An October Surprise?

There is nothing new under the sun. Just look at what's on T.V. or in the movie theater. Everything you will see is just refried from whenever. They're even bringing back Beverly Hills 90210! So, as with politics, Barrack Obama may promise hope and change but none of his ideas, policies or plans represent anything new thus far. Now with Obama's pick of Joe Biden for a running mate this is even more evident as Biden represents more of the same.
It seems that Barrack Obama's once given victory in November now looks much more like a challenge and that he will have to start making up ground he has lost. I suggested earlier in the summer that I thought Barrack Obama would very likely win the presidency in November. Even though this looks less likely now I still think it may very well happen. Even though there is not much that's new, we are often surprised by events that happen because we don't expect them. I can't really make predictions because I don't know the future beyond what God's Word provides. I can't say what will happen in the future, the most I can do is suggest what I think may happen. That's just my forecast of a possibility though, I could be and have been wrong before. That being said, many things happen not because something builds up over time and happens as expected but because "surprises" happen and change the scene as we know it. This can be especially true in politics.
I think it is entirely plausible that John McCain may start doing very well in the polls and then "something" will happen that will cause people to change their view and want to vote for Barrack Obama. I don't know what kind of event would do that if it were to happen at all. But bombing Iran by either the US or Israel may change people's views. Don't ask me how that would play out, but something of that level could change how people see the future.
Are we in the end times? I don't know. We could be and I think we may be, but I don't know. Things look like they are falling in place for the world to be prepared for the final events of the end times but all of this looked like it might happen before because there is not much new that happens in the world or to put it another way history tends to repeat itself. The only thing that we can really point to as new, is that Israel is again a nation after not being one for almost two thousand years.
The one thing that many scholars and Bible teachers think would be the next big prophetic event to take place is a seven year peace treaty involving Israel, that will be confirmed by the Antichrist. Some think that the next big event may be the war of Gog and Magog. I don't know which one is right and in fact they may both be wrong.
Nations, leaders, individuals and groups have long pushed for some kind of peace plan in the middle-east and always fallen short. Many presidents have in the waning years of their presidency tried to get a peace plan into place as a lasting legacy and all have failed. President Clinton tried very hard to push Israel to give up more than ever to the Palestinians and still Yasser Arafat rejected it. In the last few months President Bush has done so much to get a peace plan between Israel and the Palestinaians and even said that he thought it could happen by the end of this year. Now it seems increasingly unlikely as Israel's Prime Minister offered in talks with the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas as much as he could for a Palestinian territory and other concessions that go beyond what many Israel's would accept and still he was rejected as not making a serious offer.
Whether it's this year or some other year, I think that it may be a "surprise" that leads to a seven year peace treaty. We may see indications in the news of some things that are building and certainly we can and should be watchers of what is happening around us and around the world but be cautious because the biggest changes may come by "surprise." I put surprise in quotes because if you watch closely, these events may not be a surprise, only their exact timing and details. Russia invading Georgia was one such surprise. No one saw it coming, but Russia had been provoking Georgia for months and preparing for it for quite a while. Though we may not know how it all works out, God surely does know.

Russia and Iran: Defer, Negotiate, Defer.

Negotiate and defer and repeat! Did the Russians learn it from the Iranians or vice versa? This is the game that Iran has been playing with its nuclear enrichment and facilities for the last five years. Now Russia is playing that game perfectly, over it’s war in Georgia. They say, “We’ll stop fighting soon” and then don’t. Then they say “We just need to do a little more.” Next comes the denial, “oh we’re not really in any major Georgian towns.” Then they say they are in the major towns but they have to be there for safety purposes and because they need to restore law and order where they attacked and Georgia can’t take care of itself. Then they defer some more and say they’re bringing in more troops because they need those to safely leave? Does this make any sense? They have no plans of leaving any time soon unless someone pushes them out.

Meanwhile the US shows just how much of a paper tiger it really is. The President says things, like “You better get out or we’ll talk tough some more.” Meanwhile Russia sees right through our empty threats and ignores them. Russia has seen first hand that the US will do nothing in Iran and will do nothing in Georgia or anywhere else. In fact we won’t even give Israel the go ahead to defend itself against Iran because it will hurt our economic interests. The US seems to be really confused over who its allies really are. At this point Canada could invade and we’d say something like “You better go back or we’ll stop trading bacon with you.”
Don’t worry, I’m sure it will all work out, Russia probably just needs a little breathing room. Oh and Iran may need some too.

Russia, China and the Olympics

Everything is a game and look beyond what you see to understand what is really going on. It may sound like I’m a conspiracy theorist and in truth in some ways I am, but that is beside the point. The saying “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you” is true. The war between Russia and Georgia is no coincidence or mistake or miscalculation. Russia has been working to bring about this war for years and they have been prepared for it. If you look at the facts you will see how Russia continually pushed Georgia into a corner. You have to ask why? Is it because the only major oil pipeline that does not go through Russia or Iran goes through Georgia? Is it because it is meant to be a distraction to the world so they forget about Iran? Is it part of Vladamir Putin’s plan to revive the Soviet empire? I think the answer to all these questions is yes.

I don’t think this conflict will totally end anytime soon but regardless of how it plays out I think Russia has moved a key piece on the chess board and if the rest of the world is not paying attention it will be blindsided and put in check very soon.

I don’t know the answer to this next question, but the Olympics are taking place in China, and China is putting a lot of resources into the games. I have to wonder what the ulterior motive is for China. What I mean is, China has been putting a lot of money and effort into the Olympics. They aren’t doing it to make money because it seems they will not really get out of the Olympics what they put into them, at least not financially. I think a lot of it has to do with presenting an image to the world. China wants the west to believe that China is a nice modern country and that we should not be worried about them. But I have to wonder why? Are they planning something they don’t want us to pay attention to? Probably. But I wonder if there is more to why they are putting so much into the Olympics. Yes there is national pride but I don’t think that is the whole story. No matter what the truth is, we should be paying very close attention to China, Russia and Iran.

World War III may be coming no matter what we do.

We may be facing World War 3 no matter what we do. This is a serious statement that I hope is not true but I am afraid is true.

I have long worried about President Bush not doing enough to stop Iran but reading the following article (Pakistan, Iran and Bush’s Last Months) made me realize what should be obvious. Bush is afraid to attack Iran and other countries that harbor terrorists, despite his tough talk several years ago. If we really need to go after all the countries that harbor terrorists we would need to do some serious work in Pakistan and probably several other countries. America can barely stomach the extent of the war on terror that we’re fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan let alone opening several more fronts. But people need to realize this is all one war and not several wars. But for America to go after Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and others, it would really be world war 3 and America would find itself mostly fighting the war by itself.

The alternative is to finish Iraq, try to apply what we learned in Iraq and hope to succeed in Afghanistan. Then to hope Iran won’t really do anything and that we’ll eventually get other terrorists in countries like Pakistan with the help of the government. The first problem is that we would only be dealing with the terrorists that we know of while leaving training camps and infrastructure in place. This will leave room for terrorists to continue to operate, terrorists that we don’t know enough about. Also hoping Iran isn’t really dumb enough to attack Israel isn’t a realistic approach. Iran may or may not attack Israel but for sure they are up to something that will not be small and will have repercussions for the entire world.

I believe Iran will eventually do something and possibly with the help of other countries and that this may well lead to world war 3 but with America very much on the defensive. Some people might think this is OK but the cost we will pay could be very heavy and one not worth paying so that we can just hope everything works out while we see the storm clouds on the horizon.

I can understand being afraid and not wanting to start world war 3 and go it alone. However doing nothing but appeasing or hoping sanctions will work may lead to a far worse situation. While we hope for the best we continue to give the enemy time to strengthen and plan.

On Another note I’m astonished again how things that Joel Rosenberg wrote about in the Ezekiel Option seem to be coming true, at least in a way that foreshadows what may come. I read an article where a Professor suggests that they way to peace is for Israel to give up it’s nuclear arsenal and then Iran will do the same and to entice Israel to give up its weapons the EU and others will promise to protect her. This is right out of Rosenberg’s book where the UN eventually passes a resolution to get Israel to get rid of it’s nuclear weapons because Iran has promised to do so. America’s response to the UN resolution was not to veto it but to abstain and instead ask Israel to give up its nukes in return from promises from America and NATO to protect her.

Be on the watch and share the love of Jesus, the times we are in are indeed troubling.