What is Jimmy Carter up to? He continually interjects himself into the Middle East despite the fact that his presidency shows that he is clearly lacking in understanding in that area and it’s conflicts. Carter wrote a book called Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid that pretty much accused Israel of being racist and the problem in the Middle East. Israel has done everything towards attempting to get real peace including handing over the Gaza strip and allowing Palestinian Authority Autonomy in the West Bank.
Last year Carter met with Hamas and said they were ready to make peace with Israel despite the fact that the Hamas charter says they will never make peace with Israel. Nothing came of that and it’s unclear if there was anything really going on other than Carter having some kind of fantasy.
Now Jimmy Carter travels to Israel again and meets with Hamas and they say they found explosives along his proposed travel route. So Jimmy Carter says, hey Hamas has saved me, they should be taken off the terrorist list. It’s an odd coincidence that they find these explosives, it’s more likely that they planted them and found them. There is no reason for Palestinian militants to want Carter dead when he is there biggest ally, that’s why he was honored by the Palestinian government last week.
In one report we read that Hamas will accept Israel and another one says they won’t. So you have to wonder what Carter is doing. Is he just getting old and not seeing reality? Is he just trying to create some kind of legacy through Middle East peace that every US president has tried at without success?
The status of the Middle East doesn’t seem to be changing as far as anything former President carter is doing. With Obama pushing Israel to give in on areas they are unwilling to give in on, we should still keep alert on what’s happening in the Middle East.
What’s more likely to cause some kind of tide turning event is what’s happening in Iran, though it’s not likely that anything will substantively change there either.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Return of the Global Poverty Act
Last year on Facebook a friend sent me the below note. This bill is now back with a majority Democrat congress and it's 2 mian sponsors in the White House.
"IT'S ALREADY STARTED FOLKS....BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.......... http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2433/text
SENATE BILL S. 2433 THE GLOBAL POVERTY ACTAccording to David Bossie, President of the group 'Citizens United for American Sovereignty', based out of Merrifield Virginia , website: http://www.citizensunited.org/, the above- mentioned Senate Bill (S. 2433) is a piece of legislation in the works that all Americans need to know about and know now!
This bill, sponsored by none other than Sen. Barack Obama, with the backing of Joe Biden on the Foreign Relations Committee, is nothing short of a massive giveaway of American wealth around the world, and a betrayal of the public trust, because, if passed, this bill would give over many aspects of our sovereignty to the United Nations.
The noble sounding name of this bill, 'The Global Poverty Act' is actually a Global Tax, payable to the United Nations, that will be required of all American taxpayers. If passed in the Senate, the House has already passed it, this bill would require the U.S. to increase our foreign aid by $65 BILLION per year, or $845 BILLION over the next 13 years! That's on top of the billions of dollars in foreign aid we already pay out!In addition to the economic burdens this potential law would place on our precarious economy, the bill, if passed in the Senate, would also endanger our constitutionally protected rights and freedoms by obligating us to meet certain United Nations mandates.According to Senator Obama, we should establish these United Nations' goals as benchmarks for U.S. spending. What are they?
1) The creation of a U.N. International Criminal Court having the power to try and convict American citizens and soldiers without any protection from the U.S. Constitution.
2) A standing United Nations Army forcing U.S. soldiers to serve under U.N. command.
3) A Gun Ban on all small arms and light weapons --which would repeal our Second Amendment right to bear arms.
4) The ratification of the ' Kyoto ' global warming treaty and numerous other anti-American measures.
Recently, the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Relations (where Sen. Joe Biden sits) approved this plan by a voice vote without any discussion! Why all the secrecy? If Senators Obama and Biden are so proud of this legislation, then why don't they bring it out into the light of day and let the American people have a look at it instead of hiding it behind closed doors and sneaking it through Congress for late night votes?It may be only a matter of time before this dangerous legislation reaches a floor vote in the full body of the Senate.Please write or call, email your representatives, the White House, the media, or anyone you think will listen, and express your opinions about this bill."
"IT'S ALREADY STARTED FOLKS....BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.......... http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s2433/text
SENATE BILL S. 2433 THE GLOBAL POVERTY ACTAccording to David Bossie, President of the group 'Citizens United for American Sovereignty', based out of Merrifield Virginia , website: http://www.citizensunited.org/, the above- mentioned Senate Bill (S. 2433) is a piece of legislation in the works that all Americans need to know about and know now!
This bill, sponsored by none other than Sen. Barack Obama, with the backing of Joe Biden on the Foreign Relations Committee, is nothing short of a massive giveaway of American wealth around the world, and a betrayal of the public trust, because, if passed, this bill would give over many aspects of our sovereignty to the United Nations.
The noble sounding name of this bill, 'The Global Poverty Act' is actually a Global Tax, payable to the United Nations, that will be required of all American taxpayers. If passed in the Senate, the House has already passed it, this bill would require the U.S. to increase our foreign aid by $65 BILLION per year, or $845 BILLION over the next 13 years! That's on top of the billions of dollars in foreign aid we already pay out!In addition to the economic burdens this potential law would place on our precarious economy, the bill, if passed in the Senate, would also endanger our constitutionally protected rights and freedoms by obligating us to meet certain United Nations mandates.According to Senator Obama, we should establish these United Nations' goals as benchmarks for U.S. spending. What are they?
1) The creation of a U.N. International Criminal Court having the power to try and convict American citizens and soldiers without any protection from the U.S. Constitution.
2) A standing United Nations Army forcing U.S. soldiers to serve under U.N. command.
3) A Gun Ban on all small arms and light weapons --which would repeal our Second Amendment right to bear arms.
4) The ratification of the ' Kyoto ' global warming treaty and numerous other anti-American measures.
Recently, the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Relations (where Sen. Joe Biden sits) approved this plan by a voice vote without any discussion! Why all the secrecy? If Senators Obama and Biden are so proud of this legislation, then why don't they bring it out into the light of day and let the American people have a look at it instead of hiding it behind closed doors and sneaking it through Congress for late night votes?It may be only a matter of time before this dangerous legislation reaches a floor vote in the full body of the Senate.Please write or call, email your representatives, the White House, the media, or anyone you think will listen, and express your opinions about this bill."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Politics aside…
Politics aside…you can’t put politics aside. To most people it just seems like the discussion of politics is something to avoid because it’s filled with such strong emotions and can cause serious arguments. The problem is that while you don’t have to argue with someone over political views, you have to pay attention because politics is nothing more than the leaders of the world making choices that will have not just immediate impact but that will have impact locally and possibly internationally for many years ahead.
Personally I believe Obama is doing America so much harm that I’m willing to vote for anybody to beat him in 2012, even if it’s another moderate liberal like John McCain. The problem is when you consider the end times, you may understand that one much worse than Obama is coming, not necessarily as our president but as some kind of world leader. The liberals aren’t so tired of Obama yet but if he keeps up his actions and winds up being the predicted return of Jimmy Carter in terms of liberal ideologue politics that leave us with a misery index., even the liberals will be ready for someone else in four years. America may still be intoxicated under the hope and change ™ of the Obama rhetoric and will fail to see how bad things are in four years, however this illustrates what kind of effect politics can have on the average persons mindset. Under these types of conditions, would Americans be willing to accept an Antichrist who will seem so much better and not look too deep because anyone will have to be better than Obama or someone like him? This is undoubtedly a little of what happed to elect Obama, because so many people got wrapped up in Bush derangement syndrome and thought that his politics were so bad that they would vote for any Democrat to get away from Bush’s party.
Personally I believe Obama is doing America so much harm that I’m willing to vote for anybody to beat him in 2012, even if it’s another moderate liberal like John McCain. The problem is when you consider the end times, you may understand that one much worse than Obama is coming, not necessarily as our president but as some kind of world leader. The liberals aren’t so tired of Obama yet but if he keeps up his actions and winds up being the predicted return of Jimmy Carter in terms of liberal ideologue politics that leave us with a misery index., even the liberals will be ready for someone else in four years. America may still be intoxicated under the hope and change ™ of the Obama rhetoric and will fail to see how bad things are in four years, however this illustrates what kind of effect politics can have on the average persons mindset. Under these types of conditions, would Americans be willing to accept an Antichrist who will seem so much better and not look too deep because anyone will have to be better than Obama or someone like him? This is undoubtedly a little of what happed to elect Obama, because so many people got wrapped up in Bush derangement syndrome and thought that his politics were so bad that they would vote for any Democrat to get away from Bush’s party.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Swine Flu, Obama and the Muslims.
On the one hand the whole swine flu including everything it is and isn't may represent the fulfillment of prophecy. But lets deal with the facts. Only a few hundred people in the world have confirmed cases of swine flu. Less than a dozen people have died and all of them were from Mexico. Not to mention that comparatively about 30,000 people a year die from the regular flu. In my examiner column yesterday I pointed out how in 1976 there was a swine flu scare that had struck fear in the hearts of many, mainly because of propaganda that overblew that situation. Only one person dies from the swine flu in America that year, but hundreds of others were killed and injured from the vaccine.
Obama's 100th day in office, though he called it a phony holiday he made it a big day by holding another prime time press conference. Obama's has delivered opn his promise of change, but it has been all bad news. Obama's march towards the destruction of the family and America as we know it is deeply troubeling and this issue alone has me seriosly considering the days we are in.
Finally the math behind this next video is a serious thing to contemplate.
Obama's 100th day in office, though he called it a phony holiday he made it a big day by holding another prime time press conference. Obama's has delivered opn his promise of change, but it has been all bad news. Obama's march towards the destruction of the family and America as we know it is deeply troubeling and this issue alone has me seriosly considering the days we are in.
Finally the math behind this next video is a serious thing to contemplate.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A Big News Week
Threat on Washington, Netanyahu sworn into Office, the economy tumbles, Obama off to make major speech in turkey to Muslims and North Korea prepares to launch a missile test. This is and will continue to be a full news week. It doesn’t take a week like this to bring about serious times but when so many things happen at once we should pay attention.
Prophetic events can seem to happen out of nowhere and sometimes they seem to build over time. Right now they seem to be building and coming close to a boil. With all of these events I don’t know of which or any specific prophecies will be fulfilled or become closer to being fulfilled but there is potential for many possibilities.
The recent threat on Washington by a Taliban in Pakistan leader is said to be credible in that this guy means business, has a track record and may have the connections to attempt such an attack. However, we don’t know how possible it is and the fact that it is being telegraphed may show it to be less a threat soon but possibly one later, at an unexpected time.
Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn into office on Tuesday as Israel’s Prime Minister. Netanyahu is a conservative and seems to be the right man for the job. But as PM he may make war with Iran sooner rather than later. He said that if Obama doesn’t stop Iran from getting nukes than he will.
Obama is in Europe for the G20 meeting to discuss the global economic problems and China and Russia are proposing a new world currency. One of Obama’s leading law picks is not opposed to Sharia law.
North Korea is launching what it calls a communications satellite in the next week, although the US, Japan and South Korea suspect it is a ballistic missile test. While the North Korean regime is extremely dangerous to it’s own people, it appears to be a joke in some ways internationally because of their odd behavior and threats. However, there is a good chance that they have nuclear material and the possibility for launching nuke bombs. The leaders of North Korea also appear to be very unstable and illogical so we should always be concerned by what they are doing.
Prophetic events can seem to happen out of nowhere and sometimes they seem to build over time. Right now they seem to be building and coming close to a boil. With all of these events I don’t know of which or any specific prophecies will be fulfilled or become closer to being fulfilled but there is potential for many possibilities.
The recent threat on Washington by a Taliban in Pakistan leader is said to be credible in that this guy means business, has a track record and may have the connections to attempt such an attack. However, we don’t know how possible it is and the fact that it is being telegraphed may show it to be less a threat soon but possibly one later, at an unexpected time.
Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn into office on Tuesday as Israel’s Prime Minister. Netanyahu is a conservative and seems to be the right man for the job. But as PM he may make war with Iran sooner rather than later. He said that if Obama doesn’t stop Iran from getting nukes than he will.
Obama is in Europe for the G20 meeting to discuss the global economic problems and China and Russia are proposing a new world currency. One of Obama’s leading law picks is not opposed to Sharia law.
North Korea is launching what it calls a communications satellite in the next week, although the US, Japan and South Korea suspect it is a ballistic missile test. While the North Korean regime is extremely dangerous to it’s own people, it appears to be a joke in some ways internationally because of their odd behavior and threats. However, there is a good chance that they have nuclear material and the possibility for launching nuke bombs. The leaders of North Korea also appear to be very unstable and illogical so we should always be concerned by what they are doing.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Obama not the messiah many thought he was
Today all of the people who voted for Obama because they didn't want any more of the George Bush type war mongering Republicans in office, should start to have their eyes opened a little. I know many people who didn't want to vote for George Bush because while he was against abortion he was for war and that kind of killing. Though war is vastly different than abortion, maybe people will see that war is not only necessary sometimes but that Democrats and others do the same things that Republicans do. Today Obama killed 9 people in Pakistan. So Obama and Bush, both for war but only Bush was against abortion.
Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 9 in Pakistan
Beyond this one eye opener, I am afraid that over the next four years it will becom clear that Obama has no answers. The economy will likely take a long time to recover, the "war on terror" will likely be more of a losing battle, freedom of speech will be restricted and the world will not fall down and love America.
Obamas accomplishments this week.
Obama wants your tax dollars to pay for foreign abortions
Less secuirty for the US more freedom for terrorists
Obama Tells Israel to open border for terrorism
Obama picks tax cheat to head IRS
Obama picks Secratary of State who has huge conflicts of interest because her family routinely accepts large amounts of money from foreign governments and sources.
Obama breaks campaign promise and starts filling his Administration with lobbyists
and don't forget the Obama administration's
Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 9 in Pakistan
What's next?
Obama wants to spend $825 Billion
Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 9 in Pakistan
Beyond this one eye opener, I am afraid that over the next four years it will becom clear that Obama has no answers. The economy will likely take a long time to recover, the "war on terror" will likely be more of a losing battle, freedom of speech will be restricted and the world will not fall down and love America.
Obamas accomplishments this week.
Obama wants your tax dollars to pay for foreign abortions
Less secuirty for the US more freedom for terrorists
Obama Tells Israel to open border for terrorism
Obama picks tax cheat to head IRS
Obama picks Secratary of State who has huge conflicts of interest because her family routinely accepts large amounts of money from foreign governments and sources.
Obama breaks campaign promise and starts filling his Administration with lobbyists
and don't forget the Obama administration's
Suspected US Missile Strike Kills 9 in Pakistan
What's next?
Obama wants to spend $825 Billion
Monday, December 22, 2008
Could this be it? Israel removes Hamas and then...
A few weeks ago Tony Blair was saying that the Israeli government and the Palestinian government had reached a secret peace agreement but that it had not been signed. Though there were several pieces in several papers and websites covering the story it didn’t really get that much attention and it wasn’t really disputed by either side.
I don’t know why it was brushed off, maybe people just thought he was exaggerating or that it was just one of another little peace deals that didn’t mean much anyway. I took notice of the story and wondered about it and then left it there without too much in depth thought about it. However now another story has come out that might be a link back to this story and could have serious consequences and possibly point to something significant in the end times timeline.
Yesterday that was a story about how the Israel government had decided to launch a major operation in Gaza. This really didn’t catch my eye at first because Israel has been in and out of Gaza with several major operations over the last year or two. The article however quoted Israeli Foreign minister Tzipi Livni and opposition leader Bemjamin Netanyahu (one of who will likely be the next prime minister) as saying they see it as necessary to topple the Hamas government from Gaza. However while neither of them are currently Prime Minister of Israel, one of them is likely to be soon. But the article seemed to indicate that Prime Minister Olmert’s government was about to take such action. Today however, defense minister Ehud Barrack came out strongly against such a plan.
So is or isn’t Israel about to launch a major operation into Gaza and if so what does it mean? If such an operation is under way it could be one of the last peaces to be put into place for a peace agreement to be reached between Israel and the Palestinian government. The reason for this is because currently Hamas has been democratically elected as the government in the Gaza strip and as such the Fatah party which Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas controls can not make a real peace agreement. Fatah and Abbas don’t really have the power or the mandate to remove the Hamas government but if Israel would do it for them that just might be all that is needed for a secret peace agreement to be signed and become not so secret.
Then the biggest question is, is this a seven-year peace agreement? If it is we all know that this would be a definitive step in marking the beginning of the tribulation period. I am not saying that these things will definitely happen but this could be the first step towards such a possibility. Even if Prime Minister Olmert is reluctant to launch such an operation, the two front-runners to replace him in the February election seem eager to take that step. Once the elections happen and the new government is in place and if Hamas hasn’t been removed already, it will be time to find out if Livni and Netanyahu were just speaking to get votes.
I don’t know why it was brushed off, maybe people just thought he was exaggerating or that it was just one of another little peace deals that didn’t mean much anyway. I took notice of the story and wondered about it and then left it there without too much in depth thought about it. However now another story has come out that might be a link back to this story and could have serious consequences and possibly point to something significant in the end times timeline.
Yesterday that was a story about how the Israel government had decided to launch a major operation in Gaza. This really didn’t catch my eye at first because Israel has been in and out of Gaza with several major operations over the last year or two. The article however quoted Israeli Foreign minister Tzipi Livni and opposition leader Bemjamin Netanyahu (one of who will likely be the next prime minister) as saying they see it as necessary to topple the Hamas government from Gaza. However while neither of them are currently Prime Minister of Israel, one of them is likely to be soon. But the article seemed to indicate that Prime Minister Olmert’s government was about to take such action. Today however, defense minister Ehud Barrack came out strongly against such a plan.
So is or isn’t Israel about to launch a major operation into Gaza and if so what does it mean? If such an operation is under way it could be one of the last peaces to be put into place for a peace agreement to be reached between Israel and the Palestinian government. The reason for this is because currently Hamas has been democratically elected as the government in the Gaza strip and as such the Fatah party which Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas controls can not make a real peace agreement. Fatah and Abbas don’t really have the power or the mandate to remove the Hamas government but if Israel would do it for them that just might be all that is needed for a secret peace agreement to be signed and become not so secret.
Then the biggest question is, is this a seven-year peace agreement? If it is we all know that this would be a definitive step in marking the beginning of the tribulation period. I am not saying that these things will definitely happen but this could be the first step towards such a possibility. Even if Prime Minister Olmert is reluctant to launch such an operation, the two front-runners to replace him in the February election seem eager to take that step. Once the elections happen and the new government is in place and if Hamas hasn’t been removed already, it will be time to find out if Livni and Netanyahu were just speaking to get votes.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Eschatology and reformed theology.
I am not a big believer in traditional reformed theology, at least as far as predestination, infant baptism and eschatology are concerned.
Purely from an anecdotal point it has been my impression that those who believe in reformed theology came to it from a background of not having a lot of thought put into theology. It seems like the average believer in reformed theology says something like “I used to believe x but then I was told about reformed theology and I couldn’t believe no one had ever told me about this before”. It seems like they think some one should have told them everything to believe. While it is important to understand all of God’s Word, the basics of salvation come first and the rest usually takes some study and reading of the Bible on the part of the Christian. We need to seek the truth, even beyond salvation. The next part goes something like this, “those people preaching non reformed theology why are they not telling the truth of reformed theology?” Not that they necessarily think others are lying, they are just incredulous that not everyone believes reformed theology. Then when it comes to eschatology they say things like, the rapture and the tribulation are new ideas.
Let me explain the problem with this viewpoint. Working my way backwards, “new” ideas are not bad if they are Biblical, in which case they are not really new, just not understood by modern day Christians. The original reforms of Martin Luther were not new ideas but the Roman Catholic Church had gotten away from the truth. The other main issue is that not every truth of the Bible has necessarily been completely understood. God’s word is filled with so much that it is nearly impossible for us to have complete understanding of it all. While many important truths for salvation and daily living are clear and not really disputable, the Bible has so much to offer, mankind will likely never fully grasp all of what God has said to us in his Word until we are in His presence. The other issue I have is that because not everything can simply be told to you, we must read the Bible on our own and study it. God can and does reveal truth to us in a personal way when we read His word. God’s word is complete in that there is no new scripture but we can come to understand scripture more clearly, especially concerning prophecy.
I am bothered when I read reformed teaching that says there is no place in the Bible that talks about the rapture or the tribulation either in word or in concept. Not only do I see the words but I clearly see the concepts there. If these ideas weren’t there, then they would be just that, someone’s ideas that aren’t Biblical. And indeed that’s how the reformed minded person sees them. But the end times theology of the rapture and the tribulation are clearly present all throughout the Bible in many places.
We can debate when the rapture is, pre, mid or post and we can talk about whether or not the tribulation is literally seven years long but to say such things are non existent makes no sense. These issues and concepts are in the Bible, it is up to interpretation as to what they mean. Everything in the Bible is important though not everything is central to salvation. We should be careful not to throw up our hands and say, “it will all pan out in the end”. Studying of eschatology should be done but not become an obsession.
I have one last important note for studying eschatology. When you or someone else ascribes a passage to have already taken place in the past,, read carefully to see if all of the events have completely taken place or just parts. A prophecy not completely filled is not a prophecy fulfilled. Many times it seems there is a rule of double fulfillment, where part of a prophecy has come true but not all of it, it seems to be a foreshadow of what will come when the prophecy is completely fulfilled.
Purely from an anecdotal point it has been my impression that those who believe in reformed theology came to it from a background of not having a lot of thought put into theology. It seems like the average believer in reformed theology says something like “I used to believe x but then I was told about reformed theology and I couldn’t believe no one had ever told me about this before”. It seems like they think some one should have told them everything to believe. While it is important to understand all of God’s Word, the basics of salvation come first and the rest usually takes some study and reading of the Bible on the part of the Christian. We need to seek the truth, even beyond salvation. The next part goes something like this, “those people preaching non reformed theology why are they not telling the truth of reformed theology?” Not that they necessarily think others are lying, they are just incredulous that not everyone believes reformed theology. Then when it comes to eschatology they say things like, the rapture and the tribulation are new ideas.
Let me explain the problem with this viewpoint. Working my way backwards, “new” ideas are not bad if they are Biblical, in which case they are not really new, just not understood by modern day Christians. The original reforms of Martin Luther were not new ideas but the Roman Catholic Church had gotten away from the truth. The other main issue is that not every truth of the Bible has necessarily been completely understood. God’s word is filled with so much that it is nearly impossible for us to have complete understanding of it all. While many important truths for salvation and daily living are clear and not really disputable, the Bible has so much to offer, mankind will likely never fully grasp all of what God has said to us in his Word until we are in His presence. The other issue I have is that because not everything can simply be told to you, we must read the Bible on our own and study it. God can and does reveal truth to us in a personal way when we read His word. God’s word is complete in that there is no new scripture but we can come to understand scripture more clearly, especially concerning prophecy.
I am bothered when I read reformed teaching that says there is no place in the Bible that talks about the rapture or the tribulation either in word or in concept. Not only do I see the words but I clearly see the concepts there. If these ideas weren’t there, then they would be just that, someone’s ideas that aren’t Biblical. And indeed that’s how the reformed minded person sees them. But the end times theology of the rapture and the tribulation are clearly present all throughout the Bible in many places.
We can debate when the rapture is, pre, mid or post and we can talk about whether or not the tribulation is literally seven years long but to say such things are non existent makes no sense. These issues and concepts are in the Bible, it is up to interpretation as to what they mean. Everything in the Bible is important though not everything is central to salvation. We should be careful not to throw up our hands and say, “it will all pan out in the end”. Studying of eschatology should be done but not become an obsession.
I have one last important note for studying eschatology. When you or someone else ascribes a passage to have already taken place in the past,, read carefully to see if all of the events have completely taken place or just parts. A prophecy not completely filled is not a prophecy fulfilled. Many times it seems there is a rule of double fulfillment, where part of a prophecy has come true but not all of it, it seems to be a foreshadow of what will come when the prophecy is completely fulfilled.
Monday, November 17, 2008
How cheaper gas might have temporarily saved the world
Iran seems to keep making the case that they need oil to be at least $70 a barrel to survive. So they keep pushing and backing OPEC cuts to stop oil prices from falling and indeed try to get prices to also start rising again. When oil was going up nobody in OPEC wanted to stop the rising cost. OPEC said it was just market conditions, which may have been true, but market conditions may not have had everything to do with the prices. Oil prices didn’t naturally rise a little bit at a time but over a four-year period or so prices climbed to over a 300% price increase. Over a little bit longer period of time the price of milk almost doubled but you don’t need a gallon of milk to get almost everywhere you have to go.
Russia and Iran among others were likely able to afford new military spending sprees with the increased revenue. Did they help facilitate the unnatural rise in oil prices toward that end? Possibly, but it’s hard to know considering wall street speculators had a lot to do with it. Could the speculators have been pushed by outside forces? Again the answer is possibly. Currently the outlook on the economy, together with the US being driven to actually buy less gas, has made gas prices fall back to what would have been very high prices four years but what seem like really good prices today.
Is Iran now trying to push oil prices back up so they can finish their military goals? I think it’s a good possibility. This market downturn may be costing a lot of jobs and doing a lot of real damage but if it helps weaken the forces of Iran and other enemies of peace it may have bought the world more time before a larger war will start. At best its only likely to have bought time not cancelled the situation. And the current scenario might even push those bent on war and destruction into a faster pace as they rush to finish what they started or because they feel war will increase oil prices and help them get to their goals.
It’s all speculation but it’s something to ponder.
Russia and Iran among others were likely able to afford new military spending sprees with the increased revenue. Did they help facilitate the unnatural rise in oil prices toward that end? Possibly, but it’s hard to know considering wall street speculators had a lot to do with it. Could the speculators have been pushed by outside forces? Again the answer is possibly. Currently the outlook on the economy, together with the US being driven to actually buy less gas, has made gas prices fall back to what would have been very high prices four years but what seem like really good prices today.
Is Iran now trying to push oil prices back up so they can finish their military goals? I think it’s a good possibility. This market downturn may be costing a lot of jobs and doing a lot of real damage but if it helps weaken the forces of Iran and other enemies of peace it may have bought the world more time before a larger war will start. At best its only likely to have bought time not cancelled the situation. And the current scenario might even push those bent on war and destruction into a faster pace as they rush to finish what they started or because they feel war will increase oil prices and help them get to their goals.
It’s all speculation but it’s something to ponder.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
No way Obama could be the antichrist, right?
It's amazing how different end times teachers and websites keep recieving questions about whether or not Obama "the One" is the Antichrist. What amazes me more though is their answer. There tend to be three answers that I have seen. No he's not because he's not a European leader, no he's not because he didn't come out of the Islamic empire or no because too many people think he could be the antichrist.
The first two answers make me think that too many people who study the "end times" are too stuck to their or someone elses interpretation. Even if one of those interpretations is correct, it's too dangerous to say this person or that person isn't the antichrist because they don't fit what we expected. Many people missed Jesus coming because they expected something else. We should only follow what the Bible says concerning the identity of the antichrist, but be careful to understand what the Bible says and what are our intepretations.
The last reason, is also a really bad reason. When people say too many people think someone is the antichrist so they can't be, that almost makes a more convincing argument that they may be the antichrist. If everyone is saying he can't be the antichrist for whatever reason, that makes the candidate all the more possible that he could be the antichrist.
I don't believe the Bible says the antichrist will be a surprise and no one will see him coming. It does say many will be fooled by the antichrist, and even the elect would have been if it were possible (meaning they wouldn't be). But some of the elect may be fooled in the begining stages. Obama may not be the antichrist but if he were to keep doing more and more things that make him look the antichrist, how many prophecy experts will say he's not the antichrist even if he were to setup the obomination of desolation?
I don't think Obama is necessarily the antichrist, but it is possible. It will become more apparent over time whether he is or isn't and if he isn't when the antichrist does come on the scene, if the church is still here it will become more and more apparent.
The first two answers make me think that too many people who study the "end times" are too stuck to their or someone elses interpretation. Even if one of those interpretations is correct, it's too dangerous to say this person or that person isn't the antichrist because they don't fit what we expected. Many people missed Jesus coming because they expected something else. We should only follow what the Bible says concerning the identity of the antichrist, but be careful to understand what the Bible says and what are our intepretations.
The last reason, is also a really bad reason. When people say too many people think someone is the antichrist so they can't be, that almost makes a more convincing argument that they may be the antichrist. If everyone is saying he can't be the antichrist for whatever reason, that makes the candidate all the more possible that he could be the antichrist.
I don't believe the Bible says the antichrist will be a surprise and no one will see him coming. It does say many will be fooled by the antichrist, and even the elect would have been if it were possible (meaning they wouldn't be). But some of the elect may be fooled in the begining stages. Obama may not be the antichrist but if he were to keep doing more and more things that make him look the antichrist, how many prophecy experts will say he's not the antichrist even if he were to setup the obomination of desolation?
I don't think Obama is necessarily the antichrist, but it is possible. It will become more apparent over time whether he is or isn't and if he isn't when the antichrist does come on the scene, if the church is still here it will become more and more apparent.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
How does the world greet president elect Obama?
How does the world greet president elect Obama? On the one hand world dictators like Iran’s Ahmadinejad and terrorist organizations like Hamas welcome him. In reality Russia puts nuclear armable missiles up aimed at Europe, Israel warns him about talking to Iran, the stock markets plummet, the truce between Israel and Hamas comes to an end, Putin threatens to become a Czar in Russia. All of this and it has only been two days.
The world will continue to marvel at Obama even while the world collapses. My only question is, will it continue to collapse under Obama until some other world ruler comes on the scene and looks like the antichrist by being a man of peace, or will Obama magically fix everything himself having more people wonder if he is in fact the antichrist?
The world will continue to marvel at Obama even while the world collapses. My only question is, will it continue to collapse under Obama until some other world ruler comes on the scene and looks like the antichrist by being a man of peace, or will Obama magically fix everything himself having more people wonder if he is in fact the antichrist?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Obama Antichrist Question
Reprinted from http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/081103a.html
Michael O'Brien Newsletter Regarding Barack Obama and the Question of the Anti-Christ
All Saints Day, 1 November 2008
Dear Friends,
From just north of the border, we Canadians, like other people throughout the world, are observing and praying for the coming federal election in the United States of America. I would prefer to keep private my counsel about political choices, because it is not my country. However, I am receiving letters from American subscribers and visitors to my studio website asking me some rather surprising questions about Barack Obama, related to one of my novels.
During the past year I have read a number of his pronouncements, and saw the smoke and mirrors beneath the rhetoric, but couldn't understand why everyone south of the border (the other south of the border, the 49th parallel) was getting so excited about him, both pro and con. Then a few weeks ago a German friend called me immediately after Obama's speech in Berlin, to say that the presidential candidate had mesmerized the crowds, and that a commentator on German television had said: "We have just heard the next President of the United States...and the future President of the World." My friend felt that Obama bore an uncanny resemblance to the fictional character of the President in my novel Father Elijah. I have received several other letters saying the same thing and asking what I thought about it.
From my own reading of Obama's declarations and stated positions, I knew he was an ultra-liberal, a social revolutionary with visionary pretensions. But the Antichrist? No, not possible, I thought. I felt that he was too shallow a man to be the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin, the Beast of the Book of Revelation. And I still think so. Obama is a crowd-pleaser with just the right ethos of idealistic crusader. That the crusade and the banners under which it marches are evil does not automatically prove that he is the Antichrist.
But now that I have seen the video of the Berlin speech I think there is more here than meets the eye. He is indeed a powerful manipulator of crowds, even as he appears ever so humble and wholesomely charming. I doubt that he is the long-prophesied ruler of the world, but I also believe that he is a carrier of a deadly moral virus, indeed a kind of anti-apostle spreading concepts and agendas that are not only anti-Christ but anti-human as well. In this sense he is of the spirit of Antichrist (perhaps without knowing it), and probably is one of several key figures in the world who (knowingly or unknowingly) will be instrumental in ushering in the time of great trial for the Church under its last and worst persecution, amidst the numerous other tribulations prophesied in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and letters of St Paul, St. John, and St. Peter.
Of course the mystique that has grown up around him is endlessly reinforced by the liberal media, which presents him to us as a high-minded humanist, a kind of secular messiah (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675). Yet when all the rhetoric is boiled down to its substance, the man is advocating unlimited state-sanctioned murder, and compounds it by indulging in habitual falsehood. He is well accustomed to playing loose with the truth whenever it is expedient for him to do so; or else he is the victim of the largest memory lapses in recorded history; or perhaps he is just not careful about how he expresses things——a blurring or selectivity regarding facts for the purpose of aggrandizing his public image. There is a controversy currently raging in the (admittedly unreliable) forum of the internet, prompted by an African-American talk show host in Los Angeles who listed 39 significant details that Barack Obama claimed were facts about himself, but on further investigation were proved to be simply untrue. There has been some wild-fire debunking of the debunking, and then more counter-debunking, but it remains obvious that forthrightness and clarity are not major concerns in the Obama camp.
What are we to make of a man who has appeared out of semi-obscurity and become, nearly overnight, so very much an idol of the popular imagination? That he intends to become the most effective advocate of murder of the unborn ever seen in America should give us pause. Murder and lies are as old as the lands east of Eden, of course, but when they are charmingly packaged, proposed as reasonable and just policies (with a smile, a resonant voice, and an appealing flash of the eyes), one begins to wonder just what is afoot in the modern age. It brings to mind a passage from the first Act of Shakespeare's Hamlet:
"That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain..."
The line is from a scene where prince Hamlet has just encountered the ghost of his father, who informs his son that he was poisoned by his own brother Claudius (the "smiling, damned villain"), who after murdering him, seized the king's crown and his queen.
Barack Obama is an image-maker, creating his own myth as he goes along. This would be a sad defect in any human being, but it takes on ominous proportions in a person who may become, after November 4th, one of the most powerful figures in the world. How is it possible that such a tragic turn of events may come about, if indeed a majority of Americans choose to believe the smile and the myth? Why is it that so many people have come to believe that a mirage is reality, even destiny? Do pro-Obama voters hanker for a world figure who would heal old divisions between races and religions, thus heralding a new age for mankind? During this time of near intolerable tensions, does he appear to be the one who can reconcile Islam and Christianity, Africa and America, occident and orient, black and white, rich and poor? Do they see his racial origins as a symbolic victory over the history of racial oppression? Do they see in him the good-hearted "under-dog", the gutsy street fighter who agitates for the rights of the "little guy," whose meteoric rise to a position of maximum influence represents themselves enthroned at last in the high seat of power? Is this why they ignore his every grave fault and hungrily consume his vague idealist platitudes as if these were a kind of new gospel for the third millennium? Our hero. Our visionary. Our Great Friend and spokesman in the forum of the world?
Clearly, contemporary man needs heroes. But why not choose a genuine one, why not look a little deeper and work a little harder to find a man of courage and principle, and if it helps in the historical healing process, why not a very different kind of black man, say a person like Alan Keyes, a scholar, former ambassador, experienced in different levels of government, and (it might be added) an African-American married to a woman from India. Moreover, he is a devout Catholic who believes in moral absolutes and has amply proved that he will stand firm to defend them regardless of the cost to his own career. He knows that kings and presidents cannot usurp the natural law, the moral order of the universe, without bringing down judgment upon their nations. But it need not be Keyes. It might be any number of other men and women of clear thought and clear principle. Surely there are "Ten Just Men" still out there somewhere in America. So why Obama? And why does he rise and rise as his mouth smiles and smiles, exuding sincerity as he speaks lies and death?
And why, most horribly, most shamefully, are so many Christians of malformed or unformed conscience supporting him? Is it because they have never been clearly instructed in the truth, never understood the foundation upon which the moral cosmos is built? Is morality for them merely another system of abstract "values" in a crowded playing field of such systems, from which one may pick and choose? In the case of Catholics, for example, have they been blinded by a diet of theological nuances and deadly little loopholes offered to them by the committees of national episcopal conferences — committees that have absolutely no authority over Catholics, yet which are widely revered as a kind of alternative Magisterium? Have they been deadened by a habitual dismissing or dissembling of the solid teaching given to them by the universal Church under Peter? Have they grown accustomed to listening to opinion shapers who tell them that certain excellent apostolic Bishops in America who teach the truth without compromise are merely hidebound reactionaries, moralistic extremists, contemporary manifestations of those old boogymen who still haunt the American psyche — the Chillingworths and Dimmesdales and the judges in The Scarlet Letter? And so it goes, this over-reaction to Puritanism played out over centuries, an over-reaction that breeds tragedies a thousand times worse than Salem's. Lies compounding on lies, and it all floats on an ocean of spilled innocent blood. And who can gaze at that ocean (or be splashed by it) without coming to a radical choice: One either turns away into a deeper state of denial, or one turns heart and mind toward the splendor of Truth, and changes one's life accordingly.
Is this why many of our Catholic people have become impulse-driven impressionists? Of course, the blindness is not due to the failure of pastors alone. The Ministry of Disinformation (by which I mean most modern media) has played a major role. There is also the erosion of truth in the education systems, combined with the gradual confusion and weakening of conscience through our addiction to the "soma" drugs supplied by the entertainment industry. Other factors may be the war in Iraq, or Republican economics, or the Bush administration, or the structure of Capitalism itself, or any number of prudential questions in the sociopolitical order, all of which are presently tangled nests of moral dilemma. But why do they not see that these questions are secondary to the fundamental issue of life itself? Why would they replace one reigning oligarchy with another kind of oligarchy — moreover, one that would kill vast numbers of its own citizens?
"I call on heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live...." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
May God bless and guide you,
in Jesus our Saviour,
with prayers and fasting,
Michael O'Brien
Michael O'Brien Newsletter Regarding Barack Obama and the Question of the Anti-Christ
All Saints Day, 1 November 2008
Dear Friends,
From just north of the border, we Canadians, like other people throughout the world, are observing and praying for the coming federal election in the United States of America. I would prefer to keep private my counsel about political choices, because it is not my country. However, I am receiving letters from American subscribers and visitors to my studio website asking me some rather surprising questions about Barack Obama, related to one of my novels.
During the past year I have read a number of his pronouncements, and saw the smoke and mirrors beneath the rhetoric, but couldn't understand why everyone south of the border (the other south of the border, the 49th parallel) was getting so excited about him, both pro and con. Then a few weeks ago a German friend called me immediately after Obama's speech in Berlin, to say that the presidential candidate had mesmerized the crowds, and that a commentator on German television had said: "We have just heard the next President of the United States...and the future President of the World." My friend felt that Obama bore an uncanny resemblance to the fictional character of the President in my novel Father Elijah. I have received several other letters saying the same thing and asking what I thought about it.
From my own reading of Obama's declarations and stated positions, I knew he was an ultra-liberal, a social revolutionary with visionary pretensions. But the Antichrist? No, not possible, I thought. I felt that he was too shallow a man to be the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin, the Beast of the Book of Revelation. And I still think so. Obama is a crowd-pleaser with just the right ethos of idealistic crusader. That the crusade and the banners under which it marches are evil does not automatically prove that he is the Antichrist.
But now that I have seen the video of the Berlin speech I think there is more here than meets the eye. He is indeed a powerful manipulator of crowds, even as he appears ever so humble and wholesomely charming. I doubt that he is the long-prophesied ruler of the world, but I also believe that he is a carrier of a deadly moral virus, indeed a kind of anti-apostle spreading concepts and agendas that are not only anti-Christ but anti-human as well. In this sense he is of the spirit of Antichrist (perhaps without knowing it), and probably is one of several key figures in the world who (knowingly or unknowingly) will be instrumental in ushering in the time of great trial for the Church under its last and worst persecution, amidst the numerous other tribulations prophesied in the books of Daniel and Revelation, and letters of St Paul, St. John, and St. Peter.
Of course the mystique that has grown up around him is endlessly reinforced by the liberal media, which presents him to us as a high-minded humanist, a kind of secular messiah (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675). Yet when all the rhetoric is boiled down to its substance, the man is advocating unlimited state-sanctioned murder, and compounds it by indulging in habitual falsehood. He is well accustomed to playing loose with the truth whenever it is expedient for him to do so; or else he is the victim of the largest memory lapses in recorded history; or perhaps he is just not careful about how he expresses things——a blurring or selectivity regarding facts for the purpose of aggrandizing his public image. There is a controversy currently raging in the (admittedly unreliable) forum of the internet, prompted by an African-American talk show host in Los Angeles who listed 39 significant details that Barack Obama claimed were facts about himself, but on further investigation were proved to be simply untrue. There has been some wild-fire debunking of the debunking, and then more counter-debunking, but it remains obvious that forthrightness and clarity are not major concerns in the Obama camp.
What are we to make of a man who has appeared out of semi-obscurity and become, nearly overnight, so very much an idol of the popular imagination? That he intends to become the most effective advocate of murder of the unborn ever seen in America should give us pause. Murder and lies are as old as the lands east of Eden, of course, but when they are charmingly packaged, proposed as reasonable and just policies (with a smile, a resonant voice, and an appealing flash of the eyes), one begins to wonder just what is afoot in the modern age. It brings to mind a passage from the first Act of Shakespeare's Hamlet:
"That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain..."
The line is from a scene where prince Hamlet has just encountered the ghost of his father, who informs his son that he was poisoned by his own brother Claudius (the "smiling, damned villain"), who after murdering him, seized the king's crown and his queen.
Barack Obama is an image-maker, creating his own myth as he goes along. This would be a sad defect in any human being, but it takes on ominous proportions in a person who may become, after November 4th, one of the most powerful figures in the world. How is it possible that such a tragic turn of events may come about, if indeed a majority of Americans choose to believe the smile and the myth? Why is it that so many people have come to believe that a mirage is reality, even destiny? Do pro-Obama voters hanker for a world figure who would heal old divisions between races and religions, thus heralding a new age for mankind? During this time of near intolerable tensions, does he appear to be the one who can reconcile Islam and Christianity, Africa and America, occident and orient, black and white, rich and poor? Do they see his racial origins as a symbolic victory over the history of racial oppression? Do they see in him the good-hearted "under-dog", the gutsy street fighter who agitates for the rights of the "little guy," whose meteoric rise to a position of maximum influence represents themselves enthroned at last in the high seat of power? Is this why they ignore his every grave fault and hungrily consume his vague idealist platitudes as if these were a kind of new gospel for the third millennium? Our hero. Our visionary. Our Great Friend and spokesman in the forum of the world?
Clearly, contemporary man needs heroes. But why not choose a genuine one, why not look a little deeper and work a little harder to find a man of courage and principle, and if it helps in the historical healing process, why not a very different kind of black man, say a person like Alan Keyes, a scholar, former ambassador, experienced in different levels of government, and (it might be added) an African-American married to a woman from India. Moreover, he is a devout Catholic who believes in moral absolutes and has amply proved that he will stand firm to defend them regardless of the cost to his own career. He knows that kings and presidents cannot usurp the natural law, the moral order of the universe, without bringing down judgment upon their nations. But it need not be Keyes. It might be any number of other men and women of clear thought and clear principle. Surely there are "Ten Just Men" still out there somewhere in America. So why Obama? And why does he rise and rise as his mouth smiles and smiles, exuding sincerity as he speaks lies and death?
And why, most horribly, most shamefully, are so many Christians of malformed or unformed conscience supporting him? Is it because they have never been clearly instructed in the truth, never understood the foundation upon which the moral cosmos is built? Is morality for them merely another system of abstract "values" in a crowded playing field of such systems, from which one may pick and choose? In the case of Catholics, for example, have they been blinded by a diet of theological nuances and deadly little loopholes offered to them by the committees of national episcopal conferences — committees that have absolutely no authority over Catholics, yet which are widely revered as a kind of alternative Magisterium? Have they been deadened by a habitual dismissing or dissembling of the solid teaching given to them by the universal Church under Peter? Have they grown accustomed to listening to opinion shapers who tell them that certain excellent apostolic Bishops in America who teach the truth without compromise are merely hidebound reactionaries, moralistic extremists, contemporary manifestations of those old boogymen who still haunt the American psyche — the Chillingworths and Dimmesdales and the judges in The Scarlet Letter? And so it goes, this over-reaction to Puritanism played out over centuries, an over-reaction that breeds tragedies a thousand times worse than Salem's. Lies compounding on lies, and it all floats on an ocean of spilled innocent blood. And who can gaze at that ocean (or be splashed by it) without coming to a radical choice: One either turns away into a deeper state of denial, or one turns heart and mind toward the splendor of Truth, and changes one's life accordingly.
Is this why many of our Catholic people have become impulse-driven impressionists? Of course, the blindness is not due to the failure of pastors alone. The Ministry of Disinformation (by which I mean most modern media) has played a major role. There is also the erosion of truth in the education systems, combined with the gradual confusion and weakening of conscience through our addiction to the "soma" drugs supplied by the entertainment industry. Other factors may be the war in Iraq, or Republican economics, or the Bush administration, or the structure of Capitalism itself, or any number of prudential questions in the sociopolitical order, all of which are presently tangled nests of moral dilemma. But why do they not see that these questions are secondary to the fundamental issue of life itself? Why would they replace one reigning oligarchy with another kind of oligarchy — moreover, one that would kill vast numbers of its own citizens?
"I call on heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live...." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
May God bless and guide you,
in Jesus our Saviour,
with prayers and fasting,
Michael O'Brien
Monday, November 3, 2008
Hope and Change and World War 3?
As much as I hope it’s not true, a young charismatic man with a gift for giving speeches and telling people that he will save them from themselves and the economic crisis and from being looked down at by the world is about to become the leader of the lone superpower in the world. This sounds similar to the way Hitler came to power.
Obama has also called for a national civilian defense force that is as strong as and as well funded as the military.
There are news stories of Egypt and Syria building up troops along the border with Israel. Iran has been threatening that Israel is going to be wiped off the map. Iran is also enriching uranium, which they say is for nuclear power but that many fear is for a nuclear weapon. Last weekend there was an earthquake in Iran that an Iranian scientist said was a nuclear test.
Is the world about to change?
Obama has also called for a national civilian defense force that is as strong as and as well funded as the military.
There are news stories of Egypt and Syria building up troops along the border with Israel. Iran has been threatening that Israel is going to be wiped off the map. Iran is also enriching uranium, which they say is for nuclear power but that many fear is for a nuclear weapon. Last weekend there was an earthquake in Iran that an Iranian scientist said was a nuclear test.
Is the world about to change?
Monday, October 27, 2008
In what days are we living?
The title of this BLOG is Discerning the Days. It seems as though we are living in interesting times, which may in fact be the last days. I’m sure many have thought that they were living in perilous and difficult times and that they were living in the end times. However, regardless of the difficulty of those times they turned out not to be the last days.
I will not rehash all of the reasons that I think we may or may not be in the end times. However let us take a look around with some perspective. What is happening in the world may indicate some serious challenges that may lead to prophetic fulfillment, but let us pay attention to what is happening with caution.
That being said let me talk about the current events and try to discern the days we are living in, at least as much as humanly possible without direct divine direction. Everyone in the United States and many around the world it seems are focusing on the upcoming presidential elections. This is not just because the US may elect its first black president. It may be partly because we may elect our first president with a Muslim background. It does have much to do with the fact that Obama like Kerry before him wants to take the country in a direction that would favor those outside of the country to a level never before done. Obama seems to have plans to sit down and make nice with our enemies and to conform our government to that of socialist and progressive countries around the world.
Liberals on the Supreme Court have been using international law to direct their rulings for several years now, despite the fact that it is their job to uphold the constitution not foreign law. Obama has made it clear that he thinks the constitution has fundamental flaws that cannot be fixed and that he plans to use the courts (a judicial body) to legislate changes that he thinks are needed. If Obama were elected president he would likely appoint at least one or two Supreme Court justices. Obama would also appoint many lower court justices where the constitution is also being destroyed.
It seems as if Obama had his preferences, the United States would mirror most European countries that have socialistic governments. Maybe he would want the US to be like Germany, which has outlawed home schooling. He would like the US to allow Gay marriage such as in the Netherlands. He seems to have voted so much in favor of abortion (and death) that he would probably like the US to be like Belgium where euthanasia is legal. No doubt Obama wants the US to be the abortion capital of the world where abortion on demand is and will be allowed through the entire nine months of the baby’s life in the womb and in some cases outside of the womb. Though Obama claims to be a Christian I have no doubt he would also do more to remove God from the public square and label it tolerance and fairness.
Another very important thing to consider is that Israel will likely also undergo elections soon. The government there over the past several years has been more and more willing to give up it’s own land to appease terrorists and the Prime Minister has said that Israel was tired of being brave and tired of winning. An election could finally turn the country around to one that would hold onto it’s own land and not give in to terrorists. Or an election there could continue to make things worse and give the new Prime Minister a mandate to sell out even further. One thing seems likely, the weeks and months ahead for Israel are key to its short term and possibly long term future. The same is also true for the US.
I will not rehash all of the reasons that I think we may or may not be in the end times. However let us take a look around with some perspective. What is happening in the world may indicate some serious challenges that may lead to prophetic fulfillment, but let us pay attention to what is happening with caution.
That being said let me talk about the current events and try to discern the days we are living in, at least as much as humanly possible without direct divine direction. Everyone in the United States and many around the world it seems are focusing on the upcoming presidential elections. This is not just because the US may elect its first black president. It may be partly because we may elect our first president with a Muslim background. It does have much to do with the fact that Obama like Kerry before him wants to take the country in a direction that would favor those outside of the country to a level never before done. Obama seems to have plans to sit down and make nice with our enemies and to conform our government to that of socialist and progressive countries around the world.
Liberals on the Supreme Court have been using international law to direct their rulings for several years now, despite the fact that it is their job to uphold the constitution not foreign law. Obama has made it clear that he thinks the constitution has fundamental flaws that cannot be fixed and that he plans to use the courts (a judicial body) to legislate changes that he thinks are needed. If Obama were elected president he would likely appoint at least one or two Supreme Court justices. Obama would also appoint many lower court justices where the constitution is also being destroyed.
It seems as if Obama had his preferences, the United States would mirror most European countries that have socialistic governments. Maybe he would want the US to be like Germany, which has outlawed home schooling. He would like the US to allow Gay marriage such as in the Netherlands. He seems to have voted so much in favor of abortion (and death) that he would probably like the US to be like Belgium where euthanasia is legal. No doubt Obama wants the US to be the abortion capital of the world where abortion on demand is and will be allowed through the entire nine months of the baby’s life in the womb and in some cases outside of the womb. Though Obama claims to be a Christian I have no doubt he would also do more to remove God from the public square and label it tolerance and fairness.
Another very important thing to consider is that Israel will likely also undergo elections soon. The government there over the past several years has been more and more willing to give up it’s own land to appease terrorists and the Prime Minister has said that Israel was tired of being brave and tired of winning. An election could finally turn the country around to one that would hold onto it’s own land and not give in to terrorists. Or an election there could continue to make things worse and give the new Prime Minister a mandate to sell out even further. One thing seems likely, the weeks and months ahead for Israel are key to its short term and possibly long term future. The same is also true for the US.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Evil is coming
We have nothing to fear but fear itself, words spoken many years ago that still hold deep meaning. Indeed we should not be afraid if we have faith and trust in God through His son Jesus. Let us not forget though that the world is full of all kinds of evil and that we must be careful.
On a daily basis people are hit with spam, adware and viruses that go from commercial and harmless to outright viscous attacks. Why are there smart people out there creating such havoc for seemingly no logical reason sometimes? There are of course financial and other nefarious reasons sometimes but many viruses are just downright destructive with only malice as the goal. Of course the technical problems I’m talking about are eclipsed by the violence and murder and other wickedness in the world. But our world seems to be almost completely corrupt at times.
There is a news story about banks across the country receiving threatening letters with white powder in them. So far the powder has proved harmless but this reminds everyone of the 2001 Anthrax attacks that happened after 9/11. So my first thought is, is this another dry run test attack or some guy who got made at the bank because they foreclosed on his house? It could be either,
Bin Laden seems to put out a tape every now and then threatening the United States and the West. The most recent includes a threat of forest fires. People wonder if this is just talk because no attack has happened in the US since 9/11. Is this all just part of the terrorists plans to scare us? It could be, especially since we weren’t sent any warning about airplanes before September 11th. But the threat is real and we could be attacked by Bin Laden or radical Muslims in ways that we haven’t even thought of yet at any time.
As we face this coming election we must consider the evil that we face. If Barrack Obama is elected will the terrorists find the United States weakened by socialist domestic and ignorant foreign policy? Will they then attack us or wait for us to be eroded from within?
We must vote to protect the unborn and to protect our country from all attackers foreign and domestic. Regardless of the outcome we must be prepared. Our first priority is to be prepared spiritually but now is the time to be prepared as much as we can in other ways. We can’t store up treasures here that we may not ever get to use but now is the time to simplify your life and learn to get by with less. Now is also the time to do what you can to keep yourself protected from the coming evil.
On a daily basis people are hit with spam, adware and viruses that go from commercial and harmless to outright viscous attacks. Why are there smart people out there creating such havoc for seemingly no logical reason sometimes? There are of course financial and other nefarious reasons sometimes but many viruses are just downright destructive with only malice as the goal. Of course the technical problems I’m talking about are eclipsed by the violence and murder and other wickedness in the world. But our world seems to be almost completely corrupt at times.
There is a news story about banks across the country receiving threatening letters with white powder in them. So far the powder has proved harmless but this reminds everyone of the 2001 Anthrax attacks that happened after 9/11. So my first thought is, is this another dry run test attack or some guy who got made at the bank because they foreclosed on his house? It could be either,
Bin Laden seems to put out a tape every now and then threatening the United States and the West. The most recent includes a threat of forest fires. People wonder if this is just talk because no attack has happened in the US since 9/11. Is this all just part of the terrorists plans to scare us? It could be, especially since we weren’t sent any warning about airplanes before September 11th. But the threat is real and we could be attacked by Bin Laden or radical Muslims in ways that we haven’t even thought of yet at any time.
As we face this coming election we must consider the evil that we face. If Barrack Obama is elected will the terrorists find the United States weakened by socialist domestic and ignorant foreign policy? Will they then attack us or wait for us to be eroded from within?
We must vote to protect the unborn and to protect our country from all attackers foreign and domestic. Regardless of the outcome we must be prepared. Our first priority is to be prepared spiritually but now is the time to be prepared as much as we can in other ways. We can’t store up treasures here that we may not ever get to use but now is the time to simplify your life and learn to get by with less. Now is also the time to do what you can to keep yourself protected from the coming evil.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The current economic crisis may lead to something worse
One of the writers on my endtimes website wrote an article about how the ride of the four horsemen will happen in a specific order and that, that’s how we will know that it is occurring and that we are not there now. This may be true but one thing that can be said of some endtime events is that they may not fulfill a specific prophecy but instead lay the groundwork for other prophecies to be filled. As I have said before I do no think that Barrack Obama is the Antichrist but being a hollow charismatic leader that people will so quickly follow shows us how easily the Antichrist could come on the scene and that Barrack Obama may be one precursor of the Antichrist. In the same way the current financial crisis may not be the one that leads people to pay a day’s wage for a loaf of bread that the Bible talks about it may cause the world to start working more earnestly if even somewhat secretly towards a world economic system with one currency to help facilitate a mark of the beast system where no one could buy or sell without the mark.
How could this be happening? Have you ever heard about a company or seen a politician announce some program that already seems to be underway? It happens because these things have been worked on behind the scenes before they were announced. Now with the world being ravaged by the current financial mess, governments in the next few months and years may be eager to avoid such a problem in the future. With this in mind it is conceivable that they would plan to create a world market to help stabilize the situation. Bush’s meeting with world leaders looking for a fix to the problem was already pointed to as a positive sign that we would work with the world rather than isolate ourselves, which they say caused more problems during the great depression.
Though a one-world currency may be far off for now the building blocks of such a thing have likely already started and will now probably grow at a more rapid rate.
How could this be happening? Have you ever heard about a company or seen a politician announce some program that already seems to be underway? It happens because these things have been worked on behind the scenes before they were announced. Now with the world being ravaged by the current financial mess, governments in the next few months and years may be eager to avoid such a problem in the future. With this in mind it is conceivable that they would plan to create a world market to help stabilize the situation. Bush’s meeting with world leaders looking for a fix to the problem was already pointed to as a positive sign that we would work with the world rather than isolate ourselves, which they say caused more problems during the great depression.
Though a one-world currency may be far off for now the building blocks of such a thing have likely already started and will now probably grow at a more rapid rate.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Where is the Peace Treaty?
One of the few things I was worried about earlier this year was the peace process in Israel. I was worried because it seemed like their might be a treaty coming before the end of the year. I’m not against peace but I know that this particular peace treaty would not lead to real peace but likely to war and maybe the war of Armageddon seven years after it was signed.
However I was being short sighted in some ways. One of the reasons I believed there might be a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians is because Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seemed bound to have “peace in our time” at almost any price. In the past Olmert had said that Israel was tired of fighting and tired of being brave. This obviously can only lead to weakness and loosing when you say you are tired of winning. This is especially true when your enemy doesn’t believe in compromise and only wants to win.
So why should the Palestinians give up now and take less than what they feel they can get? The answer is they won’t likely give up for peace while they are in a position of strength. Peace is never dictated by the party that is weaker.
But when will it come? What are the Palestinians waiting for? Even though Olmert was willing to give up virtually everything he could give up, it wasn’t enough. Will they make peace after another war from Hezbollah weakens Israel even more? Are they waiting for Iran to nuke Israel and take what’s left?
We know that in the end Israel won’t be wiped off the map. And no matter how much the Palestinians are offered it will never be enough because there demands always include things that will spell certain destruction for Israel. Even when Israel first became a nation and took up far less space than it does now, her enemies were not satisfied and tried to destroy Israel. They have not given up and the so called Palestinians are just part of another front in the war to remove Israel.
But at some point we know there will be a peace treaty between Israel and her neighbors. But how will this happen? Could it be that Israel will finally do something to show that she is in the stronger position? Or will it be when a charismatic Arab leader arises and gets the Palestinians to give into a peace treaty with the plan that the treaty is just a step towards Israel’s destruction? It may be either one of these or something else. Right now I wonder what would happen if Israel were to take out Iran or do something else to put themselves in such a position of power that they could dictate a peace treaty?
However I was being short sighted in some ways. One of the reasons I believed there might be a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians is because Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seemed bound to have “peace in our time” at almost any price. In the past Olmert had said that Israel was tired of fighting and tired of being brave. This obviously can only lead to weakness and loosing when you say you are tired of winning. This is especially true when your enemy doesn’t believe in compromise and only wants to win.
So why should the Palestinians give up now and take less than what they feel they can get? The answer is they won’t likely give up for peace while they are in a position of strength. Peace is never dictated by the party that is weaker.
But when will it come? What are the Palestinians waiting for? Even though Olmert was willing to give up virtually everything he could give up, it wasn’t enough. Will they make peace after another war from Hezbollah weakens Israel even more? Are they waiting for Iran to nuke Israel and take what’s left?
We know that in the end Israel won’t be wiped off the map. And no matter how much the Palestinians are offered it will never be enough because there demands always include things that will spell certain destruction for Israel. Even when Israel first became a nation and took up far less space than it does now, her enemies were not satisfied and tried to destroy Israel. They have not given up and the so called Palestinians are just part of another front in the war to remove Israel.
But at some point we know there will be a peace treaty between Israel and her neighbors. But how will this happen? Could it be that Israel will finally do something to show that she is in the stronger position? Or will it be when a charismatic Arab leader arises and gets the Palestinians to give into a peace treaty with the plan that the treaty is just a step towards Israel’s destruction? It may be either one of these or something else. Right now I wonder what would happen if Israel were to take out Iran or do something else to put themselves in such a position of power that they could dictate a peace treaty?
Monday, September 22, 2008
Why is everyone so against Sarah Palin?
I don't know a whole lot about her but it seems like because Palin represents conservatism and is a woman that is reason enough to make them angry and scared. Why are they scared? They are scared because they see the Republican party being "progressive" and having a woman on their ticket, something they couldn't achieve. They're afraid that the so called moderates will "fall" for this trick and are indignant about it.
So they don't really dislike her so much as they dislike what she represents (not that they like her). It is truly awful that anyone would be so venomous against someone just for political gain. So they dig up everything they can and try to make Palin seem like a religious nut or a political nut or they call her and her family names. To her credit though she is largely ignoring these people and these games and in so doing continues to draw big crowds and supporters.
The one thing that stands out in these attacks is how liberals and those in the media try to tell us she's not conservative enough. It's funny because people who know nothing about conservatism try to tell conservatives what is and isn't conservative. I hear the same kind of stuff on my ChristianPolitics blog, people trying to tell me what "my" religion is really all about. When they can't really talk about something or someone on the merits, they either try to get you to doubt yourself or just call you names, it really shows how unskilled they are at debating.
So they don't really dislike her so much as they dislike what she represents (not that they like her). It is truly awful that anyone would be so venomous against someone just for political gain. So they dig up everything they can and try to make Palin seem like a religious nut or a political nut or they call her and her family names. To her credit though she is largely ignoring these people and these games and in so doing continues to draw big crowds and supporters.
The one thing that stands out in these attacks is how liberals and those in the media try to tell us she's not conservative enough. It's funny because people who know nothing about conservatism try to tell conservatives what is and isn't conservative. I hear the same kind of stuff on my ChristianPolitics blog, people trying to tell me what "my" religion is really all about. When they can't really talk about something or someone on the merits, they either try to get you to doubt yourself or just call you names, it really shows how unskilled they are at debating.
Monday, September 15, 2008
More Posts
I know I haven't written in a while but I have a slew of new posts coming. In the mean time you can view my other blog Christian Politics where I will have short daily posts everyday. I will still post my longer posts regarding Israel, the End Times and other such matters here.
Monday, August 25, 2008
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.
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.
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