EVERYTHING HAPPENING ON EARTH TODAY

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Moderate quake rocks northern Japan Sun Aug 26, 2:14 AM ET

TOKYO - A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 jolted northern Japan Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No tsunami warning was issued. The quake was centered 145 miles northeast off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, according to the USGS. It struck 37 miles under the ocean floor.There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and sits atop four tectonic plates.

Saturday August 25, 8:31 PM
Quake hits southern Iran, four hurt - report

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck a southern region of Iran on Saturday and injured four people, the state broadcaster reported on its Web site.
In a later report, state television reported a second quake near Tehran but there were no immediate casualty reports there. The first quake struck in the morning around Haji Abad and Orzuiyeh, more than 900 km south of Tehran, the state broadcaster's Web site said. It said the affected area included about 14 villages each with about 35 families. The second quake had a magnitude of 4.5 and hit a region about 60 km south of the capital. It did not report any casualties in the tremor that struck around the town of Javadabad. Some witnesses in Tehran said they felt the tremor. Iran, OPEC's No. 2 oil producer, is regularly hit by earthquakes and is criss-crossed with fault lines. The region hit on Saturday is not close to Iran's main oil producing areas.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Death toll from Greek forest fires hits 44
By PETROS GIANAKOURIS AUG 25,07

A man gestures as the fire approaches the houses in Taygetos, southern Peloponese, Greece Friday. (AP Photo/Eurokinissi)

ZAHARO, Greece (AP) - Forest fires sweeping out of control across southern Greece have killed 44 people, some found Saturday in the charred homes of mountain villages reached too late by rescue crews hampered by powerful winds. Meanwhile, new blazes erupted across the country, including a fire on the fringes of Athens. The deadliest fire was in the western Peloponnese region of southern Greece, where at least 38 people were killed in mountain villages near the town Zaharo, the fire department said. A massive fire whipped by strong winds continued to burn out of control.

Firefighters searching through charred houses after daybreak found 10 bodies in the village of Makistos, the department said. They were believed to include a mother and her four children reported missing during the night. Nine of those killed near Zaharo - including three firefighters - died after a car crashed into a fire truck and led to a pileup as people tried to flee the area, the fire department said. The smoldering remains of the fire truck lay overturned in a gully, and the charred wreckage of cars and a motorbike were strewn across the road. This is a day of national mourning, said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who visited the afflicted areas and chaired an emergency cabinet meeting. We are fighting against heavy odds, on many fronts and under particularly tough conditions.Hot, dry winds gusting to gale force were expected to continue Saturday before abating in the evening. The winds frequently prevented firefighting planes from taking off, leaving mainly ground forces to fight the flames in the southern Peloponnese, occasionally helped by helicopters.

Since Friday morning, more than 170 blazes have raged from the western Ionian islands to Ioannina in northwest Greece, and down to the south. A recent three-day heat wave, in which temperatures have touched 40 Celsius, has left forests and scrubland parched. New fires broke out Saturday, and fears grew that the death toll could rise as rescue crews reached villages that had been surrounded by walls of flames during the night. The military was sending 500 soldiers and several helicopters to join the firefighting. Desperate villagers and local mayors called television and radio stations to plead for help. Authorities evacuated nuns from a convent and closed off a major highway on Mount Ymittos near Athens as flames approached the capital's eastern outskirts, damaging buildings in the Papagou suburb, the fire department said. Firemen assisted by water-dropping aircraft and hundreds of volunteers later brought the blaze under partial control. No injuries were reported.

Arson was suspected in the blaze, said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis.

A fire on the island of Evia north of the capital grew through the night, and the authorities declared a state of emergency in the area, said Sofia Moutsou, the mayor of the town of Styra. At least three villages were evacuated, the fire department's Diamandis said. If we don't stop this now there will be nothing left, Moutsou said early Saturday. She was hoping ferries could transport fire trucks to the island to help tackle the blaze. Greece appealed for help from European Union countries. France, Germany, Spain and non EU-member Norway were sending firefighting aircraft, and Cyprus offered firefighters and trucks. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he was saddened by the tragic loss of human lives and voiced hope that member states would send assistance. Greece has suffered its worst summer for forest fires this year, with hundreds of blazes burning thousands of hectares of forest and brushland. With early elections just three weeks away, the devastating fires are certain to become a political issue. The government has come under criticism for its response to previous fires, which killed 10 people.

Thousands ordered to flee Idaho wildfire By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 26, 5:50 AM ET

BOISE, Idaho - A mandatory evacuation was ordered Saturday for residents of more than 1,000 homes south of Ketchum, where a massive wildfire raged and high winds grounded firefighting air tankers. After three days of relative calm, the 39-square-mile fire was 38 percent contained, but embers blew ahead of the blaze and increased the threat of spot fires, fire spokesman Bob Beanblossom said.At this point in the mandatory evacuation, we're giving people the opportunity to get out during the daylight and to keep the highways clear for emergency response vehicles, said Kim Rogers, public information officer with the city of Ketchum.Another 100 homes remained under a mandatory evacuation order from last weekend, including some worth millions of dollars in the resort area of central Idaho. A shelter was set up at a former high school in the town of Hailey, said Dick Rush, CEO of the American Red Cross for Idaho.

No structures had been reported lost to the lightning-sparked blaze, although winds were gusting to 25 mph, Beanblossom said.In California, a seven-week-old wildfire in the Santa Barbara County wilderness showed bursts of life Saturday despite firefighters' significant progress.The blaze was 83 percent contained Saturday evening after burning 239,468 acres, or about 374 square miles, of steep backcountry.
A recommended evacuation was in effect for about nine square miles west of Highway 33, according to an update by fire officials issued Saturday.The fire was about 15 miles away from the community of Ojai and did not threaten any other large communities, officials said. Despite its size, the fire has only destroyed one structure, an outbuilding.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 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;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 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.

POWER OUTAGE

REVELATION 16:10-11
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

100,000-plus without power in Midwest By JOHN McCARTHY, Associated Press Writer AUG 26,07

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Hundreds of thousands of people were without power after their homes were battered by fierce winds and flooding rainstorms that slammed the rain-soaked Midwest. Tornado warnings were issued Saturday afternoon for parts of central and southeast Ohio. Downed trees and power lines were reported in the southern part of the state, said National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Hatzos.Flooding this week spread across an 80-mile swath through the northwest and north central parts of the state. Gov. Ted Strickland toured some of the damaged areas Saturday.What I've tried to do and what we've all tried to do is let these folks know ... that we are working to get assistance to them as rapidly as possible, Strickland said.

Powerful storms rolling through the Upper Midwest during most of the past week caused disastrous floods from southeastern Minnesota to Ohio that were blamed for at least 18 deaths.In southern Michigan, the skies were clearing but more than 100,000 customers were without power, utilities said. The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes touched down Friday in a 12-mile area in Livingston, Genesee and Oakland counties.Damage in Fenton was extensive, Mayor Sue Osborn said Saturday. I have seen houses that have trees go right through them, she said. Only residents were being allowed into the city, she said.Matt McClanahan's Cohoctah Township home was among at least 17 destroyed by a twister.I've seen devastation and I've helped clean up, but I've never seen it be me, he said. I bought a bottle of Jim Beam and it's in the house. I could really use a sip of that right now.

About 73,000 ComEd customers in northern Illinois remained without power Saturday, ComEd spokeswoman Judy Rader said. Power to nearly 600,000 customers had been restored since Thursday's storm, but it could take days to restore power to all customers, officials said.The storms in Illinois were responsible for at least one death, a man struck by a wind-toppled tree, officials said. In addition, an autopsy was planned on a man found lying in more than 2 feet of water in his basement in suburban Inverness, officials said.Rain had mostly stopped falling Saturday in northern Illinois as a line of storms moved eastward and southward, and the flood waters that had risen steadily slowed to a creep or began to drop in some areas. Flood warnings remained in effect in 14 counties.There's so much flooding continuing from the rain and runoff from two days ago, said Mark Ratzer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. That's going to take a while to recede.Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator R. David Paulison surveyed damage Friday in Rushford, Minn., which was especially hard hit by this week's flooding. Mayor Les Ladewig said about half of Rushford's 760 homes were damaged, including 248 that were destroyed and 91 with serious damage.

About 1,500 homes were damaged around Minnesota. Paulison said FEMA recovery centers should be running early next week in the three counties where President Bush declared disasters Thursday.Paulison also visited Wisconsin, where flooding destroyed 44 homes and damaged more than 1,400, most of them in the southwestern part of the state.Officials in Wisconsin's Vernon County lifted evacuation orders Saturday evening, allowing 140 residents to return home. They had been displaced after torrential rainfall strained a number of nearby dams.Associated Press writers Dan Strumpf in Chicago; John Seewer in Ottawa, Ohio; Joshua Freed in Rushford, Minn.; Mike Wilson in Des Moines, Iowa; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis.; Jim Irwin in Detroit; and Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.

NKorea says 600 dead or missing in floods Sat Aug 25, 1:33 PM ET

SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea reported Saturday that at least 600 people are dead or missing following devastating floods that swept the country causing huge damage to all sectors of the economy. Official figures from the hardline communist state, quoted by relief agencies, earlier spoke of about 300 dead or missing.But torrential rain, strong winds and landslides have doubled the total.At least 600 are dead or missing and thousands injured, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing figures from the Central Statistics Bureau.The agency, in its starkest assessment so far of the damage, said downpours earlier this month caused huge material losses to the (country), creating unprecedented difficulties in people's living and economic construction.It said the homes of at least 240,000 families were totally or partially destroyed or inundated, leaving at least 100,000 people totally homeless and some 900,000 others flood-stricken.

Some 200,000 hectares of cropland was submerged, buried under silt or washed away just before the harvest, the agency said.North Korea faced a food shortfall this year of one million tonnes, or 20 percent of its needs, even before the floods. It relied on international aid to help cover the shortfall.KCNA said more than 8,000 public buildings, schools, health facilities and nurseries were totally or partly destroyed, along with more than 1,000 major production facilities since as mine complexes and factories.

It reported serious damage to all sectors of the national economy.

The state-directed economy shrank an estimated 1.1 percent last year due partly to floods in 2006 and the international standoff over the North's nuclear programme, South Korea's central bank reported this month.Relief agencies say this month's floods were the worst for a decade. The clearing and terracing of hillsides to create more cropland is the major reason for the periodic severe flooding.The news agency reported severe damage to power plants and to coal mining, a crucial energy source.It said dozens of substations were submerged and hydro-electric plants destroyed or inundated. Nearly 300 pits were flooded and hundreds of thousands of tons of coal were lost.Some 100 stretches of road or railway line were washed away, and landslides buried rail track in at least 200 places, KCNA reported. More than 100 pumping stations for water or sewage were submerged.

The army and people...are now turning out as one to recover from the damage with persevering will, it reported.On Friday the UN's World Food Programme quoted the North's agriculture ministry as saying floods had hit 437,000 people and damaged more than one-fifth of the rice crop.The WFP has announced an emergency programme to distribute food aid to 215,000 people for three months. Separately, the UN's Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance in New York announced it would launch an appeal for emergency funds of between 15 and 20 million dollars. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has announced an appeal for 5.5 million dollars. And South Korea Friday announced new aid worth almost 40 million dollars to help its neighbour rebuild. It has already begun trucking emergency food and other aid worth 7.5 million dollars across the heavily fortified frontier. The National Defence Commission, chaired by state leader Kim Jong-Il, is supervising relief operations, state media said this week in a sign of the seriousness of the devastation.

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

Bird flu found at German poultry farm AUG 26,07

BERLIN - Tests have found that birds at a poultry farm in southern Germany died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, and some 160,000 birds were being slaughtered as a precaution, authorities said. The virus was detected in ducklings at the farm near Erlangen, in northern Bavaria. A federal lab confirmed that the birds died of the highly pathogenic H5N1 variant, the state consumer protection ministry said Saturday.
More than 400 birds had died over a short period of time at the farm, ministry spokeswoman Sandra Brandt said. Authorities planned to start Saturday evening with the slaughter of the 160,000 birds at the farm.

Several cases of the virus have surfaced among wild birds in Germany this year. Last month, it was detected in a domestic goose in the east of the country.The H5N1 virus has killed more than 190 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.It remains hard for humans to catch, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.

1/3RD OF SHIPS DESTROYED

REVELATION 8:8-9
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Indonesian ship runs aground on Australian beach Thu Aug 23, 4:39 AM ET

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Indonesian naval training ship, with 18 sailors onboard, ran aground on an Australian beach on Thursday after being battered by a severe storm with 100 kmh (62 mph) winds, police said. The three-masted KRI Arung Samudera, which was headed for Sydney to take part in a parade of tall ships at next month's APEC leaders summit, ran aground on Rainbow Beach in Queensland state around 3.00 a.m. (1 p.m. EDT). When dawn broke the crew abandoned ship and waded ashore.One of the sailors, 24-year-old Garmadi, told the local media the crew was forced to scramble from the ship, grabbing whatever they could.It was scary, we just brought what we saw. We got them and we jumped off the ship, Garmadi from the Indonesia city of Surabaya told reporters.

All crew members were reported to be safe, apart from feeling cold and hungry.

Residents spotted the crew walking along the road near the beach and organized a convoy of cars to ferry the sailors to the local police station.When I got up close I realized I didn't know who they were, whether they were boat people or sailors, or what, Christine Foote told reporters.The shaken sailors were being assisted by the Australian Navy with warm food, dry clothes, accommodation and transport.The 35 meter (114 feet) ship, its sails ripped and rudder broken, remained wedged on Rainbow Beach on Thursday night as waves washed its hull.Australian Navy Commander Forbes Peters said the crew apparently threw out two anchors and had two engines running, but could not stop the vessel being swept ashore.Eventually they broke a rudder and broke their centerboard and that's why they washed up on the beach, Peters said.The hull is in tact from what we can tell from the beach and it's a nice flat bottomed vessel so it's sitting proud on the beach and should be okay to tow off, he said.The ship was to join six other tall ships in Sydney on September 2 for the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) leaders summit.

OZONE DEPLETION

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

US Midwest heatwave kills dozens AUG 21,07

Temperatures are set to remain close to 100F (38C) this week. A two-week heatwave in the southern and Midwestern US has resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people, many of whom were elderly, officials have said. On Sunday, temperatures dropped to 94F (34C) in Memphis, Tennessee - the first time in 10 days they did not top 100F.
Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina and Mississippi have also been affected. Meanwhile, at least 13 people died in severe flooding in the nearby states of Oklahoma, Minnesota and Texas. Thunderstorms caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin dropped up to 1ft (30cm) of rain in southern parts of the region, causing rivers to burst their banks and forcing hundreds of people from their homes.

In Caddo County, Oklahoma, three women from the same family were killed when the van in which they were travelling was swept away by rushing water. Another woman drowned near Fort Cobb when she sought shelter from the storms in her cellar. The floods have killed at least six people in Oklahoma, six in Minnesota and one in Texas.

Hotline

Authorities said the heat-related deaths in the neighbouring southern states have involved many people who live in homes with no air-conditioning, or those who have been active outdoors. The latest victims were a 74-year-old asthmatic who died after working in his garden near Memphis on Saturday morning, and a 60-year-old man who was found dead in his home on Friday evening. In response, Shelby County medical examiner Karen Chancellor told local residents with chronic respiratory or heart conditions to take special precautions. The county's mayor, A C Wharton, said he had set up a hotline to help those who needed relief from the heat. It included information on local cooling centres and free fans for the elderly. Mr Wharton said the city's heat index, a measure that factors in humidity to describe how hot the weather feels, had risen above 100F every day since 27 June.

Weather forecasters said the temperature would be around 96F (36C) on Monday and remain close to 100F (38C) for the rest of the week. According to officials, the heatwave has been responsible for 12 deaths in Tennessee, nine in Missouri, eight in Alabama, four in Arkansas, four in Georgia, three in Illinois, two in South Carolina and one in Mississippi. Last summer, a heatwave killed at least 143 people in California.

FAMINE

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

China's ag minister: Drought poses threat to grain harvest AUG 10,07

BEIJING (AP) - A drought that has stricken many parts of China poses a grave threat to grain production, Chinese media reported Friday. Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai urged local officials to find more irrigation sources and help farmers plant hardier crops, such as corn and potatoes, China Daily newspaper reported. Hot and dry weather has affected large swaths of farmland in many parts of China, particularly in the northeast, south and east. More than 7.5 million people and five million livestock have suffered from a lack of drinking water. Drought has hit about 110 million hectares of arable land, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said. Sun said during a tour of Jiangxi province, where 866,000 hectares of crops have been affected, the conditions pose a grave threat to the autumn harvest, China Daily reported.

The drought-stricken areas are key grain production bases, Sun said.

China leads the world in consumption of rice and wheat. In the past, the country has satisfied nearly 100 per cent of its own grain demand for the sake of national security. It was not clear whether the drought would force Beijing to turn to imports. Sun said growing crops like corn and potatoes - commonly used for pig feed - could boost pig farming, which would alleviate a recent shortage of pork, China's staple meat. Pork prices were up 74.6 per cent in June from the same month last year, media have reported. Shortages were caused by farmers' reluctance to raise pigs due to high feed costs and low wholesale prices, as well as an outbreak of blue-ear disease, which has forced the destruction of thousands of pigs.

METEORS HIT THE EARTH

REVELATION 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!

2000-Year-Old Meteors to Rain Down on August 31, 2007 Peter Jenniskens, Ph.D.
Meteor Astronomer, Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute
SPACE.com Thu Aug 23, 10:30 AM ET

The meteors that are about to rain down in the early morning of September 1 date from around 4 A.D., the latest calculations show. It is not often that we can tell when a shooting star was first released from a comet into space, to travel as a meteoroid in an orbit around the Sun, and finally collide with Earth's atmosphere to shine as a meteor for our enjoyment. Most meteors that sporadically flash across the sky on a dark moonless night date from anonymous times. Only in recent years have we learned to trace young meteor showers, just a few revolutions old, to their date of origin. The oldest such shower, but only one revolution old, is due in the early morning of September 1, 2007. Our calculations indicate Earth is about to cross the dust trail of comet Kiess, a comet that takes some 2000 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. The trail is very narrow, so Earth will be hosed by meteoroids for only about an hour and a half. The meteoroids will approach from the direction of the constellation Auriga, the charioteer, in the north-eastern part of the sky, causing a meteor shower called the Aurigids.

If you spot one of those meteors, you may be only the fourth person alive who is known to have seen this meteor shower. In recent times, the shower was spotted in 1994 by two observers and in 1986 by one observer. If you are lucky enough to catch a picture of an Aurigid meteor using your digital camera, you will be the very first to do so. Tips on how to observe meteors and where to report the results can be found at: http://aurigid.seti.org

The shower is visible from only part of the world. If you live in the western parts of the USA, Canada and Mexico, including Hawaii and Alaska, you might spot an Aurigid meteor. Plan to step out around 4 A.M. PDT in the early morning, warmly dressed with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, away from city smog, with the Moon behind an obstruction, and with a wide view on the sky. Gaze up at the sky, waiting, and you may spot one of these elusive bits of matter that Comet Kiess lost 2000 years ago. This is your only chance to see this shower; the dust trail is not going to hit again in our lifetime. It is also our best chance yet to test meteor shower prediction models and look for evidence of the crust that a comet is suspected to build up during the time it spends in the Oort cloud. Comets in shorter orbits have long lost this pristine crust. Jon Giorgini of JPL/Caltech has identified observations of Comet Kiess when it returned in 1911. The orbit is now better determined than before and calculating backwards in time puts the comet near Earth's orbit in 4 A.D., give or take 40 years. It was at that time that the dust was released that we now see as meteors. The dust was ejected in wider orbits than the comet and took somewhat longer to return.

Jeremie Vaubaillon of Caltech calculated where the dust would end up at Earth's orbit on September 1, 2007, if it was ejected in 4 A.D. and he found that, indeed, the dust trail will be in Earth's path. The peak is expected at 11:33 UT, or 4:33 a.m. PDT, give or take 20 minutes. From past Aurigid showers, we anticipate a shower of mostly -2 to +3 magnitude meteors with a peak Zenith Hourly Rate about 200 per hour during a 10-minute interval, with rates above 100 per hour for only 25 minutes. With a bright Moon in the sky, only 4 days past full, that translates to several tens of chances to make a wish on a meteor from around 4 A.D. To increase our chances of catching these rare meteors, we will be observing the shower from two Gulfstream GV aircraft (flying at 45,000 ft) on a parallel flight path from Wisconsin, over the Bay Area in California, and on to the Pacific in the early morning of September 1. An international team of 24 researchers will have 21 windows to aim their cameras through. The cameras are of different types, some similar to your own digital camera and camcorder, others using technologies more familiar to cameras used on astronomical telescopes or those in night vision goggles. Near the horizon, we hope to see many more meteors than will be visible from the ground, but each of us will be glad if the shower actually shows.

You can participate in this research by making an effort to photograph or film the Aurigid meteors. Chances are that one of you, not us, will catch the brightest Aurigid out there. Even simple cameras can provide information about how the meteoroids break apart, as each image is composed of three different images: one in blue light, another in green, and one in red. Each color traces different aspects of the meteor's light. More information at our Aurigid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign mission website: http://aurigid.seti.org

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
August 23, 2007

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

Each year, The Fellowship’s Annual Report provides an opportunity for us to show you, our partner, how your generous heart is helping to provide a better future for Israel and the Jewish people. Our 2006 Annual Report is now available for viewing or download. And I’m proud to say that it shows, more than ever, your commitment to providing for Israel’s peace and security, as well as the needs of Israel’s people and Jewish people around the world. 2006 was truly an extraordinary year. When rockets fired by Hezbollah terrorists began falling on northern Israel in the summer, Fellowship staff responded within hours, traveling to the area to assess the needs of the citizens and committing im mediate funds to provide critical protection, relief and rebuilding efforts through our Guardians of Israel program. We were able to do so without hesitation, knowing that Fellowship supporters would rally to Israel’s side – and, of course, that is exactly what happened.

While the Second Lebanon War and our efforts to help those affected by it figured most prominently in 2006, it was by no means the year’s only story. In addition to our war relief efforts, Guardians of Israel continued its day-to-day work providing basic needs – food, clothing, and shelter – for poor children, families and elderly people throughout Israel. Your gifts to Guardians also helped supply hospital and emergency room beds and equipment, medical and dental care, transportation to and from hospitals and doctor visits, and so much more.Meanwhile, our On Wings of Eagles program continued its prophetic work, helping thousands of Jews make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12), and assisting them with the challenging process of resettlement in their biblical homeland. Our Isaiah 58 outreach provided for the needs of tens of thousands of elderly Jews and desperate Jewish orphans and street children in the former Soviet Union, improving their living conditions and supplying them with many of life’s basic necessities. And it was our privilege and honor to Stand for Israel throughout 2006, as our fourth annual International Day of Prayer and Solidarity with Israel once again united millions of Christians worldwide in prayer for the Jewish state.

The entire story of the year’s successes is contained in The Fellowship’s 2006 Annual Report. In it, you’ll find stories of some of the people we helped, in-depth reports on each of our programs, a concise financial statement, news about our newly-launched Latin America initiative and more. I strongly encourage all of our faithful Fellowship partners to read it and take pride in our achievements. As you do, I hope you’ll remember that, while The Fellowship is blessed with a talented and dedicated staff, ultimately our success is due to God’s faithfulness – and yours. For your willingness to provide generously for Israel and the Jewish people, please accept our heartfelt thanks, and the thanks of the Israeli people. May you be blessed, even as you have blessed God’s children.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

Canadian activist opposes tri-nation Security and Prosperity Partnership
Chad Groening - OneNewsNow.com - August 24, 2007

A Canadian pro-family activist is joining the chorus of concerned citizens in the U.S. a controversial compact that many believe could erode the sovereignty of both nations.Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition, says he watched intently as two North American leaders -- President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon -- came to Canada earlier this week to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America.Supporters say the SPP is designed to harmonize the three countries in the areas of health, security, and commerce. But Rushfeldt believes it will benefit neither Canada or the U.S.

I do think that it's a sellout for both the United States and Canada, Rushfeldt offers. I think the winner in all of this is going to be Mexico. And considering the problems that both the U.S. and Canada are having with illegal immigrants, he adds, I am concerned that we are giving away too much of our countries.Rushfeldt is also disappointed with Prime Minister Harper. Our conservative prime minister is at least not being clear yet on how far Canada wants to go down that road. I know that we certainly have a lot of Canadians who don't want to go down that road at all, he states.The pro-family activist says he is convinced that the social values of Canada will be eroded if it aligns itself with a country that clearly does not hold up those same social values. That is why he is opposed to Canada becoming part of a North American Union.American Family News Network.

ISRAELS TROUBLE

JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.

DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)

U.N. force stays 1 more year in Lebanon By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer Fri Aug 24, 7:15 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to keep peacekeepers in Lebanon for another 12 months, recognition that the country remains unstable more than a year after Israel's war with Hezbollah. The force was deployed after the war to help Lebanese troops extend their authority into the south for the first time in decades, and create a buffer zone free of Hezbollah fighters.The resolution says the 13,600-strong U.N. force known as UNIFIL has helped 15,000 Lebanese troops establish a new strategic environment along Lebanon's southern border with Israel, although more needs to be done to clear the area of unauthorized fighters and weapons. It did not elaborate on either point.France's deputy U.N. ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix, whose country sponsored the resolution, said the resolution sends a message that there is still a lot to do to achieve lasting stabilization in Lebanon.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff expressed deep concern about illegal weapons transfers across the Syrian-Lebanese border, saying a June 24 bomb that killed six Spanish UNIFIL soldiers and a June 17 rocket attack against Israel demonstrate the need for all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to be disbanded and disarmed.Peace will never be secured until this call is met, he said, urging Iran and Syria to honor an arms embargo.Syria and Iran have denied moving weapons into Lebanon, and Russia and South Africa objected to the U.S. raising what they called an unrelated issue. Lebanon's U.N. envoy chose not to speak to the council or to reporters.

Israel's U.N. ambassador, Dan Gillerman, welcomed Friday's resolution but expressed concern that major elements in the separate resolution that ended the war last year remain unresolved: the fate of two Israeli soldiers whose kidnapping sparked the conflict, and the continuing flow of arms and presence of Hezbollah fighters in the south.The Security Council expressed grave concern this month at reports of arms smuggling to Lebanon, but dropped a direct call to Syria and Iran to enforce a U.N. arms embargo. Instead, a council statement underscored the obligation of all countries, in particular in the region, to ensure that the embargo is not violated.

Friday's resolution calls on Israel and Lebanon to respect the cessation of hostilities agreed to in the resolution that ended the 34-day war, and the U.N.-drawn Blue Line boundary between the two countries. It said there was a need for greater progress to achieve a permanent cease-fire and a long-term solution to the conflict.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).

MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Pakistan test fires new cruise missile
08.26.07, 5:42 AM ET

ISLAMABAD (Thomson Financial) - Pakistan on Saturday successfully test fired a new air-launched cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the military said in a statement.The locally developed Ra'ad (Hatf-8) missile has a range of 350 kilometers and uses stealth design and materials, it said.The missile has been designed exclusively for launch from a variety of Pakistan's air platforms, providing these with a strategic stand-off capability on land and at sea, it said.
The Ra'ad can carry all types of warheads and has an accuracy comparable to Pakistan's longer Babur cruise missile,' the statement said. Pakistan last test fired the Babur, which has a 700-kilometer range, in July.afp/ms - ms
AFX News Limited 2007.