1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Small earthquake rattles S.F. Bay Area. 3-Moderate earthquake hits Andaman islands. 4-Malaysia floods kill 7, displace 90,000. 5-Stormy holiday ahead. 6-Remembering the true meaning of Christmas. 7-Abbas and Olmert meet in Jerusalem. 8-UN passes Iran nuclear sanctions.
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.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sun Dec 24 12:01 AM EDT
DEC 24,06 NO QUAKES YET
DEC 23,06
MAP 5.7 SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.5 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.2 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.7 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.5 SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP 2.7 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Small earthquake rattles S.F. Bay Area DEC 23,06
BERKELEY, Calif. - A third small earthquake in four days rattled the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, but there were no reports of injury or damage.The temblor that struck at 9:21 a.m. had a preliminary magnitude of 3.5 and a depth of about 6.1 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The epicenter was about 2 miles from Berkeley and 3 miles from Emeryville, across the bay from San Francisco.Residents throughout the Bay Area reported feeling the jolt, but police said there were no reports of injuries.
The latest earthquake was similar in magnitude and location to those that struck Wednesday and Friday.They erupted along the Hayward Fault, which geologists believe is due for a quake in the potentially lethal 6.7 to 7.0 range.But the minor earthquakes should not be interpreted as omens of a more destructive one to come, said Jessica Sigala, a geophysicist with the National Earthquake Information Center.It could mean there's something coming, it could mean there's nothing coming, Sigala said. It just means the area is active, more active than it's been.
Moderate earthquake hits Andaman islands Sat Dec 23
NEW DELHI - A moderate earthquake struck off India's Andaman islands early Saturday, but no casualties or damage were reported, the India Meteorological Department said. The temblor, measuring 5.9 in magnitude, hit the southern Andaman islands at 1:21 a.m. 10 miles deep in the sea, the meteorological department said in a statement.People didn't feel it as most of them were sleeping and the earthquake was of moderate intensity, said Rana Mathew, a government spokesman in Port Blair, the territory's capital.There were no reports of any damage or casualties, Mathew told The Associated Press.
The remote islands off the east coast of India were among the many areas devastated by the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, which was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake near Indonesia.The official death toll across India was 10,749. Another 5,640 people — mostly in the Andaman and Nicobar islands — are listed as missing, presumed dead.
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.
Malaysia floods kill 7, displace 90,000 By S. KANARAJU, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 23, 6:17 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Seven people have died and more than 90,000 have been displaced during the last week as the country recorded heavy rainfall, officials said Saturday.
There were nearly 74,000 evacuees in public shelters in the southern state of Johor bordering Singapore, 12,650 in neighboring Malacca state, and 5,100 in eastern Pahang state, said an official at the police Internal Security and Public Order Division.All seven people reported dead were in Johor, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.The most rain to fall during a 24-hour period in the last week was 16 inches Monday in Segamat town in central Johor, according to the New Straits Times newspaper.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department said the heavy rains were expected to persist until Sunday, after which weather conditions should improve.Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi rushed to visit affected areas in Johor on Saturday on his return from an official visit to Venezuela, the national news agency Bernama reported.Abdullah promised supplies of food and other necessities to flood victims, and called on authorities to ensure the health of the evacuees at relief centers by inoculating them.
Stormy holiday ahead W. Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Sat Dec 23, 5:35 AM ET
South
Rain showers will linger early along the southeastern coastal areas and then end by afternoon as the cold front responsible for the rainfall moves east of the area. The front however, will stall out across central Florida and the northern Gulf of Mexico, which will keep the chance of showers and thunderstorms across that area. A new weather disturbance will be moving across southern Texas today, which will generate some rain and rain showers there, otherwise dry conditions are expected across the remainder of the southern states.
By Sunday, Christmas Eve, the weather disturbance over Texas, will interact with the stalled front over the northern Gulf to develop a new storm system. This will spread rain into the Lower Mississippi Valley, while keeping showers and thunderstorms over Florida. On Monday, Christmas Day, the storm system will begin to strengthen and move into the southeastern states. This will spread rain and thunderstorms into parts of the south, spreading up the eastern coast. It is possible some wet snow could develop on the back side of this storm system later Monday night into early Tuesday. Persons across the Southern states should keep tuned to the latest forecasts for any pre- and post-holiday travel plans.
Northeast
The storm system responsible for the widespread rain across the Northeast yesterday, is now moving north away from the Great Lakes. Steadier rains will taper to rain showers and then end along the eastern Mid-Atlantic and southern New England today. Rain, a wintry mix, and some ice will linger over far northern New England through most of the day before ending overnight tonight. For Sunday, Christmas Eve, a few rain and snow showers will develop in the wake of the storm over the eastern Great Lakes and northern New England, otherwise dry weather conditions can be expected from Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, north through Philadelphia, New York and Boston. By Monday, Christmas day, a new storm will be organizing over the southern states, and this will push rain and rain showers back north into the Southern Mid-Atlantic. Areas from Pittsburgh and New York, southward, will be best in line for rainfall. Locations across northern New England should remain dry. As this storm system moves northeast into the region Monday night into Tuesday, rain and rain showers will spread across the eastern Mid-Atlantic and eastern New England, with rain possibility changing to snow inland, especially along and east of the Appalachians. Persons across the Northeastern states should keep tuned to the latest forecast for any post-holiday travel plans.
Midwest
Yesterdays rain and snow producing storm system will be pushing north of the Great Lakes today.
Snow and snow showers will impact the far northern Great Lakes, with mixed rain and snow showers into the central Great Lakes. Overall, activity will be decreasing through the day. Across the Midwest and central Plains, dry, but cooler conditions will prevail. Sunday, Christmas Eve, should feature dry conditions from the central Plains to the Great Lakes to the Midwest. A cold front dipping south across the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes, will be delivering some cold air to the region. By Monday, Christmas Day, a storm system will be developing and strengthening as it moves into the Tennessee valley. This will push rain into the Upper Ohio River Valley, with some rain and snow on the far northwest side of the storm system from the southern Great Lakes, into parts of the Midwest. Persons across the Midwestern states should keep tuned to the latest forecasts for any Christmas Day travel plans.
West
Into the Holiday, the Northwestern states will remain active, while the Southwestern states remain generally dry. Another storm system will move inland across the Pacific Northwest today, spreading rain and gusty winds to coastal areas, along with increasing inland snow. Snow showers will also be scattered across the southern Rockies in response to a weather disturbance, otherwise expect sunny and dry conditions over the Southwestern states. For Sunday, Christmas Day, the Pacific Northwest will experience some coastal showers, and inland snow showers, as onshore flow continues, otherwise the storm system that will impact that area Saturday, will move into the northern Rockies generating a few snow showers there. The rest of the west will remain dry. By Monday, Christmas Day, a new storm system will once again bring rain and gusty winds back to the Pacific Northwest coastal areas, with inland snow extending into the northern Rockies. Dry conditions will persist elsewhere.
Published: December 23, 2006 12:00 am
Remembering the true meaning of Christmas
Gloucester Daily Times
Editor's note: The following is the Nativity story from the Gospel of St. Luke:
In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be counted in a census. This was the first census and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.While they were there, the time came for her to deliver the child. She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among people.When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.When they saw this, they made known what they had been told about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.May the blessings of Christmas be with you the whole year through.
Abbas and Olmert meet in Jerusalem By ARON HELLER, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 23, 1:36 PM ET
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a long-overdue summit Saturday, reviving hopes that peace talks can resume after years of fighting, hostility and distrust.
The meeting, announced just hours before it began, marked the first substantial talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 22 months. It comes at a time when both men are facing serious political problems at home and stand to gain domestic support with a peace breakthrough.
Olmert emerged from his official residence in Jerusalem to greet Abbas. The two shook hands and also kissed each other on the cheek. Abbas as then introduced to Olmert's wife, Aliza, an artist known for her dovish views. The two leaders sat opposite one other at a table set for a meal and covered by white cloth. Israeli and Palestinian flags served as table decorations.Abbas is locked in an increasingly bitter and violent showdown with the Islamic militant Hamas. Last week, he said he would seek early elections, a dramatic challenge to the 10-month-old Hamas government. His announcement intensified factional fighting between Abbas-allied security forces and Hamas gunmen, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and there are fears that Palestinians will descend into full-scale civil war.Olmert, elected in March, has lost much of his popularity during the summer's war with Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, which many in Israel believe ended inconclusively. The war also discredited Olmert's political program, a promise to withdraw from much of the West Bank and draw Israel's borders unilaterally by 2010, without waiting for a peace deal.
Key issues on the agenda will be the release of tax rebates and other funds Israel collected for the Palestinians but froze after Hamas came to power. The two leaders will also discuss an easing of Israeli travel restrictions in the West Bank and the fate of an Israel soldier captured by Hamas-allied militants in June.Palestinian officials have said in the past Abbas will not agree to a summit unless the outcome is agreed on ahead of time. It was not clear whether he got Israeli assurances on any of the issues.Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said he hoped the meeting would help ease the suffering of the Palestinians and that Israel would release the frozen funds. However, Barhoum was skeptical. We have never gotten results from such meetings in the past, he said.
Olmert and Abbas had met once briefly over breakfast in Jordan in June, under the auspices of Jordan's King Abdullah II, but simply agreed to begin preparations on more substantive talks.The last summit took place Feb. 8, 2005, when then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with Abbas in Egypt and announced a cease-fire.In Gaza, meanwhile, factional fighting continued. In the southern Gaza town of Rafah, assailants fired on the car of a senior Palestinian security official, wounding him, a bodyguard and a girl.The target, Hassan Jarbouh, is the deputy chief of the Rafah branch of the Preventive Security Service, which is loyal to Abbas.
Preventive Security blamed Hamas for the attack.
Jarbouh, who was on his way to work, was in critical condition. His bodyguard and the girl, a bystander, suffered moderate wounds.The deadly confrontations in Gaza began nearly two weeks ago, with a shooting ambush that killed the three young children of an Abbas-allied intelligence officer.In all, 17 people have been killed and scores wounded in factional fighting, including heavy gun battles in densely populated neighborhoods, since the ambush on the young children.
UN passes Iran nuclear sanctions
The resolution achieved rare unanimous support DEC 23,2006
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to impose sanctions against Iran over its failure to halt uranium enrichment.
The sanctions ban the supply of nuclear-related technology and materials and impose an asset freeze on key individuals and companies. The US representative warned that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons would make it less, not more, secure. Iran says its programme is for peaceful purposes and has vowed to continue. If necessary, we will not hesitate to return to this body if Iran does not take further steps to comply Acting US Ambassador to the UN, Alejandro Wolff Reaction in quotes
The resolution demands that Tehran end all uranium enrichment work, which can produce fuel for nuclear plants as well as for bombs. The vote by the 15-member council took place exactly two months after Britain, France and Germany first introduced a draft resolution proposing sanctions. The draft resolution was amended several times after objections from both the Russians and Chinese. But after parts of the resolution were watered down, both Russia and China - who have close financial ties with Iran - backed the proposals. The resolution, under Chapter Seven of Article 41 of the UN Charter, makes enforcement obligatory but limits action to non-military measures. But acting US ambassador to the UN, Alejandro Wolff, said the resolution sent a strong warning that there would be serious repercussions to Iran's continued defiance of the international community. If necessary, we will not hesitate to return to this body if Iran does not take further steps to comply, Mr Wolff said.
Strong message
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, condemned the resolution as illegal. He told state-run television that the decision cannot affect or limit Iran's peaceful nuclear activities but will discredit the decisions of the Security Council, whose power is deteriorating. Hours before the vote, US President George W Bush spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin and discussed the issue, agreeing on the importance of a unified stance.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
IRAN NUCLEAR WITHIN WEEKS
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Six dead in Malaysian floods, 80,000 evacuated. 3-Louisiana rain threatens to flood rivers. 4-More storminess for the East and Northwest. 5-Space shuttle Discovery lands in Florida. 6-Secret Talks Between Israel and Saudi Arabia. 7-A Perfidious Ruling of Israel ’s Supreme Court. 8-In Praise of Christian Zionists. 9-Restricted pro-EU constitution meeting under fire. 10-Iran defies United Nations with pledge of going nuclear within weeks.
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.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Dec 23 12:15 AM EDT
DEC 23,06
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.5 SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP 2.7 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
DEC 22,06
MAP 3.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 6.1 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.2 FIJI REGION
MAP 3.3 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 KEPULAUAN SANGIHE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.8 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
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.
Six dead in Malaysian floods, 80,000 evacuated Fri Dec 22, 5:25 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - The death toll from floods in Malaysia rose to six, as torrential rains in six states forced nearly 80,000 people to flee their homes and experts warned the capital was now under threat. The latest victim was a woman aged in her 60s who was found dead in her home in the worst hit state of southern Johor.Other casualties were washed away in their cars and in rivers.The number of evacuees in Johor has increased to 63,699, the Civil Defense Department's chief of disaster management, Che Moin Umar, told AFP on Thursday.Another 11,195 people had been evacuated from the western tourist state of Malacca, 2,504 from central Pahang state, 314 from western Negeri Sembilan, and a total of 604 from Kelantan and Terengganu, he said.The rains,which started Sunday in Johor, Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan, have now spread to northeastern Kelantan and Terengganu states, flooding low-lying areas and inundating villages.
The meteorological department warned the Klang Valley which Kuala Lumpur sits in would be affected if heavy rains persist. It issued its most severe red stage heavy rain warning for the area, advising residents to be prepared.The heavy rainfalls and wind condition that are currently affecting states in the east coast and Johor are expected to bring heavy downpour to the Klang Valley and its surrounding areas, it said, according to the state Bernama news agency.
Che Moin said relief operations were largely smooth but that because of the scale of the disaster there were some delays in meeting requests for assistance.There were reports of looting in Johor's worst-hit town of Segamat, as well as stores emptying as residents stocked up.The meteorology department also issued strong wind warnings of up to 70 kilometres an hour and rough seas with swells of up to 5.5 metres (18 feet) off Malaysia's east coast, and Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island, until Sunday.Several villages on Terengganu's coast late Wednesday were lashed by strong winds and tides, forcing hundreds to flee as waves washed over their homes, reports said.
Louisiana rain threatens to flood rivers Fri Dec 22, 10:45 AM ET
NEW ORLEANS - Rain-swollen rivers threatened to flood some southeastern Louisiana homes Friday, a day after the storm swamped streets in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, snarling traffic and closing schools.
The storm system dumped more than 6 inches of rain on New Orleans. Galliano, about 60 miles south of the city, got more than a foot of rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Ricks said.Friday morning, the weather service issued flood warnings for the Tchefuncte River and the Bogue Falaya River near Folsom and Covington — about 30 miles north of New Orleans — and recommended evacuating some houses near Folsom.The Tchefuncte is likely to flood low-lying houses when it crests near Folsom early Friday night and near Covington on Saturday morning, forecasters said.
More storminess for the East and Northwest M. Ressler, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Dec 22, 3:03 PM ET
South
PUBLICIDAD
The exiting eastern storm will give much of the Southeast a brief chance to dry out Saturday and much of Christmas Eve as any remaining showers are confined to the Florida Peninsula. Quickly though, an upper-level disturbance will zip from the Desert Southwest to Texas Saturday with a few strong thunderstorms roaming through the Rio Grande valley. By Sunday, low pressure will be taking shape over the northwest Gulf along the tail end of the front. Heavy rain will explode over eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana with possible late-day severe thunderstorms from Baton Rouge to Biloxi. Sunday night and Monday, the low pressure area will intensify and rain will surge northward dousing the region east of the Mississippi. A few severe thunderstorms could develop over Florida, south Georgia and the coastal Southeast. Colder air will begin to feed in behind the storm as it heads for the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic later Monday. Rain could change to snow in parts of Arkansas. Monday night and Tuesday morning with some moisture remaining, snow showers could sweep eastward with the colder air across the Tennessee Valley and into the Smokey Mountains and north Georgia. Later Tuesday and Wednesday the South will be quiet. Thursday and Friday, the early week scenario could be repeated with another rain event expanding from the lower Mississippi Valley across the Southeast.
Northeast
The once Denver storm and cold front are on the move. The heavy rain will end in the Mid-Atlantic by Saturday morning and from south to north during the remainder of the day across New England. Only northernmost New England could see sleet and freezing rain. By Sunday, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be quiet except for snow showers over northern New York and northern New England. Then an intensifying storm will approach from the south Christmas Day with low pressure heading northward both east and west of the Appalachians. Locally heavy rain will steadily overspread the region from south to north reaching southern New York and southern New England by nightfall. Some sleet and freezing rain could occur in the mountains across northern Pennsylvania and points northward. The windy storm will roar through the region Monday night and Tuesday. The rain will end east of the mountains Tuesday, but a significant snow could coast the mountains from northwest Pennsylvania to Maine.
Midwest
Once the snow wraps up across the northern Great Lakes Saturday, the Plains and Midwest will enjoy a quiet lead up to Christmas. Christmas, though won't be so quiet. A storm heading north from the northwest Gulf Coast Christmas Day will be energized by a potent upper-level disturbance racing into the Mississippi Valley. This meeting will generate an increasingly windy Ohio Valley storm with plenty of rain and possibly a fringe of snow from southeast Missouri and Illinois to Lower Michigan. Monday night and early Tuesday as the storm heads for the Northeast, colder air will sweep eastward changing the rain to snow showers right into the
Appalachians. Snow showers and gusty northwest winds will linger over Lower Michigan, Ohio and eastern Kentucky right into Tuesday evening. Wednesday should be quiet almost region-wide.
West
The Pacific parade of storms will move ashore early Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. With snow levels ranging from 1500 feet in the northern Cascades to 5000 feet or so over northern California, each storm will coat the mountains with at least another 6 to 12 inches of snow. Strong gusty winds will hit coastal areas with each storm, especially the Oregon coast. The heaviest rains will focus over southwest Oregon and northwest California where each storm could dump several inches over the coastal range. Inland, each storm will bring more snow to the Great Basin and Rockies.
LUKE 21:11,25
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
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)
MATTHEW 21:29
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Space shuttle Discovery lands in Florida Fri Dec 22, 5:56 PM ET
CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center here after worries about weather had scotched an earlier landing time.
The landing concluded a nearly 13-day successful mission that advanced construction of the International Space Station (ISS) in four space walks, including one added at the last moment to fix a stuck solar panel array.The 2232 GMT landing came at the end of a 66-minute descent during which the shuttle plunged at more than 26,500 kilometers (16,500 miles) an hour as it descended through the Earth's atmosphere.The shuttle gave off a double sonic boom as it descended through the early evening skies to the runway on Florida's Atlantic coast.Discovery carried seven astronauts, six from the United States and one from the European Space Agency, Christer Fuglesang, Sweden's first astronaut.Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had hoped weather conditions would improve enough in Florida to avoid having to land the space shuttle at Edwards Air Force Base in California or the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.A landing at either location in the western United States would have meant NASA would have to fly the shuttle to Florida, in the southeast, on the back of a modified Boeing 747 plane, which would cost some 1.7 million dollars.
There was also a worry about time running out in the mission, now in its 13th day. A landing by Saturday at the latest would be required because of dwindling electrical supplies on the shuttle.The Discovery team spent eight days at the station, rewiring it and attaching a two-ton truss to its girder-like structure.The crew also added a day and the extra space walk Monday to shake loose a solar panel array that had gotten stuck as it was being folded.Earlier Friday NASA officials awakened Discovery's crew to the song Home for the Holidays, to begin preparations for the return to Earth.Good morning, Discovery, the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, said to the seven crew members after their musical wake-up call.We hope you agree with us that There's no place like home for the holidays, because we hope to see you back here on Earth later this afternoon.
We can't agree more, replied Commander Mark Polansky.
After this mission, NASA plans 13 more shuttle flights -- including five in 2007 -- to complete construction of the International Space Station by 2010, when the three-aircraft shuttle fleet is due to be retired.ISS construction fell years behind schedule after the 2003 Columbia tragedy when the spacecraft disintegrated minutes ahead of landing, killing all seven astronauts aboard.NASA suspended the shuttle program to deal with safety problems. The space shuttle Atlantis mission in September marked the resumption of ISS construction.
Secret Talks Between Israel and Saudi Arabia
By Hana Levi Julian (INN)
Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have no official diplomatic relations, have been holding high-level secret talks on the issue of terrorism in the region. A senior U.S. official quoted by the Reuters news agency said on Wednesday the two nations have been holding high-level secret talks despite the oil kingdom’s refusal to recognize the Jewish State.
Despite denials by both countries, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said he felt it was important to publicize the contacts. I don’t have any particular details on it, but the very fact that … first of all they would be able to communicate and that they would be willing to communicate with one another I think shows a very serious approach, he said.Jones commented that such contacts would be a logical response to the chaos that is engulfing the region. He said cautiously that perhaps Israel is taking a second look at a long-rejected Saudi peace plan proposed in 2002.
I think they (the Israelis) recognize that Saudi Arabia’s policies have evolved in recent years and that Saudi Arabia is now more interested, and more on the side of peace, he said. The Israelis are warming to that.Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday that the plan, which calls from Israel to surrender all of the land restored in the 1967 Six-Day War, could be the basis for an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a similar statement last month. In return, the Saudi plan offers recognition of the State of Israel by Arab countries.
Kadima Cabinet Minister Meir Sheetrit said in October that he too is in favor of holding discussions on the plan.Olmert, Peretz and Sheetrit were all clear that Israel will not surrender heavily populated areas, such as the Jerusalem suburbs of Neve Ya’akov and Ma’aleh Adumim.
The U.S. Ambassador was not specific about the content of the meeting held in September between the two leaders. There is definitely something going on there, he said, but beyond the one contact that was in the press I am not privy to [it].
According to various media reports, the contacts between the two Middle Eastern nations began soon after Israel’s second Lebanon War this summer.The Prime Minister praised Saudi initiatives focused on a regional peace plan and Iran’s nuclear development program, saying he admired King Abdullah wisdom and sense of responsibility. He added praise for Saudi efforts in the region, both those made publicly and others as well, in a September interview with the daily Yediot Aharonot.When questioned more specifically on whether Olmert had met with senior Saudi officials, however, he answered cryptically, I don’t have to answer every question.The Saudis immediately denied meeting with Israeli officials. The state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted a Foreign Ministry statement which said, The news story circulated by Israeli and Qatari media recently over contacts between Saudi and Israeli officials is utterly false.
The Qatari-based region-wide Al-Jazeera television news network also reported that Israel and Saudi officials had met.Saudi Arabia and U.S. defense officials met recently for the most comprehensive talks in years.
The discussion centered on the growing threat from Iran's rapidly developing offensive power, according to the Mideast Newsline. The strategists concluded that the U.S. will maintain a long-term presence in the Gulf and will cooperate with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.Concerns about the increasing threat from the international al-Qaeda terrorist organization, which has renewed its threats to strike the U.S. were also discussed during a visit in November by a senior Saudi official with Vice President Richard Cheney.This week Saudi officials launched a campaign geared to teach children the dangers of terrorism. The education department in the country's Makkah region is trying to combat the culture of terrorism that tries to engage young children in terrorist activities. Officials said the program is part of the country's overall campaign to keep out terrorism. We are in a terrible need for such a campaign to safeguard our children from following the road of fanatics, said an official from King Abdul Aziz University.
A Perfidious Ruling of Israel ’s Supreme Court
Prof . Paul Eidelberg DEC 21,06
On December 12, 2006, Israel ’s High Court of Justice ruled that Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza could file lawsuits against Israel for damages incurred in IDF operations, provided that the operations in question did not take place as part of a clearly defined war . The court ignored or trivialized the fact that the elected leaders of these Palestinians, consistent with their PLO Constitution, are explicitly waging a relentless war against Israel . For further evidence, recall the January 2006 election, when a large majority of the Palestinians voted for Hamas, whose Covenant vows genocidal war against Israel . Today, Hamas is a proxy of Iran whose commitment to Israel ’s annihilation is broadcast daily by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, cheered by the Palestinians who cheered Saddam Hussein and danced on their rooftops as Scud missiles fell on Tel Aviv . Nevertheless, the court, headed by retired Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, nullified an amendment to the Civil Wrongs (Liability of the State) Law that was passed by the Knesset on July 27, 2005, granting the State broad immunity from lawsuits filed by Palestinian civilians for damages resulting from IDF actions against Palestinian terrorists .
The court’s ruling was vintage Barak—another manifestation of his artificial and pernicious application of international law to the embattled Jewish State of Israel . Barak’s secular, left-wing agenda continues to dominate and emasculate this country . The ultimate goal of that agenda is to erase Israel as Jewish state by transforming it into a conventional state of its citizens . In response to the court’s ruling, a friend of mine, a legal consultant in numerous international lawsuits, informed me of some shocking implications of that ruling .
This prompted me to convey not only his warnings (with permission), but also to further demonstrate the Supreme Court’s subversive tendency . In lifting the immunity of the State from civil lawsuits filed by Palestinians claiming damages resulting from IDF actions, the court automatically lifted the immunity of soldiers and officers (as well as public officials) involved in such actions . Israeli soldiers can the more readily be sued for damages in countries whose courts, bolstered by the ruling of Israel’s own Supreme Court, decide to apply international law against these Israelis—something a U . S . federal court refrained from doing by dismissing attempts to sue former Israeli chief of general staff Moshe Ya'alon for alleged war crimes . Otherwise, the costs and harassment involved in such lawsuits—a bonanza for the legal profession—can financially destroy a soldier and his family, on the one hand, and provide aid and comfort to Israel ’s enemies, on the other .
Although the court’s ruling also makes Israeli soldiers and officers (and public officials) individually liable for damages incurred during the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and other Jewish communities, the court would probably dismiss such suits on the ground that Israel’s government has already provided for the compensation of these Jews .In any event, since Israeli servicemen are now liable for damages resulting from their carrying out the orders of the government, thoughtful soldiers may think twice about obeying such orders rather than face costly lawsuits both at home and abroad .On the other hand, since such lawsuits and their costs would obviously be reported by the media, this will surely discourage many Israelis from enlisting in the IDF . What is more, many Israelis will be prompted to leave the country, disgusted with a government that abandons them to the wiles of their enemies even in the courts of Israel . The Supreme Court’s ruling in this matter is perfidious .
Why indeed should any thinking Israeli want to serve in an army or air force ordered to attack Arab terrorists who may be concealed or sheltered by Arab civilians, when such military service may pauperize him, thanks to Israel’s Supreme Court? Bad enough, nay, outrageous, that the government releases thousands of terrorists whose capture required Israeli soldiers to risk and often lose their lives . But for the High Court of Justice to hand down a ruling which can only aid and comfort the enemy—Palestinians who overwhelmingly and demonstrably identify with Ahmadinejad’s goal to wipe Israel off the map—this is more than outrageous . It is perilously close to treason as defined in Article III, Section 3, of the American Constitution . Of course, we are in Israel , where treason, as defined by Section 99 of the Penal Code, has become respectable, and where judges do not have to fear impeachment .
The Jerusalem Post, December 22, 2006
In Praise of Christian Zionists,By Michael Freund
They number in the millions and wield increasing power and influence across the United States . From year to year their voice grows stronger and more resolute, as their role in shaping policy, and the future of American society continues to expand. Guided by faith, they love Israel passionately and pray for her well-being, rejoicing in her successes and grieving over her setbacks.
They are America 's Bible-believing Christians, and it is time for Israel to reach out to them in a far more sophisticated and comprehensive manner. A great deal has already been written about the close ties that have developed between the two, as Israeli officials have at last begun to appreciate the depth and feeling of American evangelical support for the Jewish state. Indeed, what was once unthinkable has now become routine, as leading Christian pastors and Israeli government representatives regularly confer with one another, exchanging ideas and views on the principal issues of the day.
But in far too many instances, Israel 's attitude toward evangelicals has been short-sighted and ill-advised, with the relationship often focused on soliciting dollars rather than devotion. And that has got to change, because far greater things are at stake here than just boosting revenues from tourism. For as strong and robust as the American Jewish community might be, it cannot and will not last forever, as recent demographic trends make clear. That leaves evangelical Christians as the best hope for ensuring that bedrock US support for Israel remains firm and unwavering in the decades to come. In other words, thank God for Christian Zionists. Like it or not, the future of the relationship between Israel and the US might very well hinge far less on America's Jews than on its Christians.
By all accounts, evangelical Christians are a force to be reckoned with. As the Independent put it the other day ( London , December 19): To say the United States is a religious country is an understatement. According to polls, an estimated 47 per cent of American adults claim to be 'born-again' or evangelical. Even if the figure is an overstatement, it still means there are tens of millions of Americans who identify themselves as evangelical. And this translates into an enormous wellspring of support for Israel , as an August 2006 study by the Pew Research Center revealed. According to the report's findings, Seven-in-ten white evangelicals (69%) believe God gave Israel to the Jewish people and a solid majority (59%) believes that Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Not surprisingly, the study found that those who believe that God gave Israel to the Jews and that the State of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy are much more likely than others to sympathize with Israel in its dispute with the Palestinians. No wonder so many evangelicals have taken to calling themselves Christian Zionists. Their sympathy and concern for Israel is readily apparent. I see it in the e-mails I receive regularly from evangelical Christians in the US in response to my columns in The Jerusalem Post. They are sincere and caring, and full of love and concern for Israel and its plight.Sure, there are some who would like to convert Jews, and they make little or no attempt to hide their agenda. But the vast majority simply wish to bless Israel because that is what they truly believe God wants them to do. AND IT IS this genuine and heartfelt affection that contains within it the potential to forge a historic alliance, one that could help heal some of the painful wounds of the past even as it paves the way for a close and meaningful partnership in the future. By adopting a few simple but significant steps, Israel can lay the groundwork for ensuring that the bond with US Christians continues to deepen.
First, Israel should appoint a roving ambassador tasked with responsibility for maintaining relations with Christians in America . This should not be just an honorary title, nor should it go to one of the usual organizational fund-raisers or foreign service hacks. Instead, the government should appoint a person of faith, one who can communicate with evangelicals in terms they both understand and appreciate.
Second, Israel should reach out to Christian leaders and their communities, and initiate the establishment of prayer battalions in churches across the United States . Like rapid-deployment forces used by the military, these battalions could be mobilized at a moment's notice to pray for specific issues, such as the return of Israel's missing soldiers or the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions. Such an undertaking would have nothing to do with asking for funds, but everything to do with tapping into the vast reservoirs of faith and belief that underscore Christian backing for the Jewish state. And you can be sure that if a person is moved to pray for Israel , chances are that his sense of affinity will only continue to grow. Other steps that Israel could take to reinforce US Christian support might include organizing an annual conference for religious and lay leaders in Jerusalem , as well as helping them to develop the equivalent of a birthright-Israel program for young churchgoers which would serve to reinforce their connection with the land of the Bible.
Christian support for Israel is broad, profound and deep. If cultivated properly, it can blossom into a lasting friendship of historical, political and diplomatic significance. And with American Jewry steadily shrinking in size, nothing could be more pressing or more vital.The writer served as Deputy Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's Office under former premier Binyamin Netanyahu.
Restricted pro-EU constitution meeting under fire
22.12.2006 - 09:23 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Liberals in the European Parliament have strongly rejected a plan by Spain and Luxembourg to hold a restricted friends of the EU constitution meeting, saying the move carries the serious risk of dividing the union. The criticism comes after last week's invitation by Spain and Luxembourg to the Europe ministers of only those 18 EU countries which have ratified the constitution to a private meeting in Madrid on 26 January. Spain and Luxembourg deliberately excluded France and the Netherlands, which rejected the charter in popular referendums in 2005, as well as seven other states which subsequently
suspended ratification, from the Madrid meeting - and invited them only for a second gathering open for all EU states in Luxembourg in late February.
The initiative of Spain and Luxembourg carries the serious risk of dividing the union. To hold a conference only for those who have ratified the constitution threatens to gang up on the refuseniks, said Liberal constitutional spokesman and UK MEP Andrew Duff. Calling for the meetings to be cancelled, he went on to say that they are hugely undermining the efforts of the German presidency, whose duty it is to come up with proposals to renegotiate the 2004 constitutional treaty.Germany, which will chair the EU for six months from 1 January, has been tasked to design a road map at the end of its presidency to find a way out of the constitutional limbo created by the French and Dutch no votes. German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday (19 December) gave a cautiously positive reaction to the Spanish-Luxembourg move by saying he understood the wish of the pro-constitution states to meet separately. Meanwhile, Spanish and Luxembourgish diplomats defended their initiative, with one Spanish contact saying that it is designed precisely to help the German presidency to collect the positions, to help to find a way out.
It is difficult to think that this will divide the union, he added.But divisions over the restricted invitation already emerged when it was circulated at an EU leaders' summit last week, with Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende warning the institutional debate in the EU should remain controllable. French president Jacques Chirac meanwhile played down the importance of the Spanish-Luxembourg plan, saying the constitution is a matter for the German presidency. Spain and Luxembourg are the only two countries which ratified the EU constitution by referendum, with 77 percent of Spaniards and 56 percent of Luxembourgers voting yes to the document.
Iran defies United Nations with pledge of going nuclear within weeks
By Alex Spillius,Last Updated: 2:38am GMT 22/12/2006
Iran defied imminent United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme yesterday and pledged that it would become a member of the nuclear club within weeks.After weeks of haggling between major world powers, a resolution is expected to be approved by the UN Security Council before Christmas.The nature of this resolution is not capable of pressuring Iran, and Iran will give an appropriate response to it, said Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and main negotiator on atomic issues.
This behaviour will just create more problems.Following Iran's failure to halt sensitive nuclear fuel work, the resolution is expected to ban imports and exports of materials and technology relating to uranium enrichment, reprocessing and heavy-water reactors, as well as ballistic missile delivery systems.
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, yesterday reiterated a prediction that Iran will announce going nuclear in February during celebrations of the 1979 Islamic revolution against the Shah.Addressing a rally in west Iran, he said his country's nuclear plans would inspire other nations.
He revelled in mocking President George W Bush and the West.Some so-called superpowers... think that they can control the whole world, he said. I'm telling them: Open your eyes, today, the world no longer thinks your decisions have any value.His typically outspoken remarks came after the American president said his Iranian counterpart was out of step with the rest of the world. On a tour of the Middle East this week Tony Blair called on moderate Muslim states to line up against Iran, which he accused of supporting extremist elements in southern Iraq and Lebanon.Since his surprising election victory last year, Mr Ahmadinejad has accelerated Iran's nuclear programme, which western powers suspect is aimed at producing nuclear weapons in five to 10 years.Mr Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be wiped off the map.
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.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Dec 23 12:15 AM EDT
DEC 23,06
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.5 SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP 2.7 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
DEC 22,06
MAP 3.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 6.1 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.2 FIJI REGION
MAP 3.3 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 KEPULAUAN SANGIHE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.8 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 3.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
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.
Six dead in Malaysian floods, 80,000 evacuated Fri Dec 22, 5:25 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - The death toll from floods in Malaysia rose to six, as torrential rains in six states forced nearly 80,000 people to flee their homes and experts warned the capital was now under threat. The latest victim was a woman aged in her 60s who was found dead in her home in the worst hit state of southern Johor.Other casualties were washed away in their cars and in rivers.The number of evacuees in Johor has increased to 63,699, the Civil Defense Department's chief of disaster management, Che Moin Umar, told AFP on Thursday.Another 11,195 people had been evacuated from the western tourist state of Malacca, 2,504 from central Pahang state, 314 from western Negeri Sembilan, and a total of 604 from Kelantan and Terengganu, he said.The rains,which started Sunday in Johor, Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan, have now spread to northeastern Kelantan and Terengganu states, flooding low-lying areas and inundating villages.
The meteorological department warned the Klang Valley which Kuala Lumpur sits in would be affected if heavy rains persist. It issued its most severe red stage heavy rain warning for the area, advising residents to be prepared.The heavy rainfalls and wind condition that are currently affecting states in the east coast and Johor are expected to bring heavy downpour to the Klang Valley and its surrounding areas, it said, according to the state Bernama news agency.
Che Moin said relief operations were largely smooth but that because of the scale of the disaster there were some delays in meeting requests for assistance.There were reports of looting in Johor's worst-hit town of Segamat, as well as stores emptying as residents stocked up.The meteorology department also issued strong wind warnings of up to 70 kilometres an hour and rough seas with swells of up to 5.5 metres (18 feet) off Malaysia's east coast, and Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island, until Sunday.Several villages on Terengganu's coast late Wednesday were lashed by strong winds and tides, forcing hundreds to flee as waves washed over their homes, reports said.
Louisiana rain threatens to flood rivers Fri Dec 22, 10:45 AM ET
NEW ORLEANS - Rain-swollen rivers threatened to flood some southeastern Louisiana homes Friday, a day after the storm swamped streets in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, snarling traffic and closing schools.
The storm system dumped more than 6 inches of rain on New Orleans. Galliano, about 60 miles south of the city, got more than a foot of rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Ricks said.Friday morning, the weather service issued flood warnings for the Tchefuncte River and the Bogue Falaya River near Folsom and Covington — about 30 miles north of New Orleans — and recommended evacuating some houses near Folsom.The Tchefuncte is likely to flood low-lying houses when it crests near Folsom early Friday night and near Covington on Saturday morning, forecasters said.
More storminess for the East and Northwest M. Ressler, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Dec 22, 3:03 PM ET
South
PUBLICIDAD
The exiting eastern storm will give much of the Southeast a brief chance to dry out Saturday and much of Christmas Eve as any remaining showers are confined to the Florida Peninsula. Quickly though, an upper-level disturbance will zip from the Desert Southwest to Texas Saturday with a few strong thunderstorms roaming through the Rio Grande valley. By Sunday, low pressure will be taking shape over the northwest Gulf along the tail end of the front. Heavy rain will explode over eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana with possible late-day severe thunderstorms from Baton Rouge to Biloxi. Sunday night and Monday, the low pressure area will intensify and rain will surge northward dousing the region east of the Mississippi. A few severe thunderstorms could develop over Florida, south Georgia and the coastal Southeast. Colder air will begin to feed in behind the storm as it heads for the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic later Monday. Rain could change to snow in parts of Arkansas. Monday night and Tuesday morning with some moisture remaining, snow showers could sweep eastward with the colder air across the Tennessee Valley and into the Smokey Mountains and north Georgia. Later Tuesday and Wednesday the South will be quiet. Thursday and Friday, the early week scenario could be repeated with another rain event expanding from the lower Mississippi Valley across the Southeast.
Northeast
The once Denver storm and cold front are on the move. The heavy rain will end in the Mid-Atlantic by Saturday morning and from south to north during the remainder of the day across New England. Only northernmost New England could see sleet and freezing rain. By Sunday, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be quiet except for snow showers over northern New York and northern New England. Then an intensifying storm will approach from the south Christmas Day with low pressure heading northward both east and west of the Appalachians. Locally heavy rain will steadily overspread the region from south to north reaching southern New York and southern New England by nightfall. Some sleet and freezing rain could occur in the mountains across northern Pennsylvania and points northward. The windy storm will roar through the region Monday night and Tuesday. The rain will end east of the mountains Tuesday, but a significant snow could coast the mountains from northwest Pennsylvania to Maine.
Midwest
Once the snow wraps up across the northern Great Lakes Saturday, the Plains and Midwest will enjoy a quiet lead up to Christmas. Christmas, though won't be so quiet. A storm heading north from the northwest Gulf Coast Christmas Day will be energized by a potent upper-level disturbance racing into the Mississippi Valley. This meeting will generate an increasingly windy Ohio Valley storm with plenty of rain and possibly a fringe of snow from southeast Missouri and Illinois to Lower Michigan. Monday night and early Tuesday as the storm heads for the Northeast, colder air will sweep eastward changing the rain to snow showers right into the
Appalachians. Snow showers and gusty northwest winds will linger over Lower Michigan, Ohio and eastern Kentucky right into Tuesday evening. Wednesday should be quiet almost region-wide.
West
The Pacific parade of storms will move ashore early Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. With snow levels ranging from 1500 feet in the northern Cascades to 5000 feet or so over northern California, each storm will coat the mountains with at least another 6 to 12 inches of snow. Strong gusty winds will hit coastal areas with each storm, especially the Oregon coast. The heaviest rains will focus over southwest Oregon and northwest California where each storm could dump several inches over the coastal range. Inland, each storm will bring more snow to the Great Basin and Rockies.
LUKE 21:11,25
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
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)
MATTHEW 21:29
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Space shuttle Discovery lands in Florida Fri Dec 22, 5:56 PM ET
CAPE CANAVERAL, United States (AFP) - Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center here after worries about weather had scotched an earlier landing time.
The landing concluded a nearly 13-day successful mission that advanced construction of the International Space Station (ISS) in four space walks, including one added at the last moment to fix a stuck solar panel array.The 2232 GMT landing came at the end of a 66-minute descent during which the shuttle plunged at more than 26,500 kilometers (16,500 miles) an hour as it descended through the Earth's atmosphere.The shuttle gave off a double sonic boom as it descended through the early evening skies to the runway on Florida's Atlantic coast.Discovery carried seven astronauts, six from the United States and one from the European Space Agency, Christer Fuglesang, Sweden's first astronaut.Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had hoped weather conditions would improve enough in Florida to avoid having to land the space shuttle at Edwards Air Force Base in California or the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.A landing at either location in the western United States would have meant NASA would have to fly the shuttle to Florida, in the southeast, on the back of a modified Boeing 747 plane, which would cost some 1.7 million dollars.
There was also a worry about time running out in the mission, now in its 13th day. A landing by Saturday at the latest would be required because of dwindling electrical supplies on the shuttle.The Discovery team spent eight days at the station, rewiring it and attaching a two-ton truss to its girder-like structure.The crew also added a day and the extra space walk Monday to shake loose a solar panel array that had gotten stuck as it was being folded.Earlier Friday NASA officials awakened Discovery's crew to the song Home for the Holidays, to begin preparations for the return to Earth.Good morning, Discovery, the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, said to the seven crew members after their musical wake-up call.We hope you agree with us that There's no place like home for the holidays, because we hope to see you back here on Earth later this afternoon.
We can't agree more, replied Commander Mark Polansky.
After this mission, NASA plans 13 more shuttle flights -- including five in 2007 -- to complete construction of the International Space Station by 2010, when the three-aircraft shuttle fleet is due to be retired.ISS construction fell years behind schedule after the 2003 Columbia tragedy when the spacecraft disintegrated minutes ahead of landing, killing all seven astronauts aboard.NASA suspended the shuttle program to deal with safety problems. The space shuttle Atlantis mission in September marked the resumption of ISS construction.
Secret Talks Between Israel and Saudi Arabia
By Hana Levi Julian (INN)
Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have no official diplomatic relations, have been holding high-level secret talks on the issue of terrorism in the region. A senior U.S. official quoted by the Reuters news agency said on Wednesday the two nations have been holding high-level secret talks despite the oil kingdom’s refusal to recognize the Jewish State.
Despite denials by both countries, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said he felt it was important to publicize the contacts. I don’t have any particular details on it, but the very fact that … first of all they would be able to communicate and that they would be willing to communicate with one another I think shows a very serious approach, he said.Jones commented that such contacts would be a logical response to the chaos that is engulfing the region. He said cautiously that perhaps Israel is taking a second look at a long-rejected Saudi peace plan proposed in 2002.
I think they (the Israelis) recognize that Saudi Arabia’s policies have evolved in recent years and that Saudi Arabia is now more interested, and more on the side of peace, he said. The Israelis are warming to that.Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday that the plan, which calls from Israel to surrender all of the land restored in the 1967 Six-Day War, could be the basis for an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a similar statement last month. In return, the Saudi plan offers recognition of the State of Israel by Arab countries.
Kadima Cabinet Minister Meir Sheetrit said in October that he too is in favor of holding discussions on the plan.Olmert, Peretz and Sheetrit were all clear that Israel will not surrender heavily populated areas, such as the Jerusalem suburbs of Neve Ya’akov and Ma’aleh Adumim.
The U.S. Ambassador was not specific about the content of the meeting held in September between the two leaders. There is definitely something going on there, he said, but beyond the one contact that was in the press I am not privy to [it].
According to various media reports, the contacts between the two Middle Eastern nations began soon after Israel’s second Lebanon War this summer.The Prime Minister praised Saudi initiatives focused on a regional peace plan and Iran’s nuclear development program, saying he admired King Abdullah wisdom and sense of responsibility. He added praise for Saudi efforts in the region, both those made publicly and others as well, in a September interview with the daily Yediot Aharonot.When questioned more specifically on whether Olmert had met with senior Saudi officials, however, he answered cryptically, I don’t have to answer every question.The Saudis immediately denied meeting with Israeli officials. The state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted a Foreign Ministry statement which said, The news story circulated by Israeli and Qatari media recently over contacts between Saudi and Israeli officials is utterly false.
The Qatari-based region-wide Al-Jazeera television news network also reported that Israel and Saudi officials had met.Saudi Arabia and U.S. defense officials met recently for the most comprehensive talks in years.
The discussion centered on the growing threat from Iran's rapidly developing offensive power, according to the Mideast Newsline. The strategists concluded that the U.S. will maintain a long-term presence in the Gulf and will cooperate with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.Concerns about the increasing threat from the international al-Qaeda terrorist organization, which has renewed its threats to strike the U.S. were also discussed during a visit in November by a senior Saudi official with Vice President Richard Cheney.This week Saudi officials launched a campaign geared to teach children the dangers of terrorism. The education department in the country's Makkah region is trying to combat the culture of terrorism that tries to engage young children in terrorist activities. Officials said the program is part of the country's overall campaign to keep out terrorism. We are in a terrible need for such a campaign to safeguard our children from following the road of fanatics, said an official from King Abdul Aziz University.
A Perfidious Ruling of Israel ’s Supreme Court
Prof . Paul Eidelberg DEC 21,06
On December 12, 2006, Israel ’s High Court of Justice ruled that Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza could file lawsuits against Israel for damages incurred in IDF operations, provided that the operations in question did not take place as part of a clearly defined war . The court ignored or trivialized the fact that the elected leaders of these Palestinians, consistent with their PLO Constitution, are explicitly waging a relentless war against Israel . For further evidence, recall the January 2006 election, when a large majority of the Palestinians voted for Hamas, whose Covenant vows genocidal war against Israel . Today, Hamas is a proxy of Iran whose commitment to Israel ’s annihilation is broadcast daily by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, cheered by the Palestinians who cheered Saddam Hussein and danced on their rooftops as Scud missiles fell on Tel Aviv . Nevertheless, the court, headed by retired Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, nullified an amendment to the Civil Wrongs (Liability of the State) Law that was passed by the Knesset on July 27, 2005, granting the State broad immunity from lawsuits filed by Palestinian civilians for damages resulting from IDF actions against Palestinian terrorists .
The court’s ruling was vintage Barak—another manifestation of his artificial and pernicious application of international law to the embattled Jewish State of Israel . Barak’s secular, left-wing agenda continues to dominate and emasculate this country . The ultimate goal of that agenda is to erase Israel as Jewish state by transforming it into a conventional state of its citizens . In response to the court’s ruling, a friend of mine, a legal consultant in numerous international lawsuits, informed me of some shocking implications of that ruling .
This prompted me to convey not only his warnings (with permission), but also to further demonstrate the Supreme Court’s subversive tendency . In lifting the immunity of the State from civil lawsuits filed by Palestinians claiming damages resulting from IDF actions, the court automatically lifted the immunity of soldiers and officers (as well as public officials) involved in such actions . Israeli soldiers can the more readily be sued for damages in countries whose courts, bolstered by the ruling of Israel’s own Supreme Court, decide to apply international law against these Israelis—something a U . S . federal court refrained from doing by dismissing attempts to sue former Israeli chief of general staff Moshe Ya'alon for alleged war crimes . Otherwise, the costs and harassment involved in such lawsuits—a bonanza for the legal profession—can financially destroy a soldier and his family, on the one hand, and provide aid and comfort to Israel ’s enemies, on the other .
Although the court’s ruling also makes Israeli soldiers and officers (and public officials) individually liable for damages incurred during the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and other Jewish communities, the court would probably dismiss such suits on the ground that Israel’s government has already provided for the compensation of these Jews .In any event, since Israeli servicemen are now liable for damages resulting from their carrying out the orders of the government, thoughtful soldiers may think twice about obeying such orders rather than face costly lawsuits both at home and abroad .On the other hand, since such lawsuits and their costs would obviously be reported by the media, this will surely discourage many Israelis from enlisting in the IDF . What is more, many Israelis will be prompted to leave the country, disgusted with a government that abandons them to the wiles of their enemies even in the courts of Israel . The Supreme Court’s ruling in this matter is perfidious .
Why indeed should any thinking Israeli want to serve in an army or air force ordered to attack Arab terrorists who may be concealed or sheltered by Arab civilians, when such military service may pauperize him, thanks to Israel’s Supreme Court? Bad enough, nay, outrageous, that the government releases thousands of terrorists whose capture required Israeli soldiers to risk and often lose their lives . But for the High Court of Justice to hand down a ruling which can only aid and comfort the enemy—Palestinians who overwhelmingly and demonstrably identify with Ahmadinejad’s goal to wipe Israel off the map—this is more than outrageous . It is perilously close to treason as defined in Article III, Section 3, of the American Constitution . Of course, we are in Israel , where treason, as defined by Section 99 of the Penal Code, has become respectable, and where judges do not have to fear impeachment .
The Jerusalem Post, December 22, 2006
In Praise of Christian Zionists,By Michael Freund
They number in the millions and wield increasing power and influence across the United States . From year to year their voice grows stronger and more resolute, as their role in shaping policy, and the future of American society continues to expand. Guided by faith, they love Israel passionately and pray for her well-being, rejoicing in her successes and grieving over her setbacks.
They are America 's Bible-believing Christians, and it is time for Israel to reach out to them in a far more sophisticated and comprehensive manner. A great deal has already been written about the close ties that have developed between the two, as Israeli officials have at last begun to appreciate the depth and feeling of American evangelical support for the Jewish state. Indeed, what was once unthinkable has now become routine, as leading Christian pastors and Israeli government representatives regularly confer with one another, exchanging ideas and views on the principal issues of the day.
But in far too many instances, Israel 's attitude toward evangelicals has been short-sighted and ill-advised, with the relationship often focused on soliciting dollars rather than devotion. And that has got to change, because far greater things are at stake here than just boosting revenues from tourism. For as strong and robust as the American Jewish community might be, it cannot and will not last forever, as recent demographic trends make clear. That leaves evangelical Christians as the best hope for ensuring that bedrock US support for Israel remains firm and unwavering in the decades to come. In other words, thank God for Christian Zionists. Like it or not, the future of the relationship between Israel and the US might very well hinge far less on America's Jews than on its Christians.
By all accounts, evangelical Christians are a force to be reckoned with. As the Independent put it the other day ( London , December 19): To say the United States is a religious country is an understatement. According to polls, an estimated 47 per cent of American adults claim to be 'born-again' or evangelical. Even if the figure is an overstatement, it still means there are tens of millions of Americans who identify themselves as evangelical. And this translates into an enormous wellspring of support for Israel , as an August 2006 study by the Pew Research Center revealed. According to the report's findings, Seven-in-ten white evangelicals (69%) believe God gave Israel to the Jewish people and a solid majority (59%) believes that Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Not surprisingly, the study found that those who believe that God gave Israel to the Jews and that the State of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy are much more likely than others to sympathize with Israel in its dispute with the Palestinians. No wonder so many evangelicals have taken to calling themselves Christian Zionists. Their sympathy and concern for Israel is readily apparent. I see it in the e-mails I receive regularly from evangelical Christians in the US in response to my columns in The Jerusalem Post. They are sincere and caring, and full of love and concern for Israel and its plight.Sure, there are some who would like to convert Jews, and they make little or no attempt to hide their agenda. But the vast majority simply wish to bless Israel because that is what they truly believe God wants them to do. AND IT IS this genuine and heartfelt affection that contains within it the potential to forge a historic alliance, one that could help heal some of the painful wounds of the past even as it paves the way for a close and meaningful partnership in the future. By adopting a few simple but significant steps, Israel can lay the groundwork for ensuring that the bond with US Christians continues to deepen.
First, Israel should appoint a roving ambassador tasked with responsibility for maintaining relations with Christians in America . This should not be just an honorary title, nor should it go to one of the usual organizational fund-raisers or foreign service hacks. Instead, the government should appoint a person of faith, one who can communicate with evangelicals in terms they both understand and appreciate.
Second, Israel should reach out to Christian leaders and their communities, and initiate the establishment of prayer battalions in churches across the United States . Like rapid-deployment forces used by the military, these battalions could be mobilized at a moment's notice to pray for specific issues, such as the return of Israel's missing soldiers or the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions. Such an undertaking would have nothing to do with asking for funds, but everything to do with tapping into the vast reservoirs of faith and belief that underscore Christian backing for the Jewish state. And you can be sure that if a person is moved to pray for Israel , chances are that his sense of affinity will only continue to grow. Other steps that Israel could take to reinforce US Christian support might include organizing an annual conference for religious and lay leaders in Jerusalem , as well as helping them to develop the equivalent of a birthright-Israel program for young churchgoers which would serve to reinforce their connection with the land of the Bible.
Christian support for Israel is broad, profound and deep. If cultivated properly, it can blossom into a lasting friendship of historical, political and diplomatic significance. And with American Jewry steadily shrinking in size, nothing could be more pressing or more vital.The writer served as Deputy Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's Office under former premier Binyamin Netanyahu.
Restricted pro-EU constitution meeting under fire
22.12.2006 - 09:23 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Liberals in the European Parliament have strongly rejected a plan by Spain and Luxembourg to hold a restricted friends of the EU constitution meeting, saying the move carries the serious risk of dividing the union. The criticism comes after last week's invitation by Spain and Luxembourg to the Europe ministers of only those 18 EU countries which have ratified the constitution to a private meeting in Madrid on 26 January. Spain and Luxembourg deliberately excluded France and the Netherlands, which rejected the charter in popular referendums in 2005, as well as seven other states which subsequently
suspended ratification, from the Madrid meeting - and invited them only for a second gathering open for all EU states in Luxembourg in late February.
The initiative of Spain and Luxembourg carries the serious risk of dividing the union. To hold a conference only for those who have ratified the constitution threatens to gang up on the refuseniks, said Liberal constitutional spokesman and UK MEP Andrew Duff. Calling for the meetings to be cancelled, he went on to say that they are hugely undermining the efforts of the German presidency, whose duty it is to come up with proposals to renegotiate the 2004 constitutional treaty.Germany, which will chair the EU for six months from 1 January, has been tasked to design a road map at the end of its presidency to find a way out of the constitutional limbo created by the French and Dutch no votes. German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday (19 December) gave a cautiously positive reaction to the Spanish-Luxembourg move by saying he understood the wish of the pro-constitution states to meet separately. Meanwhile, Spanish and Luxembourgish diplomats defended their initiative, with one Spanish contact saying that it is designed precisely to help the German presidency to collect the positions, to help to find a way out.
It is difficult to think that this will divide the union, he added.But divisions over the restricted invitation already emerged when it was circulated at an EU leaders' summit last week, with Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende warning the institutional debate in the EU should remain controllable. French president Jacques Chirac meanwhile played down the importance of the Spanish-Luxembourg plan, saying the constitution is a matter for the German presidency. Spain and Luxembourg are the only two countries which ratified the EU constitution by referendum, with 77 percent of Spaniards and 56 percent of Luxembourgers voting yes to the document.
Iran defies United Nations with pledge of going nuclear within weeks
By Alex Spillius,Last Updated: 2:38am GMT 22/12/2006
Iran defied imminent United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme yesterday and pledged that it would become a member of the nuclear club within weeks.After weeks of haggling between major world powers, a resolution is expected to be approved by the UN Security Council before Christmas.The nature of this resolution is not capable of pressuring Iran, and Iran will give an appropriate response to it, said Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and main negotiator on atomic issues.
This behaviour will just create more problems.Following Iran's failure to halt sensitive nuclear fuel work, the resolution is expected to ban imports and exports of materials and technology relating to uranium enrichment, reprocessing and heavy-water reactors, as well as ballistic missile delivery systems.
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, yesterday reiterated a prediction that Iran will announce going nuclear in February during celebrations of the 1979 Islamic revolution against the Shah.Addressing a rally in west Iran, he said his country's nuclear plans would inspire other nations.
He revelled in mocking President George W Bush and the West.Some so-called superpowers... think that they can control the whole world, he said. I'm telling them: Open your eyes, today, the world no longer thinks your decisions have any value.His typically outspoken remarks came after the American president said his Iranian counterpart was out of step with the rest of the world. On a tour of the Middle East this week Tony Blair called on moderate Muslim states to line up against Iran, which he accused of supporting extremist elements in southern Iraq and Lebanon.Since his surprising election victory last year, Mr Ahmadinejad has accelerated Iran's nuclear programme, which western powers suspect is aimed at producing nuclear weapons in five to 10 years.Mr Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be wiped off the map.
Friday, December 22, 2006
US PLANS NAVAL BUILDUP
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Earthquakes shakes central Oklahoma. 3-Earthquakes spur El Salvador evacuations. 4-Thousands refuse to go home after Indonesian quake: police. 5-Denver airport likely closed until Friday. 6-60,000 flee flooded homes in Malaysia. 7-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 8-Left Behind Game Promotes Religious Violence, Group Says. 9-1,500 at Manhigut Jewish Leadership Event. 10-Sens. Kerry, Dodd meet with Syria's Assad to discuss Iraq. 11-Netanyahu: Beware the Developing Islamic Reich. 12-U.S. plans naval buildup in Gulf to counter Iran.
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.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Fri Dec 22 12:20 AM EDT
DEC 22,06
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
DEC 21,06
MAP 5.0 AEGEAN SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.8 WASHINGTON
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.7 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
Earthquakes shakes central Oklahoma Thu Dec 21, 11:38 AM ET
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. - Two minor earthquakes shook central Oklahoma, rattling nerves but causing no serious damage or injuries, authorities said.The quakes were centered in the Del City-Midwest City area east of Oklahoma City. The first struck at 8:41 p.m. Wednesday with a preliminary magnitude of 2.6. The second, at 12:14 a.m. Thursday, had a preliminary reading of 2.7, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey.The quake scared a lot of people, Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said. We had multiple calls about shaking homes. They thought it was some kind of explosion.
Central Oklahoma sits over a subsurface geologic structure called the Nemaha Ridge and experiences up to a dozen earthquakes each year, said Charles Mankin, director of the Survey.These are fairly small earthquakes, he said. They're mostly adjustments.
Earthquakes spur El Salvador evacuations Thu Dec 21, 9:44 AM ET
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Scores of small earthquakes near the Salvadoran-Guatemalan border sent people fleeing in panic but caused little damage, authorities said.The earthquakes Wednesday ranged between magnitude 2.3 and 4.3, according to the National Service of Territorial Studies. At least 90 of the tremors were felt by the population.At least 90 people put up makeshift tents and mattresses in the central park of Atiquizaya city, 50 miles west of San Salvador, and Red Cross officials were on hand to help.El Salvador is prone to earthquakes. Earthquakes on Jan. 13 and Feb. 13 in 2001 killed thousands.
Thousands refuse to go home after Indonesian quake: police Thu Dec 21, 2:01 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) - Some 4,000 people who escaped a deadly quake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra earlier this week are refusing to return home despite assurances from seismologists, according to police reports. Relief workers, meanwhile, finally got through to the last three villages cut off by landslides triggered by Monday's quake, which killed four people and damaged hundreds of homes in the remote highland region.The road was reopened this morning (Thursday) and relief workers are able to get through, local police chief Rudi Sumardiyanto told AFP in Panyabungan, bordering South and West Sumatra.Sumardiyanto said while some residents who sought shelter in government buildings had returned home, a lot more were fearful of another quake and were staying put, despite assurances from seismologists that aftershocks would not cause a strong earthquake.
There are some aftershocks. The locals are suffering from trauma. We will provide counselling and encourage about 4,000 people to return home and resume their normal daily activities, he said.Seismologists said aftershocks were continuing, but were less frequent.There were 60 aftershocks after the quake, but that had fallen to 32 Wednesday, said Budiwaluyo, head of the earthquake information unit with the meteorology office headquarters.There is nothing to worry about. It is safe. Residents whose homes were not destroyed can return home, he told AFP.The 5.7 magnitude quake damaged 860 homes in the mainly agricultural area with a population of about 10,000.Sumardiyanto said the government would provide some 10 million rupiah (1,000 dollars) to families whose homes were badly damaged.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra.A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in July on the south coast of the main island of Java also killed more than 600 people.
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.
Denver airport likely closed until Friday
POSTED: 1921 GMT (0321 HKT), December 21, 2006
DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Stranded travelers lined up at ticket counters at snowbound Denver International Airport on Thursday, hoping to get out of town amid a blizzard that paralyzed Colorado's biggest cities with up to 2 feet of snow.
The news wasn't comforting: While some flight updates still said on time, airport spokesman Steve Snyder said the runways likely wouldn't open before noon Friday.The airport crews simply can't keep up with the falling and drifting snow, Snyder said. They plow the runways, but within 30 minutes, the tarmacs are covered again.It feels like I'm a refugee, said Lisa Maurer, a University of Wyoming student who was stuck at the Denver airport as she tried to make her way home to Germany. About 4,700 people hunkered down with her overnight after all flights there were canceled -- more than 1,000 of them Wednesday and Thursday morning alone.
Denver's streets were empty, and long stretches of highway in the eastern Colorado were so impassable, even the mail couldn't get through. Bus and light rail service in a six-county region was suspended. (Watch how the storm has put Denver on ice ).The Colorado Avalanche postponed Thursday night's hockey game against the Calgary Flames. Wednesday night's basketball game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns was also called off.Cathy Stuart, 44, a sales representative from Dallas, spent the night on the airport's stone floor after her flight home was canceled.I don't feel bad, but I just want to get out of here, she said.
More than 3 feet of snow had fallen in some mountain areas since Wednesday morning, and up to 25 inches fell in the Denver metro area, including 2 more inches on Thursday.A snowstorm also dumped up to 18 inches on New Mexico, icing roads and closing schools, and the National Weather Service warned that another storm was heading for New Mexico.Heavy snow also fell on southeastern Wyoming on Wednesday closing interstate highways, stranding travelers and sending government workers home early in Cheyenne.The amount of snow was hard to measure because it wasn't evenly distributed. We have drifts up to 6 feet high in some locations, and in other areas, it is completely dry on the asphalt and concrete, said Mike Sowko, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.
In Denver, Colorado Springs and other cities along the Rocky Mountain Front Range, workers slipped and slid their way home on Wednesday and stayed there, leaving the cities virtual ghost towns Thursday, typically a busy shopping day. A few pedestrians trudging down the middle of unplowed streets as the snow continued.Three more inches of wind-whipped snow was expected Thursday before tapering off in the afternoon. Parts of Nebraska and Kansas were also getting snow and ice, but farther east, warmer temperatures meant even Chicago was only forecast to get heavy rain as the storm moved through.Colorado Gov. Bill Owens declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, which assisted dozens of motorists on the highways
around Denver and delivered diapers, formula and bottled water to Denver's airport.Long stretches of Interstates 70, 25 and 76, major east-west and north-south routes through the Mountain West, were closed.National Guard and sheriff's deputies rescued about 50 people overnight from snowbound vehicles in Weld County, where up to 22 inches of snow fell. About 18 others were still stuck in their cars Thursday morning, said Weld County emergency management director Roy Rudisill. In the Denver suburb of Broomfield, police rescued nearly 100 people stranded in cars along U.S. 36, the main route between Denver and Boulder.
It's just amazing how many people are still out there, said Robert Thompson, spokesman for a local American Red Cross chapter. (Watch drivers, pedestrians struggle through snow ).They pulled everyone off the highway, said Leon Medina, manager of a truck stop on Interstate 25 in Walsenburg, about 130 miles south of Denver. Cars are all around the building. Trucks are all over, trucks and cars pulled into ditches.Weather Service program manager Byron Louis said it was the most powerful storm to hit Colorado since March 2003, when a blizzard dumped up to 11 feet of snow in the mountains over several days and was blamed for at least six deaths.Mail service was canceled in the eastern half of the state because mail carriers and trucks delivering mail four days before Christmas couldn't get through.
We don't want to take the risk of clogging up the system just by being out there, said Al DeSarro, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman in Denver. We're considering delivering on Sunday to make up for what's sure to be a backlog of mail.At Denver International Airport, a major hub for United Airlines, United canceled more than 670 inbound flights, plus 160 that had been scheduled leave before noon Thursday. Frontier Airlines canceled up to 190 flights. (Check nationwide flight delays) It's the wind and blowing and drifting snow that is causing the main problems, Snyder said.Some airport monitors tantalized travelers by listing on time beside arrivals and departures, but Snyder said that was probably caused by a computer glitch.I'm just happy to be alive. It was a terrifying drive, Sara Kelton said of the two-hour crawl over slick, snow-clogged roads to reach the airport. (Watch wind-driven snow rip through a neighborhood ) Public transit service was not expected to resume until late Thursday at the earliest.It was comical for a while, said bus rider Matt Notter of Boulder. Then we realized, this is an all-night thing.The Associated Press.
60,000 flee flooded homes in Malaysia Thu Dec 21, 9:44 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - At least two people are dead and more than 60,000 have fled their homes after floods triggered by torrential rains engulfed whole towns and villages in four Malaysian states, officials said. The bodies of two men were found in Segamat district in southern Johor state, the area worst hit by heavy monsoon rains, Che Moin Umar, head of disaster management at the Civil Defense Department, said Thursday.A third body in Johor's Kota Tinggi district was still being identified and a cause of death being determined, he said.Two people have died already due to the floods ... The younger man's body was discovered yesterday, while the body of the second victim, a 70-year-old man, was found today in Segamat, Che Moin told AFP.
He said the elderly man could not escape the flood waters that rushed through his village because he was partially paralysed by a stroke.The currents are very strong this year, and in Johor it is (so) tremendous that even the rescuers on boats are having difficulty navigating the current, he said.Che Moin said the number of evacuees on Thursday had risen to 63,616 -- 54,585 people from Johor and a further 10,031 displaced in the neighbouring states of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and northeastern Kelantan state.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who visited flood victims in Johor, Thursday pledged full assistance from the government, the state Bernama news agency said.We will extend all aid needed to help the flood victims in Johor, (and) if not enough, more will be dispatched, Najib was quoted as saying.
Health authorities said Thursday they had stepped up vigilance to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases in relief centres across the affected states, where thousands of evacuees were camped out.We have dispatched our health teams to oversee the sanitation especially at the evacuation centres, the health ministry's director of disease control, Ramlee Rahmat, told AFP.Definitely we are most concerned about the possibility of the spread of cholera and we are monitoring the standards of hygiene, he said.The floods have also triggered mudslides, forcing road closures and the suspension of east- and south-bound rail services, including to Singapore.Parts of Johor state Wednesday recorded rainfall of up to 66.3 centimetres, (26.5 inches) with an average of 40 centimetres throughout the state. A daily reading above 20 centimetres is deemed high.The Meteorological Department Thursday said rains were expected to continue until the weekend.
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
December 21, 2006
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Hamas promises Christmas cheer. This headline was so bizarre I did a double take. How could Christmas, a peaceful holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, be associated with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which is responsible for anything but peace and joy?
The newspaper article went on to tell of Hamas making a gift of $50,000 to the city of Bethlehem to decorate the city for Christmas. It portrayed Hamas as a friend of Christians, interested only in making this year's observance of Christmas a bit brighter for Bethlehem's Christians.The reality of life, however, tells a different story. Hamas supports - and the Palestinian Constitution calls for - the establishment of Islamic law in areas under its control, law that denies Christians the legal rights and protections, including religious freedom, afforded Muslims. Signs of these personal restrictions are clearly evident. One Hamas city council member in Bethlehem recently recommended a tax on the city's non-Muslims. Some Christians have said they no longer wear their crosses openly, for fear of harassment, discrimination, and attack. No wonder Christians, once a majority in Bethlehem, have been leaving, and now make up only 15% of the city's population.
Hamas is a wolf in sheep's clothing hoping to deceive Christians to gain their trust and support through its self-serving gift, and to sway international opinion in its favor. They might succeed in the short term. But in the long term, Hamas' plan for Christians living under its rule does not include religious liberty and bigger and better Christmas celebrations each year.
Sadly, the situation found in Bethlehem and in all other Palestinian territories exists throughout the entire Muslim dominated Middle East, where Christians, along with Jews, suffer greatly under oppression. The principle of freedom of religion at the heart of Western-style democracy simply does not exist under Islamic law, and Christians or Jews living under Muslim rule live under severe restrictions to their right to worship. Violation of these restrictions can mean imprisonment or even death. In stark contrast, Muslims living in Israel are free to worship as they please, and enjoy the same rights as every other citizen.
This holiday season, as Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember those Christians now living under hostile rule in Arab and Muslim countries. Pray today that Christmas brings joy, peace, and release from their bonds of Muslim oppression. And let all of us, Jews and Christians alike, give thanks for the gift of religious liberty enjoyed by those of us living in the U.S. and Israel. This God-given freedom is truly a blessing never to be taken for granted.So as December 25th approaches, I say to all my Christian friends, I wish you a joyous and blessed Christmas. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your continued support of Israel, her people, and The Fellowship's work, and, as always, your prayers for the peace of Jerusalem.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
PERSECUSSION,BEHEADINGS
JESUS PERSECUTED BIGTIME
ISAIAH 53:4
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
MATTHEW 9:34
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
JOHN 8:41
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
JOHN 10:20
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11(JESUS GETS REVENGE)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND FOR SINNERS, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE FINAL JUDGEMENT).
WE ARE CHRISTIANS WE WILL BE TREATED THE SAME.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 (WHY WE ARE PERSECUTED BY THE WORLD)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
MATTHEW 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain(BEHEADED) for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
HERE WE GO AGAIN, PUTTING ANYTHING CHRISTIAN DOWN.
Left Behind Game Promotes Religious Violence, Group Says
Melanie Hunter DEC 21,06
A U.S. Islamic advocacy group Tuesday called on the country's largest retailer to stop selling a video game it says glorifies religious violence and could negatively affect interfaith relations.The game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces, is described on the game's website as a real-time strategy game based on the best-selling book series Left Behind.It allows gamers to join the ultimate fight of good against evil, commanding Tribulation Forces or the Global Community Peacekeepers, and uncover the truth about the worldwide disappearances - a reference to the end-time rapture.The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which says it received complaints about the game, charged that players are rewarded for either converting or killing people of other faiths.
In a letter to H. Lee Scott Jr., CEO of Wal-Mart, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said the game was promoting a message of religious intolerance.
The game's enemy team includes people with Muslim-sounding names, Awad said, urging Scott not to sell the game.In the post 9-11 climate, when improving interfaith relations should be a priority for all, this type of product only serves to dehumanize others and increase interfaith hostility and mistrust, he said.We also believe that as a company that prides itself in hiring and offering services to a diverse group of people, it is Wal-Mart's corporate social responsibility to take into account the potential social impact of its decision to sell this harmful game.CAIR isn't alone in calling on the retailer to stop selling the game.
The Campaign to Defend the Constitution, which describes itself as an online grassroots movement combating the growing power of the religious right, is also urging supporters to put pressure on Wal-Mart.On its website, the group says that over the past week, Wal-Mart had received over 25,000 letters demanding that it remove the religious right's violent and hateful video game ... from its shelves.Jeff Frichner, president of Left Behind Games, disputes the claims that the game encourages hatred of Muslims.That's impossible, because the game itself is you're fighting against the anti-Christ, he told Cybercast News Service. There's no other religion in the game.Frichner said CAIR's stance was based on hearsay.He acknowledged that in the Left Behind book series the Tribulation Forces are Christians but said that was not mentioned anywhere in the game.
Frichner said the game encourages players to avoid conflict, because if you end up having to defend yourself ... you actually are penalized as well.So it's really just the complete opposite of what people have written and reported about.On the convert or die allegation, Frichner said there was no element of people of other faiths being forced to convert to Christianity or die.
The game called for people to join the Tribulation Force rather than die at the hands of the anti-Christ. You're trying to save other people from that and ultimate judgment by God, he said.Consumers who have bought the game love it, he said, because they can play it with their kids instead of all the yuck that's out there.Frichner charged that there was a religiously motivated bias in calls to boycott the game.
Those pushing for a boycott were not boycotting other games - even though there were some terrible games out there.Wal-Mart spokeswoman Marisa Bluestone told Cybercast News Service Tuesday the retail chain has no plans to pull the game from store
shelves.
Wal-Mart is selling the PC game Left Behind: Eternal Forces in select stores and online, the company said in a statement.We chose store locations where we anticipated customer demand for the product, and the product has been selling in those stores. As always, the decision on what merchandise we offer in our stores is based on what we think our customers want the opportunity to buy.Cybercast News Service.
1,500 at Manhigut Jewish Leadership Event
By Hillel Fendel (INN) DEC 20,06
Aiming to renew the proud Chanukah spirit in modern-day Israel, members of Manhigut Yehudit, headed by Moshe Feiglin, convened in Jerusalem to prepare the way to grab the reins of leadership.
The colorful event took place in the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem. The 1,200 seats were filled, and over 200 more people were left standing to hear speakers such as Tzfat's Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, former Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled, Manhigut Yehudit's Director-General Michael Puah, former Druze MK Ayoub Kara, Rabbi Uri Sharki of Rosh Yehudi, and more.The central event of the evening was a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony featuring people specifically chosen for their past actions representing the very essence of a proud Jew. Moshe Feiglin, who co-founded Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - now a faction in the Likud - nearly a decade ago, told the audience, I know that [former Gush Katif spokesman] Eran Sternberg is doing a great job as Master of Ceremonies this evening, but I cannot resist taking over his job just for this part of introducing these very special people who represent the very essence of what we are doing here.
The first candle was lit by Jonathan Pollard's wife Esther, and the second by Shoshi Greenfeld, famous for the impassioned graveside speech she delivered at her Lebanon-war casualty brother's funeral this summer. Next were two girls who sat in prison for weeks - after having been arrested for taking part in pro-Land of Israel activities - rather than cooperate with arrangements that contrasted with the way they felt a Jewish State should be run. Next to light were the mother of Nati Ozeri and the wife of Neriah Ofan. Nati Ozeri was a local Shomron security chief who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and Neriah Ofan is one of some 20 Yesha residents who have been distanced from their homes for months by unexplained administrative orders.
Teenager Inspires the Crowd
Oriyah Shir-el of Hevron, lighting the third candle, told the audience, You probably know me better as O.S., as I was not allowed to be identified by my full name when I was in prison because of my young age... Some ask me where I received the strength to fight the evil so strongly and not to break. It's true that my parents gave me a strong education, and they deserve the Yasher Koach (praise] everyone gives them - but it wasn't that. I have great faith that we can change things in this country, and this faith is inspired by Manhigut Yehudit and Moshe Feiglin.At one of her court hearings, Oriyah told the judge, I may lose this case, but that's really a minor issue. I'm looking ahead to 20 years from now, when I know that things in this country will be very different. An onlooker at the hearing said that the judge was blown away by her strength of conviction.
Immigrants Making a Difference
A large poster blared the theme of the evening: Returning the Country to the People. In addition, the many new immigrants to Israel were recognized - asked to stand, they were seen to be as many as a quarter of the audience. Dovid Shir'el, responsible for the English-speaking segment within Jewish Leadership, told Arutz-7, The motto of many new immigrants to Israel is, We made Aliyah to make a difference, not to stand by while Israel loses its Jewish identity.
What's interesting is that we have many English and Russian speakers in the organization - apparently because the former understand the concept of political freedom, and the latter - know what they don't want to see here, and are used to principle-based struggles.A leader of the Druze community also spoke, arousing the audience with his charismatic call that only Manhigut Yehudit can provide true leadership to this country! ... G-d shall give Israel strength, and will bless His nation with peace! Just as Chanukah recalls both spiritual and physical miracles - the lights that illuminated the Holy Temple for eight days on only one day's worth of oil, and the military victory over the Syrian-Greeks - last night's events also featured both: the revolutionary ideological spirit engendered by the participants and speakers - and thousands of sufganiyot (jelly-filled sweet donuts), in every corner, that have become a Chanukah icon in Israel and around the world.
Manhigut leader Moshe Feiglin narrowly missed being elected to the Knesset on the Likud list in 2003 when he was disqualified because of his past conviction on charges of sedition and incitement to rebellion as head of the This is Our Land protests in the mid-1990s.
A year ago, he finished third in the race for Likud Party leader, behind Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom. Feiglin told Yishai Fleisher of IsraelNationalRadio.com last night, Esther Pollard, who will light the first candle -unfortunately it won't be her husband, who is still in prison after 21 years - is one of those who represents the new culture that we are trying to develop. Over the last year, there has been a culture of unfaithfulness, but we want to establish one of loyalty - loyalty to the Land, to the Nation, to G-d. This is what we need in order to survive.Feiglin said with strong confidence that he believes the State of Israel can be fixed: We have to take charge of the engine car of the train, and lead the entire train towards the right goal. We're not interested in saving ourselves; we believe in the entire Jewish people, and are interested - not like the hareidim - of taking national leadership and saving everyone.
Dovid Shirel agreed, saying that the difference between Jewish Leadership and other nationalist groups is that we want to take leadership. Take Effie Eitam [of the National Union]; he says clearly that he would rather see Netanyahu as the leader; he says he wants to be an influencer, not the leader.Asked where Jewish Leadership goes from here, Shirel said, We see now, once again, that the public is ready and waiting for us, and we will now start organizing local gatherings all over the country.A gift was presented during the course of the evening to Binyamin Ze'ev Landau, one of the chief supporters of Manhigut Yehudit. Musical entertainment was provided by Ariel Zilber and Aharon Raz'el.
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.
Sens. Kerry, Dodd meet with Syria's Assad to discuss Iraq
From the Associated Press,December 21, 2006
DAMASCUS, SYRIA — Sens. John F. Kerry and Christopher J. Dodd met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday and discussed the need for Damascus to cooperate with efforts to stabilize war-ravaged Iraq, state media reported. Kerry (D-Mass.) said he told Assad that the new Democratic-controlled Congress has serious concerns about issues such as the flow of money, weapons and terrorists through Syria into Iraq and Lebanon. I feel quite confident in saying this was a conversation worth having and that the administration ought to pursue it, Kerry said in a phone interview from Jerusalem, where he traveled after meeting with Assad.Kerry has criticized the Bush administration for refusing to engage with Syria and Iran, a move that was recommended by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.
The Bush administration has accused Kerry, Dodd (D-Conn.) and other senators who have met with the Syrian president of sending mixed signals and has insisted that the U.S. will not make concessions to Damascus to win its help in Iraq. The two Democratic senators are prospective 2008 presidential candidates.
Netanyahu: Beware the Developing Islamic Reich DEC 20,06
By Hana Levi Julian and Hillel Fendel (INN)
Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu warned foreign ambassadors in Tel Aviv that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is working to create a 1,000-year Islamic Reich. The former prime minister told a gathering of some 60 diplomats on Tuesday that Ahmadinejad is planning to carry out his genocide program using the nuclear weapon Iranian scientists are now building.It's true, Netanyahu said, that we only have three years to stop the Iranian nuclear program - but that's 1,000 days, and enough time to do the job.
Mossad Intelligence organization chief Meir Dagan, in one of his rare appearances at the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said this week that Iran is likely to succeed in developing an atomic bomb by 2009 or 2010. Ahmadinejad announced ten days ago that Iran had expanded production in its national uranium enrichment program by adding 3,000 centrifuges at a facility in the center of the country. Dagan said Iran plans to add another 3,000 centrifuges within the coming year. Iran's nuclear process has been negated by the United Nations Security Council, but its permanent members, as well as Germany, have still not come to an agreement on whether to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu warned that the world’s governments must take action against Iran before Ahmadinejad succeeds in his mission to become the next Adolph Hitler.There are two main differences between Hitler's threats of 1938 and Ahmadinejad's threats now, the former Prime Minister said: Then, there was no independent Jewish state, and - this time we know in advance what can happen when threats like this are made... We now know that when a world leader openly calls for genocide - believe him. Netanyahu also called for prosecuting Ahmadinejad in the International Court at The Hague for encouraging genocide. MK Danny Naveh and former Ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold support the move, though it is not thought to have much chance of success
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
U.S. plans naval buildup in Gulf to counter Iran
CENTCOM plans to use gunboat diplomacy, officials tell NBC News
Updated: 10:53 a.m. ET Dec 19, 2006
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command is aggressively planning a naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, including the addition of a second aircraft carrier, in response to a series of aggressive actions by Iran, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday.The officials pointed to Iran's interference in Iraq — including its support for Shiite militants and shipments of improvised explosive devices into the country — recent military naval exercises in the Gulf, and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The attempt at gunboat diplomacy is in its final planning stages. Although it has not been approved yet, it appears likely the increase in U.S. warships into the Gulf could come as early as January, the officials said.
U.S.: Iran making headway on weapons
On Monday, the Bush administration said Iran was making headway in building nuclear weapons as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried to iron out differences with Russia over a U.N. resolution designed to stop the program with economic sanctions. While not predicting when Iran would join the nuclear club, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Iranians were trying to perfect technology to enrich uranium. Iran has denied an effort to build nuclear weapons and says its work is for energy development.It’s a very tricky matter of perfecting centrifuge technology so you can actually enrich all the uranium, McCormack said. So, yes, they are going along their way in trying to go down the various pathways.The spokesman provided no details of Rice’s telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They went over some of the outstanding issues, McCormack said.
Time for a vote
Russia, which has close economic ties with Iran, has favored diplomacy over punitive sanctions, but the Bush administration is hoping Moscow may be prepared to approve a watered-down resolution at the U.N. Security Council.
We are hopeful that we can get a vote in the very near future. It is time for a vote, McCormack said. I think we need to see a vote on this in a matter of days.The United States and its European allies have proposed offering Iran economic concessions in exchange for halting its enrichment of uranium, a key part of the process of building nuclear weapons.NBC News Jim Miklaszewski and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Fri Dec 22 12:20 AM EDT
DEC 22,06
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
DEC 21,06
MAP 5.0 AEGEAN SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.8 WASHINGTON
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.7 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 OKLAHOMA CITY URBAN AREA, OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
Earthquakes shakes central Oklahoma Thu Dec 21, 11:38 AM ET
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. - Two minor earthquakes shook central Oklahoma, rattling nerves but causing no serious damage or injuries, authorities said.The quakes were centered in the Del City-Midwest City area east of Oklahoma City. The first struck at 8:41 p.m. Wednesday with a preliminary magnitude of 2.6. The second, at 12:14 a.m. Thursday, had a preliminary reading of 2.7, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey.The quake scared a lot of people, Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said. We had multiple calls about shaking homes. They thought it was some kind of explosion.
Central Oklahoma sits over a subsurface geologic structure called the Nemaha Ridge and experiences up to a dozen earthquakes each year, said Charles Mankin, director of the Survey.These are fairly small earthquakes, he said. They're mostly adjustments.
Earthquakes spur El Salvador evacuations Thu Dec 21, 9:44 AM ET
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Scores of small earthquakes near the Salvadoran-Guatemalan border sent people fleeing in panic but caused little damage, authorities said.The earthquakes Wednesday ranged between magnitude 2.3 and 4.3, according to the National Service of Territorial Studies. At least 90 of the tremors were felt by the population.At least 90 people put up makeshift tents and mattresses in the central park of Atiquizaya city, 50 miles west of San Salvador, and Red Cross officials were on hand to help.El Salvador is prone to earthquakes. Earthquakes on Jan. 13 and Feb. 13 in 2001 killed thousands.
Thousands refuse to go home after Indonesian quake: police Thu Dec 21, 2:01 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) - Some 4,000 people who escaped a deadly quake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra earlier this week are refusing to return home despite assurances from seismologists, according to police reports. Relief workers, meanwhile, finally got through to the last three villages cut off by landslides triggered by Monday's quake, which killed four people and damaged hundreds of homes in the remote highland region.The road was reopened this morning (Thursday) and relief workers are able to get through, local police chief Rudi Sumardiyanto told AFP in Panyabungan, bordering South and West Sumatra.Sumardiyanto said while some residents who sought shelter in government buildings had returned home, a lot more were fearful of another quake and were staying put, despite assurances from seismologists that aftershocks would not cause a strong earthquake.
There are some aftershocks. The locals are suffering from trauma. We will provide counselling and encourage about 4,000 people to return home and resume their normal daily activities, he said.Seismologists said aftershocks were continuing, but were less frequent.There were 60 aftershocks after the quake, but that had fallen to 32 Wednesday, said Budiwaluyo, head of the earthquake information unit with the meteorology office headquarters.There is nothing to worry about. It is safe. Residents whose homes were not destroyed can return home, he told AFP.The 5.7 magnitude quake damaged 860 homes in the mainly agricultural area with a population of about 10,000.Sumardiyanto said the government would provide some 10 million rupiah (1,000 dollars) to families whose homes were badly damaged.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra.A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in July on the south coast of the main island of Java also killed more than 600 people.
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.
Denver airport likely closed until Friday
POSTED: 1921 GMT (0321 HKT), December 21, 2006
DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Stranded travelers lined up at ticket counters at snowbound Denver International Airport on Thursday, hoping to get out of town amid a blizzard that paralyzed Colorado's biggest cities with up to 2 feet of snow.
The news wasn't comforting: While some flight updates still said on time, airport spokesman Steve Snyder said the runways likely wouldn't open before noon Friday.The airport crews simply can't keep up with the falling and drifting snow, Snyder said. They plow the runways, but within 30 minutes, the tarmacs are covered again.It feels like I'm a refugee, said Lisa Maurer, a University of Wyoming student who was stuck at the Denver airport as she tried to make her way home to Germany. About 4,700 people hunkered down with her overnight after all flights there were canceled -- more than 1,000 of them Wednesday and Thursday morning alone.
Denver's streets were empty, and long stretches of highway in the eastern Colorado were so impassable, even the mail couldn't get through. Bus and light rail service in a six-county region was suspended. (Watch how the storm has put Denver on ice ).The Colorado Avalanche postponed Thursday night's hockey game against the Calgary Flames. Wednesday night's basketball game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns was also called off.Cathy Stuart, 44, a sales representative from Dallas, spent the night on the airport's stone floor after her flight home was canceled.I don't feel bad, but I just want to get out of here, she said.
More than 3 feet of snow had fallen in some mountain areas since Wednesday morning, and up to 25 inches fell in the Denver metro area, including 2 more inches on Thursday.A snowstorm also dumped up to 18 inches on New Mexico, icing roads and closing schools, and the National Weather Service warned that another storm was heading for New Mexico.Heavy snow also fell on southeastern Wyoming on Wednesday closing interstate highways, stranding travelers and sending government workers home early in Cheyenne.The amount of snow was hard to measure because it wasn't evenly distributed. We have drifts up to 6 feet high in some locations, and in other areas, it is completely dry on the asphalt and concrete, said Mike Sowko, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.
In Denver, Colorado Springs and other cities along the Rocky Mountain Front Range, workers slipped and slid their way home on Wednesday and stayed there, leaving the cities virtual ghost towns Thursday, typically a busy shopping day. A few pedestrians trudging down the middle of unplowed streets as the snow continued.Three more inches of wind-whipped snow was expected Thursday before tapering off in the afternoon. Parts of Nebraska and Kansas were also getting snow and ice, but farther east, warmer temperatures meant even Chicago was only forecast to get heavy rain as the storm moved through.Colorado Gov. Bill Owens declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, which assisted dozens of motorists on the highways
around Denver and delivered diapers, formula and bottled water to Denver's airport.Long stretches of Interstates 70, 25 and 76, major east-west and north-south routes through the Mountain West, were closed.National Guard and sheriff's deputies rescued about 50 people overnight from snowbound vehicles in Weld County, where up to 22 inches of snow fell. About 18 others were still stuck in their cars Thursday morning, said Weld County emergency management director Roy Rudisill. In the Denver suburb of Broomfield, police rescued nearly 100 people stranded in cars along U.S. 36, the main route between Denver and Boulder.
It's just amazing how many people are still out there, said Robert Thompson, spokesman for a local American Red Cross chapter. (Watch drivers, pedestrians struggle through snow ).They pulled everyone off the highway, said Leon Medina, manager of a truck stop on Interstate 25 in Walsenburg, about 130 miles south of Denver. Cars are all around the building. Trucks are all over, trucks and cars pulled into ditches.Weather Service program manager Byron Louis said it was the most powerful storm to hit Colorado since March 2003, when a blizzard dumped up to 11 feet of snow in the mountains over several days and was blamed for at least six deaths.Mail service was canceled in the eastern half of the state because mail carriers and trucks delivering mail four days before Christmas couldn't get through.
We don't want to take the risk of clogging up the system just by being out there, said Al DeSarro, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman in Denver. We're considering delivering on Sunday to make up for what's sure to be a backlog of mail.At Denver International Airport, a major hub for United Airlines, United canceled more than 670 inbound flights, plus 160 that had been scheduled leave before noon Thursday. Frontier Airlines canceled up to 190 flights. (Check nationwide flight delays) It's the wind and blowing and drifting snow that is causing the main problems, Snyder said.Some airport monitors tantalized travelers by listing on time beside arrivals and departures, but Snyder said that was probably caused by a computer glitch.I'm just happy to be alive. It was a terrifying drive, Sara Kelton said of the two-hour crawl over slick, snow-clogged roads to reach the airport. (Watch wind-driven snow rip through a neighborhood ) Public transit service was not expected to resume until late Thursday at the earliest.It was comical for a while, said bus rider Matt Notter of Boulder. Then we realized, this is an all-night thing.The Associated Press.
60,000 flee flooded homes in Malaysia Thu Dec 21, 9:44 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - At least two people are dead and more than 60,000 have fled their homes after floods triggered by torrential rains engulfed whole towns and villages in four Malaysian states, officials said. The bodies of two men were found in Segamat district in southern Johor state, the area worst hit by heavy monsoon rains, Che Moin Umar, head of disaster management at the Civil Defense Department, said Thursday.A third body in Johor's Kota Tinggi district was still being identified and a cause of death being determined, he said.Two people have died already due to the floods ... The younger man's body was discovered yesterday, while the body of the second victim, a 70-year-old man, was found today in Segamat, Che Moin told AFP.
He said the elderly man could not escape the flood waters that rushed through his village because he was partially paralysed by a stroke.The currents are very strong this year, and in Johor it is (so) tremendous that even the rescuers on boats are having difficulty navigating the current, he said.Che Moin said the number of evacuees on Thursday had risen to 63,616 -- 54,585 people from Johor and a further 10,031 displaced in the neighbouring states of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and northeastern Kelantan state.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who visited flood victims in Johor, Thursday pledged full assistance from the government, the state Bernama news agency said.We will extend all aid needed to help the flood victims in Johor, (and) if not enough, more will be dispatched, Najib was quoted as saying.
Health authorities said Thursday they had stepped up vigilance to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases in relief centres across the affected states, where thousands of evacuees were camped out.We have dispatched our health teams to oversee the sanitation especially at the evacuation centres, the health ministry's director of disease control, Ramlee Rahmat, told AFP.Definitely we are most concerned about the possibility of the spread of cholera and we are monitoring the standards of hygiene, he said.The floods have also triggered mudslides, forcing road closures and the suspension of east- and south-bound rail services, including to Singapore.Parts of Johor state Wednesday recorded rainfall of up to 66.3 centimetres, (26.5 inches) with an average of 40 centimetres throughout the state. A daily reading above 20 centimetres is deemed high.The Meteorological Department Thursday said rains were expected to continue until the weekend.
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
December 21, 2006
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Hamas promises Christmas cheer. This headline was so bizarre I did a double take. How could Christmas, a peaceful holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, be associated with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which is responsible for anything but peace and joy?
The newspaper article went on to tell of Hamas making a gift of $50,000 to the city of Bethlehem to decorate the city for Christmas. It portrayed Hamas as a friend of Christians, interested only in making this year's observance of Christmas a bit brighter for Bethlehem's Christians.The reality of life, however, tells a different story. Hamas supports - and the Palestinian Constitution calls for - the establishment of Islamic law in areas under its control, law that denies Christians the legal rights and protections, including religious freedom, afforded Muslims. Signs of these personal restrictions are clearly evident. One Hamas city council member in Bethlehem recently recommended a tax on the city's non-Muslims. Some Christians have said they no longer wear their crosses openly, for fear of harassment, discrimination, and attack. No wonder Christians, once a majority in Bethlehem, have been leaving, and now make up only 15% of the city's population.
Hamas is a wolf in sheep's clothing hoping to deceive Christians to gain their trust and support through its self-serving gift, and to sway international opinion in its favor. They might succeed in the short term. But in the long term, Hamas' plan for Christians living under its rule does not include religious liberty and bigger and better Christmas celebrations each year.
Sadly, the situation found in Bethlehem and in all other Palestinian territories exists throughout the entire Muslim dominated Middle East, where Christians, along with Jews, suffer greatly under oppression. The principle of freedom of religion at the heart of Western-style democracy simply does not exist under Islamic law, and Christians or Jews living under Muslim rule live under severe restrictions to their right to worship. Violation of these restrictions can mean imprisonment or even death. In stark contrast, Muslims living in Israel are free to worship as they please, and enjoy the same rights as every other citizen.
This holiday season, as Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember those Christians now living under hostile rule in Arab and Muslim countries. Pray today that Christmas brings joy, peace, and release from their bonds of Muslim oppression. And let all of us, Jews and Christians alike, give thanks for the gift of religious liberty enjoyed by those of us living in the U.S. and Israel. This God-given freedom is truly a blessing never to be taken for granted.So as December 25th approaches, I say to all my Christian friends, I wish you a joyous and blessed Christmas. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your continued support of Israel, her people, and The Fellowship's work, and, as always, your prayers for the peace of Jerusalem.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
PERSECUSSION,BEHEADINGS
JESUS PERSECUTED BIGTIME
ISAIAH 53:4
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
MATTHEW 9:34
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
JOHN 8:41
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
JOHN 10:20
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11(JESUS GETS REVENGE)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND FOR SINNERS, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE FINAL JUDGEMENT).
WE ARE CHRISTIANS WE WILL BE TREATED THE SAME.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 (WHY WE ARE PERSECUTED BY THE WORLD)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
MATTHEW 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain(BEHEADED) for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
HERE WE GO AGAIN, PUTTING ANYTHING CHRISTIAN DOWN.
Left Behind Game Promotes Religious Violence, Group Says
Melanie Hunter DEC 21,06
A U.S. Islamic advocacy group Tuesday called on the country's largest retailer to stop selling a video game it says glorifies religious violence and could negatively affect interfaith relations.The game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces, is described on the game's website as a real-time strategy game based on the best-selling book series Left Behind.It allows gamers to join the ultimate fight of good against evil, commanding Tribulation Forces or the Global Community Peacekeepers, and uncover the truth about the worldwide disappearances - a reference to the end-time rapture.The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which says it received complaints about the game, charged that players are rewarded for either converting or killing people of other faiths.
In a letter to H. Lee Scott Jr., CEO of Wal-Mart, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said the game was promoting a message of religious intolerance.
The game's enemy team includes people with Muslim-sounding names, Awad said, urging Scott not to sell the game.In the post 9-11 climate, when improving interfaith relations should be a priority for all, this type of product only serves to dehumanize others and increase interfaith hostility and mistrust, he said.We also believe that as a company that prides itself in hiring and offering services to a diverse group of people, it is Wal-Mart's corporate social responsibility to take into account the potential social impact of its decision to sell this harmful game.CAIR isn't alone in calling on the retailer to stop selling the game.
The Campaign to Defend the Constitution, which describes itself as an online grassroots movement combating the growing power of the religious right, is also urging supporters to put pressure on Wal-Mart.On its website, the group says that over the past week, Wal-Mart had received over 25,000 letters demanding that it remove the religious right's violent and hateful video game ... from its shelves.Jeff Frichner, president of Left Behind Games, disputes the claims that the game encourages hatred of Muslims.That's impossible, because the game itself is you're fighting against the anti-Christ, he told Cybercast News Service. There's no other religion in the game.Frichner said CAIR's stance was based on hearsay.He acknowledged that in the Left Behind book series the Tribulation Forces are Christians but said that was not mentioned anywhere in the game.
Frichner said the game encourages players to avoid conflict, because if you end up having to defend yourself ... you actually are penalized as well.So it's really just the complete opposite of what people have written and reported about.On the convert or die allegation, Frichner said there was no element of people of other faiths being forced to convert to Christianity or die.
The game called for people to join the Tribulation Force rather than die at the hands of the anti-Christ. You're trying to save other people from that and ultimate judgment by God, he said.Consumers who have bought the game love it, he said, because they can play it with their kids instead of all the yuck that's out there.Frichner charged that there was a religiously motivated bias in calls to boycott the game.
Those pushing for a boycott were not boycotting other games - even though there were some terrible games out there.Wal-Mart spokeswoman Marisa Bluestone told Cybercast News Service Tuesday the retail chain has no plans to pull the game from store
shelves.
Wal-Mart is selling the PC game Left Behind: Eternal Forces in select stores and online, the company said in a statement.We chose store locations where we anticipated customer demand for the product, and the product has been selling in those stores. As always, the decision on what merchandise we offer in our stores is based on what we think our customers want the opportunity to buy.Cybercast News Service.
1,500 at Manhigut Jewish Leadership Event
By Hillel Fendel (INN) DEC 20,06
Aiming to renew the proud Chanukah spirit in modern-day Israel, members of Manhigut Yehudit, headed by Moshe Feiglin, convened in Jerusalem to prepare the way to grab the reins of leadership.
The colorful event took place in the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem. The 1,200 seats were filled, and over 200 more people were left standing to hear speakers such as Tzfat's Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, former Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled, Manhigut Yehudit's Director-General Michael Puah, former Druze MK Ayoub Kara, Rabbi Uri Sharki of Rosh Yehudi, and more.The central event of the evening was a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony featuring people specifically chosen for their past actions representing the very essence of a proud Jew. Moshe Feiglin, who co-founded Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - now a faction in the Likud - nearly a decade ago, told the audience, I know that [former Gush Katif spokesman] Eran Sternberg is doing a great job as Master of Ceremonies this evening, but I cannot resist taking over his job just for this part of introducing these very special people who represent the very essence of what we are doing here.
The first candle was lit by Jonathan Pollard's wife Esther, and the second by Shoshi Greenfeld, famous for the impassioned graveside speech she delivered at her Lebanon-war casualty brother's funeral this summer. Next were two girls who sat in prison for weeks - after having been arrested for taking part in pro-Land of Israel activities - rather than cooperate with arrangements that contrasted with the way they felt a Jewish State should be run. Next to light were the mother of Nati Ozeri and the wife of Neriah Ofan. Nati Ozeri was a local Shomron security chief who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and Neriah Ofan is one of some 20 Yesha residents who have been distanced from their homes for months by unexplained administrative orders.
Teenager Inspires the Crowd
Oriyah Shir-el of Hevron, lighting the third candle, told the audience, You probably know me better as O.S., as I was not allowed to be identified by my full name when I was in prison because of my young age... Some ask me where I received the strength to fight the evil so strongly and not to break. It's true that my parents gave me a strong education, and they deserve the Yasher Koach (praise] everyone gives them - but it wasn't that. I have great faith that we can change things in this country, and this faith is inspired by Manhigut Yehudit and Moshe Feiglin.At one of her court hearings, Oriyah told the judge, I may lose this case, but that's really a minor issue. I'm looking ahead to 20 years from now, when I know that things in this country will be very different. An onlooker at the hearing said that the judge was blown away by her strength of conviction.
Immigrants Making a Difference
A large poster blared the theme of the evening: Returning the Country to the People. In addition, the many new immigrants to Israel were recognized - asked to stand, they were seen to be as many as a quarter of the audience. Dovid Shir'el, responsible for the English-speaking segment within Jewish Leadership, told Arutz-7, The motto of many new immigrants to Israel is, We made Aliyah to make a difference, not to stand by while Israel loses its Jewish identity.
What's interesting is that we have many English and Russian speakers in the organization - apparently because the former understand the concept of political freedom, and the latter - know what they don't want to see here, and are used to principle-based struggles.A leader of the Druze community also spoke, arousing the audience with his charismatic call that only Manhigut Yehudit can provide true leadership to this country! ... G-d shall give Israel strength, and will bless His nation with peace! Just as Chanukah recalls both spiritual and physical miracles - the lights that illuminated the Holy Temple for eight days on only one day's worth of oil, and the military victory over the Syrian-Greeks - last night's events also featured both: the revolutionary ideological spirit engendered by the participants and speakers - and thousands of sufganiyot (jelly-filled sweet donuts), in every corner, that have become a Chanukah icon in Israel and around the world.
Manhigut leader Moshe Feiglin narrowly missed being elected to the Knesset on the Likud list in 2003 when he was disqualified because of his past conviction on charges of sedition and incitement to rebellion as head of the This is Our Land protests in the mid-1990s.
A year ago, he finished third in the race for Likud Party leader, behind Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom. Feiglin told Yishai Fleisher of IsraelNationalRadio.com last night, Esther Pollard, who will light the first candle -unfortunately it won't be her husband, who is still in prison after 21 years - is one of those who represents the new culture that we are trying to develop. Over the last year, there has been a culture of unfaithfulness, but we want to establish one of loyalty - loyalty to the Land, to the Nation, to G-d. This is what we need in order to survive.Feiglin said with strong confidence that he believes the State of Israel can be fixed: We have to take charge of the engine car of the train, and lead the entire train towards the right goal. We're not interested in saving ourselves; we believe in the entire Jewish people, and are interested - not like the hareidim - of taking national leadership and saving everyone.
Dovid Shirel agreed, saying that the difference between Jewish Leadership and other nationalist groups is that we want to take leadership. Take Effie Eitam [of the National Union]; he says clearly that he would rather see Netanyahu as the leader; he says he wants to be an influencer, not the leader.Asked where Jewish Leadership goes from here, Shirel said, We see now, once again, that the public is ready and waiting for us, and we will now start organizing local gatherings all over the country.A gift was presented during the course of the evening to Binyamin Ze'ev Landau, one of the chief supporters of Manhigut Yehudit. Musical entertainment was provided by Ariel Zilber and Aharon Raz'el.
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.
Sens. Kerry, Dodd meet with Syria's Assad to discuss Iraq
From the Associated Press,December 21, 2006
DAMASCUS, SYRIA — Sens. John F. Kerry and Christopher J. Dodd met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday and discussed the need for Damascus to cooperate with efforts to stabilize war-ravaged Iraq, state media reported. Kerry (D-Mass.) said he told Assad that the new Democratic-controlled Congress has serious concerns about issues such as the flow of money, weapons and terrorists through Syria into Iraq and Lebanon. I feel quite confident in saying this was a conversation worth having and that the administration ought to pursue it, Kerry said in a phone interview from Jerusalem, where he traveled after meeting with Assad.Kerry has criticized the Bush administration for refusing to engage with Syria and Iran, a move that was recommended by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.
The Bush administration has accused Kerry, Dodd (D-Conn.) and other senators who have met with the Syrian president of sending mixed signals and has insisted that the U.S. will not make concessions to Damascus to win its help in Iraq. The two Democratic senators are prospective 2008 presidential candidates.
Netanyahu: Beware the Developing Islamic Reich DEC 20,06
By Hana Levi Julian and Hillel Fendel (INN)
Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu warned foreign ambassadors in Tel Aviv that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is working to create a 1,000-year Islamic Reich. The former prime minister told a gathering of some 60 diplomats on Tuesday that Ahmadinejad is planning to carry out his genocide program using the nuclear weapon Iranian scientists are now building.It's true, Netanyahu said, that we only have three years to stop the Iranian nuclear program - but that's 1,000 days, and enough time to do the job.
Mossad Intelligence organization chief Meir Dagan, in one of his rare appearances at the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said this week that Iran is likely to succeed in developing an atomic bomb by 2009 or 2010. Ahmadinejad announced ten days ago that Iran had expanded production in its national uranium enrichment program by adding 3,000 centrifuges at a facility in the center of the country. Dagan said Iran plans to add another 3,000 centrifuges within the coming year. Iran's nuclear process has been negated by the United Nations Security Council, but its permanent members, as well as Germany, have still not come to an agreement on whether to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu warned that the world’s governments must take action against Iran before Ahmadinejad succeeds in his mission to become the next Adolph Hitler.There are two main differences between Hitler's threats of 1938 and Ahmadinejad's threats now, the former Prime Minister said: Then, there was no independent Jewish state, and - this time we know in advance what can happen when threats like this are made... We now know that when a world leader openly calls for genocide - believe him. Netanyahu also called for prosecuting Ahmadinejad in the International Court at The Hague for encouraging genocide. MK Danny Naveh and former Ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold support the move, though it is not thought to have much chance of success
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
U.S. plans naval buildup in Gulf to counter Iran
CENTCOM plans to use gunboat diplomacy, officials tell NBC News
Updated: 10:53 a.m. ET Dec 19, 2006
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command is aggressively planning a naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, including the addition of a second aircraft carrier, in response to a series of aggressive actions by Iran, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday.The officials pointed to Iran's interference in Iraq — including its support for Shiite militants and shipments of improvised explosive devices into the country — recent military naval exercises in the Gulf, and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The attempt at gunboat diplomacy is in its final planning stages. Although it has not been approved yet, it appears likely the increase in U.S. warships into the Gulf could come as early as January, the officials said.
U.S.: Iran making headway on weapons
On Monday, the Bush administration said Iran was making headway in building nuclear weapons as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried to iron out differences with Russia over a U.N. resolution designed to stop the program with economic sanctions. While not predicting when Iran would join the nuclear club, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Iranians were trying to perfect technology to enrich uranium. Iran has denied an effort to build nuclear weapons and says its work is for energy development.It’s a very tricky matter of perfecting centrifuge technology so you can actually enrich all the uranium, McCormack said. So, yes, they are going along their way in trying to go down the various pathways.The spokesman provided no details of Rice’s telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They went over some of the outstanding issues, McCormack said.
Time for a vote
Russia, which has close economic ties with Iran, has favored diplomacy over punitive sanctions, but the Bush administration is hoping Moscow may be prepared to approve a watered-down resolution at the U.N. Security Council.
We are hopeful that we can get a vote in the very near future. It is time for a vote, McCormack said. I think we need to see a vote on this in a matter of days.The United States and its European allies have proposed offering Iran economic concessions in exchange for halting its enrichment of uranium, a key part of the process of building nuclear weapons.NBC News Jim Miklaszewski and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)