Half of America on Welfare?

We can most certainly debate and discuss until the cows come home, how the rich are so rich...and how the poor are so poor.

That's neither here nor there. Jesus said we will ALWAYS have the poor amongst us...until He returns and sits on the throne.

What's not debatable is the fact that almost half of all Americans pay nothing into the Federal Tax system....meaning half are getting benefits from a program to which they pay nothing.

Not healthy...not sustainable.

A leading free-market economist says it's not a stable situation for a republican democracy when half of the citizens aren't contributing to the cost of the government they're benefiting from.

The Washington-based Tax Policy Center estimates that about 47 percent of Americans will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009.

"When you're in a situation where half the people are not paying taxes into the government, there's very little check on the size of the government because people are getting it for free. That's not a stable situation," he notes. "The other part of it is we have to explain that what that means is these people are effectively on welfare," he adds. "You're getting services from the government and you're not paying for it."

Foster says the country needs to explore tax reform ideas, but those ideas need to include making sure low- to middle-income Americans pay some nominal amount "just so they know they paid something into running their government."

See it here; http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=965988

Did you catch that phrase, "...very little check on the size of government"? What does that mean? It means that 47% of folks who pay nothing can elect politicians who promise them even more government benefits...that they don't have to pay for. Who wouldn't want a deal like that??

If Jesus tarries....this situation will lead into a twice bloated U.S. government taking huge amounts from a very small portion of the "wealthy" folks....and redistributing it to the other 90% who want lots of stuff but don't want to pay for it.

This usually ends with the government turning on the people...because if they are controlling it all....they will then start to dictate to all of it's subjects EXACTLY how they want them to live.

Are we all seeing signs of that already happening? Does the Bible tell us that the world's government will turn on the Tribulation Saints in the last 3 1/2 years leading up to Christ's return?.....yes it does.

Fitch Downgrades Greece

The above title is actually the headline in the Wall Street Journal today.

Some will say, "Dennis...what the heck does Greece have to do with us?"

Answer; It's all potential foreshadowing of what happens to nations who borrowed money yesterday...so they could live higher lifestyles than they could afford today.

And now, when it comes time to pay the piper, it can really fall into a nasty downward spiral.

It's bad enough when you can't afford to make payments on your existing debt, but as if to add insult to injury...Fitch comes in and tells the world your credit rating is tanking. So now all those who loaned you money, AND ALL THOSE WHO YOU WISH TO BORROW MORE MONEY FROM....have suddenly decided they are going to raise the interest rate they will charge you....because you are now a bad risk.

And now instead of being able to borrow money at 4% interest....everyone wants 7%. Remember, you were having problems making the payments at 4%....how are you possibly going to make the payments at 7%? The ONLY way is to MASSIVELY CUT EXISTING PROGRAMS!

And when you make massive cuts to programs....it lead to Social unrest.

Fitch Ratings cut its rating for Greece to the lowest investment-grade rating and said the outlook remained negative, adding to the woes facing the country.

Yields on Greek debt have soared this week as worries have grown about the country's ability to finance its heavy debt load, with some analysts saying the likelihood of the country needing to accept aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund is growing.

The downgrade comes days ahead of an auction that will test investors' willingness to buy some of the country's fastest-maturing debt. On Tuesday, Greece is to auction a combined €1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) of 26-week and 52-week Treasury bills.

Local traders say yields at the auction could top 7%, well above levels paid when the government last sold short-term debt.

As we said above...how are they going to pay 7% when they were having problems paying 4%?

The answer....another bailout.

The report from New York think-tank said funding to be provided to Greece will have interest rates "well below those prevailing in the market." EU officials couldn't be immediately reached for comments on the Medley Advisors report.

See it all here; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304024604575173391393050242.html?mod=WSJ_Markets_LeadStory

Let's remember friends....Greece is teeny-tiny in economic size, so it is not a stretch to make them a sweetheart deal that is "well below those in the market". (bailout)

But what happens when it is America that needs this deal? We have an economy 100 times bigger than Greece. Who will be standing there to offer us a sweetheart deal? Japan?....sorry...broke. China?....sorry....we are full of your debt. India?....sorry...we have been lightening our load.

Who does that leave to save us? Answer....the INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. (IMF)

Repeat after me; "A ONE WORLD CURRENCY IS ON THE HORIZON"....just as the Bible says would happen in the very last days.

Netanyahu Cancels Trip

Israeli Prime Minister was planning on attending a conference in Washington D.C., hosted by Obama, and was going to join in the discussion about nukes getting into the wrong hands.

He has since cancelled the trip after learning Arab may have been planning on using the meeting to hammer Israel.

He made the decision after learning Egypt and Turkey intended to raise the issue of Israel's presumed nuclear arsenal at the conference, a senior government official said on Friday.

Israel is believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East but has never confirmed or denied that it possesses atomic weapons. It has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, or NPT.

Netanyahu saw Obama at the White House late last month for talks on the stalled Middle East peace process with the Palestinians, but they failed to see eye to eye and relations between the two leaders remain at a low ebb.

The article goes on to talk about more about the "low ebb" between Israel and Obama.

In New Orleans, hundreds of party loyalists at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference applauded when they were informed Netanyahu had just cancelled his visit to Washington.

At the gathering, Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, blasted Obama for his "shabby" treatment of Netanyahu at the White House recently, saying it was "disgraceful."

She added: "Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and one of our strongest allies anywhere around this globe. And President Obama is playing a reckless game of continuing down the path of diminishing America's ties to Israel."

See it here; http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-uk-nuclear-summit-israel.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes

Amen Liz Cheney! President Obama IS playing a reckless game! And if he soon doesn't change course....the USA may start to see even more cursing from God.

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.....says God.

Hat tip to Jennie D.

Three Days

Experts in California are asking their residents.....Could you survive for three days if all services like food, water, electricity, cell phones, etc...were shut down?

Funny....we have been advocating to our adult ed class that everyone start setting aside some food and water. Why? Because it is simply common sense to NOT ASSUME that Cub Foods will be open 24 hours per day if a really big catastrophe hits. And even more important...if you have a ton of food set aside, you may be able to share it with your neighbors during a catastrophe and lead them to Christ while sharing your food.

There seems to have been an abundance of earthquakes of late. Which prompts experts to utter this warming: Three days.

It doesn’t sound like very much time, but could you survive for three days without water, food or power? Add to that short list cell phones, communication, news, medical attention, shelter anda change of clothes. Three days. Could you do it? Are you prepared to live without any of the aforementioned items?

Most of us aren’t. But that’s how long one might expect to go without the basics for survival and communication in the event of a major earthquake, says Jose Restrepo. The UCSD Professor of structural engineering has just returned to San Diego from Chile, where an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck on February 27. In 90 seconds, the earthquake caused enough damage for President Michelle Bachelet to declare a state of catastrophe.

See it here; http://www.sandiego.com/featured-story/are-earthquakes-on-the-rise

Have we really gotten to the point where "experts" have to tell all of us sheep to make sure we can care for ourselves for three days? Apparently so.

And that's how a Nanny State happens....not all at once, but over the course of decades. The government first starts handing out a little food, then a little shelter, then a little clothing, then a little free education,...and before you know it, we are all standing around like baby birds with our mouths open saying, "FEED ME, FEED ME!"

Our forefathers who settled Nebraska, Wyoming, the Dakota's,....would be embarrassed to see how helpless and dependent we all have become.

Lord, please open our eyes and remind us of the mission you gave to all of us while on earth....GO and MAKE disciples in all nations. Feed our neighbors, clothe our neighbors and lead them to Christ through those actions. We are sorry that we have ignored this command and handed it over to our government....while all our neighbors are starving for Christ.

Guam Could Capsize

The Navy wanted to move some more supplies and men to it's base on the island of Guam. A Democratic Congressman from Georgia has some questions for the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet.

The Congressman is concerned...he believes that Guam could capsize if we put any more supplies on it. Yes...he is serious.

See video clip here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9R-cQ_A_6w

Holy Cow! If these are the folks who are voting on (and writing!) health care laws, tax laws, financial reform laws....WE may all be capsizing soon!

Hat tip to Brad N.

Earthquakes NOT Increasing

According to CNN, scientists are saying the the frequency in earthquakes IS NOT increasing...and is actually pretty normal.

Yes, it seems as if there have been a lot of strong earthquakes this year. And no, it's not a signal that the planet is coming apart at the seams, seismologists say.

The difference this year is not the frequency or strength of earthquakes, but their occurrence in or near population centers, the scientists say.

Major earthquakes in 2010 have caused death and destruction in Haiti, Chile, Mexico and Indonesia, and smaller ones have rattled nerves elsewhere.

"Natural processes become disasters only when they interact with people," said Seth Stein, a distinguished faculty member at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

"There are lots of earthquakes every year, but most of them don't do anybody any harm. And even big earthquakes don't necessarily do anybody any harm unless a lot of people live there," said Stein, the William Deering professor of geological sciences in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

See it here; http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/04/07/earthquake.frequency/index.html?hpt=C1

So, if this is in fact true...let's look at it from a prophetic point of view. Jesus said there will be earthquakes in various places and it will be ONE sign among many that will all begin happening simultaneously....as a warning to people.

So if the earth had twenty 7.0 earthquakes last year and they all happened on deserted islands and no one cared or even knew about them.....would that wake anyone up to start looking for other signs? Probably not.

The article says that the large earthquakes are happening in population centers....and that's why everyone is paying attention.

1,000,000 people fasted and prayed to the God of Israel in Haiti following the devastation there. That's a lot of people who may have attained salvation...and the earthquake could have been the final trigger that led them to that point.

So...we will keep watching for earthquakes and signs in nature to be something that alerts folks to the fact that for the first time in human history...many of the signs Christ said to watch for, and the OT prophets said to watch for...all seem to be happening in rapid succession.

As always.....remember that the Jews being gathered back to Israel after being scattered amongst the NATIONS is a prophetic super- sign...and everything else sits on top of that.

Hat tip to Jennie D.

Pension Bomb

A few days ago we posted about Los Angeles running out of money in the next month.

Today we have more serious, unsustainable money problems for our largest state.

California's $500-billion pension time bomb
The staggering amount of unfunded debt stands to crowd out funding for many popular programs. Reform will take something sadly lacking in the Legislature: political courage.

The state of California's real unfunded pension debt clocks in at more than $500 billion, nearly eight times greater than officially reported.

That's the finding from a study released Monday by Stanford University's public policy program, confirming a recent report with similar, stunning findings from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.

See it with your own eyes here; http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/06/opinion/la-oe-crane6-2010apr06

We have wondered aloud if CA is a foreshadowing of what is to come for the rest of the states.

I would guess we will see CA begging on the steps of Washington D.C. regarding this latest fiasco. But what can D.C. do? Borrow more money to give to CA and charge it to our grand kids?

Obama, "Inexperienced Amateur"

When Obama was elected, he promised to usher in a new era of peace and cooperation with the countries who don't like us. He promised that he would undo all the problems that George Bush created by not talking nice about others. Finally, he promised Iran that we would would extend our hand if they unclenched their fist.

Ummm..Yea,.....how's that working?

Iran's president attacks Obama on nuclear "threat"

(Reuters) - Iran's president made a scathing and personal attack on U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday as an "inexperienced amateur" who was too quick to threaten to use nuclear weapons against enemies of the United States.

Commenting on new U.S. policy restrictions on the use of atomic weapons which sent a stern message to nuclear-defiant Iran that it remained a potential target, hard-line Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Obama that Iran would not yield to threats.

"Obama made these latest remarks because he is inexperienced and an amateur politician," Ahmadinejad said on Iranian television. "American politicians are like cowboys. Whenever they have legal shortcomings, their hands go to their guns."

Obama had made a diplomatic overture to Tehran soon after he took power in 2009, urging it to "unclench its fist."

See it here; http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6362IJ20100407

George Bush labeled Iran as part of the "axis of evil". The liberals of the world declared that to be "name calling" and "not helpful".

Well, the liberals have now had over a year to make friends with the evil mongers...and we can now see from the above how well that has gone.

Quakes Every Day

This seems to be almost getting obvious folks....another day...another 7+ earthquake.

This one hit in Indonesia.

A 7.7 earthquake shook Indonesia's northwest island of Sumatra early Wednesday, prompting a brief tsunami warning and sending residents rushing for higher ground. There were scattered reports of injuries, but only minor damage was immediately reported.

See it here; http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCeFe6qrUA2J6TpqBUjMoyp8nthAD9ETVE400

Another Strange Beast

It's being reported that this strange animal was captured in China. DNA testing is currently being done. The Chinese are calling it a "Yeti".

The hairless beast was trapped by hunters in Sichuan province after locals reported spotting what they thought was a bear.

Hunter Lu Chin explained: "It looks a bit like a bear but it doesn't have any fur and it has a tail like a kangaroo.""It also does not sound like a bear - it has a voice more like a cat and it is calling all the time - perhaps it is looking for the rest of its kind or maybe it's the last one?

"There are local legends of a bear that used to be a man and some people think that's what we caught," he added.
Local animal experts now plan to shipped the mystery beast to scientists in Beijing who will perform DNA tests on the beast.

See article here; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7557799/Oriental-yeti-discovered-in-China.html

Hmmmmm??......wouldn't it be interesting if the DNA testing comes back and they find it's mother has the DNA of a human woman and they can't identify the DNA of the father?

Let's watch and see.

Fear and Foreboding

This article does well to sum up the mood that has currently settled on the middle east.

The Middle East is full of talk of war. Not today, tomorrow or perhaps even next year but the horizon is dark, and people who have to live with the Middle East's grim collection of smouldering problems are finding it hard to look ahead with anything other than foreboding.

By the end of this year, if sanctions have not persuaded Iran to stop what many countries insist is a nuclear weapons programme, the war party in Israel will be pushing for military action.

South Lebanon is once again looking like a tinderbox.

Insults and threats have been bandied back and forth between Syria, Israel and Hezbollah.
In Washington DC, where I have been this week, analysts say Syria has been shipping bigger and better weapons to Hezbollah, its Lebanese ally.

Now pay close attention here;

And then there is the crisis between the United States, Israel and the Palestinians.
Benjamin Netanyahu's disastrous visit to Washington DC has exposed just how bad this crisis and current US-Israeli relations are.

What is even more serious is that it is centred on the future of Jerusalem, which is about the single most emotive issue in the entire Middle East.

See it here; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8587814.stm

How many prophetic "watch" signs can you see in this one article? Let's see.....war and rumors of war, curse those who curse you, Jerusalem a cup of trembling, Isaiah 17, Psalm 83.

Something big is about to give birth. As Jesus says, "Pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able (instead?) to stand before the Son of Man."

Remember friends.....salvation is not graded on a curve....it is only pass or fail. It's very clear,... the last generation will either go THROUGH THE TRIBULATION or STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN.

Pets Left Behind in Rapture

In the previous post we just made about Los Angeles running out of money....one of the other top stories in the "Most popular stories" section of Business Week, had this headline;
Caring for Pets Left Behind by the Rapture

Many people in the U.S.—perhaps 20 million to 40 million—believe there will be a Second Coming in their lifetimes, followed by the Rapture . In this event, they say, the righteous will be spirited away to a better place while the godless remain on Earth. But what will become of all the pets?

Bart Centre, 61, a retired retail executive in New Hampshire, says many people are troubled by this question, and he wants to help. He started a service called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets that promises to rescue and care for animals left behind by the saved.

The rescuers won't know the precise location of the animals until the Rapture arrives, at which time they will contact Centre for instructions. "I've got to get to [the pets] within a maximum of 18 to 24 hours. We really don't want them to wait more than a day." A day she believes will never come.

See it here; http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_08/b4167070046047.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories

Wow....a day she believe will never come. Just as Jesus says....it will come like the flood of Noah...and billions will wonder what just happened...as they are swept away into The Tribulation.

I do have one question for any "Christians" who have signed up for this service; Have you spent as much time, effort and money trying to save souls for Christ as you have spent time, effort and money caring for your pets?

Let's all think about that one....and look real hard in the mirror...before we answer.

P.S. Please notice the first paragraph of this article in which the author says there will be a second coming....followed by the rapture. He has his facts wrong......it's rapture, followed by wrath of God....THEN the second coming.

Los Angeles Out of Cash

We have mentioned some trigger points in the past that could lead to serious chaos problems in this country. One of those triggers could be bouncing welfare checks to cities, like Los Angeles, that have a huge percentage of their populations reliant on government handouts.

Think about it...if you have millions of people who have gotten used to receiving a check every month for years and one day....they flat out don't get one....you have a recipe for some serious anarchy, looting, and upheaval.

Today, we find this headline;
Los Angeles to Run Out of Cash in a Month, City Controller Says
Los Angeles will run out of cash on May 5, city Controller Wendy Greuel said today in a release in which she requested a $90 million transfer of reserve funds to pay bills.

The controller said she received a letter from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power today indicating the utility wouldn’t send an anticipated $73 million payment to the city’s general fund. That money is part of an annual contribution of 8 percent of power revenue that the utility makes in lieu of paying taxes to the city, according to Ben Golombek, a spokesman for the controller.

“The question I have been asked most often during the budget crisis is, ‘When will the city run out of money?” Greuel said in the e-mailed release. “Unfortunately, we finally have the answer.”

See it here; http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-05/los-angeles-to-run-out-of-cash-in-a-month-city-controller-says.html

The article doesn't mention welfare checks bouncing, but I have seen other articles from California saying that if their budget situation doesn't improve....they will have to make cuts or eliminations EVERYWHERE.

If California had a healthy budget, the city might be able to go to the state for a low-cost bailout....but we know that California as a state is also flat broke...and has already come to the Federal government for help....and we know the Federal government is also flat broke.

Can everybody say the word, "unravel"?

Big Rumble in Baja

The headline news today is about a 7.2 earthquake that struck in northern Mexico and was felt through southern California and as far away as Phoenix.

Mexican authorities dispatched engineers to check damaged houses and buildings Monday in Baja California state following a major earthquake Sunday that left two people dead.
The Federal Electricity Commission was also working to restore power in the city of Mexicali, state-run news agency Notimex reported.

The 7.2-magnitude quake struck northwest Baja California Sunday, rattling parts of California and Arizona as well. It was the largest in the Baja California and Southern California area since 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

See it here; http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/04/05/mexico.earthquake/

Yesterday in adult ed, we talked about the "birth pains" phrase Jesus used when describing how these earthquake events will take place, which will be one more signal of His return.

Yesterday's quake simply adds to the number of major tremors that have hit planet earth during the first 3 months of 2010.

Remember, these little quakes are simply foreshadowing of the huge quakes that will happen during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:13, 16:18)....but ultimately they are a foreshadowing of THE FINAL QUAKE that will happen when Jesus returns to planet earth and touches his foot down on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14:4)