New
Year's Eve
December
31, 2008
Introduction
It used to be a bit more difficult finding things to talk about for a
Prophecy Update. But it seems to me that
this year has been a little easier. In
fact it’s a little hard to know where to stop.
I am not going to make “predictions”.
A “Prophecy Update” is all about keeping up with the latest news reports
and comparing them to Scripture. It’s
all about being aware of the times we live in.
Newsweek
Newsweek hasn’t been my “friend” this year.
I can hardly get myself to open the pages because of all the liberal
slanted articles. For some strange reason I
was looking at last week’s issue and found some interesting stuff.
Newsweek’s Top people in the “Global
Elite”
1. Barack Obama
Are you surprised about that one?
I’ll talk more about Mr. Obama in a bit.
2. Hu Jintao
President of China. The Bible does
seem to talk about China –
(Rev
16:12 NKJV) Then the sixth angel poured
out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that
the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
Keep your eyes on China.
3. Nicolas Sarkozy
President of France, His nation has held the presidency of the European
Union for the last six months.
We believe that it’s very likely that the European Union will play a key
role in the last days. The antichrist’s
empire seems to come from a revived Roman Empire. For homework, study Daniel 2 & 7.
(Dan 2:40-44 NKJV) "And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong
as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like
iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
{41} "Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and
partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron
shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. {42}
"And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. {43} "As you saw
iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they
will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. {44}
"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall
stand forever.
(Dan 7:19-27 NKJV) "Then I wished to know the truth about
the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly
dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke
in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; {20} "and the ten horns
that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three
fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words,
whose appearance was greater than his fellows. {21} "I was watching; and
the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
{22} "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of
the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the
kingdom. {23} "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom
on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour
the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces. {24} The ten horns are ten
kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He
shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings. {25} He
shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of
the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall
be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. {26} 'But the
court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and
destroy it forever. {27} Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of
the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints
of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions
shall serve and obey Him.'
4-6. Chief
World Financial Leaders
4. Ben Bernanke (U.S.)
5. Jean-Claude Trichet (European Union)
6. Masaaki Shirakawa (Japan)
Have you noticed the difficult economic times we’re in? More about this later.
7 Gordon Brown (England), 8 Angela Merkel (Germany) – we’ll pass on these.
9. Vladimir Putin (Russia) I’ll talk more about Mr.
Putin later.
10. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (King, Saudi Arabia) – we’ll pass for
now on the king.
11. Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader, Iran)
We’ve been talking for years about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, and
the radical things he’s said about the destruction of Israel and his bringing
in of the secret Islamic leader who will rule the world.
But in reality,
the one who’s really in control of Iran is the spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. When Mr. Khamenei talks, we really ought to be paying attention.
The War of
Gog
The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a future war against the nation of Israel,
even naming those that will participate.
(Ezek
38:3-5 NKJV) "and say, 'Thus says
the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh (Russia),
Meshech (Moscow), and Tubal. {4} "I will turn you around,
put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and
horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords. {5} "Persia
(Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya
are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Iran
Iran is a dangerous place.
Israel 'ready
to act' over Iran
BBC News / Thursday, 10 July 2008
Israel's defense
minister has warned of his country's readiness to act against Iran if it feels
threatened.
Ehud Barak, speaking in Tel Aviv, said Israel had "proved in the past
that it won't hesitate to act when its vital security interests are at
stake".
He spoke as Iran's testing of
missiles that could reach Israel stoked tensions between the two, and with the
US.
But Mr Barak added that diplomatic
solutions should be pursued before other options were taken up.
Iran 'to target
Israel, US bases'
BBC News / Saturday, 12 July 2008
Iran will
target “the heart of Israel” and 32 US bases in the Gulf if they launch an
attack on Iran, an Iranian official has warned.
The Iranian response would come “before the dust from this attack has
settled”, Mojtaba Zolnour said.
Mr Zolnour is a representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to
the elite Revolutionary Guards.
His comments come amid fears that Iran could be attacked by the US and
Israel over its nuclear programme.
Large-scale
Iranian Air force exercise simulates attack on Israel
DEBKAfile Special Report / October 22, 2008, 9:53 AM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKAfile’s
military sources report that the drill beginning Thursday, Oct. 16 in northern
Iran …
…Tehran’s media claimed the exercise tested its air force’s ability to fly
to Israel and back without refueling.
…According to Iranian media, the entire range of Iran's fighter fleet were
to take part, including US-made F-4, F-5, F-7 and F-14 fighters and domestic
Saegheh fighters. Mid-air refueling was to be provided by Boeing 707 aerial
tankers.
In mid-August, Iran's Air Force
chief, Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani, maintained that its antiquated fighter
jet fleet had been overhauled and upgraded to fly distances of 3,000 kilometers
without refueling. That would be more than double the distance between Iran and
Israel.
US
intelligence: Iran will be able to build first nuclear bomb by February 2009
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report / October 21, 2008
US intelligence’s
amended estimate, that Iran will be ready to build its first bomb just one
month after the next US president is sworn in, is disclosed by DEBKAfile’s
Washington sources as having been relayed as a guideline to the Middle East
teams of both presidential candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.
The information prompted the assertion by Democratic vice presidential
nominee Joseph
Biden in Seattle Sunday, Oct. 19: “It will not be six months before the world
tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy.”
Moscow races to
finish Iran's Bushehr reactor by mid-2009
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report / December 7, 2008
DEBKAfile's
Iranian and Moscow sources report that Atomstroiexport, the Russian firm under
contract to build and activate Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr, is offering
nuclear engineers and technicians top salaries to leave for Iran at short
notice. The Kremlin has promised Tehran to have the reactor up and running by
mid-2009. Some 1,600 experts are already at work on the site; the project is
short of another 500 to meet this deadline.
FM
spokesman in Tehran: Iran begins preparing operations against Israel
DEBKAfile Special Report / December 29, 2008
On Monday, Dec.
29, Day 3 of Israel's Gaza operation, the spokesman said Iran had embarked on
preparations for operations against Israel in line with the directives laid
down by supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khameini in his speech Sunday.
In his speech, Khameini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to stand up and
defend Palestinians against Israel. He said "true believers" were
"duty-bound to defend" the Palestinians. Khamenei did not spell out
what he intended. The foreign ministry statement said believers killed in their
cause would be counted martyrs.
Russia
For a period of time things were pretty good with Russia and the
world. Things have changed.
When Vladimir Putin moved from being Russian President to Prime Minister,
he did not let go of his power. Some are
calling him the new “Czar” of Russia.
We are skeptical of him. The Russian
people love him.
Where Is
Vladimir Putin Today? Rising Russian Czar Makes Historic Trip To Libya, An Ezekiel
38 Country
By Joel C. Rosenberg / Jerusalem, Israel, April 17, 2008
…Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin is
actually in Libya, the first Russian leader in history to visit the North
African country, creating a strategic alliance, signing numerous agreements,
and negotiating a $2.5 billion arms sale to this enormous and historic enemy of
Israel.
At UN:
Confirmation of Russia's Georgia advance
The
Associated Press / International Herald Tribune / Published: August 12, 2008
UNITED NATIONS:
Georgia brought another last-ditch appeal Monday to the United Nations Security
Council to stop Russia's advancing army, which U.N. officials confirmed has
driven beyond Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia
considers nuclear missiles for Syria, Mediterranean, Baltic
DEBKAfile Special Report / August 17, 2008
DEBKAfile's
military sources report Moscow's planned retaliation for America's missile
interceptors in Poland and US-Israeli military aid to Georgia may come in the
form of installing Iskandar surface missiles in Syria and its Baltic enclave of
Kaliningrad.
Russian Baltic and Middle East warships, submarines and long-range bombers
may be armed with nuclear warheads, according to Sunday newspapers in Europe.
In Georgia, Russian troops and
tanks advanced to within 30 km of Tbilisi Saturday, Aug. 15. A Russian general
said Sunday they had started pulling out after president Dimitry Medvedev
signed the ceasefire agreement with Georgia and president George W. Bush called
again for an immediate withdrawal.
US-Russian race
to arm Lebanon with heavy weapons
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report / December 20, 2008
The United
States and Russia are bidding hard against each other to give the Lebanese army
heavy weapons, a contest which Israeli diplomacy has failed to deter,
DEBKAfile's military sources report.
(Moscow has pledged air defense systems, Washington has pledged tanks and
helicopters, Israel isn’t too happy with this)
Israel
(Mat 24:32-33 NKJV)
"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has
already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. {33}
"So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near; at the
doors!
Gaza factions
agree to cease-fire
Jerusalem Post / Apr 29, 2008
20:50
Twelve Palestinian factions have accepted Cairo’s proposal for a temporary
truce with Israel, beginning in Gaza, Egypt announced on Wednesday, adding that
it would press Israel to accept the deal.
“The ball is
now in the Israeli court,” Egyptian and Palestinian officials told The
Jerusalem Post. “Israel won’t be able to ignore this important development.”
(We know that Israel accepted the cease-fire. Last week it expired.)
IDF gets green
light to strike Hamas after rocket barrage
Jerusalem Post / Dec 24, 2008
The IDF
received the green light Wednesday for a series of operations against Hamas in
the Gaza Strip, after more than 60 mortar shells and Katyusha and Kassam
rockets pounded the Negev. (that’s in
one day)
Syria
'intensely' arming itself
By Aaron Klein / © 2008 WorldNetDaily / March 09, 2008
Rockets, missiles place all of Israel within firing zone
JERUSALEM – Syria
is in the midst of "intensely" arming itself, placing into position
rockets and missiles capable of striking the entire Jewish state, according to
an assessment presented to the Knesset today by multiple Israeli security
agencies.
The announcement follows a WND exclusive
report last month quoting security officials stating Syria, aided by
Russia and Iran, has been furiously acquiring rockets and missiles, including
projectiles capable of hitting any point in Israel. The officials listed
anti-tank, anti-aircraft and ballistic missiles as some of the arms procured by
Syria.
Israel prepares
for the Apocalypse
By Israel Insider staff /April 7, 2008
Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert declared a simulated state of emergency Monday following the
scenario of a barrage of hundreds of missiles fired on Israel from Syria,
Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, as the country's largest-ever emergency exercise,
"Turning Point 2," continues. While the name of the drill sounds like
a film sequel, the scope of the exercise is unprecedented. Dozens of Israeli
civilians were "killed" on Sunday as Israel went to "war"
with Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas on the first day of the exercise.
US veto blocks
UN anti-Israel resolution
PressTV / Sun, 28 Dec 2008
The UN Security
Council has been unable to force an end to Israeli attacks against Gaza due to
the intervention of the United States.
Washington once again used its veto powers on Sunday to block a resolution
calling for an end to the massive ongoing Israeli attacks against the Gaza
Strip.
The council has only been able to issue a 'non-binding' statement that
calls on Israel to voluntarily bring all its military activities in the
besieged region to an immediate end.
(Zec 12:3
NKJV) "And it shall happen in that
day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who
would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the
earth are gathered against it.
Aliya
Aliyah the name for Israel’s “Law of Return” which allows any Jew to
immigrate to Israel and be granted automatic Israeli citizenship. Non-Jews are also given this privilege if
they have immediate relatives who are Jewish.
Someone who "makes aliyah" is called an oleh (m.
singular) or olah (f. singular), the plural for both is olim.
There are many prophecies that speak of this “return” including:
(Ezek
37:21 NKJV) "Then say to them,
'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the children of Israel
from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from
every side and bring them into their own land;
We see this every year, Jews returning from all around the world to settle
in Israel.
Eyewitness
Account from Ethiopia: "A Great Assembly Shall Return"
Israel Insider / By Michael Freund / May 22, 2008
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia - It is nearly 11 p.m. one night last week in Addis Ababa, and large
parts of the Ethiopian capital are bathed in darkness, the result of
increasingly frequent power shortages in recent months.
Soldiers and policemen stand guard on the road in front of the Israeli
Embassy, as Kalashnikov rifles hang precariously across their chests. As they
adamantly turn away traffic from both directions, a large bus pulls up and is
waved through, before parking on the dusty thoroughfare.
While its noisy engine takes a much-needed respite, Israeli officials
review an assortment of paperwork as they prepare the vehicle's prospective
passengers for the short ride to the airport. It is from there that they will
board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to complete the millennial-old journey home
to the land of their ancestors, the Land of Israel.
Meanwhile, inside a neighboring compound, 42 Falash Mura (descendants of
Ethiopian Jews who converted to Christianity in the 19th century) sit quietly
and patiently on wooden benches, waiting to board the bus. Their features
betray a silent dignity, but little else. There is no trace of excitement or
exhaustion on their faces.
Only Yossi, a charming three-year old with an infectious grin, dares to
beam with enthusiasm, as though he can sense the momentous nature of what they
are about to undertake.
1st time:
Entire 'Lost tribe of Israel' allowed 'home'
August 22, 2008; By Aaron Klein; © 2008 WorldNetDaily
Indian group
believes its lineage includes biblical patriarch Joseph
JERUSALEM – After years of diplomatic wrangling, the Israeli government has
given permission to a community of Indian citizens who believe they are one of
the "lost tribes" of Israel to move legally to the Jewish state.
This decision, first reported in Israel's Maariv newspaper, clears the way
for the arrival here of 7,232 members of the Bnei Menashe. They believe they
are the descendants of Manasseh, one of the biblical patriarch Joseph's two
sons and a grandson of Jacob.
Amid recession,
Americans eye aliya
Ely Cole, a
25-year-old accountant from Columbus, Ohio, says he always dreamed of moving to
Israel but worried about leaving his high-paying New York job before he’d
established a career for himself.
Now, that job is gone, and Cole is on his way to the Jewish state, joining
a wave of returning Israelis and new immigrants fleeing the dismal economic
outlook in the US.
“It’s a bit of a relief to be laid off instead of quitting - I’m not
second-guessing myself,” said Cole, who was let go two weeks ago from a New
York hedge fund. “Having the push is beneficial.”
Persecution
(Mat 24:9 NKJV) "Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's
sake.
Going rate to
kill pastor: $250
By Chelsea Schilling / © 2008 WorldNetDaily / November 20, 2008
Rewards offered
for murdering Christians, destroying homes, churches
Hindu extremist groups are offering money, food and alcohol to anyone who
murders Christians and destroys their homes.
The violence is nothing new in Orissa, India, where India's Communist Party
estimates that more than 500 Christians have been killed by Hindu mobs in
Orissa since late August, 12 times more than official government claims of only
40 homicides.
But now the stakes are even higher – and pastors have a bounty on their
heads.
Faiz Rahman, chairman of Good News India, said Hindu militants are
targeting Christian leaders, the Christian Post reported.
"The going price to kill a pastor is $250," he said.
Heresy
(Mat 24:11 NKJV) "Then
many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Sharia law in
UK is 'unavoidable'
BBC News / 7 February 2008
The Archbishop
of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK
"seems unavoidable".
Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to "face
up to the fact" that some of its citizens do not relate to the British
legal system.
(Islam is slowly getting more powerful in Great Britain as well as
throughout Europe as Muslims immigrate)
Dangers of
'Christian Zionism' are cited in new NCC brochure
From National Council of Churches:
New York, December 12, 2008 -- "Christian Zionism" is a dangerous movement
that distorts the teachings of the Church, fosters fear and hatred of Muslims
and non-Western Christians, and has negative consequences for Middle East
Peace.
A new brochure, Why We Should Be Concerned About Christian Zionism,
by the Interfaith Relations Commission of the National Council of Churches (in
English and Spanish) is now available as an educational tool for communions,
congregations and other groups who want to share these warnings with their
members.
Morality
(Mat 24:12 NKJV) "And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold.
Same-sex
marriage issue back to state top court
SAN FRANCISCO
-- A day after California voters approved a state constitutional ban on
same-sex marriage, the incendiary issue returned to the state Supreme Court,
where gay and lesbian couples and the city of San Francisco filed lawsuits
Wednesday seeking to overturn Proposition 8.
Villaraigosa
gambles that his stance won't hurt him politically.
By David Zahniser and Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers / June
24, 2008
With the clink
of champagne glasses, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday became
the latest politician to preside over the marriage of a same-sex couple,
uniting a Hollywood producer and his five-year companion in a short ceremony at
City Hall.
The mayor joined a growing list of
political figures who are eagerly officiating gay weddings -- and gambling that
championing same-sex marriage will not come at a political cost. Yet Monday's
ceremony showed the risks faced by politicians who embrace the issue, which
remains controversial among voters.
Bible
Publishers Sued for Anti-Gay References
Newsmax.com / Thursday, July 10, 2008 / By: Rick Pedraza
A Michigan man
is seeking $70 million from two Christian publishers for emotional distress and
mental instability he received during the past 20 years from versions of the
Bible that refer to homosexuality as a sin.
Bradley LaShawn Fowler, a gay man, claims his constitutional rights were
infringed upon by Zondervan Publishing Co. and Thomas Nelson Publishing, both
of which, he claims, deliberately caused homosexuals to suffer by
misinterpretation of the Bible.
Fowler, 39, is seeking $60 million from Zondervan and another $10 million
from Thomas Nelson.
Students lie,
cheat, steal, but say they're good
Yahoo News / AP / By AP National Writer David Crary / Nov 30
NEW YORK – In
the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store
and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey
suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards.
Educators reacting to the findings questioned any suggestion that today’s
young people are less honest than previous generations, but several agreed that
intensified pressures are prompting many students to cut corners.
“The competition is greater, the pressures on kids have increased
dramatically,” said Mel Riddle of the National Association of Secondary School
Principals. “They have opportunities their predecessors didn’t have (to cheat).
The temptation is greater.”
Barack Obama
Obama's atomic
umbrella: U.S. nuclear strike if Iran nukes Israel
Haaretz / December 11, 2008 / By Aluf
Benn, Haaretz Correspondent
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's administration will
offer Israel a "nuclear umbrella" against the threat of a nuclear
attack by Iran, a well-placed American source said earlier this week. The
source, who is close to the new administration, said the U.S. will declare that
an attack on Israel by Tehran would result in a devastating U.S. nuclear
response against Iran.
Obama to get Hanuman idol
(Also in “The Hindu” – India’s National Newspaper)
Times of India / 24 Jun 2008
NEW DELHI: With
Democrat senator Barack Obama busy in the run-up to the US presidential polls,
a group of well-wishers in the capital have decided to send him a symbol of his
lucky charm, Lord
Hanuman, to help him emerge victorious.
Obama's representative Carolyn Sauvage-Mar on Tuesday received a
gold-plated two-feet-high idol which she will pass it on to the Obama after it
is sanctified.
The idol is being presented to Obama as he is reported to be a Lord Hanuman
devotee and carries with him a locket of the monkey god along with other good
luck charms.
An hour-long prayer meeting to
sanctify the idol was earlier organised at Sankat Mochan Dham and by Congress leader Brijmohan Bhama, Balmiki Samaj and
the temple's priests.
…"Obama has deep faith in Lord Hanuman and that is why we are
presenting an idol of Hanuman to him," said Bhama.
11-day prayer for Obama’s success
The Hindu / India’s National
Newspaper / June 25, 2008
NEW DELHI: Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama can now expect help from an unexpected quarter — Lord
Hanuman.
All-India Congress Committee member
Brij Mohan Bhama has organised a 11-day religious ceremony at Karol Bagh here
for his success in the U.S. elections.
The idea of sending an idol of
Hanuman dawned on him after friends in the United States mentioned a “prominent
American politician who carried a miniature Hanuman idol in his pocket for
luck,” Mr. Bhama said speaking on the first day of the ceremony on Tuesday.
“After hearing that, I decided to
gift Mr. Obama a larger, gold-plated version along with the wishes of thousands
of his supporters in this country,” said the leader struggling to lift the 15
kg, 21-inch brass idol.
The first-day ceremony, pranapratishta,
or infusion of divine life into an idol, was performed by a dozen priests
reciting mantras in tandem. It was attended by Democrats Abroad India
chairperson Carolyn Sauvage, who spent over an hour at the venue.
The idol was later kept in the
sanctum sanctorum of the Sankat Mochan Dham, where it will be kept for 10 more
days. Mr. Bhama said several temples in New Delhi had already expressed an
interest in keeping the idol for worship on their premises before it begins its
journey across the Atlantic.
Along with the idol, a copy of Hanuman
Chalisa, a compilation of hymns in praise of the Lord, would be sent.
The Newsweek Cover
I was a little bothered by the imagery on the Newsweek cover.
Here’s the
cover a little bit closer up.
Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think Mr. Obama is behind the design of the
cover – but it shows you some of the thinking of the people at Newsweek.
There is a
pretty close resemblance to what is called the “Ascended Masters” of Eastern
mysticism. Do you see the resemblance with those “rays” from
the aura?
Or else the
reference is to something else … (like Mickey Mouse)
Be careful about taking some of the anti-Obama stuff too seriously. Pray for your new president. May it never be said that Mr. Obama
did bad things because his nation didn’t pray for him.
The Economy
Have you heard that we’re in some pretty difficult economic times? Have you heard the word “bailout”
lately? The trouble isn’t just in the
U.S.
(Rev 6:5-6
NLT) When the Lamb broke the third seal,
I heard the third living being say, "Come!" And I looked up and saw a
black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. {6} And a
voice from among the four living beings said, "A loaf of wheat bread or
three loaves of barley for a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and
wine."
Riots threaten Greek government
Angry youths and others rampaged for a fourth day, putting at risk the
premier's shaky hold on Parliament.
Philadelphia Inquirer / By Derek Gatopoulos / Associated Press / Dec. 10,
2008
ATHENS, Greece
- Rioters rampaged in Greek cities for a fourth day yesterday in an explosion
of rage that was triggered by the weekend police killing of a teenager but that
has drawn in an array of antiestablishment parties.
The unrest threatens to topple the government at a time of deep anxiety
over growing economic gloom.
IMF warns of
economic riots, police ready for civil unrest
December 18, 2008 / By Chelsea Schilling / © 2008 WorldNetDaily
Paulson discussed worst-case scenario at bailout meeting – declare martial
law
Pentagon
resources and U.S. troops may be used if needed to quell protests and bank runs
during an economic crisis, the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Institute
reported…
…International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has
warned that advanced nations could face civil unrest during distressful
economic times
India Economy
Cools as Global Recession Slows Trade
By Cherian Thomas / Bloomberg.com /
Dec. 31, 2008
Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- India’s
economic growth, unscathed by terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month, is
slowing as the global recession cuts demand for its exports and cools
investment.
…“The recession is the real killer for the economy, not the terrorists,”
said Sherman Chan, an economist with Moody’s Economy.com in Sydney.
Spain in
recession as cenbank cites Q4 downturn
Forbes.com / 12.30.08
MADRID, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Spain has entered its first recession in 15
years, with the Bank of Spain saying on Tuesday that economic contraction in
the third quarter spilled over into the final three months of the year.
What do we
do with all this?
1. Don’t be afraid
The Second Coming of Christ is a good thing. It’s not something you need to be afraid
of. It’s something we ought to be
looking forward to.
(Titus
2:11-13 NKJV) For the grace of God that
brings salvation has appeared to all men, {12} teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in the present age, {13} looking for the blessed hope
and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
Some may say that they’re not afraid of the Second Coming, but the things
that are going to happen before the Second Coming.
We need to remind ourselves that the Second Coming is the real goal in
life. The other things are not forever –
Jesus’ Coming is.
We are looking forward to the day that we will see Him and be with Him!
(Isa
25:9 NKJV) And it will be said in that
day: "Behold, this
is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We
have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
2. Test all things
You have a responsibility to test things.
(1 John 4:1
NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world.
Did you know that not all news sources were created equal?
Did you realize that political
parties actually have an agenda and that they aren’t always completely
honest? And I’m not just talking about
the Democratic party.
There are plenty of teachers
out there – some well meaning, some outright scoundrels – who will come up with
all sorts of fantastic stories to make you afraid.
They will make up dates for the Lord to come back.
They will make you think that if you buy things at the store with a credit
card that you have taken the mark of the beast.
Things are serious enough in the world as it is that we don’t need to be
latching on to silly teachings and lies.
3. Be ready
Clean up your act
(1 Th 5:4-8
NKJV) But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. {5} You are all sons of light
and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. {6} Therefore let
us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. {7} For those who sleep, sleep at
night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. {8} But let us who are of
the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet
the hope of salvation.
Live like the children of God that you are.
4. Be useful
There will be a day when we will be gone.
We’re looking forward to the Rapture.
But we’re not gone yet. There’s a
reason you and I are still here on this planet.
(Mat
24:44-46 NKJV) "Therefore you also
be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. {45}
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over
his household, to give them food in due season? {46} "Blessed is that servant
whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
Keep serving
Him. Let Him find you serving Him.