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 restored to hundreds, thousands still in the dark in P.E.I. JAN 31,08 By The Canadian Press
CHARLOTTETOWN - Sunny skies are helping repair crews working to restore power to thousands of customers in Prince Edward Island.
Maritime Electric spokeswoman Kim Griffin says 21,000 customers are still without electricity in the central and western parts of the Island following an ice storm earlier this week - the hardest hit pockets remain in communities such as Hunter River, New Annan and St. Eleanors. Thirty-seven crews, including some from neighbouring New Brunswick are currently on the job, while a helicopter is in the air looking for further damage to the power grid. There were concerns that high winds forecast for Wednesday would wreak more havoc, but Griffin says lower than expected gusts appear to have caused no further damage. Griffin says power has been restored Thursday for less than 3,000 customers. She says while crews are making progress it's more realistic to think the restoration work will last into the weekend, as long as the good weather holds up.
Rare snowstorm hits the Middle East, closing schools and delighting children Wed Jan 30, 12:42 PM By Ian Deitch, The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - A rare snowstorm swept the Middle East on Wednesday, blanketing parts of the Holy Land in white, shutting schools and sending excited children into the streets for snowball fights. The weather in Jerusalem topped local newscasts, eclipsing a government report on Israel's 2006 war in Lebanon. Jerusalem's Old City was coated in white. A few ultra-Orthodox Jews, wearing plastic bags over their hats to keep them dry, prayed at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site. Snow falls in Jerusalem once or twice each winter, but temperatures rarely drop low enough for it to stick.
But this time the Israeli weather service said up to 20 centimetres of snow fell in the city. By late morning, the snow changed to rain, turning the city into a slushy mess. But forecasters says temperatures are expected to drop, and the snow would continue through Thursday morning. I'm originally from Gaza where snow never falls, said Bothaina Smairi, 28, who was out in Ramallah, on the West Bank, taking photographs. The white snow is covering the old world and I feel like I am in a new world where everything is white, clean, and beautiful.Heavy snow also was reported in the Golan Heights and the northern Israeli town of Safed, and throughout the West Bank. In Ramallah, residents were surprised to see snow when they awoke. For some, it was their first time. I am just astonished with the snow. When I saw the snow this morning, I felt happy, my heart was laughing, said Mary Zabaro, 17.
In Amman, where a foot of snow fell, children used inflatable tubes as sleds. Some roads were temporarily closed. Snow covered most mountain villages and blocked roads in Lebanon. The storm disrupted power supplies in most Lebanese towns and villages, exacerbating existing power cuts. Parts of the Beirut-Damascus highway were closed. Temperatures in Syria dipped below freezing and snow blanketed the hills overlooking the capital, Damascus.
Thu, January 31, 2008 Major storm takes aim at GTAEnvironment Canada issues winter storm watch By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Weather conditions across Ontario are relatively calm but cold this morning, but it will be a different story starting overnight. Environment Canada says heavy snowfall is on the way and has issued a winter storm watch for most of southern Ontario. The snow is expected to begin in southwestern areas overnight and dump up to 20 centimetres in many areas as the system crawls east. In most of northern Ontario, a wind-chill warning is in effect as the wind makes it feel like minus-40 in many areas. Meanwhile, Hydro One hopes to have full power restored today in areas blacked out by powerful winds on Wednesday. Some 90,000 customers were blacked out at one point due to power lines brought down by wind, which also caused blinding whiteouts and numerous highway closures.
GTA Braces For Huge Snowfall In What's Expected To Be Worst Storm Of The Winter Thursday January 31, 2008 CityNews.ca Staff
Every winter, there's at least one storm that you know you'll be talking about for years to come. If what forecasters are saying about a Colorado low that's heading toward the GTA, this could be the one. Environment Canada has issued a winter storm watch for much of the province, and with good reason. This disturbance is long, filled with moisture and promises to roar through most of southern and central Ontario at an alarming rate, dropping as much as 20 centimetres of snow on us in just over 24 hours. And if temperatures fluctuate, that total could reach 30.The front is moving faster than first thought and is now expected to hit the western parts of Ontario just after midnight Friday. That means it could reach the Toronto area by about 4am, first in the form of light snow. Those flakes will intensify during the morning drive in, making for a slippery and potentially dangerous commute. And it will be even worse as you head home.
A lot depends on how it tracks and what the thermometer does. Highs are expected to hit 1C, with a low of just -2C. And that may be the key to our accumulation amounts. If the mercury ends up near the freezing mark, some of the precipitation could turn to ice pellets or freezing rain as it intensifies near the noon hour. By the time you leave the office, it's expected to turn back to snow - and it could be heavy at times.Anywhere from 5-20 centimetres or more could be on the ground by early Saturday morning, after which the massive low will move off to the east, creating headaches for the rest of the province and beyond. Winds are expected to add to the misery, gusting as high as 50 kilometres an hour at times, blowing much of it around and creating the potential for white-out conditions. The city is prepared for the onslaught, readying its 200 salters, 600 road plows and 300 sidewalk cleaners. All 1,700 of the city's staff are on standby and all of them will be working at some point during the winter howler. Even if the snow totals aren't certain, this is - roads will be slippery and dangerous during all this and police are already pleading with commuters to drive according to the conditions, leave early or stay home if possible.
The last few storms haven't been anywhere near as severe as this one threatens to be but there was still terrible carnage on the highways, including massive pile-ups and more than 500 accidents in white-outs on the 401 in less than 24 hours. That was just over a week ago and cops are hopeful it won't happen again. You'll be shoveling out from the massive mess on the weekend, but at least you'll have the calm after the storm to do it. Saturday should dawn with mostly cloudy conditions, but the only major snow you're likely to see that day is on your driveway. And keep that equipment handy. While it won't be anything like Friday's big blow, the long range forecast calls for more snow every day from Sunday at least through to Wednesday of next week. Breakfast Television will be on the air 30 minutes earlier than normal on Friday morning, starting at 5:30am, to keep you informed of what's happening on the roads and any school or bus cancellations.
Frigid winds whip into the Northeast By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer JAN 31,08
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Lake Erie surged over its eastern shore Wednesday, adding flooding to the headaches delivered by a windy storm that tipped tractor-trailers, disrupted flights, and toppled trees and power lines across a wide swath of the nation. Arctic air roared into New York before dawn, sending Tuesday's springlike temperatures plummeting. Buffalo went from 53 degrees at 3 a.m. Wednesday to 15 degrees by noon. Classes were canceled at most area schools.High winds were suspected of collapsing a scaffold at a Brooklyn building that killed a construction worker and seriously injured another Wednesday morning.In northern Ohio, a train traveling in high winds derailed on a bridge over Sandusky Bay around 4 a.m., sending about 10 freight cars into the water, said Ottawa County Sheriff Robert Bratton. No injuries were reported.
Authorities on Tuesday rescued five people camping in a van near Elkton, Ore., the Douglas County sheriff's office said. They had planned to leave Sunday but were trapped by snow. With supplies dwindling, one man hiked to find cell phone service and to contact relatives in Tacoma, Wash., who then notified authorities.In Washington state, an avalanche trapped two cars and forced the closure of the westbound lane of snowy Interstate 90, the state's main east-west thoroughfare, at Snoqualmie Pass. No one was injured in the avalanche, which occurred just hours after the road was reopened following its longest weather closure since 2002.The National Weather Service in Buffalo reported sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph, with a gust of 68 mph. Gusts of 46 mph were reported at LaGuardia Airport and close to 50 mph at Kennedy Airport.Several inches of icy water covered some roads in Buffalo's Old First Ward neighborhood after Lake Erie suddenly rose 10 1/2 feet around 6 a.m. and left behind chunks of ice as it receded through the morning.
Lake Erie is so shallow that when you get a wind shift of such magnitude ... it's almost like in a bathtub when you get the water moving back and forth, Weather Service meteorologist Joseph Pace explained.At least two tractor-trailers blew over on the New York State Thruway in western New York. Accidents led the state police to temporarily close a 60-mile stretch of the highway between Buffalo and Rochester.A 25-vehicle pileup on Interstate 81 south of Watertown during whiteout conditions forced the closure of the southbound lane.Utilities worked to restore power to thousands of customers from Illinois to New York and West Virginia.In Chicago, rush-hour commuters scurried to work through the bitter cold.I'm actually looking forward to work, said Tom Gilmartin.A 74-year-old man whose truck ran into a ditch was found frozen on a neighbor's porch Wednesday, just short of the doorbell, said police in Kankakee County, Ill.Two major highways in southern Minnesota reopened early Wednesday as wind died down and snow stopped falling, but the state remained in a deep freeze, with the temperature dipping to minus 27 in the northeast.As the sometimes unpredictable storm barreled eastward Tuesday, tornadoes or reports of tornadoes surfaced in several communities.A twister hopscotched through Louisville, Ky., on Tuesday night, tearing the roofs from several buildings and toppling trees and power lines. Joe Sullivan, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said tornadoes touched down three times in the metro area. In Indiana, severe thunderstorms packing wind gusts of 80 mph killed three people in mobile homes and a fourth who died in a car crash, authorities said. Firefighters pulled the bodies of an elderly woman and her daughter from a mobile home flipped over by the wind Tuesday night near Poseyville in southwestern Indiana.
The weather week began with heavy snow pummeling mountain areas from Washington state to northern Arizona as two storms converged, one from California and another from the Gulf of Alaska, meteorologists said. Another storm soon followed. A fourth was on the way to the interior West. By Thursday, the next storm will be right on our doorstep. This is quite a storm system, said Jay Breidenbach of the Weather Service office in Boise, Idaho. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Amy Westfeldt in New York City; P. Solomon Banda in Denver; Ryan Lenz in Poseyville, Ind.; and Sophia Tareen and Michael Tarm in Chicago.
On the Net: Weather Service warnings: http://www.weather.gov/view/nationalwarnings.php
Tempers flare amid China holiday rail havoc By John Ruwitch
JAN 31,08
GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Chinese crammed into a railway station in Guangzhou on Thursday, desperate to get home for a major holiday after days of delay caused by snow and showing signs of losing their patience. Tempers flared as families and migrant workers surged into the station two days after being told they would have to stay in the southern metropolis for the Lunar New Year holiday. For millions, this is their only chance to see family all year.How do you expect us to get up there? What arrangements are in place? Lai Lihua, a textile worker from the Guangxi region, adjoining Guangdong province, yelled at a policeman.
The officer could only repeat that people must wait until they could reach the platforms and board trains.I have less information than you do, he said.China's battle against brutal winter weather has spurred a propaganda push to try to comfort millions of cold, stranded and dismayed citizens, as more winter storms threatened many areas.Snow, sleet and ice blanketing much of central, eastern and southern China have killed dozens, cut power and hobbled transport ahead of the holiday, which starts on Wednesday.As the Communist Party government seeks to clear the transport chaos and ship food and coal to stricken areas, it has launched an intense media campaign to reassure citizens it can handle the hardships and prevent dismay from turning into unrest.After 30 years of reform and opening up, we've accumulated a strong material foundation and as long as we're vigorously organized, we will be fully able to vanquish the current hardship, Premier Wen Jiabao told officials in Guangzhou.Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao echoed Wen.This natural disaster is historically unprecedented and we are also encountering unprecedented difficulties, but we believe that under the government's leadership and with the common efforts of the people and the cooperation of the People's Liberation Army in affected areas recovery work can proceed effectively and smoothly and regular livelihoods can resume at an early date.
TOP-DOWN RULE
For Party leaders, battling the natural disasters that regularly befall the vast, poor country is a chance to reinforce the need for top-down rule. Floods in 1998 and other calamities provided opportunities for similar propaganda drives.When one place suffers misfortune, aid comes from all directions, said the official People's Daily. That is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation and even more it is a vivid portrait of the superiority of the socialist system.More than 60 people have died, including 25 on Tuesday in a bus crash on an icy mountain road. The snow had lasted 19 days in the central province of Hubei, almost the worst in a century, the Xinhua news agency said.The state-run China Daily praised an outpouring of philanthropy to help those in need, but warned profiteers they could expect no mercy. Seven food vendors at Guangzhou station had been accused of profiteering by raising prices.These despicable economic creatures should be put to shame before the fine citizenship the overwhelming majority has demonstrated, the newspaper said in an editorial.Wen visited stranded travelers in central China and then in Guangzhou. State television showed him repeatedly apologizing for the disruption and comforting citizens.
UPLIFTING SONG
State television has described the hardships but stressed stories of tireless railway workers, police and officials and the six electricity workers who died while repairing power lines. Live updates on relief efforts have featured an uplifting song. We all belong to one family, a loving family, it goes. There were minor scuffles among people pouring towards Guangzhou station after spending the night in halls and other temporary shelters. Some threw plastic water bottles at police. But 200,000 passengers were expected to get away on Thursday, media reported, as power was restored to electric trains upline. Trucks stuck on icy highways are also beginning to move. All the country's main airports were open, the civil aviation regulator said, but the national weather forecaster said snow and sleet would continue to hit parts of central, eastern and southern provinces over the next 10 days.
(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley, Ben Blanchard, Guo Shipeng and Lindsay Beck; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Roger Crabb)
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).
THIS MAKES 3 COUNTRIES IN THE EU TO ADOPT THE NEW LISBON TREATY THAT SEES THE FIRST EVER PRESIDENT OF THE EU.
Slovenia and Malta ratify EU treaty
30.01.2008 - 07:38 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Slovenia and Malta have approved the new EU Lisbon treaty by a large majority, but in Slovakia the treaty vote has become tangled up in a dispute over a separate law.Early Tuesday evening (29 January), the two-million strong Slovenia, currently chairing the 27-strong union became the second member state to ratify the new EU treaty in its national parliament, following Hungary which adopted it in late December.Out of 90 MPs, 74 voted for the treaty and only 6 members of a small right-wing Slovene National Party voted against after previously tabling a proposal for a referendum on the issue, rejected by other parliamentarians. In his speech to the parliament ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Janez Jansa openly suggested that MPs were voting on the same content as was in the original European Constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
He said that thanks to the new Lisbon treaty, the constitution's ratification by 17 other member states was not in vain, Slovenian media reported.Mr Jansa also said he expected at least 20 of the 27 EU member states to ratify the treaty by the end of June and others to do so by the end of the year, stressing that one of Slovenia's jobs as EU presidency country was to carefully monitor ratification procedures.
Malta
A little while later on Tuesday, Malta became the third country to give the go-ahead to the document, with its parliament voting unanimously to approve a motion of ratification put by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. Both government and opposition parties supported the treaty, partly due to it giving the tiny Mediterranean island of less than half a million inhabitants an extra seat in the European Parliament.I find it particularly symbolic that each of the first three countries to approve the new Treaty are member states that joined the European Union in 2004, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said in reaction to votes.He added, This shows that enlargement is an inspiration and impetus for the future development of European integration.
Slovakia's parliamentary battle
Meanwhile, in Slovakia, a vote on ratification is scheduled for early today (30 January), following a heated confrontation between the ruling coalition parties, led by centre-left Prime Minister Robert Fico and the centre-right opposition on Tuesday.Slovakia previously ratified the European Constitution by a huge majority. At the time, the centre-right parties were in government and most of them - apart from the Christian Democrats - also support the Lisbon Treaty.However, centre-right MPs are planning to leave the chamber during the ratification vote in protest of a press bill introduced by the government and due to be adopted at first reading as part of the same parliamentary session.The bill has received strong criticism from both national media experts and the Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for being too restrictive but the ruling coalition has enough votes in Slovakia's House to push it through.However, for ratification of the EU treaty, the government is short of five votes as its approval requires support by two thirds of parliamentarians. If it goes ahead with the vote today, the treaty vote could fall short of the majority needed.Refusing to comment directly on the internal struggles in Slovakia, Mr Barroso reacted that he hoped the country would ratify the Lisbon Treaty, preferably the sooner the better, of course.2008 EUobserver
Slovenia and Malta ratify EU treaty
Published: Wednesday 30 January 2008
Slovenia and Malta have become the latest countries to ratify the new EU Treaty agreed upon by EU leaders in December last year.The two countries ratified the Treaty of Lisbon via their national parliaments yesterday (29 January), joining Hungary on the list of member states to have approved the text so far. All three have done so by parliamentary vote. Slovenia's early approval of the treaty is seen as particularly significant given that the country of two million inhabitants currently holds the EU's rotating Council presidency. A large majority of parliamentarians supported the text, with 74 voting in its favour and just six against.
Congratulating Slovenia, Commission President José Manuel Barroso described the vote as an expression of Slovenian support for a more effective, democratic, transparent and stronger European Union. He added that it was an encouraging and positive signal that the holder of the EU presidency was among the first countries to approve the text. UK Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff, ALDE spokesman on constitutional affairs, said Slovenia's overwhelming vote of support gave a clear lead to other parliaments, and stated that the country's contribution to the momentum of the EU put to shame older and richer member states which show less confidence.
Meanwhile, Maltese MPs unanimously approved a motion to ratify the treaty put forward by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, with government and opposition parties united in support of the text largely due to its provision of an extra MEP for the island. Offering his congratulations, President Barroso particularly welcomed the unanimous agreement reached in Malta. Describing enlargement as an inspiration for future European integration, he said it was particularly symbolic that the first three states to ratify the treaty only joined the EU in 2004. The vast majority of EU members are expected to opt to ratify the new treaty via national parliaments. Hungary became the first EU member to ratify the new treaty following an overwhelmingly successful parliamentary vote on 17 December 2007.Due to constitutional obligations, Ireland is currently the only country heading for a referendum on the text, with the popular vote expected to take place in June this year. However, pressure on the UK government to put the new treaty to a referendum has been growing ever since it was signed by EU leaders in Lisbon at the end of 2007.
Internal row in Slovakia threatens EU treaty
31.01.2008 - 09:27 CET | By Renata Goldirova
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European Parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering has called on Slovakia to act responsibly, as the country locked in internal bickering is heading for a crucial vote on the EU's hard-fought Lisbon Treaty on Thursday evening. I call on all respective politicians in Slovakia to realise their enormous political responsibility, Mr Poettering said at the beginning of the parliament's plenary session on Wednesday (30 January).A similar message came from the parliament's two leading groups, the Conservatives and the Socialists.I totally reject the idea of making the Lisbon Treaty dependent on some national law. If all the countries do it, we would never have any progress in Europe, the Socialists' vice-chairman Hannes Swoboda said, describing the current deadlock in Slovakia as negative and un-European.
The EU's treaty has been held captive by the Slovak centre-right opposition since Monday (28 January). Even though an overwhelming majority backs the document, they are refusing to vote in favour of the treaty unless the government redrafts a separate media bill.
They say the proposed law will curb press freedom - an argument backed up by Europe's democracy watchdog, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.Wednesday saw a series of negotiations between the two camps, with the country's president also taking a part. However, no compromise has been reached and all three opposition parties are still set to walk out from the chamber if the treaty is put to the vote.The vote is scheduled for 5pm CET on Thursday (31 January). Without at least five votes from the opposition, Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition government will not have the constitutional majority required for the treaty to be passed in the parliament.Earlier this week, a European Commission spokesperson said it was not up to Brussels to say what issues may or may not be raised during the debate, but he added that the EU's executive hoped the debate would focus on European issues.
The EU's Lisbon Treaty, formally signed on 13 December in Portugal's capital, must be ratified by all EU states in order to enter into force on 1 January 2009. It marks the end of six-year long wrangle to reform the bloc's institutions. So far, Hungary, Slovenia and Malta have approved the document. 2008 EUobserver.
Denmark Sees EU Treaty Ratification by EasterRasmussen said the referendum date will depend on negotiations between political parties. JAN 30,08
Reuters photo archive Denmark's parliament is expected to ratify the European Union's reform treaty by Easter, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday. Rasmussen also said he wanted to hold a referendum on EU opt-outs, or exemptions from agreed common EU policies, during this parliamentary term, which can last up to late 2011.Denmark has opt-outs from EU defence, justice, home affairs policies and the euro single currency. Rasmussen, who says he wants to abolish the opt-outs, said the referendum date will depend on negotiations between political parties.We have decided to ratify by a parliamentary process... and I expect the Danish parliament to finalise the ratification procedure before Easter, Rasmussen told reporters during his two-day visit to EU president Slovenia.But clearly it's my view that the opt-outs are not to the benefit of Danish interests... and this is the reason why it's my clear political goal to abolish the Danish opt-outs.On Tuesday, Slovenia became the second EU member, after Hungary, to ratify the treaty that replaces a more ambitious EU constitution, abandoned after French and Dutch voters rejected it in 2005.The treaty will allow more decisions to be taken by majority voting, notably on justice and security issues, and give more say to the European and national parliaments. It is expected to give the EU stronger leadership and a more effective foreign policy.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Tuesday he expected all 27 EU member to ratify the treaty by the end of this year so that it could take effect before elections for the European Parliament in mid-2009.Only Ireland is certain to hold a referendum on the treaty as it is constitutionally obliged to do so. Other countries will ask their parliaments to ratify the charter.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (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.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: 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 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Shaping EU security and defense Image: European Community
As the EU discusses streamlining security and defense policy, observers expect major changes to be preceded by jockeying for position with in the Commission and the Council.By Brooks Tigner in Brussels for ISN Security Watch (28/01/08)
Whether it is called civil security, societal security or US-style homeland security, the EU's say over this policy area is growing, and is set to get much bigger in the coming years.Not surprisingly, the number of EU actors, institutions and decision-makers in civil security has proliferated - spread across the breadth of the bloc's institutional map. Nowhere has the proliferation been more obvious than within the European Commission, where civil security policy issues now cut across many of its directorates-general (DGs).
The discussion now is whether this cumbersome structure should be streamlined to make it easier for governments, industry and NGOs to deal with EU authorities and thus help shape civil security policy and objectives for Europe.According to insiders here, who point to an inevitable widening of the EU's influence and decision-making in this domain due to several factors, streamlining is a must.First, constitutional reforms agreed by the bloc's 27 member states via the December Lisbon Treaty will shift responsibility for a very broad range of justice and home affairs decisions up to EU-level in two significant ways.To begin with, approval of most EU justice and home affairs (JHA) decisions within the Council of Ministers, which directly represents the 27 national governments, will move from its current unanimity base to majority vote.In addition, the European Parliament will be yoked to the Council as its partner in co-deciding JHA legislation.
This latter change comprises a very sizeable portion of the EU's civil security agenda: border patrol and immigration issues, judicial and police operations, critical infrastructure protection, visa and passport procedures, counterterrorism efforts and the fight against organized crime.A second factor is that the EU's civil security also comprises market and research policies. This is evident in the European Commission's intention to spend €1.4 billion (US$20 billion) during 2007-2013 to support development of security research and technology projects. Though officially focused on civil applications, many of these projects will draw on existing or previously developed military technologies - particularly in the fields of surveillance, detection and advanced command-and-control networks. This will add to policy complexity in the future.Indeed, the potential dual-use application of these technologies leads to the third factor: the unprecedented coordination in the last two years between the Commission and the EU's European Defence Agenda to support complementary research and technology efforts.The two partners coordinate with a host of other institutional players interested in the applications of security technology such as Frontex, the EU's border management agency in Warsaw; the Commission's Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy; the EU Military Staff; the Union's maritime safety agency and its satellite center.All these entities are working together, even if indirectly, to lay the foundations for the development of a future dual-use civil-military security market in Europe based on pan-EU interoperable standards. This means that EU industrial policy - by tradition strictly civil - will grow more complex as well as it expands into the defense arena, though few EU or national officials are willing to admit that on the record.
The art of streamlining
The key to a successful streamlining of efforts, say seasoned observers in Brussels, is to start with the most feasible reform.
While the number of EU entities is not going to fall any time soon (indeed, once an agency is born, it's nearly impossible to kill), insiders say there is one institution that is a ripe candidate for compressive change: the European Commission.The Commission's various DGs determine all aspects of civil security policy, from research and industrial decisions to consumer health to maritime safety to judicial affairs. In all, more than a dozen of its 23 DGs have some say in civil security policy.This is not necessarily a bad thing. But it risks growing unwieldy in view of the Lisbon Treaty's accelerating effect on legislation and because civil security embraces an immense array of economic sectors and public and private stakeholders. All will need to interact with the Commission in a coherent way.There are some here who say we need a DHS [US Department of Homeland Security] style focus within the EU, where one agency, or at least one policy unit within the Commission, has responsibility for coordinating all the others' work on civil security issues, one industry executive who has close contacts with EU civil security officials told ISN Security Watch.
There are a number of ideas circulating these days, including the notion of a single interface within the Commission for the outside world regarding civil security. It would make sense, wouldn't it?
Reforming the European Commission's institutional structure for security policy would mean either reducing the number of DGs directly involved in policymaking or designating a single DG to have overall responsibility.
Winds of change
The idea is not as far-fetched as it might seem. For example, two of the Lisbon Treaty's envisioned changes would support such an overhaul.First, it will reduce the number of Commissioners from today's 27 posts to only 15 by 2014. Second, and perhaps more important, the treaty lifts the importance of security - both in terms of civil security and defense - to a much higher level within the EU.The Lisbon document will expand the role of the Council's High Representative for foreign affairs and security/defense policy by giving the future holder of that post two institutional hats to wear: permanent super-minister when national foreign ministers meet within the Council (versus his renewable advisory role today) and vice-president of the European Commission for external affairs.In other words, the bloc's future high representative will have one security foot planted firmly in the EU branch that proposes policy (the Commission) and the other planted in the main EU branch that approves it (the Council).This will create a legal bridge with deep implications for security policymaking in the future, according to EU officials and diplomats. The first changes could come as early as 2009 when the next five-year college of Commissioners takes office.
Once the super-minister for foreign affairs is created in 2009 or whenever, then my bet is we'll see him having a deputy whose portfolio will be security and defense, said the industry executive.
This would lead the Commission toward creating a security DG, or at least an important 'sub-DG' responsible for security and maybe even for certain aspects of defense policy.Other winds are blowing in the direction of a stronger EU civil security policy, too.The French government, which takes over the EU's rotating six-month presidency in July, is preparing a national white paper on security and defense to be ready sometime this spring. But, as a French diplomat recently told ISN Security Watch: We would like to see this be the starting point for a new European security strategy.
Lastly, European Commission President Manuel Barroso has been dropping hints in recent months about ways to achieve a more comprehensive EU approach to security. If he can line up the cards before the next Commission takes office in 2009 - and particularly if Barroso himself is reappointed as president, then this will open the door to all kinds of possibilities, one Commission official confided to ISN Security Watch.Civil security and defense research could fuse, or we could use the EEAS [the Commission's forthcoming European External Action Services network of diplomatic representations across the globe] to directly tackle security in areas such as non-proliferation and border control, observed the official.Currently, the Commission's involvement in these softer security areas is of the off-stage variety, characterized by the provision of indirect support via the Council or international bodies such as the UN.Even if the institutional changes are less dramatic than the above scenarios, few doubt there will be upheavals in the way the EU hammers out security and defense policy in the future.The actual shifts may not happen in 2009 - experience suggests they probably won't - but the jockeying for position within the Commission and the Council will prefigure that, starting later this year.
Based in Brussels, Brooks Tigner has reported on European and trans-Atlantic security and defense issues since 1992, with particular emphasis on NATO and the EU's rapidly evolving military and homeland security policies. He is a regular contributor to the UK publications Jane's Defence Weekly and International Defence Review. Tigner is also editor of Security Europe, a new monthly newsletter focused on European civil security policy, technology and business.
European Parliament: question on US missile defence system
Strasbourg, France - By many members (WAPA) - Oral question with debate O-0008/08 JAN 30,08
pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure
by Stephen Hughes, Caroline Lucas, Francis Wurtz, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Glyn Ford, Michel Rocard, Lilli Gruber, Jo Leinen, Robert Evans, Proinsias De Rossa, Marianne Mikko, Adam Gierek, Thijs Berman, Andrzej Jan Szejna, Elisa Ferreira, John Attard-Montalto, Ana Maria Gomes, Catherine Trautmann, David Martin, Claude Moraes, Kader Arif, Glenys Kinnock, Richard Corbett, Helmut Kuhne, Zita Gurmai, Harlem Désir, Johan Van Hecke, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Fiona Hall, Elizabeth Lynne, Monica Frassoni, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Angelika Beer, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Alyn Smith, Bart Staes, Carl Schlyter, Joost Lagendijk, Jean Lambert, Jill Evans, Eva Lichtenberger, Margrete Auken, Alain Lipietz, Pierre Jonckheer, Marie Anne Isler Béguin, Johannes Voggenhuber, David Hammerstein, Hiltrud Breyer, Sepp Kusstatscher, Elly de Groen-Kouwenhoven, Hélène Flautre, Frithjof Schmidt, Cem Özdemir, Marie-Hélène Aubert, Jean-Luc Bennahmias, Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg, Gérard Onesta, Tobias Pflüger, Daniel Strož, Jaromír Kohlíček, André Brie, Sahra Wagenknecht, Gabriele Zimmer, Miloslav Ransdorf, Erik Meijer, Søren Bo Søndergaard, Giusto Catania, Luisa Morgantini, Vittorio Agnoletto, Roberto Musacchio, Helmuth Markov, Eva-Britt Svensson, Umberto Guidoni, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vincenzo Aita, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, Willy Meyer Pleite, Jens Holm, Jiří Maštálka, Adamos Adamou, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Vladimír Remek and Věra Flasarová to the Council
Subject: US missile defence system
The Governments of Poland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom are in negotiations with the United States over deployment of elements for a US anti-ballistic missile shield. Security threats from Iran have been advanced by the US as the main reason to justify the plans. According to the US, the defence system is intended to protect Europe as well as the United States against missile attacks, and the decision for its deployment bears important consequences for all members of the European Union and its neighbours. The recent assessment by the United States intelligence agencies - the National Intelligence Estimate - on Iran's nuclear intentions and capacities comes to the conclusion that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and that it has not restarted it as of mid-2007. The agencies further state that 'Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005.' In consequence, the main argument in favour of the missile shield has faltered. The new Polish Government announced this week that the benefits and risks of the system have to be discussed fully before a decision is made.
Have the new US security estimates and their consequences for the missile defence system been discussed in Council meetings? Is the Council being consulted and kept informed about the ongoing bilateral negotiations between the US and the concerned governments? Is the planned anti-missile system compatible with the goals of the European Security Strategy and does the Council believe it to be the right answer to counter international terrorism? Does the Council see a relevance of the missile defence plans for EU relations with its neighbours, notably Russia? Does the Council share the concern of many observers that the planned missile defence will contribute to a renewed technological arms race (for example, Russia's recent decision to deploy short-range missiles at the Belarus border with Poland)?. (Avionews)
(006) 080130133823-1085208 (World Aeronautical Press Agency - 2008-01-30 01:38 pm)
EU announces Palestinian aid package Jan. 28, 2008 at 1:05 PM
BRUSSELS, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The European Commission announced the launch of a socio-economic aid package channeling international funds to the building of a Palestinian state.The European Commission said in a statement Monday that the three-year program, called PEGASE, launches Feb.1 with the objective of funneling aid donations to four key areas: governance, social development, economic and private sector development, and public infrastructure.
PEGASE builds on current measures intended to build the Palestinian infrastructure and emphasize EU support for a future state, the statement said.The European Union is strongly committed to support the Palestinian Authority's reform and development priorities aiming at boosting the economy and improving the life of all Palestinians, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy said.The statement said funds support the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan outlined by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the Dec. 17 Paris Donor Conference.United Press International.
[Comment] EU should deepen commitment to free press in the Middle East 29.01.2008 - 17:29 CET | By Dana Moss
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - In 2007, Sheik Tantawi of al Azhar University, Egypt's highest religious authority and closely allied to the regime, issued a fatwa declaring that a journalist filing an incorrect report deserved to be lashed eighty times. The edict came amid a broader and heavy-handed press crackdown, described by one enraged blogger as nothing short of a massacre of Egypt's independent press, with editors of four independent newspapers arrested, sentenced and fined. The justification? They were found to be spreading rumours that are likely to disturb public order and insulting the president, including speculating on Mubarak's health problems.The onslaught against the press last year was by no means limited to Egypt, with a wide variety of journalists harassed, prosecuted and imprisoned throughout the region. While state policy in the Middle East differs widely, ultimately, as Jamel Amer, editor-in-chief of Yemen's al Wasat, declared: Arab rulers, regardless of their differences, agree on one thing, and that is the way they regard the Arab press - they consider it their sworn enemy.
EU approach flawed
Unfortunately, EU criticism of crackdowns such as that in Egypt has been muted, with the European Parliament's resolution on 17 January proving the exception, not the rule. Its funding for media initiatives is often insufficient, and its approach towards press freedom is somewhat flawed. We must begin to rethink this lacklustre approach. Greater support for a free and fair public sphere of information is necessary from a civil liberties and human rights point of view. Equally important, an uncensored media can play an important role in bolstering democratic reform – one of the objectives of the Barcelona Process and European Neighbourhood Policy.Of course, the relationship between the media and democracy, and indeed, democratisation, is a fraught and thorny one. However, experts agree that a suppressed media perpetuates authoritarian rule. An independent media, however, can act as a watchdog on behalf of citizens, exposing misuse of political power, singling out social problems and providing a platform for public debate.
Yet under the various Association Agreements signed with Arab countries, little is budgeted for media-related activities. Under the Jordan country strategy paper, €5 million is provided, or the equivalent of 0.05 percent of the strategy's overall budget, is channelled towards such schemes. In Morocco, a mere €500,000 is allocated, while the Algeria strategy paper misses entirely the question of press freedom.The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is another instrument that could empower media in the Middle East, especially as projects funded under this umbrella need not be approved by state authorities. Yet such potential is dashed when, as is consistently the case, the projects chosen are ones promoted by regime-affiliated organisations.
One of EIDHR's biggest grants, for example, was given to what was then called the Centre Africain de Perfectionnement des Journalistes et Communicateurs (CAPJC). This organisation was created by the Tunisian government and, later, as its website describes itself: placed under the authority' of the Ministry of Communications. Regional instruments attempt to pick up the slack here. Between 2003 and 2006, €12 million were spent on an Information and Communication programme. Unfortunately, programmes launched under its aegis focused on improving the EU's image in MENA countries, which, although a worthy cause, did little to promote Middle Eastern media. Funding strategies also sometimes seemed to replicate those of the EIDHR, with semi-official newspapers, such as al-Ahram in Egypt, given priority backing, thereby legitimising authoritarian control.
Policy change needed
If the EU is to deliver on its commitment to a free press in the Middle East, certain policy changes need to take place. Firstly, financial support to this area needs to increase. Recent developments, such as the allocation of €21.5 million for the Information and Communication Program of 2008 -2010, bode well - so long as a large share is allocated to the MENA region and specifically dedicated to developing a freer press. Secondly, the EU must speak out against the political repression of journalists, whichever side of the political spectrum they espouse, as long as they shy away from violence. Silence over civil liberty violations only harms the EU's credibility when it champions democratic reform.
Thirdly, especially under the EIDHR, control of projects must be prized out of the hands of those allied with state authorities and placed under the umbrella of international NGOs. As these maintain a distance from the ruling powers, they are more able to publicise harassment of journalists and agitate against press clampdowns. An added benefit is that such organisations are often highly regarded by domestic public opinion, preventing the characterisation of press freedom as a purely Western initiative. Fourthly, emphasis should be placed on long-term training and education programmes for Arab journalists, and not just symbolic short conferences. As Lawrence Pintak, Director of the Center for Electronic Journalism at the American University in Cairo points out: Ongoing, mentored projects … have proven to be the most effective – but least common –approach'.A change in Brussels' approach will not herald an age of unfettered press freedom in the Middle East. Ultimately, the status of the media and role of journalists is largely dependent on the needs and expectations of the rulers. However, the EU can play a strong leading role here, by improving matters in tandem with the values it espouses in the Barcelona Process and the ENP. In turn, this may make 2008 a better year for Middle Eastern media than 2007.
The author is Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Transatlantic Institute.
Ethiopian Jewish Sigd Festival to Become National Holiday
by Ezra HaLevi JAN 31,08
(IsraelNN.com) The Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd will soon become a national holiday. Preliminary legislation submitted by MK Uri Ariel (National Union) was approved Wednesday.The proposal was supported by MKs from National Union, NRP, Shas and Likud, as well as Labor and Meretz.The ramifications of adopting Sigd as a national holiday would be that the Education Ministry would teach about it in schools and employees would be given the option to take the day off, such as is currently the practice for days like Jerusalem Day and the holiday of Purim. The Prime Minister’s Office would also be assigned the responsibility of funding the yearly Sigt festivities in Jerusalem.Sigd takes place on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, exactly fifty days after Yom Kippur. The holiday is pronounced Sigd (one syllable), which means prostration in Amharic and shares its root with the word for temple. The ceremony resembles the one held for the renewal of the Divine covenant by Ezra the Scribe during the Second Commonwealth, described in the Book of Nechemia. All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel" (Nehemiah 8:1)
Prior to their immigration to Israel, the Beta Israel (meaning 'House of Israel') or Falasha (meaning ‘strangers,’ a term used by their non-Jewish neighbors in Africa) community would observe Sigd each year on mountaintops outside their villages. The Kessim, the community's rabbis and ritual leaders, would ascend the mountain, which was meant to represent Mount Sinai.Upon the Aliyah (immigration to Israel) of Ethiopia’s Jews, the holiday has become both a celebration of returning to Zion and a longing for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Ethiopian Jews gather from all across Israel at the Armon HaNetziv Promenade, overlooking the Temple Mount.MK Ariel says he submitted the bill to share the beauty of the holiday with all of Israel, as well as to give the Ethiopian Jewish community the recognition it deserves. The Ethiopian community has preserved customs dating back to the days of the Holy Temple and even Biblical times, the bill states. The acceptance of this holiday by the Knesset and the State of Israel will allow for the revival of an age-old tradition and the strengthening of the Ethiopian community's identification with and involvement in the Israeli community at large.The bill will next be voted upon by the Knesset’s Labor and Welfare Committee.
Olmert 'breathes easy' after Lebanon war report by Yana Dlugy JAN 31,08
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to weather the latest challenge of his tumultuous term on Thursday after a key government report spared him from a major drubbing over the 2006 Lebanon war. Despite widespread expectations to the contrary, the Winograd Commission report refrained from the harsh language it used for Olmert in its interim findings nine months ago, which blasted the premier for serious failure.Criticising the 34-day war as a serious missed opportunity for Israel and listing a number of failures, the report said however that the premier had acted in what he sincerely believed to have been the country's best interest.Acquitted, said a headline in the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.Olmert can breathe easy, said an editorial on the Ynet news website.With most of its harsh criticism reserved for the military, the report by the government-appointed commission turned it from a serious indictment to a public lifesaver for Ehud Olmert, Ynet said.
If Olmert ends up with his political career intact, it will mark another Houdini act for the man who was branded Israel's savviest politician when he assumed office in May 2006 and has since emerged unscathed from a series of scandals.The first opinion poll released after Winograd reflected a more forgiving trend towards the 62-year-old Olmert, whose ratings plummeted to single digits after the war against the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.Many in Israel consider the massive ground and air war on Lebanon to be a failure because it did not halt Hezbollah rocket fire or recover two soldiers whose seizure by the guerrillas triggered the conflict in July 2006.Although 57 percent of Israelis want Olmert to step down, according to the poll in the tabloid Maariv, the figures were lower than those in the aftermath of the interim findings, when between 65 and 73 percent wanted him to quit.Allies of Olmert, who has also been embroiled in a series of corruption scandals and faced widespread calls to step down, sought to put the Winograd report behind them.A country like Israel can't function by organising elections every two years, Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon, a close Olmert ally, told public radio. To provoke early elections would be completely irresponsible.
Ahead of the Winograd release, the man widely thought to hold the key to Olmert's future was Defence Minister Ehud Barak, the leader of his main coalition partner, the centre-left Labour.If Barak decides to take Labour out of government, it would leave Olmert's coalition short of the 61 seats needed for majority in the 120-member parliament.Barak has not revealed his intentions following the report's release.His departure would probably lead to new elections, which opinion polls predict would be won by the right-wing opposition Likud party.Wednesday's report took harsh aim at Israel's military, notably its ground forces. All in all, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) failed, especially because of the conduct of the high command and the ground forces, to provide an effective military response to the challenge posed to it, it said.A semi-military organisation of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and seize and technology advantages.The report said a controversial ground operation launched by Israel in the last days of the war even as the United Nations was drafting a ceasefire resolution did not achieve its goals. But it said Olmert and others had sincerely acted in what they believed to be the nation's best interest. Hezbollah crowed that the report confirmed that its guerrillas had defeated the military might of Israel in a conflict that killed 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. The Palestinian Hamas movement echoed the sentiment, saying the report reveals the weakness and the fragility of the Zionist entity.This report should embolden us to pursue our right of resistance in all its forms, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement.
Internet outage hits business from Cairo to Colombo by Charles Onians JAN 31,08
CAIRO (AFP) - Damage to undersea Internet cables hit business across the Middle East and South Asia on Thursday, including the vital call centre industry, prompting calls for people to limit their surfing. Around 70 percent of Internet users in Egypt have been affected since two submarine cables in the Mediterranean Sea were damaged on Wednesday, also rupturing connections thousands of kilometres (miles) away.The cause of the damage is not yet known.
State-owned Saudi Telecom reported the loss of more than 50 percent of its international lines, and said it did not know when normal service would be restored, the Arab News reported.Egypt's telecommunications ministry said repairs would take at least a week and appealed for users not to overload the backup system with hefty downloads and file-sharing applications.Two of our cables are affected; everyone will go onto a third cable, ministry spokesman Mohammed Taymur told AFP. But that will not be enough bandwidth. The cable will be overloaded and no one will be able to get access.
People should know how to use the Internet because people who download music and films are going to affect businesses who have more important things to do.Taymur said a company had been asked to repair the cables but that for the time being we don't know the cause. The two cables are a kilometre (over half a mile) apart and we don't know what could have affected both at the same time.
Like India, Egypt has a major call centre industry which has been affected by the outage, with a telecommunications ministry statement saying productivity was down to 30 percent.The statement named other affected Arab countries as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Qatar and Bahrain.Egyptian blogger The Arabist said he would resume posting after the problem is resolved and predicted, with a hint of sarcasm, complete social breakdown in vast swathes of (upmarket Cairo districts) Heliopolis and Mohandiseen as thousands are unable to update their Facebook status.
Bahrain's Batelco issued a statement appealing for people to limit use to browsing and email but to refrain from file-sharing applications which require more bandwidth.Gas-rich Qatar said that less than 40 percent of its Internet services were affected but that international phone lines were functioning normally.
The Al-Raya daily quoted one of national operator QTel's directors as saying that repairs in the Mediterranean could take up to two weeks.In Muscat, OmanTel issued a statement saying it had reestablished 76 percent of Internet services by Thursday.In Kuwait, the government said weather conditions and maritime traffic had damaged two cables, affecting most of the region.India's Internet-dependent outsourcing industry was also severely disrupted, with businesses saying it may take up to 15 days to return to normal.Information-technology companies, software companies and call centres that provide online services to the UK or the US East Coast are the worst affected, said Rajesh Chharia, president of the Internet Service Providers' Association of India.
India's 11 billion dollar outsourcing industry employs 700,000 people working for companies that deliver services ranging from answering customer queries to to analysing equity markets for global clients. The industry serves clients mainly in the US and Europe that sought to cut costs by farming out work to the country.
Neighbouring Bangladesh was also hit, with an official from the state Telegraph and Telephone Board saying that voice and data traffic bound for Europe and America is not working. It slowed down the Internet services in the country.Another Bangladesh provider, BDCom, said it was running at a quarter of its usual capacity. Our operations have slowed down. All the ISPs and call centres have also experienced similar problems, said Sabbir Ahmed Suman, BDCom director and a senior member of the Bangladesh Internet Service Providers Association. Sri Lanka also faced a drastic drop in service quality, according to Sri Lanka Telecom, the country's largest Internet service provider.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 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.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
Tighter ID rules for U.S. border begin By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN, Associated Press Writer JAN 31,08
TUCSON, Ariz. - New rules for the types of identification U.S. or Canadian citizens must present to cross into the country shouldn't cause significant delays and won't be strictly enforced at first, a senior federal official said. Under the rules going into effect Thursday, people will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens, Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Tuesday.Instead, those 19 and older will have to show proof of citizenship — a passport, trusted traveler card or a birth certificate and government-issued ID such as a driver's license.We'll be asking those who cross our borders to present to us secure, more reliable documents to prove citizenship and to confirm their identity, said Ahern, who is heading a national effort to call attention to the changes.Those who do not present those documents ... may be delayed in entering the country as we try to verify the identity as well as determine the citizenship of the individual, he said.But Ahern also said officers at the ports will have latitude to admit people who are unaware of the changes once their identities are confirmed.Ron Smith, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Detroit, which has the busiest northern border crossing, also said the agency will provide a grace period for travelers without the extra ID, and will hand out fliers explaining the changes.The first couple of days, weeks maybe, could add a few seconds to the inspection process. But once people become aware of these requirements, and we're getting the word out to them ... those minor delays should disappear, Smith said.
He said few people have crossed the northern border by just declaring their nationality since the 2001 terrorist attacks, because officers have always had the discretion to request documents.Congress approved the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in 2004, which requires verified citizenship and identification of all those entering the country from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The passport requirement for land and sea crossings has been delayed until June 2009.Mexican citizens will continue to have to present valid passports and visas. Canadian citizens previously were not required to show a passport, but will need one after next year.In the post-9/11 world, oral declarations are simply not enough to secure the country's borders, Ahern said. There is to great a risk that drug and human smugglers, homicide suspects, and terrorists could enter, he said.Over the last two fiscal years, 31,000 people who claimed at the borders to be U.S. citizens were not, Ahern said.Critics, particularly in northern border states, have assailed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff over the changes. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., accused him of not understanding the practical effects of DHS policies on the everyday lives of border community residents.
But Ahern said new passport cards the size of credit cards will allow citizens to cross the U.S.-Mexican border effectively and efficiently. Applications should be available starting Friday, although processing will take three to four months. Cards without previously issued passports will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children; they will cost $20 and $10, respectively, for those with passports.Drivers' licenses enhanced with proof of citizenship and a radio frequency identification chip also will be accepted, Ahern added. Four states including Arizona have signed up for a federal program to offer the licenses. British Columbia also is experimenting with similar new high-tech licenses.Ahern said he does not expect delays at entry ports over the new requirements — contradicting Chertoff's comments earlier this month that longer lines will be inevitable at first.On the Net:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection: http://www.cbp.gov/ Associated Press writers Jeff Karoub in Detroit and Tim Klass in Seattle contributed to this report.
FIRST MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF BEES DIE, NOW BATS ARE DYING OFF, GOD IS GIVING US A WARNING: NEXT HOW MANY MILLION PEOPLE WILL BE DYING IN NUKES GOING OFF.
Bat deaths in NY, Vt. baffle experts By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 30, 5:04 PM ET
ALBANY, N.Y. - Bats are dying off by the thousands as they hibernate in caves and mines around New York and Vermont, sending researchers scrambling to find the cause of mysterious condition dubbed white nose syndrome.The ailment — named for the white circle of fungus found around the noses of affected bats — was first noticed last January in four caves west of Albany. It has now spread to eight hibernation sites in the state and another in Vermont.Alan Hicks, a bat specialist with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation, called the quick-spreading disorder the gravest threat to bats he had ever seen. Up to 11,000 bats were found dead last winter and many more are showing signs illness this winter. One hard-hit cave went from more than 15,000 bats two years ago to 1,500 now, he said.We do not know what the cause is and we do not know how it was spread, either from cave to cave, or bat to bat, said Hicks. You have this potential for this huge spread.
The white fungus ring around bats' noses is a symptom, but not necessarily the cause. For some unknown reason, the bats deplete their fat reserves and die months before they would normally emerge from hibernation.New York and Vermont environmental officials are asking people not to enter caves or mines with bats until researchers figure out how the infection is spread. There is no evidence it is a threat to humans, but officials want to take every precaution to avoid it spreading from cave to cave.Bats are considered particularly vulnerable when they hibernate, a time when they can hang together tightly by the thousands. Indiana bats, a federally endangered species, are considered particularly vulnerable, though the highest death count has been among little brown bats.Researchers with Cornell University and the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., are among those helping state environmental officials.The bat die-off has some eerie similarities with colony collapse disorder, the baffling affliction that began decimating honeybee colonies years ago. Scientists last fall said they suspected a virus previously unknown in the United States.I'm very concerned, Hicks said. I can only hope that what we're seeing today will dissipate in the future.
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).
Drug-resistant flu is found in Europe By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer JAN 31,08
LONDON - A small number of flu viruses resistant to Tamiflu, a top antiviral drug, have been detected in Europe, health authorities said this week. Data from more than a dozen European countries show that Tamiflu doesn't work in about 13 percent of H1N1 viruses, the main flu strain causing illness this year. Normally, resistance levels are well below 1 percent.It's an unexpected finding and a signal worth watching, said Fred Hayden, a flu expert at the World Health Organization. The resistant strains most likely emerged elsewhere, but were first identified in Europe.The strain is resistant because of a single mutation. It doesn't cause more serious disease than regular strains, and can be treated with other antivirals. But experts are worried that if the resistance becomes widespread, Tamiflu, one of the best tools for fighting flu, might become useless.
If I had only a single drug to choose for influenza, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is the one I would go for, said Dr. Angus Nicoll, influenza coordinator for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Tamiflu, made by Roche Holding AG, has been stockpiled by WHO and by countries around the world for possible use in a flu pandemic.But the resistant H1N1 strains do not mean that H5N1, the bird flu many experts fear could spark a flu pandemic, will develop similar resistance.The chance of this happening in an H5N1 virus is not zero, but probably very rare, said Dr. Joseph Bresee, chief of epidemiology and prevention at the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least two Tamiflu-resistant H5N1 strains have been found in Asia in the last few years.Experts said that relying exclusively on Tamiflu is unwise. This is a very good reminder that we don't know what the next pandemic strain will be sensitive to, Nicoll said. Perhaps we should have more mixed antiviral stockpiles.At the moment, health authorities are scrambling to find out how prevalent the resistant strain is worldwide. The highest levels have been found in Norway, where nearly 70 percent of tested strains have been resistant.
Resistance varies across Europe, with Italy reporting no resistant strains, and Britain, France and Denmark all reporting low but significant percentages.In the United States, nearly 3 percent of tested flu samples have been resistant. We don't know right now if this is a trend on the upswing or just a small blip, Bresee said.
Laboratories worldwide are also sequencing the mutated virus to try to determine where it came from and how it developed. Usually, resistant strains arise in people who have been treated with the drug. But that's not the case here.In Norway, none of the viruses were from people who had been treated with Tamiflu. And in Japan, where Tamiflu use is the highest in the world, no resistant viruses have been reported this year. Investigations are ongoing in other countries.Until now, experts had also believed that if viruses developed resistance, they would be less transmissible. That assumption appears to have been incorrect, Hayden said.As the flu season has only just started in Europe and North America, experts will be anxiously monitoring any further spread of the resistant H1N1 strains.None of the other circulating human flu strains have so far been found to be resistant. Public health agencies say their recommendations on Tamiflu use remain unchanged.It's still too early to know for sure what this means, Nicoll said. But watch this space.
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!
Asteroid makes close Earth pass JAN 30,08
Scientists had determined that there was no chance of impact
An asteroid some 250m (600ft) across has swept past the Earth.
There was no chance of it hitting the planet, but astronomers trained telescopes and radar on the object to learn as much about it as they could The asteroid - which carries the rather dull designation 2007 TU24 - passed by at a distance of 538,000km (334,000 miles), just outside the Moon's orbit. Scientists who study so-called near-Earth objects say similar-sized rocks come by every few years. The moment of closest approach for 2007 TU24 was 0833 GMT, Tuesday. The asteroid was only expected to be visible through amateur telescopes that were three inches (7.6cm) or larger.
Detailed observations of 2007 TU24 could reveal whether the asteroid is a solid object or simply a loose pile of space rubble.
Knowledge of how asteroids are put together will be key to working out how we might defend ourselves against future, more threatening rocks. An explosive attack - so popular with Hollywood scriptwriters - may not be the most effective approach. Many scientists believe that giving a hostile object a gentle nudge over a long period of time may in fact be our best strategy. Given the estimated number of near-Earth asteroids of this size (about 7,000 discovered and undiscovered objects, says the US space agency), an object similar to 2007 TU24 would be expected to pass this close to Earth, on average, about every five years or so. The average interval between actual Earth impacts for an object of this size would be about 37,000 years, Nasa adds. A little over a year-and-a-half ago, a 600m-wide (2,000ft) asteroid known as 2004 XP14 flew past the Earth at just about the Earth-Moon distance. The asteroids' names include the year in which they were first identified.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE
What role will mankind itself play in
Ushering in the end of the age?
Signs concerning Mankind
In describing the attitude of mankind and the conditions that will prevail upon the earth at the time of Christ's return, the Lord Jesus said: But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come (Matthew 24:37-42).
In this portion of Scripture we discover that, upon Christ's return, conditions on earth will be exactly as they were during Noah's era: And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.... And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (Genesis 6:1-2,5,11). Would you not agree this passage is as current as this morning's headlines?
Sex Outside of Marriage
The first sign in this listing has to do with sex. They took them wives (Genesis 6:2). In doing this, they went against the lesson God had given them at creation. God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Genesis 2:18-). What did God create? He did not create a man for a man. Instead, He created one woman for one man. This is God's established order for the universe. Lust and sin have, however, kicked a dent in the Almighty's program. Men and women today are running away from one another, leaving children destitute and homes broken. Why? Because their number one concern is the satisfaction of their own flesh. Someone compliments them, they become enamored, and suddenly they find themselves infatuated with the idea of love rather than the genuine article. Soon they go through a predictable pattern of adultery, divorce, and remarriage, only to discover that their second and third choices were not much better than the first. The trouble was not their first mate, but sin. Naturally, there are exceptions. Today, approximately half of all American marriages end up on the casualty list. The signs of Noah's era are all around us. It is one more example that the Rapture is near.
Jesus further added that they were giving in marriage. Dr, M. R. DeHaan and other scholars render this as exchanging mates or wife swapping. Swingers are still the rage of the day-and in many communities where you might not expect such unsavory activity. Couples get together for a supper bash and end up exchanging their mates for a night of glorified orgies. How low can humans go? The situation dominates modern society, and it has the curse of God upon it. We also see millions today shacking up and living together without a marriage license, and the pulpits remain silent. Hebrews 13:4 states, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Still, despite God's warning, millions disobey His commandments. They live life loosely and laugh off the consequences. Sin, however; offers its own reward, and its wages are always death (Romans 6:23). The day of sifting and judgment is coming. Soon a sin-crazy, hell-bent generation will meet the God of holiness: The string will snap and the joke will end.
Gluttony and Drunkenness
Christ also mentioned gluttony and drunkenness as signs foreshadowing His return. He said, They were eating and drinking . . . until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not [believed not] until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matthew 24:38-39). The fool's motto has not changed over the centuries, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Bars and nightclubs throughout the nation advertise a happy hour, or an attitude-adjustment hour, meaning that drinks go for half-price during a specified time. But what does this really mean? That one can choose an eternity without Christ at discounted prices. Never have we had so many alcoholics and drug addicts. America's combined total of addicts exceeds twenty million. Europe, Asia, and all the continents of the world are in the same dilemma. Satan's brew is eye-enticing and nose-appealing. Millions have fallen victim to his seduction. However, it will not last forever. The third and fourth seals of the Apocalypse picture shortages, poverty, hunger, and death.
Revelation 6:7-8 states, And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: 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, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. When life ends, as it must for all mortals, because it is appointed unto men once to die (Hebrews 9:27), the sinner must enter a place where even water is unattainable. Christ told of a lost sinner crying out from hell, saying, Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame (Luke 16:24). Liquor is not worth such eternal thirst. The Holy Spirit declares in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 mentions seventeen sins, and the sixteenth is listed as drunkenness, which brings eternal loss, for the conclusion of the text states, They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not let sin rob you of being caught up with Christ in that glorious day that is soon to come.
Is it my imagination, or are corruption and
violence on the increase? What does this have
to do with Christ’s return?
Corruption
Noah's era was also one of corruption: Every imagination of the thoughts of [mankind's] heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). The result: The earth also was corrupt before God (Genesis 6:11). It takes no stretch of a person's imagination to see a world of men filled with vile imaginations. This is history's worst hour. Filthy pornographic magazines and X-rated movies have brainwashed the depraved into submission. Vile, lewd, and licentious pornography floods the world. Savages are roaming the streets raping and sodomizing victims. Since morality is the essence of God's Ten Commandments, as well as the entire teaching of the Holy Bible, Christians should be crusaders in the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. How does it make you feel to see pornographic bookstores within a few doors of gospel-preaching churches? Unfortunately, many believers are doing nothing to stop this intrusion on our morality. This is contrary to the Almighty God who demands that His servants Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins (Isaiah 58:1).
If we do not want kiddy porn and its sister, prostitution, to arrive in our communities, we must rid ourselves of obscenity at every level or eventually it will touch the innocent lives of our children. Even the Supreme Court has stated emphatically that the first amendment does not protect obscenity. The laws must be enforced at all levels: local, state, and federal. Many Christians think their children are safe because they are in a Christian school and church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our homes are being invaded by television filth from morning to night, with the afternoon freak shows walking away with the ratings! Yet, millions of American Christians have accepted the philosophy that there is no right or wrong. The result of our inaction? Purveyors of smut capitalize on the opportunities that an uncaring public hands them on a silver platter. The present scene has become so nauseating that celebrities, professional counselors, and media executives themselves are speaking out. One famous comedian, Steve Alien, declared publicly that television has gotten too dirty and that the networks televise junk just to keep the ratings high. A broadcasting executive asked his industry this probing question, Have we sunk so low that we have sold our children to the dogs in order to make a dollar?
You've probably seen the popular armbands worn by many Christians-young and old alike. There are only four letters on the band: WWJD-a question and a reminder to the wearer: What Would Jesus Do? Good question. What would Jesus do? Well, I can tell you one thing He's going to do: He's going to return in majesty and glory. He's going to remove His church from the porn, the permissiveness, and the poverty of morality and arrange for His bride to meet Him in the air in a sky-splitting event known as the Rapture. While we remain on planet earth, you and I must heed the apostle's words, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). This bombardment of continual wickedness, implanting so much filth and false values in our collective minds, is presently reaping an abundant harvest morally, spiritually, and socially. Just as the degenerated values of society in Noah's day filled the world with violence, so sin, crime, and fear stalk humanity as we come to the close of the twentieth century.
I'm confident this situation will continue to deteriorate because the sign will break forth in all its debauchery during the Tribulation Hour. We are already observing the preview of coming events. Life will not be worth living during the Tribulation, because Satan will be cast out of the heavens and will be enthroned upon the earth. Because he knows that he has only a short time to perform his heinous acts, and because of his impending imprisonment for one thousand years (Revelation 20:3), he will unleash all of his brutality and uncleanness upon earth's millions. That is why Revelation 12:12 states, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Violence
Remember that Noah's day was also one of violence (Genesis 6:11). Any person who watches television news today surely realizes that we are going through a period of unprecedented violence and terrorism throughout the world. Information coming to the intelligence community is providing further evidence and new details on the operations of a worldwide international terrorist network, which has been functioning since 1969. They are an organized alliance with roots in Asia, the Middle East, especially Iran, Western Europe, Latin America, and the United States. The network's ideological cement is mixed from Marx and Mao, with proclaimed goals of world revolution, to be attained through a worldwide war of terror against the advanced states in attempts to undermine their normal way of life and institutions. While the scope of the terrorist alliance now is attaining global proportions, the Middle East remains its main base and sanctuary area-backed by Russian arms and manipulation. It's reported that terrorists believe that a larger number of casualties may now be necessary to generate the amount of publicity formerly evoked by less bloody operations.
The world is in a precarious position. But we've seen nothing yet. Violence will rear its ugly head in monstrous proportions as terrorists prepare for germ and biological warfare to hold major cities captive. Soon millions will die. When it does occur, could it be the beginning of the Tribulation Hour? But fear not precious flock, Jesus said in Luke 21:9, When ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come and then adds in verse 31, When ye do see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom [return to earth] of God is nigh at hand [near].
FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE
PEACE IN A TROUBLED WORLD
In the light of all that is going on in our world today it may sound strange to hear that you can have peace in a troubled world. In our beloved country everyday we have :
10 teens commit suicide
135,000 teens bring a gun to school
7,742 teens become sexually active
2,705 teen girls get pregnant
1,106 teen girls have abortions
623 teens get a sexually transmitted disease
211 teens are arrested for drug abuse
437 teens are arrested for drinking or drunk driving
1,512 teens drop out of school
1,629 teens are in adult jails
As shocking as this is, it is not only a national dilemma, but also a global plague. Jesus knew this situation would engulf the globe prior to His return by prophesying that iniquity would abound but He added Let not your heart be troubled. What did He mean by this reassuring statement of comfort?
I want to let you in on the greatest truth I know. Everything I can say about real peace is centered in this fact. Without it, none of us can ever be genuinely at rest.
This truth has transformed millions of people throughout the history of the world. It has made derelicts into saints, hypocrites into godly men and women, and sinners into children of God. It is the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Throughout this study, we have touched on some priceless spiritual verities that have a direct bearing on how to deal with the issues of life that can cause us to feel baffled, bewildered-perhaps even befuddled. In fact, we might say that achieving genuine satisfaction is completely a spiritual issue. To me, satisfaction is the normal state of a healthy soul. A person who neglects his spiritual needs cut himself off from the possibility of knowing real and lasting peace and fulfillment.
The greatest spiritual truth of all is what God has done to redeem us from our sin. By giving His Son to die in our place, God has paid the price of our sin and is able to save us from the bondage and dissatisfaction that comes with it.
Let me clearly say that I am not speaking of religion. Many people who are religious know nothing about salvation. Religion is of human origin, and it almost always requires that we do something. God’s salvation, however, is entirely His work on our behalf. It requires absolutely nothing, since God has already accomplished all that is necessary. Our part is to simply accept it by faith.
A personal commitment
I have been privileged to conduct two wonderful interviews with the Reverend Peter Marshall. He is the co-author (with David Manuel) of two marvelous historical accounts of God’s plan for America and divine intervention in the founding of our nation-The Light and the Glory and From Sea to Shining Sea. Peter grew up in a marvelous Christian family. His father, the late Dr. Peter Marshall, was for many years chaplain of the United States Senate, and his mother, the late Catherine Marshall, is known and loved by millions for her many wonderful books.
I asked Peter what impact his distinguished parents had on his coming to Christ. He explained that they had made clear to him from his youth just what it means to be a Christian. As a result, he never took Christianity for granted, and he never assumed that just because his parents were well-known Christian leaders, he was automatically a Christian as well.
In fact, Peter told me it was not until he was 21 years of age that he felt he had really committed his life to the Lord. Although he had grown up surrounded by Christian teaching and in his head knew it was true, he had not yielded his heart in making a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
I graduated from college, and I was lost, he told me. I had no idea who I was or why I was here. I thought I was going into the foreign service, the United States Diplomatic Corps, but the Lord shut that door and it didn’t work out. So I had nothing. No plans. No goals. Nothing.
Then I went to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes conference in Colorado in the summer of 1961 and heard Don Moomaw speak. I gave my life to the Lord as a result of that encounter. Two weeks later I was in seminary, and in 1965 I was ordained to the gospel ministry.
God took Peter Marshall’s aimless life and gave him direction. And, as I interviewed him, Peter expressed his concern and burden that many people do not understand what Christianity really is.
Christianity is not just running around trying to do great things for God, he said. We must understand that we need Jesus Christ because we are sinful human beings-weak and needy. In my pride, I had a hard time accepting this.
I believe one of the reasons so many people-so many religious people-are dissatisfied is that they perceive religion as something we do for God. But true peace begins when we accept what God has done for us! The Bible says, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).
You see, if salvation were something we could earn for ourselves, it would only contribute to our pride, for when we earned salvation, we would have much about which to brag and boast. Thus, what Peter Marshall says is absolutely correct-all of us are needy sinners-there is none righteous, no, not one...for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10,23). Yes, all of us fall short of God’s standards, and if we are to receive salvation from our sins, we must receive it as a gift, not as a meritorious award for service.
What sin does to us
Some may have difficulty accepting the fact that all of us are sinners. We all know people who are good, moral, honest, generous, thoughtful human beings. Surely they are not sinners in the same way hardened criminals are sinners-are they?
From God’s perspective, the answer is yes. Because His standard is absolute holiness-one hundred percent perfection-the issue is not how many sins we commit or what kind of sins we commit, but if we have sinned at all. And Scripture is clear that none of us can honestly say we have never sinned.
In the presence of absolute holiness, even the smallest sin is as offensive and out of place as the darkest, most heinous act of evil one can imagine. Because God is so completely holy and uncompromisingly righteous, He cannot permit sin to exist in His presence. And the only just penalty for sin is death-For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
But just as God is holy, righteous, and just, Scripture also informs us that He is a God of mercy and love. Because of His great love for us, He does not wish to condemn us without mercy. Since in His righteousness He cannot simply overlook sin, He found a way that He could make us righteous without compromising His own holiness. However, it cost Him the sacrifice of His Son!
Perhaps the most familiar verse in all of Scripture is John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That verse, more than any other, has opened people’s eyes to the truth of God’s salvation and the way to real satisfaction.
Salvation explained
What this all means is that you do not have to earn God’s approval. You do not have to work to make yourself righteous. You do not have to become deserving of God’s grace. All the work has been done by God himself, and He offers His grace freely to those who will receive it by faith!
Nothing gives a greater sense of personal worth than the truth that God loves us so much that He gave His Son to pay the price for our sins. And nothing on earth brings more complete satisfaction than the confidence of knowing you are secure in God’s salvation.
May I ask you some important personal questions? What are you counting on to make yourself acceptable to God? If you were to stand before Him and give an account of your life, what could you point to that might make you acceptable to Him? Would it be your own works of righteousness? I hope not, because Isaiah 64:6 says, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. God cannot accept works of righteousness from unrighteous people. Would you point to your heritage? Scripture is clear that salvation is not anyone’s birthright. In fact, Jesus said, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
The only thing any of us can point to that makes us acceptable to God is the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We must simply trust Him with childlike faith and receive His gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).
I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM.
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