Pot Churches Spring Up in the Land of Fruit and Nuts

So what could be wrong with getting stoned on pot with your pastor at church and then summoning the "spirit of weed" and believing that Jesus will answer you?

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Services at the Coachella Valley Church begin and end with the Lord’s Prayer.

In between, there is the sacrament.

“Breathe deep and blow harder,” intoned Pastor Grant Atwell after distributing small marijuana joints to 20 worshipers on a recent Sunday afternoon. “Nail the insight down, whether you get it from marijuana or prayer. Consider what in your own life you are thankful for.”

A middle-aged man wearing a “Jesus Loves You” baseball cap piped up. “Thank you, God, for the weed,” he called out. “I’m thankful for the spirit of cannabis,” a woman echoed from the back. “I am grateful to be alive,” said another young woman, adding that she had recently overdosed — on what, she did not say — for the third time.

The small room, painted black and gold and decorated with crosses and Rastafarian symbols, filled with pungent smoke after an hour-long service of Christian prayers, self-help slogans and inspirational quotes led by Atwell, a Campbell, Calif., massage therapist and photographer.

Despite its mainstream Christian trappings, the Coachella Valley Church describes itself as a Rastafarian church, something that’s tough to define. Rastafari is a political and religious movement that originated in Jamaica. Combining elements of Christianity, pan-Africanism and mysticism, the movement has no central authority. Adherents use marijuana in their rituals.

Here;  https://californiahealthline.org/news/high-praise-pot-churches-proliferate-as-states-ease-access-to-marijuana/

In the last days men will surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear!  And certainly this "pastor" who hands out joints to get his congregation stoned on the spirit of cannabis will one day have to bow at Jesus feet and give an explanation for why he purposely led these people astray.

Hat tip to Kevin W.

Potential Positive Changes Coming for Saudi Arabia and Iran

When you get a few minutes, this is a good read on the changes that are being demanded by the citizens of SA and Iran.  We have no way of knowing if the hardliner/Muslims will allow this on the Sunni and Shi'ite side of things.  Remember SA is Sunni and Iran is Shi'ite....and they can't stand each other.

Also remember that Iran is Persia which descended from Shem and SA are Arabs that descended from Ham. So the Persians are closer cousins to Jews than they are Arabs.  Just sayin'...

The biggest question about the recent protests in Iran — combined with the recent lifting of religious restrictions in Saudi Arabia — is whether together they mark the beginning of the end of the hard-right puritanical turn that the Muslim world took in 1979, when, as Middle East expert Mamoun Fandy once observed, “Islam lost its brakes” and the whole world felt it.

The events of 1979 diminished the status of women, pluralism and modern education across the Arab-Muslim region, and they fueled religious extremist groups like Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and ISIS, whose activities have brought ruin to so many innocent Muslims and non-Muslims alike — and so many metal detectors to airports across the globe.

I know a bit about 1979. I began my career then as a cub reporter in Beirut, where I promptly found myself writing about the following events: the ayatollahs’ takeover in Iran, creating a hard-right Shiite clerical regime bent on spreading its Islamic revolution and veiling of women across the Muslim world; and the takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by puritanical Sunni extremists, which freaked out the Saudi ruling family. The family reacted by purging music, fun and entertainment from their desert kingdom, strengthening the hold of the religious police over their society and redoubling the export of the most misogynist, antipluralistic interpretation of Islam to mosques and madrasas from London to Jakarta.

In addition, 1979 saw the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. encouragement of Islamist mujahedeen fighters, funded by Saudi Arabia, to defeat the Russians there. It also saw the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, which sharply curbed the growth of nuclear power in America. That nuclear freeze, the turmoil in the Middle East and Deng Xiaoping’s 1978 move to unleash capitalism in China helped to increase demand for fossil fuels. So Iran and Saudi Arabia had more money than ever to compete over who could spread their respective version of fundamentalist Islam farther.

But today Iran and Saudi Arabia have something new in common: A majority of their populations are under age 30, young people connected through social networks and smartphones. And a growing number of them are fed up with being told how to live their lives by old, corrupt or suffocating clerics — and they want to bury 1979 and everything it brought. 

Read the entire article here;  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/opinion/iran-saudi-youth-1979.html

Also remember that Iran is going to play a large part in the plan to destroy Israel as spelled out in Ezekiel 38....so we are going to guess that Iran isn't going to turn into peace, love, unicorns, rainbows and cotton candy for everyone...anytime soon.

But Saudi Arabia is reportedly making closer ties with Israel than ever before.

Remember the old Arab saying, "My enemies enemy is my friend...for now."

Extraterrestrial Stone Found in Egypt

This report is interesting to ponder.

A small pebble discovered in Egypt is challenging current understanding of the solar system. The analysis suggests that the diamond-filled stone has extraterrestrial origins and contains compounds that predate the Sun.

Named After Hypatia Of Alexandria
The Hypatia stone was picked up from the Libyan Desert Glass Field and named after the ancient astronomer Hypatia of Alexandria.

Earlier analyses of the stone revealed that it contains micromineral compounds that are not found anywhere on the planet or any known meteorite. The compounds are not even found elsewhere in the solar system.

Now, findings of a new study published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta found that the alien rock also lacks silicate minerals, which make it more unique from other known materials in the solar system. The stone also contains minerals that appear to predate the Sun.

Other findings were also peculiar. Researchers discovered that the pebble has aluminum in its pure metallic form, which rarely, if it ever occurs, in the solar system. They also discovered silicon carbide, or moissanite and silver iodine phosphide in unexpected forms as well as a compound that is mainly composed of nickel and phosphorus but with no iron, a bizarre mineral composition never seen before on Earth and in other alien materials.

Its features suggest that the Hypatia is composed of unchanged materials that could be older than the Sun, albeit, it is believed to have formed after the solar system's formation.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/218469/20180110/egyptian-stone-contains-extraterrestrial-compounds-not-found-elsewhere-in-the-solar-system.htm

What??  They found a stone on earth and the elements in it don't even exist in our SOLAR SYSTEM??

Next the article goes on to explain to us HOW the universe actually formed.  Oooo!!  This should be good!!

The solar system is believed to have formed from an enormous cloud of interstellar dust. The initial part of this process could be compared to coagulating dust bunnies.

Scientists also think that the interstellar dust, or solar nebula, is homogenous. Hypatia's chemistry, however, challenges these ideas.

Jan Kramers, from the University of Johannesburg, cited the lack of silicate minerals in Hypatia's matrix. In contrast, silicates are dominant in chondritic meteorites, some of the oldest and most primitive materials in the solar system, and planets like Mars, Venus, and Earth.

The findings challenge the models of a planetary formation that posit materials were evenly scattered throughout the protoplanetary disc. Kramers said that if the stone did not predate the Sun, its features indicate that the solar nebula was not homogenous, questioning the generally accepted idea of how the Solar System formed.

"A lack of silicate matter sets the stone apart from interplanetary dust particles and known cometary material. This, along with the dual intermingled matrices internal to it, could indicate a high degree of heterogeneity in the early solar nebula," the researchers wrote in their study.

Hey wait a second!!  How did the enourmous cloud of interstellar dust form??  Who made that?

It would seem that the more science looks at the universe....the fewer answers they have to explain the conundrum of HOW EVERYTHING WE SEE CAME FROM NOTHING AND NOBODY!

Another Powerful Earthquake

Powerful earthquake jolts Caribbean, between Honduras and Cayman Islands

 

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean region between the coast of Honduras and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night.

 

There were no early reports of damage on land following one of the strongest quakes to hit the region in modern times.

 

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said via Twitter in Spanish that Honduras had activated its emergency system and asked people to remain calm.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor struck in the sea about 125 miles north-northeast of Barra Patuca, Honduras, close to 200 miles southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands, and occurred about 6 miles below the surface.

Nonetheless, hazardous tsunami waves were still possible within 621 miles of the quake's epicenter, AccuWeather.com reported, citing the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC).

In fact, tsunami waves of up to 1 foot were possible for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

People near the coast were advised to immediately seek higher ground, the weather network reported.

Tuesday's earthquake came almost exactly eight years after a 7.0 magnitude quake that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, the report said.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/01/10/powerful-earthquake-jolts-caribbean-between-honduras-and-cayman-islands.html

I don't really need to say much about this because my readers know that Jesus said there would be "earthquakes in various places" and we can watch for their intensity and frequency to increase as our Lord's return nears.

Credit Card Debt Hits New Record High

What happens when you want or need things that you don't have the money for? 

Simple!  Your borrow the money by using your credit card!

So what happens when you don't pay it off at the end of the month when your bill comes due?

Simple!  They charge you 18% until you DO pay it off.

Sounds fun!!

Credit card debt hits new record, raising warning sign

Americans' outstanding credit card debt hit a new record in November, highlighting a more confident U.S. consumer but also flashing a warning signal of potential trouble down the road.

Revolving credit, mostly credit cards, increased by $11.2 billion to $1.023 trillion, the Federal Reserve said Monday. That nudged the figure past the $1.021 trillion highwater mark reached in April 2008, just before the housing and credit bubbles burst. Over the past year, revolving credit has surged by $55.1 billion, or 5.7%, according to the Fed and Contingent Macro Research.

Non-revolving credit, such as auto and student loans, rose by $16.8 billion to $2.8 trillion in November.

The new all-time-high for credit card debt doesn’t pose the risks to the economy that existed in 2008 because incomes are higher, says UBS Credit Strategist Stephen Caprio. The ratio of credit card debt to U.S. gross domestic product is about 5%, compared with 6.5% in 2008, he says.

“It’s a potential early warning sign but not a financial stability issue” for the broader economy, Caprio says.

Still, Caprio notes that credit card delinquencies have increased to about 7.5% from 7% a year ago, underscoring, growing stresses for low-income households in particular. While that’s still below the 15% delinquency rate reached during the financial crisis and the 9% historical average, he says the increase over the past year raises some concerns. With jobs and income growing, the rise isn’t creating significant problems now but it could if the economy and labor market take a downward turn.

“People should make 2018 the year they focus on knocking down their credit card debt,” says Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst for CreditCards.com. With the Federal Reserve continuing to raise interest rates, “that credit card debt is going to grow faster and faster,” siphoning off money Americans should be putting aside for retirement,” Schulz said.

Here;  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/01/08/credit-card-debt-hits-new-record-raising-warning-sign/1014921001/

Earlier in 2017 this same newspaper also reported that 70% of Americans don't have $1000 in savings....so we really aren't sure how many of these credit card users are actually saving for retirement.

It would appear that a slow motion train-wreck is coming to America.  We keep seeing all the signs that the train is about to come off the rails but we figure that we can certainly keep going down the same tracks for another day!

"Why think about tomorrow when there is so much fun to be had today?"....says the 26 year old man living in his mother's basement as he signs the loan papers for a $70,000 jacked-up truck.

Israeli Missiles Target Damascus Military Outposts

Anytime you see a headline with Israel and Damascus mentioned in the same headline, your prophetic eyes should perk up.

Today we find this;

Syria: Israeli missiles target Damascus military outposts

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's military accused Israel of launching missiles targeting its outposts near Damascus in a wave of three pre-dawn attacks Tuesday and claimed that the Syrian air force hit one of the Israeli jets and shot down several of the missiles.

In a statement, the army said the Syrian air defense confronted the early morning attacks on military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh in the Damascus countryside.

Several missiles were first launched from Lebanese airspace at 2:40 a.m., followed by two ground to ground missiles at 3:04 a.m. that were launched from the occupied Golan Heights and four missiles at 4:14 a.m., launched from the Tiberias area, or the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel, the statement said.

The military said the attacks caused material damage.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the matter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to ambassadors of NATO countries in Israel on Tuesday, said the policies had not changed.

Here;  https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/syria-israeli-missiles-target-damascus-military-outposts-1.505843

As long time readers know, we are watching Isaiah 17 which tells us clearly that Damascus will one day be so destroyed that no one will ever live there again.

We can see pictures from Damascus that some parts have already been turned to rubble.  What do you suppose will happen if some Islamic yahoos decide to launch a chemical attack on Israel from Damascus?

Ummm.....it will be gone...and made into a heap of ruins...very suddenly.

Isaiah 17
A prophecy against Damascus:

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.
2 The cities of Aroer will be deserted
    and left to flocks, which will lie down,
    with no one to make them afraid.
In the evening, sudden terror!
    Before the morning, they are gone!
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

Scientists Just Found Proof of 4th Dimension

The Bible has always pointed to a 4th and maybe a 5th dimension.

Think about it, God knows the beginning of history from the end of history which means he created time FOR US and can go backwards and forwards in it...so time must be a dimension that can be used by beings who understand it.

Also, think of the angels and WHERE they are currently living?

And where do you think Jesus has been for the last 2000 years?  The Bible says He is very much alive and is preparing a place for us that consists of many mansions and many rooms.  It must be an awesome place, but yet we can't see it with our human eyes.

In light of that, this headline today is interesting.  It seems that science is finally catching up to what the Bible has said all along.

Scientists Just Found Proof of a Fourth Dimension

What is the fourth dimension?

It depends on who you talk to—some people think it's the dimension of time, like in Donnie Darko. Others think it's another dimension of space, like the designer of the game Miegakure.

No one's quite sure—the fourth dimension mystifies even scientists like Micho Kaku, who said he felt like Alice in Wonderland after reading up on it. However, two new studies published in Nature have started to give a better picture of the fourth dimension.

Two teams of physicists created two separate experiments that simulated what the quantum Hall effect would look like in four dimensions by using only 3-D (and some nearly 2-D) materials. Essentially, the scientists figured out how to visualize fourth-dimensional phenomena in our lower, simpler third dimension.

The applications of this are still incredibly abstract, but there may be some sci-fi levels of payoff once we wrap our heads around the fourth dimension, according to Mikael Rechtsman, one the authors of the new papers: "Maybe we can come up with new physics in the higher dimension and then design devices that take advantage the higher-dimensional physics in lower dimensions."

If you're wondering what the quantum Hall effect is, you can watch this short video explaining it:

Here;  https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/17464-scientists-found-proof-fourth-dimension

Also lets remember what Paul clearly said!  What we are experiencing now as humans isn't REAL in that it is only temporary!  It's ONLY the things that we can't see (Jesus, angels, eternity) that are real in that they are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2017 was Most Expensive Year on Record for US Natural Disasters

The Bible says that the earth is groaning....as it looks forward to the time when Jesus will come and remove the curse that has been hanging over it since Adam sinned and then Noah survived a global flood.

It does seem that earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and floods are increasing.

The leftists blame it all on "Climate change".

Those with a Biblical world view see things differently....

Most expensive year on record for US natural disasters

The US experienced a record year of losses from fires, hurricanes and other weather related disasters in 2017, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).

Total losses amounted to $306bn the agency said, over $90bn more than the previous record set in 2005.

Last year saw 16 separate events with losses exceeding $1bn, including Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Noaa confirmed that 2017 was the third warmest year on record for the US.

Last year witnessed two Category 4 hurricanes make landfall in the States.

Hurricane Harvey produced major flooding as a result of a storm surge and extreme rain. Nearly 800,000 people needed help. Researchers have already shown that climate change increased the likelihood of the observed rainfall by a factor of at least 3.5.

Noaa says the total costs of the Harvey event were $125bn, which is second only to Hurricane Katrina in terms of costs over the 38 years the record has been maintained.

Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 storm for the longest period on record. Rain gauges in Nederland, Texas, recorded 1,539mm, the largest ever recorded for a single event in the mainland US. Hurricanes Irma and Maria cost $50bn and $90bn respectively.

As well as hurricanes, there were devastating fires in western states, particularly in California. While last winter and spring saw heavy rains in the region that alleviated a long-term drought, the resulting boom in vegetation created abundant wildfire fuel. Fires in both the north and south of California meant hundreds of thousands of residents had to be evacuated from their homes.

Here;  http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42608161

CDC to Prepare Americans for Nuclear Detonation in America

I remember back in the 1970's when one of our teachers played an old video from the 1950's called "Duck and Cover".  It showed school kids seeing a flash out the window while sitting in school and quickly would dive under their desks.  It showed a boy riding his bike when he see a nuclear flash and falls off his bike and quickly dives under a park bench.

The voice of the narrator said that we could never know if a nuclear explosion would be in our future but if you do see one, DUCK AND COVER!

Of course we all thought the video was great fun!  It was in black and white and even though was only made 25 years earlier, it seemed silly for a variety of reasons.

Today we have North Korea openly threatening USA with nuclear attack....so maybe the CDC is about ready to reveal a new version of DUCK AND COVER.

‘Preparing For The Unthinkable’: CDC To Hold Briefing On How To Prepare The Public For a Nuclear Detonation In America

Amid rising tensions between the United States and North Korea, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention have scheduled a briefing for later this month that will teach healthcare professionals how to better prepare the public for a nuclear detonation in America.

The “teaching session” will target doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, pharmacists, veterinarians, certified health education specialists, laboratory scientists, and others and will be held January 16th.

A posting on the CDC website outlines the agencies “Public Health Response to a Nuclear Detonation” which details the need to be able to inform the public on how to possibly survive such an attack.

“While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps. Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness,” the notice reads.

“For instance, most people don’t realize that sheltering in place for at least 24 hours is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation. While federal, state, and local agencies will lead the immediate response efforts, public health will play a key role in responding.”

Here;  https://christianjournal.net/external/preparing-for-the-unthinkable-cdc-to-hold-briefing-on-how-to-prepare-the-public-for-a-nuclear-detonation-in-america/

"While people are saying 'Peace and safety', destruction will come upon them suddenly.'...is the Bible verse that runs through my head.

I personally don't believe that we will see a nuclear war BEFORE the rapture of the church.  This would be a devastating event that doesn't meet the parameters of Jesus telling us that the world will be buying, selling, planting, building, marrying and giving marriage.  He seems to be telling us that the world will just be going about all it's "business as normal" right up until the time when the trumpet blows and He calls His bride up into the sky to meet him.