JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER
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-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Juncker elected: promises more social EU, more political commission-15.07.14 @ 13:50-EUOBSERVER-By Honor Mahony
BRUSSELS - Jean-Claude Juncker was elected European Commission President on Tuesday (15 July) after promising a more social Europe and paying tribute to the major integrationist politicians of the previous generation.The former Luxembourg PM, who has been on and around the EU stage for the last two decades, received 422 votes, easily surpassing the minimum 376 needed. Of the 729 MEPs that took part, 250 voted against him, 47 abstained and 10 votes were void.In a 50-minute speech before the ballot, the centre-right politician said he wanted the European Commission to be "very political" and indicated he will try and revive the power of the institution - seen as sidelined after member states handled the long-running economic crisis.He pledged to revive the "community method" - whereby the EU commission is the driver of EU law-making and strongly differentiated himself with the outgoing commission - which is associated with austerity-flavoured policies - by giving major focus to social issues in his speech."You can't achieve competitiveness by getting rid of social security," he said, noting that the "internal market is not more important than social affairs."He pledged to use €300bn over the next three years for projects that focus on energy, infrastructure, and digital issues.Other promises include making a lobbyist register obligatory, making documents around a controversial EU-US trade agreement public, and putting an end to the EU dealing with "every tiny problem".He spoke of the eurozone eventually having its own budget and said the single currency area should be "represented by one single chair, one single office". But he said the stability and growth pact - the rules underpinning the euro - will not be changed.He also promised to tackle "social dumping", but to leave free movement of people rules intact. He will work for a common asylum policy, and indicated there will be no new EU member states under his watch.
No mention of Barroso
Juncker - who spoke first in French, then German (the "language of the world champions"), and then English - received the greatest applause from MEPs for a strong defence of the euro and for pledging to work for more solidarity between north and south on how to tackle migration.Ignoring current EU leaders - most notably 10-year commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who got no mention in the speech - he reached back in time to the 1980s and 1990s for inspirational politicians.He singled out Jacques Delors, Francois Mitterand, and Helmut Kohl - the commission president, French, and German leaders, respectively - who presided over a dynamic integrationist period in EU history - for praise."His work will inspire me," he said of Delors. He said all three were "patient, courageous and determined."
More power to MEPs
Tuesday's vote marks the culmination of a personal journey for Juncker which started in Spring in Dublin when he was nominated to be the centre-right's top candidate heading into the May EU vote.But it also represents a marked power shift for the European Parliament, which, through wily political manouvering over the past year, has removed the EU leaders' perogative to nominate the EU commission president.Juncker came to the post because his group, the centre-right EPP, won the most votes in the European election. EU leaders tried to fight the process but conceded defeat soon after the May vote.Acknowleging the process, Juncker said that this parliament is the first to "really elect" the commission president."You have given full meaning to these elections," he added, with the new system now set in the EU's political and institutional landscape.
EU summit may decide only on foreign policy chief-14.07.14 @ 09:28-EUOBSERVER-By Valentina Pop and Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - Leaders meeting on Wednesday (16 July) are likely to pick only the new EU foreign policy chief, with a decision on the successor to Council head Herman Van Rompuy “possibly” delayed until autumn.According to one EU source, "if a complete deal is feasible, we should go for it. Otherwise, it will be only the high representative."A second source told this website that it is "certainly a possibility" that only the foreign affairs chief is picked.Both the foreign policy head - Catherine Ashton - and the Council president - Herman Van Rompuy - have five months to go until their terms end. But in the case of the foreign affairs job, the successor also has to undergo hearings in the European Parliament and to be voted together with the rest of the new EU commissioners in October.At the core of the delay is a disagreement in the Socialist leaders' camp.France's Francois Hollande is reluctant to endorse Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt for the Van Rompuy job. Thorning-Schmidt is a centre-left politician, but close enough to the centre-right to be acceptable to the likes of Germany’s Angela Merkel or the UK’s David Cameron.The political colour of one top job will determine the other, as the centre-right and the centre left are dividing the posts evenly.If Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, the frontrunner, is appointed foreign policy chief the Council presidency should go to a Prime Minister from the centre-right.Ireland's Enda Kenny is one of the names being floated. Two Baltic ex-PMs - Valdis Dombrovskis of Latvia and Andrus Ansip of Estonia - are also options.A Baltic choice would mean eastern European states would get a prestigious EU role. But it might not be enough to placate opposition to Mogherini.A senior source in one of the Baltic capitals told EUobserver on Monday: “We’re not very happy about her and that’s putting it politely. She has little experience overall and no experience of the eastern neighbourhood. We find it hard to understand why she chose to go to Moscow to meet [Russian leader] Putin in her first trip of the Italian [EU] presidency”.The source added that Poland is “still pushing” for its FM Radek Sikorski, but said this might be designed to block Mogherini rather than to get him in.The source also said that Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgaria’s EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, is “a good compromise candidate” because she is a woman from the east with a technocratic rather than a political background.But an EU official familiar with the talks said he "doubts" Georgieva will land the post, while Mogherini is "likely" to get it.On the table are also the trump commissioner posts - economics, energy, digital agenda, trade. France is pushing for the economics post, while Poland would like to land energy, Britain trade and Germany telecoms.Wednesday’s EU top jobs talks will come alongside a fresh discussion on how to handle the Russia-Ukraine crisis.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko phoned Van Rompuy on Saturday to urge him to adopt a tougher line.He told Van Rompuy that Putin is sending Russian troops and Russian “heavy military equipment” across the border, amid an escalation in fighting over the weekend.
Don't touch EU stability pact, warns ECB's Draghi-Today @ 09:27-JULY 15,14-EUOBSERVER-By Benjamin Fox
BRUSSELS - ECB boss Mario Draghi urged EU leaders not to meddle with the bloc's rules on debt and deficits on Monday, warning that it could turn the tide on much needed economic reforms.
Addressing MEPs on the Parliament's economic affairs committee in Strasbourg (14 July), Draghi said structural reforms combined with government spending cuts and lower taxes were the only route to restoring economic stability."There should be a profound structural reform process," he said, adding that "there is no other way”.“We should take great care not to roll back this important achievement, or to water down its implementation to an extent that it would no longer be seen as a credible framework," he said.Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, whose government holds the EU's six month presidency, has led calls for the pact's rules to be applied with more flexibility to allow governments to increase public investment programmes.The demand was rejected by Draghi who stated that “the present rules already contain enough flexibility".“If a rule is a rule then it has to be complied with," he said, commenting that "I’m not sure I get - perhaps because I lack political skills - the chemistry of flexibility being essential to make a rule credible”.He also reiterated that EU leaders should consider "some form of common governance over structural reforms” to ensure that countries push through reform programmes.Speaking with MEPs for the first time since the Frankfurt-based bank cut its main interest rate to a historic low of 0.15 percent, the ECB boss also faced down claims that low rates were hurting savers and pensions in the bloc's wealthier countries.“As soon as the recovery gains momentum the interest rates will go up again," he said, but argued that the effect of the ECB's monetary policy on interest rates in Germany was "not strong”."We will keep the key ECB interest rates at current levels for an extended period of time," he concluded.Draghi also defended the ECB's soon-to-be-launched scheme allowing banks to borrow at low rates from it for up to four years, providing that they increase lending to businesses.The programme, which economists predict will result in more than €700 billion in lending within two years, is the latest attempt by the bank to kick-start the eurozone's stuttering economy. Critics have warned that it could lead to a 'free lunch' for banks to borrow more cheap money to prop up their balance sheets.“Our policy will remain expansionary for a long time," said Draghi, adding that "we don’t see a situation of systemic bubbles”.
07/15/2014 -VATICAN INSIDER-Women bishops are now a reality in England-Members of the Synod capture their joy in a selfie-The Church of England General Synod has introduced a historic reform making the ordination of female bishops possible-Alessandra Rizzo
London-Amidst roaring applause and cries of jubilation, the Church of England has approved the ordination of female bishops, breaking a two thousand year tradition and putting an end to a shrill debate. The Synod reached this historic decision after a five-hour discussion with the liberal wing of the Church welcoming the result of the vote as a healthy and necessary revolution. The conservative wing on the other hand saw it as the tragic end to an institution, which dated back to the dawn of Christianity. The spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who supported the reform said the vote “marks the start of a great adventure.” Significantly, though, Welby swiftly added: “As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of those within the Church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow.”The debate over the role of women in the Church of England has gone on for almost fifty years and although it has not brought about a much-feared schism, it has caused rifts that have been deep enough to push some to switch over to the Catholic Church. The conservative minority claims that the new reform contradicts the Bible and tradition, which requires the Church to have an exclusively male leadership since the days of Jesus and his twelve apostles. But the way reformers see it, denying women a more prominent role in the Church goes against the sensitivities of faithful, particularly in a society like Britain’s.In 1975, the General Synod stated that “there are no fundamental objections to the ordination of women to the priesthood.” But it took ten years before the first women deacons were ordained and another ten before the first women priests came onto the scene in 1994. Today, women account for about a third of the Church’s eleven million Anglican priests.Female bishops already exist in countries like the United States and Australia but the Church of England – which is the motherhouse of the Anglican Community which comprises 80 million faithful across 165 countries – had resisted pressure to modernize.This year’s voting result overturns the outcome of the 2012 vote with which the Synod narrowly rejected the proposal to ordain women bishops (by six votes cast by lay members). In Welby’s opinion, the outcome of that vote undermined the Church’s credibility in the eyes of British society. This time round there were no surprises: the two-thirds majority needed in all three houses of the Synod (bishops, clergy, laity) for the reform to pass, was reached. Although the members of the college remained the same since 2012, many announced that they had changed their mind this time round. In the end, 351 voted in favour of the reform, 72 voted against and there were 10 abstentions.Prime Minister David Cameron said it was “a great day for the Church and for equality.” But those who voted against the reform drew attention to the risks, for example the potential difficulties the Church may face in attracting traditionalist priests.There are still some formalities to be completed before the reform is implemented. It will need to be approved by Parliament and the Queen of England who is formally the head of the Church of England, before it goes back to the General Synod for definitive approval in November. According to Welby, the first female episcopal ordination could take place early next year. When asked whether he anticipated seeing a woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in his lifetime, he replied: “I’ve no idea. I would be delighted if I did.”
07/13/2014 -VATICAN INSIDER-Francis: “No more war, let us break the spiral of violence and hatred”-The Pope during the Angelus prayer-At today’s Angelus Francis sent out an appeal for peace in the Holy Land-GIACOMO GALEAZZI
vatican city-“No more war, war destroys everything. Let us not be overcome by evil or allow violence and hatred to prevail over dialogue and reconciliation.” The Pope’s meeting of prayer for peace in the Holy Land was not in vain. “The memory of last June 8th meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew and Presidents Peres and Abbas, is still fresh in my mind. Together we invoked the gift of peace and listened to the call to break the spiral of violence and hatred,” the Pope said. For some, this gathering took place in vain. But, in fact, “prayer helps prevent us from being overcome by evil or allow violence and hatred to prevail over dialogue and reconciliation.” This was the concerned appeal the Pope sent out today, calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has flared up again. The conflict that is raging in Gaza is bloodying Jesus’ homeland and the Pope, who has put the geographical and existential peripheries at the centre of his pontificate, becomes a spokesman for the calls for peace being sent out by “all men of goodwill.” Francis’ appeal for an end to war extends beyond the walls of the Catholic Church, expressing the suffering of those who have been wounded by the escalating violence in the Middle East. “I urge all interested parties and all those who have political responsibilities on a local and international level, to be generous in your prayers and efforts to put an end to all hostility and bring about a much longed for peace, for the good of everyone,” the Pope said. “I anxiously appeal to you to pray persistently for peace in the Holy Land in light of the tragic events of recent days. I invite everyone to join together in prayer: let us all pray together in silence.”“Now Lord, - the Pope called out, his voice filled with emotion - “You help us! You give us peace, You teach us peace, You guide us towards peace. Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: no more war, war destroys everything. Instil in us the courage to build peace through concrete gestures. Give us a willingness to hear the cries of our people who are asking us to transform our weapons into instruments of peace, our fears into trust and our tensions into forgiveness.”In the summer too we should go to mass and hear the word of Jesus, the Pope urged faithful after explaining the Parable of the Sower, the first of Christ’s parables in time. “When Jesus speaks to the people he uses many parables: a language that everyone can understand, with images from nature and day-to-day experiences. The first of these parables is an introduction to the ones that follow: it is the Parable of the Sower who generously spreads his seed on all kinds of ground. The real protagonist of this parable is the seed itself, which produces more or less fruit depending on the soil it has fallen on. The first three soils are infertile.”“This parable – the Pope said – speaks to each and every one of us today, just as it did to Jesus’ audience two thousand years ago. It reminds us that we are the soil onto which the Lord tirelessly throws the seed of his Word and love. How do we receive him? What is the state of our heart? What soil does can it be likened to? : a road, stony ground, a thorn bush? It is up to us to turn ourselves into fertile ground that is free from thorns and stones, that is ploughed and cultivated with care so that it can bear good fruits for us and our brothers and sisters. The good seed of the Gospel is sown at every Holy Mass, in a different way each time, it is served in the soup kitchen God’s Word: a seed that is to be received, looked after and lived.”“It is important to take part in Sunday mass, even in the summer months, to enlighten and strengthen us along our path,” Francis said. We should also take care in choosing the words we use: these can inspire “courage” but they can also cause “depression”.The Pope started with the Gospel passage which describes Jesus preaching on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. “A huge crowd gathers, so Jesus gets into a boat, goes a little further out onto the water and preaches from there.”The Pope explained the Parable of the Sower saying: “In this case, Jesus does not simply present the parable he explains it to his disciples too. The seed which falls on the road, represents those who heard the Word but dismiss it; so the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. Evil does not want the seed of the Gospel to grow in people’s hearts. This is the first metaphor. The second is the seed that falls on the rocks, forms no roots and so it withers away; this represents those who hear the word, but only accept it shallowly; when the going gets tough these people lose heart. The third case is the seed that falls among the thorn bushes: Jesus explains that these are the people who hear the Word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. Finally, the sower’s seed falls on fertile ground and this represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, nurture it and understand it and so it bears fruit. The Virgin Mary is a prefect example of this.”
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
N.W.T. fires: Cabin owners take matters into own hands-CBC – JULY 15,14-YahooNews
Spencer Decorby spent last weekend battling flames at his father's cabin about 80 kilometres east of Yellowknife.He says it was the most humbling experience in his life."Standing against a wall of flames that's a couple of storeys high and holding a firehose, you feel like you're peeing on a bonfire," he said.The worst forest fire season in 30 years is taking a toll on firefighters and forcing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to warn cabin owners they could be left on their own to battle the flames.Family and friends joined Decorby in four major firefights."We managed to hold the line until about four in the morning when we realized an ember had gone and jumped inside of our lines and landed way up in the hill behind us, at which point we had to fall back and defend the perimeter around the camp as well, which we had made as a secondary line of defence, Decorby said of one particularly difficult confrontation with a raging wildfire." There were literally tornadoes of fires in the treetops, and when they were crowning, they'd literally explode in front of us."Decorby says firefighters gave them pumps and hoses to battle the flames, and that he understands that fire authorities have no manpower available to help cabin owners.Northwest Territories Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger is recommending that people use the FireSmart fire-protection system to guard their property against wildfires and is offering residents a manual to help them do that.Decorby is now monitoring fires near his own cabin near Fort Reliance. He’s registered his location with the department and plans to keep an eye on several fires."When things get too intense, you have to fall back," he says. "Things from slipping on wet rocks to getting surrounded by fire — these are all possibilities that could have very tragic consequences if you're not careful."Anyone with homes or cabins in remote areas has been watching the fires closely ever since a fire destroyed the Olesen homestead on a remote corner of the East Arm of Great Slave Lake earlier this month.Lawrence Mercredi has lived on Prelude Lake east of Yellowknife for 26 years.He's cut down the trees near his house and moved all his firewood away from the buildings."If it gets close, I'm going to start soaking everything. I've got enough water, and I've got enough hose to soak the areas that I need to soak."Not everyone is feeling quite so prepared.Maureen Tonge bought a cabin on Reid Lake last year. A fire in the area over a week ago forced, the closure of Reid Lake Territorial Park."We certainly were aware that it could happen, [but] I like to live with rose-coloured glasses, and I never really thought it would happen," Tonge said.She said she has kayaks and other belongings out at the cabin that she hasn't had a chance to bring home with her. Now, she's worried she may not see them again.
EARTHQUAKES
ISAIAH 42:15
15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide
25 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2014-07-15 19:37:56 UTC-04:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-04:00)25 earthquakes in map area
2.7 48km ENE of Road Town, British Virgin Islands 2014-07-15 18:40:20 UTC-04:00 14.0 km
5.0 84km E of Nikolski, Alaska 2014-07-15 18:13:20 UTC-04:00 49.6 km
3.3 10km ESE of Gilroy, California 2014-07-15 17:10:09 UTC-04:00 4.3 km
3.2 10km ESE of Gilroy, California 2014-07-15 17:09:34 UTC-04:00 5.1 km
2.6 73km SW of Homer, Alaska 2014-07-15 14:52:30 UTC-04:00 84.0 km
5.6 93km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 12:39:00 UTC-04:00 1.9 km
2.6 74km ENE of Cantwell, Alaska 2014-07-15 11:27:06 UTC-04:00 0.4 km
5.0 202km N of Chichi-shima, Japan 2014-07-15 11:23:43 UTC-04:00 6.6 km
4.7 44km ESE of Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 2014-07-15 08:55:05 UTC-04:00 35.0 km
4.4 30km N of Iquique, Chile 2014-07-15 07:12:23 UTC-04:00 36.3 km
2.5 17km SSW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-15 06:56:54 UTC-04:00 107.0 km
3.0 8km S of Medford, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 06:47:54 UTC-04:00 1.9 km
5.8 89km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 06:30:29 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
4.7 77km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 06:03:02 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
5.5 90km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 05:44:58 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
2.8 14km N of Coalinga, California 2014-07-15 05:42:56 UTC-04:00 8.0 km
3.9 8km NNE of Harrah, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 05:08:41 UTC-04:00 11.6 km
3.8 5km NNE of Harrah, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 03:19:17 UTC-04:00 9.4 km
3.5 104km SSE of King Salmon, Alaska 2014-07-15 02:34:44 UTC-04:00 121.7 km
3.0 15km E of Mecca, California 2014-07-15 02:07:14 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
4.9 176km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia 2014-07-15 01:48:11 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
2.7 20km SSE of Kettleman City, California 2014-07-15 00:34:54 UTC-04:00 3.7 km
4.8 62km N of Palu, Indonesia 2014-07-14 22:38:00 UTC-04:00 37.1 km
2.7 19km SSW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-14 22:34:34 UTC-04:00 97.1 km
2.6 24km SW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-14 20:20:14 UTC-04:00 127.7 km
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-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Juncker elected: promises more social EU, more political commission-15.07.14 @ 13:50-EUOBSERVER-By Honor Mahony
BRUSSELS - Jean-Claude Juncker was elected European Commission President on Tuesday (15 July) after promising a more social Europe and paying tribute to the major integrationist politicians of the previous generation.The former Luxembourg PM, who has been on and around the EU stage for the last two decades, received 422 votes, easily surpassing the minimum 376 needed. Of the 729 MEPs that took part, 250 voted against him, 47 abstained and 10 votes were void.In a 50-minute speech before the ballot, the centre-right politician said he wanted the European Commission to be "very political" and indicated he will try and revive the power of the institution - seen as sidelined after member states handled the long-running economic crisis.He pledged to revive the "community method" - whereby the EU commission is the driver of EU law-making and strongly differentiated himself with the outgoing commission - which is associated with austerity-flavoured policies - by giving major focus to social issues in his speech."You can't achieve competitiveness by getting rid of social security," he said, noting that the "internal market is not more important than social affairs."He pledged to use €300bn over the next three years for projects that focus on energy, infrastructure, and digital issues.Other promises include making a lobbyist register obligatory, making documents around a controversial EU-US trade agreement public, and putting an end to the EU dealing with "every tiny problem".He spoke of the eurozone eventually having its own budget and said the single currency area should be "represented by one single chair, one single office". But he said the stability and growth pact - the rules underpinning the euro - will not be changed.He also promised to tackle "social dumping", but to leave free movement of people rules intact. He will work for a common asylum policy, and indicated there will be no new EU member states under his watch.
No mention of Barroso
Juncker - who spoke first in French, then German (the "language of the world champions"), and then English - received the greatest applause from MEPs for a strong defence of the euro and for pledging to work for more solidarity between north and south on how to tackle migration.Ignoring current EU leaders - most notably 10-year commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who got no mention in the speech - he reached back in time to the 1980s and 1990s for inspirational politicians.He singled out Jacques Delors, Francois Mitterand, and Helmut Kohl - the commission president, French, and German leaders, respectively - who presided over a dynamic integrationist period in EU history - for praise."His work will inspire me," he said of Delors. He said all three were "patient, courageous and determined."
More power to MEPs
Tuesday's vote marks the culmination of a personal journey for Juncker which started in Spring in Dublin when he was nominated to be the centre-right's top candidate heading into the May EU vote.But it also represents a marked power shift for the European Parliament, which, through wily political manouvering over the past year, has removed the EU leaders' perogative to nominate the EU commission president.Juncker came to the post because his group, the centre-right EPP, won the most votes in the European election. EU leaders tried to fight the process but conceded defeat soon after the May vote.Acknowleging the process, Juncker said that this parliament is the first to "really elect" the commission president."You have given full meaning to these elections," he added, with the new system now set in the EU's political and institutional landscape.
EU summit may decide only on foreign policy chief-14.07.14 @ 09:28-EUOBSERVER-By Valentina Pop and Andrew Rettman
BRUSSELS - Leaders meeting on Wednesday (16 July) are likely to pick only the new EU foreign policy chief, with a decision on the successor to Council head Herman Van Rompuy “possibly” delayed until autumn.According to one EU source, "if a complete deal is feasible, we should go for it. Otherwise, it will be only the high representative."A second source told this website that it is "certainly a possibility" that only the foreign affairs chief is picked.Both the foreign policy head - Catherine Ashton - and the Council president - Herman Van Rompuy - have five months to go until their terms end. But in the case of the foreign affairs job, the successor also has to undergo hearings in the European Parliament and to be voted together with the rest of the new EU commissioners in October.At the core of the delay is a disagreement in the Socialist leaders' camp.France's Francois Hollande is reluctant to endorse Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt for the Van Rompuy job. Thorning-Schmidt is a centre-left politician, but close enough to the centre-right to be acceptable to the likes of Germany’s Angela Merkel or the UK’s David Cameron.The political colour of one top job will determine the other, as the centre-right and the centre left are dividing the posts evenly.If Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, the frontrunner, is appointed foreign policy chief the Council presidency should go to a Prime Minister from the centre-right.Ireland's Enda Kenny is one of the names being floated. Two Baltic ex-PMs - Valdis Dombrovskis of Latvia and Andrus Ansip of Estonia - are also options.A Baltic choice would mean eastern European states would get a prestigious EU role. But it might not be enough to placate opposition to Mogherini.A senior source in one of the Baltic capitals told EUobserver on Monday: “We’re not very happy about her and that’s putting it politely. She has little experience overall and no experience of the eastern neighbourhood. We find it hard to understand why she chose to go to Moscow to meet [Russian leader] Putin in her first trip of the Italian [EU] presidency”.The source added that Poland is “still pushing” for its FM Radek Sikorski, but said this might be designed to block Mogherini rather than to get him in.The source also said that Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgaria’s EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, is “a good compromise candidate” because she is a woman from the east with a technocratic rather than a political background.But an EU official familiar with the talks said he "doubts" Georgieva will land the post, while Mogherini is "likely" to get it.On the table are also the trump commissioner posts - economics, energy, digital agenda, trade. France is pushing for the economics post, while Poland would like to land energy, Britain trade and Germany telecoms.Wednesday’s EU top jobs talks will come alongside a fresh discussion on how to handle the Russia-Ukraine crisis.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko phoned Van Rompuy on Saturday to urge him to adopt a tougher line.He told Van Rompuy that Putin is sending Russian troops and Russian “heavy military equipment” across the border, amid an escalation in fighting over the weekend.
Don't touch EU stability pact, warns ECB's Draghi-Today @ 09:27-JULY 15,14-EUOBSERVER-By Benjamin Fox
BRUSSELS - ECB boss Mario Draghi urged EU leaders not to meddle with the bloc's rules on debt and deficits on Monday, warning that it could turn the tide on much needed economic reforms.
Addressing MEPs on the Parliament's economic affairs committee in Strasbourg (14 July), Draghi said structural reforms combined with government spending cuts and lower taxes were the only route to restoring economic stability."There should be a profound structural reform process," he said, adding that "there is no other way”.“We should take great care not to roll back this important achievement, or to water down its implementation to an extent that it would no longer be seen as a credible framework," he said.Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, whose government holds the EU's six month presidency, has led calls for the pact's rules to be applied with more flexibility to allow governments to increase public investment programmes.The demand was rejected by Draghi who stated that “the present rules already contain enough flexibility".“If a rule is a rule then it has to be complied with," he said, commenting that "I’m not sure I get - perhaps because I lack political skills - the chemistry of flexibility being essential to make a rule credible”.He also reiterated that EU leaders should consider "some form of common governance over structural reforms” to ensure that countries push through reform programmes.Speaking with MEPs for the first time since the Frankfurt-based bank cut its main interest rate to a historic low of 0.15 percent, the ECB boss also faced down claims that low rates were hurting savers and pensions in the bloc's wealthier countries.“As soon as the recovery gains momentum the interest rates will go up again," he said, but argued that the effect of the ECB's monetary policy on interest rates in Germany was "not strong”."We will keep the key ECB interest rates at current levels for an extended period of time," he concluded.Draghi also defended the ECB's soon-to-be-launched scheme allowing banks to borrow at low rates from it for up to four years, providing that they increase lending to businesses.The programme, which economists predict will result in more than €700 billion in lending within two years, is the latest attempt by the bank to kick-start the eurozone's stuttering economy. Critics have warned that it could lead to a 'free lunch' for banks to borrow more cheap money to prop up their balance sheets.“Our policy will remain expansionary for a long time," said Draghi, adding that "we don’t see a situation of systemic bubbles”.
07/15/2014 -VATICAN INSIDER-Women bishops are now a reality in England-Members of the Synod capture their joy in a selfie-The Church of England General Synod has introduced a historic reform making the ordination of female bishops possible-Alessandra Rizzo
London-Amidst roaring applause and cries of jubilation, the Church of England has approved the ordination of female bishops, breaking a two thousand year tradition and putting an end to a shrill debate. The Synod reached this historic decision after a five-hour discussion with the liberal wing of the Church welcoming the result of the vote as a healthy and necessary revolution. The conservative wing on the other hand saw it as the tragic end to an institution, which dated back to the dawn of Christianity. The spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who supported the reform said the vote “marks the start of a great adventure.” Significantly, though, Welby swiftly added: “As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of those within the Church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow.”The debate over the role of women in the Church of England has gone on for almost fifty years and although it has not brought about a much-feared schism, it has caused rifts that have been deep enough to push some to switch over to the Catholic Church. The conservative minority claims that the new reform contradicts the Bible and tradition, which requires the Church to have an exclusively male leadership since the days of Jesus and his twelve apostles. But the way reformers see it, denying women a more prominent role in the Church goes against the sensitivities of faithful, particularly in a society like Britain’s.In 1975, the General Synod stated that “there are no fundamental objections to the ordination of women to the priesthood.” But it took ten years before the first women deacons were ordained and another ten before the first women priests came onto the scene in 1994. Today, women account for about a third of the Church’s eleven million Anglican priests.Female bishops already exist in countries like the United States and Australia but the Church of England – which is the motherhouse of the Anglican Community which comprises 80 million faithful across 165 countries – had resisted pressure to modernize.This year’s voting result overturns the outcome of the 2012 vote with which the Synod narrowly rejected the proposal to ordain women bishops (by six votes cast by lay members). In Welby’s opinion, the outcome of that vote undermined the Church’s credibility in the eyes of British society. This time round there were no surprises: the two-thirds majority needed in all three houses of the Synod (bishops, clergy, laity) for the reform to pass, was reached. Although the members of the college remained the same since 2012, many announced that they had changed their mind this time round. In the end, 351 voted in favour of the reform, 72 voted against and there were 10 abstentions.Prime Minister David Cameron said it was “a great day for the Church and for equality.” But those who voted against the reform drew attention to the risks, for example the potential difficulties the Church may face in attracting traditionalist priests.There are still some formalities to be completed before the reform is implemented. It will need to be approved by Parliament and the Queen of England who is formally the head of the Church of England, before it goes back to the General Synod for definitive approval in November. According to Welby, the first female episcopal ordination could take place early next year. When asked whether he anticipated seeing a woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in his lifetime, he replied: “I’ve no idea. I would be delighted if I did.”
07/13/2014 -VATICAN INSIDER-Francis: “No more war, let us break the spiral of violence and hatred”-The Pope during the Angelus prayer-At today’s Angelus Francis sent out an appeal for peace in the Holy Land-GIACOMO GALEAZZI
vatican city-“No more war, war destroys everything. Let us not be overcome by evil or allow violence and hatred to prevail over dialogue and reconciliation.” The Pope’s meeting of prayer for peace in the Holy Land was not in vain. “The memory of last June 8th meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew and Presidents Peres and Abbas, is still fresh in my mind. Together we invoked the gift of peace and listened to the call to break the spiral of violence and hatred,” the Pope said. For some, this gathering took place in vain. But, in fact, “prayer helps prevent us from being overcome by evil or allow violence and hatred to prevail over dialogue and reconciliation.” This was the concerned appeal the Pope sent out today, calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has flared up again. The conflict that is raging in Gaza is bloodying Jesus’ homeland and the Pope, who has put the geographical and existential peripheries at the centre of his pontificate, becomes a spokesman for the calls for peace being sent out by “all men of goodwill.” Francis’ appeal for an end to war extends beyond the walls of the Catholic Church, expressing the suffering of those who have been wounded by the escalating violence in the Middle East. “I urge all interested parties and all those who have political responsibilities on a local and international level, to be generous in your prayers and efforts to put an end to all hostility and bring about a much longed for peace, for the good of everyone,” the Pope said. “I anxiously appeal to you to pray persistently for peace in the Holy Land in light of the tragic events of recent days. I invite everyone to join together in prayer: let us all pray together in silence.”“Now Lord, - the Pope called out, his voice filled with emotion - “You help us! You give us peace, You teach us peace, You guide us towards peace. Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: no more war, war destroys everything. Instil in us the courage to build peace through concrete gestures. Give us a willingness to hear the cries of our people who are asking us to transform our weapons into instruments of peace, our fears into trust and our tensions into forgiveness.”In the summer too we should go to mass and hear the word of Jesus, the Pope urged faithful after explaining the Parable of the Sower, the first of Christ’s parables in time. “When Jesus speaks to the people he uses many parables: a language that everyone can understand, with images from nature and day-to-day experiences. The first of these parables is an introduction to the ones that follow: it is the Parable of the Sower who generously spreads his seed on all kinds of ground. The real protagonist of this parable is the seed itself, which produces more or less fruit depending on the soil it has fallen on. The first three soils are infertile.”“This parable – the Pope said – speaks to each and every one of us today, just as it did to Jesus’ audience two thousand years ago. It reminds us that we are the soil onto which the Lord tirelessly throws the seed of his Word and love. How do we receive him? What is the state of our heart? What soil does can it be likened to? : a road, stony ground, a thorn bush? It is up to us to turn ourselves into fertile ground that is free from thorns and stones, that is ploughed and cultivated with care so that it can bear good fruits for us and our brothers and sisters. The good seed of the Gospel is sown at every Holy Mass, in a different way each time, it is served in the soup kitchen God’s Word: a seed that is to be received, looked after and lived.”“It is important to take part in Sunday mass, even in the summer months, to enlighten and strengthen us along our path,” Francis said. We should also take care in choosing the words we use: these can inspire “courage” but they can also cause “depression”.The Pope started with the Gospel passage which describes Jesus preaching on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. “A huge crowd gathers, so Jesus gets into a boat, goes a little further out onto the water and preaches from there.”The Pope explained the Parable of the Sower saying: “In this case, Jesus does not simply present the parable he explains it to his disciples too. The seed which falls on the road, represents those who heard the Word but dismiss it; so the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. Evil does not want the seed of the Gospel to grow in people’s hearts. This is the first metaphor. The second is the seed that falls on the rocks, forms no roots and so it withers away; this represents those who hear the word, but only accept it shallowly; when the going gets tough these people lose heart. The third case is the seed that falls among the thorn bushes: Jesus explains that these are the people who hear the Word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. Finally, the sower’s seed falls on fertile ground and this represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, nurture it and understand it and so it bears fruit. The Virgin Mary is a prefect example of this.”
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
N.W.T. fires: Cabin owners take matters into own hands-CBC – JULY 15,14-YahooNews
Spencer Decorby spent last weekend battling flames at his father's cabin about 80 kilometres east of Yellowknife.He says it was the most humbling experience in his life."Standing against a wall of flames that's a couple of storeys high and holding a firehose, you feel like you're peeing on a bonfire," he said.The worst forest fire season in 30 years is taking a toll on firefighters and forcing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to warn cabin owners they could be left on their own to battle the flames.Family and friends joined Decorby in four major firefights."We managed to hold the line until about four in the morning when we realized an ember had gone and jumped inside of our lines and landed way up in the hill behind us, at which point we had to fall back and defend the perimeter around the camp as well, which we had made as a secondary line of defence, Decorby said of one particularly difficult confrontation with a raging wildfire." There were literally tornadoes of fires in the treetops, and when they were crowning, they'd literally explode in front of us."Decorby says firefighters gave them pumps and hoses to battle the flames, and that he understands that fire authorities have no manpower available to help cabin owners.Northwest Territories Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger is recommending that people use the FireSmart fire-protection system to guard their property against wildfires and is offering residents a manual to help them do that.Decorby is now monitoring fires near his own cabin near Fort Reliance. He’s registered his location with the department and plans to keep an eye on several fires."When things get too intense, you have to fall back," he says. "Things from slipping on wet rocks to getting surrounded by fire — these are all possibilities that could have very tragic consequences if you're not careful."Anyone with homes or cabins in remote areas has been watching the fires closely ever since a fire destroyed the Olesen homestead on a remote corner of the East Arm of Great Slave Lake earlier this month.Lawrence Mercredi has lived on Prelude Lake east of Yellowknife for 26 years.He's cut down the trees near his house and moved all his firewood away from the buildings."If it gets close, I'm going to start soaking everything. I've got enough water, and I've got enough hose to soak the areas that I need to soak."Not everyone is feeling quite so prepared.Maureen Tonge bought a cabin on Reid Lake last year. A fire in the area over a week ago forced, the closure of Reid Lake Territorial Park."We certainly were aware that it could happen, [but] I like to live with rose-coloured glasses, and I never really thought it would happen," Tonge said.She said she has kayaks and other belongings out at the cabin that she hasn't had a chance to bring home with her. Now, she's worried she may not see them again.
EARTHQUAKES
ISAIAH 42:15
15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide
25 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2014-07-15 19:37:56 UTC-04:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-04:00)25 earthquakes in map area
2.7 48km ENE of Road Town, British Virgin Islands 2014-07-15 18:40:20 UTC-04:00 14.0 km
5.0 84km E of Nikolski, Alaska 2014-07-15 18:13:20 UTC-04:00 49.6 km
3.3 10km ESE of Gilroy, California 2014-07-15 17:10:09 UTC-04:00 4.3 km
3.2 10km ESE of Gilroy, California 2014-07-15 17:09:34 UTC-04:00 5.1 km
2.6 73km SW of Homer, Alaska 2014-07-15 14:52:30 UTC-04:00 84.0 km
5.6 93km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 12:39:00 UTC-04:00 1.9 km
2.6 74km ENE of Cantwell, Alaska 2014-07-15 11:27:06 UTC-04:00 0.4 km
5.0 202km N of Chichi-shima, Japan 2014-07-15 11:23:43 UTC-04:00 6.6 km
4.7 44km ESE of Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 2014-07-15 08:55:05 UTC-04:00 35.0 km
4.4 30km N of Iquique, Chile 2014-07-15 07:12:23 UTC-04:00 36.3 km
2.5 17km SSW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-15 06:56:54 UTC-04:00 107.0 km
3.0 8km S of Medford, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 06:47:54 UTC-04:00 1.9 km
5.8 89km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 06:30:29 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
4.7 77km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 06:03:02 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
5.5 90km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 2014-07-15 05:44:58 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
2.8 14km N of Coalinga, California 2014-07-15 05:42:56 UTC-04:00 8.0 km
3.9 8km NNE of Harrah, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 05:08:41 UTC-04:00 11.6 km
3.8 5km NNE of Harrah, Oklahoma 2014-07-15 03:19:17 UTC-04:00 9.4 km
3.5 104km SSE of King Salmon, Alaska 2014-07-15 02:34:44 UTC-04:00 121.7 km
3.0 15km E of Mecca, California 2014-07-15 02:07:14 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
4.9 176km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia 2014-07-15 01:48:11 UTC-04:00 10.0 km
2.7 20km SSE of Kettleman City, California 2014-07-15 00:34:54 UTC-04:00 3.7 km
4.8 62km N of Palu, Indonesia 2014-07-14 22:38:00 UTC-04:00 37.1 km
2.7 19km SSW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-14 22:34:34 UTC-04:00 97.1 km
2.6 24km SW of Little Sitkin Island, Alaska 2014-07-14 20:20:14 UTC-04:00 127.7 km
