Crisis Spiral

Over the last week, it's becoming obvious that many countries in the Western World have drastically overspent. Now Greece, Spain or Portugal may be the first countries to face bankruptcy and/or default on their loan payments.

This is leading to fears of another global crisis spiral. The problem with spirals is that we can never know how deep they will go....or if this could be the trigger that could cause the global economy to spiral out of control.

BRUSSELS — Fears of another crisis spiral for the world economy deepened Friday after the Portuguese parliament defeated a government austerity plan, triggering renewed concern that the financial crisis in that country and in Greece could spread through the eurozone and spill across its borders.
Spooked investors worldwide were fleeing risky assets like stocks. And from Shanghai to Sao Paolo, people were awakening to the reality that what is happening in these European minnow states has vast implications for the fate of the fragile global economic recovery.

Read it here; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584970,00.html

It's important to remember that during the Tribulation there WILL be a global financial system...but it's possible that this spiral (or some other one in the future) could tear down the existing system and thereby pave the way for a brand new one... A one world economy overseen by the LAST global leader....and his name is Antichrist.

It's a fact that when Jesus returns...he WILL be pulling down Antichrist...and we WILL be witnessing it all through the eyes of our glorified bodies.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Iraq Could be Top Producer

When we read the book of Revelation, we find that Babylon is mentioned more than a few times. Let's remember that Babylon is where the Tower of Babel was being built, and where Nebuchadnezzar hauled the Jews off to during the time of Daniel. At that time is was power that ruled the world.

Some Christian scholars believe that when Babylon is mentioned in Revelation that it isn't referring to the actual city...but is more a metaphor for the satanic system of the world.

I'm not so sure. The more I read the Bible...the more I am convinced that when it says Babylon....it means Babylon.

"But how could this be?", some will ask. Babylon is just a dusty village in no-where land. How could it rise to become a trading hub of the entire world...as Revelation predicts?

Here is one headline that might give us an answer;
Iraq says can be top global oil producer in 6-7 yrs

"We can't find a reason to prevent Iraqi production becoming higher than any other OPEC state or even states outside OPEC. We expect that to happen in the next six to seven years with coordination and agreement with other OPEC producers," he said.

Read it here; http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE60T07620100130

Now open up your computers and Google pictures of the city of Dubai. Look at what the city looked like 10 years ago and look at it today. You will see that 10 yrs ago, Dubai had a few goats and one cement hut. Today, it has an indoor ski resort, skyscrapers as far as the eye can see...and is now host to the tallest building in the entire world.

Could this same history be coming for Babylon? Let's watch and see.

Another Bail Out

Sorry folks....sorry U.S. Treasury....when it rains it really seems to pour. The headline today is that Social Security might need a bail out by the U.S. Treasury.... THIS YEAR!

Don't look now. But even as the bank bailout is winding down, another huge bailout is starting, this time for the Social Security system.

A report from the Congressional Budget Office shows that for the first time in 25 years, Social Security is taking in less in taxes than it is spending on benefits.

Instead of helping to finance the rest of the government, as it has done for decades, our nation's biggest social program needs help from the Treasury to keep benefit checks from bouncing -- in other words, a taxpayer bailout.

Uh-oh...bouncing Social Security checks would be a bad thing...and would not help the popularity of Obama or Congress. Oh yeah...did you notice how the article admitted that Social Security taxes collected were being used to finance the rest of government. We really should be upset!!

Now pay close attention to the next few paragraphs;

Social Security hasn't been cash-negative since the early 1980s, when it came so close to running out of money that it was making plans to stop sending out benefit checks. That led to the famous Greenspan Commission report, which recommended trimming benefits and raising taxes, which Congress did. Those actions produced hefty cash surpluses, which until this year have helped finance the rest of the government.

But even then, it was clear the surpluses would be temporary. Now, years earlier than projected, Social Security is adding to the government's borrowing needs, even though the program still shows a surplus on paper.

Did you catch that??..."years earlier than projected"...and "on paper". Remember, that "on paper" is bank jargon for "doesn't exist".

Read this sobering article here; http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/108747/next-in-line-for-a-bailout-social-security?mod=fidelity-readytoretire

So honestly, do we really believe that the Treasury is going to be able to sell more bonds (in addition to the $4.9 trillion they already have to sell) this year?

Now ask yourself a common sense question; what if they can't sell $4.9 trillion of bonds? Can they just pretend they have money? Can they just print some more? Can the just create an illusion in hopes that the public won't lose confidence? Could they hype a bunch of foreign threats in hopes we rally around our Government...instead of impeaching them all??

Yes.

Sponsoring Terror

This is kind of funny....and has to be more than a little embarrassing to Team Obama.

In the first article, we read that Obama decided NOT to put North Korea back on the list of countries who support terrorism.

He (Obama) said the report concludes that North Korea "does not meet the statutory criteria to again be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism."

Read it here; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35225224/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

And then the very next headline is this;
Thais Say North Korea Arms Were Iran-Bound

And we all know that Iran is a MAJOR state sponsor of terrorism.

Read that one here; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/world/asia/01plane.html

So the North Koreans aren't a state sponsor of terrorism....but they sell all their weapons to someone else who then puts them in the hands of terrorists....and for that the USA will gladly remove you from "the list".

We seem to be in a lose-lose situation no matter where we turn. If we support Taiwan...we lose with the Chinese. If we don't support Taiwan...then we are accused of not putting our money where our mouth of democracy is. If we visit the Dalai Lama....we lose with the Chinese. If we shun the Dalai Lama....we are accused of not standing for human rights.

It seems humans are about to reach the end of their rope.

I'm so thankful that our Creator-God sent a Savior....it's the reason we should all be singing praise every single day...as the world around us comes apart.

Trash Talk Heats Up

Yesterday we posted about the back and forth accusations that Israel and Syria are trading.

Today there is a new round.

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman this morning warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that he and his family would lose their reign in the event of war with Israel. Lieberman made his statement at a Business Forum hosted by the Friends of Bar-Ilan University.

Minister Lieberman was referring to a comment made yesterday by the Syrian President that Israel is not serious about its intentions to make peace with Damascus as evidenced by "its conduct which is leading the region to war." Lieberman declared that Assad's statement had 'crossed a red line'.

"We heard Defense Minister [Ehud] Barak's sincere call for peace with Syria, and we have now received Syria's answer. Whoever thinks territorial concessions will disconnect Damascus from the Axis of Evil is wrong," Lieberman asserted.

Read it here; http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelinews/israel/israeli-news/459-fm-lieberman-to-assad-if-you-declare-war-on-israel-you-and-your-family-will-lose-your-reign.html

Wow!! Those are some fightin' words..."Crossing red lines", and threatening the Syrian royal family, and admitting in public that giving land to terrorists won't work.....this is a recipe for a brawl.

Remember, to the Arab mind....honor is the #1 thing....it goes far above life or death, far above truth or lies. This is why Arab men will kill their daughters for dishonoring the family. And now that Israel has publicly threatened the Assad family....look for them to protect their honor....and they may be willing to die and take down thousands with them while clinging to their honor.

We have pointed you to it a bunch of times....but please open your Bibles to Isaiah 17 and read the first three verses...notice the verse 3 says, "The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus;...."

Now go back and read the Israeli threats towards the royal family in Damascus.

Is God about to do a mighty thing against the ancient enemies of Israel?

Israel Leading Mid-East to War

The rumors of war and tough talk between Israel and Syria seems to be growing.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Wednesday that Israel is not serious about its intentions to make peace with Damascus as evidenced by "its conduct which is leading the region to war."

Israel responds to that statement by saying the exact opposite is true.

"The statements by the senior Syrian leadership are most regrettable; in reality, the complete opposite is true. The prime minister has said many times the he would be willing to travel to any place in the world, at any time, in order to open peace negotiations with Syria without preconditions."

Syria responds to that statement by calling Israel the thugs of the middle east and warning that if their is a war with Israel...Syria will bring the fight Israeli cities.

"Israel is indeed planting the seeds of war in the region, I would tell them stop playing the role of thugs in the Middle East," Moallem told reporters Tuesday in Damascus. "One day you threaten Gaza, next day you threaten Lebanon, later Iran and now Syria," Moallem told a joint news conference with Moratinos. "Don't test, you Israelis, the determination of Syria. You know that war this time would move to your cities. Come to your senses and choose the road of peace. This path is clear," Moallem warned.

Read it here; http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1147285.html

Can anyone else out there see the makings of Psalm 83 and possibly Isaiah 17 coming to fulfillment if these guys start trading missiles?

If we do see that come to fruition...then all of us who claim Christ should look up....and listen for the trumpet...and the loud voice saying, "Come up here!"

King of the Hill

We have talked in the past about how the nations play a giant game of King of the Hill.

I believe we are all familiar with the rules of the game...because any kid who ever played outside on a snowdrift would have played it. The main rule to remember is that all players who ARE NOT on the top of the hill rush from all sides with the main goal of knocking off the one player who is on top.

Ex Treasury Secratary Hank Paulson, just came out with a book...and in it he describes that Russia was trying to convince China to dump it's Fannie and Freddie bonds in an attempt to knock the U.S. off the top of the financial hill.

Wow!!....that's kind of unsettling to realize that we almost collapsed in 2008...and if China would have taken Russia's advice....today we could be using Special Drawing Rights (issued by the IMF) to buy our groceries at Cub...because the U.S. dollar would be worthless??

While attending the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson learned that Russia was encouraging China to dump its Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds in an effort to force another U.S. bailout. In his memoir, “On the Brink”, Paulson writes, “The report was deeply troubling -- heavy selling could create a sudden loss of confidence in the GSEs and shake the capital markets… I waited till I was back home and in a secure environment to inform the president.” (Bloomberg.com)

And now Obama's budget comes out...and we are going to fall even deeper into the hands of foreign investors....because we will be forced to borrow another $2 trillion....this year!!

As President Obama presented his proposed budget this week, Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, cautioned against undervaluing foreign assessment of U.S. financial security. "And yes, we know it is an election year, but we cannot continue to delay - foreign credit markets are really not interested in our partisan in-fighting - they are interested in whether the U.S. will remain a safe place to invest." President Obama's budget does not send the message that we are serious about fiscal responsibility and protecting America's future to international investors or to Americans struggling with their own budgets.

But hey...what about Obama's high speed train proposal?? You mean the foreign investors aren't impressed with that idea?? Wait a second!!....have you seen Michelle Obama's arms??? Come on people....get on the charisma train.....loan us some more money!!! We DESERVE IT!!! WE ARE AMERICA!!!

Terror Attack Coming

Do you remember how we have talked about America's Achilles heel? We all know what it is....electricity and communications. If we can't turn our cell phone on in the morning or if the lights go out...we have all become utterly helpless.

A few years ago a local cell phone tower went out so no one in our neighborhood had cell coverage. People were wandering around the neighborhood looking lost as they hadn't heard from their kids, they didn't know when anyone was coming home...it was bewildering.

Today the main headline on Google is that the U.S. Senate has been told that a major terror attack could be coming by Al Qaeda before July...and what might they be planning to hit?

WASHINGTON — America’s top intelligence official told lawmakers on Tuesday that he was “highly certain” that Al Qaeda or one of its affiliates would attempt a large-scale attack on American soil within the next six months.

But Mr. Blair began his annual threat testimony before Congress by saying that the threat of a crippling attack on telecommunications and other computer networks was growing as an increasingly sophisticated group of enemies had “severely threatened” the sometimes fragile systems undergirding the country’s information infrastructure.
“Malicious cyberactivity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication,” he told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

His emphasis on the threat points up the growing concerns among American intelligence officials about the potentially devastating results of a coordinated attack on the nation’s technology apparatus, sometimes called a “cyber Pearl Harbor.”

So now we have a name for the potential disaster; cyber Pearl Harbor.

Read it here; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03intel.html

Some will continue to say, "Everything is going to be O.K. We'll be fine. That's not gonna happen!"

God says to ONLY have faith in Him....because all things of man will one day be burned away. Have we ignored His warning and put all our faith and hope in technology....all of which requires electricity to function? Have any of us ever had to look to Him for our daily bread?....or are we confident that Cub foods will always supply our every need....24 hours per day?

Abortion--The Game Show

And just when you thought TV had slid to it's lowest depths....we now find a new show where viewers can text in (like American Idol) and vote whether the shows actresses should have abortions.

The show is called "Bump". (get it??)

And here are the first three story lines;

Katie, who is married, is the most appealing by virtue of what seems to be a genuine moral conflict. "Once I make it, I can't go back," she says. Her dilemma is further complicated by the fact that her pregnancy is more recent than her husband's departure for Iraq.

Denise is a ditzy child-woman who loves red candies and picks all the red Starbursts from the bowl at the doctor's office. Already the mother of two, she is also a victim of domestic violence. A "whatever" kind of gal, she's mostly interested in the financial help promised by the show.

Finally, the loathsome Hailey and her icky boyfriend, Jason, just want to get on the reality show. They're the party crashers at the abortion clinic. Yippee.

So viewers are supposed to engage in thoughtful debate and then text in their vote on who should abort.

Read it here; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012903836.html

And God said, "I knew you before I knit you into your mother's womb."

And America said, "We could give a rip what you say God, we want to do whatever we want!!...and if murdering the most innocent and indefensible will aid us in our quest for happiness and the American dream....then God be damned!!"

Genesis 6:5, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."

The next big event after this verse was the world wide flood....and only Noah and his family were saved.

Friends....God will not be mocked. His wrath and justice WILL come.

Hat tip to Lisa H.

Voodoo Priest Not Happy

It appears that the Haitian high priest of voodoo....is not happy with how aid is being handed out. He claims the Christians are getting special treatment because Christians are in charge of most of the food and relief effort.

Mr Voodoo High priest....can I ask a question please?? Does the Christian Bible tell Christians that we are supposed to give preference to caring for fellow believers FIRST? You don't know?? May I suggest that you read the letters of Paul and ask the God of Israel to give you wisdom and discernment as you read. And when you read the OT and get to the part about putting to death those who would summon the dead and mediums who summon spirits....would you please hi light that??

Mr Beauvoir, 75, a Sorbonne-educated biochemist, spoke as a first convoy of aid arrived at his home in Mariani, a town just outside Port-au-Prince. It contained 400 sacks of rice from the World Food Programme and was mobbed by hundreds of hungry voodoo believers.
"It is the first delivery and it took a couple of weeks fight to get that for the voodoo people," said Mr Beauvoir.
At the weekend hundreds of voodoo houngans, or priests, gathered in the northern town of Gonaives to plan how to react to the earthquake that left an estimated 200,000 people dead on Jan 12.
Following the earthquake the US television evangelist Pat Roberston said Haiti made a "pact with the devil" 200 years ago when it defeated French colonists.
"I don't know much about him and I don't think I'm losing much," said Mr Beauvoir. "Voodoo as been discriminated against for 200 years.

Notice the sentence that I put in bold above....the voodoo priests got together to plan how to react to the earthquake. I'm reminded of the story of Elijah inviting all the priests of Baal to come to one spot and call on Baal for a show of power. Of course, Baal never showed up....but the God of Israel did and he gave Elijah super human power to kill all the priests of Baal.

Missionaries equating voodoo with devil worship have long tried to convert the population of Haiti but the religion, a mixture of Christianity and animism, remains ingrained. Like Christianity it has one God but incorporates pagan elements such as spell casting and calling spirits.
Mr Beauvoir’s grand house, the Peristyle de Mariani, is a voodoo temple where followers dance around a totem pole in the grounds to the sound of drums. Bonfires are lighted to attract spirits and the blood of animals, including goats and chickens, is drained and used to heal the sick.

Did you catch that BUT that I put in bold above? According to the liberal reporter writing the article....he tries to make comparisons between voodoo and Christianity. We both have one God...but voodoo uses spells and the calling of spirits.....BUT THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE!!

Read it here; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7119572/Haiti-earthquake-voodoo-high-priest-claims-aid-monopolised-by-Christians.html

Notice also in the article how many in Haiti believe that the earthquake was a warning from God....and many are calling radio stations asking listeners to repent of their sins as to avert another punishment. Don't know if that is real solid theology....but if it wakes people up and steers them to Christ...then praise God!!

Air Force Witches

This headline fits in well to the "Mocking God" category.
Neo-Pagans Get Worship Circle at Air Force Academy

Witches, Druids and pagans rejoice! The Air Force Academy in Colorado is about to recognize its first Wiccan prayer circle, a Stonehenge on the Rockies that will serve as an outdoor place of worship for the academy's neo-pagans.

Wiccan cadets and officers on the Colorado Springs base have been convening for over a decade, but the school will officially dedicate a newly built circle of stones on about March 10, putting the outdoor sanctuary on an equal footing with the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels on the base.

Read it here; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584500,00.html?test=latestnews

We were hopeful that the U.S. military was going to be the last holdout for sanity. We were hopeful that "God and Country" would be the foundation on which the military would stand. But now it seems that even the greatest military ever assembled has fallen prey to political correctness.

I'm sure what will soon be following is a demand to remove the crosses on the tombstones at all national cemeteries....and that a cry will go up from the witches to dedicate a stone circle at every national cemetery.

God tells us over and over that He is a jealous God. His wrath WILL be poured out on those who continually reject him.

Honestly folks....how long can it be before he rips this country off the blessed pedestal that He has put us on?

Another Civil War?

About 13 months ago we posted some articles about people who were predicting the U.S. was going to collapse. One guy was a Russian Professor. Back then, he said it was going to happen in 2010. Of course, now it IS 2010.

MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

Notice that he said a civil war would result from an economic and moral collapse.

I will post the article again here; Remember this is from January 2009....not 2010;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html

As we ponder civil war in the U.S., I am reminded of a relative I have in Texas who is very adamant about the idea of Texas seceding from the USA. I have no idea if it is legally possible....but he claims it is because they once were The Republic of Texas....and refused to join the union unless they had secessionist language included in the contract.

Now today I ran across this headline;
US bracing for secessionist sentiments

After one-and-a-half-centuries, Washington has come across a new phenomenon surfacing in its political arena as secessionist advocates in the state of Vermont seek a divorce from the United States of America.

Read it here; http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117609&sectionid=3510203

Is it possible that as the ship goes down that certain states will refuse to go down with it? You bet it is. There may soon be an outcry from the fiscally responsible states (Vermont, Texas, North Dakota) to refuse to bail out the fruits and nuts in California and New York.

I smile at the folks who believe that America will always be greatest power on earth. I believe that's what the Babylonians, Greeks, Persians and Romans thought as well.

All-Time High

The top headline across the front page of today's Wall Street Journal says;
Deficit to Hit All-Time High

We have been watching this financial crisis unfold for some time now....and sadly, we don't see much light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting more convinced everyday that, "things" are never going to go back to, "the way they were". We HOPE that they will....but what we PRAY for is that God's will be done.

And if America needs to go away (and the world shakes as it falls) so that more people come to Christ in the Last Days.....then pray it happens.

Read WSJ article here; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704722304575037470289762694.html

"What good is it for a man to gain the world but forfeit his eternal soul?"....says God.

Jerusalem a Tinder Box

Headlines, article and reports concerning Israel and Jerusalem are literally everywhere. The world just seems to be stumbling over this tiny piece of land....and that stumbling WILL lead to war. Funny....that's what the Bible has been prophesying all along.

In the most recent TIME magazine, there is an article about archaeology taking place in Jerusalem. Check out this paragraph;

Now an extreme case of the willful jumbling of science and faith is threatening Jerusalem's precarious spiritual balance. It could not come at a worse time: Israeli-Arab peace talks have stalled; Israel has a hawkish government disinclined to compromise; and radical Islamist group Hamas remains powerful among Palestinians. Any tilt in Jerusalem's religious equilibrium could create a wave of unrest spreading far beyond the city's ramparts. Eric Meyers, who teaches Jewish studies and archaeology at Duke University, says: "Right now, Jerusalem is a tinderbox. "

"The situation now is very, very tense," he warns.
It shouldn't be. Jerusalem is one of the world's richest archaeological sites. In its 6,000-year history, the city has changed hands more than 120 times. It has been ruled — and this is an incomplete list — by Jebusites, Israelites, Romans, Persians, Greeks, crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans, British, Jordanians and modern Israelis. "We Jews are not alone here," says archaeologist Finklestein. Would that all who treasure the holy city — of any religion and none — could agree on sharing its sacred past.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1957350,00.html#ixzz0eDiy8Y7J

Remember, Luke tells us the Jerusalem will be trampled until the "fullness of the gentiles is complete." And then what??....and then the Rapture of the Church will happen...at which point the focus on Jerusalem will be intense because the Third Temple will quickly get built, Antichrist will sign a peace agreement with Jews and Arabs (Israel and her neighbors)....and the wrath of God will be at hand.

China Threatens

We have been repeating the Bible's warning like a broken record, "The borrower will be slave to the lender." We know that we are into China for a big pile of dough....so where does that leave us?

Here's the headline today; CHINA THREATENS SANCTIONS OVER U.S. ARMS DEAL

Of course we all understand that countries squabble over trade deals all the time, but this deal may prove to be of major difference.

Beijing, China (CNN) -- China has threatened to slap sanctions on American companies that sell arms to its rival Taiwan as part of a range of punitive actions Beijing is taking to protest the deal.
China also summoned U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman to express its anger over Washington's announcement, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said, citing the Foreign Ministry.
Beijing also suspended plans for visits between the Chinese and U.S. militaries and postponed a high-level arms control meeting, it announced Saturday, following Washington's $6.4-billion arms deal with Taiwan.

Read it here; http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/31/china.us.taiwan.arms/

This one should be really obvious to even a fifth grader....you can't BORROW money from someone and then expect them to be happy to find you USED the money to MAKE guns, bombs and bullets that you SELL to their ENEMY.

I would expect to see China doing some military manuever (maybe they already have?) in the near future which would serve as a VISUAL warning that they are not happy with us.