Posted in aflockalypse, bird die off, crow deaths

(UPDATE) Crow die-off in India reminds people of Aflockalpyse earlier this year

Originally published 12/12/11, I am updating to include another bird die-off: Thousands of grebes crash land in Wal-Mart parking lot in Utah, inexplicably. The article opens: “Authorities were shocked to find more than 4,000 birds scattered across a local Utah Wal-Mart parking lot on Monday night. According to CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah, witnesses claimed thousands of the creatures had crash-landed in the parking area. At least 1,500 Eared Grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird, which slammed into the pavement were dead. Fortunately, Utah Department of Wildlife Resource officials and volunteers were able to rescue up to 3,000 of the large flock.” The article says that the birds mistook the parking lot for a body of water. Um. Sure… Wildlife biologists did say this has happened before but never to this degree, with thousands mistaking the parking lot for water.
——-end update————-

When I heard of a spate of sudden bird deaths, with crows suddenly dropping dead to the ground, I made sure to look at the dateline. Was I having deja vu? I remember sudden avian deaths last year at this time. In late December /early January thousands of birds dropped dead in Beebe Arkansas. Experts initially thought that it was New Year’s fireworks that caused the deaths. However those deaths were followed by mysterious deaths in Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, then Turkey,  Manchester UK, and then many other parts of the world. By the end of the first week of January 2011, the event was known as “Aflockalypse” and was being reported by mainstream news. Reasons given were sudden cold spells, fireworks, or magnetism from a sunburst. Avian flu is always a go-to excuse as well. Yet none of the birds had been found to be diseased and the other offered reasons for their deaths seemed to ludicrous to most thinking people.

At that time, the die-offs extended then to fish, seals, and pelicans and throughout January and February people across the world were panicking at this unexplained event. Then the bird and animal die-offs dwindled away, the earthquakes of Christchurch and Japan happened, and the extreme weather of 2011 combined with staggering economic problems soon were at the forefront of people’s minds for the remainder of the year. Now, the bird deaths are back. Perhaps this time it is Avian flu. Time will tell.

Two Indian media outlets are reporting a bird-die off in Hazaribagh, India. One is below from Telegraph India and the other is from Times of India reporting the same thing. I looked up the dateline and this is a current news story, not one that happened in the early part of this year’s Aflockalypse. It may wind up to have an explanation, but the event still brings many people back 11 months to January 2011 and Aflockalypse, and there is once again, panic.

The Telegraph India reports today, “Crow deaths create panic“
“The mysterious epidemic that has claimed hundreds of crows in Jharkhand has now spread to Hazaribagh, with 350-odd scavengers perishing in Vishnugarh and Katkamsandi over the weekend, triggering panic among residents who have been advised by experts not to touch the carcasses. More than 1,000 crows have died in Jamshedpur alone in the past one and a half months, besides a number of deaths in Ghatshila and Giridih. According to villagers, the carcasses of around 250 crows have been spotted in the last two days on the premises of Ram Mandir in Vishnugarh. Mukhiya of Vishnugarh panchayat Arun Rajak said he had informed forest officials about the deaths. Forester Shiv Shankar Prasad suspected that the crows fell prey to avian flu. … Sher Mohammad, a resident, feared it was an indication of something worse. “Villagers are in panic, seeing crows drop dead on the ground suddenly. We have spotted around 100 carcasses in various places so far,” he added.”
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Posted in apocalypse, pope, revelation

Pope highlights Mary’s role as ‘woman of the apocalypse’. Too bad the bible doesn’t.

Well. This is certainly very interesting. The Catholic News Agency on December 8 published the following news piece:

Pope highlights Mary’s role as ‘woman of the apocalypse’
Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the biblical description of a “woman clothed with the sun” in his remarks at Rome’s Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. “What is the meaning of this image? It represents the Church and Our Lady at the same time,” the Pope told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the 1854 definition of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. “Before all, the ‘woman’ of the apocalypse is Mary herself.” The 12th chapter of the Biblical Apocalypse – also known as the Book of Revelation – describes the glorification and persecution of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Though not named, this woman is described as the mother of the Messiah. In poetic language akin to the Bible’s other prophetic books, Saint John says she faced the threat of “a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,” and “fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.”

The Pope is welcome to his interpretation, but since the Catholic Church has misrepresented so much else (hell/purgatory, Mary as perpetual virgin, Mary ascended sinless to heaven, indulgences, justification by works, saint worship and more) then let us view with skepticism that Pope Benedict is right about the woman of Revelation being Mary. If she is not, then what is the more proper exegetical view of the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head? (Revelation 12:1b).

The woman is not the Church. The woman is Israel.

Remember the dream Joseph had in Genesis 37:9? “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” The 12 tribes of Israel were borne through Jacob, his father. The stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Further, she is giving birth to Messiah. “While it is true that Mary gave birth to Jesus, it is also true that Jesus, the son of David from the tribe of Judah, came from Israel. In a real sense, Israel gave birth—or brought forth—Christ Jesus. Further evidence for this is in 12:5 where the Scripture says that the woman “gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” Clearly, this is describing Jesus.” (Source GotQuestions.org)

The lessons here are several. First, even when a supposed spiritual authority makes an interpretation, it may not be correct. Be a Berean and search these things out for yourself. Paul was a spiritual authority, taught by the risen Jesus Himself but still applauded the Bereans for checking what he said against scripture. (Acts 17:11). He called them noble for doing it.

Second, scripture interprets scripture. That may not mean that one verse has to be next to the other in order to give fuller meaning to an understanding. Joseph had his dream in Genesis and the woman is mentioned again in Revelation. But scripture tells us if we appeal to the Holy Spirit for understanding, He will give it without rebuke. (James 1:5).

Third, the Catholic Church is almost obsessively focused on Mary and not nearly enough on Jesus. The lesson here is to make sure to give your focus and attention on the proper spiritual center of the universe, Jesus, in Whom all things hold together. (Col 1:17). It is not by any other name we are saved. (Acts 4:12).

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Posted in cern, large hadron collider, lhc, tower of babel

God is in a particle, or is He?

The physicists under the Alps at a lab called CERN built a machine to enable them to smash particles that will allegedly replicate the moments after the universe was created, an event they call the Big Bang. They say, if they can find this particle, it will prove everything. The particle is the Higgs Boson and its existence has eluded scientists ever since they theorized it four decades ago. The particle is supposed to carry all the mass in matter, and if found to exist would be the basis for all understanding of how the universe works. That is what they call it the “God particle”. The Higgs Boson is allegedly the glue that holds the universe together.

If it is proven to exist, it would provide a bridge across a previously unscalable chasm between the theories of the macro (General Relativity) and the theories of the micro, (Quantum Mechanics) which currently don’t resolve. Here is the Jamaica Observer’s summary of the current excitement from CERN:

“THE world of physics is bubbling with excitement this weekend as scientists await news about the discovery of what some call “The God Particle”. The Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is thought to carry all the mass in ordinary matter, has eluded the boffins (persons engaged in scientific or technical research) since it was proposed nearly half a century ago. But speculation is raging across the Internet that Cern — the European particle physics laboratory that has the world’s largest atom smasher — is about to announce that it has evidence, if not conclusive proof, of the existence of the Higgs. The Higgs, if it has emerged for the first time in Geneva, Switzerland, could help to unify the two great physics theories of the 20th century.”

Einstein hated quantum physics. The Standard Model of physics attempts to resolve all theories into a theory where all actions (whether at the macro or the micro) are harmonized. You see, Einstein had a problem. He hated the emergence of Quantum Physics because the two were not harmonized, but actually were opposed to each other. Einstein spent the rest of his life alternately trying to disprove Quantum Physics or to harmonize the two into his Theory of Everything. To this end, he famously said, “I want to know God’s thoughts, all the rest are details.” In the BBC documentary summary about Einstein’s last days, they wrote, “Einstein’s work was underpinned by the idea that the laws of physics were an expression of the divine. This belief led him to think that everything could be described by simple, elegant mathematics and moreover, that once you knew these laws you could describe the universe with absolute accuracy.”

So by now the CERN particle smashing experiment is concluded and the scientists have been assiduously examining the results. The first surprising result that came out in September is that it seemed that particles can travel at a speed faster than light, something Albert Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity said they cannot do.

A second result is that it seems the scientific community is abuzz with some evidence, if  not conclusive proof, that the God Particle does exist. The Daily Mail’s headline, ‘Significant progress’ made in search for God particle: CERN announcement ignites storm of excitement among physicists doesn’t even come close to the recording palpable excitement of these scientists finding what they call the Holy Grail of particle physics.

So how does this all fit in with bible prophecy? In a couple of ways. The first is a reference back to Einstein’s comment that he wanted to know God’s thoughts, and that He doesn’t play dice with the universe. Einstein overtly thought that if he could find the theories that harmonize it all, he will have found God. God is an orderly God and He does things in an orderly fashion. Einstein was right in that God created the universe and that He controls it. Einstein was wrong in thinking that man could find the key to the theories that will produce God in a neat box and that man will then know all that God does. It doesn’t work that way. If man could understand the universe with “absolute accuracy” as Einstein thought, then man would be equal to God. Though Einstein overtly said and believed these things, the other scientists such as the ones at CERN also believe this. Or else they would not be looking for God in a particle.

Einstein had it backward, as the prophecy said man would. In 2 Timothy 3:7 we are told that in the last perilous days, man will be “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. …But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.” Einstein was always in search of the truth of the universe, which God made, but that he and the other scientists want to remake in their image. How could Einstein come that close but never truly see God, which is Jesus in man’s form? The prophecy said it would be so. Ever learning, never able to come to knowledge of what will save a man…Einstein wanted to know God’s thoughts, but those thoughts are already written down for us in the bible, not in a scientific theory. Science shows God’s mind, but learning science doesn’t prove God.

The second biblical principle we can learn from this is one that is seen in Genesis 11. In only two chapters after the flood and the covenant of the rainbow, man was at it again. In verses 1-9 we read of the Tower of Babel affair. The men led by Nimrod had decided to build a city, as Cain had built a city before the flood. Man was not ready to live in a city together, as evidenced today by the fact that man still does not do well living in close proximity to other men. It is God’s intention to build the city for men (New Jerusalem.)

The most famous verse about this affair is the one from Genesis 11:4 , “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 10 describes a scattered people and mentions their tribal languages, so the scattering and linguistic diversity had already begun. It is man who resisted God in staying together, and further, they knew it. We also see that the purpose of the tower was religious, they acknowledged God but wanted to remake Him in their own image and on their own terms. This most devastating motive is revealed in the part of the verse, “let us make a name for ourselves.” In sum the Tower of Babel was a sham, mentioning God but in fact sweeping Him aside to pursue man’s name.

I consider CERN’s Large Hadron Collider the modern Tower of Babel. It is a monumental effort mentioning God but in fact sweeping Him aside to pursue man’s name. I’ve written about the Large Hadron Collider at CERN many times, most pointedly in June 2010 in likening it to the Tower of Babel in an article titled “The Sound of Symphony, or Blasphemy?” where the scientists in pursuit of what the God particle looks like, were also attempting to see what the God particle sounds like.

This Tower of Babel attitude is captured in theoretical physicist Michio Kaku’s statements in 2007. At that time, he hosted BBC4’s science documentary series “Visions of the Future.” Of the series, Dr. Kaku said, “we are entering an empowered new era: “We have unlocked the secrets of matter. … “We will have the power to animate the inanimate, the power to create life itself,” says Dr. Kaku. “We will have the power of gods.” In the series, Dr Kaku extols the virtues of man’s soon-ability to have ‘mastery over matter’. Yet, God is the only Being with that ultimate ability and no matter how much we learn, we are not gods.

Just as in the days of the Tower of Babel, when God “came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built” (Genesis 11:5) and thus dramatically and directly intervened, we are also told that when the full number of the church is reached (Romans 11:25) He will personally and dramatically intervene again, calling His bride to Him and then begin the judgments of the remaining people.

Of God’s statement in Gen 11:6, “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do,” Barnes Notes explains, “In like simplicity is depicted the self-willed, God-defying spirit of combination and ambition which had now budded in the imagination of man. … Now that they have made this notable beginning of concentration, ambition, and renown, there is nothing in this way which they will not imagine or attempt.”

“The Higgs boson is often referred to these days as “the God particle” after the title of Leon Lederman’s book, “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” Lederman initially wanted to call it the “goddamn particle,” but his editor wouldn’t let him.” Well thank goodness for that. The Higgs boson is theorized to be the “force carrier” of the Higgs field — a field believed by physicists to permeate the entire Universe. Yet Jesus is the glue that holds the universe together. (Colossians 1:17). And to answer Mr Lederman’s provocatively titled paper, here is the question, do you believe you are a sinner who needs to appeal to the resurrected Jesus for forgiveness of those sins in order to escape the just wrath that will befall you?

Is the Large Hadron Collider a horizontal Tower that pokes into the universe, sweeping God Himself aside in pursuit of making a name for ourselves? I think so. And we know what happened last time. I am all for science. I love it and I love the intellectual pursuit of answers to the deeper questions of the earth, planets, universe and subatomic worlds God has made. God is not against that either, because look how much man has learned by His allowance and through His hand on the smarter scientists and inventors! But when the Tower of Babel attitude prevails, when we forget God in the process, that is when things get sticky for men. And I believe that man is on the cusp of that Tower of Babel attitude, of sweeping God aside to think we have become our own gods, able to manipulate the universe through our own mastery to our own ends. Maybe it is a goddamn particle after all.
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Posted in evangelism, hospitality

How to be effective Christians, wherever you are

Sometimes when I watch a video of secret churches in Iran or China I feel embarrassed that I am living in comfort and freedom in America, able to worship freely and even apathetically at times. When I read of the persecution of believers in the Middle East I do cry for the loss of such wonderful believers, knowing I owe them a debt. I want to race out and save exploited children in the sex slavery trade, or run off and be a missionary in the Himalayas or something. But that is not what God has laid out for me to do. We can still be effective witnesses and servants of the Gospel even at our boring homes in the waysides of our small town. I believe that an equal debt is owed the mature, steady Christians who week after week, lovingly open their homes to people, who patiently teach the word more accurately, who encourage, who send money on missions and who tithe locally.

I use Priscilla and Aquila for this model. They were two tentmaking colleagues of Paul (Acts 18:1-4) who welcomed Paul in their home and also discipled other believers constantly. They are mentioned six times, in Acts 18:2,18,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19. It is obvious from Paul’s letters that he cherished these two. Now Paul was the fiery missionary, tramping from Greece to Yugoslavia and across seas and oceans on behalf of the Lord. It was an important and big ministry. Yet he valued the ‘little’ and unflashy ministry of the believers at home, the husband and wife duo of Priscilla (Prisca as a nickname) and Aquila who discipled, welcomed, encouraged, and taught quietly. We’re part of a body and we each have different roles. From Apostle to missionary to private, quiet teacher at home, we all make a difference. What struck me about Priscilla and Aquila was that they sought out Apollos, opened their home to him, and began to teach him. They made an effort, extending themselves to another brother. (Acts 18:24-26)

You can do this as well. Hospitality, friendship, and person-to-person teaching (Acts 18:26) is effective and shares His light just as wonderfully as Paul’s fiery zeal and public pronouncements to whole cities. Private evangelism is still evangelism, and the two biblical Christians so valued by Paul show us today what a solid couple in the Lord can do for Jesus. Your home is a gift you can use to further His kingdom.
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Posted in theology

What Iranian and Chinese believers go through

As you prepare to attend worship services Sunday, or not, please take a few moments to view the state of Christianity in Iran and in China. The first video is produced by Farshid Seyed Mehdi, an Christian Iranian national living in Netherlands. He is an activist for Jesus, leading and training men to return to Iran to spread the word of Jesus and His Gospel.

This second video I stumbled across on YouTube. I have no idea if these are legitimate. I searched and found that the producer of the first video of converted Iranians is actually a real activist and seems to adhere to the proper tenets of Christianity. I have not found anything about the second video that would dispute that it is actual smuggled video of secret churches in China.

Ultimately, we know that the truth is behind these videos, Christians are being persecuted in Iran and in China. If you are here in America reading this, pray in shame to the Lord for the state of our churches, and for Him to revive us to the truth of the Gospel. If you are in a good, bible-believing church, thank the Lord. If you have accepted untruth in your church from pastor or leadership to the false tune of unity or tolerance, then think of the brothers who are beaten and the sisters who are raped just for daring to believe in Jesus in a satanic culture.  Stand up for the truth.

On the positive side, let people see Jesus in you! Walk in love and in His light. Living as Jesus would have us live in a perverted culture is a powerful witness to Him. Something very powerful that we can do is pray for our brothers in places where they are hostile to Christians. Pray to give them provision, strength, the food of the Gospel, fellow believers to encourage and be encouraged by, bibles, and more. We owe a great debt to our spiritual forefathers of the first generation church who stood for Jesus and died because of it. We owe a great debt to those at this present time who stand for Jesus in Iran, Indonesia, China, and other places hostile to Jesus and die because of it. We owe a future debt to the Tribulation martyrs (Rev 6:9-11) who will be for “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). For those of us in America or other places where we can worship freely, if we become petty or picky at our worship place or leadership, remember Hebrews 12:4, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

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Posted in collapse, eu, eurogeddon, european union, lisbon Treaty

How what is happening in the European Union has prophetic implications in the near term

The prophecies are not just about pointing to literal events prophesied to happen, such as the destruction of Damascus or the attack by Iran and Russia on Israel. The prophesies also describe the states of mind and emotional turmoil that will accompany the conditions that God is setting up for His final pieces to be fulfilled. This essay is about the emotional and mental conditions that are prophesied and are already here. First, this excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald–

EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms

‘Eurogeddon’? Interesting way to put it.

“Could the Euro be saved? After an all-night session of crisis talks Brussels, European leaders came up with a plan to tackle the growing debt crisis, but it split the European Union. According to the President, 26 were open to a new treaty with strict budget oversight, but Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain won’t be joining. … The treaty changes Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed in Paris this week would have been inconceivable at the beginning of the crisis, since it requires states to cede a significant degree of economic sovereignty. It is a process that many observers, in particular the populist British media, say is well under way. German dominance of the euro zone, they say, with Dr Merkel as the unofficial but unchallenged leader of Europe, has already arrived.”

Ceding sovereign authority is a Tribulation condition, as the world is re-drawn into ten kingdoms with one currency. (Revelation 17:12, Revelation 13:16-17)

The article continues in easy-to-read fashion, focusing on Dr. Merkel as a person and a leader, and illustrating the rise of Germany (which is never good for Europe). She is known as The Iron Chancellor, and is seen potentially as the “savior of Europe”. No she is not the antichrist, that is going to be a man. (Daniel 7:24-25). But the profile of Germany’s prominence as a nation and its current leader at this juncture as the European Union teeters, is an interesting read, especially keeping in mind the role that Europe plays in prophecy as the revived Roman Empire.

The treaty they mention as the basis for their talks is the Treaty of Lisbon (Lisbon Treaty). “The Lisbon Treaty is the latest of the Treaties which, to date, have amended previous Treaties on the basis of which the Communities and the European Union were founded, such as the Single European Act (1986), the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) (1992), the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) and the Treaty of Nice (2001).” (source)

Because European leaders are mentioning a treaty at this time, we wonder if the Lisbon Treaty is THE treaty, or THE covenant that Daniel mentioned the antichrist will make strong. I do not think that it is the same one.

Daniel 9:27 says: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

In the Hebrew lexicon, “covenant” is just what it says, a covenant or a league or a treaty. To make strong; is an interesting word translation: in the Hebrew it means “prevailed” and also “conduct himself arrogantly” and/or “to strengthen.” Given the Antichrist’s other qualities that also include flattery and arrogance (Dan 7:8, 7:20), we can see a picture emerge of this prophesied treaty in which this evil man boastfully pressures the other leaders into accepting a treaty in which his version prevails. The antichrist is one among many of the league who sets the treaty in place but he himself will not be made known until halfway through the 7 years of the prophesied length of the treaty, when he puts a stop to the sacrifices in the temple. But he will have been one of the group that strengthens the covenant three and a half years earlier, which dwindles the potential candidates from anyone in the world, to one who is involved with a covenant that is made strong by a small group of leaders. The Church may or may not be here to see the treaty being signed but we will definitely not be here to see the antichrist revealed. Personally, I’m looking for Jesus the Sinless One, not the Man of Sin.

In looking at the lexicon, (source), Daniel 9:27 is presented as a list in each phrase with definitions. Removing the definitions, the verse reads like this: “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations desolate, even until a complete destruction one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

To me, because the verse speaks of a covenant, a length of time, and in the same sentence the breaking of the covenant by breaking the sacrificial activities, the verse seems to indicate one is tied to the other. That the treaty will have in place a method for allowing sacrifices inherent as one of the clauses. If this is so, then the Lisbon Treaty is NOT the treaty the antichrist makes strong.

So what does all this Euro/EU brouhaha have to do with prophetic times? First of all, it is setting conditions that will allow the antichrist to come to power and be accepted by the world. If Angela Merkel does not ‘save the European Union’ it will be all the more a devastating collapse. Secondly, it has to do with this, a condition that is prophesied:

This: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” (Luke 21:25)

I’ve mentioned before that the ‘sea and the waves roaring’ in my opinion has to do with the populations in unrest. A figurative tsunami of anger and outcry, if you will. I believe this because in Isaiah 17:12 mentions the definition of sea when it is used figuratively, “Oh, the raging of many nations–they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples–they roar like the roaring of great waters!” Interestingly it is from the chapter of Prophecy of the destruction of Damascus, an event that is also predicted to happen in future times, which is almost presently upon us.

The word perplexity literally translates as “I am in difficulties, am at my wits end.” The Greek word aporeo is from a compound word, “to have no way out, i.e. Be at a loss (mentally) — (stand in) doubt, be perplexed.” In the Luke verse, the Greek word for roaring is literally, “rumor or report“.

So now let’s put the Luke verse together. You can picture the people roaring as currency crashes, or hyperinflation arrives, or anger as their leaders are in perplexity as to how to solve these unsolvable issues. Don’t forget that there will also be a lengthy period of wars and rumors of wars. You know how wearing rumors are. If a rumor ever swept your workplace that layoffs are coming, you know the emotional exhaustion that accompanies rumors and reports. The longer it goes on the more angry and upset you get. You know how relieved you feel when you get actual information and actual solutions. Even if you are one who got laid off you almost feel relieved because now at least you can make plans and go forward. Now magnify that feeling by all the world’s population and the global distress and perplexity over years of time, and you have a picture of the state of mind of the people of the world that accepts the antichrist.

The verses from Isaiah, Luke, and Daniel illustrate both literal events and states of mind that lead to the treaty’s signing, and the attendant relief that accompanies this seeming resolution. Now this last quote from investor Jim Sinclair, interviewed this week on the events in the European Union about the currency and financial issues in an article titled Why the financial system is imploding:

“There is no one out there who has a plan that has a practical application which can change what is now. There is no practical solution being offered. There is no politician who has the courage to do the necessary and if the necessary was done, the system is so fragile that it would totally implode.”

No one has an answer! Perplexity… Rumors… Reports… Anger… Fear… An entire continent is consumed with feeling these things, and it does not bode well for the immediate future.

Or, as the Sydney Morning Herald titled it in the article I opened with: EU leaders roll the dice as eurogeddon looms.

“Implode”, “Eurogeddon” … and when they ‘roll the dice’, we already know from the bible that what comes up is snake eyes.
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Posted in eclipses, moon

Impossible sight on Saturday’s eclipse

One of the signs Jesus said to look for in the nearing of the end of the age is signs in the sun, moon, and stars. That verse is found in Luke 21:25. Actually, there is a LOT of astronomical activity prophesied to occur during the Tribulation, especially the end. But first, take a look at what impossible sight the second full lunar eclipse of this year will bring:

When to Catch Tomorrow’s “Impossible” Total Lunar Eclipse
“The moon passes through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow, which gives the “eclipse” effect, (fortunately not of the vampire variety) in the early morning and will last about an hour. Depending on cloud coverage and light interference, there will also be a chance to see a selenelion, an effect deemed “impossible” by celestial geometry. A “selenelion” (or “selenehelion”) occurs when both the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time. Astronomers note that during an eclipse, the sun, the earth, and the moon are in a straight line in space. But due to atmospheric refraction, which causes the human eye to perceive astronomical objects higher in the sky than they are in reality, there will be a short window (one to six minutes) when you might be able to spot the sun rising in the east-southeast and the full, eclipsed moon setting in the west-northwest. The lunar eclipse is scheduled to be visible in Phoenix at around 7:20 a.m., with the selenelion visible during the first three or so minutes.”

As for the previously mentioned celestial activity that is prophesied for the end of time:

Isaiah 13:10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

Ezekiel 32:7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

Joel 2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD

Luke 21:26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

And those are just a few of the verses that prophesy the celestial bodies’ strange action. All this to say that God is in control. He is in control of all demons, angels, government systems, heaven, people,…and celestial bodies. He created the moon to reflect light of the sun that He gave us. At His timing, He will shut the light. Keep looking up. Christians will see the brightest light of His glory at the rapture, unbelievers will see the lights go out. In His love, He allows you to choose on which side you will remain: light…or dark.
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Posted in eu, euro, lisbon Treaty

Friday blurbs: news and commentary

It’s Friday, I’m eating pizza. It’s time to kick back. Here is a short roundup of the AMAZING news we are seeing across the wires this busy week.

All the high-falutin politicos in Europe met in emergency session overnight yesterday, finally breaking at 5AM. They are trying to save the Euro currency. There are downgrades, threats of downgrade, banks teetering, and more debt than they can shake a Greek-Irish-Portuguese-Italian-Spanish stick at. So they met…and failed to unanimously resolve the financial and economic issue looming as a bomb. Revelation 13 shows us that at some point the world will accept a one world economy and a one currency. For that to happen, many have speculated that individual national sovereignty will have to have gone by the wayside, or that the economic problems will have become so impossible that this solution seems buy comparison a good one. Speaking of impossible problems, in the last days they will be so hard to solve they will cause men to be in distress and perplexity (Luke 21:25)

UK blocks changes to Lisbon Treaty to resolve Euro sovereign debt crisis
“The UK has blocked changes to the Lisbon Treaty, which was seen as a potent weapon aimed at saving the Euro currency. The Lisbon Treaty was signed by representatives of 27 European Union member sates on 13th December 2007, which aimed at reforming EU functioning and replacing the Constitutional Treaty that was rejected by the French and the Dutch in 2005.”

Italy at Breaking Point, Merkel Calls for ‘New Europe’
To an extent the taboo on a country leaving the 17-member currency bloc was already broken at the G20 summit in Cannes last week, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sarkozy both effectively said that Greece might have to drop out if the euro zone’s long-term stability was to be maintained. Italy has replaced Greece at the center of the euro zone debt crisis and is on the cusp of requiring a bailout that Europe cannot afford to give. But the latest discussions among European officials point to a more fundamental re-evaluation of the 12-year-old currency project — including which countries and what policies are needed to keep it strong and stable for the next decade and beyond — before Europe’s debt crisis manages to break it apart. … “This is not about a two-speed Europe, we already have that. This will redraw the map geopolitically and give rise to new tensions. It could truly be the end of Europe as we know it.”

Plan B: Printing presses on standby to beat euro’s demise
“Central banks in eurozone countries are making contingency plans for the possible collapse of the euro.Demand for money-printing services is expected to soar as old national currencies prepare for a come-back.”

Signs in the sun, moon, stars…Luke 21:25
Impossible eclipse
Second full lunar eclipse for this year. [T]here will be a chance to observe an unusual effect, one that celestial geometry seems to dictate can’t happen. The little-used name for this effect is a “selenelion” (or “selenehelion”) and occurs when both the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time. But wait! How is this possible? When we have a lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon are in a geometrically straight line in space, with the Earth in the middle. So if the sun is above the horizon, the moon must be below the horizon and completely out of sight (or vice versa). And indeed, during a lunar eclipse, the sun and moon are exactly 180 degrees apart in the sky; so in a perfect alignment like this (a “syzygy”) such an observation would seem impossible. But it is atmospheric refraction that makes a selenelion possible.

Israel the burdensome stone…Zechariah 12:3

Risk of Israel, US strike on Iran has tripled’
“The chance of a military strike on Iran has roughly tripled in the past year, the senior geopolitical risk analyst at Barclays Capital said on Thursday.”

Israeli Planes Attack Gaza Targets
“Israel carried out more airstrikes in Gaza early Friday, killing one Palestinian, as militants fired more rockets into southern Israel. Tensions flared after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Thursday killed two Palestinians whom the military described as terrorists involved in a plot to attack Israelis and Palestinians fired salvos of rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.”

Europe bears watching because the antichrist is supposed to emerge from that empire (Dan 9:26). It is also an example of how the world may end up divided into ten kingdoms (Rev 12:3), the EU being one of those prophesied blocs from which one of the kings is supposed to emerge from. A collapse of Europe’s currency and/or banks would certainly figure prominently into the coming one world economy. Magog is also a prominent member of Ezekiel 38-39 and if you notice, Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin is suddenly in the news a lot. There is a second lunar eclipse this year happening on Saturday, one that contains a once thought impossible and now known to be an extremely rare sight. The Muslim Brotherhood is taking control of Egypt, one of the only two nations holding a peace treaty with Israel and a nation that is specifically mentioned in Tribulation and Millennium prophecy as a nation under desolation then is welcomed into the arms of Jesus.

The Lisbon Treaty of Europe is at center of the EU disintegration, whereupon the leaders are struggling mightily to figure out a way to amend it to reflect the new necessities of financial management. I don’t think the Lisbon Treaty of Europe is THE covenant that Daniel said the antichrist will confirm, namely because the Lisbon Treaty isn’t set for 7 year period nor makes any provision for sacrifices in the temple, as the verse from Daniel seems to allude to. (“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; ” (Dan 9:24a)

Yet, look at what is happening to our world in light of prophecy! Jesus said when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, for your Redemption draws near. (Luke 21:28)

Posted in comfort

Take comfort in the Lord

I am rejoicing in the Lord. Even in dark hours, He is there. Even in sickness, He is there. Even in sadness, He is there. He rejoices when I repent, He chastises when I sin, but He comforts when He knows I need Him. He brings His Book to life, knowing just which verse will suffice to both reveal His character and wrap me in His love. He is perfect. He is the best Father to have.

Posted in theology

Islamic Cleric Bans Women from Touching Bananas, Cucumbers to Avoid ‘Sexual Thoughts’

I don’t even know what to say to this. Thank goodness International Business Times does.

“In a ridiculously repressive and absurd proposal, an Islamic cleric residing in Europe has said in a ruling that women should not touch or be anywhere close to bananas and cucumbers, in order to avoid ‘sexual thoughts’. An unnamed sheikh was quoted in a religious publication, el-Senousa News, as saying that if a woman wished to eat cucumbers or bananas, it should be sliced into pieces, preferably by her husband or father, before she eats them. Egyptian English news site Bikya Masr reported the proposal. According to the report, the sheikh has also added carrots and zucchini to the list of apparently immoral and blasphemous fruits and vegetables.”

The one true God, not the false god of Islam, said, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

I have been posting lately on the spiritual underpinnings of The Daniel Fast, which are a doctrine of demons and a doctrine of men, not of God. The Daniel Fast is an incorrectly spiritualized corporate church activity in which congregants are urged by their pastor or leadership to adhere to a specific list of foods and to avoid other foods, for three weeks. For those who believe I am too picky, if you want to know how far satan can take a false doctrine regarding food, this is it. Once you are off the narrow path, it gets wide very quickly.
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