How Christians can use Climategate to witness

Climategate is the worst scandal of our generation. Rather than Science being a shining beacon pursuing truth amidst credible data, it reveals instead that a hopelessly compromised scientific establishment deluded the world. Scientists who are held in positions of trust to pursue truth, have instead misused their position to conceal truth, and at the expense of nations and their own consciences.

The issues of Climategate, of widespread manipulated information, hidden data, and corrupted peer-review process transcend individual personal ambition and show how deep the corruption can go when arrogant men collude for craven purposes. Climategate is emblematic of end time verses such as the one in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, or James 5:1-4 and thus, can be used by Christians as a marker of just where we are in the end of days. But how does this scandal affect the non-believer? How can we Christians use this information to point to God and reveal His works to a seeking heart?

God is wonderful and has initiated  many ways to penetrate the heart of His lost children. One way the LORD has also shown Himself in His world, is through science. Romans 1:20 says: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Any sensitive heart that has seen a delicate flower bloom, or wondered after the mystery of a colorful sunset, the everlasting sweep of tides, or a butterfly's wing, has pondered His invisible attributes.

Yet satan has done a good job of separating us from God's expression through science and has deluded many into thinking that science IS God. Salim Mansur phrased it well in his article "Worshipping at church of climate 'science'" saying, "Science without a healthy dose of skepticism and which isn't open to hard questioning becomes ideology. An ideology is a closed system that distorts or excludes empirical data to serve its dogma." Today, scientists have become the final word and their theories have become gospel. Yet, over and over we see that science can be wrong. Ida was hailed as the missing link in evolutionary theory, yet it's not even a close relative. Do we have ten planets in our solar system? Or only 8? Did we evolve from tree-dwelling apes? Or ground dwellers? What killed the dinosaurs?  Global warming! No, a comet!

Man's pursuit of the truth outside of the bible is bound to be flawed because man is flawed, having a sinful mind and a dark heart. In many instances, science has failed, but God has never failed. If there is good to come out of Climategate, it is that it is OK to question science, even essential. In this topsy-turvy world, we have seen people question God and accept science as gospel, when it really should be the other way around. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).

In 2005, President George Bush refused to sign the Kyoto Climate Protocols, the only one of 184 nations to refuse. Citing the expense, Bush also offered another reason why he refused to sign the protocol: he said he didn't trust the science behind it. As a result, the "U.S. is Hammered at Global-Warming Conference." President Bush was called a "flat-earther" and worse. At the time, there seemed to be almost unanimous, world-wide consent that man's impact on the world was causing temperatures to rise. Now, we find out the supposed consensus was fraudulent, and that global warming enthusiasts colluded to prevent clean data from emerging. Bush was right, the science was not to be trusted. His statement was a first for many to hear: question the science.

So thoroughly drenched in satan's bait-and-switch, many unbelievers simply do not think to question science. Climategate strengthens the notion that we can, and should, question man's conclusions, especially in the face of evidence in front of us. On the one hand, we see a "Global Warming Conference Postponed Due to Snow" yet the scientific community's response was  "Global Warming and Cold Weather Go Hand-In-Hand." Up is down and down is up.

Science can often be a tool for good. Penicillin, pasteurization, and cancer treatments come to mind. Science by itself is not bad. But when scientific men seek to remove God from the equation, then anything can happen, and anything did. Science failed us in Climategate, but God never does. Brethren, there is the witness.

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Why Christians should not read 'The Shack'

I’ve posted before about the heresies in The Shack here, and here. Today I’d like to discuss The Shack in terms of the End Time.

In order to seek His face, and to stay on His path, Christians should always ask these questions in daily life,
--“Does what I am thinking glorify Jesus?”
--“Does what I am saying glorify Jesus?”
--“Does what I am doing glorify Jesus?”

These are questions we ask all the time, end time or not. We have to, Christian life is hard. We are told in John 16:33 that the Christian life is hard and it's easy to stray. We face mocking, (Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 28:22; 2 Peter 3:3) persecution, trials and tribulations. (1 Peter 4:12-13, 2 Corinthians 11:24-26). Because of our enemies, we have to do all we can to stay on the straight path and not stray. (Psalm 27:11) We struggle against the supernatural realms, all the powers, principalities, and powers of darkness, so much so that we are given spiritual armor to wear in the battle. (Ephesians 6:12). It’s war, you know, and the enemy sets mines.

Enter the end time, a ramped up period of increased everything. Add to the war we are already in, increased deception, apostasy, and false doctrine. (Matthew 24:11) We are told that in the end time men will not put up with sound doctrine, instead, they’ll seek doctrines that tickle the ears and match their own thoughts and desires. (2Tim 4:3). We are warned that men will be godless, susceptible, hypocritical liars teaching false doctrine sent by deceiving demons (1 Tim 4:1-3). There will be destructive heresies secretly introduced even denying the sovereignty of the LORD; and false teachers (2 Peter 2:1). Even the elect will not be immune to deception (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

The Lord was good and kind to tell us, warn us, and equip us. Now comes The Shack, a heartwarming, innocuous- looking book that makes readers across the world feel good. They feel good about Jesus. They feel good about God. They feel good because they released from the strict doctrine they hated all along. How? The Shack tells its readers that Jesus is not the only way to heaven, but the best way. The Shack tells its readers that church is old fashioned and the bible is dusty. The Shack tells readers that there is no such a thing as eternal judgment or torment in hell. The Shack tells readers God will never judge people for their sins. (If that is so, then Jesus died for NOTHING!) Even one of those principles in The Shack should be enough to stop a Christain from spending God-given time reading it.

When you read a book like The Shack, or if you consider recommending it to someone, ask yourself the three questions as usual: does what I am thinking, saying, or doing glorify God? And add this one: at the Bema Seat, when I face Jesus, will he accept my excuses for having read or recommended The Shack? The time I used in reading heresy I could have spent in Godly pursuits instead, will that be pleasing to Him?

In light of all the end-time warnings we are given, why spend even a moment spending time in an activity that denies Jesus' sacrifice for sin? Why risk it? Are we smarter than the bible? No. Mark Driscoll said “doctrine is essential, like a fence the Almighty erects to safeguard the saved from error.” Straying from that fence exposes us to the wolves we were promised would appear (Matthew 7:15) and makes us vulnerable to the prowling lion seeking to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8) If you were inside a fence and actually saw the wolves and the lion out there, would you wander out? Of course not. Just because the powers and principalities are invisible does not mean they are not there. We are told they are, and if you have faith in Jesus’ swords then you believe that. Don’t stray outside of the fence of solid doctrine! Especially not in these end times when we’ve been warned the risk is all the greater!

There is no label on The Shack that says, “Warning, heresy inside!” The destructive heresies that will come in The End Time are introduced “secretly” meaning, slyly, in a sweet package like The Shack. Christian, don’t go over the fence where the lion prowls, and the wolves wait. Frankly, none of us is smarter than the bible, and the bible warned us we are at risk from false doctrines in the end time. O, why displease the merciful God who saved you from the pit of eternal hell by putting in your mind the notion that His Son died for nothing?

“I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Rev 10:10

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Global Warming Canceled. Or is it?

A few days ago, I sent an alert to my e-mail subscribers (subscribe here) that an insider at Britain's East Anglia Climate Research Center released thousands of e-mails spanning a decade that clearly showed that the global warming theory is insupportable. Worse, the participants in this premier research facility were deliberately suppressing opposing views, interfering with the peer review process, denying publication of articles and even comments on blogs, and manipulating the data ("hiding" to use one scientist's word).

Robert Tracinski wrote in "The fix is in": "This is an enormous case of organized scientific fraud, but it is not just scientific fraud. It is also a criminal act. Suborned by billions of taxpayer dollars devoted to climate research, dozens of prominent scientists have established a criminal racket in which they seek government money-Phil Jones has raked in a total of £13.7 million in grants from the British government-which they then use to falsify data and defraud the taxpayers. It's the most insidious kind of fraud: a fraud in which the culprits are lauded as public heroes. Judging from this cache of e-mails, they even manage to tell themselves that their manipulation of the data is intended to protect a bigger truth and prevent it from being "confused" by inconvenient facts and uncontrolled criticism. The damage here goes far beyond the loss of a few billions of taxpayer dollars on bogus scientific research. The real cost of this fraud is the trillions of dollars of wealth that will be destroyed if a fraudulent theory is used to justify legislation that starves the global economy of its cheapest and most abundant sources of energy."

As the scandal unfolds, more comes out about the breadth of the corruption and deceit. It turns out that scientists in New Zealand have also suppressed data contrary to their global warming theory, here. The two graphs show the manipulated data as presented to show climate warming, and the second graph uses the data to present the real temperature picture with no manipulation. Quite a difference.

A day later, a Greenpeace activist revealed under investigative questioning by a thorough BBC reporter that the organization exaggerated arctic ice shrinkage. And today, it is reported that Obama's Climate Czar John Holdren is directly involved in the East Anglia data manipulation. Of course, it is a Canadian newspaper reporting the Holdren connection, as the American Mainstream Media refuses to address this horrific scandal. This report discusses the creative excuses for the bad behavior, and there are a LOT of excuses, dismissals, and denials. "Climategate: how they all squirmed"

In the end time, we are told by Paul to Timothy that deception will permeate all levels because of godlessness. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power."  In James we are told that in the end time owners and bosses will even be ripping off their good workers. James 5:4-5- "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter."

Luxury and self-indulgence seems to be rampant in Climategate. Laws were changed to coincide with what the scientists were telling us. Pockets were lined. Businesses benefited, including Al Gore's, where long ago he jumped from reporter to salesman. Aussie Parliament members who changed the laws are now resigning in disgust. News headlines that are diametrically opposed are popping up just today, like these:
1. Climate Change “Accelerating Beyond Expectations”
2. Global warming is not such a big problem after all

In light of Paul's report to Timothy, trust is the last value one will find in a climate of conceit, deceit, slander, and brutality. "MRV", climate treaty negotiators' shorthand for "measurable, reportable and verifiable," is out the window. We can see with our own eyes and hear admissions with our own ears that the data hasn't been measured correctly, reported properly, and are not verifiable.

More importantly, the Copenhagen Climate Conference is coming up, where ALL the world's governments are scheduled to gather and change laws from top to bottom to coincide with what seemed like unanimous assertions from lauded scientists. This treaty is a successor to the Kyoto Accords in 2005, which was "to establish a legally binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions." It is set to expire in 2012. There was one notable exception to the Kyoto signatories: President George Bush. Bush dismissed Kyoto Protocol as too costly, describing it as "an unrealistic and ever-tightening straitjacket." Lately, the White House has even questioned the validity of the science behind global warming. A good man. Turns out, even the photo of the polar bear stranded on the ice floe was faked.

Despite the wide-reaching implications of ClimateGate and the equally wide-reaching implications if the US signs the Copenhagen treaty, it seems that Obama is set to do just that. Despite evidence that global warming is a crock, he will subsume the US's sovereignty to a supra-national treaty and cost us trillions in the process. Trillions we do not have. Former Science Adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lord Christopher Monckton, said that the treaty has the intention to establish world-wide control of the human race at new levels. That the treaty will establish a one world government, it will transfer wealth to Third World nation, will provide measures for enforcement.

Since we know that at the Tribulation there will be a unified global government and we see that process beginning now, it only stands to reason that should the Lord choose to accelerate the process this Copenhagen Treaty could be one vehicle to further the prophecy's imminent fulfillment. We know that despite the deceit behind the science, Obama is headed to Copenhagen to sign it. Open deceit is the rule of this day, but that is no surprise, because satan is the god of this world, and he is the father of lies.

Can you hear the footsteps of the Lord?

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Dubai debt sinks glittering city

The City of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was a glittering example of wealth, excess, man's prowess and triumphs over climate and environment. Man-made islands in the shape of palm trees became de rigeur. Arabian horse racing, indolent shopping for earth's top treasures, and shimmering gold-plated hotels beckoned those who could afford it. Dubai was a success and anyone who was anyone wanted to be there.

The good oil on new Arabian sights
"New Zealand's Fletcher Construction recently completed the world's tallest hotel in a stunning grand gesture of engineering expertise and building prowess. The hotel is lavish, inside and out. Its walls are covered in 22-carat gold filigree. Specialists were brought in from Europe to craft the fine details on the walls and ceilings. Gold leafing coats 2000 square metres of the hotel, the equivalent floor space of 20 average-sized New Zealand houses. The pillars are of gold. So are the walls and domes and ballroom. This all-suite hotel reflects the very finest that the world has to offer." "

Jesus warned over and over that what the world has to offer will not last. He warned that in the last days people would be storing up treasures, and woe to those who do! "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

This warning is repeated in James, "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" 5:2-3

It is a particularly strong visual to say that gold will rust. Anyone who lives in a sea environment or a northern cold environment with road salt knows the constant battle with rust. Rust eats metal. The strongest metal stands not a chance with infiltrating water. Rust eats away like cancer.

Yesterday it was reported that Dubai is bankrupt. The glittering icon of all earthly wealth and prowess is broke. Dubai cannot meet its debt obligations.

Dubai's main investment fund seeks debt payment delay
"The government-owned investment company behind Dubai's rapid development drive has asked its creditors for a six-month delay on repaying its debts. Dubai World, which has total debts of $59bn (£35bn), is asking creditors if it can postpone its forthcoming payments until May next year."

This news sent shock waves around the world and caused stocks and stock futures to tumble on Thanksgiving day.

World stocks slump amid Dubai's debt woes
"The spectre of a debt default in Dubai loomed large over world markets yesterday, as investors dumped shares in a day of frantic selling. The FTSE 100 tumbled 3.2 per cent, or 170.68 points, to 5194.13, with banking shares suffering particularly punishing declines, amid concerns about the potential knock-on effects of the emirate's financial woes. Across Europe, stocks suffered their biggest slump in seven months, while bonds jumped as investors sought the relative safety of government debt. American markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday."

Mexico's peso sinks as Dubai debt jitters hit markets
Canada stocks exchange falls as Dubai debt concerns rattle banks
Chile Stocks End 2.2% Lower On Dubai Debt Restructuring News
Dollar hits 14-year yen low amid Dubai debt fears
 
Back to the rust. Dubai sits on the Persian Gulf in a witheringly high humid environment: 80-90%. The famous sail-like hotel with gold-plated walls, the Burj Al Arabm, symbol of Dubai's excellence in conquering its environment and a monument to riches, will rust. The gold plated walls will rust. The abandoned buildings under constriction or completed, if unattended due to debt freeze, will rust. You see, a great many mechanical devices keep them running, requiring constant and expensive temperature control and HVAC. The climate and the nature of those kinds of structures is working against them. As the buildings abandon, construction grinds to a halt, hot salt air and mold bacteria and yeast eat away at the structure almost immediately. The 900 tons of steel begin to corrode. (hypothetical scenario depicted in photo, from History Channel: Life After People)

Reaction to the Dubai bankruptcy is so strong that its success is called a mirage. CNN- "Has debt freeze exposed Dubai mirage?" This also is in the bible. James again, describes it: "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:14) Yes, earthly wealth is a mirage. Seek your treasure in heaven where there is no rust.

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A thankful heart

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works." Psalm 75:1

David, the writer of this Psalm, had much to be grateful for. He was close to the LORD, he had been made king, given treasures, victories, banquets, children, and more. Though David was a king, he was also once a shepherd. He came from lowly beginnings and throughout his life had his highs, yes, but also his lows (murder, adultery...) His story is one of restoration and grace.

His story is our story. No matter what we have done, the Lord is bigger than that. He will forgive if you but ask Him. He will restore you to His heart and shower grace upon you. From His forgiveness flows a living water of life eternal that will never be dammed nor damned. Thanks be to God that we have Him with us! His very name, Immanuel, 'God with us' is enough to give thanks for. But the bounty continues. He sends His spirit to comfort us, his Word to sustain us, His faithful promises to give us hope, even in dark times.

Romans 14:6 "He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God;". What are you grateful for today?

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PS on Oprah's new show

After finishing the lengthy essay below regarding the subject matter of Oprah's new S&M, erotic HBO series, I thought of Isaiah 5:20 balanced against two quotes from the article:

The director acknowledged that the main character, "Georgia will embrace darkness with a joyful spirit."

Embracing darkness... but...

"It's a very erotic mystery about...a woman and her secret desires that are, in fact, rather pure," Wilson said.

Darkness is light? Deviancy is pure? Isaiah 5:50 tells us

"Woe to those who call evil good
       and good evil,
       who put darkness for light
       and light for darkness,
       who put bitter for sweet
       and sweet for bitter."

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Oprah gives up talk show, will produce S&M kink-fest

And so it continues. Today Oprah announced she is producing an erotic series for HBO involving a married mom who chucks her husband and family to explore kink and perversity in the seamy underbelly of LA. Oprah's descent into the abyss is tragic but classic. How did she go from believing Baptist to kink producer? Watching this brilliant and compassionate woman slowly descend from heights of glory to the cesspool of the kinky abyss is almost too hard to watch. But watch we must because her tale is one that we are warned in the bible could happen to anyone. Did you read that? Anyone.

Oprah Winfrey was raised in a Baptist church. But just because someone goes to church does not mean they are safe. By no means! The opposite is true, actually. Satan's greatest attacks are hurled against good people and Christians, not the drunkards, liars, thieves, adulteresses, and murderers. He already controls them. Both Jesus and Paul were so aware of satan's influence that their teaching is filled with warnings and dangers for those who try to live godly lives (Matthew 24:24; II Corinthians 11:13-15; II Thessalonians 2:7-11; Galatians 1:8). The bible tells us that in the last days there will be a falling away from the faith. It is possible to know Jesus and reject Him, and for those, it goes worse for them on the Day of Judgment. (I believe in 'Once Saved/Always Saved', so the ones who fall away were not really saved to begin with). Easier yet to control is a Christian who thinks she is saved, but isn't.

Born in heart-wrenching poverty and abused as a girl, yet brilliant (skipping a grade) Oprah graduated high school at 17 and immediately began working as a journalist. By age 19 she anchored a newscast and ten years after that she was hosting her talk show. Along the way, she met her boyfriend Stedman and  began living with him in 1986. Uh-oh.

The bible tells us in James 4:7 - “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” One way we do this is to take every thought captive. “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). The thought to move in with Stedman should have been taken captive and given to God, because co-habitation and sexual immorality is not His best for us. He would help her through the temptation. If we do not take wrong thoughts captive, then satan has a toehold. And today's thoughts are tomorrow's actions.

Her introduction to Hollywood in "The Color Purple" was work that earned her an Oscar in 1986. However, the backsliding believer and Hollywood are not a good combination and so she began to question what she had believed all these years.

On her show, when she introduced the New Age teachings of Eckerd Tolle, she said, "Oprah told a personal story from her Baptist upbringing during which she was in church (around the age of 27 or 28 years of age) and was caught up in the rapture of the moment until she heard her Pastor say, "The Lord thy God is a jealous God."  Oprah's immediate inward response was, "God is jealous of me?"  She thought a "jealous God" meant an "insecure God" but that is not so. Here, when she was wondering about a statement in the bible, prayer and further study would have been the answer. Take every thought captive, pray, resist, and stand firm. But the ground was already shaking under Oprah's feet and the devil was laughing.

Once the devilish thoughts are allowed to roam and grow, the backsliding continues, until the uncaptive thoughts are spoken and are finally turned into actions. As a young woman Oprah is now co-habitating, Hollywood visiting, God-questioning, and at this point she began failing to attend church, one place that God commands us to go. Oprah revealed to a caller on her show how she herself let go of the guilt when she didn't make it to church. Oprah said: "God cannot be contained in a church and doesn't just want to be served in a church."

This is not true, for we are commanded, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)  Church is for worship and encouragement, as stated here "... so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:5). We should go to church to hear proper doctrine, to worship in relationship with Christ, and to build each other up. Yet the devil is persistent in instilling the belief that church is dusty-crusty and unnecessary (something The Shack does too). "God is bigger than church!" the devil says. "You don't need to waste your time there when you could be in the world, doing good things!"

When a believer starts believing that lie, that church is unnecessary, the devil has been tactically successful at divide and conquer. A three strand cord is stronger than one thread, and a praying, worshiping, encouraging church is mighty strong. Split the congregants off and isolate them to dwell in their incorrect and uncorrected thoughts and you have a successful backslide.

Removed from church, dwelling in sin, and worship out the window, the adult Oprah introduced The Church of Oprah to the world through her "Course in Miracles." The course is described as "a self-study program of spiritual psychotherapy contained in three books. It is not a religion, but rather a psychological mind-training base on universal spiritual themes." She went from, as a child, 'Jesus saves,' to as an adult, "psychological mind-training". And lost on her is the irony that she believes church is too "mentally constricting" yet now embraces mind-training at the psychological level. Yet this pleases the devil because as long as one stays away from thoughts of God and dwells on the self, he wins. At the root of all sin is removal of God and choosing the self in His place.

It is written, "in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Eph 2:2-3) The self. "I want to live with Stedman." Self. "But I don't want to get married. Self. "I don't want a God who's jealous of me." Self. "I don't want to go to church." Self. "I want to go on my own path to God, whom I call the FORCE." Self.

Recently on her show, Oprah announced that "..that one of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe that there is only one way. Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you call God." It was a devastating statement for any Christian to hear, because we know that there is only one way and when someone strays from the one true path, they are truly lost. "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. Why pursue God on the narrow way when we can all BE gods? As Oprah said,

"I took God out of the box. Because I grew up in the Baptist church and there were rules and beliefs and doctrine..." Where would be be without rules? Beliefs? Doctrines? We have the "Rule of Law"... the belief "That these truths are self-evident"... the "Doctrine of Fair Use." Only when applied to Christ does the rebellious child chafe under rules, beliefs, doctrines. And if the Baptist beliefs she grew up with are no good, how to know which beliefs are good? Is there nothing immutable in the world? No, not under the Doctrine of Self-Deification. When you are your own god, anything goes.

The men at The Berean Call said, "Furthermore, from a biblical perspective, the criterion for being a god is rather simple. Everyone who has not submitted to Jesus Christ and has not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ's finished sacrifice as payment for his sins qualifies as a god--that is, an autonomous, or self-governing, being who has elevated self over his Creator. As Dave Hunt has noted, "The basic cause of the many problems in the world today is not that man fails to recognize his godhood but rather that there are about seven billion gods on this planet, each one doing his or her own thing." And all are on one of the "many paths."

Tragically, Oprah is a good person, She is altruistic, she champions causes, fights for justice, and gives to the poor. She is sincere and has helped millions deal with adversity with grace, humor, and persistence. She has been a top rated talk show host for over twenty five years and this daily invitation into our living rooms has allowed the hearts of millions to be warmed. So it is worse for her. "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Good works and charming personality are not the spingboards to heaven. Simple belief in the One whom God has sent is the basis, sin forgiven and acceptance of Jesus as the sacrifice for it. He is the only way, and all other ways lead to eternal darkness. Oprah's light is dim, flickering, and her story is tragic. From the glowing, believing child she once was, she now has created a character named Georgia, who "will embrace darkness with a joyful spirit." Just like Oprah has.

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Best Buy dumps Christmas for Eid al-Adha in their print ads

In 2006, Best Buy said that it would be among the retailers that would not be using "Christmas" at all in their advertising that year. Dawn Bryant, a Best Buy spokeswoman, stated: "We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them."

This year, Best Buy celebrates the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, the "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" in their ads.

Source for the print ad:  here

"...the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4

  "In later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons."  1 Timothy  4:1

Some articles about the controversy here-
Best Buy under fire for holiday greeting
A storm is brewing at Best Buy
A Religious storm is brewing over Best Buy ad

It's a war on Christmas because it's satan's war on Christ. Stand firm, Christians! Don't say "Happy holidays." It's Merry Christmas!"

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The Manhattan Declaration

Our fundamental right to pursue religious freedom has been severely infringed this last year. In response, over fifty thousand signatories signed and published "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience" on Friday.

"The We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

"Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

you can read the entire Declaration at the link above, see who else signed it, and sign it yourself. It is also being discussed on Twitter, hashtag #mdec. They also have a Facebook page. Christian, read it, sign it, and live it!

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The Bulgarians say, 'Aliens have arrived and they are here to help us!'

The Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) reports today that aliens have been in contact with the scientists at their facility, and they are friendly and helpful.

"The Bulgarian Novinar Daily has reported that the Bulgarian scientists are currently working on deciphering pictograms which are said to have come in the form of the so called “crop circles” with which the aliens answered 30 questions posed by the BAS researchers. They are currently all around us, and are watching us all the time. They are not hostile towards us; rather, they want to help us but we have not grown enough in order to establish direct contact with them. They are ready to help us but we don’t know what to request from them in case of contact,” said Lachezar Filipov, Deputy Director of the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as quoted by the Novinar Daily. Filipov has said that even the Vatican had agreed that aliens existed."

Undoubtedly, this is what Filipov is referring to, a recent article in which the Vatican has admitted that the possibility of alien life is likely. "Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life": "The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory."

Oh, my. That's not what the bible says. A bible-believer understands that God told us about life's origins and nowhere in the bible does it indicate that there is extraterrestrial life, unless you count Angels (holy and fallen), another of God's creations.

The bible does say a lot about deception in the end time. When Jesus was talking with the disciples at the Temple in Matthew 24:3, and they asked Him "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The first answer Jesus gave was "Take heed that no man deceive you." We are repeatedly warned not to be deceived (2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3 to name a few). It seems that we are at peril of being duped, and easily, too.

I have written several times previously about the end times warning from Jesus that we should not be deceived. That satan and his demons will produce lying signs and wonders, to deceive even the elect if that were possible. (Mt 24:24)

As the economy crumbles (to make way for the Antichrist's economy (Rev 13:16-17) and as global chaos increases (as Jesus warned the end times would be like birth pangs, increasing), people will look for answers in increasing desperation. They will be susceptible to deception and satan is only too happy to provide it. Alien life is one possible answer. If you have noticed the world-wide increase in the "legitimacy" of alien contact through UFO sightings, crop circle messages, and 'abductions' with abductees returning with tales to tell, then you know that deception is on the increase.

When seemingly legitimate organizations such as a national observatory like one in Bulgaria or the Vatican expound on the plausibility of alien life, you know that end time deception is among us. Chuck Missler has a good series that debunks alien life (there are no aliens from other planets, but remember, there IS demon life...)

Meanwhile, as a Christian our duty can include being knowledgeable on these topics, and be ready to offer a person the truth from the bible. You don't have to become a scientist nor even study deeply the verses in the bible. This, from Acts 17:24, 26 states that “the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands…he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” or Psalm 8:5 "You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned  him with glory and honor" should suffice. The bible describes the creation of man and angels, the earth, stars, and planets. Not aliens.

Do not be deceived!! Your eyes may spy a UFO but your heart will know the truth. Lying wonders bounce off the armor that the diligent Christian dons each day, and penetrates not the belt of truth surrounding the praying warrior.

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Large Hadron Collider speed-up stuns scientists

Scientists toiling away under the Alps have built a machine they have been trying like the dickens to get started. It's supposed to replicate the conditions at the beginning of the Universe and re-create the hypothesized Big Bang. All this in search of a little particle called the Higgs-Boson that is supposed to the be Universe's glue. Or explain mass. Or something. I wrote about it here on Oct 20,  here on Oct 24 and here on Nov 6. As you can see by my focus on this thing, I enjoy reading about the Large Hadron Collider and its Perils and Travails. It's a plucky machine.

So after The Baguette Incident that caused yet another slowdown of the start-up, the scientists started the massive machine (little pun there) up again. The last time it was gummed up, the scientists threw up their hands and said, sheesh, it's a future time traveler come back to prevent us from ruining the future! I am not making this up. Read about it here. Of his machine, one of the lead scientists said, "Well, one could even almost say that we have a model for God [...] that He rather hates Higgs particles, and attempts to avoid them." Whoa. I feel like I'm going to be smited just for reading such an audacious and blasphemous statement. Never mind saying it, and worse, believing it!

So they got it going yesterday though not at full speed. Apparently that takes a while to get it revved up and ready to smash the protons together. But the machine does have a lock-step start-up routine and the scientists did begin that sequence the other night. They created all sorts of nifty Power Point presentations to get ready to show the success of the initial start, and they went home to bed. Scientists get tired, you know.

But at midnight, they got called back! An emergency was happening. No, the machine was not slowed down like all the other times, it sped up! The "Quick restart of Big Bang machine stuns scientists". LOL. At a meeting early Saturday "they basically had to tear up the first few pages of their PowerPoint presentation which had outlined the procedures that they were planning to follow," he [one scientist] said. "That was all wrapped up by midnight. They are going through the paces really very fast." That is a tragedy, having to re-do all the PowerPoint slides. Scientists have enough to do without all the re-doing and tearing up.

Hmmm. Don't you just LOVE God? Just when you thought He may delay the thing from starting like He did all those other times, he speeds it up, stunning the scientists ... AGAIN!! As for end times, we know that in the last days "...perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:1-7.)

The scientists in this experiment are blatantly denying God's power and ever learning yet not able to come to the truth. They are surely boasters and blasphemers ... and this machine is the modern version of the Tower of Babel. It is the true ivory tower, containing people inside who are always learning yet never able to come to the truth.

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“Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” Herman Van Rompuy

US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once famously asked that question. The myriad countries each with their prime ministers, kings, top diplomats, and presidents made diplomacy a frustrating patchwork. Kissinger's question is now answered, as the newly ratified Lisbon Treaty uniting all 27 European Union nations into one supra-national government has today chosen its first President. They also chose its first Foreign Minister. These positions are new, as per the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, really, a Constitution, uniting the 27 nations with one voice.

Prophecy buffs know that a revived Roman Empire was going to happen. Daniel prophesied this in chapters 2 and 7 and so it can be said that the revived Roman empire has now been born. We also know that the Antichrist will emerge from that re-born empire. And so today we report that there is one leader of a massive area of the world and also a new position of Foreign Minister whose job it is to point toward and carry out the President's policies. These two positions are remarkably similar to the positions described as the antichrist and the false prophet. There is already speculation that this, at long last must be the antichrist and false prophet.

However, I would caution us all not to spend time speculating about the antichrist's identity. The LORD said we will not know who he is until he reveals himself three and a half years into the Tribulation by tearing up the peace covenant he had confirmed (only one guy among many who had confirmed it I might add) and declaring himself to be God. We won't even be around then, having been raptured prior. Personally I do not think Mr Van Rompuy will be the antichrist by a long shot. The scriptures say the antichrist will be stern faced, a big man, imposing looking, having no regard for the desire of women (Van Rompuy is a married father of three)...and Van Rompuy has none of those attributes. Please, speculation is biblically pointless, and conduct unbecoming.

However, it is interesting to watch Europe coalesce in light of the prophesied one world government, and awesome to see the LORD'S Word come true. And it is huge news in its own right: 27 fractious nations got together and chose for themselves a President, showing that they can and do agree when they want to. Here is the latest news story on the President and Foreign Minister of Europe:


EU chooses unknowns for new top jobs

EU leaders have chosen Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to be the first president of the European Council, while UK trade commissioner Catherine Ashton will become the bloc's foreign policy chief. Welcoming the decision on Thursday evening (19 November), Swedish leader Fredrik Reinfeldt said: "What we were seeking were people to create continuity" and "to be the voice and face of Europe throughout the world."

Mr Van-Rompuy, from the centre-right political family, is a trained economist and has been running Belgium for less than a year. He writes Haiku (Japanese verse) and is known for his low-key style, which includes a line in self-deprecatory humour and caravan holidays.

He came to prominence after Germany and France a few weeks ago agreed between themselves to promote him. Several diplomats subsequently suggested that his short term in office stood to his advantage as he has had no time to make enemies among other EU leaders. The presidency decision - nominating a person from a small country with no international profile - confirms the speculation of recent weeks that the majority of member states wanted to choose a person whose main role will be that of an internal fixer, rather than someone who can open doors in Washington and Moscow.

Mr Van Rompuy underlined his low-key approach by saying he intended to be "discreet" and that his personal opinions were "subordinate" to the council.

more at link

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"Damascus will be destroyed"

End time Prophecy has been aiming toward fulfillment at a fast clip these last few months. However, aside from Israel being brought back to the land in 1948, there has not been a major, observable and undeniable fulfillment yet, (with one possible exception). The Gog-Magog nations are jockeying into their prophesied alliance. The One World Economy is that much closer to reality because of the global depression. The one world currency is a technical possibility with the introduction of small under-the skin-chips.

One prophecy that may be said has come to fruition is the Roman Empire has been revived. Daniel prophesied that in the last days the Antichrist would come from the empire that was the same empire as the one that destroyed the Temple: Rome (Daniel 2 and 7, explained here). The old Roman empire was never vanquished, it collapsed.  So when the27-nation European Union voted this month to accept a Constitution, creating a President of Europe along with a Foreign Minister, army, and supra-national government, it can be safely said that the Roman Empire has officially revived. I wrote about this in October and November.

However, I'm always thinking how to demonstrate God's Word to the unsaved. What would be an observable and undeniable sign that the last days are among us? What could I use to show to someone that this, definitely, is a prophetic fulfillment? My opinion has always been that the prophecy from Isaiah 17:1-3 is a perfect witness.

Prophecy about Damascus
1. The oracle concerning Damascus
"Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city
And will become a fallen ruin.
2. "The cities of Aroer are forsaken;
They will be for flocks to lie down in,
And there will be no one to frighten them.
3. "The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
And sovereignty from Damascus
And the remnant of Aram;
They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,"
Declares the LORD of hosts.

Damascus in Syria is the oldest continuously lived-in city in the world. It  is a city that is both a city and its own sovereignty, being a governate by itself. It has never been destroyed. So when it IS destroyed, we can point and say, 'Look, the LORD has spoken. His words are true. The end is near.'

Because this is one prophecy that is simply stated, clear, and unequivocal, secular news of Damascus always perks up my ears. Today I read the following:

'IAEA inspects site outside Damascus'
"Following Monday's report that the IAEA had discovered processed uranium at three separate Syrian sites, UN inspectors on Tuesday conducted an emergency visit to a smaller site outside Damascus...According to Monday's report, IAEA inspectors had discovered enriched uranium in three sites besides Dir Azur, where IAF jets destroyed an alleged reactor in September 2007. These findings have led the UN nuclear watchdog to suspect that Syria has uranium stockpiles. The main cause for suspicion was the discovery of nuclear material traces near a small research nuclear reactor outside Damascus. When the evidence was presented to the Syrians, they failed to provide convincing explanations, senior IAEA officials were quoted as saying."

Enriched uranium is used to make nuclear weapons. These weapons, in the hands of the terrorists trained in Syrian nests, who have vowed to strike Israel, is something Israel will not stand for. It has long been my opinion that a likely chronology of the last few end time events prior to the rapture would be-

-Israel strikes Damascus.
-This would be catalyst to push Iran, Russia, and the rest of the Gog-Magog nations who hate Israel to formally ally and then attack. This is a prophesied battle that Ezekiel 38-39 describes. God Himself protects Israel, supernaturally. There is debate whether Christians would be raptured just prior to, simultaneously with, or just after the Gog war. But all agree that by the time the Gog-Magog War happens, the rapture is imminent because Christians are not around to witness the events immediately to follow.

-The Gog-Magog war also results in the 7-year peace treaty that the Antichrist confirms.
-And you know the rest. The Tribulation begins and culminates in the Battle of Armageddon.

 My chronology is speculative, though grounded in biblical study. However, the facts are these,  Damascus will be destroyed. When you see that happen, Brother and Sister, look UP! For your Redemption draweth nigh!

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2012 mania is pretty ridiculous

A positive mania about the end of the world prophecies has come over the globe. We see movies, books, tv shows, documentaries, predictions, discussions, cultural references. Experts are called in, interviews are held, prophecies are examined. They are picked apart, endlessly and repeatedly. Good news, you say? Christians should be looking at the things of the end, you say? They should, but those are not the prophesies that are being pored over and touted as truth. I am talking about the current mania with 2012.

The Mayans were an ancient South American culture (2000BC to about 900AD) that was extremely advanced in math and astronomy. Their calendar was more accurate than ours is today. They were also known for their art and architecture. They flourished in the Andean Mountains for a while, and then just as mysteriously, collapsed.

Their daily calendar was of 260 days but their "long count" or b'ak'tun calendar toted up long periods of time, from a mythological starting point equivalent to August 11, 3114 BC. "Misinterpretation of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is the basis for a New Age belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012. December 20, 2012 is simply the last day of the 13th b'ak'tun. But that is not the end of the Long Count because the 14th through 20th b'ak'tuns are still to come." Their long count calendar went through cycles, and cycles end. 12 previous cycles have ended without incident. One such cycle is slated to end on December 21, 2012, but the news is that a new cycle begins immediately. According to the Mayans, the world does not end.

However, try telling that to 2012 enthusiasts/doomers. They believe the Mayan prophecies as if they are gospel. 'They were really good at calendars, so...they must know!' is the mind-set. 'The Mayans said it, so it must be true!' they think. The mania for the end of the world is so complete and factual to them that they aren't seeing the forest for the trees.

Jesus said that the world will end, but not when the Mayans say. When He says. Though no one knows the day nor the hour the Son of Man will make His appearance, but assuredly, He will. How do I know this?

The prophesies God has made have come true to the letter, all throughout history. Time and again, when the LORD sayeth, it comes to pass. Take this one: "As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country." (Ezekiel 34:12-15)

This visions given to Ezekiel was to prophecy both the Jews' restoration after their captivity, and also their recovery from at that point, their long dispersion. When a people are dispersed, it generally takes only three generations for them to assimilate, despite their best efforts to retain cultural norms, language, and values. It is nearly impossible for a people who are dispersed to hold onto them at all over time, never mind in exactitude. Intermarriage, acquiring the language of the new land, and pressure to acculturate all take its toll in the immigrant. How, then, did the Jews retain their language, culture, and values for 2000 years? HOW? It is a miracle in itself that they retained it all, perfectly, for over 2000 years, never mind 20. Then, they were given their land back and brought home. Not just any land, THE land. Now, that's a prophecy.

Will you put your faith in an obsolete calendar of a people who have vanished into history? Or will you put your faith in the prophesies of the God who has never failed to fulfill them?

As prophesied, the Jews are back in the land. Where are the Mayans?

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Is the black horseman saddling his horse?

The seals kick off the Tribulation judgments. The first four of these are horses representing the Antichrist, war, famine, and sickness/death. The third seal's rider, Famine on the Black Horse, is holding a pair of scales in his hand. Bread was weighed this way during famines in Old and New Testament times and we know from Revelation 6:6 that during the Tribulation a quart of wheat that would make one loaf of bread will cost a day's pay. The Black Horseman is indicative of famine.

Famine during any epoch is a slow-moving disaster. It does not arrive suddenly like a hailstorm or a tornado. It takes root and spreads slowly. Famine is a process, not an event. That got me thinking about when the prophesied judgment of global a famine would begin. Although God can cause a famine to start suddenly because He can do anything, He did say that there would be birth pangs and birth pangs are part of a process that begins at a time certain (Israel created overnight) and continues in intensity until the birth. So the nature of famines and the fact of the prophesied birth pangs mean that famine would likely begin before the Black Horse and then continue in intensity until prophetic fulfillment during the trib. Backing up from the Third Seal judgment, when would have the prophesied Black Horseman famine begun? No one knows, but an internet-circulating map did catch my eye.

The conspiracy theorists and rumor mill news adherents have been forwarding a certain agricultural map. (left). It is from the Farm Service Agency. When farmers have experienced a 30% loss of any one crop in a county it can trigger a disaster request to the federal Farm Service Agency office in the affected state. I began searching for the map in context in order to confirm identity and because I wanted to see what other parts of the US were experiencing declared agricultural disasters. I found nothing. I let it percolate in my head while I went on with business.

Then yesterday I was reading the New York Times article titled "Closing out a season farmers want to forget", and came across this: "Plagued with inclement weather, disease and complications from both, farms throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York generally suffered one of the worst, if not the worst, growing season in memory. Mr. Botticello estimated his overall crop loss this year at about 45 percent. It takes a 30 percent loss of any single crop in a county to trigger a disaster request from the federal Farm Service Agency office in an affected state. Losses are still being tallied, but most counties in New York and New Jersey have been declared agricultural disaster areas, and Connecticut is awaiting word from the federal government on the same declaration for nearly all of its counties."

All or nearly all of CT, NY, and NJ declared agricultural disasters. Oh, my. Combined with an e-mail I'd sent out to my subscribers on Oct 31 (subscribe here) regarding reports that Illinois soybean and corn crops "are at their lowest levels in four decades because of the state's record rainfall, according to the Illinois Agriculture Department's statistics. Just 33 percent of the state's soybean crop has been brought in. The state's records don't ever show the harvest so slow," I renewed my search at the FSA site for the situation of declared agricultural disaster nationwide.

Meanwhile, I had reported a few days ago that Wal-Mart marketing execs told a group of economists that families are not eating at the end of the month, and lining up at midnight, waiting for their direct deposited checks to clear so they can buy food. And this news just out moments ago, that "U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that at least 49 million Americans (14.6%) are food insecure, the highest number ever recorded. At least 5.7 percent of Americans had their eating patterns disrupted at times because they lacked money for food, the report finds."(Source: Twitter BNO)

I could not find a similar large-scale map showing the Midwest's declared disaster areas that I'd seen circulated so I did the only thing I knew how to do, count them manually. I looked at each state's listed declared disaster counties, and applied a percentage against total counties in that state. I did this for all 50 states and Washington DC. Then I did the math and found that 53% of American's counties have been declared an agricultural disaster since July 1.

Further, there were 5 states where 100% of its counties had been declared an agricultural disaster: OK, ME, CT, DE, AL. Four states had 95% plus counties declared disasters: NY, NJ, FL, WA. Some NY farmers are declaring up to a 45% loss. So the disaster may be deeper than 30% in any given state and likely is.

That's a lot of numbers and information to take in, but the upshot is that here in America:

1. Since July 1st, over half of all of American's counties have been declared an agricultural disaster,
2. Families are not eating,
3. Birth pangs and Tribulation promise worse famine to come.

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Ukraine flu update: "Their lungs are like charcoal. It's terrifying"

British scientists testing Ukrainian 'super flu' that has killed 189 people

"British scientists are examining the strain of swine flu behind a deadly Ukrainian outbreak to see if the virus has mutated. A total of 189 people have died and more than one million have been infected in the country.
Some doctors have likened the symptoms to those seen in many of the victims of the Spanish flu which caused millions of deaths world-wide after the World War One. An unnamed doctor in western Ukraine told of the alarming effects of the virus. He said: 'We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal. 'They look like they have been burned. It's terrifying.'

The (UK) Daily Express reports "A Million hit by ‘plague worse than swine flue’ "

"A deadly plague could sweep across Europe, doctors fear, after an outbreak of a virus in Ukraine plunged the country and its neighbours into a state of panic. A cocktail of three flu viruses are reported to have mutated into a single pneumonic plague, which it is believed may be far more dangerous than swine flu. The death toll has reached 189 and more than 1 million people have been infected, most of them in the nine regions of Western Ukraine. President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko has called in the World Health Organisation and a team of nine specialists are carrying out tests in Kiev and Lviv to identify the virus. Samples have been sent to London for analysis. President Yushchenko said: “People are dying. The epidemic is killing doctors. This is absolutely inconceivable in the 21st Century.” "

It is thinkable to Christians, however. The bible tells us in Revelation 6:1-8 that four horsemen will be released to storm over the earth, bringing in order: the Antichrist (white horse), war (red horse), famine (black horse), and death by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts (pale, or chloros horse).

These horsemen are judgments unleashed through the first four of seven successive Seals being opened at the start of Daniel's 70th week. The famines, wars, and plagues we are experiencing now are NOT related to the Four Horsemen. "In order for the breaking of the 7 seals to have begun, Daniel’s 70th week would have to have begun.  That means Israel would be back in covenant with God, and a peace treaty would have been negotiated allowing Israel to build its temple. The Battle of Ezekiel 38 would have been fought and won, and the Church would have been raptured," writes Jack Kelley. Also, the first sign that we could notice would have been the White Horseman, the great peacemaker arriving on the scene, the one who deceives and plans to craftily make war: the Antichrist. That horseman has not been unleashed because the antichrist is not revealed as yet, so the first seal has not been broken. Mainly we can know the seals have not yet begun to be opened because they are judgments, and Christians in the Church Age are not under judgment. 1Thessalonians 5:9 says that we are not appointed to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. We suffer persecution, trials, but not judgment.

So if the Ukraine strange and deadly plague isn't the Black Horseman seal judgment what is it? It is the precursor to the coming wrath. It is part of the end time birth pangs. Wars, rumors of war, famines and earthquakes are some of the examples given in Matthew 24 as the indicators of the nearing of the tribulation judgments. They will increase in intensity and in number. Luke has pestilence in his account. If you see the pangs increasing then know that since the rapture precedes the tribulation then the rapture is nearing.

The Ukraine flu, along with the swine flu, seem to me to be precursors of what is coming. Since the end times signs have been described as birth pangs we know that they do not descend suddenly on the earth but begin slowly and build noticeably. The Ukraine flu may indeed be one such pang. In any case, it must be terrifying for the citizens of the Ukraine to know that a dread disease has appeared among them that turns lungs to black charcoal, melted and boiled, in just two days from onset. Times surely are perilous. Do you know Who your redemption is? He seeks YOU, loves YOU, and wants YOU. Jesus saves.

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Only an enemy would refuse to salute his own soldiers

Obama again fails to salute Americans but remembers to salute Russian flag

Atlas Shrugs (Pamela Geller's site) has revealed the latest pic of Obama refusing to salute Americans. Originally thought to be from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to mark Veterans Day, November 11, 2009. This in fact this was from Memorial day 2009.

Upon further investigation, it turns out that Hail to the Chief was being played as Obama was just walking onto the dais. The others were saluting him, the Chief. However, Obama still refuses to follow tradition and the law, still bows to kings, (expressing fealty) which the Constitution forbids (Art 1, sec 9). He is still the enemy.

This is quite the contrast from Obama in Russia during the playing of the Russian National Anthem

Anyone remember this from 2008?

Or this from earlier in 2009, bowing to the Saudi King?

 Or this from last week, a low bow to the Japanese Emperor?

Then we read that morale is low in Afghanistan. Gee. I wonder why. Maybe because the Commander in Chief is the enemy? Does anything more really need to be said? He is the enemy.

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Now tell me this isn't hearbreaking...

“(NY Times) There are families not eating at the end of the month,” said Stephen Quinn, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Wal-Mart Stores, and “literally lining up at midnight” at Wal-Mart stores waiting to buy food when paychecks or government checks land in their accounts.” The fact that you have people lining up at midnight just waiting to have their paychecks or government checks clear for food is probably something you are not going to see on CNBC but it is happening."

Brothers and sisters, please pray for each other and pray for the lost, the hurting, the spiritually impoverished, the fiscally poor.

In a town where there is 46% unemployment, there is another problem besides empty pantries-

"At Pembroke's Church of the Cross, the pastor says the economic slowdown is causing a different kind of crisis. "From a spiritual aspect, you're looking at a person who's praying and praying and praying, but yet it doesn't look like their prayers are being answered," said Rev. Jon Dyson."

Hunger, fear, and wavering hope - all enemies of strong faith. "Where is His supply?" the faithful ask. Wavering, prayers seemingly unanswered, they are at risk of turning inward instead of upward, they focus on their problems instead of God's mercies. They become consumed by wants and lack. It is easy to do, no condemnation- just empathy.

Lining up at midnight to buy food for your family ... feeling as if God has abandoned you and prayers go unanswered. Both problems break my heart. Jesus said there would be birth pangs, birth pains, and these end times are painful. Pray for each other, with gentleness. We will feel earthly pain as the LORD our God prepares His judgments, but let's skip to the end. See what is ahead. This privation and struggle will only be for a little while.

The Great Homecoming Celebration

The greatest picture of a star-studded celebration ever recorded is in the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation. Nothing in the Holy Scripture or secular history can even claim second place. The entire host of Heaven that the Psalmist David described on the Northern Scopes of the eternal land will be the welcoming company. The saints from all past human history will be the honored guests. The location is so grand that only one apostle’s eyes have seen its indescribable beauty. This is the Homecoming celebration of God’s human family. Sin thrust the prodigal clan out of God’s immediate presence long ago, but it’s time to go home.

Read much more of this joy at the link! Here and now, today, "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Tomorrow there may be enough food in the larder, or there may be another trip to Wal-Mart at midnight. Either way, The Lord is in control and He knows you and loves you.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," (2 Corinthians 4:17). It is but a moment, dear one! Hang on! Jesus is coming, and everything will be all right. If you are not saved by grace of Jesus, go here to learn more, and then you will partake of the peace and joy that passes all understanding, even if you are in a midnight line at Wal-Mart.

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"Sudden Jihad Syndrome"

Yeah! This is what I was trying to say last night in my post "Islam is not a peaceful religion." Diana West says it clearly and succinctly here in this Arutz Sheva Op-Ed.

"Sudden Jihad Syndrome"

"Are the US military and media incapable of admitting the Islamic Jihad threat? Diana West thinks that they have chosen denial over reality and that their reaction to the Ft. Hood Massacre proves it. Wake up, America."

Much more at link

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Islam is not a peaceful religion

As we all know, last week, Muslim man (allegedly) massacred 14 people and injured many others at the US Army base Ft. Hood. Predictably, the media is ignoring the Muslim link to his heinous act. The media immediately tiptoed around the fact that the (alleged) killer is Muslim and this killer shouted the words Allahu akbar (God is greatest) before he opened fire with two handguns on unarmed troops. This incident at Fort Hood shows that there's still political correctness in the US Army, to the extent that unarmed servicemen and women died, worse, they did not need to. It was more important to protect the false image of Islam as a peaceful religion than it was to expose it as a psycho doctrine, whom many people are at risk of death at the hands of unbalanced gunmen killing in the name of a false god. The man suspected of carrying out the massacre at Fort Hood military base in the US has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder. At least there's that.

Contradictions regarding Islam abound. On the one hand, prominent Muslim New York imam Zaid Shakir told listeners at the Zaytuna Institute in California, that "the issue is crystal-clear in the Qur’an, "Killing innocent humans, the essence of terrorism, is equated with murdering all of humanity." He told this to Islam Online, the front for a kinder, gentler Islam. But at a secretly-taped speech, Shakir said that "Civilians can be a legitimate target, he says, if "there's a benefit in that."

Between the political tiptoeing to the contradictions to outright lies, it's no wonder that the American public is confused about Islam. Today Hal Lindsey wrote an essay addressing this very question: "Why Is Islam Confusing?"

"Yet in the history of Islam’s origins, the first four successors of Mohammad known as the “Divinely Guided Ones,” who personally knew and studied under Mohammad, were anything but peaceful. Inspired by verses from the Koran and the sayings of Mohammad later gathered into the Hadith, they exploded off the Arabian Peninsula and started a conquest that inside of 100 years conquered peoples and lands from the Atlantic into the Pacific." More at link.

Additionally confusing is the news today: Thursday, Obama extended the national emergency President Carter initiated in 1979 with regard to Iran, because "relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal." The 1979 national emergency declared by President Carter allowed the freezing of all Iranian assets held within the U.S.

And adding to the mix, on the heels of Obama's announcement, came the news a few hours later that Federal Officials have seized Iranian assets in the United States including "bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York." They seized mosques.Think on that for a second. These radicals cannot stand a cartoon about them. How do you think they will react to closure of their mosque?

The Guardian UK newspaper's lede on the story was typically understated: "Federal investigators moved to seize four mosques in the US and a skyscraper in Manhattan yesterday over their alleged financial aid to Iran, in an extraordinary step likely to worsen relations between Washington and Tehran." They're right though, it is an extraordinary step, and as far as "worsening relations', I am guessing it will rather make them apoplectic. Left, Manhattan, NYC Mosque

"The move comes at a sensitive time, with a debate under way in the US over the loyalty of American Muslims after the shooting at Fort Hood last week. Major Nadil Malik Hasan was yesterday charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder." 'Sensitive time'? Another understatement.

We do know that Islam is an end-time player. Their aim is to become the world’s dominant religion and even now, before the rapture, they are giving Christianity a run for its money. After the rapture, they will be the world's most dominant religion. Will the Antichrist's origins be in Islam? Some think they could be.

More interesting is waiting and watching what Iran's reaction will be to the US's action. They consider us 'The Great Satan' and they say peace can never be upon the earth until we are out of the way for good (and Israel too.) Joe Klein at Time is asking, "Why Did Iran Charge U.S. Backpackers With Espionage?" and he thinks it is because it's "Proof the 'Great Satan Exists,' Joe believes Iran wants to goad the U.S. into acting more aggressively toward it: "No doubt, assorted neoconservatives in the U.S. will want to use this as an excuse to whack the Khamenei-Whomever government...which will give the regime exactly what it wants and needs: proof that the Great Satan exists..." He advises not to play into their need for a satanic enemy

The situation between east and west, Christian and non-believer is widening and tensing. Each day as the Lord's hand moves, His promised division widens. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our own citizens in America increasingly at risk on our own soil, and for the Lord to come soon!

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