Friday, January 10, 2014

ARIEL SHARON STILL IN WORSE SHAPE

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

Ariel Sharon remains in critical condition

Family and friends gather at bedside of comatose former prime minister, who suffered ‘dramatic deterioration’ Thursday

January 10, 2014, 7:24 am 0
Ariel Sharon remained in critical condition Friday, after his health ”dramatically deteriorated” late Thursday afternoon, hospital officials said.The former prime minister now suffers from kidney failure and blood infection, and is in “immediate, life-threatening critical condition,” they said.Sharon, 85, has been in a coma since suffering a debilitating stroke in 2006. His condition, long stable, took a turn for the worse last week and doctors at Sheba Medical Center, at Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv, have been issuing intermittent updates detailing his deteriorating condition.Hospital director Zeev Rotstein said earlier in the week that “if we don’t see a change on the scale of a miracle, his situation will continue to get worse each day.”On Sunday, Rotstein said Sharon’s heartbeat and blood pressure were “good,” and reiterated the assessment on Monday. An infection in his bloodstream was also being kept under control with antibiotics, he said.“We knew he had a good heart, and now we know he has a strong heart,” he said, but added that Sharon’s life was still in “immediate danger” and there was no cause for optimism.Sharon is “a true lion” who “continues to fight for his life,” the hospital director added Sunday.His family remained at his bedside, the hospital said, and former soldiers who fought alongside him were among the visiting well-wishers.“People come throughout the day, to talk, to support his sons at this difficult hour,” Rotstein said Monday.Doctors said Sharon was suffering from renal failure that could lead to multiple organ system failure and death. Sharon has been hospitalized at Sheba for seven years.The hospital director said last week that while Sharon’s condition had “seen ups and downs” in the past two-and-a-half months, his life was now in danger.“The danger [to Sharon's life] exists, [but] as we know, Arik [Sharon] is a powerful man and has survived difficult situations during his time in our hospital,” he continued. “I’m no prophet, but the feeling among the doctors treating him and the family by his side… is that he has taken a turn for the worse.”Rotstein added that Sharon wasn’t receiving dialysis treatment for his kidney collapse, as it was not recommended for a patient with multiple organ failure. He said the ex-prime minister had received antibiotic treatment in recent weeks for infections that caused his condition to deteriorate.“He is receiving all the treatments that a patient in his condition should receive,” he said.
Prof. Zeev Rotstein at Sheba Medical Center on Monday, January 6, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Dan Balilty)
Prof. Zeev Rotstein at Sheba Medical Center on Monday, January 6, 2014 (photo credit: AP/Dan Balilty)
In September 2013, doctors reinstalled a feeding tube in Sharon’s digestive system. The procedure was completed without incident, and the former prime minister was returned to the hospital’s Department of Respiratory Care and Rehabilitation, where he has been in treatment in recent years.Sharon is one of Israel’s most iconic and controversial figures. As one of Israel’s most famous generals, Sharon was known for bold tactics and an occasional refusal to obey orders. As a politician he became known as “The Bulldozer,” a man contemptuous of his critics while also capable of getting things done.As defense minister, he led Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and was forced to resign the post after a commission of inquiry found him responsible for failing to prevent the massacre by Christian Phalangists of Palestinian refugees in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila camps.A prominent hard-line voice over the decades, he was elected prime minister in 2001.
In mid-2005, he directed a unilateral withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip, ending a 38-year military control of the territory. It was a shocking turnaround for a man who had been a leading player in building Jewish settlements in captured territories.He bolted the Likud party soon after and established the centrist Kadima party, where he was joined by Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni. He appeared on his way to an easy reelection when he suffered a severe stroke in January 2006. His deputy, Olmert, took over and was elected prime minister a few months later.Sharon had a first, small stroke in December 2005 and was put on blood thinners before experiencing a severe brain hemorrhage on January 4, 2006. After spending months in the Jerusalem hospital where he was initially treated, Sharon was transferred to the long-term care facility at Tel Hashomer Hospital. He was taken home briefly at one point, but was returned to the hospital, where he has been since.AP contributed to this report.
OTHER ARIEL SHARON NEWS
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/01/sharon-still-in-grave-condition.html

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

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

Kerry threatens to cut PA aid if no peace deal signed’

Senior Palestinian official says US secretary of state has implied Washington won’t abide failure of talks with Israel

January 9, 2014, 11:45 pm 18-The times of Israel
US Secretary of State John Kerry has threatened to discontinue all American aid to the Palestinian Authority if the current round of negotiations does not result in a peace agreement, a senior Palestinian official claimed Thursday.Taysir Khaled, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that the US had implied it would stop giving financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and would not be able to prevent Israeli expansion of West Bank settlements, if a framework for a long-lasting accord was not agreed upon, Maariv reported.
According to the Israeli daily, Khaled accused Kerry of committing political blackmail by pressuring Palestinians to make concessions.“So far, the negotiations did not lead to a significant breakthrough on essential issues,” Khaled reportedly said during a press conference in Ramallah. ”The Palestinian side cannot sign a framework agreement because it does not comply with our minimum requirements and with rights of the Palestinians. We will not give up on the Palestinian cause for money.”Kerry has made 10 visits to the region since talks resumed last July, shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian leaders to mediate talks.
Recently, he has been pushing a framework agreement, as part of his efforts to nudge Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu closer to a full treaty that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.But the two sides have reportedly been at odds over almost every aspect of the core issues involved in a two-state accord. As part of a framework deal designed to keep the talks going past an April deadline, Kerry has been reportedly pushing Netanyahu to agree to negotiations on the basis of a Palestinian state to be established along the pre-1967 lines, with land-swap adjustments, and urging Abbas to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.Beyond these points, the two sides are said to disagree over security arrangements, border demarcations, and the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugee demands under a permanent deal. There have also been disputes over who will be released in a final phase of prisoner releases by Israel of terror convicts in the coming months.An official in Ramallah told Palestinian newspaper al-Ayyam that the meetings recently held between Kerry and the Palestinian leadership failed to reach an agreement on any issue.“We talked about everything, but without agreement on anything,” the official said in an article published Monday.According to the newspaper, the Palestinians presented their positions on all the issues to Kerry, and are expecting to be presented with the positions of the US secretary of state for the framework agreement.Some Hebrew media reports said Kerry may return to the region as early as next week to try again to bridge the gulfs between the sides.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

LOOK OUT AMERICA.YOU WANNA START FORCING THE ARAB MURDERERS INTO A CORNER IN THE PEACE PLAN.RUSSIA WILL STICK UP FOR THEM.AND IT WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR YOU.AMERICA FORCES EVERYTHING ON ISRAEL AND THINKS THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.BUT KERRY - HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU.FOR FORCING EVERYTHING ON ISRAEL IN THIS SO CALLED PEACE PROCESS OF DEATH AND HELL.IT WILL REVERSE ON YOU AMERICA.

AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)

IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)

ISAIAH 34:10
10  It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29  And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30  The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
31  One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32  And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)

COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AMERICA)

REVELATION 18:3-6,19-21
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,(U.S.A) and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,(U.S.A) and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,(AMERICA) my people,(CHRISTIANS,JEWS) that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her (AMERICA-NEW YORK) even as she rewarded you,(WITH FALSE FLAG TERRORISM) and double unto her double according to her works:(DOUBLE-EMP 1ST,THEN RUSSIA NUKE ATTACKS U.S.A) in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.(PROBABLY A RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACK WILL SET THE WHOLE SITUATION UP AS RUSSIA HACKS THE USA ARMY COMPUTERS.THEN THE EMP,THEN THE NUKE ATTACK)
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.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
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AND THE WHOLE WORLD WILL PAY FOR FORCING ISRAEL INTO THIS DEATH AND HELL 7 YEAR PEACE ACCORD.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.


ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

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

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

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).


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

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

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

JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) 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.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)


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

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

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

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

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

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

LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

STRANGE ICE BALLS ON MICHIGAN SHORELINE

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

1 THESSALONIANS 5:3-7
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4
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,(EU WORLD DICTATOR)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.

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.(SOCIALISM)
13 These have one mind,(SOCIALISM) 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)

2 THESSALONIANS 2:9-12
9 Even him,(EU WORLD DICTATOR) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,(THE FALSE RESURRECTION BY THE WORLD DICTATOR) that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

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.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950

Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

Juncker battles to secure EU nomination

09.01.14 @ 19:23-EUOBSERVER
By Valentina Pop
Jean-Claude Juncker - who chaired eurozone meetings for some 10 years and who, until last year, was the EU's longest-serving prime minister - has again said he is keen to be the next European Commission chief.
"I would be in principle willing to run, if the programme and other things are right," the 59-year old Luxembourg politician told German RBB radio on Thursday (9 January).As the potential candidate of the European centre-right, he added that he relishes the idea of a "lively" debate with Martin Schulz, the offficial centre-left candiate and current European Parliament head.Juncker's nomination remains uncertain, however.
EU centre-right leaders have said they will decide on the name at a European People's Party congress in March in Dublin.Key to the process is the only woman among the EPP leaders - German Chancellor Angela Merkel - who, according to Der Spiegel magazine, is not so keen on Juncker's return to the European scene because he often criticised Germany's handing of the economic crisis.Merkel's spokesman has rejected the Spiegel report.Juncker himself underlined his "friendly" relationship with the German leader, saying he telephoned her twice in the past three weeks.The current Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, also spoke with Merkel on the phone. "She reassured me that she does not plan to deprive Europe of the former Eurogroup chief's competences," Bettel told L'essentiel newspaper on Wednesday.But for his part, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who took over from Juncker as Eurogroup chair, is not helping Juncker's campaign.Dijsselbloem told a late-night talk show on Dutch TV on Monday that Juncker is a "heavy smoker and drinker."He added that since Juncker left the post, the atmosphere during finance ministers' meetings "has become much more Calvinistic."Rumours on Juncker's bad habits have been doing the rounds in Brussels for years. But Dijsselbloem is the first ever to break the taboo on the subject.
His remarks prompted Juncker to retort on Wednesday, according to Luxembourg Wort, that "I don't have a drinking problem ... and I don't want to react to comments made in a humoristic talkshow on Dutch television."Meanwhile, Michel Barnier, the French EU commissioner in charge of financial services and the internal market, still believes he might get the centre-right nomination, writes Le Monde.A book written by the French politician is currently on standby depending on whether the text can describe him as a "candidate" for the EU commission presidency or not.Barnier may be a member of the cntre-right "EPP" group, but the current French government is not, meaning he lacks a top-level advocate for his bid.The Rheinische Post has also floated the name of another French politician - Christine Lagarde - for the commission top post.
The nomination process is this time around taking place in a new atmosphere.Under the Lisbon Treaty the political faction which does best in EU elections in May is to get preference in the top jobs race.But Merkel last year ruled out any automaticity in the process.Her position means the final appointments are likely to be settled as in the past - in behind-the-scenes bargaining on a package of powerful posts, including the head of the EU council, the EU foreign affairs chief, the Nato head and the European Parliament chairman.Aside from political affiliation, the bargain traditionally involves considerations on countries representing the north, south, east and west, as well as the need to have at least one woman in the top phalanx.

COUNTRIES WITH ISRAEL

EZEKIEL 38:10-19
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:(RUSSIAN LEADER-TO PLUNDER ISRAEL)
11 And thou shalt say,(RUSSIA,ARAB,MUSLIMS) 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.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLAND,ENGLISH SPEAKING shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? (RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS))-(WEST ONLY PUTS UP DIPLOMATIC SCOLDING) (LIKE WHICH IS HAPPENING IN SYRIA-IRAN AND NORTH KOREA TODAY)(USING THE USELESS U.N TO USE DIPLOMATIC MEANS-INSTEAD OF MILITARY MEANS--GETTING RID OF THE DICTATOR,MURDERERS IN THESE COUNTRIES) hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

EZEKIEL 38:5-7
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: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
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.

THE BIBLE SAYS GERMANY WILL SIDE WITH THE RUSSIA-MUSLIM HOARD AGAINST ISRAEL.AND THE BIBLE SAYS SAUDI-ARABIA WILL BE ON ISRAELS SIDE.INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS.BUT THE BIBLE IS TRUTH.

Merkel caves in on Russia appointment

Today @ 09:40-DEC 10,14-EU OBSERVER
Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday (9 January) accepted the appointment of a pro-Moscow veteran as special coordinator for Russia policy, a concession made to her coalition partner.
Gernot Erler, who will turn 70 this year, is a close ally of Social Democrat leader and foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, himself a pro-Russian politician.Erler coordinated German-Russian relations in the foreign ministry at the time when Steinmeier was chief of staff to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.Together they secured the construction of a direct gas pipeline from Russia to Germany (Nord Stream) which bypassed Poland and the Baltic states, increasing their vulnerability to Moscow gas politicking.When Steinmeier took over the foreign minister post in Merkel's first cabinet (2005-2009), Erler was promoted to state secretary and helped draw up the "modernisation partnership."This was supposed to bring about more democracy to the eastern neighbour through an increased presence of German companies in Russia.Steinmeier was again sworn in as foreign minister in December and admitted that the partnership programme he championed had not worked very well.He insisted in coalition talks with Merkel on replacing the current special Russia coordinator, Andreas Schockehoff, who was a vocal critic of human rights abuses in Moscow.According to Spiegel magazine, there was a row within the Grand Coalition on whether to keep Schockenhoff or replace him with Erler. As for Schockenhoff, he refused to step down, Spiegel reported.The Erler appoinment can be interpreted as signaling a thaw in German-Russian relations after the release of Putin critics such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the members of the punk band Pussy Riot.Olaf Boehnke, head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted on Thursday that the appointment will trigger "kind of ease in Moscow for the time being."And Joerg Forbig, a central and eastern Europe expert with the German Marshall Fund of the US, another foreign policy think tank, tweeted: "Not good: Gernot Erler (SPD) succeeds Andreas Schockenhoff (CDU) as Russia envoy of German gov't. Will Merkel stick to critical engagement?"The appointment also signals that Steinmeier will be a more powerful foreign minister than his predecessor Guido Westerwelle.However, Merkel is set to continue to call the shots on major foreign policy decisions - a set-up she has consolidated in her eight years of chancellorship.

REVELATION 16:21 80-120LB HAIL ON HUMANS
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent:(80-120 LBS) and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Giant Ice Balls Wash Up on Lake Michigan Shoreline

ice balls
From YouTube
GLEN ARBOR, Mich. — A video of massive ice balls washing up along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Glen Arbor is starting to make the rounds on national weather websites.The video, posted on January 8 by YouTube user headsonfire, has gotten more than 800,000 views in less than two days.
According to AccuWeather.com, the ice balls are formed when water from the lake begins to freeze and is pushed ashore by wave action.  The ice gets smoothed out and frozen into a round shape.

EARTHQUAKES

ISAIAH 42:15
15  I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

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

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

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide

29 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2014-01-10 09:09:35 UTC-05:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-05:00)29 earthquakes in map area
  1. 2.7 36km E of Ensenada, Mexico 2014-01-10 07:30:16 UTC-05:00 16.7 km
  2. 3.5 87km ESE of Old Iliamna, Alaska 2014-01-10 07:14:13 UTC-05:00 100.0 km
  3. 4.8 104km ESE of Lata, Solomon Islands 2014-01-10 06:07:44 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
  4. 2.6 133km W of Ferndale, California 2014-01-10 05:10:58 UTC-05:00 7.6 km
  5. 4.8 48km NNW of Agrihan, Northern Mariana Islands 2014-01-UTC-05:00 178.6 km
  6. 4.5 28km NW of Kish, Iran 2014-01-10 03:12:45 UTC-05:00 10.7 km
  7. 4.0 17km WNW of Bigadic, Turkey 2014-01-10 02:20:46 UTC-05:00 10.3 km
  8. 2.5 43km WSW of Alamo, Nevada 2014-01-10 01:14:01 UTC-05:00 7.5 km
  9. 4.3 101km WSW of Khuzdar, Pakistan 2014-01-10 00:26:54 UTC-05:00 27.7 km
  10. 3.0 198km E of Chitina, Alaska 2014-01-09 23:36:03 UTC-05:00 11.3 km
  11. 3.8 30km ENE of Y, Alaska 2014-01-09 23:17:37 UTC-05:00 39.9 km
  12. 2.5 3km W of San Juan Bautista, California 2014-01-09 23:12:42 UTC-05:00 3.6 km
  13. 2.7 4km SSW of Idyllwild, California 2014-01-09 22:39:51 UTC-05:00 19.5 km
  14. 4.5 27km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe 2014-01-09 22:14:03 UTC-05:00 167.9 km
  15. 5.6 66km W of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2014-01-09 21:22:55 UTC-05:00 198.2 km
  16. 4.4 19km ESE of Ocos, Guatemala 2014-01-09 21:14:25 UTC-05:00 67.9 km
  17. 2.7 41km NNW of Talkeetna, Alaska 2014-01-09 21:08:22 UTC-05:00 3.5 km
  18. 2.5 55km N of Cape Yakataga, Alaska 2014-01-09 20:36:16 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
  19. 4.9 110km E of Ndoi Island, Fiji 2014-01-09 20:32:29 UTC-05:00 387.6 km
  20. 4.7 67km NE of Xacmaz, Azerbaijan 2014-01-09 19:45:31 UTC-05:00 69.9 km
  21. 3.1 10km W of Chandler, Oklahoma 2014-01-09 18:07:39 UTC-05:00 4.7 km
  22. 2.6 Quarry Blast 10km S of Princeton, Canada 2014-01-09 17:12:31 UTC-05:00 0.0 km
  23. 2.5 33km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands 2014-01-09 UTC-05:00 27.0 km
  24. 2.5 16km S of Fern Acres, Hawaii 2014-01-09 16:17:27 UTC-05:00 1.5 km
  25. 5.1 24km NNW of Corralillo, Cuba 2014-01-09 15:57:43 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
  26. 2.8 6km SSW of Langston, Oklahoma 2014-01-09 15:01:54 UTC-05:00 5.0 km
  27. 5.1 219km NNE of Ile Hunter, New Caledonia 2014-01-09 13:38:32 UTC-05:00 36.9 km
  28. 3.7 114km NNE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 2014-01-09 11:17:57 UTC-05:00 11.0 km
  29. 5.0 49km SW of Tugu Hilir, Indonesia 2014-01-09 11:16:50 UTC-05:00 39.0 km

BISHOPS CALL FOR CENTRAL AFRICAN PEACE-FAVOUR UN INTERVENTION

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

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

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people(ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE WORLD).

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

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

DANIEL 11:21-23
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

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

JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

ISAIAH 33:8
8  The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

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

Israel approves 1,400 new housing units over Green Line

Most of the construction planned for settlements across West Bank; Lapid, Herzog criticize development

January 10, 2014, 12:00 pm 1-The times of Israel
The Ministry of Housing and Construction announced Friday that it had approved tenders for 1,400 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.According to Ministry spokesman Arik Ben Shimon, 801 units were approved for West Bank settlements, including 227 in Efrat, 169 in Elkana and 40 in Ariel.
In addition, Karnei Shomron would see an additional 86 units, Alfei Menashe 78, Adam 75, Beiter Illit 24, and Emanuel 102.The Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, over the Green Line, would see another 600 units built.Friday’s announcement had been expected after Israel released 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in late December, part of a deal made last summer when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously issued similar construction announcements to blunt criticism at home of prisoner releases, as many of those released were convicted of killing Israeli civilians and soldiers.This time, the announcement was apparently postponed until after a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in the region last week.Kerry has been pushing a framework agreement, as part of his efforts to nudge Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu closer to a full treaty that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.Finance Minister Yair Lapid decried the announcement, calling it “empty.”“This is not only a bad idea,” he said, “but is also one that Yesh Atid will do everything it can to ensure it remains only a bad idea that is not carried out.”Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog also attacked the announcement, tying it to the recent release of Palestinian prisoners as part of ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.Herzog said that Netanyahu could have chosen to freeze settlement construction instead of freeing prisoners, which Herzog called “immoral,” but the prime minister would not compromise on building settlements.“The prisoner release was turned into a real estate deal,” said Herzog.The Palestinian Authority also came out strongly against the move.“This shows Israel’s clear commitment to the destruction of peace and imposition of an Apartheid system,” said chief Palestinian negotiator Seab Erekat, according to a statement released by the PLO negotiating team.“The recent announcement by the Israeli government of new settlements in occupied State of Palestine is a slap to Mr. Kerry’s efforts and a clear message by Israel’s Prime Minister: ‘Don’t continue with your peace efforts,” the statement continued.“We call on the United States and the rest of the international community to exert further efforts to halt the Israeli plans which aims to destroy the chances for the two state solution.”In addition, another 532 units that had been approved for construction in the past, but did not attract offers from builders, are to be put back on the market. The units are to be situated in the neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze’ev, Ramot, and Neve Yaakov, all of which sit over the Green Line.In November, the Housing and Construction Ministry announced that it had approved the sale of land for some 1,700 apartments over the Green Line, including some 700 new apartments in Jerusalem and 1,030 in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
The Ministry said then that the announcement was in keeping with its policy of approving increased housing construction as a measure to help reduce the cost of housing nationwide.The policy “has led to fast growth in construction starts that now stands at an annual rate of 43,000 [new] apartments, higher than the demand for new apartments each year,” according to Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel.Ariel promised to further increase the rate of construction of new apartments “throughout the country… in order to bring about a dramatic change in the cost of apartments.”Ariel is a senior member of the Jewish Home party.

01/ 8/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Christians to come together at the Holy Sepulchre on 25 May

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Francis with Bartholomew I
Francis with Bartholomew I

The plan for Francis’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land is beginning to take shape. A delegation representing the Community of Sant’Egidio has commemorated the historic meeting between Paul VI and Athenagoras 50 years ago

Andrea Tornielli jerusalem The ecumenical meeting in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre has been set for 25 May and will in all likelihood take place before the empty tomb. “This is a really important event, especially bearing in mind where it is taking place; a place in which divisions between Christians are in some way encrypted. It is also important because all Christian denominations present in the Holy Land will be there,” said Valeria Martano, who is part of a delegation of the Community of Sant’Egidio currently in Jerusalem to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the embrace between Paul VI and Athenagoras.Pope Francis and Bartholomew, who are guests of the Orthodox metropolitan in Jerusalem, could enter the Basilica together and embrace one another before meeting the representatives of other rites, for example, Catholics, Orthodox, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians and Anglicans. “The climate set by the meeting which took place between Paul VI and the Patriarch of Constantinople half a century ago was different,” Valeria Martano told Vatican Insider. Martano is the author of the documented biography on Athenagoras, titled Athenagoras the Patriarch (1886-1972). A Christian caught between the crisis of cohabitation and ecumenical utopia. We often focus on how much work is yet to be done and lose sight of the things that have been achieved. I think Francis’ meeting with Bartholomew I will be an epiphany of communion and a new opportunity for a wider and more inclusive embrace…”Martano added that Paul VI’s historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1964, “made the Orthodox world realise how willing Catholics were to move the focus back to the Church of Jerusalem. With the visit to the Holy Land, the first visit he has decided on himself - last July’s World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro had already been planned by Benedict XVI - Francis is showing once again that Rome’s focus if moving back to the very roots of the Gospel, starting from the empty sepulchre.As Francis confirmed last Sunday, the three legs of his journey will be Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. A few more details have been revealed about the trip which is still being planned. Despite the initial controversy over the brief duration of the pilgrimage (which is only going to last 3 days, as Paul VI’s did back in 1964) this seems to have been dispelled, partly because everyone has now understood the spirit of the visit. The Pope will arrive in Amman, where he is expected to dine with some Syrian refugees. On Sunday morning he will leave Jordan by helicopter and head for the territories under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority, to celebrate a mass in Bethlehem. “The Sant’Egidio delegation, myself included, have been in contact with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Jewish world has expressed its appreciation regarding the Pope’s decision to come on a Sunday and not on the Shabbhat,” Martano said. 
Francis is expected to leave Bethlehem by helicopter and fly to Tel Aviv airport. From here he will make his way to Jerusalem for the much awaited ecumenical meeting on Sunday afternoon. This meeting will be the highlight of the whole trip and is the only event the Pope specifically referred to when he announced his visit. Efforts are being made to organise a meeting with Jewish religious leaders in the old Rabbinate building near the Western Wall.

01/ 9/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Bishops of the Central African Republic discuss building peace together

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Bishops call for peace in the Central African Republic
Bishops call for peace in the Central African Republic

The Central African Republic's Bishops’ Conference has presented 23 proposals for exiting the crisis. These include favouring UN intervention, disarming the militia, organizing new elections and reviewing the nation’s relations with neighbouring Chad

Davide Demichelis Rome  “For a united and peaceful Central African Republic.”  The Central African Republic has issued a powerful document encompassing the reflections of each of the country’s ten bishops.“We urgently need to form a new Republican army, plan elections, establish a commission of inquiry to shed light on human rights violations and disarm the militia” that are spreading terror across the country. The bishops listed as many as 23 key points for bringing the country out of the crisis, with an emphasis on the need “to disarm and repatriate the Chadian and Sudanese mercenaries” who were the first to invade the Central African Republic and spark disorder a little over a year ago. Intervention from the UN’s Blue Helmets is required to ensure a return to peaceful co-existence, the resumption of dialogue and the encouragement of tolerance and forgiveness. The national Bishops’ Conference also underlined the need to review “relations with neighbouring countries, especially Chad.”Only this will “recreate the right conditions for peaceful co-existence.” The foreign communities present in the country were largely evacuated. Bishops emphasised how devastating it was to see brothers and sisters who had been living in the country for decades leave. It is also discouraging hearing our fellow countrymen saying they want to leave their homeland.The crisis that is putting the Central African Republic to the test “has exposed our limits and our inability to resolve our problems on our own.” In the document issued by the Central African Republic’s Bishops’ Conference the country’s bishops express their gratitude to the Central African Multinational Force (FOMAC and MISCA) and to the French armed forces that intervened to guarantee peace. But now the Bishops’ Conference is once again focusing its attention on Chad, pointing out that “certain incidents highlight the ambiguity of the role played by Chadian forces in this international Force.”  But looking ahead, “the crisis cannot be resolved without the efforts of the men and women of the Central African Republic. In fact, the real battles that  need to be fought are in fields of development, economic revival, poverty, extreme poverty and impunity.”The clashes between Seleka militiamen and the anti-balaka self defence groups have dragged the country “into a spiral of revenge and counter-revenge which has been keeping civilians hostage,” the nation’s bishops said. Finally, they criticised once again those who mistakenly interpret these clashes as religious wars: “We would like to reiterate that not all those who are anti-balaka are Christians and not all Christians are anti-balaka. The same goes for Muslims and Seleka militia. National and international media tend to give a denominational slant to a crisis that is above all political and military.”

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,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-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: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
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;(ISRAEL) 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,(OIL IS IN 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.

EZEKIEL 39:1-8,11-21
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,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) 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 ATOMIC 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.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye (MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL) shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.(RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS)
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I (GOD-JESUS) will set my glory among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS) and all the heathen (WORLD NATIONS) shall see my judgment that I have executed,(AGAINST ISRAELS ENEMIES) and my (GODS) hand that I have laid upon them.(ISRAELS HATER ENEMIES)

JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37  For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)

EZEKIEL 35:3-6,11-15
3  And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir,(ARABS) I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
4  I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
5  Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred,(AGAINST ISRAEL) and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
6  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
11  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.
12  And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
13  Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14  Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.(ARAB,MUSLIMS)
15  As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir,(ARABS) and all Idumea,(ARAB,MUSLIMS) even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
11  In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14  And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.

AMOS 1:5
5  I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden:(IRAQ) and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,(JORDAN) saith the LORD.

JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23  Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24  Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25  How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27  And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)

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 (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

Exclusive: Iran, Russia negotiating big oil-for-goods deal

LONDON/ANKARA Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:30am EST
(Reuters) - IranRussia and Russia are negotiating an oil-for-goods swap worth $1.5 billion a month that would let Iran lift oil exports substantially, in defiance of Western sanctions that helped force Tehran to agree a preliminary deal to end its nuclear program.Russian and Iranian sources close to the barter negotiations said final details were in discussion for a deal that would see Moscow buy up to 500,000 barrels a day of Iranian oil in exchange for Russian equipment and goods."Good progress is being made at the moment with strong chances of success," said a Russian source. "We are discussing the details and the date of signing a deal depends on those details." The Kremlin declined comment."Our desire is to sign the deal as soon as possible," said a senior Iranian official, who declined to be named. "Our officials are discussing the matter with the Russians and hopefully it will be inked soon, regardless of whether we can reach a (nuclear) agreement in Geneva."It is not clear whether the deal would be implemented before the nuclear agreement, outlined in Geneva in November between Iran and six world powers, is finalized.Nor is it clear how Moscow will justify to other powers a barter deal that could jeopardize the nuclear negotiations by easing the economic pressure on Tehran. is one of the countries involved in the nuclear talks but, unlike the United States and the European Union, has not imposed sanctions on Iran.Technical nuclear talks between Iran and the European Union started on Thursday. The November deal was designed to halt Iran's nuclear advances for six months to buy time for a final settlement by May.U.S. and European sanctions have cut Iran's oil exports by more than half over the past 18 months to about one million barrels a day. Russia has no sanctions on Iran.Russian purchases of 500,000 bpd of Iranian crude would lift Iran's oil exports by 50 percent and provide a major boost to its struggling economy. At current oil prices near $100 a barrel Iran would earn about an additional $1.5 billion a month."Iran has to find a way to accommodate more exports: this is the reason behind this," an Iranian official said. "Both sides should rush for it. Russia will be able to guarantee a large amount of trade with its neighbor and Iran will be able to overcome its export difficulties."No details were available about the equipment and goods on offer from Russia.Given Russia is a major oil exporter, the Iranian oil would likely be exported from Iran on Russia's account, with Russian goods and equipment bartered in exchange.Most Iranian oil goes to Asia.Iran's biggest oil buyer is China, importing about 420,000 bpd in 2013. Unlike Iran's other oil buyers, China has not cut purchases much, despite efforts from the United States.Other major Asian buyers of Iranian oil including Japan, South Korea and India have cut imports sharply under pressure from Washington. Turkey and South Africa also have reduced or eliminated imports.(Editing Richard Mably and Giles Elgood)
01/ 9/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Open Doors NGO reports sharp increase in anti-Christian violence

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Christians in Iraq
Christians in Iraq

Open Doors ranks North Korea as top persecutor of Christians, followed by Somalia and Syria in its 2014 World Watch List. Meanwhile, Africa is beginning to feature more prominently among the 50 countries where the risk of persecution is highest

Giorgio Bernardelli Rome Over the course of the past year, persecution against Christians has increased across the whole world and Africa is gradually becoming “a battlefield for Christian Churches” too. This was revealed by the 2014 World Watch List, the annual report on the state of anti-Christian violence across the world, introduced in 1997 by international evangelical NGO Open Doors.Research is based on the monitoring of fifty countries where Christians are believed to face the highest risk of persecution. Each country scores points based on various criteria such as news regarding single acts of violence, the daily repression experienced by faithful through laws or acts of intimidation which prevent the exercise of religious freedom. Korea ranked top of the list of countries that are most hostile towards Christians for the twelfth year running. It is the only country where the persecution level is “absolute”. It is followed by another twelve countries where the persecution level is “extreme”. Topping this list is Somalia (which moved from fifth to second place), followed by Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, Pakistan, Iran and Yemen. 
But ranking aside, what Open Doors was keen to draw attention to was the overall worsening of the situation of Christians in the world: twelve months ago, all fifty countries put together scored a total of 2683 points. This year, this figure has shot to 3019. In other words, it is as if the global situation has worsened by 12, 5%.Another clear trend that has emerged is Africa’s increasingly prominent presence on the persecution map: Somalis is not the only country that has seen a surge in violence. The Central African Republic, a country which until last year showed no signs of a need for monitoring now ranks 16th in the list of countries where faith has the highest cost. The ongoing civil war is partly to do with this. 18 African countries feature in the Open Doors list of 50 countries where the risk of anti-Christian persecution is highest and there are 36 countries where Islamic radicalism is responsible for the persecution of Christians.In the twelve months accounted for in the Open Doors World Watch List, 2123 Christians were killed and 1044 violent persecution cases were recorded. Not surprisingly, the highest number of victims was recorded in Syria (1213), followed by Nigeria (612), while the highest number of violent attacks was recorded in Egypt (167 cases), followed by India (125) and Nigeria (118).Open Doors draws attention to the fact that one of the fifty countries being monitored is Colombia. Colombia’s Christians are certainly not a minority but Open Doors has ranked them 25th in the list of countries where persecution is classed as “severe”, because of the lootings and murders against those who oppose the rebel guerrillas and other criminal activities. Meanwhile, China comes 30th and has been included in the list of countries where persecution is “moderate”.

01/ 8/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Francis: “Baptism is not a formality”

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Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square
Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square

Today the Pope began the first of a new series of audiences on the sacraments for the new year. During the General Audience, the President of the Italian Bishops’Conference introduced the Sampdoria football team to the Pope, who also met the Conference’s secretary, Nunzio Galantino

Iacopo Scaramuzzi vatican city Baptism is not simply “a rite for the naming of a child” but "an act which deeply touches our lives.” Pope Francis kick started the new year at today’s General Audience, with a new series of catecheses on the sacraments, starting with baptism. This follows his catecheses on the Creed in the run up to Christmas. On the Feast of the Lord’s baptism this coming Sunday, the Argentinean Pope will baptise some children in the Sistine Chapel.“We may ask ourselves: Is baptism really necessary to live a Christian life and follow jesus?” Jorge Mario Bergoglio asked. St. Peter’s Square was bathed in winter sunshine during today’s General Audience attended by thousands of faithful. “Isn’t baptism a formal act of name-giving performed by the Church? People may ask themselves this question… and the words of the Apostle Paul may help to shed some light on this,” the Pope said:  “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” So baptism is not a formality; it is "an act which deeply touches our lives. A child who is baptized is not the same as a non- baptized child, a baptized person is not the same as a non-baptized person.”Pope Francis then returned to a subject that is very dear to him: people’s baptism dates. As he has done on a couple of occasions before, the Pope asked those present whether they remembered the date of their baptism and gave them a piece of advice.  Or rather a "task". He asked them to look up the date of their Baptism when they go home today, "ask what the date of your Baptism was and thus you will know the date of this beautiful day.” Otherwise, you risk not knowing the date and seeing it simply as an event that once took place in the past  - and not even through your own decision but through your parents’ – and therefore has no bearing to the present.” The Pope asked the crowds: “Can a person baptise him or herself?” Faithful responded “no” because throughout history, people have always baptised one another, it is a “chain of grace”. “It is an act of brotherhood, an act of affiliation to the Church.”Pope Francis presided today’s General Audience as a simple shepherd before the busy month ahead. February is the month of the Consistory, the meeting of the General Secretariat of the Synod and the meetings with the Council of Cardinals and the cardinals who are looking into the administrative and economic problems of the Holy See. Francis did his usual round of St. Peter’s Square, greeting faithful and giving a “lift” to a priest friend of his whom he saw from a far.At the end of his catechesis, he spent over an hour greeting faithful, kissing children and talking to the sick and married couples. Among the crowd was Fr. Alessandro De Sanctis, a 96 year old priest who had seen seven Popes in his lifetime. Among those accompanying the disabled was Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, a member of the Comission for Reference on the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See.The President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, brought some Genoese priests and some players from Italian football club Sampdoria (“You’re great, eh! Set an example to young people,” Bergoglio told them) to meet the Pope. Francis also thanked the performers of Liana Orfei’S Golden Circus  after they put on a short performance in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. He invited them “as they travel from city to city, to be messengers of joy and brotherhood in a society that needs these things so much.” Before the General Audience the Pope received the Secretary General of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Mgr. Nunzio Galantino.

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