Rising Food Prices=Unrest

The Bible tells us in Revelation that a day is coming during the Tribulation that people will be working all day simply to buy enough food to sustain them for one day.

Why? Because food will be scarce...so it will be expensive.

Could we be seeing signs that this day is coming?

ANALYSIS-Grain price rise may fuel Mideast, Europe unrest

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Rising grain prices from Russia's drought and fires will pressure populations already hit by the financial crisis and could stoke unrest -- particularly in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe.

Wheat prices have risen by nearly 70 percent since June after Russia suffered its worst drought in 130 years and are at their highest since 2008, when the last major food price rally sparked protests and riots in a string of emerging nations.

Analysts warn that if prices stay high then the threat of street violence will increase -- at least up to a point.

See it here; http://alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE67A0Y0.htm

As the article states....when people get hungry...it leads to unrest.

Extreme Weather

This morning's news was reporting from Ames, Iowa where the worst flooding "ever" is happening. The water tower has drained because of broken water mains and people are lining up for bottled water.

The extreme weather is breaking out simultaneously all over the world....just like we would expect "birth pangs" for the world to be.

The floods and droughts are now leading to crop failures and shortages would could soon put the world on edge with food shortages.

This prophecy watcher hits the nail right on the head in explaining what we are seeing;

No matter how one would like to keep optimistic in this day and age, it is very hard to ignore the fact that this earth is experiencing some serious changes. Russia is fighting a killer heatwave, raging wildfires, and threats of nuclear smog, while the Asian floods, landslides, are also taking massive tolls on human life, properties, and affecting the global markets. These are only a few examples of the world-wide extreme weather and natural disasters occurring simultaneously around the globe today. Words and phrases such as 'unprecedented', 'never before in living memory' are now common, and describe many of these events, and one has to wonder, what on earth is going on?

The last days are here as the Word of God has prophesied thousands of years ago and viewing the current events through the lens of Biblical prophecy for days such as this can prove more accurate and truthful than any Scientist or man-made explanation - through which comes No real solution against the force of God. The solution and end of all these signs that will keep increasing until the time of the end, will be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, when His Kingdom is birthed. These extreme weather events and natural disasters now occurring do not prove global warming is true - they prove that there is a God, a God Who keeps His Word.

The signs we are seeing now serve as a wake up call that the Tribulation time of judgment is coming, and for all to examine their own walk with God. Prior to the Tribulation, there will be a rapture to Heaven, of all those who are the LORD's followers now on earth- all those who place complete faith in Jesus Christ - and that could occur at any time.

See it here; http://www.examiner.com/canada-bible-prophecy-in-canada/extreme-weather-and-natural-disasters-occurring-simultaneously-around-the-globe

For the last 4 years we have been watching and waiting here at Buffalo Covenant and we have watched the frequency of events increase. We are now at the point where things are moving very fast. I almost have a feel that we have been working on our fire drills just in case a real fire breaks out...and what we are seeing today is smoke from an actual, real fire.

Friends, Jesus could be close. Are we ready for the Lord's return?

Beyond the Point of No Return

Many have heard me talk about the problem of the Federal Reserve "buying" Treasury bonds from the U.S. Treasury. Where does the Fed get the money to do this? I have asked some of the smartest minds in my industry to explain how this works and all I get is blank stares. To me, that is evidence of a problem.

A friend sent me this article today from CNN Money;

Is this finally the economic collapse?

Despite the many differences between Japan and the US, there is one similarity that continues to matter most in the risk management model my colleagues and I use at Hedgeye, our research firm -- debt as a percentage of GDP. Now that the US can't cut interest rates any lower, the only option left on the table is what the Fed just announced it would start doing -- buying Treasury debt. And that could lead the country to the brink of collapse: According to economists Carmen Reinhart & Ken Rogoff, whose views we share, crossing the 90% debt/GDP threshold is the equivalent of crossing the proverbial Rubicon of economic growth. It's a point from which it's almost impossible to return.

See it here; http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/11/news/economy/economic_collapse_GDP_unemployment.fortune/index.htm

It is starting to feel a little bit eerie here on planet earth. The rumors coming out of Israel are that war could break out there by month end, the floods and storms keep hammering various places, people are on edge all over the world, large earthquakes are happening with such frequency they are scarcely reported, and Pakistan has had such devastating floods that millions are homeless and thousands could starve...but yet most in America don't even know about it!

Remember when the Tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004? We were all stacked around our T.V.'s for two weeks amazed that the earth could turn on humans in such a tragic way. We all opened our checkbooks and sent $billions in aid.

Today we have become so desensitized we simply won't be bothered with the latest human tragedy. Unprecedented wildfires in Russia, Chinese mudslides killing thousands, Pakistani flooding.....yawn!

The earth is groaning folks. The sirens are blowing announcing that time is short. Will we all be at work for the Kingdom when the Master returns?

Hat tip to Adam G.

UFO's Going Mainstream

As we have been saying for some time, Satan has been on a major mission to condition the world to accept demonic activity under the guise that it is aliens traveling in spaceships.

Here is one more example of a major government talking about UFO's and a major news outlet (BBC) covering the story.

Brazil air force to record UFO sightings

Brazil's government has ordered its air force to officially record any sighting of unidentified flying objects.

A government decree said all military and civilian pilots as well as air traffic controllers should register any UFO sightings with the national aerospace defence command.

The information will be stored in the national archives in Rio de Janeiro.

There have been several reports of UFOs in Brazil in recent decades.

In 1986, air force jets were scrambled to investigate unidentified objects in the skies above Sao Paulo, but the phenomenon was never fully explained.

And in 1977 the Amazon town of Vigia asked for military help after some residents said they had been attacked by extra-terrestrials.

See it here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10947856

Of course all this "alien" activity increased exponentially in 1947 when the famous UFO crash reportedly happened in Roswell, New Mexico.

Could it be that Satan could see the sign of Israel being regathered and announcing it's nation status in 1948...within months of the UFO crash in Roswell? Could it be that Satan recognized that as a major sign that we have entered into the season of Christ's return so he put his "rapture explanation" plans on full alert?

Those who deny Satan's power and deceptive abilities do it at their own peril.

U.S. is Bankrupt

This article is particularly sobering for me. Why? Because I have been saying for a few years that the U.S. is running a giant Ponzi scheme...and it consists of generational theft and also the "magic" of the Federal Reserve "buying" Treasury bonds at the Treasury auctions. It's a bit like a husband borrowing money from his wife in an attempt to forestall bankruptcy....it makes no sense.

Here is the title of this article in Bloomberg;
U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It: Laurence Kotlikoff

This is what happens when you run a massive Ponzi scheme for six decades straight, taking ever larger resources from the young and giving them to the old while promising the young their eventual turn at passing the generational buck.

Herb Stein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under U.S. President Richard Nixon, coined an oft-repeated phrase: “Something that can’t go on, will stop.” True enough. Uncle Sam’s Ponzi scheme will stop. But it will stop too late.

And it will stop in a very nasty manner. The first possibility is massive benefit cuts visited on the baby boomers in retirement. The second is astronomical tax increases that leave the young with little incentive to work and save. And the third is the government simply printing vast quantities of money to cover its bills.

Most likely we will see a combination of all three responses with dramatic increases in poverty, tax, interest rates and consumer prices. This is an awful, downhill road to follow, but it’s the one we are on. And bond traders will kick us miles down our road once they wake up and realize the U.S. is in worse fiscal shape than Greece.

See it here;
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-11/u-s-is-bankrupt-and-we-don-t-even-know-commentary-by-laurence-kotlikoff.html

Friends, I hate to say it but I think it may be time to start making serious plans for how your family will cope/handle/survive this "awful, downhill road" that we are on.

We say the Lord's prayer almost every Sunday and in it we say, "give us our daily bread"....we may have a chance real soon to understand what that really means to rely on God for our food.

I pray that the rapture comes first, but we can't know that for sure. And it just may be that God the Father wants to purify us of our false idol of Mammon (wealth) before He sends his Son to collect the bride.

Change Times

The book of Daniel tells us in chapter 7, verse 25;
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws.

The "he" that Daniel is speaking about is non other than the Antichrist who will rule over The Tribulation.

So we know that Antichrist will try to change set times when he appears on scene...so we should be seeing some foreshadowing of this event... seeing that the Bible thinks it is significant enough to mention it.

And here is the headline in today's Telegraph;
Giant Mecca clock seeks to call time on Greenwich

And also the headline on yesterday's AOL News;
Saudis Want 'Mecca Time' to Replace GMT

For more than a century, a point on the top of a hill in south-east London has been recognised as the centre of world time and the official starting point of each new day.

But now the supremacy of Greenwich Mean Time is being challenged by a gargantuan new clock being built in Mecca, by which the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims could soon be setting their watches.

Due to start ticking on Thursday as the faithful begin fasting during the month of Ramadan, the timepiece sits atop the Royal Mecca Clock Tower which dominates Islam’s holiest city.

The clock’s four faces are 151ft in diameter and will be illuminated by 2million LED lights along with huge Arabic script reading: “In the name of Allah”. The clock will run on Arabia Standard Time which is three hours ahead of GMT.

When a glittering spire is added, topped with a crescent to symbolise Islam, the edifice will stand at nearly 2,000 ft, making it the world's second tallest building.

The clock of Big Ben, by comparison, is just 23ft in diameter, while its tower stands at a mere 316ft.

Residents of Mecca will also be reminded that it is time to pray when 21,000 green and white lights, visible at a distance of 18 miles, flash five times a day.

See it here; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/7937123/Giant-Mecca-clock-seeks-to-call-time-on-Greenwich.html

And here; http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/saudis-want-mecca-time-to-replace-gmt/19588949

Friends....this is a tad freaky. It is 100% certain that Islam wants to rule the world. I don't blame them for that, because after all, didn't we enjoy ruling the world for the past 70 years? But what is freaky is that the Muslims may take over a lot of the world without even a sword fight simply because The West is so sound asleep, apathetic and complacent. Most U.S. voters don't know what Islam is, don't know what it wants to do...and the most scary thing is that they don't care!

No doubt Islam will be part of the Antichrist's one world religion...and who knows...he may order the world to follow this very clock in Mecca!

How close may we be to the day when "He" stands on planet earth and demands that the world reset our watches to Mecca Time and change our calendars from being oriented towards Christ?

I believe that day may be a lot closer than most people think.

Hat tip to Becky M. and Mike S.

GOP Destroyed the Economy

Ronald Reagan had a director of Office Management and Budget named David Stockton. He recently wrote an Op-ed piece in the New York Times titled, "How My GOP Destroyed the U.S. Economy."

Today there are some commentaries on the original article. And I bring you one of them from Yahoo Finance. It is very prophetic.

"How my G.O.P. destroyed the U.S. economy." Yes, that is exactly what David Stockman, President Ronald Reagan's director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed piece, "Four Deformations of the Apocalypse."

Get it? Not "destroying." The GOP has already "destroyed" the U.S. economy, setting up an "American Apocalypse."

How did the great nation of America lose its moral compass and drift so far off course, to where our very survival is threatened?

He goes on to tell us that class warfare and an American Apocalypse is soon coming. I don't doubt him on this note as I have said all along that if you cut welfare checks to people who have received them for 3 generations....they are going to throw bricks, not go plant gardens.

As the apocalypse draws near, Stockman sees a class-rebellion, a new revolution, a war against greed and the wealthy. Soon. The trigger will be the growing gap between economic classes: No wonder "that during the last bubble (from 2002 to 2006) the top 1% of Americans -- paid mainly from the Wall Street casino -- received two-thirds of the gain in national income, while the bottom 90% -- mainly dependent on Main Street's shrinking economy -- got only 12%. This growing wealth gap is not the market's fault. It's the decaying fruit of bad economic policy."

And the article ends with a particularly prophetic sentence;

"The day of national reckoning has arrived. We will not have a conventional business recovery now, but rather a long hangover of debt liquidation and downsizing ... it's a pity that the modern Republican party offers the American people an irrelevant platform of recycled Keynesianism when the old approach -- balanced budgets, sound money and financial discipline -- is needed more than ever."

Wrong: There are far bigger things to "pity."

First, that most Americans, 300 million, are helpless, will do nothing, sit in the bleachers passively watching this deadly partisan game like it's just another TV reality show.
Second, that, unfortunately, politicians are so deep-in-the-pockets of the Wall Street conspiracy that controls Washington they are helpless and blind.

And third, there's a depressing sense that Stockman will be dismissed as a traitor, his message lost in the 24/7 news cycle ... until the final apocalyptic event, an unpredictable black swan triggers another, bigger global meltdown, followed by a long Great Depression II and a historic class war.

So be prepared, it will hit soon, when you least expect.

See it here; http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110297/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy

Interesting in that Jesus said the end will come like a flood....and it will swamp everyone on earth when they least expect it.

I wonder what it means to us all when the author says, "So be prepared...."?

I wonder what it means to us all when Jesus says, "So be prepared...."?

Moscow Looks "Apocalyptic"

The fires continue to burn out of control in Russia. Sounds like a combination of drought, record heat (hottest ever!), and mismanagement of forests are going to be the culprits.

Extraordinary levels of smog following wildfires around Moscow have left the streets of the Russian capital looking "positively apocalyptic", writes Moscow-based journalist Brendan Cole for Channel 4 News.

Those streets now look positively apocalyptic, and scarce surgical masks provide an inadequately thin layer between your lungs and the fug of carbon monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, whose levels on the weekend reached six times higher than what is considered safe.

The daily mortality rate has doubled, there is no room at the morgues for hundreds of bodies and funerals have been delayed because grave diggers are swamped with work.

State of emergency. A state of emergency has been declared in seven regions with, at one point, around 800,000 hectares burning, accelerated by Russia's worst heat wave on record. Temperatures for weeks have soared as high as 40 degrees, 15 degrees above the seasonal norm.

See it here; http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/asia_pacific/moscow+smog+streets+look+aposapocalypticapos/3739802

Of course this news is interesting because Ezekiel 38 says that God will put hooks in the jaws of the Russian leaders and literally draw them out with their army. They will join a coalition army of Turkey, Iran, Libya and a few other smaller players. They will believe they are seeking something that Israel has (booty) and they also will be led by centuries of Jew hatred....but they will come and gather for war.

While they are gathered and before they can attack, God will supernaturally confuse their armies so they end up turning on each other. They will ultimately destroy each other's armies so that the Israelites won't even have to fight.

When the Jews and the world see this....there will be a large awakening and many will turn to the God of Israel, Isaac and Jacob.

Of course we Christ followers will hope that the rapture has already happened so that we WON'T see this event. That is our blessed hope.

Remember that discontent, unhappiness, bankruptcy, poor living conditions and mankind's inherent need to blame others for their own misfortune USUALLY lead to war. It makes one wonder if the "hooks" spoken of by God in Ezekiel 38 have begun to be set into Magog's jaws?

Even the Women

Have you guys all noticed how many perverted woman have been arrested in the past handful of years?

Here is another one in the headlines today;

Livermore woman faces 67 charges related to sex with two teenage boys.

He told police he met with Hubbs multiple times for sex acts and twice went with her to a hotel to have sex with her. The boy said the relationship continued until January 2010.

During the investigation, police learned of a second boy, who is now 14, who said he had a sexual relationship with Hubbs from December 2009 through July.

Investigators say Hubbs communicated with the teens by text messages and at times used her cell phone to send sexual messages and nude pictures of herself.

According to court records, the boys said she gave them gifts, mostly gift cards, and money, and drove them in her black, 2006 Hummer to various locations in Livermore and elsewhere in Alameda County to engage in sexual activity.

See it here; http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15697569?nclick_check=1

Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:26, "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women abandoned natural relations for unnatural ones."

Of course we are sadenned by men being perverts because they are so easily led astray by their eyes....but when a society has EVEN THE WOMEN turning into porn addicts and child molestors...you have to know that we may have passed the point of no return when it comes to debauchery.

So when will God give this whole country over to it's shameful lusts? I believe we are about to find out.

Sad Statistics

The Bible is clear that the world will be surprised and caught totally unaware when the rapture of the church happens.....BUT....Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 4 that those who are watching, know God's word and are eager for the return of Christ WILL NOT BE SURPRISED.

I was just talking to Mike last night and we both agreed that if the trumpet started loudly blowing and we started to see graves cracking open and the dead in Christ heading for the clouds.....WE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED.

This morning Mike sent me some stats from Pastor Charles Stanley that are very sad....BUT should not surprise us.

I. Overview: A large percentage of Americans no longer believe in the truth of God's Word. Most think any belief is acceptable as long as it satisfies those who hold to that view. As a result, people no longer have a clear sense of right and wrong. Violence, greed, and immorality are rampant. However, God's standards haven't changed. The consequences of sin—now and in eternity—remain the same. It's vitally important to base our beliefs on the Word of God so that you and I can be a light to this dark world.

II. What do Americans believe?

A. Only a third of adults believe that the Bible is the fully inspired Word of God and can be taken literally word for word.

B. More than half of all adults surveyed believe that a good person can earn a place in heaven. But Scripture teaches otherwise: Because we are born with a sin nature, Jesus' death was absolutely essential for us to enter heaven. Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).

C. Forty-two percent of Americans believe Jesus was merely human, not divine—and that He rebelled against the Father during His lifetime. But Christ had to be absolutely holy for His death to pay the sin-debt of humanity.

D. Six out of ten adults believe Satan doesn't really exist—that he is merely a symbol of evil. As a result, they will find it almost impossible to identify and avoid evil.

E. Of those surveyed, the majority of men and women under the age of 25 think that all beliefs are equally valid. The hopelessness they feel is reflected in school shootings and other crimes committed by young people.

F. Some seminaries teach their students to doubt the Word of God; the result is that fewer and fewer pastors are grounded in biblical principles. It's not surprising that many people in our country lack a Christ-centered moral compass.

As you look at these sad statistics, there is no doubt that Paul will be right when he says the world will be totally caught off guard when the rapture happens and then the Day of the Lord begins. But how sad that most who profess to be Christ followers will ALSO be surprised....because they don't know their Bibles, they don't want to know their Bibles, and even if they do know their Bible...they simply don't believe it.

Boiling Over

Also in the Wall Street Journal today is this headline;
America Is at Risk of Boiling Over

The biggest political change in my lifetime is that Americans no longer assume that their children will have it better than they did. This is a huge break with the past, with assumptions and traditions that shaped us.

The country I was born into was a country that had existed steadily, for almost two centuries, as a nation in which everyone thought—wherever they were from, whatever their circumstances—that their children would have better lives than they did.

Parents now fear something has stopped. They think they lived through the great abundance, a time of historic growth in wealth and material enjoyment. They got it, and they enjoyed it, and their kids did, too: a lot of toys in that age, a lot of Xboxes and iPhones. (Who is the most self-punishing person in America right now? The person who didn't do well during the abundance.) But they look around, follow the political stories and debates, and deep down they think their children will live in a more limited country, that jobs won't be made at a great enough pace, that taxes—too many people in the cart, not enough pulling it—will dishearten them, that the effects of 30 years of a low, sad culture will leave the whole country messed up. And then there is the world: nuts with nukes, etc.

See it here; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703748904575411713335505250.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

Many of us watchers have been saying that another civil war is brewing for America. Of course if the state of California quits paying it's welfare checks in Los Angeles and Oakland a civil war could break out there. And that may spread to Illinois, New Jersey, Nevada, New York and others as they start bouncing welfare payments.

But there are even more boiling points than simply the poor on welfare. She accurately ends her article with this sentence;

Inner pessimism and powerlessness: That is a dangerous combination.

U.S Sells Fighter Jets to Israel's Enemies

Wow!! What a week to be gone and away from the news in Wyoming! Firestorms in Russia, massive flooding in Pakistan and China, a border gun-fight between Israel and Lebanon....things are continuing to heat up!!

Thanks much to Lisa H. and Mike S. for filling in as "guest bloggers" last week. I can see by their excellent posts and well connected dots that many of us are on the EXACT same page.

Today the headline on the Wall Street Journal front page reads;
U.S. to Sell F-15's to Saudis

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration plans to sell advanced F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia but won't equip them with long-range weapons systems and other arms whose inclusion was strongly opposed by Israel, diplomats and officials said.

The proposed $30 billion, 10-year arms package, which would be one of the biggest single deals of its kind, has been a source of behind-the-scenes tension during months of negotiations. Israeli officials have repeatedly conveyed their concerns in private that the U.S. risks undermining its military advantage by equipping regional rivals with top-flight technologies.

But the scope and size of the Saudi deal has unnerved Israel and its allies in Congress at a time when U.S.-Israeli relations are particularly unsteady.

See it here; http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704268004575417351686379586.html

Repeat after me, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you," says God.

Pure and simple, America was made great by God to incubate Israel so she could return to center stage in the VERY LAST DAYS and fulfill all prophecy that encompasses the epicenter of Jerusalem.

If we continue to "unnerve" Israel....how long can we expect to keep our blessings? Answer; don't be surprised if America comes apart...and it could happen any day now. We are 100% ripe for judgment.

Please continue praying for our leaders that they can discern the Truth (sent by Jesus Christ) from the lies. (Father of all Lies is Satan) But even if they can't please help us stay faithful to our Lord and Savior even if (when?) all blessings are ripped away from us.