago. Even though it seems so long ago to us for them to be referring to their day as the last days it was still within that last 2,000-year dispensation. They were just at the beginning of it. They knew about these dispensations. They knew that they were in the beginning section of the period of the last days. If that was nearly 2,000 years ago then that means that we are at the last section of that same period known as the last days.

In 2 Peter 3:8 and Psalm 90:4 it tells us that “a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.” I don’t believe this is just an arbitrary statement. I believe this is written so that we can use it as a measuring rod for knowing the timetable of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind. So if a day is as a thousand years with the Lord then it may be that the six days of creation written in Genesis reflect the 6,000 years of man’s governing the world and that the 7th day of rest is the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth that is written about in Revelation 20.

Hebrews 4:1-5 informs us that there is a period still yet to come that has been promised by God as a time of rest for His people.

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any on you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest,” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

(Hebrews 4:1-5 emphasis added)

Notice that this promise of rest for God’s people is about entering into His rest and the writer of Hebrews quotes the Genesis creation account of the 7th Day as he informs us about this coming period of rest. The writer switches back and forth from the 1st person to the 3rd person. The people that are being spoke about in the 3rd person that will not enter into His rest are those that were rebellious with hardened hearts that were in the wilderness for 40 years during the Exodus as he is quoting from Psalm 95 there.

The apostle Paul spoke of the “the fullness of time” in a manner that seems to support that God’s overall plan for man is set up in specific dispensations of time. In Galatians chapter 4 Paul is describing the timing in which God sent His Son into the world and he phrases it like this:

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we may receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

If God’s dispensations for man are of three 2,000 year periods and Christ’s coming into the world was at the transition point from the 2nd period into the 3rd period which we are currently near the end of, then the phrase, “when the fullness of time had come” in the above verse seems to support this notion. Paul seems to be telling us that a certain dispensation of time had to be fulfilled before the Son of God could then come into the world, hence – a divine appointment! This implies that there is a predetermined scripted course of events that God has in place for us to know our position in history – or rather His story!

Israel becoming a nation again in 1948 is certainly the end time sign letting us know that things are beginning to wrap up and that we are coming close to the end of this last 2,000-year period. Since all of the prophecies about the return of the Lord in the end times involve Israel being back in their land we know that we are close to His return since Israel has re-emerged unto the world scene. Lets take a brief look at the scenario in the last days that involve Israel by going backwards from the time that the Lord Jesus Christ will be reigning on earth.

When Christ the Lord returns He will sit on His throne in Jerusalem, (see Ezekiel 43:7, Zechariah 14:16-21 and Matthew 19:28). His throne will be in the rebuilt Temple that will be in Israel. All of the nations of the world will be gathered to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which is in Israel, traditionally in the Kidron Valley between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. There the Lord will enter into judgment with them on account of His people and His heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and divided up His land, (Joel 3:1-2 paraphrased). This is likely where the “Sheep & Goat” Judgment will take place, (Matthew 25:31-46). Just prior to this the Lord Jesus Christ will have physically returned to the earth to intervene and cut short the battle of Armageddon, a.k.a. Megiddo which is a real place in Israel, (Revelation 16:16). Here Christ will destroy the antichrist and false prophet and have Satan bound for 1,000 years. He will also save the human race from extinction for if He did not cut the days short of this battle no human flesh would survive, (Matthew 24:22). Three and a half years prior to this event the antichrist will have entered the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and will have declared himself to be God, (2 Thessalonians 2:4 & Matthew 24:15). Just prior to the antichrist entering the Temple the Two Witnesses appointed by God will be prophesying in Jerusalem probably right on the Temple Mount according to Revelation 11, for the first three and a half years of the Tribulation. So when we trace the prophesied end time events backwards from when the Lord will reign on earth to the beginning of the Tribulation we can see that Israel is the centerpiece of all that is to come in the last days.

Before God’s 6,000-year plan for mankind is finished there will be 7 years of Tribulation on the earth as never has been before, (Matthew 24:21). This period of Tribulation is a time of testing for those that were too stubborn to come to Christ during the Age of Grace and a final time of purging Israel in preparation for the Kingdom of Christ to be set up there. Israel will finally come to know Christ as their Savior, (Zechariah 12:10). This will also be a time where God will purge the world of evil and wickedness ushering in a period of restoration in which the world will be restored to its formal state of perfection as it was in the time of Adam and Eve just after the creation.

The Rapture of the church is the next thing to take place on the prophetic calendar. There are no signs or events that must precede the Rapture. However, the Rapture must first occur before the antichrist can be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8), and before any of the Tribulation events can begin and yet we can see many of the Tribulation events being set up and falling into place on the world scene today. This is how we know that the Rapture is VERY close. What are some of the things that we are currently witnessing being set up that will occur in the Tribulation? Let’s take a look at just a few of them.

1.) The current turmoil of the world economy – As I am writing this the current international world markets are collectively plummeting and the economy is failing on a global scale as never before. In the Tribulation the economy will be in dire straits. See Revelation 6:6 and James 5:1-6. This will result in a financially vulnerable world that will somehow allow a “one world order” where a world dictator takes control of all buying and selling known as the antichrist or “the beast”, (Revelation 13:11-18).

2.) The increase of earthquakes - Jesus told us that one of the things we are to watch out for, as a sign of His soon return, is the increase of earthquakes in various places, (Matthew 24:7). We live in a technological time where an earthquake can take place on the other side of the world and we will know about it in minutes. Back in Jesus’ day if an earthquake occurred on the other side of the world you would probably never hear about it. So we know that this prophecy is intended for our day and the use of technology has certainly kept us informed of the increase in earthquakes that we are witnessing and in various places!

3.) Cashless society - A mere 30 years or so ago it was hard to conceive how a world leader known as the antichrist would be able to monitor everyone so that they could not buy or sell unless they had his mark on their hand or forehead. Now with technology as advanced as it has quickly become not only is it possible but it is in the process of being set up! Cash would have to be eliminated for the antichrist to be able to electronically monitor all buying and selling. These days it is common for people to get paid on payday have their check electronically direct deposited and use their debit or credit card to spend that money without ever touching cash. The whole time all of their transactions are being documented. Cash could be eliminated and it wouldn’t really change the average way of life all that much. One of the motivations for the elimination of cash would be to end the war on drugs as all drug deals are done anonymously with cash as well as most other black markets. The country of Poland is purposely striving to become a cashless society by the year 2014!

4.) Technology - While technology has done wonders in the field of science and medicine, technology is also greatly assisting to help set up the system that the antichrist will use to control the world and everyone in it. The microchip is already being used in some places in Europe to contain a person’s personal information such as health records, citizenship status, police records, etc., and is about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted into the person’s hand. It is also being used as a scanning device for entrance into secured buildings and identification. The micro chipping of animals to monitor their whereabouts has been in use for years so the same technique could just as well be used for humans in the future. Skeptics often say that it would be impossible for the antichrist to microchip everyone on earth but what they are forgetting is that with the combination of the Rapture and all of the people that will be killed in the early part of the Tribulation, (Revelation 6), there won’t be nearly as many people on earth as there is now when the time comes that this would be implemented, (Revelation 13). Not to mention that there will be quite a few people that will not take the mark of the beast as well, (Revelation 20:4).

5.) Israel’s enemies - All of the alliances that the Bible prophets have foretold would be against Israel in the last days are currently in place now. There is Russia, Turkey and Iran for the Gog-Magog War and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan (Palestinians), and Gaza for the Psalm 83 War. The time is also ripe for the fulfillment of a nuclear destruction of Damascus that seems to be strongly predicted in Isaiah 17. Damascus happens to be a current popular meeting place at the crossroads for all of these nations that plot against Israel. Egypt also has just recently broken its frail alliance with Israel adding to the list of nations that are against Israel. Libya is also mentioned as being in conjunction with the Gog-Magog posse, (Ezekiel 38:5), and we are currently witnessing the changing of the guard occurring there. In the end, the prophet Zechariah predicts that ALL of the nations of the world will eventually be against Israel, (Zechariah 12:3), but the nations that are predicted to be coalitions in the wars against Israel that shall usher in the beginning of the Tribulation are now currently in place.

These are just a few of the many things that point to the soon to come Tribulation period. To the average person most of this goes by unnoticed but to the Bible believing watchmen these things are screaming at us! They scream at us because we know that the Rapture will precede all of these things and that Christ has commanded us to watch for these things so that we’ll know it is near and be able to warn others. It is our duty!

The apostle John is a perfect role model as being a New Testament watchman warning the brethren about being watchful in the times we live in. In his first epistle he said this:

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

John’s warning about the coming antichrist is stated as being in the “last hour” which is where we are currently at in history. John certainly knew the judgments that would be coming upon the world, being the writer of the book of Revelation, (Christ being the author). So if John is warning us almost 2,000 years ago that the antichrist is coming then how much closer are we to it now! He warns us that many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour. According to John, an antichrist is “he that denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies the Father and the Son,” (1 John 2:22). Obviously there can’t be an “anti-christ” unless there was first a “Christ” (which means “anointed one”), and we know that to be Jesus of Nazareth and as I mentioned earlier in this article, the “last days” began when Jesus Christ was sent into this world.

When the last days are mentioned in the Old Testament it is usually phrased as “in the latter days” which implies a future time or dispensation, (see for example Deuteronomy 4:30 and 31:29), but when the last days are mentioned in the New Testament it is usually phrased as “in these last days” as being in a present era or dispensation, (see for example the above verse from 1 John 2:18 and Hebrews 1:1-2). This is further indication that “the last days” is a period or dispensation and not just an arbitrary statement that we are not able to know the time of. In fact, Daniel 8:19 confirms that the end of this age is for an “appointed” time.

“And he said, “Look I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.” (Daniel 8:19)

The angel told Daniel that the end of this age of indignation is set for an appointed time, which means that there has been a preordained appointment made for the end time events that are to come. There is nothing arbitrary about it. We live in a predetermined age that has been predetermined by the sovereign Lord. See also Acts 17:31.

Many people tend to let there watchful guard down because of the statement that Jesus made saying that we don’t know the day or the hour of His return and that only the Father knows that day and hour, (Matthew 24:36). This is true but Jesus also commands us to be watchful of the times and seasons so that that Day does not come upon us as a snare, (Luke 21:35 & Mark 13:35-37). There are more admonitions from our Lord Jesus about watching the times and seasons than there are about not knowing the day or the hour. In fact, Jesus rebuked the people of His day for not knowing the time of their visitation, (Messiah Jesus’ first advent), even though they could predict the weather by watching the sky, (Luke 12:54-56). The only way the people would have known who He was and when He would be there is by searching the Scriptures and they only had the Old Testament at that time. So how much more should we be aware of the times we are living in pertaining to His Second Coming by searching the Scriptures that we have now. In the Old Testament Christ was concealed but we have the New Testament where Christ is revealed. The apostle Paul assured us that we who are Bible believing followers of Christ would not be in darkness concerning His return.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:4)

Judging from the time table that God has provided us in His Word, the signs He told us to watch for and the current events that are going on around the world, we can clearly see that we are not only living in the period of the “last days” but we are at the end of the last days! We are in the latter section of the last set out of three sets of 2,000-year periods. Due to discrepancies and differences in the early first few century calendars it is difficult to precisely pinpoint exactly where we are on God’s timeline of His 6,000 year plan. However, we do know that Christ was walking this earth 2,000 years ago. While we may not know the day or the hour we certainly know the season that we are living in and that should be more than enough to have us all looking up!

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Turning Point: June 17,1963

2011-11-05T19:09:00.001-04:00

Turning Point: June 17, 1963 Ed Wood www.raptureready.com

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." The resolution was adopted on July 2, and the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4.

Most of the signers had seminary degrees and this influence is strongly reflected in the first two paragraphs of the document in which the reality of God as Creator is clearly acknowledged. Defying the odds and beginning with a rag-tag militia, the colonies, with the help of France, goes on to win its freedom over what was then perhaps the greatest military power on Earth.

It was this enduring belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Father of Jesus of Nazareth that I believe made America the greatest nation in the history of civilization. this is not to say we were perfect. The injustices perpetrated on North America's original inhabitants, the perpetuation of the enslavement of other human beings, the denial of the right to vote for women still taints our history. But we learned from these mistakes and made moves to correct them - albeit some are still a work in progress.

Our willingness to step up and sacrifice ourselves to stop aggression and totalitarianism abroad have been legendary. The advances in living standards and technology this country has made has been no less than spectacular.

Then something went terribly wrong.

On June 17, 1963 by an 8-1 vote, the Supreme court effectively kicked God out of our schools. Worse than this outrage was the placidity of most of the Christians in this country to allow this to stand for almost 50 years with no significant challenge.

Within five months President Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas. The succeeding years of this decade were marked by the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the deepening and divisive involvement in Viet Nam, the expansion of the drug culture, "free love," and the general loss of the innocence and optimism of our society.

I think it's safe to say that we never really recovered from the 1960's.

On January 22, 1973, by a vote of 7-2 Roe v. Wade prevented states from restricting abortions within the first three months of life, or banning it for the second trimester.

So, let's see where we've ended up since then.

Instead of the Lord's Prayer, our schools now hand out condoms, have full time police patrolling the halls, and are increasingly bringing in a homosexual-friendly agenda into even the earliest grades.

Instead of families consisting of a mother, father, and children, over half of them are now single-parent and a growing number of families are composed of homosexual or lesbian partners.

Even in "traditional" families, Mom and Dad are schlepping off the upbringing of their infant children to strangers (day care). Later on some of these absentee parents express complete surprise that their kid is using drugs . . . or planning, and sometimes succeeding, to carry out terrorist acts.

Four thousand of the unborn who had no voice or choice in their conception are terminated in what is euphemistically called a "procedure" every day.

As I write, America has willingly abandoned our leadership technologically, economically, and, as we have seen, morally as well.

We look in confusion at the converging of economic, political, religious, and even natural events enveloped in a turmoil that seems to be swallowing up not only the world, but now coming home in earnest to the United States and wonder why.

Though the passage below was specifically directed toward the Israelites as they headed for the Promised Land and the specifics regarding the Jordan and "graven images" (idolatry) differ, perhaps it still gives insight into why America has ended up where it is today and what its future will be if its present course continues to be followed:

When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger. I call upon heaven and Earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it: ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall be utterly destroyed. Deuteronomy 4:25-26

In the end we know God will make things right for those who believe and trust in Jesus. But when we stand before him as we all one day will, what account will we give of our stewardship and witness of his Word when it really counted?

ARE WE IN THE LAST DAYS?

2011-09-03T11:35:00.000-04:00

Are We In The Last Days? - By Grant Phillips www.raptureready.com

2 Timothy 3

1This know also (Realize), that in the last days perilous (difficult, dangerous) times shall come.

2For men shall be lovers of their own selves (self-centered), covetous (lovers of money), boasters (windbags), proud (arrogant), blasphemers (scoffing at God), disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy (nothing sacred),

3Without natural affection (unloving), truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (malicious gossips), incontinent (no self-control), fierce (cruel), despisers (haters) of those that are good,

4Traitors (treacherous), heady (reckless), high minded (conceited), lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5Having a form of godliness (acting religious), but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (avoid).

13But evil men and seducers (imposter's) shall wax (become) worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Are we in the last days? Some think the Apostle Paul thought he was in the last days. Notice what he said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For 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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. It does appear at first glance that he may have thought so, but I think he was leaving it open. I feel that he knew Jesus could return while he was alive, if He chose to, but I believe He knew that Jesus could also return much later.

Over 2,000 years have passed, so obviously he was not in the last days. Or was he? Where does that leave us? In my opinion, Paul was in the last days, and so are we. The Church has always been in the last days of the Church age, because the removal, or Rapture, has always been imminent. It could happen at any time. So why is God waiting so long, at least in our view? Peter says it well, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus Himself also provides this information, And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled fits perfectly with Peters statement in the previous verse (2 Peter 3:9). I say that because in my opinion, the Ark is almost full, except this time it won't be a flood, but a Tribulation unlike anything this world has ever witnessed.

The Church Age could be compared to a yardstick. The Apostles were at the one inch mark. I think, from what I am witnessing, we are well toward the other end of the yardstick. Could we be at the 33rd mark, 34th mark, 35th mark, or even very close to the 36th mark? I'll leave that answer up to our Lord, but surely we are somewhere very close to the end. We are not to predict, but He has told us to watch for the signs He provides and be ready.

I strongly feel that we are now in the last days of the Church age, not the last days of the Tribulation of course. Think about this, if Jesus came today for His Church, there would still be at least seven more years to fulfill the Tribulation. Seven years is nothing, even ten years. Think back seven or ten years in your life. I don't know about you, but to me, it seems like yesterday. So either way, when we mention last days, it can easily include the Tribulation and a short time prior to this horrible event. So this is where I am coming from in this article.

Some prophecies of the last days to consider in answering our question are weather patterns, the economy, society, placement of countries who will come against Israel, modern day technology that provides the means for fulfillment of end-time prophecies, but especially those concerning the State of Israel. In addition to all this though, the beginning Scripture passage of this article should answer this prevailing and burning question. Are we in the last days? If we are now seeing signs that are preparation indicators for the Tribulation, can the Tribulation be that far off? Since the Rapture precedes the Tribulation, then obviously it would be even closer.

Those of us who study prophecy, and I do not consider myself as well-versed as many of the writers, usually indicate that there are no signs for the Rapture. I believe there is one very clear sign; not of the Rapture itself, but the possible closeness of it. The sign is the context of Revelation chapters two and three. Seven literal churches are mentioned, and one of the things indicated is that each church represents a time in history. Each church progressively describes a period in our church history. The last period for the Church to exist is the Laodicean age. I feel, without a doubt, that we are in this Laodicean age. Now I grant you, we dont know the length of this age, but we do know it is the last one. The Rapture will end this age as Revelation 3:22 moves over to Revelation 4:1 where we see a door standing open in Heaven, and the Church is not mentioned again until it is seen in Heaven, while the Tribulation is unfolding on earth. Clearly to me at least, the Church Age has traversed the entire length of the yardstick, and the end is nigh.

In our lead passage above (2 Timothy 3), Paul is explaining to Timothy how people will behave in the last days. Some feel that Paul is referring to the last days of the Tribulation, but I feel that he is including the time just before the Rapture and on into the Tribulation. When the Church is removed, the sinful acts of mankind will increase exponentially. So is there anything in Paul's message to Timothy, in all these verses, that could describe us today, not just faintly but strongly?

Verse 1

Paul told Timothy to be on guard because the last days would be perilous, (difficult or dangerous). We live in a day, right now, when it is not wise to no longer lock our doors and windows as in the past. Even in the daytime, danger lurks. It is unsafe to walk alone in many areas. Even in some parts of some cities, police agencies would rather not enter, especially at night. The criminal element today has no qualms about attacking or even murdering a police officer, let alone a civilian. If you have ever watched any of the real-life crime shows on television, you will be sickened at the lack of respect one person has for another.

We have known almost zero persecution for being a Christian in this country, up until the last few years. Christians today, in this country, are being persecuted for standing up against the elements of Satan. If you are a fundamentalist Christian, you are equated with terrorists. If you speak out in favor of child discipline (not abuse), or capital punishment, but against fornication, adultery, homosexuality and abortion you are classified as a hate monger. If you speak up for Christian values you will be called a do-good er (or worse). If you say that the Bible, God's Word, is the only source of Truth and the only yardstick for living, you are called a bigot. If you speak up for Jesus as the only way to the one and only true God, you will be called narrow-minded. If you speak out against the decadence of Hollywood and Washington, you are laughed at and called an old fogey. If you speak out against false doctrine, cults and liberalism you are called un-loving. If you speak up for the message of Christ's Rapture of His Church, you are called an idiot and a simpleton. We are beginning to experience a push against true Christianity that we have never seen, but have only read about in other areas of the world. It is here folks, and it is going to get much worse. As we speak, Christians in this country are losing their freedoms, some literally.

Verses 2-5

In these verses, Paul lists 19 traits of mankind that will be very prevalent in the last days. If these are true of our day and time, then these behaviors should be easy to see. So let us briefly take one at a time.

1. Lovers of themselves: People who are lovers of themselves are self-centered or selfish. The psychologists would call them narcissists. Look at the trash people throw out on others properties for example. Notice the lack of concern many have for the plight of others. Observe the interest in self-gratification from young to old. Do you remember the line, Just do your own thing. It is an example of total self-centeredness, with no regard for others.

By the way, every one of these 19 attributes all point to a self-centered, greedy attitude. I challenge you to think of anything in our culture today, contrary to God, that does not involve self-centeredness or greed.

Most politicians are not interested in doing what is right for the citizens of this country. They are only interested in being re-elected. I wonder why?

Divorce is usually about the self-centeredness of one or both partners over the innocent sacrifice of the children involved.

These are just a hand-full of examples from multiplied thousands that you will recognize also.

2. Covetous: Those who are covetous are greedy for money. Now almost everyone I have heard partially quote 1 Timothy 6:10, has said that money is the root of all evil. That is not what this verse says. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Many large corporation executives live like kings and queens, while sacrificing the jobs of the worker bees for more money. Scams are abundant from those who try to bilk money from the innocent for the love of money. Thieves steal what is not theirs to convert to money. Murderers often kill for love of money. Children murder their parents for an inheritance love of money. Spouses murder spouses for insurance pay-offs love of money. Millions are spent on lottery tickets in the hope of being rich love of money. There is nothing wrong with money, per se. It is needed to live. But went it controls us, we are a slave to covetousness.

3. Boasters: There is no shortage of people who will sing their own tune and blow their own whistle. Listen to all the braggadocio that comes from the mouths of self-made gods. There is certainly no shortage of windbags in our society. If you don't believe me, just wait until election time. You'll need to get your boots out of the closet though.

4. Proud: Very, very few give God the credit for the success in their life, but they're sure quick to blame Him for the failures. We would do well to heed the words of Paul, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3) Pride was Lucifer's downfall, and could be ours too. Many strut around like peacocks, but one day soon God is going to pluck out those proud feathers.

5. Blasphemers: Irreverence toward God flies in His face from Hollywood to the pulpit. There is no where you can go and not hear God's name blasphemed. We also blaspheme Him by our sinful actions that we throw in His face and laugh off. He is blasphemed when His Church, which he died for, is ridiculed and persecuted. Our society has blasphemed His Law and even His Son. Some ministers of the church flaunt their sins in the face of God, while they preach to the flock from the Good Book. Some are even so brazen as to declare equality with God.

6. Disobedient to parents: The Dr. Spock method of raising children has resulted in a generation of hoodlums who have no respect for their parents or anyone else. If children will not respect their parents, tell me, who will they respect? The answer is no one. We are born into this world with sin in our heart. A child must be taught respect. It is not inherent.

7. Unthankful: We live in a society where most people think everyone else owes them a living. Why should they work, when someone else can work and keep them up? Others are blessed in so many ways, and have never thanked the source of their blessings. Children display an unthankful character when they are given whatever they want, without having to work to earn it. This attitude is often on display in your retail stores, a child crying and screaming because they want something, but what they really need is usually not what they get. So they continue to throw tantrums. These same children grow up, and become spoiled adults, totally unthankful, thinking they are entitled to anything they want.

8. Unholy: This word means wicked or profane. Walk on the beaches, take a stroll through Tinsel town, sit in a theater, watch the idiot box, travel to the legislative chambers, listen to the teachings of Satan's little puppets, and the depravity of mankind will have you wanting to scrub yourself clean from the world's sewage. Also, there is no shortage of those who claim Jesus as their Savior, but profane His Holy name every time they open their mouths. They call themselves preachers, teachers, evangelists, but they are Satan's puppets. They're on the airwaves with false heeling's, even claiming to be like God, while they wiggle their greedy, sweaty palms in your back pocket, searching for your wallet. These are unholy, and many there are.

9. Without natural affection: The tide rises in those who number in the group who have no feelings for others, who will take a life without a blink. Even within families, no regard is shown for human life. One would probably get more prison time if they killed an animal, than a person.

The family structure has been ripped to shreds by un-natural affection toward ones own loved ones via, abortion, divorce, adultery, and even coming out of the closet.

10. Truce breakers: Those who will not keep their word are liars. They have made a promise, and failed to keep that promise. They have lied about their intent to be honest with another. I have seen many sign a contract, and while the ink is drying, they are thinking of ways to break it. If you haven't run across many truce breakers, your name must be Rip Van Winkle.

11. False accusers: Most will take no responsibility for their own actions. It's always someone else's fault. So they have no qualms in destroying another person's life by destroying their name and/or character. These people are called slanderers, more commonly, gossips. Notice the politicians, especially when on the campaign trail, you will hear many false accusers. Anyone guilty of being a slanderer is a puppet of Satan, for he was called a devil (slanderer) in the beginning.

12. Incontinent: Since the Spock kids were not taught self-control when they were young, society now suffers from their antics. They have no self-control over their actions, because they were not taught self-control when they were young. Again, we should heed the words of Paul, All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12) Our society commonly asserts if it feels good, do it, with no thought about the consequences. Incontinency, or self-control, must be taught from an early age. Otherwise, we just do whatever we want when the mood hits us.

13. Fierce: Movies and games have developed a desensitized society that does not flinch at the fierceness of its actions. Our consciences have grown cold, and iced over. Our society frowns on the influence of the Ten Commandments, because people just might be influenced to obey them. However, the cruelest inflictions that could be placed on another human being are freely displayed upon our children. Could this be why the atrocity of murder has become so common and gruesome? Mankind is losing its sensitivity toward the death and gruesome dismemberment of another fellow human being. Human life is no longer a valued gift from God.

14. Despise rs of those that are good: True Christians today are rapidly becoming the most hated group of people in our society. In my opinion, the reason is that Christians stand for Jesus Christ and all that is about Him, such as holiness, purity, justice, Godly love, and a voice against all that is evil. Those who follow Satan do not want to see themselves as God sees them. They want to wallow freely in the mud of their atrocities against God and feel no guilt. They don't want to be told that they are sinners, and they can only be saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. They don't want to be told that without Jesus they will spend an eternity in hell. In other words, they do not want to give up their sins. On top of that, their father, Satan, hates the very thought of Christianity and its God.

15. Traitors: Our governmental leaders, who are supposed to be protecting the citizenry of this great country, are now betraying them and the Constitution upon which we stand. When they took their oath of office, they held up their hand and made a solemn vow to the citizenry of the United States of America, and before their hands reached their side, they knew they would not honor their oath. Greed has ruled the day. They are traitors. As far as they are concerned, the citizenry can eat cake.

16. Heady: What better example of a reckless attitude than those who handle the money of its citizenry? It is confiscated by taxes, and thrown to the wind. We are 14.3 trillion dollars in debt, and our corrupt leaders want more money from the citizenry to throw to the wind! As David Farragut said (at least attributed to him) at the battle of Mobile Bay, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. There is no thought for the future, only for the present. These heady, bull-headed people could care less about the repercussions and the fate of our children, as long as they get their way.

17. High minded: This term refers to conceit, pride, and even stupidity (because of their pride). Our society is saturated with those who are choking on pride, and filled to the rim with conceit. We usually think of those who are wealthy when discussing conceited people, but I have found that is not always the case. It is more rare, but even the poor can have a serious problem with pride. Why is that? The sin of pride comes from the heart, not the pocketbook.

18. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: Our American society is just one big playground of pleasure. It has gotten so bad in this country, most think it is an entitlement to have pleasures in life. We just move from one to the other. Also, many who claim to be Christians have set their pleasure of this world above their need of God. This is readily seen in the churches, either empty pews or social hours. Let's just have a good time. God cramps my style. It's important that I have time for me. Just notice what we spend on movies, books, music, boats, activities, sports, dining, clothes, and other toys and for me activities. How much is left for God? Our pleasures have become our gods.

19. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: I have spoken of this in other articles, but briefly, we are a lot of talk, but we don't walk the talk. Oh, we are blessed indeed with religion. It's everywhere you look, but religion and Christianity are not the same. Religion is mankind seeking his own godliness. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But We are sophisticated. We are so advanced in technology, science, our universe, well, just everything. Those people who lived before us just aren't cultured like we are. We're too smart for all that stuff about God. We are in control. I wonder what God would say about that. Let's see, You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. (Proverbs 27:22 NLT)

Out of the nineteen points that Paul tells Timothy to be aware of, do any of them sound like us today, even one? If we are on the same page, there is no doubt in my mind that every last one of them is clearly where we are today, not just in this country, but elsewhere also.

So, are we in the last days? I think we are most definitely in the last days of the Church age. When is Jesus coming back for His Church in the Rapture? As I have stated before, I haven't a clue, but I do feel that we need to take Paul's advice to Timothy in the latter part of our passage in 2 Timothy three. We need to continue in the Scriptures. If we haven't started, then get started now. Jesus rebutted Satan with Scriptures when He was tempted during the 40 days in the wilderness. If you don't know the Scripture, how on earth are you going to stand a chance against Satan's treachery? God expects us to know His Word. He didn't go through the long process of having His Word written down, so we can use it for a dust collector. Time is running out. We need to be ready. Jesus is coming. Are you ready?

Grant Phillips - grantphillips@windstream.net http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

The Judgement of God is falling on America

2011-04-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

The Judgment of God is falling on America The Answer! - By Bill Keller www.raptureready.com

The judgment of God is falling, it is time to seize the opportunity! Only the spiritually dead or those who simply deny the existence of God can't see that what this nation is facing is the beginning of God's judgment for our sins and wickedness. I actually laugh each time I hear some "genius" on TV talking about when this current economic crisis will be over and things will be "back to normal." I have news for the experts; things are NEVER going to be "back to normal," and the ONLY hope we have to see anything but the total destruction of life as we have known it, is to get on our knees, repent, and turn back to God and His Truth.

THERE IS NO OTHER ANSWER!

Recently, Pastor David Wilkerson of the Times Square Church, author of "The Cross and the Switchblade," and founder of Teen Challenge, warned the readers of his blog about an "imminent catastrophe." Wilkerson is one of God's prophetic voices in these last days, and what God has told him is confirmation of what I have been telling the Liveprayer family and the nation for the past 3 years.

There are others who are now starting to speak up on the fact that what this nation is experiencing is much more than simply an economic crisis. Daily now, I am getting emails from people around the world, confirming all that I have been getting ridiculed for stating in the media the past several years. As the days, weeks, and months go by, as things progressively get worse and not better, as it finally becomes obvious that the politicians have NO ANSWERS, I believe in my heart that God's people will wake up and regular people who have no faith will start to listen. I pray daily that enough of them will open their hearts, that a real move of God's Spirit will be unleashed upon this land.

Sadly, President Obama is so consumed by the spirit of the anti-Christ ( note I did NOT say, nor do I believe for a second, he is the anti-Christ), leading this nation further from God and His Truth, that he is too blinded by power and spiritually bankrupt to see what is really happening to our nation. While this man who had never even run a lemonade stand in his life bankrupts the treasury with his foolish schemes, more people each day suffer. If he had ANY fear of God, rather than advancing his pro-death policies, supporting the radical homosexual movement, and siding with the enemies of Israel, he would be in sackcloth and ashes calling this nation to prayer and fasting, to repentance, and to turn back to God!!!

My friend, there will be no leadership from Washington. I refuse to sit back in silence and watch this nation destroyed under the wrath of God while it can still be avoided. This is the time and now is the moment for action. Through the Jonah Project, I have shared with you an aggressive and proactive plan to mobilize God's people as we take our stand for Christ in these last days. There is no more time to sit back in silence, play games, be distracted by the temporary pleasures of this world while the nation sinks into the spiritual abyss and is destroyed.

Listen to me carefully, the destruction of this land and life as we know it is at hand whether you understand it or not!!!

It is sad to see the so-called Christian leaders of our day still playing their games, still more concerned with the survival of their kingdoms than God's Kingdom, still worried with how to raise money instead of how to lead the lost to faith in Jesus Christ. Spineless, gutless wonders like Joel Osteen have the audacity to smile and tell people everything is going to be OK and they can prosper even in this down economy. The prosperity pimps on Christian TV are still selling their perverted money appeals harder than ever, while the judgment of God is falling on this land and hurting people need a message of faith, not where to send their love gift.

My friend, the hour is at hand. I believe that like Nineveh, we still have the opportunity to repent, turn back to God and His Truth, and be spared His continued judgment and wrath on our land. I also firmly believe that if we don't turn back to God, His wrath and judgment will continue to be poured out on this nation for our sins and wickedness and life as we know it will cease to exist. How long did we think we could keep killing 4,000 innocent babies a day? How long did we think we could pervert God's Holy Institutions of marriage and family? How long did we think we could side with the enemies of Israel? How long did we think we could worship the false God's and idols of this world? How long did we think we could spit in the face of God before His mercy and patience ran out???

This message today is a simple wake up call to all who have been sleeping. You need to forward it to every person you know. Pastors need to start preaching on the fact that we are living under God's judgment and now is the time for the church to rise up and be the church. We no longer have the luxury of simply being a form of entertainment. It is time to mobilize the troops and send every man, woman, and child to battle stations. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!

Several years ago, right before God began to unleash His judgment on this nation thru the economy, the Lord led me to launch the Jonah Project. Most dismissed it at the time, but in hindsight, it was God trying to prepare His people for what was to come. Take a few minutes and go to the Jonah Project webpage at, www.liveprayer.com/jonah . There is a 7-8 min. video that will play when you get there which lays out the vision of the Jonah Project. Again, as you will see, it was God preparing His people for action as He began to unleash His judgment on our nation. Pray, SEE the vision, get signed up, and be part of this last days remnant who is going to call this nation to repentance and to turn back to God and His Truth.

I know many will be upset by this message today. I have heard from many over the months telling me to stop talking about the economy and God's judgment and "be positive." I suggest that you go listen to Osteen or any of the prosperity [preachers] who only care about your money. I suggest you listen to the so called "Christian leaders" who are out there building their own kingdoms while our nation is experiencing the judgment of God. Stick your head in the sand like an ostrich and believe the lies from President Obama and the politicians that they will fix all of this. God is going to hold me accountable one day; I have NO CHOICE but to sound the trumpet and warn the people what is happening no matter how unpleasant it may be or how many people it upsets.

Any pastor, priest, or ministry leader that is not preaching about the fact God is judging our nation for its sins and wickedness is committing spiritual malpractice. This is the time the body of Christ must come together as one if we are to save our land from destruction. This is one of the greatest evangelism opportunities in human history to see an incredible harvest of souls as people are hurting, looking for hope and answers, hope and answers that are only found in Jesus Christ. All who know Jesus have been commanded, not asked, to share Christ with the lost and hurting in the world.

The judgment of God is falling on our nation as I type these words. I pray today that the Lord will stir you, wake you up, and that you will take your place on the front lines with me as we take our stand for Christ. Satan has unleashed all of his weapons and will do everything he can to insure God's judgment continues until this nation is destroyed. We can either sit back in silence and watch it happen, or step up and fight. I will fight with my last breath because I believe the soul of our nation is worth fighting for as are the souls of the lost who are heading to an eternity in hell without Jesus. Will you fight with me for our nation and the lost?

Thank You for praying, and taking your stand for Christ with me. Together we will see this nation turn back to God and HIS Truth for the glory of God!

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

Something Big Is About To Happen

2011-03-09T19:08:00.000-05:00

Something Big Is About To Happen - By Carl Worline www.raptureready.com

The entire world is on edge because everyone senses that something big is about to happen. Christians know that either the Rapture of the Church or the battle described in Psalm 83 is about to occur. Many Muslims in the Islamic world think their Mahdi is about to return. Members of the New Age Movement look for the arrival of their Maitreya at any moment. The ancient Mayans, various tribes of American Indians, Nostradamus, the notorious 16th century soothsayer Mother Shipton, and Sir Isaac Newton have all predicted a series of cataclysmic worldwide disasters will occur around this time in history. Even the chief ju-ju bead counters who write for the supermarket tabloids are predicting the return of The King (Elvis).

The Earth longs to be free of the curse it has suffered under ever since the original sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:7-8 that His return would be preceded by upheavals in nature which He likened to the birth pangs of a woman about to give birth, increasing in intensity and frequency as the moment of the arrival of the child draws ever closer.

Has the frequency and intensity of earthquakes been increasing during the past decade? Absolutely. Has the frequency and intensity of violent and extreme weather been increasing? Yes. What about volcanic eruptions? Famines? Floods? Droughts? Not only is the answer to all of these questions definitely yes, but the increase in the frequency and intensity of all of these upheavals has been terrifyingly dramatic.

Around this time last year I was totally convinced that all necessary prophecy regarding the Rapture of the Church had been fulfilled and that it would occur at any moment. At the same time I was a bit concerned that the final sequence of events leading to the Second Coming of our Lord was not quite ready to begin. After all, while Turkey and Israel were not exactly best friends forever, they were, nevertheless, still buddies. Ezekiel 38 tells us that Turkey and Israel are bitter enemies when the shooting starts in the Battle of Gog and Magog. Egypt and Israel were also on relatively friendly terms a year ago, so how was the conflict described in Psalm 83 going to take place? Besides, Israel did not have a great national treasure so why would Gog from the land of Magog invade Israel to capture spoil and seize plunder (Ezekiel 38:12)? That was before enormous reserves of natural gas and oil were discovered beneath the nation of Israel. And finally, about a year ago the Middle East was surprisingly peaceful considering all of the howling and the barking at the moon about war. Threats flowed like water but in the end each nation seemed to prefer peace to the shedding of their own blood. Where was the spark that would ignite the entire Middle East? If nobody was willing to commit an overt act that would start a war then only spontaneous combustion could trigger the detonation, and that did not seem to be very likely. That was a year ago. It is amazing how much the situation has changed.

To get a better look at where we are along then timeline of the last days we need to take a look at the impending food crisis we are facing. Today 1 out of every 6 people on this planet goes to sleep each night without getting enough to eat and 34,000 people die each day from famine related causes. This is horrifying enough, but things are about to get a lot worse.

China is the top producer of wheat in the world. The droughts and dust storms in 2010 have been the worst southwestern China has seen in a century. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world and is suffering through a record heat wave and water crisis that has badly decimated their crops. Russia is the third largest wheat producer in the world and accounts for 10 percent of total world output. Last year massive wildfires stretched across 7 regions in Russia when temperatures reached their highest level since they started keeping records 130 years ago. France is the fourth largest producer of wheat in the world and just recently lowered their wheat crop forecasts due to cold weather and drought. Canada is the fifth largest wheat producer in the world and has suffered reduced grain production due to severe drought in their western provinces. The Ukraine is the sixth largest producer of wheat and the top producer of barley in the world. They have suffered from the same fires and drought that Russia has endured to the point they have suspended all of the grain exports for 2011. Australia is the seventh largest producer of wheat in the world. Flooding has covered an area in Australia equal in size to that of France and Germany combined, with water 30 feet deep in some places, destroying crops. Pakistan is the eighth largest producer in the world. In 2010 floods in Pakistan covered 17 million acres of their most fertile crop land and did not subside in time for farmers to meet the deadline for planting new seeds for the fall harvest. In addition, historic floods and droughts have destroyed crops in the major grain producing areas of South America. During the winter of 2010-2011 snow fell in 49 of our 50 states here in the US where massive numbers of crops were wiped out. While this was taking place South Korea destroyed millions of farm animals infected with hoof-and-mouth disease. Honeybees and bumble bees continue to die off across North America further reducing food production due to lack of adequate pollination. These are just some of the disasters that have recently occurred which will cause increased famines throughout the world starting right now.

If major worldwide food shortages are a very real possibility this spring then it could very well mean that the third horseman of the apocalypse is, even now, placing the saddle on the black horse and is preparing to ride. If the book of Revelation is chronological, as I believe that it is, then the rider of the white horse (the anti-Christ) and the rider of the red horse, who brings war and destruction, are saddled up and preparing to ride out as well. No wonder the entire world is on edge.

I find it difficult to describe, but it seems like there is a strong electric charge in the air that is causing anxiety around our planet. Uprisings are springing up in every corner of the world. People are spontaneously taking to the streets in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Albania, Pakistan, Syria, Belgrade, Serbia, Croatia, and China. Western mainstream media has attempted to explain these spontaneous uprisings as a longing for freedom and democracy by the oppressed nations of the world, but this reasoning seems a bit hollow and empty. Something far more complex, and I believe supernatural, is taking place and it is incredibly powerful.

The intangible fear of impending calamity has pushed the levels of violence all over the Earth to an all time high. Never in the history of the world has both the crying for peace and the screaming for war been so deafening.

Gold is at an all time high because people no longer have any faith in the dollar. People are stockpiling food and they are buying guns out of fear for the future rather than fear of crime. For many months ammunition manufacturers have had a difficult time keeping up with demand. Something really big and really bad is about to happen and people all over the world can feel it coming.

The world economy is far too deeply in debt to recover and is teetering on the brink of collapse. The world banking system is a house of cards that is being artificially propped up by its own bankrupt members. A collapse is long overdue and when it does finally come the result will be cataclysmic. On that day somebody will be standing in the wings who will pick up all of the broken pieces and will put them back together in a single worldwide system that everybody will be required to belong to in order to conduct even the simplest of transactions. Financial irresponsibility will be a thing of the past because each transaction, no matter how large or small, will be tracked in real time by one central system. Identity theft will no longer exist. Everyone will access the system using biometric identification in (or on) their own body.

In the past atheists didnt believe and didnt care. Now they all seem to be rabidly obsessed on a mission to eliminate every trace of Christianity and Judaism, yet nobody seems to feel compelled to stamp out any other religion.

Religious persecution has increased in frequency and intensity to the point where Christians are fleeing for their lives from the entire Middle East, as well as other parts of the world. Over the past few decades the Moslem world seemed to be relatively content to live and let live as long as Christians did not disparage Allah or Mohammad. Now it seems there is an ever increasing determination to kill every Christian and eliminate all traces of our history and even all traces of our very existence. The Islamic community at times almost appears to be frightened of us Christians and of what is about to happen in the world.

When Paul told us that in the last days immorality would increase and that men would become lovers of men, he was not exaggerating. In the past immorality increased in a subtle, almost coy manner, like a cancer silently spreading through the body of its host. However, in recent years the intensity of immorality has multiplied itself many times over and with a shocking viciousness. Homosexuals, lesbians, and transsexuals are so proud of their sin that they march in the streets demanding to be recognized as a special, privileged class. We have actually reached the point where it is literally a crime to say (or even imply) that homosexuality is a mental disease or defect. The Bible tells us that in the last days good will be called evil and that evil will be called good.

Is it just me, or has filthiness become the accepted norm in far too many places where just a short time ago it was not only considered vulgar, but also unacceptable as well? Even more disturbingly, has the viciousness of which these perversions are being forced upon us increased dramatically? I believe they have and I sense that something really big is about to happen because of it.

All of the signs that we are in the last days and that the Second Coming of our Lord is near are not only here, but many of these signs have intensified immensely. In every direction we look we see the writing on the walls. So, what should we do about it? Stockpiling gold, food, and .44 magnum jacketed hollow point ammunition is not the answer.

The first thing we should do the most important thing we should do - is to be absolutely certain that our reservation has been make to be in heaven with our Lord and Savior for all eternity. This requires an admission that we are sinners, a faith in our Lord that He is the only path to God and that He is the one and only Savior of the World, and a request in which we must go to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to be our Savior. Nobody can ever get to heaven by being a good person and there are no good deeds that will get us there either. Missing out on such a wonderful gift would be incredibly tragic, especially when such a beautiful gift is free. Time is rapidly running out. At the instant of death our eternal fate is sealed. Our time here on this Earth is precious, but it is a gift. There is no guarantee that we will still possess life here on this Earth a moment from now.

The second thing we should do is to use the time that we have remaining to make sure those around us will be going to heaven as well. Far too many people believe they will be saved because they consider themselves to be a good person and/or because they go to church on Sunday. Spending eternity in hell for this mistaken belief is so horribly tragic that it is beyond description.

And finally, I believe that we desperately need to tell people that heaven is a real place that actually exists, and that hell is also a real place that actually exists. Salvation is a free gift and the opportunity to choose our fate ends at the moment of death.

In the latter portion of 1999 the world was gripped with a paranoid fear that the computers of the world would somehow cause worldwide disasters when the calendar rolled over to the year 2000. We called it the Y2K event. Everyone felt a sickening dread that these disasters would be of Biblical proportions. Nothing happened. Now the intangible fear has returned and it is far stronger than it was before. What will be the final outcome this time around?

IS THIS THE END TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT?

2010-07-16T10:12:00.000-04:00

Is this the end of the American experiment? - Dr. David R. Reagan www.lamblion.com

As I view the future of our nation today, I must admit that I have ambivalent feelings. I am extremely sad, and yet I am full of joyful expectation.

I feel a deep sense of sadness as I see the Great American Experiment in representative government come to an end. We have been abundantly blessed by God ever since our forefathers arrived on this continent, and we have served as a channel of His blessings to other nations, both as a proclaimer of the Gospel and as a champion of human rights.

Keys to Our Success

One of the secrets to our great success was our commitment to the Judeo-Christian principles revealed in God's Word. Those principles served as the basis of our systems of government, education, and economics.

An even greater reason for our phenomenal success was our commitment to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our forefathers came to this continent in search of freedom to proclaim the Gospel. Our nation was established as a Christian nation. Our relationships were governed by Christian principles. Our laws were based upon God's commandments. The Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, provided us with our reason for being.

Our Track Record

We were far from perfect. We struggled with difficult issues like race relations, women's rights, and the balance between labor and management. But our hearts were in the right place because of the Christian principles which propelled us in the right direction. We steadily made progress in all these difficult areas, and many others.

Throughout the centuries as we sought to evangelize the American continent, we also sent missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth.

In the first half of the 20th Century, we soared to great heights as we came to the world's rescue in two world wars. In both cases, we entered these international conflicts for selfless purposes not to gain territory but to "make the world safe for democracy."

Our Stumbling Point

But at the height of our glory and power, following our victory in World War II, we began to turn our back on God. We took our eyes off the One who had blessed us so abundantly and began to focus on ourselves. We gave our hearts to materialism.

In the process, we began to divorce God from our lives kicking Him out of our schools and separating Him from our government processes. The secularization of our society became our passion, and the result was increasing paganism in every aspect of life.

Our Persistent Rebellion

We have mocked God. We have given our hearts to idols. We have forgotten the source of our blessings. We have turned a deaf ear to the prophetic voices God has raised up to call us to repentance. We have ignored the remedial judgments He has placed upon us, writing them off to coincidence.

We must now face the consequences of our rebellion. God has stepped back and lowered our hedge of protection. He is allowing evil to multiply. Greed is destroying our economy. Incivility is ripping apart our social structure.

Money has become our god.

Belief in Man has become our religion.

The pursuit of pleasure has become our lifestyle.

And the payoff is nihilism. We are wallowing in despair.

We are destined for destruction. But even as I witness the disintegration of all that I hold dear, my heart is full of joyful expectation because the signs of the times are literally shouting that all of history is about to arrive at its consummation with the return of Jesus.

A Biblical Reminder

My mixed feelings remind me of Jeremiah after his beloved city and temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians and his nation had been taken into captivity. He wrote a funeral lament called Lamentations in which he vented the agony of his heart. But right in the middle of it, in a great act of faith, he suddenly paused and made one of the most hopeful declarations to be found in all of God's Word (Lamentations 3:21-24):
"This I recall to mind,
Therefore, I have hope.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul;
Therefore I will hope in Him." (RSV)
Just like Jeremiah, even as I witness all I love being destroyed around me, I can look to the future with great hope and joyful expectation because of the marvelous promises concerning the future that are contained in God's Prophetic Word.

Some Certainties

Based on those promises, I know with absolute certainty:
That Jesus is returning soon;
That He will defeat all the enemies of God;
That He will establish a worldwide reign that will bring peace, righteousness, and justice to all the nations.
And that all of us who are believers will be given the incredible blessing of ruling with Him.
I can hardly wait. All that is within me yearns for the glorious day very soon when Jesus will break from the heavens.

The New World on the Horizon

The corrupt world system that currently dominates this globe is destined to be destroyed. A new world is coming where there will be no homeless, no poor, and no hungry. Justice will prevail. Fairness and equity will abound.

The nations of that world will be committed to the Lord, and the blessings of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.

It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul wrote: "I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

In the dark days that lie ahead, let us keep in mind that God is on His throne, He still hears prayers, He still answers prayers, and He has the wisdom and power to orchestrate all the evil of Satan and Man to the triumph of Jesus. Keep in mind also that:
"No eye has seen,
No ear has heard,
Nor has the mind of Man conceived
What God has prepared for those who love Him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
But God has revealed those things to us in His Word. Cling to those revelations in the days ahead. Cling to His glorious promises, and you will be sustained.
"Oh Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your Name in all the earth!"
(Psalm 8:1)

SOMETHING WICKED IS ALREADY HERE

2009-10-02T19:32:00.001-04:00

Editor's note: All notations will be cited when this series of articles have concluded. The information is based on research contained in Tom Horn's upcoming new book:

APOLLYON RISING 2012
The Lost Symbol Found And The Final Mystery Of The Great Seal Revealed
A Terrifying And Prophetic Cipher, Hidden From The World By The U.S. Government For Over 200 Years Is Here

When Apollo/Osiris/Nimrod, Son of Lucifer, Shall Come

Seek ye where the broken twig lies and the dead stick molds away, where the clouds float together and the stones rest by the hillside, for all these mark the grave of Hiram [Osiris] who has carried my Will with him to the tomb. This eternal quest is yours until ye have found your Builder, until the cup giveth up its secret, until the grave giveth up its ghosts. No more shall I speak until ye have found and rasied my beloeved Son [Osiris], and have listened to the words of my Messenger and with Him as your guide have finished the temple which I shall then inhabit. Amen.—Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, Prologue

Recently on a business trip to Washington DC, I and one of my colleagues met with two current members of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry (whose names I will not reveal), who have unrestricted access to all but the most secret and highest guarded documents of the Order. I joined one of them at The House of the Temple, the headquarters building of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, where the Rite’s Supreme Council, 33rd Degree, have their meetings, and the other at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. While both men were very helpful and informative, they were evasive whenever I probed too deeply into certain areas. I suppose this is not surprising, given that Masons are sworn to secrecy under blood oaths of horrific repercussion, including having their throats slit, eyeballs pierced, tongues torn out, feet flayed, bodies hacked into pieces, and so on if they give up the wrong information. Perhaps this is why at one point, one of the men I conferred with became visibly nervous as soon as I started asking specific questions about Masonic religious practices, which would include secret rituals that are performed in the Temple Room on the third floor at the House of the Temple, and the hidden meaning behind the name of their deity—the Great Architect of the Universe.

What most in the public do not understand is that, in spite of denial by some Masons, theirs is a religious institution with rituals and specific prophetic beliefs concerning a human-transforming final world order, founded on and maintained by dozens of doctrines that can be defined by what “Masonry’s greatest philosopher,” Manly P. Hall, in The Lost Keys of Freemasonry called “the principles of mysticism and the occult rites.” The reason lower-degree Masons would deny this is because the Masters of the Craft intentionally mislead them. Speaking of the first three degrees of Freemasonry, Albert Pike admitted in Morals & Dogma:

The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry.… It is well enough for the mass of those called Masons to imagine that all is contained in the Blue Degrees; and whoso attempts to undeceive them will labor in vain, and without any true reward violate his obligations as an Adept.

At these lower degrees, most members of Freemasonry belong to what is maintained as a fraternal organization that simply requires belief in a “Supreme Being” while avoiding discussion of politics and religion in the lodge, using metaphors of stonemasons building Solomon’s temple to convey what they publicly describe as “a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” I’ve known several of these type Masons, all of whom were sincere members of society who worked together in a brotherhood for common benefit and to pool resources for charitable goals. None of these lower-degree Masons with whom I have been acquainted would ever, insofar as I know, participate in a conspiracy toward a global world order in which people will be politically and spiritually enslaved. But as one former Freemason friend (a US attorney known to many) told me, “This is the veneer of the lower degrees that exists on the Order’s public face. What is happening with at least some of the members at the 33rd level, or among the York Rite Knights Templar and the Shriners, is another matter altogether. When I was part of the brotherhood,” he continued, “I watched as specific members with the correct disposition and ideology were identified, separated, groomed, and initiated into the higher degrees for reasons you would find corresponding with the goals of a New World Order.”

Famous Freemason Foster Bailey once described how the Masons not included among this elite are unaware of an “Illuminati” presence among Master Masons, who in turn are the guardians of a secret “Plan”:

Little as it may be realised by the unthinking Mason who is interested only in the outer aspects of the Craft work, the whole fabric of Masonry may be regarded as an externalisation of that inner spiritual group whose members, down the ages, have been the Custodians of the Plan.… These Master Masons, to whom TGAOTU [The Great Architect of the Universe] has given the design and Who are familiar with the tracing board of the G.M. [Grand Master] on high, are…sometimes known as the Illuminati and can direct the searchlight of truth wherever its beams are needed to guide the pilgrim on his way. They are the Rishis of the oriental philosophy, the Builders of the occult tradition.”

Part of the carefully guarded Illuminati “Plan” Bailey referred to involves the need for each Mason to navigate the meaning behind the various rituals in order to discover the secret doctrine of Masonry involving the true identity of deity and what this means now and for the future (which is unveiled for the first time publicly in my upcoming book as reflected in the true Lost Symbol and the prophecy of the Great Seal of the United States). Manly Hall, who rightly called the Great Seal “the signature” of that exalted body of Masons who designed America for a “peculiar and particular purpose,” described these two kinds of Masons as members of a “fraternity within a fraternity,” the elect of which are dedicated to a mysterious arcanum arcandrum (a “sacred secret”) unknown to the rest of the Order:

Freemasonry is a fraternity within a fraternity—an outer organization concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect. …it is necessary to establish the existence of these two separate yet independent orders, the one visible and the other invisible. The visible society is a splendid camaraderie of “free and accepted” men enjoined to devote themselves to ethical, educational, fraternal, patriotic, and humanitarian concerns. The invisible society is a secret and most august fraternity whose members are dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcanum arcandrum. Those brethren who have essayed to write the history of their craft have not included in their disquisitions the story of that truly secret inner society which is to the body Freemasonic what the heart is to the body human. In each generation only a few are accepted into the inner sanctuary of the work…the great initiate-philosophers of Freemasonry are…masters of that secret doctrine which forms the invisible foundation of every great theological and rational institution.

Among dedicatories to those who support this “invisible” secret doctrine, there is a memorial alcove in the heart of the House of the Temple called the “Pillars of Charity.” Here, between two vaults on either side—one containing the exhumed remains of former Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike and the other containing Sovereign Grand Commander John Henry Cowles, marked by busts of each man on marble pedestals—a stained-glass window depicts the all-seeing eye above the words “Fiat Lux” emitting thirty-three beams of light downward onto the phrase “ordo ab chao” from ancient craft Masonic doctrine, “order out of chaos.”

In between meetings with the anonymous Masons who met with me during research for this book, I stepped into this shrine and read the names of those who are hallowed there on reflective golden inscriptions for contributing at least one million dollars to advance the cause of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, including the George Bush family, whose work to initiate the New World Order is universally understood.

At the House of the Temple, like elsewhere, “The Brotherhood of Darkness” (as my friend Dr. Stanley Monteith calls it) intentionally hides in plain sight the occult aspirations of universalism, which ultimately will be conceived in a one-world order and one-world religion under the son of Lucifer—Apollo/Osiris/Nimrod—or, as Manly Hall put it:

The outcome of the “secret destiny” is a World Order ruled by a King with supernatural powers. This King was descended of a divine race; that is, he belonged to the Order of the Illumined for those who come to a state of wisdom then belong to a family of heroes-perfected human beings.

When Hall offered this astonishingly perceptive commentary about the future Masonic “King” who is “descended of a divine race” of “Illumined” (Luciferic) “heroes-perfected” (half-man, half-god) human beings, he nailed exactly what the Watchers had done, and what the Cumaean Sibyl’s Great Seal prophecy says will occur concerning the coming of Apollo/Osiris/Nimrod. In my new book Apollyon Rising 2012 (which I am feverishly trying to get finished for the editors this weekend) it is revealed for the first time how all this is fantastically encoded—using ancient alchemical symbolism—on the grandest scale inside as well as right out in the open—in the midst of the world’s most powerful nation… and at the world’s most powerful church, where the true Lost Symbol is written in stone. Forget what Dan Brown’s new book says, we are talking the greatest conspiracy of all time winding down toward the year 2012.

Have the keepers of this secret destiny of America also hidden in public view the timing of their king’s arrival? They did, and the entire prophecy—who, what, when, and where—is openly ciphered within several Masonic artifacts: the national cipher known as the Great Seal of the United States, in the Womb of Isis, and in the “key” known as The Lost Symbol. The means to understanding when the novus ordo seclorum shall enthrone its Apollonian leader may have also been known by Hall, as he correctly noted that the “unfinished pyramid” upon the seal’s reverse side is the “trestleboard setting forth symbolically the task to the accomplishment of which the United States Government was dedicated from the day of its inception.”

NUCLEAR 9/11...IT'S COMING

2009-09-22T18:20:00.001-04:00

Nuclear 9/11...It’s Coming

By Jason Lovelace

Key Scriptures:
“Their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.” - Isaiah 2.8
“And it came to pass after all thy wickedness (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD), that thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street. Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms…Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.” - Ezekiel 16.23-25, 27
“The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore, now, amend your ways, and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.” -Jeremiah 26.13-14 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” - 2nd Timothy 4.4-5
“…sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.” - John 5.14
“This is the interpretation of the thing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” - Daniel 5.24-27
We all remember the date and what happened: September 11th, 2001. For every American - yea, every person who was alive and watching the news of that horrific day - the events of September 11th, 2001 have forever been burned into our psyche, our memories, and our minds. It was on this day that four airplanes were hijacked, with three of them crashing into both of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and the Pentagon Building in Washington, D.C. In the time since that horrific day, the United States of America has continued on her downward spiral into sin, iniquity, and destruction. In many ways, especially those having anything to do with morals and Biblical Values, we, the Citizenry of the United States of America have not only continued to enjoy the sliding moral decay that has continued unabated since the middle of the 20th Century, but have embraced it. Abomination now is popularized, magnified, and enjoyed, uplifted in the US of A for all the world to see. It’s as if we, the American People didn’t learn a thing from September 11th. Now, God wants the world to know that worse -- far, far worse -- is in store for the USA if we fail to turn around and repent.
Their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
If we take even a casual glance around at the United States of America, we can easily see that this verse of Scripture from the Prophet Isaiah is glaringly and appallingly clear and easy to see. We Americans love our entertainment. We love movies, television, stage and theatre, music, internet use, and, to a lesser extent, magazines, newspapers, and books. We Americans love to be entertained. Though movie ticket sales dropped a bit in the mid stages of the first decade of the 21st Century, as of this year, movies are now more popular and famous as ever. Television is still the rage, and TV shows of every stripe and type can be viewed, even on public airwaves. Television has been a boom and a boon since its invention in the early decades of the 20th Century, and its popularity - especially since the advent of cable and satellite TV - has exploded. Music, as well, has continued to be a booming market, with new and varied genres and styles of music being created to satiate an ever more demanding American populace. Since its onset almost two decades ago, the internet has also exploded. As of this date (September 19th, 2009), websites on the worldwide web number in the tens of billions (a Google search for the letter “A” numbered “about 14,380,000,000”). More and more people are creating and accessing the Internet in ever greater numbers. Even other communication and entertainment outlets continue to be popular and well trafficked. The sad reality of all of this is that most of these forms of entertainment have now supplanted any kind of desire to learn or know about Jesus Christ. Just a little over a decade ago, the Pastor of College Church of the Nazarene at the time delivered a message in which he stated that the number of people now actively engaged in any kind of Bible Training in the church numbers two out of every ten. Just a few decades before this particular message, that number stood at eight out of ten. Could it be that the American People have set up entertainment and “having fun” as false gods? Could it be that Isaiah, when he wrote these words to the nation of Israel almost three thousand years ago, that in reality, he was also seeing this day and age? More and more Americans are going to movies, sitting in front of the TV, and listening to any number of radio stations than ever before. The internet is red-hot with activity at any hour of the day. Yet for all of this, how many Americans take time to spend with God in the morning or evening, or both? How many people find themselves inside of a church on the weekend? How many Americans spend quality time in actual prayer before the Lord? It seems that Isaiah’s prophecy is square on with the US of A.
Thou Hast...Multiplied Thy Whoredoms
If the previous prophecy from Isaiah weren’t enough, when taking a look at US Entertainment, what do we find? On television alone, we see more sex, violence, acceptance of homosexuality, and other abominations (and this is all on public television) being not only portrayed, but glorified every single night on every single TV station in the land. Where homosexuality was once relegated to very late night television and a sparsely few cable and satellite providers, it is now glorified on public television. Portrayals of sex and sexual situations have continued to grow and explode in mainstream media for the past fifty years, with every deviant sexual flavor imaginable being glorified. Violence on Television has also seen an expansive growth in programming. More and more blood is being spilled on television to an ever increasingly voracious appetite of American viewers. The movie industry has seen these categories expound and expand even more. Movies that would have been considered abhorrent and rejected fifty or sixty years ago are now not only embraced, but encouraged to go to deeper and deeper portrayals of depravity (The Saw series alone has seen movies plunge into the depths of depravity with regards to violence). The internet, as well, with its millions and billions of web pages has also seen an explosion of sites geared towards sin and iniquity. A Google search for the word “porn” brings up about 207 million web pages, while a search for “bomb making” brings up nearly 44 million pages. Magazines - especially those of the fashion, men’s, and sports genres - have also seen considerable changes with regards to morality. Men’s magazines, such as FHM, Maxim, GQ, regularly show women in various stages of undress, even so far as full frontal nudity. Fashion and lifestyle magazines not only offer photos of nudity for both sexes, but regularly include articles on sexual pleasure. The rise also of erotic books and magazines continues unabated, with Playboy and Hustler showing a resurgence of popularity. Could it be, also, that Ezekiel the Prophet saw this day and age through the mind and eyes of faith, and wrote the words mentioned above in today’s keys in order to speak directly to the people of the US of A?
They Shall Turn Their Ears Away from the Truth
The Apostle Paul was not only writing to Timothy about the day and age in which they lived; he was also writing of this day and age. In frightening similarity to Ancient Rome, the United States of America, the last Superpower, is quickly turning away from the truth. Recent Statistics have sown that 76% of Americans say that they are Christians. While this is very, very good news to many, including this writer, the stark reality is that many of these professing to be Christians may very well be cultural Christians, or CINOs (Christians In Name Only). Further, this statistic of 76% is down from 80% just eight years ago. The fact of the matter is that many believers and many people who call themselves Christians are either going through the motions, or are part of a church or denomination that preaches any number of heresies. The current popular message today in the church is the “Prosperity Gospel” message. This message is one that teaches and preaches that if one is truly faithful, truly believing, and truly trusting in God, he or she will be rich, wealthy, and financially secure. Preachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and Creflo Dollar teach that if a person gives money to this or that ministry, God will make them healthy and wealthy. Other churches and preachers, in order to draw in crowds, have watered down the Gospel to the point that words and phrases such as “Sin”, “Hell”, “Lake of Fire”, “Eternal punishment”, “Satan”, and “Devil” are no longer preached. The dangers of sin and its eternal consequences are downplayed, with a love gospel being bandied about as the message of the day. Still other churches have accepted and embraced deviant lifestyles, snipping away and cutting out clear and easily seen Bible passages that speak against them. More and more Americans are becoming followers of these kinds of false messages and doctrines of men, all the while the gospel of Jesus Christ is relegated to the fringes, those calling out for condemnation of sin and sinful lifestyles tagged with any number of labels, including “fundamentalist” and “fringe”. No longer do popular pastors, churches, and Christian leaders preach the truth, but instead, preach popularity, self-esteem, a humanist based gospel of works and feelings instead of the rock-bottom truth of righteousness and holiness. Anyone who does dare to stand up and speak the truth is immediately denounced as a fundamentalist or residing somewhere in the fringe of society. Even many church leaders, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and which have fallen into sin and sinfulness have maintained their ministries and lifestyles. Still other church leaders - such as Jack Van Impe and even Billy Graham - have ceased in the Gospel Message they started with and are now embracing heretical forms of an all-inclusive Gospel in which Jesus Christ is really no longer the only way. It would seem that 2000 years ago Paul was writing about things that are happening right now. More and more Americans want so little to do with the truth, and are for themselves piling up preachers and teachers who would rather tickle their ears than point out sin and its dangers.
Sin No More, Lest a Worse Thing Come Upon Thee
“How dare you judge me?!? Didn’t Jesus say, ‘Judge not…?’” How many times has this phrase been called out by someone on the receiving in of the truth? Yet the glaring fact of the matter is, most people who use this phrase to justify their sin go right on with their lives, never changing or repenting of the sin which has so easily entangled them (Hebrews 12.1). They also forget that the Bible is replete with calls from God for people to be holy as he is holy, Jesus himself telling two people on separate occasions to stop sinning. In the particular verse of Scripture from above, Jesus had just healed a man who’d been a sick invalid for thirty-eight years. This man had turned Jesus over to the Pharisees, and when Jesus found him again had spoken this warning to him. The question must be asked, “What could be worse than 38 years of crippling illness?” Many could ask a similar question with the same vein of thought: “What could be worse than September 11th, 2001?” The fact is, for both questions, there is and there could be a LOT worse. The crippled man form the Pool of Bethesda is not mentioned again anywhere in the Bible, so we don’t know if he left his life of sin and followed Jesus Christ. However, what could be worse than 38 years of crippling disease? This was a question asked by the Pastor of Olathe Westside Church in a sermon about 12 years ago, and his answer was profound:
“What could be worse? An Eternity in the lake of fire, separated from God and without the salvation of Jesus Christ is infinitely worse on all counts! What could be worse than sitting beside a pool for nearly forty years, not able to do much, hoping beyond hop for a miraculous movement of water, and not getting much? Someone sitting in hell’s black darkness for all eternity without hope and without the saving, redeeming light of Jesus Christ is far, far worse!” - Rev. Charles Pickens - Senior Pastor: Westside Church of the Nazarene, Olathe, Kansas, USA, From the Sunday Sermon, “What Could Be Worse?” - August 1998
What could be worse than September 11th, 2001 and the terrorist attacks that came with them? Far, far worse things come to mind.
A Warning from Daniel
When Daniel spoke the interpretation of the words written on the wall by the hand of God, King Belshazzar basically ignored the warning he was given. He and the rest of his lords, ladies, wives, concubines, nobles, and soldiers trusted in the thick, impregnable walls of the city of Babylon to protect him. It is said that the walls of Ancient Babylon were so thick and so great, four chariots could be driven abreast of each other, and on top of this, the city was surrounded by two tributaries of the River Euphrates. Even further, the Babylonian Army was, up to that point, the greatest in the world. On paper, the king had no reason to fear nor worry about Daniel’s interpretation. Yet, as the Scriptures clearly state:
“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.” - Daniel 5.30
Despite his apparent protection, the armies of the Persians and Medes still managed to take the city, just as God had predicted. In a similar way, many in the US of A think that there could never be another 9/11 on US soil. Because of heightened security, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the continuing War on Terror, the vigilance of the US Military, and the subtle and secret workings of the CIA and other intelligence agencies in the US, many Americans believe that the US cannot and will not be hit with a terror attack again. In a similar fashion as King Belshazzar, most Americans are depending on earthly protections while dismissing God altogether. Yet, September 11th, 2001, was the handwriting on the wall. For one whole day, the US of A could not defend itself against nineteen men. Think of it: nineteen men from third world countries held the USA, the greatest power on the earth, in modern history, and one of the greatest in all of history with a population of 300 million, hostage for an entire day (The Old Testament is rife with Scripture Verses which state that in an unbelieving nation, thousands would run from one, and with five, ten thousand would be put to flight. Didn't this very thing happen on 9/11/01?). If the USA couldn’t defend itself against nineteen determined men, could not worse be in the offing.
Weighed in the Balances and Found Wanting
Yet since that time - since that devastating day of September 11th, 2001 - what has changed in the USA, except for tightened security on inbound planes? Has the citizenry of the United States learned its lessons and repented of the sins and iniquities we have, for so long, embraced? Have we as an American society changed our ways and come to accept the God of the Founding Fathers as the true foundation for the USA? The fact of the matter is, very little has changed in the US since September 11th 2001. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, church attendance skyrocketed. Within six months to a year, church attendance had dropped to pre-9/11 levels, and the decline has steadily continued until today. Instead of calling for repentance, the USA has continued to embrace deviant lifestyles, abominable practices, sordid violence, seedy sex, and vitriolic forms of entertainment. Despite the fact that 30 states in the United states of America have voted against same-sex marriage, homosexual advocates continue to pressure courts, elected officials, and legislatures to demand their “right” to “marry”. Abortion on demand is still the law of the land, with thousands of abortions taking place daily in the USA. Children in Junior High and High School - and in some states, late-elementary school - continue to be indoctrinated into the Public School system’s and Government Sponsored fallacy of “’safe’ sex”, and being given condoms or vouchers for other forms of birth control. The mainstream media continues to decry anything having to do with the Name of Jesus Christ, and Hollywood continues its downward spiral into the cesspool of immorality producing more and more movies and TV shows filled with all imaginable forms of immorality, violence, and sin glorifying self and sensuality at the expense of all that is good and right. Its as if we as a Nation have learned nothing from September 11th, 2001.
Thy Kingdom is Divided
As if all of this were not bad enough, in 2006 and 2008, the United States Electorate placed into office - by their vote - people who have little to no regard for God, His Word, His Son, or anything having to do with Him. In the mid-term elections of 2006, Democrats were swept into the majority, as Americans voted out the Republican Majority that had resided in congress since 1994. With this change came the Democratic leaders, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, and Representative- turned-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California. The problem with both of these people is that they have had long-standing issues aimed against Jesus Christ and his church. Yet, what is frightening is the way in which these two and their Democrat Colleagues were elected into office: the Christian voting bloc which had helped George W. Bush win two presidential elections turned out in great numbers and voted mostly with the Democrats. In 2008, this would again be the case as most voters who called themselves Christians helped to elect Sen. Barack Hussein Obama into the office of President of the United States of America. The problem with this scenario is that all three of the people who were swept into office by strong Christian voter polling in their favor is that Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi, and worst of all, President Obama have taken positions and stand on principles that go entirely against Christian values. All three support homosexual “rights”; all three support strengthening abortion on demand (something that President Obama has promised to do is to make the Freedom of Choice Act [FOCA] the law of the land); all three support restricting free speech in the form of “Hate Crimes” legislation. Now that all three are in the highest elected positions in the land, they are already working to get their ideology and their agendas made into the law of the land. Though many Christians have opposed them and voted against them in the recent elections, the fact remains that Christian voters placed these people into office. As such, we as a Church in the USA are divided. Jesus Christ himself speaks a dire warning about being divided:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought into desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand…” - Matthew 12.25
Could it be that, as the Church has divided its vote between “hope and change” and voting for what is good and right, that we as a nation and church are on the brink of desolation and fall, as Jesus warned?
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
God’s words written to warn King Belshazzar are again glaring to us in this present day and age: MENE - Just as Daniel told the king that Babylon had been numbered, so is God telling us in the USA that our kingdom, as well, is numbered. We can already see how the world is beginning to shift its attention away from the USA, thanks in large part to the financial meltdown that occurred over the last year. Already, the heads of four countries that have been dependent on US Trade have called for the end of the US Dollar’s dominance n the world economic stage. Several commentators and pundits have also stated most recently that all it would take is some great event to push the USA over the brink on which we are already teetering. Could this event be the much prophesied Rapture of the Church? Could something else, such as a terrorist strike - far worse than 9/11/01 - be the ending factor for the USA? We’ve elected Barack Hussein Obama to be our 44th President of the USA. Could his first term be the first “MENE”, with a possible looming second term being the second “MENE”? Could it be that God is warning us of dire implications should President Obama be re-elected? Could the strikes on two locations (Washington D.C. and New York City, N.Y.) be God’s way of giving us Americans the “writing on the wall”? Could it also be that the two destroyed World Trade Center Towers (which have yet to be memorialized in stone, and no replacement buildings yet built, incidentally) - essentially the symbols of 9/11/01 - are America’s “MENE, MENE”? Is it mere coincidence only that four planes were hijacked, and God’s handwritten words in Daniel were also four (MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN)? Is God, even after eight years have passed since 9/11/01, still trying to tell us, the citizenry of the USA, something important, dire, and urgent?
TEKEL - As described above, the immorality of the USA has been weighed in God’s balances, and we as a nation are found wanting. In the thirty-six years since the Supreme Court of the United States of America legislated from the bench and legalized abortion on demand, 50 million innocents in the USA have been put to death. Christ states very clearly in the Proverbs that the shedding of innocent blood is an abomination to him:
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…” - Proverbs 6.16-17
Even further, the Bible is replete with account after account of civilizations being destroyed - including Israel - for their own shedding of innocent blood. Along with this, homosexuality is gaining more and more acceptance and strength in the USA, and despite the majority of Americans being against same-sex “marriage”, several states by way of their supreme courts have legalized homosexual “marriage” as protected under the law. How much longer will God wait? September 11th, 2001 proved that we as a society have been weighed and found wanting: the slide into immorality has only gotten worse. Is it almost time for another wake-up call from God? Must he again remove his hand of protection and blessing to get our attention? PERES/UPHARSIN - Just as Daniel told the king that his country had been divided between the Persians and Medes, it is a little more than curious to note that the same thing is happening to the USA, even as this lesson and warning is being typed. Just as Babylon and the Chaldean Empire was divided between the Persians and Medes, the USA is, also, being divided in the same way. Persia is easily identified in modern times: it is the modern country of Iran. However, who are the Medes? Though some describe them as also Persians, Median territory, prior to their unification with the Persian Empire some time later, is situated around the present country of Afghanistan and Eastern Iran. Since taking office in January of this year, it is curious to note the growing interest that President Barack Hussein Obama has had with Afghanistan. Troop levels in Afghanistan have continued to grow ever since President Obama took office. Could it be that, with the growing nuclear threat from Iran and heavier and heavier US Involvement in Afghanistan, the US of A is being divided between the Medes and Persians, similar to Belshazzar’s ancient Chaldea? If troop levels continue to grow in Afghanistan, and Iran succeeds in creating a nuclear weapon, it could very well be that the USA is divided literally and figuratively between the Medes and Persians, just as the Chaldean Empire was nearly three thousand years ago.
The Bottom Line - Nuclear 9/11
Folks, it is this my belief that a nuclear strike will take place very soon in the USA. Much in the same way that the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 were, at first, thought to be accidents and were totally unconventional, I believe that a nuclear terrorist attack will also, at first, be viewed as an accident, and will take place in an unconventional manner. I believe that it will be in more than one city, and it will, for lack of a better word, finish the USA for good as a superpower. Many people may scoff at this, as scoffers have come and gone in the past. However, the bottom line here is that God is not limitless in his patience, and the United States of America has gotten away with moral depravity, abominable practices, and gross immorality for far too long. Greater societies have fallen for lesser offences towards God; what makes us, the USA, think that we are any different than they? Though many Americans claim to be Christians, it is shocking not to hear President Obama state that we are not a Christian Nation, but to know that such, in fact, is the truth! Christ has been dismissed from public school for nearly fifty years. The name of Jesus Christ has been mocked, taken in vain, and used as a curse in the media for nearly as long. Sin has been upheld by US Society as good and right since the 1960s. Yes, while we have a large percentage of the population claiming Christ, and while cities and towns and villages all across the land still have churches in them, the fact that we have slidden so far makes it a glaring truth when the President comes out and states it in public: we may claim Christ, but we are not actively living him out in our lives. As such, God will not hold out his hand of blessing for much longer. Nuclear 9-11 is coming, and I believe that it will be upon us very, very soon….perhaps, even, before President Obama is finished with his first term, and certainly before the end of his second should he be elected to one, especially if he makes FOCA and the rest of his agenda the law of the land.
Conclusion - Repent!
Jesus said it at the beginning of his ministry, as did John the Baptist. As they say so in the word, so I write it here: REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND! If we as a nation turn from our wicked ways, God will avert the evil that he knows is coming and will allow if we fail to return to him. If we will turn back to him, and ask him for forgiveness, he will hold off execution of sentence and nuclear 9/11 for another day. However, if we persist in our spiritual and moral depravity, it will be upon us very soon. If we do not well, then, as God spoke to Cain, sin lies at our door, and -- just as it dominated us via nineteen men on September 11th, 2001 -- so it will be again, and likely by less. REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!
Prayer - Lord in Heaven, help us we pray. Heavenly Father, we can easily see in your word that judgment and carrying out of divine sentence comes to those who reject you. Help us, Heavenly Father, as a nation, to heed your word, and come back to you. We pray this, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Verse to Remember:
“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” --Matthew 4.17

Manufactured Healthcare Crisis

2009-08-19T18:49:00.000-04:00

By James Simpson
Posted: 08/17 22:37:58/2009

Manufactured Healthcare Crisis

These are perilous times. Last November's election of Barack Obama and a filibuster-proof majority of Democrats in both houses allowed a virulent criminal cabal to capture our nation's seat of power. As with the Democrat takeover of Congress in 2006, it was a disaster of epic proportions. With one shocking, enormous, blatantly partisan, self-serving and destructive proposal following on the heels of another, the sheer enormity of their power grab defies description. But as each new proposal moves forward, the hand of the Crisis Strategy becomes clear.

If there was ever any doubt that Barack Obama personifies the Crisis Strategy, it should long since have been removed for anyone with a mind. Since so many Americans seem to have lost theirs, I address this to the rest of you. For with God's help, it is you and I, not our gutless, hapless, corrupt politicians, nor our sleeping populace that will save this country or allow it to fall.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the Crisis Strategy was the brainchild of two radical socialist college professors, Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven. The idea was to overwhelm government with demands for services to the point where the system would collapse and provide an opening for the socialists to take over.

Their strategy was behind creation of the National Welfare Rights Organization in the 1960s and 1970s which dramatically increased the welfare roles and caused the near bankruptcy of New York City in 1975; creation of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), prime instigators of the mortgage meltdown; the national Motor Voter law signed by President Clinton in 1993, which opened the floodgates to vote fraud by ACORN and similar groups; and the illegal immigrant amnesty movement. As we all should know by now, Barack Obama worked with and trained ACORN workers for many years, and is known and supported by all the major players in this movement.

Healthcare nationalization is a major component of this strategy. As Lenin said, "Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism." The Left has agitated almost since the turn of the last century for some kind of socialized healthcare system. In fact, from 1939 forward, practically every Congressional session proposed national healthcare legislation. As aptly described in an incisive analysis of Medicare by the Cato Institute:

For more than 50 years before the 1965 enactment of Medicare, the American people repeatedly rejected the idea of government-mandated health insurance. Yet advocates of such federal power inside and outside of government did not take no for an answer. Year after year they kept coming back--pursuing incremental strategies, misrepresenting their proposals, even distributing propaganda paid for with government money in apparent violation of existing law.

Their dream was partially realized with creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society." The stated goal of these programs was to provide comprehensive healthcare for seniors and the poor. As the programs grew, the Left clamored for ever more benefits to these groups and ever expanding definitions of covered individuals. Illegal immigration, also encouraged by the Left, contributed to a rapidly growing pool of beneficiaries.

Like any free good, demand for services under these programs has skyrocketed. Spending levels were insignificant in the early years, but today Medicare and Medicaid today comprise 36 percent of total US healthcare spending.

Medicare was originally to be funded with "Hospital Insurance" (HI) premiums tacked onto the Social Security FICA tax. No one seriously believed the HI tax would cover all costs. And despite more than quadrupling the HI tax rate from 0.7 percent to 2.9 percent, it hasn't. Today HI taxes cover a mere 40 percent of Medicare spending. About 21 percent comes from premiums paid by beneficiaries and other sources. Fully 39 percent comes from general revenues (i.e. you and me, pal.) Citation here.

Medicaid is funded roughly 50/50 by federal and state governments. As an essentially free benefit to the poor, Medicaid has no tax associated with it, so it is covered by state and federal income tax revenues – that's you and me again, sucker. In 2006, Medicaid spending alone totaled $314 billion. For perspective, this is roughly equivalent to the baseline defense budget (i.e. excluding war spending like for Iraq/Afghanistan). State Medicaid programs are the largest single recipient of all federal grants, comprising 43 percent of the total.

In 2008, federal Medicaid and Medicare spending totaled $656 billion. Comprising only 2.8 percent of the federal budget in 1967, these two programs today consume 22 percent of total federal spending. This is the largest component of the federal budget, even exceeding total wartime outlays for national defense.

Corrected for inflation, Medicare and Medicaid spending has increased by 2,735 percent since funding began in 1967. That is a real annual growth rate of 8.5 percent, almost three times the annual rate of economic growth for the same period.^[1]

All these effects were predicted by economists, and we were repeatedly warned. The Left knew.

These spiraling costs have to be covered somehow. The Left knew this too. Besides raiding the General Fund, the federal government has used its monopsony power to strong arm ever greater price concessions from the healthcare industry. Medicare and Medicaid reimburse doctors a small and shrinking portionof the fees needed to cover their costs.

For example, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recently responded to President Obama's wildly false claim that Surgeons charge "$30,000, $40,000 [or] $50,000" for a foot amputation. Instead they say, "Medicare reimbursements to physicians for foot amputations range from approximately $700 to $1200 which includes the follow up care the surgeon provides to the patient up to 90 days after the operation." That is simply outrageous!

Private insurance on the other hand, provides a larger reimbursement, and uninsured individuals who do not qualify for the government programs pay full price. These prices are much higher than they would be in absence of the government programs because medical providers have to recoup their costs somehow. And because the pool of Medicare and Medicaid recipients continues to grow, prices keep going up.

So while private citizens pay the lion's share of taxes to fund Medicare and Medicaid, we are also cross-subsidizing these government programs through higher insurance premiums than we would otherwise pay. This is a primary reason medical care has become more expensive.

The left has attacked the private healthcare system from another angle as well: malpractice lawsuits. It has gone largely unreported in the mass media, but the dramatic expansion of all forms of liability lawsuits since the 1960s is the result of a deliberate, organized effort by leftist law professors to turn civil courts into agents of income redistribution. By undermining contract law and expanding the definition of liability – ideas advocated at leading law schools – legal precedents have allowed trial lawyers to pick the pockets of American business as never before. Liability costs have skyrocketed as a result.

We see the consequences of their handiwork directly in the increased cost of products, liability insurance of all kinds, and the decline or in some cases elimination of domestic industries. According to a study performed by the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), the United States pays out $589 billion per year in excessive tort litigation. That is approximately 5 percent of GDP and costs a family of four on average about $8,000 per year.

Glorified ambulance chaser and Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards made his millions suing doctors for procedures that are inherently risky, and greatly increased jury awards with a new innovation: suing nurses, anesthesiologists, hospitals and anyone else in his path. Following is a quote from one doctor:

"The John Edwards we know crushed [obstetrics, gynecology] and neurosurgery in North Carolina," said Dr. Craig VanDerVeer, a Charlotte neurosurgeon. "As a result, thousands of patients lost their health care."

Following are some statistics on medical malpractice liability from the PRI report:

Approximately $124 billion dollars is spent annually by the health care
profession to avoid medical liability.

About $30 billion more is spent on direct liability lawsuit costs.

Malpractice liability cost is 1 percent of GDP and increases the cost of healthcare by approximately 7 percent.

These added costs deny health insurance coverage to between 2.4 and 4.3 million people, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The increasing costs of medical care resulting from Medicare, Medicaid and the dramatic growth of malpractice lawsuits have provided activists with the rationale they need to agitate for socialized medicine. But this has been their strategy all along. Medicare and Medicaid were designed to undermine private healthcare, making it ever more expensive and unmanageable, until enough interest could be generated for systemic change. Similarly, changes in tort law aimed at turning our courts into vehicles for income redistribution have overburdened our legal system with massive caseloads and the highest liability costs in the world.

While doubtless many thought they were doing good, the ultimate goal, as elucidated by the Left, has everywhere and always been Socialism.

Furthermore, they grossly overstate the problem. We hear constantly about the "47 million uninsured." These figures include 10 to 25 million illegal immigrants, 14 million people who are already eligible for medical benefits but haven't availed themselves, and 10 million people earning $75,000 or more who could presumably afford their own insurance if they chose to. Even assuming the lowest estimate for illegal immigrants, the true number of uninsured would be only 13 million. Yet the Democrats want to nationalize the entire industry, currently 17 percent of GDP, to provide benefits to 4 percent of the U.S. population.

And while medical costs increase due largely to government manufactured problems, shrinking returns in the healthcare industry put doctors and hospitals out of business. Meanwhile, the astronomical cost of medical school plus this increasingly hostile atmosphere toward the private medical market is turning more and more qualified people away from the medical field entirely. Costs increase while supply decreases, the classic consequence of government intervention.

Yet Obama and the brain-dead Democrat Congress want to give us a government-run system that will guarantee magnitudes more of the same.

Can you see the Left laughing at you?

However, their true motives have finally been exposed. For seniors Obamacare essentially advocates euthanasia. Benefits will be drastically cut, and in some cases will become completely unavailable. As Obama said publicly: "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller." In other words, if you think you are going to die anyway, why don't you just save us the money and go ahead…

For others it will mean a dramatic reduction in both the availability and quality of care. Obama's health policy advisor Ezekiel Emmanuel (brother of Rahm Emmanuel) admits as much. He even wants doctors to reconsider the Hippocratic Oath:

Amazingly, Dr. Emanuel criticizes the Hippocratic Oath as partly to blame for the "overuse" of medical care: "Medical school education and post graduate education emphasize thoroughness," he wrote. Physicians take the "Hippocratic Oath's admonition to 'use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment' as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of the cost or effects on others." (Journal of the American Medical Association, June 18, 2008.) Of course that is what patients hope their doctors will do. But Dr. Emanuel wants doctors to look beyond the needs of their own patient and consider "social justice" (emphasis mine.) They should think about whether the money being spent on their patient could be better spent elsewhere.

Who in God's green earth are these people?

The Left has relentlessly insisted for decades that we pay every penny for care of indigents, the poor, illegals and elderly to the point where hospitals are closing their doors because they can no longer afford it. But once given the opportunity to transfer this responsibility to the government, their message to the elderly and the rest of us is essentially: drop dead!

Let me put this as bluntly as possible. The Left has never cared about the elderly or the poor, but ruthlessly uses them as part of their long-term strategy to overburden private healthcare until it ultimately collapses. The same Leftists who so passionately demanded free healthcare for all now want euthanasia for seniors and dramatically lower services for the rest of us. It is a power grab, pure and simple. There is nothing more to it.

The Dems won't cut benefits to the poor just yet though, because they still need their votes. Later on they will need them as hired muscle. But once they secure unchallengeable power, do you think they'll care? They have willfully worked to destroy every beneficial thing in our society. These are vicious, selfish, utterly corrupt parasites. They have spent a lifetime abandoned to a philosophy that makes excuses for everything and anything in the service of one ultimate goal: absolute power.

These people have to be stopped. NOW.

I went to Senator Ben Cardin's town hall meeting last Monday and came across a woman who had worked as a nurse in Britain's public health system. She provided a personal anecdote which is little peek into what we can expect should we adopt the Democrats' plan. Catherine Midkiff, RN RSN, has been a nurse since 1979 and lived in the UK in 1991 and 1992. She earned $10 per hour there, compared to the $22 per hour then being earned by nurses in the US. As an agency nurse she earned more than staff nurses. Those women had to live in a dormitory on site as their pay would not afford them private residences.

She said at St. George's Hospital she worked on a seniors ward where 23 elderly men and women shared the same room. When she asked where the code cart was, her British counterparts laughed, saying, "Oh you must be from America…" For non-seniors, most British hospitals put six people in a room. Wait lists are extremely long. An elderly British citizen she knew came to the US to get heart surgery after waiting a full year in the UK system. Others weren't so lucky. For many years, British hospitals had no trauma centers. Thousands died as a result.

For his part, Cardin simply perpetuated the smear against Obamacare protesters, claiming they were Republican stooges spreading disinformation. However, there were over 2,000 of us and only a handful of ACORN, union and party thugs. That we are no longer being fooled is becoming more and more apparent. The Dems control both houses of Congress so this remains an uphill battle, but if enough get the message that their careers are on the line, these utterly self-serving urchins may actually come around to our point of view, simply for sheer survival purposes.

We cannot let up. Not for a minute.

[1] Calculations based on Office of Management and Budget historical tables using OMB deflators.

Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com

NO DELIVERANCE FROM THE TIME OF WRATH

2008-09-23T14:38:00.002-04:00

NO DELIVERANCE FROM THE TIME OF WRATH

NO DELIVERANCE FROM THE TIME OF WRATH
By Sheriff Jim R. Schwiesow, Ret.

September 16, 2008
NewsWithViews.com

MSNBC HEADLINE
Ike Nears Texas: ‘Now Is The Time For Prayers’

Only the godless media of a godless nation of godless people devoid of any knowledge of the changeless Eternal God could deliver such a conventionally self-serving statement, a statement typical of a nation having a form of godliness, but denying the power of the almighty, all knowing, and all-seeing God of the universe.

The Apostle Paul wrote of just such a time as exists in this nation today, a time when the people would be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, uncontrollable, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. In view of the fact that fifty million innocent babies have been murdered intentionally with premeditation and in the most heinous ways I would add murderers to that list, which of course only highlights Paul’s offering of “being without natural affection”.

There does not exist a more apt description than this of the nature of the United States today, it is a nation that consists, collectively, of a people led away from God by divers lusts, it is an ever-learning acculturation of those who are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. It is in fact a nation of people who resist the truth, an irreverent fellowship of men of corrupt mind and reprobate faith. We are a people who turn to a righteous God only when it is selfishly expedient or when it suits our egotistical purposes to do so. Such disdain and disregard for the God who gives us breath and who’s very Spirit and power animates us and sustains the beating of our hearts will certainly have its consequences and we are seeing such in this country at an ever accelerating pace.

The United States has crossed a great divide and is now on a dizzying slide downward through an ever-quickening succession of events, both of the cosmos and of manmade induction, which are stepping this nation toward a now inevitable time of a complete and climatic destruction. Prayers from an apostate people for deliverance from catastrophic events current and future will not be heard, in the parlance of the Bible it is a time for sackcloth and ashes.

AN UNPOPULAR MESSAGE

Those who believe that there is hope for a secular deliverance of this country from an increasingly inescapable terminal destiny at the hand of Almighty God or that the government or its leaders possess the answers to the nearly total social and spiritual unraveling of this commonwealth are barking up a wrong tree. Nowhere in the population of this nation or in the government or the institutions thereof exists a savior. Our Savior has come to this earth and gone and will return again, it is He that we should look to for deliverance. It is He who is the true Savior, and if the readers of this message have not accepted Him as such and taken advantage of His work upon the cross for the expiation of their sins past, present and future they most surely would do well to do so now. The fact is that any preacher, of honeyed words, who extols an innate goodness of man and salvation by any means other than through Jesus Christ, is a false messenger and is in service to the powers of darkness. God’s word says that none are righteous - no not one - and that the righteousness of man is as filthy rags in His sight.

My recent articles have been increasingly apocalyptic; I reject any thought that there is any hope that this country will be turned around by mortal men or by our terribly corrupt and fallible politicians. These, and those who extol their virtues, will do nothing other than hasten our fall. This has not been a popular message with some and several letters in response to my recent columns have been vitriolic and hate filled. I understand this, as the writers of these messages love the world either above God or in place of God.

I am grateful to those who carry my articles on their websites and pray for God’s blessings upon them. But, I know that there will come a time, and very soon, when my words will be blocked and censored. The prophets of old who were sent to deliver hard messages unto God’s people and to their kings and religious leaders were censored and imprisoned, and those who speak the truth today can expect the same circumstances as even now we see an unrighteous abridgement - by a fascistic government - of individual rights and liberties.

“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shall surely die; and thou gives him not warning, nor speaks to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18)

Clearly those in the ministry today who tickle the ears with new age doctrines - such as the goodness of man, a lack of evil, that man is divine and therefore can create his own spiritual destiny, Satan is an imaginary being and that there are many roads to salvation - have not read the above scripture. And if they have and have rejected it, or any other of God’s truths, they will stand and give an account for every lost soul that was in their charge.

A TUMULTUOUS END

The affects of hurricane IKE were tremendous. The cost of property damage has been estimated at one trillion dollars. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands people have been made homeless. Millions are without power and industries of all kinds have been either disrupted or destroyed and shut down altogether. Local economies have been all but wiped out and the U.S. economy already a tottering shambles held together by chewing gum and duct tape is being pushed to the edge. The dwindling number of middle- income taxpayers cannot continually bail out one area after another from the costs of major catastrophic events that now occur at a rate of nearly one upon another, and it is with a certainty that the major corporations that are virtually completely exempt from taxation are not going to contribute to any recovery as greed is the name of their game. The soon coming burden that the government will place upon the dwindling few will be crushing. And yet this is but the initial phase of the coming tribulation upon this nation. The apocalyptic natural events will continue, but that is not the whole of the story.

The economy of this nation is, for all intents, shot; fooled away by seeming half-wits. The government and the elites have striven mightily with lies, manipulation of the markets, and bailouts of failed financial institutions to wire together a wrecked economic infrastructure that has been made a disaster by their own hand. The stricken federally chartered housing finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - progeny’s of our totalitarian regime - have been absorbed by their maker and shaper and placed upon the backs of the people. A wrecked car in such a dismal shape as our economy would be declared a total loss and scrapped. I think that this is exactly the plan of those who pursue a one-world order. They endeavor powerfully and vigorously to scrap the dollar and negate our sovereignty in order that this nation might be coalesced with Canada and Mexico in a North American Union and then integrated into a new world order.

RIOTS, CIVIL STRIFE AND WAR

Who can know the evil that lurks in the minds of men? God knows and soon so shall we if we don’t already know.

A virtual Trojan horse of monumental proportions has been rolled across our borders. Such an event could not have been accomplished without the ignorance, apathy and complaisance of the people and the treasonous endeavors of the politicians who feed at trough of the corporate pirates who control the government and society with the monies that they have amassed by deceit, trickery and larceny beyond imagination. To be subject to these is the fate of a people who have no knowledge of Almighty God. This horse carried the seeds of an invasive and pernicious evil that will render this nation completely impotent and cause it to lie prostrate before its enemies.

Out of the horse poured predators, malcontents, criminals of all stripe, disease carriers, free loaders, mercenaries and subversives. Such have molested, raped and killed our children, disrupted and corrupted every facet of an amalgamate and orderly society, bankrupted our local governments and institutions, piled the people high with debt to sustain the invaders with perks beyond anything available to ordinary citizens, caused us to build an ever increasing number of prisons to incarcerate alien invaders who kill, violate and maim American citizens, and opened the country to the predations of clandestine enemy agents who have infiltrated via open borders and lax immigration policies and who are supported by enemy citadels that have been openly set up under the noses of the government and its security agencies in the guise of mosques and embassies..

The floods, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the fires, the earthquakes and the manmade disasters presage the time of the end. Soon - very soon - our cities will be host to civil strife such has never been experienced in the history of this nation. A pestilence of violence will roll across the land, cities will burn and the carnage will be great. Our panicked fascist government will add to that carnage. The violence will exacerbate an already degraded situation and disease and famine will spread exponentially in the wake of the violence. There will be widespread panic brought about by the rolling and continuous collapse of services and social order. No person will be isolated from the effects of the collapse of order that will affect those both within and without the cities.

“The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him”
(Ezekiel 7:15)

When the nation has been sufficiently weakened by all of the foregoing an utter annihilation will fall upon the land and it will be made desolate by nuclear fire.

“In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 6:6-7)

© 2008 - Jim R. Schwiesow - All Rights Reserved

THIS AGE ENDS IN 2012 ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE

2007-11-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

This Age Ends in 2012 on the Winter Solstice
By: William B. Stoecker
Source: www.sanfranciscosentinel.com

Repeatedly throughout history people have imagined that the end of the world, or at least the end of the present age, was nigh. This is particularly true in times of plague, famine, unrest, tyranny, and war, which pretty well covers most of human history.

Supposedly people were panicking in the eleventh century, and, more recently, prophets have convinced their naive followers to give up all their worldly goods or even committ mass suicide. But this time is different.

We are nearing the winter solstice, 2012 date forecast as the end of this age by the Mayas, who had remarkably accurate lunar and solar calendars, and fairly advanced mathematics, including the zero concept.

The last 100 years or so has been the bloodiest, the most tragic, in all of history, and that is saying a lot. Never before have we had weapons of mass destruction that can virtually wipe out humanity: nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. These weapons are proliferating into the hands of terrorists and those states that support them, and recombinant DNA technology can potentially create even more deadly germ warfare agents. Never before have we had space flight. Never before have we had anything like the United Nations, which has done absolutely nothing to prevent or even reduce war, terrorism, and democide (its stated purpose) but which serves as the foundation for the dreaded global fascism of the New World Order. And the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 seems to fulfill an ancient Biblical prophecy; when Biblical and Mayan prophecy appear to coincide perhaps we need to take notice. Yet another Biblical prophecy was the so-called “mark of the beast’” without which men could not buy or sell; proposed computer chip implants, the ultimate convenience in a cashless society seem to fit this one pretty well, and can serve, at the very least, to track people if not to control them.

And the timing, the date, and the place of many recent events orchestrated by the global elite seem to point to the end. David Icke has remarked that even if we choose not to believe in sacred geometry and numerology, we should at least understand that the elite take all of this very seriously. If nothing else, such an understanding helps us to predict their next move, and they are becoming increasingly predictable. So let us take a look at the basics of the subject.

The Mayans, and many other ancient peoples, were fascinated by the planet Venus, whose movements form the most accurate clock in the heavens. As Venus orbits closer to the sun and faster than Earth it will pass Earth so that a line can be drawn through the Sun and both planets. If Venus and Earth are on the same side of the Sun this is called an inferior conjunction; if on opposite sides it is a superior conjunction. Either way, the next one will be 583.9 days later, and both planets will be exactly 216 degrees around in their orbits. This is called a synodic cycle. Note that 216 is three times 72, and five times 72 is 360 degrees, a complete circly. A series of five of these cycles takes 7.99 years.A diagram showing the orbits with lines going out from the sun at the conjunctions will have five lines each exactly 72 degrees from the next. If you then draw exterior lines connecting the points of intersection with Earth’s orbit, you will have a regular pentagon like the one in Washington, D.C. the latest addition to the sacred geometry of that city. Draw internal lines from point to point and you have that most powerful of magic symbols, the pentagram, or five pointed star. Note that the ancient Egyptians portrayed stars as having five points, and the human body has five major projections: a head, two arms, and two legs. Here is embodied the key idea of astrology, the connection between us and the stars. As above, so below.

But things get stranger still. The ratio of one of the inner corner-to-corner pentagram lines to any of the outer sides of the pentagon is the Golden Mean: roughly 1.61803 to one. This was beloved by the Greeks, and various ratios in the human body approach this ratio. In most cultures the closer the ratio, the more attractive the person is considered. Then there is the Fibonacci series:1,2,3,5,8,13, 21,55,89,144,etc. Each consecutive number is formed by adding the two preceding, and as you get higher up the series the ratios get closer and closer to the Golden Mean. A spiral formed from these numbers, the Fibonacci Spiral, is found in whirlpools, galaxies, hurricanes, tornadoes, snail shells, rams’ horns, and certain bacteria. If you extend such a spiral at right angles to its plane, you get a helix, as in DNA. And if you are beginning to suspect that this cannot all be coincidence, we’re just getting started. There’s more.

As the Earth turns on its axis every 24 hours, that axis slowly wobbles every 25,920 years. Often called a Great Year, this is almost certainly one of the causes of ice ages. This Great Year is divided into twelve astrological ages, and each of these is 2,160 years long, or ten times the 216 degrees discussed earlier. Every 72 years (that number 72 again) the axis moves one degree around this circle. And if that’s not enough, the average healthy human heart at rest beats 72 times each minute. It would seem that the human body in some way resonates with the solar system and perhaps with the entire universe.

If this isn’t enough, mystics have always taught that, through meditation, the chi or kundalini force, the fundamental energy of consciousness, can be raised from the base chakra up the spinal column to the crown chakra, resulting in the higher state of consciousness called enlightenment. Counting the cervical vertebrae and the ones fused at the base of the spine, we have 33 vertebrae. Note that the thirty third degree is important to freemasons, and that thirty third degree masons like several American presidents have played a major, and sinister role in world affairs. Thirty three is, of course, three times eleven, and the mysterious sunspot cycle is just over eleven years long. As we shall see, multiples of eleven are seen again in the dates and places of the darkest deeds of the global elite.

The twentieth century officially began, of course, in 1900, but little of significance took place that year. More significant is 1914, the year World War One began to make the world safe for fascism. Yet a series of events took place the preceding year, 1913. On the way to enslaving the world, the elite had to begin extinguishing the light of freedom in their New Atlantis, the United States. In 1913 President Woodrow Wilson (the same creature who would later preside over the creation of the League of Nations, the first attempt at global tyranny) secured the passage of the Federal Reserve Act, giving America a national banking system, like the Bank of England and elswehere. This consortium of private bankers were given control of the money supply and interest rates, a sure recipe to make the rich richer and to enslave and impoverish the rest of us. Wilso also pushed through a constitutional amendment, allowing for direct election of US senators, who, hitherto, had been selected by their state senates. Seemingly “democratic,” this weakened states’ rights and centralized power. And Wilson gave America an income tax, via an amendment that was never legally ratified. And few are aware that, in the US, no tax law based on that illegal amendment was ever passed. Americans are rutinely jailed for violating a nonexistent law based on a legally nonexistent amendment. And note that thirteen, as in 1913, is a magic number.

If 1913 is taken to be the first year of a century, what is its final year? You guessed it:2012.

More magic numbers appear. The global elite chose to end World War One in 1918, and eighteen is the sum of seven and eleven, two magic numbers. The ratio of the height to any of the base sides of the Great Pyramid at Giza is exactly seven to eleven. Divide the height of the pyramid into two of the base sides, or seven into twenty two, and you have pi out to two decimal places. And they chose to end the war at eleven in the morning on November (eleventh month) the eleventh. Three elevens total thirty three.

Thirty third degree freemason Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who turned America into a socialist state and betrayed us at Pearl Harbor, took office in 1933. His chosen successor, Harry Truman, was also a thirty third degree mason, and was America’s thirty third president. These two gentlemen gave us the wondrous United Nations and nuclear weapons. The first one was tested at Trinity Site in New Mexico, almost exactly on the thirty third parallel, as is Nagasaki (but not Hiroshima).

And then there is the number 1947, or 19.47. Richard Hoagland has pointed out that if the simplest polyhedron, a regular tetrahedron bounded by four equilateral triangles, is of the right size to be placed exactly within a rotating sphere like the Earth, and one vertex is at the South Pole, the other three vertices will be exactly 120 degrees apart and some 19.47 degrees north of the equator. The ancient Mexican site of Teotihuacan is at this latitude, and Hoagland has pointed out that upwellings of volcanic energy cluster near this latitude, like the great Hawaiian volcanoes on Earth, the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, and the immense Olympus Mons volcano on Mars.

In 1947 freemason Harry Truman turned America into a militarist state with the National Defense Act and a peacetime draft. And that year Kenneth Arnold and others saw nine (another magic number) crescent shaped UFOs. That year also saw the bizarre UFO sighting at Maury Island in Washington State, and, of course, Roswell. The Roswell crash site is almost exactly on the thirty third parallel, and the crash took place on July (seventh month) the fourth (seven plus four equals eleven), the date chosen by America’s Founding Fathers, most of them masons, for our Declaration of Independence in 1776. And what are the odds of a UFO crash near a very small town that was the home both of rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard and future Lunar astronaut and mystic Edgar Mitchell? Both were living there at the time of the crash. I am afraid we have run out of coicidences.

East of Roswell is Dallas, also almost exactly on the thirty third parallel, and JFK was killed on November (eleventh month) the twenty second, and eleven plus twenty two is thirty three.

Nine, as in 9/11, is also a magic number, and one of the planes that day was allegedly flight eleven, and another was flight seventy seven (seven times eleven). And don’t forget that the train bombings in Spain were on March (third month) eleventh.

Like I said, we ran out of coincidences quite a while back there, and we now are suffering from the Chinese curse: we live in interesting times. And those times appear to be getting very, very short.

IS GOD TALKING TO US?MAYBE WE SHOULD LISTEN TO HIM!

2007-04-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

Vision of the End of the World

(Editor's note: I don't normally post revelations given to Mormons because I do not want anyone drawn into that cult but this lady has been given a warning from God to them, which she is delivering in seminars. God will save a remnant from among them. It appears that judgment begins with the World Trade Towers falling.)

Sarah Hoffman committed suicide in 1979 and was told she had to come back and finish her earth life but first she was shown the end of the world…

This panoramic view of the earth came into view and then came closer and closer like I had been out into space and was flying towards it.

I knew that this was to help me make my decision to go back to earth, to my terrible life, because part of me wanted to go back to the beautiful spirit world or paradise and part of me felt the need to go back into my body and change my life. It was kind of a tug of war and what I was going to see was to help me understand what I would go through if I went back into my clay body.

It played out again just like a video tape in fast forward motion and yet again I could assimilate and see everything clearly and perfectly. As the world zoomed up to me I saw the whole world and then the various countries.

I don't know the countries of the world very well, but as I looked at these lands I instinctively knew what countries they were. I was looking at the Middle East and watched as a missile flew from Libya and hit Israel with a big mushroom cloud. I knew that the missile was actually from Iran but people from Iran had been hiding it in Libya and fired it. I knew that it was a nuclear bomb. Almost immediately missiles started flying from one country to another, quickly spreading to all over the world. I also saw that many nuclear explosions did not come from missiles but from ground bombs of some kind. I knew that in the future there would be a nuclear war throughout the world and this is how it would start.

Then, my focus changed from the Middle East to America. I understood that I was about to see some of the things that would lead up to the nuclear holocaust I had just witnessed.

As I looked upon the continent of North America, I zeroed in on the East Coast and then to New York. I saw New York with all of its buildings and people. Then I saw some tall buildings crashing to the earth with tremendous smoke, debris and dust everywhere (World Trade Towers?). I saw a woman holding a little girl’s hand, running from the crashing buildings. The lady had long dark hair past her shoulders, curled inward a little. She had on a beige business suit, heels of a slightly darker color, perhaps a tan color. No glasses. The little girl appeared to be about 6-7 years old with short brown hair, below the chin, in a sort of a pageboy haircut. They were holding hands and running together from the falling buildings in the heavy smoke and dust and they were forced to let go of hands and thereby they got separated. The little girl was terrified and I could hear the little girl screaming “mommy, mommy” over again and again. I don't know if they lived or died. I can still see the face of the lady clearly and could identify her if I saw a picture...or could describe her to an artist to draw her. I asked if an earthquake caused the buildings to fall down and the impression was ‘no,’ but I don't know what caused them to fall.

The next thing that I felt more than I saw was that shortly after this there was no commerce, no shopping, buying, and was impressed that there was no economy. The economy had almost failed completely and no one had any money.

The next thing I saw was people being sick and dying. I saw this particularly in four cities: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Salt Lake. The disease started by having white blisters, some the size of dimes appear on their hands, arms and face. This quickly developed into white puffy sores and blisters. People would stumble about and fall and then many died within a short time, maybe 24 hours. I also saw other people with blood coming from their nose, mouth, eyes and ears. It started like a flu virus and it spread very quickly, faster than the other white blister disease. The people who had this disease died even faster. This was more wide spread across the entire United States. There were hundreds of thousands of people stricken with these two diseases.

I knew that the diseases, and there were several different kinds, but at first primarily these two, came from small containers that had been brought into the United States. These containers were like quart jars and I was impressed that the people carrying them would just drop them on the ground in large crowds of people and the people would become infected without realizing it.

In these cities as the disease spread, the people tried to flee from the cities out to the countryside. There was complete chaos in these cities and a breakdown of normal society. There was no electricity in them either, but I don't know why or how that came to be. There were cars piled up everywhere, blocking roadways and most people then had to walk out with nothing. The disease started to spread beyond these initial cities.

As these people were fleeing the cities, there were gangs attacking them and killing them. In the cities that were struck with the disease, there was complete chaos, looting, rioting, murdering, a complete breakdown. Many people seemed to go absolutely crazy. I sensed that the electricity had failed everywhere now and that nothing was running, there was no communication or anything anywhere in the country. Nothing worked, no radios or TVs. I watched people throw rocks and break windows to steal TVs which I thought was really crazy because they wouldn't work.

Immediately, as I watched this happen in the United States, I jumped back to the Middle East and saw the same thing in Israel, the same sores, and I realized that it was the same types of disease or sickness happening there. I knew somehow that whatever diseases had been used in the United States were also being used in Israel.

This lasted for only an instant and I was back in the United States. There was a tremendously long winter that lasted into summer. It caught everyone by surprise and started the full famine. Actually, I realized that the long winter actually just increased the famine greatly to its full measure, because the famine had already been in progress because of the storms, droughts, floods and other plagues that had been happening over the few years leading up to the long winter.

It seemed then that the year following the long winter was when everything started to go down hill very quickly or things piled up one on top of the other without any breaks. The sense of time though was not very clear because I was seeing several things that seemed to happen all at the same time or very close together.

During and after the long winter, the disease spread everywhere and increased in severity. The economy was completely gone and the electricity was also gone. There was complete chaos and anarchy all over the United States. There was no government, just a total breakdown. There was no food at all. I saw people trying to get food and were completely panicked because there was no food. I saw people digging in the ground for worms and eating them because they were so hungry.

Also, during this time I became aware that there was very little water and that almost all of the water had become poisoned so that if a person drank the water they would get the disease and die. Many did even knowing that they would die, because they were so thirsty.

Some of the people seemed to go crazy and went around in gangs killing people just for the sake of killing. Others killed for food or for things but the people who killed just to kill were absolutely terrible. They seemed like beasts, animals completely out of control as they raped, looted, burned and butchered people. I saw them go into people's homes and drag families out who were hiding there and rape them and butcher them.

There was such a fear and hatred that came upon the people -- families, wives, husbands -- loving ties no longer mattered; it became survival only. Husbands would kill their wives and children for food or water. Mothers would kill their children. It was absolutely horrible beyond description.

The air seemed to be filled with smoke as many buildings and cities burned and no one put them out. As I looked upon the scene of chaos, destruction and smoke, I noticed that there were these little pockets of light scattered all over the United States. There were, I would guess, about twenty or thirty of them. I noticed that most of these places of light were in the western part of the United States, with only three or four in the East.

These places of light seemed to shine through the darkness and caught my attention and so I concentrated on them, asking, "What are these things?"

I could then see that they were people who had gathered together and they were on their knees and they were praying. The light was coming from them and I understood that it represented their goodness and love. I understood that they had gathered together for safety and that they cared more for each other than for themselves. Some of the groups were small, with only a hundred people or so, but in other groups there were what seemed several thousand.

I realized that somehow many, if not most of these cities of light had been established just before the disease attack and that they were very organized. It was like they had known what was coming and had prepared for it. I didn't see who or what had organized them, but I saw many people struggling to get to them with nothing but what they could carry.

These cities of light had food and were sharing their food with those who joined them in their groups. There was peace and safety in the groups. They were living in tents, all kinds of tents, many of which were just blankets covering poles. I noticed that the gangs left these groups alone, choosing to pick on easier targets and unprotected people. They also preyed on the people who were trying to get to the cities of light. Many people in these cities of light had guns to defend themselves with and so the gangs left them alone but it seemed that the gangs just didn't want to come against them. (Note from David: Since we are warned that "They that take the sword will die by the sword" and "If any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed," I would suggest that guns here have a spiritual meaning. The power to kill will be in the saints words as if they were a gun. The two witnesses kill with their words in Rev.11, indicating the time of grace is up for the wicked.)

I realized that these cities of light, which is what I began to think of them, were only for a short time and then the people in them would go somewhere else; however, I don't know where they went but I seem to think that they gathered to the mountains, to the high places.

As I was looking at the cities of light, I then saw missiles coming and hitting some cities and mushroom clouds started happening all over the United States. Some were from missiles that I knew came from Russia and others were not from missiles, but were from bombs that were already in the United States. They were hidden in trucks and in cars and were exploded.

I specifically saw Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York hit with bombs. New York was hit with a missile, but I think that Los Angeles was hit by a truck bomb or actually several, because I didn't see any missile. I also saw north of Salt Lake City have a mushroom cloud, a small one, but no missile.

In the darkness I also saw little fireballs. I don't know if this happened just before or during the mushroom clouds, but there were millions falling everywhere. They were very hot, of different sizes with most about the size of golf balls. As they fell from the sky they left a streak of flame and smoke behind them. Whatever they touched they started on fire: people, buildings, trees, grass, it didn't matter. I didn't ask what they were or where they came from, because by this time I was getting sick of the whole scene and so I just observed and didn't ask many questions.

Almost right on top of these mushroom clouds I saw Russian troops invading the United States. I saw them parachuting into a lot of places, primarily from the East Coast. I saw them parachute into Salt Lake City. I also saw Chinese troops invade from the West Coast, near Los Angeles. The people who were still alive started fighting them with their own guns. I didn't see any military.

This was the nuclear war that I had seen earlier and I knew that it was also happening all over the world like I had seen previously. I did not see much of this war, but I was impressed that it was not very long and the Russians and Chinese lose, but I don't know how exactly.

Now the smoke turned to a very thick, heavy dark smoke. Just as things appeared to be as bad as it could get, then the earthquakes happened. This happened during a winter. It seemed that this was the winter following the very long one and so the chaos had been almost for a full year. The earthquakes seemed to start in the West, around Idaho and Wyoming, and then quickly spread everywhere.

I saw a huge earthquake strike Utah and then California. There were earthquakes all over California, but were especially devastating in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

These earthquakes triggered volcanoes all over the West. They started spewing a tremendous amount of ash and smoke into the air and the air became very dark and dirty. The sun was darkened even more because of the smoke and the ash that started raining down everywhere.

I also saw huge waves of water sweep over the West Coast and then I realized that it was happening all over the coastal cities of the entire world. Los Angeles was almost swept completely away. The waves were huge.

I saw a big wall of water, taller than many of the buildings, perhaps as high as 20 feet, sweep over Salt Lake City. I thought this was strange because it was so far from the ocean and I wondered how a wave from the ocean could travel all the way to Salt Lake City. I was impressed that it was not from the ocean but from the ground. I quickly saw great cracks in the earth around Salt Lake City open up and water just shoot out of the ground. I felt that under the ground, very deep, there was a tremendous amount of water in the ground and the earthquakes forced it up to the surface. When the water swept over the city, there weren't very many buildings left, in fact there was a tremendous destruction with hardly anything left at all, just a few buildings. The water went from Idaho down to near Cedar City and was very bad.

In the cities there was great destruction, and most of the buildings had been destroyed and there was a lot of rubble. Though the earthquakes, disease, floods, volcanoes and tidal waves killed a lot of people, most people died because of the gangs and everyone killing each other, not from the terrible devastations.

As I thought a moment about it, it seemed that the earth itself had become sickened at the terrible things that were happening upon it and was finally reacting. I was impressed that the earth wanted to cleanse itself of the terrible chaos and evil that had engulfed the people.

Because of the volcanoes erupting everywhere, there was now ash mixed with the heavy smoke. Ash was falling and it was almost complete darkness everywhere.

The diseases had become very bad. I saw people literally die on their feet. There was another disease I saw. People had these red blotches on them and then they quickly started bleeding everywhere, from every opening. Then, they literally disintegrated or melted into unrecognizable masses of flesh and bone. I cannot even begin to describe what I saw. The dead were everywhere

After this terrible winter, I saw the survivors pile up the dead into huge piles and burn them. The smell was absolutely terrible. I could smell it just a little and the smell itself would make you sick. This burning of bodies had happened a little during the chaos, but not much because people were so worried about surviving that they just ignored the dead.

I then saw four more things.

I saw a huge earthquake in the middle of the United States. It was tremendous and seemed to split the United States in half about where the Mississippi River is. The crack in the earth that resulted was huge and that area totally sank. It was miles wide and it opened up and the earth fell down. It seemed to swallow everything. Then water flowed in from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up to the Great Lakes, only they weren't lakes anymore, they became all part of a big inland sea.

I then saw a series of tremendous earthquakes all over the world. But it wasn't lots of separate earthquakes, it was all part of one huge, gigantic earthquake that shook the entire earth. Because of this earthquake, water came upon the land all over the world. Huge walls of water along all of the coasts. This earthquake and the walls of water made the earlier ones seem small by comparison. I don't know if the earthquake that split the United States into two parts was part of this worldwide quake or not.

I then saw a tremendous wind come upon the earth. As the wind hit I saw people go into caves and into the cracks of rocks to escape it. It was tremendous and it blew trees and everything away. It appeared to be stronger than any hurricane or tornado. It seemed like everything was blown away.

I understood, without asking, that the great worldwide earthquake and the wind were somehow caused by a huge object, like a planet or something, that had come very close by the earth and disrupted everything and that it was near the end that this happened.

I then was back into space viewing the entire earth from a distance. I saw this huge fireball, two or three times bigger than the earth, approach the earth. It was extremely bright red and gold in color and then engulfed the entire earth. When I saw this, because it was so different than everything else, I asked what it was. I was impressed that it was the burning of the earth that is described in the scriptures. I understood that just before it came Jesus had appeared to the earth and the good people that I had seen earlier had left the earth with Him and were no longer on the earth. The only people left were the few wicked who had survived the devastations earlier, but there were not many.

HAS THE NUMBER 666 BEEN DECODED?

2007-04-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

Has the Number 666 Been Decoded?
Added: Apr 6th, 2007 6:18 AM

666 decoded: The number of the beast

Rachel Arora, merinews

666 is an ominous set of number that has since ages been associated with evil. You need to know its dark implications, since it’s getting unawares into your daily lives and passing on controls to evil imperialists.

THE NUMBER 666 is widely known as “the number of the beast”. It is said to have originated from the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Holy Bible. In several popular works, the number is considered to be the number of Satan or Antichrist and has created much speculation regarding its significance. It leaves us wondering as to who will be the detestable prophet and when is the period of tribulation going to begin?

Many scholars state that the number is a code for the Roman emperor, Nero, a view that is strongly supported by the Roman Catholic Church. However, certain facts and studies reveal that 666 is not merely a numerical figure, but is associated with slavery and downfall of the human race. It is associated with ill omen and is creating a sizzle in the modern era.

The description of the number of the beast in the Book of Revelation 13:18 is as follows: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

Kevin Jones, numerologist says, “666 is a number associated with evil. Its magnitude can be both narrow and vast. It is likely to affect one and all. Nobody can buy or sell if unmarked by the number on his right hand or forehead.”

In many cultures of the west, there is widespread fear of the number. In scientific terms, the phobia of 666 is known as hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia. This leads people to avoid things related to the number and consider it to bring bad luck.

The number is strongly despised and people prefer not to move in a new house, buy a new vehicle or gamble with any numbers, resulting in the 666 combination. Some call it superstition while others call it a warning.

In 2006, the BBC listed hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia and its definition as fact #64 in its “100 things we didn’t know last year.”

The number gained immense importance and lured various horror movie directors to experiment with it. It soon became popular as the satanic number all over the world after the release of the Hollywood blockbuster, The Omen, in 1976.

Startling revelations
According to many, 666 is a sacred number, especially in the modern era. Certain religious sects also believe it to be a divine number. Certain facts have revealed that the human race is already becoming dependant on the number of the beast and the days of tribulation have begun.

According to Father Benjamin Massey, “The United States is on its way to becoming a cashless society. The most infectious economic movement is that of “smart cards” which are already used by many people in countries like Japan and Europe.”

A smart card is used to pay for all purchases one makes and avail benefits such as health, insurance and claims. The social security number, which requires every individual to be marked, is closely associated with the number of the beast.

Automatic identification is the dominant feature in the emergence of a cashless society. Biometric sensors are used to identify people by fingerprints, retina patters and other body patterns. In countries like Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Norway, New York and California, dogs and cats are required to have microchip implants injected under their skin under the law. It won’t be long before similar implants will be injected in human beings as well.

Almost everyone is familiar with the UPC barcodes that are now there on most of the products of daily use. The three embedded numbers on every UPC barcode are 666. Here’s how: All the marks of bars in the code are associated with numbers except for the marks at the first, middle and end. They appear as “||”. If the numbers are taken away, we are left with the digits 666, which remain hidden in every bar code.

After labouring for years, the world’s financial institutions have finally declared the emergence of the global cashless society. Microchip technology and electronic currency will replace all monetary exchange. The giant behind providing this cashless system is a company named Mondex, which has already franchised over 20 nations. The entire system is based on smart card technology that employs microchips concealed in a plastic card. It stores electronic cash and identification. All electronic transactions will be made secure by secure electronic transaction (SET) protocols.

Mondex is a compound of the words Monetary and Dexter. Monetary means: pertaining to money while Dexter means located on the right hand. Set is Egyptian god of evil or Satan.

Keeping various security related issues in mind, the computer scientists decided that it might not be possible to carry the card everywhere. Therefore the ultimate option will be to place the microchip inside the human body. However, scientists have discovered only two places to inject the chip — the forehead and the right hand.
AT&T and Lucent Technologies purchased the franchise for Mondex. Their logo is symbolic of the Solar Serpent or Satan. The name Lucent is compounded from Lucifer enterprises. They named their products STYX, a river in Hades, Janus, two-faced god and inferno promoted with a quote from the inferno, a story about Lucifer in the pit of hell. They even chose to move their office to 666, Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Project Lucid
This global police set up was designed to monitor every man, woman and child once issued a universal biometrics card. Project Lucid will have a mind-control chip surgically implanted in the brain. Under this project, all undercover social security establishments will use its databases to monitor daily lives of people. All data will be linked, networked and processed by a central Gestapo where orders will be given to police, military and intelligence agencies. The global police state will comprise the FBI, KGB, CIA, DEA, DIA, NSA, IRS, EPA, OSHA, NCIC, USDA, FDA, NRO, BATF, FINCEN, INS, DOJ, WTO, Europol, Interpol, Mossad, and the MAB.

According to Nelly Paul, “666, when added, come to 9, which stand for greediness and natural disasters. It can either make or break. It is impulsive, restless, stubborn and inflexible.”

The biggest question that hunts our minds is if the end has finally arrived? The beast is controlling our lives and we are unaware. 666 is all over the place and is boiling down to globalization.

WILL THE REAL MAHDI PLEASE STAND UP?

2007-03-18T14:00:00.000-04:00

Will the Real Mahdi Please Stand Up? - by PATRICK HERON - Raiders News Network

How interesting it is to sit back and watch all the little pieces of the jig-saw fit in together to make a clear picture. Take some of the recent pronouncements coming out of Iran these past few weeks for instance.

Apparently it has been announced on official government websites that shortly, in fact it will happen in this month of March, the Mahdi or 12th Imam will make his long awaited appearance on the world stage.

This is the prophet that is the Muslim Messiah, as it were. According to their teachings, the Mahdi or 12th Imam, disappeared as a young boy of about 12 years old, several hundred years ago, and went into hiding in a deep well.

But he will shortly come out of his hiding place and procede to lead Muslims in a sucession of victorious apocalyptic battles over their enemy and establish Islam as the predominent world religion.

The Imam or Mahidi will have a lieutenant by his side in this endeavor, we are cofidently told, who will be none other than, wait for it, Jesus Christ. I kid you not. All this is written on official Iranian government websites and has even been eluded to on several occasions by the Iranian President, Machmud Amgonnahavajihad. He says the Mahdi will appear this March on the 27th, I think.

Now here's the rub. We are told in scripture in the Old Testement, that if a prophet said such-and-such was going to happen, and it didn't, then he was a false prophet. And in some cases these were put to death for their troubles. So we will soon know if the President of Iran is accurate in his prognostications or if he qualifies to have his head chopped off.

Contrast this with what we are told in the Word of God. In the Book of Revelation it is prophesied that during the Apocalypse a man known as the Antichrist will rise to prominence on the world political stage. This person is also called the "Beast from the Abyss" (Rev.chapters 9 and 17). We are told that this man will have a religious side-kick who will help him in his endeavours called the False Prophet.

Together these two will establish world peace for the first three and a half years of the Apocalypse. The Antichrist will head up a sort of G 10 geopolitical confederacy that will be the New World Order.(For an in depth study on this, see my article entitled Revelation Rapture:An Anomly?, at OFFICIAL DISCLOUSURE on this website).

Acording to Revelation 9, we are told that this Beast or Antichrist, will emerge from the bottomless pit, or Abyss, where he is now incarcerated along with other infernal beings. These are the "spirits that sinned in the days of Noah," according to 1 Peter 3:20 . A deeper study of these spirit men shows that they were the Nephilim or Fallen Ones of Genesis 6, who came to earth circa 3500BC and took mortal women to wife. These gods so infected the human race back then with their evil and violence that God sent the flood and wiped out all human life and the giants, who were the offspring of these fallen Angels.

But spirit men cannot be drowned. And these fallen Angels, we are told, are locked up in the pit of the Abyss, to await a coming Day of Judgement. We are also informed that Jesus, in his risen spiritual body, went a preached to these spirits in prison, and somewhat spoiled the party they were having at that time.

But in the coming Apocalypse these gods will be released once again. And together with the rest of the rebellious angels, who are to be cast down to earth with Satan according to Revelation 12, will form a government that will rule the nations.

I have often heard various prophecy teachers speculate as to who this coming Antichrist will be. Some have even proffered names of Arab or other leaders who, they reckon, will definitely be the Antichrist who is to rule the world. But they are wrong. Fot the name of this coming prince and where he hails from has been written for nigh on 2,000 years and has been staring us in the face all that time.

I Revelation 9:11 we are told that the name of the Beast is Abaddon (in Hebrew), and Apollyon is his Greek name. And where does he come from? From the bottomless pit also called the Abyss. Of course Apollyon is how the Greeks spell what is known to us as Apollo. And Apollo was one of the main leaders of the original pantheon of Greek and Roman gods along with others such as, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, Zeus, Mercury, Mars etc.

So scripture is clear on the name of the coming Antichrist and where he arises from. And no, it's not Machmud Amgonnahavajihad from Iran or some rich prince from Syria or anywhere else. The truth is so plain and simple, everyone missed it. Again, if you are not familar with the concept of the Nephilim and the coming reign of terror when the Fallen Ones are thrust down to earth in the near future, please read my book, "The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse". Or if you want a crash course on the prophecies of the coming Apocalypse, you could do worse that read "Apocalypse Soon," my book just published by the editor of this website and available at www.SurvivorMall.com.

Now get this. The Muslims are waiting for their leader to appear on the world stage. This Mahdi is the Imam who went into a well in the earth and is to come out of this hole again soon. He will have as his right hand man, Jesus Christ. Contrast this with the scriptures. These say that the Antichrist will appear soon and that he is to come out of a hole in the ground, called the Abyss or bottomless pit. And that he will have as his running mate a religious man who is called the False Prophet. See the connect?

Now take a look at the curent state of the Middle East. The place is in total disarray and is crying out of someone to come in and sort things out between the Arabs and the Jews. But whoever sorts this mess out will have to be acceptible to both parties. Oh, I forgot to mention. The Jews are also expecting the REAL Messiah to come soon and lead them in their struggle (they don't believe that the last Messiah was the real deal you see?).

So the Muslims are awaiting their Mahdi or Imam, while the Jews are awaiting the true Messiah to arrive. Hey presto! In walks two guys, the Antichrist and the False Prophet, who may very well be acceptible to both sides. The Antichrist will put himself forward as the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, who will be totally acceptible to the Jews. And the False Prophet will be the Imam or Mahdi, and acceptible to the Muslims. Together these two will settle the differences between the Jews and the Arabs, and peace will reign on earth and goodwill twords men. Except that the peace will be a pseudo peace that will last but three and one half years. Then all hell will break loose (literally) which will culminate at Armageddon at the end of the seven years of Great Tribulation.
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TIRANNT WILL HIT 10,000 IRAN TARGETS AT ONCE

2007-03-02T19:52:00.000-05:00

TIRANNT Will Hit 10,000 Iran Targets At Once

"Theater Iran Near Term" (TIRANNT) - by Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research

Code named by US military planners as TIRANNT, "Theater Iran Near Term" has identified several thousand targets inside Iran as part of a "Shock and Awe" Blitzkrieg, which is now in its final planning stages.

According to the Kuwait-based Arab Times, an attack on Iran under TIRANNT could occur any time between late February and the end of April. This assessment, however, does not take into account the disarray of US ground forces in Iraq as well as the untimely withdrawal of several thousand British troops from the Iraq war theater, many of whom were stationed in Southern Iraq on the immediate border with Iran.

Revealed last April by William Arkin, a former US intelligence analyst, writing in the Washington Post, TIRANNT was first established in May 2003, following the invasion of Iraq.

"In early 2003, even as U.S. forces were on the brink of war with Iraq, the Army had already begun conducting an analysis for a full-scale war with Iran. The analysis, called TIRANNT, for "theater Iran near term," was coupled with a mock scenario for a Marine Corps invasion and a simulation of the Iranian missile force. U.S. and British planners conducted a Caspian Sea war game around the same time. And Bush directed the U.S. Strategic Command to draw up a global strike war plan for an attack against Iranian weapons of mass destruction. All of this will ultimately feed into a new war plan for "major combat operations" against Iran that military sources confirm now exists in draft form. [This contingency plan entitled CONPLAN 8022 would be activated in the eventuality of a Second 9/11, on the presumption that Iran would be behind it]

... Under TIRANNT, Army and U.S. Central Command planners have been examining both near-term and out-year scenarios for war with Iran, including all aspects of a major combat operation, from mobilization and deployment of forces through postwar stability operations after regime change." (William Arkin, Washington Post, 16 April 2006)

The 2003 decision to target Iran under TIRANNT should come as no surprise. It is part of the broader military roadmap. Already during the Clinton administration, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) had formulated in 1995 "in war theater plans" to invade first Iraq and then Iran.

"The broad national security interests and objectives expressed in the President's National Security Strategy (NSS) and the Chairman's National Military Strategy (NMS) form the foundation of the United States Central Command's theater strategy. The NSS directs implementation of a strategy of dual containment of the rogue states of Iraq and Iran as long as those states pose a threat to U.S. interests, to other states in the region, and to their own citizens. Dual containment is designed to maintain the balance of power in the region without depending on either Iraq or Iran. USCENTCOM's theater strategy is interest-based and threat-focused. The purpose of U.S. engagement, as espoused in the NSS, is to protect the United States' vital interest in the region - uninterrupted, secure U.S./Allied access to Gulf oil."

(USCENTCOM, http://www.milnet.com/milnet/pentagon/centcom/chap1/stratgic.htm#USPolicy , emphasis added)

First Iraq, then Iran

Consistent with CENTCOM's 1995 "sequencing" of theater operations, the plans to target Iran were activated under TIRANNT in the immediate wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Confirmed by Arkin, the active component of the Iran military agenda was launched in May 2003 "when modelers and intelligence specialists pulled together the data needed for theater-level (meaning large-scale) scenario analysis for Iran." (Arkin, op cit). In October 2003, different theater scenarios for an Iran war were contemplated:

"The US army, navy, air force and marines have all prepared battle plans and spent four years building bases and training for "Operation Iranian Freedom". Admiral Fallon, the new head of US Central Command, has inherited computerized plans under the name TIRANNT (Theatre Iran Near Term)." (New Statesman, 19 Feb 2007)

Concurrently, the various parallel components of TIRANNT were put in place including the Marines "Concept of Operations":

"The Marines, meanwhile, have not only been involved in CENTCOM's war planning, but have been focused on their own specialty, "forcible entry." In April 2003, the Corps published its "Concept of Operations" for a maneuver against a mock country that explores the possibility of moving forces from ship to shore against a determined enemy without establishing a beachhead first. Though the Marine Corps enemy is described only as a deeply religious revolutionary country named Karona, it is -- with its Revolutionary Guards, WMD and oil wealth -- unmistakably meant to be Iran.

Various scenarios involving Iran's missile force have also been examined in another study, initiated in 2004 and known as BMD-I (ballistic missile defense -- Iran). In this study, the Center for Army Analysis modeled the performance of U.S. and Iranian weapons systems to determine the number of Iranian missiles expected to leak through a coalition defense.

The day-to-day planning for dealing with Iran's missile force falls to the U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha. In June 2004, Rumsfeld alerted the command to be prepared to implement CONPLAN 8022, a global strike plan that includes Iran. CONPLAN 8022 calls for bombers and missiles to be able to act within 12 hours of a presidential order. The new task force, sources have told me, mostly worries that if it were called upon to deliver "prompt" global strikes against certain targets in Iran under some emergency circumstances, the president might have to be told that the only option is a nuclear one. William Arkin, Washington Post, 16 April 2006)

"Shock and Awe"

US military planning includes specific roles to be performed by NATO and Israel in the event of an attack on Iran. The German navy is deployed formally under a UN mandate in the Eastern Mediterranean. NATO bases in Europe would also be involved.

Documented by Global Research, extensive war games were conducted since last Summer by Iran and its allies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including Russia and China. In turn, the US has conducted war games off the Iranian coastline.

The Pentagon's Second 9/11

What is now being contemplated by Washington is an overwhelming use of military force in retaliation to Iran's alleged non-compliance. This of course is the pretext, the justification for waging war. The Pentagon has also contemplated retaliating against Iran in the case of a second 9/11 attack:

"A third plan sets out how the military can both disrupt and respond to another major terrorist strike on the United States. It includes lengthy annexes that offer a menu of options for the military to retaliate quickly against specific terrorist groups, individuals or state sponsors depending on who is believed to be behind an attack. Another attack could create both a justification and an opportunity that is lacking today to retaliate against some known targets, according to current and former defense officials familiar with the plan.

This plan details "what terrorists or bad guys we would hit if the gloves came off. The gloves are not off," said one official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. (emphasis added, WP 23 April 2006)

The presumption of this military document, is that a Second 911 attack "which is lacking today" would usefully create both a "justification and an opportunity" to wage war on "some known targets [Iran and Syria]".

Civilian Targets

Press reports in the Middle East confirm that the planned air strikes are by no means limited to Iran's nuclear facilities. Central Command Headquarters in Florida (CENTCOM) has already selected a comprehensive list of military and civilian targets. Industrial sites, civilian infrastructure including roads, water systems, bridges, electric power plants telecommunications towers, government buildings are part of the assumptions underlying the Blitzkrieg. "A single raid could result in 10,000 targets being hit with warplanes flying from the US and Diego Garcia" (Gulf News, 21 Feb 2007, emphasis added)

Meanwhile, the US has been mustering support for its agenda following the holding of a regional Security Conference in the UAE.

Nuclear War

Military planners are said to favor the use of conventional weapons. The use of tactical nuclear weapons, which are now part of the Middle East war theater arsenal, are not explicitly contemplated, at least in the first round of the US sponsored Blitzkrieg. However, the fact that nuclear weapons are acknowledged as a possible choice in the conventional war theater is indicative that their use is an integral part of military planning.

In November 2004, US Strategic Command conducted a major exercise of a "global strike plan" entitled "Global Lightening". The latter involved a simulated attack using both conventional and nuclear weapons against a "fictitious enemy" [Iran]. Following the "Global Lightening" exercise, US Strategic Command declared an advanced state of readiness.

In this context, CONPLAN is the operational plan pursuant to the Global Strike Plan. It is described as "an actual plan that the Navy and the Air Force translate into strike package for their submarines and bombers,'

CONPLAN 8022 is 'the overall umbrella plan for sort of the pre-planned strategic scenarios involving nuclear weapons.'

'It's specifically focused on these new types of threats -- Iran, North Korea -- proliferators and potentially terrorists too,' he said. 'There's nothing that says that they can't use CONPLAN 8022 in limited scenarios against Russian and Chinese targets.' (According to Hans Kristensen, of the Nuclear Information Project, quoted in Japanese economic News Wire, op cit)

The use of tactical nuclear weapons is contemplated under CONPLAN 8022 alongside conventional weapons, as part of the Bush administration's preemptive war doctrine. In May 2004, National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 35 entitled Nuclear Weapons Deployment Authorization was issued. While its contents remains classified, the presumption is that NSPD 35 pertains to the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the Middle East war theater in compliance with CONPLAN 8022.

(For further details on the US nuclear option, see Michel Chossudovsky, Nuclear War against Iran, January 2006, The Dangers of a Middle East Nuclear War, February 2006, Is the Bush Administration Planning a Nuclear Holocaust , February 2006)

Israel in a State of Readiness

War preparations in Israel have been ongoing since late 2004. The Israeli Air Force would attack Iran's nuclear facility at Bushehr using US as well Israeli produced bunker buster bombs. The attacks are slated to be carried out in three separate waves "with the radar and communications jamming protection being provided by U.S. Air Force AWACS and other U.S. aircraft in the area". (See W Madsen, http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/MAD410A.html

The bunker buster bombs can also be used to deliver tactical nuclear bombs. The B61-11 is the "nuclear version" of the "conventional" BLU 113. It can be delivered in much same way as the conventional bunker buster bomb. (See Michel Chossudovsky, http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO112C.html , see also http://www.thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=jf03norris ) .

According to a recent report in the London's Sunday Times (7 January 2007): "Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear "bunker-busters", according to several Israeli military sources."

If Iran were to respond to US-Israeli attacks in the form of targeted strikes on US military facilities in the Iraq and the Gulf States, the war would escalate to the entire region, in which case the US could retaliate in the form of "pre-emptive" nuclear attacks on Iran using bunker buster tactical nuclear war heads.

The most likely scenario is that Iran, in the logic of its own military planning, would indeed respond to the US sponsored attacks as well as deploy ground forces inside occupied Iraq.

Naval Deployment

Three strike groups including the Stennis, the Eisenhower and the Nimitz are being deployed in the Persian Gulf. According to Gulf News, "The Stennis strike group... is now strengthening a high level of US Navy presence in the Gulf. The Stennis and the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, already in the region, will soon be joined by the carrier Nimitz. (Gulf News, 21 Feb 2007). According to British military sources, the US navy can put six carriers into battle at a month's notice.

Redeployment of US Troops

Confirmed by military sources, some 8500 of US troops are being redeployed from US military facilities in Germany and Italy to Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which border on Iran. One assumes that they are being dispatched to the Middle East war theater in the eventuality that the air strikes will lead into a ground war with Iran.

The Pentagon, contradicting its own statements, has dismissed as "ludicrous" the press reports that the US is planning an all out attack on Iran in the "near term".

Meanwhile, Iran has launched a three days war games entitled Eghtedar or Grandeur. These exercises which involve naval, air and ground forces are larger than those conducted last Summer. They are slated to take place in 16 out of Iran's 30 provinces. The stated objective is to establish a state of readiness to defend Iran in the eventuality of a US attack.

Complacency of Western Public Opinion

The complacency of Western public opinion (including the US anti-war movement) is disturbing. No concern has been expressed at the political level as to the likely consequences of these attacks, which could evolve towards a World War III scenario, with Russia and China siding with Iran.

With the exception of the Middle East, the war on Iran and the dangers of escalation are not considered "front page news." All of which contributes to the real possibility that the war could be carried out, leading to the unthinkable: a nuclear holocaust over a large part of the Middle East. It should be noted that a nuclear nighmare would occur even if nuclear weapons are not used. The bombing of Iran's nuclear facitlities using conventional weapons would contribute to unleashing a Chernobyl type disaster with extensive radioactive fallout.

Global Research Articles by Michel Chossudovsky http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20070221&articleId=4888

SLEEPER CELLS IN THE US AND CANADA

2007-02-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Sleeper Cells in the United States and Canada - By Dave Gaubatz - www.americanthinker.com

There is every reason to suspect that we will endure suicide missions by Islamist sleeper cells. They are already in place. They are waiting for the right time. I know this from experience.

I have worked over 15 years as a U.S. Federal Agent, a U.S. State Department Arabic linguist, and the first civilian Federal Agent deployed into Iraq at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Since returning from Iraq I have been involved in terrorism analysis, specifically the mindset of terrorists. During my extensive research on sleeper cells I have talked with hundreds of people from the Middle East from all walks of life, and have talked with Iraqi Government officials, Iraqi military, and Iraqi police officers. In addition I have interviewed numerous counter-terrorism specialists in the U.S. and abroad. In the last year alone I have trained over 4000 U.S. Law Enforcement officers in Basic Investigative Arabic and counter-terrorism. The conclusion of my research is the title of this article.

Before I departed for the Middle East in 2003 I had been assigned to Kirtland AFB, NM. Kirtland has some of the best scientists in the world working on U.S. Government projects. I had been working closely with these scientists who specialized in nuclear energy, directed energy, laser technology, bio-weapons and more. I fully understand the impact if suicide bombers begin progressing from conventional explosives to unconventional methods.

The Middle East

In Jan 2003, I was assigned to Arar Air Base Saudi Arabia. Arar is located near the border of Iraq. My mission was to interact with Saudi military officials in order to determine the support we could expect from the Saudi government, to determine if Iraqis were monitoring the activities of the U.S. forces at Arar, and to infiltrate the encampments of the Bedouin community (Saudis and Iraqis living in the desert of Arar). This involved leaving the relatively safe confines of Arar Air Base and driving to the Bedouin camps.

It was most important the Saudis did not know we were leaving the compound because they had forbidden us to do so. Four U.S. special Agents would use our ATV's and/or four wheel drive vehicles to conduct these missions. The Saudi Government had active spies collecting information pertaining to our troop strength, our weapons, and any other intelligence they could obtain. The Saudis were providing the intelligence to the Saudi Government, and we were very confident it was also being passed to Iraqi intelligence.

During January 2003 and Feb 2003, Saudi Intelligence officers would boast that the American military was overreacting about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. Their bravery changed as we approached the invasion of Iraq in Mar 2003. The high-ranking Saudi officers were scrambling to obtain gas masks and other protective equipment. They knew their equipment was substandard and they wanted U.S.-made protective equipment. We gave them some of ours. The Saudi Intelligence officers were visibly frightened about a potential chemical, biological, or nuclear attack and expressed their fears. This was my first confirmation Saddam Hussein still had WMD material and the capability to use them.

The Saudis knew Saddam had WMD and would use them if he had the opportunity.

When I arrived in Nasiriyah, Iraq (after the start of war) my team and I immediately began interviewing (in the field) Iraqis from all walks of life to determine where the WMD sites were located. At the beginning of the war Iraqis were very helpful and provided us exact locations and proof WMD was at certain locations (primarily southern Iraq because Saddam knew the UN Weapons Inspectors had seldom inspected any locations in this area). They had always focused in northern Iraq.

Four primary suspected WMD sites were located. We tried from April until July 2003 to have the Iraq Survey Group come and excavate these sites. They advised us they did not have the manpower nor the heavy equipment needed to excavate the sites, which were underground bunkers (beneath waterways). We were frustrated. I have received information from various sources that the WMD I had attempted to have excavated was subsequently looted (after the war) and transferred to Syria.

While in Iraq we determined the following:

1. Russian activity in Iraq had been rampant several months prior to the war and up until the day before the invasion.

2. Iranians were infiltrating southern Iraq by the thousands and were preparing to assist insurgents in removing U.S. forces from Iraq.

3. We found numerous pieces of evidence indicating WMD were in Iraq before the war began and some were still in Iraq.

4. I and other agents were informed by Iraqis that a civil war would erupt and violence against U.S. forces would increase due to the Iranian and Russian influence.

All of this information was provided through intelligence channels, but was ignored. Today we are seeing the results of our intelligence being ignored in 2003.

Vulnerability at home

Upon returning from Iraq I left Federal Service to pursue a career educating U.S. law enforcement in the U.S. I wrote a book titled "Arabic for law enforcement and military". During my lectures to local, county, and state law enforcement officers it was revealed the true first line defenders in the U.S. are not trained nor prepared to combat terrorism in the U.S. (through no fault of their own). The local law enforcement agencies were not receiving adequate funds or assistance from the Federal Government to fight terrorism. The majority advised they were supposed to be the first line defenders, but in actuality they did not even know what Al-Qaeda meant, and/or could not point out Iraq or Iran on a map. They had no Arabic language training.

I began conducting research and talking with experts from various fields and determined three significant facts that I corroborated by further research:

1. The terrorists groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al-Qaeda each had different leaders and to some degree operated in different ways, but they each had the same two goals (destroy Israel and destroy America and any country that supported either).

2. Our nuclear research centers were very vulnerable to an attack and the potential for a suicide bomber using a dirty radiological bomb from these facilities was and is a high probability. Note: Vic Walter and Brian Ross of ABC News did an excellent report on the lack of security at these facilities. I received an enormous amount of information from individuals associated with Russian nuclear programs that there is nuclear material being sold on the black market and nuclear material is in the hands of Islamic Extremists.

3. Terrorist sleeper cells are located primarily in North Carolina, Michigan, and Canada. The "sleepers" are prepared to conduct terrorist attacks within the U.S., and nuclear material is available to them. "Prepared" in this instance indicates they have the necessary tools to carry our their attacks and are prepared to die.

About nine months ago a lady from Morehead City, NC contacted me and asked for assistance because she had been ignored by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the FBI, and local law enforcement. Her allegation: A group of people who were citizens of Lebanon was operating from NC and was involved in financially supporting Hezbollah. The members were also befriending United States Marine Corps personnel (to include the Marine Corps Base Commander at Cherry Point USMC Base). The Lebanese citizens had free access to the Marine Corps base and had frequent parties with USMC members. She had ledgers; photographs of U.S. Marines with the Lebanese members, numerous passports (some falsified), duplicate drivers licenses, social security cards, and financial transactions log books both in Arabic and English. I obtained the information from her and conducted research. I turned my information over to the NCSBI office.

Less than a week ago I met several citizens from the Middle East who are familiar with terrorist groups, their methodology, and more importantly the mindset of terrorists (specifically Al-Qaeda). They believe violence in Iraq will increase and the number of U.S. troops in Iraq is not a factor. The largest percentage of U.S. troops in Iraq are support troops and not combat troops. From the beginning of 2003 until now the number of troops who actually engage insurgents is actually less than 5% of all assigned troops in the region. Al-Qaeda now has a strong hold in Iraq and they will not let go. Terrorist operations are active in the U.S. and are being operated/financed in Michigan. U.S. citizens need to understand there are people trained and prepared to carry our suicide missions in the U.S. and nothing is off limits. Churches, malls, and even the schools our children attend are not off limits to suicide bombers. It is only a relatively short time before the U.S. will begin seeing suicide terrorist missions.

I will continue to research terrorism related issues in the U.S. and Canada and will bring forward the results. My next project is to follow Dr. Paul William's investigation into McMaster University located in Canada. My initial research indicates terrorists are being educated here with the approval of some university administrators. I have contacted the university and informed them of this project and will give them an opportunity to respond to each piece developed during my research on terrorism at McMaster. McMaster is not alone when it comes to nuclear reactors located on major university sites. Nuclear reactors are located on a large number of major university campuses in the U.S. There locations are not classified and are described on the internet.

Children are the ones who suffer in wartime and I want to prevent any child from ever having to experience a terrorist attack.
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WHY ISRAELIS ARE AFRAID

2007-01-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

Why Israelis are afraid — very afraid - By Yossi Klein Halevi & Michael B. Oren

The Jewish State's worst nightmare

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The first reports from military intelligence about an Iranian nuclear program reached the desk of Yitzhak Rabin shortly after he became prime minister in May 1992. Rabin's conclusion was unequivocal: Only a nuclear Iran, he told aides, could pose an existential threat to which Israel would have no credible response. But, when he tried to warn the Clinton administration, he met with incredulity. The CIA's assessment — which wouldn't change until 1998 — was that Iran's nuclear program was civilian, not military. Israeli security officials felt that the CIA's judgment was influenced by internal U.S. politics and privately referred to the agency as the "cpia" — "P" for "politicized."

The indifference in Washington helped persuade Rabin that Israel needed to begin preparing for an eventual preemptive strike, so he ordered the purchase of long-range bombers capable of reaching Iran. And he made a fateful political decision: He reversed his ambivalence toward negotiating with the PLO and endorsed unofficial talks being conducted between Israeli left-wingers and PLO officials. Rabin's justification for this about-face was that Israel needed to neutralize what he defined as its "inner circle of threat" — the enemies along its borders — in order to focus on the coming confrontation with Iran, the far more dangerous "outer circle of threat." Rabin's strategy, then, was the exact opposite of the approach recently recommended by the Iraq Study Group: Where James Baker and Lee Hamilton want to engage Iran — even at the cost of downplaying its nuclear ambitions — in order to solve crises in the Arab world, Rabin wanted to make peace with the Arab world in order to prevent, at all costs, a nuclear Iran.

Now, more than a decade later, the worst-case scenario envisioned by Rabin is rapidly approaching. According to Israeli intelligence, Iran will be able to produce a nuclear bomb as soon as 2009. In Washington, fear is growing that either Israel or the Bush administration plans to order strikes against Iran. In Israel, however, there is fear of a different kind. Israelis worry not that the West will act rashly, but that it will fail to act at all. And, while strategists here differ over the relative efficacy of sanctions or a military strike, nearly everyone agrees on this point: Israel cannot live with a nuclear Iran.

For over two decades, since the era of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, the Holocaust was rarely invoked, except on the extremes, in Israeli politics. In recent months, though, the Iranian threat has returned the Final Solution to the heart of Israeli discourse. Senior army commanders, who likely once regarded Holocaust analogies with the Middle East conflict as an affront to Zionist empowerment, now routinely speak of a "second Holocaust." Op-eds, written by left-wing as well as right-wing commentators, compare these times to the 1930s. Israelis recall how the international community reacted with indifference as a massively armed nation declared war against the Jewish people — and they sense a similar pattern today. Even though the United States and Europe have finally awakened to the Iranian nuclear threat, Iran's calls for the destruction of Israel tend to be dismissed as mere rhetoric by the Western news media. Yet, here in Israel, those pronouncements have reinforced Rabin's urgency in placing the Iran situation at the top of the strategic agenda.

One of the men most responsible for doing precisely that is Labor Party parliamentarian and current Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, whom Rabin entrusted with his government's "Iran file." Like most in the defense establishment, Sneh doesn't believe Iran would immediately launch a nuclear attack against Israel. But, he adds, it won't have to actually use the bomb to cripple Israel. "They would be able to destroy the Zionist dream without pressing the button," he says.

In clipped tones that reveal his long military background, he outlines three repercussions of an Iranian bomb. To begin with, he notes, the era of peace negotiations will come to an end: "No Arab partner will be able to make concessions with a nuclear Iran standing over them." What's more, Israel will find its military options severely limited. An emboldened Iran could provide Hezbollah and Hamas with longer-range and deadlier rockets than their current stock of Katyushas and Qassams; yet, threatened with a nuclear response, Israel would have little defense against intensifying rocket fire on its northern and southern periphery, whose residents would have to be evacuated to the center. Israel already experienced a foretaste of mass uprooting in the Lebanon war last summer, when hundreds of thousands of Galilee residents were turned into temporary refugees. Finally, says Sneh, foreign investors will flee the country, and many Israelis will, too. In one recent poll, 27 percent of Israelis said they would consider leaving if Iran went nuclear. "Who will leave? Those with opportunities abroad — the elite," Sneh notes. The promise of Zionism to create a Jewish refuge will have failed, and, instead, Jews will see the diaspora as a more trustworthy option for both personal and collective survival. During the Lebanon war, Israeli television's preeminent satirical comedy, "O What a Wonderful Land," interviewed an Israeli claiming that "this" is the safest place for Jews — as the camera pulled back to reveal that "this" was London.

Even without the bomb, Iran's threat to Israel is growing. Working through Shia Hezbollah, Alawite Damascus, and Sunni Hamas, Tehran has extended its influence into Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories. As a result of Hezbollah's perceived victory in the Lebanon war and Hamas's ability to continue firing rockets at Israeli towns despite repeated army incursions into Gaza, Iran has proved it can attack Israel with near-impunity. Iranian newspapers are replete with stories gloating over the supposed erosion of Israel's will to fight and the imminent collapse of its "postmodern" army, as one recent article put it. Iran's self-confidence has been bolstered by Israel's failure to extract a price from Tehran for instigating the Lebanon war and for funding terrorist operations as far back as the early '90s, when Iran masterminded the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and, two years later, that city's Jewish community headquarters. Nor has Israel — to say nothing of the U.N. peacekeeping forces — managed to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. And, if Iran manages to overcome U.S. threats and U.N. sanctions and achieve nuclear capability, it will be seen throughout the Muslim world as unstoppable.

A nuclear Iran will have devastating consequences for Sunni Arab states, too. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and, most recently, Jordan have declared their interest in acquiring nuclear power; Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stated explicitly that Egypt may feel the need to protect itself against Iran's nuclear threat. Other Sunni nations could follow — including Libya, whose enmity toward the Saudis may draw it back into the nuclear race if Riyadh tries to acquire a bomb. A nuclear free-for-all, then, is likely to seize the Middle East. In this crisis-ridden region, any flashpoint will become a potential nuclear flashpoint.

The reverberations of a nuclear Iran will reach far beyond the Middle East. Tehran could dictate the price of oil and even control much of its supply through the Straits of Hermuz. And Iran will be able to conduct terrorist operations through its proxies with greater immunity. Even without the nuclear threat, Iran succeeded in intimidating the Saudis into releasing Iranian suspects in the 1997 Khobar Towers bombing. Moreover, if Tehran goes nuclear, the pretense of an international community capable of enforcing world order would quickly unravel: After all, if a regime that has perpetrated terrorist attacks from Argentina to the Persian Gulf can flout sanctions and acquire nuclear weapons, how can the United Nations credibly stop anyone else from doing the same?

And these terrifying scenarios exclude the most terrifying scenario of all: Iran uses its bomb. In a poll, 66 percent of Israelis said they believed Iran would drop a nuclear weapon on the Jewish state. Though defense experts are divided over the likelihood of an Iranian nuclear attack, every strategist we spoke with for this article considered the scenario plausible. "No one knows if Iran would use the bomb or not," says Sneh. "But I can't take the chance."

The threat of a theologically motivated nuclear assault against Israel tends to be downplayed in the West; not so here. The former head of Israel's National Security Council, Giora Eiland, has warned that an apocalyptically driven Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be willing to sacrifice half his country's population to obliterate the Jewish state. Military men suddenly sound like theologians when explaining the Iranian threat. Ahmadinejad, they argue, represents a new "activist" strain of Shiism, which holds that the faithful can hasten the return of the Hidden Imam, the Shia messiah, by destroying evil. Hebrew University Iranian scholar Eldad Pardo goes further, arguing that the ideology founded by Ayatollah Khomeini represents nothing less than a "new religion," combining Shia, Sunni, and Marxist beliefs and resembling Western messianic cults that have advocated mass suicide. And so Ahmadinejad's pronouncements about the imminent return of the Hidden Imam and the imminent destruction of Israel aren't regarded as merely calculated for domestic consumption; they are seen as glimpses into an apocalyptic game plan. Ahmadinejad has reportedly told his Cabinet that the Hidden Imam will reappear in 2009 — precisely the date when Israel estimates Iran will go nuclear. In a recent meeting with outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Iranian president predicted that, while the United States and Great Britain won the last world war, Iran will win the next one. And, two weeks ago, an Iranian government website declared that the Hidden Imam would defeat his archenemy in a final battle in Jerusalem. Notes one former top-ranking Israeli defense official: "We may not yet have located a clear theological line connecting the dots, but there are a great many dots." At least one ayatollah, though, has made that theology explicit: In 2005, Hussein Nuri Hamdani declared that "the Jews should be fought against and forced to surrender to prepare the way for the coming of the Hidden Imam."

Defense experts readily acknowledge that Ahmadinejad is hardly all-powerful and must yield to the Council of Guardians. In recent elections, almost all the clerics allied with Ahmadinejad lost; and, in an unprecedented move, 150 Iranian parliamentarians signed a letter blaming the president for growing inflation and unemployment. But none of this reassures Israelis. That's because Ahmadinejad is hardly alone in conjuring doomsday scenarios. In February 2006, clerics in Qom issued a fatwa permitting nuclear war. And former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, speaking at a 2001 "Jerusalem Day" rally, declared: "If, one day, the Islamic world is also equipped with weapons like those that Israel possesses now, then the imperialists' strategy will reach a standstill, because the use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything. However, it will only harm the Islamic world. It is not irrational to contemplate such an eventuality."

Given these nightmarish scenarios, one would expect to find a mood of near-despair within the Israeli defense establishment. Yet senior officials believe that events are actually working in Israel's favor and that, one way or another, Iran's nuclear program can still be stopped. Partly, that is because Israel's assessments of Iran's intention to acquire nuclear weapons have finally been accepted not only by Washington but even by the Europeans. After years of isolation on the Iranian issue, Israelis are basking in a rare moment of international credibility.

As a result, some in the defense establishment are convinced that the military option can still be forestalled, even at this late date, by aggressive economic sanctions, forcing the Iranian regime to choose between its nuclear program and domestic stability. To be sure, even the most optimistic Israelis believe that the recent U.N. decision to impose minimal sanctions on Iran will prove ineffective. Indeed, those sanctions — intended to prevent nuclear materials and know-how from reaching Iran and to stop its nuclear program from becoming self-sufficient — are uniformly dismissed as coming at least two years too late, since Iran is rapidly approaching nuclear self-sufficiency and, some here believe, may have already reached that point.

But sanctions advocates do believe that, by formally placing Iran in the category of "threat to international peace," the United Nations has tacitly empowered the United States and its allies to pursue more aggressive sanctions that could trigger Iranian instability — such as the Bush administration's quiet efforts over the last year to force foreign banks out of Tehran. Combined with Iran's preexisting social and economic problems — massive hidden unemployment, widespread corruption, and growing drug addiction and prostitution — and hatred for the regime among students and the middle class, aggressive sanctions could, some Israelis believe, hasten regime change in Tehran by forcing the Iranian people to pay the price for their leaders' provocations. And, with regime change, of course, the threat posed by an Iranian bomb would ease: After all, the problem isn't the nuclearization of Iran but the nuclearization of this Iran. The very threat of additional sanctions has already led to drastic increases in food and housing prices in Tehran — and may have emboldened those parliamentarians who signed the recent protest letter to Ahmadinejad. "The Iranians are a very proud people," says one Israeli official with years of experience inside Iran. "They won't be able to bear being turned into pariahs, and that will increase their resentment toward the regime."

Along with sanctions, some Israeli officials call for a robust but nonviolent U.S. intervention in internal Iranian politics — funding the Iranian opposition, transforming U.S. broadcasts in Farsi into "Radio Free Iran," reaching Farsi audiences through the Internet, and more aggressively challenging the Iranian government on its human rights abuses. Israeli advocates of regime change have been pressing Washington to adopt these policies for years and can't understand why even the Bush administration has demurred. "No one is saying not to plan for military action," says the official with experience in Iran. "But, given the devastating consequences of a military strike, why aren't we giving this a chance?"

Skeptics of sanctions note that the time frame is too narrow and the stakes too high for Israel to place its hopes on long-term regime change. They insist that the international community is incapable of mounting effective sanctions, which would almost certainly be violated by Russia and China. Yes, they acknowledge, the ayatollahs' regime is in trouble and will eventually fall — but not soon enough. Indeed, optimists have been predicting imminent regime change for over a decade; and, when failed reformer Mohammed Khatami became president in 1997, some in the West declared that regime change had already begun. But Iran's leaders know how to defend themselves against opponents: When bus drivers organized a wildcat strike last year, the leader was arrested and his tongue was cut off.

For those Israelis who are skeptical of sanctions, there is the option of last resort: a military strike. Experts readily acknowledge the complexity of an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, since they are scattered over dozens of sites, many heavily fortified and deep underground. But an attack on three key sites — especially the uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz — would set back Iranian plans by several years. It would not be necessary, the former top-ranking defense official says, to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities: By repeatedly hitting their entrances, the sites could be rendered inaccessible. At the same time, Israel would probably bomb key government installations, like Revolutionary Guard bases, to weaken the regime's ability to recover. While the Iranian people are likely to initially rally around the government, the combined effect of a military attack and economic sanctions could trigger an eventual uprising, suggests the former defense official. Periodic air strikes, he adds, would impede attempts to rebuild the nuclear sites.

Defense experts downplay the possibility of secret facilities unknown to Western intelligence agencies. "If we can locate a suicide bomber as he moves from place to place, then we know how to locate static targets, even deep underground," says the former defense official. Nor are those facilities as impenetrable as some foreign news reports suggest. Noted Yuval Steinitz, former chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee: "The Iranians are signaling us that the nuclear project is vulnerable. Whoever spends several billion dollars just for anti-aircraft systems around nuclear sites is saying that those sites are vulnerable. There would be no need to invest those sums if their bunkers were deep enough [to avoid an air strike]."

The Israeli air force has been actively preparing for an attack since 1993, enhancing the range of its bombers and acquiring the requisite bunker-busting ordnance. "Technically, we have the ability" to strike key facilities, a former commander of the air force told us. While the army's reputation was battered during the Lebanon war, the air force, by contrast, performed well, routinely destroying Hezbollah's long-range missile sites within less than five minutes following a launch.

Despite a recent report in the London Sunday Times that Israel is planning a tactical nuclear attack on Iran's nuclear sites, Israel will almost certainly not introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East battlefield. The story, likely planted and then promptly denied, was probably part of an ongoing Israeli attempt to accomplish two objectives: to warn the international community that, if it fails to stop Iran through sanctions, then "crazy Israel" will be unleashed; and to prevent the Iranian crisis from turning into an Israeli issue alone.

An Israeli assault could only delay Iran's nuclear program, not eliminate it. That's because Israel cannot sustain an air campaign against such remote targets for days on end. This can only be accomplished by the United States, perhaps together with nato allies, by mounting an ongoing series of air strikes similar to the "shock and awe" campaign conducted against Iraq at the beginning of the war. Israelis, though, are divided over the likelihood of U.S. military action. Some experts believe President Bush will attack, if only to prevent being recorded by history as a leader who fought the wrong war while failing to fight the right one. Others speculate that a politically devastated Bush will leave the resolution of the Iranian crisis to his successor.

If Israel is forced, by default, to strike, it is likely to happen within the next 18 months. An attack needs to take place before the nuclear facilities become radioactive; waiting too long could result in massive civilian casualties. Still, Israel will almost certainly wait until it becomes clear that sanctions have failed and that the United States or nato won't strike. The toughest decision, then, will be timing: determining that delicate moment when it becomes clear that the international community has failed but before the facilities turn lethal.

Israel will alert Washington before a strike: "We won't surprise the Americans, given the likelihood of Iranian reprisals against American troops in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East," says an analyst close to the intelligence community. U.S. permission will be needed if Israel chooses to send its planes over Iraqi air space — and the expectation here is that permission would be granted. (Israel has two other possible attack routes, both problematic: over Turkish air space and along the Saudi-Iraqi border to the Persian Gulf.) Still, according to the former air force commander, if Israel decides to act, "We will act alone, not as emissaries of anyone else."

Regardless of whether Israeli or other Western forces carry out the strike, Iran will almost certainly retaliate against the Jewish state. Experts disagree, though, about the extent of the Iranian onslaught and Israel's ability to withstand it. Some say that, though Iranian missiles will strike Israeli cities and Hezbollah Katyushas and Hamas Qassams will fall in massive numbers, Israel's anti-ballistic and civil defense systems, combined with its retaliatory capability, will suffice to contain the threat. Optimists also downplay Iran's ability to mount terrorist attacks in the West: September 11 has produced an unprecedented level of cooperation among Western intelligence services, and they are monitoring sleeper cells as well as Iranian diplomats, who are believed to have used their privileged access to smuggle explosives.

The pessimists' scenario, though, is daunting. Not only could Iranian missiles — perhaps carrying chemical warheads — devastate Israeli cities, but, if the Syrians join in, then thousands of additional long-range missiles will fall, too. And, if Israel retaliates by bombing Damascus, that could trigger public demands in other Arab countries to join the war against Israel. The result could be a conventional threat to Israel's existence.

That scenario leads some in the security establishment to call for renewed peace talks with Syria, aimed at removing it from the pro-Iranian front. The growing debate over Syria positions the Mossad — which says it's no longer possible to separate Damascus from Tehran — against military intelligence, which believes that President Bashar Assad wants negotiations with Israel, if only to divert the threat of sanctions against Damascus for its alleged role in murdering Lebanese leaders.

There is no debate among Israelis, however, about the wisdom of negotiations between the West and Iran. That, defense officials agree, would be the worst of all options. Negotiations that took place now would be happening at a time when Iran feels ascendant: The time to have negotiated with Iran, some say, was immediately after the initial U.S. triumph in Iraq, not now, when the United States is losing the war. Under these circumstances, negotiations would only buy the regime time to continue its nuclear program. Talks would create baseless hope, undermining the urgency of sanctions. And resuming negotiations with the Iranian regime — despite its repeated bad faith in previous talks over its nuclear program — would send the wrong message to the Iranian people: that the regime has international legitimacy and that resisting it is futile.

Hovering over Israeli discourse about a nuclear Iran is the recent Holocaust-denial conference in Tehran — and what Israelis regard as the scandalously inadequate international response. While the conference was condemned in the West, Israelis expected the international community to treat it as something more than a bizarre sideshow. Indeed, for Israelis, the conference offered the clearest warning yet on the true nature of the Iranian threat to the Jewish state.

In denying the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad aims to undermine what he believes to be the sole justification for Israel's existence. In the years before World War II, Nazi propagandists prepared Europe for the Final Solution by dehumanizing the Jews; now, Ahmadinejad is preparing the Muslim world for the destruction of the Jewish state by delegitimizing its history. And not just the Muslim world: Holocaust denial is also aimed at the West, which many Muslims believe supports Israel only because of Holocaust guilt. Strip away that guilt, and Israel is defenseless. "The resolution of the Holocaust issue will end in the destruction of Israel," commented Mohammad Ali Ramin, head of a new Iranian government institute devoted to Holocaust denial.

The French philosopher André Glucksmann has noted that, by threatening to destroy Israel and by attaining the means to do so, Iran violates the twin taboos on which the post-World War II order was built: never again Auschwitz; never again Hiroshima. The international community now has an opportunity to uphold that order. If it fails, then Israel will have no choice but to uphold its role as refuge of the Jewish people. A Jewish state that allows itself to be threatened with nuclear weapons — by a country that denies the genocide against Europe's six million Jews while threatening Israel's six million Jews — will forfeit its right to speak in the name of Jewish history. Fortunately, even the government of Ehud Olmert, widely criticized as incompetent and corrupt, seems to understand that, on this issue at least, it cannot fail.
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DOOMESDAY CLOCK MOVES FORWARD

2007-01-18T21:18:00.000-05:00

World Closer Than Ever To Nuclear Armageddon - Scientists Added: Jan 17th, 2007 9:21 AM

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Today the Doomsday Clock, devised by the Chicago-based Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947 at the dawn of the nuclear age, will make official what most thinking citizens feel in their bones - that the world has edged closer to nuclear Armageddon than at any time since the most precarious moments of the Cold War in the early 1980s.

At 2.30pm, simultaneous events will take place in London and Washington at which the symbolic clock will be moved forward from its present seven minutes to midnight, where it has stood since 2002.

The reasons for the time being advanced five years ago were crumbling arms control treaties and a terrorist threat brought into shattering relief by 9/11. At the start of 2007, not only is the picture darker on both those scores.

The nuclear threat has also acquired an added and unquantifiable dimension, thanks to global warming - prompting the Bulletin to warn of a "Second Nuclear Age". The existing dangers could not be more obvious: the problem is where to start.

What about Iran's quest for nuclear weapons, and the thinly veiled warnings from the undeclared but assumed nuclear power Israel that it will strike first to remove what it sees as an existentialist threat comparable to the Holocaust? Or the nuclear test last year by North Korea, a member of George Bush's "axis of evil", which could have neighbouring Japan and South Korea seeking protection with nuclear weapons of their own?

Or the nuclear arsenal of unstable Pakistan, where Islamic extremists have staged several assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf?Or - perhaps the greatest danger of all - that having visited conventional terror on an unprecedented scale upon New York City on 11 September 2001, al Qaeda or some similar organisation will either get hold of a ready-made nuclear device or build one of its own, and then use it? And why not?

Grave doubts surround Russia's ability to secure its nuclear materials, many of them dating from the Soviet era, and to prevent its nuclear scientists from selling their skills to the highest bidder. If a terrorist group did explode even a crude dirty bomb (and the US claims to have disrupted such plots) the taboo that has prevented states from using nuclear weapons in anger since 1945, might be broken.

And in this new nuclear age, the deterrence doctrine of "mutually assured destruction", or MAD, that kept the Cold War cold, would not apply. The US and Russia may have 2,000 launch-ready weapons between them - but these would be of no more use against an amorphous terrorist group than Israel's nuclear arsenal against the Palestinians.

Even so, a threshold would have been crossed and a regional, even generalised nuclear war, would become conceivable. In 1947, the Doomsday Clock was first set at seven minutes to midnight, exactly where it has stood since 2002. On the Bulletin's reckoning, the planet's closest brush thus far with Armageddon came in 1953, when the clock's hand moved to two minutes to midnight after the US and the Soviet Union testedhydrogen bombs within nine months of each other.

Thereafter the clock has tracked the chills and thaws of the Cold War, and the successive arrival of Britain, France, China, India and Pakistan as recognised nuclear powers. The hand reached its "safest" point - 17 minutes to Armageddon - in 1991 when the US and the soon-to-disappear Soviet Union signed the START treaty, and that year's Gulf War, driving Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, seemed to herald an era when the great powers could work together under the auspices of the UN.

The 2003 Iraq invasion destroyed any such illusions. Once there were five proven nuclear powers. Now there are nine.

Global warming, argues the Bulletin, indirectly increases this risk. Civil nuclear power, which directly produces no greenhouse gases, is back in fashion and hundreds of nuclear reactors will be built soon, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Yet enriched uranium, to power them, and plutonium are also the vital raw materials for nuclear weapons.

In this Second Nuclear Age, there will be more of these deadly commodities around. Small wonder the hand on the Doomsday Clock will move towards midnight. The only question is, how close will it get?
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MT.HERMON:GATE OF FALLEN ANGELS

2007-01-10T19:34:00.000-05:00

Mount Hermon: Gate of the Fallen Angels - by J. R. Church - www.prophecyinthenews.com

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Hermon means "Forbidden Place." Jerome (4th-century translator of the Latin Vulgate Bible) interpreted Hermon as "anathema." Mount Hermon was the port of entry for a group of wicked angels, who corrupted the human race in the days of Noah. Moses wrote: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose …. There were giants in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown" (Gen. 6:1-4).

We have discussed these "Nephilim" in previous issues, but in this article, I want to add some things that you may not have heard before. For example, there is a rabbinical remark about this story in an ancient Jewish commentary, in which two rabbis add the following insight:

"Rabbi Jose says, following a tradition, that these [Nephilim] were Uzza and Azazel, whom, God deprived of their supernal sanctity. How, it may be asked, can they exist in this world? Rabbi Hiya answers, that they were of a class of spirits referred to in the words, 'and birds which fly on the earth' (Gen 1:20), and these, as we have said, appear to men in the form of human beings. If it is asked, how can they transform themselves? The answer is, that they do, in fact, transform themselves into all kinds of shapes, because when they come down from heaven they become as concrete as air and take human shape. These are Uzza and Azazel, who rebelled in heaven, and were cast down by God, and became corporeal on the earth and remained on it, not being able to divest themselves of their earthly form. Subsequently, they went astray after women, and up to this day they exist and teach men the arts of magic. They begat children whom they called Anakim (giants), while the Nephilim themselves were called 'sons of God'" (Zohar, vol. 1, p. 186).

Note that one rabbi alluded to a class of spirits described as "birds" in Genesis 1:20. Perhaps this was the origin of the story that angels had bird-like wings. To this day, white Doves are symbolic of good, while black crows are typical of evil. It should also be noted that birds seem to have a reptilian connection. The Phoenix was depicted as an eagle in the West, but in the East, it was a winged dragon. From ancient lore, Satan was thought to be somewhat of a gargoyle with bat-like wings.

The Book of Enoch

The apocryphal Book of Enoch enlarges upon the story of the Nephilim. First, let me give you a little background on this mysterious book. Scholars have traced its origin back past the first century:

"In the early literature of the church there is a whole chain of evidences to this effect. Nearly all of the church [leaders] knew of an apocryphal Book of Enoch. Among the Apostolic [leaders], the Epistle of Barnabas refers to such a work. From that time on to about the seventh-century, Christian literature produces ample proof of the constant use and high standing of this book. The early theologians Justin Martyr, Clemens of Alexandria, Origen, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Eusebius, Jerome, Hilary, Epiphanius, Augustine, and others refer to and use it … following the example of Jude, whose citation is taken from Enoch 1:9. They all, with possibly the one dissenting voice of Tertullian, deny the canonicity of this book, and properly regard it as apocryphal; some going even so far as to deny the canonicity of Jude because he had dared to quote an apocryphal work" (George H. Schodde, Nov. 21, 1881, General Introduction to the Book of Enoch).

The following is quoted from the Book of Enoch:

"And it came to pass, after the children of men had increased in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. "And the angels, the sons of the heavens, saw and lusted after them, and said one to another: 'Behold, we will choose for ourselves wives from among the children of men, and will beget for ourselves children.'

"And they descended on Ardîs, which is the summit of Mount Hermon; and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn on it and bound themselves mutually by a curse" (Enoch 6:1-6).

Of all places on this planet where angels could have descended, it was on the northern border of the Promised Land. Perhaps knowing something about God's future plans to give territory to Abraham's descendants, these angels plotted their strategy to introduce "the seed of the serpent" into the human race. Also, Mount Hermon lay in the territory where Ham and his family migrated after God's judgment at the Tower of Babel. According to Genesis 10:6, Ham had four sons: "And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan" (Gen. 10:6).

Canaan settled in the area of Mount Hermon and southward into the territory that was to become Abraham's Promised Land. This is why the Promised Land was called "Canaan" in the days of Moses and Joshua. Mizraim continued to move southward into Egypt. Coincidentally, Mount Hermon has three peaks, and Ham's family encountered another set of "three peaks" that had been built before the Flood (those being three great pyramids). Evidently, Mizraim was fascinated by the pyramids and developed a system of worship based on those ancient structures. Cush and Phut continued the family migration southward and settled in Ethiopia and parts of Southern Africa.

To this day, Mount Hermon is still the place where evil continually rains down upon Israel. It is the area of the Syrians, and Hezbollah. The Book of Enoch continues:

"And they took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in to them, and mixed with them, and taught them charms and conjurations, and made them acquainted with the cutting of roots and of woods. And they became pregnant and brought forth great giants whose stature was three thousand ells. These devoured all the acquisitions of mankind till men were unable to sustain themselves. And the giants turned themselves against mankind in order to devour them" (Enoch 7:1-4).

It seems that these fallen angels (the Nephilim) contaminated almost all life on earth. We do not know how many people were contaminated, but we are told that at least Noah's family remained genetically pure. For that reason, God destroyed the world with a Flood. Had it not been for Noah and his three sons, those fallen angels might have brought an end to all life on the planet. Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth helped save the animals and repopulate the earth.

God Judged the Angels

Both Peter and Jude added further insight about these fallen angels. Peter said, "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly" (II Peter 2:4,5).

Jude put it this way: "The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6). Both passages tell of severe punishment upon the Nephilim. Yet, Moses said that "sons of God" reappeared after the Flood (Gen. 6:4). How can this be? Well, the Book of Enoch only mentioned 200 angels, and Satan was not among them. Bear in mind, Satan's forces were much larger then a mere 200. Perhaps the original group of Nephilim were scouts for a much larger force of demonic angels who, under the leadership of Satan, came to earth after the Flood. It seems to me that the Tower of Babel (meaning "Gate to God") may have been built in an effort to contact these dark forces and forge a defense against the threat of another judgment. As noted in the Zohar (above) Rabbi Hiya said, "… to this day they exist and teach men the arts of magic."

As noted above, Genesis 6:4 adds, "… and after that" — meaning that more Nephilim returned to this area after the Flood and established what Joshua called the "land of giants." Moses and Joshua conquered those giants, of whom, Og was king. Moses wrote that Og's bed was almost 15 feet long! (Deut. 3:11-13). Og reigned in Mount Hermon. Joshua wrote:

"And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, "And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. "Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite" (Joshua 12:4-6).

The tribe of Dan moved to this area during the days of the Judges, and adopted the Canaanite worship of these angels. It was an ancient idolatry that opposed the worship of Jehovah. In fact, Baal and Ashtaroth were Canaanite deities, whose origin was Mount Hermon! The book of Judges even calls Mount Hermon "Baalhermon," saying: "Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath" (Judges 3:3).

Furthermore, the fallen angels living on and around Mount Hermon adopted a biblical name for the mountain. They had the audacity to plagiarize a name that God had given to Mount Moriah — Mount Sion! Moses wrote:

"And they possessed his [Sihon's] land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sun rising; From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto Mount Sion, which is Hermon" (Deut. 4:47,48).

Sion means "lofty," whereas, Zion means "stronghold." It is evident that Satan was pushing for a counterfeit of God's plan for man's redemption. The devil was determined to replace the "seed" of the woman with the "seed" of the serpent.

In a book entitled, The Gods of the Lodge, author Reginald C. Haupt, Jr., described what he found during his trip to Mount Hermon: "In the excavations of Baalbek, renamed Heliopolis by the Greeks, temples were uncovered honoring Baal and Bachus. The same is true of the site at Sidon. The Temple there is named the Temple of Baal of Sidon. But by far, of greater importance was the temple of Baal found on Mt. Hermon. Perhaps it would be more meaningful to you if I [Reginald Haupt] quote direct from my source. In the 1982 edition of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible (Fourth Improved Edition), the archaeological supplement was provided by G. Fredrick Owen, D.D., Ed.D. Dr. Owen wrote on page 376 of his supplement the following: "Mount Hermon, the 'chief' of the mountains of Palestine is five miles wide and twenty miles long. It has three peaks, the tallest of which is 9,166 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. For centuries before Abraham's time, the mountain had been venerated in connection with Baal.

"Baal worship was the leading religion of Canaan. On most of the high peaks of the country were shrines known as 'high places,' the higher the holier. Here groves were planted and shrines erected for worship. Since Mount Hermon towered above all the other mountains in the region, it was the chief high place, the shrine of shrines. Canaanites looked to Mount Hermon much as the Moslems face Mecca when they pray.

"During the summer of 1934, Dr. Stewart Crawford and this writer [Reginald Haupt] led a small expedition, in which we studied the ancient Baal shrines surrounding Mount Hermon. We located many ruins and in each case the shrine was so oriented that when the priests and the devotees were at the altar, they faced the chief Baal sanctuary, or Quibla, located on the highest of the three peaks of Hermon.

"We then ascended the mountain and found the ruined temple of Baal, constructed of Herodian masonry, which dated it to just previous to and during the early Christian era. In a low place near the northwest corner of the temple, we excavated and found loads of ash and burnt bone, which had been dumped there as a refuse from sacrifices" (Reginald C. Haupt, Jr., The Gods of the Lodge, p. 126). During the ministry of Jesus, He and His disciples visited Caesarea Philippi (see cover photo) where the Jordan River springs forth from the slopes of Mount Hermon. In the cover photo, one can see the grotto and cave where Baal worship was in full swing. While observing these shrines, Jesus posed the question: "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matt. 16:13). Jesus was standing in the territory of His great enemy, Satan, and his idolatrous Nephilim. It was the area out of which the Antichrist would arise.

The French Connection

In 1666, Louis XIV of France, authorized the building of an observatory in Paris to measure longitude. This was the beginning of the Paris Zero Meridian. Believe it or not, according to the "Paris Zero Meridian" Mount Hermon (and the ancient territory of Dan) is located at the 33 degrees east of the Paris Zero Meridian (longitude), and 33 degrees north of the Equator (latitude)! The 33rd degree became an important part of Freemasonry, probably due to a history that dates back to the Knights Templar, the French Merovingian Dynasty, and their family ties to the Danites (see our chapter on Dan in Guardians of the Grail).

However, the British would not be outdone. In 1675, England's first Astronomer Royal, Sir Flamsteed, established a Prime Meridian in London to rival the one in Paris. In 1725, Edmund Halley, the second Astronomer Royal established a second Meridian. In the mid-18th century, another Astronomer Royal, James Bradley, established a third. And in 1851, another Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy, set up new measuring equipment in a room alongside Bradley's original equipment (just 19 feet away), which eventually became the basis for international time.

It soon became clear that the world needed to adopt a worldwide standard for the Zero Meridian, so in 1884, 25 countries met in Washington, DC, and voted to accept Airy's meridian at London's Greenwich Observatory as the Prime Meridian. France abstained from the vote. The French held to the Paris Zero Meridian as a rival to Greenwich until 1911 for timekeeping purposes and 1914 for navigation. To this day, French cartographers continue to indicate the Paris Meridian on some maps.

In the opening years of the twentieth century, a booklet appeared in Russia by the title, "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Sion." It was touted as the exposure of a Jewish plot to rule the world. However, its Masonic connection is obvious. The booklet ends with the statement: "Signed by the representatives of Sion of the 33rd Degree" (Michael Baigent, Holy Blood Holy Grail, p. 193). Note that the name "Sion" is spelled with an "S" rather than a "Z." The connection with Mount Hermon is obvious.

The Tribe of Dan

Jacob prophesied that Dan would be "a serpent by the way, an adder in the path" (Gen. 49:17), and Moses prophesied, "Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan" (Deut. 33:22). These two prophecies are remarkable, in that they connect Dan with the "seed of the serpent," from which the Antichrist will emerge to claim the title "lion of Judah."

In the book of Judges the Danites relocated to the northern reaches of the Promised Land. They settled at the foot of Mount Hermon in the territory of Bashan, and adopted the idolatrous Canaanite religion of Baal and Ashtaroth. Eventually, they left for parts unknown and became the proverbial "Lost Tribe."

However, the Danaans (i.e., Spartans) of the Greece, established the same religious practices that the Danites had developed on Mount Hermon. Greek Mythology is an elaborate reinvention of the Danite religion. The Spartans invented a "messenger of the gods" and called him Hermes (a variation of Hermon), whom the Romans called Mercury. Supposedly, Hermes had a son named Pan. The name "Pan" could be a corruption of the name "Dan." Today, the Arabs call Caesarea Philippi "Banias," but that is because there is no "P" sound in Arabic. The older form was "Paneas" (meaning "city of Pan") from "Paneion." The name comes from Pan, the pagan god who was worshiped there. Niches for Pan's statues can still be seen. Observe the niches and cave/grotto in the cover photo. In 4 B.C., this area became the tetrarchy of Herod's son Philippus, who renamed Paneas as Caesarea Philippi. This name continued until the reign of Nero. The name Pan means "All things, all gods, or all life." Therefore, when the Romans built a domed temple to commemorate all their gods, they named it the "Pantheon." It is a combination of two root words, "Pan," standing for the son of Hermes (Mercury) and "theo" meaning "gods." It is clear that Mount Hermon, with its infamous "fallen angels" found its way into the mythologies of many ancient cultures.

Solomon also had something remarkable to say about Mount Hermon: "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards" (Song of Solomon 4:8).

Here, Solomon mentioned a "lion's den" and "the mountains of the leopards." This may be a reference to the prophecy made by Moses, calling Dan a "lion's whelp" (Deut. 33:22). It seems that Solomon was aware of the Danite connection to Mount Hermon and used the metaphor of the Danite "lion's den." When the Danites first arrived in Northern Israel, they conquered the village of Laish (meaning "lion") and renamed it "Dan." The book of Judges reports: "And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first" (Judges 18:29).

Furthermore, Solomon mentioned the Mount Hermon in connection with "leopards." It is said that Ham's grandson, Nimrod, wore a Leopard skin as a symbol of his kingship. Also, there are paintings of Egyptian Pharaohs adorned with leopard skins. Even some medieval European royals wore leopard skins. An ancient Jewish commentary connected Nimrod's Leopard skins with the coats of skin belonging to Adam and Eve:

"Truly he was a man of might, because he was clad in the garments of Adam, and was able by means of them to lay snares for mankind and beguile them. Rabbi Eleazar said: 'Nimrod used to entice people into idolatrous worship by means of those garments, which enabled him to conquer the world and proclaim himself its ruler, so that mankind offered him worship. He was called Nimrod for the reason that he rebelled against the most high King above, against the higher angels and against the lower angels.'

"Rabbi Simeon said: 'Our colleagues are acquainted with a profound mystery concerning these garments.'" (Zohar, vol. 1, p. 250). In Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, the Antichrist seems to be connected to the metaphoric leopard.

We cannot say with certainty that Adam and Eve wore leopard skins, but there are a number of sources that suggest Nimrod wore a leopard skin. Among them was Alexander Hislop, in his work, The Two Babylons:

"This custom of taming the leopard, and pressing it into the service of man in this way, is traced up to the earliest times of primitive antiquity. In the works of Sir William Jones, we find it stated from the Persian legends, that Hoshang (i.e., Nimrod), the father of Tahmurs, who built Babylon, was the 'first who bred dogs and leopards for hunting.' As Tahmurs, who built Babylon, could be none other than Nimrod, this legend only attributes to his father what, as his name imports, he got the fame of doing himself.

"Now, as the classic god bearing the lion's skin is recognized by that sign as Hercules, the slayer of the Nemean lion, so in like manner, the god clothed in the leopard's skin would naturally be marked out as Nimrod, the "leopard-subduer." That this leopard skin, as appertaining to the Egyptian god, was no occasional thing, we have clearest evidence.

"Wilkinson tells us, that on all high occasions when the Egyptian high priest was called to officiate, it was indispensable that he should do so wearing, as his robe of office, the leopard's skin. "As it is a universal principle in all idolatries that the high priest wears the insignia of the god he serves, this indicates the importance which the spotted skin must have had attached to it as a symbol of the god himself" (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons).

The Danite Antichrist

In recent articles, we covered the teaching of the early church theologians, Irenaeus and Hippolytus, who said that the Antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan, based upon Jeremiah 8:16: "The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones." We discussed the fact that the Greek king, Alexander the Great, claimed to be born of the "seed of the serpent." And we have discussed the possibility that the Roman Emperor Nero could have descended from the Danites. Well, when Nero ruled the Roman Empire, he renamed Caesarea Philippi in honor of himself. For a while, the site of the ancient Danite city (seen in the cover photo) was called "Neronias" (meaning "city of Nero") (Encyclopedia Judaica, "Banias," p. 162).

Finally, an ancient Jewish Midrash likens Samson to their expected messiah, saying, "Samson in some respects was considered a forerunner of the Messiah who will come from Judah but his mother, according to the Midrash will be of the tribe of Dan" (Yair Davidy, "Dan").

Amazing! The Jews are looking for a messiah whose father is from the royal family of Judah, but whose mother will be from the tribe of Dan!

Those fallen angels who descended to Mount Hermon introduced the "seed of the serpent" into the human race. Evidently, after the Flood, they consorted with members of the tribe of Dan, mixing the "seed of the serpent" into the human genome once again. The first time it happened, God judged the world with water. The next time, it will be by fire.
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POPE FURTHERS UNION OF WORLD RELIGIONS

2007-01-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Prophecy in the Making: Pope Furthers Union of World Religions - Dr. Robert Congdon

A "'turning point' in relations between Christianity and Islam" is how one commentator described Pope Benedict's recent four-day trip to Turkey.[1] Another saw it as a defining moment "in the papacy of Benedict XVI."[2] While the world's press concentrated on the Pope's attempts to reduce tension between the Muslim world and the Roman Church following his derogatory remarks made in Germany regarding Islam, three "defining' events of lesser note occurred: events that just possibly are forwarding the unification of major religions of the world. Bible prophecy indicates that this latter-day union will guide and direct a one-world government. This unification is symbolized in the book of Revelation by a woman riding a scarlet colored beast (Rev. 17:1-3).

The first defining event occurred when the Pope visited the ancient Biblical city of Ephesus. With the exception of Jerusalem, the New Testament mentions no other city more than Ephesus. It was here that the apostle John ministered to the local church and cared for Mary, the mother of Jesus (John 19:26, 27). As members of the Ephesian church, Aquila and Priscilla helped Apollos to acquire a more complete understanding of the Gospel (Acts 18:24-28); and here the Apostle Paul also ministered, emphasizing the Kingdom of God (Acts 19:8). In later years, Paul wrote to Timothy, the pastor of the church of Ephesus, stressing the need to teach all Scripture.

Paul's warning certainly included those prophecies regarding the Lord's appearing in the air for the Church at the Rapture followed by His Second Coming to earth to establish His future earthly kingdom. He said that in the last days "perilous times shall come." These times will be the days when people will turn to a false religion that offers not only a false hope but also "a form of godliness" while "denying the power thereof." In contrast, those individuals who "love His appearing," will be looking for the Rapture and the future crown of reward that is promised to all believers who "love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). Sadly, a mere thirty years later, God warned the church at Ephesus that they had lost their first love, their zeal for the Lord and the anticipation of seeing Him. Apparently they had turned to false teachers who denied Christ's appearing at the Rapture (Rev. 2:4). This warning is strikingly appropriate today, as many churches are turning from the truths of prophecy.

The Pope's visit to Ephesus was not to emphasize the return of Christ, but to pay homage to the "holy site" where Mary traditionally lived out her last days. He also hoped to strengthen the bond that Roman Catholics share with Muslims regarding Mary, for although many are unaware of it, Islam holds the Virgin Mary in high esteem. It was from Ephesus that Mary supposedly ascended to heaven and here, too, she is said to have appeared to a German nun. The shrine in Ephesus that was built to honor Mary sees "tens of thousands of Christians and Muslims" visiting it each year.[3]

Throughout the world, apparitions of the Roman Catholic Virgin Mary are increasing. Islam and Roman Catholicism are drawing closer together through her shrines and ongoing "appearances." The Marian shrine in Fatima, Portugal, is an ecumenical gathering place for religions from the East as well as the West. Fatima was Mohammad's favorite daughter and of her he said that she is the most honored of women after Mary.[4] Over 4.5 million people of many faiths come to Fatima each year to share a common worship experience, centered upon the mother/child shrine to Mary. This response should not surprise us, for the Bible indicates that in the end times, the focus of the world's religions will be upon a female deity.

Revelation 17 labels this latter-day false goddess "Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth." Many Bible students hold that the latter-day false religion will be based on a mother/child counterfeit of the promised woman and her seed described in Genesis 3:15. Historical records indicate that through Nimrod at Babel, Satan first introduced Semiramis and her son as the promised "seed." It was here that humanity first turned from the true God and sought to unite world government and religion (Gen. 11). From that day to this, worship of the mother-goddess, first called the "Queen of Heaven," has appeared in many cultures under many different names. The Samarians worshipped her as Ishtar, the Egyptians as Isis, the Greeks as Artemis, and the Romans as Diana. Even Israel fell for the queen of heaven's allurement (Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25).

In Roman times, Ephesus was the center of Artemis/Diana worship.[5] The Ephesians believed that it was here that the "mother goddess of the earth was born."[6] Standing before the people of this city, the Apostle Paul confronted this false mother-goddess worship by using the power of the Word of God; and many turned to the true and living Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 19:26). The spiritual conflict of that day has not ended, for in today's modern world many worship a Mary that is contrary to the Mary described in the Scriptures. This false Mary may become a new version of the mother-goddess, taking form as a "Global Mary." She may become the catalyst that unites the world's religions into a "supra," one-world religion that will eventually follow the Antichrist. In this role she would fulfill the prophecy regarding "Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth," found in Revelation 17.

The second defining event of the Pope's journey took place in Istanbul (Constantinople), former capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was here, on the holiest day of the Eastern Orthodox calendar, that he held a Mass with Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His declared purpose was to "patch an age-old rift between the churches."[7] The split between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches occurred 1000 years ago. The reunification of these two religions would begin the process of re-establishing the "Christian" religion of the ancient Roman Empire. Students of the Bible would recognize this unification as a significant step toward setting the stage for fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Summarizing the meeting, Bartholomew said: "We can truly say that this Thursday we lived a historic dayÉhistoric for ecumenical dialogueÉhistoric for the relationship between cultures and religions."[8]

The third defining event occurred near Hagia Sofia, a 6th Century Eastern Roman Empire church that was converted to a mosque in 1453 and is now a museum. Only 500 yards from this historical landmark is the functioning Islamic Blue Mosque. Pope Benedict XVI furthered his cause for the reunion of faiths by entering the mosque where, alongside an imam, he boldly turned to face Mecca (the spiritual center of Islam) and prayed silently, thereby winning the praise of many Muslims. The Mufti of Istanbul noted that this two-minute prayer was "even more meaningful than an apology."[9] This event is only the second time in history that a Roman Pope has entered a Muslim house of worship. These three defining events of his trip emphasize Pope Benedict XVI's desire to reconcile three major world religions, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Islam.

Lastly the Pope made a prophetically significant, though little noticed, statement when he urged the European Union to admit Turkey into EU membership. He described Turkey as being the bridge between Europe and Asia. After first stating that the Vatican has no political power to influence the EU, he urged "Turkey's integration into Europe."[10] Although there may be no official connections between the Vatican and the EU, there are many unofficial ones. These comments by the Pope were intended to counter the EU's rejection of Turkey, based largely on the perceived fear of Islamic terrorism.

The Bible indicates that mankind's final kingdom will arise from the revived Roman Empire, which included the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea (Daniel 2:42). Hence, Turkey's admission would mark the first of many Middle East countries to join the European Union, possibly fulfilling this prophecy. The Vatican's approval could help to overcome the resistance to Turkey's membership. As the world moves toward a one-world government united with a one-world religion, it is important to realize that the details as to just how this union will be accomplished are insignificant when compared to the absolute promise of God that it will indeed happen, for His Word is truthful and trustworthy.

SEVEN MAJOR PROPHETIC SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING

2007-01-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming (Part 2) - Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force... Rev 17:9-10

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while." (This one is a little obscure if you don't know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel's time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue. Read it carefully and you'll find some interesting things in the description of the feet of iron mixed with clay, representing the revived Roman Empire of our time. In the first place the two don't mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that's made of dust and already baked... hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can't make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere. They'll keep falling apart.

In 2005 the EU constitution vote was defeated as one more example of how the EU has had trouble sticking together just as Daniel prophesied. Half-hearted efforts to revive it in 2006 bore no fruit. When Germany takes over the EU Presidency in 2007, look for another, more serious attempt to get the constitution passed. Remember the common currency issue a few years ago? Each one of these controversial steps has nearly driven the EU to its knees, but each time it has recovered. One day soon the EU will assume its destiny as the leading world power for the End of the Age.

In the mean time the Western European Union (WEU) a 10 nation confederacy of the only permanent and fully vested members of the EU has assumed responsibility for creating its military arm, based on its Recommendation 666, passed earlier. And in January 2007 the EU's European Neighborhood Plan (ENP) takes effect. It's a seven-year treaty that brings 12 Middle Eastern countries including Israel and the Palestinian Authority into economic cooperation with the EU. The EU's Javier Solana has been fighting to get this program off the ground for years, and its coming implementation has made him the current favorite among those looking for the anti-Christ.

5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion... Rev 13:8

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

The one world religion idea has been around for most of our generation, often under the guise of ecumenism. As the liberal denominations continue watering down their theology there are fewer things keeping them apart. Now some Evangelical leaders are questioning whether Jesus is really the only way to salvation. The flirtation between certain Evangelical groups and the Catholic Church is interesting, as is the dialog between the Pope and Leaders of Islam, and their common devotion to Mary. The Catholic Church is one of the richest organizations on the planet with over 1 billion members on 6 continents, and clearly thinks of itself as the world's dominant religious group. It's no secret that the Catholic church is posturing itself to be a major player in End times events.

But make no mistake about it. The rise of radical Islam is the chief threat to world peace today and their goal is nothing less than world domination. Their god is not the God of the Bible, and their fight with Jews and Christians actually began in the 7th Century AD when the Jews rejected Mohammed's offer of consolidation. Prior to that time he had counseled his followers to respect and befriend the Jewish people, but when they refused to join his religion, he declared jihad (holy war) against them. Christians were included 400 years later as a result of the Crusades.

Currently nearly one out of five inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews don't really know what they believe or why. Ignorance and misinformation are primary tools of the devil so I would urge all thinking people to really study the origin and goals of Islam. It will soon be the world's most popular religion, and after the removal of Evangelical Christians in the Rapture could easily be the foundation on which the one world religion is built.

In 2 Thes. 2:7 Paul wrote that the secret power of lawlessness was already at work in the world but that the One who holds it back would continue to do so until He is taken out of the way (out of the midst). Understand that Paul wasn't referring to man's disregard for the law here, but rather to his refusal to accept the truth. In New Testament Greek the word for unbelief is also translated disobedience. God's view is that there's just too much clear evidence of His existence for anyone not to believe in Him. Therefore so-called unbelievers are really disobeying by refusing to believe.

In 1 Tim 4:1 Paul warned us of the doctrines of demons and in 2 Tim 4:3-4 of the growing popularity of mythology as being part and parcel of this end times religion. This is the lawlessness Paul was writing about. Having rejected the truth, those left after the Rapture will be ripe for the Great Lie of 2 Thes 2:9 to fill the need every man has to believe in something greater than himself. All it will take is for a charismatic religious leader to emerge, a leader powerful enough to bring all those who are left behind into one counterfeit religion.

Much has been written this year about al Mahdi, a manifestation of Moslem prophecy that is strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth's final judgment. Some students of prophecy remind us that the Roman Empire had an Eastern component composed of the very countries whose people are the most militant advocates of Islam today, and that the anti-Christ could easily come from there.

Islam is the world's fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. But the true Church will soon be gone in the Rapture. The remnant, with its celebration of pluralism and its inclusive view of the way to salvation will be ripe for conversion. Add the widely held but incorrect beliefs that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and you can see how Islam could be the straw that a world on the verge of chaos grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single Government... Rev 13:3

The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Earlier, I stated my view that a decline in US strength would be necessary to permit the Battle of Ezekiel to take place. This is also a necessary precursor to the emergence of a one world government.

Last year I said that unless something happened to fracture us again, Evangelicals would become an increasingly powerful voting block as viewpoints become more polarized over conflicting moral values. I also said that the voting power of Evangelicals would, more than any other factor, keep America strong and independent. Well, something did happen. Partly because of media distortion, and partly because of the constant meddling by Iran and Syria, the war in Iraq has become so unpopular that it's driven public opinion to devastating levels of dissatisfaction with the way the current administration is running it. As a result both houses of Congress have changed hands and 2007 could very well see the beginning of our departure from the Middle East entirely.

And a successful attack on the strength of the dollar could eventually sideline us from world affairs entirely. This year the five year old Euro became the most popular currency in circulation, surpassing the dollar for the first time. It still has a long way to go before it takes the lead as a reserve currency, but breaking the dollar's monopoly on oil transactions will provide a substantial boost. Iran, China, Russia, and Venezuela have teamed up with the intention of doing just that.

The Rapture of the Church would be the final and fatal blow to US supremacy, paving the way for the 10 Nation Confederacy of Bible prophecy to consolidate its hold on world affairs.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs... Rev 18:2-3

With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

Babylon is still a ways away from accepting its destiny as a city of power in the end times. It's just a ceremonial city right now, but 15 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again.

You may think that being little more than a giant museum is a far cry from being a center of world power, but some of Iraq's new political leaders are calling for their nation's capital to be moved to Babylon. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam's capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant first step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power.

Because of Babylon's current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate.

But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes "mystery Babylon" as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved "to the plains of Shinar" a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can't switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.

Other Signs

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:6-14)

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:25-28)

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS ... Depending upon whose intelligence reports you read somewhere between 30 and 50 wars are currently being fought around the world, with a substantial number of additional disputes threatening to erupt into war at any time.

THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS ... More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes. Killer storms and quakes continue to dot the news, although 2006 didn't achieve the record levels of devastation caused in 2005

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS ... The magnetic polar reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced. Having moved several hundred miles across Canada the Magnetic North Pole is currently headed for Siberia. While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past. What's unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. I've speculated that the effects of the polar reversal could fulfill Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits nicely into the End Times prophecy window we opened above.

PESTILENCE... Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. But the big news again this year is the likely spread of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). A few cases among humans have lead to fears that the virus has mutated to thrive in a human host. Dire predictions are placing possible deaths from this pandemic in the millions

THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD ... 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS ... Looking at the state of the world, it's hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant "last call" before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.

The above are given as indicators in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) and we'll continue to bring you periodic information on these as well.

As you know most of the signs in the Olivet Discourse are progressive and all are described as happening well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase "beginning of birth pangs." Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches. This was certainly the case in 2005 and is an indicator of how close we are to the end.

It's true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, "how much worse can it get?" Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, "Much!" It seems man's depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don't belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!
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SEVEN MAJOR PROPHETIC SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING

2007-01-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming - Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com

There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and for the first time in history all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I'll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.

1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8

After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had said that the generation being born when that happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).

The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 58 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it's clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies, both physical and spiritual, won't let up until they've either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God's view).

But in abandoning their Gaza settlements last year, and with their inconclusive performance against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to many as if the Israelis have become their own worst enemy. In Gaza, the plan was to free the military from having to protect the settlements (a major commitment) while maintaining control of their borders. But turning part of their border security over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and fire more mortars and missiles into Israel than ever before.

Although US and Israeli leaders promised that abandoning Gaza would improve the nation's security, the opposite has happened. And as those opposed to the abandonment predicted, Gaza has become a major center for terrorist activity. When Hamas won the Palestinian elections they quickly turned Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears to be just as dangerous a threat as Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught between two forces powerful enough to make defeat a distinct possibility.

But the God of Israel sees a different outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands... Luke 21:24

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. When this happened in 1967, prophecy experts saw it as another major sign fulfilled. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of God vs. the will of man. Until recently every Israeli politician has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel's capital.

But then former Prime Minister Sharon said that if re-elected he'd consider abandoning parts of the suburbs to achieve peace. His stroke-induced coma ended his political career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud Olmert, has hinted at following through on Sharon's proposals. Olmert's poor performance in the war against Hezbollah has robbed him of the political strength to follow through for now. And God said that when He re-gathered His people in the land for the 2nd time (the first was after Babylon) they'd never be dispersed again, and so far it looks like He meant it. (Amos 9:15)

The fulfillment of these two major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies are to be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel's re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land.

But the Lord didn't promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 a Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to either 1948 or 1967, not 40.

There are good arguments in favor of either date, so the safest bet is to construct a window of time opening in 2018 and extending to 2037 for the fulfillment of all End Time Prophecies. And remember, the culmination of End Times prophecies is the Second Coming, not the Rapture of the Church, which precedes it by at least 7 years. As the time draws nearer, the timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it's seven years away. Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens right after that. As Paul so clearly put it, only those in darkness will be taken by surprise. But at this point in time, the 19-year range I've given above offers a minimally speculative period within which it could all come to pass.

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6

"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops--the many nations with you."

(For a more detailed explanation of the modern equivalents to these biblical names, read "An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)

Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most violent Islamic terrorist groups. The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they'll be used to build bombs, too. Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad says he'll proclaim Iran to be a nuclear power right after the New Year, but most experts think a bomb is still a ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but the US seems to be backing off its similar promise.

Recently, to offset the loss of Iraq as their primary mid-east asset, Russia has formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, becoming Turkey's 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. Turkey's inability to resolve the issue they have with Greece over Cypress will likely torpedo their attempt to join the EU. Recent polls also show a dramatic decrease in public support among Turks for EU membership. From an initial high of nearly 90%, less than half of all Turks now favor joining. Russia is quickly moving to bring Turkey under its influence, a shift that could cause Turkey to abandon the West and line up with the Moslem coalition as Ezekiel foretold.

Russia has also sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a major military seaport in northern Syria, moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. As this is being written Syrian Pres. Assad is in Russia with $500 million Iranian dollars shopping for more weapons. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site.

Iran seems to be preparing its people for war with Israel and even the US, making the most outlandish claims in an effort to whip their people into a frenzy not seen since the days of the US embassy kidnapping of the 70's. This inflammatory ranting has included a Holocaust denial seminar attended by 30 countries, and a promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that it's like 1938 all over again. (He has also said that Iran is only 1000 days from achieving its goal of nuclear weaponry.)

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is "peaceful and unsuspecting" (Ezekiel 38:11). I believe that the removal of the US as Israel's powerful ally is necessary to create this condition. I don't think the Moslem coalition will attack until they're sure the US won't retaliate. It's no accident that Iran has led a charge against the US dollar, causing a major weakening in world markets and setting the stage for an end to the monopoly the dollar has enjoyed in international oil markets. Iran is also the primary force behind the instability in Iraq. The cost of this war is creating unsustainable deficits for the US, and with the dollar weakening, the US may be forced to vacate the Middle East soon. The coming change in government will be an interesting addition to this mix, but the bottom line is that either the US or some other entity (the UN?) has to make a toothless agreement to protect Israel to set them up for this battle.

As we begin 2007, the Middle East is in the most volatile situation of our generation. The Palestinian Territories, Iraq and Lebanon could all erupt into civil war this year. Syria and Israel are at each other's throats with some predicting a spring war, and both Hamas and Hezbollah are itching to jump into the fray. The US is building up forces off the coast of Iran, and Israel has said it will not allow Iran to go nuclear. Surely one of these powder kegs will explode and could even start a chain reaction.

I believe that once these issues are resolved, either by warfare or negotiation or both, a false peace will come to Israel very suddenly and unexpectedly, like the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Israel will be set up for Ezekiel 38 by its supposed peace partners.

When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES

2006-12-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

Understanding the Times - The Top Stories of 2006 - Jan Markell - www.olivetreeviews.org

You may not read about some of these stories. They are not obscure, just overlooked and to many, not noteworthy. However, I consider them to be some of the most significant stories of 2006.

Israel lost a war last summer, with Hezbollah, proving she has the worst government in her 58 year history.

Mike Wallace said that Iran's Ahmadinejad is a man we can do business with and is really quite likable. The Left is deluded that such a "messianic menace" as Ahmadinejad has good traits when he wants to destroy parts of the free world including America and Israel.

My home state's Sen. Keith Ellison (D-MN) is the first Muslim to get elected to high office. He will take his oath on the Koran. He is a pawn of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization in America to make all Muslims look good.

Christian censorship of the truth happened as Hal Lindsey and Zola Levitt Ministries were let go by Trinity Broadcasting Network for their pro-Israel stance and perceived lack of tolerance for Islam.

The "Emergent Church" went from obscurity to prominence and is called "evangelical" by those who should know better. Emergent denies many of the essentials of the faith and relies on the touchy-feely gospel with candles, incense, and even rosary beads for Protestants. They consider homosexuals "Christians" if they claim to be.

So-called evangelicals said this year that man-made global warming must become the primary issue for evangelicals along with other social gospel issues. This from the organization known as the "Evangelical Environmental Network," a collection of social gospel leaders parading as evangelicals. A 2006 conclusion is that the word "evangelical" today means nothing.

Iran had a Holocaust Denial Conference with 30 nations in attendance. It confirms that anti-Semitism is spiraling out of control. As Israel's Netanyahu says, "It's 1938 all over again."

The effort to "sanctify divination" in the church continues with the promotion of so-called "Christian Yoga," contemplative prayer, walking the labyrinth, and other practices that when blanking out the mind to get "closer to God" can actually lead to spiritual tragedy. In 2006 we saw these and many other practices gain international respect. Some critics say that 2006 was the year of "treason in the church."

The belief that Islam can be tamed and appeased and then they will like us and even forsake Sharia Law for democracy has to be the delusion of 2006 or even the 21st century.

This mantra will not go away and picked up in 2006: The creation of a Palestinian State will help bring about world peace. Why? This is promoted by the U.N., the E.U., the State Department, the Vatican, the White House, and every Arab capital of the world. President Bush now states he wishes to see a Palestinian State by sometime in 2007. Conditions apply that don't make it a likely possibility.

A once-obscure Sen. Barack Obama has taken the country by storm. Will he take the church by storm? Claiming to be a Christian, he is the most far-left Democrat in Washington. He spoke at Rick Warren's AIDS conference in December and got a standing ovation. Warren stated he would make a fine president. The concern is this sends a subtle message to Christians that he is safe to vote for in 2008.

In 2006 it became clear that eschatology (Bible prophecy) is the most mocked category of theology but at the same time, the most important as it plays out before our eyes daily. What interest is left is generally found in Dominion/Kingdom Now Theology; that is, that the church will make the world perfect for the Lord's return. Some of the most-admired Christian radio and TV preachers now promote this false theology found nowhere in the Bible. A runner-up in popularity is the false teaching of Preterism; that is, that all prophecy but the Second Coming took place in 70 A.D. Christians are left bewildered as to what to believe and thus throw the topic overboard although over 60 million have read the Dispensational view from the "Left Behind" books.

THE GOOD NEWS is that much of this is predicted for a last generation. Are we that generation? We don't know but we shouldn't let the above issues get us down. We need, in fact, to look up and NOT around! The King is coming and He will trump all of the above nonsense from church issues to the geo-political. He has the last say, the last laugh, and the last word. His 1,000-year Kingdom on earth followed by the new Heaven and earth will make every wrong right. There will be no treason in the church, the home, or the world, and His government will end the world's strife.
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UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN

2006-12-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

The gift that keeps on giving - Greg Laurie - www.worldnetdaily.com and www.harvest.org

In my last article I wrote about the real gift of Christmas, not the ones we will find under our Christmas trees. Not Christmas PRESENTS but rather His Christmas PRESENCE.

This is the gift God has given to us. It's revealed to us in Isaiah chapter 9, written some 700 years before Jesus was born, where we find vital insight into the name, purpose and work of Jesus:

''For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.'' (Isaiah 9:6)

When you stop and think about it, each of these titles of Jesus deal with an important area of our lives. These are like five gifts for us to open today. Let's look at each one individually.

First, His name is WONDERFUL. This takes care of the dullness out of life.

The word ''wonderful'' comes from the word "wonder." Bertrand Russell claimed that at least half of the sins of mankind were caused by the fear of boredom, and yet we have more gadgets to keep us from being bored than ever before. We have TV, HDTV, CD'S, DVD'S, MP3's and MP3CD's. We have our cell phones, digital cameras and personal communicators. We have our computers and our PDA's. We have our Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Nanos, iPods, video iPods, and on and on. Yet so many people will say, ''I'm BORED!''

Whatever camera, computer, cell phone or other gadget you get, remember this: A newer version of will soon arrive that has more mega pixels, or is smaller, or faster, or has better battery life. In fact, in time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be forgotten!

The gifts under the Christmas tree are a metaphor for life itself. There is nothing this world has to offer that will fill that void in your life.

What you begin to realize is that even after you've played with all the best toys, been to all the best places, met all the best people, sampled all the best pleasures, there is still that emptiness, that boredom, that haunts you.

In contrast to the fleeting things of this world, Jesus is wonderful. As I contemplate the fact that God Almighty made this sacrifice for me, I am filled with a sense of awe, wonder, gratitude, and finally worship! Knowing the wonderful Lord Jesus personally takes the dullness out of life.

Second, His name is COUNSELOR. This takes care of the decisions of life.

Life is filled with many important decisions we all must make. Some people turn to the local bar where they pour out their troubles to anyone who will listen. Others will spend thousands on therapy and prescription drugs looking for answers. Even others will desperately turn to so-called psychics for direction. But did you know that God wants to give personal counsel and direction to you? The fact that Jesus Christ is called Counselor is a reminder that He indeed has a plan for each of our lives (Jer. 29:11-12).

The problems and decisions of life do not have to overwhelm or frighten us. God reminds us in His word, ''If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who will give it'' (James 1:5). God has given us His Word so we might learn to think and act Biblically. Everything you need to know about God and life in general is found in Scripture.

''All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.'' (2 Tim 3:16-17) Third, His name is MIGHTY GOD. That takes care of the demands of life.

It's important to realize that Jesus Christ was not just a ''good man'' but the ''God man.'' His name in Scripture is ''Immanuel,'' meaning ''God is with us.''

Jesus claimed to be God many times. In fact, one of the very reasons they crucified Him was because He ''continually made Himself equal with God'' (John 5:18). This is why Thomas, seeing the risen Lord said, ''My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).

As the Mighty God, Jesus has unlimited power.

Power is an appealing thing. If you are a guy, you usually want more of it: a faster car or computer, the ability to bench-press more, etc. In fact, the history of mankind has been the story of discovering and using power. First it was ''man power,'' then ''steam power,'' then ''nuclear power.'' However, what we seem to lack is ''will power.'' Man is able to harness the powers of the known universe, but he can't control himself!

The good news is that we have a ''MIGHTY God'' who gives us the power to live the Christian life.

Some say it's very hard to be a Christian, but I would disagree with that. It's IMPOSSIBLE to be a Christian – that is, without the POWER of Jesus Christ in your life. You might say, ''I can't break free from addictions, worrying, vices, immorality,'' but the Bible says ''you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you'' (Phil 4:13).

Fourth, He is the EVERLASTING FATHER. That takes care of the future of life.

We know life is not merely what we experience here and now on earth. Because Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected, we can have hope, even a hope beyond the grave.

This hope of an ''Everlasting Father'' also resonates with those who never had an earthly father. With so many broken homes today and ''absentee fathers,'' this is a great comfort. It has been for me. My Heavenly Father has always been there for me.

After His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary, ''I go to My Father and your Father.'' Because Jesus both died and rose again, He has given us access to God the Father, 24/7. You don't need a priest, or Mary – you can go to the Father through Jesus!

Finally, His Name is PRINCE OF PEACE. That takes care of the disturbances of life.

In the storms of life we all long for peace within. In a troubled and violent world Jesus comes offering us peace.

We remember the message of the angels to the shepherds, ''Glory to God in the highest, and PEACE ON EARTH,'' but where is this peace the angels promised?

The message of the angels could better be translated, ''Peace on earth among men with whom God is well-pleased.

Mankind has brought violence, unrest, and war on this planet, but Jesus offers you His peace in these uncertain times:

''I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.'' (John 14:27-28)

Do you have this peace Jesus spoke of? The Bible describes it as the ''peace that passes all understanding'' (Phil 4:7). If you don't, you should understand that before you can have the peace of God you must have peace with God.

Christmas is not so much about giving a gift as it is about RECEIVING A GIFT. The Gift of GOD HIMSELF, taking residence in your heart, giving you peace and hope of eternal life.

Yes, this ''Mighty God'' wants to be your ''Everlasting Father.'' He wants to show you how wonderful He is as He counsels you and floods your life with His peace that passes all human understanding.

God offers this gift to you. Receive it this Christmas! It is the only gift that keeps on giving.
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THE WORLD IN 2007

2006-12-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

The World in 2007 - Better or worse? - Dennis Prager

On the eve of the year 2007, it is evident to anyone with the fortitude to see reality that the world is not getting better, nor even staying the same, but getting worse.

There are a few positive developments. But they are mostly technological and medical. More people are eating better and living longer than ever before. And the Internet gives more people access to more information (and more lies) than ever before. But aside from medical and technological progress, there is little positive to report. And, as always, the technological breakthroughs are frequently morally mixed bags.

Almost wherever one looks, there are more reasons for pessimism than optimism.

Africa is probably in worse condition than at any time in recorded history. Though often exaggerated, great numbers of young and middle-aged people are dying from AIDS; corruption in Africa is so widespread and deeply rooted that aid workers are telling the West to stop giving funds to Africa because those funds only serve to prop up corrupt regimes and increase poverty, malnutrition and violence; about three million people have died in the ongoing wars in the Congo; and the Islamic Arab regime of Sudan has allowed or directed genocide.

In Asia, China, sitting on reserves of over a trillion dollars, is beginning to regard itself as a world power, and most of where it meddles, it plays an immoral role (regarding Iran's nuclear weapons and the North Korea regime). As China's economic power grows, it will increasingly seek to flex its muscles. This could mean tension over Taiwan, but it will even more likely mean that Japan will try to become a military power once again and perhaps develop its own nuclear weapons -- because of North Korea's weapons and because of China's strength and ambitions. A strong Japan, given North Korea's lunatic regime and China's drive for regional dominance, is a positive development but an unfortunate one nevertheless.

Russia, like China, increasingly uses its power in immoral ways, and its government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.

As bad as Africa and parts of Asia are, the Arab world is in many ways in even worse condition and poses a far greater threat to world stability. The Arab world is largely divided between corrupt regimes and Islamic totalitarians who await the downfall of those regimes. Since World War II, the Arab world has sought a solution to its backwardness -- first in nationalism, then in Pan-Arab nationalism and Marxism, and now in Islam. "Islam is the answer" is the motto of vast numbers of young Arabs (and Muslims elsewhere), and the Islam they are referring to is often not benign. Making matters worse, the Arab world is consumed by hate. Hatred and oil have become its primary exports: hatred of Israel, of America and of other non-Muslims in its midst -- e.g., Maronite Christians in Lebanon, non-Muslims in Sudan and Christians in the Palestinian territories.

This hatred within the Arab world is in turn the product of a culture that values face-saving over truth-telling. To this day, the Egyptian government and public deny that the EgyptAir jet that fell out of the sky in 2000 did so because the pilot, an Egyptian Muslim, decided to kill himself and all those on board. The majority of the Arab world does not believe that Arabs plotted and executed the 9/11 murders of American civilians. And it widely believes that Jews slaughter non-Jewish children to use their blood to bake matzos on Passover; that Israel spreads AIDS in Arab countries by sending AIDS-infected prostitutes into Arab countries; and that "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is a genuine text authored by Jews conspiring to take over the world.

The Islamic world at large is increasingly influenced, and sometimes dominated, by a violent expression of religiosity that seeks to impose itself on any society it can. One of the largest Muslim countries has declared its desire to see Israel annihilated and is presumed to be developing nuclear weapons that would enable it to do so. Anti-Semitism in the Arab and Muslim worlds has reached levels most of humanity thought had been vanquished along with Nazi regime.

Western Europe is disappearing demographically and culturally. Like other secular societies, Western Europe is not repopulating itself and has relied on importing immigrants to provide citizens and workers. Most of them are Muslims, and many of them loathe Western Europe and its values. It is difficult to imagine any other future scenario for Western Europe than its becoming Islamicized or having a civil war. Western Europe is the first secular society in human history and consequently believes in very little beyond having a secure and comfortable life untroubled by war, work or children.

The increasing influence of the world's Left makes combating the above problems very difficult. The Left dominates the world's news media and universities, is regaining power in Latin America, and is socially as well as politically dominant in most Western European countries. And it either sides with America's enemies or makes combating them far more difficult. Thus it is increasingly common to see Che Guevara pictures at Hezbollah rallies in Lebanon and to see Western leftists, like London's mayor, honor radical Muslims.

One society stands opposed to all these developments -- the United States of America. But that society is itself deeply divided. About half holds the values of Western Europe; and the other half believes that Western European values -- essentially secularism and socialism -- are anathema to America. The latter half believes America must remain true to its founding principles: Judeo-Christian values; individual freedom and small government; and a melting pot rather than multiculturalism.

Which side wins will determine the fate of mankind for a century or more. And you can't win if you are naively optimistic.

Happy New Year.
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THE NEW WORLD DISORDER

2006-12-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

THE NEW WORLD DISORDER
Analysts: Dollar collapse
would result in 'amero'
Think deep recession likely
regardless of Fed's actions
Posted: December 13, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Two analysts who have reconstructed money supply data after the Fed stopped publishing it argue a coming dollar collapse will set the stage for creating the amero as a North American currency to replace the dollar.

The reconstructed M3 data – the broadest measure of money – published on econometrician Gary Kuever's website, NowAndFutures.com, shows M3 increased at a rate of 11 percent in May, compared to 9 percent when the Federal Reserve quit publishing M3 data earlier this year.

Asked why the Fed decided to stop publishing M3 data, Kuever told WND, "The Fed probably wants to hide how much liquidity is being pumped into the market, and I expect the trend to keep pumping liquidity into the market will continue, especially since the economy is slowing down."

Why is this important?

"The trend line in my M3-plus-debt chart is staggering," Kuever said. "There has been a straight, long-term trend line of M3-plus-credit increasing since 2000. Long-term, we are creating inflation and the dollar has lost almost 98 percent of its value in the past 100 years."

Kuever, a retired investor, is concerned that with growing budget and trade deficits "the dollar could collapse."

"Especially if the Fed cannot increase rates, because we have already entered a recession," he said.

Analyst Gary Kuever's chart shows M3-plus-credit, short term, from May 2000 to September 2006

Bob Chapman, who issued a reconstructed M3 estimate to the 100,000 subscribers to his newsletter, "The International Forecaster", agrees.

"The world is awash in money and credit," Chapman told WND. "My numbers show M3 increasing at about a 10-percent rate right now."

Chapman believes the U.S. economy entered a recession in February. In his newsletter of Dec. 9 he predicted the Fed would hold interest rates at 5.25 percent.

"The Fed is in a very tough spot here," Chapman wrote, "If they raise rates, the real estate market will collapse, and if they lower rates, the dollar will collapse."

Meeting yesterday, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee voted, as Chapman had predicted, to hold the overnight lending rates between banks steady at 5.25 percent. This was the fourth straight meeting the Fed had voted not to change rates. In its rate announcement, the Fed affirmed the economy had slowed.

Almost immediately after the announcement of the Fed's decision, the dollar weakened to a new 20-month low against the euro, with currency markets reportedly pricing in the expectation the Fed will be forced to lower rates next year to bolster the economy. Following the announcement by the Fed, the U.S. Dollar Index, or USDX, also dropped, with the dollar going below 83.

A dollar collapse is imminent, Chapman declared.

"Technicians studying the USDX think there is a support level for the dollar at 75, but I don't think so."

How low could the dollar go?

"If the dollar breaks through 78.33 on the USDX," Chapman answered, "my guess is the dollar will go through a 35-percent correction, which would put it at 55."

"The key in how low the dollar goes is the interest rates," Chapman told WND. "In January, the Fed is going to have to make a decision which way to go. If Fed rates go up, the dollar will hold in the 78.33 range, but the stock market and the economy will tank. If next year the Fed lowers rates to keep the economy from crashing, the bottom will fall out of the dollar, and I see it going as low as 55. Once the dollar hits bottom, it will take the stock market and the economy right with it anyway. The Fed is in a box they can't get out of."

As WND reported earlier this week, in an unusual move, the Bush administration is sending virtually the entire economic "A-team" to visit China for a "strategic economic dialogue" in Beijing Thursday and Friday. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are leading the delegation, along with five other cabinet-level officials, including Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. Also in the delegation will be Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

But Chapman doubts the trip will help the Fed to engineer a slow dollar slide.

"The Chinese are going to do what the Chinese want to do, not what we want them to do," he said. "I believe the Chinese are going to send Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed Chairman Bernanke home packing, with little or nothing to show for the trip."

How severe will the coming dollar collapse be?

"People in the U.S. are going to be hit hard," Chapman warned. "In the severe recession we are entering now, Bush will argue that we have to form a North American Union to compete with the Euro."

"Creating the amero," Chapman explained, "will be presented to the American public as the administration's solution for dollar recovery. In the process of creating the amero, the Bush administration just abandons the dollar."

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

2006-12-12T20:20:00.000-05:00

Do You See What I See? Just Look Around
By Lucian Thompson

Today, many Christians are walking around blind as a bat with someone else leading them around by the arm because they are so indifferent to what is going on around them.

Part of the reason is because we feel that we are well off and are in need of nothing. That my friend is the Laodicean Church. (Like in the days of Noah)

Another part is because we just don’t want to be bothered with concerning ourselves with what’s happening. Too much media attention and we just tune out!

Another part is, we just don’t really know if this stuff is really real, or it is certainly far off if it’s real. A lack of knowledge can kill you!

Do You See What I See?

You know… while I was a cop I worked a lot of auto accidents. I was always amazed at the different versions of what happened from the spectators. It seemed that none of them perceived the events the same way. Some saw it from a different position or angle than others. Even those who were standing side by side would give variances in their observations. Their testimonies would be influenced by their life experiences, environment, knowledge or the lack of, and their own personal slant on things. It was often difficult to put together a realistic account, because I wasn’t an eyewitness to the event.

That’s where my training came into play. You see, I studied all about auto accidents. Drag factors on the various road surfaces, weather effects, condition of the tires and other factors about the automobiles, if any alcohol or drugs were involved, etc. I could not rely totally on eyewitness, because they often disagreed about the happenings. I would take what they said and add what I knew from my own education on the matter and arrive at a pretty good conclusion. It was important that I come to a right conclusion, because someone’s future could depend on it if I had to bring charges against them.

“Do you see what I see?”

Well where do we start?

It goes all the way back to Genesis. It’s all about two brothers, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born first to Hagar, and 13 years later Isaac was born to Sarah.

Of Ishmael God said, (Gen. 16:12) “He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brothren.” And in (Gen. 17:20) “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes and I will make him a great nation.

Of Isaac, God said, (Gen 17:21) “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

From then on it’s been one battle after another, which brings us to our present day situation of all the Arab nations (Ishmael) against their Israeli brothers, (Isaac). This scenario has pulled all the nations of the earth into its grip. It all revolves around Jerusalem.

Surely not America gathered against Jerusalem? Guess again!

Just a short time ago the USA placed a resolution with the UN that called for a Palestinian state in Israel with its capital in part of Jerusalem. All Nations of the Security Council voted for it except Syria, who vowed to never accept Israel’s existents.

What now?

God said in (Zechariah 12:3) “And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

What does that mean?

(Zec. 12:9) says, “On that day, I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.”

So, How does that affect us?

(Gen. 12:2,3) says, “And I will make of thee [Israel] a great nation and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed,”

When we, the United States, proposed to all nations that we take away God’s covenant land and give it to the uncovenate people, (Ishmael) we set ourselves up for Gods curse. If you think God will spare the USA because of our past history, you have another think coming.

WE ARE IN THE END TIMES!

Jesus said in (Matthew 24:6-7), “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” An then He said, (Matthew 24:33-34), “So likewise ye, when ye see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all things be fulfilled.”

My generation has witnessed Israel becoming a nation in May 1948, and Israel took Jerusalem back in 1967 during the 6-day war.

Do you see what I see?

· I see many who claim to be Christ.( Matthew 24:…Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.)

· I see wars and rumors of wars as described Matthew 24:6.

· I see nations rise against nations and kingdoms rise against kingdoms.

Try to name a Nation that is not affected by war today!

· I see famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in diverse places Matthew 24:7

Over two thirds of the people in this world go to bed hungry. There are incurable diseases like Aids and Alzheimer’s, to mention a few.

Earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions, nature is going out of control!

In Verse 8, Jesus says these are the beginning of sorrows or the beginning of birth pains. I see this.

Very soon now we will see: "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (Luke 21:25) We can see some of that even now.

Why is it so important that you see what I and anyone who is watching, see?

The Bible says, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

Simply put: Time is running out!

Jesus said in Luke 21:35 - 36: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

We must come to a right conclusion of what we see, because our futures, and those whom we influence, depends on it when God brings charges against this world.

The beginning of sorrows is just that, the beginning. If we don’t stand on our watch and be alert as to the signs of the times, we may well be like unto the ten virgins in Matthew
25:1-7

Five were ready and when the bridegroom came they arose and trimmed their lamps that were filled with oil, (The presence of the Holy Spirit), and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five were not ready and had no oil for their lamp and they were left out of the wedding. They were foolish; Jesus said He didn’t know them.

The question is: which five are you?

I see a sky that is about to split wide open and the glorious call from our Lord to come to Him. (The Rapture)

We are living in the most exciting times ever in the history of the world. We are living in the generation that will see the return of Jesus Christ! Now, more than ever, we must stay informed! Pass on this valuable information to others, before it's too late!

YOU ARE YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER!

In you Christ dwells. You are responsible for all those souls who are in your sphere of influence. If not you, who then will tell them about Christ, His salvation and Gods plan for the redemption for man and His judgment upon this earth? We are in a count down and time is running out!

The signs of the times are here!

1.Unrest in the Middle East - The Struggle for Jerusalem Zechariah 12; Luke 12
2.The rise of European Super state and Global Government. Dan.2, 7 Dan.11, Rev.13
3.Global terrorism – the rise of Islam - 2Thessalonians 2:4
4.National ID initiatives and chip implamts(Mark of the Beast) Rev.
5.The threat of nuclear attacks
6.The world’s growing focus on Jerusalem – Zechariah 12:3
7.Civil Liberty concerns (cameras, face recognition, REID chips, etc.)
8.The collapse of morality (world embracing gay lifestyles, abortion, etc.)
9.Biotech & global pestilence Rev. 6:8
10.China’s growing economic and military might. As of 1964 they can muster a 2 million man army.
11.The war in Iraq and the threat of nukes in Iran.
12.The Magog Invasion (soon to come) Ezekiel 38,39
13.The predicament of America. (Hosea 4-14)
14.The apocalyptic weather patterns (Luke 21)

These chapters talk about God’s judgment and we will be included in that. He says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge!”

Do you see what I see?

God is going to bring charges against this world and our eternal future depends upon the results of His findings.

I see God’s plan working and I see the imminent return of Jesus for His church. Are you a part of His church?

If you can’t see that, then it’s time you open your eyes. Jesus is coming back for a bride without spot or wrinkle.

Hosea 6:1, 2 1.“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.” 2.“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
Hosea is talking to Jews.

2 Peter 3:8 tells us, “a day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.”

Some Biblical scholars point out that, if Israel’s prophetic clock stopped at the crucifixion, then 2000 Jewish years, which is (1,917.3 Gregorian years) plus A.D. 31 that would be A. D 2002. Or, if A.D. 34, that would be 2004 A.D. Date setting can get you into trouble, but you can get a feel of the soon coming of Christ.

Remember it says in the third day not on the third day. Any day now!

Israel will go through the 7-year tribulation, which takes place in the third day.

Do you see what I see?

God is about to pour out His judgment on this Earth. We are appointed as Watchmen.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (self-controlled)

How will our Lord find us?

Are we asleep, or are we waiting and watching?

Our friends and relatives are dying all around us. Time is running out.

Do they know Jesus?

Can’t you see what I see?

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About The Author

Lucian Thompson is the Associate Pastor at Trinity Christian Fellowship in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His expertise is in the area of Eschatology and he is an avid writer of Bible Study and devotional materials for his church. A former Chief of Police who uses his life experiences to counsel others in the pitfalls of life. Lucian is a frequent contributor to Faith Writers.

THE MAN WHO TRIED TO STOP CHRISTMAS

2006-12-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

The man who tried to stop Christmas - Greg Laurie - www.worldnetdaily.com - and - www.harvest.org

Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, we are once again inundated with countless TV specials about familiar holiday themes. Some movies are shown again and again like "It's a Wonderful life" and "A Christmas Story." Then there are those animated specials like "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas"(one of the very few that actually mentions Jesus).

There are newer movies as well like "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" and Charles Dickens' famous "A Christmas Carol." Both of those stories tell the tale of those who were antagonistic to the Christmas message: Scrooge, who was so stingy he would not let Bob Cratchet celebrate Christmas, and the Grinch, who opposed Christmas altogether.

These themes resonate with us because today we live in a world full of modern-day Scrooges and Grinches, too. For example:

Most retailers have instructed their employees to no longer say "Merry Christmas" but instead say something generic like "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings."

Many school districts have prohibited Christmas carols from being sung during school festivities (at least one high school took the additional step of including instrumental versions of Christmas carols in the censorship).

In Texas, some schools confiscated gifts brought by two children to give to their classmates because one was a pencil that said, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." The school district said the reason was the "religious viewpoint" of the gift.

A Wisconsin elementary school changed the lyrics to "Silent Night" to a secularized version called "Cold in the Night."

The Bible speaks of a man who hated Christmas even more than the Grinch and Scrooge combined. In fact, he tried to stop Christmas altogether. But this man is not some make-believe character, but the one history calls Herod the Great, and his story is told in the second chapter of gospel of Matthew.

Herod was born into a politically well-connected family, destined for a life of hardball and power brokering. At the young age of 25 he was appointed by Rome to be the governor of Galilee, with the hope that he would control the Jews who lived in that area.

In 40 B.C., the Roman Senate named him "King of the Jews," a title that the Jews detested because Herod was anything but religious. Indeed, the truth is that Herod was the ultimate villain, addicted to power, insecure and profoundly suspicious of anyone who might aspire to take his throne.

Herod was a cruel man who held tightly to the reins of power and brutally removed anyone who got in his way. Over the years, he killed many people, including his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, two of his own sons and even his wife! Josephus called Herod "barbaric" and another writer has dubbed him "the malevolent maniac."

So twisted was this egomaniac that he had the most distinguished citizens of Israel arrested and gave orders that upon his death they would be executed – just so Israel would mourn after his death!

No doubt he had his spies out everywhere who watched for any potential contenders to his throne. Anyone who would aspire to be the king instead of him would be dealt with severely.

But he was also clever and knew that you cannot always be cruel. You must, for the sake of appearances, show signs of kindness to stay in power. Like the time of economic hardship when he gave back tax money to the people that had been collected for the Temple, or when during a famine in 25 B.C. he melted down various gold objects in the palace to buy food for the poor. But these token gestures were just a ruse to retain his power.

Herod was also preoccupied with possessions and fame. With the knack of a Donald Trump, he built seven palaces and seven theaters, one of which seated 9,500 people, and stadiums for sporting events, the largest of which could seat 300,000 fans! Herod also created his winter palace called Masada, an impregnable fortress complete with sauna and swimming pool.

Then there was the renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem that was so spectacular that some were shocked when Jesus spoke of its destruction. Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" (John 2:19-20)

Now, with that as some background, let's fast-forward to the final months of Herod's life.

Herod is slowly dying of a disease. His body is racked with convulsions, his breath is foul, his skin is covered with putrefying open sores, and he's rapidly losing his mind. But he is still the king obsessed with his legacy.

One day word comes to him in Jerusalem that some visitors had arrived from the East inquiring about the one "born the King of the Jews." (See Matt. 2:1-8.)

"When Herod heard this he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." The word "troubled" means to shake violently, and no wonder. After he had finally subdued his enemies, killed all his foes and created a "legacy" for himself, these strangers appeared who threatened to overturn everything he had done.

So Herod called together all the scribes and religious leaders to find out if the Bible had anything to say about a coming King, the Jewish Messiah. Specifically, he wanted to know where this "Messiah" was supposed to be born.

Without having to think much about it, they responded in Matthew 2:5-6: "In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'''

Herod must have winced when he heard the word "ruler." Suddenly, things were getting serious. Maybe these strangers were on to something. What if the boy they are looking for is the one the Bible predicted would come? There would be no time to rest now. There would be one more person to kill – a young boy who is claimed to be born King of the Jews!

So Herod called the wise men privately and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report back to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

Off they went. The star that led them over 800 miles through the desert miraculously reappeared and led them to the exact house that Jesus was in. When they found Him, they bowed down and worshipped him, offering him expensive gifts fit for a king: gold, tribute to a king; frankincense, an expensive spice used in sacrifices; and myrrh, an embalming element for royal burial.

Incidentally, and contrary to many mass media versions of this visit, the Magi did not arrive the very night Jesus was born, since their trip across the desert would have taken many months. Matthew 2:9-10 gives additional details:

"When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh."

The word translated "young child" refers to a toddler or small child, not a newborn baby. And notice that the Magi went to the "house" where Jesus was. There's no mention of a stable or manger.

After giving their gifts to the true King of the Jews, the Magi, or wise men, were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but returned to their country by another route (Matthew 2:12).

When Herod later realized that the Magi had duped him, he was engulfed in rage. The "Butcher of Bethlehem" gave orders to kill all boys 2 years and younger in Bethlehem and its vicinity (Matthew 2:16). Some time later Herod himself died a painful and agonizing death, with his legacy of treachery, deceit and murder recorded for posterity.

Rarely in history was a battle between kings so dismally stacked. Herod, the cruel but clever dictator, a man of worldly power, possessions, prestige and paranoia, armed with firepower, resources and armies, versus little Jesus, held safely in the arms of His loving mother.

No wonder the two kings clashed. They both possessed immense power, but how they chose to use it revealed the hearts of two radically different men.

One was a cruel tyrant, the other a suffering Servant

One was consumed with self-interest; the other focused on pleasing God and serving others

One manipulated, slandered, deceived and coerced; the other healed, touched, taught and loved.

Herod wanted to be king of his own life, esteemed by men, with an enduring legacy, but he was just another slave to sin. In his madness, he tried to destroy the very One who could have saved him, but he wound up destroying himself instead.

Sadly, today there are many "Herods" who go out of their way to blaspheme the Lord Jesus and oppose His cause. They will all fail. Like Herod, their lives will always end in ruin of some kind, and they will face judgment.

Ironically, Herod pretended to be something he was not: a worshipper. He told the Magi that he wanted to worship the one born King of the Jews, too. Obviously he was an imposter – a false worshipper who was actually hostile to God.

Today, "Herods" by the dozen sit in the pews of our churches. Outwardly they appear to be pious, but they are living a lie!

And then there are those who are full of religious knowledge, like the Jewish scribes who knew the exact place where the Messiah was to be born, but who actually are indifferent to the things of God.

The scribes and religious leaders did not hate Jesus as Herod did, but they didn't care about Him, either. They simply ignored Him. They were too busy to bother with Him.

Tragically, there are many people like these scribes and religious leaders today, especially at Christmas. With all the busyness of the season, they don't think much about Christ, much less worship Him.

Don't miss Christ this Christmas! We can decry the fact that merchants say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" or that public schools censor Christmas music and so on, but we need to be careful not to get so busy and preoccupied that we lose sight of Him for ourselves.
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IRAQ STUDY GROUP SETS STAGE FOR PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT

2006-12-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

Prophetically Speaking —Iraq Study Group Sets Stage for Prophetic Fulfillment

by Bill Wilson, KIN Senior Analyst

The Iraq Study Group recommendations could very well determine America's position in the ancient prophecies about all nations turning against Israel. One of the central themes of the report was that Israel needed to make concessions with its Islamic neighbors in order to achieve peace, yet the rest of the report may undermine the United State's ability to assist Israel in reaching a balanced and fair consensus.

The report gave the strong impression that the United States is failing in Iraq or, in less politically correct terms, is losing — so much so, that the recommendations suggested negotiating with Iran and Syria to help broker peace and stability in Iraq.

Meantime, the recommendations had a "cut and run" theme throughout, demanding troop withdrawals. To the Islamic world, negotiations with Syria and Iran, the two nations considered by Islam as the heart of the jihad against Israel and the infidels, means surrender or, at the very least, submission. Combined with troop withdrawals, Islam can claim a victory over what to date has been considered the most powerful military in the world.

Meantime, the Israeli-American position in the Middle East is weakened further because any negotiations with Iran and Syria will mean concessions in the larger picture of Syria and Lebanon — and Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza.

Already, Syria is putting on the table its price for helping in Iraq — control of the strategic Golan Heights that overlook Israel and provided high-ground sniper fire on Israeli citizens and farmers every day until Israel seized control of the land in 1967.

Buthaina Shaaban, Syria's expatriate affairs minister, told Al Jazeera the Iraq Study Group report is good news. She said, "It means, God willing, the end of this era of American intervention in the region and the American occupation of Iraq which brought catastrophic ramifications on the whole region."

Egyptian Islamic columnist Fahmi Howeidy wrote, "The age of U.S. monopoly of the tools of the game in the region is over."

Perspective: The Iraq Study Group successfully portrayed the image that America or, at least, her will, has been significantly weakened by the Islamic terrorist resistance — and in negotiating terms, that means far less strength for protecting Israel, and even America itself.

The 2,500-year-old prophecy of Zechariah 12:3 (NKJV) says, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

The first part of this prophecy appears to be coming to fulfillment, because United States politicians no longer seem to have the political will to stand firm against Islam.
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