DOLLY GOES THROUGH TEXAS

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

EARTHQUAKES

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

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

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

POWERFUL QUAKE HITS JAPAN
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8951517&ch=4226714&src=news

Powerful earthquake hits Japan, dozens injured By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer JULY 23,08

TOKYO - A powerful earthquake rattled parts of northern Japanese early Thursday, injuring nearly 100 people, triggering landslides and cutting power to thousands of people, officials said. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the temblor, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, struck shortly after midnight at a depth of about 65 miles near the coast of Iwate, 280 miles northeast of Tokyo.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from the temblor, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8. It struck shortly after midnight about 65 miles underground and centered just off the coast of Iwate, 280 miles northeast of Tokyo.

At least 99 people were injured, mainly cuts and bruises from broken glasses and falling objects, said National Police Agency official on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. No one had life threatening injuries.The earthquake caused strong shaking of up to 40 seconds in large parts of northern Japan, official said.Everything has fallen off the shelves, scattered all over the floor, grocery store owner Tomio Kudo told national broadcaster NHK from the town of Hirono, where the shaking was most violent. Even a big refrigerator has moved about 30 centimeters (1 foot).Several nuclear power plants in the region continued operations after inspection by plant workers found no problems, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement.The quake caused a blackout at more than 8,000 homes, it said.

Japan's bullet super-express trains were suspended in some areas, according to operator East Japan Railway Co.The earthquake also triggered landslides at several locations, the police agency official said. Details were not immediately available.Relief workers and local officials hit the streets to take a closer look to the affected areas in daylight Thursday. A team of government officials headed by Disaster Minister Shinya Izumi also arrived in Iwate.We must grasp the extent of damage as quickly as possible so that we can immediately take necessary steps, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told reporters.Police said some of the more serious injuries included a woman in Hirono who broke a leg falling down stairs and another woman in Aomori city who broke her hip fleeing out a window.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.A 6.8 magnitude earthquake is capable of causing serious, widespread damage. Last month, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck sparsely populated rural areas in northern Japan, killing at least 12 people, leaving 10 others missing and injuring more than 300.

Meteorological Agency official Takashi Yokota warned of possible aftershocks from Thursday's quake.(This version CORRECTS Corrects that quake struck near coast)

Strong quake jolts northern Japan, no tsunami By Yoko Kubota Wed Jul 23, 1:41 PM ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring several people, burying three cars under a landslide and cutting off electric power to at least 10,000 homes, media reports and officials said. The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and could be felt as far away as Tokyo.

The focus of the quake was 120 km (75 miles) below the surface of the earth in Iwate prefecture, a mountainous, sparsely populated region, the agency said.It was shaking so much that I almost couldn't step out of the kitchen and I panicked quite a bit. A lot of dishes broke, a man in Hachinohe city in Aomori prefecture, about 550 km northeast of Tokyo, told national broadcaster NHK.

Japanese media said military planes were flying over the area to try to assess the extent of damage and that local authorities had requested troops be sent to the area to help. Defence Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.I don't have concrete information, but we've heard that there are several injured, Shinya Izumi, minister in charge of disaster management, told a news conference after the government set up an emergency task force at the prime minister's office.Private broadcaster TV Asahi quoted a spokesman for a hospital in Hachinohe, a city with a population of about 240,000 some 550 km northeast of Tokyo, as saying that 13 people had been brought in with injuries, but gave no details on their condition.Broadcaster TBS said 55 had been injured, while NHK put the figure at 18.There was a fire in one building in the area after the quake, and NHK's fixed cameras showed fire engines driving through the streets towards the scene of the blaze, which it reported was soon put out.Some parts of highways had been closed to traffic and some rail lines were stopped after the quake in the region, which is a mountainous and sparsely populated part of Japan, NHK reported.First it shook a little, then a strong shaking came. It shook for quite a long time, a civil servant in Iwate told NHK.Things didn't fall off the shelves. I saw some houses with shattered glass, he said.Tohoku Electric said its nuclear facilities in the area were operating normally after the quake, except for one unit that was already off-line for maintenance work.Tokyo Electric said its nuclear plants further south had not been affected.Nippon Oil said its 145,000 barrels per day Sendai refinery was operating normally after quake, but Tohoku Electric said it had manually shut down a 250-megawatt oil-fired power plant in aomori after the quake.Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

Thursday's quake follows a string of earthquakes in the same region, the first of which in mid-June killed at least 10 people and left as many again missing.In October 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Niigata region in northern Japan, killing 65 people and injuring more than 3,000. That was the deadliest quake since a magnitude 7.3 tremor hit the city of Kobe in 1995, killing more than 6,400.(Reporting by Linda Sieg and Yoko Kubota; Additional reporting by Isabel Reynolds and Osamu Tsukimori; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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.

DOLLY MAKES LANDFALL
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8950227&ch=4226717&src=news

OIL BRACES FOR HURRICANE SEASON
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8953236&ch=4226714&src=news

Hurricane Dolly hammers northern Mexico By MARK WALSH, Associated Press Writer JULY 23,08

MATAMOROS, Mexico - Hurricane Dolly toppled trees and sent billboards flying in the Mexican city of Matamoros on Wednesday, and authorities south of the U.S. border warned of possible flooding. No deaths were immediately reported in Mexico from Dolly, which struck land just north of the border in Texas, but Tamaulipas state Gov. Eugenio Hernandez urged residents there to be alert for flooding because of the heavy rains.Dolly didn't leave behind any incidents for us to lament, Hernandez told reporters. But he said 50 neighborhoods in Matamoros are still in danger of flooding. About 13,000 people have taken refuge in 21 shelters.Strong winds are no longer the problem. Now we have to worry about intense rain in the next 24 hours, Hernandez said.Dolly became a Category 2 hurricane as it neared land Wednesday but its winds slowed to 95 mph (150 kph), and the storm was downgraded to a Category 1.Mexican officials were monitoring the Rio Grande's water levels, which were at 13 feet (4 meters) before the storm hit. Eduardo Perez, spokesman for the Tamaulipas state water commission, said the river could reach 30 feet (9 meters) before overflowing.

Authorities asked local factories to close so employees would not brave the rough weather, and most businesses were closed as the storm hit. In the few stores still open, shelves largely emptied by people stocking up on food and water.About 4,800 soldiers and Tamaulipas state civil protection officials patrolled to prevent looting. Electricity was cut to the city of Matamoros to guard against electrocutions from downed power lines.Authorities attempted to evacuate up to 23,000 people, but many refused to leave.As rain and wind beat against his brick home outside Matamoros, 21-year-old Hector Gonzalez said he planned to ride out the storm in the kitchen with his younger brother and parents. Surrounding fields already were under water.The trees are really moving in the wind, he said.Maria Lorenzo Agustin, 49, said she was not taking any chances after losing her home and other belongings in past hurricanes.Last time a hurricane hit, we lost the roof and everything was destroyed inside the house, Agustin said.She and her 102-year-old grandmother fled their wooden shack in the fishing community of Higuerilla and spent the night at a convention center-turned-shelter in Matamoros.Alejandrina Salas, 53, abandoned about 60 chickens at her home in Manos de Leon and arrived at a Matamoros shelter Tuesday night carrying one bird.I love this one a lot, she said.

Dolly weakens to tropical storm over Texas JULY 23,08

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hurricane Dolly has weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland over Texas after drenching the Texas-Mexico coast with heavy rains, the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. In its 11 p.m. EDT advisory, the hurricane center said Dolly's center was located about 55 miles northwest of Brownsville, Texas, and the storm had maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 kph).

DOLLY SLAMS S TEXAS BEFORE WEAKENING
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=4226712&cl=8953056&src=news

BEAR ATTACK
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8949387&ch=4226713&src=news

Hurricane Dolly pounds Texas, Mexico Wed Jul 23, 7:35 PM ET

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AFP) - Hurricane Dolly pounded the Texas-Mexico border region on Wednesday with rain and powerful winds, flooding part of a Mexican city where 250,000 people were left without drinking water. The storm made landfall in South Padre Island, Texas, as a category two hurricane packing winds of 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour, the National Hurricane Center said.

But Dolly lost some punch as it interacted with the cooler land mass after leaving the Gulf of Mexico, downgrading to a category one storm with 150 kph (95 mph) winds soon after making landfall.By 2100 GMT, Dolly's winds fell to 140 kilometers (85 miles) per hour, as it moved northwest 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Texas border town of Brownsville.While still a category one storm, further weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours, the NHC said.As pounding rain and strong winds battered the US-Mexico coast, authorities worried whether levees could sustain the flood waters.Bracing for as many as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain, residents boarded up windows and piled up sandbags and thousands fled for safer ground.In Matamoros, 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of South Padre Island, Dolly's winds damaged the city's main water treatment plant, leaving half of the 500,000 inhabitants without drinking water, while heavy rain triggered extensive flooding, local officials said.Texas Governor Rick Perry issued disaster declarations in 14 counties across the southern portion of the state, and hundreds of National Guard troops and other emergency crews were deployed in advance of the storm.White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said federal authorities were helping with hurricane preparations.

We've been identifying resources and pre-positioning supplies in case they are needed after the landfall, she told reporters in Washington.As the storm made landfall, the NHC warned that isolated tornadoes could hit south Texas and there could be widespread flooding across portions of south Texas and northeast Mexico.As Dolly weakened over southern Texas, hurricane warnings were replaced by tropical storm warnings in many areas north and south of the US-Mexico border.The first hurricane of the season in the Gulf of Mexico prompted some oil companies to evacuate personnel from their offshore rigs, but by early Wednesday the storm looked set to bypass the major oil producing areas.However, concerns were raised about the ability of levees to withstand the floodwaters, which could go as high as three feet (one meter) in southern Texas's Cameron County, officials told the local Brownsville Herald.

I ask that any residents that live near the levee in Cameron County to please move away from the river levees near the Rio Grande River. We believe those will be breached if the path continues, said Johnny Cavazos, emergency management coordinator for the county.Authorities called for the evacuation of more than 23,000 people from coastal areas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, Governor Eugenio Hernandez said.The NHC has forecast an especially active 2008 weather season, saying there could be up to nine hurricanes and 12 tropical storms in the Atlantic region. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through the end of November. About 35 million people live in the most hurricane-prone US region, the southeastern coastline running from the states of North Carolina to Texas, according to the US Census Bureau.

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.(TRADE 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).

EU threatens obligatory visa for US diplomats
HONOR MAHONY 23.07.2008 @ 18:45 CET

The European Commission has raised the stakes in its tussle with Washington over visas by suggesting that from the beginning of next year US diplomats be required to apply for a visa for t ravel to the European Union.Brussels' move is prompting by frustration at the US government over the slow pace of talks on granting all EU citizens visa-free travel to the United States.No tangible progress has been made regarding the United States despite all efforts of the commission and individual member states, the commission said on Wednesday (23 July).Therefore, the commission will propose retaliatory measures e.g. temporary restoration of the visa requirement for US nationals holding diplomatic and service or official passports as of 1 January, 2009 if no progress is achieved.

At the moment, citizens from 12 of the 27 member states need a visa when travelling to the US – these include most of the ex-Communist countries that joined the bloc since 2004 as well as Greece.The visa issue has bubbled below the surface continually since the EU's major enlargement to the east four years ago.The countries it took on included several very pro-US states – some of whom committed troops to Iraq – and they could not understand why their citizens were not being treated equally to citizens from western states such as Germany, France and the UK.Earlier this year, Washington irritated Brussels by initiating air passenger data deals with individual eastern countries on the understanding that they in return would also become part of the US visa-waiver programme.The Czech Republic reached a deal with Washington in spring, it was later followed by Hungary and Bulgaria.The European Commission was annoyed at what it saw as Washington's divide-and-rule tactics, especially as it believed the bloc's data privacy laws would be undermined as a side effect.Eastern member states have often raised the prospect of reciprocity on the visa issue but this is the first time that the commission has come with a concrete retaliatory suggestion.It is unacceptable that nationals from some third countries can benefit from visa-free travel to the EU whilst some of our fellow EU citizens cannot travel visa-free to those countries, said EU justice commissioner Jacques Barrot.The US visa waiver programme was set up in 1988 and originally focussed on restricting immigration, but the emphasis changed to a security issue after the al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

Washington assess countries for inclusion in the programme on the basis of a number of criteria such as the number of visas that have been refused - however the EU would like the bloc to be treated as whole.Travel arrangements between the two blocs is set to continue as a hot topic for the coming months. The US has already announced plans to create an Electronic System of Travel Authorisation for all citizens travelling to the States, including Europeans, from January next year.It maintains it is not a disguised form of visa, but the Europe Commission has yet to establish whether it amounts to a visa policy or not.

Military strike not an option on Iran, EU ministers say
LEIGH PHILLIPS 23.07.2008 @ 09:26 CET

European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday (22 July) called for further diplomacy in dealing with concerns over Iran's nuclear programme and ruled out a military strike as an option.UK foreign secretary David Miliband said following the meeting: We are 100 percent focussed on a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian issue.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said there was no other route apart from diplomacy.The position of the European Union is clear, said Mr Solana according to the AP. We want to find a diplomatic solution to this, in particular to clarify to the fullest the nature of their nuclear programme.Mr Solana outlined for the ministers the results of a meeting on Saturday between Iran and diplomats from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Russia, where Tehran was encouraged to halt its uranium enrichment in return for a package of economic and political carrots.With the US for the first time sending a high-ranking diplomat to the meeting, expectations were high that better relations between the two main antagonists would bear fruit. However, Iran maintained that its nuclear programme had only peaceful purposes.American secretary of state Condoleeza Rice described Iran's negotiations following the meeting as not serious.

Mr Solana on Tuesday however said he hoped to have to have clear and simple answers from Tehran within two weeks' time.The six nations and the EU have given Iran a fortnight to reply to the latest offer. If the response is unsatisfactory, further sanctions could be considered.The offer that has been made to Iran on the one hand...and the sanctions on the other, if they refuse to engage and reply, is exactly the right approach, said Mr Miliband following the EU ministers' meeting.

Sarkozy suggests Irish revote in June 2009
LEIGH PHILLIPS 22.07.2008 @ 09:29 CET

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has proposed to the Irish prime minister that a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty be held on the same day as elections to the European Parliament next June.Mr Sarkozy made the suggestion during a private discussion with Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, according to reports in the Irish Times, during a six-hour whistle-stop trip to Dublin to meet with government leaders and campaigners from both sides of the treaty battle.At the same time, publicly, the French president denied that he had said Ireland must vote again.I never said that Ireland had to organise a new referendum. I said that at some stage or another the Irish had to be given the opportunity to give their opinion.Last week, he told a private session with deputies from his UMP party in Paris that Ireland would have to hold a second referendum, according to an attendee of the meeting.However, in Dublin the president said he accepted that there could be no resolution to the issue under his country's six-month presidency of the European Union, due to end in December.We don't want to push you into anything, said Mr Sarkozy at a joint press conference with Mr Cowen.The Irish newspaper also reports that Mr Cowen underscored that his government was prepared only to offer a preliminary report to his fellow EU leaders when they meet at October's European Summit, and not a conclusive document detailing a way out of the impasse.The French president's strategy for holding a second poll would be unveiled at the December summit in Brussels, and would involve a guarantee of a commissioner for every member state alongside non-legally-binding declarations - not protocols or opt-outs - targeting perceived Irish concerns around abortion and defence, among other issues.Guarantees on abortion repeatedly figure among the possible responses of European leaders, despite representing the concerns of only two percent of those who voted No, according to the European Commission's own Eurobarometer poll on why people voted the way they did.

Mr Sarkozy also spent two hours meeting with 21 representatives from the various No-side campaign groups, including Libertas, Sinn Fein, the People's Movement and People Before Profit, each of which had three minutes to make their case. A handful of campaigners from the Yes side, including individuals from the Irish employers association, IBEC, were also in attendance.The No campaigners, for their part, felt that the French president was not listening to their concerns.The most worrying thing about this meeting is the fact that clearly the message is not properly being heard, perhaps not even being heard at all. We have said no, said Declan Ganley the millionaire backer of Libertas, whose arguments against the treaty focussed on taxation and regulation as well as democracy issues.That this process should continue, this wish to force through this agenda. There is just something fundamentally wrong and broken with that, he added.Patricia McKenna, of the left-wing People's Movement and a former Green MEP, said after meeting with Mr Sarkozy the whole trip was just a public relations exercise.

He wants to be able to go back to his own people and say I've consulted all sections of Irish society in relation to the Lisbon Treaty, but he is not getting the message, Ms McKenna said.It was very disappointing when he said that it's only extreme situations that you avoid a vote, in other words that Ireland has to vote again.However, the head of Sinn Fein, the only mainstream party to oppose the treaty, found the short discussion he had with the French leader more constructive, saying that at least he met with the No campaigners, unlike the Irish government.I noted to the EU President that the reasons behind the No vote were not as complex as he and others have suggested, he said.The Irish electorate were deeply concerned with issues such as democracy, Ireland's loss of power within the EU, neutrality and militarisation, workers rights and public services. Indeed these same concerns are shared by many across the European Union.As the Mr Sarkozy arrived, he was greeted by a small protest of a few hundred No campaigners waving No Means No placards.

Ukraine gets green light for EU association pact
PHILIPPA RUNNER 22.07.2008 @ 09:29 CET

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed French proposals for the EU to sign an association pact with Ukraine in September, amid uncertainty over what the move could mean for Ukraine's EU membership aspirations.This agreement will not only mean a strengthened partnership. It can also qualify as an associate member agreement, the chancellor said after meeting Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on a brief visit to Kiev on Monday (21 July).Her comment came one day before EU foreign ministers come together in Brussels on Tuesday to rubber-stamp plans for the EU-Ukraine summit in Evian, France on 9 September, where the two sides aim to sign the political chapter of a new bilateral deal.

The title association agreement - recalling the association treaties signed with former eastern bloc countries before the 2004 EU enlargement - would be a diplomatic victory for Kiev, which has pushed for an EU membership perspective since it broke away from the Russian sphere of influence in the 2004 Orange Revolution. The discussions relating to the name of the agreement have ended. It's a colossal step, President Yushchenko said after talking with Ms Merkel.The chancellor's visit itself - the first by a German leader since the Orange uprising - was greeted as a new development in EU-Ukraine relations by some analysts.Her predecessor never found his way to Kiev because he was worried by the grievances from Moscow that such a trip would have provoked. Merkel, though, gives less weight to Russia's concerns, the German Marshall Fund's Joerg Himmelreich told RFE/RL.But despite the warm atmosphere on Monday, Ms Merkel made clear the association pact would not in itself guarantee that Ukraine will one day start EU entry talks. It would mean that progress [in EU-Ukraine relations] has been achieved but there would be no automatic mechanism concerning [EU] membership, she explained. This question is not on the agenda.French diplomats, who first floated the association agreement proposal last December, have in the past pointed out that while the EU and Ukraine are coming closer together, the word association in itself does not relate to enlargement, as the EU also has association deals with states such as Chile and Egypt.

Polish media reports that discussion on the precise wording of the EU-Ukraine treaty preamble is ongoing at the diplomatic level, with the EU negotiating mandate allowing a clause along the lines that the EU recognises Ukraine's EU membership aspirations. Ukrainian diplomats are still struggling to have pro-enlargement wording included in the text before the Evian meeting, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reports, while Spain leads an EU camp which wants the preamble to explicitly say the new treaty does not relate to accession.

OBAMA SAYS HES COMMITTED TO ISRAELS SECURITY
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8942502&ch=4226714&src=news

Obama pays visit to Jerusalem holy site By DAVE ESPO, AP Special Correspondent JULY 23,08

JERUSALEM - Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama paid a predawn visit to the holiest place in Judaism on Thursday, bowing his head in prayer at the Western Wall. Obama placed a small note inside a crevice in the ancient wall, a custom observed by many. He made his brief stop as he completed a trip to the Middle East in which he met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well as Jordan's King Abdullah.

OBAMA JERUSALEM WILL BE ISRAELS CAPITAL
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8948627&ch=4226716&src=news

Obama tells Israel he's committed to its security By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent JULY 23,08

SDEROT, Israel - From the solemnity of a Holocaust museum to a dusty village battered by Hamas rockets, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama on Wednesday professed an unshakable commitment to the security of Israel, whether the threat comes from terrorists, Iran or elsewhere. The way you know where somebody's going is where have they been. And I've been with Israel for many, many years now, he said on a day that bore striking similarities to campaigning in the United States.In his public remarks, Obama sidestepped a question of whether he would condone an Israeli attack to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But he said he was confident that in several private meetings he had not left Israeli politicians with the impression that, if elected president, he would be pressuring them to accept any kinds of concessions that would put their security at stake.Obama packed more than a half-dozen meetings, a stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, a helicopter tour of the country and a visit to a house hit by Hamas rockets into his only full day in Israel during his trip to the Middle East and Europe.He also rode past an Israeli checkpoint into Ramallah on the West Bank, where he assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of his support for a two-state resolution of the region's long animosities. Later, entering a session with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Obama said his talks with Abbas indicated there's a strong sense of progress being made toward peace. Olmert nodded and said, Indeed.Before dawn Thursday in Jerusalem, paid a predawn visit to the holiest place in Judaism, bowing his head in prayer at the Western Wall and pushing a small note into a crevice in the ancient wall, a custom that is observed by many.

Obama's major focus was clearly reassuring Israelis — and by extension millions of Jewish voters in the United States — of his commitment to the survival of the Jewish state. He leads his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, among Jewish voters, but his support falls short of what Democrat John Kerry drew four years ago.Obama said Israelis could be certain of his commitment to Israel's security by looking at my deeds.Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon, he said.However, Obama does not serve on the banking committee, and McCain's campaign seized on the mistake.Not only is it not his committee, but he's not even on the committee, he didn't vote on the bill, and he had nothing to do with its passage, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement issued Wednesday.Obama's trip is financed by his presidential campaign, and he flew to Israel from Jordan on Tuesday night about his chartered Boeing 757 emblazoned with his trademark slogan, Change We Can Believe In.If his campaign aides were looking for memorable images during the day, they got them, from Obama donning a skullcap at the Holocaust memorial, to President Shimon Peres saying, God Bless You outside his official residence, to a stop at a house under reconstruction in Sderot where he saw firsthand the destruction caused by Hamas rockets.People are committed, he said, making a fist and thumping his chest three times.Shielded by intense U.S. and Israeli security, he then traveled a short distance to the local police station. There, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and local officials showed him racks filled with debris from Hamas rockets that have landed in Sderot in the past seven years. In 2005 Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip a mile away.The same racks formed a made-for-television backdrop for a news conference attended not only by U.S. reporters, but also Israelis whose satellite trucks jammed the parking lot across the street.Eli Moyal, the local mayor, gave Obama a souvenir T-shirt — merely the latest he has received since he began running for president — and the senator also came away with a gift of a piece of rocket as artwork, attached to a wooden plaque.Gaza Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum had a less-favorable response to Obama's visit to Sderot: Hamas considers the remarks of the Democratic candidate today to be part of the American policy of bias towards Israel and giving legitimacy to Israeli crimes against our people. His remarks today give cover for the occupation's nonstop crimes against our people.The subject of Tehran's presumed drive to gain a nuclear weapon — and the threat that would pose to Israel — was a recurrent theme throughout the day. The American presidential candidate said, Iranians need to understand that whether it's the Bush administration or an Obama administration, that this is a paramount concern to the United States.He said he favors both big sticks and carrots to persuade Iranians to switch course. What I have also said, though, is that I will take no options off the table in dealing with this potential Iranian threat. And understand part of my reasoning here. A nuclear Iran would be a game-changing situation, not just in the Middle East but around the world. Whatever remains of our nuclear nonproliferation framework, I think, would begin to disintegrate. You would have countries in the Middle East who would see the potential need to also obtain nuclear weapons.

At his news conference, Obama brushed aside a question of whether he had backed off his statement this spring that Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel. Palestinians also lay claim to the city as the capital for any state they establish as the result of peace talks, and the two sides have agreed that the final decision is to be negotiated. Criticized by Abbas after he made that comment, Obama subsequently amended it. Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations, he said. He added that as a practical matter, it would be very difficult to execute a division of the city. Abbas issued a statement saying he and Obama had not discussed the issue in their hour together. Asked by an Israeli reporter about the matter, Obama said, I continued to say that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. And I have said that before and I will say it again. And I also have said that it is important that we don't simply slice the city in half. But I've also said that that's a final status issue.Obama departs on Thursday for Germany, where he is scheduled to deliver an outdoor speech before a large crowd. He also has stops planned for France and England before flying back to the United States on Saturday.
Associated Press writers Matti Friedman, Laurie Copans and Ian Deitch contributed to this story.

Stocks advance following sharp drop in oil prices By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer Wed Jul 23, 6:08 PM ET

NEW YORK - Stocks advanced for the second straight session Wednesday as another decline in oil prices and several upbeat profit reports eased some of Wall Street's concerns about the economy. Investors expect that a sustained pullback in oil prices would give a crucial boost to the economy. Crude has retreated as oil investors have worried that high prices and a sluggish economy are reducing demand. The government reported Wednesday that domestic inventories increased last week as consumers curbed their energy use.Oil is down more than $20 a barrel since hitting a record above $147 just weeks ago. A barrel of light, sweet crude fell $3.98 to settle at $124.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.While oil at times tugged at stocks, as it has for months, investors also examined a raft of earnings reports Wednesday that indicated not all corporate profits were suffering because of the slower economy. That left some investors more upbeat about the prospects for the overall economy. AT&T Inc., McDonald's Corp. and Pfizer Inc., all among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones industrial average, weighed in with reports that generally pleased investors.

Oil is a positive but I think bigger than that is the earnings news is not as catastrophic as people were thinking, said Noman Ali, portfolio manager of U.S. equities for MFC Global Investment Management in Toronto. Some of the bellwethers are reporting earnings that are better-than-expected. And outside of the financials, things aren't so bad.The Dow rose 29.88, or 0.26 percent, to 11,632.38 after rising nearly 100 points early in the session. On Tuesday, the blue chips gained 135 points.Broader stock indicators also advanced Wednesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.19, or 0.41 percent, to 1,282.19 and the technology-laden Nasdaq composite index rose 21.92, or 0.95 percent, to 2,325.88.

Nasdaq's gains came ahead of a report from Amazon.com Inc., which said after the closing bell that its second-quarter profit more than doubled to top Wall Street's expectations.Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by about 5 to 3 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 6.56 billion shares, compared with 6.04 billion shares traded Tuesday.Bond prices slipped as some investors moved from the safety of government debt to stocks. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 4.12 percent from 4.10 percent from late Tuesday.The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.Some strength in the dollar helped push oil lower. The drop in oil helped a range of sectors like airlines. Delta Air Lines Inc. rose 89 cents, or 12 percent, to $8.60, while Continental Airlines Inc. jumped $1.54, or 12 percent, to $14.80.Energy companies lost ground as oil fell. Exxon Mobil Corp. fell $1.87, or 2.3 percent, to $80.99 and Chevron Corp. slid $2.98, or 3.5 percent, to $82.65.Investors appeared unfazed by the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, which provides readings on the U.S. economy by region and indicated that business conditions have slowed in recent months as consumer spending has turned sluggish. The report arrives two weeks before policymakers' next meeting but seemed to hold few surprises for investors.Wall Street instead appeared more focused on oil and corporate news.AT&T rose $1.24, or 3.9 percent, to $33.06 after the company said quarterly profits rose amid a big spike in wireless subscribers that offset its shrinking landline business.Pfizer, the world's biggest drug maker, said its second-quarter earnings more than doubled as restructuring charges declined and the weak dollar helped lift overseas revenue. The stock rose 72 cents, or 3.9 percent, to $19.07.McDonald's credited strong overseas sales with driving the company's second-quarter profit. The stock fell 46 cents to $59.66.

Boeing Co. fell $2.54, or 3.7 percent, to $66.72 after reporting second-quarter earnings fell 19 percent due to a $248 million charge related to a defense program. The world's second-largest commercial airplane maker had already warned it would book the expense. Washington Mutual Inc. fell $1.17, or 20 percent, to $4.65 after the nation's largest thrift reported a $3 billion loss due to increases in its loss reserves to cover souring loans in its mortgage portfolio. Costco Wholesale Corp. warned that its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year profits will fall short of Wall Street's expectations. The warehouse club operator expects higher energy costs to hurt its results. The stock fell $8.57, or 12 percent, to $63.43. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac advanced ahead of an ultimately successful House vote Wednesday on legislation to tap the mortgage giants' profits to cover any losses from saving 400,000 homeowners from foreclosure. The measure, which won easy approval in a vote after the closing bell on Wall Street, would give the Treasury Department authority to extend the companies a temporary lifeline. Fannie Mae rose $1.59, or 12 percent, to $15, while Freddie Mac rose $1.10, or 11 percent, to $10.80. Hours before the vote, President Bush dropped his opposition to the measure, which appears likely to pass the Senate and become law within days. Bill Stone, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management, said some investors had been overly concerned about some financials and that some companies' quarterly reports had quelled some fears.

They were pricing some of these companies seemingly for the end. And when you don't get the worst possible outcome you get at least a jump out of them, he said. MFC's Ali said that while the government's action to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has reassured investors he remains cautious. Some of the biggest rallies happen in bear markets. The outlook for the market is still pretty negative, he said, pointing to a general decline in earnings, a slowdown in international growth, rising prices and a weak dollar. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 2.37, or 0.33 percent, to 719.19. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.97 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 added 1.60 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 1.45 percent, and France's CAC-40 jumped 1.88 percent. On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com
Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

Unknown disease killing off Florida's state tree By SARAH LARIMER, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 23, 5:50 PM ET

MIAMI - The sabal palm, Florida's state tree, is under attack by a microscopic killer that has scientists stumped. An unknown but growing number of sabal palms in the Tampa Bay area have died from a mysterious disease that researchers are struggling to identify. Even after scientists pinpoint the disease — and that could take years — they will have to learn what insect spreads it. The disease will be tough to stop. It's not simply a matter that we will be able to eradicate, said Monica Elliott, a University of Florida plant pathologist. That's not very likely.Sabal palms, also known cabbage palms, can grow to 50 feet. In the United States, they can be found from the Florida Keys to parts of North Carolina and can grow in marshes, woodlands or along the coastline. The palm, which is also South Carolina's state tree, is featured in Florida's state seal and was designated the state tree in the 1950s.Tim Schubert, an administrator and pathologist in Florida's Division of Plant Industry, said it's impossible to say what the disease's eventual effect on the state's sabal palms will be, but it's not going to be good.There's going to be fewer palms, he said. They may present a less attractive tree in nature because of this new disease showing up.Schubert said he knew of no cases of the disease in sabal palms outside Florida.This is not the first time iconic Florida trees have been ravaged by disease. The state's orange and other citrus trees are being attacked by canker and greening. Scientists have been unable to stop either.

The new disease destroys the sabal palm and its other victims, which include Canary Island date palms and queen palms, from within. It's a tough diagnosis, Elliott said, often confused with nutrient deficiencies or excessive trimming. First to go are the lower leaves in the tree's canopy, followed by a dead spear leaf. Finally, the palm's canopy collapses.Understanding how the disease spreads requires a trip back to high school science class.This is a phytoplasma disease, which means it is a very small bacterium that doesn't have a cell wall. And it can only be transmitted through a plant's phloem, a type of transport tissue similar to veins in a human. The disease has likely found its way to sabal palms' phloem by either a tree- or leaf-hopping insect.The disease is hitting the state during a tight budget year and University of Florida research funding has taken a hit. Officials can still turn to federal and private grants, and a proposal to dip into a small emergency fund is being considered, said Jack Battenfield, a spokesman for UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.We don't have some of the freedoms we might have had before, Battenfield said. The budget's tighter. We've got to look at things we can do most effectively, most efficiently, and have the biggest impact.On the Net:UF Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center: http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/

OBAMAS SECURITY FORCE

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.

Dolly upgraded to second hurricane of 08 season JULY 22,08

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dolly was upgraded to the Atlantic season's second hurricane late Tuesday as it strengthened in the warm waters of the western Gulf of Mexico on its way towards the Texas-Mexico border, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory update. Dolly was located about 165 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, moving northwest at about 10 miles per hour with winds up slightly to about 75 mph.Weather models still show the storm making landfall near the Texas-Mexico border on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Joe Silha)

LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

Peres and Abbas hold peace talks in Jerusalem
Posted : Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:44:08 GMT Author : DPA

Jerusalem - Israel's President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met for talks Tuesday on strengthening the peace process and the situation in the region. Abbas became the first Palestinian president ever to be allowed into the presidential residence - Beit Hanasi - in Jerusalem for a meeting described by the daily Yediot Ahronot as historic.In a joint press conference, the two called for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit who was abducted some two years ago in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians from the radical Islamic Hamas organization have refused to release him. Abbas said the Palestinian Authority was against such abductions. He must be released in exchange for other prisoners. This is the only way we can reach a solution, Abbas said. Peres meanwhile, said Schalit's capture was a depressing affair for the Israeli public.

WND WORD-FOR-WORD Obama on civilian national security force
Transcript of senator's controversial remarks in Colorado July 2
July 18, 2008 2008 WorldNetDaily

Editor's note: The following is a WND transcript of Barack Obama's speech delivered in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 2, based on audio and video recordings.

All I wanna concentrate on is the lines he left out of his speech, on July 2,08

Just as we must value and encourage military service across our society, we must honor and expand other opportunities to serve, because the future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but it also depends on the teacher in East L.A. or the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans, the Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, the foreign service officer in Indonesia.Americans have shown that they want to step up. But we're not keeping pace with the demand of those who want to serve or leveraging that commitment to meet national challenges.FDR not only enlisted Americans to create employment, he targeted that service to build our infrastructure and conserve our environment.JFK not only called on a new generation, he made their service a bridge to the developing world and a bright light of American values in the darkest days of the Cold War.

Today, AmeriCorps, our nation's network of local, state and national service programs, has 75,000 slots. Now, I know firsthand the quality of these programs. My wife, Michelle, once left her job at a law firm and at city hall to be a founding director of an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that trains young people for careers in public service.And these programs invest Americans in their communities and their country. They tap America's greatest resource, our citizens. And that's why as president I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots... and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals, like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their effort connected to a common purpose.People of all ages, stations and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem -- they are the answer.So we are going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We'll call on Americans to join an energy corps, to conduct renewable energy and environmental clean-up projects in their neighborhoods all across the country.We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, and to be there for our military families.

And we're going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy. We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

We need to use technology to connect people to service. We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create online networks where American can browse opportunities to volunteer. You'll be able to search by category, time commitment and skill sets. You'll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities.This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda and make their own change from the bottom up.

JESUS RETURNS TO EARTH BODILY TO RULE AND REIGN FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER AND WE COME BACK WITH HIM ON WHITE HORSES.

ACTS 1:10-11
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

ZECHARIAH 14:4
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

REVELATION 19:11-16
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

JUDE 14-16
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

Israel's Messianic Jews: Some Call it a Miracle
By Wendy Griffith CBN News Senior Reporter July 22, 2008

CBNNews.com - In Israel, a resurgence in the number of Jews who believe in Jesus is getting a lot of attention. Many leaders say it's the strongest growth since the time of Jesus and that the Messianic movement could be on the brink of a great revival.This is the first time where we've seen Israeli society in general being so open to consider who Yeshua is, said Messianic leader Asher Intrater. This is a real miracle, and there's beginning to be grace and favor with us in the land.Although Jesus and the early disciples were Jewish, for nearly 2,000years the gospel has been viewed as a religion mainly for Gentiles. Even the name Jesus or Yeshua has been a forbidden word among many Jews. But in the last few years, Messianic leaders in Israel say something important is happening.I believe with all my heart, after we have come back to the land, we are seeing the Lord, the Holy Spirit, is removing the veil from the eyes of the Jews and more and more Jews are realizing, Tel Aviv pastor Avi Mizrachi said.

Although nobody knows for sure how many Messianic Jews live in Israel, it's believed there are about 120 congregations now and 10,000-15,000 Jewish believers in Jesus.That may not sound like many given Israel's nearly six million Jews, but it's a far cry from 10 years ago when there were only about 3,500 Jewish believers and 80 congregations.A good example is Shemen Sasson in Jerusalem, where attendance has nearly tripled over the past four years. Today, close to 300 people attend the meetings, most of them Jewish or people married to Jews. And salvations are increasing.Meet the Ronens. Daniel, Ayelet and their five children are Israeli believers. Ayelet is an Israeli Jew and Daniel is a Finnish Gentile. But his family has been here since before Israel became a nation. They believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.When Jesus came, when Yeshua came, he came to talk to our people, Ayelet Ronen said. He walked on our land, He spoke our language, He spoke in our synagogues. Really, He came for us!Yad-Hashmona is a beautiful little village about 10 miles outside Jerusalem, and the only one home to just Messianic Jewish believers like the Ronens.For this family, being Israeli and believing in Jesus is a natural fit. They keep the Jewish feasts, circumcise their sons, keep the Sabbath and serve in the army. And even though they live in a Messianic village, they don't feel secluded from the rest of Israeli society.

Our kids go with everybody else to school... I go to work outside...Our principle is to go out and be part of society, Daniel Ronen explained.Their children sometimes face challenges but have used those occasions to witness.My friends started to know I'm a believer and they ask me if I'm a believer. I tell them I'm a believer in Yeshua and it's really good to believe in Him and that maybe you can one day believe in him, too, third grader Adan said.

The Ronens are sometimes accused of being missionaries, a very bad word in Israel. But they insist they are not.My point is to share my faith with anyone who wants to hear me and I will gladly share the Good News of my faith, Ayelet said. I never speak of y'ou should do, and you should change.In addition to Israeli-born believers, many are from other countries. American Jews Eddie and Jackie Santoro became believers during the1970s Jesus Movement.They made aliyah to Israel 11 years ago, learned Hebrew, and now lead a growing congregation in Jerusalem.Our current congregation, we started almost two years ago with about 20 people. Today we have over 100, Eddie Santoro explained. We see salvations here and there, but we feel like there's something yet to come. It's definitely growing.But being a Jewish believer in Israel isn't easy.

I think probably the greatest challenge is that you always feel that the rest of society isn't accepting you. And so when you meet somebody and you want to talk to them and you want to tell them who you are, there's always that challenge of, should I say something,;Jackie Santoro said.For the first time, the secular media are saying something, even mentioning Messianic Jews in a more favorable light. A recent wave of persecution, including the bombing of a young Jewish believer, have put Messianic Jews on the front page.At least we see that believers are being asked to explain who they are, what they believe in, why they are here...how they can be Israeli and believe in Jesus and be given an opportunity to tell their story and share their testimony, Knut Hoyland of the Caspari Center said.What does this movement mean for the Body of Christ? If it wasn't for Yeshua, we would be lost, Ayelet said.

WAITING FOR ISLAMIC MESSIAH
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/411301.aspx

Waiting for Islam's Messiah
By George Thomas CBN News Reporter July 17, 2008

CBNNews.com - QOM, Iran -- Iran's president believes Allah has chosen him to prepare the world for the coming of an Islamic savior called the Mahdi.But before the Mahdi's return, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes there must be global chaos - even if he has to create it himself.Whether it's his belief that Israel should be wiped off the map, denials of the Holocaust, obsession with going nuclear, or support for radical Islamic terrorist groups, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man on a divine mission.To understand him, and that mission, you have travel to the small dusty village of Jamkaran tucked in a corner of Iran's holy city of Qom.On a recent Tuesday afternoon, CBN News made that journey heading south out of Iran's capital, Tehran. Some 95 miles, and a couple of wrong turns later, we arrived at the Jamkaran mosque on the outskirts of Qom.Behind the Jamkaran mosque there is a well. According to many Shiite Muslims, out of this well will emerge one day their version of an Islamic savior.

They call him the Mahdi or the 12th Imam.

Ron Cantrell has written a book about the Mahdi. He explained, The Mahdi is a personage that is expected to come on the scene, by Islam, as a messiah figure. He is slotted to come in the end of time, according to their writings, very much like how we think of the return of Jesus.Shiite Muslims believe the Mahdi, a descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, vanished in the middle of the 9th century.

Cantrell told us, The 12th Imam disappeared, around the age of 9, with a promise that he would return and he would bring Islam to its total fruition as the world's last standing religion.Enter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since becoming the president of Iran in August 2005, Ahmadinejad has emerged as the Mahdi's most influential follower.

Cantrell said, [Ahmadinejad] has stated that his mandate is to pave the way for the coming of this Islamic messiah.In almost all his speeches, Ahmadinejad begs Allah to hasten the return of the Mahdi. At a recent military parade attended by CBN News in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said, Oh, Allah, please facilitate Imam Mahdi's early return and make us one of his supporters.He said something similar last September just before ending a speech at the United Nations in New York.Ahmadinejad said, Oh mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository [a reference to the Mahdi], the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.A few days later, back home in Iran, Ahmadinejad told a group of religious leaders that during his UN speech, he felt a bright light around him.His reactions were captured on video and later posted on a conservative Iranian website.Ahmadinejad said, I felt it myself. I felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, all the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn't move an eyelid, I'm not exaggerating. They were looking as if a hand was holding them there, and had just opened their eyes to the message of the Islamic Republic.Ahmadinejad is reportedly tied to a radical Islamic society in Iran that believes man can hasten the appearance of the Mahdi by creating chaos in the world.Cantrell explained, Ahmadinejad has stated that this chaos must take place before the Mahdi can come on the scene.Some wonder if Ahmadinejad believes these are the end times, and whether his calls for the destruction of Israel and nuclear pursuits are ways to accelerate the divine timetable.Cantrell further explained, With him it is a win-win situation. If we attack him, he wins because chaos happens. If we don't attack him, he gets to create the chaos which he has said he is willing to do and he will do.

In Shiite Muslim teaching, the Mahdi's second coming will be marked by apocalyptic times. Wars, famines and floods will ravage the earth and then comes judgment day and a battle between good and evil.As the sun dips behind the mountains that surround Jamkaran, the faithful, many of whom voted for Ahmadinejad, arrive by the thousands from across Iran to pray for the Mahdi's return.Ezatallah Alimoradi, a follower of the Mahdi, said, I feel so refreshed in my spirit when I come here to Jamkaran.Akram Alsadat Emmami, Follower of Mahdi, said, This day belongs to the Mahdi and I've come to share my heart with him.The night begins with a visit to the sacred well. CBN News is given a rare opportunity to visit with people praying there. The opening of the well is covered by a green-like metal box to prevent people from jumping in.Most of the time here is spent praying and kissing the metal box. Others scribble prayer requests to the Mahdi on pieces of paper that are then dropped into the well.A man asked the Mahdi to forgive his sins.A man, Follower of Mahdi said, If you ask in the right way, your prayers will be answered.Another person seeks healing for family members.Emmami explained, I don't come here just to pray for myself. I also ask the Mahdi to take care of my family and their needs.

Many, like this young boy with a flashlight, believe the Mahdi is actually hiding at the bottom of the well reading those prayer requests.Abbas Rezaie, Follower of Mahdi, told us, I was looking into the well with my flashlight hoping to see the Mahdi. But not to tonight.Shia tradition teaches that if you come to Jamkaran 40 weeks in a row, you will see the Mahdi.A Woman who did not give her name said, I have not had the privilege to see him yet, but I've had many dreams about him. In one of my dreams I saw a big bright light in the sky and this figure standing over me.The next few hours are spent praying inside the Jamkaran mosque.I stood at the entrance to the Jamkaran mosque; and I've been told that as a non-Muslim I am not allowed to go inside the mosque. The truth is every day, tens of thousands of men and women come through this mosque to say their prayers but also to pray that one day soon the Mahdi would return.Nedal said, And because we believe that he is going to come back soon we can believe in heaven and hell and we can believe in the life after death.Ahmadinejad's government reportedly gave $20 million to help renovate the Jamkaran mosque. There are rumors that he's planning to build a railway line connecting Tehran and Jamkaran, to ferry the faithful.And apparently Ahmadinejad has also drawn up the plans for the road the Mahdi will take when he returns.

Cantrell said, ...that will actually serve as the red carpet rolled out in Iran for the Mahdi to appear.And if all this wasn't mystical enough, there's also the belief that when the Mahdi comes back, he will be accompanied by Jesus Christ.Cantrell further explained, The Mahdi will take Jesus to Mecca, they will circum-ambulate the Kabah together. The Mahdi will teach Jesus to pray; at which time Jesus will then replace the Gospel with the Koran, and then all of us Christians, wherever you are on the face of the earth, will convert to Islam because Islam will be deemed the one lasting pure religion.
As the West drifts closer to a potential showdown over Iran's nuclear program, followers of the Mahdi are getting ready for judgment day.And many of them are convinced that President Ahmadinjead will fulfill his divine mission to prepare the world for the coming of the Islamic savior.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bin Laden Planning Hiroshima-Type Destruction?
Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:26 AM By: Paul M. Weyrich

Does Osama bin Laden possess nuclear weapons? Has he smuggled these weapons into the United States? Does he have a plan to detonate these weapons in multiple American cities if Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities? Dr. Hugh Cort, president of the American Foundation for Counter-Terrorism Policy and Research, believes the answer to all of these questions is yes. Cort has assembled a body of evidence which he claims supports the view that bin Laden has a plan for an American Hiroshima which will be implemented in the near future. He has sent this material to various U.S. officials, including Robert S. Mueller III, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Cort believes that the government is not doing enough to prevent an attack. Much of his evidence centers around one Hamid Mir, a Pakistani journalist who has conducted the only interview of bin Laden after 9/11. Bin Laden told Mir that he had acquired 20 suitcase nuclear bombs from the former Soviet Union. Mir told Cort that bin Laden’s men have smuggled these bombs into the United States. His men supposedly are waiting for bin Laden to give them the signal, then seven to ten American cities will be struck. If true it is little wonder that Iran’s leader confidently predicts that the United States will be bombed back to the Stone Age. Bin Laden supposedly has fulfilled Islamic law by warning the United States that an attack is coming and offering a truce — convert to Islam and you will not be attacked. Refusal to convert to Islam means that an attack against America is justified. Three weeks prior to 9/11 bin Laden warned that the United States would be attacked in an unprecedented way for its support of Israel.

Already bin Laden has called for all Muslims in the United States to leave. Instead of a mass exodus of Muslims from this country, new mosques are opening every few weeks. Muslim schools also are being established, which suggests that families plan to stay here for the foreseeable future. But Yossef Bodansky, director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism from 1988 to 1998, has testified that bin Laden has obtained nuclear weapons. He told Congress that Osama has recruited former Soviet Special Forces (SPETSNAZ) soldiers to teach al-Qaida how to maintain and operate the bombs.Mir, by the way, has suggested that most of the nuclear weapons have been smuggled across the border from Mexico. Opponents of illegal immigration long have argued that they want the border monitored and closed for national security purposes. Proponents of illegal immigration have maintained that opposition to it is racist. Clearly, opponents of illegal immigration have the better case; although if Mir is correct, the door may have been open too long. Ronald Kessler, chief Washington correspondent for Newsmax.com, interviewed Mueller, who said that he is very concerned about bin Laden having nuclear weapons in the United States, so concerned that the FBI has surrounded mosques in 10 American cities with nuclear radiation detectors. Cort quotes Steve Coll, president of New America Foundation, as stating that these detectors cannot sense enriched uranium when it is shielded in lead. If Islamists have such bombs, no doubt they are wrapped in lead. Cort says that Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff does not have a plan in the event that these bombs are detonated. In such a scenario real deaths will come from radiation. If people know how to avoid radiation prior to an attack, there may be many survivors. If people can devise a radiation-proof shelter in their own homes to survive a detonation, two days later radiation is one, one-hundredth the strength of the initial blast. If people can spend three days in the shelter and then only make brief trips outside once a day, they can defeat radiation. But what credible source has warned people of the potential threat and how they can meet it? Is all of this just alarmist talk? Has Cort missed something important which would nullify his answers? I have no idea.

It seems more than reasonable that we proceed as if it is true. If it proves to be a false alarm, what have we lost? But if Cort’s research has merit and we are prepared to handle such a situation, we could minimize its terrible impact. When I asked some U.S. officials why no one in the government is warning people, I was told we don’t want to unduly alarm people. Nonsense. I have great faith that the American people will do the right thing if properly informed. We did in the mid-1950s when told that the Soviet Union could start a nuclear war. We can do so again, but someone with credibility must tell Americans the truth. Paul M. Weyrich is chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.2008 Newsmax.

USING BOMBS TO STAVE OFF WAR
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/opinion/18morris.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin

Senior Israeli official: If nuclear talks fail, Bush will order Iran attack between November and January DEBKAfile Special Report July 19, 2008, 9:00 PM (GMT+02:00)

This assessment was reported by Israeli national radio Saturday overnight quoting a high-placed security-political official. The source predicted that President George W. Bush would order Iran attacked between the November 4 presidential election and his exit from the White House in January. The quote was aired shortly after the six-power talks with Iran in Geneva – with US official participation for the first time – failed, and just before Israel chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi set out for Washington. He is to spend a week there as guest of Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.DEBKAfile’s political sources describe the disclosure as a step aimed at slowing down the collapse of Israel’s stated policy of relying on international diplomatic pressure to thwart Iran’s acquisition of nuclear arms. It is expected to raise a furious outcry from the powers spearheading the diplomatic effort and prompt extreme reactions from Tehran.Our sources report that the unidentified Israeli security-political source sought to achieve three objectives:

1. Underlining the signal that the US military option had not been taken off the table after the state department spokesman said Iran must choose between cooperation with the international community and confrontation.The official was also giving Israel’s answer to the latest evaluations making the rounds in Washington that the Israeli Air Force does not have enough warplanes to strike Iran’s nuclear sites without American military support.

2. A signal that the presence at the Geneva talks Saturday, July 19, of Under Secretary of State William Burns, far from being a concession, was an implicit ultimatum. Tehran was being told that no more than three months remained for it to suspend uranium enrichment before Bush made good on his pledge to resolve the issue before he left the White House. No member of the Bush administration is saying this directly, whether Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates or the president himself. Israel will not doubt be rebuked for its disclosure.

3. As a high-risk step to derail the accommodations Washington and Tehran are on the way to reaching in their secret talks on a wide range of issues, with the exception of the nuclear controversy, as revealed by DEBKA-Net-Weekly and DEBKAfile. Israel fears being abandoned and left out in the cold on all its fronts against Iran by these accommodations.Tehran may well seize on the Israeli disclosure as a pretext to ditch the nuclear negotiations on all levels, unless all six powers offer guarantees against their pursuit of military initiatives.

The CARMEL ALERT July 19th 2008 A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.Davids Comment: Hizbollah Rejoices While Israel Mourns

On Wednesday morning the State of Israel once again broke the golden rule of not negotiating with terrorists and made what may well turn out to be a fatal mistake for many more of its citizens. The weak left wing Israeli government went ahead against the advice of its own military leaders and exchanged 199 dead Hizbollah terrorists and 5 live ones, included an demon possessed animal who killed a father in from of his 4 year old daughter, before smashing her skull against a rock with the butt of his rifle. He has been in prison for 29 years and has never expressed any sorrow for his inhumane actions. The opposite is the case - he has sworn to return to terrorism if he was ever released.
And now he is released ...........Israel needs to learn a lesson from her enemy on the northern border, Hizbollah. For two years the leaders of Hizbollah never gave an inch in respect of the 2 kidnapped IDF soldiers. Even up until the last minute Hizbollah gave no ground in letting the families know if their sons were alive or dead and in contravention of the Geneva Convention they did even not allow the Red Cross to visit the prisoners. We still have no idea at what point over the last two years since they were kidnapped, were they alive or dead.

By contrast, Israel has totally surrended to Hizbollah's demands and released 205 enemies for 2. I have a lesser problem exchanging equal numbers, but Israel's enemies make outrageous demands and Israel bows down to them. Hamas is demanding that Israel release more than 1000 prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit. We all want to see Gilad safely back home, but not at that price. Today's tragic error is just another kick in the guts to the people of Israel. Please dont misunderstand me - I do feel deeply for the families of the kidnapped soldiers. Our own two sons have been in the same areas where the kidnappings occured, but no-one in Israel is naive enough to be unaware of the
realities and the dangers, or that it can be costly to defend ones right to exist. Praise the Lord, some of our leaders still have a functioning brain. Here is what MK Yuval Steinitz publically stated, We have become the only country in the West and perhaps in the entire world, which is ready to release terrorist murderers in exchange for bodies and body parts, he remarked. This is a dangerous precedent… and I must say that the entire country has derailed. Even in difficult situations, there remain principles. And our leadership…must lead, and not be led by the public or by the media, and not even by the families of the POW's. And when you lead, there are long term factors of national security to be taken into consideration. A prize was awarded today to terrorism. It reflects a general policy of surrender to Hizbullah and to Hamas in Gaza. We have given Hamas a de facto authorization to continue to rearm and build itself into a Hizbullah II in Gaza, Steinitz concluded.And former Defense Minister Moshe Arens echoed the anti-swap deal sentiment, declaring the decision to release the terrorists a complete lack of judgement and calling the Olmert cabinet's deal a mistake that is forbidden to make, as it encourages the enemy to kidnap more soldiers. Another family member of a terror victim, the mother of one of Samir Kuntar's four victims, expressed outrage at the release her son's killer and other murderers, calling it a disgrace. Nina Keren, mother of Dani Haran, of the four Jewish victims of Kuntar's 1979 cross-border murder spree, said that she could not stop crying when she heard the news that her son's killer will be freed. Keren said that releasing terrorists with blood on their hands is a big mistake, warning reporters Tuesday that Samir Kuntar will kill more Jews once he is released back into Lebanon, echoing Kuntar's own vow to resume his terrorist activities against Israelis once freed.

Now that the exchange is a done deal, we are all greater danger of being kidnapped. Hizbollah, Hamas, Al Quaida and other terror groups have seen today that kidnappings pay off. Even as the exchange was taking place, all Israeli tourists in Sinai were instructed to return to Israel immediately due to intelligence information about plans to kidnap Israeli tourists. As can be seen by the state of Israel's current head, Ehud Olmert, the whole nation is in a sorry state. The Zionist spirit seems to have died. The never again declaration that was heard for several decades referring to the manner in which 6 million Jews went like sheep to the slaughter in the Nazi camps, seems to have been forgotten. Many Israelis actually apologise for existing. However there is an interesting explanation that we want to share with you in next weeks comment. Look out for the guest comment next week - Does Israel Suffer From Battered Woman Syndrome? by Dena Gewenter

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.

Shabbat Shalom ... David & Josie

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE JULY 22,08

In the previous newsletter we studied the divinity and the personality of the blessed third member of the Trinity. In this lesson I want to discuss the presence of the Holy Spirit.

HIS PRESENCE

In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit made visitations to men on earth but did not abide in them. A most enlightening statement to this effect is found in John 7:37-39: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)What does it mean; the Holy Spirit was not yet given? Was not this Spirit seen brooding over the water in Genesis 1:2? Did not He descend as a dove at the baptism of the Saviour? The answer to all these queries is an unequivocal Yes! However, these were only visitations upon men to empower them for service. He did not abide in or remain upon them for an entire lifetime. This He would do after the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Saviour predicted this in John 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Then in the next verse, Christ states: . . . he dwelleth with you, and shall be [future tense] in you. The Lord again says in John 16:7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

There can be no religious quibbling about statements such as these. The Holy Spirit was not on earth as an abiding indweller while Christ was on earth. He could only take up this ministry after Christ's ascension or glorification. When did the blessed Holy Spirit come into the world to live in believers? The answer is simply on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1, 2 states: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. The result - (verse 4) . . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . . . . Wind is often connoted with the Holy Spirit. For instance, Jesus said that a man must be born of the Spirit in John 3:5 and adds in verse 8: The wind bloweth where it listeth [wills], and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. So this wind which hit them with the force of a hurricane on the day of Pentecost was the fulfilled promise of the Christ who had sent the other Comforter to abide in believers. From that point onward, the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 51:11 was outdated. He said: . . . take not thy holy spirit from me. This could only happen when the Holy Spirit made visitations upon men but could never happen after He had come to abide and dwell in men. Amen and amen! Please do not insult the Lord with erroneous prayers. The same Holy Spirit which baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ at the time of salvation (I Corinthians 12:13) also seals that one into the Body for all eternity (Ephesians 4:30). Do not take my word for it but God's.

The Holy Spirit's Sealing

Ephesians 4:30 states: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. What a thought! We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption. What day is that? It is the day when our very bodies are resurrected and redeemed in the presence of God (Romans 8:23). First Thessalonians 4:16, 17 declares: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. It is at this moment that the bodies of the dead and living in Christ are redeemed and - praise His Holy Name - the blessed Holy Spirit seals us to the very moment.

The sealing does not depend on man's perfection but upon Christ's completed work at Calvary and the Holy Spirit's keeping power. If you cannot accept this statement, look at Ephesians 4:30 again: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. It does not say, If one grieves the Holy Spirit, the seal is broken. Instead, it declares that even the one grieving the Spirit remains sealed.

Now, the Holy Spirit may make the erring child miserable because when He, living in the believer, is grieved, the same believer automatically partakes of the grieved Spirit's feelings. And the Lord may give that child a good spiritual paddling (Hebrews 12:5) to bring him to holiness (verse 10), but the fact is that the one doing the grieving is still sealed for time and eternity. Paul again rejoices in this truth in II Corinthians 1:22 as he cries: [God] hath also sealed us, and given the earnest [or guarantee] of the Spirit in our hearts. And again: . . . in [Christ] also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13). Beloved, the Comforter has come to abide and live in believers forever. The genuinely saved need never pray, Take not thy Holy Spirit from me, and the professors of religion certainly cannot pray it because they never had Him. So dispensationally the prayer is obsolete. Why? Because on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to dwell in believers for the entire Church Age. When the Church shall be evacuated at the Rapture, the Holy Spirit and those in whose heart He lives will be caught up and out in the twinkling of an eye, thus ending the Spirit's present program of abiding and dwelling in the bodies of believers. At the Rapture He goes back to the Old Testament method of coming upon individuals and then they will again pray: Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

The Holy Spirit's Omnipresence

All of the foregoing does not mean that the Holy Spirit is limited to a particular place. He is omnipresent or everywhere at all times. He always was, is, and always shall be present in all places because He is God. The psalmist said in Psalm 139:7: . . . whither shall I flee from thy presence? He then enumerates places in heaven, earth, and hell proving that the Spirit is everywhere. Though He is God and everywhere present, still He chooses to work differently in various eras of time. This is what we have discussed to this point.

Reasons for the Holy Spirit's Presence

Let's consider further reasons for the Holy Spirit's presence among us:

A. The Holy Spirit Strives

Genesis 6:3 states that the Holy Spirit strives with sinners. This striving of the Spirit is closely related to His convicting work . . . when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove [or convict] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8). God gave His Son to die for sinners. Christ went through the atrocious agonies of Calvary in His quest for sinners. The Holy Spirit lovingly, tenderly, and compassionately strives, convicts, woos, and wins every sinner who turns to Jesus.

B. The Holy Spirit Restrains

He also restrains sin in this wicked, hell-bent world. This does not mean the discontinuance of all evil. He could do this by making men robots. However, His purpose is simply to check the evil so that there is still a semblance of sanity left upon the earth. But during the 7-year period of Tribulation when His restraining influence will have been removed, all hell will unleash itself upon this globe. Second Thessalonians 2:7, 8 states: For the mystery of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only he [the Spirit] who now letteth [restraineth] will let [go on restraining], until he [the Restrainer] be takers out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed . . . . That will be hell on earth.

C. The Holy Spirit Regenerates

Another ministration of the Holy Spirit concerns regenerating souls. We touched briefly on this in the earlier part of the study. When one is born again of the Spirit (John 3:5), he receives a new nature - God's divine nature. As human generation begets a life after its kind, so divine regeneration means the impartation of life from God. This is what the Apostle Peter had in mind when he said: that...ye might be partakers of the divine nature . . . (II Peter 1:4). At salvation, regeneration - or the imparting of God's nature to the repentant sinner - takes place. Over 85 New Testament passages verify this truth. Church membership is not the answer. A woman cannot become a hen by sitting in a chicken coop. Neither can one become a saint with a divine nature by sitting in church. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (John 3:6, 7).

D. The Holy Spirit Illuminates

We again see that the Holy Spirit illuminates or enlightens a sinner. Some young people accept the putdowns of the Bible from conceited professors with Ph.D. degrees because they feel these educated nincompoops know everything there is to know about the Bible. Students, I have news for you. To understand the Holy Bible one must know the Author personally - the Holy Spirit of God. First Corinthians 2:11 declares: . . . the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Verse 12: Now we have received . . . the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Then He dogmatically states in verse 14: But the natural man [or unsaved man laden with all of his academic degrees] receiveth not [or understands not] the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. They do not know the Author who holds the key to unlocking the Book. We will have much to say about the anointing of and the filling with the Spirit in subsequent chapters.

The Holy Spirit's Comforting Ministry

Jesus said: I will not leave you comfortless . . . (John 14:18), so when He departed He promised to send the Comforter unto the disciples. The actual Greek word which Christ used was Paraclete, which means a helper or one called to another's side to aid the person. Oh, if we Christians could only realize that He is always there to aid and comfort us, we would not have to depend upon men. There is someone far greater than ministers, psychologists, or psychiatrists. He is the blessed Comforter - the Paraclete, who never leaves or forsakes a child of God.

An unsaved man sitting next to a Christian on a train began weeping. The Christian asked, May I share your burden? The stranger replied, I have just lost my wife and our home is so empty. All I have now is her parakeet for company. The Christian answered, I, too, have lost my loved one, but I have the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, and He never leaves me. This testimony led to the man's conversion. Oh, child of God, how we miss the glorious truth of the Paraclete's comforting ministry This Holy Spirit not only abides with us throughout our earthly pilgrimage but stays with us - hovering over our graves - until the redemption of our bodies. You see, the body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). Since it is His temple, He watches over it.

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, preaching at Dayton, Ohio, to a group of ministers, said: I was sitting in my home in the country, reading the account of an address delivered by Dr. Moorehead at a Bible conference. He said that when one became a son of God the Spirit of God came into that person to dwell, and would continue to dwell in that body until the resurrection. Dr. Chapman continued: I started thinking about that and tears filled my eyes. I told my man to hitch the horse to the carriage, and my wife and I rode out to the little grave where we had buried our firstborn son, and as we stood there that morning we said, Thank You, Lord, for keeping watch. Immediately peace filled our souls. Then years later I stood by the grave of my mother and again said, Thank You, Holy Spirit, for staying with your temple and keeping watch. Unsaved reader, you do not know what you are missing by not knowing Jesus. Get saved - receive Christ. When Christ comes in, immediately the Holy Spirit also enters to abide with you forever. He will comfort you daily and stay with your corpse in the grave. Then at the resurrection of the just, He will touch your body with new life, reunite it with the soul, and sweep your triune person - body, soul, and spirit - into His presence.

Senator Charles Grassley gives Benny Hinn Ministries high marks for cooperation and financial transparency! July 22,08
We’ve received wonderful news!

Specifically, the senator said, Benny Hinn Ministries has engaged in open and honest dialogue with committee staff. They have not only provided responses to every question but, in the spirit of true cooperation, also have provided information over and above what was requested.Senator Grassley commended our ministry for instituting improvements in financial controls without waiting for the committee to complete its review, citing that self-reform can be faster and more effective than government regulation.

As we rejoice in this great news, I also want you to know that the improved governance practices that have been shared with the senator’s office reflect our ongoing commitment to donor accountability and efficient use of church funds. I believe that this ministry’s duty to you—and to all of our partners and ministry friends—is to demonstrate the wise use of each and every dollar contributed for the purpose of reaching the world with the Gospel. I am pleased that Senator Grassley’s comments demonstrate the spirit of cooperation that has existed between his office and this ministry, and we welcome the opportunity to further show our partners the commitment to stewardship that has long been our standard.

Let me give you a quick history in two areas:

1. The Senate Finance Committee Inquiry
In a continuing effort to cooperate fully with Senator Charles Grassley’s ongoing inquiry regarding the financial accountability of six major church ministries, World Healing Center Church (the legal name of Benny Hinn Ministries) delivered the completion of responses to the senator’s office on June 11, 2008, answering all questions thoroughly, comprehensively, and satisfactorily.

Our detailed report, provided voluntarily at the request of our Church’s Board of Directors and myself, brought the ministry’s response to a total of 4,361 pages, and answered a wide range of topics outlined in the senator’s letter of November 5, 2007. The series of six in-depth answers indicate the Church’s commitment to provide comprehensive responses to the senator’s questions and to demonstrate proactive leadership to our donors.

Our highest calling is to honor God in all we do and to be accountable to Him. Secondly, we are called to be accountable and transparent with our partners. In fact, our accountability to both God and our partners is a much higher duty than any legal standing. However, as part of honoring both God and our partners, we believe we are called to live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18), and we are also to show respect to those whom God has placed in our nation’s government: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Therefore we were among the first to meet with Senator Grassley’s staff for the purpose of establishing a pattern of cooperation and mutual understanding. The sixth and final compilation of in-depth documentation was part of our Church’s commitment to provide additional and comprehensive responses to the senator’s questions.

Although some have raised questions about the scope of the senator’s inquiry as it pertains to investigating church ministries, World Healing Center Church/Benny Hinn Ministries has chosen to cooperate in this matter, for I believe that the Church has a much higher calling to be open and accountable to our donors and members around the globe. This has required thousands of employee hours on the part of our Church’s staff and professionals, reflecting our ongoing desire not only to lead the way in transparency and openness, but also to work diligently to bring about a speedy and satisfactory conclusion to this matter.

2. The Internal Revenue Service Examination
In conjunction with the Senate committee’s inquiry, some have asked whether an international ministry that holds historic crusades, broadcasts daily around the world, and conducts global mission outreaches can also be a church in the strictest legal definition. We have a solid reputation of going above and beyond when it comes to our governance and compliance with governmental agencies.

Our ministry’s administration and staff follow strict standards, as set forth by our Board of Directors. We differ from many not-for-profit ministries or charities, insofar as we are incorporated and operate as a church—World Healing Center Church. The IRS acknowledges this distinction and sets forth certain guidelines that govern financial disclosure and accountability.

You may remember that over three years ago, our ministry (along with many other large ministries, charities, and other tax-exempt organizations) was contacted by the Internal Revenue Service, which asked a series of in-depth questions about our activities, expenditures, and governance. These questions probed deeply into every aspect of our organization and included questions on compensation, housing, use of the ministry aircraft, Hinn family employment, travel expenses, and many other areas—even going so far as to query our status as a church and a 501(c)(3) organization.

Following this exhaustive examination of our ministry, the IRS issued a letter to Benny Hinn Ministries on December 6, 2007, that stated: As a result of our review, we have determined that your activities continue to meet the requirements of IRC [Internal Revenue Code] section tax-exempt, religious 501(c)(3) and you continue to qualify as an organization exempt from Federal income tax under that section. Furthermore, you remain classified as a church within the meaning of IRC section 170(b)(1)(A)(i) and 509(a)(1).

This no change declaration by the very branch of the federal government dedicated to the oversight of tax-exempt organizations was an affirmation of our ongoing commitment to compliance with the federal tax laws.

The ministry also follows the guidelines established by Statement of Position 78-10, issued by the Accounting Standards Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Each year we file all required documentation to every municipal, state/provincial, and federal agency that requires us to do so. To accomplish this, we use preeminent legal firms in Washington, D.C., with professionals of the highest caliber, to oversee our ministry. Comprised of former IRS directors and agents, our legal team is guided by the finest tax, nonprofit, and general lawyers in the world. We have done this in the past, and we are committed to always doing so without fail.

With the no change letter from the IRS along with Senator Grassley’s commendation for our actions, not only are we rejoicing, but I want to let you know once again that the ministry’s Board of Directors and I are committed to continue to follow this ongoing pattern of openness and transparency.

As good citizens and as followers of Christ, we in this ministry must adhere to an above-and-beyond approach when it comes to the scriptural mandate to render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s (Matthew 22:21). Each year we submit all legal filings to the appropriate governmental authorities, ensuring that our ministry complies with both the spirit and the letter of the law in relation to all government agencies that have the authority to regulate church organizations.

We will continue to do so and are very open about the fact that this church sets a high standard by spending 88 cents out of every dollar received on ministry. Only 12 cents from each dollar goes to administrative costs. Considering the worldwide impact of our ministry—including media ministries, missions, crusades, conferences, prayer, resources, and educational outreaches—our administrative costs are exceptionally low compared to those of most organizations and corporations.

That is because of our commitment and accountability to God and our partners, and we will continue to use wise stewardship with every seed planted into the fertile soil of this ministry.

We believe that as we seek to set a standard for accountability and transparency with those in our nation’s government, we will see a speedy and successful resolution so we can return to devoting all of our energies and resources toward preaching the life-saving and miracle-working Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world!

A Great Opportunity…a Powerful Challenge
Because of my love for you and for all of my loyal partners and ministry friends, I want you to know that the money you sow into this ministry is being used to reach the world with the Gospel of our wonderful Lord Jesus. We will continue to honor the standards of transparency and meticulous management of your seed that have laid the foundation for this ministry.

So today I am asking that as you sow your most generous seed in faith, remember that God gives seed to the sower. Release your seed today from your hand, and He will multiply it and give you more seed to sow.

Sow today and activate the law of the supernatural harvest that is coming your way, knowing that your seed is being planted in fertile soil.Sow your seed with mighty expectation for today and the future!

Our ministry’s greatest days are ahead. Your greatest days are ahead. Your future is healthier than your past, brighter than your past, and more prosperous than your past! Thank you for all you have done for our precious Jesus and for standing with me during the challenges we have faced. Now it is time to move forward, for we know it is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6)…

Preaching the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ,
teaching the unchanging Word of God,
and expecting the mighty and miraculous
power of the Holy Spirit, Benny Hinn

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * * OBAMA IN THE EPICENTER By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., July 22, 2008) -- The race for President of the United States is currently in a dead heat. I have absolutely no idea who is going to win this thing, and anyone who tells you they do is just guessing. Remember: a year ago, the pundits said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was a sure thing to win the Democratic nomination, and Sen. John McCain was a sure thing not to win the GOP nomination. The pundits were wrong then. I wouldn't put much stock in them now. That said, Sen. Barack Obama faces a very real and daunting hurdle to victory in November. Only 48% of Americans think he would be a strong and decisive enough Commander-in-Chief to lead the U.S. through what could be a tumultous next four years, according to a poll released last week by ABC News. Another 48% are convinced Sen. Obama would specifically not be a good Commander-in-Chief. By contrast, 72% of Americans believe Sen. John McCain would lead our military forces well, while only 25% say he would not. Understand that gap and you'll understand precisely why Obama this week is in the epicenter.

With all eyes fixed on Israel and her neighbors and the conflicts that consume them, the junior Senator from Illinois realizes his international record does not inspire confidence. He has no military experience and precious little foreign policy experience, certainly none to compare with to Sen. McCain, a bonafide war hero who has been engaged in every major foreign policy debate of the last quarter century. To win in November, Obama has to close that perception gap. He has to convince more Americans that he is ready for whatever comes next, be it more terrorism from al Qaeda, or an orderly transition of power in Iraq, or -- heaven forbid -- a full blown war with Iran. So he is meeting with foreign leaders as well as U.S. military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan and Israel and hoping at the very least that the pictures Americans see on TV and in the newspapers from his whirlwind tour will cause them to begin to see him as a world leader and ease their many doubts. While it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words, even a week's worth of photos may not be enough. After all, the Senator's core problem is not simply that he lacks the requisite experience. It's the widespread perception that he lacks the necessary judgment when it comes to the most troubling issues of the Middle East. Consider two examples, Iraq and Iran.

IRAQ

From the moment President Bush announced that he was taking Sen. McCain's advice to send more U.S. troops to Iraq to crush the insurgency and restore order, Sen. Obama has been a fierce critic of the surge, arguing not only that it would not help, but that it would actually make the situation worse. I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq are going tosolve the sectarian violence there, Obama said on January 17, 2007. In fact, I think it will do the reverse. Eighteen months later, the results are in: the surge has been an astounding success. Things didn't get worse. They got better. Much better. Violent attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians are down 80%. More than 90% of Iraqi terroritory is now quite safe. More than 70% of combat operations in Iraq are now led by Iraqi forces, with U.S. assistance. Yet Sen. Obama struggles to acknowlege the success and refuses to describe his decision to vote against the surge as a mistake.

Consider this exchange yesterday with Terry Moran of ABC News.

Moran: [T]he surge of U.S. troops, combined with ordinary Iraqis rejection of both al Qaeda and Shiite extremists have transformed the country. Attacks are down more than 80% nationwide. U.S. combat casualties have plummeted, five this month so far, compared with 78 last July, and Baghdad has a pulse again. If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you -- would you support the surge?

Obama: No, because -- keep in mind that -

Moran: You wouldn't?

Obama: Well, no, keep -- these kinds of hypotheticals are very difficult. Hindsight is 20/20. I think what I am absolutely convinced of is that at that time, we had to change the political debate, because the view of the Bush administration at that time was one that I just disagreed with.

Moran: And so, when pressed, Barack Obama says he still would have opposed the surge.


IRAN

In May of this year, Sen. Obama told a town hall meeting that he thought of Iran as small and relatively harmless country, hardly a major threat to the United States, Israel or our allies in the Middle East. I mean think about it., he told a group of supporters. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us....You know, Iran, they spend one-one hundredth of what we spend on the military. His aides and advisors were horrified. Even Sen. Clinton conceded Iran was a major threat -- particularly given the regime's lust for nuclear weapons --though she refused to offer a plan to neutralize the threat. So the next day, the Senator flip-flopped. He told a new audience a new story, that he actually does believe Iran is a threat. But Obama's original, unscripted remarks were telling. In his heart, Sen. Obama does not actually believe the regime led by the Ayatollah Khameini and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are deeply and inherently dangerous. He sees Iran as a nuisance, not a forthcoming nuclear-armed power. That is why he is so adamant about wanting to sit down and negotiate personally with Ahmadinejad, without preconditions. His official website actually boasts about this position. Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions, it reads. But to what end?

Has Sen. Obama actually studied the speeches of Khameini and Ahmadinejad? Has he studied their eschatology, or end times theology? Has he been properly briefed on how this eschatology is driving Iranian foreign policy? No one who truly understands what the current Iranian leadership believes could honestly conclude that they can be successfully negotiated with, much less deterred. Ahmadinejad, after all, believes it is his God-given mission to annihilate the U.S., Israel and Judeo-Christian civilization as we know. Why? To create the conditions that will bring the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi or the 12th Imam to earth. Ahmadinejad is not just another power-hungry dictator in the mold of the Soviet or Chinese leaders of yore. He is a Shia Islamic fascist. He believes his life destiny is to kill millions of Jews and Christians and usher in an Islamic caliphate. He believes he is a John-the-Baptist, a forerunner, of the Islamic Messiah. If he dies, he believes he will spend eternity in paradise with 72 virgins. But he doesn't really believe he's going to die. He believes he has been chosen for a divine appointment, and that nothing can stop him. That is what makes him so dangerous. Unfortunately, too many Washington politicians -- Sen. Obama included -- do not understand this. Bottom line: I am glad Sen. Obama and his team are traveling through the epicenter this week. My prayer is that aside from all the lights and cameras and political stagecraft, the Senator is able to hear and discern true wisdom about the actual conditions and trendlines in the region. I hope he is able to come away with a new sense of the high stakes of American failure or success in Iraq, and a palpable sense of the rising threat from Iran. The eyes of the nations are riveted on the Middle East for a reason. The future of the world increasingly depends on what happens there, and the future of America depends a great deal on having a President who understands the times and knows what the U.S. should do.

New PBS program says Bible isn't true, stories made up JULY 22,08

Your tax dollars helped fund The Bible's Buried Secrets

Take Action!
Sign the petition urging Congress to stop using tax dollars to fund PBS. Let PBS operate like every other non-commercial network, raising its own money from its viewers instead of using tax money.

Sign the Petition Now!
https://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/signpetition.asp?id=1780

Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you feel our efforts are worthy of support, would you consider making a small tax-deductible contribution to help us continue?

July 22, 2008 Dear Stan,

The Public Broadcasting System (PBS), probably the most liberal network in America, will present a program this fall that says the Old Testament is a bunch of made-up stories that never happened. The Bible's Buried Secrets says the Bible is not true. It is scheduled to air on November 18.Producer Paula Apsell said: ...It's (The Bible's Buried Secrets) designed for intelligent people who are willing to change their mind. …it will give intelligent people who want to read the Bible in a modern way a chance. If we insist on reading the Bible literally, in 25 years, nobody will read it any longer.Among highlights of The Bible's Buried Secrets:

• The Old Testament was written in the sixth century BC and hundreds of authors contributed.
• Abraham, Sarah and their offspring didn't exist.
• There is no archaeological evidence of the Exodus.
• Monotheism was a process that took hundreds of years.
• The Israelites were actually Canaanites.
• The Israelites believed that God had a wife.

I have often said that PBS should not receive tax dollars. The Bible's Buried Secrets is simply one more reason Congress should stop supporting PBS with our tax dollars. Congress gives PBS hundreds of millions of tax dollars to help support the network.

Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon,
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association