Plague of Locusts Persists

 These bugs have been in the news for almost a year now!  Clouds of locusts so thick they blot out the sun and destroy everything green in their path.  “There will be famine”.

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Somalia has announced a state of emergency on Wednesday, February 4, 2021, as the nation battles a new generation of desert locust swarms that have already caused major damage to farmlands. Meanwhile, infestations are ongoing in Saudi Arabia, posing risks that any locusts that escape control could form adult groups that would likely move inland.

Somalia is facing humanitarian needs never witnessed before as the country is battling locusts, as well as flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) initially warned that the fleet of anti-locust aircraft in Kenya and Somalia could be grounded as the funding fell short of 38 million dollars. 

The intensity of the locust outbreak over the East African region has been blamed on climate change. The state of emergency declared in Somalia is in effect particularly in the southern areas.

In a statement, FAO said, "rains and winds are two of the most favorable conditions for desert locusts to multiply rapidly and spread to areas where they had been under control."

https://watchers.news/2021/02/05/somalia-declares-state-of-emergency-over-new-locust-invasion-infestation-persists-in-saudi-arabia/

No Flesh Would Survive

 Wars and rumors of war are all around us.  It would seem that the world is getting ready for some sort of massive clash.  What would cause it?  How about a financial meltdown?  How about disputes over the South China sea and the "territory" that China is dredging up off the sea floor?  How about some type of misunderstanding with Russia, Turkey or Iran?  What if Turkey, Iran and Russia decide to take care of the "Israel problem"?

Here's quite a headline speaking of nuclear war.  And of course the danger with a war between nuclear states would happen if one side saw itself being swallowed by their enemy and "pushed the button" in hopes staving off total destruction.

Adm. Charles Richard, head of US Strategic Command, stressed that while the prospect of nuclear war is "low," it is not "impossible, particularly in a crisis." The assessment comes as the US and Russia extended the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty for five years.

Richard, whose command is responsible, among other things, for the US's strategic and nuclear deterrence, wrote that while the prospect of nuclear war was currently "low," it is not "impossible, particularly in a crisis," he maintained.

The admiral warned that China and Russia have "begun to aggressively challenge international norms" in "ways not seen since the height of the Cold War." Richard cited a rise in cyberattacks and "threats in space," as well as their investment in advanced arms such as nuclear weapons.

He added that the acceleration of Russia and China's strategic capabilities and witnessing the progress they have been able to make were "sobering."

"China continues to make technological leaps in capabilities in every domain," Richard wrote. "Across its conventional weapons systems, it continues to invest significant resources in hypersonic and advanced missile systems, as well as to expand its space and counter-space capabilities."

The admiral further explained that although China has maintained a No First Use policy with regard to nuclear weapons since the 1960s, it has, however, pursued a buildup of advanced capabilities.

"There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons, if they perceived a conventional loss would threaten the regime or state," he continued.

Here;  https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/02/04/nuclear-war-with-china-or-russia-a-very-real-possibility-top-us-general-warns/

Jesus tells us plainly that things will one day get so bad on planet earth that if he didn't return to stop the carnage that NO FLESH would survive.  Clearly he is not speaking of a war with bows and arrows or even guns and grenades.  He's speaking of a time when the nuclear powers on earth,(who remain after the rapture) combined with famine, demon worship, drug use, and plagues, decide to push the button and destroy their enemies with one final act.  And of course we know that there are enough nukes on planet earth right now to destroy the earth 10 times over.

So as we watch the headlines we are sad to see where the lost, sinful men are headed but joyful to know that Jesus is in control of the whole shootin' match and nothing currently happening is outside of His control.  And even more thankful that the Bride of Christ will not be suffering through this soon-coming hell on earth.

Biden; Fundamentally Trans-forming America

 This shouldn't surprise us.  Lot's to examples of the end coming like a flood.  Not too many years ago it was a big deal when Ellen shared her first lesbian kiss on national TV.  Most Americans were appalled and it made the 24-7 news cycle for days.

Today we can't watch TV without seeing commercials that show grown men kissing on the mouth, or men dressed like women touting the latest drug to take before gay sex that can help you avoid AIDS.

Your parents who died 20 years ago would not recognize what this nation has become with it's quick turn to perversion.

Joe Biden insisted that his administration would "look like America." If that's true, most Americans are ready for an extreme makeover. A week and a half in, the majority would agree: nothing this White House has done comes even close to resembling their values. 

Instead, it's been a 13-day parade of far-Left extremism that's snuffed out any hope that this president's "whole soul" is actually in "bringing America together." What it's in, as far as the Washington Post can tell, is an LGBT agenda that will blow the doors off of modern convention.

Already, the Post insists, Biden is the most "pro-transgender president in history"--easily beating out eight years of Barack Obama on Day 1. Within hours, he'd thrown down the gauntlet on the military, schools, federal agencies, and any other workplace with a legitimate reason to respect the biological sexes. 

It was Biden's way of warning America: the days of feigning respect for both sides of the gender debate are over. "The president has made it clear that he intends to weaponize the law to crush dissent," Alliance Defending Freedom's Kristen Waggoner said solemnly.

 "That impacts not just people of faith, but all Americans who want to live life according to their convictions." In a pluralistic society, she argued. The government should not be allowed to "single out and punish" people who hold a different view.

Unfortunately for Americans who worry about the fallout of this extremism (and there are plenty on both sides), the LGBT dogma lives loudly in Biden. The new president will stop at nothing to usher in an era where the desires of the .4 percent are elevated above the other 99.6 in national security, education, privacy, competition, corporate autonomy, health care, and freedom--and usually, at the expense of proven science.

Here;  Biden: Fundamentally Trans-Forming America (prophecynewswatch.com)

Please pray for Biden and the Democrats that are very quickly turning us into an even worse stench in God's nostrils.  Did we also mention that Biden will be the most pro-abortion president to ever grace the office?  The blood of millions of babies are crying out to their Creator for justice.  When will our cup of sin be full to overflowing?  When will God say, "Enough!"?

Twitter Silences Group for Accurately Defining Transgender

Jim Daly from Focus on the Family is describing how Twitter cancelled a Christian group for accurately describing Biden’s pick for assistant secretary for Department of Health.  Under Joe Biden’s leadership, and the angry godless horde of Democrats leading him, unity will be impossible. You will either agree with exactly what they say or you will be silenced. In the world of delusional Democrats, once a full grown man speaks the words, “I am a woman”, from that day forward he is a woman until he rescinds his words!  Any questioning about it will be considered hate speech and you will be silenced!

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“Dr. Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.”

Daly said the appeal to Twitter about the suspension was denied. 

“Over the course of the last week, President Biden has been stressing the need for unity – but his actions since taking office are all about demanding uniformity,” Daly wrote. “There appears to be no room for convictional disagreement.You will comply – or be silenced.”

Daly included in his blog a list of others who have been silenced on social media.

• Curt Schilling — had his insurance dropped by AIG; may not make Hall of Fame today because of statements supporting conservative causes

• Brandon Eich — Mozilla CEO, ousted after it was discovered he’d privately given money in support of California’s anti-gay marriage referendum in the past

• Martina Navratilova — thrown off LGBT advocacy board and loses speaking engagements and documentary after arguing that transgender male athletes shouldn’t be able to compete in women’s sports

• JK Rowling — prevented from getting last book published because of tweets making distinctions between the sexes

• Ariel Pink dropped from record label for attending Trump rally, not to mention all of the people who have been fired from jobs for attending the January 6 rally, regardless of whether they even came near the Capitol

• CrossFit founder Greg Glassman forced to sell company after making remarks critical of the rioting last year

 https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/01/30/twitter-suspends-christian-group-for-accurately-describing-bidens-transgendered-health-official-dr-levines-biological-sex/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0xpLfwzp3OExzHC9PqckQ4sTtcy5vjtvsrn32OOdqeWFQt8SK_6JHjFN0

Explosion of Christianity in China Has Government Worried

 This article will go well with my previous article.

Fear not little children!  God has this China thing all under control.  Jesus is coming and He will sit on David's throne and even the gates of hell will not overcome all these plans.

As Christianity rapidly grows in China, Chinese president Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party are clamping down, fearing that the size of the Christian church may eventually force them to share power.

The size of the Church in China is set to rise impressively in the coming decades. Up 16 million from just a decade ago, if it continues to grow at its current pace (between 7 and 8 percent each year), it may reach 300 million people by 2030 - creating a collective people big enough to challenge Xi's government.

However, as the number of Christians in the country grows, so does the level of pressure from the government to conform. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power, the government has increasingly sought to tighten its grip on religious groups.

The Communist Party relies strongly on Chinese cultural identity to stay in power, and works hard to make sure nothing in the country is a threat to the absolute authority of the Party. In just three years, the country has risen 26 places on the Open Doors persecution list, reflecting the intensity of the increasing oppression.

Dr Ron Boyd-MacMillan, director of Strategic Research at Open Doors said "We think the evidence as to why the Chinese Church is so targeted, is that the leaders are scared of the size of the Church, and the growth of the Church". 

"And, you know, the Chinese leadership, they really do long term planning, I mean, their economic plan goes to 2049, so this bothers them. Because I think if the Church continues to grow like that, then they'll have to share power," Dr Boyd-MacMillan added.

China's "sinicization campaign" was introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2015 and seeks to bring religion under the official atheist party's absolute control and into line with Chinese culture.  According to a five-year plan to sinicize Protestant churches released by the Chinese religious authorities, efforts to make the faith more 'Chinese' include a rewrite of the New Testament using Buddhist scripture and Confucian teachings to champion socialist ideals.

Here;  https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4539

Chinese War Planes Test Run Attack on US Carrier

 About a decade ago I had lunch with a dude who has a top clearance for a military contractor.  He told me then that even though all eyes were on the middle east that the next major war was going to start in the South China Sea.  

As you know China has been dredging up the sea floor and piling it all in one place until an "island" emerges.  They then cover the "island" in cement and stick a Chinese flag on it and say, "Stay away from our territory or we will consider it an act of war!"

Of course this is illegal.  But who do you suppose enforces international law in matters like this?  France?  Brazil?  Germany?  Nope.  You guessed it.  America!

So we fly our planes and sail our carriers through the South China Sea on a regular basis to PROVE that dredging up sea floor doesn't change the map, shipping lanes or flight lanes one single degree.

On Jan. 23, Chinese bombers and fighter jets simulated an attack on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) aircraft carrier as the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group entered the contested South China Sea.

Eight Chinese H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets appeared to practice an attack on the aircraft carrier, the Financial Times initially reported based on the accounts of officials familiar with intelligence surrounding the simulated attack. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson Capt. Mike Kafka later confirmed the reported attack in a statement to Business Insider on Friday.

“The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group closely monitored all People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and Air Force (PLAAF) activity, and at no time did they pose a threat to US Navy ships, aircraft, or Sailors,” Kafka said.

Kafka went on to say, “The PLA activities highlighted here, are the latest in a string of aggressive and destabilizing actions.”

The Financial Times reported the Chinese H-6 bomber pilots were heard, in intercepted radio transmissions, confirming orders to simulate targeting and releasing anti-ship missiles against the U.S. aircraft carrier.

Kafka said, “These actions reflect a continued PLA attempt to use its military as a tool to intimidate or coerce those operating in international waters and airspace, to include their neighbors and those with competing territorial claims,” adding the “United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, demonstrating resolve through our operational presence throughout the region.”

Here;  https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/02/chinese-warplanes-test-ran-an-attack-on-us-aircraft-carrier-while-in-south-china-sea/

Does it seem like bad news is coming at us 24 hours per day?  Yes it does!  But here is a better way to look at it all so you don't spill your cocoa all over your PJ's....it's not 'bad' news!  It's simply "interesting" news!  As Bible readers we read the news every day and read our Bible's even more and say, "So cool!  All of this is shaping up EXACTLY as God said it would!"  And then go about your day filled with the JOY OF THE LORD!

Now let's go in peace and serve the Lord!

A Stench in God's Nostrils?

 I realize all of us humans are pathetic, perverted, selfish sinners.  I also realize that the mark of a follower of Christ is that WE DO REALIZE this.  If you weren't a follower of Christ you would have no shame whatsoever for having sex with a prostitute while on a business trip.  You would have no regrets over how hammered drunk you got after softball on Friday night...in fact you would brag about it!  You would have no remorse over spending hours viewing porn of all nasty sorts.  If anyone questioned you on any of your behaviors you would simply say, "Back off!  I was born this way!"  They may even throw a "Don't judge lest ye be judged!" at you when you part ways.

And yes, I do realize that most of America is not what you would call "God fearing."  I believe that is a change that has occurred over the last 100 years.  I believe that most of our grandparents may not have been mature followers of Christ but I would bet that most of them were "God fearing".  They knew there was a creator and they believed that one day they would have to give an account to Him...and that it might not go well for them on judgment day.  They knew that there was "right and wrong" and that most of those definitions were derived from the Bible.

That can no longer be true today.  The Left is pushing hard for America to shed it's Judeo/Christian heritage and run full-steam ahead into hedonism and humanism.  In this new America desired by the Left, men can have babies and menstruate.  Women can have penises and beards.  Young children can tell teachers what gender they choose or even what species they choose if they identify as non-human.  And very soon polyamory and polygamy will be accepted and celebrated.  

Sadly, our new President Biden seems intent on doing everything in his power to make sure we give the middle finger to the God of the Universe, every single chance he gets.  Maybe he figured out how to do this by reading from the book of "Palms"?

BIDEN ALLOWS LGBT FLAGS TO BE RAISED OVER US EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE

The Biden administration proudly announced a commitment to public displays of “gay pride” when newly appointed Secretary of State Anthony Blinken lifted a ban on rainbow “gay rights” flags being displayed at US embassies. 

Many mainstream media are mistakenly touting the flag ban that was instituted during the Trump administration as an anti-gay measure. In fact, the ban against rainbow flags was initiated by  Defense Secretary Mark Esper as part of an initiative that also banned Confederate flags at embassies as well as military bases. 

“The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols,” Esper stated in the memo.

In 2019, the State Department rejected requests from US embassies in at least three countries to fly a rainbow banner next to the American flag in honor of Gay Pride month which falls in June. The rainbow flag was allowed to be displayed elsewhere on embassy grounds, however.

Vice President Pence defended the policy, calling it “the right decision.” “[W]hen it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies,” he told NBC News.

Blinken, who was confirmed last Tuesday, also said the White House will appoint a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons, a position established under the Obama administration but which remained unfilled under Trump. It should be noted that Richard Grenell became the first openly gay cabinet member when Trump appointed him Acting Director of National Intelligence in 2020. 

As justification for his proposed measures, Blinken claimed that attacks based on sexual-orientation bias were on the rise. FBI statistics contradict this statement, showing that gender identity hate-crimes spiked in 2014 under Obama and dropped in 2017 after Trump was elected. show that of the approximately 7,000  single-bias incidents, less than 16% were motivated by sexual orientation bias. Though this may be true, it is disturbing to note that the worst anti-gay attack in US history took place in June 2016 when Omar Mateen, an Afghani Muslim American, shot and killed 49 people, and injuring 53 in a shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub. It was the deadliest shooting by a single shooter in United States history until the Las Vegas Strip shooting on October 1, 2017.

Blinken also pledged to “repudiate” the Commission for Unalienable Rights that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo created in 2019. The commission’s stated purpose was to “provide the Secretary of State advice and recommendations concerning international human rights matters…grounded in our nation’s founding principles and the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Here;  https://www.israel365news.com/164866/biden-allows-lgbt-flags-to-be-raised-over-american-embassies-worldwide/

How long can America remain great as we celebrate perversion, export abortion while killing millions of our own, glorify drug abuse, drunkenness and destroy God's plans of marriage to raise the next generation? 

Some pastors I listen to have already declared that God has delivered this nation for judgement.  I wouldn't argue that we don't deserve it.  Joe Biden and his ilk seem to actually be provoking the Lord.

So keep your joy, keep scattering seeds while using your gifts and talents and realize that no matter what happens to America in the next years it will all be a distant memory in glory for most my readers in 30-40 years.