EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
WELL THE BIBLE CLEARLY SAYS EU TROOPS WILL WILL BE GUARENTEEING ISRAELS SECURITY ITS JUST A MATTER OF WHEN.
FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU International troops headed for Gaza? Olmert weighs allowing NATO to protect Israel February 27, 2008 8:51 pm Eastern WorldNetDaily
JERUSALEM – Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government is debating asking the international community or NATO to send troops to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli defense officials speaking to WND.
The officials said Olmert is considering allowing the Israel Defense Forces to launch a large-scale ground operation in Gaza to counter the Hamas terrorist group's advanced military infrastructure in the territory and to halt the regular onslaught of rockets from Gaza fired at nearby Jewish communities.According to the defense officials, after a prolonged ground operation, Olmert would threaten that Israeli troops would remain in Gaza unless the international community deploys forces to serve as a buffer between Israel and Gaza-based militants and to assist Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah forces, which would re-enter Gaza.U.S. and Israeli policy considers Fatah moderate. Fatah's declared military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, is the most active West Bank Palestinian terror group and is classified by the State Department as a terrorist organization. Hamas forces last summer overran all U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds in Gaza and took over the territory, reportedly seizing large stockpiles of Fatah weapons.
Olmert has been under pressure from IDF leaders to approve a ground onslaught in Gaza, where terrorists have been firing rockets into Israel at an exponentially increasing rate. Military sources also warn Hamas has transported mass quantities of weapons into Gaza and built army units with some commanders trained by Iran.Yesterday, one civilian was killed and several were wounded after more than 30 rockets slammed in and near Sderot, a town of 25,000 residents about three miles from the Gaza border.Residents of Sderot and surrounding communities have been protesting against Olmert in recent weeks, setting up camp and leading marches outside the Knesset, Olmert's Jerusalem residence and at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.Defense officials speaking to WND said most senior IDF officials strongly oppose the idea of NATO or international troop deployment in Gaza. They said they fear international forces would not be motivated to protect Israel and would impede any further necessary Israeli ground operations in Gaza.Can you imagine if Israel needs to take out a terror crew firing rockets into Sderot and mistakenly bombs a German or French tank? asked one defense official. Does anyone believe France or Belgium would protect Israel? the official asked sarcastically.The official pointed to international troops deployed in south Lebanon following Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah there. According to reports, Hezbollah rearmed, regrouped and transferred rockets and anti-tank missiles to the area the international forces were supposed to maintain as an arms-free zone.
According to the defense officials speaking to WND, Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni support the deployment of international forces in Gaza while Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF officials have voiced reservations.In December at a speech in Brussels before NATO officials, Livni hinted at allowing international troops to be stationed in Gaza, setting of a firestorm of opposition from many Knesset members.We are now in a process that is expected to strengthen the capabilities of the Palestinian Authority – so they would fight terror instead of Israel. However, one cannot exclude the possibility that we will need to discuss what can be the role of NATO in supporting the need for a change, a real change, on the ground, Livni said.Some world leaders in recent months spoke openly about joining a force in the Palestinian territories. In December, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the media he would be supportive of the deployment, when the time and conditions are right, of an international force to assist the Palestinian security services.In an interview in December with the Jerusalem Post, European Union Middle East envoy Marc Otte said he heard from Israeli and Palestinian leaders there was definitely more interest than in the past for the deployment of international forces.After the [Second] Lebanon War, the sides see the merit in an international security presence, he said.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
FLORIDA BLACKOUT
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.
Rare Quake Rattles Sleeping Britain
5.3-Magnitude Temblor Is Strongest To Hit U.K. Since 1984; Minor Damage, One Injury Reported MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 27, 2008
(CBS/AP) The strongest earthquake to hit Britain in more than two decades was felt across large parts of the country early Wednesday, officials said. Some homes had minor damage and British media said one man had been hospitalized. The British Geological Survey said the 5.3-magnitude quake struck at about 1 a.m. (8 p.m., Tuesday, Eastern) and was centered about 125 miles north of London.
According to reports on British news channels, a man from Lincolnshire was hospitalized with a broken pelvis after the quake brought his chimney crashing through his roof and onto his bed.
Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey called it the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 temblor hit North Wales in 1984. This was a very large earthquake in UK terms, but in world terms, average, Bukits told The Associated Press. This one has been felt throughout the whole of England and southern Scotland.Many people across the region - unaccustomed to such quakes - reported feeling their homes shaken. It was scary, David Somerset told The Associated Press by telephone from Driffield, around 60 miles from the epicenter. He was working on the computer at the time. It was a strange sensation as the room, ornaments and chest of drawers started wobbling and making a loud rumbling noise, he said. One resident of Market Rasen, the town where the quake was centered, told Britain's Sky News, I thought it was an explosion from the petrochemical plant here, but my wife said, no, that was an earthquake. I was in bed at the time and suddenly there was quite a big bang and shaking that woke us up, said Laura Bocock, who lives close to Market Rasen, in northeast England. It sounded like someone had hit the bungalow and (I) was quite frightened. I couldn't get back to sleep because I was scared it could happen again.
Laura Bocock, Felt England quake I couldn't get back to sleep because I was scared it could happen again.According to officials, the quake was centered 15 miles under ground, which offered enough of a rock buffer to soften the blow, even directly above in Market Rasen. The man who told Sky he initially suspected an explosion said most of his neighbors seemed unfazed. I saw one of my neighbors out in his pajama bottoms, but other than that, I think everybody slept through it.(CBS)Lincolnshire police, however, said they had received dozens of phone calls about the temblor and that some minor damage to homes had been reported. This is a moderate earthquake, Rafael Abreu of the U.S. Geological Survey told Sky News from the United States. He described the tremor as a shallow interplate earthquake. He said his U.S.-based group initially put the magnitude at 4.7 but would likely adopt the 5.3-magnitude rating from his British counterparts. Bukits said Britain is hit annually with about 200 quakes but only 10 percent are strong enough to be felt. A quake of magnitude 5 is capable of causing considerable damage. The North West Ambulance service said its crews had also reported feeling the quake but had received no actual calls from the public, said a spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the service's policy. John Jenkin of Bourne said the jolt knocked objects from the shelves of his home. A woman in Notting Hill, a wealthy section of London, reported that her radio was bumping up and down on a shelf for several seconds. CBS Interactive Inc.
Indonesian region struck by quakes By CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 26, 5:31 PM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia - The fault line that spawned the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami has ruptured nearly 20 times this month, causing three strong earthquakes. The activity shows the stress the seam is under and could be a harbinger of worse to come, scientists warn.
Kerry Sieh, from the California Institute of Technology, has studied the fault for more than 10 years. He likened it to a length of rope in an imaginary tug of war between a group of men and an elephant.One by one, two by two, the men are getting worn out and are letting go of the rope. That puts more stress on each of the remaining men, he wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. Who knows which one will let go next, or whether they will let go all at once? Sieh and other scientists using Global Positioning System transmitters to measure the uplift of the quakes say another massive temblor sometime in the next 100 years or so is likely, but they cannot predict exactly when that will occur.The fault line is the boundary between the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates that have been pushing against each other for millions of years, causing huge pressure to build up. It runs the length of the west coast of Sumatra about 125 miles offshore.
The steady stream of earthquakes it has produced this month do not seem to be alarming residents much. Witnesses say some have prompted people to flee swaying homes, but few are heeding or are aware of the tsunami warnings that routinely accompany the big jolts.People did not really care because such a tremor is nothing new, Erwin, a resident in the coastal town of Padang, said minutes after a powerful quake early Tuesday. It was just like the one in the afternoon, said Erwin, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name.The 2004 earthquake off Aceh province in northwest Sumatra had a magnitude of 9.2, making it the most powerful temblor in four decades. It triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 12 Indian Ocean countries, more than half in Indonesia.Three months after the tsunami, a magnitude 8.6 quake farther down the fault line killed 1,000 people. Then in September last year, an 8.7 quake opposite Bengkulu province damaged thousands of homes, killed about 25 people and sent a 10-foot tsunami crashing into nearby coastlines.Last Wednesday, a magnitude 7.4 quake killed three people and damaged scores of houses. Since Sunday, four other events strong enough to prompt tsunami warnings by international agencies have jolted the region.
They are best seen as part of a chain that began in 2004, said Dr. Fauzi, a top scientist at Indonesia's National Earthquake Center. The stability of the fault has been disturbed, said Fauzi, who goes by a single name.Since the Indian Ocean tsunami, Indonesia has spent millions of dollars to establish a nationwide tsunami warning system, but there are still only a few warning sirens in Sumatra's threatened western coast and other beach areas.Officials and residents of the two most populous cities of Padang and Bengkulu said no sirens sounded following the recent earthquakes despite warnings issued by the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.
We don't have such equipment, said Suyud, an official at Bengkulu's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. If there were tsunami warnings issued it was only government officials who knew that from text messages on their cell phones.
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.
Cold and blustery East Wayne Verno
Wed Feb 27, 9:57 AM ET
Northeast
A storm system will continue to move away from the New England States today, allowing steadier, heavy snow over northern New England to taper off later today; but not before bringing storm totals to a foot or more over some parts of the area. Meanwhile, a strong northwest flow of cold air will continue to support scattered snow showers from the eastern Great Lakes, through the interior Mid-Atlantic and through the Appalachians today through tonight. Several inches will accumulate in some of the persistent snow bands off Lake Ontario in western New York State and through some parts of the central Appalachian Mountains. Temperatures will remain cold through the entire Northeast both today and Thursday, with afternoon highs running 15 to 20 degrees below average. Slightly milder air will push in from the South on Friday, ahead of a fast moving weather disturbance coming in from the Northwest. This will spread scattered rain and snow showers across the Northeastern States Friday into Friday night.
South
A strong northwest flow of cold air will continue to surge across the Tennessee Valley, into the Southeastern States today, resulting in gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph and temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below average. Snow showers will bring several inches to parts of the southern Appalachian Mountains, with snow flurries and snow showers also occurring as far south as Atlanta. Cold temperatures are expected across these same areas overnight, with temperatures well below freezing by Thursday morning. A general warming tend is expected Friday, into the weekend, as southerly flow increases, and warmer air from Texas and the southern Plains begins to shift eastward. There will be a few showers across the Tennessee Valley Friday, as a weakening cold front enters that area; otherwise a better chance for showers and thunderstorms will come early next week.
Midwest
A northwest flow of cold air will support scattered lake effect snow showers over the central Great Lakes region today, with some accumulation in some of the persistent snow bands. Scattered rain and snow showers will streak across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Thursday, as a fast moving weather disturbance slides in from the Northwest. This will move across the Great Lakes and Upper Ohio Valley on Friday. Temperatures will remain chilly over the Great Lakes and Midwest today and Thursday, but milder air from the central Plains will advance north into the Midwest by Friday.
West
A cold front will brush by the Pacific Northwest today, bringing some rain showers, along with some higher elevation snow, to parts of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. There will then be a break for Thursday, before the next storm system approaches the Northwest on Friday, spreading rain across western Washington and Oregon. This rain will become more dominate through the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwestern States by Saturday, with higher elevation snow through the Cascades and interior mountains. Gusty winds will also impact the coastal areas. Meanwhile, dry conditions, and generally warmer than average temperatures, will dominate the remainder of the West today through Saturday. Afternoon highs will average 5 to 10 degrees above average across much of Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona.
Philippine floods kill 35, survivors rebuild homes Wed Feb 27, 12:11AM ET
MANILA (Reuters) - Residents in central and southern Philippine were rebuilding houses as floods subsided after two weeks of heavy rains that killed 35 people and left 10 missing, officials said on Wednesday. We're returning to normal, said Ben Evardone, governor of Eastern Samar, one of four areas declared under a state of calamity.Hundreds of thousands of people were returning to their dwellings, although in some parts of the province houses were still submerged in flood waters, officials said.A majority of the deaths were due to drowning, but at least 11 people were killed by landslides which environmental groups have blamed on illegal logging.Total damage to roads and bridges in three flood-hit southern regions was put at 825.5 million pesos ($20 million) while 263 million pesos worth of agricultural crops, mostly rice and corn, were destroyed.The Philippines is lashed by an average of about 20 typhoons a year, with landslides and floods common across the archipelago.The weather bureau has said the country may be hit by more typhoons this year due to the La Nina wet weather phenomenon which could bring rains even during the summer months of April and May.($1 = 40.4 pesos)(Reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
REVELATION 16:10
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Florida Blackouts Affect One Million Across State
By KIRK SEMPLE February 27, 2008
MIAMI — A wide-ranging blackout swept across Florida on Tuesday, affecting nearly one million households and businesses, knocking out traffic signals and trapping scores of people in elevators. It also forced two nuclear reactors to shut down.Workers used a helicopter on Tuesday to reach power lines. Utility company officials said the situation could have been worse, perhaps even spreading throughout the Southeast, if not for measures adopted by the power industry after the blackouts in August 2003 that paralyzed the Northeast and Midwest. Electricity was restored in most areas by nightfall Tuesday.Officials quickly dispelled fears that sabotage might have been at the root of the blackouts, which began shortly after 1 p.m. There is absolutely no evidence that there was any foul play involved in this power outage,” Mayor Carlos Alvarez of Miami-Dade County said at a news conference about two hours after the blackouts began. Still, such fears were prevalent.Ulises Orozco said he was in a 50-story office building in Miami when the power went out, and workers poured down darkened stairwells to the street.It was pitch black, Mr. Orozco said, and nobody knew what was going on. It was hot and humid within the stairwell, but most people chose to evacuate the building anyway because there were all these conspiracy theorists talking about terrorism.Aletha Player, a spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light, which operates the electrical grid in southern Florida, said the blackout began with some equipment failure in a substation in western Miami-Dade County.
A spokesman for the North American Electrical Reliability Corporation, an industry group that sets rules for the North American power grid, said a short-circuit in the substation was to blame. The protective devices that are supposed to keep the short-circuit isolated to that substation did not work properly, said the spokesman, Stan Johnson.The problem spread quickly across most of southern Florida, from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf Coast, and as far north as Tampa in the west, Gainesville in the center and Daytona Beach in the east, officials said. Police and fire officials in South Florida, which was hardest hit, said the biggest problems were traffic congestion and people trapped in elevators. Detective Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department, said there were no reports of looting or thefts.Lt. Elkin Sierra, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue, said the department received at least 30 calls about people stuck in elevators, but he said most were freed within 15 minutes. The City of Miami Fire and Rescue received reports of more than 50 people trapped in elevators, said a spokesman, Ignatius Carroll.About 40 car accidents were reported to Miami-Dade fire officials in a two-hour period, Mr. Carroll said, more than triple the daily average. At least eight power plants and 15 major transmission lines were knocked out by protective mechanisms, much like a circuit breaker in a house, designed to safeguard equipment and prevent wider blackouts.
State and power industry officials said that apart from the initial failure, the system worked as it should have. Mr. Johnson said that after the 2003 blackouts the industry instituted safeguards to prevent a similar occurrence.This is a serious event; I don’t mean to downplay it, he said. But all the due diligence that was done limited it to Florida.Among the affected power plants was the Turkey Point nuclear complex in southern Miami-Dade County, where two reactors shut themselves down within seconds of the initial failure when automatic devices sensed a voltage drop on the incoming power lines, said Holly Herrington, a spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington. Reactors draw power from the grid to run pumps and other equipment.According to Florida Power & Light, 700,000 to 800,000 of its 4.4 million customers were without electricity at the peak of the blackout, though power was restored to most by 3:30 p.m. and to all but about 800 by 5:30 p.m.
Progress Energy in Raleigh, N.C., said about 130,000 of its customers in central and northern Florida were affected. About 50,000 households and businesses in Tampa and other areas of west-central Florida lost power, said Laura Duda, a spokeswoman for TECO Energy in Tampa. Matthew L. Wald contributed reporting from Washington, Carmen Gentile from Miami and Cristela Guerra from Daytona Beach, Fla.
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Oil hits new high near $102 a barrel as weakening dollar draws investors to commodities
By GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press Writer AP - Thursday, February 28SINGAPORE - Oil prices rose to a new intraday high near US$102 a barrel Wednesday as a slide in the U.S. dollar prompted investors to pump more money into energy futures as a hedge against inflation.
The dollar sank to a record low against the euro after the release of three disheartening U.S. economic reports Tuesday that show that the economy is slowing even as prices are rising. The dollar's decline prompted investors to seek a safe haven from turmoil in the financial markets and the threat of inflation.Crude has cracked through the US$100-level again and that's driven by financial investors moving money into commodities markets, said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.The U.S. dollar weakened against the euro and the economic data also indicated that inflation in the U.S. rose in January, and commodities are generally considered a hedge against inflation, Shum said. We are therefore seeing these strong prices that have really little to do with oil market fundamentals.Light, sweet crude for April delivery spiked as high as US$101.70 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midafternoon in Singapore, before slipping back slightly to US$101.55, up 67 cents.The contract on Tuesday jumped US$1.65 to settle at US$100.88 a barrel, a record close.In London, Brent crude added 65 cents to US$100.12 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange, below the intraday record of US$100.30 a barrel set earlier in the session.
The U.S. Labor Department said wholesale inflation rose by 1 percent in January on soaring oil and food costs. And Standard & Poor's also reported that U.S. home prices fell 8.9 percent in the last three months of 2007 from a year earlier. It is the sharpest drop in the S&P/Case-Shiller quarterly index's history.A report by the Conference Board, a business-backed research group, that its Consumer Confidence Index fell to the lowest since February 2003, far below what analysts had been expecting, indicated that consumers might continue to curb their spending in the coming months.But traders in both the energy market and the U.S. stock market, which also advanced sharply, seemed largely unfazed. Oil has risen in recent days amid an increase in speculative buying, with some traders believing that global demand will be high enough to support higher crude prices even if the American economy is slowing.In currency trading, the euro rose above US$1.50 for the first time, reaching US$1.5057 before falling back slightly to US$1.5048.Analysts expect the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration to report later Wednesday that the nation's crude oil stocks rose last week by 2.4 million barrels, which would be the seventh straight week of gains.Gasoline inventories are expected to rise by 400,000 barrels while supplies of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, fell by 1.8 million barrels last week, according to a Dow Jones Newswires poll of analysts.
Also supporting prices were concerns about supply disruptions from unrest in Iraq, a major oil exporter. Turkish ground forces pushed their offensive against Kurdish rebels deeper into the north of Iraq, seizing seven guerrilla camps, officials said Tuesday.In other Nymex trading Wednesday, heating oil futures rose 0.65 cent to US$2.8215 a gallon (3.8 liters) while gasoline prices added 0.2 cent to US$2.5525 a gallon.Natural gas futures lost 2.6 cents to US$9.18 per 1,000 cubic feet.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:5,14
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS
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.
NASA Takes Aim at Moon with Double Sledgehammer Jeremy Hsu
Staff Writer SPACE.com Wed Feb 27, 7:02 AM ET
Scientists are priming two spacecraft to slam into the moon's South Pole to see if the lunar double whammy reveals hidden water ice.The Earth-on-moon violence may raise eyebrows, but NASA's history shows that such missions can yield extremely useful scientific observations.I think that people are apprehensive about it because it seems violent or crude, but it's very economical, said Tony Colaprete, the principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.NASA's previous Lunar Prospector mission detected large amounts of hydrogen at the moon's poles before crashing itself into a crater at the lunar South Pole. Now the much larger Lunar Crater and Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, set for a February 2009 moon crash, will take aim and discover whether some of that hydrogen is locked away in the form of frozen water.LCROSS will piggyback on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission for an Oct. 28 launch atop an Atlas 5 rocket equipped with a Centaur upper stage. While the launch will ferry LRO to the moon in about four days, LCROSS is in for a three-month journey to reach its proper moon smashing position. Once within range, the Centaur upper stage doubles as the main 4,400 pound (2,000 kg) impactor spacecraft for LCROSS.
The smaller Shepherding Spacecraft will guide Centaur towards its target crater, before dropping back to watch - and later fly through - the plume of moon dust and debris kicked up by Centaur's impact. The shepherding vehicle is packed with a light photometer, a visible light camera and four infrared cameras to study the Centaur's lunar plume before it turns itself into a second impactor and strikes a different crater about four minutes later.This payload delivery represents a new way of doing business for the center and the agency in general, said Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager at Ames, in a statement. LCROSS primarily is using commercial-off-the-shelf instruments on this mission to meet the mission's accelerated development schedule and cost restraints.
Figuring out the final destinations for the $79 million LCROSS mission is like trying to drive to San Francisco and not knowing where it is on the map, Colaprete said. He and other mission scientists hope to use observations from LRO and the Japanese Kaguya (Selene) lunar orbiter to map crater locations before LCROSS dives in.Nobody has ever been to the poles of the moon, and there are very unique craters - similar to Mercury - where sunlight doesn't reach the bottom, Colaprete said. Earth-based radar has also helped illuminate some permanently shadowed craters. By the time LCROSS arrives, it can zero in on its 19 mile (30 km) wide targets within 328 feet (100 meters).Scientists want the impactor spacecraft to hit smooth, flat areas away from large rocks, which would ideally allow the impact plume to rise up out of the crater shadows into sunlight. That in turn lets LRO and Earth-based telescopes see the results.By understanding what's in these craters, we're examining a fossil record of the early solar system and would occurred at Earth 3 billion years ago, Colaprete said. LCROSS is currently aiming at target craters Faustini and Shoemaker, which Colaprete likened to fantastic time capsules at 3 billion and 3.5 billion years old.
LCROSS researchers anticipate a more than a 90 percent chance that the impactors will find some form of hydrogen at the poles. The off-chance exists that the impactors will hit a newer crater that lacks water - yet scientists can learn about the distribution of hydrogen either way.We take [what we learn] to the next step, whether it's rovers or more impactors, Colaprete said. This comes as the latest mission to apply brute force to science.The Deep Impact mission made history in 2005 by sending a probe crashing into comet Tempel 1. Besides Lunar Prospector's grazing strike on the moon in 1999, the European Space Agency's Smart-1 satellite dove more recently into the lunar surface in 2006.LCROSS will take a much more head-on approach than either Lunar Prospector or Smart-1, slamming into the moon's craters at a steep angle while traveling with greater mass at 1.6 miles per second (2.5 km/s). The overall energy of the impact will equal 100 times that of Lunar Prospector and kick up 1,102 tons of debris and dust.It's a cost-effective, relatively low-risk way of doing initial exploration, Colaprete said, comparing the mission's approach to mountain prospectors who used crude sticks of dynamite to blow up gully walls and sift for gold. Scientists are discussing similar missions for exploring asteroids and planets such as Mars.Nevertheless, Colaprete said they may want to touch the moon a bit more softly after LCROSS has its day.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Top German judge questions democratic innovations to EU treaty 27.02.2008 - 17:26 CET | By Honor Mahony
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Germany's most senior judge has suggested that while democracy has been strengthened in the EU's new treaty, a key innovation involving national parliaments does not go far enough and member states have no guarantee that EU powers will not continue to grow.Professor Hans-Juergen Papier, president of Germany's constitutional court, points out that the principle of democracy is for the first time dignified with its own section in the treaty.But speaking to an audience in Berlin's Humboldt University last week, the judge picked holes in the one of the main democratic improvements contained in the treaty - the role given to national parliaments to scrutinise proposed EU laws and say whether they think the EU is acting in an area where action would better be taken at member state or regional level, the so-called subsidarity principle.Under the treaty rules, MPs are sent legislative proposals by the commission for examination. If they think the EU should not be acting in this area they have eight weeks to notify the commission, which is not bound to act.
If one third of national parliaments get together to complain about an EU law, it must be reviewed and the commission must give reasons if it intends to keep the law. The European Court of Justice may also be called on by member states to look into whether the subsidiarity principle is being upheld.Professor Papier points out that the sheer number of laws coming from Brussels - there were 18,167 regulations and 750 directives between 1998 and 2004 - means that the MPs' early warning system is somewhat impractible.He also notes that the eight week deadline for delivering an opinion on an EU law considered as going too far from parliament is likely to prove too short in practice, while the numerous parliament opinions needed to get a law reviewed would require considerable international coordination in the two month timeframe.The constitutional law expert also says it remains unclear whether the European Court of Justice, when presented with a case will stick to looking purely at the verification of the subsidiarity question or whether whether the EU has competence in the particular area.
According to Professor Papier, the dynamics of subsidiarity are connected to the ever closer union principle meaning that there is from the point of view of member states no fixed limit guaranteed to the creeping transfer of competences [to EU level].Referring to the welcome fact that the EU's charter of fundamental rights is a binding part of the new treaty, the judge nevertheless the says that London and Warsaw's decision to opt out of the charter reveals the deeply rooted mistrust of a union and a court that pulls ever more competences to it.He says that at first glance this mistrust appears misplaced because the charter specifies that it only applies to EU law.But at second glance, the reservations of Poland and the United Kingdom cannot be dismissed fully out of hand, says Professor Papier referring to EU case law.In 2005, the EU's highest court ruled that a national law on the possibility of limiting the work contracts of older people did not only break the EU's non-discrimination law but also the general legal principle of non-discrimination.Professor Papier points out that the time period for implementing the EU non-discrimination law had not yet run out for member states so the court had used the general legal principle of community law.According to later statements by an attorney general of the European court of justice, quoted by the judge, the principle was less derived from legal texts but from a platonic legal heaven, with a vagueness concerning both their content and their actual existence.
Brussels urges Bosnia not to miss opportunity for closer EU ties 27.02.2008 - 09:29 CET | By Renata Goldirova
Amid concerns that Bosnian Serbs could follow Kosovo's example and withdraw their Serb Republic from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the European Commission has said the multi-ethnic country could in April sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), a key pact seen as the first step to EU membership. I would expect we should be able to sign an SAA with Bosnia-Herzegovina shortly, that is in April, on condition that Bosnia-Herzegovina can adopt the required laws concerning police reform, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said on Tuesday (26 February), according to Reuters.He added: It's a great opportunity for the country and I trust the leaders will not miss this opportunity.The positive signal comes during turbulent times in the region. Criticism of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence has been mounting in Bosnia-Herzegovina, too. Thousands of Bosnian Serbs gathered in the city of Banja Luka on Tuesday, with their prime minister, Milorad Dodik, saying: We only have a little patience left and this will not last for very long.The Bosnian Serb parliament has already warned it would consider a referendum to secede from Bosnia.The country, currently under international administration, consists of two governing entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats, and Republika Srpska, home of Bosnia's Serbs.
Serbia
The EU enlargement commissioner also sent a message of encouragement to Serbia, saying the country has a very real and tangible European perspective.I trust that the Serbian leaders will pay attention to the fact that 70 percent of the Serbian population is in favour of membership of the European Union, Mr Rehn added.
Serbia-EU ties have cooled after Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica refused earlier this month to allow the signing of a political agreement offering Belgrade closer trade relations, relaxed visa requirements and educational cooperation. He claimed the EU should have chosen between Serbia and Kosovo. Meanwhile, Serbia continues to voice its opposition to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Branislav Ristivojevic, a legal adviser to Prime Minister Kostunica, announced the country will file a complaint to the international court of justice against the US administration for recognising the fake state of Kosovo.If the US do not annul their illegal decision, we will come to all international tribunals, Mr Ristivojevic was cited as saying by AFP news agency.
Kosovo's prime minister, Hashim Thaci, has meanwhile warned Belgrade against efforts to rule Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo. I am constantly in contact with NATO to prevent anyone from touching even one inch of Kosovo's territory, he said.
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.
Rare Quake Rattles Sleeping Britain
5.3-Magnitude Temblor Is Strongest To Hit U.K. Since 1984; Minor Damage, One Injury Reported MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 27, 2008
(CBS/AP) The strongest earthquake to hit Britain in more than two decades was felt across large parts of the country early Wednesday, officials said. Some homes had minor damage and British media said one man had been hospitalized. The British Geological Survey said the 5.3-magnitude quake struck at about 1 a.m. (8 p.m., Tuesday, Eastern) and was centered about 125 miles north of London.
According to reports on British news channels, a man from Lincolnshire was hospitalized with a broken pelvis after the quake brought his chimney crashing through his roof and onto his bed.
Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey called it the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 temblor hit North Wales in 1984. This was a very large earthquake in UK terms, but in world terms, average, Bukits told The Associated Press. This one has been felt throughout the whole of England and southern Scotland.Many people across the region - unaccustomed to such quakes - reported feeling their homes shaken. It was scary, David Somerset told The Associated Press by telephone from Driffield, around 60 miles from the epicenter. He was working on the computer at the time. It was a strange sensation as the room, ornaments and chest of drawers started wobbling and making a loud rumbling noise, he said. One resident of Market Rasen, the town where the quake was centered, told Britain's Sky News, I thought it was an explosion from the petrochemical plant here, but my wife said, no, that was an earthquake. I was in bed at the time and suddenly there was quite a big bang and shaking that woke us up, said Laura Bocock, who lives close to Market Rasen, in northeast England. It sounded like someone had hit the bungalow and (I) was quite frightened. I couldn't get back to sleep because I was scared it could happen again.
Laura Bocock, Felt England quake I couldn't get back to sleep because I was scared it could happen again.According to officials, the quake was centered 15 miles under ground, which offered enough of a rock buffer to soften the blow, even directly above in Market Rasen. The man who told Sky he initially suspected an explosion said most of his neighbors seemed unfazed. I saw one of my neighbors out in his pajama bottoms, but other than that, I think everybody slept through it.(CBS)Lincolnshire police, however, said they had received dozens of phone calls about the temblor and that some minor damage to homes had been reported. This is a moderate earthquake, Rafael Abreu of the U.S. Geological Survey told Sky News from the United States. He described the tremor as a shallow interplate earthquake. He said his U.S.-based group initially put the magnitude at 4.7 but would likely adopt the 5.3-magnitude rating from his British counterparts. Bukits said Britain is hit annually with about 200 quakes but only 10 percent are strong enough to be felt. A quake of magnitude 5 is capable of causing considerable damage. The North West Ambulance service said its crews had also reported feeling the quake but had received no actual calls from the public, said a spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the service's policy. John Jenkin of Bourne said the jolt knocked objects from the shelves of his home. A woman in Notting Hill, a wealthy section of London, reported that her radio was bumping up and down on a shelf for several seconds. CBS Interactive Inc.
Indonesian region struck by quakes By CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 26, 5:31 PM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia - The fault line that spawned the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami has ruptured nearly 20 times this month, causing three strong earthquakes. The activity shows the stress the seam is under and could be a harbinger of worse to come, scientists warn.
Kerry Sieh, from the California Institute of Technology, has studied the fault for more than 10 years. He likened it to a length of rope in an imaginary tug of war between a group of men and an elephant.One by one, two by two, the men are getting worn out and are letting go of the rope. That puts more stress on each of the remaining men, he wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. Who knows which one will let go next, or whether they will let go all at once? Sieh and other scientists using Global Positioning System transmitters to measure the uplift of the quakes say another massive temblor sometime in the next 100 years or so is likely, but they cannot predict exactly when that will occur.The fault line is the boundary between the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates that have been pushing against each other for millions of years, causing huge pressure to build up. It runs the length of the west coast of Sumatra about 125 miles offshore.
The steady stream of earthquakes it has produced this month do not seem to be alarming residents much. Witnesses say some have prompted people to flee swaying homes, but few are heeding or are aware of the tsunami warnings that routinely accompany the big jolts.People did not really care because such a tremor is nothing new, Erwin, a resident in the coastal town of Padang, said minutes after a powerful quake early Tuesday. It was just like the one in the afternoon, said Erwin, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name.The 2004 earthquake off Aceh province in northwest Sumatra had a magnitude of 9.2, making it the most powerful temblor in four decades. It triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 12 Indian Ocean countries, more than half in Indonesia.Three months after the tsunami, a magnitude 8.6 quake farther down the fault line killed 1,000 people. Then in September last year, an 8.7 quake opposite Bengkulu province damaged thousands of homes, killed about 25 people and sent a 10-foot tsunami crashing into nearby coastlines.Last Wednesday, a magnitude 7.4 quake killed three people and damaged scores of houses. Since Sunday, four other events strong enough to prompt tsunami warnings by international agencies have jolted the region.
They are best seen as part of a chain that began in 2004, said Dr. Fauzi, a top scientist at Indonesia's National Earthquake Center. The stability of the fault has been disturbed, said Fauzi, who goes by a single name.Since the Indian Ocean tsunami, Indonesia has spent millions of dollars to establish a nationwide tsunami warning system, but there are still only a few warning sirens in Sumatra's threatened western coast and other beach areas.Officials and residents of the two most populous cities of Padang and Bengkulu said no sirens sounded following the recent earthquakes despite warnings issued by the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.
We don't have such equipment, said Suyud, an official at Bengkulu's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. If there were tsunami warnings issued it was only government officials who knew that from text messages on their cell phones.
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.
Cold and blustery East Wayne Verno
Wed Feb 27, 9:57 AM ET
Northeast
A storm system will continue to move away from the New England States today, allowing steadier, heavy snow over northern New England to taper off later today; but not before bringing storm totals to a foot or more over some parts of the area. Meanwhile, a strong northwest flow of cold air will continue to support scattered snow showers from the eastern Great Lakes, through the interior Mid-Atlantic and through the Appalachians today through tonight. Several inches will accumulate in some of the persistent snow bands off Lake Ontario in western New York State and through some parts of the central Appalachian Mountains. Temperatures will remain cold through the entire Northeast both today and Thursday, with afternoon highs running 15 to 20 degrees below average. Slightly milder air will push in from the South on Friday, ahead of a fast moving weather disturbance coming in from the Northwest. This will spread scattered rain and snow showers across the Northeastern States Friday into Friday night.
South
A strong northwest flow of cold air will continue to surge across the Tennessee Valley, into the Southeastern States today, resulting in gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph and temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below average. Snow showers will bring several inches to parts of the southern Appalachian Mountains, with snow flurries and snow showers also occurring as far south as Atlanta. Cold temperatures are expected across these same areas overnight, with temperatures well below freezing by Thursday morning. A general warming tend is expected Friday, into the weekend, as southerly flow increases, and warmer air from Texas and the southern Plains begins to shift eastward. There will be a few showers across the Tennessee Valley Friday, as a weakening cold front enters that area; otherwise a better chance for showers and thunderstorms will come early next week.
Midwest
A northwest flow of cold air will support scattered lake effect snow showers over the central Great Lakes region today, with some accumulation in some of the persistent snow bands. Scattered rain and snow showers will streak across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Thursday, as a fast moving weather disturbance slides in from the Northwest. This will move across the Great Lakes and Upper Ohio Valley on Friday. Temperatures will remain chilly over the Great Lakes and Midwest today and Thursday, but milder air from the central Plains will advance north into the Midwest by Friday.
West
A cold front will brush by the Pacific Northwest today, bringing some rain showers, along with some higher elevation snow, to parts of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. There will then be a break for Thursday, before the next storm system approaches the Northwest on Friday, spreading rain across western Washington and Oregon. This rain will become more dominate through the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwestern States by Saturday, with higher elevation snow through the Cascades and interior mountains. Gusty winds will also impact the coastal areas. Meanwhile, dry conditions, and generally warmer than average temperatures, will dominate the remainder of the West today through Saturday. Afternoon highs will average 5 to 10 degrees above average across much of Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona.
Philippine floods kill 35, survivors rebuild homes Wed Feb 27, 12:11AM ET
MANILA (Reuters) - Residents in central and southern Philippine were rebuilding houses as floods subsided after two weeks of heavy rains that killed 35 people and left 10 missing, officials said on Wednesday. We're returning to normal, said Ben Evardone, governor of Eastern Samar, one of four areas declared under a state of calamity.Hundreds of thousands of people were returning to their dwellings, although in some parts of the province houses were still submerged in flood waters, officials said.A majority of the deaths were due to drowning, but at least 11 people were killed by landslides which environmental groups have blamed on illegal logging.Total damage to roads and bridges in three flood-hit southern regions was put at 825.5 million pesos ($20 million) while 263 million pesos worth of agricultural crops, mostly rice and corn, were destroyed.The Philippines is lashed by an average of about 20 typhoons a year, with landslides and floods common across the archipelago.The weather bureau has said the country may be hit by more typhoons this year due to the La Nina wet weather phenomenon which could bring rains even during the summer months of April and May.($1 = 40.4 pesos)(Reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
REVELATION 16:10
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Florida Blackouts Affect One Million Across State
By KIRK SEMPLE February 27, 2008
MIAMI — A wide-ranging blackout swept across Florida on Tuesday, affecting nearly one million households and businesses, knocking out traffic signals and trapping scores of people in elevators. It also forced two nuclear reactors to shut down.Workers used a helicopter on Tuesday to reach power lines. Utility company officials said the situation could have been worse, perhaps even spreading throughout the Southeast, if not for measures adopted by the power industry after the blackouts in August 2003 that paralyzed the Northeast and Midwest. Electricity was restored in most areas by nightfall Tuesday.Officials quickly dispelled fears that sabotage might have been at the root of the blackouts, which began shortly after 1 p.m. There is absolutely no evidence that there was any foul play involved in this power outage,” Mayor Carlos Alvarez of Miami-Dade County said at a news conference about two hours after the blackouts began. Still, such fears were prevalent.Ulises Orozco said he was in a 50-story office building in Miami when the power went out, and workers poured down darkened stairwells to the street.It was pitch black, Mr. Orozco said, and nobody knew what was going on. It was hot and humid within the stairwell, but most people chose to evacuate the building anyway because there were all these conspiracy theorists talking about terrorism.Aletha Player, a spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light, which operates the electrical grid in southern Florida, said the blackout began with some equipment failure in a substation in western Miami-Dade County.
A spokesman for the North American Electrical Reliability Corporation, an industry group that sets rules for the North American power grid, said a short-circuit in the substation was to blame. The protective devices that are supposed to keep the short-circuit isolated to that substation did not work properly, said the spokesman, Stan Johnson.The problem spread quickly across most of southern Florida, from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf Coast, and as far north as Tampa in the west, Gainesville in the center and Daytona Beach in the east, officials said. Police and fire officials in South Florida, which was hardest hit, said the biggest problems were traffic congestion and people trapped in elevators. Detective Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department, said there were no reports of looting or thefts.Lt. Elkin Sierra, a spokesman for Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue, said the department received at least 30 calls about people stuck in elevators, but he said most were freed within 15 minutes. The City of Miami Fire and Rescue received reports of more than 50 people trapped in elevators, said a spokesman, Ignatius Carroll.About 40 car accidents were reported to Miami-Dade fire officials in a two-hour period, Mr. Carroll said, more than triple the daily average. At least eight power plants and 15 major transmission lines were knocked out by protective mechanisms, much like a circuit breaker in a house, designed to safeguard equipment and prevent wider blackouts.
State and power industry officials said that apart from the initial failure, the system worked as it should have. Mr. Johnson said that after the 2003 blackouts the industry instituted safeguards to prevent a similar occurrence.This is a serious event; I don’t mean to downplay it, he said. But all the due diligence that was done limited it to Florida.Among the affected power plants was the Turkey Point nuclear complex in southern Miami-Dade County, where two reactors shut themselves down within seconds of the initial failure when automatic devices sensed a voltage drop on the incoming power lines, said Holly Herrington, a spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington. Reactors draw power from the grid to run pumps and other equipment.According to Florida Power & Light, 700,000 to 800,000 of its 4.4 million customers were without electricity at the peak of the blackout, though power was restored to most by 3:30 p.m. and to all but about 800 by 5:30 p.m.
Progress Energy in Raleigh, N.C., said about 130,000 of its customers in central and northern Florida were affected. About 50,000 households and businesses in Tampa and other areas of west-central Florida lost power, said Laura Duda, a spokeswoman for TECO Energy in Tampa. Matthew L. Wald contributed reporting from Washington, Carmen Gentile from Miami and Cristela Guerra from Daytona Beach, Fla.
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Oil hits new high near $102 a barrel as weakening dollar draws investors to commodities
By GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press Writer AP - Thursday, February 28SINGAPORE - Oil prices rose to a new intraday high near US$102 a barrel Wednesday as a slide in the U.S. dollar prompted investors to pump more money into energy futures as a hedge against inflation.
The dollar sank to a record low against the euro after the release of three disheartening U.S. economic reports Tuesday that show that the economy is slowing even as prices are rising. The dollar's decline prompted investors to seek a safe haven from turmoil in the financial markets and the threat of inflation.Crude has cracked through the US$100-level again and that's driven by financial investors moving money into commodities markets, said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.The U.S. dollar weakened against the euro and the economic data also indicated that inflation in the U.S. rose in January, and commodities are generally considered a hedge against inflation, Shum said. We are therefore seeing these strong prices that have really little to do with oil market fundamentals.Light, sweet crude for April delivery spiked as high as US$101.70 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midafternoon in Singapore, before slipping back slightly to US$101.55, up 67 cents.The contract on Tuesday jumped US$1.65 to settle at US$100.88 a barrel, a record close.In London, Brent crude added 65 cents to US$100.12 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange, below the intraday record of US$100.30 a barrel set earlier in the session.
The U.S. Labor Department said wholesale inflation rose by 1 percent in January on soaring oil and food costs. And Standard & Poor's also reported that U.S. home prices fell 8.9 percent in the last three months of 2007 from a year earlier. It is the sharpest drop in the S&P/Case-Shiller quarterly index's history.A report by the Conference Board, a business-backed research group, that its Consumer Confidence Index fell to the lowest since February 2003, far below what analysts had been expecting, indicated that consumers might continue to curb their spending in the coming months.But traders in both the energy market and the U.S. stock market, which also advanced sharply, seemed largely unfazed. Oil has risen in recent days amid an increase in speculative buying, with some traders believing that global demand will be high enough to support higher crude prices even if the American economy is slowing.In currency trading, the euro rose above US$1.50 for the first time, reaching US$1.5057 before falling back slightly to US$1.5048.Analysts expect the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration to report later Wednesday that the nation's crude oil stocks rose last week by 2.4 million barrels, which would be the seventh straight week of gains.Gasoline inventories are expected to rise by 400,000 barrels while supplies of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, fell by 1.8 million barrels last week, according to a Dow Jones Newswires poll of analysts.
Also supporting prices were concerns about supply disruptions from unrest in Iraq, a major oil exporter. Turkish ground forces pushed their offensive against Kurdish rebels deeper into the north of Iraq, seizing seven guerrilla camps, officials said Tuesday.In other Nymex trading Wednesday, heating oil futures rose 0.65 cent to US$2.8215 a gallon (3.8 liters) while gasoline prices added 0.2 cent to US$2.5525 a gallon.Natural gas futures lost 2.6 cents to US$9.18 per 1,000 cubic feet.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:5,14
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS
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.
NASA Takes Aim at Moon with Double Sledgehammer Jeremy Hsu
Staff Writer SPACE.com Wed Feb 27, 7:02 AM ET
Scientists are priming two spacecraft to slam into the moon's South Pole to see if the lunar double whammy reveals hidden water ice.The Earth-on-moon violence may raise eyebrows, but NASA's history shows that such missions can yield extremely useful scientific observations.I think that people are apprehensive about it because it seems violent or crude, but it's very economical, said Tony Colaprete, the principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.NASA's previous Lunar Prospector mission detected large amounts of hydrogen at the moon's poles before crashing itself into a crater at the lunar South Pole. Now the much larger Lunar Crater and Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, set for a February 2009 moon crash, will take aim and discover whether some of that hydrogen is locked away in the form of frozen water.LCROSS will piggyback on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission for an Oct. 28 launch atop an Atlas 5 rocket equipped with a Centaur upper stage. While the launch will ferry LRO to the moon in about four days, LCROSS is in for a three-month journey to reach its proper moon smashing position. Once within range, the Centaur upper stage doubles as the main 4,400 pound (2,000 kg) impactor spacecraft for LCROSS.
The smaller Shepherding Spacecraft will guide Centaur towards its target crater, before dropping back to watch - and later fly through - the plume of moon dust and debris kicked up by Centaur's impact. The shepherding vehicle is packed with a light photometer, a visible light camera and four infrared cameras to study the Centaur's lunar plume before it turns itself into a second impactor and strikes a different crater about four minutes later.This payload delivery represents a new way of doing business for the center and the agency in general, said Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager at Ames, in a statement. LCROSS primarily is using commercial-off-the-shelf instruments on this mission to meet the mission's accelerated development schedule and cost restraints.
Figuring out the final destinations for the $79 million LCROSS mission is like trying to drive to San Francisco and not knowing where it is on the map, Colaprete said. He and other mission scientists hope to use observations from LRO and the Japanese Kaguya (Selene) lunar orbiter to map crater locations before LCROSS dives in.Nobody has ever been to the poles of the moon, and there are very unique craters - similar to Mercury - where sunlight doesn't reach the bottom, Colaprete said. Earth-based radar has also helped illuminate some permanently shadowed craters. By the time LCROSS arrives, it can zero in on its 19 mile (30 km) wide targets within 328 feet (100 meters).Scientists want the impactor spacecraft to hit smooth, flat areas away from large rocks, which would ideally allow the impact plume to rise up out of the crater shadows into sunlight. That in turn lets LRO and Earth-based telescopes see the results.By understanding what's in these craters, we're examining a fossil record of the early solar system and would occurred at Earth 3 billion years ago, Colaprete said. LCROSS is currently aiming at target craters Faustini and Shoemaker, which Colaprete likened to fantastic time capsules at 3 billion and 3.5 billion years old.
LCROSS researchers anticipate a more than a 90 percent chance that the impactors will find some form of hydrogen at the poles. The off-chance exists that the impactors will hit a newer crater that lacks water - yet scientists can learn about the distribution of hydrogen either way.We take [what we learn] to the next step, whether it's rovers or more impactors, Colaprete said. This comes as the latest mission to apply brute force to science.The Deep Impact mission made history in 2005 by sending a probe crashing into comet Tempel 1. Besides Lunar Prospector's grazing strike on the moon in 1999, the European Space Agency's Smart-1 satellite dove more recently into the lunar surface in 2006.LCROSS will take a much more head-on approach than either Lunar Prospector or Smart-1, slamming into the moon's craters at a steep angle while traveling with greater mass at 1.6 miles per second (2.5 km/s). The overall energy of the impact will equal 100 times that of Lunar Prospector and kick up 1,102 tons of debris and dust.It's a cost-effective, relatively low-risk way of doing initial exploration, Colaprete said, comparing the mission's approach to mountain prospectors who used crude sticks of dynamite to blow up gully walls and sift for gold. Scientists are discussing similar missions for exploring asteroids and planets such as Mars.Nevertheless, Colaprete said they may want to touch the moon a bit more softly after LCROSS has its day.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Top German judge questions democratic innovations to EU treaty 27.02.2008 - 17:26 CET | By Honor Mahony
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Germany's most senior judge has suggested that while democracy has been strengthened in the EU's new treaty, a key innovation involving national parliaments does not go far enough and member states have no guarantee that EU powers will not continue to grow.Professor Hans-Juergen Papier, president of Germany's constitutional court, points out that the principle of democracy is for the first time dignified with its own section in the treaty.But speaking to an audience in Berlin's Humboldt University last week, the judge picked holes in the one of the main democratic improvements contained in the treaty - the role given to national parliaments to scrutinise proposed EU laws and say whether they think the EU is acting in an area where action would better be taken at member state or regional level, the so-called subsidarity principle.Under the treaty rules, MPs are sent legislative proposals by the commission for examination. If they think the EU should not be acting in this area they have eight weeks to notify the commission, which is not bound to act.
If one third of national parliaments get together to complain about an EU law, it must be reviewed and the commission must give reasons if it intends to keep the law. The European Court of Justice may also be called on by member states to look into whether the subsidiarity principle is being upheld.Professor Papier points out that the sheer number of laws coming from Brussels - there were 18,167 regulations and 750 directives between 1998 and 2004 - means that the MPs' early warning system is somewhat impractible.He also notes that the eight week deadline for delivering an opinion on an EU law considered as going too far from parliament is likely to prove too short in practice, while the numerous parliament opinions needed to get a law reviewed would require considerable international coordination in the two month timeframe.The constitutional law expert also says it remains unclear whether the European Court of Justice, when presented with a case will stick to looking purely at the verification of the subsidiarity question or whether whether the EU has competence in the particular area.
According to Professor Papier, the dynamics of subsidiarity are connected to the ever closer union principle meaning that there is from the point of view of member states no fixed limit guaranteed to the creeping transfer of competences [to EU level].Referring to the welcome fact that the EU's charter of fundamental rights is a binding part of the new treaty, the judge nevertheless the says that London and Warsaw's decision to opt out of the charter reveals the deeply rooted mistrust of a union and a court that pulls ever more competences to it.He says that at first glance this mistrust appears misplaced because the charter specifies that it only applies to EU law.But at second glance, the reservations of Poland and the United Kingdom cannot be dismissed fully out of hand, says Professor Papier referring to EU case law.In 2005, the EU's highest court ruled that a national law on the possibility of limiting the work contracts of older people did not only break the EU's non-discrimination law but also the general legal principle of non-discrimination.Professor Papier points out that the time period for implementing the EU non-discrimination law had not yet run out for member states so the court had used the general legal principle of community law.According to later statements by an attorney general of the European court of justice, quoted by the judge, the principle was less derived from legal texts but from a platonic legal heaven, with a vagueness concerning both their content and their actual existence.
Brussels urges Bosnia not to miss opportunity for closer EU ties 27.02.2008 - 09:29 CET | By Renata Goldirova
Amid concerns that Bosnian Serbs could follow Kosovo's example and withdraw their Serb Republic from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the European Commission has said the multi-ethnic country could in April sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), a key pact seen as the first step to EU membership. I would expect we should be able to sign an SAA with Bosnia-Herzegovina shortly, that is in April, on condition that Bosnia-Herzegovina can adopt the required laws concerning police reform, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said on Tuesday (26 February), according to Reuters.He added: It's a great opportunity for the country and I trust the leaders will not miss this opportunity.The positive signal comes during turbulent times in the region. Criticism of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence has been mounting in Bosnia-Herzegovina, too. Thousands of Bosnian Serbs gathered in the city of Banja Luka on Tuesday, with their prime minister, Milorad Dodik, saying: We only have a little patience left and this will not last for very long.The Bosnian Serb parliament has already warned it would consider a referendum to secede from Bosnia.The country, currently under international administration, consists of two governing entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats, and Republika Srpska, home of Bosnia's Serbs.
Serbia
The EU enlargement commissioner also sent a message of encouragement to Serbia, saying the country has a very real and tangible European perspective.I trust that the Serbian leaders will pay attention to the fact that 70 percent of the Serbian population is in favour of membership of the European Union, Mr Rehn added.
Serbia-EU ties have cooled after Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica refused earlier this month to allow the signing of a political agreement offering Belgrade closer trade relations, relaxed visa requirements and educational cooperation. He claimed the EU should have chosen between Serbia and Kosovo. Meanwhile, Serbia continues to voice its opposition to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Branislav Ristivojevic, a legal adviser to Prime Minister Kostunica, announced the country will file a complaint to the international court of justice against the US administration for recognising the fake state of Kosovo.If the US do not annul their illegal decision, we will come to all international tribunals, Mr Ristivojevic was cited as saying by AFP news agency.
Kosovo's prime minister, Hashim Thaci, has meanwhile warned Belgrade against efforts to rule Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo. I am constantly in contact with NATO to prevent anyone from touching even one inch of Kosovo's territory, he said.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
SATELLITE SHOOTDOWN RATTLES CHINA - RUSSIA
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.
AROUND THE EMPIRE -- SANTA ROSA Earthquake rattles The Geysers A moderate earthquake rattled The Geysers area, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday.
A 4.1-magnitude quake was recorded at 9:32 p.m. Saturday, centered about a mile north of The Geysers geothermal fields and 26 miles north-northwest of Santa Rosa.Its depth was about a mile underground, according to the USGS.No damage or other incidents were reported.Earthquakes in the magnitude-two range are fairly common in the rural area.In the hours after the 4.1 quake, more than 20 smaller shakers were recorded in the same general area, the largest two registering at 2.8 and 2.9.More details about the seismic activity can be found at www.earthquake.usgs.gov.-- Lori A. Carter.
Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia's Sumatra
By Karima Anjani
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 3:36 p.m. local time with no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Office said. A second temblor struck the same region 10 hours later measuring 6.7 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage. The larger quake hit an area 165 kilometers (102 miles) southwest of Muko-muko, in Bengkulu province, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the Indonesian agency said in a text message. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.0, revising from 7.3 earlier. The quake had a depth of 35 kilometers. No casualties have been reported, an official said. An earlier tsunami warning was lifted, the Indonesian office said. The temblor sparked panic in Bengkulu and the west of Sumatra, sending people into the streets, Jakarta-based ElShinta radio reported. Tremors also rocked buildings in downtown Singapore, located 365 miles from the epicenter.
There have been hundreds of earthquakes in Indonesia since a 9.1 quake in 2004 caused a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastlines and leaving more than 220,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries. The Indonesian archipelago lies in a region where tectonic plates are constantly shifting. The 6.7 quake struck 164 kilometers southwest of Padang, Sumatra, at 1:06 a.m. local time Tuesday, at a depth of 35 kilometers, the USGS said. There were no casualties so far from today's earthquake, Rustam S. Pakaya, head of crisis management at Indonesia's Health Ministry, said in a text message. Authorities will continue to monitor developments on damages and casualties. A magnitude 7.5 quake hit the west of Sumatra on Feb. 20, killing at least three people. To contact the reporter on this story: Karima Anjani in Jakarta at kanjani@bloomberg.net
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.
More snow on the way for Toronto
Mon Feb 25, 11:15 AM
TORONTO (CBC) - Winter weary Torontonians should brace for another bout of snow, meteorologists said Monday.A low-pressure centre tracking eastward from Kansas is expected to cause up to 15 centimetres of light snow to fall across southwestern Ontario.While Environment Canada says the heaviest snow will fall south of the border, significant amounts of the white stuff are expected north of the lower Great Lakes.For Toronto, continuous light snow is expected to begin Monday night and last through part of Tuesday, dumping up to 15 centimetres of snow around the lakeshore area and slightly less in northern parts of the city.
Winds could kick up later Tuesday with some gusts reaching up to 60 km/h, meaning that blowing snow could be a factor during the Tuesday commute home, said CBC meteorologist Karen Matthews.It's all snow [Tuesday], then we're going to have the cold air behind the system, said Matthews.Temperatures in Toronto are forecast to dip down to -10 C on Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
The weather system is forecast to brush along the St. Lawrence, hitting Ottawa and Montreal with 10 to 15 cm of snow Tuesday morning before moving on to the East Coast.
Storm will affect the eastern US Tom Moore FEB 25,08
Low presure in the Midwest will gain strength and move into the Northeast on Tusday. Snow, rain and wind will be the result. Look for a band of accumulating snow overnight across eastern Iowa through northern Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio. By morning there could be a general snowfall of 3 to 6 inches in this region. Snow will move eastward from Indiana and Ohio during the day. Total accumulations across the Midwest should average in the 3 to 8 inch range. Snow will move into western New York and northwest Pennsylvania by Tuesday morning and spread through the interior Northeast during the day. By Tuesday evening the snow should stretch from western New York all the way to the Maine coast. Snowfall amounts reaching double digits are possible from central and northern new York through northern New England. The I-95 corridor should see mainly rain from this system, but there could be a little sleet or snow at the beginning Tuesday. Look for a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain across the valleys of northern Pennsylvania and southern New York Tuesday morning, but the precipitation should change over to rain during the afternoon. To the south, showers and thunderstorms should prevail from the Mississippi River eastward through the Southeast overnight through Tuesday evening. Isolated strong to even severe thunderstorms may erupt overnight from Louisiana and Arkansas to Alabama, especially near the Gulf Coast. Severe thunderstorms are more likely Tuesday afternoon and evening across southern Georgia and northern Florida.
Storm causes flooding, leaves thousands without electricity in Sweden Sat Feb 23, 1:49 PMBy The Associated Press
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Officials in Sweden say an overnight storm battered the southern part of the country with hurricane-strength winds - knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and causing flooding in the coastal city of Goteborg. More than 80,000 households are reporting power outages after the storm, which also caused major traffic disruptions. No serious injuries are reported.
The Swedish news agency TT says one person was hospitalized with minor injuries after being trapped between falling trees. Parts of a roof were torn off a house on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, and a passenger bus was pushed onto its side in a water-filled ditch on Sweden's west coast. Thomas Andersson, a spokesman for The Swedish Road Administration, says downed trees blocked more than 40 roads overnight. Those roads later reopened. At least six train lines in the southern part of the country were closed as rail companies worked to clear fallen trees from the tracks. Sten Laurin, a spokesman at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said winds off the country's southern coast reached speeds of 140 km/h, though the storm later eased. Winds of about 120km/h are classified as hurricane-strength. Inland, gusts of up to 114 km/h were recorded in some places, Laurin said. On Saturday morning, more than 50,000 Swedish households still were without power.
To all Protectors of Israel: Please send an email to Shas, Olmert, Bush and others with one click of the mouse!!! Then, forward this email to everyone on your list, and urge them to do the same.Thanks so much. Buddy Macy 973-785-0057
Editor's Note:URGENT ACTION ALERT
Requesting Shas Party Resignation
The future of Israel rests in the hands of only a few members of the Knesset. We applaud MK Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. (Please see the article below for details.) Join Netanyahu in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent the dismemberment of Israel.Please read the sample letter below. It is a letter that you can send with one click as is, or you may edit the text as you see fit.
This Urgent Action Alert will go to MK Eliyahu Yishai and all members of the Shas Party with copies to Prime Minister Olmert, Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon, MK Rabbi Benyamin Elon, MK Dr. Arieh Eldad, MK Benjamin Netanyahu, MK Avigdor Liberman, Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Send this Urgent Call to Action
Dear MK Yishai and All Members of the Shas Party,
As we read the shenanigans of Israel's negotiating team, friends of Israel in the US are shaking our heads in disbelief while the dismemberment of Israel is now under way.US friends cannot stand silently by watching this travesty take place. We call upon the Shas party to save Jerusalem and save Israel from its own folly by resigning from the Olmert government, thus interrupting this impending disaster.What other country is being asked to participate in its own demise by submitting to those who ignore history and falsely lay claim to Israel's God-given land? Should not the negotiating team demand recognition of Israel as a Jewish state?
Should they not mention the need for Jews and Christians to live freely (now mostly denied) in any kind of Arab state, particularly a proposed Palestinian state? Should they not stand up for the rights of nearly a million Jewish refugees expelled from Arab countries in 1948? Should they not state and restate that Jerusalem was, is and should remain the eternal united capital of the Jewish people? What other country would even consider sharing its rightful capital with another nation, particularly a hostile one openly calling for its destruction? The secret negotiations are almost too painful to consider by those who truly love Israel. Israel now thrives on 22 percent of the land given to it by the British Mandate. 78 percent was already given to Jordan, whose population is 70 percent Palestinian. Now Israel is being forced to divide that 22 percent. We applaud Likud Leader Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. We urgently join him in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent this impending catastrophe.People of Israel WAKE UP! The people of the Diaspora are waiting to help you. We cannot again go like lambs to the slaughter.Signed,
METEORS HIT THE EARTH
REVELATION 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!
Meteor Likely Disintegrated; No Crater Found
Spokane, Washington Associated Press February 22, 2008
Despite witness accounts that a meteor that streaked across the Pacific Northwest skies this week struck Earth, scientists at the University of Washington (UW) say it likely disintegrated in the sky. Some witnesses reported seeing Tuesday's meteor hit the ground southwest of Ritzville in central Washington, sending local officials on a fruitless hunt for the crater.
Using readings from instruments in the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, scientists at the UW campus in Seattle said Wednesday they believe the meteor disintegrated above the Blue Mountains, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of LaGrande, Oregon, at an altitude of about 19 miles (30 kilometers). (See map.) Stephen Malone, professor emeritus of space sciences and former director of the seismic network, worked with colleagues at the UW and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland to determine the fate of the space visitor. They triangulated the location of the disintegration using readings from seismometers, the UW said in a news release. Malone noted that the readings might be a bit off because the seismometer closest to the disintegration point has been out of commission since January. People in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Canada's British Columbia reported seeing a bright fireball streaking across the sky about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Iran's Israel remarks damaging and uncivilised-EU
Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:51am
BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The European Union on Monday denounced statements by Iranian leaders against Israel as unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised.The EU's Slovenian presidency referred to remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, parliament Speaker Gholamali Haddadadel and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari.Their comments pointed against Israel are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised, it said. The EU calls on Iran to stop hostile rhetoric and refrain from all threats towards other states, members of the international community.Last Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon termed comments by Ahmadinejad a day earlier likening Israel to a savage animal inflammatory and unacceptable.Iran does not recognise Israel and Ahmadinejad has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom)
Israel to have anti-missile defense system by 2010
JERUSALEM (Xinhua): Israel will be in possession of an anti-missile defense system by the year 2010, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday in the weekly cabinet meeting. Olmert was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying that Israel has no intention of fortifying every building in Gaza area communities or in Sderot. However, the prime minister added that certain designated areas will be fortified against Qassam rocket strikes. Last week, Israeli government approved a plan estimated at 100 million U.S. dollars to shield thousands of homes in the western Negev communities against rocket strikes.
Russia warns it will use force to back Serbia Kosovo Secession; U.S. urges Moscow to be more responsible Steven Edwards, Canwest News Service Saturday, February 23, 2008
UNITED NATIONS - The international split over Kosovo grew more ominous yesterday as Russia raised the spectre of using force to back Serbia's bid to retain the territory.Russia's envoy to NATO warned the Western military alliance, which has a 16,000-strong peacekeeping force in Kosovo, and the European Union against formally backing Pristina's declaration of independence.If the European Union works out a common position, or if NATO breaches its mandate in Kosovo, these organizations will be in conflict with the United Nations, said Dmitry Rogozin. Russia believes the UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo does not authorize a unilateral move to independence.We, too, would then have to proceed from the view that in order to be respected, we must use brute force, in other words armed force.He spoke a day after a mob in the Serbian capital Belgrade torched the U.S. embassy. They were among 250,000 people attending a rally protesting Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence move and Washington's recognition of the breakaway state.
The EU has not collectively ruled on Kosovo, but has pledged to send a 2,000-strong administrative-support mission to take over from the UN, which has run the territory since NATO's 1999 bombing campaign forced the Serb army to withdraw.Mikhail Kamynin, the Russian Foreign Minister, said the United States and other forces that supported Kosovo's proclamation should have been aware of the consequences of such a step.While analysts see the Russian remarks as sabre-rattling, they believe such talk could encourage more violence.Bellicose language from the Russians is not helpful, said retired U.S. Major General William Nash, who was UN regional administrator in northern Kosovo in 2000.One fear is that acts of provocation can lead to retaliation that in turn escalates the whole circumstance.In Washington, the State Department demanded Moscow repudiate Mr. Rogozin's words, characterizing what he said as cynical and ahistorical.We strongly advise Russia to be more responsible in its public comments toward Kosovo, said Nicholas Burns, the third-ranking State Department official.
Russia is isolated this week … very few countries are supporting its position.In fact, the world is almost evenly split over the issue, with countries' positions appearing to reflect their internal concerns.Canada is one of more than 25 countries that have yet to make their position clear.About 20 nations have ruled against recognition. They include Argentina, which seeks to end British rule in the Falklands, and Cyprus and Spain, which have separatist movements.Yesterday, Jean Chretien, the former prime minister, said Canada should be wary, given the existence of the sovereigntist movement in Quebec.It was a delicate problem for the government because Ottawa's decision on a faraway country could have repercussions much closer to home, he said.Canada has to be careful about it because we have people who want to separate from Canada.He did not say whether he believes recognizing Kosovo could fuel the sovereigntist movement.At least Canada has clear rules should Quebec want to secede, Mr. Chretien said, pointing to his government's adoption of legislation after the 1995 Quebec referendum.We have passed a bill called the Clarity Act. At least there are rules. We need a clear question on separation and we need a clear majority.Vojislav Kostunica, the Serbian Prime Minister, said the violence in Belgrade was a great misfortune that was directly damaging to our fight to preserve [the] state.But his government pressed ahead with a bid to reclaim control over at least northern Kosovo, where Serbs form a regional majority.Serb judges and other judicial employees would abandon UN-run Kosovo institutions and return to Serb ones in the north, an apparent effort to create parallel Serb institutions in the breakaway state.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Solana: EU mission to cover whole of Kosovo
www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 00:10:18
·The EU civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said Monday.
·EU mission would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there.
·Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
BRUSSELS, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said here Monday. Solana made the remarks at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer after talks on Kosovo and Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Our mission, as agreed by member states, covers the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said, pledging that the EU mission, composed of more than 2,000 police officers, judges and prosecutors, would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there and the whole Balkan region. The EU withdrew staff, who had been preparing for the deployment of the EU mission, from the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica after violent protests by the Serb minority against Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
I
n ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo, Mitrovica is inhabited by half of the region's 120,000 minority Serbs, who have been protesting against Kosovo's independence from Serbia and the deployment of the EU mission. Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and the EU presence there, charging that both moves violate international law and U.N. resolutions. Scheffer expressed his support for the EU mission, saying the EU's presence in Kosovo was important and would play a role to secure Kosovo. He echoed EU leaders in saying that the mission was not against U.N. Security Resolution 1244 as Serbia and Russia had claimed. The two added that their organizations would like to establish a close relationship with Serbia.Scheffer said that Serbia was important in the region.
WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
DANIEL 12:4,1
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The North American Union - You Could Be Voting Your Rights Away Monday, February 25, 2008 by: Barbara L. Minton
NaturalNews) One issue that is conspicuously absent from the rhetoric of the presidential candidates is the North American Union (NAU). The questions of immigration and border security are frequently raised and the candidates claim to realize the need for a clear immigration policy and effort to secure the borders of the United States. Yet when you begin to understand the purposes of the North American Union and the agenda of its proponents, you will understand why this will never happen. And you may also begin to see that you are being manipulated by the major candidates.
The NAU, a goal of the Council on Foreign Relations, follows a plan laid out by Robert Pastor. It is currently promoted by the Bush administration to expand the size and scope of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Its goal is to effectively create a North American trading block by erasing the borders between the U.S., Mexico and Canada resulting in free, unimpeded movement of people and goods across those borders. It is also a political union that would integrate the governments of the three countries. And clearly it is an economic union with the intention of equalizing the wages and standard of living of all but the ruling elitists.
Sounds a lot like the European Union, doesn't it? There are even plans for a common currency called the amero. But there is one glaring difference. The people of the United States have never been asked if they want to become integrated with Mexico and Canada, two countries of enormously different laws, culture, economic systems, standards of living, and acceptance of the role of government.
The European Union followed years of open debate at all levels, intense coverage of the ramifications and implications in major media, and a vote of the people.
History and Origins of NAU
President Bush signed the Declaration of Quebec City in April, 2001, making a commitment to hemispheric integration. After Hugo Chavez of Venezuela voiced opposition, these plans were scaled back to include only North America.
The Independent Task Force on North America, a project organized by the Council on Foreign Relations and co-chaired by Robert Pastor, was launched in October, 2004. This group published two documents: Trinational Call for a North American Economic and Security Community by 2010 (March, 2005), and its final report Building a North American Community (May, 2005). This Task Force had as its central recommendation the establishment by 2010 of a North American economic and security community. The boundaries of this community would be defined by a common external tariff and outer security perimeter. Also called for is the replacing of all three branches of the US government with a North American version effectively ending U.S. representative government.
In March 2005, at their summit meeting in Waco, Texas; Bush, President Fox of Mexico and Prime Minister Martin of Canada issued a joint statement announcing the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). The creation of this agreement was never submitted to Congress for discussion or decision. The U.S. Department of Commerce merely created a new division implementing working groups to advance a North American Union agenda. This agenda included movement of goods, finances, e-commerce, environment, business facilitation, food and agriculture, and health. The result is an action agreement to be implemented immediately and directly by regulations, without any envisioned Congressional debate or oversight.
In September 2006, Rep. Virgil Goode (Va), Rep. Ron Paul (Tx), Rep. Walter Jones (NC), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (Co) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 487, expressing concerns about the NAU. Resolution was passed by the House of Representatives with the Senate concurring that the U.S. should not enter into a North American Union with Mexico and Canada; the U.S. should not engage in the construction of the NAFTA Superhighway System, and the President should indicate strong opposition to these or any other proposals that threaten the sovereignty of the U.S.
In October 2006, Congressman Paul formally denounced the formation of the SPP and the plans for the North American Union and the SPP as an unholy alliance of foreign consortiums and officials from several governments. Paul says that the real issue raised by the SPP is nation sovereignty. Once again, decisions that affect millions of Americans are not being made by those Americans themselves, or even by their elected representatives in Congress. Instead, a handful of elites use their government connections to bypass national legislatures and ignore our Constitution – which expressly grants Congress the sole authority to regulate international trade. In this speech Paul predicts that the NAU will become a sleeper issue for the 2008 election, stating that any movement toward a NAU diminishes the ability of average Americans to influence the laws under which they must live.
A report authored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC) was presented to all three governments in September 2007. CSIC is a political influence group of internationalists who have crafted many of the government policies of the past several years. At the core of the report is its plan for America's future, North American economic integration and labor mobility. The plan for government integration is also revealed as the report states: to remain competitive in the global economy, policymakers must devise forward-looking, collaborative policies that integrate governments. Also called for is the adoption of unified North American regulatory standards.
Features of NAU:
The Trans-Texas Corridor and the NAFTA Superhighway
The NAFTA Superhighway and its entry point at the trans-Texas corridor were first proposed in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum and water as well as railway tracks and fiber-optic cables. When completed, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the U.S. through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman's Union. With Mexican drivers and without the involvement of the teamsters union, the Mexican trucks will drive straight into the heart of the US, crossing the border in fast lanes, and checked only by a new electronic system. The first customs stop will be the new Smart Port complex in Kansas City. From there the trucks may disperse into the U.S. or continue northward into Canada, again crossing the border with only an electronic checkpoint.
Millions of acres of land for the completion of this highway will be taken under the new laws of eminent domain.
A government pilot program has allowed Mexican trucking companies to make deliveries anywhere in the U.S. since April 2007, even before the completion of the superhighway. There is no limit on the number of trucks the 100 companies in the pilot program can operate. Eventually all Mexican trucking companies are to be granted the same access. These Mexican drivers are paid substantially less that their U.S. counterparts, their operations are not regulated, and they are driving on U.S. taxpayer subsidized roads.
The Amero
This is the name of what may be the North American Union's counterpart to the euro. It was first proposed by Canadian economist Herbert G. Grubel in his book The Case for the Amero published in 1999, the same year the euro became currency. Robert Pastor supported Grubel's idea in his book Toward A North American Community published in 2001. If implemented, the Amero's debut may come later in the progression of the NAU, with exchange rates that depend on market forces at the time, after the economies of the three countries have been integrated and homogenized.
The North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza
Finalized and released at the September 2007 summit of the SPP, this plan calls for a comprehensive coordinated North American approach during outbreaks of influenza. It gives authority to international officials beyond the health sector to include a coordinated approach to critical infrastructure protection, including border and transportation issues.
It sets up a senior level Coordinating Body to facilitate the effective planning and preparedness within North America for a possible outbreak of avian and/or human influenza pandemic under the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The SPP is to act as decision-makers.The chair of the SPP Coordinating Body will rotate between each national authority on a yearly basis resulting in foreign decision making for Americans in two out of every three years.
The plan suggests that these powers will include the use of antivirals and vaccines... social distancing measures, including school closures and the prohibition of community gatherings, isolation and quarantine.
Council on Foreign Relations
Since its inception in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has attracted men and women of power and influence. Its stated intentions are to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty of the national independence of the United States. The ultimate, declared aim of the CFR is to create a one-world government, and to make the U.S. a part of it. The stated intentions of the CFR are clearly treasonous to the U.S. Constitution.
The influence of the CFR is wide. Not only does it have members in the U.S. government, but its influence has also spread to other vital areas of American life. Members have run, or are running, NBC and CBS, the New York Times, and The Washington Post, and many other important newspapers. The leaders of Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Business Week, and numerous other publications are CFR members.
The organization's members also dominate the political world. U.S. presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been CFR members with the exception of Ronald Reagan. The organization's members also dominate
the academic world, top corporations, unions and military. They are on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve.
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Rudy Guiliani are all either members of the CFR or have close ties with it. Mike Huckabee is reportedly not a member, but following his interaction with the group in September, he has become a favored candidate in the eyes of the media. Republican Ron Paul is the only remaining significant candidate who does not have ties with the CFR. He has has voiced opposition to the NAU for several years.
Where Do You Stand on This Issue?
There is an ideological battle being waged between the forces supporting globalism and the forces supporting national sovereignty. If you plan to participate in the 2008 presidential election, you will need to answer these questions for yourself: Do you believe in the timelessness of the Constitution, or do you believe that the Constitution has served its usefulness and it's time for another model for government? Are you in favor of international government and more regulation by the United Nations, or do you favor continuation of the institutions that have served the U.S. in the past? Do you want big government with its attendant costs and regulations, or do you favor small government that allows for self direction? About the author Barbara Minton is a school psychologist by trade, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using alternative treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE FEB 25,08
Why are behavioral attitudes such as blasphemy,disobedience, lack of gratitude, ungodliness,lying, and broken promises signs of Christ’s return?
Sinful attitudes which move us away from a holy God have been with us since the fall of man. If you read world history, however, you will notice the sins of humankind have become progressively worse-some would say more creative in their evil. The bad news is that tomorrow they even become worse (2 Timothy 3:13). Let us look at the six signs of Christ's imminent return referred to in the above question.
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul indicated that he was before a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13). What had Paul done? He murdered Christians and hated the name of Jesus Christ. Today the physical murder of Christians continues unabated. I recently received two reports of hundreds of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in the nations of China and India. The name of Jesus is not honored in those places. Pastors are being thrown in jail; individual Christians must worship in secret, lest they be taken before the authorities. In many places of our world, the name of Jesus is blasphemed, and Christians are suspect. In fact, this would be a good time to pray for Christians throughout the world who serve the Master faithfully in difficult places, even as it puts them in danger.
However, let us keep the issue on our own doorsteps for a moment. Many so-called Christians are equally blasphemous. Scores of our seminaries, for example, are filled with students and professors who mock the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His deity, blood atonement, and bodily resurrection. Intelligent scholars teach a higher criticism of the Bible when, in fact, they proclaim the lowest form of interpretation possible because, in their disbelief, they blaspheme the Christ of the Scriptures. Surveys indicate that 70 percent of our ministers are infected by this spiritual sickness. God help us if these statistics are accurate. Can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ is coming soon?
Disobedience
There is nothing new about this sin, particularly when it comes to children disobeying their parents. Some young people say that they love Jesus Christ, yet when their parents make requests, they treat them disrespectfully and are willfully disobedient. Do these alleged Christian youth really believe the message of God's Word? It makes me wonder. Ephesians 6:1-3 admonishes, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise ... and thou mayest live long on the earth.
I was moved recently as I studied John 19:26-27. These verses portray Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, dying for our sins. As He was about to die, He looked down and saw His mother, Mary, standing beneath the cross. Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Even in the last moments of life, as He was dying for the entire world, the Lord Jesus Christ fervently loved His mother. He came to fulfill the law, and He said in Matthew 19:19, Honour thy father and thy mother. The growing numbers of disobedient and disrespectful young people are a sign that Jesus is coming soon. We must remember that freedom is not license to do anything we want; freedom is the privilege God gives us to do the right thing! Disobedience to human authority and to God is on the rise; it is one of the major signs that signal Christ's return.
Ingratitude
Many people-Christians included-find it difficult to give credit where credit is due. Because they seek their own glory, they refuse to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of others whom God has sent to share the labor and service. Many simply do not take the time to say, Thank You, Lord for answered prayer. Still others are ashamed to pray in a restaurant. When they do bow their heads, they sit there and scratch their eyebrows for a few seconds so no one will think they are talking to Almighty God. My friend, of what are we afraid? Has the world so squeezed us into its own mold that we are indistinguishable from the world system? Are you thankful? Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Show it!
Unholy
What a graphic picture of our world as we step into a new millennium. During the end times, godly separation from the world, according to the Bible, will be sneered at as bigotry. When one rails against XXX-rated movies, the lewd lyrics of much of today's rock music, the cancer-producing effects of tobacco (including smokeless tobacco), the soul-damning habits of drugs and alcohol, some Christians immediately change the subject and say, Let's not talk about secondary issues.
The holiness of God and holy living are not secondary issues. First Thessalonians 4:7 declares, For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. First Peter 1:16 teaches, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Again, this sign indicates that Jesus is coming soon. I encourage you to read God's Word and come to your own conclusions. All the signs in 2 Timothy 3 speak of Christendom and the professing Church in the last days. These final days are now upon us.
Lack of Love and Broken Promises
The phrase, Without natural affection (2 Timothy 3:3), refers to the breakup of families through a lack of love. Look at the divorce rate, the murder of babies through abortion, the stories about parents beating their little ones to death, and you will know this sign is being fulfilled. For millions, the marriage vow has become a cruel joke. For millions, commitment is a word in a foreign tongue. Broken promises are the order of the day. Has someone shared a confidence entreating your prayer support? Did you keep it, or did you spread gossip about that person? Promise breaking is a pivotal end-time sign mentioned in the Bible. While stadiums around the world are filled with promise keepers, unfortunately there are more living rooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms filled with promise breakers.
Lying
False accusers (v. 3) is the term that refers to this sin. Churches in our nation and around the globe are coming apart at the seams because of exaggerated stories (outright lies in many cases) church members spread about their so-called friends. When a person falsely accuses a brother, he breaks God's ninth commandment. Exodus 20:16 says, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Do you know what will happen to false accusers? Revelation 21:8 says, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. You will notice that in this book, I am coming down harder on Christians than on unbelievers. We who say we honor Christ should know better. We are held to a higher standard than those who do not know the Savior, Yes, the end-time clock is ticking faster and faster; sins of the flesh and the spirit will increase; lying and half-truths will continue unabated. That is why during these perilous times you and I must remain firm, believe what we say we believe, and stand in the gap as we anticipate the return of our Lord in all His glory.
What about a world that is out of control, with
an increasing number of murders and sex-on-
demand overtures on the Internet? Are these
signs that the return of our Lord is near?
We live in a world that is spinning out of control. Murder is on the increase. Students in our high schools are killing their classmates and their parents. Virtual-reality sex on the Internet is becoming a national pastime for adults and children alike. Our loved ones are increasingly at risk as they download material of prurient interest now available at the click of a mouse button in the privacy of one's own home. Still, for all the power supposedly available to our citizens, people are more powerless than ever. What does the Bible say about such pursuits? How do such sins suggest that the return of Christ may be near?
In Matthew 7:18 we read that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. This is what we are seeing in our society today. There are lots of trees growing all around us. The good ones honor God and bring glory to His name. The bad ones, however, continue to put forth branches that are diseased and deformed. Let us look at the four areas mentioned in this question.
No Self-Control
Incontinent would be the best term to define this problem. It speaks of the lack of control over one's sexual appetites. The world says, Live it up. Premarital and extramarital sex are good and healthy-just be safe with your sex. I say, Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Sex is pure and holy in marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. However; the verse continues, whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. What God demands and what our society craves are light-years apart. Look at these four statistics:
One out of every two marriages ends in divorce.
The average age today for divorce is thirty-four for men and thirty for women.
In the 1960s, a woman was responsible for one of every ten households with no husband present; in 1986, a woman carried out her duties in one of every six households with no husband present.
One million teenage girls will become pregnant out of wedlock this year.
Temper
Some men would be minus their front teeth if they spoke to the server in a restaurant like they talk to their wives at home. They claim they love Jesus Christ. They are great Christians at church, but what a fierce, vicious temper they exhibit at home and at work. Anger is killing people on the freeways; it is responsible for accelerated spousal and child abuse, and it is destroying relationships at the office and in the church. The Bible says, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31). My friend, when a person has not been redeemed by the love of Christ, he or she will fall prey to an angry spirit. When this unholy spirit takes over a family, a community, a state, a nation, and a world, we know that the end is near.
Pleasure
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4). In the last days, people-professing Christians included-will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of our heavenly Father. We have become a nation-and a world- of hedonists. This sign is evident as churches increasingly use the tactics of the entertainment business to draw crowds. People want to be amused; so many churches feel they must meet the cravings of their pleasure-mad constituents.
How else are the lukewarm and backslidden going to be held together? How else can halfhearted members be attracted to the services? Consequently, the latest Christian minstrel show takes the place of the Word of God.
God has not called us to run a showboat to entertain those who would be amused but a lifeboat to save the lost from ultimate destruction. Many religious telecasts and crusades today feature unsaved or carnal personalities whose lives are a mockery to God. Still, they appear because entertainers draw crowds. Many evangelistic meetings feature folks who are still working in nightclubs where drinking, gambling, filthy jokes, and solicitation of sex are prevalent. Is this a sign of the end or what! The organizers rationalize their activity by saying, It does not matter, because the end justifies the means. If these religious fakes draw crowds, then it must be the right thing to do. God forgive us!
Through it all, people without Christ are lulled to sleep and made to feel religious while every carnal desire of the flesh is gratified under the sanction of the Church. Will this continue? Yes, I am afraid it will. That is why it behooves Bible-believing Christians to stand up and be counted on this issue.
Lack of Power
We eat power lunches, wear power ties, demand more horsepower in our automobiles, and ingest power vitamins. Power, power, power. The Bible talks a great deal about our quest for this power, which is, in reality, a false sense of security. Paul wrote to Timothy, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). It should be obvious by now that the world system has no staying power. Zero! What concerns me more is that there is so little power in the Church. How could it be otherwise, when the Church has strayed so far from seeking and doing God's will? Study this sign in the Scriptures, and you will be compelled to come to one conclusion: Soon the trumpet of God shall sound and we shall hear three words, Come up hither (Revelation 4:1). Then, in the twinkling of an eye, we will sweep through the heavens to meet Jesus.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
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.
Satellite shootdown rattles China, Russia
By Mehran Derakhshandeh FEB 25,08
China and Russia have expressed concern about the shooting down of a wayward satellite by the U.S. military.
The satellite was destroyed on Wednesday, February 20 using a modified SM-3 missile fired by a U.S. Navy warship off the coast of Hawaii. The operation to shoot down the orbiting spacecraft was clearly designed to send a message to both Russia and China, America’s two major competitors in the race for military dominance in space. Interestingly, the SM-3 missile used to shoot down the satellite forms the terminal phase of the anti-ballistic missile system currently being developed by the Bush administration.
According to the Pentagon, the out-of-control satellite had to be brought down because the toxic fuel it was carrying, hydrazine, had frozen and so could not be used to guide the satellite into the Earth’s atmosphere to burn up. According to the Pentagon, the toxic fuel posed a significant risk to human health, given the impossibility of predicting where or when the satellite was going to come down. There was also some speculation on whether the satellite contained other potentially hazardous materials, such as a nuclear power source. The Pentagon certainly kept quiet about that.
Both Russia and China, along with many experts around the world, have dismissed the Pentagon’s hazardous fuel argument, saying there are many instances of satellites falling to Earth harmlessly before and it is unprecedented for such action to be taken against a rogue satellite. In 2002, for example, parts of a science satellite rained down over the Persian Gulf. The most spectacular case, however, of a satellite falling to Earth took place when Skylab, a 78-ton abandoned space laboratory belonging to NASA, fell from orbit in 1979. It came down in a fiery mass of debris strewn over the Indian Ocean and Australia. No one was harmed in that incident, but the event was a media sensation at the time.
It is also difficult to believe that the folks in the Pentagon worry so much about human health and the effects of hydrazine, when they used the more deadly Agent Orange (dioxin) with such reckless abandon in the jungles of Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and more recently peppered the Balkans and Iraq with radioactive depleted uranium munitions, so harmful to the health and well-being of locals who live in these countries.
It is strange that the Pentagon is worried about hydrazine but doesn’t seem to care anywhere near as much about dioxin or depleted uranium. Meanwhile, Russia and China have submitted a draft treaty to the United Nations which would prohibit the deployment of weapons in space and the use or threat of force against satellites or other spacecraft.
The Bush administration, predictably, has rejected any such treaty, saying it will oppose any legal regime or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space.
The Chinese and Russians, of course, have carried out space missile tests of their own. In January 2007, China conducted such a test, destroying one of its own communications satellites with a missile fired from Earth. The successful test created a cloud of fragments and debris in orbit, and other satellites had to be maneuvered into new orbits to avoid being hit.
Whatever the motivation for shooting down this satellite, the demonstration of America’s ability to destroy satellites will now make it very difficult to convince other countries that they shouldn’t develop a similar anti-satellite capability and increases the likelihood of a new arms race in space between the three main players.
Science and technology, of course, do not recognize any national boundaries, and once you start shooting down satellites in space, for whatever reason, other countries are sure to follow, and before long, there will be mayhem and havoc in the heavens (as well as on Earth)!
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.
AROUND THE EMPIRE -- SANTA ROSA Earthquake rattles The Geysers A moderate earthquake rattled The Geysers area, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday.
A 4.1-magnitude quake was recorded at 9:32 p.m. Saturday, centered about a mile north of The Geysers geothermal fields and 26 miles north-northwest of Santa Rosa.Its depth was about a mile underground, according to the USGS.No damage or other incidents were reported.Earthquakes in the magnitude-two range are fairly common in the rural area.In the hours after the 4.1 quake, more than 20 smaller shakers were recorded in the same general area, the largest two registering at 2.8 and 2.9.More details about the seismic activity can be found at www.earthquake.usgs.gov.-- Lori A. Carter.
Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia's Sumatra
By Karima Anjani
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 3:36 p.m. local time with no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Office said. A second temblor struck the same region 10 hours later measuring 6.7 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage. The larger quake hit an area 165 kilometers (102 miles) southwest of Muko-muko, in Bengkulu province, at a depth of 10 kilometers, the Indonesian agency said in a text message. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.0, revising from 7.3 earlier. The quake had a depth of 35 kilometers. No casualties have been reported, an official said. An earlier tsunami warning was lifted, the Indonesian office said. The temblor sparked panic in Bengkulu and the west of Sumatra, sending people into the streets, Jakarta-based ElShinta radio reported. Tremors also rocked buildings in downtown Singapore, located 365 miles from the epicenter.
There have been hundreds of earthquakes in Indonesia since a 9.1 quake in 2004 caused a tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastlines and leaving more than 220,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries. The Indonesian archipelago lies in a region where tectonic plates are constantly shifting. The 6.7 quake struck 164 kilometers southwest of Padang, Sumatra, at 1:06 a.m. local time Tuesday, at a depth of 35 kilometers, the USGS said. There were no casualties so far from today's earthquake, Rustam S. Pakaya, head of crisis management at Indonesia's Health Ministry, said in a text message. Authorities will continue to monitor developments on damages and casualties. A magnitude 7.5 quake hit the west of Sumatra on Feb. 20, killing at least three people. To contact the reporter on this story: Karima Anjani in Jakarta at kanjani@bloomberg.net
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.
More snow on the way for Toronto
Mon Feb 25, 11:15 AM
TORONTO (CBC) - Winter weary Torontonians should brace for another bout of snow, meteorologists said Monday.A low-pressure centre tracking eastward from Kansas is expected to cause up to 15 centimetres of light snow to fall across southwestern Ontario.While Environment Canada says the heaviest snow will fall south of the border, significant amounts of the white stuff are expected north of the lower Great Lakes.For Toronto, continuous light snow is expected to begin Monday night and last through part of Tuesday, dumping up to 15 centimetres of snow around the lakeshore area and slightly less in northern parts of the city.
Winds could kick up later Tuesday with some gusts reaching up to 60 km/h, meaning that blowing snow could be a factor during the Tuesday commute home, said CBC meteorologist Karen Matthews.It's all snow [Tuesday], then we're going to have the cold air behind the system, said Matthews.Temperatures in Toronto are forecast to dip down to -10 C on Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
The weather system is forecast to brush along the St. Lawrence, hitting Ottawa and Montreal with 10 to 15 cm of snow Tuesday morning before moving on to the East Coast.
Storm will affect the eastern US Tom Moore FEB 25,08
Low presure in the Midwest will gain strength and move into the Northeast on Tusday. Snow, rain and wind will be the result. Look for a band of accumulating snow overnight across eastern Iowa through northern Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio. By morning there could be a general snowfall of 3 to 6 inches in this region. Snow will move eastward from Indiana and Ohio during the day. Total accumulations across the Midwest should average in the 3 to 8 inch range. Snow will move into western New York and northwest Pennsylvania by Tuesday morning and spread through the interior Northeast during the day. By Tuesday evening the snow should stretch from western New York all the way to the Maine coast. Snowfall amounts reaching double digits are possible from central and northern new York through northern New England. The I-95 corridor should see mainly rain from this system, but there could be a little sleet or snow at the beginning Tuesday. Look for a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain across the valleys of northern Pennsylvania and southern New York Tuesday morning, but the precipitation should change over to rain during the afternoon. To the south, showers and thunderstorms should prevail from the Mississippi River eastward through the Southeast overnight through Tuesday evening. Isolated strong to even severe thunderstorms may erupt overnight from Louisiana and Arkansas to Alabama, especially near the Gulf Coast. Severe thunderstorms are more likely Tuesday afternoon and evening across southern Georgia and northern Florida.
Storm causes flooding, leaves thousands without electricity in Sweden Sat Feb 23, 1:49 PMBy The Associated Press
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Officials in Sweden say an overnight storm battered the southern part of the country with hurricane-strength winds - knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and causing flooding in the coastal city of Goteborg. More than 80,000 households are reporting power outages after the storm, which also caused major traffic disruptions. No serious injuries are reported.
The Swedish news agency TT says one person was hospitalized with minor injuries after being trapped between falling trees. Parts of a roof were torn off a house on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, and a passenger bus was pushed onto its side in a water-filled ditch on Sweden's west coast. Thomas Andersson, a spokesman for The Swedish Road Administration, says downed trees blocked more than 40 roads overnight. Those roads later reopened. At least six train lines in the southern part of the country were closed as rail companies worked to clear fallen trees from the tracks. Sten Laurin, a spokesman at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said winds off the country's southern coast reached speeds of 140 km/h, though the storm later eased. Winds of about 120km/h are classified as hurricane-strength. Inland, gusts of up to 114 km/h were recorded in some places, Laurin said. On Saturday morning, more than 50,000 Swedish households still were without power.
To all Protectors of Israel: Please send an email to Shas, Olmert, Bush and others with one click of the mouse!!! Then, forward this email to everyone on your list, and urge them to do the same.Thanks so much. Buddy Macy 973-785-0057
Editor's Note:URGENT ACTION ALERT
Requesting Shas Party Resignation
The future of Israel rests in the hands of only a few members of the Knesset. We applaud MK Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. (Please see the article below for details.) Join Netanyahu in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent the dismemberment of Israel.Please read the sample letter below. It is a letter that you can send with one click as is, or you may edit the text as you see fit.
This Urgent Action Alert will go to MK Eliyahu Yishai and all members of the Shas Party with copies to Prime Minister Olmert, Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon, MK Rabbi Benyamin Elon, MK Dr. Arieh Eldad, MK Benjamin Netanyahu, MK Avigdor Liberman, Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Send this Urgent Call to Action
Dear MK Yishai and All Members of the Shas Party,
As we read the shenanigans of Israel's negotiating team, friends of Israel in the US are shaking our heads in disbelief while the dismemberment of Israel is now under way.US friends cannot stand silently by watching this travesty take place. We call upon the Shas party to save Jerusalem and save Israel from its own folly by resigning from the Olmert government, thus interrupting this impending disaster.What other country is being asked to participate in its own demise by submitting to those who ignore history and falsely lay claim to Israel's God-given land? Should not the negotiating team demand recognition of Israel as a Jewish state?
Should they not mention the need for Jews and Christians to live freely (now mostly denied) in any kind of Arab state, particularly a proposed Palestinian state? Should they not stand up for the rights of nearly a million Jewish refugees expelled from Arab countries in 1948? Should they not state and restate that Jerusalem was, is and should remain the eternal united capital of the Jewish people? What other country would even consider sharing its rightful capital with another nation, particularly a hostile one openly calling for its destruction? The secret negotiations are almost too painful to consider by those who truly love Israel. Israel now thrives on 22 percent of the land given to it by the British Mandate. 78 percent was already given to Jordan, whose population is 70 percent Palestinian. Now Israel is being forced to divide that 22 percent. We applaud Likud Leader Netanyahu's statement asking Shas to resign from the Olmert government. We urgently join him in his call for Shas to make this historic decision and prevent this impending catastrophe.People of Israel WAKE UP! The people of the Diaspora are waiting to help you. We cannot again go like lambs to the slaughter.Signed,
METEORS HIT THE EARTH
REVELATION 6:12-17
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels,which are yet to sound!
Meteor Likely Disintegrated; No Crater Found
Spokane, Washington Associated Press February 22, 2008
Despite witness accounts that a meteor that streaked across the Pacific Northwest skies this week struck Earth, scientists at the University of Washington (UW) say it likely disintegrated in the sky. Some witnesses reported seeing Tuesday's meteor hit the ground southwest of Ritzville in central Washington, sending local officials on a fruitless hunt for the crater.
Using readings from instruments in the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, scientists at the UW campus in Seattle said Wednesday they believe the meteor disintegrated above the Blue Mountains, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of LaGrande, Oregon, at an altitude of about 19 miles (30 kilometers). (See map.) Stephen Malone, professor emeritus of space sciences and former director of the seismic network, worked with colleagues at the UW and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland to determine the fate of the space visitor. They triangulated the location of the disintegration using readings from seismometers, the UW said in a news release. Malone noted that the readings might be a bit off because the seismometer closest to the disintegration point has been out of commission since January. People in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Canada's British Columbia reported seeing a bright fireball streaking across the sky about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Iran's Israel remarks damaging and uncivilised-EU
Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:51am
BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The European Union on Monday denounced statements by Iranian leaders against Israel as unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised.The EU's Slovenian presidency referred to remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, parliament Speaker Gholamali Haddadadel and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari.Their comments pointed against Israel are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised, it said. The EU calls on Iran to stop hostile rhetoric and refrain from all threats towards other states, members of the international community.Last Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon termed comments by Ahmadinejad a day earlier likening Israel to a savage animal inflammatory and unacceptable.Iran does not recognise Israel and Ahmadinejad has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom)
Israel to have anti-missile defense system by 2010
JERUSALEM (Xinhua): Israel will be in possession of an anti-missile defense system by the year 2010, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday in the weekly cabinet meeting. Olmert was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying that Israel has no intention of fortifying every building in Gaza area communities or in Sderot. However, the prime minister added that certain designated areas will be fortified against Qassam rocket strikes. Last week, Israeli government approved a plan estimated at 100 million U.S. dollars to shield thousands of homes in the western Negev communities against rocket strikes.
Russia warns it will use force to back Serbia Kosovo Secession; U.S. urges Moscow to be more responsible Steven Edwards, Canwest News Service Saturday, February 23, 2008
UNITED NATIONS - The international split over Kosovo grew more ominous yesterday as Russia raised the spectre of using force to back Serbia's bid to retain the territory.Russia's envoy to NATO warned the Western military alliance, which has a 16,000-strong peacekeeping force in Kosovo, and the European Union against formally backing Pristina's declaration of independence.If the European Union works out a common position, or if NATO breaches its mandate in Kosovo, these organizations will be in conflict with the United Nations, said Dmitry Rogozin. Russia believes the UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo does not authorize a unilateral move to independence.We, too, would then have to proceed from the view that in order to be respected, we must use brute force, in other words armed force.He spoke a day after a mob in the Serbian capital Belgrade torched the U.S. embassy. They were among 250,000 people attending a rally protesting Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence move and Washington's recognition of the breakaway state.
The EU has not collectively ruled on Kosovo, but has pledged to send a 2,000-strong administrative-support mission to take over from the UN, which has run the territory since NATO's 1999 bombing campaign forced the Serb army to withdraw.Mikhail Kamynin, the Russian Foreign Minister, said the United States and other forces that supported Kosovo's proclamation should have been aware of the consequences of such a step.While analysts see the Russian remarks as sabre-rattling, they believe such talk could encourage more violence.Bellicose language from the Russians is not helpful, said retired U.S. Major General William Nash, who was UN regional administrator in northern Kosovo in 2000.One fear is that acts of provocation can lead to retaliation that in turn escalates the whole circumstance.In Washington, the State Department demanded Moscow repudiate Mr. Rogozin's words, characterizing what he said as cynical and ahistorical.We strongly advise Russia to be more responsible in its public comments toward Kosovo, said Nicholas Burns, the third-ranking State Department official.
Russia is isolated this week … very few countries are supporting its position.In fact, the world is almost evenly split over the issue, with countries' positions appearing to reflect their internal concerns.Canada is one of more than 25 countries that have yet to make their position clear.About 20 nations have ruled against recognition. They include Argentina, which seeks to end British rule in the Falklands, and Cyprus and Spain, which have separatist movements.Yesterday, Jean Chretien, the former prime minister, said Canada should be wary, given the existence of the sovereigntist movement in Quebec.It was a delicate problem for the government because Ottawa's decision on a faraway country could have repercussions much closer to home, he said.Canada has to be careful about it because we have people who want to separate from Canada.He did not say whether he believes recognizing Kosovo could fuel the sovereigntist movement.At least Canada has clear rules should Quebec want to secede, Mr. Chretien said, pointing to his government's adoption of legislation after the 1995 Quebec referendum.We have passed a bill called the Clarity Act. At least there are rules. We need a clear question on separation and we need a clear majority.Vojislav Kostunica, the Serbian Prime Minister, said the violence in Belgrade was a great misfortune that was directly damaging to our fight to preserve [the] state.But his government pressed ahead with a bid to reclaim control over at least northern Kosovo, where Serbs form a regional majority.Serb judges and other judicial employees would abandon UN-run Kosovo institutions and return to Serb ones in the north, an apparent effort to create parallel Serb institutions in the breakaway state.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Solana: EU mission to cover whole of Kosovo
www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 00:10:18
·The EU civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said Monday.
·EU mission would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there.
·Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
BRUSSELS, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) civilian mission is to cover the whole territory of Kosovo, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said here Monday. Solana made the remarks at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer after talks on Kosovo and Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Our mission, as agreed by member states, covers the whole territory of Kosovo, Solana said, pledging that the EU mission, composed of more than 2,000 police officers, judges and prosecutors, would cooperate with NATO forces in Kosovo to maintain stability there and the whole Balkan region. The EU withdrew staff, who had been preparing for the deployment of the EU mission, from the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica after violent protests by the Serb minority against Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (L) and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana address a joint news conference at the end of a meeting in Brussels Feb. 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
I
n ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo, Mitrovica is inhabited by half of the region's 120,000 minority Serbs, who have been protesting against Kosovo's independence from Serbia and the deployment of the EU mission. Both Serbia and Russia strongly oppose Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and the EU presence there, charging that both moves violate international law and U.N. resolutions. Scheffer expressed his support for the EU mission, saying the EU's presence in Kosovo was important and would play a role to secure Kosovo. He echoed EU leaders in saying that the mission was not against U.N. Security Resolution 1244 as Serbia and Russia had claimed. The two added that their organizations would like to establish a close relationship with Serbia.Scheffer said that Serbia was important in the region.
WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
DANIEL 12:4,1
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The North American Union - You Could Be Voting Your Rights Away Monday, February 25, 2008 by: Barbara L. Minton
NaturalNews) One issue that is conspicuously absent from the rhetoric of the presidential candidates is the North American Union (NAU). The questions of immigration and border security are frequently raised and the candidates claim to realize the need for a clear immigration policy and effort to secure the borders of the United States. Yet when you begin to understand the purposes of the North American Union and the agenda of its proponents, you will understand why this will never happen. And you may also begin to see that you are being manipulated by the major candidates.
The NAU, a goal of the Council on Foreign Relations, follows a plan laid out by Robert Pastor. It is currently promoted by the Bush administration to expand the size and scope of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Its goal is to effectively create a North American trading block by erasing the borders between the U.S., Mexico and Canada resulting in free, unimpeded movement of people and goods across those borders. It is also a political union that would integrate the governments of the three countries. And clearly it is an economic union with the intention of equalizing the wages and standard of living of all but the ruling elitists.
Sounds a lot like the European Union, doesn't it? There are even plans for a common currency called the amero. But there is one glaring difference. The people of the United States have never been asked if they want to become integrated with Mexico and Canada, two countries of enormously different laws, culture, economic systems, standards of living, and acceptance of the role of government.
The European Union followed years of open debate at all levels, intense coverage of the ramifications and implications in major media, and a vote of the people.
History and Origins of NAU
President Bush signed the Declaration of Quebec City in April, 2001, making a commitment to hemispheric integration. After Hugo Chavez of Venezuela voiced opposition, these plans were scaled back to include only North America.
The Independent Task Force on North America, a project organized by the Council on Foreign Relations and co-chaired by Robert Pastor, was launched in October, 2004. This group published two documents: Trinational Call for a North American Economic and Security Community by 2010 (March, 2005), and its final report Building a North American Community (May, 2005). This Task Force had as its central recommendation the establishment by 2010 of a North American economic and security community. The boundaries of this community would be defined by a common external tariff and outer security perimeter. Also called for is the replacing of all three branches of the US government with a North American version effectively ending U.S. representative government.
In March 2005, at their summit meeting in Waco, Texas; Bush, President Fox of Mexico and Prime Minister Martin of Canada issued a joint statement announcing the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). The creation of this agreement was never submitted to Congress for discussion or decision. The U.S. Department of Commerce merely created a new division implementing working groups to advance a North American Union agenda. This agenda included movement of goods, finances, e-commerce, environment, business facilitation, food and agriculture, and health. The result is an action agreement to be implemented immediately and directly by regulations, without any envisioned Congressional debate or oversight.
In September 2006, Rep. Virgil Goode (Va), Rep. Ron Paul (Tx), Rep. Walter Jones (NC), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (Co) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 487, expressing concerns about the NAU. Resolution was passed by the House of Representatives with the Senate concurring that the U.S. should not enter into a North American Union with Mexico and Canada; the U.S. should not engage in the construction of the NAFTA Superhighway System, and the President should indicate strong opposition to these or any other proposals that threaten the sovereignty of the U.S.
In October 2006, Congressman Paul formally denounced the formation of the SPP and the plans for the North American Union and the SPP as an unholy alliance of foreign consortiums and officials from several governments. Paul says that the real issue raised by the SPP is nation sovereignty. Once again, decisions that affect millions of Americans are not being made by those Americans themselves, or even by their elected representatives in Congress. Instead, a handful of elites use their government connections to bypass national legislatures and ignore our Constitution – which expressly grants Congress the sole authority to regulate international trade. In this speech Paul predicts that the NAU will become a sleeper issue for the 2008 election, stating that any movement toward a NAU diminishes the ability of average Americans to influence the laws under which they must live.
A report authored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC) was presented to all three governments in September 2007. CSIC is a political influence group of internationalists who have crafted many of the government policies of the past several years. At the core of the report is its plan for America's future, North American economic integration and labor mobility. The plan for government integration is also revealed as the report states: to remain competitive in the global economy, policymakers must devise forward-looking, collaborative policies that integrate governments. Also called for is the adoption of unified North American regulatory standards.
Features of NAU:
The Trans-Texas Corridor and the NAFTA Superhighway
The NAFTA Superhighway and its entry point at the trans-Texas corridor were first proposed in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum and water as well as railway tracks and fiber-optic cables. When completed, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the U.S. through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman's Union. With Mexican drivers and without the involvement of the teamsters union, the Mexican trucks will drive straight into the heart of the US, crossing the border in fast lanes, and checked only by a new electronic system. The first customs stop will be the new Smart Port complex in Kansas City. From there the trucks may disperse into the U.S. or continue northward into Canada, again crossing the border with only an electronic checkpoint.
Millions of acres of land for the completion of this highway will be taken under the new laws of eminent domain.
A government pilot program has allowed Mexican trucking companies to make deliveries anywhere in the U.S. since April 2007, even before the completion of the superhighway. There is no limit on the number of trucks the 100 companies in the pilot program can operate. Eventually all Mexican trucking companies are to be granted the same access. These Mexican drivers are paid substantially less that their U.S. counterparts, their operations are not regulated, and they are driving on U.S. taxpayer subsidized roads.
The Amero
This is the name of what may be the North American Union's counterpart to the euro. It was first proposed by Canadian economist Herbert G. Grubel in his book The Case for the Amero published in 1999, the same year the euro became currency. Robert Pastor supported Grubel's idea in his book Toward A North American Community published in 2001. If implemented, the Amero's debut may come later in the progression of the NAU, with exchange rates that depend on market forces at the time, after the economies of the three countries have been integrated and homogenized.
The North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza
Finalized and released at the September 2007 summit of the SPP, this plan calls for a comprehensive coordinated North American approach during outbreaks of influenza. It gives authority to international officials beyond the health sector to include a coordinated approach to critical infrastructure protection, including border and transportation issues.
It sets up a senior level Coordinating Body to facilitate the effective planning and preparedness within North America for a possible outbreak of avian and/or human influenza pandemic under the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The SPP is to act as decision-makers.The chair of the SPP Coordinating Body will rotate between each national authority on a yearly basis resulting in foreign decision making for Americans in two out of every three years.
The plan suggests that these powers will include the use of antivirals and vaccines... social distancing measures, including school closures and the prohibition of community gatherings, isolation and quarantine.
Council on Foreign Relations
Since its inception in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has attracted men and women of power and influence. Its stated intentions are to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty of the national independence of the United States. The ultimate, declared aim of the CFR is to create a one-world government, and to make the U.S. a part of it. The stated intentions of the CFR are clearly treasonous to the U.S. Constitution.
The influence of the CFR is wide. Not only does it have members in the U.S. government, but its influence has also spread to other vital areas of American life. Members have run, or are running, NBC and CBS, the New York Times, and The Washington Post, and many other important newspapers. The leaders of Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Business Week, and numerous other publications are CFR members.
The organization's members also dominate the political world. U.S. presidents since Franklin Roosevelt have been CFR members with the exception of Ronald Reagan. The organization's members also dominate
the academic world, top corporations, unions and military. They are on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve.
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Rudy Guiliani are all either members of the CFR or have close ties with it. Mike Huckabee is reportedly not a member, but following his interaction with the group in September, he has become a favored candidate in the eyes of the media. Republican Ron Paul is the only remaining significant candidate who does not have ties with the CFR. He has has voiced opposition to the NAU for several years.
Where Do You Stand on This Issue?
There is an ideological battle being waged between the forces supporting globalism and the forces supporting national sovereignty. If you plan to participate in the 2008 presidential election, you will need to answer these questions for yourself: Do you believe in the timelessness of the Constitution, or do you believe that the Constitution has served its usefulness and it's time for another model for government? Are you in favor of international government and more regulation by the United Nations, or do you favor continuation of the institutions that have served the U.S. in the past? Do you want big government with its attendant costs and regulations, or do you favor small government that allows for self direction? About the author Barbara Minton is a school psychologist by trade, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using alternative treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE FEB 25,08
Why are behavioral attitudes such as blasphemy,disobedience, lack of gratitude, ungodliness,lying, and broken promises signs of Christ’s return?
Sinful attitudes which move us away from a holy God have been with us since the fall of man. If you read world history, however, you will notice the sins of humankind have become progressively worse-some would say more creative in their evil. The bad news is that tomorrow they even become worse (2 Timothy 3:13). Let us look at the six signs of Christ's imminent return referred to in the above question.
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul indicated that he was before a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13). What had Paul done? He murdered Christians and hated the name of Jesus Christ. Today the physical murder of Christians continues unabated. I recently received two reports of hundreds of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in the nations of China and India. The name of Jesus is not honored in those places. Pastors are being thrown in jail; individual Christians must worship in secret, lest they be taken before the authorities. In many places of our world, the name of Jesus is blasphemed, and Christians are suspect. In fact, this would be a good time to pray for Christians throughout the world who serve the Master faithfully in difficult places, even as it puts them in danger.
However, let us keep the issue on our own doorsteps for a moment. Many so-called Christians are equally blasphemous. Scores of our seminaries, for example, are filled with students and professors who mock the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His deity, blood atonement, and bodily resurrection. Intelligent scholars teach a higher criticism of the Bible when, in fact, they proclaim the lowest form of interpretation possible because, in their disbelief, they blaspheme the Christ of the Scriptures. Surveys indicate that 70 percent of our ministers are infected by this spiritual sickness. God help us if these statistics are accurate. Can there be any doubt that Jesus Christ is coming soon?
Disobedience
There is nothing new about this sin, particularly when it comes to children disobeying their parents. Some young people say that they love Jesus Christ, yet when their parents make requests, they treat them disrespectfully and are willfully disobedient. Do these alleged Christian youth really believe the message of God's Word? It makes me wonder. Ephesians 6:1-3 admonishes, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise ... and thou mayest live long on the earth.
I was moved recently as I studied John 19:26-27. These verses portray Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, dying for our sins. As He was about to die, He looked down and saw His mother, Mary, standing beneath the cross. Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Even in the last moments of life, as He was dying for the entire world, the Lord Jesus Christ fervently loved His mother. He came to fulfill the law, and He said in Matthew 19:19, Honour thy father and thy mother. The growing numbers of disobedient and disrespectful young people are a sign that Jesus is coming soon. We must remember that freedom is not license to do anything we want; freedom is the privilege God gives us to do the right thing! Disobedience to human authority and to God is on the rise; it is one of the major signs that signal Christ's return.
Ingratitude
Many people-Christians included-find it difficult to give credit where credit is due. Because they seek their own glory, they refuse to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of others whom God has sent to share the labor and service. Many simply do not take the time to say, Thank You, Lord for answered prayer. Still others are ashamed to pray in a restaurant. When they do bow their heads, they sit there and scratch their eyebrows for a few seconds so no one will think they are talking to Almighty God. My friend, of what are we afraid? Has the world so squeezed us into its own mold that we are indistinguishable from the world system? Are you thankful? Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Show it!
Unholy
What a graphic picture of our world as we step into a new millennium. During the end times, godly separation from the world, according to the Bible, will be sneered at as bigotry. When one rails against XXX-rated movies, the lewd lyrics of much of today's rock music, the cancer-producing effects of tobacco (including smokeless tobacco), the soul-damning habits of drugs and alcohol, some Christians immediately change the subject and say, Let's not talk about secondary issues.
The holiness of God and holy living are not secondary issues. First Thessalonians 4:7 declares, For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. First Peter 1:16 teaches, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Again, this sign indicates that Jesus is coming soon. I encourage you to read God's Word and come to your own conclusions. All the signs in 2 Timothy 3 speak of Christendom and the professing Church in the last days. These final days are now upon us.
Lack of Love and Broken Promises
The phrase, Without natural affection (2 Timothy 3:3), refers to the breakup of families through a lack of love. Look at the divorce rate, the murder of babies through abortion, the stories about parents beating their little ones to death, and you will know this sign is being fulfilled. For millions, the marriage vow has become a cruel joke. For millions, commitment is a word in a foreign tongue. Broken promises are the order of the day. Has someone shared a confidence entreating your prayer support? Did you keep it, or did you spread gossip about that person? Promise breaking is a pivotal end-time sign mentioned in the Bible. While stadiums around the world are filled with promise keepers, unfortunately there are more living rooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms filled with promise breakers.
Lying
False accusers (v. 3) is the term that refers to this sin. Churches in our nation and around the globe are coming apart at the seams because of exaggerated stories (outright lies in many cases) church members spread about their so-called friends. When a person falsely accuses a brother, he breaks God's ninth commandment. Exodus 20:16 says, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Do you know what will happen to false accusers? Revelation 21:8 says, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. You will notice that in this book, I am coming down harder on Christians than on unbelievers. We who say we honor Christ should know better. We are held to a higher standard than those who do not know the Savior, Yes, the end-time clock is ticking faster and faster; sins of the flesh and the spirit will increase; lying and half-truths will continue unabated. That is why during these perilous times you and I must remain firm, believe what we say we believe, and stand in the gap as we anticipate the return of our Lord in all His glory.
What about a world that is out of control, with
an increasing number of murders and sex-on-
demand overtures on the Internet? Are these
signs that the return of our Lord is near?
We live in a world that is spinning out of control. Murder is on the increase. Students in our high schools are killing their classmates and their parents. Virtual-reality sex on the Internet is becoming a national pastime for adults and children alike. Our loved ones are increasingly at risk as they download material of prurient interest now available at the click of a mouse button in the privacy of one's own home. Still, for all the power supposedly available to our citizens, people are more powerless than ever. What does the Bible say about such pursuits? How do such sins suggest that the return of Christ may be near?
In Matthew 7:18 we read that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. This is what we are seeing in our society today. There are lots of trees growing all around us. The good ones honor God and bring glory to His name. The bad ones, however, continue to put forth branches that are diseased and deformed. Let us look at the four areas mentioned in this question.
No Self-Control
Incontinent would be the best term to define this problem. It speaks of the lack of control over one's sexual appetites. The world says, Live it up. Premarital and extramarital sex are good and healthy-just be safe with your sex. I say, Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Sex is pure and holy in marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. However; the verse continues, whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. What God demands and what our society craves are light-years apart. Look at these four statistics:
One out of every two marriages ends in divorce.
The average age today for divorce is thirty-four for men and thirty for women.
In the 1960s, a woman was responsible for one of every ten households with no husband present; in 1986, a woman carried out her duties in one of every six households with no husband present.
One million teenage girls will become pregnant out of wedlock this year.
Temper
Some men would be minus their front teeth if they spoke to the server in a restaurant like they talk to their wives at home. They claim they love Jesus Christ. They are great Christians at church, but what a fierce, vicious temper they exhibit at home and at work. Anger is killing people on the freeways; it is responsible for accelerated spousal and child abuse, and it is destroying relationships at the office and in the church. The Bible says, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Ephesians 4:31). My friend, when a person has not been redeemed by the love of Christ, he or she will fall prey to an angry spirit. When this unholy spirit takes over a family, a community, a state, a nation, and a world, we know that the end is near.
Pleasure
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4). In the last days, people-professing Christians included-will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of our heavenly Father. We have become a nation-and a world- of hedonists. This sign is evident as churches increasingly use the tactics of the entertainment business to draw crowds. People want to be amused; so many churches feel they must meet the cravings of their pleasure-mad constituents.
How else are the lukewarm and backslidden going to be held together? How else can halfhearted members be attracted to the services? Consequently, the latest Christian minstrel show takes the place of the Word of God.
God has not called us to run a showboat to entertain those who would be amused but a lifeboat to save the lost from ultimate destruction. Many religious telecasts and crusades today feature unsaved or carnal personalities whose lives are a mockery to God. Still, they appear because entertainers draw crowds. Many evangelistic meetings feature folks who are still working in nightclubs where drinking, gambling, filthy jokes, and solicitation of sex are prevalent. Is this a sign of the end or what! The organizers rationalize their activity by saying, It does not matter, because the end justifies the means. If these religious fakes draw crowds, then it must be the right thing to do. God forgive us!
Through it all, people without Christ are lulled to sleep and made to feel religious while every carnal desire of the flesh is gratified under the sanction of the Church. Will this continue? Yes, I am afraid it will. That is why it behooves Bible-believing Christians to stand up and be counted on this issue.
Lack of Power
We eat power lunches, wear power ties, demand more horsepower in our automobiles, and ingest power vitamins. Power, power, power. The Bible talks a great deal about our quest for this power, which is, in reality, a false sense of security. Paul wrote to Timothy, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). It should be obvious by now that the world system has no staying power. Zero! What concerns me more is that there is so little power in the Church. How could it be otherwise, when the Church has strayed so far from seeking and doing God's will? Study this sign in the Scriptures, and you will be compelled to come to one conclusion: Soon the trumpet of God shall sound and we shall hear three words, Come up hither (Revelation 4:1). Then, in the twinkling of an eye, we will sweep through the heavens to meet Jesus.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
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.
Satellite shootdown rattles China, Russia
By Mehran Derakhshandeh FEB 25,08
China and Russia have expressed concern about the shooting down of a wayward satellite by the U.S. military.
The satellite was destroyed on Wednesday, February 20 using a modified SM-3 missile fired by a U.S. Navy warship off the coast of Hawaii. The operation to shoot down the orbiting spacecraft was clearly designed to send a message to both Russia and China, America’s two major competitors in the race for military dominance in space. Interestingly, the SM-3 missile used to shoot down the satellite forms the terminal phase of the anti-ballistic missile system currently being developed by the Bush administration.
According to the Pentagon, the out-of-control satellite had to be brought down because the toxic fuel it was carrying, hydrazine, had frozen and so could not be used to guide the satellite into the Earth’s atmosphere to burn up. According to the Pentagon, the toxic fuel posed a significant risk to human health, given the impossibility of predicting where or when the satellite was going to come down. There was also some speculation on whether the satellite contained other potentially hazardous materials, such as a nuclear power source. The Pentagon certainly kept quiet about that.
Both Russia and China, along with many experts around the world, have dismissed the Pentagon’s hazardous fuel argument, saying there are many instances of satellites falling to Earth harmlessly before and it is unprecedented for such action to be taken against a rogue satellite. In 2002, for example, parts of a science satellite rained down over the Persian Gulf. The most spectacular case, however, of a satellite falling to Earth took place when Skylab, a 78-ton abandoned space laboratory belonging to NASA, fell from orbit in 1979. It came down in a fiery mass of debris strewn over the Indian Ocean and Australia. No one was harmed in that incident, but the event was a media sensation at the time.
It is also difficult to believe that the folks in the Pentagon worry so much about human health and the effects of hydrazine, when they used the more deadly Agent Orange (dioxin) with such reckless abandon in the jungles of Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and more recently peppered the Balkans and Iraq with radioactive depleted uranium munitions, so harmful to the health and well-being of locals who live in these countries.
It is strange that the Pentagon is worried about hydrazine but doesn’t seem to care anywhere near as much about dioxin or depleted uranium. Meanwhile, Russia and China have submitted a draft treaty to the United Nations which would prohibit the deployment of weapons in space and the use or threat of force against satellites or other spacecraft.
The Bush administration, predictably, has rejected any such treaty, saying it will oppose any legal regime or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space.
The Chinese and Russians, of course, have carried out space missile tests of their own. In January 2007, China conducted such a test, destroying one of its own communications satellites with a missile fired from Earth. The successful test created a cloud of fragments and debris in orbit, and other satellites had to be maneuvered into new orbits to avoid being hit.
Whatever the motivation for shooting down this satellite, the demonstration of America’s ability to destroy satellites will now make it very difficult to convince other countries that they shouldn’t develop a similar anti-satellite capability and increases the likelihood of a new arms race in space between the three main players.
Science and technology, of course, do not recognize any national boundaries, and once you start shooting down satellites in space, for whatever reason, other countries are sure to follow, and before long, there will be mayhem and havoc in the heavens (as well as on Earth)!
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