ANTICHRIST (NAMES OF) CHARACTORISTICS OF THE MOVEMENT AND THE EU DICTATOR TO COME.
MATTHEW 24:24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
MARK 13:22
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
1 JOHN 4:2-3
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 JOHN 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
1 JOHN 2:18,22
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
DANIEL 9:26 (COMES FROM ROME) (EU DICTATOR)
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
DANIEL 8:9 (LITTLE HORN)
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
DANIEL 7:8 (THE EU DICTATOR)
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
DANIEL 8:23 (KING OF FIRCE COUNTENANCE)
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
DANIEL 11:36 (THE KING)
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4,8 (MAN OF SIN)
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
ISAIAH 57:20
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.(EU DICTATOR)
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)
REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
NOW AFTER READING ALL THOSE SCRIPTURES READ THIS STORY AND TELL ME IM NOT RIGHT THAT THIS EU JEWISH DICTATOR WILL BE FROM THE NEW AGE OCCULT OR KABBALAH IN ISRAEL MOVEMENTS.
Oprah and Friends to teach course on New Age Christ
By Warren Smith November 2007
Oprah Winfrey will be letting out all the stops on her XM Satellite Radio program this coming year. Beginning January 1, 2008,Oprah & Friends will offer a year-long course on the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles. A lesson a day throughout the year will completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles Workbook.For example, Lesson #29 asks you to go through your day affirming that God is in everything I see.Lesson #61 tells each person to repeat the affirmation I am the light of the world.Lesson #70 teaches the student to say and believe My salvation comes from me. By the end of the year, Oprah & Friends listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset—a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is in everyone and everything. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life. The Course Workbook bluntly states: This is a course in mind training and is dedicated to thought reversal.
Teaching A Course in Miracles will be Oprah’s longtime friend and special XM Satellite Radio reporter Marianne Williamson—who also happens to be one of today’s premier New Age leaders. She and Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch co-founded the American Renaissance Alliance in 1997, that later became the Global Renaissance Alliance of New Age leaders, that changed its name again in 2005 to the Peace Alliance. This Peace Alliance seeks to usher in an era of global peace founded on the principles of a New Age/New Spirituality that they are now referring to as a civil rights movement for the soul. They all agree that the principles of this New Age/New Spirituality are clearly articulated in A Course in Miracles—which is fast becoming the New Age Bible. So what is A Course in Miracles and what does it teach?
A Course in Miracles is allegedly new revelation from Jesus to help humanity work through these troubled times. This Jesus—who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible’s Jesus Christ—began delivering his channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology by the name of Helen Schucman. One day Schucman heard an inner voice stating, This is a course in miracles. Please take notes. For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this inner voice that described himself as Jesus. A Course in Miracles was quietly published in 1975 by the Foundation for Inner Peace. For many years the Course was an underground cult classic for New Age seekers who studied the Course individually, with friends, or in small study groups.
As a former New Age follower and devoted student of A Course in Miracles, I eventually discovered that the Course in Miracles was—in reality—the truth of the Bible turned upside down. Not having a true understanding of the Bible at the time of my involvement, I was led to believe that A Course in Miracles was a gift from God to help everyone understand the real meaning of the Bible and to help bring peace to the world. Little did I know that the New Age Christ and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles were everything the real Jesus Christ warned us to watch out for. In Matthew 24 Jesus warned about false teachers, false teachings and the false Christs who would pretend to be Him. When I left the New Age Christ to follow the Bible’s Jesus Christ, I had come to understand that the Jesus of A Course in Miracles was a false Christ, and that his Course in Miracles was dangerously deceptive. Here are some quotes from the Jesus of A Course in Miracles:
There is no sin. . .
A slain Christ has no meaning.
The journey to the cross should be the last useless journey.
Do not make the pathetic error of clinging to the old rugged cross.
The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray.
God is in everything I see.
The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.
The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power.
The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation.
Most Christians recognize that these teachings are the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross of Calvary was hardly a useless journey. His triumph on the cross provides salvation to all those who confess their sin, accept Him and follow Him as their Lord and Saviour. His victory on the cross rings throughout the New Testament. It has been gloriously sung about in beloved hymns through the ages and is at the heart of our Christian testimony. I found the Jesus of the Bible to be wholly believable as He taught God’s truth and warned about the spiritual deception that would come in His name. The Jesus of A Course in Miracles reveals himself to be an imposter when he blasphemes the true Jesus Christ by saying that a slain Christ has no meaning and that we are all God and that we are all Christ. It was by reading the Bible’s true teachings of Jesus Christ that I came to understand how deceived I had been by A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings.
I was introduced to A Course in Miracles by Dr. Gerald Jampolsky’s book Love is Letting Go of Fear. Jampolsky declared in his easy-to-read book how the teachings of A Course in Miracles had changed his life. As an ambassador for A Course in Miracles over the years, Jampolsky has been featured not only in New Age circles but at least twice on Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power. While Schuller introduced Jampolsky and his fabulous Course in Miracles-based books to his worldwide television audience, it was Marianne Williamson’s appearance on a 1992 Oprah Winfrey Show that really shook the rafters.On that program, Oprah enthusiastically endorsed Williamson’s book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles. Oprah told her television audience that Williamson’s book about A Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience. Oprah’s endorsement skyrocketed Williamson’s book about A Course in Miracles to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Ironically, all of this was happening after I had left the Course and the New Age. In fact, I was doing the final editing on my book The Light That Was Dark that warned about the dangers of the New Age—and in particular A Course in Miracles.After being introduced to the world on Oprah, Marianne Williamson has continued to grow in popularity and, as previously mentioned, has become one of today’s foremost New Age leaders. Williamson credits Winfrey for bringing her book about A Course in Miracles before the world: For that, my deepest thanks to Oprah Winfrey. Her enthusiasm and generosity have given the book, and me, an audience we would never otherwise have had.In her 2004 book, The Gift of Change, Williamson wrote: Twenty years ago, I saw the guidance of the Course as key to changing one’s personal life; today, I see its guidance as key to changing the world. More than anything else, I see how deeply the two are connected.Thus the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles are about to be taught by Marianne Williamson to millions of listeners on Oprah’s XM Satellite Radio program. Listeners are encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course. An audio version of A Course in Miracles recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas is also available on compact disc.
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the brilliant writing of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.21 Williamson’s New Age colleague, Neale Donald Walsch, said his God stated that the era of the Single Saviour is over and that he (God) was responsible for authoring the teachings of A Course in Miracles.Meanwhile, Gerald Jampolsky’s Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, Rethink Conference at his Crystal Cathedral.At this critical time in the history of the world, the New Gospel/New Spirituality is coming right at the world and the church with its New Age teachings and its New Age Peace Plan. But this New Age Peace Plan has at its deceptive core the bottom-line teaching from A Course in Miracles that we are all one because God is in everyone and everything. But the Bible is clear that we are not God (Ezekiel 28:2; Hosea 11:9). And per Galatians 3:26-28, our only oneness is in Jesus Christ—not in ourselves as God and Christ.What Oprah and Marianne Williamson and the world will learn one day is that humanity’s only real and lasting peace is with the true Jesus Christ who is described and quoted in the Holy Bible (Romans 5:1).Oprah Winfrey’s misplaced faith in Marianne Williamson and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles is a sure sign of the times. But an even surer sign of the times is that most Christians are not taking heed to what is happening in the world and in the church. We are not contending for the faith as the Bible admonishes us to do (Jude 3).
It is time for all of our Purpose-Driven and Emerging church pastors to address the real issue of the day. Our true Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care. If we want the world to know who Jesus Christ is, we need to also warn them about who He is not. There is a false New Age Christ making huge inroads into the world and into the church. The Apostle Paul said that it is a shame we have to even talk about these things, but talk about them we must (Ephesians 5:12-16). If people want to follow Oprah Winfrey and the New Age Christ of A Course in Miracles they certainly have that right. But let them be warned that the New Age Christ they are following is not the same Jesus Christ who is so clearly and authoritatively presented in the pages of the Bible.
Warren Smith is a former New Age follower who at one time was deeply involved in the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles. He is the author of The Light That Was Dark: From the New Age to Amazing Grace and Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church. His book Reinventing Jesus Christ: The New Gospel is available free online at www.reinventingjesuschrist.com
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
WAS JESUS BORN IN 6BC
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.
Two tornadoes verified in Pine Belt From staff reports DEC 21,07
Officials confirmed today that a tornado struck Jones County on Thursday.The National Weather Service said an EF2 tornado with winds of 125 mph touched down about five miles northwest of Pleasant Ridge. The tornado extended three miles and was about 150 yards wide.
Two injuries were reported.
Also, the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Covington County on Thursday about one mile south of Collins. The EFI tornado had winds of 105 mph and extended about eight miles.In Jeff Davis County, no confirmation has been made yet of a tornado. The National Weather Service said trees were down around Bassfield and 1/4-inch sized hail was reported.
Winter storm walloping Great Lakes Buzz Bernard
Sun Dec 23, 7:18 PM ET
A winter storm is walloping the Great Lakes with high winds, plunging temperatures and snow. Parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin have picked up between 14 and 16 inches of snow with more on the way. Heavy snow is falling across western Lower Michigan. Snowfall through Monday morning will be heaviest in westernmost Upper Michigan and adjacent counties of northern Wisconsin along with the western counties of Lower Michigan. Additional snowfall could locally approach 1 foot. Farther east, heavy, wind-driven lake-effect snow will develop overnight and Monday off of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Winds around the storm and its attendant cold front are gusting as high as 40 to 50 mph. In the West, mountain snow continues to pile up. A heavy snow warning is posted for the Washington Cascades as snow levels drop from 6000 feet to 1500 feet and for northeastern Washington state and northern Idaho above 3000 feet. Winter storm warnings and watches plus snow and blowing snow advisories are in effect for various other locations in Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, western Wyoming and Utah into Monday. In the higher elevations, one to two feet of snow are possible.
Five dead in US snow storm: reports Sun Dec 23, 3:28 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A snow storm packing strong winds caused flight delays and closed highways across the central United States, leaving at least five dead in road accidents, US media reported on Sunday. The National Weather Service warned travel conditions had deteriorated at the weekend in Midwestern states stretching from northern Missouri to Michigan due to snow and high wind.A combination of heavy snow, strong winds and bitter windchills will make any form of travel dangerous if not impossible in some areas, the service said early Sunday in a warning for parts of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.The harsh weather posed a potential hazard for travellers ahead of the Christmas holiday Tuesday and for presidential candidates campaigning in the state of Iowa, which on January 3 holds the first contest for each party's nomination race.
A heavy winter storm warning was issued for upper Michigan near the US border with Canada, where the weather service said total snowfall through Sunday night will be four to seven inches (10 to 17 centimeters).In Texas, blowing snow reduced visibility and caused a massive pile-up of cars and trucks on Saturday morning, leaving one dead and five others seriously injured, according to the Amarillo Globe-News.The accident involved some 80 vehicles and shutdown Interstate 40 and another highway for hours, the paper reported.Snowy and slippery roads triggered more than 300 car accidents in the Midwestern state of Minnesota, causing at least three deaths, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.And wet roads caused a deadly accident in Missouri, with a 62-year-old man dying when his sport utility vehicle slid off a highway and struck a sign near Kansas City, the Kansas City Star reported.The storm dropped a blanket of fog on Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, causing the cancellation of at least 170 flights and numerous delays on Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reported.Despite the wave of cold weather, 2007 was likely to be one of the 10 warmest years on the US mainland since 1895 according to preliminary data, the National Weather Service said.
YEARENDER: Spanish king experiences his 'annus horribilis' in 2007 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:08:05 GMT Author : DPA Europe (World)
Madrid - For Spain's King Juan Carlos, the year 2007 may not have been an annus horribilis, to use the British queen's famous expression, but it was certainly a stressful one. The royal family had never become entangled in as much controversy since the 69-year-old monarch acceded to the throne 32 years ago. The monarchy has now become an object of political wrangling ahead of general elections in March 2008, with the opposition conservatives seeking the role of its defender against Catalan republicans. The untouchable aura surrounding the royals has been shattered by a scandal over a sex caricature on Crown Prince Felipe, and Princess Elena's separation from her husband has dented the idyllic image of the royal family. The pressure from Catalan anti-monarchists, some other critics and the gossipy media is thought to have influenced the attitude of King Juan Carlos, who has become more outspoken and politically active, even telling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to shut up.
Juan Carlos did not inherit his throne from his father, but acceded to it by the will of dictator Francisco Franco after the latter's death in 1975. The general's dictatorship had followed the 1931-36 Second Republic and the 1936-39 Civil War. Initially regarded as the dictator's puppet, Juan Carlos won the hearts of Spaniards by thwarting a coup attempt in 1981 and by helping to consolidate democracy. Juan Carlos, Greek-born Queen Sofia and their children Felipe, Elena and Cristina have enjoyed reverential treatment from the media, which has helped to maintain their popularity - at least until 2007. In the summer, the satirical magazine El Jueves published a caricature showing Felipe having sex with his wife and saying to her: If you get pregnant, that will be the closest to real work I have ever done in my life.The authors of the caricature were handed fines of 3,000 euros (4,200 dollars) each, but media treatment of the royals had meanwhile grown bolder, with some television talk shows indirectly criticizing their privileged lifestyle. At the same time, republican currents became more visible in north-eastern Catalonia, where small separatist groups burned pictures of the royal couple as a symbol of Spanish power over the region.
The small Catalan separatist party ERC raised the issue of the royal family's lack of financial transparency, apparently contributing to the king's decision to appoint an auditor to monitor his spending. The rise of Catalan republicanism made the main parties rush to defend the monarchy which, as Juan Carlos himself said in an unusual speech, had presided over the longest period of stability and prosperity in democracy ever experienced by Spain.Yet the parties also drew the monarchy into the electoral battle, with the opposition conservatives seeking the role of champions of Spanish nationalism and unity opposing the Socialist government, which had made concessions to regions seeking more autonomy. The king himself adopted a higher political profile, making a controversial visit to the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan coast and sparking a diplomatic crisis with Rabat, which claims the enclaves. The visit was the king's own idea, press reports quoted diplomatic sources as saying. Juan Carlos has also become more outspoken, telling Madrid regional premier Esperanza Aguirre that the Catholic Church should exercise tighter control over its radio station Cope.
The king said the church should pray less for me and the monarchy and watch more over the highly conservative Cope, where a commentator had described Juan Carlos as being close to the Socialists and advised him to abdicate in favour of the crown prince. Then in November, the king was involved in a diplomatic incident with Venezuela after Chavez slammed former Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar as a fascist at an Ibero-American summit in Chile. Why don't you shut up, Juan Carlos snapped at Chavez. The phrase soon became so popular that it sparked a multi-million euro business of selling it in ringtones, T-shirts, websites and the like. A few days after the king's outburst at Chavez, the royal family made other kinds of uncomfortable headlines by announcing that Juan Carlos' eldest child Elena was separating from aristocrat Jaime de Marichalar, her husband of 12 years. The year 2007 was clearly one of change for the Spanish monarchy, but analysts disagreed on whether it would strengthen or weaken the institution in the long run. Some commentators welcomed what they saw as the emergence of a strong crown that acts, arbitrates, intervenes, as historian Santos Julia put it. Others, however, warned that it could be risky for the monarch to be seen as overstepping the boundaries set by the constitution. The king reigns, but does not govern, the daily El Pais pointed out, advising Juan Carlos to stick to his traditional discreet role.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU Mideast envoy: international force may be set up quickly in Gaza EJP Updated: 21/Dec/2007 15:23
Marc Otte, the European Union's Middle East envoy.
JERUSALEM (EJP)---An international force may be set up quickly in Gaza if Israel and the Palestinians reach an agreement on the matter, an EU envoy said. Marc Otte, the European Union Middle East envoy told the Jerusalem Post this week that there is definitely more interest than in the past for the idea of such a force from the Israeli and Palestinian sides. After the second Lebanon War, the sides see the merit in an international security presence, Otte said, referring to the international force in southern Lebanon. At the same time, he said, we are a long way away from implementation.
Otte said that the EU was currently in a listening mode on the matter, adding: We must make sure that all the parties are interested.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have spoken positively about an international force. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at last Monday’s donors’ conference in Paris that France proposes the deployment, when the time and conditions are right, of an international force to assist the Palestinian security services.
Abbas said he supported Sarkozy’s proposal.
We are working for this to become the international position in the near future, he said. Livni hinted at a NATO meeting in Brussels earlier this month that the Atlantic organization would have to play a part in ensuring security if Israel were to carry out significant territorial concessions.
FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS EU, NATO PUT THEMSELVES ABOVE THE LAW
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Vremya novostei of December 21 that only the UN can achieve a political settlement in Kosova and that any unilateral declaration of independence will be illegal. He stressed that if NATO and the EU now state, after ignoring all legitimate legal mechanisms that exist in the UN, that they will decide on how to divide Serbia, how to bite Kosovo off from it, and how to prevent Serbs who live in Kosovo from expressing their opinion on the issue, they will put themselves above international law. He called this a very dangerous game. He did not specify which dangers are involved. Lavrov charged that the Kosova issue marks the first time that Western countries have in effect said they are no longer interested in the UN and will resolve complex issues outside it. He stressed that Russia will veto any move in the UN to grant Kosova independence without Serbia's agreement. Deutsche Welle noted on December 21 that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been at pains to find out from Moscow what it wants in return for cooperation on a host of issues. The broadcast added that some German experts have concluded that Russia is interested only in obstruction. PM
EU is increasingly perceived worldwide as a global player
International opinion survey: US experiences dramatic loss of stature - Rapidly growing awareness of environmental threats - EU recognized as world power
The European Union is increasingly perceived all over the world as a global power, and is anticipated to play a major role on the international stage in 2020 after the US, China and Russia. The US's superpower image is fading, while China and Russia have risen enormously in stature. There was a spike in many parts of the world in people's awareness of the dangers of climate change and environmental devastation. Climate protection and poverty are currently seen as the most important tasks facing international policy makers. These are some of the findings of a worldwide opinion poll conducted by the German foundation, the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
According to the poll, the European Union already enjoys the reputation of a global player, and was ranked fifth on average by all international respondents. This picture improves for the Europeans as time goes on. When asked which nations and organizations would be global powers in 2020, every third person mentioned the EU. On the other hand, the US lost its undisputed leadership position. While 81 percent of people would still call the US a world power today, only 61 percent expect it to retain this position into 2020. Once again, China, India and - more recently - Russia have greatly boosted their own profiles as global players. With a 57 percent response rate, China was mentioned almost as frequently as the US as a future superpower. They were followed further down by Russia with 37 percent, the EU with 33 percent, Japan with 33 percent and India with 29 percent.
Compared to the United Nations, the EU is perceived as a very strong player in global politics. This applies in all countries surveyed except India, where the UN has a higher standing. And in China, the perception of the EU as a world power rose significantly - by 15 percentage points in the past two years.
When asked if their own country should cooperate more closely with the EU, the vast majority of the international respondents - 74 percent on average - said yes. This desire is particularly strong in China and Russia, where stronger ties with the EU are favoured by 98 percent and 91 percent of respondents, respectively. In the US, these numbers were 78 percent, in Brazil 70 percent, in India 68 percent and in Japan 48 percent.
Recent years have seen a shift in perceptions of what challenges face the world and what goals global players should work towards. For example, in almost all the countries surveyed, awareness of environmental threats skyrocketed, while dangers such as global terrorism were viewed as less urgent. Awareness of environmental problems has risen more than 10 percentage points worldwide since 2005. The percentage of people who viewed climate change and environmental devastation as global threats rose in all countries surveyed, but especially in the US (+22 percentage points), China (+17 percentage points) and Japan (+16 percentage points). On average, 54 percent of all people viewed environmental destruction as the most important threat. Only in Russia (31 percent) and India (28 percent) did a minority of the population view this problem as a major threat. At the same time, the perceived significance of global terrorism showed no change compared to two years ago. The other key challenges cited by respondents were poverty and overpopulation, war, resource scarcity, and religious conflicts and fundamentalism.
What global threats predominate in people's views varies considerably from country to country. In India, poverty and overpopulation are mentioned most often, while Russians cite the dangers of war, the Chinese resource scarcity and the French religious fundamentalism.
Summarizing the study, Josef Janning, Head of International Relations at the Bertelsmann Stiftung, noted, People's future expectations hold enormous sway over policymaking. All over the world, people see the US losing its dominant position and China gaining ground. However, they don't expect the kind of harmonious, balanced world order you might expect from a global government run by the United Nations. Instead, in almost every country, people plan to rely on their own strength in global competition and want their own countries to play larger roles in spreading peace and stability. If this perspective and expectation takes hold in global politics, we may see a resurgence of the sort of nationalistic brinkmanship between current and future global powers that we experienced so disastrously in 20th century Europe. However, the threat of climate change appears to be encouraging greater political cooperation at the international level.
Gallup International/TNS-EMNID, an opinion research firm, recently questioned 9,000 people in the US, Russia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Germany, France and the UK for the Bertelsmann Stiftung study. As a benchmark, the findings were compared with a similar Bertelsmann Stiftung survey from 2005. The results of the world power survey were presented at the second meeting of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Global Policy Council in Berlin. The council brings together high-calibre experts from various fields and regions to analyze the challenges and opportunities inherent in the dynamics of globalization, the rise of new powers and the emergence of new security risks.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Caribbean-EU trade pact comprehensive, innovative
Sunday | December 23, 2007 David Jessop, Contributor
At about 1:30 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, December 16, weary Carib-bean and European negotiators finally initialled the text of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) between Europe and Cariforum.The final text is complex and daunting - it runs to well over a thousand pages - but it is comprehensive and sometimes innovative.For the average reader, a more accessible version of what was agreed and a good measure of the level of Caribbean negotiators' achievement is contained in a six- page note sent to the regional private sector by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM).In outline, the Caribbean EPA offers duty- and quota-free treatment for all Cariforum goods entering Europe as of January 1, 2008, except for rice and sugar. In their case, there will be a two-year transition period and increased quotas before they, too, have quota free and duty-free status.
In return, Cariforum will remove tariffs from 80 per cent of EU imports into the region over a 15-year period, with sensitive goods receiving protection for up to 25 years or indefinitely. In implementing this, Cariforum has a three-year moratorium and will, during this period, continue to charge customs duties on all items other than vehicles and gasolene, for which a different phasing was agreed. Cariforum retained the right to maintain other duties and charges that make up an important part of Government revenues for up to 10 years.There is also extensive language on services industries that implicitly recognises how important such industries have become for the region, and an unprecedented provision that allows Haiti and The Bahamas to be signatories to the full EPA, while being granted extra time to complete their services offer.
Investors to get national treatment
In the European Union (EU), Cariforum investors will get national treatment and most favoured nation treatment. The same applies in reverse. Public services and utilities and other sensitive sectors have not been opened to foreign participation, and Cariforum maintained special reservations for small and medium enterprises in some sectors.In the case of services, there are comprehensive rules in the EPA for the tourism sector, e-commerce, couriers, telecommunications, financial services, and maritime transport. In the case of tourism, large firms will be prevented from behaving in an anti-competitive manner in order to safeguard the interests of the mainly small firms in the Caribbean. The EPA also has special provisions for short-term visitors to Europe for business purposes.In return for most of Europe opening immediately more than 90 per cent of its services sector, Cariforum is opening between 65 and 75 per cent with, in its case, the Dominican Republic's opening more than 90 per cent. In the case of investment, the EC has liberalised almost all sectors for Cariforum firms and has agreed to grant temporary access for Caribbean professionals in 29 sectors.
In an important concession not made before by Europe, there are no quotas on the number of service suppliers that can enter the EU market. In addition, 25 European states will liberalise entertainment services. Again, this is a first for any trade agreement with the EU, and is complemented by an innovative protocol on cultural cooperation.What all this means is that unlike every other region of the ACP, the Caribbean has remained true to its word and has achieved the only comprehensive EPA with Europe. This is astonishing for a region with countries at very different levels of development and capacity, to say nothing of the technical and cultural problems of incorporating the Dominican Republic, when right up to the very end, it was quite possible that its government might seek an arrangement of its own.Moreover, the Caribbean EPA was achieved in the face of a very real threat that the region's exports would be disadvantaged by the introduction of a European tariff regime on January 1, 2008. In this respect, it is worth recording that this was no idle threat as on December 20, customs and revenue authorities across Europe issued notices to importers listing 10 of the more developed ACP nations and another 12 less developed nations, that for technical reasons, would now be subject to tariffs on their exports to Europe.
The turning point came when Caribbean heads of government met in Georgetown on December 7.
Negotiations with the EC
There, faced with the real possibility that the region would be disadvantaged by the EC, the region's political leadership agreed to return to negotiations with the EC on December 14, to conclude a full EPA based on changes to its trade- in-goods offer in return for improved concessions in a number of areas. It was the moment when it was necessary, according to one Caribbean leader, to accept convenience over principle.
Europe's negotiators, too, were prepared for compromise on this basis.
Speaking a few days after the final EPA had been reached, Ambassador Richard Bernal, the region's chief trade negotiator, told me that finishing on its own terms should be seen as an extraordinary confidence-building accomplishment for the region.
The Caribbean EPA was, he said, unique. No one else in the ACP had been able to achieve a full agreement. The region had been able to obtain duty-free and quota-free treatment for all goods; less than full reciprocity; an asymmetrical phase of up to 25 years; the exclusion of 20 per cent of products sensitive to the region; and, comprehensive and sometimes ground- breaking language on services.
Europe, Bernal said, had failed in its attempt to extract concessions. The Caribbean remained sovereign in important areas such as governance and taxation; the free circulation of goods in CARICOM; government procurement; and the region's right to retain import duties and charges. He concluded by noting that the banana, sugar, rice and rum industries were largely satisfied, even if they not achieved all that they had wanted.There remain, of course, doubters who do not share these views and justified concerns about the EPA's development component and its delivery and funding.However, the reality is that at an economic level, the EPA means that Cariforum, an abstract concept, has become one, and its governments and private sector now have between 12 to 15 years to make the single market and economy function. In effect, the EPA will drive integration if the region is not to cede economic control to Europe.
In another column, I will reflect more on this and the lessons learnt; why success in the negotiating process should give the region greater confidence in the world; the dangerous longer-term implications of the lack of understanding shown throughout at the highest political levels of the European Com-mission; and the challenge and the change in thinking needed if the region is to take advantage of what has been agreed.But for now, I, like every one else, will be stopping for Christ-mas, but taking a moment to celebrate the remarkable achievement of Caribbean ministers and the region's trade-negotiating team in reaching agreement on a full EPA despite the many difficulties placed in their way.
David Jessop is director of the Caribbean Council. Email: david.jessop@caribbean-coun cil.org
From The Sunday TimesDecember 23, 2007
Tony Blair finally becomes a Catholic
Robert Watts and Steven Swinford
TONY Blair, who announced his conversion to Catholicism this weekend, has come under pressure from fellow believers to explain his untenable record on issues such as gay rights, abortion and stem cell research during his decade in power.As prime minister, Blair angered Catholics by legalising homosexual civil partnerships and gay adoption, championing stem cell research using embryos and voting against lowering the time limit on abortions. The invasion of Iraq also drew criticism from Pope Benedict XVI.Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative MP who is also a convert, said: He has voted three times in the Commons against some of the core beliefs of the Roman Catholic church on abortion, embryo research and Sunday trading. Since he has made a public conversion to Catholicism we are entitled to ask how he reconciles these actions with such teaching.There were also questions about the role his wife Cherie played in his conversion. She is her husband’s sponsor, charged with providing spiritual support and guidance. One senior churchman said: It’s quite wrong for a spouse to be a sponsor.On Friday evening, at a small service attended by family and friends in the archbishop’s Westminster home, Blair accepted all that the holy Catholic church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.
Portugal symbolically hands over EU presidency to Slovenia
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-23 03:27:00
BELGRADE, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Portugal symbolically handed over the EU presidency to Slovenia on Saturday, as Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates gave Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa an astrolabe, said reports reaching here from Slovenia. Socrates said with the seafaring navigation instrument, Slovenia could successfully steer the EU ship when it officially assumes the rotating EU presidency on Jan. 1, the Slovenian national news agency STA reported. The symbolical handing over took place at a celebration at the Skofije/Rabuiese border crossing between Slovenia and Italy of the expansion of the Schengen no-border zone to nine EU countries, including Slovenia. At midnight on Friday, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the15 countries already in the border-free zone. A total of 400 million people from 24 countries are now able to move freely throughout Europe.
Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav state to join the European Union, the eurozone and the Schengen zone, will assume the leadership of the 27-nation, 490-million-people European Union during the first half of 2008. Jansa thanked Socrates and praised the excellent cooperation of the EU presiding trio of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. He said Germany as well as Portugal had proven they are capable of strategic steps, the former with the content of the Lisbon Treaty and the latter with the successful inter-governmental conference and the signing of the document.
According to Jansa, Slovenia will continue down the same path, doing its utmost to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified where this is possible in the first half of 2008. Moreover, it would harness the optimism created by the Schengen zone expansion for steps that improve the lives of European citizens, said Jansa.
Editor: Yan Liang
OUR AWESOME GOD WILL REVEAL THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD WHETHER THEY WANT TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THE WHEAT AND CHAFF ARE BEING SEPARATED GETTING READY FOR THE ULTIMATE DECIEVER TO COME ON THE WORLD SCENE TO DECIEVE THE ONES THAT WON"T ACCEPT THE TRUTH BUT BELIEVE THE LIES.
Astrophysicist researches Biblical star of Bethlehem
Tom Coyne - Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com December 22, 2007
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - It's long been a puzzle for Christian astronomers, and now a professor from the University of Notre Dame thinks he has it figured out - almost, anyway.His quest: discovering just what the star in the East was that led wise men to travel to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.As a theoretical astrophysicist, Grant Mathews had hoped the answer would be spectacular - something like a supernova. But two years of research have led him to a more ordinary conclusion. The heavenly sign around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was likely an unusual alignment of planets, the sun and the moon.Not a lot was written about the star in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew it says: Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.
The star, though, has long been immortalized in Christmas songs, plays and movies. Astronomers, theologians and historians for hundreds of years have been trying to determine exactly which star might have inspired the biblical writing. German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed in 1604 that the star was a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C.The advantage Mathews has over Kepler and others who have pondered the question is that he had access to NASA's databases.In principle, we can see any star that was ever made from the beginning of time if we knew where to look. So the question is, could we find a star that could be a good candidate for what showed up then? he said.Mathews found several possibilities. He began by posing three questions he would ask when trying to find the answer to any astronomical event: When did it occur? What were its characteristics? Did anyone else see it? The Gospel of Matthew indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem when Herod was king. Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died after an eclipse of the moon before the Passover. Mathews said among the possibilities are 6 B.C., 5 B.C., 1 B.C. or 1 A.D. The star could have appeared up to two years before the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, he said.Mathews believes that means the Christmas star could have appeared anywhere from 8 to 4 B.C.
Among the characteristics written about the star was that it appeared before sunrise and that it appeared to rest in the sky. Mathews also found writings from Korean and Chinese astronomers of an event about 4 B.C. which described a comet with no tail that didn't move.Using that set of facts, Mathews found several possibilities, including supernovas, novas and planetary alignments.Mathews found two possible supernovas in the right period, but said one was probably too low on the horizon to be seen. The other supernova is known as Kes 75. But it was 60,000 light years away and may not have been particularly spectacular.
There's no real convincing evidence this happened right at 2000 years ago, but it could be in the range of being right because it's in the right location, he said.He also found a number of nova that also could have been the Christmas star. The one he thinks is the most likely candidate is known as Nova Aquilae V603. The problem with novas and comets, though, is that they were believed in ancient times to be a sign of disaster, not a portent of good things to come.For that reason, Mathews believes the Christmas star is most likely an alignment of planets. He said there are three likely times for this:
-Feb. 20, 6 B.C., when Mars, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the constellation Pisces.
-April 17, 6 B.C., when the sun, Jupiter, the moon and Saturn aligned in the constellation Aries while Venus and Mars were in neighboring constellations.
-June 17, 2 B.C., when Jupiter and Venus were closely aligned in Leo.
Mathews believes the April 17, 6 B.C., alignment is the most likely candidate. It makes sense because he believes the wise men were Zoroastrian astrologers who would have recognized the planetary alignment in Aries as a sign a powerful leader was born.
In fact it would have even meant that (the leader was) destined to die at an appointed time, which of course would have been significant for the Christ child, and may have been why they brought myrrh, which was an embalming fluid, Mathews said. Saturn there would have made whoever was born as a leader a most powerful leader because Saturn had the strength to do it, in their view.
Mathews has been sharing his findings in public lectures at Notre Dame and plans to write a paper to submit to the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. He's also considering writing a book.Mathews concedes, though, that any of the other events could have been the famed star. Unless a document is discovered that allows historians to more accurately estimate exactly when Jesus was born, it will be impossible to say what caused the light with absolute certainty, Mathews said.I think it would take more of a historical reference more than an astrophysics, he said. There are plenty of strong opinions out there. I think this is as good as you can do for now.2007 American Family News Network.
Is a New Solar Cycle Beginning?
Dec. 14, 2007: The solar physics community is abuzz this week. No, there haven't been any great eruptions or solar storms. The source of the excitement is a modest knot of magnetism that popped over the sun's eastern limb on Dec. 11th, pictured below in a pair of images from the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
It may not look like much, but this patch of magnetism could be a sign of the next solar cycle, says solar physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Above: From SOHO, a UV-wavelength image of the sun and a map showing positive (white) and negative (black) magnetic polarities. The new high-latitude active region is magnetically reversed, marking it as a harbinger of a new solar cycle.
For more than a year, the sun has been experiencing a lull in activity, marking the end of Solar Cycle 23, which peaked with many furious storms in 2000--2003. Solar minimum is upon us, he says. The big question now is, when will the next solar cycle begin?
It could be starting now.
New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot, explains Hathaway. Reversed polarity means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. High-latitude refers to the sun's grid of latitude and longitude. Old cycle spots congregate near the sun's equator. New cycle spots appear higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude.The region that appeared on Dec. 11th fits both these criteria. It is high latitude (24 degrees N) and magnetically reversed. Just one problem: There is no sunspot. So far the region is just a bright knot of magnetic fields. If, however, these fields coalesce into a dark sunspot, scientists are ready to announce that Solar Cycle 24 has officially begun.
Below: Solar Cycle 23 is coming to an end. What's next? Image credit: NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center.
Many forecasters believe Solar Cycle 24 will be big and intense. Peaking in 2011 or 2012, the cycle to come could have significant impacts on telecommunications, air traffic, power grids and GPS systems. (And don't forget the Northern Lights!) In this age of satellites and cell phones, the next solar cycle could make itself felt as never before.The furious storms won't start right away, however. Solar cycles usually take a few years to build to a frenzy and Cycle 24 will be no exception. We still have some quiet times ahead, says Hathaway. Meanwhile, all eyes are on a promising little active region. Will it become the first sunspot of a new solar cycle? Stay tuned for updates from Science@NASA.
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.
Two tornadoes verified in Pine Belt From staff reports DEC 21,07
Officials confirmed today that a tornado struck Jones County on Thursday.The National Weather Service said an EF2 tornado with winds of 125 mph touched down about five miles northwest of Pleasant Ridge. The tornado extended three miles and was about 150 yards wide.
Two injuries were reported.
Also, the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Covington County on Thursday about one mile south of Collins. The EFI tornado had winds of 105 mph and extended about eight miles.In Jeff Davis County, no confirmation has been made yet of a tornado. The National Weather Service said trees were down around Bassfield and 1/4-inch sized hail was reported.
Winter storm walloping Great Lakes Buzz Bernard
Sun Dec 23, 7:18 PM ET
A winter storm is walloping the Great Lakes with high winds, plunging temperatures and snow. Parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin have picked up between 14 and 16 inches of snow with more on the way. Heavy snow is falling across western Lower Michigan. Snowfall through Monday morning will be heaviest in westernmost Upper Michigan and adjacent counties of northern Wisconsin along with the western counties of Lower Michigan. Additional snowfall could locally approach 1 foot. Farther east, heavy, wind-driven lake-effect snow will develop overnight and Monday off of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Winds around the storm and its attendant cold front are gusting as high as 40 to 50 mph. In the West, mountain snow continues to pile up. A heavy snow warning is posted for the Washington Cascades as snow levels drop from 6000 feet to 1500 feet and for northeastern Washington state and northern Idaho above 3000 feet. Winter storm warnings and watches plus snow and blowing snow advisories are in effect for various other locations in Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, western Wyoming and Utah into Monday. In the higher elevations, one to two feet of snow are possible.
Five dead in US snow storm: reports Sun Dec 23, 3:28 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A snow storm packing strong winds caused flight delays and closed highways across the central United States, leaving at least five dead in road accidents, US media reported on Sunday. The National Weather Service warned travel conditions had deteriorated at the weekend in Midwestern states stretching from northern Missouri to Michigan due to snow and high wind.A combination of heavy snow, strong winds and bitter windchills will make any form of travel dangerous if not impossible in some areas, the service said early Sunday in a warning for parts of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.The harsh weather posed a potential hazard for travellers ahead of the Christmas holiday Tuesday and for presidential candidates campaigning in the state of Iowa, which on January 3 holds the first contest for each party's nomination race.
A heavy winter storm warning was issued for upper Michigan near the US border with Canada, where the weather service said total snowfall through Sunday night will be four to seven inches (10 to 17 centimeters).In Texas, blowing snow reduced visibility and caused a massive pile-up of cars and trucks on Saturday morning, leaving one dead and five others seriously injured, according to the Amarillo Globe-News.The accident involved some 80 vehicles and shutdown Interstate 40 and another highway for hours, the paper reported.Snowy and slippery roads triggered more than 300 car accidents in the Midwestern state of Minnesota, causing at least three deaths, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.And wet roads caused a deadly accident in Missouri, with a 62-year-old man dying when his sport utility vehicle slid off a highway and struck a sign near Kansas City, the Kansas City Star reported.The storm dropped a blanket of fog on Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, causing the cancellation of at least 170 flights and numerous delays on Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reported.Despite the wave of cold weather, 2007 was likely to be one of the 10 warmest years on the US mainland since 1895 according to preliminary data, the National Weather Service said.
YEARENDER: Spanish king experiences his 'annus horribilis' in 2007 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:08:05 GMT Author : DPA Europe (World)
Madrid - For Spain's King Juan Carlos, the year 2007 may not have been an annus horribilis, to use the British queen's famous expression, but it was certainly a stressful one. The royal family had never become entangled in as much controversy since the 69-year-old monarch acceded to the throne 32 years ago. The monarchy has now become an object of political wrangling ahead of general elections in March 2008, with the opposition conservatives seeking the role of its defender against Catalan republicans. The untouchable aura surrounding the royals has been shattered by a scandal over a sex caricature on Crown Prince Felipe, and Princess Elena's separation from her husband has dented the idyllic image of the royal family. The pressure from Catalan anti-monarchists, some other critics and the gossipy media is thought to have influenced the attitude of King Juan Carlos, who has become more outspoken and politically active, even telling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to shut up.
Juan Carlos did not inherit his throne from his father, but acceded to it by the will of dictator Francisco Franco after the latter's death in 1975. The general's dictatorship had followed the 1931-36 Second Republic and the 1936-39 Civil War. Initially regarded as the dictator's puppet, Juan Carlos won the hearts of Spaniards by thwarting a coup attempt in 1981 and by helping to consolidate democracy. Juan Carlos, Greek-born Queen Sofia and their children Felipe, Elena and Cristina have enjoyed reverential treatment from the media, which has helped to maintain their popularity - at least until 2007. In the summer, the satirical magazine El Jueves published a caricature showing Felipe having sex with his wife and saying to her: If you get pregnant, that will be the closest to real work I have ever done in my life.The authors of the caricature were handed fines of 3,000 euros (4,200 dollars) each, but media treatment of the royals had meanwhile grown bolder, with some television talk shows indirectly criticizing their privileged lifestyle. At the same time, republican currents became more visible in north-eastern Catalonia, where small separatist groups burned pictures of the royal couple as a symbol of Spanish power over the region.
The small Catalan separatist party ERC raised the issue of the royal family's lack of financial transparency, apparently contributing to the king's decision to appoint an auditor to monitor his spending. The rise of Catalan republicanism made the main parties rush to defend the monarchy which, as Juan Carlos himself said in an unusual speech, had presided over the longest period of stability and prosperity in democracy ever experienced by Spain.Yet the parties also drew the monarchy into the electoral battle, with the opposition conservatives seeking the role of champions of Spanish nationalism and unity opposing the Socialist government, which had made concessions to regions seeking more autonomy. The king himself adopted a higher political profile, making a controversial visit to the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan coast and sparking a diplomatic crisis with Rabat, which claims the enclaves. The visit was the king's own idea, press reports quoted diplomatic sources as saying. Juan Carlos has also become more outspoken, telling Madrid regional premier Esperanza Aguirre that the Catholic Church should exercise tighter control over its radio station Cope.
The king said the church should pray less for me and the monarchy and watch more over the highly conservative Cope, where a commentator had described Juan Carlos as being close to the Socialists and advised him to abdicate in favour of the crown prince. Then in November, the king was involved in a diplomatic incident with Venezuela after Chavez slammed former Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar as a fascist at an Ibero-American summit in Chile. Why don't you shut up, Juan Carlos snapped at Chavez. The phrase soon became so popular that it sparked a multi-million euro business of selling it in ringtones, T-shirts, websites and the like. A few days after the king's outburst at Chavez, the royal family made other kinds of uncomfortable headlines by announcing that Juan Carlos' eldest child Elena was separating from aristocrat Jaime de Marichalar, her husband of 12 years. The year 2007 was clearly one of change for the Spanish monarchy, but analysts disagreed on whether it would strengthen or weaken the institution in the long run. Some commentators welcomed what they saw as the emergence of a strong crown that acts, arbitrates, intervenes, as historian Santos Julia put it. Others, however, warned that it could be risky for the monarch to be seen as overstepping the boundaries set by the constitution. The king reigns, but does not govern, the daily El Pais pointed out, advising Juan Carlos to stick to his traditional discreet role.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU Mideast envoy: international force may be set up quickly in Gaza EJP Updated: 21/Dec/2007 15:23
Marc Otte, the European Union's Middle East envoy.
JERUSALEM (EJP)---An international force may be set up quickly in Gaza if Israel and the Palestinians reach an agreement on the matter, an EU envoy said. Marc Otte, the European Union Middle East envoy told the Jerusalem Post this week that there is definitely more interest than in the past for the idea of such a force from the Israeli and Palestinian sides. After the second Lebanon War, the sides see the merit in an international security presence, Otte said, referring to the international force in southern Lebanon. At the same time, he said, we are a long way away from implementation.
Otte said that the EU was currently in a listening mode on the matter, adding: We must make sure that all the parties are interested.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have spoken positively about an international force. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at last Monday’s donors’ conference in Paris that France proposes the deployment, when the time and conditions are right, of an international force to assist the Palestinian security services.
Abbas said he supported Sarkozy’s proposal.
We are working for this to become the international position in the near future, he said. Livni hinted at a NATO meeting in Brussels earlier this month that the Atlantic organization would have to play a part in ensuring security if Israel were to carry out significant territorial concessions.
FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS EU, NATO PUT THEMSELVES ABOVE THE LAW
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Vremya novostei of December 21 that only the UN can achieve a political settlement in Kosova and that any unilateral declaration of independence will be illegal. He stressed that if NATO and the EU now state, after ignoring all legitimate legal mechanisms that exist in the UN, that they will decide on how to divide Serbia, how to bite Kosovo off from it, and how to prevent Serbs who live in Kosovo from expressing their opinion on the issue, they will put themselves above international law. He called this a very dangerous game. He did not specify which dangers are involved. Lavrov charged that the Kosova issue marks the first time that Western countries have in effect said they are no longer interested in the UN and will resolve complex issues outside it. He stressed that Russia will veto any move in the UN to grant Kosova independence without Serbia's agreement. Deutsche Welle noted on December 21 that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been at pains to find out from Moscow what it wants in return for cooperation on a host of issues. The broadcast added that some German experts have concluded that Russia is interested only in obstruction. PM
EU is increasingly perceived worldwide as a global player
International opinion survey: US experiences dramatic loss of stature - Rapidly growing awareness of environmental threats - EU recognized as world power
The European Union is increasingly perceived all over the world as a global power, and is anticipated to play a major role on the international stage in 2020 after the US, China and Russia. The US's superpower image is fading, while China and Russia have risen enormously in stature. There was a spike in many parts of the world in people's awareness of the dangers of climate change and environmental devastation. Climate protection and poverty are currently seen as the most important tasks facing international policy makers. These are some of the findings of a worldwide opinion poll conducted by the German foundation, the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
According to the poll, the European Union already enjoys the reputation of a global player, and was ranked fifth on average by all international respondents. This picture improves for the Europeans as time goes on. When asked which nations and organizations would be global powers in 2020, every third person mentioned the EU. On the other hand, the US lost its undisputed leadership position. While 81 percent of people would still call the US a world power today, only 61 percent expect it to retain this position into 2020. Once again, China, India and - more recently - Russia have greatly boosted their own profiles as global players. With a 57 percent response rate, China was mentioned almost as frequently as the US as a future superpower. They were followed further down by Russia with 37 percent, the EU with 33 percent, Japan with 33 percent and India with 29 percent.
Compared to the United Nations, the EU is perceived as a very strong player in global politics. This applies in all countries surveyed except India, where the UN has a higher standing. And in China, the perception of the EU as a world power rose significantly - by 15 percentage points in the past two years.
When asked if their own country should cooperate more closely with the EU, the vast majority of the international respondents - 74 percent on average - said yes. This desire is particularly strong in China and Russia, where stronger ties with the EU are favoured by 98 percent and 91 percent of respondents, respectively. In the US, these numbers were 78 percent, in Brazil 70 percent, in India 68 percent and in Japan 48 percent.
Recent years have seen a shift in perceptions of what challenges face the world and what goals global players should work towards. For example, in almost all the countries surveyed, awareness of environmental threats skyrocketed, while dangers such as global terrorism were viewed as less urgent. Awareness of environmental problems has risen more than 10 percentage points worldwide since 2005. The percentage of people who viewed climate change and environmental devastation as global threats rose in all countries surveyed, but especially in the US (+22 percentage points), China (+17 percentage points) and Japan (+16 percentage points). On average, 54 percent of all people viewed environmental destruction as the most important threat. Only in Russia (31 percent) and India (28 percent) did a minority of the population view this problem as a major threat. At the same time, the perceived significance of global terrorism showed no change compared to two years ago. The other key challenges cited by respondents were poverty and overpopulation, war, resource scarcity, and religious conflicts and fundamentalism.
What global threats predominate in people's views varies considerably from country to country. In India, poverty and overpopulation are mentioned most often, while Russians cite the dangers of war, the Chinese resource scarcity and the French religious fundamentalism.
Summarizing the study, Josef Janning, Head of International Relations at the Bertelsmann Stiftung, noted, People's future expectations hold enormous sway over policymaking. All over the world, people see the US losing its dominant position and China gaining ground. However, they don't expect the kind of harmonious, balanced world order you might expect from a global government run by the United Nations. Instead, in almost every country, people plan to rely on their own strength in global competition and want their own countries to play larger roles in spreading peace and stability. If this perspective and expectation takes hold in global politics, we may see a resurgence of the sort of nationalistic brinkmanship between current and future global powers that we experienced so disastrously in 20th century Europe. However, the threat of climate change appears to be encouraging greater political cooperation at the international level.
Gallup International/TNS-EMNID, an opinion research firm, recently questioned 9,000 people in the US, Russia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Germany, France and the UK for the Bertelsmann Stiftung study. As a benchmark, the findings were compared with a similar Bertelsmann Stiftung survey from 2005. The results of the world power survey were presented at the second meeting of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Global Policy Council in Berlin. The council brings together high-calibre experts from various fields and regions to analyze the challenges and opportunities inherent in the dynamics of globalization, the rise of new powers and the emergence of new security risks.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Caribbean-EU trade pact comprehensive, innovative
Sunday | December 23, 2007 David Jessop, Contributor
At about 1:30 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, December 16, weary Carib-bean and European negotiators finally initialled the text of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) between Europe and Cariforum.The final text is complex and daunting - it runs to well over a thousand pages - but it is comprehensive and sometimes innovative.For the average reader, a more accessible version of what was agreed and a good measure of the level of Caribbean negotiators' achievement is contained in a six- page note sent to the regional private sector by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM).In outline, the Caribbean EPA offers duty- and quota-free treatment for all Cariforum goods entering Europe as of January 1, 2008, except for rice and sugar. In their case, there will be a two-year transition period and increased quotas before they, too, have quota free and duty-free status.
In return, Cariforum will remove tariffs from 80 per cent of EU imports into the region over a 15-year period, with sensitive goods receiving protection for up to 25 years or indefinitely. In implementing this, Cariforum has a three-year moratorium and will, during this period, continue to charge customs duties on all items other than vehicles and gasolene, for which a different phasing was agreed. Cariforum retained the right to maintain other duties and charges that make up an important part of Government revenues for up to 10 years.There is also extensive language on services industries that implicitly recognises how important such industries have become for the region, and an unprecedented provision that allows Haiti and The Bahamas to be signatories to the full EPA, while being granted extra time to complete their services offer.
Investors to get national treatment
In the European Union (EU), Cariforum investors will get national treatment and most favoured nation treatment. The same applies in reverse. Public services and utilities and other sensitive sectors have not been opened to foreign participation, and Cariforum maintained special reservations for small and medium enterprises in some sectors.In the case of services, there are comprehensive rules in the EPA for the tourism sector, e-commerce, couriers, telecommunications, financial services, and maritime transport. In the case of tourism, large firms will be prevented from behaving in an anti-competitive manner in order to safeguard the interests of the mainly small firms in the Caribbean. The EPA also has special provisions for short-term visitors to Europe for business purposes.In return for most of Europe opening immediately more than 90 per cent of its services sector, Cariforum is opening between 65 and 75 per cent with, in its case, the Dominican Republic's opening more than 90 per cent. In the case of investment, the EC has liberalised almost all sectors for Cariforum firms and has agreed to grant temporary access for Caribbean professionals in 29 sectors.
In an important concession not made before by Europe, there are no quotas on the number of service suppliers that can enter the EU market. In addition, 25 European states will liberalise entertainment services. Again, this is a first for any trade agreement with the EU, and is complemented by an innovative protocol on cultural cooperation.What all this means is that unlike every other region of the ACP, the Caribbean has remained true to its word and has achieved the only comprehensive EPA with Europe. This is astonishing for a region with countries at very different levels of development and capacity, to say nothing of the technical and cultural problems of incorporating the Dominican Republic, when right up to the very end, it was quite possible that its government might seek an arrangement of its own.Moreover, the Caribbean EPA was achieved in the face of a very real threat that the region's exports would be disadvantaged by the introduction of a European tariff regime on January 1, 2008. In this respect, it is worth recording that this was no idle threat as on December 20, customs and revenue authorities across Europe issued notices to importers listing 10 of the more developed ACP nations and another 12 less developed nations, that for technical reasons, would now be subject to tariffs on their exports to Europe.
The turning point came when Caribbean heads of government met in Georgetown on December 7.
Negotiations with the EC
There, faced with the real possibility that the region would be disadvantaged by the EC, the region's political leadership agreed to return to negotiations with the EC on December 14, to conclude a full EPA based on changes to its trade- in-goods offer in return for improved concessions in a number of areas. It was the moment when it was necessary, according to one Caribbean leader, to accept convenience over principle.
Europe's negotiators, too, were prepared for compromise on this basis.
Speaking a few days after the final EPA had been reached, Ambassador Richard Bernal, the region's chief trade negotiator, told me that finishing on its own terms should be seen as an extraordinary confidence-building accomplishment for the region.
The Caribbean EPA was, he said, unique. No one else in the ACP had been able to achieve a full agreement. The region had been able to obtain duty-free and quota-free treatment for all goods; less than full reciprocity; an asymmetrical phase of up to 25 years; the exclusion of 20 per cent of products sensitive to the region; and, comprehensive and sometimes ground- breaking language on services.
Europe, Bernal said, had failed in its attempt to extract concessions. The Caribbean remained sovereign in important areas such as governance and taxation; the free circulation of goods in CARICOM; government procurement; and the region's right to retain import duties and charges. He concluded by noting that the banana, sugar, rice and rum industries were largely satisfied, even if they not achieved all that they had wanted.There remain, of course, doubters who do not share these views and justified concerns about the EPA's development component and its delivery and funding.However, the reality is that at an economic level, the EPA means that Cariforum, an abstract concept, has become one, and its governments and private sector now have between 12 to 15 years to make the single market and economy function. In effect, the EPA will drive integration if the region is not to cede economic control to Europe.
In another column, I will reflect more on this and the lessons learnt; why success in the negotiating process should give the region greater confidence in the world; the dangerous longer-term implications of the lack of understanding shown throughout at the highest political levels of the European Com-mission; and the challenge and the change in thinking needed if the region is to take advantage of what has been agreed.But for now, I, like every one else, will be stopping for Christ-mas, but taking a moment to celebrate the remarkable achievement of Caribbean ministers and the region's trade-negotiating team in reaching agreement on a full EPA despite the many difficulties placed in their way.
David Jessop is director of the Caribbean Council. Email: david.jessop@caribbean-coun cil.org
From The Sunday TimesDecember 23, 2007
Tony Blair finally becomes a Catholic
Robert Watts and Steven Swinford
TONY Blair, who announced his conversion to Catholicism this weekend, has come under pressure from fellow believers to explain his untenable record on issues such as gay rights, abortion and stem cell research during his decade in power.As prime minister, Blair angered Catholics by legalising homosexual civil partnerships and gay adoption, championing stem cell research using embryos and voting against lowering the time limit on abortions. The invasion of Iraq also drew criticism from Pope Benedict XVI.Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative MP who is also a convert, said: He has voted three times in the Commons against some of the core beliefs of the Roman Catholic church on abortion, embryo research and Sunday trading. Since he has made a public conversion to Catholicism we are entitled to ask how he reconciles these actions with such teaching.There were also questions about the role his wife Cherie played in his conversion. She is her husband’s sponsor, charged with providing spiritual support and guidance. One senior churchman said: It’s quite wrong for a spouse to be a sponsor.On Friday evening, at a small service attended by family and friends in the archbishop’s Westminster home, Blair accepted all that the holy Catholic church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.
Portugal symbolically hands over EU presidency to Slovenia
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-23 03:27:00
BELGRADE, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Portugal symbolically handed over the EU presidency to Slovenia on Saturday, as Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates gave Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa an astrolabe, said reports reaching here from Slovenia. Socrates said with the seafaring navigation instrument, Slovenia could successfully steer the EU ship when it officially assumes the rotating EU presidency on Jan. 1, the Slovenian national news agency STA reported. The symbolical handing over took place at a celebration at the Skofije/Rabuiese border crossing between Slovenia and Italy of the expansion of the Schengen no-border zone to nine EU countries, including Slovenia. At midnight on Friday, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the15 countries already in the border-free zone. A total of 400 million people from 24 countries are now able to move freely throughout Europe.
Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav state to join the European Union, the eurozone and the Schengen zone, will assume the leadership of the 27-nation, 490-million-people European Union during the first half of 2008. Jansa thanked Socrates and praised the excellent cooperation of the EU presiding trio of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. He said Germany as well as Portugal had proven they are capable of strategic steps, the former with the content of the Lisbon Treaty and the latter with the successful inter-governmental conference and the signing of the document.
According to Jansa, Slovenia will continue down the same path, doing its utmost to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified where this is possible in the first half of 2008. Moreover, it would harness the optimism created by the Schengen zone expansion for steps that improve the lives of European citizens, said Jansa.
Editor: Yan Liang
OUR AWESOME GOD WILL REVEAL THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD WHETHER THEY WANT TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THE WHEAT AND CHAFF ARE BEING SEPARATED GETTING READY FOR THE ULTIMATE DECIEVER TO COME ON THE WORLD SCENE TO DECIEVE THE ONES THAT WON"T ACCEPT THE TRUTH BUT BELIEVE THE LIES.
Astrophysicist researches Biblical star of Bethlehem
Tom Coyne - Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com December 22, 2007
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - It's long been a puzzle for Christian astronomers, and now a professor from the University of Notre Dame thinks he has it figured out - almost, anyway.His quest: discovering just what the star in the East was that led wise men to travel to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.As a theoretical astrophysicist, Grant Mathews had hoped the answer would be spectacular - something like a supernova. But two years of research have led him to a more ordinary conclusion. The heavenly sign around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was likely an unusual alignment of planets, the sun and the moon.Not a lot was written about the star in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew it says: Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.
The star, though, has long been immortalized in Christmas songs, plays and movies. Astronomers, theologians and historians for hundreds of years have been trying to determine exactly which star might have inspired the biblical writing. German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed in 1604 that the star was a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C.The advantage Mathews has over Kepler and others who have pondered the question is that he had access to NASA's databases.In principle, we can see any star that was ever made from the beginning of time if we knew where to look. So the question is, could we find a star that could be a good candidate for what showed up then? he said.Mathews found several possibilities. He began by posing three questions he would ask when trying to find the answer to any astronomical event: When did it occur? What were its characteristics? Did anyone else see it? The Gospel of Matthew indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem when Herod was king. Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died after an eclipse of the moon before the Passover. Mathews said among the possibilities are 6 B.C., 5 B.C., 1 B.C. or 1 A.D. The star could have appeared up to two years before the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, he said.Mathews believes that means the Christmas star could have appeared anywhere from 8 to 4 B.C.
Among the characteristics written about the star was that it appeared before sunrise and that it appeared to rest in the sky. Mathews also found writings from Korean and Chinese astronomers of an event about 4 B.C. which described a comet with no tail that didn't move.Using that set of facts, Mathews found several possibilities, including supernovas, novas and planetary alignments.Mathews found two possible supernovas in the right period, but said one was probably too low on the horizon to be seen. The other supernova is known as Kes 75. But it was 60,000 light years away and may not have been particularly spectacular.
There's no real convincing evidence this happened right at 2000 years ago, but it could be in the range of being right because it's in the right location, he said.He also found a number of nova that also could have been the Christmas star. The one he thinks is the most likely candidate is known as Nova Aquilae V603. The problem with novas and comets, though, is that they were believed in ancient times to be a sign of disaster, not a portent of good things to come.For that reason, Mathews believes the Christmas star is most likely an alignment of planets. He said there are three likely times for this:
-Feb. 20, 6 B.C., when Mars, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the constellation Pisces.
-April 17, 6 B.C., when the sun, Jupiter, the moon and Saturn aligned in the constellation Aries while Venus and Mars were in neighboring constellations.
-June 17, 2 B.C., when Jupiter and Venus were closely aligned in Leo.
Mathews believes the April 17, 6 B.C., alignment is the most likely candidate. It makes sense because he believes the wise men were Zoroastrian astrologers who would have recognized the planetary alignment in Aries as a sign a powerful leader was born.
In fact it would have even meant that (the leader was) destined to die at an appointed time, which of course would have been significant for the Christ child, and may have been why they brought myrrh, which was an embalming fluid, Mathews said. Saturn there would have made whoever was born as a leader a most powerful leader because Saturn had the strength to do it, in their view.
Mathews has been sharing his findings in public lectures at Notre Dame and plans to write a paper to submit to the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. He's also considering writing a book.Mathews concedes, though, that any of the other events could have been the famed star. Unless a document is discovered that allows historians to more accurately estimate exactly when Jesus was born, it will be impossible to say what caused the light with absolute certainty, Mathews said.I think it would take more of a historical reference more than an astrophysics, he said. There are plenty of strong opinions out there. I think this is as good as you can do for now.2007 American Family News Network.
Is a New Solar Cycle Beginning?
Dec. 14, 2007: The solar physics community is abuzz this week. No, there haven't been any great eruptions or solar storms. The source of the excitement is a modest knot of magnetism that popped over the sun's eastern limb on Dec. 11th, pictured below in a pair of images from the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
It may not look like much, but this patch of magnetism could be a sign of the next solar cycle, says solar physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Above: From SOHO, a UV-wavelength image of the sun and a map showing positive (white) and negative (black) magnetic polarities. The new high-latitude active region is magnetically reversed, marking it as a harbinger of a new solar cycle.
For more than a year, the sun has been experiencing a lull in activity, marking the end of Solar Cycle 23, which peaked with many furious storms in 2000--2003. Solar minimum is upon us, he says. The big question now is, when will the next solar cycle begin?
It could be starting now.
New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot, explains Hathaway. Reversed polarity means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. High-latitude refers to the sun's grid of latitude and longitude. Old cycle spots congregate near the sun's equator. New cycle spots appear higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude.The region that appeared on Dec. 11th fits both these criteria. It is high latitude (24 degrees N) and magnetically reversed. Just one problem: There is no sunspot. So far the region is just a bright knot of magnetic fields. If, however, these fields coalesce into a dark sunspot, scientists are ready to announce that Solar Cycle 24 has officially begun.
Below: Solar Cycle 23 is coming to an end. What's next? Image credit: NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center.
Many forecasters believe Solar Cycle 24 will be big and intense. Peaking in 2011 or 2012, the cycle to come could have significant impacts on telecommunications, air traffic, power grids and GPS systems. (And don't forget the Northern Lights!) In this age of satellites and cell phones, the next solar cycle could make itself felt as never before.The furious storms won't start right away, however. Solar cycles usually take a few years to build to a frenzy and Cycle 24 will be no exception. We still have some quiet times ahead, says Hathaway. Meanwhile, all eyes are on a promising little active region. Will it become the first sunspot of a new solar cycle? Stay tuned for updates from Science@NASA.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
CHRISTMAS SCRIPTURES
ISAIAH 2:1-5
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.(DANIELS 70TH WEEK)(DANIEL 9:24)
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR KING AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS. JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE. LET US PRAISE THE GOD OF ISRAEL EVERY DAY AND THANK HIM FOR SENDING HIS SON TO EARTH THAT ALL CAN BE SAVED AND LIVE ON EARTH FOREVER WITH HIM ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM.
FOR THOSE CHRISTIANS THAT FORGET JESUS WAS JEWISH THATS WHY WE ARE GRAFTED INTO ISRAEL AND THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS OUR GOD ALSO. ONE AWESOME GOD THREE DIFFERENT OFFICES: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. I STRESS ONCE AGAIN ONE GOD AND SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.
MICAH 5:2-4
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
ISAIAH 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.(GOD WITH US)
ISAIAH 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:(1ST COMING) and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.(2ND COMING AS RULING KING FOREVER)
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
MATTHEW 1:16-25
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
MATTHEW 2:1-23
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
LUKE 1:26-80
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
LUKE 2:1-52
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.(DANIELS 70TH WEEK)(DANIEL 9:24)
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR KING AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS. JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE. LET US PRAISE THE GOD OF ISRAEL EVERY DAY AND THANK HIM FOR SENDING HIS SON TO EARTH THAT ALL CAN BE SAVED AND LIVE ON EARTH FOREVER WITH HIM ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM.
FOR THOSE CHRISTIANS THAT FORGET JESUS WAS JEWISH THATS WHY WE ARE GRAFTED INTO ISRAEL AND THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS OUR GOD ALSO. ONE AWESOME GOD THREE DIFFERENT OFFICES: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. I STRESS ONCE AGAIN ONE GOD AND SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.
MICAH 5:2-4
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
ISAIAH 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.(GOD WITH US)
ISAIAH 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:(1ST COMING) and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.(2ND COMING AS RULING KING FOREVER)
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
MATTHEW 1:16-25
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
MATTHEW 2:1-23
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
LUKE 1:26-80
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
LUKE 2:1-52
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Monday, December 24, 2007
EU GETTING STRONNNNGER
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.
Strong 6.1 quake hits Alaskan islands -- USGS
Agence France-Presse 12/21/2007
WASHINGTON -- A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska's Aleutian islands on Friday, just two days after a 7.2 magnitude quake rattled the same area, the US Geological Survey said.The epicenter was 35 kilometers (22 miles) deep, 2,083 kilometers (1,294 miles) west of Anchorage in the Andreanof islands, part of the Aleutian islands off Alaska.The earthquake struck at 0724 GMT, according to the USGS.
5, 7 magnitude earthquake hits the capital
Capital Ankara was hit by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning as the city was waking up for the first day of Eid Mubarak. The earthquake, which lasted about 15 seconds did not cause much damage however, due to effects of the 1997 earthquake, Ankara people has panicked and refused to go inside buildings.
Ankara was hit by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake
Felt by almost everyone in the city, the earthquake's epicenter was reported as Bala village. Authorities said there is no loss of life however about 20 buildings were damaged.
Ankara residents were shocked by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake in the first day of Eid Mubarak holiday. Although the earthquake did not cause much damage or loss of life, Ankara residents refused to go in buildings, remembering the highly destructive earthquake which killed more than 50 thousand people back in 1997. The earthquake was followed by many small earthquakes until noon. Kandilli Observatory House said there is no risk for a bigger one; the biggest that could occur would be 6.0 magnitudes.
Earthquake flattens buildings in NZ
Email Print Normal font Large font December 21, 2007 - 8:22AM
New Zealand authorities declared a civil emergency in Gisborne after several of its older buildings collapsed due to a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that jolted much of the country.Thursday's earthquake off New Zealand's east coast caused damage to Gisborne's infrastructure but no serious injuries.At least 10 people were treated for minor injuries, officials said.The quake, centred in the Hikurangi undersea trench off North Island, hit at 8:55 pm local time (1855 AEDT) at 40 kilometres below the surface, the GNS Science geological agency reported. It was located about 50kilometres southeast of the coastal city.The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at magnitude 6.6.As part of the emergency ordinance, police cordoned off the city's central business area to ensure no serious casualties occurred in damaged buildings, senior sergeant Moira Brown of Gisborne police said as dawn broke in the area early Friday.Our role is to cordon the area and prevent everybody, including shop owners and retailers, from going into that CBD till buildings and structural damage have been checked by engineers, Brown said.
We have got a lot of damage and are still assessing the situation, police inspector Waata Shepherd said. Some roofs have collapsed. We are still trying to ascertain the amount of damage.The central city area had been locked down because of the damage, he said.
Power lines were down in some areas, and the quake had left a huge hole in one of Gisborne's main roads, he added.Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management spokesman Vince Cholewa confirmed that three buildings collapsed. As far as we are aware, there are no injuries in those buildings, he said.The National Crisis Centre was activated to assist local agencies dealing with the quake's aftermath. The emergency ordinance means central government assistance will be speeded up, officials said.The tremor did not trigger any tsunami warning at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.Vulcanologist Dr Warwick Smith of GNS Science said the quake was not strong enough to spark a tsunami off the coast.
My judgment call ... was that 6.8 wasn't big enough for a tsunami, he told National Radio. The ocean floor has to either be uplifted or subside to move that (sea) water, and 6.8 isn't big enough.New Zealand sits above an area of the earth's crust where two tectonic plates are colliding and records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.Callers to NewstalkZB radio said the quake sent television sets and other household appliances crashing to the floor, but that the lack of power made it difficult to assess the damage to their homes.One caller, who identified himself only as Brian, said his family sheltered in doorways as the quake rocked Gisborne.That was a ride and a half. It was freaky, he said.
Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon said things flew out of the cupboards at his home as the quake rattled the region.A number of buildings have collapsed and I can see dents in a number of buildings, he told National Radio, adding that collapsed walls and smashed glass littered the streets.The fire department had put out 10 small fires, but outlying areas had still to report major damage, he said.
Dear Stan, DEC 21,07
Next year in Jerusalem. This simple phrase, repeated by Jews around the world on two of the most important holidays of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur and Passover, reflects the deepest hope of an entire people - the desire to live in the land given to them by God.Following the formation of the modern state of Israel in 1948, many have seen this hope realized. After the horrors of the Holocaust, millions of Jews made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), escaping persecution and oppression and fulfilling the biblical prophecies that promise the return of Jewish exiles from the four corners of the earth.Since its launch, The Fellowship's On Wings of Eagles program has helped hundreds of thousands of Jews make aliyah including thousands in the year 2007 alone.
But for many Jews the dream of returning to Israel remains just that - a dream. Jews in the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, India, or Arab lands live in extreme poverty, and do not have the funds to travel to Israel, let alone the means to provide for themselves and their families once they arrive. Every year, they say "next year in Jerusalem, knowing full well they may never know the joy of living in their biblical homeland.In the final days of 2007, our goal is to raise enough support to make it possible for 200 more Jews to come to the Holy Land - to allow 200 Jews from the poorest lands to make next year in Jerusalem a reality.As you consider your year-end giving plans, please prayerfully consider making a gift to On Wings of Eagles.You can help bring one Jew to a new life Israel for a gift of $350. Or, if you prefer, a gift of $50, $100 or $175 given by midnight December 31st will help us reach our goal before the end of the year. Thank you, my friends, for your generosity. With your help at this year-end, Next year in Jerusalem can become a reality for 200 Jews living in a country where anti-Semitism and rampant poverty is a daily reality.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.
The CARMEL ALERT Dec 21st 2007
A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying
for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.
David's Comment: The Global Warming Deception
In this week's comment I want to take the focus off the Middle East and take a look at an issue which will be affecting all of our nations in the days ahead. We live in the age of widespread delusion and mass deception. For example perhaps many of you, our beloved prayer partners, are doing your best to keep the weight off by changing to food and drink products labelled as Diet products. Friends - you are being deceived. Most Diet products simply replace the sugar content with Aspartame other similar sugar replacement products. Most of these alternative sweeteners do not help you loose weight and may well be doing your body harm. But we, the unsuspecting public, believe the large print and don't bother to read the small print. For instance DIET COKE replaces some of the sugar with Aspartame ( which can be poison to our bodies - write to me if you want more info on that). In ZERO COKE (the big print leads one to believe its a much healthier product) but they take out all of the sugar and replace it with even more Aspartame than the DIET COKE has. That is only one example of hundreds if not thousands.
Of much greater concern at a higher level is the issue of Global Warming. We are constantly being told that the planet is in great danger because of the rise in temperature. Just last week an international conference took place to discuss the subject of global warming and what can be done to bring it under control. In regards to this issue, I believe that is possible that the good intentioned citizens of the western world are being duped by the scientists and the left wing liberal politicians to believe that the global warning problem is primarily caused by the amount of carbon we are releasing into the atmosphere. They say that cars, aircraft and industrial plants are the main polluters of the
atmosphere which then causes the Greenhouse Effect and the raising of the temperature. One of the greatest dangers of warmer temperatures is the melting of the Polar ice caps which will result in the flooding of many love lying residential areas in many countries.
I am not denying that there seems to be a noticeable warming trend in some places. However at the same time we are seeing more intense winter storms, along with other extreme weather conditions that are causing chaos in many places, but I am not sure that the major cause is what we are all being told. While the chorus of the global warming camps grows louder, there is also a rapidly growing number of scientists who refute the whole theory of Global warning being caused by man's irresponsible and selfish treatment of the planets natural resources. They have evidence to show that the Earth's temperature has always fluctuated. There was a mini ice-age that struck northern Canada and parts of northern Europe 150 years ago before the age of aircraft and automobiles. It was so cold for a few years that it was impossible for humans to live there. A new U.S. Senate report documents hundreds of prominent scientists – experts in dozens of fields of study worldwide – who say global warming and cooling is a cycle of nature and cannot legitimately be connected to man's activities.
( see news item 8 ) and Read on http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59319
And there is lot of hypocrasy involved. Not all of the Global Warming activists practice what they preach. One of the most prominent global warning voices is that of former US Vice President Al Gore. His carbon footprint (the amount of atmosphere polluting carbon waste that his affluent lifestyle produces) is responsible for producing hundreds of times more than his fair share of the carbon that they claim is ruining the planet. It could be that we the ordinary folk are being set up for massive control and cutbacks in our lifestyles and most people are blindly going along with it. Where the great majority of people are making a huge mistake is that they are far more concerned about the Creation than the Creator. Many actually worship the Creation and ignore the Creator.The Devil is employing every means he can in these days to lead the masses away from the Truth and into spiritual darkness - a darkness that will trap them for eternity unless they repent and return to their Creator.
Once thing I am sure about - the shift in the weather and the increasing regularity of natural disasters is. along with the events in the Middle East, a strong indicator pointing to the soon return of Yeshua to be Messiah & King of Israel. We need to intensify our prayer - lets follow the Lord's instruction and pray for Israel and the Jewish people first, then we should pray for our family, our friends, our workmates, our government ... to be broken free of the lying, deceiving spirits of this present evil age, so that they can come into the Light of the World - Messiah Yeshua.
The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.
Shabbat Shalom ... David & Josie SILVER
ANTICHRIST (NAMES OF)
MATTHEW 24:24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
MARK 13:22
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
1 JOHN 4:2-3
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 JOHN 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
1 JOHN 2:18,22
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
DANIEL 9:26 (COMES FROM ROME) (EU)
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
DANIEL 8:9
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
DANIEL 7:8
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
DANIEL 8:23
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
DANIEL 11:36
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4,8
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
ISAIAH 57:20
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
REVELATION 13:1-2
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Lisbon Treaty marks new beginning for enlarged EU with profound changes www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 20:22:55 Special report: Yearender 2007
BRUSSELS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The landmark Lisbon Treaty, the new treaty for the European Union (EU) signed by EU leaders this month, not only marked the end of a years-old constitutional crisis agonizing the bloc, but will also have profound changes for the 27-member alliance. If approved by the 27 EU states, the document, which replaces the defunct EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in2005, will take effect in January 2009, enabling the EU to face upto the challenges of the globalization era more confidently, giving it the impetus to move forward and further uniting it. This is not a treaty for the past. This is a treaty for the future, a treaty that will make Europe more modern, more efficient and more democratic, Jose Socrates, Prime Minister of Portugal, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said at the signing ceremony of the treaty in Lisbon on Dec. 13. He said the treaty would also create conditions for the EU to have its voice heard in the world. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that with this treaty the EU is preparing itself to better serve its citizens and address world issues. And French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters in Lisbon: Europe was blocked, without knowing how to move forward, and we found the solution with this treaty.
The new treaty is vital to streamlining the functioning of the regional bloc, which has enlarged from 15 members to 27 since 2004and has developed from a regional economic bloc into an economic and political alliance. It also provides for far-reaching changes in the EU's institutions and decision-making mechanisms. The treaty creates the post of a long-term president of the European Council, which comprises heads of state of the member states, in place of the current six-month rotation system. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, will be downsized, with the total number of commissioners reduced to 18 from the current 27. The commission's president will also have more powers. A new post of the EU foreign policy chief will be created, which combines the duties of present foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. To improve decision-making, a double majority voting system -- approval by at least 55 percent of membership and at least 65 percent of the bloc's total population -- has been introduced to the Council of the EU, a decision-making body composed of ministers from member states. Except for certain areas where unanimity is still required, policies will be decided through the double majority voting system, notably in justice and home affairs. The new treaty removes national vetoes in around 50 policy areas and redistributes voting weights between member states. However, it drops all references to the EU flag or anthem, to assuage euro sceptic fears of another step toward a federal Europe.
The year of 2007 will be remembered as the year of breakthrough for the new treaty, which is a simplified version of the 2004 EU draft constitution aimed at improving the EU's efficiency, streamlining decision-making and promoting its development. Germany, which took over the EU presidency on Jan. 1 this year, made it a top priority to revitalize negotiations on the new treaty. In March, the EU special summit in Berlin, which marked the 50th anniversary of the EU's founding, declared the end of the reflection period of the constitutional process. At the June summit in Brussels, the EU leaders decided to replace the failed EU constitutional treaty with a new reform treaty, and worked out a roadmap for it. On Oct. 18 in Lisbon, the EU informal summit, after lengthy negotiations and bargaining, reached agreement on the new treaty -- the Lisbon Treaty. After its signing on Dec. 13, the treaty will go through the ratification process in each member state in 2008, and will be effective before the European Parliament elections in January 2009. At their summit on Dec. 14 in Brussels, the EU leaders called for a swift completion of the national ratification process with a view to allowing its scheduled entry into force. Unlike the defunct EU constitution, all the EU states have expressed their support for the new treaty.
Hungary became the first EU member state to approve the new treaty on Monday night when its parliament voted 325-5 in favor of the document. France, which rejected the EU constitution in 2005 in a referendum, has launched the ratification process of the new document, and Germany has said it wants to be among the first group of countries to approve it. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ruled out a British referendum to approve the new treaty. Among all the 27 members, only Ireland insists on holding a referendum -- expected in May or June next year -- to ratify the document, reducing the risks of an upset, even though polls suggest many Irish voters are undecided or indifferent. The other nations will approve the treaty through votes in their national parliaments. EU policy experts are more confident that the new treaty will be given a green light this time around.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Antonio Missiroli, head of studies at the European Policy Center, expressed his qualified optimism over the ratification process of the treaty. However, he cautioned that Ireland is going to be a big question mark given the fact that Irish voters vetoed the Nice Treaty in 2001, another document for the EU. If Ireland returns a 'no' there will be ripple effects elsewhere. Other parliaments will suspend ratification; there will be calls for referendums in other countries. That is the possible domino effect, he said. The EU hopes that with the completion of the new treaty, the bloc will now be able to focus on efforts to address regional and world challenges, enhance its role on the international stage, harden its position in global talks, and sell the so-called EU mode of principles and standards around the world. The Lisbon Treaty provides the Union with a stable and lasting institutional framework. We expect no change in the foreseeable future, so that the Union will be able to fully concentrate on addressing the concrete challenges ahead, including globalization and climate change, the EU leaders said in a communique issued in Brussels last week. The world will now turn its eyes on whether the treaty will be ratified smoothly and whether it can deliver the far-reaching changes the EU is seeking. Editor: Song Shutao.
THE EU WILL TAKE OVER THE UN'S ROLE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE UN WILL BE FOLDING SHORTLY BECAUSE OF USELESSNESS?????????????
Presidency: EU must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 00:19:40
BRUSSELS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The would-be EU presidency said here Thursday that the European Union must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence after the U.N. Security Council failed to settle the future status of the breakaway Serb province. The EU and Kosovo have to agree what to do next in a reasonable manner and without any blackmail, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told reporters. Slovenia is to take over the half-year rotating EU presidency from Portugal on Jan. 1. It's clear that certain processes cannot be held back, he added, saying he expected the province's status to be resolved by the end of the Slovenian presidency at the latest. We are ready. If I interpret the mood right in the EU, we are prepared to recognize the reality that exists in the Western Balkans, Rupel said. The U.N. Security Council discussed Kosovo on Wednesday but failed to find a compromise over the future status of Kosovo.
Backed the United States and most of EU nations, Kosovo has sought independence form Serbia, but the latter, supported by Russia, strongly opposes it except offering broad autonomy. The EU remains divided on whether to support Kosovo's drive to unilaterally declare independence early next year. A few nations, including Cyprus, Greece and Romania, are unwilling to recognize unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo mindful that the move would set bad example for other separatist groups. The EU has decided to send a police and civilian mission to Kosovo, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, to take over the administration from the United Nations.Editor: Yan Liang
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU marks 'historical' enlargement of borderless zone
21.12.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva
The EU's borderless zone expanded to nine mostly eastern European countries at midnight on Friday (21 December) in its biggest enlargement so far. Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - which all joined the EU in 2004 - are part of this enlargement to the so-called Schengen area.Land and sea border checks between them and the other Schengen countries are now abolished, while air borders are set to follow on 30 March 2008. Practically it means that as of today, people can travel hassle-free between 24 countries of the Schengen area without internal land and sea border controls- from Portugal to Poland and from Greece to Finland, EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini said in a statement.An area of 24 countries without internal borders is a unique and historical achievement. I feel very proud and privileged to have been involved in making it happen, he added.Meanwhile, celebrations were held and are to be held throughout Friday on several border points to mark the occasion.However, some were more enthusiastic than others. While Slovaks were celebrating until late in the night on Friday at the country's border with ‘old' member state Austria, no celebrations could be noted on the Austrian side.A recent poll carried out in Austria showed 75% of its citizens opposed the lifting of barriers, according to the BBC.
Fears of crime wave
While many EU citizens are looking forward to the free movement regime, others have expressed fears that it will lead to an increase of crime and illegal immigration.Politicians dismissed the fears, however.Schengen is not about criminality, it is not about insecurity or fear. It is a bigger zone of peace, security and stability, Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer said in Slovakia on Thursday (20 December).It's an historic occasion following the destruction by the first and second world wars and the division of our continent by the Iron Curtain (…) Free borders in a free Europe: who would have dared to even dream of that in 1985, Mr Gusenbauer added.European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said: Together we have overcome border controls as man-made obstacles to peace, freedom and unity in Europe.
And what about EU neighbours?
While the enlargement of the Schengen area means that some 400 million EU citizens will now be able to travel more easily within it, it also constitutes a new burden for some EU neighbours.The short stay Schengen visa currently costs €60 for third country nationals and is a significant increase for some non-EU citizens.
Until now, Belarussians have paid €5 for a trip to neighbouring Lithuania.Other EU neighbours - the Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania – have concluded visa facilitation agreements with the EU, which are expected to enter into force on 1January 2008.Russian citizens are also covered by such a deal, which entered into force in June this year.Under the visa facilitation agreements, citizens of these countries can obtain a Schengen visa for €35, while certain categories of citizens are exempted from the fee.The Schengen area was established in 1985 and named after the small Luxembourg village where it was signed by Germany, the Benelux countries and France.The nine new countries joined the 15 others already in Schengen - thirteen EU states excluding the UK and Ireland which preferred to stay out, but including Norway and Iceland.Non-EU member Switzerland is also to become a member of the Schengen area next year, while three EU states – Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania have still to meet the necessary requirements.It is not yet known when they will join the EU's borderless zone, but Cyprus is expected to do so around 2009, while Bulgaria and Romania are hoping to follow suit by 2011.
REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea,(MEDITERRANEAN SEA) and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,(OF NATIONS) having seven heads and ten horns,(THE EU) and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Italy, France, Spain to boost cooperation in Mediterranean region www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 16:07:15
ROME, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Italy, France and Spain on Thursday pledged joint efforts to promote cooperation in the Mediterranean region and make a planned Mediterranean Union the core for regional cooperation in various fields, Italian media reported. In a joint statement, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the union will be set up on the basis of mutual cooperation, instead of integration. Convinced that the Mediterranean, crucible of culture and civilisation, should resume its role as a zone of peace, prosperity and tolerance, the three leaders had met to think about the broad outlines of a planned union for the Mediterranean, the statement said. The union would have a mission to reunite Europe and Africa around the countries along the Mediterranean rim and to set up a partnership on an equal footing between the countries north and south of the sea, it said. The added value of the Mediterranean Union should reside first in the political boost it should give to cooperation around the Mediterranean and the mobilization of civil societies, businesses, local communities, associations and NGOs (non-governmental organizations), said the statement. The three leaders announced that a summit of the countries bordering the sea would be held in Paris on July 13, one day before a European Union (EU) summit scheduled in Brussels.
At a joint news conference following a meeting of the three leaders, Zapatero said problems such as immigration and the environment would be central to the focus of the new bloc. A Mediterranean Union needs to bring about a change in relations between the two sides of the Mediterranean Sea, for a new form of development and for peace, he said. The Spanish prime minister added that any initiative should start with the EU. The project of the union, which is supposedly composed of 16 Mediterranean countries, was put forward by Sarkozy when he was running for the French presidency. He has made the Mediterranean region one of his diplomatic priorities since he became president in May this year.
Editor: Song Shutao.
International Relations | 21.12.2007
Sarkozy Gets Italy, Spain on Board for Mediterranean Union
Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: EU critics are wary about a possible shift to the south French President Nicolas Sarkozy got the support of the leaders of Italy and Spain, Romano Prodi and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, for his idea to establish a union of Mediterranean-rim states.Sarkozy, Prodi and Zapatero agreed there was a need for a Mediterranean Union, they told reporters at an evening press conference in Rome on Thursday, Dec. 20. The French president said Paris would hold a summit for potential members on July 13, one day before an EU summit in Brussels.
Sarkozy has been pushing for his idea since before he took office
The idea of a Mediterranean Union ... a real one aimed at peace, dialogue and development, has been mentioned many times before, but never a pragmatic way to achieve it, Prodi said, after a 45-minute meeting of the three men. Well tonight we have started doing this, he added. The Mediterranean must be at the center of European policy.Immigration and environment would be central to the new entity's focus, Zapatero said. Both he and Prodi stressed that such an initiative would start with the European Union.
Mankind's future
In recent weeks Sarkozy has pressed the idea of a union of the 20 countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including Israel and Syria, on several occasions, an issue he already brought up in February, even before he was elected president.It's in the Mediterranean that some of mankind's future will be decided, Sarkozy said at Thursday's news conference.
Bildunterschrift: Immigration would be a focus
The Frenchman's push has irritated some in the European Union, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was concerned that a Mediterranean union could pose a threat to the 27-state bloc.
Merkel openly expressed her misgivings about the idea ahead of an EU summit in early December, resulting in a Franco-German agreement that the two countries would jointly draft a proposal for it.Along with Merkel, Sarkozy is opposed to Turkey joining the EU. Some critics see his Mediterranean Union plans as an alternative to Ankara becoming part of the bloc.Turkey is not in Europe but in Asia Minor, and this is a geographical reality," Sarkozy said in an interview with Radio Vatican on Thursday, as he reiterated his stance that the country should not become part of the EU, German news agency DPA reported.DW staff (ncy)
REVELATION 17:2
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.(VATICAN IN POLITICS)
Sarkozy in first meeting with Pope DEC 20,07
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has met Pope Benedict XVI, saying he was personally moved by his first audience at the Vatican since taking office in May.The two discussed a range of international issues, including the drama of hostages, an apparent reference to France's efforts to free Ingrid Betancourt, who is being held by Colombian guerrillas.Ms Betancourt is a dual French-Colombian citizen and former presidential candidate in the South American country. She has been held for nearly six years and France has been actively seeking her release.The Vatican described the visit as cordial and noted what it called the good relations between the French government and the Roman Catholic Church.Mr Sarkozy, in talks with the Pope and a second meeting with the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, discussed themes of common interest in France and the role of religion, in particular the Catholic Church, in the world, the Vatican said.
Before the visit, Mr Sarkozy's spokesman, David Martinon, described the Vatican as extremely active and influential in diplomacy.It's a partner that counts, and it's a heavyweight ally on a great number of subjects, such as on Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Mr Martinon said.The two men held 25 minutes of private talks. The French leader arrived at the Vatican about 15 minutes behind schedule after flying in from Paris. Benedict greeted him outside his study and the two men posed for photographers before taking their seats at a desk for their talks.
Where did you learn your French? Mr Sarkozy asked Benedict. In school, the German Pope replied.Mr Sarkozy presented the Pope with three books, including one he had written before becoming president on the role of religion in secular France.
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.
THIS THINK TANK IS RIGHT ON GOD DESTROYS WHO EVER COMES AGAINST ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM IN THE FUTURE.
Thursday, December 20, 2007 Geostrategy-Direct.com
Unthinkable? Think tank sees Israel, not Iran, surviving a Mideast nuclear war
WASHINGTON — Iran could sustain up to 28 million and Israel 800,000casualties in a nuclear war between the two countries. Anthony Cordesman .A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies envisioned a nuclear missile war between Iran and Israel that would last 21 days. Authored by former Defense Department strategist Anthony Cordesman, the report said Israel could conceivably survive a nuclear war, but Iran would not.
Iranian recovery is not possible in the normal sense of the term, the report, entitled Iran, Israel and Nuclear War, said. Israeli recovery [is] theoretically possible in population and economic terms.The report was released on Nov. 19 amid Iranian threats to destroy the Jewish state. Cordesman said Israel could cause tremendous damage to Iran because of its much more powerful nuclear weapons. Israel and U.S. capability to preempt is factor, but main issue may be Israel's ability to clearly develop mutual assured destruction and U.S. capability to deploy credible level of extended deterrence, the report said.
Israel has produced nuclear weapons with a yield of one megaton, the report said. In contrast, Iran would be unable to assemble a weapon of more than 100 kilotons. A megaton weapon could inflict third-degree burns at three times the radius, and radiation fallout could kill others at a distance of 130 kilometers. A 100 kiloton bomb could result in casualties within a radius of 13 kilometers. The report expressed confidence in Israeli missile defense capabilities. Cordesman said most Iranian nuclear missiles could be intercepted by the Israeli-origin Arrow-2 missile defense system, bolstered by the U.S-origin PAC-2 Guided Enhanced Missile Plus. The report envisions a war between 2010 and 2020, when Iran was expected to acquire an arsenal of up to 30 nuclear warheads. Cordesman expected Israel to have more than 200 nuclear warheads, launched by ground- and sea-based systems. Prevention [of Iran's nuclear weapons] may stimulate massive covert, dispersed effort, the report said. Preemption becomes radically different once Iran has nuclear armed force.Cordesman expects Syria, albeit without nuclear weapons, to join any war. The report envisions Syria firing chemical and other nonconventional weapons that could kill up to 800,000 Israelis. For its part, Syria could lose 18 million in an Israeli nuclear retaliation. Egypt could also join an Iranian war against Israel. The report expected Israel to retaliate by firing nuclear missiles toward Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo and other cities. Cordesman said Egypt's Suez Canal and Aswan Dam would be destroyed. Rational actors do not fight nuclear wars, but history is not written about rational actors behaving in a rational manner, the report said.
Russia's Putin Is Named Time's `Person of the Year' By Chris Dolmetsch
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time's Person of the Year for bringing his country roaring back to the table of world power, the magazine said on its Web site. Putin, 55, who has said he may become Russia's prime minister after stepping down as president next year, has helped lead the country back to stability at significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, Richard Stengel, the magazine's managing editor, wrote in an article explaining the choice. With dauntless persistence, a sharp vision of what Russia should become and a sense that he embodied the spirit of Mother Russia, Putin has put his country back on the map, Stengel wrote. Time, owned by Time Warner Inc., started the annual Person of the Year cover story in 1927 with Charles Lindbergh, the aviator who made the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. Last year, Internet users behind the self-made content on Web sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube.com won the honor.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, a Nobel Prize winner, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Chinese President Hu Jintao and David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, were named runners-up, the magazine said. Time's nomination is not a recognition of Putin's positive impact, political analyst Yevgeny Volk of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow said by telephone. Many people have been named who played a rather controversial role, he said. Past winners include Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Josef Stalin in 1939 and 1942. Other Soviet and Russian leaders named Person of the Year by Time include Nikita Khrushchev in 1957, Yury Andropov in 1983 and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 and 1989. It's certainly a recognition of Putin's impact on domestic and world politics, Volk added. He really plays a big role in shaping the Russian political landscape and influencing international policy.To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Dolmetsch in New York at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.net .
Russia seals Central Asian gas pipeline deal Financial Times By Isabel Gorst in Baku updated 9:41 p.m. ET, Thurs., Dec. 20, 2007
Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan finalised a landmark agreement on Thursday to build a pipeline to transport gas to Russia, tightening Moscow's control over Central Asian gas exports.The deal comes at a time of intense competition for the region's rich energy resources. Dubbed Pricaspiysky, the new pipeline will skirt the east coast of the Caspian Sea carrying 20bn cubic metres a year of Turkmen and Kazakh gas north to Russia's Saratov region.
The accord, signed in the presence of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's leader, is a setback for Europe, which is courting Caspian producers for gas supplies to reduce its dependence on Russian imports.
Julia Nanay, of PFC Energy, said, The agreement on this pipeline marks a strengthening of energy relations between Central Asia and Russia and fulfils one of Putin's key policy goals of tying large supplies of gas from Central Asia into the Russian system.Gazprom, the statecontrolled Russian gas company, needs Central Asian gas to compensate for a fall in production from its Siberian fields, a decline that threatens to undermine its $37bn (€25.5bn, £18.4bn) a year European gas export business.Mr Putin said the Pricaspiysky pipeline would be a serious investment by our countries in strengthening energy security, not just in Eurasia but more widely, bearing in mind our main consumers in west Europe. Separately, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan plan to modernise and expand a Soviet-era pipeline, currently the only large gas export route out of landlocked Central Asia.Viktor Khristenko, the Russian energy minister, said the Pricaspiysky pipeline would be built by late 2010. Each republic would take responsibility for financing construction of the pipeline on their territory, he said.Mr Putin and Mr Nazarbayev earlier spoke by telephone with Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the Turkmen president, who came into office a year ago after the death of Sapurmurat Niyazov. Mr Berdymukhammedov has begun construction of a gas export pipeline to China that will end Russia's stranglehold on Turkmenistan's gas export routes by the end of 2009.
He has also held frequent talks with western governments about a project to build a gas pipeline across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan to link up with the planned Nabucco system supplying Caspian gas to Europe. Nabucco is central to the EU's strategy to diversify gas imports away from Russia.Finalisation of the Pricaspiysky project, first announced in May, has been postponed several times despite intense lobbying by Russian diplomats.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has persuaded Gazprom to accept a 30 per cent increase in gas prices, despite an earlier contract fixing the price at $100 per thousand cubic metres until 2009. The price will rise again to $150 per thousand cubic metres in the second half of next year. Analysts said it would be difficult for prospective investors in the trans-Caspian pipeline to compete with the higher price Gazprom has agreed to pay Turkmenistan.
Conference of Presidents backs united Jerusalem
Published: 12/21/2007
The Conference of Presidents reaffirmed its longstanding position that a united Jerusalem should remain the sovereign and eternal capital of Israel.In a meeting Thursday, the conference, the principal U.S. Jewish umbrella group on foreign affairs, voted to defer discussion on another resolution that would have insisted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas remove portions of the charter of his Fatah movement calling for the elimination of Israel. Malcolm Hoenlein, the conference's executive vice chairman, told JTA that members overwhelmingly supported a discussion on the Fatah charter resolution. But, he added, those present at the meeting voted to defer discussion until after the group's February mission to Israel. The mission will also include a visit to the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Some members of the conference have argued that both resolutions would serve to undercut the Israeli government as it participates in U.S.-convened peace talkes with the Palestinians. Others counter that the resolutions would strengthen Israel's negotiating hand.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Do not make city's division a self-fulfilling prophecy
Nathan J. Diament director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12.20.07
Imagine the scene centuries ago, as the prophet Isaiah mounts a platform to exhort the people. But instead of trying to rally the listeners to mend their ways to deserve God’s aid, as well as prepare for battle against those who would sack Jerusalem and send them into exile, the prophet instead suggests they ought to surrender Jerusalem willingly.In recent weeks, political leaders and other prominent members of the Jewish community have done exactly that. They say that redividing Jerusalem is inevitable and that we modern Jews should begin adjusting to that reality. No suggestion could be a greater betrayal of Jewish history or a more wrongheaded notion of how to conduct diplomacy.The central role Jerusalem has played in the historic and religious narrative of our people is well-known. Jerusalem is at the heart of Jewish religious identity — we pray each day toward Jerusalem and for its welfare, and we conclude our holiest days with the prayer that next year we will celebrate in Jerusalem.
Historically, King David made Jerusalem his capital 3,000 years ago and since then Jerusalem has been the national capital of the Jewish people; only brute force has kept us out. In 1948, when the Old City and eastern parts of Jerusalem fell under Jordanian rule, Jews were barred entry to the Old City, denied worship at the Western Wall, and denied access to the ancient cemeteries on the Mount of Olives. Israel reunified the city in 1967 and opened the holy sites of all faiths to all people.Despite these truths, there are those who believe that for the sake of restarting an Israeli-Arab peace process, we must consider redividing the city. After all, some say, it is necessary for a peace deal. Some say the city is already divided, with Arab neighborhoods where no Jew ever ventures. Others say the Arabs already have de facto control over the Temple Mount †for the sake of a deal, why not make it official and concede their sovereignty? For his part, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the Temple Mount is not open for negotiation; yet he also is entertaining the idea of a Palestinian capital in the eastern part of the city. Does the prime minister seriously believe that Palestinians will be satisfied with anything less than the Temple Mount?
Fact is, there are neighborhoods, especially those east of the security barrier, where Jews seldom venture. But modern Jerusalem is far more an interwoven checkerboard of Jewish and Palestinian neighborhoods than starkly segregated enclaves. Beit Safafa lies between Talpiot and Gilo, Sheik Jarrah lies between the Old City and French Hill, and there are many Palestinians living in and around the ancient Jewish City of David in the valley between the Jewish Quarter and the Mount of Olives. It is no more feasible to extricate the Palestinian and Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem from one another than to ethnically divide the neighborhoods of Manhattan.In the wake of the Six-Day War, Israel turned the administration of the Temple Mount over to the Muslim Waqf. This was a generous gesture, and it may even be worth continuing under a final settlement agreement. But Israel should never cede the sovereignty for which Jews have prayed, toiled, and bled for generations.Other arguments have been advanced against the pro-Jerusalem advocacy effort mounted by the Orthodox Union and its allies. We in the Diaspora are told that we must either yield to those who live in Israel or that we do not have a say in the first place.Yet it’s far from obvious that Israelis favor concessions on Jerusalem. A few weeks ago, the Israel-based Maagar Mohot Research Institute released a survey showing that 78 percent of Israelis oppose Israel making a commitment now to turn sovereignty on the Temple Mount over to the Palestinians. Another large majority (69 percent) also opposes Israel making a commitment now to turn part of Jerusalem over to the Palestinians.
Moreover, with regard to Jerusalem — the cradle and heart of the entire Jewish people — Diaspora Jews do not dictate Israeli policy, but it is our “obligation†— Prime Minister Olmert’s own word — and our right to speak up. After all, we are family.Our goal is and must remain a shared one — to be faithful to the prayers and sacrifices of our ancestors who longed for, prayed for, and fought for Jerusalem — the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
AFX News Limited
Metals - Gold edges back above 800 usd as dollar weakens UPDATE
12.21.07, 6:33 AM ET
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Gold edged back above 800 usd an ounce as the dollar fell against the euro and as traders remained broadly positive over the outlook for the metal going into next year.At 11.09 am, spot gold was trading up at 803.20 usd per ounce against 798.80 usd in late New York trades yesterday.The metal has firmed back above 800 usd this morning as the dollar has weakened, noted TheBullionDesk.com analyst James Moore. He added that with 'players caught between locking in profits for year-end and increasing their safe-haven holding on dips, the yellow metal looks set to remain in a volatile mood, spending more time in its current range.On a longer term view, however, most market participants believe gold, which rose to a 28-year high of 845.40 usd in November, is set to scale new peaks next year.Gold is traditionally bought as an alternative asset to the US currency, and even though some analysts are turning more optimistic on the dollar going into next year, the outlook for gold remains strong.
This is as mine supply is still falling while safe haven buying is set to pick up as tightening credit conditions the world over start to impact economic growth.In addition, any signs that inflation is set to remain high amid still rising oil prices will benefit gold, which is traditionally bought as a hedge against rising prices.Elsewhere, platinum fell away from Tuesday's all time record high of 1,521 usd per ounce, trading down at 1,509 usd against 1,511 usd at the close yesterday.Platinum ... is susceptible to profit taking ahead of year-end, however given the current market tightness and the vulnerability to supply disruptions platinum could easily eclipse Tuesday's high, said Moore.In other precious metals, palladium dipped to 351 usd against 353 usd, while silver rose to 14.26 usd against 14.19 usd.
maytaal.angel@thomson.comma/am/ma/ra Thomson Financial News Limited 2007.
No truce until Hamas stops rockets: Israel's Peres
Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:51pm EST
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Friday the Jewish state should not agree to a truce with Hamas unless the Islamist group first stops rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.Israel has stepped up incursions into Gaza to try to stop militants firing rockets and mortar bombs at southern Israeli towns and troops killed at least seven Palestinian gunmen in a ground and air raid on Thursday.Hamas and medical workers said Israeli troops shot and killed a Hamas militant in the Gaza Strip on Friday during an exchange of fire near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was unaware of any activity by troops in the area at the time of the incident.
Nobel peace laureate Peres reiterated on Friday Israel should not negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June after clashes with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, unless it first stopped the salvoes.The residents of Gaza are not our enemies and we have no joy when we see children suffering, but we can't ignore the fact that there is not a single Israeli in Gaza and despite this, Hamas continues firing rockets on our children, Peres said.The moment the rockets stop there will be no firing from Israel, said Peres, whose role is largely ceremonial, in a speech during a visit to an Israeli Arab town.Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas relaunched peace talks last month after a seven year hiatus and vowed to try to reach a deal by the end of 2008. But Hamas has rejected the peace push and its control of Gaza could complicate talks.Some media reports said recently that Israel was examining a ceasefire proposal from Hamas, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev said he was not aware Israel was considering such a move and repeated that groups refusing to renounce violence were not a party for any sort of dialogue.
Rockets fired by Gaza militants onto Israeli towns rarely cause damage or injury but spark widespread panic and disrupt daily life for residents and Olmert's government is facing increased pressure to take tougher action.Most rockets are fired by militants from groups other than Hamas but Israel says the Islamist group has the power to stop the attacks. Hamas regularly launches mortar bombs into Israel.Israel pulled troops and settlers out of Gaza in 2005 but still controls its borders. Israel and the West refuse to negotiate with Hamas unless the Islamist group renounces violence and recognizes the Jewish state.Israel's Channel 2 television reported this week that Hamas's leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, was prepared to hold talks about a ceasefire with Israel. Haniyeh's aide denied the report, but reiterated a Hamas proposal for a reciprocal ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank.Two Israeli government ministers earlier this week said they did not rule out third-party mediation with Hamas.(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch, Ori Lewis and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Rebecca Harrison; Editing by Peter Millership)
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.
Strong 6.1 quake hits Alaskan islands -- USGS
Agence France-Presse 12/21/2007
WASHINGTON -- A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska's Aleutian islands on Friday, just two days after a 7.2 magnitude quake rattled the same area, the US Geological Survey said.The epicenter was 35 kilometers (22 miles) deep, 2,083 kilometers (1,294 miles) west of Anchorage in the Andreanof islands, part of the Aleutian islands off Alaska.The earthquake struck at 0724 GMT, according to the USGS.
5, 7 magnitude earthquake hits the capital
Capital Ankara was hit by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning as the city was waking up for the first day of Eid Mubarak. The earthquake, which lasted about 15 seconds did not cause much damage however, due to effects of the 1997 earthquake, Ankara people has panicked and refused to go inside buildings.
Ankara was hit by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake
Felt by almost everyone in the city, the earthquake's epicenter was reported as Bala village. Authorities said there is no loss of life however about 20 buildings were damaged.
Ankara residents were shocked by a 5, 7 magnitude earthquake in the first day of Eid Mubarak holiday. Although the earthquake did not cause much damage or loss of life, Ankara residents refused to go in buildings, remembering the highly destructive earthquake which killed more than 50 thousand people back in 1997. The earthquake was followed by many small earthquakes until noon. Kandilli Observatory House said there is no risk for a bigger one; the biggest that could occur would be 6.0 magnitudes.
Earthquake flattens buildings in NZ
Email Print Normal font Large font December 21, 2007 - 8:22AM
New Zealand authorities declared a civil emergency in Gisborne after several of its older buildings collapsed due to a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that jolted much of the country.Thursday's earthquake off New Zealand's east coast caused damage to Gisborne's infrastructure but no serious injuries.At least 10 people were treated for minor injuries, officials said.The quake, centred in the Hikurangi undersea trench off North Island, hit at 8:55 pm local time (1855 AEDT) at 40 kilometres below the surface, the GNS Science geological agency reported. It was located about 50kilometres southeast of the coastal city.The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at magnitude 6.6.As part of the emergency ordinance, police cordoned off the city's central business area to ensure no serious casualties occurred in damaged buildings, senior sergeant Moira Brown of Gisborne police said as dawn broke in the area early Friday.Our role is to cordon the area and prevent everybody, including shop owners and retailers, from going into that CBD till buildings and structural damage have been checked by engineers, Brown said.
We have got a lot of damage and are still assessing the situation, police inspector Waata Shepherd said. Some roofs have collapsed. We are still trying to ascertain the amount of damage.The central city area had been locked down because of the damage, he said.
Power lines were down in some areas, and the quake had left a huge hole in one of Gisborne's main roads, he added.Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management spokesman Vince Cholewa confirmed that three buildings collapsed. As far as we are aware, there are no injuries in those buildings, he said.The National Crisis Centre was activated to assist local agencies dealing with the quake's aftermath. The emergency ordinance means central government assistance will be speeded up, officials said.The tremor did not trigger any tsunami warning at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.Vulcanologist Dr Warwick Smith of GNS Science said the quake was not strong enough to spark a tsunami off the coast.
My judgment call ... was that 6.8 wasn't big enough for a tsunami, he told National Radio. The ocean floor has to either be uplifted or subside to move that (sea) water, and 6.8 isn't big enough.New Zealand sits above an area of the earth's crust where two tectonic plates are colliding and records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.Callers to NewstalkZB radio said the quake sent television sets and other household appliances crashing to the floor, but that the lack of power made it difficult to assess the damage to their homes.One caller, who identified himself only as Brian, said his family sheltered in doorways as the quake rocked Gisborne.That was a ride and a half. It was freaky, he said.
Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon said things flew out of the cupboards at his home as the quake rattled the region.A number of buildings have collapsed and I can see dents in a number of buildings, he told National Radio, adding that collapsed walls and smashed glass littered the streets.The fire department had put out 10 small fires, but outlying areas had still to report major damage, he said.
Dear Stan, DEC 21,07
Next year in Jerusalem. This simple phrase, repeated by Jews around the world on two of the most important holidays of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur and Passover, reflects the deepest hope of an entire people - the desire to live in the land given to them by God.Following the formation of the modern state of Israel in 1948, many have seen this hope realized. After the horrors of the Holocaust, millions of Jews made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), escaping persecution and oppression and fulfilling the biblical prophecies that promise the return of Jewish exiles from the four corners of the earth.Since its launch, The Fellowship's On Wings of Eagles program has helped hundreds of thousands of Jews make aliyah including thousands in the year 2007 alone.
But for many Jews the dream of returning to Israel remains just that - a dream. Jews in the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, India, or Arab lands live in extreme poverty, and do not have the funds to travel to Israel, let alone the means to provide for themselves and their families once they arrive. Every year, they say "next year in Jerusalem, knowing full well they may never know the joy of living in their biblical homeland.In the final days of 2007, our goal is to raise enough support to make it possible for 200 more Jews to come to the Holy Land - to allow 200 Jews from the poorest lands to make next year in Jerusalem a reality.As you consider your year-end giving plans, please prayerfully consider making a gift to On Wings of Eagles.You can help bring one Jew to a new life Israel for a gift of $350. Or, if you prefer, a gift of $50, $100 or $175 given by midnight December 31st will help us reach our goal before the end of the year. Thank you, my friends, for your generosity. With your help at this year-end, Next year in Jerusalem can become a reality for 200 Jews living in a country where anti-Semitism and rampant poverty is a daily reality.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.
The CARMEL ALERT Dec 21st 2007
A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying
for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.
David's Comment: The Global Warming Deception
In this week's comment I want to take the focus off the Middle East and take a look at an issue which will be affecting all of our nations in the days ahead. We live in the age of widespread delusion and mass deception. For example perhaps many of you, our beloved prayer partners, are doing your best to keep the weight off by changing to food and drink products labelled as Diet products. Friends - you are being deceived. Most Diet products simply replace the sugar content with Aspartame other similar sugar replacement products. Most of these alternative sweeteners do not help you loose weight and may well be doing your body harm. But we, the unsuspecting public, believe the large print and don't bother to read the small print. For instance DIET COKE replaces some of the sugar with Aspartame ( which can be poison to our bodies - write to me if you want more info on that). In ZERO COKE (the big print leads one to believe its a much healthier product) but they take out all of the sugar and replace it with even more Aspartame than the DIET COKE has. That is only one example of hundreds if not thousands.
Of much greater concern at a higher level is the issue of Global Warming. We are constantly being told that the planet is in great danger because of the rise in temperature. Just last week an international conference took place to discuss the subject of global warming and what can be done to bring it under control. In regards to this issue, I believe that is possible that the good intentioned citizens of the western world are being duped by the scientists and the left wing liberal politicians to believe that the global warning problem is primarily caused by the amount of carbon we are releasing into the atmosphere. They say that cars, aircraft and industrial plants are the main polluters of the
atmosphere which then causes the Greenhouse Effect and the raising of the temperature. One of the greatest dangers of warmer temperatures is the melting of the Polar ice caps which will result in the flooding of many love lying residential areas in many countries.
I am not denying that there seems to be a noticeable warming trend in some places. However at the same time we are seeing more intense winter storms, along with other extreme weather conditions that are causing chaos in many places, but I am not sure that the major cause is what we are all being told. While the chorus of the global warming camps grows louder, there is also a rapidly growing number of scientists who refute the whole theory of Global warning being caused by man's irresponsible and selfish treatment of the planets natural resources. They have evidence to show that the Earth's temperature has always fluctuated. There was a mini ice-age that struck northern Canada and parts of northern Europe 150 years ago before the age of aircraft and automobiles. It was so cold for a few years that it was impossible for humans to live there. A new U.S. Senate report documents hundreds of prominent scientists – experts in dozens of fields of study worldwide – who say global warming and cooling is a cycle of nature and cannot legitimately be connected to man's activities.
( see news item 8 ) and Read on http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59319
And there is lot of hypocrasy involved. Not all of the Global Warming activists practice what they preach. One of the most prominent global warning voices is that of former US Vice President Al Gore. His carbon footprint (the amount of atmosphere polluting carbon waste that his affluent lifestyle produces) is responsible for producing hundreds of times more than his fair share of the carbon that they claim is ruining the planet. It could be that we the ordinary folk are being set up for massive control and cutbacks in our lifestyles and most people are blindly going along with it. Where the great majority of people are making a huge mistake is that they are far more concerned about the Creation than the Creator. Many actually worship the Creation and ignore the Creator.The Devil is employing every means he can in these days to lead the masses away from the Truth and into spiritual darkness - a darkness that will trap them for eternity unless they repent and return to their Creator.
Once thing I am sure about - the shift in the weather and the increasing regularity of natural disasters is. along with the events in the Middle East, a strong indicator pointing to the soon return of Yeshua to be Messiah & King of Israel. We need to intensify our prayer - lets follow the Lord's instruction and pray for Israel and the Jewish people first, then we should pray for our family, our friends, our workmates, our government ... to be broken free of the lying, deceiving spirits of this present evil age, so that they can come into the Light of the World - Messiah Yeshua.
The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel . Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.
Shabbat Shalom ... David & Josie SILVER
ANTICHRIST (NAMES OF)
MATTHEW 24:24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
MARK 13:22
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
1 JOHN 4:2-3
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 JOHN 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
1 JOHN 2:18,22
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
DANIEL 9:26 (COMES FROM ROME) (EU)
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
DANIEL 8:9
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
DANIEL 7:8
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
DANIEL 8:23
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
DANIEL 11:36
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4,8
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
ISAIAH 57:20
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
REVELATION 13:1-2
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Lisbon Treaty marks new beginning for enlarged EU with profound changes www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 20:22:55 Special report: Yearender 2007
BRUSSELS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The landmark Lisbon Treaty, the new treaty for the European Union (EU) signed by EU leaders this month, not only marked the end of a years-old constitutional crisis agonizing the bloc, but will also have profound changes for the 27-member alliance. If approved by the 27 EU states, the document, which replaces the defunct EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in2005, will take effect in January 2009, enabling the EU to face upto the challenges of the globalization era more confidently, giving it the impetus to move forward and further uniting it. This is not a treaty for the past. This is a treaty for the future, a treaty that will make Europe more modern, more efficient and more democratic, Jose Socrates, Prime Minister of Portugal, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said at the signing ceremony of the treaty in Lisbon on Dec. 13. He said the treaty would also create conditions for the EU to have its voice heard in the world. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that with this treaty the EU is preparing itself to better serve its citizens and address world issues. And French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters in Lisbon: Europe was blocked, without knowing how to move forward, and we found the solution with this treaty.
The new treaty is vital to streamlining the functioning of the regional bloc, which has enlarged from 15 members to 27 since 2004and has developed from a regional economic bloc into an economic and political alliance. It also provides for far-reaching changes in the EU's institutions and decision-making mechanisms. The treaty creates the post of a long-term president of the European Council, which comprises heads of state of the member states, in place of the current six-month rotation system. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, will be downsized, with the total number of commissioners reduced to 18 from the current 27. The commission's president will also have more powers. A new post of the EU foreign policy chief will be created, which combines the duties of present foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. To improve decision-making, a double majority voting system -- approval by at least 55 percent of membership and at least 65 percent of the bloc's total population -- has been introduced to the Council of the EU, a decision-making body composed of ministers from member states. Except for certain areas where unanimity is still required, policies will be decided through the double majority voting system, notably in justice and home affairs. The new treaty removes national vetoes in around 50 policy areas and redistributes voting weights between member states. However, it drops all references to the EU flag or anthem, to assuage euro sceptic fears of another step toward a federal Europe.
The year of 2007 will be remembered as the year of breakthrough for the new treaty, which is a simplified version of the 2004 EU draft constitution aimed at improving the EU's efficiency, streamlining decision-making and promoting its development. Germany, which took over the EU presidency on Jan. 1 this year, made it a top priority to revitalize negotiations on the new treaty. In March, the EU special summit in Berlin, which marked the 50th anniversary of the EU's founding, declared the end of the reflection period of the constitutional process. At the June summit in Brussels, the EU leaders decided to replace the failed EU constitutional treaty with a new reform treaty, and worked out a roadmap for it. On Oct. 18 in Lisbon, the EU informal summit, after lengthy negotiations and bargaining, reached agreement on the new treaty -- the Lisbon Treaty. After its signing on Dec. 13, the treaty will go through the ratification process in each member state in 2008, and will be effective before the European Parliament elections in January 2009. At their summit on Dec. 14 in Brussels, the EU leaders called for a swift completion of the national ratification process with a view to allowing its scheduled entry into force. Unlike the defunct EU constitution, all the EU states have expressed their support for the new treaty.
Hungary became the first EU member state to approve the new treaty on Monday night when its parliament voted 325-5 in favor of the document. France, which rejected the EU constitution in 2005 in a referendum, has launched the ratification process of the new document, and Germany has said it wants to be among the first group of countries to approve it. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ruled out a British referendum to approve the new treaty. Among all the 27 members, only Ireland insists on holding a referendum -- expected in May or June next year -- to ratify the document, reducing the risks of an upset, even though polls suggest many Irish voters are undecided or indifferent. The other nations will approve the treaty through votes in their national parliaments. EU policy experts are more confident that the new treaty will be given a green light this time around.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Antonio Missiroli, head of studies at the European Policy Center, expressed his qualified optimism over the ratification process of the treaty. However, he cautioned that Ireland is going to be a big question mark given the fact that Irish voters vetoed the Nice Treaty in 2001, another document for the EU. If Ireland returns a 'no' there will be ripple effects elsewhere. Other parliaments will suspend ratification; there will be calls for referendums in other countries. That is the possible domino effect, he said. The EU hopes that with the completion of the new treaty, the bloc will now be able to focus on efforts to address regional and world challenges, enhance its role on the international stage, harden its position in global talks, and sell the so-called EU mode of principles and standards around the world. The Lisbon Treaty provides the Union with a stable and lasting institutional framework. We expect no change in the foreseeable future, so that the Union will be able to fully concentrate on addressing the concrete challenges ahead, including globalization and climate change, the EU leaders said in a communique issued in Brussels last week. The world will now turn its eyes on whether the treaty will be ratified smoothly and whether it can deliver the far-reaching changes the EU is seeking. Editor: Song Shutao.
THE EU WILL TAKE OVER THE UN'S ROLE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE UN WILL BE FOLDING SHORTLY BECAUSE OF USELESSNESS?????????????
Presidency: EU must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 00:19:40
BRUSSELS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The would-be EU presidency said here Thursday that the European Union must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence after the U.N. Security Council failed to settle the future status of the breakaway Serb province. The EU and Kosovo have to agree what to do next in a reasonable manner and without any blackmail, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told reporters. Slovenia is to take over the half-year rotating EU presidency from Portugal on Jan. 1. It's clear that certain processes cannot be held back, he added, saying he expected the province's status to be resolved by the end of the Slovenian presidency at the latest. We are ready. If I interpret the mood right in the EU, we are prepared to recognize the reality that exists in the Western Balkans, Rupel said. The U.N. Security Council discussed Kosovo on Wednesday but failed to find a compromise over the future status of Kosovo.
Backed the United States and most of EU nations, Kosovo has sought independence form Serbia, but the latter, supported by Russia, strongly opposes it except offering broad autonomy. The EU remains divided on whether to support Kosovo's drive to unilaterally declare independence early next year. A few nations, including Cyprus, Greece and Romania, are unwilling to recognize unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo mindful that the move would set bad example for other separatist groups. The EU has decided to send a police and civilian mission to Kosovo, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, to take over the administration from the United Nations.Editor: Yan Liang
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU marks 'historical' enlargement of borderless zone
21.12.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva
The EU's borderless zone expanded to nine mostly eastern European countries at midnight on Friday (21 December) in its biggest enlargement so far. Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - which all joined the EU in 2004 - are part of this enlargement to the so-called Schengen area.Land and sea border checks between them and the other Schengen countries are now abolished, while air borders are set to follow on 30 March 2008. Practically it means that as of today, people can travel hassle-free between 24 countries of the Schengen area without internal land and sea border controls- from Portugal to Poland and from Greece to Finland, EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini said in a statement.An area of 24 countries without internal borders is a unique and historical achievement. I feel very proud and privileged to have been involved in making it happen, he added.Meanwhile, celebrations were held and are to be held throughout Friday on several border points to mark the occasion.However, some were more enthusiastic than others. While Slovaks were celebrating until late in the night on Friday at the country's border with ‘old' member state Austria, no celebrations could be noted on the Austrian side.A recent poll carried out in Austria showed 75% of its citizens opposed the lifting of barriers, according to the BBC.
Fears of crime wave
While many EU citizens are looking forward to the free movement regime, others have expressed fears that it will lead to an increase of crime and illegal immigration.Politicians dismissed the fears, however.Schengen is not about criminality, it is not about insecurity or fear. It is a bigger zone of peace, security and stability, Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer said in Slovakia on Thursday (20 December).It's an historic occasion following the destruction by the first and second world wars and the division of our continent by the Iron Curtain (…) Free borders in a free Europe: who would have dared to even dream of that in 1985, Mr Gusenbauer added.European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said: Together we have overcome border controls as man-made obstacles to peace, freedom and unity in Europe.
And what about EU neighbours?
While the enlargement of the Schengen area means that some 400 million EU citizens will now be able to travel more easily within it, it also constitutes a new burden for some EU neighbours.The short stay Schengen visa currently costs €60 for third country nationals and is a significant increase for some non-EU citizens.
Until now, Belarussians have paid €5 for a trip to neighbouring Lithuania.Other EU neighbours - the Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania – have concluded visa facilitation agreements with the EU, which are expected to enter into force on 1January 2008.Russian citizens are also covered by such a deal, which entered into force in June this year.Under the visa facilitation agreements, citizens of these countries can obtain a Schengen visa for €35, while certain categories of citizens are exempted from the fee.The Schengen area was established in 1985 and named after the small Luxembourg village where it was signed by Germany, the Benelux countries and France.The nine new countries joined the 15 others already in Schengen - thirteen EU states excluding the UK and Ireland which preferred to stay out, but including Norway and Iceland.Non-EU member Switzerland is also to become a member of the Schengen area next year, while three EU states – Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania have still to meet the necessary requirements.It is not yet known when they will join the EU's borderless zone, but Cyprus is expected to do so around 2009, while Bulgaria and Romania are hoping to follow suit by 2011.
REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea,(MEDITERRANEAN SEA) and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,(OF NATIONS) having seven heads and ten horns,(THE EU) and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Italy, France, Spain to boost cooperation in Mediterranean region www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-21 16:07:15
ROME, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Italy, France and Spain on Thursday pledged joint efforts to promote cooperation in the Mediterranean region and make a planned Mediterranean Union the core for regional cooperation in various fields, Italian media reported. In a joint statement, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the union will be set up on the basis of mutual cooperation, instead of integration. Convinced that the Mediterranean, crucible of culture and civilisation, should resume its role as a zone of peace, prosperity and tolerance, the three leaders had met to think about the broad outlines of a planned union for the Mediterranean, the statement said. The union would have a mission to reunite Europe and Africa around the countries along the Mediterranean rim and to set up a partnership on an equal footing between the countries north and south of the sea, it said. The added value of the Mediterranean Union should reside first in the political boost it should give to cooperation around the Mediterranean and the mobilization of civil societies, businesses, local communities, associations and NGOs (non-governmental organizations), said the statement. The three leaders announced that a summit of the countries bordering the sea would be held in Paris on July 13, one day before a European Union (EU) summit scheduled in Brussels.
At a joint news conference following a meeting of the three leaders, Zapatero said problems such as immigration and the environment would be central to the focus of the new bloc. A Mediterranean Union needs to bring about a change in relations between the two sides of the Mediterranean Sea, for a new form of development and for peace, he said. The Spanish prime minister added that any initiative should start with the EU. The project of the union, which is supposedly composed of 16 Mediterranean countries, was put forward by Sarkozy when he was running for the French presidency. He has made the Mediterranean region one of his diplomatic priorities since he became president in May this year.
Editor: Song Shutao.
International Relations | 21.12.2007
Sarkozy Gets Italy, Spain on Board for Mediterranean Union
Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: EU critics are wary about a possible shift to the south French President Nicolas Sarkozy got the support of the leaders of Italy and Spain, Romano Prodi and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, for his idea to establish a union of Mediterranean-rim states.Sarkozy, Prodi and Zapatero agreed there was a need for a Mediterranean Union, they told reporters at an evening press conference in Rome on Thursday, Dec. 20. The French president said Paris would hold a summit for potential members on July 13, one day before an EU summit in Brussels.
Sarkozy has been pushing for his idea since before he took office
The idea of a Mediterranean Union ... a real one aimed at peace, dialogue and development, has been mentioned many times before, but never a pragmatic way to achieve it, Prodi said, after a 45-minute meeting of the three men. Well tonight we have started doing this, he added. The Mediterranean must be at the center of European policy.Immigration and environment would be central to the new entity's focus, Zapatero said. Both he and Prodi stressed that such an initiative would start with the European Union.
Mankind's future
In recent weeks Sarkozy has pressed the idea of a union of the 20 countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including Israel and Syria, on several occasions, an issue he already brought up in February, even before he was elected president.It's in the Mediterranean that some of mankind's future will be decided, Sarkozy said at Thursday's news conference.
Bildunterschrift: Immigration would be a focus
The Frenchman's push has irritated some in the European Union, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was concerned that a Mediterranean union could pose a threat to the 27-state bloc.
Merkel openly expressed her misgivings about the idea ahead of an EU summit in early December, resulting in a Franco-German agreement that the two countries would jointly draft a proposal for it.Along with Merkel, Sarkozy is opposed to Turkey joining the EU. Some critics see his Mediterranean Union plans as an alternative to Ankara becoming part of the bloc.Turkey is not in Europe but in Asia Minor, and this is a geographical reality," Sarkozy said in an interview with Radio Vatican on Thursday, as he reiterated his stance that the country should not become part of the EU, German news agency DPA reported.DW staff (ncy)
REVELATION 17:2
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.(VATICAN IN POLITICS)
Sarkozy in first meeting with Pope DEC 20,07
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has met Pope Benedict XVI, saying he was personally moved by his first audience at the Vatican since taking office in May.The two discussed a range of international issues, including the drama of hostages, an apparent reference to France's efforts to free Ingrid Betancourt, who is being held by Colombian guerrillas.Ms Betancourt is a dual French-Colombian citizen and former presidential candidate in the South American country. She has been held for nearly six years and France has been actively seeking her release.The Vatican described the visit as cordial and noted what it called the good relations between the French government and the Roman Catholic Church.Mr Sarkozy, in talks with the Pope and a second meeting with the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, discussed themes of common interest in France and the role of religion, in particular the Catholic Church, in the world, the Vatican said.
Before the visit, Mr Sarkozy's spokesman, David Martinon, described the Vatican as extremely active and influential in diplomacy.It's a partner that counts, and it's a heavyweight ally on a great number of subjects, such as on Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Mr Martinon said.The two men held 25 minutes of private talks. The French leader arrived at the Vatican about 15 minutes behind schedule after flying in from Paris. Benedict greeted him outside his study and the two men posed for photographers before taking their seats at a desk for their talks.
Where did you learn your French? Mr Sarkozy asked Benedict. In school, the German Pope replied.Mr Sarkozy presented the Pope with three books, including one he had written before becoming president on the role of religion in secular France.
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.
THIS THINK TANK IS RIGHT ON GOD DESTROYS WHO EVER COMES AGAINST ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM IN THE FUTURE.
Thursday, December 20, 2007 Geostrategy-Direct.com
Unthinkable? Think tank sees Israel, not Iran, surviving a Mideast nuclear war
WASHINGTON — Iran could sustain up to 28 million and Israel 800,000casualties in a nuclear war between the two countries. Anthony Cordesman .A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies envisioned a nuclear missile war between Iran and Israel that would last 21 days. Authored by former Defense Department strategist Anthony Cordesman, the report said Israel could conceivably survive a nuclear war, but Iran would not.
Iranian recovery is not possible in the normal sense of the term, the report, entitled Iran, Israel and Nuclear War, said. Israeli recovery [is] theoretically possible in population and economic terms.The report was released on Nov. 19 amid Iranian threats to destroy the Jewish state. Cordesman said Israel could cause tremendous damage to Iran because of its much more powerful nuclear weapons. Israel and U.S. capability to preempt is factor, but main issue may be Israel's ability to clearly develop mutual assured destruction and U.S. capability to deploy credible level of extended deterrence, the report said.
Israel has produced nuclear weapons with a yield of one megaton, the report said. In contrast, Iran would be unable to assemble a weapon of more than 100 kilotons. A megaton weapon could inflict third-degree burns at three times the radius, and radiation fallout could kill others at a distance of 130 kilometers. A 100 kiloton bomb could result in casualties within a radius of 13 kilometers. The report expressed confidence in Israeli missile defense capabilities. Cordesman said most Iranian nuclear missiles could be intercepted by the Israeli-origin Arrow-2 missile defense system, bolstered by the U.S-origin PAC-2 Guided Enhanced Missile Plus. The report envisions a war between 2010 and 2020, when Iran was expected to acquire an arsenal of up to 30 nuclear warheads. Cordesman expected Israel to have more than 200 nuclear warheads, launched by ground- and sea-based systems. Prevention [of Iran's nuclear weapons] may stimulate massive covert, dispersed effort, the report said. Preemption becomes radically different once Iran has nuclear armed force.Cordesman expects Syria, albeit without nuclear weapons, to join any war. The report envisions Syria firing chemical and other nonconventional weapons that could kill up to 800,000 Israelis. For its part, Syria could lose 18 million in an Israeli nuclear retaliation. Egypt could also join an Iranian war against Israel. The report expected Israel to retaliate by firing nuclear missiles toward Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo and other cities. Cordesman said Egypt's Suez Canal and Aswan Dam would be destroyed. Rational actors do not fight nuclear wars, but history is not written about rational actors behaving in a rational manner, the report said.
Russia's Putin Is Named Time's `Person of the Year' By Chris Dolmetsch
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time's Person of the Year for bringing his country roaring back to the table of world power, the magazine said on its Web site. Putin, 55, who has said he may become Russia's prime minister after stepping down as president next year, has helped lead the country back to stability at significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, Richard Stengel, the magazine's managing editor, wrote in an article explaining the choice. With dauntless persistence, a sharp vision of what Russia should become and a sense that he embodied the spirit of Mother Russia, Putin has put his country back on the map, Stengel wrote. Time, owned by Time Warner Inc., started the annual Person of the Year cover story in 1927 with Charles Lindbergh, the aviator who made the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. Last year, Internet users behind the self-made content on Web sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube.com won the honor.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, a Nobel Prize winner, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Chinese President Hu Jintao and David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, were named runners-up, the magazine said. Time's nomination is not a recognition of Putin's positive impact, political analyst Yevgeny Volk of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow said by telephone. Many people have been named who played a rather controversial role, he said. Past winners include Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Josef Stalin in 1939 and 1942. Other Soviet and Russian leaders named Person of the Year by Time include Nikita Khrushchev in 1957, Yury Andropov in 1983 and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 and 1989. It's certainly a recognition of Putin's impact on domestic and world politics, Volk added. He really plays a big role in shaping the Russian political landscape and influencing international policy.To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Dolmetsch in New York at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.net .
Russia seals Central Asian gas pipeline deal Financial Times By Isabel Gorst in Baku updated 9:41 p.m. ET, Thurs., Dec. 20, 2007
Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan finalised a landmark agreement on Thursday to build a pipeline to transport gas to Russia, tightening Moscow's control over Central Asian gas exports.The deal comes at a time of intense competition for the region's rich energy resources. Dubbed Pricaspiysky, the new pipeline will skirt the east coast of the Caspian Sea carrying 20bn cubic metres a year of Turkmen and Kazakh gas north to Russia's Saratov region.
The accord, signed in the presence of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's leader, is a setback for Europe, which is courting Caspian producers for gas supplies to reduce its dependence on Russian imports.
Julia Nanay, of PFC Energy, said, The agreement on this pipeline marks a strengthening of energy relations between Central Asia and Russia and fulfils one of Putin's key policy goals of tying large supplies of gas from Central Asia into the Russian system.Gazprom, the statecontrolled Russian gas company, needs Central Asian gas to compensate for a fall in production from its Siberian fields, a decline that threatens to undermine its $37bn (€25.5bn, £18.4bn) a year European gas export business.Mr Putin said the Pricaspiysky pipeline would be a serious investment by our countries in strengthening energy security, not just in Eurasia but more widely, bearing in mind our main consumers in west Europe. Separately, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan plan to modernise and expand a Soviet-era pipeline, currently the only large gas export route out of landlocked Central Asia.Viktor Khristenko, the Russian energy minister, said the Pricaspiysky pipeline would be built by late 2010. Each republic would take responsibility for financing construction of the pipeline on their territory, he said.Mr Putin and Mr Nazarbayev earlier spoke by telephone with Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the Turkmen president, who came into office a year ago after the death of Sapurmurat Niyazov. Mr Berdymukhammedov has begun construction of a gas export pipeline to China that will end Russia's stranglehold on Turkmenistan's gas export routes by the end of 2009.
He has also held frequent talks with western governments about a project to build a gas pipeline across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan to link up with the planned Nabucco system supplying Caspian gas to Europe. Nabucco is central to the EU's strategy to diversify gas imports away from Russia.Finalisation of the Pricaspiysky project, first announced in May, has been postponed several times despite intense lobbying by Russian diplomats.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has persuaded Gazprom to accept a 30 per cent increase in gas prices, despite an earlier contract fixing the price at $100 per thousand cubic metres until 2009. The price will rise again to $150 per thousand cubic metres in the second half of next year. Analysts said it would be difficult for prospective investors in the trans-Caspian pipeline to compete with the higher price Gazprom has agreed to pay Turkmenistan.
Conference of Presidents backs united Jerusalem
Published: 12/21/2007
The Conference of Presidents reaffirmed its longstanding position that a united Jerusalem should remain the sovereign and eternal capital of Israel.In a meeting Thursday, the conference, the principal U.S. Jewish umbrella group on foreign affairs, voted to defer discussion on another resolution that would have insisted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas remove portions of the charter of his Fatah movement calling for the elimination of Israel. Malcolm Hoenlein, the conference's executive vice chairman, told JTA that members overwhelmingly supported a discussion on the Fatah charter resolution. But, he added, those present at the meeting voted to defer discussion until after the group's February mission to Israel. The mission will also include a visit to the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Some members of the conference have argued that both resolutions would serve to undercut the Israeli government as it participates in U.S.-convened peace talkes with the Palestinians. Others counter that the resolutions would strengthen Israel's negotiating hand.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Do not make city's division a self-fulfilling prophecy
Nathan J. Diament director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12.20.07
Imagine the scene centuries ago, as the prophet Isaiah mounts a platform to exhort the people. But instead of trying to rally the listeners to mend their ways to deserve God’s aid, as well as prepare for battle against those who would sack Jerusalem and send them into exile, the prophet instead suggests they ought to surrender Jerusalem willingly.In recent weeks, political leaders and other prominent members of the Jewish community have done exactly that. They say that redividing Jerusalem is inevitable and that we modern Jews should begin adjusting to that reality. No suggestion could be a greater betrayal of Jewish history or a more wrongheaded notion of how to conduct diplomacy.The central role Jerusalem has played in the historic and religious narrative of our people is well-known. Jerusalem is at the heart of Jewish religious identity — we pray each day toward Jerusalem and for its welfare, and we conclude our holiest days with the prayer that next year we will celebrate in Jerusalem.
Historically, King David made Jerusalem his capital 3,000 years ago and since then Jerusalem has been the national capital of the Jewish people; only brute force has kept us out. In 1948, when the Old City and eastern parts of Jerusalem fell under Jordanian rule, Jews were barred entry to the Old City, denied worship at the Western Wall, and denied access to the ancient cemeteries on the Mount of Olives. Israel reunified the city in 1967 and opened the holy sites of all faiths to all people.Despite these truths, there are those who believe that for the sake of restarting an Israeli-Arab peace process, we must consider redividing the city. After all, some say, it is necessary for a peace deal. Some say the city is already divided, with Arab neighborhoods where no Jew ever ventures. Others say the Arabs already have de facto control over the Temple Mount †for the sake of a deal, why not make it official and concede their sovereignty? For his part, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the Temple Mount is not open for negotiation; yet he also is entertaining the idea of a Palestinian capital in the eastern part of the city. Does the prime minister seriously believe that Palestinians will be satisfied with anything less than the Temple Mount?
Fact is, there are neighborhoods, especially those east of the security barrier, where Jews seldom venture. But modern Jerusalem is far more an interwoven checkerboard of Jewish and Palestinian neighborhoods than starkly segregated enclaves. Beit Safafa lies between Talpiot and Gilo, Sheik Jarrah lies between the Old City and French Hill, and there are many Palestinians living in and around the ancient Jewish City of David in the valley between the Jewish Quarter and the Mount of Olives. It is no more feasible to extricate the Palestinian and Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem from one another than to ethnically divide the neighborhoods of Manhattan.In the wake of the Six-Day War, Israel turned the administration of the Temple Mount over to the Muslim Waqf. This was a generous gesture, and it may even be worth continuing under a final settlement agreement. But Israel should never cede the sovereignty for which Jews have prayed, toiled, and bled for generations.Other arguments have been advanced against the pro-Jerusalem advocacy effort mounted by the Orthodox Union and its allies. We in the Diaspora are told that we must either yield to those who live in Israel or that we do not have a say in the first place.Yet it’s far from obvious that Israelis favor concessions on Jerusalem. A few weeks ago, the Israel-based Maagar Mohot Research Institute released a survey showing that 78 percent of Israelis oppose Israel making a commitment now to turn sovereignty on the Temple Mount over to the Palestinians. Another large majority (69 percent) also opposes Israel making a commitment now to turn part of Jerusalem over to the Palestinians.
Moreover, with regard to Jerusalem — the cradle and heart of the entire Jewish people — Diaspora Jews do not dictate Israeli policy, but it is our “obligation†— Prime Minister Olmert’s own word — and our right to speak up. After all, we are family.Our goal is and must remain a shared one — to be faithful to the prayers and sacrifices of our ancestors who longed for, prayed for, and fought for Jerusalem — the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
AFX News Limited
Metals - Gold edges back above 800 usd as dollar weakens UPDATE
12.21.07, 6:33 AM ET
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Gold edged back above 800 usd an ounce as the dollar fell against the euro and as traders remained broadly positive over the outlook for the metal going into next year.At 11.09 am, spot gold was trading up at 803.20 usd per ounce against 798.80 usd in late New York trades yesterday.The metal has firmed back above 800 usd this morning as the dollar has weakened, noted TheBullionDesk.com analyst James Moore. He added that with 'players caught between locking in profits for year-end and increasing their safe-haven holding on dips, the yellow metal looks set to remain in a volatile mood, spending more time in its current range.On a longer term view, however, most market participants believe gold, which rose to a 28-year high of 845.40 usd in November, is set to scale new peaks next year.Gold is traditionally bought as an alternative asset to the US currency, and even though some analysts are turning more optimistic on the dollar going into next year, the outlook for gold remains strong.
This is as mine supply is still falling while safe haven buying is set to pick up as tightening credit conditions the world over start to impact economic growth.In addition, any signs that inflation is set to remain high amid still rising oil prices will benefit gold, which is traditionally bought as a hedge against rising prices.Elsewhere, platinum fell away from Tuesday's all time record high of 1,521 usd per ounce, trading down at 1,509 usd against 1,511 usd at the close yesterday.Platinum ... is susceptible to profit taking ahead of year-end, however given the current market tightness and the vulnerability to supply disruptions platinum could easily eclipse Tuesday's high, said Moore.In other precious metals, palladium dipped to 351 usd against 353 usd, while silver rose to 14.26 usd against 14.19 usd.
maytaal.angel@thomson.comma/am/ma/ra Thomson Financial News Limited 2007.
No truce until Hamas stops rockets: Israel's Peres
Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:51pm EST
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Friday the Jewish state should not agree to a truce with Hamas unless the Islamist group first stops rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.Israel has stepped up incursions into Gaza to try to stop militants firing rockets and mortar bombs at southern Israeli towns and troops killed at least seven Palestinian gunmen in a ground and air raid on Thursday.Hamas and medical workers said Israeli troops shot and killed a Hamas militant in the Gaza Strip on Friday during an exchange of fire near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was unaware of any activity by troops in the area at the time of the incident.
Nobel peace laureate Peres reiterated on Friday Israel should not negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June after clashes with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, unless it first stopped the salvoes.The residents of Gaza are not our enemies and we have no joy when we see children suffering, but we can't ignore the fact that there is not a single Israeli in Gaza and despite this, Hamas continues firing rockets on our children, Peres said.The moment the rockets stop there will be no firing from Israel, said Peres, whose role is largely ceremonial, in a speech during a visit to an Israeli Arab town.Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas relaunched peace talks last month after a seven year hiatus and vowed to try to reach a deal by the end of 2008. But Hamas has rejected the peace push and its control of Gaza could complicate talks.Some media reports said recently that Israel was examining a ceasefire proposal from Hamas, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev said he was not aware Israel was considering such a move and repeated that groups refusing to renounce violence were not a party for any sort of dialogue.
Rockets fired by Gaza militants onto Israeli towns rarely cause damage or injury but spark widespread panic and disrupt daily life for residents and Olmert's government is facing increased pressure to take tougher action.Most rockets are fired by militants from groups other than Hamas but Israel says the Islamist group has the power to stop the attacks. Hamas regularly launches mortar bombs into Israel.Israel pulled troops and settlers out of Gaza in 2005 but still controls its borders. Israel and the West refuse to negotiate with Hamas unless the Islamist group renounces violence and recognizes the Jewish state.Israel's Channel 2 television reported this week that Hamas's leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, was prepared to hold talks about a ceasefire with Israel. Haniyeh's aide denied the report, but reiterated a Hamas proposal for a reciprocal ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank.Two Israeli government ministers earlier this week said they did not rule out third-party mediation with Hamas.(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch, Ori Lewis and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Rebecca Harrison; Editing by Peter Millership)
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